Chapter 1068 Keep Good Men Company and One Shall Be of the Number
Shi Fenghou turned into a streak of light and soared into the sky. His expression was calm, not flustered at all.
âIâll go kill him!â
Shi Fenghou, who came and went without a trace, deeply enraged the Real Kings of the other side.
One of the Real Kings, who was relatively fast, chased after Shi Fenghou with a broadsword in his hand.
But no matter how hard he tried to speed up, he couldnât catch him.
âHumph.â
Shi Fenghouâs constant sneers made his hackles rise.
âExcept for Zhang Hanyang, who in the world can stop me?â
Shi Fenghou looked down at the Real King as if looking at a humble ant.
The Real Kingâs dignity had been trampled upon. Yet, he was unable to catch Shi Fenghou, who was like an Internet troll that would disappear immediately after making a snarky remark online.
Although Shi Fenghou could run away, the others couldnât. In the continuous battles occurring in the encirclement, the casualties were rising faster and faster.
âRetreat!â
Both sides were suffering losses, but not at the same pace. What surprised Lord Liu was that the other side soon made way for his force on their own initiative.
âLetâs go!â
Lord Liu and his force quickly retreated. After getting out of the encirclement, they looked back to check.
They now only had about 20,000 fighters. In such a short battle, they had lost 10,000 of their people. What about the enemy? They lost 5000 at most.
The most important thing was that Lord Liuâs confidence was marred by the humiliating escape.
âLord Liu, this game has just begun. Donât die too soon.â
The Real King leading the opposite troop even made such a remark.
Lord Liuâs face stiffened. He wheeled around and stared at the other party. Yet, he gritted his teeth and said nothing. Then, he walked away with a flick of his sleeve.
Had the other party not made way for them, Lord Liu reckoned that it would already be thankful if around 15,000 people managed to escape.
Now, they had to keep the losses to the minimum. After all, they were the weakest party.
âAlas.â
Sect Leader Mu sighed.
War was indeed cruel.
Mu Xue was also silent. Zhao Feng and the others also had no words. Their first battle had turned out to be such a setback, which made them feel very bad.
âPhewâŠâ
When they were about to arrive at their base, Zhao Feng exhaled deeply and said with emotion, âThis is a real battle. When we followed Master on all the adventures, we never lost a battle. For a long time, weâve become pampered. Itâs not good to take victory for granted. Even though Master is not here, we have to win this war. This defeat has served as a warning for us.â
Hearing this, Mu Xue looked stunned and said softly, âYes, when Master was around, we were never defeated by anyone. But as soon as we left Master, we suffered a setback. However, I believe we will win in the end.â
âYes, we will.â
Sect Leader Mu suddenly laughed.
He could feel these young people were growing more mature.
âHoning gives a sharp edge to a sword, and bitter cold adds keen fragrance to plum blossom. How could they become great figures without experiencing hardships?â
âChangqing, youâre back, too?â
On the way back to the main peak, Mu Xue was slightly taken aback when she caught the sight of Chen Changqing.
âYeah, we ran back in a fluster.â Chen Changqingâs expression was a little strange. He touched his forehead and sighed. âWe were ambushed on our way. It was Lord Bei Huaiâs men. Two-thirds of our people have died. Only 10,000 made it back.â
âWe were also waylaid.â Zhao Feng said, âTens of thousands of Lord Zhen Haiâs men encircled us. We also lost 10,000 fighters.â
Then, both of them fell silent.
They headed forward for dozens of meters.
âInstructor Liu, Jiang Yanlan, how were things at your side?â Mu Xue asked when she saw them.
âDonât mention it.â Jiang Yanlan said in frustration, âWhen we arrived at the border, we came across many murderous formations. The opposite side had more than 20,000 people. With the help of the formations, we lost 8000 people.â
They went back to the main peak.
Lord Nan Shan, Lord Dong Gu, Zhang Mu, and Deep Flame were sitting on the edge of the cliff in silence.
About an hour later, everyone returned and reported the number of people they had lost.
âThis is a hefty defeat!â
Lord Dong Gu said bitterly, âWe lost 100,000 people in just a few hours?â
âThey seem to be determined to wear away our strength,â Lord Nan Shan said with a livid face.
âThe other two parties lost less than 50,000 people. Thatâs to say, they each lost 25,000 people, which is no big deal to them. But we lost 100,000 people, leaving only 200,000 people with us. Weâre now back to square one.â Lord Dong Gu felt that a headache was on the way. âIâve had enough. How about I lead the force to the north and fight as far as we can?â
âDonât be impulsive.â Lord Nan Shan said somewhat irritably, âLetâs wait and see how things will develop. Donât they want more territories? Just give some to them. At worst, weâll just stay put and hide here. I donât think they will directly wipe us out.â
âThe most urgent task now is to guarantee the safety of this place. Many of us know how to set up formations. Letâs put more formations here first. On no account can we lose our last land.â Zhang Mu said in a heavy voice, âI suggest that we should make progress step by step and set up layers of formations in safe places.â
âThatâs the only way.â
Lord Nan Shan nodded.
Thus, the strategy changed from conquering the Mountain Nan Domain to seeking development at a slow pace.
After the first crushing defeat, many people understood that war was harsh.
âIf Han were here, how would he fight against the enemies?â
Zhang Guangyou, who was at the rear, began to brood.
He could not think of a way to fight the battle for the time being.
The disparity in strength was simply too great.
âIf Master were here, he would certainly have many ways to deal with the situation,â Jiang Yanlan scratched her forehead and remarked.
âBut the point is that Han canât possibly be there.â
Dong Chen inhaled slightly and said, âIf he were here, with his knowledge of formations⊠Well, forget it. Itâs no use bringing this up. Since Hanâs not here, we can have a real trial. I think itâs good.â
âIt doesnât matter if we lose. But we canât lose too badly,â Ah Hu said in a muffled voice.
He was rubbing his right arm. There was a bone-revealing wound there. After applying for some medicine, the wound was healing rapidly.
Talented as they were, they still found this kind of war very challenging.
Just like that, their life as fighters in the Kingâs Domain began. On the very first day, one-third of the 300,000 people had died. It was a heavy blow to them.
When Zhang Han heard the news, he was also a little dismayed.
âTheir people died too fast, didnât they?â
Zhang Han and Yue Wuwei were sitting in a pavilion on Mount New Moon, drinking tea. After hearing the news, they looked at each other speechlessly.
âYeah, itâs a little too fast.â Yue Wuwei said pensively, âIf it goes on like this, Lord Nan Shanâs force will be finished off sooner or later.â
âIf they survive in a desperate situation, maybe they will gain more.â Zhang Han suddenly chuckled and said, âEven if they are going to lose, the days they hold on before losing will also be a kind of trial for them.â
âHaha.â
Yue Wuwei looked at Zhang Han and said with a chortle, âWell, your calm and collected manner kind of reminds me of my master.â
âSpeak of that mysterious master of yoursâŠâ
Zhang Han shook his head slightly and asked, âWhat kind of person is he on earth?â
âHeâs otherwordly and elegant. Itâs as if nothing in the world can perturb him. Heâs handsome, peerlessly dignified, and superior to the whole world. Heâs invincible, the most remarkable legend, and a free soul that travels around the world,â Yue Wuwei said with a gratified look.
It was as if he was complimenting himself.
âWhy do I feel that youâre talking about a young man?â Zhang Han was amazed. Then, he said in amusement, âAs you look quite old, your master must be elderly as well.â
âWho said that?â Yue Wuwei scowled at him and said, âMaster is handsome, though I havenât seen his good self yet.â
âHuh? Havenât you seen him before?â Zhang Han slightly narrowed his eyes.
âI have, but itâs never been captured in my memory. Itâs as if the moment I turned around, all the memories about his appearance just disappeared.â Yue Wuwei suddenly sighed and said, âI donât know why exactly. Every time I tried to follow Masterâs footsteps, I failed to catch up with him. There are many secrets on the Saint Warrior Planet that even I donât know about. But you have a chance to know, for Mengmeng is now the Heavenly Lord. For her, to solve many of those secrets is just a matter of time.â
âItâs getting more and more mysterious.â Zhang Han curled his lips.
He also felt a little absurd. He was curious about that mysterious master. The cultivation method he had been practicing was also left by that mysterious master. But most of the supernatural powers were gained through his comprehension.
âHowâs your practice of the cultivation method going?â Yue Wuwei asked casually. âI mean the one that Master gave you.â
âThat method is remarkable and powerful,â Zhang Han said, âand it suits me very well.â
âHow long will it take you to break through to the Yuan Ying Realm?â Yue Wuwei asked again, âHurry up and cultivate. I figure you will soon go to the Sea Dragon Star Area to have fun. You are only in the Elixir Realm. There are some things there that will be a little knotty for you to handle. But if you reach the Yuan Ying Realm, you can do whatever you want in the vast Sea Dragon Star Area.â
âThere is no rush.â
Zhang Han suddenly fixed his eyes on Yue Wuwei and asked with a smile, âAs long as youâre with us, weâll encounter no problem in the Sea Dragon Star Area. Even if we go to the Heavenly Dragon Star ProvinceâŠâ
âAhem.â
Before Zhang Han could finish his words, Yue Wuwei coughed softly and said, âWhy are you always curious about my strength? Youâll know it when the time comes. Humph, Iâm gonna turn in. Iâll send my daughter here tomorrow morning so she can go to school with Mengmeng.â
Then, without giving Zhang Han a chance to speak, he conjured up a Space Portal out of thin air and departed.
âThis old bratâŠâ
Zhang Han shook his head and went back to his room.
He was also wondering how long the people in the Kingâs Domain could hold up and if they could win in the end.
What worried him the most was that those people were not good at this kind of strategy-oriented attack.
Early the next morning.
Yue Wuwei and his family came over and had breakfast with them. After that, Zhang Han drove the two girls to the First Middle School.
âThere are so many people my ageâŠâ
Yue Xiaonao knew what a school was like. But when she saw students filing into the campus one after another, she still found it very novel.
âTheyâre, of course, at our age,â Mengmeng said. âThe older ones are all in senior high or college.â
âWhat grade are we in now?â Yue Xiaonao asked curiously.
âWeâre in Class Eight, Grade One. Itâs the second semester,â Mengmeng said kindly. âYou havenât attended the first semester, so there is a lot of knowledge you havenât learned yet. Iâm not sure if you can catch up with the others. If you find the subjects too hard, I can try to teach you.â
âHey, no need. Studying is simple.â Yue Xiaonao casually waved Mengmengâs offer aside.
She was extremely confident.
âDaddy, weâre going to school now. Donât forget to come and pick us up on time in the afternoon.â Mengmeng ran to the driverâs seat, leaned in, and kissed Zhang Han on the cheek.
âAhhh!â
Yue Xiaonao immediately covered her eyes with both hands and said, âMengmeng, how old are you? How can you still kiss your dad? Itâs too bashful!â
âSo what?â Mengmeng snorted and said, âI can kiss my dad whenever I want.â
âThen do as you please.â Yue Xiaonao dropped her hands, looked around, then ran to the campus with Mengmengâs hand in hers.
Zhang Han shook his head with a smile, started the car, and slowly drove away.
With the improvement of Mengmengâs strength, the treasures she carried, and Yue Wuweiâs protection, Zhang Han no longer felt it necessary to station his people in the school every day to watch over the little girl.
Mengmeng had grown up after all.
When they entered the classroom, Bai Yilin was already there, waiting.
âZhang Yumeng, youâre here.â
Seeing them come in, Bai Yilin said with a smile, âIs this the new member of our class, Yue Xiaonao?â
âYes,â Mengmeng replied.
âOkay.â
Bai Yilin clapped his hands and said, âEveryone, quiet. Let me introduce a new classmate to you. Well, Iâd better let her introduce herself. Come on.â
Under the teacherâs instruction, Yue Xiaonao walked up to the podium and looked around. She had no stage fright at all.
In a loud and clear voice, she said, âMy name is Yue Xiaonao. Iâm Mengmengâs friend. I heard that school is fun, so I came. From now on, Iâll take good care of you.â
Bai Yilin was bemused.
He looked a little dumbstruck and embarrassed.
âWhatâs going on?
âThis girl doesnât play by the rules.â
âWell⊠Letâs applaud our new classmate, Yue Xiaonao.â
As Bai Yilin spoke, he murmured with emotion inwardly, âIt seems that this is a rather unruly girl.â
Oneâs words could reveal a lot about oneâs personality.
Bai Yilin was kind of mortified when he heard that the girl promised she got her classmatesâ back on her very first day in school. None of the students he met in his school life had such an imposing manner.
Mengmeng, however, found it understandable.
âAfter all, Xiaonao grew up in the Kingâs Domain. She has lived like a princess for many years. Thus, her habits have long become well-seated.â
âSwish!â
As for Bei Jinnan and the other students, they happened to dislike ordinary self-introductions. Upon hearing Yue Xiaonaoâs words, their interest was piqued, and they all applauded with great enthusiasm.
âHee-hee.â
Laughing happily, Yue Xiaoxi stepped off the podium and looked at the back of the room several times.
âEh? Where will I sit?â
âHere.â Bai Yilin lightly coughed and pointed to a desk in the first row near the podium.
âHuh?â
Yue Xiaonao was instantly stunned. âUh? I donât want to sit here. Iâll sit next to Mengmeng so that we can look after each other.â
Bai Yilin didnât know what to say.
âDo you think this is a battlefield? You said you wanted to sit with Mengmeng so you could look after each other? I bet you just want to chat with her in class. How can I allow that?â
Mengmeng was a top student in the class. As her teacher, Bai Yilin wouldnât allow anything to hinder Mengmeng from her study.
This proposal made Bai Yilin even more concerned.
He said, âYue Xiaonao, umm⊠in our class, studentsâ seats are allocated according to their grades. Only the top 10 students have the right to choose a new seat. Youâve just joined our class, so sit here first. Itâs good for you to concentrate on lectures since itâs close to the blackboard. Thereâs an exam in half a month. If you become top 10, you can switch seats then, okay?â
Negotiation worked very well on Yue Xiaonao.
âAll right.â
Yue Xiaonao nodded and took the special seat in the first row near the podium.
In truth, like all the other teachers in the world, the teachers in the advanced class of the First Middle School favor students with good grades. Yue Xiaonao, a transfer student, was able to join the advanced class directly. That fact alone already explained a lot. Moreover, in this school, the students were all teenagers. Many teachers preferred to resolve disputes with students through negotiation. They hoped to persuade and guide them by virtue. Bai Yilin was of this kind.
Seeing that Yue Xiaonao obediently took the seat, everyone started with the morning self-study session.
At first, Bai Yilin thought that Yue Xiaonao, the new student would also be smart in class. But he found that she just sat in her seat playing with her little toys during the first class. When he gave her warning gazes, she was not scared at all. Instead, she even boldly met his eyes several times.
Her eyes were clearly saying, âWhy are you looking at me?â
In this regard, Bai Yilin thought to himself that the new girl might not be a top student.
When class was over, Yue Xiaonao instantly livened up. She sat in the class and watched Bei Jinnan and the others chatting with Mengmeng. Soon, she blended in.
âClass starts so soon?â
After a 10-minute break, the bell rang again. But Yue Xiaonao still wanted to chat.
With the arrival of the teacher, silence fell in the classroom. The only sound that could be heard was the teacher giving a lecture on the podium.
Yue Xiaonao looked ahead at the blackboard and tried to listen to the lecture for a few minutes.
But she found it simply boring.
âMengmeng, what are you doing?â
Yue Xiaonao could perform the Designated Voice-transmitting Technique. Her voice soon sounded in Mengmengâs ears.
âHuh?â
Mengmeng was slightly stunned. She hadnât learned the Designated Voice-transmitting Technique yet. Therefore, she wrote a note and flicked it at Yue Xiaonao. The note turned into an almost imperceptible jet of light and landed on Yue Xiaonaoâs palm.
âIâm studying. We gotta pay attention to the lecture in class.â
âMengmeng, attending classes is so boring. Why donât we go out and play?â
âNo, we have to study.â
âGee, Iâm so bored. Mengmeng, why donât you chat with me for a while? You donât know how to use the Designated Voice-transmitting Technique? I can teach you.â
âListen carefully in class. Hurry up and study.â
âIâm not interested in the lecture. I canât understand a word of what heâs saying. MengmengâŠâ
Just like that, Yue Xiaonao talked to Mengmeng with the Designated Voice-transmitting Technique every other minute.
âMengmeng.â
âMengmengâŠâ
Because of this, Mengmeng couldnât focus anymore. She took a deep breath and scribbled some words on a new note.
âYue Xiaonao! I need to study. If you disturb me again, I will be angry.â
âYouâll get angry because I spend time chatting with you? Youâre too petty.â
Mengmeng wrote back, âI wonât play with you anymore.â
Yue Xiaonao was rendered speechless.
She couldnât understand why Mengmeng was angry. âIs it just because I talked to her?â
That question baffled her throughout the second half of the class. After class, she did not go to talk to Mengmeng at the beginning. But seeing that Mengmeng also ignored her, Yue Xiaonao could not help feeling a little anxious.
After thinking for a few minutes, she ran to Mengmengâs side and sat down.
âFine, I shouldnât have disturbed you. Donât be angry, okay?â
When Yue Wuwei and Lisa âsawâ this, they were both astonished.
âSo there are times that our daughter has to admit defeat, haha.â Yue Wuwei laughed, then said, âKeep good men company and one shall be of the number. Now that Xiaonao is friends with Mengmeng, I reckon she will become more docile.â
âDonât you know why she is so disobedient?â Lisa said flatly.
âI know, I know.â Yue Wuwei quickly smiled apologetically and said, âI was just too busy with my work before. Donât worry. From now on, Iâll be a house husband like Zhang Hanyang, satisfied?â
âItâs too late.â
âNo, itâs not.â
ââŠâ
After all, they were husband and wife. Although they were not the sweet couple as Zhang Han and Zi Yan were, they still had a warm and romantic life.
Now that Yue Xiaonao had taken the initiative to apologize, Mengmeng couldnât stay angry anymore.
She pouted slightly and whispered to Yue Xiaonao, âWell, I forgive you. Xiaonao, this place is different from the Kingâs Domain. We have to listen carefully in class. We canât talk, use mobile phones, or play games. Itâs because a studentâs job is to pay attention in class. Not talking in class is a way to show our respect for the teachers.â
âWell, I see,â Yue Xiaonao said. âBut I know nothing. The lecture was gobbledegook to me. It was so boring. Mengmeng, if it werenât for you, I wouldnât have come.â
âYou, you donât know anything yet, but you can learn. Itâs very simple. You are so smart. I bet you can grasp the content of the textbooks with a glance. Moreover, if you do well in exams, your parents will reward you. Every time I get good grades, my parents will reward me,â Mengmeng said seriously.
âIs that so? I can get rewards?â Yue Xiaonao became interested.
âWhatâs more, if you get good grades, teachers will like you, and other classmates will admire you. Anyway, there are a lot of benefits,â Mengmeng said.
âOkay, Iâll give it a try. Tonight, Iâll ask my dad if he has any reward for me.â Yue Xiaonao nodded.
However, in the second class, which was English, Yue Xiaonao felt a little lightheaded with all those foreign words buzzing in her ears.
But she listened attentively. Soon, she realized that she had accurately memorized all the things the teacher said in this class.
She then split her mind into two and began to flip through the textbook. When she was absorbed in learning, she didnât feel the flow of time. Then, as if in a short moment, the class was over.
âOh, so thatâs what taking a class is all about. It feels okay.â
Once she began to focus on studying, it would not be so boring.
Like that, Yue Xiaonaoâs school life commenced.
Seeing this, Yue Wuwei was quite gratified.
With emotion, he kept whispering in his head, âItâs true that keep good men company, and one shall be of the number.â
Also, he was puzzled by how Mengmeng, who was raised by Zi Yan and Zhang Han, could turn out to be so smart and sensible.
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