Free Web NovelChapter 776: Chapter 211: Demon Realm Battlefield (Second Update)
Mu Qingge sneered inwardly.
The 120,000 demon soldiers before her were all subordinates of Su Sheng and She Yin; she had no illusions that a few words could win their loyalty.
Therefore, she couldn’t be bothered to waste words; letting actions speak was better.
"Vassal Lord Su Sheng, Vassal Lord She Yin, I have a significant task that needs to be entrusted to you," Mu Qingge suddenly changed the topic, her tone gaining a few degrees of sincerity.
"Please speak, Princess," Su Sheng suppressed the anger in his heart and spoke sullenly.
He wouldn’t entangle with Mu Qingge, as once on the battlefield, his soldiers would still listen to him, ignoring whatever an ignorant princess says.
Mu Qingge flashed a stunning smile. "This important task is related to the safety of the royal offspring. Besides Vassal Lord Su Sheng and Vassal Lord She Yin, I do not trust anyone else’s capability."
Mu Qingge spoke slowly.
However, Su Sheng and She Yin felt a vague sense of unease arising in their hearts.
Just as they were pondering where this ominous feeling originated, Mu Qingge’s next words nearly made them spit blood in anger.
"Therefore, I entrust my safety to you both. Please, you two must, absolutely, protect me well," Mu Qingge said with a grin.
Su Sheng and She Yin stared wide-eyed at her, feeling an enormous impact on their minds.
"Ahem." Qing Yan suppressed his laughter, coughed lightly, and turned his head towards Ji Fu.
Ji Fu instantly understood.
’That’s why the Princess said she wouldn’t give them a chance to plot against her!’ His eyes were burning with admiration as he gave a silent smile, beginning to respect this Princess.
"Do you think she really is the King’s woman?" Qing Yan suddenly whispered in Ji Fu’s ear.
Ji Fu looked at him confusedly.
Qing Yan laughed, his eyes filled with unabashed appreciation for Mu Qingge. The teardrop mole under his eye appeared particularly seductive. "Now, I rather hope she’s just someone Gu Ya and Gu Ye hired for show, instead of being the King’s woman."
Ji Fu frowned, catching the hint in his words.
Just as he was about to issue a warning, Qing Yan added playfully, "Don’t worry. In my heart, the King is the most important. If she truly is the King’s woman, when the King returns, I’ll ask him to tell me where he met such an extraordinary lady so that maybe I might try my luck there too."
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it——!
How could this happen?
Su Sheng and She Yin were almost losing it!
The original plan was shattered by Mu Qingge’s unexpected words, and now they had to protect her safety!
For the sake of the royal bloodline!
If you’re so worried, why even come? Just stay quietly in the Taixuan Ancient Palace!
Su Sheng and She Yin were filled with anger, their faces darkened.
Now, the Princess had entrusted her safety to them. If something happened to the Princess, they would be implicated, regardless of their involvement.
That is to say, if something happened to the Princess, whether they had a hand in it or not, they would be held responsible and bear the blame.
Therefore, to avoid blame, they must exert all efforts to ensure the Princess’s safety, ensuring no harm comes to her.
Having been played, Su Sheng gritted his teeth, sneering at Mu Qingge, "The Princess is quite calculative." At this moment, he no longer cared whether his previous thoughts were exposed, only wanting to vent his inner resentment.
Yet, Mu Qingge was even thicker-skinned than they imagined. She neither felt embarrassed by his taunt nor played dumb, instead gracefully nodding with a smile, "The Great Feudal Lord overpraises."
...
The army finally set off, heading towards the banks of the Menglan River.
Along the way, Su Sheng and She Yin were both incredibly sullen. However, Mu Qingge was in a relatively good mood. The only thing troubling her was that the demon guards sent to the Ancient Insect Abyss to inquire about Si Mo had yet to report any useful information.
Where exactly is Si Mo?
As for the upcoming battle at the Menglan River, she wasn’t overly concerned. It wasn’t due to blind confidence in herself or underestimating the enemy. It was because she understood that since the Alien Race and the Demon Realm had been at odds for so many years, with neither side prevailing, it meant that this battle likely wouldn’t see any significant changes either.
Suddenly, sitting on Xiao Cai, Mu Qingge’s eyes brightened. She asked Gu Ya beside her, "Could his disappearance be related to the Alien Race?"
Gu Ya and Gu Ye were stunned, both shaking their heads in unison.
Gu Ya said, "It shouldn’t be possible. The King left alone after receiving a secret report, and the Alien Race can’t reach the Ancient Insect Abyss. Every entrance the Alien Race can enter within the Taixuan Demon Realm is guarded by Demon Realm soldiers, making it impossible for one to slip through, let alone threaten the King."
Si Mo’s disappearance has nothing to do with the Alien Race.
This revelation made Mu Qingge both relieved and anxious.
As each possibility is eliminated, what exactly happened to Si Mo? Who was he going to meet at the Ancient Insect Abyss that day?
Since he has yet to return and there has been no news, could that meeting have been a trap?
And who would want to kill him?
There were too many questions, and Mu Qingge had no answers.
She sighed inwardly. Now, she could only patiently wait for the results. She spoke to Gu Ya and Gu Ye, "Once the battle by the Menglan River is over, regardless of whether there is news of him by then, I must personally go to the Ancient Insect Abyss." She would never give up unless she searched personally.
As long as this campaign ends and the soldiers of the Demon Realm truly recognize her status as Princess, the Demon Realm will temporarily be unable to stir, giving her time to search for Si Mo’s whereabouts.
Mu Qingge’s gaze swept downward; the great army of the Demon Realm, all riding Spirit Beasts from the Demon Realm, headed toward the banks of Menglan River.
Provisions and military equipment were brought in advance; they marched lightly, speeding up significantly.
Within the black river-like Demon Realm army, Mu Qingge and her little Cai stood out unmistakably.
She Yin, walking at the front of the troop, raised his head to glance at the colorful little Cai. Retracting his gaze, he said to Su Sheng, "If I’m not mistaken, that’s the female bird from Yuan, isn’t it?"
Su Sheng snorted.
At this moment, he was still annoyed, having been tricked by Mu Qingge.
Upon hearing his response, She Yin thought aloud, "I remember, Yuan was obtained by Your Majesty. The male bird is with Your Majesty, but the female bird has never been seen."
Su Sheng turned to look at him, grasping the meaning conveyed in his eyes.
This Princess, although there are doubts about her identity, she silently proves her unusual relationship with Your Majesty.
Su Sheng paused before saying to him, "If Your Majesty returns safely, naturally everyone will be happy. He remains the ruler, and we remain the subjects. If indeed... when we swore allegiance, it was only to Your Majesty, not including his wife and offspring. If something were truly to happen, we cannot be blamed."
She Yin nodded slowly in agreement with Su Sheng’s statement.
"If it comes to this, we won’t have another chance," She Yin said, somewhat unwillingly.
Su Sheng’s face darkened, "She has taken us all into account; what can we do now?"
"It’s not exactly like that..." Suddenly, She Yin’s eyes sparkled with a sly idea.
Su Sheng looked at him, waiting for more.
She Yin smiled coldly, "Isn’t she leading the army? Let her do as she pleases. If she loses the battle, her prestige will only continue to decline, provoking the soldiers’ disgust. By then, her reputation in the Demon Realm will be tainted, hated by all. A Princess who has lost the people’s trust is hardly a threat."
Su Sheng’s eyes lit up as he nodded, "Exactly! That’s a good idea!" But then he hesitated immediately, "Yet, I don’t think she’s that simple."
She Yin, however, dismissed the concern, "Just a woman, does she truly think she can lead troops into battle? She may be glib in the palace, but in front of the Alien Race, it’s utterly useless. I suppose she’s merely heard Your Majesty discussing battle matters occasionally and mistakenly believes she can wage war."
Having said this, She Yin’s expression was full of disdain.
...
The Demon Army marched swiftly, using the Teleportation Array and rapid march. Within two days, Mu Qingge could already see the Menglan River from afar.
At this moment, the banks of the Menglan River had winding city walls. The walls were extraordinarily high, reaching a hundred zhang.
Her view was blocked by the towering walls. Even sitting on little Cai’s back, Mu Qingge could only faintly see the wide river surface of the Menglan River, its turbid, dark waters flowing like ink.
Mu Qingge frowned, "Why is the river this color?"
Gu Ye explained, "Whenever there’s a war, the waters of the Menglan River turn black and turbid. By the second month after the end of the battle, the river will become ice-blue and clear, very beautiful."
"Truly peculiar." Mu Qingge smirked.
"Chirp—!"
Little Cai let out a clear cry, carrying the three people on its back as it slowly descended.
After landing, Mu Qingge, along with Gu Ya and Gu Ye, jumped off little Cai’s back to see Qing Ze and Ling Jiu, who had arrived earlier, walking toward her.
Behind them was a tall, robust general with ordinary features.
Mu Qingge glanced at him, concluding in her heart, ’This should be the Demon General residing by the Menglan River.’
At this time, Su Sheng and She Yin also walked towards them.
"Qing Ze greets Princess!"
"Ling Jiu greets Princess!"
"Subordinate Yuan Feng greets Princess!"
The three came before her, performing a grand ceremony of kneeling.
Mu Qingge raised her hand slightly, saying to the three, "You are all armored and in the camp. No need to observe palace etiquette; follow the military customs instead."
Mu Qingge’s understanding of the military rule that armored soldiers do not kneel surprised the three, even Su Sheng and She Yin who came up were momentarily stunned.
Only Gu Ya and Gu Ye remained expressionless, as both were well aware of Mu Qingge’s background. Matters of the military are hardly difficult for her.
"Tell me the situation now." Mu Qingge directly asked.
The four Great Feudal Lords beside her, plus a stationed Demon General, were all distrustful of her, a fact Mu Qingge understood clearly.
Naturally, she wouldn’t blame them for their doubts.
After all, trusting and accepting someone unknown does require time, for anyone.
