At this moment, Suo Lun’s mind was filled with thoughts of how he should refuse if the King bestowed marriage upon him.
Then Suo Lun thought that he might be overthinking things. Since the founding of the Raging Wave Kingdom, there had never been a precedent of a princess marrying a feudal lord.
Even Princess Weining had said that wanting to marry her was pure daydreaming, and Weiyan’s status was one rank higher than Weining’s.
The King directly asked, “Then do you like Weiyan?”
Suo Lun said, “The Princess is of noble and unmatched stature. Suo Lun admires her from afar, not daring the slightest profanity.”
Hearing this answer, the King looked at Suo Lun for quite a while longer.
Then, he did not mention the matter again, but said to Suo Lun, “Tianshui City is in direst emergency. You must return immediately.”
Suo Lun immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
The King continued, “When you come to the royal city again in a few days, I shall tell you some things about your father. Our youthful years from over thirty years ago, and about the cause of his death…”
Suo Lun was startled. The cause of Count Suo Long’s death?
Regarding this cheap father, Suo Lun knew that he had once been a war god level figure on par with Turingtuo. Although a feudal lord, he had constantly fought south and north for the Raging Wave Kingdom.
However, Turingtuo was not a feudal lord, so his noble rank could keep rising all the way to Duke.
But Suo Long was a feudal lord. Once his rank rose too high, would that not put him above the other feudal lords?
Therefore, among the more than twenty feudal lords of the Raging Wave Kingdom, the highest living noble rank was Marquis Ashimo of Rouan City.
As for Suo Long, he was only promoted to Marquis after his death.
Returning to the main topic, in the information Suo Lun had received, Count Suo Long had been injured in a great battle, and thus had been paralysed in bed ever since.
However, from the King’s words, Count Suo Long’s death was not that simple at all.
Although Suo Long was not his father, he had never had a father. And now that he had inherited the Suo clan, he regarded Suo Long as his father. Therefore, he also had the responsibility to ascertain the cause of Count Suo Long’s death, and even to seek justice for him.
In Suo Lun’s perception, Count Suo Long was almost a perfect noble.
Brave, upright, selfless, loyal. That was why he had thought so little of Suo Lun, and why he had valued Suo Hanyi so highly.
“Very well, you may go,” the King said.
Suo Lun knelt on one knee, saluted and took his leave, saying, “Your subject takes his leave. As for Your Majesty having one side of your body unable to move, this is a sequela of the stroke. With the passage of time, it may gradually recover.”
“Haha…” the King laughed weakly yet heroically, “As King, having a clear mind is enough. What does it matter if the body cannot move? I am also advanced in age. Injured and attacked in my early years, that thing has long been useless, and I cannot sleep with women. So being paralysed is of no consequence whatsoever.”
Suo Lun bowed once more. There was something he wished to say but hesitated, ultimately not asking it, about to take his leave.
“If you have something to say, speak,” the King said.
Suo Lun said, “Your Majesty, although I greatly despise Weili, he is widely loved by the nobles and feudal lords, and possesses great talent and bold vision. He would make a very good King. Why do you not let him truly succeed to the throne, but instead choose an incomparably difficult path, attempting to have Princess Weiyan succeed?”
The King looked into Suo Lun’s eyes, saying, “Suo Lun, your asking this question brings me great comfort.”
Then, the King fell silent for a moment, as if pondering.
A minute later, King Bian said, “Behind Weili are three great powers: the Divine Dragon Temple, the Hidden Continent, and the Secret Continent. These powers manipulate more than half the world from behind the scenes. Once Weili succeeds to the throne, within a few generations my Raging Wave Kingdom will exist in name only.”
This answer was almost exactly the same as the one in Suo Lun’s heart.
King Bian continued, “However, all the nobles and feudal lords of the world are foolish and short-sighted, caring only for their own families’ glory and wealth, not for the kingdom’s fate. So although they know of Weili’s background, they still pretend not to see, instead vying to pledge loyalty and follow him. I have no son, so I can only act against heaven’s will.”
After speaking, the King’s voice had already become extremely weak.
“Understood,” Suo Lun said. “Your subject takes his leave.”
Weiyan worked very quickly. Suo Lun had only just descended Purple Jade Mountain when a griffin was already waiting there. Gao Yin, the Chief Eunuch of the Raging Wave royal palace, stood beside the griffin.
Seeing Suo Lun, Eunuch Gao Yin actually knelt down directly on both knees, bowing, “Thank you, Count Suo Lun, for saving my master’s life.”
Suo Lun was greatly startled. In terms of seniority, this was his martial granduncle. This was absolutely unacceptable.
Thus, Suo Lun also quickly knelt down on both knees, saying, “Martial Granduncle, you must not shorten my life so.”
Gao Yin rose, looking at Suo Lun for quite a while, saying, “People say that a prodigal son’s return is worth more than gold. After your father left my master’s side, I rarely saw him. But I vaguely heard that he had an unworthy son, extremely dissolute. Now it seems that those people were too vulgar, unable to comprehend your intelligence.”
Suo Lun said with guilt, “In the previous years I was indeed very dissolute, greatly disappointing my father.”
Gao Yin smiled without speaking. In his left hand he held the King’s decree, in his right hand the Divine Dragon King’s Staff, saying, “Time is pressing. We must depart for Tianshui City immediately.”
Then, he lightly leapt upon the griffin. Suo Lun also jumped onto the griffin’s back, sitting behind Gao Yin.
Griffin beasts could not be deployed except when absolutely necessary.
But now, the situation was direst emergency. Suo Lun was completely racing against time. Once Wey’s army attacked into Tianshui City, all would be lost.
He hoped there was still time.
“Let us go…” Gao Yin gently patted the griffin’s neck.
This enormous griffin let out an affectionate cry, then flapped its wings, rising into the air and flying towards Tianshui City.
…
In order to rescue Turingduo and Gui Qinqu, Wey had indeed ordered the army to retreat thirty li.
The retreat of a hundred thousand strong army was no easy matter. It required time.
A full four hours later, the thirty li retreat was completed. Of course, the vast majority of time was spent on assembly. The actual marching time for thirty li did not exceed one hour.
After the army retreated thirty li, Weining once again dispatched a messenger to Tianshui City to urge the release of Turingduo, Gui Qinqu, Nu’erdan, and all the others.
However, this time Suo Ningbing once again put forward an increasingly demanding request.
In the letter, Suo Lun wrote that because he was worried Weining would immediately turn hostile and send troops after rescuing Turingduo, to show sincerity, he asked that Weining’s army retreat another thirty li.
Upon receiving this letter, Weining’s expression completely changed. She directly tore the letter to shreds.
And just at this time, Wey’s camp received a message delivered by flying kite. The letter bore five feathers, indicating it was of the highest priority.
This letter had been sent by relay flying kite from the secret intelligence station in the capital of the Raging Wave Kingdom, less than four hours since its dispatch from the capital. Because flying kites were extremely fast, flying several hundred li per hour.
Wey’s heart leapt. Such highest priority messages were exceedingly rare. What exactly had happened?
He immediately opened the secret letter. Although it was written in a jumble of code, Wey easily read its contents.
“The King has appeared, seemingly not yet recovered from severe illness. Suo Lun is suspected to have entered the capital, participating in saving the King!”
After reading the secret letter, Wey almost felt dizzy, a mouthful of blood surging in his chest, nearly spurting forth.
They had been tricked, fallen for Suo Lun the traitor’s delaying tactic.
Suo Lun this scoundrel first used his masculine charms to bewitch Weining’s mind.
Then, he constantly used the two hostages Turingduo and Gui Qinqu, plus Weining’s infatuation in her heart, to delay time.
On the surface, it seemed as if he was still negotiating with Weining in Tianshui City, constantly pleading.
But in reality, he had secretly gone to the Raging Wave royal capital to save the King.
Wey almost charged into Princess Weining’s tent, for the first time rudely throwing the secret letter at her.
Weining took the letter and looked. Instantly, her body was struck as if by lightning, completely unable to believe her eyes.
Fake. Everything was fake.
Suo Lun’s falling out with Duke Weiting was fake. He had long seen that Ashiluo’s appearance was Weili’s conspiracy.
His begging for mercy and declaring his love to her was also fake, just to make her soft-hearted, to make her unable to bear killing him, just to make her delay Wey’s army from attacking Tianshui City.
For this, he did not even hesitate to rape her, becoming her first man, just to make her develop an unforgettable love for him.
And he had indeed succeeded. After parting, her entire mind, her every thought, was filled with him.
For a full day and night, she had been savouring every instant of their frenzied intimacy.
Even when he stuffed that filthy thing into her mouth, it became a scene constantly replaying in her mind, while simultaneously producing a special, strange sense of satisfaction.
She desperately missed him. Every inch of her body missed him.
In the previous letter, Suo Lun had said he wanted to try the legendary “three flats are no match for one round.” She had even been stirred with desire, fantasising about the scene if such a thing were to occur.
What did this mean? It meant she was poisoned, poisoned by Suo Lun. She was willing to do even the most self-degrading things.
His love letters, his pleading and begging, everything was fake.
He was merely using her. He had not only toyed with her body, but even more so toyed with her feelings.
Weining only felt wave after wave of dizziness before her eyes, a surge in her chest, another mouthful of blood about to spew forth.
But she forcefully swallowed it back. She absolutely must not vomit blood. Absolutely must not vomit blood again for this bastard.
Weining already felt her heart wrenching with pain. Completely unable to breathe, her vision also darkened wave after wave, as if she might faint at any moment.
Expending her last ounce of energy, Weining said through gritted teeth, “Hundred thousand army, attack Tianshui City, slaughter everyone inside without exception!”
After speaking, her beautiful eyes dimmed, and she completely fainted, unconscious.
“Suo Lun, you most shameless villain under heaven, you scoundrel who toys with feelings, I… will never forgive you!”
Before fainting, Weining said repeatedly in her heart.
After losing consciousness, the mouthful of blood she had swallowed back directly surged from the corner of her mouth.
Count Wey was instantly heartbroken beyond measure, shouting loudly, “Someone, summon the physician.”
Then, he shook his head desperately. Women were unreliable at critical moments, certain to let emotions affect their judgement.
How vicious and wise a person Weining had been before? Yet having encountered Suo Lun, she was full of holes.
Over these two days, she had repeatedly declared she would annihilate Suo Lun, showing absolutely no mercy. However, subconsciously, she had constantly used various reasons to delay the army from entering Tianshui City. First wanting to rescue Gui Qinqu, then wanting to rescue Turingduo.
On the surface, these reasons seemed perfectly legitimate. But in reality, behind them there was only one reason.
Weining could not bear to kill Suo Lun.
Moreover, although she concealed it well, the special innocence revealed in the corners of her eyes, her unnatural gait when walking, completely betrayed her.
It seemed that Suo Lun this bastard had not only deceived Weining’s heart, but also deceived her body.
This bastard, this scoundrel, truly stopped at nothing.
Seeing several female physicians enter, busily and chaotically treating Weining, Wey felt both heartbroken and furious.
Then, he charged out of the central army tent, roaring hoarsely, “Army, set out! Flatten Tianshui City! Spare not a single person, blade of grass, or tree!”
Immediately, earth-shaking war drums sounded.
The hundred thousand strong army, delayed for nearly two days, charged towards Tianshui City with near madness.
And at this time, Suo Lun was still more than two thousand li from Tianshui City. Even riding a griffin, he still needed several more hours.
Count Wey’s army marched with near madness, reaching the boundary line between Baiyun County and Tianshui City in two hours.
Tianshui City was the only boundary between the two lands. The stone bridge above it was the only large bridge within several dozen li.
Previously, Count Wey had dispatched a full thousand soldiers to guard this bridge.
However, when they marched to this bridge now, they discovered that these thousand odd soldiers were already lying all over the ground.
And this stone bridge had been completely destroyed, broken in the middle.
If this were an ordinary time, whether laying a pontoon bridge or taking a detour of several dozen li would both be possible.
But now, Count Wey was completely racing against time. The King’s decree was certainly being flown here by griffin, arriving in a few hours.
Once the King’s decree arrived, he would certainly have to withdraw his troops. Otherwise, he could only immediately raise troops to seize the throne. However, at this time, Weili was still visiting the Yan Empire. Immediately raising troops to overthrow the King was impossible. Weili also could not bear the reputation of regicide and usurpation.
Now, the only way was to charge into Tianshui City before the King’s decree arrived, massacre wantonly, and annihilate the Suo clan.
Yet he had not expected the stone bridge to be destroyed. This river merely several dozen metres wide was like a natural moat, blocking the hundred thousand strong army.
Suo Lun this bastard truly calculated without missing a single strategy, his schemes linking one ring after another.
Having calculated against Weining, now he calculated against Wey.
He slept with one woman and saved Tianshui City. And not only that.
Instantly, Count Wey could endure it no longer. He roared with violent fury several times, drew his great sword, and madly chopped at the broken bridge’s stone pillars.
“Ahh… ahh… ahh, Suo Lun, I am irreconcilable with you!”
Then, Wey could endure it no longer. A great mouthful of blood spewed forth wildly.
“Your Grace…” Dozens of warriors behind him immediately rushed forward.
After vomiting this mouthful of blood, Wey actually felt much refreshed. He said loudly, “I am not dead yet. With the fastest possible speed, at any cost, lay a pontoon bridge. If the pontoon bridge is not completed within one hour, the entire bridge corps shall be beheaded as a warning.”
Seeing that Count Wey had issued this order even while vomiting blood, several thousand bridge corps soldiers truly worked with their lives on the line.
Under the officers’ urging, countless soldiers completely risked their lives jumping into the deep Tianshui River, practically using human lives to lay the pontoon bridge.
In this terrifying atmosphere, within just over an hour, several thousand bridge corps soldiers had actually managed to lay nine pontoon bridges.
Then, the hundred thousand strong army, travelling light, crossed along the pontoon bridges into Tianshui City’s territory.
More than two hours later, Count Wey led several tens of thousands of vanguard troops, charging to Wind Thunder Fortress several dozen li away.
He did not order an attack, but waited for the follow-up troops to arrive.
After another hour or so, the full hundred thousand strong army had arrived below Wind Thunder Fortress.
Looking from the sky, Wind Thunder Fortress was but a tiny patch. And Count Wey’s hundred thousand strong army was densely packed, like a vast ocean, about to completely submerge the tiny Wind Thunder Fortress.
Looking at the dilapidated Wind Thunder Fortress, Count Wey said fiercely, “Attack! Spare not a single person, blade of grass, or tree within the fortress!”
Then, the hundred thousand strong army launched a frenzied attack.
Like towering waves and angry tides, as if about to completely submerge and destroy Wind Thunder Fortress.
Yan Yan looked at the tide-like army, grinding his teeth, saying, “Suo Lun you bastard, if you come any later, you can collect our corpses!”
Then, he led several thousand elite troops to the city walls, drawing his great sword.
And Yan Naier forcibly suppressed the sorrow in her heart, lifting her face guard and drawing her Dragon Gold Sword.
Although facing a hundred thousand strong army, a doom of destruction, she had not the slightest regret.
More than ten thousand against a hundred thousand strong army. And in this fortress leaking on all four sides, there was truly not a shred of hope for victory.
At this moment of facing destruction, a black dot appeared in the sky several thousand metres ahead, drawing closer and closer.
Suo Lun returned, carrying the King’s decree and the Divine Dragon King’s Staff.
And not only that, he really had carried a washboard on his back. This was something he had made from a wooden plank while on the griffin’s back.