In the highest conference room of Duke Turing’s residence castle.
This conference room was not large, merely several dozen square metres.
Zhili sat in the highest principal seat, his posture very languid, toying with a jade beauty in his hands.
Apart from Zhili, there were six other people in the conference room.
Linhai City Lord Gui Xingfu, Ling Ao, Duke Turingtuo, Turingchen, and Luanyang City Lord Tuli Wen.
There was also a relatively unfamiliar face, with obvious foreign blood. This was A Shi Zhuo, uncle of A Shi Luo, and younger brother of Rouran City Lord A Shi Mo.
These were presently the four forces of the secret conference on destroying the Sorrens.
Zhili showed not the slightest intention of speaking. He was the legendary type who brought his ears but not his mouth.
“The King is not to be feared, nor is Zhiyan.” Turingchen said, “Our sole target is Soren!”
“Soren is the King’s only pawn. Destroy Soren, and Zhiyan and Zhiying are good for nothing.” Ling Ao said, “Soren is the sole obstacle to His Highness’s ascension to the throne, although this obstacle is hardly worth mentioning.”
Luanyang City Lord Tuli Wen said, “If Soren is so insignificant, how has he grown to his present state? Why was he not eliminated when he was at his weakest?”
The moment this question was raised, everyone present was rendered speechless.
“The reason is quite simple.” Turingchen said, “Because previously, those who dealt with Soren were two women, and what Soren excels at most is dealing with women.”
Turingchen’s words referred not merely to Turingduo, but directly pointed at Zhiying.
It was precisely because of Zhiying’s willingness that the previous great defeat at Tianshui City had occurred, that Duke Zhiwei’s advance upon Tianshui City had failed.
Because of Zhiying, the nobles, the vassals, and Zhili had all suffered massive losses.
“Zhiying has already been imprisoned.” Zhili said faintly, “For as long as Soren lives, she shall not be released.”
Zhili’s words carried deep meaning. Zhiying had already been ruined by Soren. That membrane could be repaired by a sorcerer. But if Soren lived, he could shout this matter out at any time, and then Zhiying could not marry Prince Ji Min of the Yan Empire. Zhiying would have to remain imprisoned in the name of having taken religious vows.
But if Soren died, then this secret would be known only to him and Zhiying, and then this marriage alliance could still proceed.
Of course, Zhili did not yet know that Zhiying had already confirmed her pregnancy.
Gui Xingfu said, “The reason Soren has survived until now, and even reclaimed Tianshui City, boils down to one root cause. We underestimated him. When a lion hunts a rabbit, it still uses its full strength. How much more so when dealing with a treacherous villain like Soren?”
Glancing at everyone, Gui Xingfu continued, “Soren is still very weak at present. But we several parties must exert our full strength, with the force of thunder, to destroy him in an instant. We cannot give him more time, cannot give him more opportunity.”
Turingchen lifted the curtain, revealing a large map.
This was a topographical map of the eastern region of the Fury Wave Kingdom, including Tianshui City territory, Linhai City, Rocky Island, and Luanyang City.
“The military forces presently in Soren’s hands total twenty thousand.” Turingchen said, “Among them, Yan Yan’s great army numbers ten thousand, the Tianshui City garrison exceeds five thousand, and the remaining Rocky Island troops plus Tianshui City irregulars also number five thousand.”
Turingchen’s intelligence was correct. The troops presently in Soren’s hands amounted to barely twenty thousand.
Next, he produced some ship models and placed them upon the map, saying, “The ships of Soren and Zhiying combined number just over one hundred, but most are salt-transporting cargo vessels. True combat ships number fewer than thirty.”
Gui Xingfu said, “Thirty-three combat ships, with naval troops not exceeding two thousand.”
Turingchen said, “Therefore, Soren’s naval strength is hardly worth mentioning.”
Zhili asked faintly, “Then, my lords present, how many troops are you willing to commit to destroy Soren? To conduct this lion and tiger hunting the rabbit?”
Gui Xingfu said, “Linhai City is willing to commit its full strength, dispatching thirty-two warships, two thousand naval troops, and in addition deploying eight thousand elite troops for use in combat after landing.”
A Shi Zhuo said, “Our young master has agreed to dispatch one third of the Yingzhou Fleet to exterminate Soren.”
His young master was of course A Shi Luo, who had conquered the daughter of the Yingzhou Island Lord, then through unknown means successfully obtained a vast Yingzhou Fleet.
Yingzhou Island belonged to no nation. It was an independent force, isolated overseas, possessing the foremost naval power under heaven.
Gui Xingfu said, “One third of the Yingzhou Fleet, approximately how many ships, how many naval troops?”
A Shi Zhuo said, “Three hundred warships, over thirty thousand naval troops.”
The moment these words were spoken, everyone present clicked their tongues in astonishment.
Yingzhou Island, only the size of a single province, actually possessed over a thousand ships? One hundred thousand naval troops?
Then, all eyes turned towards the possessor of the Fury Wave Kingdom’s foremost navy, Luanyang City Lord.
“When a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses its full strength.” Tuli Wen said, “My Tuli family is willing to commit two hundred warships, twenty thousand naval troops.”
With the three forces combined, there were actually five hundred and thirty warships, with naval troops exceeding fifty thousand.
Now, only the Turing Family had yet to declare their position.
Turingtuo said, “My Turing Family is not a vassal state. We possess no ships, so we require you to dispatch cargo vessels to transport our troops for us.”
Luanyang City Lord Tuli Wen said, “No problem. Cargo vessels for troop transport, we have as many as you need. How many troops do you plan to commit?”
“Fifty thousand.” Turingtuo said.
The moment these words were spoken, everyone present trembled.
The naval forces of the three families combined already exceeded fifty thousand. Adding Turingtuo’s fifty thousand great army, the total was nearly one hundred and ten thousand.
To destroy a mere Tianshui City, was it necessary to dispatch one hundred and ten thousand troops?
Luanyang City Lord said, “No problem. Cargo vessels for troop transport, we have as many as you need.”
Then, Turingchen could not help but say, “However, is it necessary for us all to attack from the sea? One hundred and ten thousand troops, whether from Sky Wolf Pass or Wind Thunder Fort, could easily crush their way into Tianshui City territory.”
Zhili nodded and said, “It is absolutely necessary, and all must be disguised as pirates.”
The moment these words were spoken, everyone felt a sense of absurdity.
In this world, where could one find a pirate force exceeding one hundred thousand? This one hundred thousand great army disguised as pirates was completely the Emperor’s New Clothes, seen through at a glance.
Zhili said, “Though the pirate disguise is laughable, it must still be worn. After all, kingdom troops may not attack a vassal’s territory without cause. Although His Majesty the King is already unable to issue decrees from the palace, he can still have Gao Yin take the Dragon God Sceptre and kill any commander who invades Tianshui City.”
Indeed so. One hundred and ten thousand troops attacking Tianshui City was easy, one could simply crush their way through.
But Gao Yin killing with the Dragon God Sceptre, no one could stop. Just as Duke Zhiwei at that time, although he could give the order to flatten Tianshui City with a single command. But once he did so, he too would certainly die. Therefore, he had ultimately ordered retreat, because who among those in high positions was willing to die?
Although King Zhibian was estranged by the vassals and nobles, the King was still the King. With the Dragon God Sceptre, controlling the inner court, he could kill.
Zhili asked, “These five hundred plus ships, this one hundred thousand pirate great army, when can they complete their assembly? When can they attack Rocky Island, attack Tianshui City?”
Luanyang City Lord said, “So long as military funds are sufficient, my naval forces can complete assembly within one month.”
A Shi Zhuo said, “Yingzhou Island never does business at a loss. Moreover, their fleet is dispersed in various locations, controlling multiple shipping lanes. Once the money is in place, approximately three months will be required to complete assembly.”
“Very well, then one hundred days.” Zhili said, “One hundred days hence, one hundred thousand pirates will land at Tianshui City, destroy the Sorren clan, kill to the last man.”
Suddenly, A Shi Zhuo said, “After the Sorren clan is destroyed, how shall Rocky Island and Tianshui City territory be divided?”
The moment these words were spoken, Zhili’s eyebrows trembled slightly.
Luanyang City Lord Tuli Wen said, “I want half of the Rocky Island salt works.”
“Agreed.” Zhili said, “The other half of the Rocky Island salt works shall go to A Shi Luo and Yingzhou Island.”
A Shi Zhuo said, “Suo Ningbing is my young master’s wife. Tianshui City territory rightfully should have a portion for my A Shi family.”
Zhili’s eyes trembled, then he laughed heartily and said, “Agreed. Tianshui City territory shall first be lent to me for twenty years. Twenty years hence, the Gui and A Shi families shall equally divide the five hundred li of Tianshui City territory.”
Thus, the secret conference on destroying the Sorrens concluded.
Combining the strength of four families, one hundred and ten thousand great army, to destroy the Sorren clan.
Even the post-war benefits had been more or less carved up.
And just then, eunuch Li Zhu rushed swiftly into Duke Turing’s residence, arriving before the door of the residence’s highest castle.
“Little monkey, what matter brings such haste?” Guarding outside the castle was Prince Zhili’s personal grand eunuch, the Fury Wave royal court’s second strongest expert, Li Chenglian.
Normally when Li Zhu saw his adoptive father, he would directly kneel and kowtow, his etiquette respectful to the extreme.
However, at this moment he merely knelt swiftly, speaking with utmost urgency, “Godfather, please immediately inform His Highness. Princess Zhiying has slit her wrists in the quiet room.”
The moment these words were spoken, Li Chenglian’s face completely changed colour. Then he rushed to the highest floor conference room of the castle at the fastest speed, arriving beside Zhili and speaking in a low voice, “Your Highness, the Princess has slit her wrists.”
Zhili’s gaze trembled. No one knew a younger sister like an older brother.
He thought of it at the first moment. Zhiying was truly pregnant. Her resolute wrist-slitting suicide was precisely to call for help, to protect the child in her belly.
Instantly, Zhili’s face turned ashen.
They said daughters turned outward. It was indeed not the least bit false. Zhiying clearly knew Soren was his greatest enemy, yet she was still willing to bear his bastard child.
Instantly, Zhili issued a low command, “You, rush to Hidden Garden at the fastest speed. Once there, directly use dragon power to strike her abdominal womb, kill the bastard in her belly.”
Li Chenglian’s face turned pale. As a eunuch, he had no children, and regarded Zhiying completely as his own. Now Zhili was actually ordering him to directly act against Zhiying.
But he regarded not only Zhiying as his own, but Zhili as well, not to mention that Zhili was his liege lord, his sole hope.
“Yes.” Li Chenglian said, then like a ghostly shadow, directly drifted out.
…
Hidden Garden of the Dragon God Temple, underground quiet room.
Despite racking her brains, Zhiying could think of no method to save herself.
Because this was one of the Dragon God Temple’s most inconspicuous estates, extremely remote, and this was an underground secret chamber. Apart from air vents, there was not even a window.
Therefore, it was impossible to convey any message to the outside.
Moreover, time was extremely pressing. Brother Zhili would return very soon.
Thus, Zhiying chose the most resolute method, wrist-slitting suicide.
In this way, not only would it alarm the people of Hidden Garden, but it would also alarm the Dragon God Temple people, dispatching great medical cultivators to rescue her.
And Great Cultivator Byron, who loved her most, would certainly rush over to visit. Then she could beg for his assistance, perhaps with some chance of success.
Great Cultivator Byron not only loved her most, but he had an instinctive respect for life. He felt that preventing a life from being born was a grave sin.
Her plan was correct.
The female cultivator monitoring her, discovering her wrist-slitting suicide, was instantly terrified out of her wits, and rushed to the Dragon God Temple to request a great medical cultivator at the fastest speed.
In this process, news of Zhiying’s suicide inevitably leaked out.
But Zhiying’s plan contained a flaw.
Because Princess Zhiyan had departed from the Dragon God Temple, Great Cultivator Byron was deeply grieved, and thus chose to enter closed-door meditation, seeing no one.
Therefore, news of Zhiyan’s suicide did not reach his ears, and naturally he could not come to rescue her.
However, lose in the east, gain in the west.
Although Princess Zhiyan had departed from the Dragon God Temple, she had after all been at the Temple for over a decade, and was the most outstanding disciple the Dragon God Temple had produced in over a hundred years. Therefore, she received the news almost at the first moment, and rushed to the Dragon God Temple’s Hidden Garden at the fastest speed.
However, even faster than her was Grand Eunuch Li Chenglian.
…
At this moment, within the Dragon God Temple’s Hidden Garden.
The cultivators guarding Zhiying, and the experts dispatched by Zhili, densely and tightly surrounded the underground quiet room, watertight.
After a quarter of an hour of rescue efforts, Princess Zhiying slowly awoke.
But the instant she opened her beautiful eyes, she did not see her beloved teacher Great Cultivator Byron, but rather the cold face of the female cultivator who had been guarding her.
At this moment, this female cultivator still held an energy medicinal pill in her hand, precisely the one she had desperately vomited out.
“Your Highness the Princess, what are you doing?” the female cultivator said coldly.
Immediately after, Grand Eunuch Li Chenglian drifted in, gazing at Zhiying with tender pity.
Instantly, Princess Zhiying’s entire body turned to ice, filled with boundless despair.
She had ultimately proven no match for her brother Zhili. He gave her not the slightest chance.
“Everyone, withdraw.” Li Chenglian ordered.
Instantly, all within the quiet room withdrew cleanly, and the experts guarding outside also withdrew cleanly.
The entire quiet room held only Li Chenglian and Zhiying.
“Grandfather, have you also come to kill my child?” Zhiying trembled.
This cry of “Grandfather” made Li Chenglian’s liver tremble, and his eyes immediately grew moist.
This girl, at three years old, he had personally rescued from the enemy’s butcher’s blade, then escorted all the way to Yanjing.
For over a decade at Yanjing, he had accompanied her for half that time.
This was a ruthless girl, but even more so a pitiable girl.
Her ruthlessness was only towards outsiders. Before him, Li Chenglian, she was forever that doting little girl.
He truly regarded her completely as his own granddaughter.
If Zhiying were normally married and bearing children, he would not know how happy he would be, just like an ordinary old man about to hold his great-grandson.
But now…
Li Chenglian trembled and said, “Child, this child should not be kept. He is Soren’s seed. You still must marry in the future.”
Zhiying said, “I care not whose seed the child in my belly is, but he is my child. Our family has only my brother and me. Now we finally have one more. Would you kill him, Grandfather?”
The moment these words were spoken, Li Chenglian could no longer hold back, and tears directly slid down.
He felt that after experiencing tonight’s scene, he would lose at least five years of life. For an old man like him, such heartbreak once would truly exhaust his spirit.
Finally, Li Chenglian spoke no more. He came to Zhiying’s side, placed his palm upon her belly, and said softly, “Child, rest assured. I shall be swift and gentle. You will not feel pain.”
Then, Li Chenglian was about to activate dragon power to destroy the tiny life just sprouting in Zhiying’s belly.
“Whoosh!”
Just then, a beautiful immortal figure, like a meteor, flew into the quiet room, her sharp sword directly thrusting towards Li Chenglian.
Princess Zhiyan, having received the news slightly later than Li Chenglian, had thus arrived slightly later as well.