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"What is this?"
Qian Renxue stared at the empty shell of the signal flare in her hand, then raised her head to look at the conspicuous plume of smoke rising into the sky.
She couldn't help but wear an expression of confusion.
She had absolutely no idea what Dai Chengfeng was up to.
Leading a thousand elite soldiers in a bloody battle all the way to within a hundred meters of her, just to throw her a "firework"?
"Your Highness, has this Dai Chengfeng lost his mind?"
"Anyone with eyes can see that these thousand men are all elite troops. Yet earlier, he didn't deploy them to defend the city—instead, he chose to bring them here to their deaths…"
"If they had stayed to defend the walls, our soldiers wouldn't have been able to scale them so easily."
"And now…"
"They're suddenly shouting absurd slogans and beginning a full retreat?"
Hearing Ci Tun Douluo's question, Qian Renxue frowned slightly. "Yes, why indeed?"
"Could it simply be Dai Chengfeng's personal decision?"
"But inside the city, there couldn't possibly be no one with a brain…"
At this thought.
Something suddenly flashed through Qian Renxue's mind. Her pupils contracted sharply as she instinctively gasped, looking at the "fireworks" in the sky. She quickly turned her head toward the distant city walls and scanned the surrounding Tian Dou Empire forces.
At this very moment.
With Dai Chengfeng's thousand soldiers having fought their way deep into her ranks, combined with the slogans they shouted…
Qian Renxue knew full well that she hadn't been captured alive.
But the distant soldiers didn't know that!
Now, those uninformed soldiers were rushing like a tide toward her central forces.
Even the intense fighting on the city walls had come to an abrupt halt at this moment.
"So it's true!!!"
Qian Renxue clenched her teeth tightly, her beautiful eyes fixed on the golden-haired youth across from her. Behind him roared a White Tiger martial soul, his body enveloped in radiant golden light. Blood-soaked and wielding his spear, he exuded an aura of invincibility. Qian Renxue felt both anger and frustration swell within her.
"Little tiger, was all this your meticulous plan?!"
At this moment, Qian Renxue finally realized…
Why Dai Chengfeng had first sounded war drums to draw everyone's attention before setting out. Why he had so loudly proclaimed the slogan of capturing her alive. Why he had fought recklessly to reach within a hundred meters of her before suddenly retreating.
But their slogan had already changed to claim she'd been captured alive.
"From the very beginning, Dai Chengfeng's goal was only one thing: to use my identity as the Crown Prince of the Tian Dou Empire to attract all the other armies to come rescue me!"
After all, aside from her and Ci Tun Douluo, no one else knew that a titled Douluo was secretly guarding her.
Thus, when they saw Dai Chengfeng leading a thousand elite vanguard soldiers and a Soul Ancestor straight into the heart of her central forces, combined with the shouts of the Star Luo Empire soldiers…
No one could help but worry about her safety, rushing to her aid without hesitation.
After all, she was the heir to the Tian Dou Empire!
"And once they all come to rescue me, the encirclement around Wu'an City will inevitably be disrupted…"
Thinking this,
Qian Renxue hurriedly turned to Ci Tun Douluo and urgently ordered, "Elder Ci Tun, go intercept them…"
But before Qian Renxue could finish her sentence—
A sudden change occurred in Wu'an City.
Aside from the main gate, the other three gates of Wu'an City had quietly opened just a crack at some point. Dozens—or even hundreds—of black-clad scouts on fast horses slipped out like ghosts, completely ignoring the soldiers of the Tian Dou Empire as they charged recklessly toward the distance.
And the Tian Dou Empire's army, seeing them, did not bother to stop them.
After all, in their minds, rescuing the Crown Prince was now the top priority!
Wu'an City could be attacked again later, but if the Crown Prince of the Tian Dou Empire were to be captured alive by the Star Luo Empire on the battlefield…
Some of them would surely lose their heads.
And the rest of their careers would be utterly ruined!
"Your Highness, what do you want me to intercept?"
Ci Tun Douluo, puzzled, looked at Qian Renxue, who had trailed off mid-sentence, and couldn't help but ask.
"It's nothing…"
"I've lost. Prepare to retreat."
Qian Renxue bit down hard on her lower lip, her eyes slightly red as tears of grievance welled up in her eyes, making her look pitiful .
"Damn it!"
Since birth, except for the setbacks she suffered at the hands of that woman, her life had always been smooth sailing.
But today!
For the first time, she felt like she had been completely manipulated—like a chess piece being moved at someone else's whim!
"Damn it! Damn it! Dai! Cheng! Feng…"
"I, Qian Renxue, will remember you!!!!!!"
Qian Renxue gritted her teeth, her voice filled with resentment and unwillingness.
At this moment, she wanted nothing more than to order Ci Tun Douluo to disregard everything and kill Dai Chengfeng where he stood. But…
She understood the consequences of such an action.
She couldn't afford such a loss—the Tian Dou Empire was her foundation.
In the end, she could only watch helplessly as Dai Chengfeng's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, biting her red lips as she cursed under her breath, "Bastard!!!"
Compared to Qian Renxue's rationality, Ci Tun Douluo scratched his head in confusion. "Your Highness, when did we lose?"
"Our objective was to capture Wu'an City, wasn't it? Why are we suddenly retreating?"
"Whew…"
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, putting the empty shell of the signal flare Dai Chengfeng had thrown her into her chest. Then she said, "The signal flare was Dai Chengfeng's signal."
"Taking advantage of the chaos, countless scouts have likely already broken out of Wu'an City."
"At this point, even if you acted, it would be impossible to intercept them all."
As she spoke, Qian Renxue looked toward a large forest nearby.
"Surrounding Wu'an City, due to the presence of forests inhabited by soul beasts, there are dozens of military outposts belonging to the Star Luo Empire, ensuring that soul beasts cannot escape and harm people."
"If they receive the message now, they can gather at Wu'an City in a short time."
"That's at least tens of thousands of troops—not something we can withstand. If we don't leave…"
"Besides you and me, all thirty thousand of us will be buried here."
"At that point, whether I can continue sitting on the throne as Crown Prince is uncertain."
"It's better to decisively retreat while our losses are still small. Though we didn't capture Wu'an City, this battle has greatly boosted the prestige of the Tian Dou Empire—it's still a merit."
"Just not as impressive as capturing Wu'an City…"
Hearing Qian Renxue's analysis, Ci Tun Douluo finally understood.
"So that's how it is."
However, his expression darkened. After all, he—a titled Douluo—had been played by a mere teenager?
But he couldn't help but admire inwardly, "Earlier, I misjudged him!"
"This Fourth Prince of the Star Luo Empire—who seemed to launch such a reckless charge—actually had such profound intentions."
"He truly is an extraordinary young man!"
Though Qian Renxue deeply resented Dai Chengfeng for deceiving her so thoroughly, she couldn't help but agree.
After all, in such a critical situation, he had made such a swift decision.
And disregarding his status as the precious Fourth Prince of the Star Luo Empire, he had personally led the vanguard in a suicidal charge.
"A youth with aspirations reaching the clouds, swallowing ten thousand miles like a tiger, worthy of the eternal flow of rivers and mountains…"
"But!"
"If only you could pledge allegiance to the Spirit Hall, how wonderful that would be?!"
Qian Renxue sighed deeply, shaking her head, then spurred her horse. "Pass my command—sound the retreat!"
"In this battle, the Tian Dou Empire has displayed its immense strength. But when will this cycle of revenge end?"
"I, Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Tian Dou Empire, will spare Wu'an City this time. I hope the people of the Star Luo Empire will know gratitude!"
With that—
Qian Renxue ignored everyone else and galloped away.
However,
She turned her head one last time, gazing deeply at the blood-soaked, golden-haired youth in the distance who resembled a god of war, as if imprinting his figure firmly in her mind.
"Little tiger, we'll see each other again!!!"
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