TNIBFT -Chapter 284 Cannons

“Careful, the slope here is a bit slippery!”

Seeing Ye Tian struggling slightly as he walked, Qin Fengyi moved with light, quick steps. In just a couple of strides, she got ahead of him and stretched out her small hand toward him.

Her phoenix-like eyes shone like stars—brilliant as a galaxy.

She turned her head slightly, loose strands of hair brushing across her forehead. Her breathtakingly beautiful face made Ye Tian feel a little embarrassed. He pursed his lips, but his body was more honest than his thoughts—without a second of hesitation, he instinctively reached out his right hand.

“I…” Ye Tian wanted to say that he wasn’t usually this frivolous.

He had never taken the initiative to hold a woman’s hand.

Just as he was about to explain himself, Qin Fengyi spoke first, “You’re the father of my child. From now on, only I’m allowed to protect you!”

“Got it?”

Huh?

Ye Tian suddenly looked up.

Qin Fengyi turned her head, raising an eyebrow at him.

Ye Tian wanted to say—if he fell into the water, would that mean no one else on the road could save him?

Wasn’t that a bit too domineering?

But… why did he feel strangely excited inside?

“City Lord!”

“City Lord!”

Seeing Ye Tian arrive, Xie Jinnan, Zhu Zhongyi, and the others who had been waiting immediately jogged forward and cupped their fists in greeting.

“City Lord, everything is ready!”

“We’re just waiting for you to test the results!” Xie Jinnan’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

Only he knew just how destructive the thing he had created would be. Without Ye Tian’s suggestion—without the opportunity and materials Ye Tian provided—he would never have been able to forge such a powerful weapon in his lifetime.

One battle to make a name for himself!

Just these next two days!

Xie Jinnan’s wrinkled face looked full of vigor.

Ye Tian nodded slightly. “Elder Xie, you’ve worked hard.”

Zhu Zhongyi’s gaze fell on the tightly clasped hands of Ye Tian and Qin Fengyi. The young man lowered his head, his chest feeling as though countless blades were stabbing into his flesh—painful, suffocating jealousy. The thought that the person standing beside her was Ye Tian made it even harder for him to bear.

Ye Tian swept his gaze calmly over the crowd, then led Qin Fengyi toward an object covered with red silk.

Qin Fengyi was completely puzzled.

Ye Tian was being so mysterious—she was truly curious about what was hidden beneath that red cloth.

The hill wasn’t very tall, just a small raised slope. From their vantage point, everyone could look down and see the civilians outside the city.

Ye Tian released Qin Fengyi’s hand. Under the warm sunlight, the red silk reflected a faint glow. He narrowed his eyes slightly as the crowd gathered around him, each person wearing an expression of anticipation. They had been researching in secret for a long time. With a great battle approaching, this was the crucial moment.

With a wave of his hand, Ye Tian lifted the red cloth.

A strangely shaped object—indescribable, unlike anything familiar—was revealed before everyone.

In developing the cannon, Ye Tian had divided the manpower into several teams, each responsible for a different task. Without all the teams working together, the cannon could never have been completed.

This was also the first time everyone had seen the complete cannon.

“City Lord?”

“This…?”

Several people stood there, confused. Qin Fengyi carefully examined the bizarre object before her.

…

Outside the city—

“Ye Tian is ungrateful!”

“My father and the Shi family risked their lives for him, and now that the Great Zhou is about to attack Sifang City, he secretly ran away, not caring whether we live or die!”

Shi Xuan shouted loudly from within the crowd, his voice filled with righteous indignation, quickly drawing a large audience.

Dressed in luxurious clothing, Shi Xuan carried himself with the air of a noble young master. His every gesture made people around him speculate about his identity.

As the crowd grew larger, Shi Xuan glanced around and continued, “Everyone knows that the Great Zhou Empress is going to attack Sifang City, right?”

“The Great Zhou army is already on the snowy plains just dozens of li away—sixty thousand troops! Once they arrive, do you think any of us will still have a way to survive?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the previously curious onlookers were filled with fear.

People in the city had indeed heard rumors, but over the past few days, Tao Lichun had been issuing daily notices to reassure the public. Everything was operating as usual, and many had chosen to trust Ye Tian, believing the rumors to be false.

But now that the Shi family was saying this—could it still be fake?

After all, everyone in Sifang City knew that the Shi family handled business affairs for Ye Tian outside the city.

The power behind the Shi family… was Ye Tian!

At that moment, Ye Yunting, his two siblings, and Old Yang happened to run into Shi Hao just outside the city.

During this period, Shi Hao had been traveling with Shi Shanxiang on business and had matured considerably. The way he spoke and handled matters now carried a steadiness beyond his years.

“What’s going on over there? Why are there so many people?” Xiao Jiang asked in surprise, already moving forward to take a look.

Shi Hao turned slightly to glance at Ye Shuangxue. Seeing that she had been downcast the entire way, he lowered his head. After a long pause, he said, “Shuangxue, you don’t need to worry. Uncle Ye must have his own plan. You should trust him.”

Ye Shuangxue’s face fell, her brows tightly knit with worry.

Shi Hao stepped closer, about to say more—

“Of course we should trust our boss!” Old Yang quickly squeezed himself between Ye Shuangxue and Shi Hao.

As long as it was someone of the opposite sex—no matter the age—they were absolutely not allowed to get close to the child he had raised.

After all, propriety between men and women must be observed!

Shi Hao wasn’t embarrassed. He said firmly, “Our Shi family—my father and I—will always trust Uncle Ye!”

He added the last sentence as if declaring his resolve.

At that moment, Shi Xuan’s voice rang out from the crowd—

“Ye Tian secretly dug an escape tunnel! The moment he realized things were going bad, he took his people and fled! And what about us? We’re the pitiful ones—he rebelled and is leaving us here as cannon fodder!”

Hearing this, Shi Hao froze on the spot.

Old Yang shot him a scrutinizing look. “Shouldn’t your father explain this to our boss?”

Shi Hao looked flustered as he turned to Ye Shuangxue. “That’s not true!”

Meanwhile, Shi Xuan continued shouting in the crowd, his words making Shi Hao feel utterly ashamed.

Shi Hao rushed into the crowd and shouted sternly, “Shi Xuan?!”

The onlookers were stunned, all turning to look at him.

Shi Xuan snapped back to his senses. His eyes revealed panic and guilt, and he unconsciously took a step back, ready to turn and run.

Ever since returning to Sifang City, he had asked his father to secure him an official position. After all, he was an educated man, and the Shi family worked for Ye Tian—such a small favor should have been effortless.

Yet Ye Tian refused!

He looked down on him!

“What I said is the truth!” Shi Xuan argued. “And you—I’m your elder brother! Don’t think that just because Ye Tian favors you, you can disrespect me!”

“Apologize!” Shi Hao shouted.

“Explain everything to everyone! Tell them Uncle Ye isn’t like that!” Furious, Shi Hao stepped forward and grabbed Shi Xuan by the collar.

This was the first time he had confronted Shi Xuan head-on.

Shi Xuan looked lazily at the crowd, grinding his teeth as he sneered, “Shi Hao, just how much benefit did Ye Tian give you to make you risk your life for him?”

“You want to die—that’s your choice! But you can’t drag everyone else down with you!”

“Do you even have a conscience?!” Shi Hao roared hysterically. Seeing Shi Xuan like this, he raised his fist and punched him squarely in the nose.

Thud!

Shi Xuan staggered and fell to the ground. “You—” he began, about to speak—

When suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, “What’s that?”

“The City Lord is over there!”