103: Chapter 103 May Heaven have mercy

Su Chen's large hand gently encircled her slender waist, signaling her to stop worrying about his affairs.

Just as he was about to comfort her, Ye Jingjun looked at the little girl again.

"Is there any other way? Any way at all, as long as there's a glimmer of hope..."

Having said that, she broke free from Su Chen's embrace, took the little girl's hand, and said in a low voice.

"Let's go outside and talk. Tell me about it, okay?"

He shook his head helplessly and paced in the overgrown courtyard, waiting.

The moonlight was cold, casting his shadow long across the ground.

He looked at Ye Jingjun's almost obsessive back, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

His gaze inadvertently swept over a withered old tree in the corner of the courtyard.

Surprisingly, a few red wooden plaques hung sparsely from the branches.

They seemed to be left by pilgrims who had come here to make wishes in the past.

Most of the wooden plaques had decayed, their handwriting blurred.

However, amidst the ruins, a relatively new and well-preserved red plaque suddenly caught his eye.

The handwriting on it was elegant and graceful.

"Your humble believer, Cang Mingyue, bows with all sincerity."

"I do not dare to pray for eternal life in this world, nor do I presume to wish for everlasting youth."

"I only pray that Heaven will have mercy and grant me a pair of healthy human legs."

"So that I may walk under the sun and travel across thousands of miles of mountains and rivers."

"To find the one I long for with all my heart."

"If my wish is granted, I am willing to pay any price."

At the signature, there were three words.

Cang Mingyue.

Su Chen's body stiffened.

It was that silly girl.

She had actually been here.

While she was bitterly cultivating and seeking to transform...

She had actually made such a humble yet fervent wish to the "Little Deity" in this remote little temple.

Just to have a pair of legs so she could find him.

Three years had passed, and he hadn't gone out of his way to inquire about Cang Mingyue's news.

According to his plan, as a member of the Merfolk Clan, she should be focused on closed-door cultivation at the bottom of the sea right now.

From what he knew, most of the Merfolk Clan were like that.

He never expected that Cang Mingyue would be so persistent.

The handwriting on this wishing plaque still looked quite fresh.

At this time, Ye Jingjun also finished her conversation with the Little Deity.

From the expression on her face, she seemed to have received some guidance.

But the entire plan would likely be very difficult to complete.

Su Chen suddenly snapped back to his senses, subconsciously clutching the red plaque with Cang Mingyue's wish tightly in his palm.

He suppressed all his outward emotions and turned around, his face having regained its calm.

"Finished asking?"

Ye Jingjun walked to his side and naturally took his arm again, leaning her head gently on his shoulder.

"Yes, finished."

"Master, we must hurry and take the capital."

"Then, I will definitely find a way."

"No matter what, I won't let you leave me."

"Never."

Taking advantage of the moment when Ye Jingjun's attention was entirely on him, Su Chen sent out a strand of divine sense, attempting to get the Little Deity's attention.

Sure enough, the other party also noticed his movement.

"That... Miss Cang, when did she come here?"

"Are you asking about that beautiful mermaid sister?"

"She swam over from the eastern sea, probably from the direction of Donglai Prefecture. My family's temple is famous all along the North Sea coast, so I didn't think it was strange at the time..."

"The time was about half a month ago."

"I originally wanted to take a hundred years of her cultivation, but seeing how pitiful and anxious she was, I didn't take it..."

"After giving her a pair of legs, she thanked me and left in the direction of Donglai Prefecture."

After thanking the Little Deity, Su Chen's mind raced.

Now, he and his Demon-Quelling Army were already known to everyone in Great Ning.

Calculating the time, she had probably already returned to East Lai City.

If she knew his current movements, she would surely rush to the capital at the first opportunity.

Before she arrived, the Demon-Quelling Army had to complete the task of taking the capital.

"It seems it's also time to meet her..."

Su Chen's voice grew lower in the night wind, finally turning into a silent sigh.

...

The festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival had not yet completely faded.

The war drums of the Demon-Quelling Army were already sounding again.

Having rested and with provisions ready.

Su Chen no longer hesitated, pointing his sword toward the capital.

And the road to invade the capital was indeed even harder to travel than Su Chen had imagined.

As the saying goes, do not press a desperate foe too hard.

As the last city that the nearly-collapsed Great Ning could control, the garrison inside the capital had almost fallen into a frenzy.

At the same time, this was also the place where the national fortune of Great Ning converged.

A dragon's pool and a tiger's den, its defensive strength far exceeded any previous city.

The Imperial Guard putting up a desperate struggle, demonized monsters spawned by the imperial family's secret methods.

Even some ancient existences passed down from antiquity that obeyed the Great Ning imperial family completely.

Layer upon layer of resistance.

Ordinary Demon-Quelling soldiers or even low-level martial artists were simply fodder to be killed instantly when facing these elites.

Ye Jingjun led the charge, her crimson battle robe like a banner on the battlefield.

Wherever she passed, sword qi surged, and evil was repelled.

Her Heartless Sword Dao became increasingly proficient through the tempering of blood and fire, leaving almost no intact corpses under her blade.

However, rather than calling it proficiency...

It would be better to say her obsession had grown stronger.

Yet, even she appeared somewhat overwhelmed when facing powerful demon generals or bizarre formations.

Whenever this happened, that white figure would appear like a phantom.

Su Chen's interventions became more and more frequent.

Those old monsters and imperial foundations hidden in the shadows, with auras comparable to the eighth rank or even touching the threshold of the ninth rank, were the greatest threats.

Su Chen also had to start using his life-bound sword.

That divine artifact, which originally carried Su Chen's sword soul, was indeed dazzling enough.

A streak of extremely condensed sword qi pierced the air, capable of slaying powerful enemies into nothingness.

While Ye Jingjun listened to the soldiers' praises of "Great Commander Su is invincible..."

She watched as the aura on him grew a bit weaker and his face grew a bit paler.

In her heart, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pain.

And the actions of the Demon-Quelling Army were like a spring rain, quietly changing the hearts of the people in the capital.

Compared to the Great Ning officials and soldiers who would squeeze out several layers of profit for no reason, they had strict discipline and did not harm the populace in the slightest.

After capturing an area, they immediately opened granaries to distribute food and treated the wounded.

This stood in stark contrast to the former Great Ning government, which had been extortionate and treated the people like weeds.

More and more people turned from initial fearful observation to secret support.

Some even proactively provided intelligence to the Demon-Quelling Army and guided their way.

A just cause enjoys abundant support, while an unjust one finds little.

The direction of the people's hearts is the trend of the times.

After three days of bloody battle, the Demon-Quelling Army finally stepped over the bones of countless sacrificed soldiers, broke through the last line of defense of the capital, and arrived beneath the walls of the Imperial City.

Beneath the towering palace walls, the palace gates swung wide, and a figure dressed in dragon robes, surrounded by a group of eunuchs and guards, slowly walked out.

It was the Da Ning Emperor.

Although he appeared like a middle-aged man on the surface...

Most of the people of Great Ning were well aware.

This Old Emperor of Great Ning had already sat on the throne for more than a hundred years.

(Just thinking about what I'm going to write next makes me so excited; is there anyone who gets it?)