433 Return, Shangguan Wudi! (1/2)

On the other side of the world, Shangguan Lingxiu had already led her men to set sail back to the east.

She had known all along that this expedition would be full of unexpected danger and all of them faced the possibility of death at every moment. Now that they had come back unharmed without losing any one of their members, she should have been exhilarated. However, Shangguan Lingxiu's beautiful and sculpted face was marred by faint sorrow.

Despite there being no casualties in this altercation, nothing else had been achieved – it was essentially a fruitless enterprise!

It was the polar opposite of her initial intentions; there was no other word for it.

They had traveled so far to come all the way here only to make several cursory bows before Ancestor Wudi's ancestral plate. That had been all.

Although they had helped Supreme Cloud at the last critical juncture, Shangguan Lingxiu was certain that their assistance was only the icing on the cake. Even without them controlling the city gate, Supreme Cloud would have been able to flee, by breaking down the gate himself!

Furthermore, he might not have even passed the city gate; he could just flown away into the sky. If that was so, she suspected she and her men had actually added to Supreme Cloud's burden.

What was the point of her coming here?

She sat alone on the third story deck with her arms hugging her knees in a silent daze.

She wondered where Supreme Cloud had gone to, and if he was safe. What had happened in the last meeting with the Empire of Ziyou's higher authorities?

As for the Empire of Ziyou, would they vent their anger and take out their rage on Ancestor Wudi's ancestral hall?

Would they really destroy his remains like they had threatened earlier?

What would be the Shangguan Family of Generals' next move?

How far could they make it in the future?

What would the future hold for the young nephews at home? Could their tiny shoulders bear the great responsibility of the Shangguan Family of Generals?

The approaching chaos was all too apparent; war was about to come, yet again. Could the Shangguan Family of Generals stand majestically amidst this havoc?

Could she, Shangguan Lingxiu, as the only adult of the Shangguan Family of Generals, be hopelessly ineffectual despite bearing the family's responsibilities?

If there were no silhouettes of Shangguan in Yutang's battlefield during this war, then what dignity did the Shangguan Family possess, to call themselves the Family of Generals? What right did they have to claim themselves the souls of militants?

Shangguan Lingxiu's thoughts were all over the place, refusing to settle down in an orderly manner. After some time, she could not help but sigh softly.

”Oh, Shangguan Family of Generals.”

The documents in her hands were messages sent by messenger hawks.

Shangguan Lingxiu had only opened the first one before her expression turned into one of alarm – the four empires had deployed troops to besiege Yutang!

Yutang was about to face war on all four sides. The commotion was no longer just a hint; war was apparent and impending!

The second document told the story of Supreme Cloud fighting in Zilong City, coercing Ziyou's emperor before the city gates; he had threatened the entire nation with monstrous tides and had boosted Yutang's morale in the process.

The third document indicated that Ziyou had drawn back their army! That would relieve the Empire of Yutang from being threatened on all four sides.

Reading the third document again, Shangguan Lingxiu heaved a soft sigh of relief. Things were not at their worst. At least, the war initiated by Ziyou had been halted and Yutang had Supreme Cloud again. Perhaps, she need not be too pessimistic about the war this time.

However, the fourth document put the frown back on Shangguan Lingxiu's face. The Empire of Dongxuan's Han Sanhe was at the forefront of millions of soldiers and was already doing battle with Fu Baoguo at the Fortress of Resilience.

The eastern defense line was in danger of collapsing.

Marshal Tie Zheng was also caught in a stalemate with the enemy on the northern border. The southern front was about to see war erupt in a very short time as well.

It was obvious that the incessant flow of information was sent out on the same day. There would be further developments in the morning and in the afternoon, which would see more messages being sent out. The changes were numerous and rapid as the communication lines were hot and heavy.

In the sky, there were several messenger beasts flying around, looking for their targets.

”The havoc spreading through the world is unavoidable.”

For the first time in a long while, Shangguan Lingxiu's usually cheery face was tinged with genuine worry.

My disaster-stricken homeland… When will it enjoy peace and safety?

”What are you sighing about?” A gentle voice wafted over from behind her.

Shangguan Lingxiu stood up as if struck by lightning; why was the voice so familiar?

Who was the newcomer?

Turning her head to follow the voice, she saw a cloud floating leisurely in the sky, a vague silhouette enclosed within it. It looked like a man, but there was no way to tell the true face of the mysterious visitor.

The only thing she could feel was that the person was looking at her with a smile.