Lace Glory Universe King GL - Chapter 14

“Hold tight to me.” Hua Mulan leaned close to her ear and whispered, her breath faint.

Sun Shangxiang shifted sideways—one hand gripping her elder sister’s arm, the other free to fire bullets backward, cutting down her roll’s cooldown.

Hua Mulan still had one Flash left.

SiKong zhen paid no mind to these ordinary bullets, and even after they used Flash to widen the distance, he quickly closed in again. The thunder-drums of his assault were still consuming the last of Hua Mulan’s strength.

Now! This is it!

Sun Shangxiang rolled once more, surging forward while turning back to fire volleys, the penetrative force devastating.

At that moment, SiKong zhen canceled his transformation and tried to land with Thunder Charge—but it was too late.

They pushed into the crowded streets of Chang’an, slipping away from pursuit.

This battle—at last they had managed to rescue Sun Shangxiang. Hua Mulan had but a thread of life left, yet considering they had been surrounded in a team fight, with the enemy outnumbering them and SiKong zhen suddenly returning to the Yuheng Division, the result was already fortunate. In a straight contest of strength alone, she would have surpassed him.

“Elder sister, hold on! I’ll get you to the High Ground Crystal.” Sun Shangxiang’s voice trembled with urgency, the bloodstains on the ghostly-blue rose on her left shoulder glaringly visible.

Hua Mulan closed her eyes, forcing out words: “Go to the southwest gate. There’s a carriage to the docks.”

Sun Shangxiang dared not waste a moment. She sped toward the city’s southwest gate.

On the Land of Kings, there were only two High Ground Crystals—one at the far northeast in the Inverted Jianmu, and one at the far southwest by the Sunset Sea.

Though Heluo lay closer to the Inverted Jianmu, from Chang’an it was nearer to reach the southern docks. Hua Mulan knew of the black ships there—pay enough, and they would depart. But of the north, she was far less familiar.

So she chose the farther Sunset Sea. The sea voyage would be long, but once they set sail, SiKong zhen’s reach could not follow.

Leaving the city went smoothly. After hours of carriage travel, they reached the docks by dusk.

Hua Mulan forced her eyes open, guiding Sun Shangxiang away from the official ferry piers and toward the mangroves lining a shallow stretch of coast.

Each step stirred splashes and gritty crunches beneath their boots.

The twilight dimmed; the vast mangrove forest appeared deserted.

Supporting Hua Mulan, Sun Shangxiang pressed on until the trees parted to reveal a narrow waterway. A waterproof lantern glimmered faintly.

It hung from the side of a small boat, nets drying across its rail.

“Boatman?”

A man’s voice drifted from within the cabin, though no figure appeared. “What is it? No sailings tonight.”

Sun Shangxiang glanced at Hua Mulan uncertainly.

Mulan nodded: This is the one.

“We’ve come all the way from the desert. Please ferry us to Sunset Sea. If you return empty, we’ll cover the cost.” Hua Mulan spoke with waning strength.

The man poked his head out, sizing them up.

“Two hundred gold coins. Pay up front.”

They handed over the coins and boarded.

When the boatman set them moving, steering through the waterways out into the open sea, Sun Shangxiang finally eased her breath.

Hua Mulan, spent beyond endurance, collapsed inside the cabin—whether fainting or slipping into exhausted sleep.

“Elder sister!” Sun Shangxiang grasped her hand—still warm.

From the bow, the boatman turned back, watching with a knowing look. “Another fight, eh? Lost again, I bet? Desert folk—I’ve seen plenty. Heh.”

“Just row your boat. Quit yapping.” Sun Shangxiang’s heart bristled with annoyance.

Still he chuckled. “Don’t worry, little sister. She won’t die. I’ve seen plenty like her.”

“You can even tell how bad her injuries are?”

“Of course not.” Catching the flash of anger on her young face, he swallowed the rest of his thought.

(He had meant to say: If I claim she won’t die, you won’t make me turn back, and I still get paid to eat.)

But something about her presence warned him not to jest.

Most passengers who boarded black ships stayed silent—aware of their illicit nature, or else crushed by the solitude of exile and wounds, vulnerable and easy to tease.

But Sun Shangxiang—though new to such dealings—was born into a shipbuilding family in Eastern Wu. Sailing, to her, was as ordinary as stepping out her door. There was no cowardice in her.

She ignored the boatman, instead tending carefully to Hua Mulan. Exhaustion had drained her, but her breathing and pulse remained steady.

The boatman turned back to his oar-work.

Waves rocked the small vessel as it left for open waters. The moon cast a silver glow, brighter than the little lantern. To Sun Shangxiang, this sea was home.

“No one wins forever. Retreat on low health—you’ll live to fight on. I’ve seen it.” He murmured again, almost to himself.

By the second half of the night, Sun Shangxiang awoke and leaned at the rail, gazing out.

From the stern, foaming wakes fanned into gleaming silver trails under moonlight. Along the coast, black ridges arched like crouching beasts.

She wondered whether her sister had managed to glean any intel after leaving the Bailan Inn that night. She had wished to send word not to come—yet too soon, chaos erupted at Yuheng Division.

Now, all she wanted was to grow stronger—sharper with her heavy crossbow, never again so easily ensnared.

She knew Sunset Sea lay close to the King’s Canyon. Once her sister recovered, she would seize this chance to test herself there.

In the distance, lights twinkled like scattered diamonds upon black velvet.

“That’s Thousand-Cave City. Their lamps burn all night.” The boatman pointed.

“So quick? Then we’re already halfway.” Sun Shangxiang’s thoughts stayed on her sister’s recovery.

“Of course. We don’t stop. Faster than the big ships.” He sounded proud.

Talk of ships stirred her memories.

“The grand ships of Heluo—mostly Eastern Wu design, aren’t they?”

“Most are. Some from the Eastwind Sea too, though they only follow Wu’s lead, always a step behind—never catching the fresh tide.”

“And what if one day Wu decides to change its course, build something else?”

The boatman shook his head. “They’re the shipbuilding overlords. Who abandons being the king of their craft?”

Sun Shangxiang fell silent. She knew Sun Quan would never be content with just that.

The night quieted. Cold sea wind drifted through the cabin. She pulled off her coat to cover Hua Mulan.

By late morning, long after sunrise, they reached the harbor of Seacity.

Seacity—the greatest port town on this coast. The High Ground Crystal rested at the Sunset Sanctuary nearby.

Disembarking, the boatman waved farewell. Though called Sunset Sea, the land gleamed so brightly the sun hurt her eyes.

Those heading toward the Sanctuary were easy to spot—battered, bleeding, or limping slow.

Hua Mulan still unconscious, Sun Shangxiang handed over every last coin to rent a carriage.

Though new to this land, she sensed the Crystal drawing nearer.

Sunshine wrapped like a warm blanket, filling her with vigor. Her heavy crossbow now felt light as a feather.

All around, people bore tranquil auras—body and spirit easing after battle. Few spoke, yet glances exchanged conveyed a shared relief: The fighting is over—for now, heroes.

Ahead loomed the Sunset Sanctuary.

It rose from a hilltop, open on all sides, starkly different from Heluo or the Three Kingdoms. White columns upheld its domed roof.

At its heart, the High Ground Crystal burned with blue fire, radiance spilling across the mountain slope.

The sphere rotated in midair, encased in golden filigree.

Every eye lifted in awe.

“Whoa! Incredible!” a man nearby exclaimed.

Within the Sanctuary, resting warriors spread out in concentric circles. Under the Crystal’s light, strength and vitality gradually returned.

That first night, Hua Mulan opened her eyes.

“You’re awake!” Sun Shangxiang’s joy rang out.

Mulan’s pale face softened into the gentlest smile, sending a shiver through her heart.

“You did well, little princess.”

So she had been conscious all along—only too drained to gather her focus.

“To escape his grasp is a small victory already.” Mulan clasped her hand tightly now—they were truly comrades.

“Yes—and honestly, that Grand Minister isn’t all that special.”

“Not so fast. He commands all of Yuheng Division.”

“Oh right—what about Gongsun Li?” Sun Shangxiang recalled the urgent matter.

At that, Mulan regained some color, recounting the matter of the seaside battleship.

“Didn’t expect them to use an amusement park as cover.” She had known of the project, but hadn’t paid it much mind.

“I just want to recover quickly—then we’ll head straight there,” said Mulan.

So Sun Shangxiang shared her plan: while Mulan healed, she would trial her weapon in the Canyon.

“Good. I’ll be waiting for you—to be the legendary princess you once were.” Mulan encouraged, sensing her earnestness.

“Legendary? What legend?” Sun Shangxiang blinked.

“When I first reached Jiangjun, they said you were infamous for being spoiled and bossy. Your catchphrase: ‘The young lady has arrived—make way!’ Did they misquote you?” Mulan teased, still smiling.

She didn’t care if Shangxiang reclaimed her old things—she only wished her well, freer, stronger, carefree. Somehow, this girl had lodged herself in her heart. Not unlike when she was a Great Wall guard, spotting potential in subordinates—yet also more than that.

Sun Shangxiang burst into bright laughter. That had indeed been her once.

Support Lace Glory Universe King GL