Free Web NovelChapter 777: Chapter 212: Who Else Dares Defy Me? (Third Update)
She didn’t start yelling for a rest upon reaching the Menglan Riverbank, nor did she show any signs of discomfort.
This surprised Qing Ze, Ling Jiu, and Yuan Feng.
It was even more astonishing when she immediately inquired about the state of the battle.
"Take me to the strategy room, and tell me on the way," Mu Qingge stated straightforwardly. Her expression had fully immersed into the matters of war, without a trace of shyness or discomfort.
Yuan Feng paused for a moment, then hurriedly led the way. "Princess, this way, please."
Mu Qingge followed, while Gu Ya and Gu Ye closely tailed her.
Su Sheng and She Yin exchanged glances and followed as well.
Qing Ze also intended to follow but was held back by Ling Jiu, who tugged at his sleeve.
He turned to look at Ling Jiu.
Ling Jiu, however, curiously watched Mu Qingge’s back and muttered, "Does she truly understand or is she just pretending?"
Qing Ze twitched his mouth and freed his sleeve, "Whether she truly understands or is pretending, in any case, this battle must be won, and the safety of the Princess must be ensured."
Ling Jiu shook his head and sighed, "The most troublesome things are like this! It’s not only about fighting the Alien Race, but also about secretly making it seem as though she’s brilliantly guiding the battle to victory."
"Did you see the message from Taixuan Ancient Palace? This Princess is not simple," Qing Ze spoke calmly.
Ling Jiu’s expression turned tense, and he nodded seriously, "It certainly surprised me."
When Mu Qingge and her group set off, the events at the training ground were already conveyed to them through secret channels by Qing Yan. Knowing about the open and covert struggles there, along with Qing Ze’s undisguised appreciation, made them feel that Mu Qingge was becoming increasingly remarkable.
Yet, even so, they still didn’t believe Mu Qingge could truly command in battle.
They were even worried whether Mu Qingge could understand those military ciphers and the specialized terms used in warfare.
After a brief exchange, the two hastened forward to catch up.
By the time they entered the strategy room, Mu Qingge was already seated at the commander’s position, while Yuan Feng looked at them with a face full of unease.
It seemed to ask, ’Is this Princess reliable to lead the army?’
Qing Ze gave him a reassuring look to calm him down and confidently walked over to Mu Qingge’s side.
Ling Jiu also displayed a playful smile as he sat down at his seat.
Qing Ze approached Mu Qingge and bent down to see her looking through the battle log of the past few days. These were written in special ciphers to prevent the enemy from understanding their situation if they were obtained.
The content recorded the daily battle situations, statistics of casualties, supplies, and intelligence briefings.
Originally, Su Sheng and She Yin wanted to look at it as soon as they entered, but Mu Qingge had already taken it from Yuan Feng’s hands.
Remembering the consensus reached on the way, neither of them spoke up but merely watched Mu Qingge with mocking eyes in silence.
’Can she understand it?’ Qing Ze wondered.
He thought of secretly reminding Mu Qingge to avoid embarrassment in front of everyone but found that she was studying it very seriously, as if she really understood the recorded information.
Qing Ze quietly looked at Gu Ya standing behind Mu Qingge, who gave him a self-satisfied, interpret-at-your-own-risk look.
Little Lord wouldn’t understand the battle log? What a joke!
Along the way, Little Lord had already humbly asked for guidance on the Demon Realm’s military ciphers. She memorized them after just one explanation and applied them thoroughly. Coupled with her previous experience, how could she be stumped by a mere battle log?
Gu Ya didn’t give Qing Ze explicit hints, as he and Gu Ye now realized that watching these people get variously outdone by Little Lord was extremely satisfying!
Flipping through the battle log page by page, Mu Qingge closed it and placed it on the table. Her hand rested on the log, tapping lightly, seemingly not intending to let others see it.
She pursed her lips in silence, her gaze falling onto the sand table on the desk. It meticulously depicted the terrain of the Menglan Riverbank and surrounding areas, as well as the current confrontation between the two armies.
Today, the Alien Race had yet to launch an attack, which seemed rather unusual.
Her contemplative demeanor was misinterpreted as posturing by others. Su Sheng and She Yin shared a glance, privately sneering.
’See, definitely doesn’t understand, but is too proud to admit it, so is just pretentious here.’
’No worries, let’s just watch the show,’ they both silently mocked together.
Ling Jiu furrowed his brows, secretly anxious, desperately signaling to Qing Ze with his eyes, but Qing Ze slowly shook his head, signaling for patience.
After a while, as Qing Ze noticed Mu Qingge still silent, he began to grow concerned.
He was about to speak up to give Mu Qingge an escape but then she suddenly spoke in her silence.
"Yuan Feng, have the scouts dispatched today returned yet?"
Huh?
Huh huh?!
Upon Mu Qingge’s question, everyone in the strategy room was taken aback.
Yuan Feng’s face was full of surprise, and both Qing Ze and Ling Jiu were equally shocked. Ling Jiu looked at Qing Ze, transmitting his voice, ’Did you tell the Princess that we sent scouts this morning?’
Qing Ze suppressed the astonishment in his eyes and slowly shook his head.
It wasn’t him who told her, and Mu Qingge hadn’t contacted anyone else, so how did she know?
Yuan Feng replied in shock, "Reporting to the Princess, they have not yet returned. But... how did the Princess know I sent people to scout the opposite bank when she just arrived here?" This matter wasn’t written in the log.
Mu Qingge lightly tapped her fingertips on the battle log, and in a calm tone, she said: "For several days since the war began, every morning the Alien Race would attack. The timing coincides precisely with the moment before our arrival. Yet, upon our arrival, there were no signs of battle, indicating there was no fight today. Such irregularity from the past, if you as the Defender General hadn’t become suspicious and deployed scouts to investigate, I would doubt your capability to hold this position." Finishing her statement, her gaze lightly swept over to Yuan Feng.
Being looked at by those clear and slightly cold eyes, Yuan Feng couldn’t help but feel a shiver inward, filled with shock.
Not just him; everyone else was left speechless, gazing at Mu Qingge, astonished by her words.
Does this seem like someone who doesn’t understand warfare?
Like a Princess here for amusement?
Like a willfully acting spoiled Princess?
Just from a single battle log, being able to discern differences—this skill is something not all generals possess, surely?
With shocked faces all around, Gu Ya and Gu Ye found it immensely satisfying, even dispelling the gloom of not finding Si Mo for some time. They enjoyed seeing Lord Mu Qingge silently slap them in the face like this!
But Mu Qingge ignored all the shocked faces and continued to ask, "When did the people you sent out leave?"
Yuan Feng snapped out of his shock and immediately replied, "An hour and a half ago."
This answer caused Mu Qingge to lower her eyes regretfully and shake her head slowly. She said to Yuan Feng, "Send someone to fetch them back."
"Ah?" Yuan Feng was stunned, looking puzzled.
Qing Ze reacted quickly, reminding Yuan Feng, "Immediately send someone to the riverbank to receive them. If they... return, bring them back immediately without causing trouble."
Yuan Feng nodded and ran out of the strategy room, still in a daze.
After he left, Qing Ze’s eyes shimmered as he looked at Mu Qingge, admitting that his brother’s message was true. Their Princess was anything but simple!
Mu Qingge stood up slowly, her clear gaze sweeping over the four Great Feudal Lords present, and spoke coldly, "From the first feint attack, the other side has been probing. Each time, they send only a few thousand troops, while hundreds of thousands of their main army remain inactive across the river. Today, they didn’t even bother probing. What do you think they’re waiting for?"
Waiting for what?
Ling Jiu and Qing Ze frowned in thought simultaneously. They had noticed this issue when they arrived but had not yet figured out the answer.
What those Alien Race wanted, they really couldn’t figure out!
Su Sheng and She Yin, having just arrived, were even more confused.
Mu Qingge continued, "Before coming here, I reviewed some reports on your battles with the Alien Race. They’re mentioned to attack intermittently, acting like beasts. After breaking through cities, they burn, kill, plunder, and then leave. But the key point is they always attack during the Eclipse Moon, yet now it’s the Full Moon, a full four months ahead. What is this for?"
"This..."
The two questions thrown out made the atmosphere in the strategy room tense suddenly.
Ling Jiu and Qing Ze hadn’t noticed the discrepancy in attack time before. Now, with Mu Qingge’s reminder, this Alien Race attack seemed awfully strange.
"Could they have some other conspiracy? Or another purpose?" She Yin frowned.
"Nonsense!" Ling Jiu scoffed coldly.
She Yin’s face darkened, about to get angry, when Qing Ze interrupted timely, "That’s certain. The current problem is, what is the real intention of those Aliens? Only by understanding their true target can we know them and ourselves and gain the upper hand."
"This...who knows?" Su Sheng said gravely.
Mu Qingge tapped the table with her fingertips, speaking slowly, "Think carefully, what’s worth them behaving this way?" She wasn’t very familiar with the Alien Race. Due to the rush in battle, she didn’t have time to do much research, so she still needed to rely on these Demon Generals and Feudal Lords who had fought with the Alien Race.
But now, it seemed they wouldn’t come up with an answer anytime soon.
Mu Qingge shook her head disappointedly, continuing to focus on the sand table in front of her.
"Princess——!" Suddenly, Yuan Feng’s panicked voice came from outside the door.
Mu Qingge raised her eyes and, along with others, saw Yuan Feng stumble in. As soon as he entered, he knelt before Mu Qingge, looking extremely distressed.
"They were all brutally killed by the Alien Race!"
Yuan Feng’s words carried deep grief. These deceased Demon Soldiers were his subordinates, so naturally, he was heartbroken.
"Yuan Feng, clarify." Ling Jiu frowned.
Yuan Feng gritted his teeth and then said, "Following the Princess’s instructions, we sent people to respond. When they arrived at the Menglan Riverbank, they saw something floating over. After salvaging it, they realized it was the brothers sent out this morning. Those beasts didn’t even leave a single complete body!"
After speaking, his aura was filled with uncontainable murderous intent.
The strategy room was shocked by these words.
Mu Qingge asked coldly, "Where are the corpses now?"
Yuan Feng looked up at her and replied, "Right outside the door."
Mu Qingge’s expression shifted as she strode towards the door. As she moved, naturally, the others followed. By now, they had forgotten their previous doubts and resistance, unknowingly led by Mu Qingge’s every action.
Just upon reaching the outside, Qing Ze blocked Mu Qingge, his expression serious, "Princess, you’re pregnant now, there’s no need to see this."
However, Mu Qingge directly bypassed him and walked to the few corpses covered with white cloth outside, reaching out to pull the cloth away.
"Ugh——!"
At the sight of the bloody scene, even Ling Jiu couldn’t help but retch.
Mu Qingge was completely unfazed, slowly crouching down, her expression normal as she closely examined the corpses...no, the pieces of corpses!
Ling Jiu covered his mouth, pointing at Mu Qingge’s back, wide-eyed looking at Qing Ze, as if saying, ’How can she be so calm and composed?’
Qing Ze, too, suppressed his discomfort in his throat, shaking his head with a grim expression.
He looked at Su Sheng and She Yin, as well as Gu Ya and Gu Ye, none of their faces looked good. Although they were from the Demon Clan, it didn’t mean they enjoyed blood and gore, okay?
Such a brutal and bloody scene still discomforted them.
They’ve seen corpses, but never those so nauseating! These corpses had turned into pieces, indistinguishable from each other, and being soaked by river water, attracting corpse worms unnaturally quickly...
Despite the men being unable to bear it, only Mu Qingge, a woman, calmly squatted before the pile of rotten flesh for examination—this scene was truly...
Holding back the foul smell, Ling Jiu looked at Mu Qingge admiringly.
The other men’s expressions were quite similar.
"They were bitten to death alive." Suddenly, Mu Qingge covered the cloth again and stood up.
"What?" Yuan Feng was extremely shocked.
"Alive!"
The four Great Feudal Lords looked at her in shock, Gu Ye and Gu Ya exchanged a glance, their expressions slightly serious.
Mu Qingge continued, "On the bodies’ severed parts, there are teeth marks, and the wounds are very uneven, mainly tearing injuries..." As she spoke, she frowned. Why did those teeth marks appear so familiar to her?
She gathered her thoughts slightly and murmured, "These corpse worms..."
Just as she wondered why the corpse worms appeared so soon after death, Qing Ze spoke, "If they were indeed bitten to death, the appearance of these corpse worms isn’t surprising."
Mu Qingge turned her gaze to him, unconsciously raising an eyebrow.
Qing Ze explained, "Any corpse bitten by the Alien Race will soon attract corpse worms."
