FRGNM -Chapter 251 Armies Face Off

The soldier shook his head. “No, Your Highness… it’s not that. The princess of Jinqin Country, somehow, fell from the sky. She’s lying outside, gravely injured and unconscious. She hasn’t eaten for two or three days. And she’s from the enemy country…”

“Bring her in.” Dongyang Ze’s expression darkened as he waved his hand.

Two soldiers hurriedly carried the unconscious woman inside. Her clothes were dirty and disheveled. Her fair hands were scratched and bleeding as if she had clawed at something, large patches of flesh missing. She muttered weakly, “Dongyang Ze… Ze… quickly… remove the scented pouch… poison…”

“She came here to tell you the pouch was poisoned?” Silver Wolf crouched beside her, shrugging helplessly. This woman was certainly loyal—she had risked so much traveling from enemy territory just to warn him.

Dongyang Ze’s expression darkened even further. He stared at her with tightly furrowed brows, quickly placing her on his bed and checking her forehead—she already had a fever. In this state, it was unclear how long she had been like this, or if she could even eat.

“I’ll take a look.” Green Robe cleared his throat, stepping past Dongyang Ze to check her pulse. His eyes widened slightly. Coldly, he said, “I can’t tell exactly what happened to her. The injuries on her hands have been here for several days. A few of her bones are broken, some internal organs are displaced or bleeding, and after falling from such a height, her brain suffered trauma…”

“Then… please save her quickly.” Dongyang Ze frowned, his heart twisting as if pierced by a sword.

Shaking his head, Green Robe said coldly, “Listen carefully. What’s strange is not just her injuries… but…” He turned to look at Shen Qing and drew a deep breath. “…Her body, which should have suffered fatal damage, is regenerating rapidly. Her bones are mending and restructuring. Even the wounds on her hands are scabbing over. This…”

“This…” Ling Ruoxi’s eyes widened. Instinctively, she reached out, pressing her hand against Shen Qing. Her Dou Qi burst forth, familiar energy spreading outwards. The purple light quickly enveloped Shen Qing. Buzz! A tremendous force radiated outward, knocking Ling Ruoxi backward.

Could it be…?

Her expression darkened. Ling Ruoxi quickly pulled out her compass, but the needle spun wildly, unable to stabilize or point anywhere.

“What… what’s happening?” Dongyang Ze’s brows furrowed. He looked at Ling Ruoxi in confusion. What was this purple Dou Qi? Could the Jinqin princess really be a Purple Lord? That was impossible—no one that young could reach such power, and if she were, she wouldn’t be in this critical state.

Even Luo Mingyu stepped forward quickly, pressing his hand toward the purple light, then turned to Green Robe. “Check her. Why does she have the aura of Purple Bamboo?”

“I understand.” Green Robe’s black eyes instantly turned blue. The purple light shot into the sky, enveloping her, swirling with energy—but it came from a distant direction, not nearby.

“That way.” He pointed. The purple Dou Qi shot off in that direction. Green Robe closed his eyes, his tone cold. “That is where the aura of Purple Bamboo originates.”

“Danhuai City?” Dongyang Ze frowned. His face changed drastically. Why would the aura of Purple Bamboo from Danhuai City appear inside her? This woman…

Ling Ruoxi pressed her hand to Shen Qing’s cheek, her killing intent flickering in her eyes. Tracing along her skin, she said, “Her face isn’t what it seems—it’s disguised. I think the Bai He you speak of didn’t die…”

“You mean… she is Bai He? Impossible! Bai He never knew martial arts!” They had spent so much time together before, and Bai He only knew sword dance, nothing about battle tactics. How could she fight like this? Moreover, Shen Qing’s moves weren’t something learned overnight.

Her delicate fingers quickly pulled down a thin human-skin mask, revealing a pure, familiar face. Eyebrows like soft ink, sleep-tousled eyes slightly furrowed, gently biting her lips, her nose breathing heavily—as if she had just awoken from a nightmare.

Like a sleeping Snow White, her skin flawless, her lips rosy as cherries, making anyone want to kiss them. With the mask removed, she appeared gentle, less heroic, more delicate and captivating.

The seated man froze as if struck by lightning, staring at the familiar face. His hand trembled as he caressed her cheek, his voice quivering with emotion. “Bai He… Bai He, wake up… Bai He…”

“She needs time to recover. We haven’t used Dou Qi to force healing, and judging by her condition, she won’t awaken for at least three days,” Green Robe said, frowning. Though it was only the aura of Purple Bamboo protecting her, it was effective.

Back when Ling Ruoxi had faced the Yellow Demon in the Bamboo Sea, the demon had crashed into the Purple Bamboo’s core and instantly disintegrated. Fortunately, the aura shielding Shen Qing was ordinary Purple Bamboo energy—not the core itself—or they would already have been dust.

Dongyang Ze clenched his hands, staring at that face. “I need to ask her… why she lied to me, why she didn’t tell me. She’s Bai He… yet she went to Jinqin Country. Why…”

A gentle breeze rose, white clouds lazily drifting across the blue sky. The forest ahead trembled slightly, and purple Dou Qi erupted like lightning.

The long lashes of the one lying on the bed fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes, feeling as if she had slept for an eternity. Half-awake, she focused forward. Shen Qing’s expression changed dramatically as she stared at the man in front of her, rubbing her eyes. “Dongyang Ze… you’re alright?”

“Mm.” The man sat, flipping through his military strategy book, casting her only a brief glance.

Shen Qing quickly stood, adjusting her clothing, and asked coldly, “Thanks… but as an enemy, now in your territory, can I even make it back alive?” She remembered she had come for Dongyang Ze’s poisoned pouch. Since he was fine, the pouch had clearly been discarded.

A glint of cold light passed through her black eyes. “I risked my life to warn you the pouch was poisoned. You should let me return, Crown Prince of Yunshui.”

“Sit.” Dongyang Ze said, closing his book. She didn’t realize her human-skin mask had already been removed. She now appeared as she had before, with gentle purity, and a forced, cold composure.

Such a worrisome person… why always like this?

“Are you not going to let me return? We are both commanders of enemy nations. Since I fell into your hands, you should have let me die outside your tent. Now that you’ve saved me, let me go. I won’t reveal anything about your army. You can blindfold me and escort me down the mountain.” Shen Qing frowned, observing Dongyang Ze’s unusual calm. Normally, he would have immediately pointed out flaws in her words—but now, he was unnervingly silent.

Silence…

The seated man gazed at her. Tenderness softened his eyes as he slowly reached out, touching her cheek. “Bai He… why did you lie to me…”

“You!” Bai He’s voice startled her. Shen Qing’s face paled. She instinctively reached to shield herself. “Don’t call me that! I’m not Bai He! You have the wrong person! Step back! Don’t touch me! I…”

“Your Highness! Yelü Hanxin leads his troops. Shall we engage?” The soldiers outside entered quickly, hands clasped.

Dongyang Ze’s eyes glinted sharply. “Engage! This time, let Yelü Hanxin retreat to Jinqin Country. I will take my troops to Danhuai Tower. Prepare and move out!”

Shen Qing’s hands fell to her sides. Biting her lip, she watched him leave. What now? If Dongyang Ze discovered her identity… she…

Outside, the troops were fully mobilized. They had heard the prince’s orders. If victorious, they would escort the Jinqin princess back to the capital, securing peace and allowing their families to reunite—not needing to remain here.

“Dongyang Ze! Hand over the princess!” shouted a mounted soldier, gripping his reins with one hand and sword with the other. Fear kept his troops distant from Green Robe.

A calm smile appeared. The heavy city gates opened. Armored soldiers strode out, eyes confident, staring coldly at the man before them. A smirk lifted his lips. “Princess? Sorry. I’ve already sent word to my emperor requesting a diplomatic marriage for peace. I believe the ruler of Jinqin has received the letter and will respond shortly.”