Book 4: Chapter 44 (1) |
At the Yu Heng Sect, Princess Qianyou stared at the figure of An Da in front of her, her eyes filled with anger.
An Da kept his head low, appearing remorseful and filled with regret. An Er stood behind Princess Qianyou, and Gu Lin had a smug expression on his face. Mr. Shui Jing shook his feathered fan, wearing a slightly displeased expression.
“An Da, what did I tell you?” Princess Qianyou angrily demanded.
“Princess, it’s my fault. I couldn’t protect Zhong Shan. But at that time, it was an emergency, and Zhong Shan agreed to let me go to Fengdu City,” An Da said, full of regret.
“Alright, Qianyou, An Da was just worried about you,” Gu Lin interjected, delighting in the situation.
“Hmph, are you going to listen to me or Zhong Shan?” Princess Qianyou snapped.
“An Da knows he was wrong. An Da will go find Zhong Shan immediately,” An Da said promptly.
“Hmph, you’re going to find him? Where will you find him? Just wait here. If Zhong Shan is unharmed, he will definitely return,” Princess Qianyou said angrily.
She had specifically assigned An Da to protect Zhong Shan, but he had disobeyed orders and run to Fengdu City in the middle of it all. Although he eventually saved Princess Qianyou, she couldn’t help but feel frustrated. If An Er had been there alone, they might have escaped just the same. However, An Da’s actions had put Zhong Shan in danger, and he still hadn’t returned.
Hearing what Gu Lin said, Mr. Shui Jing, who was on the side, couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. Did he think Princess Qianyou was looking for Zhong Shan based on his cultivation level?
She glanced at Gu Lin in silence, and her frustration seemed to dissipate somewhat.
Just then, a disheveled figure appeared in the distance, flying toward them.
“Princess, it’s Zhong Shan! He’s back!” An Er exclaimed excitedly.
Everyone looked up and focused on the distant figure.
It was indeed Zhong Shan, still carrying the same large blade and flying steadily towards them.
“Phew~~~~~~~~”
Princess Qianyou quickly flew over, followed closely by An Da and An Er, all heading towards Zhong Shan. Only Gu Lin and Mr. Shui Jing remained behind. Mr. Shui Jing smiled faintly, shaking his feathered fan as he looked towards Zhong Shan in the distance. On the other hand, Gu Lin wore an annoyed expression. Wasn’t he supposed to be dead?
“Mr. Shui Jing, are you okay?” Princess Qianyou flew closer and greeted with joy.
“Princess, I appreciate your concern. I encountered some troops from the Great Dynasty on my way here, but I managed to handle the situation,” Zhong Shan replied with a smile.
“Zhong Shan, if you hadn’t returned, An Da would have sacrificed himself,” An Da quickly added.
“Huh? That dramatic? What happened to you guys later?” Zhong Shan asked.
Then, as they flew toward the Yu Heng Sect, An Da quickly recounted their experiences to Zhong Shan.
Arriving at the Yu Heng Sect, they exchanged greetings with the others, and Zhong Shan continued to listen. He didn’t interrupt and patiently waited until An Da finished speaking.
“So, the Emperor of the Heavenly Dynasty has been resurrected?” Zhong Shan frowned.
“We’re not sure, but we speculate that the Emperor used the Yin energy from the Underworld Spring, refining it for tens of thousands of years, turning himself and his soldiers into zombies. They are now neither living nor dead,” An Da shook his head and explained.
“Regardless, he’s still the Emperor of the Heavenly Dynasty. I’ve already sent Yu Heng Sect members to the capital to report this to him. The Emperor of the Heavenly Dynasty? The land of Shenzhou will be in turmoil again,” Princess Qianyou sighed.
“Hmm,” Zhong Shan nodded.
Even though the Emperor had only one person alongside a hundred thousand zombies, he was still an Emperor. Reestablishing the Heavenly Dynasty wouldn’t be too difficult. The question was, what were the Emperor’s intentions after his resurrection?
“Alright, no one should bring up this matter again in the future. Let’s forget about it,” Princess Qianyou said.
“Yes,” everyone agreed.
“Zhong Shan, now that you’re back, we’ll depart for the Great Yu Empire tomorrow,” Princess Qianyou looked at Zhong Shan and said.
“Okay,” Zhong Shan nodded.
—
Great Yu Empire, Eight Wilderness City.
At the top of the Eight Wilderness City’s tower, General Tiesheng stood with his hand on his large sword, gazing northward. Behind him were several generals, one of whom was the Martial Madman General who had previously competed with Elder Kaiyang from the Kaiyang Sect.
“General, why are we here? We’ve been waiting for so long. Can you give us some information?” Martial Madman General furrowed his brows and asked.
“We’re here to welcome Princess Qianyou of the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty and Prince Gu Lin,” General Tiesheng replied.
“Huh? Princess Qianyou? Prince Gu Lin? Will they pass through Eight Wilderness City? The emissaries from the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty didn’t mention them passing through here. They only said Princess Qianyou went to the Yu Heng Sect,” Martial Madman General said, puzzled.
“The emissaries from the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty didn’t say so, but I’m sure they will come to Eight Wilderness City,” General Tiesheng affirmed.
“Why?” Martial Madman General asked, still perplexed.
“The Grand Marshal said so,” General Tiesheng replied. The Grand Marshal of the Great Yu Empire was Yi Yan.
“Hmm? Then it must be as the Grand Marshal says,” Martial Madman General nodded, taking it for granted. He didn’t even consider why the Grand Marshal was so certain.
“The Grand Marshal is truly remarkable. He can predict Princess Qianyou’s route,” another general commented.
“General, did the Grand Marshal send us here?” asked General Wuchi immediately.
“Yes, under the orders of the Grand Marshal, we are tasked with protecting Princess Qianyou and Prince Gu Lin along the way, and we cannot afford any mistakes,” General Tie Xue replied.
“Yes,” everyone immediately nodded in agreement.
Eight Wilderness City, in the distance.
On top of a white cloud stood Zhong Shan and a group of six people.
“Shui Jing, why are we taking a detour to Eight Wilderness City? Why not head directly to the capital of the Great Yu Empire?” Gu Lin asked.
“Because there are people waiting for us in Eight Wilderness City,” Mr. Shui Jing replied.
“Waiting? Who? I remember we never told anyone about our itinerary,” Gu Lin furrowed his brow.
“We did tell them, we informed the emissary who went ahead,” Mr. Shui Jing said.
“No, I remember. We only told them we were going to Yu Heng Sect; we never mentioned going to Eight Wilderness City, nor did we ask anyone to wait for us,” Gu Lin immediately frowned.
“Telling Yu Heng Sect is the same as telling Eight Wilderness City,” Mr. Shui Jing patiently explained.
“Why?” Gu Lin asked in amazement.
“Although it’s a bit of a detour, Eight Wilderness City is the closest sect to Yu Heng Sect in the Great Yu Empire,” Mr. Shui Jing said.
“Huh?” Gu Lin still didn’t quite understand. The closest was the closest, but what did that have to do with their itinerary? He wasn’t going to Eight Wilderness City; he was headed to the capital of the Great Yu Empire.
“It’s because once we enter the Great Yu Empire, there will be people who want to harm us. Eight Wilderness City is bound to have a contingent of troops waiting for us, escorting us to the capital of the Great Yu Empire,” Mr. Shui Jing explained.
“Harm us? Who dares to harm me?” Gu Lin furrowed his brow.
On the side, Zhong Shan broke into a cold sweat. Who dares to harm you? Anyone would dare if there were benefits involved.
Close your eyes and turn a blind eye, let Mr. Shui Jing continue to torture you.
“Of course, it’s those who hope we’ll die on the territory of the Great Yu Empire, people from the other empires,” Princess Qianyou shook her head and said.
“Are you saying that someone wants us to be in danger, causing a war between the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty and the Great Yu Empire?” Gu Lin finally caught on.
“Yes, although I can protect the Prince temporarily, it’s difficult to be vigilant every time. Therefore, it’s better to have a contingent of troops escorting us, saving us the trouble. Why not take advantage of it?” Mr. Shui Jing chuckled with his feathered fan.
“But we only mentioned Yu Heng Sect at that time. Would the Great Yu Empire send troops to wait in Eight Wilderness City?” Gu Lin wondered.
“They will, definitely,” Princess Qianyou frowned.
“Why?” Gu Lin asked.
“Because the Great Yu Empire also has talented individuals. At the very least, General Yi Yan, the Grand Marshal, knows that we will definitely go to Eight Wilderness City. So, there will definitely be a large army waiting in Eight Wilderness City,” Princess Qianyou affirmed with certainty.
As they spoke, the group flew over several mountains and finally saw the outline of a city in the distance.
The group flew calmly, not in a hurry, but from the city gate, nearly ten generals in military attire flew out in unison. Leading them was the commander of the First Legion of the Great Yu Empire, General Tie Xue.
The group quickly arrived, landing nearby.
“Commander of the First Legion of the Great Yu Empire, Tie Xue, under the command of the Grand Marshal, respectfully welcomes the envoys from the Heavenly Dynasty,” General Tie Xue said respectfully.
Gu Lin’s eyes flashed with excitement. Was it really as Princess Qianyou and Mr. Shui Jing had said? Were they really waiting here?
“General Tie Xue, you are too courteous. We have a journey ahead, and we may trouble you,” Princess Qianyou smiled.
“Princess, rest assured, the Grand Marshal has made arrangements. I will ensure that you and the Prince arrive safely at the capital of the Great Yu Empire, the Sky City,” General Tie Xue said solemnly.
Gu Lin was filled with excitement, and the people behind General Tie Xue also wore excited expressions. Had they really arrived? Did they really pass through Eight Wilderness City, just as the Grand Marshal had said?
“May I ask if there are other generals here?” Princess Qianyou asked again.
“Of course not, only the Grand Marshal sent me alone with my subordinates,” General Tie Xue shook his head.
“In that case, I appreciate your assistance,” Princess Qianyou nodded.
“No trouble at all, please, everyone,” General Tie Xue made a welcoming gesture.
They nodded and entered Eight Wilderness City along with General Tie Xue.
Gu Lin frowned and remained silent along the way. What was the purpose of Princess Qianyou’s last few sentences? Just to praise General Tie Xue? It wasn’t necessary!
Of course, it wasn’t necessary. With just a couple of casual sentences, Princess Qianyou had gleaned a lot of information. Only General Yi Yan, among those in high positions, had the foresight to know that they would come to Eight Wilderness City. He could see the future at a glance, while others couldn’t guess that they would come here.
This was a good thing; only Yi Yan, and there were no other formidable individuals in the Great Yu Empire.