Chapter 58

Chapter 58

After staying in Shanqiu Commandery for over two months, it wasn't until Lu Yunqi had established the trade outposts there that Murong Jie finally led his personal guards back to camp.

The Wolf Battalion of the Lu Family Army, however, were ordered by the emperor to remain in Shanqiu Commandery to continue guarding the border with Great Jin.

By the time Lu Yunqi returned, he was already seven months pregnant. Feeling the baby kicking in waves, he gave his belly a frustrated smack and growled, "You little brat, if you keep doing tai chi in there, I'll slap you ten times the day you're born!"

Murong Jie, riding beside him on horseback, let out a soft chuckle and asked, "How do you know it's a son? What if it's a little princess?"

Lu Yunqi paused with an "Uh..." and asked, "So you want a daughter?"

Murong Jie thought for a moment, then said, "Not really. The Murong family's daughters haven't turned out great either."

Thinking of that wild girl Murong Hua, who went around lashing people with her whip every day with such ferocity...

In a past life, Murong Hua was a side character in Lu Yunqi's plot, but she hadn't shown up much in this one. Each life had slightly different plotlines, but the main storyline always centered on Murong Jie.

Murong Jie added another line: "But whatever you give birth to, I'll love it."

Lu Yunqi suddenly felt Murong Jie was being oddly sentimental today. He asked curiously, "Hey, Murong Jie, do you still hate me?"

Murong Jie didn't answer that question, only silently said to himself: I stopped hating you a long time ago.

Men are mostly like this—once their lower half takes over their thinking, the suffering they once went through doesn't seem to matter anymore. But he felt that what he and Lu Yunqi had went beyond just the physical. Now that Lu Yunqi was helping him so much and carrying his child, he couldn't keep holding onto past grudges.

Just as Lu Yunqi was about to push further, a sudden whoosh cut through the air, and an arrow thudded into his carriage.

Lu Yunqi yelped and ducked back inside, asking Xiao Jiu, "What's happening? Are there assassins?"

Xiao Jiu quickly replied, "Yes, Master, it's a key plot point. Someone's attacking Murong Jie—it's the First Prince's men."

"The First Prince's men? Isn't the First Prince's strategist one of Murong Jie's men? Why would his men come to assassinate Murong Jie without him getting any word of it?"

Xiao Jiu sighed. "Like I said, it's a key plot point. There's gotta be deeper meaning—there are definitely other subplots at play. But Master, this is a critical moment—it's your best chance to boost Murong Jie's affection for you. Who knows, you might even max out his affection in one shot."

Arrows were now pouring down on them like rain. Lu Yunqi wailed, "How am I supposed to boost his affection at a time like this? I'd be lucky to just stay alive!"

Xiao Jiu said, "Murong Jie's Nine-Death Survival Skill isn't fully mastered yet—only seventy percent. He can take on a thousand by himself, but he's still one step short of being truly invincible. This time, three thousand elite soldiers have come to surround and kill him—all personally trained by the First Prince. This time, Murong Jie... is truly in a life-and-death situation..."

Lu Yunqi frowned and asked, "Then... what do you think I should do?"

Xiao Jiu said, "Use all your points to exchange for a shotgun!"

Lu Yunqi was confused. "What shotgun?"

At that moment, Xiao Jiu's exchange shop appeared before him, and Lu Yunqi's eyes lit up immediately. "Holy shit! A shotgun! The legendary double-barreled meat grinder?!"

As a man, how could he not know about guns—especially this double-barreled meat grinder that once killed twenty-three people in ninety seconds. It had quite the track record.

But Lu Yunqi didn't know how to use a gun. He said in a panic, "What do I do? I don't know how to use it! What's the point of having a gun?"

Xiao Jiu said with a headache, "I've automatically downloaded a gun-usage mini-program for you! Master, please install it."

Lu Yunqi cursed several times in a row, quickly installing the mini-program Xiao Jiu had downloaded for him. A dozen or so seconds later, the three thousand elite soldiers had already surrounded them, and Murong Jie's private troops had already lost over half their men to the archers' continuous fire.

Murong Jie stood firmly in front of Lu Yunqi's carriage, which had already been shot full of holes like a porcupine.

Though Murong Jie himself wasn't seriously wounded—he had reinforced his body, bursting out of his armor—the arrows in front of him had piled up into a small hill.

But he hadn't taken a single step back. His eyes stayed fixed on the carriage as he asked in a low voice, "Lu Yunqi, you alright?"

Lu Yunqi responded, "I'm fine, but there are too many of them. We... husband, there's no way we can beat them all."

That word "husband" made Murong Jie's heart tighten. He said in a low voice, "Don't worry. Even if I die, I'll protect you and our child."

Lu Yunqi said, "No, whether we live or die doesn't matter. What matters is that you live."

Murong Jie's voice grew even deeper. "Shut up!"

But Lu Yunqi continued on his own, "Husband, do you know why I've been biding my time and waiting for the right moment? Because this world is unjust, because the people suffer, because... I want to create a true utopia for this world. But I don't have the ability to do that—you do. So please promise me, no matter what happens next, you must survive and take that throne. Become the greatest emperor of all time, and make this world... one of peace and prosperity."

If he had heard Lu Yunqi say such things on any ordinary day, he would have thought that Lu Yunqi was a man who hid his depths too well—that he was the one with the greatest love for the world, far beyond what Murong Jie himself could reach.

His only aspirations in this life had been to overthrow the Murong dynasty and to seek revenge, while Lu Yunqi's heart held the people of the world. This made him feel ashamed of his own smallness.

But right now, with three thousand elite soldiers before him, all he could do was roar out two words: "SHUT UP!"

He didn't want to hear words that sounded like a farewell. Even if he took that throne, without Lu Yunqi and the child in his belly, all that would remain in this world was emptiness and coldness.

His body erupted with tremendous potential, pushing the Nine-Death Survival Skill to its absolute limit—killing gods who stood in his way and Buddhas who blocked his path.

Before him lay nothing but corpses, and everywhere he went became a pool of blood.

Corpses piled up like mountains, only to be pushed aside by the elite soldiers behind them as they continued their assault. He also had to keep an eye on the carriage not far away, as well as the occasional stray arrows flying in.

But even as he gave his all, facing three thousand elite soldiers alone, he was still stretched beyond his limits.

He forced his exhausted body to stand firm before the carriage, refusing to let those villains get anywhere near it—a stance that said even if he were torn to pieces, he would protect his family.

How could Lu Yunqi not be moved by this sight?

He squeezed his eyes shut. Though he was terrified inside—he had always been a coward, seducing Murong Jie despite being straight just to survive—facing three thousand elite soldiers now, of course he was afraid.

Even though Murong Jie had already killed over a thousand, there were still at least a thousand more. How could he not be scared?

But he had to leave this carriage. Holding a shotgun in his hands, he burst out of the carriage like a god descending from heaven, and just as a spear was about to pierce Murong Jie, he shielded himself in front of him.

In that instant, a storm of gunfire erupted, overwhelming everything in its path.

==========Author's Note:==========

We're wrapping up! We're wrapping up!

We'll give our Yunqi and Jiejie a happy ending~!