webnovelvip Chapter 398 Sword Maniac Liu Bai is Here? Fan Li is thrown into chaos!
Chapter 398 Sword Maniac Liu Bai is Here? Fan Li is thrown into chaos!
After returning to the camp.
Han Zhong started eating, holding the porridge bowl and stirring it with a spoon, but didn't drink it.
"Has any news been sent from Fan Li's camp?" He put down his spoon and looked at his deputy, Zhou Cheng.
Zhou Cheng shook his head, his voice steady. "No."
Han Zhong frowned, his brows furrowing into a shallow knot.
He muttered to himself, as if asking himself, or perhaps asking Zhou Cheng.
"Am I overthinking it?"
Zhou Cheng stepped forward and lowered his voice.
"I believe the general's concerns are valid. Fan Li is the top strategist in the northern border, and his cunning is unfathomable. We should be wary of him."
Han Zhong nodded, picked up the bowl of porridge, took a sip, and put it down.
"That's right. The plan has now reached its most crucial stage, and absolutely no mistakes can be tolerated!"
Zhou Cheng nodded and took another half step forward.
"General, when should we inform Xu Longxiang?"
Han Zhong leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.
"No rush. The situation is not yet at a critical juncture."
He straightened up, his gaze sharp as a knife.
"Go and inform Liu Bai that you can kill the five high-ranking members of the Moon Goddess Cult who are in charge of the second checkpoint."
Zhou Cheng clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Yes!"
Han Zhong continued, speaking slowly but clearly enunciating each word.
"Then I'll inform Fan Li that I just learned that His Majesty has sent Liu Bai. I'll take this opportunity to personally rescue Xu Longxiang."
A glint of light flashed in his eyes.
"By then, whether Liu Bai continues to slaughter the Moon Goddess Cult's high-ranking members or simply leaves, we won't need to worry about it. We can use the news of the Moon Goddess Cult's gathering to leave the battlefield."
He paused, his tone softening slightly. "As for Liu Bai's safety, we don't need to worry about it. He's practically a terrestrial immortal; he can come and go as he pleases."
He leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
"In that case, the entire plan is now complete."
A glint flashed in Zhou Cheng's eyes. He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"General, you are wise! I will do it right away!"
Han Zhong nodded and waved. "Go."
Zhou Cheng turned and strode out of the tent. The tent flap fell behind him with a soft "snap".
Han Zhong picked up the bowl of porridge and slowly began to drink it.
The porridge had gone cold, but he didn't care. He drank it sip by sip, as if it were a bowl of tasteless water.
.......
Meanwhile, in Fan Li's camp.
In front of Fan Li were several side dishes and a bowl of salted porridge. The porridge had gone cold, and the dishes remained untouched.
He wasn't in the mood to drink.
He sat on the wooden stool, his brows furrowed, the "川" character between his eyebrows even more pronounced than usual.
He always felt that something was wrong, that something was wrong.
But he just couldn't find it.
Han Zhong's offensive is progressing steadily, and the second pass has yet to be breached. Everything is going according to plan, at least for now.
But he felt uneasy.
The unease was like an ant, crawling around on his heart, impossible to shake off, causing him great distress.
He stood up and paced around the cramped tent, taking three steps, then turning around and taking three more steps.
He stepped on the ground and left a shallow mark.
A dark shadow silently emerged from the shadows at the corner of the tent.
Mo Ya emerged from the shadows, dressed in black with a black veil, his face cold and stern, his hand resting on a short knife.
Fan Li suddenly turned around, stared at him, and said urgently.
"Has His Highness returned with any news?"
Mo Ya shook his head, his voice hoarse.
"no."
Fan Li breathed a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly.
"No news means everything is normal. That's for the best."
Mo Ya did not nod. His brows were slightly furrowed, and a very faint knot appeared between his eyebrows.
"But I feel that Your Highness is not in a good state."
Fan Li's heart skipped a beat, as if a stone had fallen from his chest and landed in his stomach, leaving him feeling suffocated.
He frowned and stared at Mo Ya.
"What's wrong?"
Mo Ya remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering his words.
"It's not that Your Highness is wrong, but that Moon Goddess is wrong. I always feel that Your Highness is bewitched by that Moon Goddess."
Fan Li's brows furrowed even more.
How do you know?
Mo Ya's voice was low, carrying the caution characteristic of a secret agent.
"Last night, His Highness took a pot of wine to see the Moon Goddess, but was refused an audience. He then drank a lot of wine. I have rarely seen him so distraught and heartbroken."
Fan Li's heart sank.
He didn't stop His Highness from contacting the Moon Goddess before because he wanted His Highness to get over his previous heartbreak with the help of the Moon Goddess.
But one thing seems to have been overlooked: the moon goddess might use this opportunity to win over His Highness's heart.
If that's the case, then we're in trouble!
Could this be the reason why he has been so restless?
Fan Li paced back and forth a couple of times, lowering his voice even further.
"Did you remind His Highness to prioritize important matters?"
Mo Ya shook his head, his expression grave.
"No. That moon goddess is very powerful. Last time, she discovered me even though I didn't reveal myself. This time, I've already taken a great risk delivering the message, so I dare not show myself again."
Fan Li nodded, stopped, and stood with his hands behind his back.
"Your concerns are valid. You can't expose yourself so soon. The Moon Goddess is very likely a demigod, and if she discovers you, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Mo Ya looked at him. "So what should we do now? Should we call His Highness back?"
Fan Li pondered for a moment, his fingers slowly tightening inside his sleeve.
He raised his head, his gaze resolute.
"His Highness must return! The Moon Goddess's methods of bewitching hearts are impossible to guard against. His Highness has already suffered emotional wounds multiple times before. If the Moon Goddess adds to this, His Highness's current mental defenses will be severely weakened!"
A resolute glint flashed in Mo Ya's eyes as he placed his hand on the short knife.
"Then I'll do it now—"
Before he could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed!
He abruptly shut his mouth, his figure disappearing silently into the shadows of the tent corner, like ink scattered by the wind.
Footsteps approached from outside the tent. Steady, powerful, and growing ever closer.
Fan Li instantly understood what had happened.
His face showed no abnormality, and even his breathing was normal.
He turned around, walked to the table, slowly sat down, picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of cold porridge, and brought it to his lips.
The curtain was lifted.
Han Zhong walked in, bending down. His black iron armor was covered in dust, and his expression was solemn.
Fan Li raised his head, a faint smile playing on his lips, a smile that was neither too deep nor too shallow, just right.
"General Han, what brings you here? Has the second pass been breached?"
Han Zhong walked over and sat down opposite him, shook his head, and his face was as dark as an iron plate.
"Not yet. I came here because I have some very bad news to tell you, sir."
Fan Li put down the spoon, and her heart skipped a beat again.
Why is it bad news again?
What happened again?
His face remained unchanged, though he slightly furrowed his brow, feigning concern.
"What news?"
Han Zhong sighed, a long and heavy sigh, like a stone falling from a height and hitting the ground, dull and muffled.
"I just found out myself. His Majesty was worried that I wouldn't be able to fight against the powerful members of the Moon Goddess Cult, so he sent several more powerful experts to provide support."
Fan Li's brows furrowed sharply, and his fingers slowly tightened inside his sleeve.
"Do you know who they sent?"
Han Zhong looked at him and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Sword fanatic Liu Bai. A half-step terrestrial immortal."
Fan Li's expression suddenly changed drastically!
The color drained from that thin face instantly, turning it as pale as paper!
His pupils contracted slightly, his fingers clenched tightly, and his nails dug deep into his palms!
Only one thought was on his mind—Oh no!
Your Highness is still at the Moon Goddess Cult's headquarters!
If the sword fanatic Liu Bai really manages to storm the Moon Goddess Cult's headquarters, then His Highness will likely be exposed!
At that time, the cooperation between the Northern Territory and the Moon Goddess Cult will also be exposed to Qin Mu!
if so,
Then everything is over!
Han Zhong's expression also turned serious upon seeing his appearance.
"Mr. Fan, I know this is no small matter. You must contact your prince immediately and tell him to leave the Moon Goddess Cult's headquarters. If Liu Bai storms in and finds your prince there, everything will be over!"
Fan Li nodded nervously, his lips trembling slightly.
He didn't even know when Han Zhong left.
The curtains fell, and the footsteps faded into the distance.
He was the only one left in the tent.
He sat motionless on the wooden stool, like a stone statue whose soul had been taken away.
The next moment, the black raven reappeared in the shadows of the corner of the tent.
The two looked at each other but said nothing.
Mo Ya nodded, his voice hoarse but firm.
"I'll go right away."
Fan Li suddenly stood up, grabbed his arm, her fingers trembling slightly.
"Go quickly! Go quickly! You must go immediately!"
With a flicker, Mo Ya vanished silently through the gap in the tent flap.
Fan Li plopped down on the stool, feeling completely drained of energy, and slumped there limply.
He finally understood why he was so restless.
It wasn't Han Zhong, it wasn't the Moon Goddess, it wasn't one of those followers.
It's Liu Bai.
It was Liu Bai, the sword fanatic who was halfway to the realm of a terrestrial immortal.
Despite all the calculations, no one anticipated that the tyrannical ruler would be so determined to eradicate the Moon Goddess Cult, sending out his strongest warriors!
Fan Li's hands were trembling, from his fingertips to his wrists, and from his wrists to his arms; even his breathing was disordered.
For the first time, he felt that the situation was getting out of control.
He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. A cool sensation rushed into his nostrils, filling his chest, but it couldn't extinguish the burning anxiety within him.
After a while.
Fan Li opened his eyes, stared at the gray-white cloth on the top of the tent, his lips slightly parted, and murmured to himself.
"Your Highness, please don't let anything happen to you..."