Ning Wanqin was extremely nervous.
She had smuggled herself across the border to carry out the mission of persuading Zhang Shi to defect. But the moment she appeared near the fortress complex north of the Yangtze, she had been discovered and brought to Lu Chaosheng’s tent. It was obvious that something had gone wrong.
With her life at stake, Ning Wanqin could not help feeling somewhat frightened.
She could only force herself to remain calm and said, “Chaosheng, this time I came here to…”
Before she could finish, she noticed that the tent was filled with food and wine. She froze for a moment. “Chaosheng, why is there so much food and wine?”
“Ah, I heard you were coming, so I had it prepared in a hurry.” Lu Chaosheng had become much more quick-witted. “Wanqin, don’t be shy now that you’re here. Sit, sit… Tonight, I’ll get drunk with you again!”
Ning Wanqin instantly thought of something, and her face flushed faintly. However, she was in someone else’s territory and had no choice but to lower her head. She sat down.
Lu Chaosheng hurriedly urged her to drink.
He even prepared his own dishes!
At the same time, he switched into his “chatterbox” mode, rambling on with Ning Wanqin about everything under the sun.
After all, the two of them had known each other for more than twenty years. They had once been an intimate couple—a perfect match envied by countless people—and the feelings accumulated over all those years still remained.
Under such an atmosphere, Ning Wanqin gradually relaxed. She drank more and more, until she was hazy with alcohol. Suddenly, she asked, “Chaosheng, did you know that Moyan died? Now that your love rival is gone, are you trying to get back together with me?!”
Lu Chaosheng froze. “Huh?”
“I knew it!” Ning Wanqin gave a self-mocking laugh. Swaying as she stood up, she had to steady herself against the table just to walk, yet the words she spoke were forceful and clear. “I knew that was what you were thinking.”
“You always regarded Moyan as a love rival!”
“But in my heart, Moyan was only my best friend. That’s why I treated him a little better. I never expected… Hmph! You’ve always held a grudge. You always thought Moyan was competing with you for me.”
“Now that Moyan is dead, you suddenly remember me.”
“I’m so disappointed in you…”
By the time she spoke those final words, Ning Wanqin had regained the lofty, imperious bearing she had possessed in the past. Her presence was intimidating.
But the bewilderment on Lu Chaosheng’s face only deepened.
“Huh?”
“Heh!” Ning Wanqin let out a cold laugh. “Do you think I don’t know what you’re plotting? Still, this time, I’m willing to give you a chance!”
“If you’re willing to return with me to the Yangtze defenses and serve under the Grand Commander, I’ll give you another chance to pursue me!”
“What do you say?”
Lu Chaosheng was utterly dumbfounded.
How could Ning Wanqin still be thinking this way at a time like this?
So the woman he had loved for more than twenty years was really like this at heart? He had truly been blind!
Still, Lu Chaosheng quickly recovered. He knew that there were two crucial things he needed to accomplish during this meeting with Ning Wanqin.
One concerned his happiness that very night. The other was the important matter entrusted to him by Lord Duke.
According to what Ning Wanqin had said, her primary objective in coming to the fortress complex north of the Yangtze was still him?
What the hell? Her first attempt had failed, and two commanders—one surnamed Zhao and the other surnamed Qian—had already been sacrificed, yet she had come again?
Lu Chaosheng understood Ning Wanqin’s train of thought less and less, but that did not stop him from continuing to probe her without revealing his intentions.
“Wanqin, I’d certainly be willing to go with you. It’s just that…”
“Lord Duke has treated me very well.”
“He’s never been stingy with me.”
“If I just leave without a word, I can’t help feeling that I’d be letting him down.”
Ning Wanqin’s brows shot up, and she said coldly, “What?”
“Is Ren Tianye more important than I am?”
Lu Chaosheng fell silent.
Ning Wanqin grew anxious. If she could recruit Lu Chaosheng as an ally, not only would she have a greater advantage in persuading Zhang Shi to defect, but once she returned to the Yangtze defenses and joined the all-female army, she would also have more leverage.
“Fine, fine, fine. I’ll show you right now just how much more important I am than Ren Tianye!”
Ning Wanqin fixed her eyes on Lu Chaosheng. Then, with a sudden burst of strength, she shoved him down. She immediately bent over him.
Lu Chaosheng went along with it, falling to the ground and enduring it helplessly.
It was not until deep into the night that Lu Chaosheng managed to climb out of bed. His body felt somewhat weak, but his confidence was soaring.
He had known it—there was absolutely nothing wrong with him!
Last time, he had simply been too nervous!
This time had proved that Lu Chaosheng had begun training in martial arts from childhood and had forged his body properly. His foundation was exceptionally strong.
“Whew!”
He let out a long breath, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
But when he turned around and saw Ning Wanqin lying on the bed just as she had the last time, Lu Chaosheng could not help feeling that such a beautiful night ending there was a real shame.
After all, this might be the last time!
He then rummaged through the clothes scattered across the floor, found the small blue pill Zhang Shi had given him, and swallowed it with some water.
By dawn, as the first light poured in, Lu Chaosheng almost could not get up. Even so, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand.
After all, while Ning Wanqin had been desperately begging for mercy the night before, he had managed to learn the true purpose of her visit.
“She’s actually trying to persuade General Zhang Shi to defect!”
“Holy crap! What kind of absurd idea is that?!”
This was extremely important intelligence, and it was precisely what Ren Tianye needed. Lu Chaosheng did not dare delay for even a moment. While Ning Wanqin remained asleep, he dragged his utterly exhausted body toward Ren Tianye’s camp.
The moment he saw Ren Tianye, he dropped to his knees.
“Lord Duke, I’ve already uncovered Ning Wanqin’s objective. She joined forces with Ruan Fei and intends to persuade General Zhang Shi to defect and serve their side!”
Lu Chaosheng’s voice was not loud, but the moment his words fell in the main camp, the entire tent became silent.
A deathly silence!
After a long while, someone finally drew in a sharp breath.
“Holy crap! Did I hear that wrong? Persuade General Zhang Shi to defect? That’s General Zhang Shi we’re talking about!”
“You’re sure this isn’t a joke? If General Zhang Shi could really be persuaded to defect, our entire army might as well surrender to the Yangtze defenses.”
“Heh. I was almost laughing from anger.”
…
And it was not just everyone else. Even Zhang Shi himself was dumbfounded.
He pointed at himself and said, “Persuade me to defect?”
“No…”
“Persuade me to defect!”
“Lord Duke…” When Zhang Shi looked toward Ren Tianye, the bewilderment in his eyes instantly transformed into wild delight. “I’m willing! If they want to persuade me to defect, I’ll surrender. Then… wouldn’t the camp along the Yangtze defenses be mine to wreak havoc in?”
“Damn it, why bother training the navy anymore?”
“I’ll throw the Yangtze defenses into chaos. Once I send the signal, Lord Duke, you can bring your men straight in.”
“Wouldn’t that mean the Yangtze defenses would fall into our hands?”
“And wouldn’t that mean… I’d have rendered a great service?!”
As Zhang Shi spoke, he grew so excited that he nearly leaped up and broke into song and dance.
What incredible luck! How rare was it for such tremendous fortune to fall into his lap?
Was this finally Heaven rewarding him for all his hard work?
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
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?”
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
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."
