For some inexplicable reason, after enduring endless torments, the very first words Gui Qianshao uttered upon throwing herself into Sauron’s embrace were a coquettish whine.
This was because her heart was filled with absolute insecurity. Her father, Gui Xingfu, had revealed himself to be utterly repulsive and despicable, while Ling Ao had proven to be completely spineless and shameless. For her, the entire world had collapsed.
She was a coddled, aristocratic young lady who, while suffering at the absolute brink of endurance, had completely abandoned hope and resigned herself to death.
Now that she was rescued, her immediate, subconscious reaction was to see if there was anyone left in the world who could cherish and accommodate her delicate, pampered nature.
Sauron did not say a word. He simply held her close in his arms, murmuring softly, “I will take you back to Tianshui City, alright?”
“Mm,” Gui Qianshao choked out amidst her tears, offering a soft compliance as she burrowed even deeper into his embrace.
Time was of the essence. While Sauron held Qianshao, Zhi Yan swiftly knocked Zhi Li’s mistress, Jian Liu, unconscious, tucked her under her arm, and rapidly exited the subterranean vault.
Despite the thick darkness of the night, Gui Qianshao’s exposed, unclothed frame remained strikingly pale as snow.
Sauron snatched a discarded gown from the floor, wrapping it tightly around her form to shield her.
Following that, Zhi Yan took the lead to carve a path out, neutralizing every guard who crossed their path until they successfully broke through the perimeter of the Young Lord’s mansion.
At this moment, the estate remained engulfed in a cacophony of clashing blades and chaotic shouts, the courtyards thoroughly littered with corpses.
*Bang…*
Zhi Yan fired a crystal flare into the night sky, signaling to Gao Yin and Zhuang Zhixuan inside that the extraction was complete and it was time to execute the withdrawal.
A quarter of an hour later.
Gao Yin and his companions fought their way out of the compound, holding an additional hostage, a young girl who appeared to be in a state of unconsciousness, likely Zhi Li’s daughter.
The surrounding warriors hesitated, wary of harming the child, and refrained from closing in too tightly.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…*
The Shadow Pavilion operatives and Zhuang Zhixuan swiftly retreated from the mansion grounds.
Out on the streets, heavily armed soldiers were already mobilizing in dense formations, converging on the Young Lord’s estate squad by squad.
Utilizing Zhi Li’s daughter as a shield, Gao Yin led the dozen operatives backward step by step, successfully slipping past the outer containment ring.
Then, under the coordinated assistance of waiting Shadow Pavilion reinforcements, they rapidly dissolved into the deep shadows of the capital, vanishing without a trace.
Half an hour later, inside a stationary carriage, Zhi Li’s consort, Fang Qingzhuo, located her daughter.
The young girl had sustained no injuries whatsoever, her cheeks remaining perfectly rosy. When she was discovered, she had not even awakened from her slumber, merely turning over on her side while mumbling an incoherent phrase in her dreams.
Fang Qingzhuo clutched her daughter tightly against her chest, a wave of lingering terror washing over her, though her gaze grew deeply pensive.
Nearly an hour prior, Zhi Li, who had just departed from the Yinglong Tower, received reports regarding a major assault on his mansion. His initial reaction was a surge of absolute shock and bewilderment.
He had already vacated the premises, so who could possibly be launching an assassination attempt now? He immediately ordered a swift return to the estate.
“The consort and the young mistresses are entirely unharmed, however… Miss Gui Qianshao has been abducted,” Li Chenglian reported in a low, tense murmur.
Upon hearing this, Zhi Li’s frame stiffened violently as he stood frozen in place.
The loss of Gui Qianshao was a minor matter in isolation. Although she was a peerless beauty, she was ultimately just a woman.
But why…
Gui Qianshao possessed no remaining political value, so who could possibly want to rescue her? Who even possessed the capacity to pull off such an extraction?
Swiftly, Zhi Li forced his mind to calm down.
Presently, there was only one organization capable of executing a rescue of this magnitude, the Shadow Pavilion operating under the sovereign’s direct command.
It was no wonder they had deployed Zhi Ting to request a conference. The entire meeting was a classic ploy to lure the tiger from the mountain, drawing Zhi Li away from his stronghold alongside the vast majority of his elite martial experts.
But for what purpose?
Why would the Shadow Pavilion expend such valuable resources to rescue Gui Qianshao?
An instant later, a terrifying realization manifested in Zhi Li’s mind.
They intended to expose the scandal of his physical ruin!
The reality of his condition was a secret confined strictly to Li Chenglian’s innermost circle of eunuchs, alongside Gui Xingfu, Tu Lingsi, and Gui Qianshao. How could it have possibly reached the ears of the Shadow Pavilion?
Regardless of the mechanics, now that Gui Qianshao had fallen into his adversaries’ custody, it signified that the explosive scandal regarding his mutilation was on the verge of being unveiled to the realm.
The sole reason King Zhi Bian had degenerated into his current vulnerable state was due to his lack of male heirs to secure the succession.
If Zhi Li were exposed as having suffered a similar physical ruin, the political ramifications would be completely catastrophic. Even though he had not been entirely emasculated, it was an nuance that would be impossible to clarify to a suspicious populace.
Instantly, Zhi Li barked with venomous urgency, “Swiftly! Immediately dispatch a message to Gui Xingfu! Order him to cease this theatrical posturing. Command him to launch a direct southward offensive and assault Tianshui City immediately!”
“Understood, Your Highness!” Li Chenglian complied.
Zhi Li continued, “Issue orders to Tu Lingtuo to complete the final concentration of forces. By tomorrow morning, the pacification army of two hundred thousand must launch an immediate advance toward Tianshui City!”
“Understood, Your Highness!” Li Chenglian replied.
Zhi Li took a deep, ragged breath, then violently drew his sword, hacking frantically at every piece of furniture within the chamber to vent his rage.
Li Chenglian inquired, “Should we launch an assault on the Princess’s mansion?”
He reasoned that since Gui Qianshao had been extracted by the Shadow Pavilion, she was highly likely to be concealed within Zhi Yan’s residence at this very moment.
“It is only proper to return a discourtesy,” Zhi Li remarked coldly. “Lead the assault personally. Don black attire and conceal your face with a mask.”
“Understood, Your Highness!” Li Chenglian complied.
Half an hour later!
Li Chenglian led several hundred elite warriors in a sudden raid on the Princess’s mansion, orchestrating the strike to mirror a mysterious assassination attempt on Princess Zhi Yan.
However, the entire estate was completely hollowed out, left entirely defenseless.
Upon breaching the interior, they discovered not a single human presence, every maidservant and attendant had already been evacuated.
Li Chenglian returned to the Young Lord’s mansion to brief Zhi Li, bracing himself for another explosion of fury.
Yet, to his surprise, Zhi Li refrained from raging, appearing instead remarkably composed.
“They are either concealed deep within the royal palace or have already departed the capital aboard griffins,” Zhi Li analyzed. “Issue orders to the military to enforce an absolute lockdown on the gates of Zhidu. Entry is permitted, but exit is strictly forbidden.”
“Understood, Your Highness,” Li Chenglian replied.
Zhi Li added, “Deploy the operatives of the Black Ice Palace and Hidden Island immediately. Solicit the assistance of the Yaozhou experts, and order the garrisons of every county and province to establish absolute blockades across every transit route. The absolute instant Gui Qianshao or her companions are sighted, execute them on the spot.”
“Understood,” Li Chenglian said.
Zhi Li let out a cold, mocking sneer. “A cornered beast attempting a futile struggle? The strategic trap is already closed, their doom is sealed. It is entirely pointless!”
High up in the heavens, aboard the back of a griffin!
“Are you absolutely certain that you severed Zhi Li’s organ?” Sauron inquired of Qianshao.
For him, this piece of intelligence was a magnificent surprise. This revelation would deal an absolute, fatal blow to Zhi Li’s political legitimacy!
“I severed it,” Gui Qianshao stated, her eyes flashing with a mix of lingering terror and fierce satisfaction. “Although it was not completely detached from his body, the cut definitely sliced through more than four-fifths of the tissue right at the root.”
Hearing this, Sauron involuntarily shuddered, a sympathetic pang of phantom pain causing his lower anatomy to tighten uncomfortably.
Precisely as Zhi Li had deduced, at this very moment, Sauron, Zhi Yan, Gui Qianshao, Zhuang Zhixuan, and several top-tier Shadow Pavilion specialists were riding three separate griffins, charting a direct course through the clouds toward Tianshui City.
The so-called Griffin Corps possessed far more symbolic weight than actual military utility, which was precisely why it had always remained strictly under the King’s personal control.
Upon fighting their way out of the Young Lord’s estate, the strike team had immediately retreated into the secure confines of the royal palace, boarding the beasts without a single moment of delay to take to the skies.
The prison break operation had been a resounding success. However, it had not been without a price, as the Shadow Pavilion had once again lost several first-rate combatants during the chaotic melee.
Presently, Gui Qianshao was wrapped securely within a heavy thick robe, resting inside Sauron’s embrace as she recounted the entire harrowing sequence of events in a soft murmur.
Even though Sauron had already formed a low estimation of Gui Xingfu’s moral character, the sheer depravity of the details left him completely dumbfounded.
It was entirely beyond comprehension that a father could be so utterly devoid of shame and humanity. Sacrificing his own daughter to be violated by Zhi Li for the sake of his personal advancement was abhorrent enough. Yet, when the plot collapsed, he had actually drawn his blade to execute his own child to silence her.
Prior to these events, how immensely had he coddled and cherished Gui Qianshao?
How completely had he deferred to and doted upon Tu Lingsi? He had never anticipated that the man would prove so viciously ruthless, beating his wife within an inch of her life before locking her away in permanent isolation.
This man’s complete lack of principle and sheer brutality far exceeded anyone Sauron had ever encountered.
“It is truly ironical. To avoid betraying Gui Xingfu and to remain faithful to Ling Ao, I chose to completely sever my emotional attachments to you, focusing entirely on being a dutiful wife,” Gui Qianshao remarked bitterly. “Yet, they turned out to be such unprincipled, monstrous beasts. I… I truly was completely blind.”
Sauron offered a soft chuckle, teasing, “You always were a bit of a scatterbrain with far more beauty than sense.”
“You are horrible…” Gui Qianshao whined softly. “I am absolutely heartbroken right now, yet you still find amusement at my expense.”
She let out a soft sigh before continuing, “When I originally learned of the tragedy that befell Tu Liyang, it deeply affected me. I genuinely began to view myself as a wicked woman akin to Tu Lingduo, plotting with a lover to undermine a husband. I viewed you as a corrupt individual, someone like Zhi Li who specialized in compromising other men’s wives. I pitied Ling Ao, viewing him as a tragic figure like Tu Liyang who was being dishonored without his knowledge. That was precisely why I resolved to break off all relations with you. I never imagined that while the superficial scenarios appeared identical, the underlying realities were completely opposite.”
Gui Qianshao’s small hand carefully slipped beneath Sauron’s tunic, gently tracing the contours of his muscles. Because every single one of her fingernails had been subjected to the gold needles, the slightest physical contact still triggered a sharp, piercing jolt of pain.
“Sauron, how could Ling Ao possibly degenerate into such a creature?” Gui Qianshao asked softly. “I can comprehend Gui Xingfu’s monstrous nature in hindsight. But Ling Ao used to be so intensely proud, how could he commit such a shameless act, willingly delivering his own wife to another man’s bed?”
Sauron explained, “He was elevated far too quickly by external forces, placed in a high position that his character could not sustain, leaving his internal foundation hollow. When a person lacks genuine substance, they develop an infinite number of moral vulnerabilities.”
“You would never act in such a manner,” Gui Qianshao noted softly. “For the sake of your elder sister, you possess the courage to risk your life against anyone.”
Sauron gently caressed her beautiful face, noting that she had lost a noticeable amount of weight, her chin appearing far more sharp than before.
Suddenly, his nose twitched slightly as he detected a very faint, unusual odor.
“If you keep sniffing, I will make you lick it off,” Gui Qianshao muttered, her face flushing crimson as she reached up to cover his nose.
Moments earlier, while she was being tormented by Jian Liu, the gold needle driven into the sole of her foot had been violently twisted. Unable to withstand such agonizing pain, her body had suffered a minor involuntary release. Because their escape from Zhidu had been so chaotic and abrupt, she had been afforded no opportunity to cleanse her body.
Following that, some unspoken thought crossed her mind, causing her skin to burn with heat as her small hand slithered like a serpent down toward Sauron’s waist.
“Back when you were taking liberties with me, why did I not think to have you emasculated as well?” Gui Qianshao murmured coyly.
Sauron merely patted her cheek gently, offering no verbal retort.
Gui Qianshao quieted down, resting silently against his chest as the griffin soared through the night.
“Sauron, I love you,” she whispered suddenly, raising her gaze to look into his eyes. “From this moment onward, I intend to remain by your side forever.”
Sauron countered, “What if I require you to execute tasks that you find deeply distasteful?”
Gui Qianshao replied with a pout, “Provided you do not deliver me to another man’s bed, I will comply. If you ever do that, I will truly have you castrated.”
As she spoke, her hand gave a playful, gentle squeeze, only to let out a sharp cry of pain herself as the movement agitated the raw wounds beneath her fingernails.
“As long as you do not surrender me to another, I am willing to execute whatever you ask,” Gui Qianshao affirmed. “Could I implore you to grant me a single request? Please rescue my mother. After Gui Xingfu beat her within an inch of her life, he had her transported to Linhai City to be kept under strict confinement.”
“Very well,” Sauron promised.
At Helan Pass!
Yan Yan had gone without a single moment of sleep for several days and nights, continuously commuting between Helan Pass and the main citadel of Tianshui City, relentlessly patrolling the perimeters and organizing the defensive lines.
Presently, he stood atop the battlements of Helan Pass, peering out into the distance with a grim, stern expression that appeared etched from granite.
He was fully aware that the total annihilation of Tianshui City was virtually a settled matter.
Nonetheless, his philosophy remained to exhaust all human effort and leave the final outcome to destiny.
His daughter, Yan Nai’er, was prepared to perish alongside her love, and he, the Silver Wolf, refused to display any cowardice at a critical juncture like this.
At the absolute worst, he would simply go down into the grave alongside the Suo clan!
Suddenly, he detected a subtle, rhythmic vibration rippling through the stone beneath his feet.
An instant later, a scout came galloping toward the battlements at maximum velocity. Upon sighting Yan Yan, the rider bellowed with urgency, “My Lord! A massive cavalry force has materialized ten miles out! The formations are endless, the numbers are completely beyond calculation!”
Yan Yan’s heart skipped a beat. A cavalry force? An untold multitude, where could they have possibly originated from?
Lately, it appeared as though the entirety of the Kingdom of Wrath had established a total information blockade around Tianshui City, leaving them completely oblivious to external military movements.
How could a massive force suddenly materialize on their horizon? Was it Tu Lingtuo’s pacification army? Or perhaps Duke Zhi Wei’s forces?
Did Zhi Li intend to launch his offensive against Tianshui City ahead of schedule? That defied logical military progression.
The established strategic sequence should have involved Gui Xingfu’s naval forces sailing south to seize control of Boulder Island first.
Following that, once the final deadline for the assassination probe expired and Sauron failed to present himself at the capital to clear his name, the Suo clan would be formally branded rebels. Only at that juncture would Tu Lingtuo’s massive pacification force launch its assault on Tianshui City.
Presently, this theater should still be confined to a localized conflict between the rival vassals of Linhai City and Tianshui City.
Only after Gui Xingfu had thoroughly eradicated Tianshui City’s navy and severed the Suo clan’s maritime escape route would the conflict escalate into a kingdom-wide operation to liquidate the rebellion.
“Beat the drums! Prepare for battle!” Yan Yan roared at the top of his lungs.
Instantly, the thunderous roll of war drums echoed throughout Helan Pass.
Dense formations of soldiers surged onto the ramparts.
Every archer drew their bow strings taut, the massive ballistas were cranked open, and countless barrels of volatile oil were hoisted up to the battlements.
Dozens of massive trebuchets were wheeled into position, loaded with enormous, incendiary oil projectiles.
Regardless of who this advancing army belonged to, they would find it impossible to breach the heavily fortified bottleneck of Helan Pass.
A quarter of an hour later!
Despite the thick cover of night, a vast, swirling cloud of dust completely obscured the horizon.
The very earth beneath their feet shuddered violently under the impact of thousands of hooves.
Countless cavalrymen surged toward Helan Pass like an unstoppable tidal wave.
Riding at the absolute vanguard of this host was a woman of peerless, breathtaking beauty, her expression cold as winter frost, possessing a countenance capable of toppling kingdoms.
Trotting beside her mount was a smaller pony, ridden by a young boy of approximately ten years of age. The lad was dressed in fine brocade attire beneath a golden crown, appearing exceptionally robust and animated.
“Am I addressing General Yan Yan, the Supreme Commander of the Helan Pass Garrison?” the peerless woman inquired, her voice carrying clearly across the distance.
“Indeed you are. May I inquire as to your identity, and for what purpose you are encroaching upon the territory of Tianshui City?” Yan Yan countered sternly.
The breathtaking woman replied, “I am the Countess of Rouran and Lord of the City, Ashi Liren. Having received intelligence that Linhai City has initiated hostilities against Tianshui City, I have led my forces here specifically to offer military assistance.”
Upon hearing these words, Yan Yan’s eyes widened in absolute disbelief, completely unable to trust his own senses.
At this precise juncture, Tianshui City was teetering on the absolute brink of destruction, its total annihilation viewed across the realm as a foregone conclusion. The various vassal lords under heaven were so terrified of being associated with the doomed Suo clan that they refused to even dispatch a single diplomatic envoy, let alone military aid.
He had never imagined that the ruler of Rouran, Ashi Liren, would personally lead her legendary host across the realm to offer reinforcement.
However, Yan Yan remained hesitant to order the gates opened immediately, for if this proved to be a clever ruse to capture the pass by deception, the consequences would be entirely fatal.
At that moment, the young boy riding beside Ashi Liren bellowed in a clear, ringing voice, “I am Ashi Yuanba, the Young Lord of Rouran City! I have accompanied my mother to lead this reinforcement to Tianshui City. Sauron is my respected mentor, and Suo Qin is my betrothed! General Yan Yan has absolutely no reason to harbor any suspicions!”
Meanwhile, a small detachment of cavalry had entered the main citadel of Tianshui City. The unit numbered a mere hundred riders, yet they carried banners emblazoned with roaring flames, the distinctive insignia of Fire-Worship City.
The warrior leading this group was Fu Qi, the grandson of Marquis Fu E and the elder brother of Fu Yan’er. He had journeyed here specifically to extract his sister from the impending war zone.
“Sister Yan’er, you must accompany me back to Fire-Worship City immediately,” Fu Qi urged with gravity. “The total destruction of Tianshui City is imminent, there is absolutely no reason for you to remain here to be buried alongside them. Your former betrothed has already dispatched a formal missive to Fire-Worship City, affirming that he will no longer pursue past grievances and desires to forge a renewed alliance with us. Consequently, you may return home safely, maintaining your status as the cherished granddaughter of the clan. Grandfather has already begun scouting an exceptional marriage alliance for you.”