Why did Jian Liu betray Zhi Li?
This must be traced back several months.
At that time, Jian Liu was Zhi Li’s trusted confidant and mistress. After Tu Lingduo stabbed Zhi Li, she was imprisoned in the dungeon of the Young Lord’s Mansion.
Zhi Li was filled with possessiveness towards Gui Qinshao. He certainly would not allow other men to touch her, so he had Jian Liu interrogate and torture Gui Qinshao, and forbade any damage to her body.
Thus, Jian Liu employed every method to torture Gui Qinshao.
Hot water was poured into Gui Qinshao’s stomach, causing her to suffer terrible pain from her oesophagus to her abdomen, yet no injuries were visible externally.
Silver needles were driven alive into the gaps of Gui Qinshao’s fingernails. This was utterly excruciating pain, yet still no injuries were visible.
She tortured Gui Qinshao in this manner for a month. Who knew that this delicate young lady of a noble family would actually endure it, making no compromise whatsoever.
Of course, she had nothing to confess. The so-called compromise would merely be “I was wrong, please spare me,” and then inviting Zhi Li to ** her and such.
But Gui Qinshao, having suffered her father Gui Xingfu’s betrayal, had her entire world collapse. She was now completely without fear or ignorance, not even afraid of death. She never begged for mercy or compromised in the slightest.
In the end, Zhi Li still could not bear to part with her flower-like beauty and jade-like delicate body, and had Jian Liu stop torturing her.
So that night, Jian Liu should have left the Young Lord’s Mansion and gone home.
But Jian Liu was not resigned. She prepared to torture Gui Qinshao one last time, and plant tens of thousands of blood-sucking demon locusts in her stomach.
But at the critical moment, Suo Lun appeared, rescued Gui Qinshao, and captured Jian Liu.
That night, the Shadow Pavilion people took Jian Liu to a secret interrogation room, directly feeding her the entire porcelain bottle of blood-sucking demon locusts.
Immediately, this woman was scared out of her wits, wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves. Before the Shadow Pavilion people could even force her, she actively offered to betray Zhi Li, willing to work for Suo Lun, as long as the Shadow Pavilion people gave her the antidote to kill the blood-sucking demon locusts in her stomach.
Because this demon locust gu was too terrifying. After several months, tens of thousands of leeches would tear out of her body.
Just imagining this scene would cause nightmares!
That day, the Shadow Pavilion people did not give her the antidote. Instead, they poured some other gu poison into her stomach, then released her before dawn.
From that point on, Jian Liu had been controlled by the Shadow Pavilion, not knowing how many times she had betrayed Zhi Li.
And the most crucial time was the night Zhi Li married Tu Lingmo, when she helped Tuli Yang discover Zhi Li and Tu Lingduo’s adultery.
Afterwards, the entire Young Lord’s Mansion locked their sights on the maid Cai Yi as the traitor, completely not suspecting Jian Liu.
And today, Jian Liu was finally completely exposed, and delivered a fatal blow to Zhi Li!
…
“Tu Lingduo, lift your skirt, let us see your belly. Are you really pregnant or not?” Jian Liu’s sharp and venomous voice came once more.
Tu Lingduo certainly dared not, because her pregnancy was fake!
At this moment, City Lord Tuli Wen pointed at the Luanyang City vengeance troops and shrieked, “What are you still waiting for? Why haven’t you torn this woman to pieces?”
The Tuli family warriors trembled violently, as if completely awakened. Hearing their old master’s command, they suddenly drew their war blades and charged towards the platform, wanting to tear Tu Lingduo to pieces.
They had never imagined that such a vicious, shameless, and depraved woman could exist in this world.
She not only attempted to murder the old master and young master, but also caused the deaths of over two hundred Tuli family warriors. Not only that, she had completely played with the brothers’ emotions, thoroughly trampling upon the dignity of the Tuli family.
Tu Lingduo’s conspiracy had brought an irredeemable shame upon the Tuli family vengeance troops.
If not for Suo Lun’s exposure, these ten thousand vengeance troops would have been the sinners of Luanyang City! They would have been aiding the tiger in its evil deeds, abetting tyranny!
“Kill, kill, tear this vicious woman to pieces!”
“Cut open her belly, see whether there is truly Zhi Li’s bastard spawn inside!”
The Tuli family warriors madly charged towards the platform.
Seeing the Tuli family warriors surging like a tide, filled with killing intent and fury, as if about to bury her in an instant.
“Ahh… ahh… ahh…”
Tu Lingduo felt incomparable terror, that feeling of death about to descend!
She would be torn to shreds, she would be torn limb from limb!
At this moment, she even forgot the fact that she knew martial arts.
And right at this moment, a griffin’s cry rang through the air. Grand Eunuch Li Chenglian rode a griffin beast, taking off from the rear, flying towards Tu Lingduo on the platform.
Suo Lun and Fen Mo immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows, shooting towards Li Chenglian’s griffin beast.
Li Chenglian’s sword danced wildly in his hand. Before Suo Lun’s arrows could hit the griffin beast, they were directly knocked away.
This grand eunuch’s martial arts were truly too high.
Very quickly, Li Chenglian rode the griffin beast above Tu Lingduo, suddenly grabbing her, then turning around and returning to the army formation!
At the same time, the two griffin warriors behind the Wind Thunder Fortress defence line also began to take to the air. Upon Suo Lun’s command, they would immediately give chase.
Suo Lun did not give the order, because sending griffin beasts to chase now would be seeking death.
Immediately after, Suo Lun quickly discovered that when Li Chenglian fled carrying Tu Lingduo, he had exposed her entire back.
Suo Lun fell into brief hesitation. Should he shoot Tu Lingduo dead? Would directly shooting her dead be too easy on her?
Not torturing her until she could neither live nor die? How could that relieve the hatred in his heart?
Less than half a second later, Suo Lun released his arrows!
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh…” An astonishing nineteen consecutive arrows.
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh…” The proud Fen Mo shot an even more astonishing twenty consecutive arrows, determined to surpass Suo Lun.
Two short seconds later…
“Thud thud thud thud…”
No matter how high Li Chenglian’s martial arts, he could no longer shield the griffin beast from arrows behind him.
Immediately, the griffin beast he rode was directly hit by dozens of arrows. It let out a miserable cry in mid-air, then plummeted and died.
Grand Eunuch Li Chenglian hugged Tu Lingduo, rapidly falling.
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh…” Suo Lun shot twenty consecutive arrows.
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh…” Fen Mo once again surpassing Suo Lun, shot twenty-one consecutive arrows.
Dozens of arrows, like a net, surged towards Li Chenglian.
A tremendously powerful dragon power suddenly erupted from Li Chenglian’s body.
Instantly, all the arrows, before even touching his body, were directly blasted away, breaking in mid-air.
Truly damned, this old eunuch’s martial arts were truly overwhelmingly domineering.
Li Chenglian hugged Tu Lingduo, directly falling into Zhi Li’s army formation, quickly surrounded and protected by countless soldiers.
Seeing Tu Lingduo escape, Tuli Yang nearly went mad, letting out waves of furious roars, about to directly charge down from the city wall to kill her!
“Bitch, bitch, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you…”
City Lord Tuli Wen beside him desperately hugged his son, but could barely hold him. The diminutive Tuli Yang was now filled with tremendous strength, determined to directly charge out and kill Tu Lingduo.
Suo Lun stepped forward, gently patting Tuli Yang’s shoulder. “Brother, actually I could have shot Tu Lingduo dead just now, but I did not do so. Because I do not want her to die too comfortably. I am a man who will always avenge a grudge. I will certainly torture her madly before finally letting her die. Rest assured, she absolutely cannot escape. Within a few days, I will certainly capture her.”
Suo Lun’s words seemed to possess some magical power, instantly calming Tuli Yang.
“I believe you!” Tuli Yang said excitedly.
And at this moment, the Tuli family warriors were also going mad. Seeing Tu Lingduo rescued by Li Chenglian, they charged even more madly in pursuit.
And when the Luanyang vengeance troops saw their superiors charging out, they followed suit.
City Lord Tuli Yang stood atop the city wall, suddenly shouting, “Stop! I command you to stop!”
Immediately, the ten thousand vengeance troops finally halted!
“Boom boom boom…”
Then, the gates of Wind Thunder Fortress opened!
City Lord Tuli Wen shrieked, “Luanyang City army, enter the city!”
The ten thousand vengeance troops were filled with unwillingness, then exerted all their strength, madly sprinting towards the gates!
…
At this moment the gates were wide open. Zhi Li’s army was roughly five li from the gates. They should be restless, immediately attacking while the gates were open.
Suo Lun stood atop the city wall, incomparably hoping that Zhi Li’s army would immediately attack.
This way, not only would it disrupt the enemy’s offensive rhythm, but it could also harvest a wave of heads madly.
However… unfortunately, Zhi Li’s army was extremely rational. They allowed the Luanyang City vengeance troops to charge through the gates, showing not the slightest intention to attack!
Thus, a short quarter of an hour later!
The ten thousand Luanyang City vengeance troops had all entered the Wind Thunder Fortress defence line!
After entering, they faced countless bows and giant crossbows!
Without any resistance, all vengeance troops laid down all their weapons in the open space behind the defence line.
When Tuli Wen and Tuli Yang appeared, the ten thousand vengeance troops all knelt neatly in unison, shouting, “Greetings, Master! Greetings, Young Master!”
Then, these ten thousand Luanyang City vengeance troops wailed and wept!
“What are you crying for?” Tuli Wen said lightly, “You are loyal and righteous beyond compare. You were merely exploited by a vile and vicious woman. You feel humiliated? Then reclaim it on the battlefield!”
Then, City Lord Tuli Wen knelt towards Princess Zhi Yan and said, “Your Highness, please allow me to lead the Luanyang City vengeance troops into battle. I swear to wash away the Tuli family’s shame with blood on the battlefield!”
“Granted!” Princess Zhi Yan said, “Since you are called the vengeance troops, then still call yourselves the vengeance troops. Only now, you shall take vengeance upon Zhi Li, upon the Tu Ling family!”
“By your command!” Tuli Wen and Tuli Yang knelt to receive the decree.
Princess Zhi Yan’s beautiful eyes turned towards Suo Lun. “Husband, let them take up their weapons again, restore their freedom, and join the battle?”
Suo Lun’s brows furrowed slightly. Although he believed in the Luanyang vengeance troops’ loyalty to Tuli Wen and his son, he was consistently pessimistic about human nature. This was the most critical battlefield. If the Luanyang vengeance troops suddenly turned against them within the Wind Thunder Fortress defence line, the consequences would be fatal.
Although this possibility was extremely low, it could not be left unguarded.
So Suo Lun was consistently the type to be a petty man first, a gentleman second.
Yet Princess Zhi Yan was instead filled with even more of a superior’s magnanimity and charm.
Although Zhi Yan was Suo Lun’s wife, she was also his sovereign lord. In public settings, Suo Lun could not easily go against her will.
Immediately, Suo Lun nodded.
“Many thanks, Lord Suo.” City Lord Tuli Wen kowtowed.
Then, the ten thousand vengeance troops took up their weapons, joining Suo Lun’s army formation, participating in the Wind Thunder Fortress defensive battle!
Originally, the Wind Thunder Fortress defence line had only ninety thousand defenders. Now it had increased to one hundred thousand!
Princess Zhi Yan breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. Normally she would not have spoken up, but she worried that Suo Lun would directly disarm the Luanyang vengeance troops and send them to the rear prisoner camp. That would have wounded people’s hearts.
Left with no choice, Princess Zhi Yan set the tone before Suo Lun could speak.
Seeing City Lord Tuli Wen kowtowing, Suo Lun nodded without speaking, then walked back towards the top of the castle.
Princess Zhi Yan stepped forward, intimately kissing Suo Lun before everyone, then walking gently behind him.
Not a reward, but an apology, because she had made a decision privately in front of Suo Lun.
Although this was only natural, after all she was the sovereign lord, she still worried that Suo Lun might feel displeased in his heart.
This woman had an indifferent personality, not fond of managing affairs, but was incomparably intelligent.
…
In the central army camp!
Tu Lingduo knelt before Zhi Li, her voice trembling, “Many thanks, Your Highness, for saving my life!”
Zhi Li gazed upon Tu Lingduo with complex eyes. He had sent Li Chenglian to ride the griffin to rescue Tu Lingduo, not truly wanting to save her, but wanting her to die under Suo Lun’s arrows.
But he had not expected that Suo Lun would shoot the griffin dead, rather than shooting Tu Lingduo.
In this scandal, Tuli Wen and Tuli Yang could be said to be substitutes.
Even Jian Liu could be said to be Suo Lun’s paramour, long in collusion.
Because these were without evidence, one could speak nonsense as one pleased.
But Tu Lingduo’s belly was hard evidence. Once the skirt was lifted and a fake pregnancy discovered, that would be naked, irrefutable proof.
However, Zhi Li was clearly overthinking!
Now all the nobles and lords completely believed Suo Lun’s words.
Zhi Li and Tu Lingduo’s adultery, and the murder of Tuli Yang, the attempted seizure of Luanyang City’s century-old foundation, this matter was one hundred percent true!
But in the lords’ hearts, Zhi Li was absolutely disgraced and ruined.
Because his actions completely trampled upon the lords’ bottom line!
…
“I am disgraced and ruined!” Zhi Li said.
“So what?” Duke Tu Lingtuo said, “Only children distinguish right from wrong. Adults only look at benefits and harms. What truly determines victory or defeat is still the battlefield! If Your Highness’s reputation suffers, if my reputation suffers, so what?”
Zhi Li narrowed his eyes!
Indeed, his and Tu Lingduo’s scandal had been exposed. So what?
Those who truly cared about this matter were merely a dozen or so lords, right?
Moreover, was the great army’s campaign against Suo Lun truly for so-called justice? Don’t make jokes. That was merely something to deceive ignorant commoners. The reason for campaigning against Suo Lun was for benefits!
“The victor is king, the defeated is the bandit!” Duke Tu Lingtuo said coldly, “As long as we defeat Suo Lun and exterminate the Suo family, what can this scandal of yours and Tu Lingduo’s do to you? It cannot harm even a single hair.”
Indeed, history has always been written by the victors. Who cares about the truth?
“Your Highness, now is the time to call a deer a horse, to reverse black and white.” Duke Tu Lingtuo said, “We must all unite with one heart. Whoever has second thoughts is a traitor to the country, and deserves death!”
Zhi Li nodded, “Very well then, let us stage a performance of calling a deer a horse!”
Zhi Li waved his hand, “Let them enter!”
A quarter of an hour later, all high-ranking civil officials, high-ranking generals, over a dozen lords, and over a hundred high nobles all entered Zhi Li’s central army camp, packed to capacity!
At the same time, Demon Continent experts, eunuch experts, Tu Ling family experts, and Hidden Continent experts surrounded the central army camp so tightly not even water could pass through.
Zhi Li gazed upon everyone present and smiled, “Suo Lun has exposed the so-called scandal of Tu Lingduo and myself. Do you believe it?”
The entire field fell into deathly silence!
Please, anyone with eyes could see this was fact.
“This old minister does not believe it.” The first to stand forth was Prime Minister Yan Wuji, who said with righteous indignation, “The so-called Tuli Wen father and son are completely fake substitutes. Although extremely lifelike, this old minister detected at least nine flaws, after all this old minister had considerable contact with Tuli Wen.”
Next, Prime Minister Yan Wuji truly listed the flaws of Tuli Wen one by one.
Looking at his serious appearance, it truly made one especially embarrassed. He could speak such nonsense with his eyes closed yet be so earnestly invested. No wonder you can be prime minister.
After Prime Minister Yan Wuji stood forth, the second to stand forth was Marquis Fu E!
“The so-called testimony of Jian Liu is also completely unworthy of refutation!” Marquis Fu E said, “As everyone knows, Suo Lun is my grandson. What is he best at? Playing with women. Any woman who falls into his hands becomes completely captivated. My granddaughter Fu Yan’er is the best example. She was clearly about to be married, and her fiance was a hundred times more outstanding than Suo Lun at that time. Yet she disregarded her own reputation, disregarded her own future, and committed adultery with her cousin Suo Lun, completely losing her senses.”
Damn, this was another Oscar-worthy performance, not hesitating to use his own family’s scandal to prove Zhi Li’s innocence.
“Alas…” Marquis Fu E said, “Women, once conquered by a man, what nonsense won’t they speak!”
With these two Oscar winners leading the way, everything that followed became simple.
The nobles, generals, and civil officials present stepped forth one after another, righteously and sternly refuting Suo Lun, resolutely believing in Zhi Li’s innocence.
Those so-called Tuli Wen father and son were definitely fake substitutes.
Jian Liu was definitely slept silly by Suo Lun, so she spoke nonsense with her eyes open.
Moreover, Marquis Jian Yong and Battalion Commander Jian Ning also swore solemnly that they had discovered traces of Suo Lun and Jian Liu’s adultery, and even had love letters Suo Lun wrote to Jian Liu.
In short, in the end, the conclusion was clear!
Tuli Wen and Tuli Yang were already dead, and were murdered by Suo Lun!
Heaven shall punish Suo Lun, acting on behalf of heaven remains just!
The lords present, although inwardly grief-stricken and furious, at this moment, who dared speak half a word of truth?
Within the camp, countless Demon Continent experts, eunuch experts, and Tu Ling family warriors were eyeing them covetously.
Whoever dared speak a word of truth would not expect to walk out of the central army tent alive.
Thus, Zhi Li easily unified everyone’s will.
He and Duke Tu Lingtuo staged a textbook example of calling a deer a horse.
But everyone in their hearts clearly knew what Zhi Li had truly lost.
In this great battle, if he won a complete victory, all would be well.
If he lost, or even suffered some setbacks, then Zhi Li would certainly face a landslide defeat, with everyone pushing the wall when it falls.
At that time, the nobles and lords who called a deer a horse before him today would certainly trample ten thousand feet upon Zhi Li.
The deer-calling ended!
Zhi Li stood, drew his sword and fiercely cleaved through the command platform before him, shrieking, “Tomorrow at dawn, the army shall attack the city, exterminate Suo Lun, destroy him before breakfast!”
He truly was boasting outrageously. Exterminate Suo Lun before eating breakfast?
…
The next morning at dawn!
Before the sun had risen, earth-shaking war drums rang out in Zhi Li’s army.
Countless horns were blown.
“Boom boom boom boom…”
Zhi Li, upon his high throne, suddenly drew his sword, pointing it diagonally at the Wind Thunder Fortress defence line, shrieking, “Attack the city! Heaven shall punish Suo Lun!”
Immediately, several hundred thousand troops surged like a tidal wave towards the Wind Thunder Fortress defence line.
“Boom boom boom…”
Countless footsteps trampled the ground. The entire earth trembled.
“Roar roar roar…”
Countless massive siege engines, massive siege towers, dozens of formations of troops, advanced step by step.
In this throne-deciding battle, war of words was useless, justice was useless.
The only thing that mattered was battle!
The victor is king, the defeated is the bandit!
On Suo Lun’s side, stirring horn calls rang out!
Then, the black cloths covering countless openings on the Wind Thunder Fortress walls were lifted.
Countless thick, black cannons extended out, revealing their cold and terrifying ferocity.
Several hundred cannons, large and small calibres, fully equipped. Layer upon layer, covering the four-li city wall.