World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 341 - 190: The Truth Behind the Zhi Ting Rift! (Important)_2

Chapter 341: 190: The Truth Behind the Zhi Ting Rift! (Important)_2

At this time, Suo Lun had left Tianshui City three hours ago and there were still nearly three thousand miles to go before reaching Wangcheng Zidu.

"Father, could Suo Lun take Zhining as a hostage?" Zhi You asked.

Duke Zhi Wei said, "Take as a hostage for what?"

Zhi You said, "To prevent us from attacking Wind Thunder Fortress, otherwise, he will kill Zhining immediately."

Zhi Wei said, "To enter Tianshui City, Wind Thunder Fortress indeed holds the only official road. However, our army doesn’t need to take the official road. This isn’t Tianlang Pass; there are countless paths to enter Tianshui City."

Zhi You said, "Then he could threaten Zhining in Heavenly Water Main City. If we attack, he’ll kill Zhining."

Zhi Wei said, "Then we’ll first attack Tianlang Pass, Barbarian Fortress, and all the territories of Tianshui City, and finally encircle Heavenly Water Main City. After that, we’ll exchange Suo Ningbing’s life for Zhining’s. Do you think he would agree?"

Zhi Wei was right; holding Zhining hostage, while not a stupid move, was definitely not clever.

Zhi Wei looked at the hourglass; it was about to run out.

Once the time came, his great army would immediately set out and enter the Tianshui City Territory.

And once they entered the Tianshui City Territory, it would be like a drawn sword that must see blood before being sheathed again.

Time continued to slip away, minute by minute...

Suddenly, a burst of hoofbeats sounded up ahead.

Then, a cavalryman arrived quickly, tumbling off his saddle and kneeling on the ground: "Duke, Sir Suo Lun’s cavalry is escorting Commandery Princess Zhining back. Please send someone for the handover."

Duke Zhi Wei originally thought to let Zhi You go for the handover, but after some thought, he decided to lead a thousand cavalry himself to welcome Zhining back.

He led a thousand cavalrymen and galloped out for thirty miles.

There was a river here, about twenty meters wide, with a broad stone bridge spanning both sides.

This river served as the natural boundary between Tianshui City and Baiyun County.

At this time, Suo Lun’s cavalry squad was on the opposite bank of the river, and Commandery Princess Zhining stood alone, poised in the middle of the stone bridge.

Duke Zhi Wei had his thousand cavalrymen stay on the west bank of the river, while he alone went onto the bridge, followed by a luxurious carriage.

"Little Ning," Duke Zhi Wei said. "You’ve suffered."

"Uncle," said Zhining softly. "It is Zhining who has let you down, having to trouble you to clean up the situation."

Duke Zhi Wei said with a gentle smile, "Just wait, uncle will lead a hundred thousand troops and raze Tianshui City, to avenge you."

Then, Zhining, suppressing the searing pain, pretended to be unhurt as she got onto the carriage.

Duke Zhi Wei personally escorted Zhining back to the camp in the north of Baiyun County, while Suo Lun’s cavalry squad returned the way they had come, without any exchange from beginning to end.

...

Inside the Central Army’s tent of Duke Zhi Wei’s great army, Commandery Princess Zhining had already bathed and changed into new clothes, comfortably sitting on a soft tiger-skin couch.

"Is Ashi Luo here? He is not with the great army, right?" Zhining asked.

"No, after leaving Chaos Stone Island, he went to Yingzhou Island," Duke Zhi Wei said. "Zhi Ting really is incomparably foolish, actually abandoning Suo Lun just for an Ashi Luo. Little did he know, it was all our strategy. Ashi Luo had already pledged loyalty to us long ago."

"Not loyalty, but a trade," said Zhining. "To gain the support of Rou Ran City, we gave up three hundred miles of territory."

Duke Zhi Wei said, "But in name, those three hundred miles of territory were never truly ours, but only within our sphere of influence."

Then, Duke Zhi Wei said, "Alright, it’s broad daylight now. It’s time to march into Tianshui City and completely obliterate the Suo clan to vent your anger."

Having said that, Duke Zhi Wei was about to leave the tent and strike the marching drum.

"Hold on," said Zhining. "Uncle, Suo Lun negotiated with me. He said he could pledge loyalty to us, on the same terms as Suo Hanyi."

"No," said Duke Zhi Wei. "He is a venomous snake, and it’s absolutely impossible for him to truly be loyal to us. With a snake like that, the only option is to crush it to death. Now, we have a chance once in a thousand years. Once missed, it will not come again."

Zhining didn’t speak, but instead closed her eyes to recall Suo Lun’s words.

Once Duke Zhi Wei’s great army entered Tianshui City, it would be a fight to the death—Suo Lun was sure to fight to the last man.

"Ning, I’ll be your lover, I’ll be loyal to you, please spare my Tianshui City," Suo Lun’s near-rogue voice once again echoed in her mind.

Then, Zhining recalled the intense passion of just a few hours ago.

How many times had the two of them been carried away with frenzy? Zhining couldn’t remember. Under Suo Lun’s manipulation, they had tried everything a man and woman could do—unparalleled closeness, unbounded intimacy.

Some things Zhining could conceive of, and others she could not.

Thinking of this, her throat felt swollen and sore once again, the sensation of suffocation attacking her. That bastard, actually...

She couldn’t help but pick up the teacup and take a sip, soothing her swollen throat.

"Should I trust him?" Zhining thought over and over.

Once the great army entered Tianshui City, there would only be one outcome: the Suo clan’s obliteration, Suo Lun’s death in battle.

Then, Zhining remembered something of utmost importance—she started calculating her cycle.

Ever since she had vomited blood and been injured a few months ago, her menstrual cycle had been irregular, but these four or five days could all possibly be the most fertile time.

What to do? What to do?

Should she immediately eliminate the possibility of pregnancy, either by taking medicine or by some other means?

"Little Ning, I know you value Suo Lun’s talents, and I’m even more aware of the complex emotions of love and hate that you have for him," Duke Zhi Wei said carefully. "But he is a venomous snake that must be crushed."

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