Sword qi cold light like thousands of piles of snow, surging violently, rolling up into the sky.

Before Ying Bai could fall, his heart had already sunk.

He knew such sword qi was unstoppable. The next moment, he would be reduced to powder in that sheet of snowy cold light, perhaps not even leaving ashes behind.

In that final instant, what rolled through his mind wasn’t half a lifetime of military achievements on the battlefield, but the secluded palace, trembling candlelight. Yu Fei in his arms, bloodied fingers gripping his hand tightly, her voice scattering like gossamer in the wind. Looking at her paper-thin soft body and face white to near transparency in the half-light and half-shadow, he had felt in that moment like falling into hell. Just then Yu Ming came running in with a smile, clothes still carrying the cold fragrance of night and the fishy coldness of blood. That scent stimulated him, and he leaped up like a wild beast in fury, punching Yu Ming in the abdomen…

Or perhaps time suddenly flowed backward like water, changing to a season of green apricots on branches and flying willows by the stream. That little girl with slight freckles on her oval face, hiding one hand behind her back as she smiled at him, saying crisply: “Ying Bai, Ying Bai, your father won’t let you learn archery and horsemanship? Look what I brought you!” Her hand appeared like magic, actually leading out a jujube-red small horse.

That horse was truly small, wet all over, legs still trembling. Only later did he learn she had actually stolen the newborn foal of the Great King’s famous fiery red steed for him. Later she got a good scolding from her father. When he found out afterward and asked her about it, she just giggled and wouldn’t admit it at all.

These were all past events buried deep in the years, so distant they seemed like a previous life. At that time he hadn’t liked her at all—she was too talkative, too active, like a wild child. He couldn’t even remember all the things between them in their youth. He didn’t even understand why, at this moment of life and death, that memory would suddenly drift by.

Yet now those old events were so clear. He vaguely remembered he had actually received many gifts from her over the years, but in all this time, he had never even given her a single hairpin.

He suddenly threw his long sword, which he had carried with him for years, toward his soldiers.

“Leave it for the Jade Queen!”

Leave it for her as a memento, leave it for her to rely on for memories, to tell her that though he had missed the first half of his life, in the final moment he only remembered her.

He believed she would understand.

The sword flew like a white rainbow toward the soldiers, but was deflected by the massive sword qi, turning diagonally off course, looking like it would fall behind the enemy.

He sighed in his heart.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, he suddenly heard commotion from the enemy side. The soldiers below also seemed to be making noise, then an extremely familiar, slightly sharp voice laughed: “You dead man! Only thinking of giving me betrothal gifts at this time!”

Upon hearing this voice, his ears seemed to roar.

Then his waist tightened as a rope looped around him, his body jerked backward by great force. He felt bone-chilling cold sharply scrape past his feet. Looking down, he saw that large mass of stiff white people who didn’t know how to move, saw beast-like monsters foolishly looking up with drool running from their mouths, saw those boneless people rolling on the ground—they seemed to be the group that retained the most intelligence, bouncing like snakes with their tails, apparently trying to whip him down. Finally he saw a full ten or more strong men all pulling on the rope tied around his waist. At the front of the strong men, Yu Ming stood on tiptoe, head raised looking up.

He suddenly felt that even being pulled to hell at this moment wouldn’t be a waste of this life.

It passed in a flash. The next instant he crashed into a warm embrace, his nose hitting two very elastic masses. They were so elastic he felt his nose hurt.

A recently familiar scent of tuberose rushed into his nostrils. Her arms holding him were very tight. Though her mouth had been laughing just now, her arms were now trembling slightly, betraying her nervousness. He took a breath, feeling his heart and spirit stirred, and wrapped his arms tightly around her in return.

“Yu Ming…”

The Jade Queen made an “mm” sound, saying with a half-smile: “Nearly killed by a bunch of monsters—aren’t you embarrassed?”

Ying Bai smiled, not feeling embarrassed at all, but suddenly feeling fortunate. Not fortunate to have saved his life, but fortunate to have met her in this lifetime.

Suddenly a pair of hands reached over, fiercely and rudely pushing him away. A brat’s shouting nearly burst people’s eardrums: “Hey hey, Ying Bai, have you no shame? Molesting my mother in broad daylight—did you get my permission?”

“Little bastard!” The Jade Queen slapped him across the face. “What are you saying? With your permission I can molest this king? Who do you think you are?”

“I’m your only!” Yu Wuse nimbly dodged the slap, his voice getting smaller and smaller under his mother’s fierce glare, “…son!”

“There will be many more in the future.” The Jade Queen smiled without warmth, reaching down to pull up the long sword Ying Bai had thrown earlier, handing it to Ying Bai. “Later we’ll choose a decent one and re-establish a crown prince… I’m keeping this sword, lending it to you for now.”

Ying Bai smiled and took the sword, untying the rope from his waist. The rope was woven from gold silk, extremely tough—otherwise it couldn’t have snatched him from such sword qi.

“How did you get here? How did you find this place?” He gazed at the mass of black heads in the darkness behind them. With his years of battle experience, he could estimate there were about thirty thousand.

As a sovereign, she had actually abandoned her tribal affairs to participate in Hawksbill’s war against Dige. Didn’t she know that once she participated, Jade would be involved in so-called treasonous warfare? How would she explain this to Jade’s ministers in the future?

Yu Ming’s expression suggested this wasn’t a problem at all. Smiling, she pointed at Yu Wuse: “This kid said you would definitely join the battle. Since you didn’t take the direct route to attack Dige, you must have taken the most secretive, most impossible route. He randomly searched on the map and insisted you came through the swamp. I said it was impossible… Hey! This time he made a great contribution!”

“I never wanted to make this contribution.” Yu Wuse looked annoyed. “I just thought of taking the most impossible route, hoping for a wasted trip at best, saving my mother from being impeached by the ministers when she returned… Sigh, heaven doesn’t help me!”

The brat crouched to one side drawing circles in frustration, thinking hatefully that since this fake father appeared, none of his schemes had ever succeeded. They really were incompatible—he must continue trying to break them up.

Then he stood up, because he discovered the enemies across from them were very interesting. Not like normal people.

Ying Bai was also explaining this battle’s enemies to the Jade Queen. Yu Ming had originally been very surprised that the battle-tested Ying Bai had encountered danger, but when she clearly saw those “people” across from them in the dawn light, she couldn’t help gasping.

“These are all…” she showed a disgusted expression, murmuring, “What the hell are they?”

“We must now scatter or even destroy them.” Ying Bai said gravely. “I was pulled to your side, but my army is still over there, leaderless. If we can’t resolve these monsters early, they’ll fall into a situation of being slaughtered. The Queen’s fifty thousand elite soldiers cannot be destroyed in my hands.”

The two silently looked across. Those people weren’t numerous—a few thousand at most. Now they were caught between the Jade and Hawksbill armies. With such disparity in numbers, theoretically one pincer attack could resolve it. But now that daylight had come and they could clearly see those disgusting “people” in bright light—see the sparse, mottled gray-black scales on the boneless people, see that group of white, misty, cold, zombie-sword-like beings, and those monsters with human heads and bodies but beast claws, or half-human half-beast on one side, with bone fragments and blood threads hanging from their fangs—most people felt creepy sensations and couldn’t help shivering and going pale.

These brave soldiers could fight the strongest armies, the fiercest weapons, the most solid city walls, but facing such a group of completely non-human “monsters,” their hands went soft and their muscles numb, retreating in horror.

Against such opponents, what was often needed wasn’t force, but courage.

“They’re not human! They’re snakes! They’re monsters! They’re ghosts!” someone screamed, and weapons clattered to the ground in sheets.

“Spreading rumors to confuse and disorder military morale—drag them out and execute them!” Yu Ming flew into a rage.

Ying Bai suddenly drew his sword, fiercely stabbing and lifting toward the nearby swamp. Sword light flashed, and his sword point already held a writhing, convulsing boneless person.

That boneless person attempting a sneak attack had spent a quarter hour quietly approaching from the swamp, wanting to deliver a surprise assassination that would completely destroy this new army’s morale and open a gap for his trapped forces.

However, he died before achieving success, now struggling to death on Ying Bai’s sword point.

Ying Bai thrust his sword fiercely into the ground, pinning that thing there. The long sword slashed along, and entrails spilled out with a splash.

The cavalry commander wasn’t originally a cruel person, but at this moment he had to do this.

Everyone present could see clearly—inside that snake-like, eerily gaunt body, what spilled out were still human organs. This was human.

Though it looked terrifying, it was killed by Ying Bai’s single sword without any resistance.

The fear that had arisen from seeing even Ying Bai forced to the brink of death gradually dissipated considerably.

Ying Bai’s second sword slashed toward a roaring beast-person charging at him. That thing was half beast-form with saw-like fangs.

Sword light enveloped the monster like a canopy. In moments the beast-person’s limbs scattered. Everyone could again see clearly—on that monster’s half-beast body were traces of artificial suturing and joining.

These limbs had actually been surgically attached to human bodies later!

“These monsters,” Ying Bai’s sword point dripped blood, his eyes cold as forest, saying slowly, “they’re actually all human—tortured humans. Born human, but their bodies were destroyed and joined with beasts, their intelligence controlled, living worse than death. Such people, I believe if they still have consciousness, would rather die. Sons, deliver them salvation!”

“Deliver them salvation!”

Fear of monsters disappeared, replaced by anger at such disgusting, terrifying facts and determination to end this scene. Soldiers on both sides heard clearly and simultaneously launched attacks.

Ying Bai lifted both Yu Ming and Yu Wuse to the top of a nearby tall tree to prevent those sword-qi-like people from breaking into the center army and harming them. He still hadn’t thought of how to deal with these sword-sharp people—only tall trees were safest. Boneless people and beast-people couldn’t climb up, and those sword-like people moved in straight lines, clustering together on the ground, unable to even bend their knees, much less climb trees.

Yu Wuse looked extremely unwilling, held down by Yu Ming. The Jade Queen was very straightforward, throwing her royal seal to Ying Bai: “All under your command!”

Ying Bai caught it and smiled. Just as he was about to turn and descend the tree, he thought for a moment, then turned back and grasped Yu Ming’s hand.

His palm was burning hot, making her fingers seem somewhat cold, so he couldn’t help gripping tighter, his fingertips gently caressing her palm.

Yu Ming looked down at her fingers and seemed to smile.

“After winning this battle,” Ying Bai gazed into her eyes, “will you marry me?”

The words were simple. Actually, Jing Hengbo had previously given him countless marriage proposal suggestions, having scholars and poets write him a whole basket of tender love poems and envisioning various romantic scenarios for him. Yet he only wanted to say this one sentence to her at this moment, in this place.

Tree leaves rustled. Yu Wuse angrily tried to kick Ying Bai down from the tree, but Ying Bai had anticipated this and placed him on a branch on the other side where he couldn’t reach.

Yu Ming seemed to smile again and shook her head.

Yu Wuse was wildly happy, preparing to praise his pure and noble mother endlessly, but Ying Bai still looked at her with a smile.

“It’s me marrying you.” Yu Ming suddenly laughed heartily, forcefully twisting Ying Bai’s face. “Ten li of red dowry entering Jade Palace—consider it compensation for my wasted half-life. Will you come or not!”

“I’ll come!”

A tree branch whipped across Ying Bai’s back as the furiously enraged Yu Wuse shouted: “Come your ass, you bastard!”

“From today on, if you little brat dare disrespect your father, I’ll marry you off to Wang Juhua! Call me father!” Yu Ming grabbed the branch and whipped the brat back.

“Bah, in your dreams!”

Mother and son quarreled in the tree while Ying Bai had already descended with a smile, plunging into battle.

Both sides had vastly different forces and formed an encircling situation. Once fear was overcome, dealing with these monsters wasn’t particularly difficult. These things were cunning too—after a dozen died in succession, they dove into the swamp bottom to go from open to hidden. Those beast-like people scattered into surrounding forests to break up into smaller groups. As for those clusters of sword-qi zombies, Ying Bai ordered soldiers to wear heavy armor, scatter and divide them, finding ways to lure them into the swamp.

Seeing the several-thousand-strong monster army gradually beginning to disperse, Ying Bai breathed slightly easier. The two armies could unite, the road was opened, and at least this force hadn’t been delayed too much. The only problem was these monsters couldn’t be completely eradicated. If they followed the army continuously harassing and sabotaging, even reaching the Dige battlefield, they would equally affect the Dige battle situation.

In fierce battle, he suddenly had another thought—were there really only these three types of monster people? Also, why were there no commanders present for this monster group?

Just as this thought flashed by, he suddenly heard faint creaking sounds. Though the sound was very subtle and the battlefield was full of noisy sounds, his mind was now highly alert, not daring to relax at all. He suddenly turned back and saw that ahead, a group of sword-qi zombies about to be forced into the swamp had suddenly scattered.

These monster people always moved in clusters, surrounded by white mist, making it impossible to see what was inside. Now that they had scattered, the white mist weakened, revealing a strange silver object inside that was like a cart but not a cart. That thing was about half the height of a cabinet, with strange protruding parts and what seemed to be a door below. The small door opened, and out crawled a white-robed person not much taller than a dwarf, looking at the battlefield with a half-smile, showing no signs of anxiety. He suddenly pulled a silver trigger-like object in his hand.

Ying Bai heard a faint tremor. The sound was low, but the ground shook. His face changed drastically as he swept over.

That person’s location faced away from the large tree where Yu Ming and her son were, facing the fighting Jade army. The tremor sounded, white mist suddenly filled all around, but no weapons could be seen emerging. The soldiers were in the heat of battle and no one noticed.

Ying Bai had already swept over, his gaze like lightning searching all around, but he saw no hidden weapons at all. He suddenly looked up and saw that on the silver cart opposite, the dwarf seemed to be smiling.

Cold, eerie, with several parts mockery.

Ying Bai’s gaze fell down, and this time he saw clearly the silver cart’s position—directly facing him, with its back straight toward a large tree. The two were in a straight line, and that tree was where Yu Ming and her son were.

He suddenly trembled and pounced over. Before arriving, he let out a wild roar that shook the forest trees rustling: “Jump from the tree!”

Above, Yu Ming and her son were looking down in bewilderment. Yu Wuse was giggling, saying: “Look at his stupid appearance, suddenly pouncing over like he’s seen a ghost, startling me. There’s nothing there at all…”

His voice was loud, covering Ying Bai’s roar, so Yu Ming didn’t hear clearly. She turned her head: “What’s your father shouting?”

“Mouse?” Yu Wuse also looked down in confusion. The mist below was thicker, and he felt the tree body trembling slightly, as if something was climbing up lightning-fast. He laughed: “Is my dad mouse climbing up the tree?”

“What dad mouse? From now on you show me some respect…” Yu Ming’s sentence wasn’t finished when she suddenly felt bone-chilling cold beneath her. Looking down, she heard a “crack” sound. The tree large enough for two people to embrace suddenly burst apart. White light flashed in the tree’s heart like a cold flame, rushing into view.

At this moment Yu Wuse was sitting on the tree branch right above that white light!

“Wuse!” Yu Ming’s scream was heart-rending as she lunged to block, but with another tremendous “crack,” the large tree was split in two by that white light drilling out from the tree’s heart. The half she was sitting on tilted and fell down.

Above, Yu Wuse had also realized and tried to leap up, but that white light’s speed was indescribable. Cold qi like lightning attacked his back in the blink of an eye.

Yu Wuse closed his eyes.

In a flash the tables had turned. Just now he was laughing at others falling into life-and-death situations, and now he was about to taste death himself.

If he died, that father would probably be very happy—one less major obstacle…

“Slice.”

The sound of weapon entering flesh.

“Bang.”

The sound of something hitting. His body seemed pushed by someone, but the force was weak, only moving forward slightly.

Yu Wuse opened his eyes. He felt the cold qi weaken and felt no pain. He breathed a sigh of relief, wiped his sweat, and looked back tremblingly.

Half the tree still hadn’t fallen. One person had lunged onto the half-tree’s top, hand reaching forward, just touching his boot sole in a gesture of pushing him forward.

On that person’s back, a three-edged spike-like weapon tip as thick as a child’s arm dripped with blood.

Yu Wuse stared blankly at that spike tip, then at the person’s hanging, bloodied black hair and broad blue robes, at the fingers touching his boot sole. His mind was chaotic—whether from shock or pain, his chest seemed suddenly blocked by the same churning bloody foam. Stuck and painful.

His lips moved as if unconsciously wanting to say something, but couldn’t speak.

“Ying Bai!”

The voice was shrill as a scream. Normally Yu Wuse would definitely curse his mother’s piercing voice, but now he trembled and stared wide-eyed in panic.

Yu Ming was struggling on a neighboring tree. The half-tree she was on had fallen but was caught by nearby trees. She was trapped in chaotic leaves and branches, unable to struggle free, desperately pulling at those scattered leaves. The edges of her palms were cut bloody by the leaves’ serrated edges, but she seemed unaware.

Yu Wuse stared blankly at his mother’s pale face and red eyes showing through the miserable green scattered leaves, then at the blood flowing down the equally pale tree heart. Trembling, he reached out to test Ying Bai’s breathing, but his hand was as stiff as those sword people, unable to move an inch.

Light laughter came from below.

He looked down and saw that among a cluster of white mist, a silver cart had appeared at some point. On the cart was a dwarf-like person with mocking smile at the corners of his mouth, beckoning to him with ghost-summoning gestures.

That dwarf smiled with irrepressible smugness.

The weapons on the cart each had wonderful uses. For example, that ground-piercing crossbow just now worked by reflection. Pull the trigger forward, and the heavy crossbow bolt shoots backward, first shooting flat along the ground, then turning to penetrate the tree heart. People in the tree thought they were behind him—who could imagine this cart shooting arrows from behind, emerging through the tree?

Weapons developed by capable hands under the Madam, used in battle for the first time, easily killed a famous general renowned in Dahuang for years. How could mortals imagine the abilities of Tianmen?

A moment of silence all around. Yu Ming’s screaming was too tragic—many soldiers on the battlefield had heard and seen that on the high tree, the one whose life or death was unknown seemed to actually be their own commander. They were immediately shocked and dismayed.

The dwarf laughed again.

What use were many people? If the commander died, the battle situation was decided. These people’s military morale was already in chaos. The woman and youth couldn’t command, and they only needed to recall their scattered people. With ten more ever-changing Tianji crossbow carts, why worry this battle wouldn’t be won?

He flicked his fingers. White light flashed shooting at the sky. Sounds of galloping and roaring rose from the forest again. Black mud in the swamp rolled again. The misty white sword people gathered in clusters again. A new slaughter was about to begin.

The dwarf wanted to laugh again.

This slaughter would be dominated by them.

But before he could laugh, he suddenly heard another laugh.

Slightly hoarse, lazy, with several parts mockery and several parts seduction.