Nai’er’s words were like arrows, each one piercing deep.
Liu Chen’s gaze shifted from astonishment to despair, and finally to boundless grief and fury.
“Why?” he roared hoarsely, suddenly pointing at Suo Lun. “In what way am I inferior to him? Status, position, wisdom, talent, martial arts, appearance, charisma, in which aspect am I not ten times, a hundred times stronger than him?”
Yan Nai’er did not answer Liu Chen. She merely gazed at him quietly.
Standing to one side, Suo Lun showed no trace of triumph. Instead, he hung his head and stood silently. Yan Nai’er’s final choice moved him, saddened him, but pained him even more. She had done this for Suo Lun’s dignity, yet… the price of that dignity was too great.
Such a lovely, such a devoted girl. Suo Lun truly did not deserve her. Indeed, even he himself did not deserve her.
At this moment, Suo Lun even wanted to roar at Liu Chen. Why did you appear just now? Otherwise, I would already have seized the antidote from Tu Lingduo.
Now, Nai’er had destroyed the only antidote. There was no turning back.
“This scoundrel, apart from glib tongues and shameless persistence, what else can he do?” Liu Chen pointed at Suo Lun and roared, “Do you know how many girls he has ruined at the Royal Academy? He has already abandoned you once. You… you still want to…”
Liu Chen had originally wanted to say the word “cheap,” but regarding Yan Nai’er, he simply could not bring himself to utter it.
Suppressing the anger within his heart with all his might, he spoke with sorrowful calm, “A man like Suo Lun, only those shallow and mediocre ordinary women would like him, would be deceived by him. You are so intelligent, so different from the rest. How could you also fall for such a useless and flashy man?”
Yan Nai’er looked at Liu Chen and said, “I am no different from ordinary girls.”
The moment these words were spoken, Liu Chen shook his head desperately. If she were an ordinary girl, how could he have fallen so hopelessly in love with her?
And Suo Lun shook his head desperately in his heart.
Since coming to this world, he had seen many girls. Yet one like Yan Nai’er existed only in singular form. She truly was like an angel, like a luminous pearl, merely falling into Suo Lun’s hands by the most extraordinary of chances.
Liu Chen asked with grief and fury, “And if Suo Lun wounds you until you are utterly broken once more?”
“He will not. If it truly comes to that, then I shall accept it. Every person must take responsibility for their own choices.” Yan Nai’er spoke quietly.
At this moment, Liu Chen felt that his heart truly was riddled with a thousand holes. Even his dignity lay in shattered fragments.
He had rushed here from ten thousand li away, not hesitating to harm his family’s interests, not hesitating to fall out with his own younger sister. Yet his heartfelt intentions and the antidote alike were discarded by Yan Nai’er like worn-out shoes.
His absolute devotion could not win the slightest favour from her.
Yet Suo Lun, wounding her again and again, she not only remained devoted as before, but to protect his dignity, she could even cast aside her own life.
In her heart, his own weight compared to Suo Lun’s was completely like a speck of dust, utterly insignificant.
Was such a woman still worth pouring all his emotions into? Was such devotion on his part worthwhile?
Liu Chen, grief and fury pushed to their extreme, suddenly burst into laughter, shrill and desolate.
“Hahahaha…”
“Hahahaha, people are all cheap. I am especially cheap.”
“I should never have come. I rushed here from ten thousand li away, yet it was merely unrequited affection. What was the point!”
“Farewell, farewell… I wish you happiness!”
When Liu Chen spoke these final words, he ground his teeth, his handsome face already twisted. Then like a gust of wind, he charged out and vanished without a trace!
The desolate sound of loud laughter grew more and more distant!
…
After Liu Chen departed, only Yan Yan, Suo Lun, and Nai’er remained in the room.
Yan Yan looked at his daughter and said in a hoarse voice, “Why did you do this?”
Yan Nai’er said quietly, “Father, I know what you wanted to do, but I could not let you do it.”
Yan Yan said, “Was it to repay him for saving my life? Then I can give my life back to him. Why did you have to do this? You are cutting off your own path of retreat.”
Because Liu Chen’s appearance could not only bring the antidote, but could also allow the Silver Wolf to break free from its predicament.
Yan Nai’er said, “Between Suo Lun and myself, there is never any question of who owes whom.”
Who and who never owe each other? Only parents and children, only intimate lovers, because they do not distinguish between self and other, therefore they never owe each other.
Yan Yan’s voice trembled, “Are you, then, preparing to leave with him once more?”
“Yes.” Yan Nai’er said, “Since your body has already recovered, I must pursue my own happiness. Wherever he goes from now on, I shall go there too.”
Yan Yan’s face twitched, “If you leave with him, what about me? What about the Silver Wolf Legion, are you simply going to cast it aside?”
“The Silver Wolf Legion is yours. I was merely acting in your stead before. Now is the perfect time to return it to you. You are my father. That will never change.” Yan Nai’er said, “But a daughter has grown up. Eventually, she must marry.”
Yan Yan’s teeth were chattering, already emitting a series of sounds.
Although Suo Lun had saved his life, he still harboured the deepest hatred for Suo Lun. From beginning to end, he was unwilling to speak a single word to him.
He had schemed with all his heart precisely to have Liu Chen save Yan Nai’er, precisely to seize the opportunity to break free from Suo Lun. Yet now, Yan Nai’er had directly forced him onto a path of no return.
He truly felt heartbroken once more. The scene from over a year ago was repeating itself.
The moment this pretty boy Suo Lun appeared, his daughter once again threw herself into his embrace without the slightest hesitation, casting everything aside.
The last time, Yan Yan had directly left harsh words, severing the father-daughter relationship with Yan Nai’er, and then left directly.
Then what about this time? Could he still do that?
Of course not. How could he bear to, how would he dare to do such a thing?
If his daughter was leaving with Suo Lun, then what would become of him, Yan Yan, and the Silver Wolf Legion? Could he bear to leave his daughter?
Of course he could not. She was his lifeblood. He had already left once, and the consequences had been nearly fatal. How would he dare to do it again?
Since he could not change his daughter’s will, then… then did he truly have no choice but to follow Suo Lun to Tianshui City, to pledge allegiance to the Suo Clan?
Yan Yan felt his heart was about to explode. He had long known the saying that daughters turn outward once grown, but when it truly happened, it truly was agonising beyond endurance.
Yet偏偏, not a single word of reproach could he utter.
When he had fallen, his daughter had not retreated in the slightest, resolutely shouldering the heavy burden of the Silver Wolf Legion. And she had resolutely drawn a clear line with Suo Lun.
Between love and duty, she had chosen duty.
Moreover, everyone said that he, Yan Yan, was already dead. Only his daughter had never given up, taking him with her wherever she went.
It was precisely because of his daughter’s persistence that Yan Yan lived again today.
Now that he was alive, was there any fault in his daughter laying down her responsibilities and choosing love to pursue happiness?
Such a daughter was worthy of making any father in the world proud.
So although Yan Yan was about to explode with anger now, not half a word of blame could he speak.
Scoundrel, Suo Lun, you thoroughgoing scoundrel.
Right now, he truly had only one impulse, and that was to strike Suo Lun dead with a single palm and be done with it. Yet偏偏, he could not move even a single finger of Suo Lun’s. Because if he dared to harm Suo Lun, he would lose his daughter forever.
They say children are the debts of parents from previous lives. At this moment, Yan Yan had deeply felt that this debt truly could not be repaid in a single lifetime. He had to repay it not only to his daughter, but also to her man.
Then, he glared at Suo Lun with rage and roared, “Scoundrel, what are you still standing there for? Nai’er does not have much time left. Hurry up and do what you must!”
This was the first time he had spoken to Suo Lun since his resurrection. That tone and that gaze truly wished to devour him alive.
With that, he strode out of the room and pushed open the door to leave.
…
Suo Lun came to the bedside and sat down. Nai’er once again nestled gently in his embrace, and then her eyes began to grow hazy.
This was the third time she had awakened. She had only about an hour, and now it was almost over. She was about to fall into unconsciousness once more.
If she could not be saved, this would also be her final awakening.
The Demon Star said, “Master, cut open a wound on Miss Nai’er’s body, then let your two people’s blood merge. My energy tentacles will enter her body, releasing this evil power to cure her of the deadly poison.”
Suo Lun nodded, pulled out a dagger, yet completely could not bring himself to act.
He did not know where to cut. He could not bear to cut open any part of Nai’er’s body.
Seeing this, Nai’er lightly drew her finger across the dagger. Instantly, blood welled forth.
Suo Lun hurriedly cut open his own finger, then pressed it against Nai’er’s wound. Their two people’s blood merged.
The Demon Star’s energy tentacles abruptly drilled into Nai’er’s body through the blood.
Nai’er lay quietly in Suo Lun’s embrace, completely unconcerned with how he was saving her. Her eyes grew more and more hazy, gradually sinking into unconsciousness.
“Master, I… I am about to inject the evil power,” the Demon Star said.
Suo Lun truly had a thousand, ten thousand reluctances, but he had no choice. Nai’er had already fallen unconscious. If he did not do this, she would never awaken again.
“Begin.” Suo Lun spoke hoarsely.
In truth, he only needed to speak it in his mind, yet he also spoke it aloud in reality, his voice as if ground by sandpaper.
“Whoosh…” A mysterious energy abruptly injected into Nai’er’s blood and meridians through the Demon Star’s energy tentacles.
In the first instant, this energy surged into Nai’er’s heart, entering the depths of her dragon bloodline, and then everything fell into stillness.
Immediately afterwards, Nai’er’s heartbeat gradually quickened. Wave after wave of mysterious evil energy surged forth from the depths of her heart, spreading throughout her entire body through her blood vessels and meridians.
Almost simultaneously, the Withered Jade Extinction deadly poison entrenched within Nai’er’s body vanished without a trace.
What happened next was like magic.
Wherever the mysterious energy reached, everything underwent transformation.
Her originally pale skin instantly became rosy and lustrous.
Her originally cracked lips instantly became like rose petals in the early morning, scarlet as fire, tender and alluring.
Her originally haggard face instantly became radiant with beauty, stunning beyond human comparison.
Her originally lustreless long hair instantly became jet black and shining, like dreams, like clouds.
At this moment, Nai’er was like a blue enchantress, blooming before Suo Lun’s very eyes.
She had completely recovered her former delicate beauty, and was even more heart-stopping than before. Originally, her stunning beauty had been on par with Gui Qinshao’s, but now she seemed even more dazzling and striking than the other.
Suo Lun was so close to her that he was truly stung by her radiance until he could barely open his eyes.
The original Nai’er had been coldly stunning beyond compare. Now, she had gained an additional demonic allure.
Suo Lun could clearly feel a demonic energy flowing through her entire body. Nai’er’s life force seemed to be burning and illuminating this demonic allure at every moment.
“Demon Star, how much of her life force was overdrawn this time in saving Nai’er?” Suo Lun asked.
The Demon Star was silent for a long while, then said, “I, I do not know. But one thing is certain. After she is saved, this evil energy will burn her life at every moment. That is why she has undergone such transformation.”
Suo Lun said, “That is to say, even if she is not severely wounded or poisoned in the future, she will not be able to live for very much longer?”
The Demon Star responded with silence.
Suo Lun said, “Then exactly how much longer can she live? If she is completely unwounded and unpoisoned?”
“Perhaps a dozen or so years, perhaps less,” the Demon Star said.
Rage erupted in Suo Lun’s heart. He had a strong impulse to smash everything in the room to pieces.
Yet Nai’er was in his embrace. He could not make any violent movements. He resolved in his heart that no matter what methods he used in the future, he must extend Nai’er’s life. He must let her live to a hundred years, no matter what price he paid.
“Why has Nai’er still not awakened?” Suo Lun asked.
The Demon Star said, “This energy will permeate and transform every part of her body, so she will sleep for several hours.”
At this moment, Yan Yan’s voice sounded from the outer room, “Suo Lun, if you are finished, get out here. We need to talk.”
Suo Lun carefully laid Nai’er flat upon the bed. Unable to resist, he lightly kissed her forehead, then walked out.
…
Outside the room was a small parlour. Yan Yan stood in the centre.
“Your goal is to conquer Nai’er and thereby obtain the Silver Wolf Legion, is that correct?” Yan Yan asked.
“Yes,” Suo Lun said.
Yan Yan said, “Tell me your plan.”
Suo Lun said, “With the Silver Wolf Legion at the core, then hire another twenty thousand mercenaries to establish the Suo Clan Legion, defeat Suo Hanyi, and recapture Tianshui City.”
Yan Yan said, “Then what arrangements will you make for the Silver Wolf Legion in the future?”
Suo Lun said, “The high-rank warriors, mid-rank warriors, and low-rank warriors of Tianshui City have all defected. So I will not spare a single one, and will purge them all. All warriors of the Silver Wolf Legion will be installed as warrior lords throughout the territory of Tianshui City.”
“All children under heaven are the debts of parents from previous lives.” Yan Yan sighed in pain, “I… can agree to let the Silver Wolf Legion pledge allegiance to your Suo Clan. But… you must promise me one condition.”
Suo Lun’s heart skipped a beat, then he said, “Please speak, Lord Yan Yan.”
Yan Yan said, “Before dawn breaks, successfully break through with the Silver Wolf Legion! I will not intervene. Everything depends on yourself.”
Hearing this condition, Suo Lun was instantly stunned.
Right now, the Silver Wolf Legion numbered merely less than a thousand, trapped within this Yellow Springs Ancient City, cut off from water and grain, every man wounded.
And outside, a full forty thousand troops completely surrounded the entire Yellow Springs Ancient City. There was absolutely no way to fly out.
Under these circumstances, breaking through would be harder than ascending to heaven, let alone before dawn broke?
This was a completely impossible mission.
…
At this moment, the soul-lost Liu Chen returned to the great army’s formation.
Tu Lingduo had already awakened, and immediately laughed coldly, “My dear elder brother, did you successfully embrace the beauty?”
Liu Chen ignored her, walking directly past her.
Tu Lingduo said, “Since the plan has failed, and we have already torn our faces, then I shall order a fire attack to burn the Yellow Springs Ancient City to ashes. Burning everyone inside to death, including Suo Lun, and your beloved woman. Can you bear it?”
Liu Chen’s face twitched, and he continued walking forward, speaking hoarsely, “As you wish.”
Then, he paused slightly and said, “By the way, let me tell you, Yan Yan has already come back to life.”
Tu Lingduo’s expression changed. Yan Yan had come back to life? How was that possible? Could it be that Suo Lun had truly accomplished it?
Previously, Suo Lun had deliberately spoken of saving Yan Yan and finding another Dragon Seal ruin in order to save his own life. Could he truly have found it?
Could it be that Suo Lun was born to create miracles?
Since Yan Yan had already come back to life, and they had already torn their faces, then there was no room left whatsoever.
Kill them. Burn Suo Lun, Yan Yan, and Yan Nai’er all to death!
Instantly, Tu Lingduo coldly ordered, “Crossbowmen, prepare.”
Instantly, a full ten thousand crossbowmen drew back their bowstrings.
“Light the fire!” Tu Lingduo ordered.
The soldiers beside her lit every arrow.
“Fire!”
With Tu Lingduo’s command.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Ten thousand fire arrows, like countless burning meteors, abruptly flew towards the Yellow Springs Ancient City.
Gazing at the countless flames, Tu Lingduo’s heart trembled. She said coldly, “Suo Lun, die! Be buried in this sea of flames!”
And Liu Chen mounted his warhorse and galloped away. Unable to resist, he turned his head for one more glance at the Yellow Springs Ancient City, and instantly saw countless fire arrows flying towards it.
Everyone inside was certain to die, all to be buried in the sea of flames.
“Yan Nai’er, do not blame me. This is all your own choice.” Liu Chen ground his teeth, “Since you chose Suo Lun, then you chose destruction.”
Countless flames traced arcs through the air, abruptly crashing down upon the Yellow Springs Ancient City.
It was as if a rain of fire was falling from the heavens.
The moment of destruction had officially arrived!