Chapter 49: New Siege Machinery

General Chen protested, “If that’s the case, why did you make me stop Chen Mu from crossing the river? If it weren’t for that, how would I have lost so many soldiers?” Those soldiers had served under General Chen for many years; they were originally stationed by Great Xia as a guard against Persia and shared a deep bond with him. Otherwise, they would never have joined his rebellion simply on his word. But now, nearly all of them had perished.

...

The young master was no longer a child. He was an adult now, and in the palace, he was in charge of a detachment of guards. He could no longer be treated as someone ignorant of the world. Her tears fell all the more fiercely. In truth, she had thought of taking the fall for this man, but hearing it from Lin Pei’s lips was nothing short of ironic... ironic that all her years of devotion had been in vain.

Her legs were sprawled out carelessly, her back unstraightened; one hand propped up her cheek while the other reached for grapes. There was nothing ladylike about her manners. The speed at which she ate made her seem like a ravenous spirit reborn, and her hair was styled in a bizarre fashion. Apart from her face, there was not a single resemblance to her elder sister.

The Serpent Fist spirit seemed to have borne it long enough; with a sweep of its will, it shattered the Soulfire of the Celestial Plumed Lion.

This was the deepest lesson Gong Shen had learned in his journey to this day: in battle, a single moment’s hesitation could mean death and the dispersal of one’s soul. Regret, then, would come too late.

Xiao Ruyue promptly snatched the fat grub and tossed it into the Cold Jade Box to calm down. Yet, after swallowing several pills, the box could no longer be closed. The grub, now full of itself, bounced here and there, running wild in reckless play.

Lin Shu nodded and said, “This method is bound to work. If you don’t believe me, just wait and see.” Only, for this, Lin Hui would surely be heartbroken for quite some time.

But in truth, one was a wolf at heart and the other a serpent in mind. No matter how fine their outward appearance, it could not conceal the filth within.

“Since the princess has sworn a venomous oath, then I must order you to do something,” the old woman replied, her words veiled and her smile unfathomable, making Yao Ziyan shudder.

The next day, when she went to pay her respects to Madam Lian, the news of Chief Princess Zhangze’s impending arrival had already reached her.

Feng Chenrui, amused, wanted to go wake Lian’er, but after taking a couple of steps, he caught a whiff of sweat from himself. Disgusted, he decided he’d better wash up first before waking her. Letting her sleep a little longer wouldn’t hurt; it was still early, and the return visit was not urgent.

Jiang Liming stood with his hands behind his back, his composure unsettling me to the core. If I were in his place, I’d be thinking of escape, but his calm was almost unnatural.

It turned out that, years ago, after the priest and the general subdued the ten great shamans, each left a fragment of their soul here before departing, awaiting reincarnation. The general’s soul had taken refuge in this yellow-spotted tiger, and at a crucial moment, it manifested to save my life.

When I returned home, the two children were already asleep, but Qiu Qianjian still lingered in Yang Liuer’s room, refusing to leave.

The palace maids glanced around, but ultimately, cowed by the Regent’s authority, all moved aside and opened a path.

Now, she was only staying at the Marquis of Rong’s residence to cooperate with the investigation. As long as she could prove her innocence, nothing would happen. In comparison, her slight discontent was hardly worth mentioning.

That sword, so resilient and sharp, had been shattered by a man’s bare fist.

He’d simply never considered things from this angle before, but that didn’t mean he was stupid. Today’s incident, combined with past rumors, brought everything together—what could remain unclear now?

The speaker was Song Honghong’s elder sister, yet as she spoke, she couldn’t meet my gaze. She was clearly uneasy. Who didn’t know that old mountain ginseng was a priceless treasure? This wasn’t a matter of despising money—it was pure greed. If I were willing to part with it, there would be plenty of buyers; such a thing was truly beyond price.