Chapter 242: Heroine Takes Interest in the Villain

Lu Chen smiled.

Even if the cavalry failed...

The center remained exposed.

He could split Shen Tian’s army in half.

Lu Chen personally led the charge.

"FORWARD!"

Hundreds followed.

Shen Tian watched.

Xu Ning’s eyes widened.

[They’re coming directly toward you.]

"I know."

[Host...]

Shen Tian smiled.

"That’s the point."

Lu Chen charged through the opening.

Fifty soldiers.

One hundred.

Two hundred.

Three hundred.

Then...

Shen Tian lowered his spear.

"Close."

BOOM!

Both separated halves of Shen Tian’s infantry turned inward.

Lu Chen froze.

His eyes widened.

Too late.

The opening disappeared.

His forward force was trapped.

Soldiers surrounded them.

Lu Chen looked behind.

His remaining army was outside.

Separated.

Shen Tian had intentionally opened the center.

Not because he didn’t understand.

Because...

He wanted Lu Chen to enter.

Lu Chen’s expression changed.

"No..."

Shen Tian started walking.

"Archers."

The bows rose.

Lu Chen looked upward.

His pupils contracted.

"SHIELDS!"

Too late.

"Fire."

THWIP!

Arrows rained down.

Soldiers screamed.

Lu Chen swung his sword.

Qi exploded.

Several arrows shattered.

But his formation collapsed.

Shen Tian continued walking.

"Infantry."

His soldiers charged.

BOOOOOOM!

Both armies collided.

Lu Chen’s trapped soldiers were overwhelmed.

Lu Chen fought personally.

Slash.

Kick.

Sword.

Qi.

Soldiers fell.

He roared.

"REGROUP!"

Nobody could.

Shen Tian had split his command structure.

Outside...

Lu Chen’s remaining soldiers had no direct access to him.

Inside...

He was surrounded.

Lu Chen’s face became increasingly furious.

"SHEN TIAN!"

Shen Tian finally reached him.

Soldiers separated.

The two commanders stared at each other.

Lu Chen’s chest rose and fell.

Shen Tian looked perfectly calm.

"Having fun?"

Lu Chen’s grip tightened.

"You planned that."

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"Obviously."

"You..."

Lu Chen stared around.

His formation.

Destroyed.

His cavalry.

Destroyed.

His center.

Trapped.

His remaining soldiers...

Being systematically eliminated.

He looked back toward Shen Tian.

"How?"

Shen Tian rested the spear across his shoulder.

"You told me."

Lu Chen froze.

"What?"

"Before the battle."

Shen Tian smiled.

"You said this would show me the difference between us."

Lu Chen’s expression darkened.

"It did."

Shen Tian’s green eyes gleamed.

"You rely too much on what worked before."

Silence.

"You saw an inexperienced commander."

"You saw an opening."

"You assumed I made a mistake."

Shen Tian pointed the spear toward him.

"So you stopped thinking."

Lu Chen’s jaw tightened.

"Shut up."

"You wanted me to be incompetent so badly..."

Shen Tian smiled.

"...that you convinced yourself I was."

"SHUT UP!"

Lu Chen attacked.

BOOOOOOM!

Their weapons collided.

Sword.

Spear.

Sparks erupted.

Lu Chen attacked again.

Fast.

Violent.

Precise.

Shen Tian blocked.

Lu Chen spun.

Sword came horizontally.

Shen Tian ducked.

Spear thrust.

Lu Chen moved.

They separated.

Then...

Clashed again.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The ancient battlefield trembled.

Lu Chen fought like a monster.

This was where he excelled.

No hesitation.

No wasted movement.

Every strike targeted something vital.

Neck.

Heart.

Knee.

Wrist.

Shen Tian’s green eyes followed everything.

Then...

His expression changed.

He smiled.

Lu Chen noticed.

"What are you smiling about?!"

"You."

Lu Chen attacked.

Shen Tian parried.

"You’re repeating yourself."

Lu Chen froze.

Shen Tian’s spear moved.

THOOM!

The shaft struck Lu Chen’s ribs.

He staggered.

Shen Tian rotated.

BAM!

Spear shaft against his shoulder.

Lu Chen stumbled.

"Your third attack always changes levels."

Lu Chen’s eyes widened.

Shen Tian attacked.

Lu Chen blocked.

"Your left shoulder moves before you feint."

Another strike.

Blocked.

"Your back foot shifts before you commit."

Lu Chen’s face changed.

Shen Tian disappeared.

Behind.

"And..."

Lu Chen turned.

Too late.

BAM!

The spear shaft struck his stomach.

He flew backward.

Shen Tian lowered the weapon.

"...you get sloppy when you’re angry."

Lu Chen hit the ground.

Dust exploded.

Silence.

. . .

Rose stared at the projection.

Her lips slowly parted.

Bear said nothing.

Ghost said nothing.

Shen Tian had just...

Read Lu Chen.

Not overpower him.

Not overwhelm him with cultivation.

Read him.

Rose had fought beside Lu Chen for years.

She knew how difficult that was.

His combat style was built from countless disciplines.

Military techniques.

Martial arts.

Street fighting.

Assassination.

Battlefield experience.

He changed constantly.

Adapted constantly.

Yet...

Shen Tian had begun understanding him after minutes.

Rose felt something strange.

Admiration.

Real admiration.

Not simply curiosity anymore.

She watched Shen Tian stand over Lu Chen.

Calm.

Confident.

Completely in control.

Her heart beat slightly faster.

She immediately frowned.

No.

Rose looked away.

Then...

Back.

Shen Tian’s blond hair moved in the battlefield wind.

Those green eyes remained focused.

His expression carried that same ridiculous arrogance.

But...

Now Rose understood something.

It wasn’t empty.

That was what made it different.

She had met countless arrogant men.

Mercenaries were full of them.

Men who bragged about kills.

Money.

Women.

Strength.

Reputation.

Most were compensating.

Shen Tian?

He simply expected to win.

And then...

He did.

Rose crossed her arms.

Annoying.

A tiny smile appeared.

Very annoying.

Ghost glanced toward her.

"You’re smiling."

Rose immediately stopped.

"No, I’m not."

"You were."

"Watch the fight."

Ghost raised both hands.

"Didn’t say anything."

Bear looked between them.

Then...

His expression slowly changed.

"Oh."

Rose’s eyes snapped toward him.

"Don’t."

Bear immediately looked forward.

"I didn’t say anything."

"You were going to."

"No."

"Bear."

"I value my life."

Rose looked back toward the projection.

Her cheeks felt slightly warmer.

Ridiculous.

She barely knew Shen Tian.

She certainly wasn’t falling for him.

But...

Did she like him more than when the night started?

Definitely.

And that realization bothered her far less than it probably should have.

. . .

Inside the battlefield...

Lu Chen slowly stood.

His face was covered in dirt.

Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

His army...

Was losing.

Badly.

The ancient battlefield continuously updated around them.

Lu Chen Army Remaining: 317

Shen Tian Army Remaining: 684

Lu Chen stared.

Nearly two to one.

His expression became ugly.

No.

Impossible.

This was his field.

His specialty.

He was War Wolf.

A mercenary commander.

He had led men into battle.

He had watched friends die.

He had survived ambushes.

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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)

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