Jiaohua

However, Xia Zhaoyi quickly suppressed these emotions: "Don't worry, when you get busy, you won't even think about being hungry. Time flies when you're fighting, and we'll be able to meet again soon. Besides, this meeting was unexpected for both of us, so consider it a gift from life."

Shen Lie looked at her quietly, then nodded reluctantly: "Okay."

As if to cheer Shen Lie up, Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "Besides, don't you think we're destined to meet? I was supposed to go to the Northwest, and you were supposed to go after Li Xiao, but we ended up reuniting in a small village in Xinchun County, Zhuzhou by some twist of fate."

The phrase "destined to meet and to be together" was like a piece of candy that she kissed and fed to Shen Lie.

Shen Lie's dark eyes turned deep and ardent: "I'll be finished soon, and I'll come find you as soon as possible."

"...Actually, it's best if you come at the end of the year. You're never destined to stay long, and I don't want you to make a long journey."

“I’m not tired,” Shen Lie laughed happily. “You crossed the threshold of life and death to come back and form a bond with me. Can the mere few thousand miles from the Central Plains to the Northwest be more difficult to cross than life and death?”

Xia Zhaoyi noticed that Shen Lie was smiling more and more when he was with her, and he looked exceptionally handsome when he smiled, with bright pupils, white teeth, and the smile completely illuminating his dark eyes.

“You’re right,” Shen Lie said again. “We are destined to be together, Ali. This destiny is priceless, and even ten thousand gold pieces or a hundred thousand jade mines cannot buy it. Life and death are not insurmountable obstacles, let alone the future that we can see with our own eyes. Besides, my decision to come to you is something we agreed on long ago. From now on, you can forbid me from doing anything else, but you are not allowed to stop me from coming to you.”

Xia Zhaoyi seemed to have been fed a piece of candy by him, the sweetness reaching the deepest part of her heart: "Okay... then I'll wait for you."

Those who came looking for them from afar were stopped by Zhili and Wu Shaoning from a distance, and were not allowed to disturb them.

However, time is something that neither Zhili nor Wu Shaoning can stop, no matter how much they stretch their arms.

Half an hour later, Xia Zhaoyi was about to set off. Before leaving, she went to visit Danxianzhou and Sect Master Gu, and asked Shen Lie to go back and rest, but Shen Lie refused and stayed by her side.

The old man knew she was leaving, so he and Yuan Muxue finished their survey in the underground palace and returned early.

The old man had something to tell her, related to the things Xia Zhaoxue had given her, as well as what he had discovered while following Chongmen Heng a few months ago.

The master and disciple chatted for a long time. The old man glanced at Shen Lie, who was being entangled in a mess not far away, and said to Xia Zhaoyi, "With him here, I won't see you off."

Xia Zhaoyi chuckled: "Even if Shen Lie weren't here, would Master still send me off?"

The old man said, "That's not the case."

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "Master, I'm leaving now."

The old man said, "Take good care of yourself. Don't put all your energy into your subordinates. You are important too."

"Yes, sir!"

Shen Lie escorted Xia Zhaoyi ten miles away, but this time Xia Zhaoyi firmly stopped him.

She tugged at the reins, turned her head to look at him, and said softly, "Go back and get some sleep. Don't overwork yourself. Take care."

Shen Lie didn't say much, but nodded solemnly: "Mm."

Xia Zhaoyi flicked her whip with a flourish: "Giddy up!"

Feng Ping and the other female soldiers rode up to follow.

As always, he stood still, watching her retreating figure, his dark eyes deep and unfathomable.

She restrained herself and did not look back.

Even after her figure completely disappeared, Shen Lie couldn't bear to look away. That evening, after catching up on a nap, Shen Lie didn't linger there either, and bid farewell to the old man.

He ordered Fang Yiping to stay in Zhuzhou with his troops for the time being, to help the old man dig through the underground palace before heading to Ningzhou and Tangzhou.

Because the location was good, with countless villages of all sizes within a radius of twenty miles, it was much easier to recruit manpower than it was in Longdan Mountain, where Qianqiu Palace was located. In addition, with the help of Fang Yiping's army, the old man actually dug through the underground palace in less than a month.

Fang Beishuang, Fang Liuhui, and the other members of the Jin family got lost in the underground palace. Unwilling to be captured alive, they all committed suicide by swallowing poison.

Besides them, five members of the Nangong family were also found in the underground palace. Even with a map, they still got lost.

However, they had gotten lost very deep down, and when they were found, they had died of thirst because they had not drunk water for many days.

Apart from that, nothing else was found, and there was no trace of Xie Zhong.

In early September, to avoid Yan Jun, Li Xiao ventured deep into Jiangzhou. After a series of unexpected events, he was forced to enter Youhu County in Jiangzhou, where Shen Lie had been besieged by Jin Hongkang years before.

Upon learning of this, Jin Hongkang immediately mobilized his troops, dispatching three of his most formidable generals to capture Li Xiao alive.

At the same time, Shen Lie did not hesitate and led his troops into Xiaonanshan, which he had not visited for many years.

Back then, Shen Lie and the Guo family's secret guards were surrounded by Jin Hongkang's heavy troops here, trapped in a desperate situation with almost no way to survive. But it was precisely because of this experience that Shen Lie became very familiar with the terrain of Xiaonanshan.

This time, he was accompanied not only by all the Yan troops who had been pursuing Li Xiao and Guan Ning's army southward, but also by reinforcements sent by the northern defense of Hejing.

After entering the mountains, Shen Lie sent Ye Zheng and Wu Shaoning to ambush and hide troops at several entrances to the valley to deal with the Daping Army, while he and Liang Jun led five hundred elite troops up the mountain.

Jin Hongkang's vanguard forces were severely defeated; some fled, while others fought to the death.

Over the course of five days, a thousand people perished.

Li Xiao and the remnants of Guan Ning's army encountered extremely poor conditions in the mountains. The environment there was far harsher than they had imagined. The forests were dense and blocked out the sun, with almost no sunlight in the depths. Once outside the forests, the heat was unbearable. Coupled with Shen Lie's relentless pursuit, Li Xiao completely broke down.

He couldn't accept his crushing defeat.

Although his birth mother was a concubine, he was the son of the Prince of Jian'an. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and was born into a privileged position, a member of the imperial family, and a chosen one of heaven!
He had a long memory and even as a child, he disdained what he possessed.

Normally, others would kneel before him, but when he first accompanied his father to the palace to pay homage to the emperor, it was he, a little boy, who had to kowtow to the emperor he had never met before.

At that time, Li Xiao understood that power has a hierarchy; no matter how powerful he was, there were still people who rode on his head.

He made up his mind that he would become a true superior person, the strongest person!
And coincidentally, he possesses a talent that is one in a million.

He grew tall and strong from a young age, with a stable lower body, agile movements, and swift footwork. As early as when he was twelve years old, all the guards and servants in the palace, except for a few top experts, had become his defeated opponents.

Among them was his cousin, Bao Suwei, who looked almost exactly like him.

He was originally no match for Bao Suwei and was constantly being beaten to the ground by her.

He's not satisfied; he has to win. If he doesn't win, he can't sleep or eat!

Year after year, day after day, until he was twelve years old, he and Bao Suwei reached a draw. Gradually, Bao Suwei became no match for him anymore. (End of Chapter)