Banshee Family Training Record

Page 341

He and this renowned Qin general were not actually related by blood; his maternal grandfather was the brother-in-law of one of the latter's granddaughters. However, because Wang Ji was exceptionally gifted from a young age, the only powerful family he could associate with was the Wang Jian family. Therefore, he changed his surname to Wang, joined the family, and later became a pillar of the Qin state.

But having enjoyed so many benefits from the latter, at this moment, he had to risk his life to join in.

The clash between the two sides, a battle between two renowned generals at the late Nascent Soul stage, was described as earth-shattering with every collision.

Each clash between them generated shockwaves that swept across the land, engulfing clouds and flattening sand dunes. Many terracotta warriors, which might only be at the foundation stage, were shaken by these aftershocks and their surfaces might even crack, leaving them nearly unusable.

The battle was so fierce that the sky seemed to collapse. In the end, both sides suffered heavy losses in the Nascent Soul stage. Lian Yanzhang was forced to retreat with serious injuries, while Wang Jian was also unable to continue fighting and had to retreat temporarily.

However, without Lian Yanzhang's command, the allied forces lost even more confidence. The Qin army, manipulating the massive terracotta army, then moved forward with even greater ease.

In this battle, the Qin army advanced rapidly, achieving a Pyrrhic victory at an almost unbearable cost.

But a Pyrrhic victory is still a victory.

The allied forces have been disorganized, and their previously held positions have been destroyed. After a short rest, the Qin army can advance unimpeded and head straight for the heart of the Zhao state, the capital city of Zhao Yang, where the King of Zhao resides.

From this perspective, it can be said that the King of Qin's goal has finally been achieved.

Although it was achieved in a way he absolutely did not want, at least the plan to conquer the world could continue.

After this battle, the various parts of the allied forces temporarily dispersed, each stationed in their own territory, and contacted their respective rulers to discuss a suitable strategy.

Yun Chuan and the others also temporarily returned to the State of Jin. The group retreated all the way back to the border of the State of Jin and set up camp.

That night, under the brilliant starry sky, he held Sheng Linglong's hand, lay on the ground gazing up at the sky, his mind filled with thoughts of the future.

The overwhelming force of the Qin army crushed the Zhao army and also greatly shocked him. Now that the Zhao army had been defeated and the King of Qin was approaching the Zhao capital, he had to consider a completely new question: what should he do next?

Will the Qin state let the Jin state go?

He wasn't sure if Sheng Linglong would be better able to answer these questions.

"So, what do we do next?"

Although Yun Chuan'an was filled with emotion, at least they had made a fortune from the war in the past two years.

Although Lian Yanzhang's failure brought them considerable losses, all things considered, these two years were still a valuable period. While deeply reluctant to part, they knew it was time to say goodbye.

"Well, I don't know about that."

Sheng Linglong leaned on his shoulder and shook her head slightly, indicating that the decision was not up to them: "The Qin army is too powerful and unstoppable. Oh, there may be someone who can stop them, but it can't be our Jin state."

"Who might be the next to lead the obstruction? The King of Chu? The King of Qi? Or even the Zhou Emperor himself? It's definitely not us, and it's not our place to worry about it."

She said softly, "Let Father worry about these things. It's not too late for us to carry them out after he has contacted the other kings and decided on how to fight next."

Yun Chu'an nodded gently, temporarily setting aside his worries, then smiled softly and said, "How about we go to my house first?"

Sheng Linglong's heart skipped a beat; she felt a little nervous. She knew Yun Chu'an was married, but she had never met him and didn't know what kind of person he was.

The only thing she was certain of was that, for her sake, Yun Chu'an had actually been willing to reject the marriage proposal she had initially made, simply because he refused to wrong his first wife and didn't want her to be a concubine. (The last two lines appear to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated text.)

This is something that Sheng Linglong has always resented.

She was a princess, the daughter of the king, and the future heir to the Jin state. Yet, when she took the initiative to propose to him, he rejected her for this very reason.

Sheng Linglong had always been quite concerned about this matter, and at the same time, she was also curious about Yun Chuan's legal wife.

Now that she was about to meet him, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Noticing the girl's nervousness, Yun Chu'an lowered his head and gently kissed her cheek: "Don't be nervous, don't be afraid. Qiao'er is a very easy person to talk to. Tomorrow, just be normal, be open and generous, and say whatever you want to say."

Sheng Linglong's mood calmed down a little. She nodded gently in response, then nestled in his arms and said no more.

The next day, early in the morning.

The group returned home, and the cultivators who had gone on the expedition went back to their respective homes. Sheng Linglong, having nothing to do, followed Yun Chuan to Huai Mountain.

Chapter 685 Sheng Linglong Meets Qi Qiao

Sheng Linglong, holding Yun Chu'an's hand, was extremely nervous. She followed him into the small courtyard on Huai Mountain, where Qi Qiao, dressed in a close-fitting indigo silk outfit, was already waiting. (The last two lines are a nonsensical string of characters and don't translate directly.)

Zhu Yunqing and Nie Ningshuang stood on either side of her, their expressions somewhat tense. Upon seeing Sheng Linglong approach, the two bowed slightly and greeted her, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Sheng Linglong's expression was somewhat strange. The princess, who was used to being high and mighty, suddenly felt uncomfortable: "No need for formalities, um..."

For a moment, she even seemed somewhat at a loss.

Qi Qiao looked at the princess in front of her, whose clothes were not as jeweled as those of some female cultivators from noble families, but whose every inch of her clothes subtly and implicitly exuded a certain nobility. Her feelings were quite complicated.

She never imagined that her fate would be like this: her beloved husband, who was deeply devoted to her, cheated on her twice in less than two years after breaking through to the Golden Core stage, giving her two green hats.

At this rate, that's four peaks in four years, eight peaks in eight years...

Although there may have been many unavoidable factors involved, this discovery still saddened Qi Qiao.

Therefore, at this moment, looking at the woman in front of her, she did not have much emotional fluctuation. Her eyes were calm and still as she looked at the other woman, as if she had no emotional fluctuation at all: "Greetings, Your Highness."

Sheng Linglong felt a little awkward. She pursed her lips, knowing she couldn't let the awkward atmosphere continue.

She suddenly stepped forward, took Qi Qiao's cold little hand in hers, and then looked around and said, "Chu An, you... go do what you need to do. The family... probably needs you a lot."

"I'll have a private talk with Madam Qi Qiao."

She made this request, and Yun Chu'an glanced at Qi Qiao, who nodded slightly without any objection.

So Yun Chuan left for the time being and went with Zhu Yunqing to check on the current state of the family's businesses.

The two girls, Sheng Linglong and Qi Qiao, remained on the spot, holding each other's hands like best friends.

"Let's go for a walk on the hill over there," Sheng Linglong said softly. Qi Qiao didn't object, and the two of them walked hand in hand out of the courtyard and onto the mountain path outside. They strolled leisurely, looking at the green hills and clear waters.

Qi Qiao lowered her head, seemingly in a bad mood. She didn't speak, and the atmosphere became somewhat silent for a moment.

Sheng Linglong gritted her teeth, then decided to speak first: "Actually, Chu An loves you very much. Back then, even when facing pressure from the royal family, he... didn't want you to suffer any grievances."

Qi Qiao's expression shifted, and she looked up at her.

Sheng Linglong took a deep breath and continued, "Choosing him as my consort is my choice, and also... my father's order. This concerns the dignity of the royal family, so it cannot be disobeyed."

"But when I brought up the issue of the first wife..."

With a melancholy expression, she told Qi Qiao everything that had happened, at least offering her some psychological comfort: You don't need to be too sad. Even at that moment, the person he cared about most was still you.

Upon hearing this, Qi Qiao's expression remained largely unchanged, but a strange light flickered in her eyes, revealing that her inner world was far from as calm as it appeared.

Looking at Sheng Linglong's sincere expression, she gently pursed her lips and whispered, "Oh, I understand."

Sheng Linglong couldn't guess what this woman was thinking. She didn't understand her and felt a little flustered.

However, immediately afterward, she heard Qi Qiao whisper, "Actually, I don't care that much about this."

"After all, Chu An has already done something like this once before."

These words caused Sheng Linglong's brain to freeze: "Huh? You've done it before? What do you mean?"

“That’s right,” Qi Qiao said softly, “Before Her Highness the Princess, he was already with another woman…”

As she spoke, she lightly bit her lower lip, lowered her head, and seemed to be in great pain. Sheng Linglong snapped back to reality, her heart pounding. She never imagined that she would receive such explosive news after only exchanging a few words with Yun Chu'an's wife!

Yun Chuan had cheated on his wife once before!

but……

who is it?

Her brain began to race, her mind scanning through all the female cultivators she knew who were familiar with Yun Chu'an, considering the possibility of his infidelity.

who can that be?

Zhu Yunqing? The two are indeed close, but it's more like the way good siblings get along. If that's the case, then there aren't many clean siblings in the world.

Ye Jinglan? Doesn't seem like it. Although this older sister of his seems to have appeared out of nowhere, given Ye Jinglan's forthright personality, she doesn't seem like the kind of vixen who would suddenly steal someone else's husband...

Rong Jieyu? But she is, after all, Yun Chu'an's mother-in-law's best friend, inseparable every day. Even if she wanted to cheat, with You Wensi watching over her, she wouldn't have the chance...

Bai Suwan? Hmm... that scheming snake demon could indeed be deliberately seducing Chu An in order to climb the social ladder...

Names flashed through her mind, but in the end, she suppressed her chaotic thoughts and asked softly, "Then, do you know who that woman is?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Qiao's expression turned somewhat surprised: "Your Highness, you didn't know?"

Sheng Linglong frankly said, "I don't know. I was quite surprised when you said that."

For a moment, Qi Qiao's expression became somewhat subtle: "I thought it was you who encouraged him... After all, it was you who asked him to put down everything he was doing and to prioritize going to Qingyun Sect for study and exchange no matter what."

Sheng Linglong frowned slightly, her expression puzzled: "Qingyun Sect? What does that have to do with that place?"

Qi Qiao said softly, "Because the first person he cheated on was Yan Shuiyi."

Sheng Linglong was taken aback, thinking she had misheard: "Who?"

“Yan Shuiyi,” Qi Qiao repeated, “is that the chief disciple of the Qingyun Sect, the one whose reputation is known throughout the world, Yan Shuiyi.”

For a moment, Sheng Linglong's mind went blank. She couldn't believe her ears. The Qingyun Sword Immortal, whose fame spread throughout the world and whom everyone admired and loved, Yan Shuiyi, was actually...

Yun Chu'an's lover?!

what?

Is she crazy, or am I crazy?

Sheng Linglong had never thought of this before. After hearing that Yun Chuan had cheated on her once, the person she subconsciously considered was not "Yan Shui Yi" at all!

Seeing the princess's shocked expression, Qi Qiao finally realized that Sheng Linglong really didn't know about his affair with Yan Shuiyi.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, then said softly, "When I first discovered it, I was also very surprised. I couldn't believe that the renowned female swordswoman of Qingyun would be someone who could do such a thing."

"However, this is an undeniable fact. But don't worry, I have already forgiven him..."

She lowered her head, her expression revealing undisguised jealousy: "I...I'm not jealous of her."

Sheng Linglong snapped out of her daze and looked at her pouting expression. How could she not guess what she was really thinking?

Upon hearing this news, she was filled with surprise and remained stunned for a long time.

After a moment, she finally came to her senses and, seeing Qi Qiao's aggrieved expression, gently pursed her lips.

"Qiao'er," she said softly, "may I call you that too?"

Qi Qiao snapped out of her reverie and nodded gently, "Mm."

Sheng Linglong realized that the woman in front of her was not difficult to deal with. She opened her arms and suddenly hugged Qi Qiao, pulling her small hand down with one hand and whispering, "I know you feel very wronged, being wronged twice by your beloved husband... You've really suffered."

"But, Qiao'er, what I want to tell you is that this is also his fate."

Chapter 686 To help him, expand his harem!

Qi Qiao looked confused, not quite understanding. Sheng Linglong wasn't in a hurry and continued, "Qiao'er, think about it carefully. With Chu An's talent and abilities, he's achieved such cultivation and wealth in less than ten years of cultivation. So, in the future, he..."

"Where does his career end?"

Qi Qiao opened her mouth, but couldn't answer: "This... I don't know anything about this. Perhaps I should ask Fourth Sister..."

Sheng Linglong slowly moved her body back a little, her eyes and voice remaining calm: "Can't figure it out? Actually, I can tell you, it is."

"His ultimate goal will definitely not be to become a pillar of some vassal state, or a wealthy landowner in the countryside. Qiao'er, believe me, you and my husband, his ultimate goal will be at least a vassal king of a great power, or even..."

Her heart was pounding. Taking a deep breath, she almost trembled as she uttered the possibility: "The Emperor of the Central Plains!"

Princess Sheng Linglong of Jin, who appears to be loyal and law-abiding, actually understands the power games taking place in the Central Plains better than anyone else.

Although she would still sing praises to the Zhou rites, she had long since lost any reverence for the emperor. Even seeing the actions of the King of Qin, a thought inevitably arose in her mind.

If the King of Qin did such a thing, then why can't I do it?

Perhaps my own abilities are still too weak to achieve such a magnificent feat, but my husband…

A burning ambition resided in the princess's heart.

He might very well be able to obtain the highest power in the Central Plains cultivation dynasty!

This was Sheng Linglong's idea, which was utterly outrageous. Although she didn't fully reveal her true ambitions, it was enough to astonish Qi Qiao.

"You...you actually think that way..." she murmured, somewhat incredulous. Sheng Linglong nodded gently, her eyes filled with determination: "And I firmly believe that he can do it."

Upon hearing this, Qi Qiao's eyelids drooped slightly, and her gaze seemed to dim somewhat.

“I don’t have that many thoughts,” she said softly. “He has given me more than enough. I have never thought about him achieving anything great. In fact, I think he has taken too many risks to get where he is today.”

She sincerely expressed her longing for her husband: "I just hope that every time he goes out, he can come back safely and be able to stay at home more often, enjoying the company of his loving family."

Sheng Linglong was slightly taken aback; she hadn't expected Qi Qiao to think this way. To her, these thoughts seemed so... devoid of any ambition.

This woman has such little ambition.

However... her feelings for Chu An are indeed very deep.