T/N: Thank you so much to MephestophelesMuse for the Kofi donation! Here’s a double update!

---

Yi Chuan was startled. “What’s wrong?”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression was extremely ugly. He immediately picked up a brush and drew an irregular shape on the map. One side was close to the coastline, and the other line included nearly half the city, specifically passing through the governor’s manor.

Yi Chuan understood after studying it for a moment. “Why did you draw the underground river veins beneath the city?”

“The black powder must have been placed under these lines,” Liu Zhenqing said directly.

Shocked, Yi Chuan said: “How do you know?”

“I don’t have time to explain. We need to notify them to withdraw the troops immediately!”

Yi Chuan realized that the position of the 30,000 troops was just far enough away from the underground river line, and the 50,000 troops would need to pass through the underground river line if they wanted to outflank the enemy.

If the black powder was below, the 50,000 men would surely suffer heavy losses when they passed over.

At this thought, Yi Chuan said grimly to Liu Zhenqing: “You’re certain!”

“Yi Chuan, I know you are injured, but I will definitely not be able to keep up with your speed. You go find them. No matter if you find Huo Fenglie or Song Xingmu, tell them it’s from me and they will definitely believe it.” After saying this, Liu Zhenqing handed the map to Yi Chuan.

Yi Chuan didn’t ask further questions. Taking the map, he nodded and rushed out.

Liu Zhenqing followed him out and saw Yi Chuan’s back as he flew away. He tried to communicate with the guards outside to have them fire a whistling arrow or notify those leading the troops.

But it was no use, because they were different from the navy, and obeyed military orders with the staunchness of a mountain. Without military orders, how could they obey an outsider so easily? But Liu Zhenqing still gave it a try.

However, the guards just asked him to wait for the general to come back.

Liu Zhenqing truly didn’t have the patience to wait any longer, so he borrowed a horse and went out.

Once the black powder detonated, there would be heavy casualties. Many common people would suffer as well, and only the governor moved away.

What they wanted was not to stop the 50,000 troops. After all, when they designed the plan, they never thought that there would be 50,000 troops coming to capture them. Their actual goal was to separate themselves from the dynasty.

Seceding in the true sense.

When the rebels were discovered by the Imperial Court and their assassination failed, when they felt that they could not hide anymore, or when the time was right, they needed a place to be their own territory, and then slowly move out to compete against Great Zhou.

There was obviously no room for 30,000 soldiers on the island, and it could not develop well, so they needed a larger territory and focused on this place.

There were mountains to the south and west, only the north side was relatively level, and there was the sea to the east. This terrain was naturally easy to defend and attack from.

As long as explosions occurred along the underground river and formed a chain reaction, a long canal would be blasted to fill up with groundwater or seawater and make an artificial river.

Although it may be artificial and made with different depths, it could indeed protect this land like a moat. Coupled with long-range weapons, this was the attack style that the navy was best at, so when the enemy came to attack, this artificial river would form a natural obstacle. No matter how strong they were, it would be difficult to conquer this place.

This was all in order to take possession of the land and become kings, no matter the sacrifices. Only, the victims were innocent common people and the 50,000 soldiers who happened to be there.

And it was his good brother and Er-gou who were leading these 50,000 troops, ah. 

There was no way he could bear it if anything happened to them.

Based on his analysis of the terrain, Liu Zhenqing estimated the place that was the most likely detonation point. That was the governor’s manor.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t know where Huo Fenglie and Song Xingmu were now. He had no other choice than to go there and look at the situation first, even though he was weak, and try to buy time.

Liu Zhenqing rode on horseback for a long time before someone appeared with the wind.

Taking a closer look, Liu Zhenqing said with great joy: “He Lan, Qin Yu.”

The two descended and regarded him with surprise.

“Why did you run out? Don’t worry about Zhanyuan, ah,” He Lan said.

Qin Yu was also looking at him with concern. Liu Zhenqing’s hands were already injured and bloody from holding the reins too hard.

At once, Liu Zhenqing spoke quickly and concisely about the black powder, and their expressions instantly changed.

“Yi Chuan has gone out to look for them, but I don’t know where they are leading their troops.”

“It’s too late to find them. I’ll go to the governor’s manor. Don’t run around. Qin Yu, take him and leave the underground river line immediately!” He Lan spoke this firmly, but as soon as he was done speaking, he found that Qin Yu had already flown away.

In fact, there was no need to take Liu Zhenqing with him, ah. He was riding a horse, far away from the battleground, and surrounded by ordinary people doing normal things.

This was just an excuse to get the other party out of danger’s way.

Sure enough, as He Lan watched Qin Yu fly away, he didn’t spare a thought for anything else and ran after him.

Liu Zhenqing watched as the two people left and breathed a sigh of relief. But just as he was hesitating over whether to go to the governor’s manor or seek out Huo Fenglie, or whether he would be too much trouble and should just go back, he heard a roar. The loud sound rattled the sky.

In an instant, the sky and the earth shook.

Those around him were shaken to the point of losing their balance, and fell to the ground.

The horse under Liu Zhenqing was also startled, and began to run wildly.

Liu Zhenqing failed to hold on, and was thrown from the horse. Luckily, there were pedestrians nearby who stopped the animal.

There was chaos all around, and Liu Zhenqing stood up with difficulty, his face pale.

So the explosions had begun! Then next would be the chain reaction. Would…..

Liu Zhenqing’s heart began to race as he silently counted down. But after a moment, the people around him stood up and began talking, but it was still quiet in the distance. Liu Zhenqing’s expression shifted slightly.

There was only the initial explosion, which confirmed that it had been stopped.

According to the time and distance, it was impossible for He Lan and Qin Yu to have arrived. 

Who could it be?

Liu Zhenqing’s heart inexplicably ached, and he had an ominous premonition.

Everyone knew that Huo Fenglie was the God of War. Although he may not be as good at strategy as himself, once he entered the battlefield…..

At the least, for such an important plan, it would definitely not be Zhao Haicheng and others who had run into a problem.

So…..was it Huo Fenglie?

The explosion just now was so powerful. If Huo Fenglie was there, could he be injured?

Liu Zhenqing turned and rushed toward the horse, which was gradually calming down. He mounted it and rushed out nearly faster than before, without a care for being bucked off.

The governor’s manor was near.

The neighborhood was a mess.

He saw…..a group of leaderless troops.

And He Lan and Qin Yu were flying in a rush toward the ruins.

Their movements were somewhat out of control.

For the first time, Liu Zhenqing resented his ability to analyze and make connections. He wished he was just scaring himself, but he could no longer focus on anything else. He rode up and shouted: “Is General Huo here?”

The group of soldiers were about to rush in. When he saw this man and knew that he was close to the general, they said: “General Huo discovered something unusual and brought us here. When he saw someone trying to light a fire, he told us to stay outside and rushed in. And then…..”

Liu Zhenqing stopped listening and got off his horse, rushing into the smoky ruins.

This place was originally the governor’s manor and other surrounding manors and residences, but now there were only ruins that continued to collapse.

There was an ever-expanding pit under the ruins, with the sound of rushing water beneath it.

Standing next to the pit, Liu Zhenqing watched expressionlessly as the people around him shouted for General Huo and rummaged around, but there was no response.

He was dazed and muddle-headed, and instinctively began to follow the sound of running water.

As he walked, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly came.

Liu Zhenqing looked up. His eyes instantly reddened, and he mounted the horse.

“Chen Jiangyue, take me to find him.”

The horse raised its hooves, and Liu Zhenqing vanished from the spot in an instant. Qin Yu and He Lan heard a familiar neigh, and exchanged glances before promptly following it.

On the outskirts of a farmhouse, Huo Fenglie was leaning against the roots of a fallen tree, holding his Chunjun Sword. Because he had come out of the underground river, he was soaked all over. The water dripping from his body was mixed with blood, turning the ground a light red.

A pair of bright red eyes seemed to be exhausted, but were still clear and vivid. The black clothes he wore were either burned or blasted in several places, and blood could be seen continuously flowing from his sleeves. It smeared all over the backs of his hands, then ran down the dark blade of the Chunjun Sword.

Opposite him was Zhao Haicheng, who was also soaked, only Zhao Haicheng was not injured at all, and had his sword pointed at Huo Fenglie.

The tip of the sword was already close and threatening.

“General Huo. I didn’t expect to see you here, let alone like this.” Zhao Haicheng said coldly: “As expected of the God of War, you actually stopped our plan. But don’t you think it’s too much of a loss? You delayed the black powder, but damaged yourself. This is really a loss-making deal. How long can Great Zhou last without you? Let alone this place.”

Huo Fenglie looked at him coldly and didn’t reply. It seemed that he was trying to adjust his breathing, and couldn’t be bothered to speak to him.

As a military official, Zhao Haicheng was naturally curious about Huo Fenglie, but he didn’t speak much at this moment. The black powder had only exploded once, which attracted attention. It needed to be managed as soon as possible and rekindled.

“General Huo, I don’t want to kill you, but it can’t be helped. Remember that the person who killed you is named Zhao Haicheng! You can take it up with me in the underworld!” When he finished speaking, Zhao Haicheng was about to swing his sword down. Huo Fenglie was also ready to strike with all his strength, even though blood had started to drip from the corners of his mouth.

Suddenly, the sharp call of a horse sounded.

Huo Fenglie’s expression changed slightly, and Zhao Haicheng was startled by the sound. No horse could scream with such majesty, like the roar of a dragon.

Turning around, he saw an unexpected person arriving on horseback.

“Qing-ge…..” Astonished, Huo Fenglie quickly tried to stand up, but this time he vomited a mouthful of blood.

Liu Zhenqing could see nothing else. When he arrived, he immediately flew off the horse and supported Huo Fenglie, feeding him a life-saving pill. When he saw those blood-red eyes, Liu Zhenqing’s face paled. He quickly grabbed the other’s wrist to inspect it. The redness of his eyes was just a warning. If…..if…..

For a moment, Liu Zhenqing’s eyes were empty. The worst thing for Huo Fenglie was not that he had been injured by the black powder…..but that in order to stop the black powder, enduring the explosion pushed his body to the limit and caused him to lose control.

“Qing-ge, I’m sorry.”

“Shut up!” Liu Zhenqing said fiercely, “You promised me, but forgot about it? If something happens to you, I really…..really will…..”

Suddenly, he heard Huo Fenglie say: “I won’t die.”

Liu Zhenqing was stunned. Looking down into Huo Fenglie’s eyes filled with attachment and worry, there was no extra energy left to restrain and hide those emotions.

Gritting his teeth, Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie with a heavy gaze. “You had better not. I…..won’t allow you to die. Not ever!”

Huo Fenglie nodded firmly, as if his perseverance could actually determine his life or death. But in the next moment, another mouthful of blood spurted out and Huo Fenglie fell unconscious. Now he was not even in a state of unbalanced internal force.

The thing his master had told them not to let happen had come to pass anyway. Liu Zhenqing didn’t know how far Huo Fenglie’s physical potential could stretch, but every step was like walking on the edge of a knife, and he could die at any time.

Although Zhao Haicheng was disrupted by Liu Zhenqing’s appearance, he immediately realized that he couldn’t miss this opportunity, and moved to kill Huo Fenglie.

But Chen Jiangyue continually raised its hooves to drive him away, rearing to intimidate him, and he struggled for a while.

When Zhao Haicheng slashed furiously with his sword, Chen Jiangyue leaped away.

And at this time, Zhao Haicheng saw Liu Zhenqing embracing Huo Fenglie tightly, with anxiety and fear written on his face.

Zhao Haicheng was slightly stunned. It was the first time he had seen such an expression on Liu Zhenqing’s face, and it seemed that this was his most real self.

Just as he was about to take action, an iron whip suddenly wrapped around his neck and a sword appeared in front of him.

He Lan and Qin Yu had arrived.

Zhao Haicheng was forced to his knees by He Lan, and he and Qin Yu gasped when they saw Huo Fenglie’s eyes.

“How is he?” He Lan asked.

Liu Zhenqing hugged Huo Fenglie, his expression as serious as the two men had ever seen before. He took out the Emperor’s Token from Huo Fenglie’s sleeve and tossed it to them.

“He Lan, take this with you and give it to Song Xingmu. Take Zhao Haicheng with you and force the navy to surrender! Clear out all the black powder and capture the rebels!” Liu Zhenqing made a prompt decision and issued these orders. He Lan reflexively reacted, and when he came to his senses, he stopped thinking about it and sent Qin Yu a look, about to knock Zhao Haicheng unconscious.

“You…..who are you!” Zhao Haicheng suddenly shouted. He had already noticed that Liu Zhenqing’s identity was unusual, and that Huo Fenglie seemed to have been Song Xingmu’s former guard. “What is your relationship with him?”

“None of your business,” Liu Zhenqing said coldly. “You will pay for what you’ve done.”

For a moment, Liu Zhenqing’s cold and aloof eyes seemed to cause Zhao Haicheng to think of someone from his memories.

Without waiting for Zhao Haicheng to say anything, He Lan knocked him unconscious and lifted him up. 

“What about you?” He Lan asked before leaving.

“Qin Yu, get Doctor Zhang from Wan Hall, Doctor Li from Huichun Hall, and Doctor Wang from the Lu Medical Center and take them to Song Xingmu’s other courtyard.” As Liu Zhenqing spoke, he sat Huo Fenglie up and then called Chen Jiangyue up, mounting the horse with him. “I’ll take Huo Fenglie back to the courtyard. There are plenty of medicinal materials and supplements first. His condition must be stabilized first.”

After listening to his explanation, Qin Yu flew away and He Lan also took Zhao Haicheng to begin work. Riding Chen Jiangyue, Liu Zhenqing carried Huo Fenglie all the way back to the other courtyard.

On the way back, he passed Huo Manor and called Uncle Ding to help.

Once the two had helped care for Huo Fenglie’s injuries, Qin Yu had coerced all the doctors to come over.

At first, they were all a little aggrieved. They thought it was too rude to invite people to Captain Song’s home, and they didn’t see Captain Song when they arrived. They were all strangers, so they became even more unhappy.

They only saw a weak, scholarly young man sitting by the bed and looking at them. “I know that these three are the best doctors in the area. They treated Yi Chuan before.”

One of the doctors cut in: “We did treat him before, but this time you are being too…..”

Liu Zhenqing raised his cold eyes and said directly: “I won’t talk nonsense to the three of you. You should know that there is a war going on outside. The person lying in bed is Huo Fenglie, the current General Who Guards the Country. If something happens to him…..you should know what will happen to you.”

When these words were spoken, the legs of the three doctors instantly became weak.

The General Who Guards the Country…..the great general!

Liu Zhenqing stepped aside, saying: “Even if you can’t heal him, you must save his life.”

The three men immediately stepped forward. Whether it was for the sake of the general or for the sake of their own lives, the three of them did their utmost.

Liu Zhenqing feared that his unstable mood would cause a disruption, so he walked outside with Qin Yu.

“Go and help,” Liu Zhenqing said exhaustedly.

Qin Yu patted Liu Zhenqing’s hand and said: “I’ll accompany you. If you have any orders, just tell me.”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes flashed, and he said: “In the case that…..that this doesn’t work, I need to take Fenglie to find the miracle doctor immediately.”

“Okay, I’ll escort you there.” Qin Yu said firmly: “The Great Zhou Dynasty cannot survive without Zhanyuan.”

Liu Zhenqing slowly closed his eyes and murmured in his heart: I cannot survive without Huo Fenglie.

The three doctors had good medical skills, but after repeated treatments, they all gave up one by one. Only when the last one came out did he say with trembling hands: “Three days at most.”

Liu Zhenqing’s breath cut off, his face turning blank.

Qin Yu said angrily: “What did you just say! Only three days!”

“This is already the limit! If you hadn’t found us so quickly, we wouldn’t have been able to get these three days!”

The three trembling doctors were gathered together. There was really nothing they could do.

Qin Yu looked at Liu Zhenqing. According to the location Liu Zhenqing had mentioned, it would be impossible to arrive in three days. Even if they took this person from one side and the miracle doctor rushed over from the other, it would take at least five days to meet up.

But Qin Yu couldn’t say that. He could only say: “They said three days, but Zhanyuan’s body is very strong. He will definitely last longer. We’ll find the doctor along the way!”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t seem to be as impacted as Qin Yu thought, nodding as he said: “En, he promised me that nothing will happen to him. Let’s prepare the carriage and set off immediately.”

“I’ll find He Lan. His qinggong is fast, and he can go pick up the miracle doctor!” Qin Yu turned around and left.

Liu Zhenqing went back into the room. Lao Ding shed tears as he said: “Young Master, I’ll go with you.”

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to help Huo Fenglie and said calmly: “Okay.”

Lao Ding was old, and it felt wrong to see Liu Zhenqing so calm. He couldn’t help but worry: “Young Master, are you all right?”

“What could be wrong with me? Let’s act quickly.”

What could be wrong? He was just thinking that it would be his fault if Er-gou truly left, so he would just go with him.

The more Liu Zhenqing thought, the more he realized that it was no big deal. But his heart…..it hurt so much that it was numb, and even breathing had become laborious.

Suddenly, Qin Yu returned with a black-clothed doctor in his early twenties. As soon as he entered the door, he shouted almost out of control: “This guy suddenly appeared at the gate claiming to be the King of Hell! Do you know him?”

The three doctors and Lao Ding all jumped up. “The King of Hell?”

Nowadays, no more miracle doctors had appeared, and their activities were few. Only this King of Hell was indeed a famous miracle doctor, and he came from Medical Valley just like the previous generation of miracle doctors.

But Liu Zhenqing didn’t quite understand. He had never heard this name, but if he came from Medical Valley, he must be…..

When Liu Zhenqing looked at the young man who had been pulled inside, he was instantly stunned.

And when this young man looked around with an air of disdain, his eyes fell on Liu Zhenqing’s face and narrowed slightly with a gleam.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes reddened at once, and he said hoarsely: “Save him. You can do it for sure.”

The young man was taken aback for a moment, then scoffed coldly and stepped forward to check on Huo Fenglie’s condition.

Then an impatient voice sounded.

“Everyone, scram and stay out of the way. Just let my medicine boy at the door come in.”

As he spoke, the young man gave Liu Zhenqing a cold look and said, as if mocking him: “In any case, this half-assed doctor can’t help.”

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter Ninety-Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-Five