The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Chapter 1288 684: The Dice That Reverse Fate

Zhao Douan raised his hand and summoned the Spring God. After making the earth of the Capital return to spring, he transformed into a white arc of light and went straight westward.

Xiping Road, Luoxia Slope.

The morning sunlight spread evenly over this slope, which was higher in the east and lower in the west. Wisps of smoke rose from a small, ruined town on the slope that had long been burned and damaged by the fires of war.

At the highest point of the small town, Gongshu Tianyuan straddled his legs, sitting on a thick cannon barrel, his eyes vacant as he wiped the bloodstains off the barrel with a rag.

In just one year, the once genius magician had become significantly thinner, his filthy priest robe was covered in scorch marks from flames.

The bamboo tube that was once constantly by his side had long been lost in the war, and the "Heavenly Element Cannon" beneath him, which had once created a record against Prince Jing, was now riddled with scars.

The view moved backward.

Behind Gongshu Tianyuan, within the ruins of the small town, lay scattered wounded soldiers of a defeated army.

Among the retreating soldiers, those who could still move set up pots to cook, while others who were badly injured lay in various temporary tents where priests from the Heavenly Master Mansion moved among them, providing treatment.

The vast Luoxia Slope was steeped in an atmosphere of despair and defeat. Whether priests or soldiers, numbness was etched on their faces.

A few days ago, the Empress of Yu Country launched a massive counterattack, with the remaining court troops abandoning the stance of total defense and gathering the experts scattered among various military units.

The court experts followed the Empress like a sharp blade, tearing through the troops of the Western Regions and heading straight for Yumen Pass.

The priests from the Heavenly Master Mansion and other elite forces of the Divine Mechanism Camp also launched a large-scale attack, engaging the enemy.

Unfortunately, this massive counterattack still failed.

Not only was the Empress deeply embedded in enemy ranks, but the court troops were also scattered, countless retreating soldiers fled in disarray, and the Heavenly Master Mansion team with Gongshu Tianyuan got separated from generals like Shi Meng.

A group of priests led some soldiers, fighting and retreating, suffering heavy casualties and temporarily resting here.

"Fifth Junior Brother, it's time to eat."

As Gongshu Tianyuan was lost in thought, a woman's weary voice came from behind him.

The woman wore a priest robe full of filth and had several gold hairpins slanted in her hair, bells jingling at her ankles as she walked.

It was Li Wushang Dao, who had come from the East Sea to join the battle at Xiping.

Gongshu Tianyuan turned his head listlessly, nodding to her, and jumped off before the two walked towards the town, seeing only people who had completely lost their will to fight.

Undoubtedly, after losing the Empress as a banner, the army's morale had utterly collapsed.

If not for the priests of the Heavenly Master Mansion holding the line, the troops would have already dispersed.

In the bleak daylight, the two walked to a segment of a damaged, collapsed city wall, roughly the height of a person.

This was a sheltered place, where a tent was set against the wall's base.

Outside the tent, a small figure wearing broken glasses sat silently by a fire pit.

Jin Jian's small face was dirty, the magic wand tossed aside, she clutched a large metal spoon, stirring a broken iron pot hanging over the fire, ladling the cooked porridge into a few clay bowls.

Gongshu Tianyuan approached, his voice hoarse: "Where's Second Senior Sister?"

Jin Jian said nothing, as if she hadn't heard.

Li Wushang Dao gestured toward the deeper part of the town.

Gongshu Tianyuan looked over, seeing a strand of sunlight piercing the east, somewhat glaring. In the shadow of the sunlight, a slender female priest walked toward them.

She wore a pale blue Taoist robe, her hair fixed with a wooden hairpin, with a hemp rope draped over her shoulder, its end tied to an urn at her waist.

Most striking were the empty, dangling sleeves of this priest's robe.

Both arms had been severed by someone.

"Second Senior Sister." The two respectfully saluted.

Yu Xiu had no expression on her face, merely nodding slightly: "Let's eat."

"Yes."

The two responded again.

In their gestures, Yu Xiu seemed to be the sole leader of this remnant group from the Heavenly Master Mansion.

The four gathered around the fire, Jin Jian handed each a large bowl before picking up a third to sit beside Yu Xiu, kneeling, her small bottom resting on her legs, using a spoon to feed her.

"Has Fourth not woken yet?" Li Wushang Dao looked toward the tent and asked.

Han Zhao had been gravely injured and unconscious in the last skirmish.

Yu Xiu calmly replied, "He will come out when he wakes."

Gongshu Tianyuan held the steaming porridge bowl, looking at the rich rice in the bowl and the pile of jerky, forcing a smile:

"Why is today's meal so plentiful? Ration supplies have been scarce for a long time, it's quite wasteful."

Yu Xiu sipped the porridge Jin Jian fed her, emotionless as she said:

"The Buddhist martial monks led by Da Jing Master are likely to catch up again soon. After surveying, I found that our people have lost their will to fight and cannot withstand another attack."

Gongshu Tianyuan was startled.

A bitter smile appeared on Li Wushang Dao's beautiful face:

"So, this is our last meal?"

Yu Xiu fell silent for a moment, closing her eyes as if she couldn't bear it, murmuring:

"Unless we abandon the others and escape alone, we will die here."

After a pause, she added:

"There's actually some news I haven't told you. A while ago, a message from the well said the great banyan tree deep in the Heavenly Master Mansion has completely withered.

I wasn't surprised. Since Master and Zhao Douan disappeared a year ago, I've had this premonition.

Initially, I tried hard to suppress the news of Master's disappearance, until the priests were dying one by one, and eventually it could no longer be concealed. Fortunately, Senior Brother was still holding on then."