Chapter 2
1
The guards of the Qin family brought me to the central building of the border city, to Duke Qin's resting room. The central building was heavily guarded due to its location in the heart of the border city. It was crucial to prevent any secret enemy attacks. The Duke had been severely injured, and his safety was of utmost importance as he was the core protected figure of the military. Without him, morale would plummet.
The captain of the guards was none other than the leader of the squad that had been stationed outside the city for a long time without leaving. He accompanied me into the building, with Qin family staff members surrounding us on both sides, clearly intending to monitor us.
"Sir, do you really have the confidence to heal Duke Qin's injuries?" The captain asked, leaning closer to me.
"Being injured by a Divine Rank practitioner, the water-based Magic used by your forces would take at least a week or two to heal, and as for Light Magic... it would actually do more harm than good to him. The Qin family originated from The Demon Realm, so they have some resistance to Light Magic even after staying in The Human Realm for so long. Using Dark Magic as a means of counteracting the poison is something normal people wouldn't dare attempt," I replied.
"So, sir, how do you plan to save him?"
"Divine fire..."
"What do you mean, sir?" the captain asked, puzzled.
"You'll see when the time comes. But are all of the empire's troops stationed here at the western border? If that's the case, we will soon be surrounded. Three kilometers behind the border city, there is a complete transport line located in the Qixi Gorge. As long as the border city stands, the empire won't be able to transport military supplies through the gorge. If the imperial troops are all here, they can only wait to be cornered."
"According to the original plan, it was a three-pronged attack, with us as the central army. But before the plan could be implemented, the three Divine Rank practitioners started fighting the Duke. After the Duke was injured, the other two armies also dared not act recklessly. And if anything unexpected were to happen to the Duke, it would be difficult to maintain morale."
"Don't worry, he won't die..."
I was led to the Duke's room. He looked the same as he did twenty years ago, with the exception of the weariness that comes with age. Perhaps his current illness played a role in it.
"High Priest!"
Beside Duke Qin stood someone wearing a large black priest's robe. I never would have imagined that I would witness the presence of both fathers from twenty years ago. Even Wenxin's father was there, although his lifespan was not as long as a Divine Rank practitioner's. He appeared much younger twenty years ago. But where was Wenxin's mother? Oh right, she wasn't a priest back then.
There were people surrounding the Duke's bed, but whether they were there to protect him or were part of the consultation, I couldn't tell. Their serious expressions indicated that they were deep in thought.
"Lan Siren, is he the person you mentioned in your report? He..." Grand High Priest Lin scrutinized my clothes. I must have looked disheveled and unreliable, but explanations were boring, so I went straight to work.
"Nofice, lend me a hand. I need to work without any disturbances." Though Black and I had different personalities, we had similar habits, and Nofice and I had developed a good understanding without falling behind Qin Yang.
Nofice appeared immediately upon the mention, her graceful figure appearing before everyone. She struck the ground with her elegant staff, and a complete barrier formed, warning others not to approach.
"What are you all doing? Guards! Call a barrier expert! Is she an assassin?"
"Nofice, please use silence," I said.
"..."
Father's Divine fire had the ability to protect him. That was quite impressive! I hadn't even touched him, yet the Flame of Punishment within my body had already ignited, becoming the celestial demon flame. No wonder they all looked at a loss.
All five of my fingers were on fire, glowing with golden flames. The seed of the Flame of Punishment within me had replaced the celestial demon flame, and the Four Divine Flames were its four avatars, which possessed the healing abilities of the Flame of Punishment.
The fire of the celestial demon can make way for the Flame of Punishment.
"Quiet!" Nofice emerged from the barrier, his black and white wings imposing, urging everyone to remain calm. "The Master's intention is, if you don't want to attract any assassins, go ahead and flaunt yourselves. It would be best to issue a statement, saying that the injured Qin Feng is on the 180th floor of the central building, okay?"
"Black and white wings? If you were an Angel, I would choose to believe you, but as a Fallen Angel, forget it!"
"Even though you're a high priest, you haven't seen clearly that in this era, whether it's an Angel or a Fallen Angel, neither can be trusted! The Divine Realm is nothing but empty hypocrisy."
"You..."
"Just shut up!"
2
About an hour ago, the Duke's face regained its healthy color. The high priest's guards and the stewards of the Qin family all relaxed a bit because of Nofice's words and his harmless actions, and no experts in dismantling barriers showed up.
Indeed, at a time like this, any major action could potentially alert the enemy's intelligence network, so it was imperative to remain calm.
"You are..."
"Injured, but I'm fine now. However, I can't help you replenish your depleted magic power."
Father sat up normally, looking unscathed, which astonished him. "The Flame of Hope from the Lius? In my knowledge, there is no such flame as yours."
"It's called the Flame of Punishment, once used by the gods to punish other gods."
Father collected himself. "No wonder the fire of the celestial demon..."
"I believe the flame is not the most important thing to focus on. As the core of this army, before causing a greater disruption and scattering morale, are you sure you haven't already taken action?"
"Thank you so much! However, who are you exactly..."
"You don't need to use honorifics, my surname is Qin, and my name is Yang!"
"So, are we..."
"Besides being fellow citizens of The Othrie Empire, we currently have no other connection. You can think of me as a commoner who stepped forward to defend the country." I hadn't even been born at that time, so of course there was no connection. My mother and father didn't officially marry until a few years later.
"The saying 'the master is always among the people' is not entirely false. Even though I was seriously injured during the day, I faintly felt the powerful light magic that repelled the enemy. It must have been Mr. Qin! If it happened in the army, it would be considered a great military achievement."
Father's words were clear; he wanted me to stay, but there was a reservation in his eyes and tone. My identity was still just a claim, but my goal was clear. As long as my father didn't die and we ensured victory in this war, even though time travel was a reckless act, our appearance here was by no means coincidental, and I firmly believed in that.
"I might be able to help you and turn the tide of the battle!" Human wars can't be more complicated than the battles between gods and demons, right? Of course, I still needed something to gain my father's trust. Currently, he was constrained by insufficient magic power and could only smile humbly at me.
"I would like to hear the details!"
"But before that, can I ask the Duke for a favor? Could you help me find my lost friends in the border city? The captain named Lan must have seen them."
"Lan Siren!"
"Here!"
"Go and search for them immediately!"
"Understood!" Captain Blue saluted respectfully before leaving the room, holding a military communicator to gather the team.
"Duke, please evacuate immediately and create five or more fake hiding spots, as the Dumen Empire is ready to launch a surprise attack. Make sure you cannot intervene in the battle!" The Othrie Empire's greatest vulnerability lies in its excessive reliance on divine ranks on the battlefield.
