Many minor figures in Liuzhou were comfortably adapting to everything on the platform of the Divine Path. In the academy Shen Yuan spent his Heavenly Capital immersed in the sea of books. On Great Azure Mountain, Wei Gongzhan, though working hard in the fields, lived a warm and comfortable life. In Yunzhou, Yuchi Feihu threw all his worries to the back of his mind and devoted himself to making meritorious contributions and rescuing people, living each day to the fullest.
Although all three Heavenly Capital a lingering unease about the future, they were all fulfilled in the present.
But none of them knew that in the past few days, the platform they had been hoping to sustain for a while was undergoing a life-or-death test!
Inside Nanyang City, several forces had gathered, all awaiting the arrival of their most deadly enemy.
The forces are quite diverse, including several high-ranking sorcerers from the Shen Family, the Liuzhou forces led by Chen Qing, the living corpse force of Princess White Jade represented by Yuchi Feihong, and the direct troops of Duke of Qi Tian Heng of Qi who came to Nanyang with Chen Qing!
Most factions have their own agendas, but at this moment they all share the same goal: to curb the Princess's spread. Otherwise, not only Liuzhou, but all factions that rely on Jiangnan will be annihilated by her army of living corpses!
After the plan was finalized yesterday, everyone began to busy themselves with preparations. By the morning of the second day, everything was ready. However, the period from morning until noon was the most agonizing.
Unlike the preparation period during busy times, this quiet waiting period is the most difficult to endure.
Even the usually composed Chen Qing frowned from time to time as he glanced at the sky outside, wondering if he should organize the engineering department to work on some watchmaking projects when he got back. Judging the time by the sky was truly agonizing.
"Brother Chen, you can't sit still either?" Shen Laoqi asked, amused.
Chen Qing rolled his eyes. "Who are you calling 'brother' when you're a hundred or two hundred years old?"
"Haha, young people are always a bit impetuous."
Everyone's face twitched. This guy had been scheming and calculating since he took office in Liuzhou. His methods were shrewd and his timing was impeccable. He frequently made gambles with small stakes, and each time he succeeded. Could such skill belong to a rash young man?
Lan Xiang frowned as she looked at Chen Qing, her expression complex.
This young man was highly regarded by the Duke of Duke of Qin when he was in the capital, so he naturally dared not underestimate him. But he never expected him to be so capable. How long has he been away from the capital? About a year, I guess?
Not only does he wield such considerable power, but he has also managed to unite so many forces. Leaving aside the local power of the Shen Family, he has even managed to unite with some demonic forces. This young man is truly extraordinary.
Given the current situation, cooperation is unavoidable, but the thought that the other party is plotting against that princess still makes him a little uneasy.
Those who lived through the chaotic years know very well how formidable the eldest daughter of the Xiao Household was. She was once on par with Lord Lu Ming under the King of Qin —a feat unimaginable for a woman. Now, her methods are even more ruthless and insidious than before. With a series of maneuvers, she even managed to nearly wipe out the Duke of Duke of Qin's entire army. Could they possibly outmaneuver such a person?
But this is their last chance. Last time they managed to escape to Jiangnan, but where can they go this time?
Moreover, the corpse poison has spread throughout their bodies, making it impossible for them not to cooperate with Chen Qing!
" Lord Chen," Lan Xiang looked at Chen Qing, "I don't quite understand your plan. I just want to ask how confident you are of its success? My soldiers are the last vestiges of the Duke of Qi Duke's lineage; we cannot afford to suffer too many losses!"
"I dare not make that guarantee!" Chen Qing smiled wryly, "After all, you know what kind of person Her Highness the Eldest Princess is. No matter how meticulous the plan is, it cannot be completely guaranteed when dealing with someone like that."
These words actually reassured Lan Xiang a bit. He would have been even more flustered if the other party had acted so confidently in front of someone like the Eldest Princess.
"Now everyone is backed into a corner, there's no turning back. If we can't win this round, then nobody will survive." Chen Qing looked at the other party seriously. " General Lan, it's not that only your soldiers are valuable. You've seen the soldiers I've trained, they're no worse than yours!"
Lan Xiang: "."
He really couldn't refute her, which made him even more terrified. To be honest, he felt that Chen Qing's method, in terms of threat, might not be inferior to, and might even surpass, that of the Eldest Princess over time.
"Arrive!"
A sinister voice rang out in the hall, and everyone turned to look, only to see Shen Lao'er with a gloomy expression.
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing used Shen Laoqi's Thousand Eyes Technique to look over!
A terrifying, malevolent aura swept in, a thousand times more terrifying than the million living corpses that had gathered Nanyang City before. Clearly, this princess had spared no expense to intimidate the Laoliu of the Shen Family.
This is a bit troublesome!
Chen Qing bit his finger. According to the plan, the other side should have left more troops to fight for Nanming Prefecture. However, it seems that they also attach great importance to Nanyang City. Their troops were restricted, but the elite level of these soldiers was quite exaggerated. Only more than 10,000 soldiers came, but they were all living corpses of the Fifth Rank martial artist level or above!
Such power, in the mortal world, would likely be able to sweep everything away!
"Hiss!" The others also gasped. Shen Laoqi sighed, "Even at the height of the imperial army's power, they probably couldn't muster ten thousand soldiers like this. The Princess's strength is enough to challenge the imperial court head-on!"
Lan Xiang nodded, secretly relieved that she had escaped in time; otherwise, she would have had no chance of survival if she had faced the Princess's army!
"Let's go, everyone!" Chen Qing stood up and walked to the front. "The outcome hinges on this!"
--
"Your Laoliu is quite cautious."
At the city gate, the eldest princess, who remained motionless, coldly observed everything before her.
Because the other party required that their own family members enter the magic array first to ensure the defense of the princess before they could enter, this cautious attitude reassured the princess somewhat. This was in line with Shen Laoliu's intelligence, but for some reason, she still felt inexplicably irritated.
"He's always been like this." Shen Laowu smiled slightly. "Your Highness need not worry. The Laoliu is not a very ambitious person. His goal is Jiangnan. As long as Your Highness can keep your promise and give him the land of Jiangnan in the future, making him the Blood Ancestor supported by Jiangnan, he probably won't cause any trouble."
"It would be good if they could truly behave themselves like this." The eldest princess frowned and looked towards Nanyang City: "Are the people of Nanyang City alright?"
"It's alright!" Shen Laowu laughed. "After all, we'll need blood food in the future, so we can't turn everyone into zombies. After we clean up the bloodline families this time, we'll destroy all the ordinary zombies, leaving only a few elites. When we control the world, the amount of blood food we need will be extremely small, and the world will definitely be much more stable than it is now!"
The eldest princess nodded upon hearing this.
The King of Qin was right. Bloodline families are the biggest cancer in this world, and the Samsara demons are impossible to eradicate. Therefore, the most effective method is to completely hide the demons, let them take charge of order, and only need a few people to sacrifice their flesh and blood.
Among all the demons, the Ancient Insect retinue is the easiest to control. These beings are absolutely loyal to their master, and all their actions are under the master's surveillance. They are the least likely to become corrupt and decadent. It is also easy to support them. There are always vicious criminals in the human world who commit crimes. These people are not worth dying for and are the best raw materials.
With the Ancient Insect protecting the human race, the stability is definitely greater than that of any bloodline family or thousand-year-old sorcerer family.
Once I obtain the Dragon Palace Inheritance and the secret to immortality, I will personally create the peaceful world that the King of Qin desired!
"Your Highness, you may go in now."
The eldest princess nodded, raised her head, and said, "Clear the way!"
Shen Laowu responded with a wave, clearly indicating that the Eldest Princess was also quite cautious; despite her formidable strength, she did not want to take the lead and risk her life.
Instead, ten elite family members led the way, almost all of them being First Rank martial artists, making for an intimidating sight.
Following the main force, the cavalry on the left and right flanks maintained a distance that allowed them to encircle and provide support, making the formation virtually flawless!
Shen Laowu felt that cooperating with this woman was a wise move. In the end, the struggle with the Laoda would inevitably lead to a war of armies, and a famous general with a distinguished military record would greatly enhance the overall strength. This did not even take into account the huge political power resources that she provided after years of planning in the capital.
The person I chose back then was right, but this woman is too domineering. If she wins in the end, who will be the master and who will be the servant will be a problem in the future. But that's a matter for the future. Right now, only by joining forces with strong forces can we have a chance to defeat the one from the West Sea.
"I say," the eldest princess said, her brow furrowed as she entered the magic array and observed the miraculous changes around her. "This Dragon Palace magic array is truly remarkable. The ability to shield one's aura is extraordinary. I want to know, if your Laoliu betrays us here, how much will it cost us to break the array?"
Shen Laowu closed his eyes and calculated for a moment. "One-fifth of our forces, using the Blood Fiend Technique to break the formation!"
"One-fifth..." The princess gritted her teeth, feeling a pang of heartache, then nodded. "I hope it won't come to that."
That stroke of luck quickly vanished.
Inside the magic array, instead of Shen Laoliu, she was greeted by an unexpected young man in white.
"Junior Chen Qing greets Your Highness, the Eldest Princess!"
Someone he never expected, someone he hadn't even considered in his plans, appeared in the place he least expected to be!
" Chen Qing."
The eldest princess murmured softly, and when she looked up again, there was no longer any surprise on her face; the aura of a queen was fully revealed.
"Who is it?" Looking at the man before her, whose name she had only heard of, the princess clapped her hands and laughed, "So it's the consort of the Xiao Household!"
Here's the second update. I feel much better today, and I should be able to update on time starting tomorrow. I've already got over 2,000 monthly votes, so I'm guaranteed at least four updates by the end of the month. Thank you again for your support, everyone!