The Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Character is Still Alive Today - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Live Broadcast Site (10)

…a little bit off.”

You Heng: “Oh, then is your side not very suitable for raising birds?”

“Raising birds?” Qin Shi An said, “No, no, no, it’s perfectly fine to raise birds. I keep several nightingales and parrots and such.”

You Heng was instantly interested, straightening his back. “Buddy, you also keep parrots?”

Qin Shi An also said, “Also? You keep one too?”

You Heng: “Yes, I was just teasing it earlier. It’s a bit stupid, though, and hasn’t learned to talk yet.”

Qin Shi An said excitedly, “Mine can talk! There’s a trick to it, you have to be patient and teach it well!”

“How do I teach it?”

“Let me tell you…”

The nearby generals watched the two commanders-in-chief getting more and more cheerful, suggesting they were about to dismount and share a drink, and some were already quietly wiping the sweat from their foreheads.

The soldiers in the back didn’t know what was happening, only vaguely seeing their commander becoming more and more agitated, his body language more animated, seemingly about to start an argument.

Thus, the troops on both sides immediately started shouting in excitement.

“Charge! Charge! Charge!”

This was the end of the trash-talking phase, moving on to the stage where the two generals would duel.

Interrupted from their experience exchange by the shouting, Qin Shi An stopped talking, looked back, and said, “…It seems like they want us to fight.”

You Heng nodded. “Yes.”

Since it had come to this, even though neither of them could fight, they still had to put on a show.

Qin Shi An awkwardly drew the saber from his back, intending to friendly negotiate with You Heng for a few symbolic swings, when he saw You Heng flip his hand back and gracefully draw his sword.

Qin Shi An smiled. “Brother, the way you drew your sword is really cool.”

Even if he couldn’t fight, the surface moves were quite impressive.

You Heng smiled and nodded. As he urged his horse forward, he said, “Actually, I lied to you just now.”

Qin Shi An: “Huh?”

“Lying about not being able to fight. I’m actually quite formidable,” You Heng casually flicked the sword in his hand, drawing a beautiful silver arc in the air. He said, “But buddy, you lied to me too, right?”

Qin Shi An: “…”

Help.

The Two Yaos (Shuang Yao)

We agreed to be rookies together.

But he secretly leveled up.

Qin Shi An held the large saber in his hand, feeling like he was holding his own head.

You Heng, sitting on his horse, watched the person opposite him swing the saber in a half-circle for the third time, and finally couldn’t help but speak. “Buddy, what kind of saber technique is that? Why are you just circling yourself?”

Qin Shi An: “Sorry, wait a moment. I can barely lift it.”

The poker-faced generals: “…”

You Heng: “?”

After a while, realizing the truth, You Heng laughed. “So you really are an amateur.”

He raised his sword to push up the saber in Qin Shi An’s hand, simulating the start of an engagement. You Heng said, “How can you be so bad and still be Emperor? And come to fight yourself?”

Qin Shi An: “I… I have no choice.”

You Heng shook his head. “Same, same. Being Emperor is just troublesome.”

You Heng asked, “Why? Doesn’t your Shiyu have a prince with the ambition to be Emperor?”

Qin Shi An said, “Yes. One pushed me out here to die, and the other is pretending to be dead in your Shuiyan.”

Hearing this, You Heng was silent for a moment, then said, “How about we make a deal?”

The generals, highly tense, watched the two clashing with sabers and swords. They saw the new Emperor of Shuiyan bring down a sword strike toward the new Emperor of Shiyu, and the new Emperor of Shiyu swung his saber, directly cutting the new Emperor of Shuiyan off his horse.

Then the new Emperor of Shiyu, still on his horse, swayed and also fell off.

The generals nearby approached with wooden faces to help them up. The soldiers in the back raised their spears and intended to charge, but then heard the two new Emperors simultaneously shout “Stop!”

“We haven’t fought enough! After three days of rest, we will fight again!”

Qin Dexuan stayed in Shangjing, waiting for the good news of Qin Shi An being repelled or killed. Then he would go to assist, reverse the situation, and win over the people.

He didn’t expect the final news to be that Qin Shi An and Shuiyan’s You Heng had fought to a draw.

But then Qin Shi An’s letter arrived. It desperately pleaded with Qin Dexuan to come and help him.

You Heng’s absurd actions on the battlefield soon reached You Ruo’s ears.

She sighed repeatedly at her unreliable Crown Prince brother, but seeing You Heng’s obvious wound, her complaints eventually turned into comfort. “Do better next time.”

You Heng squinted and smiled, saying with seemingly complete sincerity, “Okay, okay, I’ll definitely win next time.”

And when You Ruo wasn’t paying attention, You Heng looked up towards the courtyard where Qin Wufang was staying and quickly darted his eyes around.

Staying in Yun Yingnan’s room, Bai Yao felt quite uneasy.

Taking advantage of Luo Qi’s absence to decoct medicine, Yun Yingnan said, “Let’s talk.”

Bai Yao stood at attention, hands pressing against the seams of her skirt. “…Talk about what?”

Noticing Bai Yao’s guarded posture, Yun Yingnan said, “Are you and Qing’er already romantically involved?”

“…Uh?”

Is he being this direct?

Yun Yingnan said, “I understand the stories You Ruo the girl has been telling.”

The stories You Ruo had been telling him these past few days, although using “Little Hundred” and “Little Together” as pseudonyms, he had gradually figured out whose story it was as he listened.

Bai Yao looked at Yun Yingnan, trying hard to interpret his expression.

This isn’t just seeing through the window; this is breaking the window and tearing the closet door off its hinges.

Bai Yao cleared her throat, stiffened her neck, and said, “Yes. Romantically involved and deeply in love.”

Yun Yingnan stared at Bai Yao upon hearing this, his hawk-like eyes slowly deepening.

Just as Bai Yao felt a thin layer of sweat on her back and wondered if Yun Yingnan would suddenly explode and stab her, Yun Yingnan said, “My time is limited. If you are truly Qing’er’s blessing, then look after her from now on.”

Meanwhile, Luo Qi detoured to the kitchen where the medicine was being prepared. Before she got close, she saw several palace maids gathered around a person, chattering amongst themselves.

“Hey, she’s clearly an idiot, so why did the Princess insist on keeping her?”

“Hmph, who knows what good she is. This little fool can’t do anything.”

“It’s just that our Princess is kind-hearted.”

While they were talking, the person being surrounded jumped around randomly, seemingly accidentally hitting one of the palace maids.

The maid who was hit immediately cried out “Dirty!” and shoved the person back.

The person who was pushed staggered, about to fall to the ground, when a hand reached out and timely steadied her by the shoulder.

Helping the person regain her balance, Luo Qi said coldly, “Please move aside.”

The palace maids saw that this was the Princess’s guest, and since the guest was exceptionally beautiful, they immediately moved aside.

But the person Luo Qi had helped slapped Luo Qi’s arm and giggled.

Slightly confused by the sudden action, Luo Qi looked down at the young girl’s face, and her movement froze.

“…Yaoyao?”

The young girl looked up at the sound. Her appearance was nearly identical to the Bai Yao in Luo Qi’s memory, pretty and lively. But her eyes were dull, lacking the spirit Luo Qi remembered. Her face was also smudged with dust, looking vacant and foolish.

Hearing Luo Qi speak, a palace maid nearby said, “Do you know her?”

Luo Qi looked up at the palace maid who spoke.

Caught off guard by the intense stare, the palace maid paused before saying, “I just saw you know her name…”

Luo Qi: “Her name?”

The palace maid nodded. “Yes, her name is Bai Yao.”

Before Luo Qi carried the medicine back into the room, Bai Yao and Yun Yingnan were chatting happily.

Holding Yun Yingnan’s hand, Bai Yao recited every auspicious phrase she could think of.

Seeing Luo Qi walk in, Bai Yao quickly waved to her.

Luo Qi placed the medicine on a nearby table, looking at Bai Yao’s joyful face. “What is it?”

Bai Yao reached down, grasped Luo Qi’s hand, and said, “Your old man has accepted us.”

Luo Qi’s eyes brightened upon hearing this, and she looked at Yun Yingnan.

Yun Yingnan glimpsed Bai Yao’s overtly happy expression, then cleared his throat and hummed. He said, “Stop bouncing around in front of me. If you want to talk, go outside.”

Although the tone was stiff, it made Luo Qi smile broadly.

Although she had been away for many years and didn’t have a deep bond with Yun Yingnan, recognizing each other now renewed their family ties.

Thinking of marrying Yaoyao in the future, Luo Qi had already decided that even if Yun Yingnan didn’t approve, it wouldn’t change anything.

But now that Yun Yingnan could accept it, it was naturally better.

Coming out of the room, Luo Qi smiled and pulled Bai Yao into her arms. She first lowered her head to kiss her, then said, “Yaoyao, I’m going to take you to see someone.”

Bai Yao remembered that You Ruo had mentioned in a letter that there was a young girl in the palace with the same name as her.

But she didn’t expect that this young girl was not only the same name but was practically the “Noble Young Master is the Phoenix” version of her.

Bai Yao circled the girl three times, then clapped her hands and exclaimed, “Wow, she really looks alike.”

But looking at the young girl with the vacant eyes and foolish grin, Bai Yao added, “…But the expression is still lacking a bit.”

A palace maid nearby, seeing that they seemed interested in the foolish girl, said, “She’s been an imbecile since birth. She was originally raised by a palace wet nurse, but after the wet nurse died, no one paid attention to her.”

“She wasn’t this foolish before; she could even help with some chores. But a while ago, she was barked at by the Crown Prince’s… the Emperor’s noble dog, and it seems like she completely lost her mind.”

Thinking of the young girl who looked so much like her having such a troubled background, Bai Yao nodded with a slight sigh.

The young girl beside them still showed no reaction, only smiling foolishly and waving her hands around. Inadvertently, she slapped Bai Yao on the back of the head.

Caught completely off guard, Bai Yao’s mind went blank for a moment. In the brief, intense dizzy spell, Bai Yao stumbled a step sideways but was quickly pulled close to Luo Qi.

“What’s wrong?”

Bai Yao shook her head. “Nothing… Nothing. This little girl hits surprisingly hard…”

How strange. That tap looked light, yet it almost knocked me out.

Luo Qi gently frowned, rubbing Bai Yao’s head. She pulled Bai Yao a few steps away, out of the little girl’s attack range.

After letting Luo Qi rub her head quietly for a moment, Bai Yao said, “It’s fine now, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

She placed her hand over Luo Qi’s and slid it down to hold hands. She asked, “But what should we do next?”

Recalling the completely broken plotline, Bai Yao muttered, “Sigh, even the Emperor is different now. I don’t know if Qin Wufang still has the male lead’s halo, or if he’ll ever live up to expectations…”

Hearing Bai Yao say this, Luo Qi lowered her eyes thoughtfully, remaining silent for a moment.

Noticing the look on Luo Qi’s face, Bai Yao asked, “Luo Qi, what are you thinking?”

Luo Qi asked, “Yaoyao, did you see Qin Wufang today?”

Bai Yao paused, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”

Luo Qi thought for a moment and said, “It seems I haven’t seen him since yesterday.”

Since being relegated to a supporting role, Qin Wufang’s appearances had decreased significantly, and Bai Yao hadn’t noticed immediately.

Bai Yao quickly recalled. “Hmm? Is he just staying in his room…”

Before she could finish, Bai Yao looked up and saw You Ruo quickly running towards them, holding up her skirt.

“Running so fast, what’s wrong?”

“My… Brother!” You Ruo panted, “My brother went to war!”

Bai Yao blinked. “I know. Today is the third day. According to his agreement with Qin Shi An, he should be going.”

“No!” You Ruo waved her hands anxiously. “Not him… My brother… You Ze went!”

The Promise

At the Shiyu army’s encampment.

Soldiers in black armor marched in formation, interspersed with a few scattered auxiliary soldiers helping with odd jobs.

Someone walked out of a tent. The ink-wash-style robe blended into the area filled with armor, making him look somewhat out of place.

A soldier nearby stopped and said, “Minister Su.”

Su Mu Bai replied, “Mhm.”

He asked again, “Where is the Emperor?”

The soldier paused. “He is still… talking with the Second Prince.”

It was called talking, but in reality, it was completely a plea for mercy.

Qin Shi An held Qin Dexuan and railed at him about everything from his memory onward, from outside to inside, thoroughly condemning himself.

He almost pronounced himself a total piece of garbage.

Towards the end, Qin Shi An simply chased the soldiers out of the tent and said plainly, “Qin Dexuan, you want to be Emperor, but I don’t. How about I just abdicate to you?”

Qin Dexuan frowned and glanced at him, somewhat suspicious.

Although this older brother of his had always been an incompetent good-for-nothing, he used to be ambitious. Qin Dexuan didn’t know why his temperament had changed so much recently.

Seeing Qin Shi An’s anxious face, Qin Dexuan still said, “What nonsense is Your Majesty speaking?”

Frustrated, Qin Shi An shouted, “Nonsense your mother.”

Qin Dexuan: “?”

Qin Shi An flinched from the glare, then said, “I genuinely don’t have those ambitions. I just want to live out the rest of my life peacefully this time.”

He had finally endured three bizarre cycles of reincarnation. He was truly sick and terrified of fighting for the throne and being Emperor. Now that he could finally make some changes, he just wanted to quickly get rid of this fatal entanglement.

Qin Shi An spoke with increasing fluency. “Now I genuinely don’t want to fight with you. Why do you insist on taking my life and making the military conflict so troublesome?”

“Besides, isn’t it perfect that Qin Wufang is trapped in Shuiyan now? That way he won’t cause you trouble, right? I already spoke with You Heng last time. We can just reach an agreement with Shuiyan to keep him trapped there for life, as if he were dead. That would pose no threat to you, right?”

Qin Dexuan looked up at Qin Shi An, his expression slightly shifting, but his heart was already wavering.

Qin Dexuan asked, “How did you reach an agreement with You Heng?”

“He doesn’t want to fight either. We are both peace lovers.” Qin Shi An mimicked You Heng’s words from that day. “You see, if this war truly starts, it will devastate the people and exhaust the national treasury.”

“You Heng said that as long as we retreat, he will permanently imprison Qin Wufang in Shuiyan. It will be like he’s dead, guaranteed not to pose any threat to you.”

Qin Dexuan raised his eyebrow. “Really?”

It seems this Shuiyan Emperor is indeed an incompetent, cowardly good-for-nothing, just as rumored.

Qin Shi An quickly nodded. “Absolutely tru…”

Before the word “true” could leave his mouth, someone quickly walked into the tent and bowed.

Gu You said, “We received news that the rebel Qin Wufang has returned to Shiyu!”

Qin Shi An: “…”

Qin Dexuan frowned. “What happened?”

Gu You said, “It is rumored that the Shuiyan Emperor secretly assisted him.”

Qin Shi An: “???”

Looking at the shocked Qin Shi An, Qin Dexuan sneered. “Your Majesty, it seems your agreement was not successful.”

Before Qin Shi An could catch his breath, another soldier rushed into the tent, knelt, and urgently said, “The main army from Shuiyan is advancing!”

Qin Shi An was stunned. That fast?

This You Heng really goes back on his word…

But the kneeling soldier then said, “The one leading the army is Prince Ze.”

Looking at the distraught You Ruo, Bai Yao asked in confusion, “How can that be? Didn’t You Heng and Qin Shi An agree on three days?”

“Three days, my foot! I really believed his nonsense!” You Ruo said, “After that injury, he said he was going into seclusion to recuperate and hadn’t left the room since yesterday. But when the palace servants checked today, they found he was already gone!”

Bai Yao and Luo Qi exchanged a look, suddenly remembering their earlier topic.

Seeing the two of them looking like they had something to say, You Ruo asked, “What is it? Is there more news I don’t know?”

Bai Yao said, “I think… perhaps he’s not the only one who disappeared.”

Hearing that the person leading the troops was You Ze, Qin Shi An was stunned, then his face turned white.

Turning to look at Qin Dexuan, Qin Shi An was about to speak, when he heard Qin Dexuan say, “I can lead the charge for Your Majesty.”

“However,” Qin Dexuan said, “Your Majesty must also contribute some effort, right?”

Qin Shi An asked, “How should I contribute?”

Qin Dexuan said, “While I am engaging the main Shuiyan army head-on, I hope Your Majesty can lead troops around through the southern mountain valley, take the small path, and launch a surprise attack on Shuiyan.”

Seeing Qin Shi An still looking uneasy, Qin Dexuan said, “Your Majesty can rest assured. I will be at the front, so there will be no danger on your side.”

Qin Shi An: “…”

He still remembered how he had been tricked and killed by this man before. Qin Dexuan’s words sounded easy, but he dared not believe them completely.

But Qin Dexuan said, “Your Majesty is unwilling? Then perhaps Your Majesty should lead the charge, and I will lead the surprise attack.”

“…No, no, I’ll go.”

Walking out of the main tent behind Qin Dexuan, Gu You whispered, “According to our intelligence, the end of the southern mountain valley is where Shuiyan’s elite forces are stationed…”

Qin Dexuan sneered. “Exactly.”

Understanding Qin Dexuan’s intention, Gu You said, “Your subordinate will reduce the number of troops Your Majesty takes.”

Qin Dexuan, however, said, “Not only that. I want you to take our main force there.”

Gu You was startled. “Your Highness… Do you really intend to launch a surprise attack from the south side?”

That location was easy to defend and difficult to attack; it wasn’t a wise choice for a surprise attack.

“I just hope you can quickly lead men to ambush at the entrance of the mountain valley.” Qin Dexuan said, “A surprise attack on Shuiyan may not succeed, but killing Prince Ze is somewhat possible.”

Since he had come to the battlefield, he couldn’t return empty-handed. He needed to bring back some merit.

Gu You agreed but still asked in confusion, “Your subordinate is slow-witted. How should we lure Prince Ze into our ambush?”

The main battlefield was still a long distance from that mountain valley.

Looking at the ink-wash figure outside the tent, Qin Dexuan said, “I recall you mentioning that when You Ze made a scene in the prison and rescued Qin Shi An, Commissioner Su was also present.”

“Yes. Since Minister Su arrived in Shangjing, the two have been together. You may have also heard that the relationship between Minister Su and Prince Ze seems to be…”

Gu You lowered his hand and made a motion of cutting sleeves.

After making the gesture, Gu You suddenly somewhat understood Qin Dexuan’s intention. “Are you planning to use Minister Su as bait?”

A cold sneer surfaced on Qin Dexuan’s face. He said in a deep voice, “Let Minister Su accompany the troops. With one more person, we can also ensure our Emperor is ‘looked after’ a bit more.”

Shuiyan Imperial Palace.

After searching everywhere, the group had completely confirmed that Qin Wufang had disappeared along with You Heng.

You Ruo said, “What is all this chaos.”

Remembering the plot Bai Yao had mentioned, her eyes were red with worry. “Why is this becoming more and more like what you said, Bai Bai? What if my brother really gets into trouble…”

Lie Ruyang frowned, looking at You Ruo, then turned and walked out.

You Ruo was startled and quickly grabbed her. “Yang Yang, where are you going?”

Lie Ruyang said, “I’m going to help You Ze.”

After removing her mask, Lie Ruyang had put on a veil again. Her whole expression was obscured by the half-covering, but the determination in her voice was clear.

Looking down at Bai Yao, Luo Qi said, “I’ll go too.”

“He and Su Mu Bai saved Yaoyao before. Now that he’s in danger, I should also help.”

Bai Yao, however, held Luo Qi’s arm. “Wait…”

Carefully recalling the progression in the book, Bai Yao said, “Although the plot conditions don’t seem to hold up, I still feel uneasy…”

Bai Yao said, “Lie Ruyang, you go to the front to help You Ze. Luo Qi and I… will go check another place.”

Unlike You Heng’s adherence to rules, You Ze led his troops to advance aggressively. Ignoring the shouts from the Shiyu side, he forcibly started the battle.

In the center of the clashing soldiers, You Ze flew up, raised the gilded saber in his hand, and easily stopped Qin Dexuan’s incoming spear with a cold face.

Forcing the man back a few moves, You Ze moved with ghost-like speed, giving Qin Dexuan no chance to catch his breath.

Qin Dexuan believed he had some understanding of You Ze, but only in this real exchange did he realize the terror of his opponent.

Seeing You Ze about to attack again, Qin Dexuan retreated a few steps and suddenly said, “Prince Ze, I wonder if your elite troops in the south of Shuiyan still have the same valor as before?”

You Ze glanced at him. “You can come and try.”

“Mhm, I certainly will try, but not personally.” Qin Dexuan smiled. “Your Minister Su has led troops to the south, and he should be fully experiencing it by now.”

Before the sentence was fully spoken, Qin Dexuan saw You Ze’s cold expression suddenly change. He quickly grabbed a Shiyu soldier nearby and asked in a cold voice, “Did Su Mu Bai accompany the army?”

Caught off guard and gripped by the enemy’s commander-in-chief, the young soldier faced a man whose handsome face was filled with intense killing intent. He stammered out a quick nod, then was thrown aside.

On the battlefield, the Shuiyan generals were stunned to see their commander suddenly fly away.

Qin Dexuan sneered, quickly drew the arrows from his back, and consecutively shot three arrows towards the Shuiyan banner not far away.

If they lost their commander, and the military banner was also destroyed, morale would certainly collapse.

Watching the three golden arrows shoot through the air, the Shuiyan soldiers who noticed Qin Dexuan’s action were horrified but helpless to save it.

In an instant, the first arrow had already tilted the flag pole, and the next two were about to strike again.

But the expected falling scene didn’t occur.

In the nick of time, a figure flew in, spinning to break the next two arrows. A jade-like hand extended from her sleeve and held the large banner that was about to fall.

The person who appeared out of nowhere wore a veil over her face and stood alone on the battle chariot. Her brilliant red skirt fluttered in the wind, her shoulders reflecting the blazing sun, bright as fire.

Steadying the flag pole a bit further down with her hand, Lie Ruyang looked down at the shocked Qin Dexuan, curved her lips, and smiled. “Hey, long time no see.”

The King’s Plan

Qin Dexuan was stunned for several seconds before asking in confusion, “Lie Ruyang?”

Qin Dexuan asked, “As a native of Shiyu, and previously one of the top Dark Disciples of the royal family, how can you betray your country to help Shuiyan…”

Lie Ruyang waved her hand to interrupt him. “Hey, what Shiyu and Shuiyan? I was just following Qin Mang’s orders before. As for now…”

Lie Ruyang looked back at the surprised Shuiyan generals, thought for a moment, and said frankly, “Their Princess considers me her protector. So, I’ll protect them for the time being too.”

Qin Dexuan: “?”

Letting go of the flag pole, Lie Ruyang slightly rotated her neck, then grinned mischievously at Qin Dexuan. “Come on. I’ve wanted to give you a good beating for a long time.”

Hearing the nearly excited tone in her words, Qin Dexuan stood rooted to the spot, quietly swallowing his saliva.

Just as You Ze was about to arrive, Su Mu Bai and the others had just reached the mountain valley entrance, exactly as Qin Dexuan had planned.

Qin Shi An rode at the very front, constantly looking around, finding danger in everything he saw.

Su Mu Bai rode the white horse gifted by Xun Bin slightly behind Qin Shi An. Seeing that they were about to enter the valley, Su Mu Bai frowned and shouted, “Stop.”

Qin Shi An was startled and exclaimed, “What is it, what is it!”

Su Mu Bai turned back and said, “His Majesty perceives something unusual ahead. Send someone to scout first.”

Gu You stepped forward and said, “Minister Su, we are launching a surprise attack. It’s not advisable to send people to scout, what if we are exposed?”

Su Mu Bai asked, “Then has General Gu scouted this area beforehand? Do you know which part of Shuiyan is ahead and if there are soldiers stationed there?”

“Or,” Su Mu Bai looked back at the group of somewhat weary, old, and weak soldiers behind him, “are the troops we brought too few?”

Gu You was slightly taken aback, then smiled. “Minister Su, you must be joking. I’m here too, aren’t I?”

Su Mu Bai frowned.

That’s exactly why I find it even stranger.

On the mountain valley above, where Su Mu Bai and the others couldn’t see, a group of soldiers in position had already quietly prepared their bows and arrows according to orders, waiting for the command to launch the attack.

In a row of soldiers lying prone, there was a man with a quite sturdy physique, who occupied the space of two others.

The man also had a very fierce appearance, was highly skilled, and had a bad temper. The soldiers nearby consciously moved sideways to maintain distance from him.

Thus, after a moment, only a thin figure remained next to the sturdy man.

After lying there for a while, the sturdy man muttered to the person next to him, “Why did they suddenly rush us here? What are you thinking? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

The thin soldier said, “I think it’s very strange. This arrangement clearly means they want us to ambush someone, but they haven’t told us who we are supposed to kill…”

The sturdy soldier interrupted him with a rough voice, “Who the heck cares who it is? It’s someone from Shuiyan anyway.”

He paused, then added, “Speaking of which, that little girl from Shuiyan saved our lives. Isn’t what we’re doing now a bit dishonorable?”

The thin soldier secretly peeked out, then was slightly startled. He said, “More important than that… I think you should first look at who’s down there…”

“Who’s down there?”

“Didn’t I tell you that Minister Su who came with the army looked familiar? Later I realized, he must be the one who was at the stronghold that day…”

Before the thin soldier could finish, someone nearby said, “They’ve arrived! Get ready to listen for the command!”

Below the mountain valley, before Su Mu Bai could speak again, the white horse he was riding seemed to sense something and let out a neigh.

Everyone turned to look and saw a black horse approaching from a distance. The person on the horse flew up, instantly closing the distance.

Recognizing the newcomer at a glance, Su Mu Bai hadn’t moved, when Gu You beside him suddenly reached over, grabbed him, and held his sword to Su Mu Bai’s throat.

Looking at You Ze, who was now close by, Gu You said, “Prince Ze, I advise you not to act rashly.”

Qin Shi An nearby was shocked. “Gu You, what are you doing? Quickly release Minister Su!”

“Minister Su has an unusual relationship with Prince Ze of Shuiyan. He was actually able to make Prince Ze abandon the battle and rush over. Who knows if he has been secretly selling out Shiyu?”

Tightening the sword in his hand slightly, Gu You said, “Prince You Ze, although your martial arts are excellent, you cannot guarantee that you are faster than my sword.”

As he spoke, several arrows shot through the air from above the valley. You Ze swung his large saber, breaking all the arrows.

Seeing You Ze’s action, Gu You raised the sword further up.

The sharp edge cut through the skin, already drawing blood.

“If Prince Ze doesn’t want my sword to move any further, please put down your saber and surrender obediently. I will naturally guarantee your safety.”

Staring at the deepening bloodstain on Su Mu Bai’s neck, You Ze raised his hand and let go of the large saber. “Fine.”

But with that word, another arrow came from the air, piercing You Ze’s left arm. You Ze staggered half a step forward, and yet another arrow followed, slicing across his knee.

Su Mu Bai urgently said, “Tell them to stop!”

Qin Shi An was also stunned. “Gu You, how can you go back on your word?”

Gu You said, “Your Majesty, this is an accident. Perhaps some soldiers didn’t hear the command clearly.”

Looking at You Ze, who was standing with difficulty and frowning, Gu You secretly tightened his grip on the sword hilt.

It’s a shame they prepared so many archers. This is much easier than expected. I might as well claim the great merit of killing Prince Ze.

Thinking this, Gu You suddenly raised his sword and struck, catching You Ze off guard. But Su Mu Bai stepped forward with him, pulling out something from his sleeve and blocking the attack with it.

The two objects clashed, and the sword in Gu You’s hand was shaved off by Su Mu Bai’s dagger.

Gu You was momentarily stunned. You Ze had already pulled Su Mu Bai close, picked up a nearby arrow, and swiftly stabbed Gu You in the throat.

The sudden turn of events.

The soldiers on the mountain valley above peered down in confusion.

You Ze looked at Su Mu Bai, who was rushing to help him, and laughed.

Su Mu Bai frowned. “How can you still laugh?”

With an arrow still embedded in his shoulder and the strong scent of blood dispersing, You Ze looked up at the dense crowd on the mountain tops, yet he smiled as easily as usual. “Do you believe me when I say I can take you out of here, and we will both return safely?”

Su Mu Bai was about to answer, but then suddenly remembered what Miss Bai had said before. The words on the tip of his tongue stopped, and he started again. “I… don’t believe it.”

You Ze was taken aback. “You won’t even say an auspicious word at a time like this? Do you dislike me that much?”

Su Mu Bai frowned, looking hesitant.

Before Su Mu Bai could answer again, You Ze laughed once more. “Then I will make you believe it.”

Seeing Gu You fall dead, the soldiers guarding the mountain valley above fell into chaos. The impatient ones immediately shot arrows down, not caring that the Emperor was below.

Seeing an arrow flying towards Su Mu Bai’s back, You Ze quickly raised his hand to block, but the arrow was broken in mid-air by another arrow.

They heard a powerful, bell-like voice roar: “What the heck are you all shooting at randomly? What if you hurt Susu?”

But with that shout, after a brief moment of calm, a rain of arrows poured down completely.

On the mountain above, Hu Jiu, who had just roared, drew the large battle-axe from his back and said to Zhou Fang next to him, “You hide here. I’m going down!”

Without waiting for Zhou Fang’s reply, he had already rammed past a row of archers, wielding the large axe and rushing down the mountain valley. As he ran, he shouted, “Stop standing around like idiots! Run quickly!”

When Bai Yao and Luo Qi were about to reach the valley entrance, they heard Hu Jiu’s roar before they saw anyone.

When they arrived at the valley entrance, they saw a group of people almost enveloped in the rain of arrows.

Besides You Ze, who they had expected, the group included Su Mu Bai, Qin Shi An, and even… Hu Jiu, wielding his large battle-axe.

Although You Ze had an arrow in his shoulder, his posture while swinging the large saber was completely unaffected, as if the arrow was an ornament he wore.

Bai Yao was silent for a moment and said, “Luo Qi… I think this trajectory has truly changed quite a lot.”

Luo Qi was also surprised to see Hu Jiu here again. But seeing the group struggling to resist, Luo Qi put an arm around Bai Yao and said, “Yaoyao, hold on tight.”

“Mhm.”

Bai Yao nodded, obediently tightening her arms. She saw Luo Qi fly up, the long sword in her hand transforming into a layer of clear light, shielding the shower of arrows in her path.

In the original book, Luo Qi’s martial arts were already exquisite. Now that she had also received Gui An’s power, the few people resisting in the valley were instantly much relieved.

Rushing into the center of the arrow rain, Luo Qi put Bai Yao down and turned around to fully display her sword technique.

Seeing the two of them, Su Mu Bai said happily, “Miss Bai? You are indeed safe and sound!”

Bai Yao responded. She looked at the group and asked, “Are you all okay?”

Su Mu Bai nodded. Qin Shi An quickly leaned over and said, “Miss Bai, Miss Bai, what on earth is going on!”

Bai Yao hadn’t completely figured it out either, so she waved her hand at him. “Hey, don’t worry about what’s going on. Just be glad we’re not going to die.”

Just as she said this, a flying arrow that had fortunately evaded their sabers and swords shot towards Qin Shi An.

Bai Yao and Su Mu Bai immediately reached out to pull Qin Shi An, but it was too late.

But a long sword swiftly intervened, striking the sharp point of the flying arrow and knocking it away.

You Heng, now without a weapon, hopped around, dodging a few arrows, and ran up. “Hey buddy, I’m here, I’m here!”

Qin Shi An was first grateful, but then angrily said, “What the heck is wrong with you? We agreed on something, why did you change your mind just like that?”

You Heng looked down, patted the dust off his robe, and said, “I didn’t change my mind. That was my plan all along.”

Qin Shi An: “?”

You Heng grinned. “I was afraid you wouldn’t understand right away, so I didn’t elaborate. I did this to completely remove a future problem for you.”

“…Are you calling me stupid??? And removing a future problem…” Qin Shi An pointed to the people all over the mountain. “Then you’re smart. Tell me what we should do now?”

You Heng squinted his fox eyes and smiled. “Don’t worry. He’ll be back soon.”

On the main battlefield, Qin Dexuan was once again knocked to the ground by Lie Ruyang.

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