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nAfter that everyone except for Wu Long, Xue Bing, and Fen Baihu boarded the ship and sailed toward the Imperial Capital which had a small port facing this gulf that received boats from small fishing villages all around the shore, since these waters were relatively safe.

nWu Long, accompanied by Xue Bing and Fen Baihu traveled West to the Kingdom of Gatang on foot.

nHe and the Mythical Beast have discussed ground rules of their alliance on the way.

nAlthough despite struggling to think of something, the Celestial Fox did not have much to ask except for her safety from any of Wu Long’s allies, adequate respect and dignity in treatment, as well as possible share of natural treasures they might come across if it was particularly beneficial for her, all which Wu Long was intending to give her even without explicit agreement.

nFrom his sides there were also not that many restrictions on her as long as she did not harm any of Wu Long’s Dao Family or allies, or act against his interests. And apart from occasional help in some tasks, she was basically free to do whatever and act however she wanted, which both surprised and delighted her.

nAs they reached their destination, they met Old Yen in a small Northern town, and sending him toward the Imperial Capital ahead of them, moved to the capital of the Kingdom located at the southern tip.

nThis country’s entire Northern Region could be described with one word: “misery”.

nAfter all, it was locked in a perpetual war against two neighbors on two sides, the Cloud Piercing Empire to the East and the Rixui Kingdom to the West.

nThe Southern part of the country, however, located on a peninsula stretching into the Central Sea, was far more peaceful and even lavish. The Capital located on the very tip of the peninsula, was far too remote from both frontlines and the atmosphere in there resembled a perpetual festival, as if trying to drown the horrors of the war in the North in wine and luxury.

nThis city, however, was known as the New Capital throughout the lands, as the old one used to be at the center of the peninsula, not at the tip.

nA giant palace located on the elevated hill oversaw the city.

nThere, in one of the lush but relatively remote gardens, a party was taking place almost every day ever since a few months ago two guests of the Crown Prince arrived in the country in secrecy.

n“Hahaha, I must say, for such a lousy fighter, your head does work, Dong Shuo”, Ma Hui laughed as he sipped the wine with one hand while his hand was around a brothel woman.

nThey were sitting in a lavish gazebo in a remote part of the garden.

n“Haa~”, the one he talked to only gripped his head with a complicated expression, thinking ‘truly, blessed are the ignorant…’

nHe could not be as carefree and in good mood as his companion, knowing that while they managed to survive the battle, they had almost no prospects.

nThey fled from the battle without knowing the results, and the cloak of secrecy covering the continent ever since made it so that they could not be certain about anything, but whoever won, it did not look good for them.

nIf Gu Zhen managed to overturn that situation and win, he would incinerate them for abandoning him to fight on his own. If he lost, their enemies would not welcome them either.

nAnd the closing off of the continent could signify the consolidation of power and dealing with the aftermath of either side.

nSo either side could one day decide to come for them.

nOn the other hand.

nBahshi Assassins never took in any outsiders, and the Corrupt Path’s Blood Demon would likely only see them as great sacrifices to prolong his own lifespan if Gu Zhen was dead.

nBut more than anything, there were no more Blood Vitality Pills for them, so even if they could enjoy carefree lives here in this Kingdom, those lives would not last for long. freёwebnovel.com

nThey were stuck at a dead end, and could only count their days while constantly fearing retaliation.

n“Hm? What is this?!”, but as Dong Shuo was deep in his thoughts about this, he was woken from them by Ma Hui’s exclamation, hearing a note of alertness and strangely amusement in the tone.

nAnd as he raised his head and then traced Ma Hui’s gaze, his eyes widened, filling with horror, as one of his worst nightmares had come true.

n“Who goes there! This is inside the Royal Palace grounds! You dare-…!”, the guards, standing a bit further away, noticed the situation, and also turned to look in the direction the two were looking at.

nThey saw a man and two gorgeous women landing as if from a jump not far in the distance, but the voice of one of the guards full of indignation and strict tone was cut short by a delighted laughter.

n“Hahaha! Did you come here to offer me your head, boy? Don’t think that I forgot you!”, Ma Hui spoke standing up and taking up his large saber standing to the side of the sofa he sat on. His eyes were eyeing the two beauties around Wu Long.

n‘This idiot! Did he forget that Lord Gu was obsessed with this guy? If he’s alive and here…’, meanwhile Dong Shuo was looking to the sides, desperately calculating his chances at getting away.

n“Could you isolate these two, Fen Baihu? The guards can be let go after but not them”, Wu Long chuckled, not much interested in dealing with the two at the moment, and walking with Xue Bing further toward the Royal Palace.

n“Heh, no problem”, she chuckled, and the two were enveloped by mist, disappearing from the spot.

nMeanwhile, Wu Long and Xue Bing proceeded toward the main palace, the guards in their way disappearing into clouds of mysterious-looking mist much like the previous two.

nThey walked completely unimpeded all the way to the Throne Room.

n“W-who are you?! Do you know where you step into? Guards! Guards!!!”, the man sitting on the throne widened his eyes at the sight of the two, and started shouting for guards who for some reason did not answer.

nThe ministers and officials in the room also looked confused at what was happening.

n“Let me introduce you, this is Xue Bing, the lost daughter of Lord Xue and the last heir to the Xue Family that ruled this region before it was annexed by the crown”, Wu Long spoke, pointing to Xue Bing who also widened her eyes as she was wondering why he specifically asked her to come with him.

nThe Throne Room was also thrown into turmoil as the people around started to smell something burning in the air from the way these two walked in unimpeded and the identity of the beauty.

n“L-Lord Xue c-commited treason! He-…”, the King started to speak but was unceremoniously interrupted by Wu Long.

n“Yeah yeah, whatever let you sleep at night all these years. That will not, however, save you from what is coming today.

nThe Xue Family grew too powerful in this Southern Region, and managed to raise the living for all population in its territory, it boasted a private army that could rival the Royal Army. For all we know they might have become the rulers of this country given time. No one would have cared that you were threatened by them, you were powerless.

nThe thing that got in the way of that all was that the last Head of the Xue Family, Xue Bing’s father wanted to create peace.

nAnd we all here know that the Blood Demon that controlled all of this continent had a different purpose for it, perpetual wars, which created misery and cruelty, allowing his Cult to grow followers, and the whole continent to be a breeding ground for sacrifices”

nWu Long did not sugarcoat the facts that were uncovered by Old Yen’s investigation, laying them bare as the king and his ministers started to feel a chill.

nHowever, he did not mention the final detail which was included in that report, which was that the day the Xue Family was annihilated was only a week after little Xue Bing’s physique was identified as an Extreme Yin Physique, likely being the spark that lit the whole place on fire.

nThat secret was something he did not wish to reveal to her in this manner, and certainly not now.

n“Here are people who participated in the assault on the Xue Family that night, the people that took the land that your Father worked hard to turn prosperous, and rested their laurels on his achievements”, Wu Long then turned to Xue Bing.

nHer expression was emotionless, but there was a slight change in her eyes as he said these words, a change that did not escape his sight.

nHe then nodded to her, and she slightly leaned forward, tilting her face down as her cold eyes circled the crowd that started to look for an exit or fall on their knees, glaciers made of Spiritual Qi appeared in the air above her head.

nAnd then the Throne Room filled with the sounds of screams.

nAfter exiting that room, the two stood on a cliff overseeing the city, as blurry and confusing memories ran before Xue Bing’s eyes.

n“You can’t run from them forever, Bing’er”, his voice woke her from the daze, as she slightly trembled at their meaning, turning to him.

n“You cannot run from the fear, confusion, despair, sorrow, pain and anger of that day infinitely. You have to face them someday”, he softly spoke, raising his hand to caress her cheek and looking into her icy turquoise eyes.

nHe was talking about something she could never fully escape from.

nThe emotions that were frozen first, those that triggered her physique’s ability, those that were still frozen deep inside her.

n“But now, you don’t have to face them alone. You have me, and I am here for you”, he spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper as her pupils became wider looking into his eyes.

nAnd then the corners of her eyes started reddening, as she made tiny steps closer to him, gripping onto his robes in front of her.

nHe wrapped his arms around her, and she put her head into his chest, hot tears streaming down her face and soaking into his clothes as her shoulders started shaking.

nHis hand went up to gently stroke the back of her head, while the other tightly hugged her into his arms.

nAs she felt the warmth and comforting feeling, she finally removed the final stop, and a heart-wrenching cry resounded from her lips as she cried her heart out for the first time ever since that day, the sharpest shard of ice in her heart slowly melting in his embrace.

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