Chapter 1040: Chapter 1040: Finale Arc (Part 5)
There were also sounds of fighting in Xiande Hall, which only meant that ruffians had already attacked Xiande Hall.
It’s expected; not only the palace gates around the Imperial Palace would be attacked, even the tall walls could not stop the enemy.
Lai Ran and Leng Yu Yan exchanged a glance.
If something happened to the Emperor or the family, what use was it for them to stand guard at a corner of the palace gate?
The urgent task was to go protect the Emperor.
Delay the time as much as possible, hoping that Li Yuyue could bring the soldiers from the surrounding states to support them.
This idea was probably just wishful thinking.
Li Yuyue had most likely already sent people to deliver grain and medicine to the border.
The father and daughter, despite being almost exhausted, made a unanimous decision to first rush back to Xiande Hall to guard the Emperor, to buy as much time as possible.
"Close the palace gates!" Lai Ran shouted, "Hold the line firmly for me!"
The remaining Imperial Army and Imperial Guard Army pushed with all their might to shut the two heavy doors with difficulty.
The palace gates were not closed in time earlier, and with more rebels arriving, the Leng father and daughter fought for a long time, finally buying enough time to close the gates.
Not far away, Ye Zhenyu shouted from his war chariot, "Don’t just stand there stupidly, charge!"
The West Desert Princess laughed, "What use is there in closing the palace gate? It’s the last gasp of a crossbow. Today we will definitely break into the Tiansheng Palace."
The Leng father and daughter quickly returned to Xiande Hall.
As expected, thieves were already fighting with Ling Lang and others.
The ground was littered with countless bodies, not only from the Imperial Guard Army but also from the thieves.
Lai Taihong stood valiantly at the entrance of the grand hall with a Long-handled Scimitar in hand. Seeing his son and granddaughter return, his tense demeanor finally relaxed a bit.
Suddenly, a thief came forward.
He swung his sword, and the thief fell immediately.
Immediately afterwards, someone else charged forward.
Yan Funing’s eyes narrowed, her foot pointed, and the long spear pierced straight into the enemy’s body.
"Well done, Yan’er!" Lai Taihong shouted, his voice like a great bell.
The three generations of the family stood shoulder to shoulder at the entrance of the hall.
Soon, enemy troops and rebels attacked from all sides of the high walls of the palace.
Lai Ran called, "Father, step back a bit."
"At this point, what’s there to say, whether it’s the battlefield or right now, it’s all a battle." Lai Taihong looked at Leng Yu Yan, "Grandfather is old, but poor Yan’er is still young."
The situation today seems difficult.
"To fight alongside grandfather and Father King is Yan’er’s fortune."
Leng Yu Yan said as she quietly stepped forward.
She wanted to protect her grandfather and Father King.
Ye Yuan and Baili Shuo exchanged a look and quickly moved towards the hall entrance.
Ye Zhenduan hurried to block them, "Father Emperor, Nandian Emperor, you two should hide inside."
"When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact?" Ye Yuan said, "Better to kill some more thieves."
Glancing at Leng Yu Yan, who was guarding the hall entrance in military attire, Ye Zhenduan lowered his head, silently wielding his sword, following Ye Yuan and Baili Shuo to the hall entrance.
The ministers inside the hall saw this and picked up their weapons to follow.
Seeing them all come over, Lai Ran shouted, "Everyone, retreat!"
The ministers shifted their gaze uniformly to Ye Yuan.
"Return!" Lai Ran nearly shouted at Ye Yuan, "I kindly request the Emperor to listen to this minister at this moment."
"Lai Ran, I am still the Emperor." Ye Yuan also shouted.
"Your presence only burdens us, the Leng Family. While fighting the enemy, we still worry whether you might get hurt." Lai Ran, with a serious face, said, "Go back!"
"Makes sense, makes sense."
Baili Shuo grabbed Ye Yuan’s arm and dragged him deeper into the hall.
At this moment, the rebels charged.
The sound of fighting arose again.
Just as the Leng family’s three members were fighting themselves to exhaustion, Ye Zhenyu brought a group of people over.
"You are all martial arts experts, show me your true skills, capture that woman, and be rewarded generously!"
His sword tip pointed directly at Leng Yu Yan.
Not only that, West Desert soldiers surrounded Xiande Hall.
The situation was dire.
Leng Yu Yan was furious, "Ye Zhenyu, you collude with foreign thieves, storming into the palace like this, can your conscience be at ease?"
"Why would it not be?" Ye Zhenyu laughed, "As long as I’m not on the throne, my heart is uneasy."
If it’s about conscience, does he even have one?
Leng Yu Yan wasn’t there to chat with him, while he was speaking, a flick of her dainty hand sent a long needle flying from her sleeve...
But Ye Zhenyu saw through her intentions.
He dodged, and the needle barely pierced through his ear.
His ear tingled, and Ye Zhenyu quickly covered it, viciously ordering, "Kill that woman for me."
Such a woman beside him, what if she ended up killing him?
Better to kill her now.
"Yes!"
Dozens of people charged at Leng Yu Yan.
Lai Taihong and Lai Ran fought fiercely, but didn’t expect their foes to be so skilled, proving Ye Zhenyu had thoroughly prepared.
The situation quickly evolved into one group besieging Lai Taihong, another surrounding Lai Ran, and everyone else attacking Leng Yu Yan’s face and vital points.
Already weary, Leng Yu Yan fought valiantly, killing four.
However, being cornered, the situation was dire; any slight mistake could cost her life on the spot.
Lai Taihong and Lai Ran were in a similar plight.
Suddenly, a Da Dao slashed toward Leng Yu Yan.
Seeing that she was about to be hit, at that moment, a figure descended from the sky with lightning speed, blocking with a sword-wielding hand.
With a snap.
The newcomer’s hand was chopped off.
The severed hand still tightly gripped a sharp sword.
Leng Yu Yan recognized the person, and in shock, shouted, "Qingyu!"
Ji Qingyu smiled, his smile still as warm as ever, "Ah Yan, I’m here."
After saying that, he fell straight to the ground.
Leng Yu Yan rushed to catch him, pressing on his bleeding arm.
"Grandfather—"
In the distance, Leng Song saw this and brought the Ji Family Army to fight over.
Ji Qingyu shouted loudly, "Capture the West Desert army’s rogues, apprehend the Tiansheng rebels."
"As you command!"
Seeing Ji Qingyu’s small arm had been chopped off, every member of the Ji Family Army fought with eyes red with rage.
Lai Taihong and Lai Ran slashed and battled fiercely, finally breaking through the encirclement of Ye Zhenyu’s martial arts experts, shielding Ji Qingyu and Leng Yu Yan behind them.
"Qingyu..." Leng Yu Yan hugged him tightly, pressing on the open wound of his arm.
Tears streamed down.
Falling onto Ji Qingyu’s face.
His just-closed eyes opened again, "Ah Yan, don’t cry, it doesn’t hurt."
When they first met, she had once helped him heal his arm.
Now a hand was lost, it just counts as repaying her.
But she cried.
It broke his heart.
Yet he was overjoyed.
Ah Yan shedding tears for him, even if he died now, it would be worth it.
"How can it not hurt?" Leng Yu Yan saw his eyes close again, she lightly patted his face, panicking, "Ji Qingyu, you’re not allowed to sleep, I forbid you to fall asleep!"
Having fought all the way over, Ji Qingyu was no longer responsive.
Leng Yu Yan, with tear-filled eyes, raised an angry gaze, seeing Ye Zhenyu and the West Desert Princess sneering not far away.
She gritted her teeth, gently laid down Ji Qingyu, picked up the long spear, and spun directly toward Ye Zhenyu.
Her movements were so fast, they only left a few faint shadows in sight.
