The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Chapter 1033 - 575: Eight Hours Until Death (5k)_2

Yuan Feng remained silent for a moment and said blandly, "We have just entered Jingchuan City and have yet to meet up with Commander Zhao."

The subtext of this sentence was:

Zhao Douan and his entourage had disappeared along with Xu Jingtang, and their whereabouts were temporarily unknown.

The Capital Camp’s army was less about hunting down deserters and more about frantically searching for traces of Zhao Douan.

Both parties had disappeared... Xu Junling’s heart suddenly sank, giving rise to a foreboding premonition.

...

Meanwhile, in a secluded alley within the county city.

A place untouched by sunlight.

Ji Yue sat hugging her knees, her hair disheveled, curled up beside an old doorframe, which was wet with the morning’s autumn dew, yet the Socially Anxious Female Mage did not take a single step away.

She foolishly waited the entire night, abiding by Zhao Douan’s orders, not daring to leave.

She simply guarded the Two-Life Gate.

But no one had noticed that the floral imprint on the Two-Life Gate had long since vanished. When the Sorrow God cast down the curse, the magic on Zhao Douan and his entourage that was supposed to return to the Two-Life Gate had already been wiped away.

Under Ji Yue’s black hair, a tiny delicate ear twitched, and she warily peered with her white pupils from under the hair, looking toward the alleyway entrance.

She could faintly hear the sounds of troops entering the city, but they seemed to be coming from another direction, still far from this place.

She was anxious and uncertain about what to do.

Suddenly.

A heavy footstep sounded at the mouth of the alley, followed by a shadow blocking the sunlight.

Ji Yue cautiously assumed a defensive stance, and then froze. She saw that the figure was covered in fresh blood, hair disheveled, carrying a blood-stained long staff on his back, and his right arm tied to a broken scimitar with strips of cloth.

The figure walked against the sunlight step by step until he stood before her, then his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, barely breathing.

"Lang Shiba!" Ji Yue was shocked and at a loss for what to do as she looked at the severely injured northern soldier, who had struggled back through sheer willpower.

Lang Shiba panted heavily, his face, with a green stubble, was dyed red with blood. Lying on the ground on his side, with breaths like a snorting bull, he weakly said:

"The lord... has orders... has orders..."

...

...

The morning sunlight pierced through the light mist, and in a desolate countryside, an ethereal carriage sped along.

Zhao Douan leaned against the edge of the carriage, silently watching the brightening sky outside and the unfamiliar sceneries. On his knees, there was a map spread out.

"Yunfu..."

According to calculations, they had already left the borders of the Huai River, heading southwest into Yunfu Road territory, also the stronghold of Mu Prince.

Zhong Pan’s unicorn indeed had the ability to travel a thousand miles a day, forcing its way over mountains and rivers, escaping who knows how far within just a few hours.

"Xu Jingtang hasn’t caught up yet. Is it possible that he failed to find us and chose not to pursue us?"

Inside the carriage, Yu Xiu, who was sitting quietly with her eyes closed in meditation, opened her eyes, her gaze filled with spiritual energy yet tired and calm as she spoke.

Jin Jian curled up beside her, weak in the daytime, the Young Priestess’s eyelids drooping, hovering between wakefulness and sleep, not daring to truly fall asleep.

Zhao Douan withdrew his gaze, looking at the map on his knees, shaking his head:

"Not certain, but I think he’s still chasing from behind."

This was both an intuition and a conclusion based on logical analysis.

During last night’s escape, he had discussed Xu Jingtang’s power levels with the three from the Heavenly Master Mansion.

They reached two conclusions.

First, as long as Xu Jingtang doesn’t waste it, he could keep the Sorrow God’s power within him for a long time. If he only uses it for travel, he might maintain his Heavenly Battle Power for ten days or even half a month.

Second, should Xu Jingtang choose to go to the front line, he could at most defeat the Capital Camp’s army. He couldn’t destroy it alone, not even a real Heavenly Human could. Why, he just borrowed the Divine Power. The Sorrow God isn’t even a deity known for combat prowess.

Moreover, considering the Old Heavenly Master’s deliberate arrangements... Zhao Douan, putting himself in his shoes, thought Xu Jingtang would most likely choose to pursue him.

Past experiences have repeatedly proven that eliminating Zhao Douan would be a greater loss to the court than losing an army or territory.

"Neigh!"

Suddenly, the pure white unicorn neighed, abruptly halting its four hooves, the creature restlessly stamping and flicking its tail.

Watchfully staring into the distance, it actually started to retreat slowly!

"He’s here!" Zhong Pan, gripping the reins, said in a deep voice.

Instantly, the hairs on the skin of the three inside the carriage stood on end as they stared forward. Behind the morning mist, from the top of a hill ahead, a dark cloud suddenly drifted in.

Under the dark cloud, a pinpoint-sized black dot stood on the mountaintop.

Their eyes met, and the dark cloud, at an inexplicable speed, furiously flew towards them. Almost in the blink of an eye, Zhao Douan saw Xu Jingtang, armored, helmeted, and unarmed, fiercely running across the ground.

From the gaps in Xu Jingtang’s armor, strands of gray vapor seeped out, weaving long threads that connected continuously with the dark cloud above.

Xu Jingtang’s eyes were bloodshot, unable to conceal the joy on his face. With large strides, each step was a leap over several hundred feet.

He’d been pursuing them for almost an entire night!

Zhong Pan’s carriage speed was indeed quick, combined with the initial teleportation distance gained, making this pursuit far more laborious than Xu Jingtang had anticipated.

He had even considered giving up and returning to Jingchuan City at one point.

But in the end, he chose to continue the chase.

At last, the heavens favored the determined, finally allowing him to corner Zhao Douan.

His lips curled into a smile, and from afar, he laughed wildly, his voice echoing between heaven and earth: "Zhao Douan! I told you, you can’t escape! This place shall be your burial ground!"