Chapter Six: The Most Beautiful Moon, The Luminous South Phoenix

  Luo Yue Lake, though called a lake, its area is so vast that it almost encircles half of the You Yue Forest. The lake water reflects a reddish-orange glow under the sunset's rays at dusk, with gentle ripples on its surface. Although it doesn't have the turbulent waves of the sea, it has a unique serenity and tranquility that belongs to lakes. However, beneath this peaceful surface lies countless hidden dangers.

  The lake of Luoyue was icy and deep, with countless ferocious aquatic beasts lurking within. The people of Tianfeng had always considered the depths of Luoyue Forest and Lake Luoyue to be a place of death. As a result, despite the abundance of fish in the lake, only a few poor fishermen dared to catch small fish and shrimp in the shallow waters to make a living. In reality, only the well-trained hunters and sailors of the Giant Tree Empire dared to venture deep into Lake Luoyue on their expensive giant ships. At this moment, He Lianchang was following the hoof prints ahead, chasing after Nan Hengyue and He Lianshang as they galloped towards the shores of Lake Luoyue. In their panic, they had taken a wrong turn and were now at a dead end, with the lake's steep cliffs before them. The two hastily turned their horses around, trying to escape, but it was too late. He Lianchang's well-trained cavalry had already caught up, blocking off all routes of retreat and forming a trap from which there was no escape.

  Nan Huangyue was hunched over on the horse, her inferior horse already panting and exhausted to the point of collapse. Nan Huangyue herself was also drenched in sweat, with a few strands of hair stuck to her face, looking quite disheveled. On the other hand, He Lian Shang remained calm and composed, as if he hadn't just gone through that life-or-death gallop.

  He Liancheng, who had been left behind by the soldiers, finally caught up, and seeing a great achievement already firmly in his grasp, couldn't help but smile complacently. He parted the soldiers in front of him and slowly rode into the encircled area where the two men stood.

  Nan Huangyue saw He Lianchang approaching with a smile, and instinctively blocked her body in front of He Liansheng's, fearing that He Lianchang would not be good for his own son. He Liansheng, who was blocked behind Nan Huangyue, furrowed his brow, took a few steps forward, and then turned around to block Nan Huangyue's path, holding the baby tightly in his arms and watching He Lianchang warily.

  He Lianchang pulled the reins, smiling complacently: "Young Madam, why are you in such a hurry to run away? Why not follow me obediently and return with me? In consideration of sharing the same surname, I will speak beautifully on your behalf in front of Lord Zheng, ensuring your safety. What's the point of chasing each other around in this desolate place, wasting your youthful beauty?" As he spoke, his eyes no longer concealed their intentions, brazenly gazing at Nan Huan Yue's pale and delicate face.

  Nan Huang Yue didn't get angry, but instead smiled bleakly and said: "I appreciate your kindness, but once I enter the He Lian household, I'll be a He Lian for life. Even the stray dogs that He Lian's family feeds know that once they enter the He Lian household, they can't mix with other stray dogs outside, lest they tarnish the He Lian name. How could I be any different? I'm not as carefree as you are, so don't humiliate the He Lian name again. As for surrendering, it's absolutely impossible. But there is one thing I'd like to ask: since I left the imperial capital until today, it's been four or five days, but I don't know what the situation in the imperial capital is like now. Where is the master of the house?"

  "Head of the household?", Hearing Nan Huan Yue's question, He Lian Zong Heng surprisingly also rarely collected his light and frivolous expression, a strange color of admiration floated on his face: "As far as I know, the head of the He Lian family committed ritual suicide in front of the imperial ancestral temple not long after you escaped, his body was stolen by an unknown person under the cover of night, now whereabouts are unknown. It's a pity that a great hero ended up like this!"

  Although she had long been mentally prepared, Nan Hua Yue still felt a shock when she heard the news of her husband's death. She burst into tears and two streams of clear water flowed down her face without her realizing it. He Lian Shang, who had not spoken a word until now, suddenly had red eyes and his throat was choked with sobs. He jumped off his horse, hugged Sun Liao, and knelt down facing north, knocking his head on the rocky ground three times, causing blood to seep out of his forehead in an instant.

  Nan Huangyue gazed calmly at He Lian, who was kowtowing to her, but she didn't dismount. Instead, she stared intently at the infant in his arms, a resolute expression gradually emerging on her face. She muttered to herself, "Father was a hero in his lifetime, but who would have thought that even his corpse wouldn't be spared? Is this He Lian's fate? No! Nuo'er, you must remember, this is what the Tang and Zheng families owe us, what Tian Xiang owes us. One day, you will avenge your mother, avenge He Lian!" After speaking, she gazed at Sun Liao with an unyielding intensity, as if trying to imprint his image in her mind. Then, she suddenly drew a short dagger from her waist and stabbed it into the neck of her warhorse. The horse let out a pained whinny and charged forward wildly, not caring where it was going. He Lian, who was standing at the edge of the cliff, was too close to Nan Huangyue and didn't have time to react. Just as he tried to jump off his horse to save himself, Nan Huangyue's warhorse crashed into his own, and both horses lost their footing on the cliff edge. They tumbled forward, unable to stop themselves, and plunged down the precipice together. A loud splash echoed up from below after a brief moment of silence. He Lian's soldiers finally came to their senses and rushed to the cliff edge, peering down to see the lake water churning with massive ripples, but there was no sign of the people who had fallen in. Leaderless and confused, they stared blankly at each other, unsure what to do next. Suddenly, a soldier shouted, "Where's that person? The black-clad man holding the infant?" As soon as he spoke up, the soldiers snapped out of their trance and frantically searched for He Lian's figure, but it was nowhere to be found.

  The soldiers, who were at a loss, could only send a few messengers back to the imperial capital to report the news. The rest of the people wandered aimlessly around the surrounding sea, searching for something like looking for a needle in the ocean, but they never gained anything.

  The forest of Yaoyue has completely fallen into darkness at this moment, the night wind is blowing through the dense forest, accompanied by the howling of unknown animals in the forest, adding a touch of fear to this mysterious forest.

  But the curved moon in the sky is still so gentle, so peaceful. The flowing moonlight quietly spills onto the rippling water of Luoshui Lake, moving as if it's sorrowful.

  Luomihu Lake, today, a most beautiful moon really fell!

  The next day, the Tianfeng Empire issued a notice to all forces on the Youyue Continent: The original imperial marshal He Lian Zong had instructed his son He Lian Zhan to plot a rebellion in the southern border, and after investigation by the empire, the truth was revealed. He Lian Zong took his own life out of fear of punishment, and He Lian Zhan's wife Nan Huan Yue threw herself into the Luoyue Lake with their young son He Lian Nuo, their fate unknown. He Lian Zhan, along with his sons He Lian Po and He Lian Nuo, rebelled against Tianfeng in the southern border. At this critical moment, the empire appointed Zheng Yuan as the new marshal, and hereby notified all nations. We hope that all nations will assist Tianfeng in eliminating the remnants of He Lian's forces, to prevent the rekindling of war on the continent and spare the people from suffering.

  In the palace of the Li Dynasty, Emperor Li Tuo of Changfeng held the memorial in his hand for a long time without saying a word. The folding fan in his left hand tapped on the table from time to time. In the vast palace, only one old man in armor stood beside Li Tuo. The old man was robust and stood upright, obviously also a military man.

  "General Wei, the downfall of the He Lian family is a great opportunity for me to recover my lost territory! ", after a long time, Li Tuo finally spoke up. It turned out that the old man was none other than General Wei Tianpeng, who had been fighting against He Lian in the Tianzhu Mountains for decades. This man was known as the only military genius on the Youyue continent who could rival He Lian, but he could only barely manage to not lose to He Lian.

  "The Helian family has been loyal for a hundred years, how could they betray Tianfeng? The Tang family is really blind, and they actually destroyed their own Great Wall. In the future, let's see what they can use to defend against my Longfeng Iron Cavalry. It's just... it's a pity that Helian Zongying's talent has been wasted!" Wei Tiange said with regret, surprisingly not feeling much excitement about losing a strong enemy, but instead showing a lot of disappointment in his words.

  Watching Wei Tianlang's strange reaction, Li Tuo couldn't help but smile wryly to himself. He thought that as the mighty Longfeng Emperor, he was actually feeling so relieved just because of the death of a general from an enemy country, which was somewhat unbecoming. After deliberating for a long time, Li Tuo raised his head and said decisively: "Pass down the order, lower the Longfeng Tianying Wang flag by half to mourn the spirit of He Lian Yuanshuai in heaven! Tomorrow at noon, I will personally lead the troops to conquer Tianxiao!"

  "Your Majesty is wise!", Wei Tianhang praised and took a look at Li Tuo, then led the order to leave.

  On the same day, the giant wood toured Tianlong flag, and the Luoli golden lion flag were all lowered by half. For this battlefield giant who had been undefeated for decades, the Youyue Empire gave great respect.

  Paradoxically, those who understand you best are often not your friends but your enemies. Therefore, they can also give you the most fitting respect.