Chapter 334 - 216: King Changping 2

Chapter 334: Chapter 216: King Changping 2

Looking at Li Mengyao’s delicate, beautiful face, Fang Yue’s heart beat a little faster.

"Here, eat."

Li Mengyao’s face flushed as she handed the bowl to Fang Yue. "You were badly injured, so you need to recover as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if this drags on, there could be permanent complications."

"Thank you!" Fang Yue smiled and took the bowl.

"You were injured because of me, so it’s only right that I take care of you. You don’t have to be so polite." Li Mengyao pursed her lips and spoke softly.

Though her words were soft, they filled Fang Yue with a warmth, as if he were basking in a spring breeze.

~~~~~~~

「On the third day.」

Fang Yue and Li Mengyao resumed their journey. This time, they headed east and soon left the borders of Guangfeng Prefecture.

"Fang Yue, that’s Qingshui County Town up ahead," Li Mengyao said, pointing forward. "Let’s find an inn to rest at tonight and get back on the road tomorrow."

Fang Yue looked ahead and saw a bustling, ancient town in the distance.

The town wasn’t particularly large, but it had a refined and elegant atmosphere. Its streets, however, were bustling with traffic and a deafening clamor of voices, making it quite noisy.

The two entered the town and found an inn to stay at.

The inn’s decor was rustic and elegant, and business seemed to be good. The two of them chose a table by the window and ordered some food.

"Innkeeper, bring two jars of wine over here."

Just then, a gruff voice boomed from the entrance.

Fang Yue and Li Mengyao looked up to see a burly man leading seven or eight young ruffians straight into the inn.

Their gazes swept across the inn and landed on Fang Yue and Li Mengyao by the window. The men’s expressions changed instantly.

It had to be said, Li Mengyao was an absolute beauty. Even her simple clothes couldn’t conceal her stunning looks.

At that moment, a thick, covetous desire flashed in the eyes of the burly man and his group; they looked as if they wanted to pounce on her that very instant.

But they quickly averted their eyes. After all, they weren’t fools. A woman of such beauty could hardly be a commoner.

In this day and age, a woman from a poor family wouldn’t have had enough nutrition to possess such a beautiful face.

They wouldn’t act rashly until they had figured out who she and her companion were.

Before long, Fang Yue and Li Mengyao left the inn and went to the town market, where they bought two horses.

They were still about ten thousand li from Yujing City, so they couldn’t rely solely on their own two feet—even if a Martial Artist could run much faster than a galloping horse.

~~~~~~

"I never thought those two would be so formidable. They even managed to drive back the Holy Wolf!"

At that moment, inside a city controlled by the Changping Army, King Changping sat upon his commander’s throne, clad in Golden Armor, his expression dark and cold.

Before him knelt a row of Martial Artists in black robes. Every one of them was a Qi Sensing Martial Master, and the ferocious aura they exuded made even King Changping frown.

The Holy Wolf was injured. In the short term, it couldn’t provide the Holy Blood needed for his alchemical concoctions. This meant the losses the Changping Army suffered in the last major battle could not be replenished.

If the imperial court launched another major attack, the Changping Army would be in grave danger.

’And it’s all that little thief’s fault!’

At this thought, a monstrous killing intent surged within King Changping. He wished he could kill Fang Yue with his own hands.

However, he quickly suppressed his rage and mused aloud, "That little thief, Fang Yue... where has he fled?"

"He has already left Guangfeng Prefecture and is fleeing toward Yujing City!"

Upon hearing this, King Changping’s eyebrow twitched. "Hmph. That brat. Does he really think he’ll survive just by leaving Guangfeng Prefecture? What a fool’s dream!"

"Relay my command. Dispatch three thousand cavalry to hunt down Fang Yue. Make sure to eliminate him completely; he must not be allowed to escape."

"As you command!"

Hearing King Changping’s command, everyone present replied in respectful unison.

King Changping nodded. "Go and prepare."

After everyone had left the hall, King Changping’s eyes narrowed, his gaze filled with a chilling killing intent. "Since you wish to die," he muttered to himself, "then I shall grant your wish!"

With that, King Changping pulled a secret order from his sleeve and examined it, murmuring to himself, "In three days, all our forces will attack the Prefecture City. Simultaneously, Liangzhou Prefecture, which borders Guangfeng Prefecture, will also erupt in revolt."

A vicious glint flashed in King Changping’s eyes. "This way, Guangfeng Prefecture will fall in an instant. I imagine the Emperor of Great Wei won’t be too pleased, will he?"

At this thought, a savage grin spread across King Changping’s lips. ’Oh, Emperor, Emperor... you who control the court and bleed the people dry, who let countless innocents be butchered... I will settle this score with you sooner or later.’

King Changping had once been a prodigy of the Martial Dao. But after his family was framed, his entire clan was executed by the imperial court, leaving him as the sole survivor.

He had thought he would never be able to avenge them, but then people from the Blood Dragon Platform approached him. They helped him cultivate his own faction and secretly amass power.

Finally, not long ago, after the turmoil in Shanyang Prefecture began and it was occupied by Prince Wucheng...

...he rose up in rebellion as well, becoming one of the Rebel King factions stirring up chaos in Guangfeng Prefecture.

Of course, the greatest secret behind his rise to power was the few Wolf Demons he had acquired. He refined a drug from their blood and had physically strong commoners consume it.

As long as they survived the process, they would gain power on par with that of a Bone Forging Martial Artist.

An army composed entirely of such Martial Artists was naturally formidable, giving him a force that was in no way inferior to the Great Wei’s elite Forbidden Army.

~~~~~~~~~

「At that moment.」

Fang Yue and Li Mengyao had already entered Liangzhou Prefecture. This prefecture was somewhat more barren compared to Guangfeng Prefecture.

However, it was a land of endless rolling hills and mountains with few plains, and it boasted abundant mineral resources.

Its population was much smaller than that of Guangfeng Prefecture, with most people making their living from quarrying, iron smelting, and weapons forging. In fact, it was considered the largest armory in the entire Great Wei Dynasty.

Liangzhou Prefecture was divided into five commanderies, with Bintie City being the most prominent. It was followed by Nanqiu City, and then smaller cities like Guangning City and Yunyang City.

As soon as Fang Yue and Li Mengyao arrived in Liangzhou, they were ambushed.

Moreover, the attackers were clearly targeting the two of them specifically.

There were four Martial Artists in total, all armed with sabers and swords.

Their leader was a man of about thirty with a full beard, his eyes revealing an undisguised killing intent.

The other three consisted of two old women and a young man.

One of the old women was heavyset, with the nimble movements of a cook. The other was gaunt, with sallow skin, looking like she had spent her life doing hard labor. As for the young man, he was dressed like a scholar and appeared frail, but his eyes were piercingly sharp.

He stood near the other three, observing his surroundings with extreme vigilance.

Such a strange combination of people was clearly anything but ordinary.

Seeing this, Fang Yue and Li Mengyao stopped, their gazes grim. They could sense that these opponents were extraordinarily powerful and not just common bandits.

Sure enough, they didn’t attack immediately. Instead, the bearded leader stared at Fang Yue and said with a faint smile, "Young man, you two must be from Guangfeng Prefecture, aren’t you?"

Fang Yue didn’t answer, merely watching them in silence.

The man laughed. "I’m asking you a question. Why the silence?"

Fang Yue remained silent.

"Heh, you’ve got a temper!" A cold sneer touched the man’s lips as he turned his gaze to Li Mengyao. "A beauty like you is wasting her time with a man like this. Why don’t you come with me instead?"

As he spoke, the man licked his lips.

"Pah! You lecher!"

Hearing his lecherous words, Li Mengyao’s face flushed, and she spat on the ground.

The man flew into a rage, his face turning ashen. He ground out through clenched teeth, "You wretched girl! I offered you a way out and you spat in my face!"

With that, the man waved his hand and commanded, "Cripple them!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The instant he spoke, the three figures behind him leaped into the air, pouncing toward Fang Yue and Li Mengyao.

"You’re courting death!"

Seeing this, Fang Yue let out a cold shout and charged forward to meet them.