The reason Count Fu’e had previously driven Fu Yan’er out of the household and placed her under house arrest in a remote Shenlong Academy was to put on a show for the family of Fu Yan’er’s fiancé, as they too were nobles of the Nu Lang Kingdom.
After Fu Yan’er’s scandal broke, relations between the two sides had reached freezing point. No one had expected them to form an alliance once again, and the true reason remained a mystery.
However, Fu Yan’er cared little for such matters. She had heard only one thing: upon her return, she would once again be the young lady of Fire Worship City.
This meant she could resume a life of luxury and splendour, and she could not help but feel restless with anticipation.
Though not particularly clever, she knew that since the failed negotiations between Tianshui City and Linhai City, the two had formally declared war upon one another.
Tianshui City was on the verge of collapse, a great ship about to sink. Despite having lived quite happily there, she had no wish to perish alongside the Suo clan.
Especially after Suo Lun went missing, Tianshui City seemed to face the end of days, and Fu Yan’er felt anguish with each passing day.
Now, with her elder brother Fu Qi personally coming to escort her back to Fire Worship City, she felt somewhat overjoyed.
“What about Qin Qin?” Fu Yan’er asked.
Her brother Fu Qi’s face immediately became somewhat unnatural. “Qin Qin bears the surname Suo, not Fu.”
Fu Yan’er said, “You mean you are only taking me back to Fire Worship City?”
Fu Qi nodded and said, “Qin Qin is the flesh and blood of the Suo clan. Being able to rescue you is already a tremendous favour from Grandfather. If we were to take Qin Qin back as well, then Prince Zhili would become enraged and might even move against Fire Worship City. The present Prince Zhili, he who submits prospers, he who resists perishes. Do you not understand?”
At this moment, Suo Ningbing entered, bowed towards Fu Qi, and said, “Cousin, greetings.”
Fu Qi’s expression was somewhat unnatural as he replied, “Cousin, greetings.”
Suo Ningbing said, “Although Qin Qin is the flesh and blood of my Suo clan, she previously bore the surname Fu. Therefore, I earnestly beg Cousin to take her away as well. She is still so young, and ought not to perish alongside the Suo clan.”
Fu Qi smiled and said, “Cousin need not be so pessimistic. Count Gui Xingfu merely wishes to reclaim Chaos Stone Island. Tianshui City may not necessarily face calamity.”
Suo Ningbing said, “Cousin Fu Qi, must you still speak such deceitful words? Duke Tu Lingtuo’s two hundred thousand suppression army may already have set out from the royal city. Duke Zhiwei’s one hundred and fifty thousand strong army is only a few hundred li from Tianshui City. Once Gui Xingfu destroys my Suo clan’s navy and reclaims Chaos Stone Island, Zhili will frame the capital crime of assassinating the young prince upon Suo Lun’s head. At that time, several hundred thousand troops will flatten Tianshui City and exterminate the Suo clan. My Tianshui City Suo clan is no more than half a month from destruction.”
Fu Qi’s face twitched, becoming somewhat unsightly.
Suo Ningbing said, “My Suo clan faces annihilation, and as in-laws, Fire Worship City stands by and watches. I do not blame you for this. I know my mother is not dead, yet watching my Suo clan about to be massacred to extinction, she does not appear. I do not blame you for this either. All I ask is that you take Qin Qin away, and do not let her perish with us. As blood relatives by marriage, will you not even grant this small favour?”
Fu Qi, as the eldest grandson of Count Fu’e of Fire Worship City and future heir to the city lordship, being mocked thus by Suo Ningbing, immediately turned ugly in expression. He said coldly, “Cousin Ningbing, do not speak so unpleasantly. My Fire Worship City Fu clan owes your Suo clan nothing. The present situation is entirely of your Suo clan’s own making. If Suo Lun had not been so ignorant of his own limitations, foolishly and recklessly opposing Prince Zhili, how could there be today’s consequences? If your Suo clan wishes to exterminate itself, so be it, but do not attempt to drag my Fu clan down with you.”
At these words, Suo Ningbing’s frail face turned pale, and her delicate body swayed.
“Husband and wife are birds of the same forest, yet when great disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways. How much more so when you were not even husband and wife.” Suo Ningbing laughed mockingly at herself. “Fu Yan’er, you may go. Return to Fire Worship City with your elder brother. As for Qin Qin, I will exhaust all my strength to protect her. If I truly cannot protect her, then that too is her fate as flesh and blood of the Suo clan.”
“Very well, let us go.” Fu Qi said, “The Suo clan’s destruction is imminent. If we do not leave now, the flames of war will reach us.”
With that, he directly dragged Fu Yan’er out, hauled her onto the carriage, and without a moment’s pause, departed Tianshui Main City.
As for her daughter Qin Qin, she was held in Yan Xue’er’s arms, standing at the main gate of the city lord’s manor.
She watched her mother’s departing carriage, biting her teeth tightly to hold back tears, desperately suppressing the moisture in her eyes.
Yan Xue’er, however, wept profusely, holding Qin Qin and saying, “Qin Qin, your mother doesn’t want you, but Little Auntie wants you…”
Qin Qin bit her lip until it nearly bled, watching her mother’s carriage grow ever more distant, her little face growing paler and paler, on the verge of fainting at any moment.
Just then, from the departing Fu clan carriage, a great wail suddenly came from Fu Yan’er. She then stumbled and rushed down from the carriage, running back to Tianshui City Lord’s Manor. She embraced her daughter and kissed her desperately, weeping loudly, “Qin Qin, Mother is not leaving, Mother is not leaving. If I must die, I shall die together with Qin Qin.”
Only then did Qin Qin wrap her arms around her mother Fu Yan’er’s neck and burst into loud sobs.
Fu Qi descended from the carriage, furious, and shouted, “Fu Yan’er, what are you doing? Hurry up and leave! Do you truly wish to perish alongside the Suo clan?”
“Get lost…” Fu Yan’er shouted angrily, “Not a single good person exists in your Fu family. Fu’e is a dead old tortoise. You are a little tortoise, and that Fu Lingxi as well. You are all a heartless, unrighteous lot. I am a woman of the Suo clan. From this day forth, I have nothing whatsoever to do with the Fu clan.”
At these words, Fu Qi’s face twisted, and he sneered coldly, “Very well, if you seek death, so be it. You may perish with the Suo clan then!”
Thereupon, he led the Fire Worship City cavalry away in a grand departure.
…
Suo Ningbing stepped forward, lovingly gathering Qin Qin into her embrace, pressing her cheek against the child’s with deep reluctance, then said to Fu Yan’er, “I have already sent word to City Lord A Shi Liren of Rou Ran City, asking her to send someone to escort you mother and daughter away. Though she too is at odds with Zhili, she is after all the greatest noble under Heaven, and Zhili cannot move against her for the moment.”
Fu Yan’er’s heart was filled with sorrow. She had only recently left Rou Ran City, and now she must return once more.
Suo Ningbing said, “Qin Qin is the sole remaining flesh and blood of our Suo clan. I cannot allow the Suo clan to truly sever its bloodline. You are Qin Qin’s mother, and must care for her well in future. I cannot truly allow you to be buried with our Suo clan.”
“Sister…” Fu Yan’er could hold back no longer, embracing Ningbing and weeping loudly, “Is there truly no hope for our Suo clan?”
Suo Ningbing shook her head and said, “There is no hope. Without a leader, with enemies ten times our number, destruction is already a foregone conclusion.”
She then reluctantly returned Qin Qin to Fu Yan’er’s arms, saying, “Be prepared at all times. My letter requesting aid from A Shi Liren was sent more than twenty days ago. She may send troops to escort you away at any moment.”
Suo Ningbing then walked to another room within the city lord’s manor.
Yang Hongyi, the adopted daughter of Count Suo Long and wife of Suo Hanyi, was at this moment holding a boy of over one year old, carefully feeding him meat porridge.
This was Suo Hanyi’s illegitimate son, born when he had been secretly plotted against by Zhining and had relations with a concubine of Duke Zhiting.
Yang Hongyi had been severely wounded by Suo Hanyi and became a vegetative state. After Suo Lun revived her, he had promised to return Suo Hanyi’s illegitimate son to her unharmed.
Later, Suo Lun kept his word, found this child, and named him Suo Yu. He was now one and a half years old.
Ever since Suo Hanyi’s death, Yang Hongyi had remained in the city lord’s manor caring for this child, almost never venturing outside.
The child greatly resembled Suo Hanyi, with a tiger’s head and a tiger’s brain, extremely adorable. At this moment, he was eating his meat porridge in great mouthfuls.
Yang Hongyi fed him while unable to stop her tears from falling.
“Baby, let Auntie hold you…” Suo Ningbing extended both hands.
“Auntie… Auntie…” Suo Yu called out in his childish voice, spreading his chubby little arms like a little bird, directly leaping into Suo Ningbing’s embrace.
Suo Ningbing said softly, “Elder Sister, if Rou Ran City can send someone to collect Qin Qin and Fu Yan’er, you and Suo Yu should leave together as well.”
Yang Hongyi continued weeping, her tears falling into the meat porridge.
By her true heart, she wished to stay and perish together with the enemy.
But she knew she could not die. The Suo Yu before her eyes was only a little over one year old and needed her care and protection.
The Suo clan’s bloodline was too thin, and the Suo Yu before her could only be considered a continuation of the Suo bloodline.
If the Suo clan were to be exterminated this time, they must at all costs keep the two children, Suo Yu and Qin Qin, alive, hoping that one day in the future, the Suo clan might rise again.
“Very well, Elder Sister shall listen to you.” Yang Hongyi said.
…
Two hundred li from Linhai City, in the East Sea waters!
The fleets from Yingzhou Island Hai Clan, Luan Yang City, Yan Archipelago, and Linhai City began to assemble.
A full four hundred warships, forty thousand naval troops.
Gui Xingfu, as commander of this fleet to destroy the Suo clan, looked upon the densely packed, overwhelming fleet, uncertain whether he felt heroic or sneering coldly.
He had just received a secret message by falcon from Zhili, upon which were merely a few words: Stop acting, kill!
For some unknown reason, Zhili had not mentioned Gui Qinshao in a single word upon the falcon message.
Gui Xingfu immediately ceased his posturing and fully assembled the forty thousand fleet.
Standing upon the tall flagship, looking upon the boundless fleet upon the sea, Gui Xingfu said loudly, “This battle has two objectives. First, reclaim Chaos Stone Island. Second, destroy the Suo clan navy and cut off their escape route to the ocean.”
“Hoist sails, advance, reclaim Chaos Stone Island, and annihilate the Suo clan navy to the last man!”
With this order, four hundred warships unfurled their sails, and forty thousand naval troops surged forth mightily towards Tianshui City waters.
…
Within Tianshui City Lord’s Manor.
“A falcon message from the royal city. Duke Tu Lingtuo’s two hundred thousand strong army has already begun to march. Expected to arrive at Tianshui City in half a month.”
“Duke Zhiwei’s one hundred and fifty thousand strong army has also broken camp, and can reach the borders of Tianshui City in two days.”
“Gui Xingfu’s forty thousand naval troops have already completed assembly in the East Sea waters, and can enter Tianshui City waters in a day and a half.”
Terrifying news arrived one after another.
These several hundred thousand troops, like towering waves and raging billows, surged towards Tianshui City from all directions.
And at this moment, Tianshui City was truly like a frail little boat, liable to be smashed to pieces at any moment.
Suo Ningbing looked towards Yan Chuo and Yan Nai’er.
“Aunt, you are commander of the naval forces. Shall we fight or retreat?” Ningbing asked.
Yan Chuo (the Queen) said resolutely, “Fight. There is nowhere left to retreat. The entire ocean is the territory of Yan Mo and Hai Gang. Without Tianshui City, we have no foothold upon the sea either.”
Suo Ningbing wished to speak but stopped herself, ultimately not asking the question.
Yan Chuo (the Queen) said, “We cannot win, only death remains. There are only Yan people who die in battle, no Yan people who surrender.”
Queen Yan Chuo’s words were filled with resolve, and filled with despair.
The miracle of burning over a hundred thousand allied troops last time could not possibly be repeated.
Ten thousand against forty thousand, the Suo clan navy had no chance of victory. Not to mention, the enemy also had five thousand Yan pirates.
Regarding the fratricide among the Yan people, Queen Yan Chuo’s heart ached as if twisted.
Suo Ningbing turned her gaze to Yan Nai’er and said, “What is Lord Yan Yan’s decision? You are my Suo clan’s daughter-in-law, and it is nothing for you to perish with my Suo clan. But Lord Yan Yan need not do so. He can lead the Silver Wolf Legion back to Tianye City.”
Nai’er shook her head and said, “Father and I have made the same decision, to live and die together with the Suo clan.”
Her devastatingly beautiful face had once again grown thinner, returning once more to that cold as frost appearance, her beautiful eyes red and filled with desire for destruction and burning.
Suo Ningbing said, “Then whether it be the Tianshui City garrison, the later recruited troops, or the Silver Wolf Legion. Whether officers or soldiers, those who wish to leave, we cannot stop them. After all, we have no right to demand they be buried with us.”
Yan Nai’er remained silent. She had already decided not to let a single soldier leave. Even if they must die, they would die gloriously and magnificently.
They would also fiercely tear a great chunk of flesh from Duke Zhiwei and Tu Lingtuo.
At this moment, Tianshui City’s ground forces already numbered a full forty thousand. Facing Zhili’s nearly four hundred thousand strong army, they certainly could not win, and death was certain.
But even in death, they would drag more people down with them, to be buried with the Suo clan!
Yan Nai’er said, “Sister, in a moment I shall lead the army to the Wind Thunder Fortress defence line, taking almost all the troops with me. Tianshui Main City will only be left with a few thousand second-line troops to maintain basic order.”
Wind Thunder Fortress, the western entrance to Tianshui City, bordering Baiyun County.
For large-scale legions wishing to enter Tianshui City, there were only two directions. One was Tian Wolf Pass to the south, the other was the Wind Thunder Fortress defence line to the west.
Wind Thunder Fortress was originally merely a dilapidated castle. After a year of construction, it had become a solid defence line, with an investment of tens of thousands of gold coins.
This time, Yan Yan would lead over ten thousand troops to defend Tian Wolf Pass.
Yan Nai’er would command over twenty thousand troops to defend the Wind Thunder Fortress defence line.
Tianshui Main City would become an empty city, representing the Suo clan’s will to perish together with the enemy. Whether Wind Thunder Fortress or Tian Wolf Pass, once a single defence line was breached, it would mean the end of Tianshui City.
Forty thousand against four hundred thousand troops, there was absolutely no possibility of victory.
Yan Nai’er said, “Sister, whether it be Zhiwei or Tu Lingtuo, if they wish to enter Tianshui City, they must tread over my corpse. When that day truly comes, I hope you will not become a captive, nor become Zhili’s plaything.”
When Nai’er spoke these words, she did not at all resemble that sweet and innocent girl, but rather that cold and resolute Silver Wolf Young Mistress Yan Shuang.
Suo Ningbing said softly, “Rest assured, the moment I see the first of Zhili’s soldiers appear, I shall set the city lord’s manor ablaze and perish with it. I shall absolutely not become Zhili’s captive, shall not bring shame upon the family, and shall not bring shame upon Suo Lun.”
Nai’er’s eyes grew hot. She rose from her delicate body and said, “Sister, Aunt, in our next life, we shall still be family.”
Ningbing said, “Very well, in our next life, we shall still be family.”
Queen Yan Chuo smiled and said, “In our next life, I hope Ningbing is my own flesh and blood, Suo Lun is my own flesh and blood, and Nai’er is my own daughter-in-law.”
These words already expressed immense disappointment towards Suo Lun’s birth mother, Fu Lingxi!
Then, the three women embraced lightly.
Nai’er was the first to leave the city lord’s manor. Over ten thousand troops had already assembled, and she would lead the army westward to defend the Wind Thunder Fortress border defence line, resisting Duke Zhiwei’s over one hundred thousand strong army.
Queen Yan Chuo headed eastward. Ten thousand Tianshui City naval troops had already assembled upon the sea. She would lead the army northward to fight to the death against Gui Xingfu’s forty thousand navy.
In the eyes of the three women, this was their final farewell.
Whether Nai’er or Yan Chuo, neither could possibly return alive.
And just at this moment!
A direct Suo clan warrior, riding a lion-tiger beast, swiftly charged to the front of the city lord’s manor, knelt down and shouted, “Miss, Mistress, City Lord A Shi Liren of Rou Ran City, and her heir A Shi Yuanba, have led twenty thousand cavalry to our aid, and are waiting below Tian Wolf Pass to enter. Lord Yan Yan has specially come to request orders, whether to invite City Lord A Shi Liren to enter the pass.”
At these words, Suo Ningbing’s delicate body trembled. She exchanged a glance with Yan Nai’er, almost unable to believe her own eyes.
Immediately after, a cry suddenly came from the sky!
Then several black dots appeared in the western sky, drawing nearer and nearer.
They were five griffins, and upon the foremost one sat a young man in brocade robes and a golden crown, the true City Lord of Tianshui City, Suo Lun.
Nai’er and Ningbing could scarcely believe their own eyes, as if in a dream.
Their delicate bodies trembled and shuddered repeatedly.
The pillar of their fate, Suo Lun, had returned!
…
And at this moment, within the Shenlong Temple of Zhidu.
Suo Lun’s mother, Fu Lingxi, dressed in white robes, sat in meditation within a quiet chamber!