Chapter 259: Chapter 257: Direct Strike on the Dragon’s Lair
"Are you feeling any better?"
On the road toward the Great Qi and New Qin Empires, inside a carriage that looked ordinary on the outside but was luxurious within, Qin Li gazed at the quietly seated Shangguan Shiyu and asked softly.
Shangguan Shiyu nodded lightly, a dazed look still in her eyes. This girl, once so utterly pure of heart, was finally beginning to mature after all she had been through. This maturity, however, was built on a foundation of pain.
Lin Yunlan sat to the side, her heart swelling with emotion. She never would have imagined that her own daughter and future son-in-law possessed such strength.
Ordinarily, they should have been overjoyed now that their great enemy had been vanquished, but the mother and daughter felt no excitement in their hearts.
Shangguan Shiyu suddenly spoke in a soft voice. "If my father were still alive, I’d wish none of this had ever happened. I’d rather just be an ordinary girl. As long as I had you, Mother, and Father, that would be enough!"
Qin Li let out a soft sigh, a saying he had read in his past life suddenly coming to mind. ’Heroes ask, "What is the Martial World?" Tyrants ask, "What is the world?" But what of a king? Does he pursue the Martial World, or the world itself?’
’Or perhaps, the path of a king! Some are destined from birth for a life of magnificent, turbulent scenes; mediocrity will never be part of their story. Others are destined to be lonely and adrift, like the me of my past life. In that short but brilliant existence, my greatest regret wasn’t death, but never knowing who my parents were.’
’Ordinary people envy those stronger than them, little knowing that those high above have their own troubles, their own worries and fears.’
’One goes through so much in a lifetime. In the end, as long as you can live with a clear conscience, that’s all that matters!’
Lin Yunlan smiled and squeezed her daughter’s hand. "Shiyu," she said gently, "life is unpredictable. There are many things you won’t understand until you’re my age. Don’t dwell on the past with regret. Without regret, you can never truly feel happiness. All I want is for you to live a happy life. If you are happy, then I will be too. You don’t have to forget the past, but don’t let it consume your heart. You were born to be a happy child; you shouldn’t have to carry burdens that were never yours to begin with."
Shangguan Shiyu nodded gently. The dazed look in her eyes seemed to clear, replaced by a new brightness. As she looked at Qin Li, her gaze held a hint of shyness, but even more affection.
"Milady, Young Master, Young Miss, the war zone is just ahead. As we agreed, I’ll be heading back now."
The driver’s nervous voice drifted in from outside. If Qin Li hadn’t paid him an exorbitant sum, the man wouldn’t have dared come this far. The money Qin Li had given him was enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life, so he was even willing to abandon the very carriage that had been his livelihood.
"Understood. You may go," Qin Li replied calmly. Outside, the driver immediately leaped from the carriage.
After a wistful glance at the carriage that had been his companion for so many years, the driver turned and started walking back the way he came, ready to embrace his new life. This single trip had earned him ten taels of gold! It was a veritable fortune, and compared to that, the carriage was nothing.
For the rest of the journey, Qin Li sat outside, taking on the role of the driver.
Half a day later, the carriage entered the war zone. The din of battle shook the heavens; a war was clearly raging here!
Lin Yunlan glanced at her daughter worriedly and whispered, "We’re just going to charge right through? Won’t it be dangerous?"
A slight smile touched Shangguan Shiyu’s lips. "Don’t worry, Mother. We were planning on causing trouble for the New Qin Empire anyway."
Lin Yunlan shook her head, dumbfounded. ’I understand my daughter and this future son-in-law less and less,’ she thought. Their strength was astonishing, but their audacity... was even more so!
Qin Li used his Spiritual Power to soothe the two sturdy horses pulling the carriage. Because of this, the carriage completely ignored the overwhelming killing intent emanating from the battlefield and charged straight down the main road toward the two clashing armies!
It wasn’t long before people noticed this bizarre scene.
The commander-in-chief of the Five Nations Alliance, standing atop a high wooden tower, saw it from a distance. He frowned and asked the men beside him, "What’s going on? Who are those suicidal fools, trying to charge into the center of the battlefield?"
The generals from the other nations beside him were also dumbstruck. One General from the Great Chu Kingdom said, "Why bother with them? They’re just courting death!"
However, a General from the Great Qi Kingdom beside him countered, "We should stop them. If they continue, even if our own men don’t kill them, the New Qin Empire’s soldiers certainly won’t spare them!" His inner thought was, ’That carriage is most likely from my kingdom. How can I just watch my own people ride to their deaths?’
The commander from the Silo Kingdom nodded. Just as he was about to issue an order, he heard someone cry out in alarm. From their high vantage point, they watched from afar as the carriage suddenly seemed to go berserk, charging straight for the New Qin Empire’s formation!
’It’s over!’
The thought rose in nearly everyone’s mind.
But in the next moment, something unbelievable happened!
The carriage plunged into the ranks of the New Qin Empire’s army, charging forward recklessly. The soldiers blocking its path were suddenly thrown aside like waves of wheat parted by a great gust of wind!
The carriage advanced as if there were no one there! Nothing could stop it!
Just then, from the New Qin Empire’s side, more than a dozen figures leaped into the air. They brandished their weapons and lunged at the carriage, but in the blink of an eye, they were all sent flying backward. No one even saw anyone on the carriage make a move!
The entire battlefield erupted in an uproar!
The commander-in-chief of the Five Nations Alliance, the Grand General from the Silo Kingdom, reacted in a flash. "Relay my orders!" he roared. "Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"
This man was able to become the commander-in-chief of the Five Nations Legion because his abilities were formidable in every respect. If he couldn’t see that there had to be a peerless powerhouse inside that carriage, then he was utterly unworthy of his title!
The generals from the other nations also snapped to their senses, roaring at their personal guards, "Relay the orders! Full-scale assault! Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"
In an instant, the entire Five Nations Legion—more than five hundred thousand strong—let out a heaven-shaking roar in perfect unison, "Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"
"KILL! KILL! KILL!"
An incomparably sharp killing intent shot to the heavens! Even a Supreme Powerhouse would be stirred by such a sight!
No one would willingly face such a majestic killing intent on the battlefield. It was the collective Spiritual Power condensed from tens, even hundreds of thousands of men, making it almost... invincible!
As Qin Li drove the carriage, any who attacked him couldn’t even get close before being flung far away. If a Martial Artist at the Celestial Level or higher attacked, Qin Li would knock them away with an effortless flick!
In just a few moments, everyone watched, wide-eyed, as this miraculous carriage pierced through the entire battle formation! Then, without the slightest pause... it drove off into the distance!
Although carving a single path was barely a scratch on an army of hundreds of thousands, the New Qin Empire had just lost over seventy Celestial Level Martial Artists in that one instant!
The blow to the New Qin Empire was devastating. Their morale instantly plummeted, and it was at this precise moment that the opposing Five Nations Legion launched a frenzied, all-out assault!
It had to be said, the commander-in-chief of the Five Nations Legion might not have been particularly strong himself. As a Mortal Martial Artist, he hadn’t even reached the Celestial Level. But his timing was simply impeccable!
The two massive armies crashed into each other like a meat grinder. Countless lives were lost with every passing moment, yet with both sides seeing red, there was no chance of either backing down.
Both sides had been waiting for this battle for years!
They had no patience to drag it out any further!
Therefore, this battle would be fought to the bitter end!
And the trigger for this fight to the death was, unexpectedly, a bizarre carriage... Like the straw that broke the camel’s back, after it had crushed its way through the New Qin Empire’s army, the battle erupted with a vengeance!
However, Qin Li had no interest in any of this. All he wanted now was to take Shangguan Shiyu for a little stroll through the capital of the New Qin Kingdom.
He had, after all, already warned the New Qin Kingdom’s royal family. Not to mention, Qin Li harbored an even greater suspicion!
The enemy Leng Yao had never spoken of was, in all likelihood, the Cui Family!
Qin Li had already heard from the Second Elder of the Divine Eagle Sect about the reason this behemoth from Profound Island, this superpower, was so fanatically attacking the Five Nations. He sighed inwardly. ’It seems the Cui Family and I are fated enemies. No matter the thread, it always seems to lead back to them!’
’It’s impossible for us not to be enemies!’
Furthermore, since Qin Li already possessed one piece of the Fragmented Map, he certainly wasn’t going to let the Cui Family obtain any more. In fact, he wanted to snatch the piece they already held!
After all, there wasn’t a single Martial Artist in the world who didn’t want to know its secret.
A cold smile touched the corners of Qin Li’s lips. ’Cui Qi, I seem to recall warning you to withdraw your troops. Since you decided to let my words go in one ear and out the other, you’d better be prepared to suffer the consequences!’
’Cui Family, just watch how I’m going to break another one of your arms!’
They changed horses more than a dozen times along the way. In less than half a month, Qin Li’s carriage entered the capital city of the New Qin Empire. He found an inn and settled Lin Yunlan in. Then, after freshening up, he and Shangguan Shiyu set off for the imperial palace.
Even if it was a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair, their hearts remained as calm as still water... They would strike straight at the heart of the enemy! (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please log on to www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, supporting the author and legitimate reading!)
