“Phew…”
Smoke wafted off Li Mo’s body, the heavy stench of bl**d practically suffocating him. He exhaled deeply, feeling utterly drained.
His body was riddled with gaping wounds, his meridians bursting after he had held back the world’s power for so long.
Most of the enemy troops had already scattered, barely daring to look back.
But some disaster beasts had sensed his weakness.
Weakness? Nah, he felt like his body wasn’t even his own anymore.
The only feeling he had…
Man, it was freezing in the South Border winter.
Li Mo swayed, struggling to stay upright. Just when he thought he might topple over, he felt something soft and bouncy instead of the hard ground beneath his head.
He looked up, and wow, there she was—Ying Bing, her ice-cold visage peering down at him, her gaze meeting the perilous stares from those chaotic times.
Her poker face was somehow intimidating, yet…
Lying in her embrace? Now that felt warm and cozy.
Ugh, that annoying sense of security!
Li Mo blinked tiredly and half-joked, “Ice Chunk, you might as well let me just hit the ground.”
Ying Bing wiped the bl**d off his face, her brows knitting together in concern, “Not feeling well?”
“Too comfortable, actually. I’m afraid if I blink too hard, I might just sleep forever.”
“Then go ahead and sleep.”
She removed her jade hairpin, allowing her luscious black hair to cascade down, because let’s face it, that hairpin was clearly not designed for tough situations.
Li Mo: “…?”
Wait a minute, this isn’t how it should go. The mood was all set for her to slap him awake and freak out about him dozing off, right? What happened to the urgency?
Well, at this point, even if she puffed up his handsome face, it probably wouldn’t stop him from sleeping.
His chaotic thoughts weighed down his eyelids more and more.
In the midst of his daze, he could hear the sounds of the city gates behind him, soldiers charging into the fray.
Before he dozed off, the last thing he saw was a feather.
That feather looked exquisitely crafted, something you’d remember at first glance.
If it were a phoenix feather, it probably wouldn’t be any better than this one?
……..
South Gate, King of South Border’s Mansion.
A dusty figure on horseback rushed to the door, and with no time to waste, he flung the door open.
If anyone else did that, they’d be tackled to the ground, but his guards didn’t even bat an eye.
“Where’s my dad?!”
Zhong Zhenyue saw the family steward and barked the question.
“The king has already been called back to the Imperial Capital by His Majesty for official duties days ago. He’s not here anymore.”
The steward wiped the sweat from his brow.
“How is that possible?!” Zhong Zhenyue’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The steward sighed, “I’d never lie to you.”
Zhong Zhenyue felt his answer settling in, refusing to believe it. He rushed into his father’s courtyard, only to find a lone mulberry tree swaying in the cold wind, its branches bare.
He and Zhong Ling searched high and low, but there was no sign of that proud figure he idolized.
“Dad really left… for the Imperial Capital?”
Zhong Zhenyue’s face began pale.
“Commander Qu… lied to us?” Zhong Ling bit her lip until it bled.
What on earth made Qu Sheng lie to them?
Without their dad rushing reinforcements, how could Qingmu City fend off the disaster beasts and massive enemy forces?
Could they even hold out for seven days?
Zhong Zhenyue was too scared to think further.
“Zhenyue, what are you doing?”
“I’m heading back to Qingmu City, to join Brother Li and the guys!”
“What good is that going to do? Are you trying to get yourself killed? We need to catch up with Dad first, to tell him about Qingmu City’s situation. That’s our priority!”
……
Qingyuan Sect, Main Peak Great Hall.
The beast charcoal crackled loudly, echoing throughout the empty hall, creating an atmosphere that felt just a tad too dreary.
The Elders sat in a circle, no one daring to speak up.
“If the South Gate collapses, the flames of war will surely spread to the Eastern Wilderness, and everyone here knows why.”
“That means it’s time for us to make a decision.”
Shang Guan Wencang puffed his dried tobacco, breaking the silence.
“Our roots are here; without Qingyuan, how can we call ourselves the Qingyuan Sect in the future?”
Qian Bufan sighed, nibbling on a meat bun, looking utterly confused.
Ziyang Mansion was their fief given by the court, after all.
A quick note: the options at the top corner allow for switching between simplified and traditional characters, adjusting text size, and changing background color.
If they leave Ziyang Mansion, where can they go to establish their own sect? That would just be someone else’s territory.
Unless they head north or overseas; those areas are basically lawless.
That’d mean their sect exists in name only.
“I say we go head-to-head with those disaster beasts and take a stand on our own turf!”
Elder Han He clenched his fists, furious.
“Elder Han, I like the sound of that!”
Shang Wu, holding up her wine gourd, gave a thumbs up.
“Once I take the throne, I’ll make you a prince, with Elder Qian as our little emperor!”
Clearly, the beauty master was in battle mode, leading with her fighting spirit.
She was truly the inventor of battle tactics!
One sentence and she had likely offended two people at once.
Qian Bufan: “?”
Han He: “?”
Without any backing, you’ve got no right to claim the throne.
“I think we should deal with the immediate necessities first, then observe the situation further.”
Xue Jing furrowed his brows, worry apparent on his face.
But he still reassured everyone, “Isn’t there a King of South Border? He’s a divine general! As long as Qingmu City can hold out a little longer for his reinforcements, this won’t end up being the worst-case scenario.”
With that, the others nodded in agreement, but their concern didn’t wane.
Both of their precious gems were still in Qingmu City.
But those two rascals were probably too proud to regard any danger—surely they could hold out until help arrived?
Yeah, it wouldn’t be the worst-case situation…
Just then, out of nowhere, a flustered Xiao Qian burst in, panting like she had just run a marathon.
“Why are you back? Didn’t you go out for training?” someone asked.
“I was in the Eastern Wilderness and saw a troop of people! They’re from the South Border!”
“They had the flag of the King of South Border!”
???!
Everyone’s faces changed instantly.
The King of South Border was not in the South Border but had appeared in the Eastern Wilderness.
So… who would save Qingmu City now?
Clang!
Shang Wu dropped her wine gourd, her usual carefree demeanor replaced by a hint of panic.
That clueless kid didn’t stick around in Qingmu City, did he?
Surely he wouldn’t be that reckless… wouldn’t…
Shang Wu shook her heart bell forcefully, but after waiting for a response, she heard nothing.
“Shang Wu! What are you doing?”
“He’s my disciple; let’s see who dares lay a finger on him!”
“No, if you go now, he’ll be left in the dust! You’re just signing his d*ath warrant!”
“Don’t stress, we’ll figure it out! First, let’s find out about Xiao Mo and Little Ice Girl’s safety, then we can look for a chance to rescue…”
The Main Peak Great Hall was in chaos.
Meanwhile…
Yantian Sect.
Tian Miao climbed to the peak of the stargazing platform, just like yesterday. Here, only her Master and a select few disciples could ascend.
Before long, she spotted her Master’s astonished figure.
“Master, what’s wrong?”
Tian Miao hurriedly fetched some healing elixirs.
But her Master shook her head, remaining silent. Intrigued, Tian Miao leaned closer and saw her Master holding a jade slip with blue veins running through it.
It read clearly:
“Wang Qianzen, under a single assault of ten thousand, cuts down Han Zhen.”
“Cold Fairy Ying Bing, with her melodic chords, morphs into a True Phoenix, warding off numerous high-tier disaster beasts, cutting down thousands, and routing ten thousand enemy troops from the South Border.”
Tian Miao opened her mouth, yet no sound came out.
Could this be the record from the Qianlong List?
If it were posted on the human list or the earth list, it might just seem too exaggerated!
But there were clearly their names written right there.
How did they achieve that?
“Master, should we send this to the Dragon Gate… or spread it?”
“An unprecedented record, it should naturally reach the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.”
As Tian Miao took the information, the more she read, the more shocked she became.
This might be the most impressive achievement on the Qianlong List in history, considering all its renowned heroes!
