Chapter 42: The Escape

In an instant, a thousand bolts of lightning and thunder flashed through Qian Ye’s consciousness, and the world suddenly lost its color. An endless darkness engulfed everything. In this world, Qian Ye saw only a blurry figure burning with black fire, and a pair of eyes that were as deep as an abyss!

In those pupils, Qian Ye saw himself!

He suddenly felt that his body was completely out of control. Every bone, every piece of flesh, even every blood vessel, was being manipulated by an invisible force, wanting to twist, split, and disintegrate. The sensation of impending death had never been so real.

He could hear no sound, and he could make no sound. The boiling blood that would usually course through him was now completely still, like a dead thing. Even the golden blood essence could only make a feeble struggle, but it couldn’t even escape the runes that bound it.

Yet, Qian Ye did not give up. With the supreme will forged from ten years of training in the Art of Warfare, he forcefully pressed his finger down, trying to pull the trigger. He could feel his finger moving, but so slowly that it seemed ages before the “Twin Blossoms” would roar.

At that moment, Ye Tong stood in the center of the street. Several high-ranking bloodkin of the Ross clan surrounded her, and though they were normally very proud, they all bowed their heads in respect and submission around her.

On the path they had taken, there lay over a dozen corpses, both from the expeditionary forces and the dark races. All the bodies were mangled beyond recognition, as if twisted in the palm of a giant. They had all, for one reason or another, blocked Ye Tong’s path, and then, when she looked at them, they mysteriously died.

This mysterious and powerful force had completely subdued every high-ranking bloodkin of the Ross family. In the face of such an unparalleled bloodline, rank had lost most of its meaning.

In Ye Tong’s eyes, Qian Ye’s image was vividly reflected. Though the war had covered his face and body with smoke and blood, almost making him unrecognizable, and though his posture was different from before, Ye Tong’s eyes, which could pierce illusion and see through falsehood, immediately recognized him.

“Is it him?”

Fragment after fragment of memory jumped into her mind, as clear as if they had just happened. Ye Tong suddenly realized she remembered every detail. She was sitting on the cheap tiles of the Mandarava flower, her tongue savoring the taste of fresh blood.

“Blood slaves aren’t without hope…”

“In a while, I’ll fight with you…”

“The New Party… maybe you’ll have a chance to get the first embrace…”

“In the future, we’ll meet less often on the battlefield…”

In her dark eyes, which seemed capable of plunging the entire world into the abyss, Qian Ye’s image shattered into pieces and then dissipated.

Qian Ye suddenly felt the pressure on him ease, and without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. At the same time, he leaped into the air, retreating like a bolt of lightning!

The “Twin Blossoms” roared, and the demonic flowers that had been frozen in mid-air finally bloomed in pairs. The unique gunshot broke the oppressive silence of the night like a flower blossoming.

As she saw the light flash from the gun barrel, Ye Tong finally recalled another sentence Qian Ye had said: “If we have a chance to meet on the battlefield, I’ll kill you with my own hands!”

She hesitated for just a moment, and the armor on her chest and abdomen was shattered by the primal force. The rampaging force tore through her flesh, causing two large blooms of blood to blossom in the air.

Ye Tong was flung backward like a falling leaf, helplessly drifting in the wind. For some reason, her mind was blank, and she even forgot to mobilize her blood power to protect herself.

Qian Ye landed and looked up, seeing Ye Tong flying backward in the air, the two blooming blood flowers glaringly bright.

“Is it her?!”

Ye Tong’s appearance had not changed at all; even by the most stringent standards of the bloodkin, she was close to perfection.

Qian Ye had never expected to meet her here, let alone that his instinctive two shots would hit! Given the terrifying power she had just displayed, it was obvious that even if she wasn’t a warrior, she was close to that level. She should have been able to dodge the “Twin Blossoms” or even block them without any problem.

But why didn’t she dodge, and why didn’t she resist?!

“Your Highness!”

The Ross bloodkin were thrown into a panic. Most rushed toward Ye Tong, while the rest lunged at Qian Ye.

Instinctively, Qian Ye turned and fled.

Those two shots had drained all his strength, and his primal force was nearly depleted. Facing those at least knight-level high-ranking bloodkin, he was utterly doomed, and it might be even worse. Qian Ye would never allow himself to fall alive into the hands of the dark races.

The bloodkin behind him moved like a gale, their speed no less than Qian Ye’s. He dared not turn, only running straight at full speed. In a blink, he dashed out of the earthen castle, heading diagonally toward the mountains.

Behind Qian Ye, more than a dozen high-ranking bloodkin formed a line, chasing relentlessly. The distance between them was gradually closing, and at this speed, Qian Ye would be caught long before he reached the mountains.

Qian Ye dared not look back, let alone counterattack. He could only run with all his might. These bloodkin were different from the enemies he had encountered before; they were particularly elite. Even with his enhanced bloodline, the difference in rank was too significant.

Suddenly, the earth began to tremble slightly, as if the entire mountain range was a revived life, and its long-sleeping heart had begun to beat.

On the jagged peak to the right, a giant wolf stepped out. It had fur as white as frost and a striking circle of golden mane around its neck. The wolf stood tall on the peak, raising its head and howling to the sky, piercing through the clouds!

The night curtain hung low, and it was the day when the twin stars were near the ground. A pale, massive moon occupied a good portion of the sky.

With this supremely majestic howl, the moon itself seemed to vibrate in sync with the earth’s heartbeat. The thin moonlight suddenly condensed and thickened, falling like a waterfall upon the giant wolf. Yet, its snow-white fur was even brighter than the moonlight, and its entire body glowed faintly, with the golden mane on its neck shining like the sun!

The high-ranking bloodkin chasing Qian Ye all turned pale, halting abruptly and forming a tight combat formation, staring intently at the wolf on the peak.

After the wolf’s howl, it seemed to notice the intruders at the foot of the mountain. It shook its neck, and the golden light radiated like sunlight, dimming the moonlight. Its blue-gray eyes fixed on the bloodkin below.

These Ross bloodkin were usually proud, but now, as if facing a natural enemy, they didn’t even dare to run. The dense formation they formed was not for attacking but for defense, barely resisting the overwhelming pressure from the wolf. The weight of the wolf’s gaze was immense, as if the entire mountain range was expressing its displeasure at being disturbed.

The wolf observed them for a while, then seemed to lose interest, turning away. The moonlight fell like a cascade, forming an invisible staircase for the wolf to ascend, and it vanished without a trace.

Only after the wolf disappeared for a long time did the Ross bloodkin finally relax, their breaths visibly dropping, as if they had just gone through a great battle. When they looked to the distance, the human had already vanished into the mountains, nowhere to be found.

The leading baron’s expression was extremely grim, and after a long while, he simply said, “Let’s go back.”

The dozen high-ranking bloodkin followed him, swiftly disappearing.

In Ma Ke’s tent, Ye Tong sat in a high-backed chair, her gaze fixed on a seam in the roof, lost in thought. She had changed into new clothes, and her face was a bit pale, but otherwise, there were no signs of injury.

Ma Ke stood to the side, hesitating. He had come to report, but seeing Ye Tong lost in her thoughts, he didn’t dare to disturb her.

At this moment, the high-ranking bloodkin of the Ross clan filed in. The leading baron placed his hand on his chest and bowed deeply to Ye Tong, saying, “Your Highness, we were incompetent and failed to catch the human.”

A flicker of emotion appeared in Ye Tong’s eyes, and she asked lightly, “What happened?”

“There was an incident on the way,” the baron recounted the encounter with the giant wolf.

Ye Tong frowned slightly and murmured, “Was that, William? What is he doing here?”

Then, she looked up at Ma Ke, “How is the earthen castle? Are there any living humans left?”

“At most, there are a dozen small insects hiding inside, but it will take some time to search them out.” Ma Ke had come to report on this. The battle at the earthen castle was almost over, but to ensure no human escaped, they would need to send a search team to comb through the ruins.

“There’s no need to waste that time. Organize the troops, surround the area, and make sure they can’t escape.” Ye Tong said, “Let’s wait for the human reinforcements.”

Baron Ma Ke hurriedly agreed, thinking it was a good idea. Leaving a few living humans as bait was better than a completely destroyed fort. From a geographical standpoint, if they couldn’t conquer the entire hundred-kilometer front, capturing this defensive node would be meaningless. The humans would inevitably fight back sooner or later.

Qian Ye ran for what felt like an eternity until his primal force suddenly gave out, and he tumbled to the ground, panting heavily.

After waiting a while and seeing no sign of the bloodkin, Qian Ye was certain he had shaken off the pursuit. But why the bloodkin hadn’t followed, he couldn’t understand. He only remembered a giant wolf appearing on the peak to his right, and then the high-ranking bloodkin stopped.

Instinctively, Qian Ye seized the opportunity and ran with all his might, not caring if there was a more terrible threat ahead. Fortunately, the strange wolf seemed to have been targeting the bloodkin and made no move to intercept him.

After a while, Qian Ye managed to regain a bit of strength and struggled to sit up. Checking the time, he abandoned the idea of returning to the earthen castle. With so many high-ranking bloodkin appearing, the soldiers there wouldn’t stand a chance. By now, the battle was likely over, and if Qian Ye went back, he would be walking into a trap.

At that moment, a wild boar emerged from the forest. Seeing Qian Ye, its eyes turned red, and it charged fiercely. Despite his weakness, Qian Ye easily dispatched the hundred-kilogram beast, slicing open its artery and drinking the hot, flowing blood.

The blood in his belly stirred a weak Boiling Blood state. Animal blood contained little primal force, so the recovery wasn’t as fast as feeding on the blood of lycans or strong bloodkin, but it was still faster than human recovery.

Qian Ye inventoried his gear and found that, aside from the “Twin Blossoms” and a bloodkin longsword, he had lost everything else in the earthen castle.

Leaning against a tree, he rested, quietly waiting for his strength to return. But every time he closed his eyes, he saw the faces of his comrades from the 131st Battalion, watching them fall one by one in the fire of battle. They were wild and unruly, but once on the battlefield, they were true iron-blooded warriors, ready to charge into the enemy with nothing but grenades and their bare hands, dying alongside their foes!

But this wasn’t a straightforward battle. Although the dark races’ later presence in the earthen castle had inadvertently helped the sector withstand an attack that might have breached the border, their sacrifice was not entirely without value.

However, without Qian Ye’s mountain warfare and long-range sniping skills, the 131st Battalion might have been wiped out in the mountains. Even their defeat was inexplicable. The dark races’ troop movements, including a large number of cannon fodder, should have left some traces, and such a large operation should have shown up in division-level intelligence.

Death was not to be feared; every imperial soldier was prepared to never return from the battlefield. Yet, Qian Ye could not accept the way his comrades had died. For some reason, he increasingly thought about the last mission with the Red Scorpion and that order.

Slowly, Qian Ye opened his eyes, feeling the blood and primal force in his body starting to revive. He got up. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of blue-gray eyes had been watching him leave the mountains.

“Using the old Ross’s ‘Twin Blossoms’ to injure the Monrow princess, this is truly interesting. My dear friend, you must live longer. It will make life… more interesting!”