deltrittennovels #451 - Sudden Betrayal (2 in 1 order)
#451 - Sudden Betrayal (2 in 1 order)
But at this moment, some members of the Liuli(琉璃: Liuli, a kind of Gem) group began to waver. Years of wandering and the disasters that occurred in Chang'an City had pushed them to the brink of collapse.
The vast desert was silent and boundless. The sun was scorching like a raging fire. Several Dragonborn clansmen were holding a private meeting under a hidden rock wall behind a sand dune. Their faces were stern and full of worry.
One of them, named Shi Wu, was a core member of the Liuli(琉璃: Liuli, a kind of Gem) clan. He took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and began to speak: "Fellow clansmen, you have all witnessed our current situation. Since we were driven out of our homeland many years ago, our clan, from elders to infants, has never enjoyed a life of ease."
As Shi Wu spoke, he choked up, his eyes slightly red. The clansmen were silent and did not say a word.
"First, we spent more than ten years in the village, and then we wandered in the mountains for several years. Just when we thought we finally had a home to settle down in, Chang'an City turned out to be so vulnerable!"
Shi Wu pounded the ground, filled with grief and indignation, "We suffered heavy losses, and even experts like Cang Li(苍离: name of a person) could not escape the disaster!"
The clansmen exchanged uneasy glances, their hearts filled with anxiety about the difficulties and obstacles of the future journey.
Shi Wu seemed to see through their thoughts and continued heavily: "I know that you are all exhausted, and your belief in finding the Xuantian Dragon Realm(玄天龙域: Xuantian Dragon Realm, a fictional place) has begun to waver. Fellow clansmen, are we really going to continue wandering like this?"
A young Dragonborn suddenly stood up and retorted loudly: "Then shall we give up? Shall we not seek the legendary home and wander around outside from now on?"
Just as Shi Wu and others were secretly plotting to break away from Zhong Wuye's(钟无夜: name of a person) camp, a gust of wind swept in with fine sand. Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person), holding a sword, was imposing and coldly looked down at the group of Dragonborn.
"You cowards, you are still colluding in secret! It's ridiculous!"
Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) gritted her teeth, the tip of her sword pointing directly at Shi Wu and others.
Shi Wu was so frightened that he fell to the ground, speechless.
The other Dragonborn were also speechless, trembling all over. A certain young man still stood up bravely, raising his head and retorting: "Miss Zhong(钟: a family name) , we are just chatting, just so that the clansmen can live a stable life! Why do you have to be angry?"
Zhong Wuye's(钟无夜: name of a person) gaze became more and more gloomy, and her aura as the clan leader was terrifying: "If you dare to disobey my will, do you have this awareness!"
She shook her hands, and the power of the Nine Heavens(九天: Nine Heavens, a fictional place) immediately pressed down, suppressing all the Dragonborn on the ground. The Dragonborn surrendered, begging Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) for forgiveness. Only the young man was still stubborn, with a firm expression.
"Even so, it's better than wandering in the desert all the time!"
The young man struggled to stand up, "All we want is a safe place!"
"Shut up!"
Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) shouted angrily, and the air burst formed by the wave of her sword fell like a storm, directly pressing the young man heavily on the ground.
The young man's eyes widened, a trace of blood overflowing from his mouth, and he was about to collapse.
Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) glared at him, pointing her sword at the blue sky: "Listen, I have said it countless times! Only when we find the Xuantian Dragon Realm(玄天龙域: Xuantian Dragon Realm, a fictional place) can we find our home! Don't you believe me that much?"
"Does the Xuantian Dragon Realm(玄天龙域: Xuantian Dragon Realm, a fictional place)... really exist?"
The young man muttered a few times and stopped talking.
This riot was briefly suppressed by Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person).
……
Afterwards, Shi Wu and others gathered again to secretly discuss the matter.
He waved his hand slowly and said firmly:
"I naturally have absolute trust in Miss Zhong's(钟: a family name) ability, but everyone has seen our current situation, and her recent mental state is also deteriorating. I am just worried that if we continue to drift along like this, we will only end up being destroyed!"
Speaking of this, Shi Wu's eyes were firm and stubborn: "We should now strive for a stable foothold, even if it is temporary. As for now, I think Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) is a good choice."
As soon as he finished speaking, the clansmen immediately burst into an uproar, some agreeing, some opposing, each with their own thoughts.
"I heard that Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) is a benevolent country, where the people live and work in peace and contentment, and should be a place of refuge."
"But didn't Princess Tana(塔娜: name of a person) also say that the seal on her body was sealed there? I'm afraid going there will lead to disputes!"
"What's so great about a small country? Are we Dragonborn afraid of this?"
The clamorous voices of argument were endless.
Shi Wu had to raise his voice again to stop them: "Be quiet! I said this is just an expedient measure, not a long-term solution. When the time is right, we will naturally continue to pursue the Dragon Family Mausoleum!"
A voice interrupted the chaos: "But Miss Zhong(钟: a family name) will definitely not agree."
Speaking of this, everyone showed a look of fear towards Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person).
Shi Wu took a deep breath and said slowly:
"Therefore, I have to bring up such a difficult choice.
Everyone, you must be clear that we are all ancient remnants. Although we have inherited the power of the dragon, we also have the shortcomings of human beings, aging and weakening with time.
Even Miss Zhong(钟: a family name) , such high-intensity wandering will not last long.
If something happens to her, our clan's great cause will be doomed. So before she finds her direction again, we must first give the clansmen a temporary place to live!"
The old man was silent for a moment and sighed helplessly. The Dragonborn discussed and looked at each other.
For a time, many voices echoed in the dark:
"Brother Shi's(石: a family name) words make a lot of sense."
"How can we not violate Miss Zhong's(钟: a family name) will? The safety of our clan is the top priority!"
"If we secretly start another stove, Miss Zhong(钟: a family name) will not be able to resist even if she knows."
"Brother Shi(石: a family name) is right, first find a foothold to recuperate, and then surprise everyone with a blockbuster!"
……
After making up their minds, at dusk, Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person) took a few confidants and sneaked into the border area of Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) under the cover of night.
They wanted to ask to see the commander, explain their intentions, and seek refuge.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they approached the sentry post, they were stopped by the soldiers. After Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person) explained briefly, the soldiers surrounded them in the center with an arrogant attitude.
Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person) was puzzled and panicked for a while.
"You traitors, you dare to wag your tails and beg for mercy! It's ridiculous!" The leading officer said coldly, his eyes as sharp as blades.
Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person) was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and begged repeatedly: "Your Excellency, please calm down! We just want to seek a place of refuge!"
"Hmph, it is shameful for you to betray your clan, and now you want to rely on our Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) royal army? You are really overestimating yourselves!" The officer sneered again and again, looking down at Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person) and others.
Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person)'s heart was filled with fear and anxiety, and he secretly regretted how hasty his decision to come was.
He quickly winked at the other clansmen, wanting to take the opportunity to escape. Unexpectedly, the soldiers with guns had already surrounded them and were glaring at them with grins.
"Your Excellency, although we have made mistakes, it is also for survival!" Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person) explained in vain, "If you can show mercy and take us in, we will definitely do our best to serve Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place)!"
The officer sneered, looked Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person) up and down, and suddenly chuckled: "You old thing, you don't have to be so flattering! I think you should be more obedient."
As he said that, he took off a shiny bronze mirror from his waist and shook it in front of Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person). On the mirror, there was a faint cloud of blue smoke flowing. Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person) couldn't help but widen his eyes and looked a little lost.
The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ say ⊥ in ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥⊥ book ⊥⊥ bar ⊥⊥ first ⊥ hair!
"This is the 'Dragon Suppressing Mirror', which specializes in restraining you Dragonborn."
The officer said triumphantly, "You should honestly tell me the hiding place of this enchantress Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) , otherwise I will have to take out this weapon!"
Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person) gasped, his head a little swollen. In the jade mirror, colorful lights flickered, like thousands of streams surging. Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person) only felt a dizziness in front of him, and his thoughts became a little chaotic.
"Speak quickly, where are you hiding?" the officer urged impatiently, the jade mirror getting closer and closer to Shi Wu(石吴: name of a person)'s face.
"Okay, I said..."
……
After learning the specific location of the camp, the Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) army quickly assembled a large number of elites. The morning stars had just fallen, and the darkness of the night had not completely dissipated. They set off with some mystery.
The Liuli(琉璃: Liuli, a kind of Gem) group's camp was located in an oasis, with winding streams running through it, lush trees, and pleasant scenery. But who knew that on such a peaceful and beautiful morning, there was a sudden roar of horses' hooves and shouts!
Hundreds of Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) soldiers holding spears came from all directions in a mighty manner, baring their teeth and claws, and full of murderous intent. The Liuli(琉璃: Liuli, a kind of Gem) clan in the camp had no time to react and were attacked and besieged frantically.
Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) was grooming in the camp when she suddenly heard the commotion and hurriedly put on her clothes and went out. She saw swords and shadows, smoke filled the air, and everywhere were the screams of the clansmen who were being killed. She was shocked and hurriedly drew her sword to confront the Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) army.
"What do you mean by this? How dare you come and invade our territory!" Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) glared and clenched her long sword in both hands.
But the Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) soldiers just grinned and did not speak, and continued to press on, surrounding Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) and the clansmen behind her. Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) gritted her teeth and was about to fight to the death when she suddenly saw Princess Tana(塔娜: name of a person) not far away being captured by several soldiers and dragged out.
"Tana(塔娜: name of a person)!" Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) exclaimed and rushed over quickly. Seeing this, the soldiers threatened Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) loudly and threw Tana(塔娜: name of a person) into the cage, and quickly dragged her away.
Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) ignored the fight with the other soldiers and desperately chased the guys who captured Tana(塔娜: name of a person). At this time, a sound of horses' hooves sounded loudly, and a high-ranking Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) officer leading the way rode over and blocked Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person)'s path with a scimitar.
"Were you sent by the Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) emperor?" Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) questioned the man anxiously.
The officer smiled coldly and said: "Those who are not of my race must have different hearts. What's the point of explaining to you, this enchantress? The princess must be taken back."
As he said that, he waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him dragged the cage over. Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) only caught a glimpse of Tana(塔娜: name of a person)'s curled up figure inside. Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person)'s heart sank, and she quickly jumped forward to attack the officer, but she was repeatedly injured and finally knocked to the ground by a heavy blow.
When Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) barely got up, she saw that the Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) army had left the camp with Tana(塔娜: name of a person)'s cage and were gradually moving away. She gritted her teeth, endured the pain, and drew her sword to chase after them.
Along the way, Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) carefully observed the behavior of the Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) soldiers and gradually realized something was wrong. Their movements of dragging the cage were too rough, and they even deliberately hit the obstacles on the road, obviously not taking into account the safety of the person in the prison car.
What was even more puzzling was that the Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) army did not press towards the border or the capital, but moved in the opposite direction. If the Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) royal family wanted to imprison Princess Tana(塔娜: name of a person), they should have taken her back to the capital, rather than being so abnormal.
Could it be that all this was not to rescue Princess Tana(塔娜: name of a person)?
A heavy feeling rose in Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person)'s heart. Suddenly, she remembered that Tana(塔娜: name of a person) had vaguely revealed before that a mysterious power was sealed in her body, and the Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) royal family had been strictly guarding against it.
Could it be that this group of Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) troops was not carrying out orders from their superiors at all, but had other secrets? A terrible thought flashed in Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person)'s mind - their purpose this time was actually to kidnap Tana(塔娜: name of a person)?!
Just as she was about to chase after the Bei Zhou(北周: name of a place) army, a familiar roar came from behind, and the blood rose monsters reappeared! They bared their teeth and claws, grinning with bloodthirsty mouths, blocking their way.
'Good guys, it seems that the blood rose has been planning for a long time!' Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) clenched the sword in her hand, and was about to violently attack when her partners also refused to show weakness, drew their swords one after another, and prepared to fight.
Just then, Qin Huan(秦焕: name of a person) stepped forward and said earnestly: "Girl, wait a minute! I know you are very anxious, but now we don't have enough manpower, I'm afraid it will be difficult to deal with. Why not take a step back and find another way."
Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) couldn't help but gasp and glared at Qin Huan(秦焕: name of a person). Qin Huan(秦焕: name of a person) was still calm and said lightly: "Please listen to me. I have also been betrayed. At that time, I was in the Jin Chan(金蝉: Jin Chan, a kind of cicada) Thief Group. Although there were many excellent elders to teach me, there were still traitors mixed in. When I was a child, I was born in the slums of Taiping Province(太平行省: Taiping Province, a fictional place). If I hadn't been taken in by the old man Sima Ru(司马孺: name of a person) , I don't know what would have happened."
A trace of sadness flashed in Qin Huan's(秦焕: name of a person) green eyes: "So I fully understand that some companions will have wavering psychology. After all, we are from the bottom, and we have been subjected to cold eyes and discrimination in the past. Especially in this difficult situation, everyone will be afraid and waver."
"But..." Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) was about to scold, but Qin Huan(秦焕: name of a person) shook his head gently and interrupted her.
"But we can't give up." His face regained its confident look, "You see, although those who defected did something wrong, they are still our clansmen after all. They were bewitched, so we should forgive and understand them even more. Just like I was betrayed in the past, I was finally taken in by a kind person who gave me a new life."
Qin Huan(秦焕: name of a person) spoke earnestly, and was particularly persuasive when he spoke to the point. Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) only felt the heat gradually dissipate, but her worry about Tana(塔娜: name of a person) remained. She bit her teeth hard and finally nodded.
Along the way, idle farmland and barren fields could be seen everywhere. Occasionally, a village would be passed, and the houses were dilapidated, and everywhere was a scene of decline and withering. Some villagers even slept on the streets because of poverty. They were emaciated, and their clothes were also tattered. Seeing Zhong Wuye(钟无夜: name of a person) and others passing by the village, these poor people just fled in a hurry and did not dare to approach.
Several times, Zhong Wuye and the others even witnessed a horrifying scene—the Northern Zhou army pressing their borders, forcibly dragging away young people. The villagers who were captured wailed incessantly, yet no one dared to step forward to resist. Only the abandoned elderly and children knelt helplessly on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Whenever he saw such scenes, Qin Huan's brow would furrow tightly, and his fists would clench involuntarily.
"It seems that this Northern Zhou Dynasty really treats its people like slaves, wantonly ravaging them," Qin Huan muttered to himself, his eyes as gloomy as smoke. "We poor people there are merely objects to be exploited."
"I grew up in the slums of Taiping Province. It was simply a living hell, devoid of dignity, filled with sin and despair. After my family was destroyed, I wandered the streets, forced to beg for food to survive. Sometimes, to find scraps of leftovers in the garbage, we children would fight fiercely. Being bullied and humiliated was commonplace."
Qin Huan's voice grew softer and softer, even becoming choked with emotion. Zhong Wuye had never seen this usually calm and composed hero so distraught, and could not help but feel pity.
"Survival was a nightmare, but we were all used to it," Qin Huan took a deep breath, forcibly calming his emotions. "Until one day, I met that life-saving benefactor, and only then did I have the chance to be reborn. If it weren't for him, I would probably already be buried in that mire of sin."
In a village ravaged by famine and nightmare blight, Zhong Wuye once again encountered the mysterious young girl Wu Ya.