novelAbuy Chapter 402 Han Zhong Forced into the Game!
Chapter 402 Han Zhong Forced into the Game!
Fan Li walked past the pile of rubble, past the smoke-filled open space, and back to Han Zhong's side.
Han Zhong was riding his horse, gazing at the distant pass with a solemn expression.
When he saw Fan Li return, he turned his head, his brows furrowed.
"Mr. Fan, how is the situation?"
Fan Li sighed, his expression equally grave.
"Liu Bai killed too many enemies; the Moon Goddess Cult has been routed. I can't find my lord; I don't know where he's hiding."
Han Zhong's brows furrowed even more, the "川" character between his eyebrows looking as if it had been carved with a knife.
"What should we do then? What if Liu Bai storms in and runs into your prince—"
Fan Li raised his hand, stopping him from speaking.
"General, there is something I want to say, but I don't know if I should."
Han Zhong looked at the other person, his brows furrowed slightly, and asked with some curiosity, "What did you say?"
Fan Li sighed, his face as solemn as an iron plate.
"When I was looking for the prince just now, it seems that Liu Baifa spotted me."
Han Zhong's eyes widened suddenly, and his pupils contracted sharply!
Almost instinctively, he lowered his voice and asked urgently, "They didn't recognize you, did they?"
Fan Li sighed again, a long and heavy sigh, like a stone being lifted from his chest, but instead of becoming lighter, it became even heavier.
"I wasn't wearing a mask when I was looking for the prince. So... I think he recognized me."
A thunderous explosion erupted in Han Zhong's mind!
Oh no! They recognized me! That's troublesome!
His fingers gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles turning white, and the veins on the back of his hands bulging!
His mind raced. The only consolation was that Liu Bai hadn't seen Fan Li in his camp; otherwise, the situation would have been even more complicated. As long as Fan Li wasn't discovered near the tents, he could still claim he'd mistaken him for someone else.
"He found me when I returned to my tent," Fan Li's voice came from beside him, like a muffled thunderclap above Han Zhong's head.
Han Zhong froze completely.
The stiffness started from the spine, like a frozen iron rod, spreading from the tailbone all the way to the back of the head.
He felt as if his blood had frozen.
He turned his head and stared intently at Fan Li, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
How could you be so careless?!
His voice trembled slightly with anger and fear.
"Aren't you going to ruin me and the North?!"
This was exactly what he feared most, and sure enough, what he feared most came to pass!
Countless images flashed through his mind—Liu Bai returned to court to report to His Majesty, His Majesty was furious, the Imperial Guards broke into the General's Mansion at night, his wife was put into a prison cart, his children were locked in iron cages, and his old mother, leaning on her cane, chased after the mansion, fell on the steps, and never got up again.
His back was drenched in cold sweat, his undershirt was soaked through and stuck stickily to his skin, feeling icy cold.
His legs felt weak, and he almost slipped off the horse.
Fan Li sighed again, his voice filled with deep helplessness.
"I didn't expect Liu Bai to be so observant. Even though I had concealed myself, he still managed to find me."
Han Zhong mentally screamed – Nonsense! That guy's practically a terrestrial immortal! No wonder he noticed you!
He dismounted and paced back and forth in the open space, his footsteps hurried and heavy, making the gravel on the ground crunch.
He punched the tree trunk beside him, the bark cracked, debris flew everywhere, and blood seeped from his fist, but he felt no pain.
Only one thought occupied his mind—It's over! This is it!
If Liu Bai were to report to His Majesty that people from the Northern Border had appeared in his camp, he would be severely injured even if he didn't die!
With Your Majesty's methods—
He dared not think any further.
"At this point, there's only one last option left." Fan Li's voice came from behind, calm and cold.
Han Zhong suddenly turned around and stared at him. "What method?"
Fan Li stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a knife, speaking each word with deliberate pause.
"Slay Liu Bai here! Tell His Majesty that Liu Bai died at the hands of the Moon Goddess Sect! That way, we won't be exposed, and His Majesty won't blame us!"
Han Zhong's eyes widened suddenly, his pupils filled with unbelievable shock!
He opened his mouth, making a "hoarse" sound from his throat, like an old stove with its bellows stuck, struggling to get it burning.
"Are you crazy?!" His voice changed with shock. "That's a half-step immortal! Sword fanatic Liu Bai! You want me to kill him? What if I fail? What if..." His voice grew softer and softer until he could barely hear himself.
Fan Li did not back down; instead, he took another step forward, his gaze fixed intently on Han Zhong's eyes.
"General, do you think there's any way out?"
His voice was soft, but every word was like a knife, piercing Han Zhong's heart.
"Liu Bai has already discovered Fan Li. As soon as he returns to the capital and reports this to His Majesty—General, the lives of your entire family will be lost!"
Han Zhong's body jolted violently, as if he had been struck hard on the back with a stick.
Those images flashed through his mind again—his wife's face, his children's faces, his elderly mother's face. The cold execution ground, a row of kneeling figures, the executioner's blade raised and brought down. Blood gushed forth, heads rolled off.
His legs buckled, and he staggered a step, only managing to steady himself by grabbing onto a tree trunk beside him.
His hands were trembling, from his fingertips to his wrists, and from his wrists to his arms; even his breathing was disordered.
Fan Li pressed his advantage, speaking faster and in an even lower voice.
"General, listen to me! We are not without a chance of winning!"
He held up one finger. "First, the Moon Goddess herself is a near-immortal! With her involved, Liu Bai won't gain any advantage!"
He held up a second finger. "Secondly, Liu Bai doesn't know we're here, doesn't know we've laid a trap! He's in the open, we're in the shadows!"
He held up a third finger. "Third, I'll poison his drink! Even if it doesn't kill him, it'll greatly reduce his strength!"
He held up his fourth finger. "Fourth, Your Highness and the Moon Goddess Cult's experts will lie in ambush outside the tents, waiting for Liu Bai's poison to take effect before swarming in! Two fists can't fight four hands, let alone so many of us!"
A glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes. "General, we have over a 70% chance of winning this battle!"
Han Zhong's lips were trembling, and his pupils were contracting violently.
He looked up at Fan Li's burning, madly fiery eyes, then looked down at his own trembling hands.
He gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed out, and his teeth clenched so hard they made a grinding sound.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The breath, carried in by his lungs, smelled of gunpowder and blood, and was icy cold.
He opened his eyes, a resolute, do-or-die glint flashing within them.
"Alright. Well... that's the only way for now."
His voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat, carrying a deep-seated weariness and helplessness.
At this moment, he was filled with immense regret.
He regretted agreeing to Xu Longxiang's request, regretted sending Zhou Cheng to ask His Majesty for help, and regretted getting involved in this conflict.
But now that he's already on the wrong path, there's no turning back.
He had no choice but to follow Xu Longxiang down this dark path.
Of course, he doesn't consider himself to be on Xu Longxiang's side right now. He's only planning to kill Liu Bai out of necessity to protect himself.
Fan Li smiled faintly, but with a sense of relief and ease.
"General, you have made a wise decision."
Han Zhong shook his head with a wry smile, turned around, and walked towards the main tent.
His steps were heavy, each one feeling like he was stepping on a knife's edge.
He walked to the main tent, lifted the curtain, bent down, and went inside.
Inside the tent, Deputy General Zhou Cheng was standing in front of the map. When he saw Han Zhong enter, he quickly clasped his hands in greeting.
"General!"
Han Zhong waved his hand, his voice weary.
"Pass down the order to halt the attack! Rest on the spot! Also, send someone to invite Mr. Liu Bai back to camp, saying that I have important matters to discuss and request that he have a meal in the main tent."
Zhou Cheng was slightly taken aback, his expression showing some surprise.
"General, this..."
Han Zhong raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife.
"Go and do it!"
Zhou Cheng dared not ask any more questions, and bowed respectfully. "Yes!"
He turned and strode quickly out of the tent.
Han Zhong stood in front of the map, his hands resting on the edge of the table, his head bowed and his eyes closed.
Outside the tent, the bugle sounded again. This time it wasn't an attack, but a retreat.
The sound of gongs echoed across the battlefield, and the Qin soldiers retreated like a receding tide, leaving behind corpses and blood everywhere.
The silvery-white sword light paused in mid-air for a moment, then slowly retracted.
Qin Mu, transformed into Liu Bai, stood in mid-air, his gaze falling towards the military camp, his brows furrowing slightly.
Retreat? Retreat at this critical juncture?
A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes, and a cold smile slowly curved his lips.
interesting.
Zhou Cheng strode up to Qin Mu, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed.
"Mr. Liu Bai, the general has ordered you to return to your tent for a meal so we can discuss the next steps."
Qin Mu stood in mid-air, his gaze fixed on the devastated pass in the distance, a meaningful smile slowly curving his lips.
"it is good."
He wanted to see what Han Zhong was really up to.
Has Xu Longxiang come up with some new trick again?
To be honest, he was quite looking forward to it.
He withdrew his sword intent, landed slowly, and followed Zhou Cheng towards the military camp.
Meanwhile, on the hill.
Xu Longxiang was gazing anxiously at the distant pass, waiting with a heavy heart.
The silvery-white sword light suddenly stopped and then retracted.
He saw Liu Bai land and then follow a Qin general toward the military camp.
His brow furrowed slightly, a question lingering in his mind—what had happened?
A black figure silently emerged from the shadows beside him.
Mo Ya knelt on one knee, his voice very low.
"Your Highness, Mr. Fan Li has a new plan!"
Xu Longxiang suddenly turned his head and stared at him.
"Say it!"
Without hesitation, Mo Ya quickly recounted Fan Li's plan: poison, ambush, surround, and kill Liu Bai.
Xu Longxiang's eyes suddenly lit up, like two balls of oil being poured on them, suddenly leaping up and burning high and bright!
His lips slowly turned up, the curve growing wider and wider until it finally became an almost maniacal grin.
"As expected of Mr. Fan! Truly brilliant! This plan—ingenious! Absolutely brilliant!"
His voice trembled slightly with excitement, and his eyes gleamed with a determined, burning light.
He hadn't trusted the wrong person! This plan was exactly what he wanted!
He had already seen it—Liu Bai was poisoned and his power greatly reduced. They swarmed him, swords and blades raining down. Liu Bai fought desperately, but finally collapsed from exhaustion, blood splattering on the spot! And he stood beside Liu Bai's corpse, looking down at the body of this half-step terrestrial immortal, and roared to the sky!
His chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath, like a wolf that had smelled blood.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging excitement little by little, and his voice became a bit more composed.
"Go and hide yourself. Don't let anyone find out. Just show up when we need you."
Mo Ya nodded. "Yes."
His figure flickered and silently disappeared into the shadows of the hill, like a drop of ink falling into deep water, leaving no trace.
Xu Longxiang stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant military camp, the fire still burning in his eyes.
Just then, a white figure swept up from the foot of the hill, as light as a swallow, without making a sound.
The moon goddess landed beside him, dressed in white as snow, with long hair like a waterfall, and her white jade mask gleaming with a cold light in the morning light.
Xu Longxiang turned his head, saw her, and his eyes suddenly lit up, as if a lamp had been lit in the darkness.
He strode forward to meet him, a confident smile on his lips, his voice steady and resolute.
"Miss Suxin, I've been waiting for you for so long."