Ye Luan had not expected Xie Beihan to use a long sash to wrap around her. She was abruptly stopped mid-air.
The next second, a surge of force swept her up. She arced through the air, landing on the city wall.
Before she could even react, Xie Beihan’s grip tightened around her.
"You love him, so what? I insist on taking you away."
He grabbed her hand and forcefully pulled her down from the city tower.
Ye Luan didn't even get a chance to glance at Xiao Chi Zhan before he dragged her away. Her embroidered green dress swayed, her feet treading upon the blood-soaked ground, resembling a radiant crimson lotus flowing with light.
On the city wall, two figures gracefully departed.
Xiao Chi Zhan stood on his horse amidst the battlefield, splattered with blood, his killing intent terrifyingly palpable.
"Attack the city!"
As Ye Luan descended the city wall, she saw two armies clashing at the city gates.
Xie Beihan looked at the blood corpses hidden within Ruoqiang and smiled coldly.
"As expected, they are insidious."
Ye Luan endured the pain in her abdomen and slashed at Xie Beihan's hand with her knife.
The blood corpses surrounded them, beginning to protect her as they retreated.
However, the city gates were shut tight. Outside, the battlefield was a storm of cannon fire.
The guards and secret guards of Northern Qi surged forward.
They had nowhere left to retreat.
Ye Luan held her knife tightly, watching as the blood corpses shielding her fell one after another. Her vision was a blur of flashing blades, the blood as stark as the snow in mid-winter, hazy like mist in the rain, like dancing pear blossoms, fragrant and fierce.
Xie Beihan seemed to have gone mad with bloodlust. Holding his saber, he stepped over the blood-soaked corpses and extended his hand towards her.
"Come with me."
The sound of the city gate being battered from behind, accompanied by the rhythmic drumming, was bone-chilling in the air thick with killing intent.
Her eyes sparkled like the moon in the sky, while his were like the unfathomable abyss of hell.
Their eyes met.
Ye Luan pressed her knife against his heart.
"Don't force me."
Xie Beihan lowered his gaze, looked at the knife at his chest, and let out a laugh.
With a flick of his finger, a cold glint infused with internal energy struck. Her wrist ached, the saber handle fell, and she was sent stumbling backward.
His figure flashed past like a lingering light, swiftly catching her.
She struggled and fought him, the pain in her abdomen winding and twisting.
But he clung to her relentlessly, biting like a wolf or tiger, more ferocious than any snow wolf in the sky.
She was exhausted, unable to win, unable to escape.
In a daze, she heard the sound of the city gate being breached.
A sharp blade, forged in steel, pierced the west wind, blocking their path, cleaving the cold air apart.
The cold light stabbed Ye Luan’s eyes with pain. She retreated, turning her head.
Shouts of slaughter erupted, armies swarmed in. Within a hundred paces, he, carrying a fierce gust of wind, galloped towards her.
She let out a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to collapse from weakness, he leaped from his horse and pulled her into his arms.
"Ye Luan!"
A familiar scent enveloped her. His voice, like threads, entered her ears, seeping into her heart, layer upon layer.
Ye Luan looked at him weakly, meeting his eyes, which were filled with terrifying madness.
In a daze, she found strength from nowhere and reached out, clutching his collar tightly.
The army of Da Liang entered the city, their silver armor glinting coldly.
The troops within the city swarmed out, their black armor dense and overwhelming.
The two armies faced each other, neither moving without orders.
Xie Beihan, saber in hand, walked towards the two of them like a demon from hell.
Xiao Chi Zhan picked up Ye Luan, placed her on his warhorse, then immediately drew his saber and charged, slashing at his attackers.
Their eyes were filled with killing intent; both wanted the other dead.
The sky filled with the clash of swords and sabers, sending tremors through the hearts of those around them, as if their chests were cracking. Blood trickled from their lips.
The entire world was desolate and bleak, filled with emptiness.
They fought with bloodshot eyes, to the death, never to yield!
Ye Luan's ears were filled with the earth-shattering sounds of battle and roars. She was heavily surrounded by Da Liang's men, untouched by the sword light, uninjured.
However, the pain in her abdomen made her face exceptionally pale.
She didn't know how long they fought; neither was willing to stop.
They fought from the ground to the air.
No one dared to approach, no one could approach.
They were like mortal enemies, as if harboring deep-seated hatred, irreconcilable.
Terrifying blood red spread across the entire sky, killing intent sweeping across the land.
The intensity in their eyes was world-shattering, like mountains collapsing and the earth cracking.
Ye Luan, weakened, faintly heard someone breaking through, as if entering an empty realm, swiftly arriving before her.
Everyone around could not get close.
She dazedly opened her eyes and saw the monk.
"Miss, where is the medicine?"
It was the monk she had met at the separate courtyard that day.
He had promised to persuade Xie Beihan to retreat, and she was to give him the medicine.
Their Northern Qi Emperor must not die in the frontier, nor at the hands of Da Liang's King of Dingbei.
And their Shenxu clan, since its establishment, was meant to support Xie Beihan in ascending to the throne step by step, not to let him be ruined by a woman.
Severing emotions and love, ascending the throne, was his destiny!
Ye Luan knew she could not trick Xie Beihan into taking the medicine. If possible, she hoped the monk could succeed, so that Xie Beihan would no longer remember her for the rest of his life!
He would be his emperor, and she would be Xiao Chi Zhan's wife; that was their best outcome.
"I trouble you."
Ye Luan took out the medicine and handed it over personally.
The monk took it, bowed respectfully to her, and then quickly departed.
The sword energy in the air scattered with their fighting. More and more people around were affected; anyone who got close would be injured by the sword energy.
Ye Luan was pulled back, her vision blurring, unable to see the scene ahead clearly.
"Xue Ren."
Xue Ren, who was protecting her, heard her weak voice and immediately looked over.
"Go call the Prince and tell him I've fainted."
Xue Ren was stunned. Seeing her struggling to dismount, he quickly said, "Yes."
The two were locked in a blood-fueled battle, neither willing to stop, and the monk could not intervene.
Suddenly, a loud shout was heard, "Your Highness, Miss has fainted."
Amidst the thunderous sounds of swords, both men stopped fighting.
Xiao Chi Zhan immediately withdrew his saber, his figure like a phantom as he retreated from the battlefield.
Blood trickled from Xie Beihan's mouth, his eyes terrifyingly red.
The moment he landed, the people of Shenxu behind him surrounded him.
"Your Majesty, do not fight anymore."
Xie Beihan knelt on one knee, propped by his saber, his expression like that of a vengeful spirit. He was heavily wounded, blood continuously flowing from his lips, but his eyes were fixed on the two figures not far away.
Seeing this, the monk slightly pursed his lips. "Your Majesty, I must offend you."
With that, he struck Xie Beihan's nape with a palm, and he fainted.
"Go!"
The Northern Qi troops tried to leave, but Da Liang's men refused to let them pass, and a stalemate ensued, leading to more fighting.
Xiao Chi Zhan knelt on the ground, looking at the weak person in his arms, his voice stiff.
"Really?!"
Ye Luan tightly gripped his clothes and nodded.
"Stop fighting. Accumulate virtue for our child."
Xiao Chi Zhan remained silent, then picked her up in his arms.
He glanced back at the retreating Northern Qi army, his killing intent terrifyingly crimson.
Ye Luan knew he was not reconciled.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to cry out in pain.
Xiao Chi Zhan lowered his eyelids.
She furrowed her brows, her eyes glistening as she looked at him, feigning a touch of fragility.
"Little liar."
Ye Luan did not clearly hear his mumble and urged him to find a doctor.
Even though Xiao Chi Zhan knew she was faking, he dared not risk her health and ordered his men to let them pass.
He carried her and walked out with large strides. The setting sun's residual rays shone on their backs, casting two clinging shadows on the blood-red ground.
According to records, the battle between Da Liang and Northern Qi in the Western Regions ended in mutual destruction. The two armies fought fiercely in Ruoqiang, but incredibly, overnight, both countries' armies withdrew from the Western Regions.
Not long after, the news spread that the Emperor of Northern Qi had officially ascended the throne.
It was a bright and clear day.
Official records state that in the twenty-fourth year of Shizong, after the national mourning period, Emperor Xie Beihan of Northern Qi officially ascended the throne at the Taihe Hall, changing the reign title to Jingxing, posthumously known as Emperor Shiwu of Qi.
The day he ascended the throne coincided with the wedding of Da Liang's King of Dingbei, with guests arriving from all nine regions.
Crimson silks and ribbons adorned the imperial city, lanterns glowed, and the procession guards and escort teams carried firearms. Firecrackers sounded, music played incessantly, crowds bustled, and armies stood in strict formation on both sides.
Ye Luan, clad in a phoenix crown and ceremonial robes, sat inside the ceremonial carriage, listening to the lively sounds of music and celebration outside.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew, lifting a small corner of the veil, revealing her delicate and bright face.
She subconsciously raised her eyes to look towards the front of the wedding procession.
At that moment, he happened to turn his head and meet her gaze.
Their eyes met in the air, intertwined tenderly.
End of Main Story.
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Extra chapters will begin tomorrow.