Chapter 680
Chapter 680
"Grandfather, what's wrong?"
"Ying'er, what did you think of Jin Mucong when you met with him last time?"
"I didn't think anything of him. If you hadn't mentioned it, Grandfather, I would have completely forgotten."
"I intend to marry you to Prince Qi."
Zhu Ying was taken aback. After a long silence, her eyes welling with tears, she asked.
"Must it be done?"
Zhu Hongzhu nodded.
"Yes, I will."
Zhu Hongzhu patted Zhu Ying's shoulder and said.
"When the family is strong, we can let you fly freely. But when the family faces a crisis, everyone must fly in the same direction."
"I know, Grandfather!"
Zhu Hongzhu stroked his granddaughter's hair.
"My child, I have put you in a difficult position."
Soon after, Zhu Hongzhu left, leaving Zhu Ying alone. A bitter smile formed on Zhu Ying's face.
*What was the point of asking those three questions during the meeting? It was all fake, all a lie.*
Jin Mucong had passed her three questions, yet she had rejected him. And Prince Qi, the third prince, had never even met her, yet their marriage was decided. This world was too pragmatic, too unfair. Zhu Ying gazed at the books on her shelf. Perhaps this was the last of her pleasant moments; soon, she would have to prepare to become a queen.
*It seems I was a snob, too.*
She had heard that Jin Mucong was training desperately every day, trying to become slim and handsome. *Useleless Jin Mucong, don't waste your energy. This world is far too pragmatic.*
* * *
Within the borders of the Southern Gull Kingdom.
After landing with three thousand soldiers of the Second Nirvana Army, Mulan entered the jungle. In that moment, she felt an unparalleled sense of exhilaration. It was the feeling of a fish returning to the sea, a bird to the forest. In this endless, primeval jungle, she felt an absolute freedom. Her ability to sense the natural world was greatly amplified here. She could feel the countless plants breathing and the many hibernating animals beginning to stir. Her heart filled with an inexpressible joy, as if she had finally come home.
"Let's go!"
At her command, the three thousand soldiers began to cut through the woods. Every soldier of the Nirvana Army marched carrying a load of about four hundred catties. They carried five hundred arrows, a hundred catties of dry rations, and medicinal herbs, yet their steps were as light as if they could fly. The jungle of the Southern Gull Kingdom was dense with trees and the terrain extremely complex, but none of it was a problem for them.
For any other army, entering this jungle would have been the end of them. They would be unable to find their way out, struggling to take even a single step forward. The jungle was teeming with countless venomous insects and ferocious beasts—the true masters of this domain. Only the Savage Tribe warriors knew how to avoid them. Furthermore, the area was filled with an immeasurable amount of miasma. What was miasma? In a primeval jungle, there are vast amounts of decaying leaves, animal carcasses, and the like. Combined with the hot weather, these decaying materials ferment and release toxic gases. But Mulan could smell this miasma from a great distance, allowing her to lead her army around it.
But there was something even more miraculous. Normally, the venomous insects and beasts of the jungle were impossible to fend off. Even the Savage Tribe warriors had to use various medicinal scents to repel them, and still, they would sometimes suffer casualties from attacks. As expected, the venomous insects and beasts spotted the Second Nirvana Army and prepared to ambush them. However, upon sensing the aura emanating from Mulan, they immediately chose to hide or flee. It was as if Jin Mulan was the true master of the jungle, the apex of the food chain.
This jungle march went more smoothly than imagined. They moved swiftly through the woods without any obstacles, their marching speed reaching an astonishing nine li per hour. Along the way, they encountered dozens of groups of Savage Tribe warriors, but before they could even think of reporting back, they were killed instantly by Mulan's arrows. Mulan could spot them from a great distance, and a single shot from two or three hundred meters away was enough to claim their lives. Her perception was truly incredible.
The coast where she had landed was roughly four hundred li from the Southern Gull capital. After marching for two days and two nights without rest, the three thousand soldiers of the Nirvana Army had covered nearly the entire distance. Now, only forty li remained to the capital. Mulan had her three thousand soldiers make camp in the primeval jungle. They built no fortifications and lit no fires. Any Savage Tribe warriors who passed by were killed in an instant, unable to make a sound.
Having marched for two days and nights without bathing, Mulan went to a secluded spot to check her own scent. She paid special attention to her most beautiful parts and found there was no odor at all; she still smelled fragrant. Even if her husband were here, he could kiss her without any hesitation. Mulan breathed a sigh of relief. The transformation of her bloodline was truly miraculous. A normal person's body undergoes metabolism, expelling impurities with sweat. After two or three days without bathing, an odor would develop, especially in certain moist, enclosed areas, becoming almost unbearable. This was why Xu Qianqian considered the fishy smell she once had to be the greatest shame of her life, and even now, she was anxious if she couldn't bathe three times a day. Shen Lang's blow to her pride had been that severe.
But after her bloodline transformation, Mulan's metabolism seemed to have changed. Even after two or three days without bathing, her body remained fragrant and clean. Mulan put her ornate armor back on and returned to her army. The three thousand soldiers of the Nirvana Army would rest for two shichen, and at dawn, they would charge into the capital of the Southern Gull Kingdom at full speed, striking at the enemy's heart.
* * *
After King Keung left, his wife, Saman, became the supreme leader in the capital of the Southern Gull Kingdom. When she was with King Keung, she was like a little enchantress, but away from him, she became a chieftain as cold as ice. All the Savage Tribes feared her far more than they feared King Keung. King Keung was magnanimous and wouldn't mind hearing a few disrespectful words. But if Queen Saman heard them, that person's life was over. She would burn them alive.
Across all the Savage Tribes, nearly a thousand people had been burned to death or thrown into snake pits by her. King Keung's unification of the Savage Tribes was naturally not a smooth process, and he faced immense resistance. But all who resisted him ended up as food for venomous snakes, their bodies left without a trace. The venomous snakes were like Queen Saman's assistants.
"Sister, does he treat you well?"
Princess Yingluo asked Saman.
"He treats me well."
"He treated me very well too. Back then, I thought I was the happiest woman in the world. But one day, the poison in me suddenly acted up! It turned out he had been brewing tea for me in a lead kettle and cooking for me in a lead pot all along. He even insisted on preparing every meal and every cup of tea for me himself, anxious that he couldn't feed me with his own hands. At the time, I was moved by everything he did for me, but in the end, it was all to harm me, to poison me so secretly that not even a mouse would notice."
"Yes."
"King Keung is surely treating you just as well now, Sister. Believe me. One day, he will do to you exactly what he did to me. He's good to you now because you're still useful, but soon, you too will become his stepping stone. His reappointment of Su Nan and Nangong Ao is to create a balance among the Savage Tribes. Surely you haven't failed to notice that?"
Queen Saman said.
"Mm. Elder Sister, have some tea."
Yingluo picked up the teacup and hesitated for a long moment. Saman took a small sip first, then revealed a mocking look in her eyes.
*You people from the State of Yue are so full of schemes and suspicion.*
Yingluo looked at Saman's incredibly beautiful face before her and felt a twinge of jealousy. This woman was younger and more beautiful than she was. After drinking the tea, Princess Yingluo said.
"Sister, I have no other motive for saying these things. I just wanted to remind you to be on your guard. When you are enjoying happiness, you must know how to protect yourself... Ah... Aaargh..."
Suddenly, Princess Yingluo let out a wretched scream and collapsed to the floor in agony. Her beautiful body convulsed desperately on the ground, as if countless venomous snakes were slithering beneath her skin. Yingluo's beautiful face began to warp, becoming grotesque and ugly. The pain was unbearable, like being cast into hell. Queen Saman placed a mirror in front of Princess Yingluo.
"First, do not speak ill of my husband. I love him dearly. If he wanted me dead, he would only need to say the word. There's no need for him to scheme and plot to harm me. Second, do not try to seduce my husband. Before he left, my husband mentioned he felt the urge to sleep with you. That won't do. Now that you've become ugly, he won't have such thoughts anymore."
The moment Princess Yingluo saw her disfigured reflection in the mirror, she let out a shrill scream.
* * *
King Keung had taken eight thousand troops with him, leaving fewer than three thousand Savage Tribe warriors in the capital of the Southern Gull Kingdom, all of whom were the queen's personal guards. In truth, Saman disliked cities and preferred the jungle. That was where she could run freely and breathe the fresh air. Likewise, she preferred making love with King Keung outdoors—in the jungle, by a lake, or in a tree—rather than in a room. She had no love for power, nor did she have any grand ideals or ambitions. But since her husband had great aspirations, she had no choice but to sacrifice a little of her freedom.
But suddenly, she sensed a dangerous presence. Soon after, someone emerged from the southern jungle, moving at an incredible speed.
"An enemy raid!"
Queen Saman shouted the warning and prepared for battle. Soon, the war drums echoed through the capital of the Southern Gull Kingdom. Her three thousand personal Savage Tribe warriors rushed over swiftly, while the four thousand vassal troops of the Southern Gull army were a bit slower. This massive city, the temporary capital of the Great Southern Kingdom, was defended by a mere seven thousand soldiers. These seven thousand men quickly took up defensive positions, but due to their small numbers, they could not form a tight defensive line.
After waiting for a long time for the enemy to appear, Queen Saman realized that the raiding force was not large.
*Is that all? Two thousand? Three thousand? Are they mad? They dare to attack the Southern Gull capital with such a small force? In the past, even the State of Yue's army of over a hundred thousand didn't dare to attack us.*
Queen Saman said.
"My beloved husband, there's no need for you to come. I will eliminate this army myself. It seems even your calculations can be mistaken sometimes! Prepare!"
Queen Saman raised her hand. Mulan, leading the three thousand soldiers of the Second Nirvana Army, steadily approached the Southern Gull capital. The distance to the city walls closed from two thousand meters to one thousand, then five hundred, three hundred, and finally, two hundred meters.