Chapter 168 - 158: Desire
The group arrived at Long Yan’s study.
The Think Tank had his subordinates recap the battle from the latter half of last night. The room fell silent.
Just listening to the report was enough to send a chill down one’s spine.
Jiang Wu’s methods were even more formidable than Su Mo had imagined. It wasn’t that she had avoided the vulnerabilities Su Mo and the others had analyzed back at North Wing; instead, she had swiftly and precisely shattered all of the Dragon Clan’s outer defense lines.
She was merciless, cruel, and vicious.
This was a long-premeditated battle, waged with the sole purpose of utterly destroying the Dragon Clan!
From the current situation, it was clear that Jiang Wu had far more people at her command than Su Mo had ever imagined.
"Now that the outer defenses are breached, the inside of the clan lands is no longer a secret," Long Yan said, frowning. "I adjusted the deployments last night, but the enemy anticipated it."
Su Mo frowned. ’With a mind like Jiang Wu’s, she must have run countless simulations before the war even started. With this kind of strategy, forget the Dragon Clan—even North Wing or the Tiger Clan might not be able to withstand it.’
’What I find strange is, how did Jiang Wu raise so many elite soldiers in such a short amount of time?’
’Her current power is at a level the original novel’s plot wouldn’t have reached for another ten years, at least. And this time, in her attack on the Tiger Clan, she didn’t waste a single move, striking straight for the vitals with perfect precision.’
’To say she doesn’t have some kind of cheat... I just don’t believe it.’
She called out to Little Nine in her mind. "Are you sure the female lead doesn’t have a system?"
Little Nine’s tone was unusually serious. "She doesn’t~"
"Then could she be a transmigrator too?"
Little Nine shook its head. "Nope~ Transmigrators come with systems, and she doesn’t have one!"
Su Mo frowned. "Then it can only be rebirth, or..."
Her train of thought was interrupted by Long Yan’s subordinates, who were analyzing offensive and defensive strategies.
Fei Yan stood there, his expression unreadable. ’Rebirth? Transmigrator?’
’Clearly, my wife belongs to the latter category.’
’So which one is Jiang Wu?’
’When I have time, I should take out ’God’s Prophecy’ and read through it again.’
Xuan Qing glanced at the sand table and frowned. "I’m afraid that even when the reinforcements from North Wing and the Tiger Clan arrive, they won’t be able to get close to us right away."
Fei Yan frowned but said nothing.
The terrain outside the Dragon Clan’s territory was just too advantageous for Jiang Wu.
Xuan Qing continued, "However, if they can tie up some of her forces from the rear, it will give us a chance to catch our breath. For now, the most important thing is to set up our defenses and hold this position."
Fei Yan frowned and asked Long Yan, "If we lose this place, does the Lord Major General have an escape plan?"
Long Yan nodded.
Every clan had a secret escape route, but such things were never revealed unless it was a last resort.
As the group left the study, someone in the courtyard reported that another spy had been captured.
The Think Tank walked over, stared at the person for a moment, then said in a stern voice, "Bring them to me!"
But Su Mo knitted her brows and said, "Think Tank, please spare his life for now. He might be useful later."
The Think Tank glanced at her and nodded in agreement.
In the courtyard, the two Little Dragons were with the clan’s Witch Doctor, helping to treat the wounded soldiers.
Since the day they were born, they had never experienced anything so tragic. They helped while crying the entire time.
Su Mo started walking toward them and took the supplies from their hands. "Let me."
Nannan, whose eyes were swollen like walnuts from crying, looked up at her. "Sister Mo, am I too useless? I wish I could grow up faster~ Then I could get revenge for everyone."
Dongdong sobbed, "Me too."
Su Mo’s heart ached for them. She applied a little ointment to their eyes.
The redness and swelling in their eyes immediately subsided.
The two little ones hugged her and suddenly burst into loud wails.
Su Mo stroked their heads, comforting them softly, "More important than revenge is taking care of yourselves right now. You can’t always have it both ways in this world, and some partings are inevitable."
Afterward, Su Mo stayed in the courtyard with them, helping to tend to the injured soldiers.
「Meanwhile, in a tent outside the clan’s territory.」
Jiang Wu had just woken up from a nap.
As Ai Ci approached with a basin of water, her true form flashed for an instant before she abruptly shifted back into human shape.
They had been married for a long time, yet this was the first time he had ever seen his wife’s true form.
’She’s an Azure Bird?!’
Legend had it that this type of bird could undergo Nirvana Rebirth in any dire situation.
Jiang Wu didn’t seem angry that he had seen her true form. She just asked nonchalantly, "What’s the situation inside?"
Ai Ci chuckled. "They’re putting up a desperate struggle. Tonight, we’ll give them a show they won’t forget."
Although the forces outside the Dragon Clan’s main encampment had been dealt with, the ones remaining inside were the most troublesome. But it didn’t matter much; they had the numbers.
Even if it became a battle of attrition, day by day, they could eventually wear them all down to their deaths.
Jiang Wu asked again, "Have their reinforcements arrived?"
"Almost!"
A bewitching smile touched Jiang Wu’s lips. She propped herself up on an elbow and massaged her temples. "Then let’s get ready to serve them their meal."
"The thought of them trying to stop a chariot with their bare hands is almost laughable!"
Ai Ci snorted. "Indeed. If they want to stand up for the Dragon Clan, they should first see if they have the strength for it."
Not far away, Jin Tong leaned leisurely against a large tree, observing Jiang Wu’s every move.
Lin Shan, who was by his side, frowned. "Sect Leader, should we also mobilize our forces to come here?"
Jin Tong raised a hand, signaling him to drop the idea.
’Now is the perfect time to watch the show. I have no intention of joining the fray.’
’No matter who loses, it’s not a bad thing for me.’
In the afternoon, Su Mo repeatedly replayed the plot of the original novel in her mind.
The more she thought about it, the more something felt wrong.
’Jiang Wu came prepared. She must have anticipated that the Tiger Clan and North Wing would send aid, and she undoubtedly has a countermeasure ready.’
Su Mo summoned Fei Yan and Xuan Qing to discuss things again.
Fei Yan mused, "Let’s wait until Mo Xiao and the Second Miss get closer to the Dragon Clan, then we can plan our next move."
He and Xuan Qing exchanged a look. No matter what, casualties were unavoidable in this battle.
The current situation was not in their favor. Even if this battle wasn’t fought at the Dragon Clan’s territory, it would be fought at the Tiger Clan’s or North Wing’s. Jiang Wu had simply chosen a softer target to rip into first.
Both Xuan Qing and Fei Yan thought they wouldn’t get a peaceful night’s sleep. To their surprise, everything outside remained calm and quiet right up until they went to bed.
When Fei Yan returned to the room after his bath, Su Mo was already lying in bed, drowsy.
She had been treating patients all afternoon, and it was quite exhausting.
As soon as Fei Yan lay down, she naturally leaned against him.
"Fei Yan..." Su Mo wrapped her arms around him, her voice muffled as she called his name.
"I’m here."
He lowered his head, and her unique, faint fragrance seeped into his very being.
Her hand resting on his waist grew uncontrollably hot.
’Every day since we married, I’ve dreamed of being able to hold her like this as we fall asleep.’
’Tonight, it’s finally come true.’
Fei Yan lowered his head and pressed a kiss into her hair.
The woman in his arms slowly looked up, her gaze hazy and questioning.
A smile emerged in Su Mo’s crystal-clear eyes.
Fei Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice laced with restraint. "Don’t look at me like that. You’re too tired today. I can’t bear to make you even more exhausted..."
The smile on Su Mo’s lips deepened. "If you don’t want to, then forget it."
With that, she started to turn her back to him.
Fei Yan’s eyes darkened. He grabbed her waist firmly, pinning her beneath him, and rasped, "I do."
In an instant, scorching kisses rained down, lingering tenderly on every inch of her skin...