Chapter 26: An Inescapable Net

Shaoshao remained silent, which only deepened Lin Shu's sense of guilt. Upon reaching the doorway and seeing her anxious and aggrieved expression, he was suddenly filled with regret—yet secretly, a hint of anticipation as well.

Such joyous matters should be shared by all, bringing pleasure not just to oneself but to everyone. If only one person enjoys while another suffers, where is the true delight in that?

He sighed, stepping into Shaoshao’s room.

He had returned, and the flustered Young Priestess could only bow in supplication, hoping to be spared.

“Shaoshao, there’s no need for formalities. From now on, the imperial inspections shall be entrusted to your care,” Lin Shu declared.

Catching the king’s gaze, Shaoshao seemed to glimpse countless meanings within it.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Sensing the king’s guilt and apologetic look, Shaoshao’s panic slowly faded, though a cool detachment settled deeper in her heart.

At that moment, Shaoshao’s demeanor was strikingly similar to her animated counterpart; though her features and complexion differed in many details, her expression and spirit were nearly identical.

“When the Moon Goddess’s forces are properly drilled, I shall seize the land of the Eastern Hu. Begin preparations for the founding of the nation,” Lin Shu said.

“Once the nation is established, you shall serve as the Empire’s guardian mage, assisting in governance. Shaoshao will stand as the Empire’s Saintess, representing me in inspecting the empire and correcting its departments.”

The Imperial Mage—a position second only to the ruler—at last fulfilled the Moon Goddess’s long-held wish.

“By your command, Your Majesty.”

She had thought his words mere fancy, yet they proved true. The Young Priestess bowed as well. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

An Imperial Mage and a Saintess—the highest ranks of the empire were now occupied entirely by women.

Jingni spoke up, “Your Majesty, you have not yet appointed me.”

Jingni longed to become his queen, yet felt unworthy. Her greatest regret was not having met her husband a year earlier; otherwise, Yan’er would have been his child.

Lin Shu valued only the empire; a kingdom was a petty, weak state by comparison. Yet, his current territory, population, and army did not merit the dignity of an emperor, so he must settle for the title of king for now.

He was no fool like those who, ruling over a tiny cluster of islands, dared proclaim themselves as the Celestial Emperor. Indeed, those island nations lived up to their reputation.

“Moon Goddess, arrange the coronation as queen to coincide with the founding ceremony. There’s no need for excessive pomp,” he instructed.

Lin Shu turned solemnly to Jingni. “From now on, you are not only the Imperial Queen, but also the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, managing state affairs for me.”

“By your command, husband!” Jingni closed her eyes and, for the first time, bowed with genuine respect to her lord and king.

Prime Minister—a title perfectly suited to her elder sister, the Moon Goddess noted with admiration.

…

Early the next morning, after watching the king’s divine chariot depart, Halong led the army out for training.

If it were merely infantry combat, the barbarian warriors’ physical strength would need little instruction. Yet their opponents were not infantry, but the Eastern Hu—who commanded two hundred thousand cavalry.

Thus, the northern army drilled in anti-cavalry tactics. With their small population, Lin Shu could not bear heavy casualties.

Cavalry moved like the wind, capable of rapid advances and retreats, even flanking for sudden attacks—all challenges they must soon face. Though Lin Shu possessed an invincible carriage, it could not cover fronts stretching several or dozens of kilometers.

It was a fool’s dream to have the barbarians train in complex formations like the Five Gates or Eight Trigrams. The army, numbering over sixty thousand, focused mainly on rapid archery and crossbow volleys, and quickly assembling into spear formations.

Once confronted by cavalry, as soon as the spear forest was formed, light horsemen would not dare charge headlong. With archers and crossbows providing covering fire from afar, even infantry could withstand the swift bow cavalry.

A few kilometers from the camp, the mainframe Mindshadow gleefully reported.

[Commander, assassins are assembling. One swordsman possesses energy of three thousand, another with two thousand six hundred.]

The rest, whose energy did not exceed two thousand, Mindshadow deemed beneath notice—they would be eliminated in a heartbeat.

“Excellent! More energy gains! Black and White Xuanjian truly are formidable!”

From the inscriptions on their swords, Lin Shu recognized their identities.

Though Xuanjian was powerful, even a grandmaster’s full exertion unleashed only half their spiritual energy—at fifteen hundred units, even a second-level carriage could withstand it.

At that moment, the Moon Goddess and Young Priestess sat at the driver’s seat, while Lin Shu embraced Jingni atop the carriage roof, admiring the scenery.

Jingni’s ear rested near Lin Shu’s lips, overhearing his muttered words.

“Husband, Black and White Xuanjian have come as well?” Jingni knew only that Yanri and dozens of assassins were scattered outside the camp.

Cavalry could not catch them, and Lin Shu had no desire to chase them one by one; he was deliberately luring them in.

“Xuanjian just appeared, but it matters not—just another head, and three famous swords to gift Little Moon and Shaoshao.”

Those so-called top-tier assassins were, in Lin Shu’s eyes, nothing more than oversized flies.

Black and White Xuanjian—black sword for attack, white for defense—were, as Jingni knew, the strongest assassins of the net.

“Pity they are so stubborn and unyielding; otherwise, they’d make fine subordinates.”

Thinking how two experts would soon be reduced to energy, Jingni felt her own Jingni sword had lost its allure.

Her words reminded Lin Shu how desperately short-handed they were.

…

“Master Xuanjian, the northern army is not shadowing us; they are scattered training at various locations. However, the Moon Goddess of the Yin-Yang clan is no weakling, and the North King’s strength is likely equal to the Eastern Lord of Yin-Yang,”

Before Xuanjian, Yanri—clad in armor—dared not show any disrespect.

Xuanjian, with slightly dark skin and an average build, smiled faintly. “The Yin-Yang clan is strong, but they still lack a certain refinement. Forget this North King; we’ll kill Jingni first, then dispatch him.”

Heaven’s net, none shall escape! Jingni, you will regret this. Yanri’s lips twitched—at last, he had his chance.

No doubt, Jingni’s whereabouts had been leaked by the Yin-Yang clan, though they never mentioned the carriage.

To avoid frightening the assassins away, Lin Shu let the carriage stop on the mountainside, the two dragon horses feigning exhaustion, lying motionless.

A crisp clang signaled a sword drawn; Xuanjian was already perched on a branch, and Yanri leaped out, followed by a hundred masked assassins.

“Ha ha, Jingni, you’ve been hard to find!” Having let her escape before, Yanri had suffered much these past days.

Jingni rose, gripping her sword.

“Heh, the net penetrates everywhere; you truly know how to track people. But you should not have come near the North King!”

As former colleagues, Jingni was content to grant them a few lines—lest they die too quickly, diminishing their legendary reputation.

“Ha—so stubborn even at death’s door. The North King is nothing; he shouldn’t have left his barbarian army.”

“That’s enough, Jingni—end yourself. You did achieve great merit before, so we grant you a dignified death.”

Yanri raised his hand; with a single gesture, a hail of poisoned bolts would riddle the carriage, followed by the deadly skills of the assassins, including Xuanjian, who anchored their ranks.

“You worthless fool with your endless chatter!” Lin Shu could bear it no longer and stood up to curse.

Yanri sneered and was about to wave his hand, but found he could not move at all.

Within a fifty-ton force field, movement was impossible. In the next moment, he would regret everything.

“No—not—quick, attack—quick—” Both hands and feet exploded instantly, and the mighty Yanri was reduced to bloody pulp.

A chill ran down his spine; Xuanjian panicked, but his posturing on the tree twenty meters away proved his undoing.

“Ha! So that’s how it is!” Drifting from the branch, Xuanjian found himself utterly unable to move.