Attack

"Um?"

With a soft question, Xu Yuan's eyes showed slight surprise. "Aren't you just blatantly sending them to their deaths?"

Li Qingyan withdrew his fingertips and turned back, a slightly amused look on his lips. "Prince Consort, are you implying that Luo Qingfeng and the others will disobey orders?"

Xu Yuan nodded matter-of-factly. "We are now in the heart of Heavenly Water Province. Although there are no sect headquarters nearby, I seem to remember there is a county town called Pingcheng?"

"Just as the prince consort said, 'When a general is in the field, he may disobey some of the army's orders.'"

"."

Xu Yuan's eye twitched.

He felt that this phrase had been thoroughly misused by Yuan Hao and his group of generals.

He cleared his throat lightly and said in a solemn voice:

"It seems you've already considered this, Qingyan."

As the northernmost prefecture of the Great Yan, Heavenly Water Province covers a vast area of thousands of miles and is sparsely populated. Ninety percent of its territory is uninhabited wilderness, but finding a city for forced resupply is not actually that difficult.

Just like what Li Qingyan did in Pacified Distant Commandery.

certainly,

Li Qingyan dared to do this because she was a member of the royal family.

In the extraordinary feudal dynasty of the Great Yan, all her actions possessed a natural legitimacy, not to mention that she held a gun in her hand.

With 100,000 elite cultivators and the added burden of national affairs, the city's gentry would face physical confiscation of property if they didn't donate grain.

However, if a sect dares to do such a thing, it will inevitably be held accountable afterward, so the sect will not dare to do it unless forced to.

The problem now is,

They've all been sent on missions where death is certain; who in the sect cares about your affairs?

They're not some extraordinary Aristocratic Clan; they can't just rob us and that's it. They're just a bunch of ordinary gentry who hoard money and grain. They can just argue about compensation after the war.

Under such circumstances, Luo Qingfeng and his two generals would very likely lead the 20,000 routed troops to flee directly to the city to seize grain.

Li Qingyan nodded slightly, glanced towards the northwest, and said in a low voice:

"My orders to Luo Qingfeng are to ascertain the general Barbarian Tribe in that area, and to entrust her with the command of most of the flying scouts. As long as they are not too foolish or reckless, most of them will die in this process, but there is a chance of survival."

As he spoke,

Li Qingyan suddenly Wan'er:

"Of course, I also told that woman in advance that a Beifeng Army (500) had been stationed in Tranquil Clarity County."

Xu Yuan instantly understood Li Qingyan's intention and smiled:

"Even with the addition of the garrison troops within the Northern Frontier, the Beifeng Army is no match for them. But the fact that they did this signifies a rebellion?"

"Yes," Li Qingyan said calmly.

Xu Yuan slowly closed his eyes, feeling the biting cold wind:

"In the past, Luo Qingfeng would definitely have done it, but now the Northern Border Sects have just lost more than 200,000 elite troops and are weaker than ever before in a century. They dare not give the imperial court an excuse."

Opening his eyes, Xu Yuan sighed softly:

"Unfortunately, these people underestimated our father's determination."

"Our father?"

"Yes, our father."

Which one?

"." Xu Yuan.

Stiffly turning his head, Xu Yuan stared in astonishment at the woman in red before him.

Her long black hair danced wildly in the cold wind on the mountaintop, and her crimson eyes gleamed with an eerie light.

Li Qingyan's eyes were very calm:

"With the Northern Border Sects destroyed, and given my father's poor health, there's a high probability that Lord Xu will become our next father, isn't there?"

Xu Yuan smacked his lips.

These words, so scathing and insidious, coming from the mouth of a princess of a dynasty, especially one like Li Qingyan who directly wielded military power, are truly terrifying.

She just forcibly kissed him, and now she's saying all this?

Ah, women.

After a brief silence, Xu Yuan's expression became slightly amused:

"Qingyan, as far as I know, my father doesn't seem to have this idea for the time being."

He was telling the truth.

In both his past and present lives, that old man had never expressed such thoughts.

Even in the numerous timelines of Cangyuan, although he would support and install puppet emperors, this old man never usurped the throne even once.

After they finished speaking, they looked at each other in silence.

Li Qingyan was the first to look away, and said in a clear voice:

"Just because it's not happening now doesn't mean it won't happen in the future, but it's too early to say anything about that now."

Seeing that the other party had steered the conversation back on track, Xu Yuan chuckled softly:

"Qingyan is absolutely right. Now that we have roughly confirmed the location of the Barbarian Tribe army, has Your Highness informed Mr. Zong in advance to head south?"

"Of course," Li Qingyan replied softly, "Mr. Zong will lead his army south tomorrow."

Xu Yuan grinned, looking towards the direction of the Barbarian Tribe army amidst the wind and snow:

"The night is over, and dawn has not yet broken; this war should come to an end."

"The curtain falls?"

Li Qingyan chuckled, slowly walking forward through the snow until she reached the edge of the thousand-foot cliff. Turning around, she looked at Xu Yuan and smiled, "I feel that this is just the beginning."

"Laugh"

Xu Yuan was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Your Highness is right. With the Barbarian Tribe and the Northern Border sects disappearing together, the curtain has been raised on a new era."

Xu Yuan abruptly stopped speaking halfway through his sentence, replaced by a strange gaze fixed intently on the air.

The blizzard continued, and the wind was biting cold.

"The curtain is rising? I never expected that you, Third Young Master, would have such insight into the state of the world."

A clear, indifferent voice gently rang out atop the mountain.

The change was so sudden it felt almost natural.

A slender, graceful figure silently and slowly coalesced in the swirling snowflakes of mid-air; her form, sculpted by countless snowflakes, seemed as if it were meant to be there.

It appeared without any warning.

Not to mention that little trash Xu Yuan, even Li Qingyan failed to notice this person's arrival.

As the woman's voice faded, her figure solidified completely.

A beautiful woman with fox-like eyes and bare shoulders appeared before Xu Yuan and Li Qingyan.

Upon seeing the uninvited guest, Xu Yuan subconsciously took a step back.

He sensed a long-lost sense of crisis emanating from this woman.

die

However, after glancing at the graceful figure not far away, Xu Yuan silently moved his feet back.

The Beifeng Army has Mortal Shedding experts accompanying them, and when Commander Li Qingyan goes out to the military camp, these experts will definitely accompany him.

Moreover, even if they are more than ten miles apart, as long as Li Qingyan circulates his Cultivation Method, the military camp at the foot of the mountain can sense it and instantly form a resonance of Cultivation Method to bless him.

But why hasn't that transcendent expert appeared yet?

Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes blazed with crimson light as he stared at the slender woman in mid-air, his voice carrying a strange undertone:

"Which family is so generous as to send someone at the second-tier Origin Beginning to their death?"

"Giggle~"

With a soft laugh, Nan Jinxi descended from the sky to the mountain peak, her fur coat, which had slipped down to her elbows, fluttering gently in the wind. "Your Highness Wu Yuan is too kind. That First-Grade Mortal Shedding cultivator in your army cannot sense me. If you don't leave the camp, I really won't be able to make a move."

As she spoke, she prepared to walk past Li Qingyan without any restraint.

Li Qingyan's eyes were indifferent. He took a slight step to the side and blocked Nan Jinxi's path to Xu Yuan.

The next moment,

"Splash--"

Nan Jinxi seemed to dissolve into snowflakes, passing directly around Li Qingyan.

Two women stood back to back, their figures slender, their hair fluttering in the wind and snow.

Li Qingyan stood with her back turned, her hand lightly pressing on the hilt of the sword at her waist. Before the blade was drawn, countless flashes of light suddenly swept over Nan Jinxi behind her.

But Nan Jinxi remained as if it had no physical form, cleaved into countless snowflakes by the blade's light, only to instantly solidify into human form.

However, this sword light made Nan Jinxi pause temporarily, and she chuckled and said:

"I would never do anything to Third Young Master, so why is Your Wu Yuan in such a hurry?"

"A respectable family wouldn't dress like that."

In an instant, Li Qingyan stood before Xu Yuan, her crimson eyes coldly fixed on Nan Jinxi: "I would never flirt with another woman's husband."

"Although Third Young Master handsome, I already have someone I love~" Nan Jinxi's fox-like eyes narrowed into slits with a hint of sadness.

"So, it was your lover who sent you to carry out the assassination?"

Li Qingyan asked calmly.

From the moment this woman appeared, she gave her a very strange feeling.

It doesn't resemble a physical entity; rather, it's a bizarre incarnation formed from condensed snowflakes.

The Source Qi cannot detect it; Will Soul sweeps over, the opponent is just a snowman, and the energy mechanism cannot lock onto the opponent at all.

However, there must be a connection between the main body and the avatar. She needs some time to sense the location of the other party's main body, and she also needs to wait for the military formation of the camp at the foot of the mountain to resonate with her Cultivation Method.

"."

Nan Jinxi did not answer.

In a short time,

An eerie silence fell upon the mountaintop due to the arrival of Nan Jinxi.

However, this silence was soon broken by the sound of footsteps in the snow.

"Creak--"

"Creak--"

Nan Jinxi continued to step forward, while Xu Yuan, who was being protected behind her, looked at her with a gradually strange expression.

He felt that the man's attire looked somewhat familiar, suggesting that he must have left a good impression on him in Cangyuan.

After all, such poor but generous women are not common in Cangyuan.

The seconds and minutes on the scale seemed to move exceptionally slowly at this moment.

As the other person gradually approached, Xu Yuan finally remembered the woman's identity and her information in Cangyuan.

Is this Nan Jinxi?

The Three Kings of the Fox Clan, the Heavenly Snow Spirit Fox, is a neutral NPC.

The body the other party is currently in is likely just Spirit Snow Incarnation, a talent inherited from their Heavenly Snow Spirit Fox clan.

It has great limitations, as it can only be used in snowy weather. However, as long as there is snow, the Heavenly Snow Spirit Fox can use this talent to silently infiltrate any place.

Moreover, once Spirit Snow Incarnation is fully solidified, Nan Jinxi will be able to completely transfer her main body over.

A god-level talent that combines intelligence gathering, assassination, and escape.

"."

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and without hesitation, he pulled out the Clear Speech Sword from his Sumeru Ring.

He remembered something more important.

This woman has a grudge against the Prime Minister's Estate, and killing her will drop a piece of equipment with a fixed-point teleportation function.

In other words, that piece of equipment should currently be on the woman.

"Boom!!!!"

The next moment,

The vast Source Qi exploded around Xu Yuan, Nan Jinxi Spirit Snow Incarnation completely materialized.

At this moment, Li Qingyan had also gathered the power of the military formation, his armor glowing with blood-red light, and his Qi completely locked onto Nan Jinxi, who had materialized.

Her long hair flew wildly, and Nan Jinxi's robes billowed in the gust of wind. At the same time, an antique-looking small mirror appeared in her hand.

"Judging from your eyes, Third Young Master, it's as if you recognize me?"

Upon seeing the small mirror, Xu Yuan's heart sank.

In Cangyuan, Xu Yuan would almost always choose to kill Nan Jinxi, all for the sake of obtaining the small mirror that the other party currently possessed.

Kunwu Mirror.

A teleportation device, an essential piece of equipment for skipping class.

Besides absorbing some of the boss's ultimate attacks and returning them all, it can even teleport some bosses from their unique boss rooms to other places, letting the bosses fight each other with their rival bosses, while the players pick up the scraps.

Li Qingyan's gaze remained indifferent.

"Haven't you learned your lesson from the Snake Demon Clan? You Ancient Abyss really don't learn your lesson!"

Nan Jinxi chuckled and shook her head, watching his movements with great interest.

"Who can blame him Third Young Master's identity is so important? But... are you preparing to make a move?"

Li Qingyan glanced at the small mirror in Nan Jinxi's hand and sighed softly:

"I don't think a second-grade Origin Beginning can shake the power of the army formation. You dare to show your face with this ancient treasure in your hand?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a red ring of energy from Li Qingyan enveloped Xu Yuan's entire body from bottom to top, like a coiled snake.

Seeing this, Nan Jinxi knew that Li Qingyan had completely gathered the power of the military formation, and gently shook her head:

"Your Wu Yuan, you are too confident."

"Buzz--"

Before Nan Jinxi could finish speaking, Li Qingyan's blade was already drawn, and the crimson flames instantly dyed half of the white sky red!

Four fierce and powerful blades flashed and slashed at Nan Jinxi's bare, white hands and feet in an instant.

Li Qingyan was not a cultivator; the martial arts techniques of the strong in the army were all simple and domineering.

If the chop is successful, this poor but generous vixen will instantly be turned into a human pig.

Li Qingyan showed leniency, yet also showed no mercy, capturing prisoners for interrogation.

Unexpectedly, these sword lights, empowered by the military formation and capable of directly killing second-grade Origin Beginning, were absorbed directly by Nan Jinxi's slender and delicate body.

Before Li Qingyan could react,

The next moment,

The blades flashed again, and all four blade beams returned towards Li Qingyan!

This sudden turn of events caught Li Qingyan off guard. She instinctively tried to dodge, but with Xu Yuan behind her, she couldn't hide and could only take the domineering blade light head-on.

He took a step back, the blade shimmering with crimson light, and amidst the wind and snow, his sword danced wildly.

"Boom!"

With a deafening roar, Li Qingyan, who was protected by the military formation, was not injured, but was sent flying dozens of feet away by her own domineering blade light.

At this time,

Li Qingyan was repelled, Xu Yuan was now directly exposed in front of Nan Jinxi.

Seeing that the sword energy shield left by Li Qingyan around him remained, Nan Jinxi knew that she couldn't kill him by force. A murderous intent flashed in her charming fox eyes. She made a hand gesture, pointed the small mirror in her hand at Xu Yuan, locked onto it with her Qi, and a vast amount of Source Qi instantly surged into the small mirror.

One breath later,

The power of space instantly swept towards Xu Yuan!

"."

For Xu Yuan, the fight between Nan Jinxi and Li Qingyan was like a battle between gods.

He didn't have time to remind Li Qingyan.

From the start to the end, it was all a matter of a single moment in his eyes.

All I could feel was a blinding burst of light pollution flash before my eyes, and then...

Then Li Qingyan, who had been standing in front of him, disappeared.

Fortunately, Xu Yuan was familiar with the Kunwu Mirror, and the moment he saw the person in front of him disappear, he immediately began to rapidly circulate his Source Qi.

The teleportation power within the Kunwu Mirror surged forth.

Void-Stepping Slash!

The initial attempt to lock onto the Qi source missed its target, but a spatial fluctuation swept through, and a giant rock on the mountaintop vanished into thin air!

"." Nan Jinxi.

"?" Barbarian Tribe Alien King.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Yuan moved to Li Qingyan's side.

Seeing Xu Yuan arrive abruptly, Li Qingyan raised an eyebrow, about to speak, when she heard a hurried voice:

"Shut up! Get me and run!"

"."

Li Qingyan looked puzzled but didn't move. He glanced at Nan Jinxi and whispered, "Although she has an ancient treasure protecting her, she's only a second-grade Origin Beginning Realm cultivator. Killing her would be as easy as killing a chicken for me. We should capture her instead."

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes, his face pale from overdrawing his Source Qi, and he gritted his teeth and hissed:

"This woman possesses an ancient teleportation artifact!"

Li Qingyan naturally saw what had just happened:

"The ancient treasure is indeed precious, but you, Prince Consort, managed to dodge it."

"Can't you listen to me for once, you woman?!" Xu Yuan cursed.

"..." Li Qingyan pursed her lips.

"My martial arts skills can escape the lock."

Xu Yuan grabbed Li Qingyan's hand. "Quick, that ancient treasure must have a cooldown period. Get me there and run!"

However, Xu Yuan stopped halfway through his sentence.

He felt himself being locked on again, his gaze falling on the Kunwu Mirror in Nan Jinxi's hand, and he smacked his lips.

Damn it, in the real world, doesn't the Kunwu Mirror have CDs?

The moment Li Qingyan was locked on, she seemed to understand what was about to happen. Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly, and she grabbed Xu Yuan's hand in return.

The Kunwu Mirror had consumed a great deal of energy, and Nan Jinxi's face was slightly pale, but a smile had already appeared on her red lips. As the Kunwu Mirror flashed, she whispered:

"Your Highness Wu Yuan, Third Young Master, Jinxi wishes you good luck."

Before she could finish speaking,

With the powerful support of the military formation, Li Qingyan instantly dragged the half-dead Xu Yuan to Nan Jinxi's side and grabbed her arm.

Then,

He smiled at her, his eyes narrowing.

"." Nan Jinxi.

A spatial ripple swept by, a flash of light, and the three of them vanished simultaneously from the North Court Mountain.

It's a bit late, or2