Many children, many blessings; a stunningly beautiful wife is given to you right from the start.

Amidst the astonished and uncertain gazes of Meng Hu and the others, Qin Ruxue solemnly saluted the group of exhausted veterans.

Three thousand veterans with white cloth wrapped around their arms stood there, stunned, in front of the wide-open city gate of Tiebiguan.

Before them stood two rows of soldiers, each holding a torch and clad in black armor.

The firelight illuminated their cold faceplates, and a chilling aura emanated from them, making it hard to breathe.

This formation, this discipline...

This isn't a welcoming ceremony, it's a clear demonstration!

An old soldier, who had been holding back his anger, could no longer contain himself.

He suddenly drew the steel knife from his waist, the tip pointing directly at the woman in red in front of him.

"Hand over our young lady!"

Clang!

With a synchronized metallic scraping sound, the Xuanjia Army moved instantly, without a single unnecessary command.

The shields moved forward, the spears were laid flat, and a standard defensive formation was set up.

A palpable killing intent crashed down like a giant wave.

The old soldier who drew his sword was so struck by the force of the attack that his hand holding the sword trembled.

Damn, these guys are all elites!

"Step back."

Qin Ruxue waved her hand, and the impenetrable steel formation instantly collapsed, with the soldiers returning to their standing posture.

This order, which required absolute discipline, made Meng Hu's eyelids twitch.

He grabbed the old soldier's knife and quickly scanned the well-equipped and burly Xuanjia soldiers opposite him.

My heart grew colder and colder.

If a real fight breaks out, our three thousand wounded soldiers, who have been on a night raid and haven't even had a proper meal, would probably be no match for the enemy.

He could only forcefully suppress the anger in his heart, take a step forward, and speak in a muffled voice.

"What exactly do you want? Where is our young lady?"

"Please rest assured, General."

Qin Ruxue's tone was very respectful, which made Meng Hu unable to vent his anger.

"We meant no harm, and Miss Chu is safe and sound."

"She is resting at her residence. You have all endured a long and arduous journey, so please come in and rest as well."

Meng Hu stared intently at Qin Ruxue.

Enter?

This is a den of dragons and tigers.

This woman speaks sweetly, but who knows if she has already laid a trap for everyone?

But it won't go in?

With Yao'er in their hands, we don't even have the right to fight to the death.

Going in means death, not going in also means death. The only difference is that if we go in, we might be able to save Yao'er.

Finally, Meng Hu gritted his teeth and made a firm decision.

"good!"

"I'll see what the hell you're up to!"

With a resolute look on his weathered face, Meng Hu waved his hand and roared with great force.

"Put away your weapons, all of you! Let's get into town! Rescue the young lady!"

"yes!!"

……

Meanwhile, in Lin Mo's bedroom at the Lin residence.

On a huge, soft bed big enough for three or four people to roll around on, a slender and graceful figure lay.

Moonlight streamed through the window and fell upon that figure.

On the bed, Chu Mengyao's plain white dress looked somewhat disheveled.

A pair of straight, slender legs peeked out from under the white dress, almost dazzlingly white in the moonlight.

She didn't sleep well; dried tear stains still clung to her long eyelashes.

Her stunningly beautiful face, now gaunt and worn, possessed a fragile quality that evoked a deep sense of tenderness and vulnerability.

squeak-

The door hinges turned, and the door was gently pushed open.

Lin Mo walked in carrying a bowl of hot porridge and a small dish of side dishes.

He placed it gently on the small table beside the bed.

"clatter."

The slightest noise still woke the person in bed.

Chu Mengyao slowly woke up.

She first stared blankly at the magnificent gauze curtains above her head.

She suddenly sat up, her empty eyes scanning her surroundings warily before finally settling on the man beside the bed.

"You're awake? Have something to eat."

Lin Mo's voice was calm and even.

Chu Mengyao didn't even glance at the bowl of porridge, but stared intently at the man in front of her.

"Who are you?"

"I?"

Lin Mo pulled up a chair and sat down on the edge of the bed.

My name is Lin Mo.

"Lin Mo?"

This name finally stirred a ripple in Chu Mengyao's otherwise lifeless eyes.

She re-examined the man in front of her.

Very young, perhaps even excessively young.

No matter how you look at it, it doesn't match the rumored demon who wiped out 50,000 troops in Wuzhong overnight, then occupied Tiebi Pass and turned the northern border upside down.

"Are you Lin Mo?"

She asked the question again, as if confirming an absurd fact.

"Lin Mo, the traitor of Great Xia?"

Lin Mo twitched the corner of his mouth.

This woman, does she even know how to talk?!

What is a traitor? That's called an uprising!

However, he was too lazy to argue with her, so he picked up the bowl of porridge and handed it to Chu Mengyao.

"That's right, it's me, the great traitor, Lin Mo."

Chu Mengyao glanced at the bowl of porridge Lin Mo handed her, then turned her head away without taking it.

Lin Mo had no choice but to take the bowl of porridge back and start stirring it with a spoon.

"In your eyes, I'm also indirectly responsible for the deaths of your father and brother, right?"

He looked at Chu Mengyao and suddenly spoke.

"If I hadn't rebelled, Yuwen Biao wouldn't have had an excuse to collude with traitors, and your father, brothers, and 30,000 comrades wouldn't have died."

"So, you hate Yuwen Biao."

"But you don't like me either, right?"

Chu Mengyao's body trembled slightly, but her cold and haggard face remained numb.

Seeing that she didn't react, Lin Mo sighed inwardly.

He took the spoon and continued stirring the hot porridge in the bowl.

"Actually, these things don't matter to me."

"However, it is heartbreaking to see a group of loyal and virtuous people who should have been remembered in history end up with nothing but their bones."

"This makes me very unhappy."

"Besides, my second wife... she can't stand seeing this."

"Sigh, why bother?"

Lin Mo sighed.

"Where there's life, there's hope."

"Such a simple principle, don't you, the strategist of the Mountain-Shaking Army, understand?"

How about this?

Lin Mo changed the subject.

"How about we put aside our differences for now and join forces?"

"How about we work together to kill that Yuwen Biao and avenge your father, your brother, and the 30,000-strong Hanshan Army?"

Lin Mo patiently guided Chu Mengyao, speaking a series of words to her.

However, he did not see the slightest emotion on Chu Mengyao's face.

"Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Lin."

Chu Mengyao's voice carried an innate pride.

"We will avenge the Mountain-Shaking Army ourselves."

We appreciate your kindness.

It's all over.

So all that talk I just said was for nothing?

Why bother?

Lin Mo was a little angry. He stared intently at Chu Mengyao and continued speaking.

"What's the point of leading those three thousand old, weak, sick, and disabled people to their deaths in Zhenbei City?"

The atmosphere felt somewhat heavy.

Lin Mo shrugged and then added a few more words, half-jokingly.

"Is it your tradition, the Mountain Shaking Army, to line up and deliver your own heads?"

"Your dad gave one, your brother gave one, now it's your turn?"

"Buy two, get one free? Are you trying to offer a combo deal?"

However, these were what Lin Mo considered to be jokes.

But they were like red-hot steel needles, piercing deep into Chu Mengyao's heart.

She looked up abruptly, and for the first time, a flame of anger ignited in her lifeless eyes.

"What do you know?!"