The sight within the chest made Yue Lian feel as though her world was about to shatter!
The Martial God of the Great Qian, the savior of the people of Yan Province…
So that was why Young Master was so injured…
Yue Lian, who had finally stopped crying, now had tears streaming down her cheeks again, her sobs turning into a torrent like a pear blossom after rain.
At this very moment, she finally understood that every word her Young Master had spoken was something no one else in this world was more qualified to say!
"Young Master, the heavens…"
Yue Lian choked back her sobs, her eyes red-rimmed and her makeup smeared.
Liang Xiao said softly, "Yue Lian will keep a secret for Young Master, won't you?"
Yue Lian could not speak, but simply nodded obediently, her tears falling like pearls from a broken string. Because she was petite, she had to lift her head to look deeply at Liang Xiao.
Liang Xiao helped Yue Lian to sit down and repeatedly wiped her tears.
"Look at you, your face is all smudged like a little kitten."
Liang Xiao's gentle laughter warmed Yue Lian's heart. She asked weakly, "Have I become ugly…"
"Not at all!"
Liang Xiao smiled tenderly, tidied her braid, and wiped her tears again, speaking softly.
"When I return victorious, I will paint your eyebrows for you."
The young girl's heart fluttered, and she blushed, nodding obediently, her gaze never leaving Liang Xiao.
After handing the key to Yue Lian, Liang Xiao took off his outer robe, revealing the radiant white dragon armor.
Yue Lian quietly helped Liang Xiao put on his battle robe, handed him the Evil Ghost Mask, his sword, and the Heavenly General's Command, and escorted him out of the room.
Liang Xiao fastened his sword at his waist, held the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd, and looked back at Yue Lian, who was watching him with affectionate eyes at the doorway, before leaving with a relieved smile.
He made his way to the back mountain, and by the light of the lantern at the gate, he approached Bai Ye Feiying.
"Feiying, my Feiying, this is the first battle," Liang Xiao said softly.
Bai Ye Feiying did not resist, but only whimpered softly, allowing Liang Xiao to stroke its neck.
With a "creak," the door opened, and Hong Xiu walked out, gazing at Liang Xiao's retreating back.
"Where is the Marquis of An Guo going?"
"To save people, to protect the nation."
"What if you never return?"
"Then I will never return."
As they exchanged these words, Hong Xiu's eyes welled up with tears, and he knelt down, saying, "Amitabha! This humble monk will remember the will of heaven and only serve as the Marquis of An Guo's stable hand."
"Thank you, Master. If anyone asks where Feiying has gone, you need not answer."
Liang Xiao turned back and bowed gratefully to Hong Xiu, donned the Evil Ghost Mask, mounted his horse, and galloped away like a shooting star, with the momentum of a conqueror.
It is said:
The empire inherits the will of heaven, where can the Martial God be found? Today I am not myself, leaving my name as the Heavenly General!
Hong Xiu knelt to see Liang Xiao off, chanting, "Amitabha!"
Yue Lian closed the door and gazed silently into the candlelight.
"From now on, if I'm not accompanying Young Master, I shouldn't go out. And I can't sleep with Mi'er and the others anymore, lest I reveal Young Master's secrets in my sleep and cause trouble…"
Yue Lian murmured to herself, her eyes filled with worry.
Could her Young Master return safely?
After an unknown amount of time, Yue Lian finally got up, cast a reluctant glance at Liang Xiao's bed, and opened the door. She intended to wait by the door but was surprised to see a delicate figure sitting in the distance.
"Miss Qin Wan, when… when did you arrive…" Yue Lian asked guiltily, quickly closing the door.
Jian Qin Wan looked at Yue Lian and said, "I couldn't sleep, so I came to take a look. I've been sitting here for an hour."
Yue Lian's heart sank. She then remembered that she had been sitting in Liang Xiao's room for about two hours!
"He's not in the room, is he?" Jian Qin Wan asked.
Yue Lian's face turned red as she replied, "Young Master… he is…"
"Then what were you doing in his room for so long?" Jian Qin Wan's gaze turned resentful.
"In, in…" Yue Lian stammered, too flustered by the suddenness to come up with an excuse.
"Don't tell me you two were… engaging in romantic activities?" Jian Qin Wan huffed.
Hearing this, Yue Lian felt her face burn. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded, "Yes…"
Jian Qin Wan was startled. She leaned closer to examine Yue Lian, then chuckled, "Yue Lian, you're a terrible liar! If he's not peeping at girls bathing, what else could he be doing in there? Actually, he's not in there at all, is he? Where did he go?"
Yue Lian quickly blocked the door, saying anxiously, "Young Master is indisposed to meet people right now. You can't go in!"
Seeing Yue Lian's determined expression, Jian Qin Wan did not force her way in. After a moment of thought, she simply sat down by the stone table.
"Fine! Then I'll wait for him here until he's ready to see people and walks safely to me."
Yue Lian was speechless. The two girls sat in silence, each lost in her own thoughts.
On the western battlefield, Lu Changhe and Zhuo Ying's white-robed soldiers finally joined forces.
Zhuo Ying looked at Lu Changhe, who was covered in dust, and exclaimed, "General, how many enemies are left behind us?"
Lu Changhe forced a smile, "We killed about a thousand of them. There might be six or seven thousand left, but they are insignificant! The most important thing now is for us to return to Yan Province and report back!"
After a long journey, hoofbeats could be heard from a distance.
North! West!
A scout urgently reported, "General! Enemies have appeared to the north. Combined with the pursuers from the west, their numbers are estimated to be over ten thousand. It seems they are coordinating with the western pursuers to encircle us!"
"This is bad!" Everyone turned pale with shock.
Four thousand white-robed soldiers, with Lu Changhe's half exhausted troops, and most of the white-robed soldiers being new recruits!
A woman's cry could be heard from inside the carriage, "General Lu, you should return to Yan Province yourselves. I will negotiate with the barbarians and say that we will marry them, and persuade them to withdraw their troops…"
Lu Changhe exclaimed, "Absolutely not! The barbarians are cruel. They won't care if you are a princess! Don't worry, the soldiers of Great Qian will do their utmost to escort you back to Yan Province!"
With that, Lu Changhe immediately assigned one thousand white-robed soldiers to escort the carriage back to Yan Province. He and Zhuo Ying led the remaining troops to form a battle formation to meet the enemy, preparing to fight and retreat while awaiting reinforcements.
With the equipment of the white-robed soldiers, there was still hope!
"Lu Changhe! Today, your white-robed soldiers will surely be buried here!"
The roar of a barbarian general echoed from afar.
"How did the enemy know it was General Lu leading the troops?" Zhuo Ying immediately spotted the problem!
Lu Changhe's heart sank. He leaped onto his horse and rode to the front of the formation, shouting, "Since you know my name, state yours! I do not kill the nameless!"
"I am the barbarian general Hu Yan Jue Luo, here to avenge my brother Hu Yan Jia Luo!"
The barbarian general approached, with a bear-like physique and furious eyes. He roared, "All soldiers, charge with me and crush the white-robed soldiers!"
The white-robed soldiers escorting the Gushi Kingdom troops were finally caught up.
Over thirteen thousand barbarian cavalry, in a semi-encirclement, charged towards the white-robed soldiers.
As the two sides clashed, Lu Changhe's spear met Hu Yan Jue Luo's saber, and they fought for twenty rounds with no clear victor!
Hu Yan Jue Luo was both surprised and enraged, "Great Qian also has such fierce generals!"
Despite being a fierce barbarian general, Lu Changhe was not at his peak, yet he could still withstand his storm-like attacks!
Seeing barbarian cavalry constantly outflanking from the flanks and approaching the carriage, Lu Changhe had no desire to continue fighting. He forced Hu Yan Jue Luo back with a thrust of his spear and went to provide support!
"Lu Changhe has been defeated by this general and has fled!"
Hu Yan Jue Luo took the opportunity to laugh loudly, boosting the morale of the barbarians, who continued to charge the main formation of the white-robed soldiers.
Lu Changhe, fearing for the carriage, could not spare a thought for Hu Yan Jue Luo and could only fight hard, sighing inwardly, "Alas…"
Without the Heavenly General leading them, coupled with the new recruits, the white-robed soldiers were no longer as valiant as they once were.
"Cover the princess's retreat!" The Gushi Kingdom warriors also drew their swords and fought, only seeking a way to survive.
Lu Changhe roared, "The enemy has cut off our eastern escape route! If this continues, we will be annihilated sooner or later. General Zhuo, you escort the princess to break through!"
After saying this, Lu Changhe felt immense shame, "Heavenly General, we have ultimately disgraced your reputation…"
Just as Zhuo Ying was about to reply, a thunderous neigh of warhorses erupted from the east, followed by earth-shattering barbarian war cries. Within moments, the barbarian cries turned into screams of terror.
Using the higher ground, everyone looked towards the source of the sound and witnessed the most incredible sight of their lives—
White robes and white horses, the figure on the horse wore an evil ghost mask and charged forward, cutting into the battlefield. Wherever the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd passed, it stirred up a bloody storm.
It was the true form of the Martial God, continuing the legend of the gods!!