348: Chapter 348 Getting Better

Xiao Qingxuan finally leaped up from the rock, dodging that blade strike.

But Tulishen had anticipated this; with one hand pressing against the rock, he agilely somersaulted, his blade turning to slash into the air!

Xiao Qingxuan suddenly stomped her foot, and instantly, a large patch of solid ice congealed beneath her feet!!

The deep blue ice collided violently with the blade's energy, emitting a shattering "crack-crack" sound.

The eyes behind Tulishen's iron mask were filled with shock; how could ice condensed in such a short time be this hard!?

The cultivation technique this woman practiced was at least Heaven Grade!

He dared not hold anything back. After his attack failed, he retreated over ten meters and let out a long howl toward the sky!

In an instant, Tulishen's muscles bulged, and his entire frame grew by several centimeters.

He discarded his scimitar, his eyes glowing with a red light, and charged directly at Xiao Qingxuan.

Like a snow wolf running across the ice fields, he lunged, his large hand grasping outward as his fingers tore through the air, creating several true qi claw marks!

Xiao Qingxuan set up a wall of ice in front of her, but as soon as the claw marks touched it, it shattered instantly!

A look of excitement appeared in Tulishen's eyes. Feeling he had a chance, he closed the distance...

But at that moment, a playful, faint smile appeared on the corner of Xiao Qingxuan's mouth.

"Boom!!——"

A stream of extremely yin and frigid blue-white energy suddenly erupted from Xiao Qingxuan's body!

Like a waterfall of ice and snow rushing into the sky, it transformed into an icy peak!

Because Tulishen was sprinting at full speed, he realized something was wrong, but it was already too late to dodge...

When the bone-chilling cold covered him entirely, Tulishen found that his brain was almost ceasing to think.

Before his eyes, only deep blue ice remained.

Ice crystals continued to spread toward the sky and in all directions.

Xiao Qingxuan stood at the very top of the "ice peak," her hands behind her back, the cold wind blowing through her ponytail as she looked composed and at ease.

Beneath her feet was a massive iceberg, and inside, a warrior was frozen in the midst of swinging his claws.

"Tulishen!!"

Marshal Suhe's heart tightened; thinking his favorite foster son had died, his eyes split with rage, and he regretted letting him attack.

In reality, given Tulishen's strength, even if he couldn't win, he shouldn't have been defeated so quickly.

But Xiao Qingxuan had used herself as bait, luring Tulishen into a trap, and freezing him in one fell swoop.

This woman's cunning was unfathomable!

"Rest assured, Marshal Suhe, he is not dead yet, but... in half a quarter of an hour, it will be hard to say."

Marshal Suhe raised an eyebrow and said, "Lin Xiao's wife has impressive martial arts, but no matter how powerful you are alone, isn't it a bit too much to try and hold off my ten thousand cavalry?"

"I know. Even if I could kill half of you, I would still be hacked to death by the remaining half."

Xiao Qingxuan said calmly, "But, Marshal Suhe, if you were to die... would this Northern Barbarians cavalry still be able to successfully execute military orders?"

Marshal Suhe clenched his fists, pondered for a moment, and then let out a long sigh.

He couldn't win in a fight, and he couldn't bluff his way out; he was completely defeated.

This girl's calmness was completely out of sync with her age.

Heaven is truly destroying the Northern Desert; a single woman by Lin Xiao's side is actually this monstrously talented!?

"Lin Xiao's wife, what do you want? If it is for me to withdraw my troops, I can agree, provided you release my son."

Marshal Suhe had already made up his mind: as long as the green hills remain, there is no need to worry about firewood!

"Withdraw the troops? Let you return to the Northern Desert and disrupt my husband's plans?"

Xiao Qingxuan shook her head, "Marshal, you cannot return to the Northern Desert. Your prestige is too high, which is very disadvantageous for us."

"Then you want me to die!?" Marshal Suhe frowned.

His subordinates were filled with righteous indignation, drawing their blades and pointing them at Xiao Qingxuan, clearly intending to defend Marshal Suhe to the death.

Xiao Qingxuan chuckled, "If I wanted you dead, why would I bother saying so much to you?"

Marshal Suhe was puzzled. That's true; if she really wanted him dead, she could have launched a surprise attack while in the air; it would have been impossible to defend against!

Could it be...

"Marshal Suhe, could we step aside to speak?"

Xiao Qingxuan pointed not far away to a deserted area filled with scattered rocks.

Marshal Suhe was somewhat stunned; how could such a young woman give him the sense of composure that only someone in a high position would possess?

Facing him, a decorated and famous marshal, she showed no signs of timidity and was even leading the conversation.

"Fine!"

Marshal Suhe also put aside his contempt, treating Xiao Qingxuan as an equal opponent.

The two arrived behind the scattered rocks, far away from the main force of the Barbarian Army.

"Lin Xiao's wife, you might as well speak plainly. Do you want me to surrender?"

Marshal Suhe thought it over and over; keeping him alive must be to use his prestige to control the Barbarian Army.

Xiao Qingxuan nodded, "As expected of you, sir. That's right; my husband wants to rule the Northern Desert, and the best way is certainly not to kill, but to let them settle down."

"If you, Marshal, can lend us a hand, I can guarantee that the future of the people of the Northern Desert will only be better."

Marshal Suhe said solemnly, "Actually, I also believe that your husband, Lin Xiao, is not a person who kills indiscriminately. Although he has killed countless people, he never resorts to schemes and plots, but acts openly and honestly. On this point, I, an old man, am also convinced."

"However, I, Marshal Suhe, have spent my entire life fighting against the Great Zheng Dynasty. You want me to submit to the Great Zheng Dynasty, even if it is just cooperation, I cannot do it."

"If you are willing, I can hand over military command to my foster son Tulishen, and let him help you pacify the people of the Northern Desert, asking only that you spare my soldiers."

Xiao Qingxuan smiled and shook her head, "Pardon my bluntness, Tulishen does not have the ability, nor is he qualified, to make us look at him differently."

"What I appreciate is your talent, Marshal Suhe. As for a mere ten or twenty thousand Barbarian Army cavalry, we really don't think much of them."

Marshal Suhe sighed, "Then there is nothing to talk about. You want me to defect to the Great Zheng Dynasty; that is daydreaming!"

"Then... what if it is not defecting to the Great Zheng Dynasty?" Xiao Qingxuan suddenly countered.

Marshal Suhe frowned, suddenly realizing something, and then grinned playfully, "So Lin Xiao really does want to rebel?"

Xiao Qingxuan neither admitted nor denied it, but instead changed the subject...

"Marshal, do you know my identity?"

"You? Could it be that besides being Lin Xiao's wife, you have another background?"

"My name... my surname, do you not have any impression of it, Marshal?"

Xiao Qingxuan's bright eyes revealed a hint of exceptional, cold pride.

Marshal Suhe tried hard to search the information in his mind, "Xiao... Qingxuan..."

Suddenly! A look of disbelief appeared in the old marshal's eyes!!

"You... you are... the Empress of Western Shu!?"

Xiao Qingxuan smiled sweetly, "Marshal Suhe, do you still think that submitting to my husband is submitting to the Great Zheng Dynasty now?"

Marshal Suhe took three deep breaths to calm his wildly beating heart.

This is too exciting!

How did he not react to this until now!?

"The Empress of Western Shu, whose kingdom was destroyed, is actually not dead, and has even become the wife of the Great General of Zhenbei? You... how could you marry Lin Xiao?"

Marshal Suhe felt it was too bizarre!

"Perhaps... this is fate," Xiao Qingxuan thought of Lin Xiao trading a steamed bun for her, and her heart felt sweet.

"Your Majesty the Empress is being modest. I think... this is all your chess game, right?"

Marshal Suhe stroked his beard, his expression exaggerated as he grinned and laughed, "Haha... So that kid Lin Xiao is also working for your Xiao Imperial Clan. Haha... So that's it! I, this old man, feel much better now!! Haha..."

Thinking that Lin Xiao was also being "used," and that the Zhenbei Army was going to "restore the Great Zheng Dynasty" and overthrow the Great Zheng Dynasty, Marshal Suhe felt that everything was looking up!