d straight for the governor’s mansion. He didn't understand that Mo Xiuyao hadn't intended on sending anyone out to welcome him in the first place. If Feng hadn’t brought a retinue along with him, see...410. Far-Reaching Plans

410. Far-Reaching Plans

A hundred miles away from Feihong Pass, the black-flagged Mohist army was rapidly advancing towards Feihong Pass. Mo Xiuyao rode at the very front of his troops; his snow-white hair made him look even icier than before. Although they had just wiped out a Western Capital military contingent completely, Mo Xiuyao's brows remained furrowed.

"Your Excellency!" A fast horse came galloping from Feihong Pass and only stopped when it reached Mo Xiuyao to perform a quick bow without dismounting. Seeing his hurried approach, Mo Xiuyao felt heavy in heart as he said, "No need for formalities. How is the situation at Feihong Pass" The man responded solemnly, "This subordinate has failed; Lady Wang… refuses to leave Feihong Pass."

"What did you say" Mo Xiuyao's handsome face instantly turned as cold and unyielding as iron, with clear signs of menace in his eyes.

The man continued, "Yesterday's battle at Feihong Pass resulted in nearly half the garrison forces being lost. Furthermore… all six remaining Black Vixen units almost completely perished. Lady Wang… refuses to leave Feihong Pass ahead of time." Mo Xiuyao squinted his eyes and asked coldly, "What about the little prince" The man replied, "Several days ago, Lady Wang sent the little prince back to Li City."

After hearing this report from the dark guard, Mo Xiuyao's expression turned very grim. After a moment of silence, he barked sharply, "Black Cloud Cavalry, follow me and proceed ahead! You must reach Feihong Pass by noon!"

The Black Cloud Cavalry soldiers who followed behind Mo Xiuyao answered in unison. He entrusted the command of the rear forces to Leng Huai and He Su before leading 30,000 Black Cloud Cavalry troops towards Feihong Pass at full gallop.

The conversation did not last long. When Ye Li returned to the city tower, Feng San and others who were waiting couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. They had actually been worried that Lei Zhenting would be cornered like a desperate dog and take action against Ye Li's disadvantage. However, seeing everyone relax, Ye Li felt no ease in her heart at all. She did not understand the purpose of Lei Zhenting specifically finding her to say those things. But she truly understood Lei Zhenting's resolve to break through Feihong Pass and his plans afterward. Therefore, their real difficulties were still ahead.

This time, Lei Zhenting indeed didn't hold back at all. The hundreds of thousands of Western Capital troops attacked fiercely without stopping. Naturally, the Mo Army, which had dwindled down to only ten thousand men, could no longer venture out to fight but could only defend the city wall to their deaths. However, the disparity in numbers between both sides was too great. Moreover, the soldiers of the Mo Army were extremely exhausted from days of bitter fighting, while the Western Capital troops, due to their large number, could rotate shifts and thus weren't as tired. As such, by early noon, the soldiers guarding Feihong Pass were beginning to barely hold on.

But even so, they still far exceeded Lei Zhenting's plan of breaking through Feihong Pass within two hours.

Rapidly, a Western Capital soldier climbed up to the city tower of Feihong Pass. Next came the second and third... Although many were cut down by the defending soldiers, more and more Western troops started climbing onto the battlements. Thus, fighting that was previously confined to below and between the towers began shifting to the top of the walls. Ye Li slashed her sword across a Western soldier's throat and turned around only to have a blade flash past her back. She quickly raised her hand to block but it seemed someone pushed her aside as the Western soldier wielding his saber fell with a thud. Han Mingyue stood behind Ye Li, still dressed in white like snow, graceful and composed.

"Why haven't you left yet" Seeing Han Mingyue, Ye Li frowned slightly and asked. They had to stay because they were responsible for defending the city. However, Han Mingyue herself held no position within the Mo Army and thus had no obligation to remain. Furthermore, Han Mingxi was recently sent back to Li City under the pretense of official business, so there wasn't any reason left for Han Mingyue to stay here. With a faint smile, Han Mingyue replied, "I want to see how far the Concubine and the Mo Army can go."

Ye Li sighed helplessly and said with a bitter smile, "Now you've seen it... If you can't bear it..." Ye Li felt somewhat helpless and disappointed. All their efforts over these days ultimately led to this result. More importantly, their defeat wasn't just about losing; there was also the cost of failure. Once Lei Zhenting led his troops into the pass, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Does the Concubine regret it" Han Mingyue asked curiously.

Shaking her head, Ye Li said, "I only do what I should. Besides, no matter how things turn out, what has happened can't be changed. What's the use of regretting"

Seeing her calm and composed demeanor, Han Mingyue felt his own mind quiet down as well. He smiled and said, "The reason why I stayed behind is that I thought a miracle might happen."

"I hope so," Ye Lique replied with a faint smile, clearly not taking him seriously.

Indeed, there were many miracles in this world, but it was obvious that the miracle they hoped for wasn’t going to happen on their side. When everyone saw Lei Zhenting, who should have been severely injured and still recovering, flying up to Feihong Pass with top-notch lightness kung fu skills, they couldn't help feeling amazed. At the same time, they were relieved that when Consort Wang went down earlier, Lei Zhenting didn’t attempt a sneak attack; otherwise, it wasn’t certain whether Qin Feng could hold him off.

Lei Zhenting stood casually on top of the city wall facing Ye Lique. The ground was already covered with blood at this point. But everyone knew that even if the Mo Family Army soldiers were valiant and skillful, their defeat was almost inevitable when they were outnumbered by several times. Lei Zhenting smiled as he looked at Ye Lique and said, "Does Consort Wang wonder why I didn’t attack just now" Ye Lique shook her head and replied, "Compared to that, this queen is more curious about how Prince Southern Zhen’s injuries got healed in such a short time." No one knew better than Ye Lique the extent of Lei Zhenting's injuries. Under improper medical treatment by Xiling doctors, his injury would be even worse than she expected; it wouldn’t get any lighter.

Standing beside Ye Lique, Han Mingyue smiled politely and said, "That doesn't come as a surprise. I remember there’s a kung fu that can quickly elevate one's potential to the maximum in the shortest time possible. Even with severe injuries, it enables them to exhibit strength surpassing their normal capabilities for a short period."

Lei Zhenting glanced at Han Mingyue indifferently and said, "Mr. Mingyue is indeed well-informed."

Han Mingyue stepped forward unconspicuously, blocking Ye Lique in front of him. He sighed and said, "I’d rather not have known." Nothing in this world could be achieved without a price to pay. The kung fu Han Mingyue mentioned that had such an extraordinary effect obviously came at a high cost as well. Lei Zhenting’s actions clearly indicated that he didn’t plan on living anymore. A martial arts expert might not be scary, but one who no longer wanted to live was absolutely terrifying. Shaking his head as he looked at the proud Lei Zhenting in front of him, Han Mingyue said, "Prince Southern Zhen is a hero; why must you think this way"

Lei Zhenting didn’t get angry and showed no signs of emotion either. He had reached a point where there was nowhere else to go. Even though he wasn't sure how Mo Xiuyao had outwitted him, losing meant losing. He did have the courage to admit defeat. But before that, he could still do something for Xiling or more precisely… give Mo Xiuyao another stab.

"Prince Zannan should know Lord Mo Xiuyao's temperament. If something happens to Princess Consort Ding... your army of a few hundred thousand..." Han Mingyue reminded coolly.

Lei Zhenting smiled and nodded, "Thank you for reminding me, Mingyue. But... since they followed me into the attack on Feihong Pass, they never expected to live through it. So... I'm afraid I can't accept your kindness." Han Mingyue sighed; if possible, he really didn't want to fight Lei Zhenting. With his martial arts skills, perhaps after ten years he might be able to hold his own against Lei Zhenting, but now it was impossible. Moreover, the reversed cultivation method that Lei Zhenting used itself was a heaven-defying skill that gathered all of one's strength in a short period of time. In this situation, Lei Zhenting’s martial arts prowess was twice what he usually had. Even Mo Xiuyao himself arriving wouldn't necessarily be able to do anything.

Lei Zhenting sized up Ye Li standing next to Han Mingyue and asked curiously, "Princess Consort really doesn’t blame Mo Xiuyao at all"

Ye Li raised her eyes, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed. “This consort does not understand Prince Zannan's meaning.”

Lei Zhenting laughed, "Princess Consort is a smart person and wouldn’t misunderstand what I’m saying If it weren’t for Mo Xiuyao’s schemes, would there be over 200,000 defenders at Feihong Pass and the Qilin you possess trapped here by me, about to suffer total defeat Does Princess Consort not feel any resentment" Ye Li lowered her eyes in thought before saying coolly, "Although this consort is not skilled at making choices, I still know what it means to win with minimal cost. From Ding王府’s perspective, his decision brings nothing but benefits and no harm; why would I harbor resentment"

Lei Zhenting sized up Ye Li for a long time before finally sighing helplessly, "I was originally thinking... Never mind, if Princess Consort thinks like ordinary women in the world do, then she wouldn’t be Princess Consort of Ding王府. Princess Consort… I’ve offended you." With that said, Lei Zhenting no longer spoke nonsense. The look he gave Ye Li instantly filled with killing intent, a pressing aura pushing towards her. Lei Zhenting wasn't someone who liked to talk much in the first place; he only talked so much to Ye Li because he was sure Mo Xiuyao couldn’t return so quickly and also wanted to sow discord between Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li. If Princess Consort Ding died full of resentment for Ding王, what kind of blow would that be to a husband who loved his wife as his life Unfortunately, Ye Li’s mental fortitude proved unexpectedly resilient and steady; she wasn’t moved at all by him. Lei Zhenting could only somewhat regretfully abandon his plan.

Without Lei Zhenting needing to say it, Ye Li and the others knew that the current situation was unavoidable. Calmly, Ye Li took out two hand guns, one in each hand, pointing them at Lei Zhenting. Lei Zhenting looked curiously at what she held, “Is this thing what injured me” Ye Li smiled faintly, "Your Highness can try again." Before her words ended, two loud bangs were heard, and two bullets shot towards Lei Zhenting. Lei Zhenting moved quickly to the side, dodging them. When the shots missed their mark, Ye Li didn’t look dejected; she continued chasing after Lei Zhenting’s figure steadily with a constant series of bangs from her guns. The bullet speed was fast, but Lei Zhenting seemed even faster. Everyone only saw an indistinct shadow moving about on the city wall, until when Ye Li stopped, Lei Zhenting reappeared at another parapet on the city wall. Lowering his gaze to look at the battle robe draped behind him, he noticed a small hole that had appeared somewhere along it. Lei Zhenting couldn’t help but praise, "Good thing. Unfortunately... if there were more of these things, I might have to be more careful. But judging from this, Princess Consort doesn't seem to have many."

Ye Li didn’t conceal anything and nodded, “Indeed, this consort only has two in hand. Originally, I didn’t expect them to be used against Prince Zannan.” She was just curious about Lei Zhenting’s current strength. Now they had seen; his present strength might even surpass Mo Xiuyao's and Ling Tiehan's. Lei Zhenting nodded with a smile, "Since Princess Consort has already acted, now it's my turn." Finished speaking, Lei Zhenting unsheathed his long sword and swung it at Ye Li’s direction. This move was very plain and simple, without any fancy tricks. But the people present could feel the killing intent and terrifying power behind it. Han Mingyue paled; his sword simultaneously came out of its sheath to block Lei Zhenting's sword energy. Qin Feng, Zhuo Jingwei, Wei Lin, and others next to Ye Li also moved in unison to try and intercept Lei Zhenting’s attack.

Ye Li sidestepped to avoid him. After her battle with Ling Tiehan, she had realized that when facing a truly top-tier internal energy expert like herself, she didn't have any advantage. The reason why she hadn’t encountered any danger before was because she had never faced opponents as formidable as Lei Zhen霆 or Ling Tie寒. Ye Li took a deep breath and glanced back at the nearby battlefield where the soldiers of the Mo Family Army were still fighting fiercely against the Western Capital’s troops. At this point, both sides were engaged in close combat, fighting to the death.

Lei Zhen霆's current level of martial arts was far beyond what Han Ming月 and others could resist. It seemed that he had exchanged his life energy for a peak state of skill and power. With one strike, Han Ming月 and Zhuo Jing were sent flying several steps back. Qin Feng and Wei藺 collided with the city wall, spitting out mouthfuls of blood.

Lei Zhen霆 took down Han Ming月 and his three companions in one move, then ignored them and slashed at Ye Li with a swift sword strike. Ye Li quickly backed away several steps; however, Lei Zhen霆’s sword energy seemed to follow her like a shadow. Seeing that she had no place left to retreat, Ye Li gritted her teeth, drew a cold light from her hand, and instead of retreating, charged towards Lei Zhen霆. A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Lei Zhen霆's lips, as if mocking Ye Li’s overestimation of herself.

On top of the city wall, a streak of cold light shot up and in an instant, flashed towards Lei Zhen霆. Sensing the threat from an opponent of equal caliber, Lei Zhen霆 immediately abandoned his pursuit of Ye Li and raised his hand to block the incoming attack.

A figure wearing blue robes stood on the city wall not far away. The newcomer looked at Lei Zhen霆 with a cold expression: "When did you start enjoying bullying the weak If you want to fight, why don’t you choose me"

Ye Li managed to dodge Lei Zhen霆’s sword and caught her breath before stepping back to give the battlefield over to Ling Tie寒. Lei Zhen霆 cast a regretful glance at Ye Li, who had retreated next to Han Ming月 and others, then turned to Ling Tie寒: "You really know how to pick a good time." Ling Tie寒 replied coolly: "Didn’t you tell me to come"

Lei Zhen霆 frowned. "Impossible for you to arrive so quickly." According to his calculations, by the time Ling Tie寒 arrived, everything should have been settled already. Ling Tie寒 sheathed his sword and said, "Indeed impossible, but someone told me a few days ago that if I didn’t arrive early enough, I might not see you anymore. It seems he was right," referring to Lei Zhen霆’s current state which would last only 24 hours. After that time, not only would all his martial arts abilities be lost, but also his life.

"Mou Xiu堯 again Can he even predict such a situation" Lei Zhen霆 frowned.

Ling Tiehan also did not hide and nodded, saying, "Yes, I met him ten days ago. However, he told me that Prince Duan would surely meet his end at Feihong Pass within ten days. If you want to find you... it's best if you arrive before the ten days are up. So… I arrived at Feihong Pass two days ago. Unexpectedly, I got to watch a good show."

Thunder霆 understood what he meant by 'good show.' However, being in his position now, there was nothing left for him to be angry about. He flicked his long sword and said, "If that's the case, let's begin. After I kill you, I still have time to deal with Princess Consort Ding. At this point… whether or not I am here makes no difference." The Xiling soldiers had already received his orders earlier: once they breached Feihong Pass, they were to cause as much damage as possible throughout the northwest without any regard for consequences. Once these troops dispersed and infiltrated various regions in the northwest, it would be a headache even if Mo Xiuyao's one million-strong army returned. In such circumstances, whether or not Thunder霆 was here wasn't that important after all.

Ling Tiehan nodded solemnly and said, "Alright, then let us settle our long-standing grudge today. If I die at your hands in this battle, it's because of my inferior skills. If you lose... I promise not to cause any more trouble for Prince Leitingfeng."

Thunder霆 smiled satisfactorily and said, "In that case, it seems that the advantage is on our side. Please!"

"Please!"

"Princess Consort," Qin Feng pressed his injured spot as he watched the two men who were facing off at the edge of the city wall. His gaze towards Ling Tiehan was especially complex. Who would have thought that it was actually Ling Tiehan, who had nearly killed Princess Consort Duan before, who saved her life this time He never expected that his master had secretly set up such a move; if not for Ling Tiehan's timely arrival, it would have been very difficult to rescue the princess consort from Thunder霆 with just their combined skills.

Ye Li nodded and said solemnly, "Forget about them. No matter what, stop those Xiling soldiers from entering the pass."

The men like Qin Feng all responded in unison, "We will comply!"ould already have left the palace. Now that the empress dowager’s power had been completely stripped away, she found everything inconvenient to do. She knew that Mo Jingli was determined to disregard...