Chapter 7

The next time Jiang Mei saw Fu Yu, it was seven days later, at night.

After rushing back to Qinglong Mountain, Fu Yu immediately entered the council hall and didn’t emerge for the entire day.

He needed to quickly deploy everything.

It was very late by the time he finished. His eyes bloodshot, he hurriedly returned to Jin Garden.

Having not seen her for a few days, Jiang Mei’s complexion looked even worse!

The maids reported that she ate very little, essentially skipping meals every day. Furious, Fu Yu scolded them, pushed open the door, and walked in.

Seeing him enter, Jiang Mei jolted in fright. Her face was deathly pale, utterly devoid of life—filled only with disgust, coldness, and alienation…

She instinctively took a step back, retreating into the bedroom and refusing to come out.

Fu Yu stood at the door looking at her. “Jiang Mei, a war might break out in a few days. Don’t go outside unless absolutely necessary!”

Jiang Mei turned her head away, unwilling to look at him.

Seeing her frail shoulders and pallid face, he stepped forward and said in a low voice, “I might not come here for a long time either. Please don’t act like this.” His voice carried a tone that was almost pleading.

When Jiang Mei gave no response, Fu Yu paused, turned to leave, but after a few steps, he walked back. In a few strides, he was beside her, reaching out to embrace her.

As Jiang Mei struggled, Fu Yu grabbed her face and began kissing her recklessly. He was somewhat frantic. He didn’t know how to handle her; he kissed her madly, as if wanting to carve her into his own flesh.

“Fu Yu, you can’t treat me like this! Let me go!” she struggled.

“I said, unless I say you can go, you cannot go! You belong to me, Fu Yu!”

“You have Chen Yuwei! You can’t treat me like this!”

“Right now, I only have you!” His eyes turned red. He couldn’t bear to see her look so lifeless; he even wished she would just hate him!

Moreover, he missed her terribly, terribly much. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, cherish her, knead her into his very being.

With a few rough tugs, he tore her nightgown, revealing her snow-white skin.

He pinned her down, overwhelmed by the sheer desire to possess her at this moment!

He lowered his head and kissed her aggressively, biting at her lips, her face, her neck!

He hadn’t treated her like this in a long time. Lately, he had been walking on eggshells, caring for her meticulously. Yet she remained so fragile, looking as if she might slip away at any moment.

He gripped her wrists tightly. Her nails dug into his arm, but he didn’t care, relentlessly seizing what he wanted. He wrapped one arm around her waist, lifting her up, tearing away her clothes to expose her delicate neck and the tantalizing curves beneath.

His body pressed down. He was still wearing his military trousers, the cold metal buckle of his belt grinding harshly against her tender skin…

“No!” she screamed in despair, verging on hysteria. “Fu Yu, you’re crazy, you’re crazy… Ah—!”

In the past, he never touched her when he was sober.

He stared down at her without a shred of pity. Every kiss that landed on her felt like a bite.

“I hate you, Fu Yu, I hate you!” Her voice gradually weakened. Her body was enveloped in a long-haired blanket, her face cast in an alluring, mesmerizing glow.

“Hate me, then! Hate me! You’ve always hated me anyway! Only by hating me will you remember me!”

Her tears dampened his black hair. His burning eyes stared at her, as if intending to incinerate everything about her.

Large tears spilled from her eyes, rolling down and striking squarely on Fu Yu’s heart.

“Fu Yu, who exactly do you take me for? Do you really just see me as your mistress? You have a wife in Fancheng, and you keep a mistress here on Qinglong Mountain?”

“Jiang Mei, until I figure out how to handle you, you are mine! When I’ve made up my mind, I will tell you! Don’t go outside during this time. Wait for me to come back!” He finally held her close, kissed her deeply one last time, and left.

Jiang Mei collapsed weakly onto the bed, tears exhausted.

For the past few days, the sounds of gunfire and booming artillery echoed everywhere, making people tremble with fear!

Although the gunfire was some distance away from Qinglong Mountain, Jiang Mei knew the war between the Fu Family Army and the An Family Army had finally begun. Her heart was perpetually unsettled.

Fu Yu hadn’t closed his eyes for two days and two nights.

The Fu Family Army’s main battlefront was set at Jufeng Ridge, a stretch of rolling hills. The hills were densely planted with the Fu Family Army’s flags, the trenches shrouded in smoke, and tents dotted the slopes on both sides.

Jiang Yuanqi had carefully selected one hundred death-row inmates. He pardoned their crimes, gave each of them five hundred silver dollars, and made proper arrangements for their families.

Fu Yu personally met with them. “You all volunteered for this mission, and we carefully selected you. Yes, you are a suicide squad. Instead of being executed and dying a meaningless death, it is better to help the Fu Family Army complete this mission! Rest assured, if you sacrifice your lives for this mission, the Fu Family Army will take care of your families for the rest of their lives!”

“We guarantee to complete the mission!” the condemned men shouted in unison.

“Good. Your mission is to wave flags and shout battle cries in the trenches, fire sniper shots at intervals, and lure the enemies on both sides to charge up! And make sure they clash with each other! Do you understand?” Fu Yu asked in a deep voice.

“Understood! We guarantee to complete the mission!”

An Zhentian mobilized the vast majority of his troops. They received intelligence that Fu Yu had deployed his elite forces at Jufeng Ridge. Jufeng Ridge was a strategic military location situated between Zhaishan and Qinglong Mountain. It used to be his territory, but Fu Yu had occupied it for the past few years. This time, An Zhentian swore to take it back.

He knew that Fu Yu was even more ruthless and cunning than his father, Fu Changsheng. When he made a move, it was a fight to the death!

Fu Yu’s methods were steady and seasoned. Despite having studied him for a long time, An Zhentian still didn’t dare lower his guard.

His army slowly approached Jufeng Ridge. From a distance, they could already see the military flags in Fu Yu’s trenches.

“Boss, is Fu Yu’s main force really behind there?” An Zhentian’s adjutant, Yang Dahai, asked.

“Yes, the intel is solid.” An Zhentian was very certain.

Both sides were dead quiet.

Another night descended like a massive black beast.

Suddenly, dense gunfire erupted from the foot of the mountain and charged upwards. The An Family Army was launching a frontal assault! The color in Fu Yu’s eyes resembled the turbulent black clouds on the horizon.

“Engage!” he ordered. Instantly, gunfire shook the sky.

Meanwhile, a massive force was slowly creeping forward, lying in ambush behind Fu Yu’s army, their pitch-black gun barrels aimed squarely at the Fu Family Army!

Then, cannons and guns roared in unison! The surrounding earth began to tremble.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Fu Yu’s massive army swiftly retreated from the trenches. The suicide squad desperately waved the flags and roared battle cries that shook the heavens. The two massive armies from the bottom of the mountain gradually charged up. An Zhentian’s vanguard was incredibly ferocious, quickly seizing Jufeng Ridge.

The Fu Family Army’s suicide squad in the trenches was completely wiped out, as the powerful force from below surged upwards.

“The Fu Family Army’s main force is charging! Attack!”

Both sides saw red. Their forces were evenly matched!

It was unknown how much time had passed. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, yet neither was willing to fall back first.

Suddenly, Adjutant Yang Dahai said to An Zhentian, “Something doesn’t seem right! Why haven’t we seen the allied forces?”

An Zhentian froze for a moment. “Wu Xiang said they would ambush Fu Yu from behind, and we would flank them! We’ve been fighting for ages, and there’s no sign of Wu Xiang’s troops. Damn it, is that punk playing me?!” Just as he spoke, a stray bullet flew over and struck Yang Dahai squarely in the forehead. He instantly dropped dead!

An Zhentian flew into a rage. Yang Dahai was his most trusted, top-ranking general!

“Charge! Motherfucker, how dare they kill my general!”

The two sides fought on and off throughout the night. The sickly red stench of blood permeated the ruins, which alternated between dead silence and deafening chaos. Piles of mangled bodies presented a gruesome, terrifying sight, the heavy stench almost suffocating.

By now, half of the remaining troops on both sides had perished. Corpses were piled upon corpses at Jufeng Ridge. The commanders confronting each other across the front lines were exhausted but resolute, as if engaged in an ultimate showdown.

Rivers of blood flowed in a tragic, catastrophic calamity.

Dawn broke. Suddenly, An Zhentian spotted Wu Xiang among the troops below!

“Everyone stop, damn it! Hold your fire!” An Zhentian suddenly ordered his men to take cover and cease fire.

“Are those Wu Xiang’s troops down there?!” An Zhentian shouted at the top of his lungs.

The troops below also abruptly ceased fire.

Wu Xiang stepped forward. Standing at one meter ninety-four, he was tall and heavily built. Having fought all night, he was entirely covered in blood.

An Zhentian stepped out. The two men slowly approached each other, both with bloodshot eyes!

“What’s going on? We agreed to flank Fu Yu, so why the hell have we been fighting each other all night?!” Wu Xiang was utterly shocked.

“Why? Can’t you see it?! Damn it, we’ve been played by Fu Yu!” An Zhentian ground his teeth.

This time he had suffered a devastating loss. He had brought almost his entire main force to deal with Fu Yu, only to have his army nearly annihilated!

Wu Xiang’s eyes spewed fire. His hands clenched tightly as he breathed heavily. He had the complete layout of Fu Yu’s strategies, including troop stationing points. It turned out this was all a trap deliberately set by Fu Yu!

His eyes suddenly shot out a cold glare. *Could Yuwei have conspired with Fu Yu to set me up?*

*Why else would Yuwei have such a comprehensive military layout map? Would Fu Yu really be so careless? Why did I never suspect Yuwei?*

The more Wu Xiang thought about it, the more suffocated he felt! Panic began to set in. He wiped the bloody grime dripping down his hands, a chilling light emanating from his eyes.

Suddenly, one of An Zhentian’s guards rushed over to report: “General An, terrible news! The Fu Family Army has captured Zhaishan!”

Dead silence.

An Zhentian drew his gun and shot the messenger dead.

“How is that possible?!” He couldn’t believe it!

“What’s impossible about it? Fu Yu tricked you and me into fighting here all night while he sneaked around back and wiped out your headquarters! How ruthless!” Wu Xiang gritted his teeth.

“Back to Zhaishan! Take back Zhaishan!” An Zhentian turned to leave.

“It’s already been occupied. Going back now is useless,” Wu Xiang reminded him.

An Zhentian drew his saber, slashed a half-circle in the air with the blade, and then let it drop dejectedly, stomping his feet in sheer fury.

Smoke lingered in the air; it was destined to be an extraordinary day.

“There’s still one move left. Maybe we can deal a blow to Fu Yu!” Wu Xiang suddenly said.

“Speak quickly! Right now, as long as I can destroy Fu Yu, I’d even call him ‘Daddy’!”

“We join forces and attack Fancheng!”

“Fancheng? Fu Yu’s stronghold? It’s a good idea, but Fancheng is flanked by mountain roads. It’s easy to defend and hard to attack. We don’t know the terrain; we could easily walk right into an ambush!”

“I have the topographical map! We can’t just swallow such a massive loss in silence! Are you in or not?” Wu Xiang’s eyes were bloodshot.

“Fine. I have nowhere else to go anyway. If we can take Fancheng, nothing could be better.”

Having suffered a monumental loss, Wu Xiang and An Zhentian were bursting with rage. They rallied their troops and set off for Fancheng immediately.

Gu Ming had been keeping a close eye on Zhaishan these past few days. When the scouts reported that the Fu Family Army and the An Family Army had engaged in battle, Gu Ming knew his opportunity had arrived.

Bringing Da Qing and another trusted aide, Gu Ming selected one hundred underlings and headed straight for Qinglong Mountain.

Marching through the night, their fine steeds galloped swiftly, and they arrived at Qinglong Mountain in the latter half of the night.

As soon as he stepped into Qinglong Mountain’s territory, the sentries spotted them. Instantly, the gates were illuminated, torches lighting up the sky. Gu Ming’s men were entirely exposed.

Gu Ming ordered Da Qing to lead everyone to quickly take cover. He told them to stay out of range, protect themselves, and solely focus on harassment. They were to feign an attack, draw the enemies out, and then immediately fall back and hide!

Taking advantage of the chaos, Gu Ming slipped into Qinglong Mountain alone.

The person guarding Qinglong Mountain was none other than Liu Hao. Seeing the attackers at the gates, he was quite puzzled. They weren’t launching a real attack, so what exactly were they trying to do?

Gu Ming wandered through the compound alone for a long time. By threatening a servant, he finally located Jin Garden.

He had long since found out that Fu Yu had brought Jiang Mei to Jin Garden on Qinglong Mountain.

Gu Ming knocked out the guards at the entrance of Jin Garden and sneaked inside…

Jiang Mei was fast asleep. She was awakened by the faint sound of the door opening.

Opening her eyes, she was startled to see a figure standing in the room! Just as she was about to scream, the person covered her mouth. “Shh, it’s me, Gu Ming!”

“Brother Gu, why are you here?”

Gu Ming whispered, “I’m here to take you out. While Fu Yu is away, come with me!”

“Can we get out? Qinglong Mountain is heavily guarded.”

“Don’t worry. Since I could get in, I can get out. Right now, Fu Yu is fiercely engaged in battle with the An Family Army and doesn’t have the bandwidth for Qinglong Mountain.”

Without hesitation, Jiang Mei immediately got dressed and followed Gu Ming out.

Gu Ming hoisted her onto the horse. Under the cover of night, they passed through a small grove and slipped out through an inconspicuous cave on the back mountain.

Gu Ming retrieved his hidden horse, pulled Jiang Mei up onto the saddle, fired a flare into the sky, whipped the horse, and galloped away!

Seeing the signal, the bandit minions at the front gates immediately retreated, vanishing like a puff of smoke.

Liu Hao had already fortified Qinglong Mountain’s defenses. Coupled with its unique gourd-like terrain, ordinary people couldn’t breach it. Seeing the attackers advancing and retreating without actually launching a real assault, he realized they were stalling for time.

Why were they stalling? After a moment’s thought, Liu Hao immediately dispatched extra men to all the key checkpoints leading out of Qinglong Mountain and sent someone to check on Jin Garden. Consequently, the soldier sent to Jin Garden came running back in a panic: “Commander Liu, terrible news! The lady in Jin Garden is gone!”

Liu Hao paused and asked, “Was anyone injured?”

“No. The guards at the door were just knocked unconscious, not killed.”

“I understand.”

A sentry from the main gate rushed in to report: “Commander Liu, the attackers at the gates have retreated!” Liu Hao knew those people hadn’t come to attack Qinglong Mountain. He also had a good idea of who had taken Jiang Mei away.

Liu Hao immediately sent a messenger to Fu Yu and led men out in pursuit.

He knew which route Gu Ming had taken to leave Qinglong Mountain. Liu Hao fired a flare into the sky.

In the battle of Jufeng Ridge, aside from the sacrifice of the one hundred suicide squad members, Fu Yu only sustained a few wounded soldiers. Jiang Yuanqi and Zhan Yong seized the opportunity to capture Zhaishan.

Over the course of that single night, Fu Yu drained the main forces of the An Family Army and Wu Xiang’s Yucheng Army, and occupied Zhaishan.

The reason Fu Yu orchestrated such a layout was that he had received a secret report a few days prior: An Zhentian’s brazen provocations had been sanctioned by Fan Dalong, the Military Governor of Haidong.

The rapid expansion of the Fu family over the past two years had made Fan Dalong apprehensive. An Zhentian daring to team up with Wu Xiang to ambush the Fu family was heavily tied to Fan Dalong.

Fu Yu knew that if he didn’t act now, he really might be annihilated!

He played them at their own game. Through Chen Yuwei, he leaked false intelligence, luring the An Family Army and the Wu Family Army into a joint pincer attack against him. Meanwhile, his troops used the opportunity to withdraw, letting the two armies attack each other while he reaped the benefits as the fisherman!

The key to this stratagem was speed! He couldn’t allow either side time to react, or all his efforts would be in vain.

Having captured Zhaishan, Fu Yu left Zhan Yong behind to garrison it. He and Jiang Yuanqi reorganized the troops, preparing to press their advantage and pursue the retreating enemy! He couldn’t give them a moment to catch their breath.

A guard rushed in with an urgent report: someone had launched a sneak attack on Qinglong Mountain!

With Liu Hao guarding it and the terrain being easy to defend and hard to attack, Fu Yu felt very secure about Qinglong Mountain.

“Commander Liu reports to the General that Qinglong Mountain sustained no losses, but the lady in Jin Garden was taken away! Commander Liu says to tell the General it was likely the man from Shiyang Mountain who took her. And they escaped through the Wolf Cave.”

“What?!” Fu Yu’s face changed drastically.

“Move out, I’m returning to Qinglong Mountain! The rest of you continue the pursuit!”

Fu Yu led over a hundred men and headed straight for Qinglong Mountain. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped. “Take the mountain path directly behind the Wolf Cave!”

After fleeing with Jiang Mei for a while without seeing any pursuers behind them, Gu Ming relaxed.

Traveling in the middle of the night and moving at such a hurried pace made Jiang Mei a little dizzy. Gu Ming slowed the horse down.

The distant roar of artillery made Jiang Mei uneasy. “Brother Gu, does Fu Yu have a chance of winning this war against the An Family Army?”

“Yes. If Fu Yu dares to go to war with the An Family Army, he’s definitely confident. He is a man who values results.”

“Brother Gu, if Fu Yu finds out you took me away, will he bring his troops to attack Shiyang Mountain? I’m afraid of dragging you all down. Fu Yu can be very cruel sometimes…”

“Don’t worry. If I dared to take you away, I’m not afraid of him!” Gu Ming said, taking a canteen of water from the saddlebag and handing it to her. “Drink some water. We still have a long way to go.”

Jiang Mei tilted her head back to drink, and Gu Ming gently wiped the corner of her mouth with his sleeve. He could see her bright, sparkling eyes.

*Bang! Bang!* Two deafening gunshots suddenly rang out!

Gu Ming’s horse stumbled and violently pitched forward!

Jiang Mei was thrown from the horse. Amidst her screams, she landed squarely in someone’s arms.

She looked up, and a chill instantly ran down her spine. It was Fu Yu! Even in the darkness, she could clearly see his gaze, as cold and sharp as a sword.

Holding Jiang Mei with one arm, he expressionlessly set her to the side. The hostile aura radiating from him made the hairs on her neck stand up. “Take Miss Jiang to the side!” he ordered coldly.

Two of Fu Yu’s personal guards immediately stepped forward, took hold of Jiang Mei, and led her aside.

Gu Ming’s horse was done for; both of its front legs had been shot and broken.

Gu Ming scrambled up from the ground, dusted off his rear, and looked at Fu Yu with a grinning smile. “You got here pretty fast! I’m not going to hurt her, so what’s the rush in coming to find her? If I’m not mistaken, at this very moment, Wu Xiang and An Zhentian have definitely joined forces to attack Fancheng! Why aren’t you hurrying back to your nest?”

“Cut the crap! Gu Ming, Jiang Mei is my, Fu Yu’s, woman. Until I give the word that she can leave, no one is allowed to have her!”

“Haha, Fu Yu, if I remember correctly, you’ve already abandoned Jiang Mei, taken a new wife, and she’s even pregnant! So Jiang Mei is a free woman!”

“In my domain, whether she is free depends on my mood. I call the shots!” Fu Yu pointed his pistol at Gu Ming’s head. “You provoked me time and again, Gu Ming. I will make you regret this!”

With that, Fu Yu delivered a vicious kick. Gu Ming crashed to the ground. Before he could scramble up, Fu Yu immediately followed up with another brutal kick.

Having fallen from the horse earlier, Gu Ming had sprained his right ankle, which was now throbbing with agonizing pain. He couldn’t stand steadily; otherwise, he never would have let Fu Yu gain such a massive upper hand.

Gu Ming leaped up to fight back. Fu Yu didn’t let his subordinates intervene. His eyes were icy, his strikes lethal—he intended to beat Gu Ming to death!

With his impaired leg, Gu Ming gradually fell to a disadvantage.

Watching this unfold, Jiang Mei couldn’t help but grow anxious.

Gu Ming knew Fu Yu wouldn’t spare him, so he didn’t dare slack off for a second. Enduring the tearing pain in his ankle, he fought back desperately.

He suddenly lunged, delivering a kick that knocked the gun out of Fu Yu’s hand. Fu Yu rolled on the ground and drew another pistol from his military boot.

Noticing that Gu Ming’s right leg was injured, Fu Yu executed a flip, kicked Gu Ming directly on the injured leg, sent him crashing to the ground, stomped on his chest, and pointed his gun at him with his other hand.

“Don’t move. Move again, and you’ll lose this arm!” Fu Yu said coldly.

“Fu Yu, let Brother Gu go, and I’ll go back with you!” Jiang Mei screamed in terror.

“You, I will take back. Him, I have no intention of letting go!” Fu Yu said, drawing his saber.

Jiang Mei remembered the terrifying fate of Liang Yu, whose limbs had been chopped off by Fu Yu, causing him to bleed to death. Horrified, she screamed, opened her mouth, and bit down viciously on the guard’s arm. Wincing in pain but not daring to harm her, the guard had no choice but to let go.

Breaking free, Jiang Mei sprinted toward Gu Ming.

She only wanted to save him. She threw herself over Gu Ming’s body, shielding him.

“Fu Yu, it was me! I asked Brother Gu to come find me. I’m the one who wants to leave you. If you’re going to kill Brother Gu, kill me first!”

Fu Yu’s face darkened even further. “Are you in such a hurry to leave me?”

“Yes, Fu Yu. I don’t like you anymore. Just looking at you disgusts me! You know exactly what it feels like to spend every day with someone you don’t like. To me, Jin Garden is like a cage that suffocates me. If I don’t leave, I’ll go mad!”

The guards didn’t dare breathe loudly. To think there was a woman who not only disliked Fu Yu but actually despised him! The Commander was surely going to slice her into a thousand pieces!

Shielded beneath Jiang Mei, a surge of warmth rushed through Gu Ming’s chest, almost bursting out. He simply lay perfectly still. He was absolutely certain Fu Yu wouldn’t hurt her.

Jiang Mei had become Fu Yu’s fatal weakness, though she herself didn’t know it. Perhaps the arrogant, invincible Fu Yu didn’t realize it either.

Her warm breath brushed against Gu Ming’s face, her faint, elegant fragrance drifting into his nose. Even through her clothes, he could feel the softness of her body. Gu Ming couldn’t help but reach out and wrap his arms around her.

Hearing Jiang Mei’s words, the veins on Fu Yu’s forehead throbbed. A sharp pain twisted deep in his heart, making it impossible for him to even stand straight.

“Were… were your feelings for me in the past all fake?” After a long silence, he finally squeezed out the question.

“No, they were real back then. At that time, you were the only man I wanted to marry. That’s why my father proposed such conditions when you needed him—he did it for me. My selfishness and ignorance tore you and Chen Yuwei apart. Now, I apologize to you!”

Tears spilled from Jiang Mei’s eyes. “But in two years of marriage, you never even looked at me. I lost my poor child, the dearest Nanny Zhou passed away, Dong’er died protecting me, and even Liu Hao, the only one who showed me a shred of kindness, was murdered. I blame myself for all of this! I blame myself for still holding onto fantasies about you. If I had left you sooner, maybe they wouldn’t have died!”

Fu Yu’s face turned the color of dead ashes. The hand holding the sword suddenly lost all its strength.

“Fu Yu, if you have even a sliver of pity left for me, let Gu Ming go. He only wanted to take me away; he hasn’t done anything to harm you!”

Fu Yu looked at Jiang Mei, who was trembling violently yet fiercely shielding the man beneath her with her frail body.

Fu Yu gritted his teeth. He desperately wanted to hack Gu Ming into a million pieces right there and then, but in front of Jiang Mei, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Where there is love, there is softness.

Fu Yu slowly lowered his blade. “Go. Don’t ever let me see you again!”

Jiang Mei was somewhat in disbelief that the typically tyrannical and ruthless Fu Yu would actually let them go.

She slowly pulled Gu Ming up, still keeping herself between him and Fu Yu. Gu Ming looked at Fu Yu with a cheeky grin.

Fu Yu stared at Jiang Mei for a moment, then turned and mounted his horse. “Let’s go!”

He spurred his horse on, riding as fast as if he were flying. He had to get away from them quickly, lest he change his mind!

He, Fu Yu, had never been a noble man; how could he really just let them go? Jiang Mei’s words pierced his heart like needles. *To think she despises me so much, to think she called Jin Garden a cage!*

Seeing Fu Yu ride off, Gu Ming immediately fired a flare into the sky and pulled Jiang Mei aside to hide.

“Fu Yu acted on impulse; he might regret it at any moment. Let’s hide and wait for my men to arrive.”

He took her hand and realized her face was streaming with tears.

Gu Ming paused. “You still love Fu Yu, don’t you?”

“It’s meaningless now. He doesn’t love me! He has his own lover, even though…”

Jiang Mei remembered the conversation between Chen Yuwei and Wu Xiang. From what she heard, Chen Yuwei had already betrayed Fu Yu. She had even told Fu Yu about it, yet he still refused to abandon Chen Yuwei.

Jiang Mei felt deeply saddened. Matters of the heart truly were incomprehensible to outsiders.

Gu Ming fell silent. He had clearly seen that Fu Yu’s eyes were brimming with love when he looked at Jiang Mei.

But unfortunately for him, he, Gu Ming, also loved her.

Gu Ming’s men arrived shortly after. Some bandaged his injured ankle, while others tended to the wounds of his horse.

Gu Ming rode a guard’s horse, took Jiang Mei with him, and traveled through the night back to Shiyang Mountain.

Fu Yu rode at top speed; he needed to rendezvous with Jiang Yuanqi. Little did he know, Jiang Yuanqi’s troops had been scattered by a unit of cavalry.

This cavalry unit was highly trained and heavily equipped. They charged swiftly into his troops, fired a volley of shots, and rapidly retreated, without leaving a single prisoner behind!

Jiang Yuanqi was utterly baffled as to whose forces could be so formidable. After pondering for a long time, he suddenly realized that only Military Governor Fan Dalong possessed such power!

A cold sweat broke out on Jiang Yuanqi’s back. It seemed Fan Dalong was preparing to deal a treacherous blow to the Fu Family Army.

Since Fu Yu still hadn’t returned, Jiang Yuanqi felt deeply uneasy. Dawn was breaking, so he ordered his troops to take cover and rest. Having fought a fierce battle to capture Zhaishan the night before, everyone was exhausted.

By the time Fu Yu caught up with Jiang Yuanqi, the soldiers were eating breakfast.

Upon seeing Fu Yu, Jiang Yuanqi reported the attack by the unidentified cavalry unit. Fu Yu frowned in deep thought for a moment.

“Order everyone to evacuate this area immediately! This cavalry was a scouting party, sent to test our numbers and combat strength! They belong to Fan Dalong. I heard he secretly trained an incredibly formidable cavalry unit!”

“Then should we still pursue the An Family Army and the Wu Family Army?”

“They’ve gone to Fancheng; we have to go, even if we don’t want to. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Fan Dalong wants to reap the benefits of the fisherman too! He’s waiting for all of us to drain our strength before wiping us out one by one and replacing us with his own people!”

“Wu Xiang of Yucheng is one of Fan Dalong’s men!” Jiang Yuanqi added.

“Yes. We’re heading back to Fancheng first!”

Fu Yu recalled Gu Ming’s words. It was highly likely that An Zhentian and Wu Xiang had already gone to attack Fancheng.

Just as Jiang Yuanqi ordered the camp to be struck and prepared to move out, deafening gunfire erupted from behind them.

“They’re here!” Fu Yu’s troops reacted swiftly, and a fierce battle immediately ensued.

Although the enemy was heavily equipped, Fu Yu’s troops were no pushovers either. Both sides suffered casualties, and the enemy failed to gain the upper hand.

The battle raged for two hours before the enemy forces abruptly retreated without warning.

Fu Yu didn’t order a pursuit. Instead, he immediately led his troops rushing back toward Fancheng.

For a fleeting moment, Fu Yu knew he had made a grave mistake.

Fancheng’s defenses were not impregnable, and more importantly, aside from Chen Yuwei, his mother was also there.

Leading his troops, Wu Xiang rushed to Fancheng at top speed. The city was heavily guarded, commanded by Fu Yu’s trusted aide, Li Junying.

Li Junying was one of Fu Yu’s most trusted confidants. He was only twenty-one years old and had been following Fu Yu since he was fourteen. Yuan Jun was also in Fancheng, primarily tasked with guarding Zijun Villa.

Upon arrival, the combined forces of Wu Xiang and An Zhentian immediately launched an assault. Speed was of the essence in war; they feared the arrival of Fu Yu’s reinforcements.

Li Junying defended desperately and immediately dispatched messengers to Qinglong Mountain to request backup.

The roar of artillery shook the very earth.

Chen Yuwei was having breakfast in the villa. When the gunfire erupted, she instantly realized that Wu Xiang’s forces had definitely arrived. Wu Xiang and Fu Yu were finally clashing head-on.

She felt a wave of panic. She had been longing for this day, but now that it was actually here, she felt completely lost on what to do.

Yuan Jun rushed in. “Young Madam, please go hide in the basement. A war is likely to break out here.”

“I’m not leaving! I’m going to wait for Fu Yu. I want to stand our ground together with everyone!” Chen Yuwei didn’t want to hide; she was afraid Wu Xiang wouldn’t be able to find her.

“Young Madam, only when you are safe can we focus on fighting the enemy!” Without waiting for her to argue, Yuan Jun immediately ordered men to escort her to the basement.

“Where is the Old Madam? Where did she go? I want to be with the Old Madam!” Chen Yuwei suddenly remembered. She needed to be with Fu Yu’s mother; only then would she be truly safe.

“Young Madam, before the Eldest Young Master left, he specifically instructed that if there was danger, the two of you must hide separately!”

Left with no choice, Chen Yuwei had to follow Yuan Jun and hide in the basement.

Xiao Hong wanted to follow and serve Chen Yuwei, but Yuan Jun refused. He assigned another maid named Xiao Yue to serve her instead.

Chen Yuwei reluctantly followed Xiao Yue into the basement. Seeing that no one was paying attention, Xiao Hong tried to slip away. Yuan Jun drew his gun and shot her dead on the spot.

Everyone was terrified, staring at Yuan Jun in utter incomprehension.

“She is a traitor! The Eldest Young Master said that if a situation becomes uncontrollable, she is to be executed immediately! Everyone behave. Do not move around recklessly at a time like this!”

Before Fu Yu left, he had instructed Yuan Jun that Xiao Hong had outlived her usefulness. If danger arose, he was to kill her.

Wu Xiang possessed a map of Fancheng.

With the combined forces of the Wu and An families, and both Wu Xiang and An Zhentian fighting with bloodshot, murderous fury, they managed to capture Fancheng in less than two hours.

Li Junying was shot over twenty times, his head severed and hung on the city wall.