Chapter 22: A Thousand-Li Charge

Chapter 22: A Thousand-Li Charge

Ever since Xiang Yan had administered the Forgetting River Water to An Zhi, he had become Shen Yuan.

On that moonlit night on Peng Lai Island, with a gentle sea breeze blowing, Shen Yuan was atop the Penglai Pavilion, sipping on Orphan Spring alone. Spending too much time by himself, he found himself somewhat bored and, surprisingly, missed He Mengfang. He muttered, "They said that the new Demon King, Hao Chang, suddenly attacked our Jiu Li. Mengfang and Xiang Yan went back to aid in battle, but it's been months and they haven't returned yet."

Gazing at the moon, he took another sip of Orphan Spring and sighed, "I'm so bored here on Peng Lai Island by myself..."

At that moment, a sound came from afar.

Looking over, he saw Wang Pan approaching.

Rolling his eyes, Shen Yuan grunted and continued drinking on the rooftop.

Wang Pan entered the house, found no one inside, and then stepped outside, calmly stating, "Empress Dian has been captured by Hao Chang. Mengfang sent a messenger with a letter, asking for your assistance."

"What?!" The moment Wang Pan finished speaking, Shen Yuan leaped off the roof, urgently saying, "Mother was captured by Hao Chang... Are all these people useless?!"

Without even bidding farewell to Wang Pan, he rushed off the island, but after only two steps, Wang Pan swooped down, passing over his head, landing steadily in front of him, blocking his path.

Wang Pan said, "There's no need for you to save Empress Dian. They have their own means."

Shen Yuan was infuriated. "Only someone like you, without a... without a heart could say such a thing."

Madame Wang had passed away early, mistakenly taking Shen Yuan with her when she threw herself into the well, assuming he was Wang Pan. However, Shen Yuan was saved by an old turtle in the sea, while Madame Wang's remains were never found.

"They don't deserve your sacrifice," Wang Pan said.

"She's my mother!" There was no way Wang Pan could stop Shen Yuan, who brushed past him without hesitation.

This time, Wang Pan didn't attempt to hinder him further. Instead, he watched Shen Yuan's departing figure against the moonlit backdrop, letting out a long, helpless sigh.

...

When Shen Yuan rushed back to Jiu Li's encampment, he immediately lashed out at everyone. "You're all good-for-nothing idiots! With Mother presiding over the main tent and so many soldiers outside, how did Hao Chang manage to abduct her under everyone's watchful eyes?! Huh?!!"

He Mengfang explained, "It was one of the maids who had served Empress Dian for years that betrayed her. Hao Chang is newly in power and ruthless, with an arrogant demeanor. He must have promised her some benefits."

Shen Yuan clenched his fists in secret. "If Hao Chang dares to lay a finger on Mother, I'll kill him!" Then, he asked, "When did this happen?"

He Mengfang replied, "It was just last night."

Shen Yuan observed the soldiers outside the tent, who were in chaos due to the loss of their leader. He said to He Mengfang, "Don't mention that I'm going to save my mother. The more chaotic it is, the better. The goal is to make Hao Chang lower his guard. I'll cross the Yupo River under the cover of night to rescue her."

He Mengfang, concerned, offered, "Are you going alone? Maybe I should come with you..."

Shen Yuan interrupted him, "You're the only heir of the He family. What would happen to Heng Yao if anything happened to you? Hao Chang doesn't know I'm here yet. It's best if I go alone; too many people might expose us."

Shen Yuan donned a well-fitting armor and chose a fine jade-white horse called Yujing Zhaoye. With a long spear in hand, he set off to rescue Dian Chen.

Riding at full speed through the night, by the time the eastern sky began to brighten, he finally reached the Yupo River at the border of the demon realm, where Hao Chang's troops were encamped nearby.

Shen Yuan carefully infiltrated the enemy's camp, making his way unhindered to Hao Chang's main tent.

Reaching out to grasp the tent flap, he hesitated and let go, thinking to himself: Is this too easy?

Sure enough, before he could lift the flap, it opened on its own.

There, in front, was Hao Chang, followed by a wolf demon. They emerged from the tent, leading Dian Chen with them.

"Mother!" Shen Yuan rushed to save Tian Chan, filled with anxiety.

"Ai," Hao Chang intercepted him. "Do you see the knife at your mother's neck? Take one more step forward, and you'll never see her again."

"You...!" Shen Yuan replied. "Killing a god will incur heavenly wrath."

Hao Chang scoffed. "What's death? They've long grown tired of this cursed land in the Realm of Demons. For the sake of our descendants, they fear no divine retribution!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan's fury dimmed significantly, and he refrained from acting rashly. He proposed a condition. "If that's the case, we can give you some cities in exchange for releasing my mother."

Hao Chang laughed. "Hahaha, I have Lord Jiu Li in my grasp. How could mere cities satisfy me? I want all of Jiu Li, and then the entire world!"

"Hahaha!" Shen Yuan laughed sarcastically. "Ambitious goals, but alas, they won't come true."

At these words, Hao Chang's gaze turned fierce. He seized Tian Chan by the shoulder and leaped onto the high tower behind the camp.

Immediately, a group of soldiers emerged and surrounded Shen Yuan.

From his vantage point, Hao Chang coldly commanded, "Kill!"

A countless number of soldiers charged at Shen Yuan, who furrowed his brow, revealing an unwavering solemnity in his clear almond-shaped eyes.

He swung his forty-jin Flaming Fire Long Spear, thrusting and sweeping, forcing his way through the crowd to create an open space.

Seeing his ferocity, those around him hesitated.

Observing their hesitation, Shen Yuan wiped the blood from his face with a grin, taunting, "Scared? Come at me again!"

"Ahh!" A pained cry from Dian Chan echoed from above.

Shen Yuan quickly looked up to see Hao Chang twisting Dian Chan's arm backward with a maniacal laugh, while Dian Chan's face had turned pale from the pain.

"Hao Chang, you...!" Before Shen Yuan could finish his sentence, a long sword suddenly pierced him from an unknown direction.

With one enemy defeated, the soldiers grew restless once more.

Unable to pull out the arrow in time, Shen Yuan first glared fiercely to intimidate them before attempting to remove it by gripping the arrow shaft.

Though he felt no pain, after a while of struggling, the arrow remained embedded. At that moment, He Mengfang's words rang in his ear:

Hao Chang, it seemed, had learned some obscure art of metallurgy. The arrows and spears they used would expand upon piercing flesh, anchoring themselves firmly in the body and leaving a bloody hole upon extraction – that was why their battle remained unresolved.

He knew he couldn't forcefully pull out the arrow; it would leave a wound and, given its proximity to his heart, likely cause complications.

With a grim determination, he snapped the arrow in two.

Scanning his surroundings, he immediately zeroed in on a figure in the crowd.

The man held a crossbow, and under Shen Yuan's unwavering gaze, he panicked, blurting out, "N-No, not me! It wasn't me!"

"Then it must be you," Shen Yuan declared, launching the broken arrow with force. It struck the man between the eyebrows, and a shriek later, he was no more.

This sent Hao Chang's soldiers into disarray, quelling any further attempts at ambush.

"Very well, very well. I've long heard tales of Prince Jiu Li's prowess in battle, and indeed, they ring true today..."

"Uh..." Hao Chang was mid-sentence when Shen Yuan's blood curse activated, triggered by the killing. A tremendous pain, as if the heavens were collapsing, suddenly bore down upon him, causing his vision to darken.

Grasping his spear tightly to maintain his balance, he wondered, What is happening?

Gradually, Hao Chang's words became clearer: "It's rumored that Empress Dianchane, to avoid marrying He Jingfeng, escaped the palace and came to Huaitree Ridge in the Domain of Beasts, where she befriended the willow spirit Shen Langhuai and fell in love at first sight. Soon after, Jiu Li sent people to set fire to Huaitree Ridge, killing Shen Langhuai, which ultimately forced Empress Dianchane into marriage. Who would have thought that even the royal family could produce such a romantic? This child is named Shen Yuan, carrying the 'Shen' of Shen Langhuai, right? But who knows if he's truly He Jingfeng's offspring?"

"Talking nonsense!" Shen Yuan defended Dianchane's honor with all his might.

Hao Chang replied, "Being part of the royal family, a surname can mean a lot. I hope you won't ever seek refuge with me."

Shen Yuan declared proudly, "Never!"

"Hmph!" Hao Chang sneered and exerted more force on Dianchane's arm.

Dianchane gritted her teeth, enduring the pain.

"Hao!... Argh!" The blood curse grew fiercer, and Shen Yuan realized that the longer this dragged on, the less chance he had of victory.

As they say, attack the enemy where they least expect it – capture the king first.

Fixing Hao Chang with a sharp gaze, Shen Yuan hurled his spear with ferocity.

Accompanied by Hao Chang's agonized cry, his arm plummeted from the tower.

Dian Chan assessed the situation and struck Hao Chang's wound with force, causing him to howl in pain and stumble backward unsteadily.

Seizing the opportunity, Dian Chan leaped down from the platform.

Shen Yuan was the first to greet her at the foot of the platform. "Mother, hehe." He was exhausted, his eyes half-lidded, and his body swaying.

Dian Chan responded, "Good child, leave it to me now."

Later on, Shen Yuan could only vaguely recall Dian Chan taking him back to Jiu Li. He saw He Mengfang and Xiang Yan rushing forward to receive him, but then he tumbled off the Jade Capital White Night Horse.

After a long recovery, Shen Yuan finally returned to Penglai. As soon as he arrived, He Mengfang approached him, saying, "You're finally back! Wang Pan has been pestering me every day, asking about your injuries and when you'd return to Penglai. Oh, he's been driving me crazy!"

Shen Yuan licked his pale, dry lips, weakly replying, "Wang Pan, Wang Pan, he must be hoping for my death. But you know what? I almost did die."

"Ahh?!" He Mengfang was surprised.

Shen Yuan made a fist with his hand. "To pull out that arrow would require tearing away a chunk of flesh the size of a fist. Plus, the arrow was poisoned. Not only did the wound not heal, but it started to rot! That arrow was dangerously close to my heart, making it difficult to extract. If I didn't remove it, I'd succumb to the poison, but if I did, I risked damaging my heart – either way, death!"

"Let me see it!" Wang Pan had appeared behind them without notice, abruptly speaking up.

Startled, they were still in disarray when Wang Pan unexpectedly began to tug at Shen Yuan's shirt, insisting, "Let me see your wound. I can heal it."

Naturally, Shen Yuan refused, guarding his clothes with all his might. "It's already fine, it's already fine!"

"I said I can treat it!" Wang Pan persisted, determined to examine Shen Yuan's wound by uncovering his clothing.

If Shen Yuan had been uninjured, he would have already knocked Wang Pan to the ground; there wouldn't have been any tussling.

"Aiyo!" He abruptly shoved Wang Pan away.

Wang Pan stumbled backward. After a moment of stunned stillness, he swiftly rushed forward and struck Shen Yuan unconscious.

"Stay back," he warned He Mengfang coldly before dragging the unconscious Shen Yuan away.

"Ahh? What...?" He Mengfang stood rooted to the spot, unsure how to react.

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