aircannonsinc Chapter 408 The Moon Goddess before us is actually fake?
Chapter 408 The Moon Goddess before us is actually fake?
Fan Li also stepped forward and carefully examined the bundle of clothes and the jade pendant. After confirming that they were correct, a smile finally appeared on his face.
The moon goddess wore a mask, obscuring her face, but her eyes curved into two crescent moons.
After Xu Longxiang finished laughing, he looked at Han Zhonghao and said:
"General Han, your contribution this time is the greatest. I will remember it and will certainly repay you handsomely in the future!"
Han Zhong stood aside, looking at Xu Longxiang's ecstatic face, feeling as bitter as if he had swallowed a whole bowl of bitter herbs.
If the Qin emperor was truly incompetent and foolish, if Liu Bai was truly killed by them, if Xu Longxiang was truly able to successfully rebel.
Xu Longxiang's promise was nothing short of a stepping stone to his meteoric rise in rank.
But unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in life.
His Majesty is not incompetent or foolish, Liu Bai is not dead, and Xu Longxiang could not have succeeded in his rebellion.
Therefore, this promise is nothing but empty words.
He forced an excited smile onto his face and respectfully clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Then thank you very much, Your Highness!"
His voice was loud and clear, with a deliberate eagerness, like a general who had made great contributions on the battlefield and was receiving a reward from his lord.
Xu Longxiang patted Han Zhong on the shoulder, the force neither too light nor too heavy, but carrying a brotherly intimacy.
"Brother Han, there's no need for such formalities! From now on, we'll advance and retreat together, live and die together!"
He had just been referring to himself as "this king," but now he was using "brother Han."
That "Brother Han" made Han Zhong feel even more bitter. But his face still wore a smile, a smile as bright as peach blossoms in March.
Fan Li stood aside, looking at Xu Longxiang's appearance, and secretly admired him.
The prince truly understands the art of winning people's hearts.
The phrase "We will advance and retreat together, live and die together" was powerful and resounding, and any general who heard it would be filled with patriotic fervor.
The Moon Goddess stepped forward, looked at Xu Longxiang, nodded slightly, and the smile on her lips deepened.
"Then I would like to offer my congratulations to Your Highness as well."
Xu Longxiang looked at her, at the faint smile in her cold, star-like eyes.
His heart skipped a beat, and a confident, triumphant smile appeared on his lips.
"Miss Suxin, we owe you a great deal this time. If you hadn't provided this cliff and deep pool, we wouldn't have been able to kill Liu Bai so easily."
The Moon Goddess smiled and nodded slightly.
"Your Highness flatters me. If it weren't for Your Highness's strategic planning, Mr. Fan's brilliant scheme, and General Han's desperate fighting, how could I, a mere woman, have accomplished anything?"
She attributed all the credit to them, making sure no one was left out and mentioning everyone.
Xu Longxiang was even more pleased, and the smile on his lips deepened.
He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the dark blue night sky above, encircled by the cliff, and exhaled a long breath.
"Liu Bai is dead, and Qin Mu has lost his right-hand man. From this day forward, Great Qin is no longer invincible!"
His eyes gleamed with a burning, determined light.
The night wind rushed in through the opening in the cliff, making his dark python robe flutter loudly.
He stood there, his back straight, like a sword that had been repeatedly tempered and finally drawn from its sheath.
Xu Longxiang was very pleased and waved his hand.
"Let's go! Let's go down to the city and have a drink! It's on me! We must drink until we drop and celebrate properly!"
He was overjoyed, his smile was so wide it stretched all the way to his ears.
He felt he had never felt so carefree in his life, never.
Fan Li leaned forward, lowered his voice, and cautiously offered a reminder.
"Your Highness, should we inform Dark Raven?"
His subtext was quite clear.
Dark Raven is injured, Your Highness. You must go and see him, otherwise it will break Dark Raven's heart.
Xu Longxiang slapped his forehead, finally realizing what he had just realized.
"Yes! Invite Dark Raven as well! He has rendered a great service today, and I, the King, will personally offer him a toast!"
Han Zhong shook his head, looking exhausted.
"I won't go. Something happened at the military camp just now, and the generals are still confused. I have to go back to take charge."
He's not in the mood for any celebratory drinks right now.
It's already quite good that he didn't cry.
Xu Longxiang listened to these words, thought for a moment, and nodded.
"General Han is right. After all, there are many people in the military camp, and the situation is complicated. If it gets out of control, it will be troublesome. It seems that we can only wait for another opportunity to invite General Han for a drink."
Han Zhong clasped his hands and bowed. "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness."
The moon goddess also spoke, her voice soft.
"Young Master Xu, I must also return. The Moon Goddess Sect has just been ravaged by General Han's army, and the people are now in a state of panic. The people below do not know the situation, so I must go back to stabilize the situation and appease the people."
Xu Longxiang's eyes flickered a few times. Although he felt a little reluctant, he knew that the other party was right.
Holding a victory celebration banquet now is indeed too early.
He sighed.
"Then we'll skip the celebration banquet. We'll talk about it later."
The moon goddess smiled and nodded, her eyes filled with approval.
"It's good that Young Master Xu understands."
Fan Li stepped forward, his expression solemn.
"In that case, let's discuss how to resolve this!"
He had wanted to say this for a while now, but it was far too early to hold a victory celebration banquet.
But he couldn't bear to dampen His Highness's enthusiasm, and he was overjoyed to see that His Highness had given up the idea.
Han Zhong nodded, his expression grave.
"That's right. With Liu Bai dead, and hundreds of thousands of Moon Goddess Cult followers surrounding us, I should lead my army in a hasty retreat. That would be in line with the course of events."
The Moon Goddess smiled, her voice calm and composed.
"At that time, I will have those believers open the northern entrance, and you can lead your troops out from there."
Han Zhong clasped his hands and bowed. "Thank you very much."
Fan Li then gave Han Zhong a few more instructions, teaching him how to respond and how to conceal his true intentions when facing the Emperor of Qin.
Han Zhong noted everything down, then clasped his hands in farewell and took his leave.
He turned around and disappeared into the night.
The Moon Goddess looked at Xu Longxiang and bowed slightly.
"Then I'll be going now."
Xu Longxiang hesitated for a moment, his lips moved, and then he spoke.
"Do you need any help?"
The moon goddess's eyes curved into crescents, and a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"If possible, that would be best."
Xu Longxiang's eyes suddenly lit up, like a lamp being lit in the darkness!
"No problem! I'm not in a hurry to go back anyway, so I'll stay and help you out!"
His voice trembled slightly with excitement, as if he had found some incredible treasure.
Fan Li, standing to the side, couldn't help but twitch slightly at the corner of his mouth upon hearing this.
He really wanted to say, "Your Highness, we're actually quite busy."
With Liu Bai dead, they must go back and seize this opportunity to create a more favorable situation.
For example, they formed alliances with neighboring small states, won over powerful clans, nobles, and aristocratic families within the Qin territory, and secretly colluded to accumulate strength.
But looking at His Highness's excited expression, and at the flame burning in His Highness's eyes for the Moon Goddess, he thought for a moment and decided not to say anything.
He's just an advisor; there's no need for him to contradict.
Especially when His Highness is in a good mood, or when His Highness is preparing to woo a woman, there is even less need for that.
He lowered his eyes, took a step back, and disappeared into the shadows.
Xu Longxiang didn't notice Fan Li's expression; his mind and eyes were completely occupied by the Moon Goddess.
He turned around, facing the moon goddess, a smile playing on his lips.
"Let's go, Miss Suxin. I'll take you back and see if there's anything I can do to help."
The moon goddess nodded, her white robes fluttering gently in the night breeze.
"Thank you, Young Master Xu."
The two walked side by side toward the headquarters of the Moon Goddess Cult.
The moonlight shone on the two of them, casting their shadows on the ground, one on the left and one on the right, very close together.
Xu Longxiang walked beside the Moon Goddess, his heart pounding like a drum being struck.
He looked at her profile, at her outline edged with silver by the moonlight, and the fire in his heart burned even brighter.
He felt that today was a really good day.
Liu Bai is dead, Qin Mu has lost his right-hand man, and the Moon Goddess is right beside him.
After Xu Longxiang, Yue Shen, and the others left, the cliff edge returned to a deathly silence.
The moonlight peeked out from behind the clouds, shining on the blood-stained rubble, on the torn, moon-white robe, and on the jade pendant engraved with the character "willow".
Qin Mu emerged from the shadows.
He still looked like Liu Bai, his expression was normal, and his steps were steady.
The wound on his lower back had long since healed, and there wasn't a trace of blood on his moon-white robe.
Zhao Qingxue followed behind him, her Frost Moon Sword hanging at her waist, the gem on the scabbard gleaming pale blue in the moonlight.
Her brows were slightly furrowed, a faint knot forming between them, and her gaze was fixed on the direction where Xu Longxiang had disappeared.
Jiang Zhaoyue walked at the very back, her steps light, her gaze sweeping over the mess on the ground, a complex feeling welling up in her heart.
Zhao Qingxue withdrew her gaze and smiled gently.
"This will probably make Xu Longxiang happy for several days, right?"
Jiang Zhaoyue smiled, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, carrying a hint of inexplicable sarcasm.
"It's not just a few days. Now that the great enemy has been eliminated and he has a beautiful woman by his side, he will probably be in a very happy state for a long time to come."
Zhao Qingxue couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at Jiang Zhaoyue's expression.
"I don't know how much sincerity the Moon Goddess had for Xu Longxiang, but Xu Longxiang certainly cared about the Moon Goddess at least eighty percent."
Qin Mu listened to the two women teasing each other and smiled slightly.
He raised his right hand and waved it gently, his face changing from that of a white-haired middle-aged man back to his original appearance.
"Whether the moon goddess before us is the same moon goddess known to the world is still another matter."
Zhao Qingxue's eyes suddenly flickered, like a stone hitting the surface of a lake in deep winter, creating a series of tiny ripples.
"You mean—this moon goddess before us isn't the real moon goddess?"
Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the white figure that had disappeared at the end of the mountain ridge in the distance.
"Didn't you notice that the Moon Goddess's voice this time is not quite the same as the Moon Goddess we met before? A person's expression, eyes, tone, actions, and word choice can all be imitated, but the voice is very difficult to imitate; there will always be some slight differences."
Jiang Zhaoyue was stunned for a moment, her eyes widening slightly.
"Your Majesty, do you mean—this moon goddess before us is an imposter?"
Qin Mu nodded, his smile deepening.
"That's right. The moon goddess in front of us is not the real moon goddess, but the actress playing the role of the moon goddess, or rather, her stand-in."
Zhao Qingxue's pupils contracted slightly.
She had no doubt about Qin Mu's words. With Qin Mu's strength, it was impossible for the Moon Goddess's little tricks to escape his notice.
Then what's in front of you is definitely fake.
A deep sense of admiration welled up in her heart.
This Moon Goddess, as expected of someone who could revive the Moon Goddess Cult and develop it to this scale, is indeed cunning.
They even resorted to using body doubles, and their sensitivity to danger is terrifyingly high.
Even though Xu Longxiang believed this was a sure-win situation, she still didn't show her real body, but instead sent her stand-in.
This demonstrates that the other party's ability to avoid crises is simply too advanced.
No wonder they were able to escape from the Taiyin Holy Sect under the siege of the Qin Dynasty and rebuild the Moon God Sect.
Jiang Zhaoyue also fell silent. A hint of realization flashed in her eyes, followed by a trace of apprehension.
Just as the three were talking, a dark blue figure sped out from the shadows of the mountain ridge.
Yun Luan moved swiftly and landed in front of Qin Mu, kneeling on one knee, clasping her hands and bowing.
"Your Majesty, your subordinate has found the Moon Goddess's true hiding place!"
Her voice was clear and steady, with a hint of barely suppressed excitement.
Qin Mu looked at her and nodded with a smile.
"Well done. Let's go take a look."
Yunluan stood up, her gaze sharp as a knife.
"yes!"
Qin Mu turned around and walked towards the other side of the ridge.
The moon-white robe fluttered gently in the night breeze, its hem brushing against the pebbles without making a sound.
Zhao Qingxue stood beside him, her hand resting on the Frost Moon Sword, her gaze steady.
Jiang Zhaoyue followed at the very back, her steps light and quick, her curiosity growing stronger.
Four figures silently disappeared into the night, like four drops of ink falling into deep water, leaving no trace.
At the edge of the cliff, deathly silence returned. Moonlight shone on the jade pendant engraved with the character "Liu," on the torn, moon-white robe, and on the dried, dark red bloodstain.
The night wind blew by, turning the tattered cloth over and revealing a dark red stain on the lining, soaked in blood.