"What's wrong?" Qin Mubai asked, noticing Bai Ran's poor complexion.
"Did something happen?"
Bai Ran tightly clutched the letter. "The White Tiger Kingdom has declared war on the Vermillion Bird Kingdom!"
"And they attacked when the Vermillion Bird Kingdom was completely unprepared!"
What! The White Tiger Kingdom dared to do that!
Then the Vermillion Bird Kingdom...
Qin Mubai quickly shook Fang Tianhui awake. "Wake up, wake up! Something big has happened!"
"What is it..." Fang Tianhui asked, rubbing his eyes.
"The Vermillion Bird Kingdom has been attacked!"
"What!"
The four of them had no time to rest and had to leave quickly. Zhuo Yu stumbled after them, only to see them turn into a dead end.
When Zhuo Yu arrived, she found that the four had vanished as if into thin air.
High in the sky, several people rode on the back of a Vermillion Bird, speeding towards the Vermillion Bird Kingdom.
Not long before, in the Vermillion Bird Kingdom.
"Bad news! The north has been breached! The enemy is pouring in!"
"South requests reinforcements!"
"The east as well!"
"The west can't hold on either."
Murong Chen, clad in armor and holding a long sword, stood on the city wall. The strewn bodies stabbed at his eyes.
Damn the White Tiger Kingdom! To be so treacherous!
"Your Majesty! This old subject volunteers to go north and serve the country!" Bai Zhantian said, bowing, his eyes firm.
"Your Majesty, we do too!"
"Your Majesty!"
...
Xuan Yuan, Elder Hong, Bai Yunzheng, Bai Qingyu, and others, almost everyone, had wounds of varying degrees.
But none of them retreated, their eyes resolute.
Murong Chen furrowed his brow, troubled. But with the enemy at the gates, he had no choice but to set aside personal feelings. This was the cruelty of being a ruler.
"I command you to defend the Vermillion Bird Kingdom! Fight for the country!" Murong Chen bit his lower lip heavily.
"Your subjects obey!"
As he watched the familiar figures turn and walk away with determination, his heart felt as though it were being crushed.
"Fetch a carrier pigeon," Murong Chen said to Bai Yang beside him.
Soon, Bai Yang returned with a pigeon.
Unsure what methods the White Tiger Kingdom had used, their communication jade talismans were rendered useless.
Though slow, a carrier pigeon could at least convey messages.
Murong Chen released the pigeon, his gaze lingering on it for a long time.
The white pigeon flew through the blood-soaked sky, carrying with it boundless vitality.
Hoping it would be in time...
Murong Chen steadied himself, turned, and said, "Accompany me to fight the enemy!"
"Your Majesty! You are of great value! You cannot personally go to the battlefield!" Bai Yang exclaimed in shock, quickly blocking Murong Chen.
"Move aside! My subjects are all risking their lives and sacrificing themselves for the country!"
"If I remain timid and hide behind them, when the country falls, what meaning would there be in me being emperor!"
He shoved Bai Yang away forcefully and walked step by step towards the battlefield.
"Your Majesty!" Bai Yang was stunned, then quickly followed Murong Chen's footsteps, no longer attempting to dissuade him.
In the military camp, countless soldiers were injured and dead, the smell of blood thick in the air.
"Your Majesty?" The soldiers could hardly believe their eyes. Their Emperor had personally come to the military camp!
"Those who still have the strength to fight, follow me to the battlefield and kill the enemy!"
Murong Chen's voice was loud and penetrating.
The soldiers were deeply moved. Whether they were missing an arm or had lost the sight in one eye, soldiers began to stand up with trembling limbs.
"I still have strength!"
"Me too!"
"Damn it, you think we're weak just because we're tigers?"
"Those scoundrels! Let them see the might of the Vermillion Bird Kingdom!"
Murong Chen led the soldiers and advanced towards the front lines in a mighty surge.
The White Tiger Kingdom's surprise attack had been divided into five waves, indicating they were well-prepared.
There was a wave for the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest, and another at the front line. The front line had the largest enemy contingent, and it was Murong Chen's destination.
The White Tiger Kingdom's objective was all too obvious: if the front line fell, the country's gates would naturally be breached.
But if the Vermillion Bird Kingdom managed to hold the front line, it would mean that the four city gates would be undermanned, and the gates would still be breached.
With such a meticulous plan, the Vermillion Bird Kingdom was sure to fall this time.
How could Murong Chen not see the White Tiger Kingdom's objective? But the painful truth was that even understanding it, he was still powerless.
Murong Chen gripped his long sword, continuously cutting down enemies. Bai Yang stayed by his side, ensuring his safety.
The sudden attack on the Vermillion Bird Kingdom, with no preparation, meant that even Murong Chen's personal intervention would be of little use.
"Hold the line, everyone!" Murong Chen shouted, his voice hoarse.
The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, their bodies and faces splattered with blood. Perhaps it was due to lack of stamina, or their spiritual energy had waned.
Large numbers of Vermillion Bird Kingdom soldiers fell, lying in disarray, no longer moving.
"Bad news! Except for the west gate, the other three gates have been breached!" a soldier reported in a panic.
What! Three gates have been breached?
"Damn it!" At this moment, Murong Chen felt utterly exhausted. The depletion of his spiritual energy left him drained, body and soul.
As the bad news spread, the soldiers became disorganized. Many were killed while in a daze.
The number of Vermillion Bird Kingdom soldiers rapidly decreased.
Just then, a horn sounded, and the White Tiger Kingdom soldiers stopped their advance.
A middle-aged man with slender eyes, sitting on a horse and surrounded by White Tiger Kingdom soldiers, was approaching Murong Chen.
"Young one of the Vermillion Bird Kingdom, I now give you a choice," he said from his horse. His luxurious dragon robe was clean and tidy, unstained by a drop of blood.
It turned out the middle-aged man on horseback was the Emperor of the White Tiger Kingdom, Kang Liang.
"I cannot bear to see more bloodshed. If you willingly surrender, I can show leniency to all the citizens of the Vermillion Bird Kingdom. What do you say?"
Damn it! The Emperor of the White Tiger Kingdom was so hypocritical!
He had treacherously attacked the Vermillion Bird Kingdom, yet at the critical moment, he feigned kindness, offering him a choice.
If he betrayed his country, he would forever be remembered as a traitorous emperor.
If he did not betray his country, the citizens would be slaughtered wantonly.
A dilemma, truly disgusting!
Murong Chen leaned on his sword, standing tall.
"You son of a bitch! Fight us honorably!"
"What kind of ability is threatening people!"
"Exactly!"
...
The few hundred remaining soldiers behind Murong Chen, hearing this, felt their blood boil and anger surge.
They cried out in defiance, vowing to fight to the death.
But Murong Chen, as Emperor, gritted his teeth tightly.
"All of you, be quiet!" Murong Chen lowered his head, his expression unreadable.
The soldiers immediately fell silent, gazing at him.
Their Emperor would never betray the Vermillion Bird Kingdom! Absolutely not!
"I..."