The shouts echoed loudly, soon alarming the entire military camp.
Lu Chaosheng still did not return.
Ning Wanqin’s throat had gone hoarse from calling out, yet she still failed to make Lu Chaosheng turn around. Her already-fractured emotions finally collapsed completely. Tears streamed down her face as she felt nothing but the misery of her own fate.
Lu Chaosheng, with whom she had grown up as childhood sweethearts, had now become someone she no longer recognized. All the years of effort and devotion she had poured into him seemed like nothing more than a joke.
She could not help but wallow in self-pity.
Shen Moyan, standing beside her, suddenly leaped to his feet.
He grabbed Ning Wanqin by the arm and said, “Wanqin, Lu Chaosheng has left! He refused! What am I supposed to do?”
“I made a military pledge before the Grand Commander. I even alerted the Grand Commander’s wife. If I return empty-handed…”
“The Grand Commander will surely punish me according to military law.”
“I—I’m finished!”
“You have to help me!”
“You have to help me!”
“You’re the only one I can rely on!”
Shen Moyan was frantic. His handsome face drew close to Ning Wanqin’s, making her heart tremble slightly and gradually pulling her back from the depths of despair.
Their breaths were almost touching, and his hot breath brushed against her face. Ning Wanqin stopped crying, took a deep breath, and said gently, “Moyan, don’t worry.”
“You’ve had a difficult life and have struggled every step of the way.”
“Since I’m your closest friend, of course I won’t abandon you.”
“Even if I have to give up everything, I’ll help you.”
“I’ll make sure you become the Grand Commander’s most trusted favorite, helping you rise to power and soar into the heavens.”
Ning Wanqin’s reassurance eased Shen Moyan’s heart somewhat, but reassurance alone was useless. They had to come up with a practical solution.
They had to make Lu Chaosheng change his mind, agree to return with them to the Yangtze defense line, and pledge allegiance to the Grand Commander.
“But, Wanqin, what should we do now?” Shen Moyan asked.
“Lu Chaosheng has already left.”
For a moment, Ning Wanqin had no answer either.
Lu Chaosheng never acted according to convention, completely disrupting all her plans. Her mission had failed before it had even begun, and she was so anxious that she paced back and forth inside the tent.
Shen Moyan was just as anxious, pacing around the tent as well.
After a long while, Ning Wanqin looked at Shen Moyan again. Seeing his utterly distraught expression, a thought suddenly occurred to her.
She blurted out, “Moyan, I know what to do.”
“For your sake, I’m willing to give up the most precious thing I have!”
Shen Moyan froze. “What?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely make Lu Chaosheng leave with us!”
Shen Moyan was clever, and as though they shared the same thoughts, he immediately guessed what Ning Wanqin had in mind. A wave of displeasure surged through him.
His! That belonged to him!
Why did she have to give it to Lu Chaosheng again?
Wouldn’t that mean he was the one losing out?
“Why don’t we…”
“Why don’t we do it once first…”
Shen Moyan wanted to say it, but the words passed back and forth among his organs and never dared emerge from his mouth. After all, the circumstances were inappropriate—not to mention that they were facing a life-or-death crisis.
He could only suppress his resentment and watch Ning Wanqin make preparations.
Ning Wanqin lifted the tent flap once more.
Once again, the guards at the entrance stopped her.
“Miss Ning, my general said that he went out to get some air. He told you to wait here. Don’t worry—he’ll be back soon.”
Ning Wanqin did not know how many times she had taken a deep breath by now. She said, “I’m not going out, but you need to do something for me.”
“Me?” The guard was astonished. Did she think this was her own home? Was she ordering everyone around the moment she saw them?
“Yes, you,” Ning Wanqin said. “Two things.”
“First, prepare some food and wine—especially the wine. It must be the finest available.”
“Second, immediately find Lu Chaosheng and tell him that tonight, I’m going to drink with him until neither of us can stand.”
The guard did not move.
Ning Wanqin grew angry. “Go, then! What are you waiting for?”
“Are you waiting for Lu Chaosheng to come back and chop off your head?”
The guard was furious, but he did not dare do anything to Ning Wanqin. After a moment’s thought, he left another man to continue guarding the tent and hurried away on horseback.
He went to report to Lu Chaosheng.
Of course, he knew that Lu Chaosheng had already gone to report to Lord Duke, so he headed directly there.
He arrived soon afterward. After asking someone to announce him, he waited outside the tent.
Inside, Ren Tianye was also frowning slightly.
He was quite surprised himself.
After all that, Ning Wanqin and Shen Moyan had crossed the river merely to persuade Lu Chaosheng to defect?
He was truly speechless at these people.
Anyone with eyes could see that Lu Chaosheng was thriving under his command and had a bright future ahead of him. Yet they had actually come to persuade Lu Chaosheng to leave. The way their minds worked was beyond ordinary comprehension.
“Lord Duke, what should this subordinate do now?”
Lu Chaosheng actually had an idea of what to do, but he did not dare make the decision on his own. He still needed Ren Tianye’s orders.
Ren Tianye pondered briefly and was just about to speak when the guard outside reported that Lu Chaosheng’s personal guard had arrived.
After the man was brought inside and delivered his message, Ren Tianye laughed again.
He said to Lu Chaosheng, “Looks like Miss Ning has realized that force won’t work and is planning to try a softer approach.”
“She wants to admire the moon with you tonight, General Lu.”
“General Lu, are you happy?”
Lu Chaosheng hurriedly fell to his knees. “I wouldn’t dare, Lord Duke. I wouldn’t dare. This subordinate wouldn’t dare.”
“What’s there to fear?” Ren Tianye said with a laugh. Then, as a thought suddenly struck him, he asked, “General Lu, I’ve just thought of something. How far have things gone between you and Ning Wanqin?”
This was common knowledge, and Lu Chaosheng did not understand why Ren Tianye was suddenly asking about it again. Still, he answered honestly, “We nearly got married.”
“That isn’t what I’m asking.”
“Then what are you asking, Lord Duke?” Lu Chaosheng asked blankly. Fortunately, he was not stupid. The moment the words left his mouth, he realized what Ren Tianye meant and said timidly, “Well, Lord Duke, Ning Wanqin and I were purely in love. Although we had been childhood sweethearts for more than twenty years, I always respected her…”
“You’ve lost out!” Ren Tianye immediately declared with absolute certainty. Then he laughed. “Tonight is the perfect opportunity to make up for that loss.”
“What?”
“What are you so surprised about?” Ren Tianye shook his head with a smile. “My order for tonight is simple: spend some quality time with Miss Ning Wanqin.”
“When the time comes, have someone take Shen Moyan away. You and Miss Ning Wanqin can have a heart-to-heart, chat, climb some mountains, cross some streams, and go exploring together.”
“Well…”
“All right, it’s settled.”
When Ren Tianye said something was settled, it was entirely different from when Ning Wanqin said the same thing. Lu Chaosheng had no choice but to obey. Besides… he felt that, deep down, he was rather eager for it himself.
He respectfully accepted the order and was about to leave.
Ren Tianye’s voice rose again. “As it happens, I recently discussed several important matters with Generals Zhao and Qian of the Yangtze defense line. Take a look at the letters exchanged between us and see whether everything is in order.”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
