Qin Yu stared in shock at the longsword before her.
The polished blade reflected the light from the gatehouse, and the glare was almost blinding.
She felt a cold sensation against her throat, accompanied by a slight sting.
The events of her dream were actually manifesting in reality!
Qin Yu swallowed hard.
As her throat moved slightly, the pressure from the blade deepened by a few fractions of an inch.
“Luo Shangyu, why are you doing this?” Qin Yu choked out, her voice becoming even raspier.
“I am ordered by Qin Yi to execute the traitor!” Luo Shangyu barked in a deep voice.
Qin Yu looked into Luo Shangyu’s eyes with disbelief.
She could not imagine that Luo Shangyu would truly betray her!
Luo Shangyu’s expression was solemn and devoid of emotion.
Only her emerald-green eyes betrayed a sense of sincerity as they seemed to say: ‘Trust me.’
Qin Yu sensed that something was wrong.
Recalling Luo Shangyu’s previous vow of absolute loyalty, she realized there must be a hidden reason for this behavior.
Luo Shangyu watched Qin Yu silently.
She did not know how her actions appeared in the other woman’s eyes.
‘Is this just a play I’m acting out? Or is it an act of treason?’
Luo Shangyu felt extremely anxious.
She did not want the effectiveness of the performance to be ruined because Qin Yu saw through the plan, but she also did not want a rift to form in their relationship because of it.
Before her, the anger and surprise in Qin Yu’s sapphire-blue eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of warmth.
‘Is this what trust feels like?’ Luo Shangyu hesitated.
This was a luxury she had never experienced in the Kingdom of Yiyong.
Even the former King of Yiyong would not have trusted her unconditionally under such circumstances.
Qin Yu’s voice trembled, “Luo Shangyu, I have treated you well. How could you break your word to me!”
“Do you truly not remember the past?”
“The past? The past…” The sword in Luo Shangyu’s hand shook slightly as she played along with Qin Yu.
“Are you talking about the past—”
“Enough. You two certainly are affectionate!” Qin Yi walked over slowly from behind.
“Luo Shangyu, do it!”
Seeing that Luo Shangyu remained frozen in place, Qin Yi shouted angrily, “Are you truly reluctant to kill her?”
“Kill her!” That same voice from before suddenly echoed in Luo Shangyu’s mind.
However, without the mental seal, the command was like water off a duck’s back to her.
Seeing that Luo Shangyu still had not moved, Qin Yi grew impatient.
He stepped closer to the two of them, intending to kill Qin Yu with his own hands.
At that moment, Luo Shangyu withdrew her sword and lunged toward Qin Yi.
Caught off guard, Qin Yi could only retreat backward.
But Luo Shangyu was faster.
In a flash, her blade swept toward Qin Yi’s throat.
Luo Shangyu closed her eyes, waiting for the sensation of the blade cutting through his neck.
But in the next heartbeat, the longsword felt as if it had struck an iron pillar.
When she opened her eyes, a man dressed as one of Qin Yi’s attendants stood before him, holding a staff and shielding him.
The man carried the aura of Space Magic.
It was clear he had just teleported there.
To be able to use Space Teleportation Magic while magic was being suppressed meant this man had to be the one who set up the array!
Luo Shangyu grew cautious, raising her sword to face the man.
“Sigh…” The man let out a long sigh and said, “I originally intended to control you, order you to kill Qin Yu, and then have you take your own life. I didn’t expect you to break free from my control.”
“The result won’t change, though. It’s just a bit more troublesome!”
The man swung his staff.
Luo Shangyu scrambled to avoid it.
She was not foolish enough to face him head-on while she could not use her own magic.
Qin Yu moved to Luo Shangyu’s side and raised her staff.
“What are you doing?” Luo Shangyu panicked, “Don’t be reckless! You’ll die if he hits you!”
“Watch me!” Qin Yu raised her staff and recited loudly, “WU SILK AND SHU PAULOWNIA STRINGS START THE AUTUMN, IN THE EMPTY MOUNTAINS, THE CONDENSED CLOUDS STOP AND DO NOT FLOW!”
The power of her Domain expanded instantly.
Everything in the vicinity came to a standstill, leaving only Qin Yu free to move.
She approached the man standing beside Qin Yi, raised her staff high, and swung it directly at his face.
The staff whistled through the air.
However, Time Magic gathered at the tip of the man’s staff.
He broke free from Qin Yu’s Domain, causing it to collapse immediately.
Although the Domain was shattered, Qin Yu’s staff still slammed into the man’s shoulder.
He cried out in pain and rolled once on the ground before standing back up.
At that moment, the city gates behind them opened.
The Yulin Army had realized something was wrong.
They poured in, surrounding and protecting Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu.
Considering that the man was quite powerful and had managed to break free from her Domain, Qin Yu decided to stop there to avoid disrupting the upcoming military parade.
She gave the man beside Qin Yi a fierce glare before being escorted back to the carriage by the Yulin Army along with Luo Shangyu.
Once they were back in the carriage, Luo Shangyu took Qin Yu’s two hands in hers, her voice earnest, “Qin Yu, I was too impulsive in my actions this time!”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Qin Yu said, shaking her head with a smile, “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Wasn’t it fine? It’s just a pity we were one step away from succeeding.”
“But we still failed, didn’t we?” Luo Shangyu said dejectedly, “If it wasn’t for that Mage beside Qin Yi, our plan would have worked!”
The carriage continued to move forward, nearing the parade grounds.
“I didn’t hurt you just now, did I?” Luo Shangyu asked suddenly.
“No…” Qin Yu tilted her head back and felt her smooth, soft throat.
There was no wound.
“Let me see…” Luo Shangyu pinched Qin Yu’s chin, making her look up slightly.
She inspected her carefully for a long while.
Only after confirming there were no signs of injury did she relax.
“I think we should prepare for a major purge to capture Qin Yi and his cronies in one fell swoop. Otherwise, there will be more trouble the longer we wait!” Luo Shangyu suggested.
“Indeed,” Qin Yu agreed, “Also, when my Domain Magic was interrupted earlier, that man used Time Magic.”
“Time Magic!” Luo Shangyu was shocked.
That man was indeed formidable.
Someone who could master Time Magic was an existence neither she nor Qin Yu could contend with for now.
After this interlude, a shadow was cast over both their hearts.
The convoy of officials followed behind as usual.
Everyone was curious about what had happened while the city gates were closed, but Qin Yu, Luo Shangyu, and Qin Yi all tacitly kept the matter a secret.
The parade proceeded as scheduled.
Looking at the 150,000 elite troops of the Chengji Empire’s Central Army Group standing in majestic formation, the haze in Qin Yu’s heart began to dissipate.
The shadow of her defeat to Luo Shangyu in the Kingdom of Yiyong would surely be washed away in this war.
Qin Yu felt a surge of excitement within her.
She believed that from this point forward, she would be able to use this as a starting point to dominate the Phantom World.
“What are you smiling like an idiot for?” Luo Shangyu poked the slightly distracted Qin Yu.
“Uh… It’s nothing.” Qin Yu pulled back her smile.
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