Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Nyoi-Bo Studio

  The North Camp had completely lost it. These soldiers of noble descent probably had not even killed even a chicken in their lives before, yet they brandished their blades and charged like a swarm of locusts. Stepping on the bodies and blood of their fallen comrades, they fearlessly charged forth!

  The eagles soaring in the skies shrieked, and the sunny morning had at some point turned cloudy and shady, as though it was about to rain anytime. The civilians were scared and tried to scramble to safety, but the entire street was already swarmed with soldiers, how could they leave?

  The men could only scream in despair, trampling on each other, looking for their family members, calling out for each other’s names. In just a short time, the entire prosperous street had been turned into a hellish massacre!

  And right now, Li Ce had just charged out of the Jinwu Palace with his imperial army. The Tang Prince, who was known to be unable to ride a horse, was now gallantly riding on a horse, charging on the roads, with his robes fluttering behind him. His gaze was so sharp, as though it would pierce all obstacles before him.

  “Crown Prince,” some scouts returned and called out, “the central street has been completely blocked by the civilians. The Imperial Army cannot move into position.”


  “Blocked?” Li Ce raised an eyebrow, before coldly ordering, “If we cannot charge through, we will step over their corpses. Those who do not give way are to be killed!”


  “Your Highness?” The scout was taken aback by this ruthless order, and muttered, “Those are all our citizens……”


  “Citizens……” Li Ce squinted his eyes and replied to this hesitant soldier, “The later we charge in, the greater the casualties caused by the fighting between the Imperial army and the North Camp will be. Those soldiers are the real treasure of the Tang Empire!”


  The scout was enlightened by the Prince, and firmly acknowledged the order, “I understand! Please wait a moment. This servant will lead our comrades and open a path for Your Highness.”


  Li Ce responded, “Thank you! Sun Di, quickly go to the Military Department and direct 50,000 of the Wolf Army into the city to suppress the riots. Also, light up the smoke signal, and inform the northern garrison to constantly monitor any movements of the Xia Army! And……” he hesitated for a few seconds, before struggling to say the following words, “send out scouts to the southern borders! For the next 24 hours, monitor the Waterway of Southern Border for any Yan Bei incursions!”


  Sun Di was taken aback by the last order and inquired, “Yan Bei? Yan Bei will start a war with the Tang Empire?”


  “You think they won’t?” Snorting, Li Ce’s tone was colder than winter snow as he snapped, “If she accidentally dies in the territory of Tang Empire, we will need to prepare ourselves for the wrath of Yan Xun. And……” Li Ce slowly closed his eyes. The pristine, angelic face of a certain lady, with blooming lotuses in the background under that night sky, surfaced in his mind again. His voice softened to a whisper, and his brows locked into a deep frown. Although barely audible, one could still hear his firm words, “I would not forgive the perpetrator either.”


  “Yes, this servant will go and carry it out now.”


  “One more thing! Check this out clearly for me after relaying the message!” Li Ce opened his eyes, and his momentary gentleness and fatigue were blown away by the rage in this eyes. “I want all the data of this entire training exercise of the North Camp! I want all the information, even confidential ones! Regardless of rank, secrecy, or importance! I want to know who they met in the past few days, where they went, or even if they had diarrhea and went to the toilet more frequently. I want to know everything!”


  Sun Di’s sharp mind instantly grasped the logic behind this action. His face turned utterly pale, and he questioned in disbelief, “Does Your Highness think that this entire upheaval was not a coincidence?”


  “Chance?” Li Ce’s turned around and glared at Sun Di, while coldly declaring, “Zhao Chun’er was been assaulted in her own bedroom, and the entire court wanted to help the Xia Empire instead of considering the Tang Empire. When attempting suicide to gain sympathy, the North Camp just happened to be next to her. It got out of control as the higher ranking officer just happened to not be around. How can the children of the noble families be so easily swayed by stray rumors? And they also knew the exact schedule of Tie You, and that Chu Qiao was in the carriage. So many coincidences happening all at once, do you not see something unnatural?”


  Sun Di’s mouth was left agape, as he could not seem to counter that impeccable logic. Li Ce’s expression froze another notch as he continued to analyze, “From start to finish, I did not receive any information. Even that old man Dou Mingde, who had already started to isolate himself from politics, also knew something. We are still clutching at straws! Such a well-planned strategy, such careful deployment, such cut-throat development, do you really think it was all just coincidence?”


  As the wind raged on, the screams from the front intensified. The Imperial Forces started to chase the civilians away and shot out barrages of arrows at the civilians. Rushing about aimlessly, the scene presented by the civilians was as though this entire thing was a farce. Staring into each other’s eyes, Sun Di and Li Ce became increasingly unable to suppress the rising uneasiness within their hearts.

  Li Ce nodded. “Indeed, the footsteps of death have never been so close to us before. Someone has already prepared the net when we weren’t looking, and they infiltrated the North Camp, the Capital, and even our Palace!”


  “Could it be the Xia Empire? Or the Song Empire?”


  “Nalan Hongye was not within those officials. Such a huge move, she would never miss the action. As for Zhao Chun’er, at most, she could stir up something within the palace. But such a precise calculative move would certainly be beyond her.”


  “Then who could it be?” Sun Di inquired when frowning.

  “Who?” Li Ce coldly smiled and lifted his head up. Observing the black clouds, he slowly shook his head, and whispered, “I hope I am wrong.”


  An arrow pierced the battlefield, like a sharp talon, striking at the most opportune moment. The entire army halted for that split second, only to see that a young woman, wearing a bright yellow gown, stood atop a new carriage that had just stopped in Rose Square. Holding a golden yellow bow, she pointed it toward the middle of the bloody mess within Rose Square. Her forehead was wrapped in bandages, and one could faintly see the blood seeping from beneath it. With a whoosh, the arrow flew straight at Chu Qiao’s chest!

  At this very moment, Tie You stumbled over and shielded Chu Qiao. With a ghastly piercing sound, the arrow penetrated his arm.

  “Tie You!” Chu Qiao roared. She was just about to move forward to help him when a barrage of arrows shot forth, firmly separating her from Tie You.

  The woman atop the carriage slowly walked down and did not mind how her clean shoes were stained by the bloody mess. She smiled and walked up to the platform where Chu Qiao had been. With a mountain of corpse between her and Chu Qiao, she said in a volume that only Chu Qiao and her guards could hear, “Are you upset? But that was not enough!” With that said, she took the blade from her guard and stabbed Tie You’s stomach, who was already weakened, and out of strength.

  Tie You’s spurted blood out of his mouth! His knees buckled, and with a loud thump, he fell to the ground.

  “Do you not have a strong sense of justice? Do you not hate when people suffer for you? Then why don’t you die now? Once you die, I will let him go.”


  Biting her lower lip, Chu Qiao frowned, facing that woman with an expression that was like the frigid oceans, completely not responding to her.

  With a cold smile, the crazed woman swung her blade and called out, “I really cannot stand how hypocritical you are!”


  Chu Qiao’s eyes were clouded with bloodlust. Holding her blade, she was trembling. She was not scared, but she was weak and could not muster her strength. But in the very next moment, she was like an agile leopard. With one single swing of her blade, she forces that woman back, stabbing at her chest!

  But it seemed like Chu Qiao’s opponent had not even intended to swing down her blade, as her guards rushed forward. Pretending to have tripped, her bright yellow robe was stained with blood. Raising her head, she let out a blood-curdling shriek, “As a woman married into the Tang Empire, I am no longer pure! Let me sacrifice myself for the nation! Kill me!”


  The soldiers who had quietened down were lit up with rage yet again. Seeing the countless blades in front of her, Chu Qiao could no longer hold as she fell to the ground, fainted.

  If she was given another chance, would she do the same thing? To let those two return safely? But unfortunately, there are never such hypothetical situations in the real world.

  Right before she fainted, she saw Tie You rise yet again, and heard the words he had muttered, “The Crown Prince ordered me to protect you.”


  You are such an idiot…… A single teardrop flowed out from the corner of Chu Qiao’s eye. Falling helplessly in the Rose Square, she was once again reminded of the girl who was crying her heart out in that cave.

  “Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!” Her cries of despair were still ringing in her ears. Today, she really did it.

  After sleeping for an unknown duration, a bucket of cold water was splashed onto Chu Qiao’s face. Drowsily waking up, Zhao Chun’er’s smiling face filled her vision.

  “Where is Tie You?” Chu Qiao’s low voice was hoarse and seemed as though she was ready to explode.

  Zhao Chun’er giggled, and casually answered, “He’s probably dead. Seems like he was cut into many pieces by the furious North Camp soldiers. That was strange. I heard rumors in Zhen Huang City that the Tang soldiers were weak and easily defeated, but it seems like the truth is rather different from the rumors.”


  Chu Qiao slowly closed her eyes, and forced down the sadness that was rising from within her chest. Lightly nodding her head, Chu Qiao slowly declared, “You will pay the price for your actions today.”


  “Is that so?” Zhao Chun’er brushed that remark off. “But you will certainly not live to see that day.”


  Opening her eyes, Chu Qiao stared at Zhao Chun’er dead in the eye, and without skipping a beat, told her, “Yan Xun will get revenge for me.”


  “Do not remind me of him!” Zhao Chun’er stood up, sending her chair tumbling in the process. With her eyes spewing fire, she glared at Chu Qiao, who was tied up to a pillar. She bellowed, “If you say another word about him, I will kill him!”


  Without giving her any mind, Chu Qiao’s frigid face revealed a tinge of amusement. “You are scared?”


  Facing Zhao Chun’er’s gaze which was brimming with hatred, Chu Qiao squinted her eyes, as though she was a cat. With a deep voice, Chu Qiao inquired, “What are you planning to do after killing me?”


  Coldly smiling, Zhao Chun’er replied, “That is not your concern. I am more than happy to let you know what is about to happen since you will most definitely not be able to witness it. If whatever I did is not witnessed by you, that would be a waste.

  “Do you know, the Tang Empire will split, and Li Ce will die. The entire court will be rebuilt, and the old guards will be vanquished. The Xia forces have cornered Yan Bei. With winter coming, you have neither money nor food, how will you survive this winter? While your soldiers are hungry, and horses are weak from the winter, the combined forces of the Xia Empire and the Tang Empire will invade Yan Bei together.

  When that happens, the civilians of Yan Bei will be buried alive in the masses, and the armies of Yan Bei will be annihilated. The soil of Yan Bei will be soaked in blood. Anyone who opposes, regardless if it’s the Da Tong Guild, or the Iron Eagle army of Yan Bei, will all bow down to the might of the empire!

  “We will tell you with the blades in our hands what is the outcome for betraying the empire!” Zhao Chun’er’s eyes were bloodshot, and she seemed almost deranged as she continued her monologue, “When that time comes, I will grab Yan Xun and make him kneel by my feet, begging for my mercy. I will dig out his eyes, break his legs, and torture him in whichever way I can! I will destroy whatever you created! How’s that? Are you scared now?”