Chapter 372
The actions of the three princes, including Arucha, were not driven by any grand ambition to seize the throne, but rather as a desperate measure to avoid being killed by Arutai. However, more than ten days had passed since they had occupied the Sacred Mountain Temple, and Arutai had yet to lead his soldiers to attack. In time, the three princes of the Qiang Kingdom naturally began to harbor other thoughts, their ambitions growing.
‘What if we carve out a territory here and become kings? Arunana built her own tribe at the foot of the Great Snow Mountain, so why can’t we? Compared to the Great Snow Mountain, isn’t the Sacred Mountain Temple a much more auspicious location?’
As the days passed, Arutai, on one hand, gathered a large army, and on the other, continuously sent envoys to Arunana's mountain tribe, warning that if she did not surrender immediately, she would be killed. He seemed to have completely forgotten about his three brothers in the Sacred Mountain Temple. The temple had everything they needed. There was enough food, meat, and wine to sustain five thousand soldiers for half a year. Those monks of the Great Calamity Temple were truly wealthy.
Moreover, the Sacred Mountain Temple was situated in treacherous terrain, easy to defend but difficult to attack. The Qiang princes, with no immediate threat to their lives, spent their days eating, drinking, and making merry. It was a shame, however, that they had left in such a hurry that they hadn't brought any beautiful women with them. Their time would have surely been more enjoyable in the company of beauties.
The Qiang Kingdom now seemed to be split into three factions. With no end to the civil war in sight, only Su Nan grew more and more anxious. The army of Chu was preparing to move, making time a critical factor. Su Nan had to end the Qiang civil war as quickly as possible. When he had initiated this rebellion, he had only a little over twenty thousand troops at his command. To sweep through Tianxi Province, he absolutely had to join forces with the much larger Qiang army.
This barbaric nation, the Qiang Kingdom, had a population of only a few hundred thousand, yet it could muster an army of one hundred thousand in times of war. Every man in the Qiang Kingdom was capable of wielding a scimitar and joining in raids. Not only that, but the barbaric young men of the kingdom would all vie to participate in every invasion of the State of Yue. Even when the kingdom didn't provide rations, they would bring their own dry provisions just to join the fight. War meant plunder, and plunder meant wealth. A single raid into the State of Yue could earn them more than several years of raising cattle.
Su Nan sent a secret letter to Su Jianting and Su Mo, urging them harshly.
‘You must, by any means necessary, end the Qiang civil war within a few days, so that the Qiang Kingdom can dispatch its troops to the State of Yue as soon as possible.’
***
That day, the three Qiang princes occupying the Sacred Mountain Temple were once again drinking and carousing. The more they drank, the hotter their bodies felt.
“Fourth Brother, I’ve only been with ugly women lately, and I’ve completely lost my appetite. Why don’t we go down the mountain and capture a few pretty ones?”
The Fourth Prince shook his head.
“No, it’s safer on the mountain. How many men would we have to send down to capture pretty women? A small group would be caught and killed by Arutai, while a large one could lead to a major battle. Let’s just be patient for now.”
The Fifth Prince said, “How much longer do we have to wait? I can’t bring myself to be with those ugly women. I’ve been holding back and holding back, and I can’t take it anymore.”
Just then, a Qiang warrior came running frantically.
“Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, Seventh Prince! There are two women outside, and I think they’re the queens!”
“Why are those wanton vixens of the Su Clan here?”
The three Qiang princes were startled and went out to meet them. On the snowfield outside the Sacred Mountain Temple, two beautiful figures had indeed appeared. Though it was summer, the Great Snow Mountain was still covered in pristine white snow. The two figures, dressed entirely in fiery red, stood out starkly against the white landscape, drawing every eye. They were the Qiang King’s two wives, Su Mo and Su Ying. They wore red cloaks, but their attire underneath was incredibly thin, offering tantalizing glimpses of their figures that were particularly heart-stirring.
The three princes who came to the temple gate immediately began to breathe heavily.
‘The women of the Su Clan are truly beautiful.’
They had long coveted these women, but while the Qiang King was alive, they wouldn't have dared to even look at them. Compared to the women of the Qiang Kingdom, these two peerless beauties from the Su Clan were overwhelmingly alluring.
‘Now that the Qiang King is dead, won’t these two women belong to Arutai?’
The princes thought of the faces of the women they had recently slept with and compared them to the two Su women; the thought was nauseating.
“Esteemed Mothers, are you here on Arutai’s orders? You must have already graced his bed, haven’t you? What sort of scheme are you here to carry out?”
Though their eyes burned with desire, the princes were filled with suspicion. Su Mo spoke sweetly, “Your Highnesses, I did not come on behalf of Arutai, but on behalf of the Su Clan. Will you let us in?”
The princes immediately fell into disagreement.
“Let them in.”
“No, don’t. There’s definitely some kind of plot.”
For a moment, the three couldn’t decide. Su Mo chuckled and said, “We are just two women with very weak martial arts. Your Highnesses have five thousand soldiers. Surely you aren’t afraid of two women?”
Her smile left the three princes utterly captivated. Then, Su Mo and Su Ying pulled off their red cloaks, revealing bodies clad only in thin silk. Their figures, their curves, were intoxicatingly seductive. The three princes had been abstinent from beautiful women for over half a month and were truly on the verge of exploding. Besides, they had been coveting these two for a long time.
“They’re just weak women. What kind of plot could they possibly hatch?”
Su Mo’s charming voice rang out.
“Your Highnesses, are you perhaps afraid that we’ve hidden some weapons on our bodies?”
They promptly shed their silk skirts, leaving them in nothing but their chest coverings and silk undergarments. Their skin was as white and translucent as the snow they stood upon, looking as if it would turn to water if squeezed. The princes were mesmerized by the sight, as were all the Qiang warriors guarding the Sacred Mountain Temple.
‘So… so enchanting.’
The two beauties of the Su Clan raised their hands high and walked barefoot toward the Sacred Mountain Temple.
“We’re coming in now. If you suspect us, shoot us dead.”
Who could bear to shoot such stunningly beautiful women? Moreover, they were the wives of the Qiang King; how could the Qiang warriors dare to be disrespectful? With queens walking towards them nearly naked, how could they possibly kill them? For the Qiang warriors, even a single glance at their fair, soft arms was a great blessing. And so, the two Su women entered the Sacred Mountain Temple unharmed.
“It’s freezing. Your Highnesses, please take us to warm ourselves by the fire quickly.”
How could it not be cold in the sub-zero temperatures of the snowy mountains? The three princes quickly led the two beauties into a large room. Inside, a brazier was burning, making the room as warm as spring. The Fourth Prince felt like he would explode if he held back any longer, but he forced himself to suppress his desires and asked, “Esteemed Mothers, what business brings you here?”
Su Mo replied in a coquettish voice, “Of course we came on business. But can’t we talk after we sleep? I’m truly freezing to death. Your Highnesses, please warm us up.”
Su Mo and Su Ying shed the few clothes they had left. One approached the Fourth Prince, the other the Seventh, leaving the Fifth Prince furious.
‘What is this? Am I a joke to you?’
After a brief moment of hesitation, he pounced on Su Mo. The two Qiang princes kissed the red lips of Su Mo and Su Ying with a passion that seemed to reach the heavens, their movements so rough it was as if they intended to tear the two beauties apart. But less than a minute later, the Fourth Prince, who had initiated the kiss, suddenly turned pale and began to gasp for air.
“Ugh… Ugh…!”
Soon, his eyes turned bloodshot, and he died abruptly. The Seventh Prince also collapsed, bleeding from all seven orifices. The sight of two of them dying in the blink of an eye horrified the Fifth Prince. He scrambled back, not even bothering to properly dress himself, and immediately drew his scimitar.
“Did you put poison on your lips?”
Su Mo giggled and replied, “Yes, we paid a great price to obtain a potent poison from Mount Fudao. We took the antidote beforehand.”
The Fifth Prince laughed loudly.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t kiss your lips. I’ll kill you both with one strike.”
But a moment later, the Fifth Prince too found his breathing strained. His vision went black, and he died miserably, black blood trickling from his eyes.
“Did you think you wouldn’t be poisoned just because you didn’t kiss us? Biting and sucking elsewhere kills you just the same!”
Su Mo, her smile beautiful yet cruel, casually threw on some clothes. Then, she cut off the heads of the three princes, held them in her hands, and walked out the door.
“By order of the new Qiang King, we came to execute the traitors. The three rebel princes have all been killed by us. Who will you follow now? Will you fight the new great king to the end? If so, the great king will kill every last one of you. Wouldn’t it be better to save your lives and pledge your loyalty to the new Qiang King?”
The Qiang warriors present were too stunned by the incomprehensible situation to think clearly.
‘The two queens are this strong? They killed all three valiant princes?’
The leader of the Qiang warriors asked, “Queens, will the new king truly not kill us?”
Su Mo answered, “The ones who rebelled were the three princes, not you. As long as you surrender, the past will be forgotten, and each of you will receive two gold coins.”
The Qiang warriors guarding the Sacred Mountain Temple looked at each other.
‘The three princes are dead. What can we do on our own?’
In an instant, all the warriors there knelt down.
“We surrender.”
Su Mo said, “Very well. The new great king will soon come here alone to personally distribute the money to you.”
True to her word, two hours later, the new Qiang King, Arutai, arrived alone, carrying two chests filled with gold coins. Without a word, he scattered the gold from the two chests onto the ground.
“This is all yours. Will you pledge your loyalty to me?”
The five thousand Qiang warriors cheered and scrambled to pick up the gold coins.
“Long live the great king! Long live the great king!”
And just like that, half of the rebellious faction in the Qiang Kingdom was suppressed.
The next day.
Arutai was formally enthroned as the new king of the Qiang Kingdom. Su Mo became the first queen, and Su Ying the second. As the new Qiang King, Arutai immediately gathered an army of forty thousand to attack Princess Arunana’s tribe and the border of the State of Yue. The most crucial move in Su Nan’s rebellion was officially complete.
Arunana had only three thousand warriors under her command, less than a tenth of the new Qiang King Arutai’s forces. For Arutai, annihilating Arunana would be a piece of cake. Once Arunana was eliminated, he planned to lead his grand army to invade the State of Yue and join forces with Su Nan’s twenty thousand troops. When the two armies united, they would number over sixty thousand strong, enough to easily sweep through half of Tianxi Province. When that happened, the great enterprise would be achieved, and the Su Clan would officially become phoenixes and soar.