The Enemy Army's Crushing Defeat

The Villain Filed the Complaint First

During the half-month journey back, Lin Yu had not lost weight. Instead, he had put on quite a bit. The others from the same camp could only smack their lips in silence when they saw it. They did not receive the same treatment Lin Yu did—how wonderful it must have been to eat without doing any work.

Click. The prison cart came to a stop. Lin Yu drowsily stretched and asked, "Are we there already? That fast? I thought it would take another day or two. If so, that couldn't be better. I can get down now, right?" Mo Ce's mouth twitched. Clearly, Lin Yu's state of mind had not reached the point he had hoped for.

Lin Yu remained utterly unhurried, as though he still had some trump card up his sleeve. This instead made Mo Ce somewhat uneasy. Looking at Lin Yu again, Mo Ce wore a cold smile and said, "Kid, laugh. Keep laughing! I'd like to see how long you can keep smiling." Lin Yu had obviously seen through Mo Ce's thoughts.

He made a few movements while seated, then continued, "I'm so scared, General. I don't want to die yet. Please don't report me to the Ancient Emperor. I can't do anything else, but if you don't mind, I can warm your bed."

No one knew where Lin Yu had learned such words, but when they heard him say them, all the soldiers burst into laughter.

Who would dare have an assassin warm their bed? Wouldn't that just be courting death? Mo Ce did not even dare imagine what might happen next. He shot them a cold glance, and the entire army fell silent in an instant. Lin Yu walked ahead and said to Mo Ce, "Let's go, General Mo." A prisoner walking ahead of a general—what audacity!

The laws of the Ancient Imperial City had long recorded in detail that anyone who showed any disrespect toward any general could be executed first and reported afterward. Lin Yu was merely a prisoner whose identity had yet to be confirmed. What could he do to him?

Lin Yu swaggered along. When he reached the gates of the Lin Residence, he quietly glanced at them before continuing onward. He stopped before the towering imperial city, looked once more, and asked, "This is the imperial city? After growing up all these years, this is my first time coming to such a place. I wonder what it looks like inside compared to my home." He spoke the latter half very softly. He could not let anyone know that he came from the Lin Residence—such a gap in status was simply too great.

Mo Ce stood respectfully before the city gate and said, "This humble official, Mo Ce, has returned from the campaign in Tianling City at the Ancient Emperor's command. I have come specifically to pay my respects to the Ancient Emperor and report on the military situation." The crimson gates slowly opened.

"Soldiers of the three armies, enter the city." At Mo Ce's command, the soldiers entered at once. Lin Yu thought to himself, This Ancient Emperor truly has guts. At a time like this, he isn't worried at all. If Mo Ce staged a rebellion, who knows whether he could even keep his throne. Lin Yu lightly shook his head. He was truly somewhat disappointed in this Ancient Emperor.

The Dragon Cloud Wall Stairway was filled with ministers. Looking upward, there sat a man clad in a pale-yellow robe embroidered with dragons and light clouds. A wisp of white beard made him seem several years older. This man was the Ancient Emperor, who had ruled the Ancient Imperial City for more than three hundred years. If not for pills extending his life, he would likely have long since ridden a crane westward. Even his descendants had some who were over a hundred years old.

"Ancient Emperor, during this campaign, we took the enemy general Zhang Shuai's head, scattering the enemy army. What we did not expect was that our Ancient Imperial City had a spy sent by the Flame Emperor. Even more unexpectedly, he viciously took the head of one of our own generals." Mo Ce spoke blandly, as if it were nothing more than a light brush that could be wiped away.

"Heh, you make it sound so nice. Why didn't you try infiltrating the enemy army yourself? You might have been pierced through the heart by ten thousand swords the moment you arrived." Lin Yu sat on the ground and spoke to Mo Ce with some indignation.

It was not impossible. Lin Yu glanced at him again. Not only had this man claimed all the credit for himself, but he was even filing a complaint—he was truly shameless.

"Who is seated below? Why do you not kneel before me?" The Ancient Emperor was deeply puzzled. Who was this person, and how could he possess such nerve, as though he did not regard him at all?

"Oh, Ancient Emperor. These legs of mine kneel to heaven, kneel to earth, and kneel to my parents, but I have never said I would kneel to royalty." Everyone was stunned upon hearing Lin Yu's words. It was their first time seeing such a prisoner, one who knowingly did what could not be done. The moment those words left his mouth, the ministers all knew that he would most likely die.

Who would have thought that the Ancient Emperor would laugh heartily and say, "Forget it, forget it. Plenty of people kneel to me; one less or one more makes no difference. General Mo, is this the person you claimed had been planted in the army by the enemy?" After saying that, his expression turned cold again, as though he did not consider this person worth a thought.

"In reply to the Ancient Emperor, it is indeed him. After infiltrating us, he disappeared after a battle. Later, he returned, claiming that he had brought back intelligence about the enemy army, then left once more, until he took the heads of those two men." Mo Ce spoke far too easily, making it equally hard to believe.

Lin Yu stood there, let out a cold laugh, and shouted, "Why don't you mention how I beat you until you were half crippled? Why don't you mention how you promised the people of Tianling City they could leave? Why don't you mention the military pledge I once made? Mo Ce, Mo Ce, you truly are narrow-minded." Everyone drew a sharp breath upon hearing him. General Mo Ce had been defeated—what a tremendous humiliation!

"Hm? Mo Ce, is this true?" The Ancient Emperor asked quietly from above. Mo Ce immediately knelt on the ground, his heart tense as he said, "Your Majesty, there is no such thing! Absolutely no such thing!" Mo Ce knelt there while Lin Yu gave another cold laugh. He was panicking now; that expression was far too unnatural.

Only then did Lin Yu speak again. "Tch. You were narrow-minded to begin with. How could you possibly admit to such things?" Lin Yu gave a long stretch.

"I once made a military pledge to take the enemy commander's head. Does General Mo remember?" Lin Yu asked lightly.

"When did you make such a pledge? Why don't I know about it? That head was brought back by one of the generals under my command." Though Mo Ce was flustered, he had weathered great storms and towering waves before. This was not enough to make him lose his composure.

"Oh..." Lin Yu said meaningfully. Only then did he continue, "If you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten. I remember that the moment I entered the city, those soldiers seized me and snatched the heads from my hands. I suppose that general must have been one of your men, right?" Lin Yu sat there as though holding a debate, giving Mo Ce no chance at all.

"How could that be? I merely took what I was supposed to take. I know nothing whatsoever about the rest." Lin Yu smiled again upon hearing that. This general truly was a thick-skinned fellow...

PS: Thanks to Piaoling and Yang Zaiyao for the rewards. Sansen will work hard at writing.