Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 363 - Two Hundred Fifty-Five: Chess Player

Chapter 363: Chapter Two Hundred Fifty-Five: Chess Player

A day later.

The boundless blizzard in the sky continued unabated.

The ruined Northern Border City lay sprawled across the mandatory route of the Barbarian Tribes’ southbound advance, but the barbarians, who had just completely seized this massive city, had already begun withdrawing from it.

They did not understand the king’s command, but out of trust in him, they still followed it.

The Wolf Cavalry roaming outside received the war supplies provided by the Sects and, with the vast barbarian army, brushed past the endless string of Sects’ campsites, heading north under the cover of the fierce snowstorm.

The tacit understanding between the two massive hostile forces was as bizarre as if they were actors in a silent drama.

Both sides were equally vigilant yet exercised restraint.

And while this uncanny scene unfolded,

In a snow forest two hundred miles to the north, a few hundred wounded soldiers were taking a brief respite.

It was very quiet in the snow forest; most people were silently circulating their Cultivation Technique, restoring the scant Origin Qi within their bodies.

Li Qingyan sat quietly on the ground in the center of the military formation with eyes closed, resting; his heroic face looked somewhat weary.

After an indeterminate amount of time amidst the wavering wind and snow,

A man in a Purple Python Robe alighted amidst the blizzard, still surrounded by faint traces of dissipating Lightning Arcs.

As soon as Li Zhaoyuan touched down, a woman dressed in an official red qilin uniform immediately rose to her feet and bowed respectfully:

"Your Royal Highness, the Second Prince."

Li Zhaoyuan glanced at her sideways:

"Meng Xi, there’s no need for such formalities. Take the time to heal your injuries."

Xu Mengxi promptly bowed her head and gave thanks:

"Thanks to the Elixir Medicine bestowed by Your Highness, Meng Xi’s injuries will no longer impede my movements."

In that desperate defense of the city, the more stubborn and honest one was, the more severe their injuries tended to be.

Xu Mengxi was not like Zhou Chen, the sixth brother, who pretended to take a hit from the barbarian totem on purpose at the start of the war and feigned death, hiding behind lines to heal.

In the final battle for the walls of the Northern City, Xu Mengxi fought desperately. If not for Li Zhaoyuan’s timely rescue, she would have been smashed into a pulp by the barbarian totem by now.

A hint of suitable gentleness emerged in Li Zhaoyuan’s deep black eyes:

"Later on, we might encounter the Wolf Cavalry that roams outside the Barbarian Tribes. Don’t be so eager to charge forward then."

Upon hearing this, Xu Mengxi’s lips curved slightly, about to say something more, but Li Zhaoyuan waved his hand:

"Enough, you should rest. I need to speak with Qingyan."

"Yes," Xu Mengxi replied, slightly disappointed, yet she nodded her head and sat down to regulate her breath and recuperate.

Walking silently up to Li Qingyan, Li Zhaoyuan slowly sat down.

At this point, Li Qingyan also opened her eyes and asked:

"Second Brother, how is the situation?"

Though he was of noble birth, as the person with the highest cultivation in this group of injured soldiers, Li Zhaoyuan uncomplainingly took on the task of scouting.

After a brief silence, Li Zhaoyuan glanced southward and spoke in a low tone:

"The Barbarian Tribes and the Sects have reached an agreement. The barbarians have started moving north and are likely preparing to take over Houting County."

Li Qingyan nodded slightly:

"Such speed is indeed quicker than I anticipated, but at least it’s been delayed for a day."

Li Zhaoyuan pondered for a moment, then asked in a low voice:

"Qingyan, are we still going to Houting County?"

"Yes," Li Qingyan nodded.

Li Zhaoyuan’s brow furrowed slightly:

"Right now, there should still be Sect members stationed there. If the Northern Border Sects really reached an agreement with the Barbarian Tribes..."

At this point, he did not continue, but his meaning was clear.

During their retreat from the Northern Border, they chose Houting County instead of the Sects’ campsite outside Northern Border City because they feared the Sects would sell them out to the Barbarian Tribes as a bargaining chip.

The few hundred remaining soldiers stood no chance against those Sects.

Once inside their campsite, they could easily disappear without a trace.

In other words, there would be similar risks in heading to Houting County.

When the Barbarian Tribes arrived, all the Sects’ Border Army stationed in Houting County needed to do was delay them, and they could disappear just as silently.

Li Qingyan’s crimson eyes did not betray his emotions as he asked in a neutral tone:

"Second Brother, do you really think the Barbarian Strange King will abide by the agreement with the Sects?"

"What?" Li Zhaoyuan murmured subconsciously, his eyes carrying a hint of bewilderment.

Li Qingyan lifted her gaze to the thick snow clouds above the snow forest:

"Second Brother, the Northern Border Sects want to see the Barbarian Tribes and our Imperial Court’s Elite Troops battle to the death while they sit back and watch, but the ultimate goal of that Barbarian King has always been to break through Northern Border City and invade Great Yan."

"If we put ourselves in the Barbarian King’s shoes, I’d be inclined to believe the Barbarian Tribes would prefer to ambush the Sects’ Elite Troops while they return to the city."

"An ambush?"

Li Zhaoyuan’s brows knitted even tighter: "The Barbarian King now knows we have the Cloud Qi Bomb, a spiritual weapon that can disperse the blizzard. Without the element of surprise, and without leveraging the city’s defense or terrain, battling in the open leaves them with almost zero chance of victory."

Li Qingyan shook her head:

"That’s why the Barbarian Strange King has been waiting for a day."

Li Zhaoyuan’s gaze turned contemplative:

"A day?"

Li Qingyan’s eyes narrowed slightly, her voice slightly hoarse:

"The Barbarian King may have been waiting for the Sects to make a higher offer during this day, but I am more inclined to believe he was assessing whether the Sects’ Elite Troops have a third Cloud Qi Bomb. After all, if they did, the Sects could just detonate another Cloud Qi Bomb below Northern Border City to disperse the blizzard, and the Barbarian Tribes would have to agree to a compromise."