Chapter 407: Princess Le Ping of Former Yan, Chen Yan Slays and Yet Crushes Hearts

Beside Murong Su Xue, Murong Ying jerked her head up, her dark‑purple armor already soaked through with blood.

A deep slash was still etched on the Guardian Heart Mirror.

Her already delicate face was stained with dust and blood spots, the wound on her temple still oozing, trailing down her cheek, but at this moment she could not care about any of that; she widened her eyes and stared at Chen Yan, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "You… how do you know my mother's identity, even her name?!"

Murong Ying's hand gripping the Long Sword kept shaking, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

Her mother's status as a Great Yan princess is the Tongtian Society's greatest secret, known only to the innermost senior confidants.

Yet the young Chen Yan in front of her blurted it out in a single sentence, causing her to panic instantly…

Yuwen Ze, standing beside Chen Yan, stepped half a pace forward; the cloud pattern carved on the shoulder armor of his dark armor flickered in the firelight, half‑hidden, half‑visible.

A half‑smile curled at the corner of his mouth, his eyes flippantly swept over the over‑startled Murong Ying, his tone casual as if speaking of a trivial matter: "It's not a big secret…"

"My brother wants to know; what's so hard about that?"

He said so, then sneered, his eyes full of contempt for their "self‑proclaimed secrecy."

Since the last time, after learning that the Tongtian Society fled in Qinzhou without being completely eradicated…

His brother immediately began the investigation!

Murong Su Xue, hearing this, first shook her head, let out a low chuckle, then raised her hand to wipe the blood from her face; her gaze steadied as she looked straight at Chen Yan and said, "He holds the Bright Mirror Department in his hand; probing these is a piece of cake…"

It was obvious that Murong Su Xue was not surprised by her identity being exposed.

After all, it is the Bright Mirror Department…

The one who commands it is still Chen Yan, who helped Yuwen Hu overthrow the two Grand Pillars of State and cleanse the court!

Murong Ying thrust her chin up sharply, a cold sneer curling at her mouth, her gaze piercing Yuwen Ze: "What's there to be proud of!"

She said, then gripped the Long Sword tighter; the tip trembled slightly with anger, her eyes scanning the surrounding Zhou Army before landing hard on Chen Yan and Yuwen Ze, her face full of resentment: "If you hadn't used sorcery to collapse the walls, the outcome would still be uncertain…"

Her eyes were filled with stubborn defiance and grievance.

They didn't lose because of their formation…

Had it been a fair fight, the besieging Zhou Army would have suffered massive casualties!

Tsk!

Yuwen Ze raised an eyebrow, looking at the defiant Murong Ying; first he went "tsk tsk" and smacked his lips twice, the half‑smile at his mouth deepening, his eyes brimming with mockery: "Your Tongtian Society's scheme to attack both inside and outside with the Tuyuhun, my brother has already seen through…"

He paused, deliberately lengthening his tone, his gaze sweeping over Murong Su Xue's suddenly stiffened face before returning to Murong Ying's blood‑red eyes: "Moreover, the Tuyuhun cavalry you rely on won't arrive even in ten days or half a month, so your wish cannot be fulfilled!"

It's not that Yuwen Ze wants to show off; it's because his brother is that formidable!

Besides, he can even indulge in shrimp and pork heart, why not?

"What?!"

After that revelation, Murong Ying startled, stepped back half a step, her voice suddenly rose, the pallor draining from her shocked face.

She stared fixedly at Yuwen Ze, her eyes full of disbelief, a startled accusation: "How do you know my mother's deployment…?!"

Even the hand gripping the Long Sword unintentionally loosened, fingertips trembling, her once straight back sagging slightly.

That defiant aura was shattered in an instant.

Only total panic and despair, fully seen through, remained, even the pain of the temple wound becoming vague…

Know that this matter was known only to a handful of confidants who had followed them for over a decade; it could never have been leaked!

Yuwen Ze took in Murong Ying's panicked expression, a smug smile instantly curling at his mouth, the hint of swagger in his eyes impossible to hide.

Then, facing Chen Yan, he raised his hand in a fist‑salute, his voice deliberately raised a notch, "The petty conspiracies you plotted have long been seen through my brother's keen eyes!"

Do you know what it means to pre‑judge your own pre‑judgment?

That's it!

There's nothing we can do; it's because his brother is so powerful!

That tsundere little expression seemed to silently tell Murong Ying that being weak is a original sin!

"Princess Le Ping, I have to admit, your scheme was indeed clever!"

Chen Yan gave a calm smile, his gaze passing over the encircling soldiers, landing on Murong Su Xue standing in the center of the circle, sword planted.

The firelight reflected off her battered dark‑red armor, also highlighting the fresh blood on her face and her solemn expression.

Even trapped in a dire situation, her spine remained straight; those eyes that once burned with resolve were now veiled by the gray haze of inevitable defeat, yet showed no trace of cowardice.

He paused, his voice shedding its earlier chill, adding a rare solemnity: "If I had no support, even though I had seen through everything, I wouldn't dare to act on the plan; attacking the city directly tonight would be impossible!"

Putting aside any stance, Chen Yan admired Murong Su Xue as an opponent; her strategies were top‑tier…

If she hadn't prepared several defenses and held a strongest trump card, even Chen himself wouldn't dare to rashly breach the city!

Heh!

Murong Su Xue stared at Chen Yan for a long while, then suddenly let out a low laugh, the sound heavy with self‑mockery and sorrow, retorting: "In the end I still lost, didn't I?"

Losing is losing, and losing so badly…

No matter what, it's simply a matter of inferior skill…

"Just a lucky narrow victory!"

Chen Yan's mouth twitched upward slightly, a faint curve forming, he raised his hand in a fist‑salute, bowed slightly, and laughed, "It's nothing worth mentioning!"

Murong Su Xue, hearing this, slowly shook her head, her disheveled hair brushing the blood‑stained cheek as she moved.

She stared at Chen Yan for a moment, then drew a playful curve, the smile tinged with lingering sharpness, yet bearing a defeated one's appraisal of the victor: "A lucky strike that can make me fall so completely?"

She paused, her left hand weakly resting on the hilt, knuckles pale from blood loss, her gaze brightening, half‑smiling as she surveyed Chen Yan: "Truly, I can't tell if you're modest or hypocritical…"

Chen Yan met her gaze without flinching, his smile deepening, withdrawing his fist‑salute, his tone candid and unmasked: "Both, I suppose!"

Murong Su Xue exhaled a breath of stale air slowly, her chest finally easing a bit, she lifted her eyes to Chen Yan, the sharpness gone from her gaze, leaving only a hint of acceptance and curiosity about the outcome: "Lord Chen Yan, could you tell a dying person how you actually did it?"

As soon as she finished, she cast a sidelong glance at Yuwen Ze nearby, twirling the Horse Whip, her brows slightly furrowed, pressing: "And why did that person say the Tuyuhun won't come?"

As the head of the Tongtian Society, Murong Su Xue never believed in ghosts, gods, or sorcery…

Especially since earlier she caught a keyword Chen Yan mentioned, a reliance; she can be certain it was this young man's method!

No answer; she will not find peace in death…

"Fine, let Princess Your Highness become a lucid ghost…"

Chen Yan blinked, gave a calm smile, and said lightly: "I have a strange item in my hand; as long as there is enough of it, even a high mountain can be made to collapse and be flattened!"

If I weren't holding black gunpowder, I could be sure to blow down the city walls, catch the Tongtian Society off guard, and end the battle swiftly…

Chen might even change tactics!

In this battle, to win so thoroughly and so quickly, he succeeded thanks to technology that surpasses the age…

Yuwen Ze timely took over the conversation, his pride‑filled tone almost spilling over: "As for Tuyu Hun, before they arrived, my brother A Xiong had already made preparations…"

He said, deliberately stretching his tone, his eyes teasingly sweeping over Murong Ying's pale and despondent face: "At this moment they might still be out for a stroll somewhere, having no time to care about the Tongtian Society's fate!"

Murong Su Xue's pupils suddenly contracted, as if finally piecing all fragments together; she staggered back half a step, then abruptly raised her hand and slapped her own forehead, her hoarse voice trembling with sudden realization: "So that's it… so that's it!"

She slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the raging storm in her eyes had turned into a quiet admiration; she sighed word by word: "Lord Chen Yan's reputation is well earned, truly extraordinarily powerful!"

Silence lingered in the throat for a long while, finally becoming a long sigh that faded into the blood‑scented night wind.

Murong Su Xue lifted her hand to brush away the tangled hair clinging to her cheek, her exposed face full of indescribable loneliness: "It seems the destiny of Great Yan has truly run out…"

Between the lines, there is a broken helplessness.

The hand gripping the sword hilt slowly released; the Long Sword that had once supported her to the end clanged to the ground, splashing a few drops of blood.

Murong Su Xue's defeat was not unjust; under Chen Yan's great fame it was certainly not luck…

Alas, Heaven intends to doom Great Yan!

Chen Yan's tone was so calm it had no ripple, yet carried a weighty gravity: "Former Yan has long become history; why do you, for your own selfishness, cause suffering to the living?"

"Now the people of Great Zhou live in peace and prosperity; although there are border skirmishes, there is no great chaos. Why must you cling to the obsession of restoring the nation, stirring the northwest with your selfishness, making the entire city's soldiers and civilians pay such a heavy price for your 'obsession'?"

Speaking, he raised his hand to point at the city, where cries rose and fell, and in the firelight one could vaguely see fleeing civilians and collapsing houses.

"I am a member of the Great Yan Imperial Clan!"

Murong Su Xue snapped her head up; the hollow gaze was instantly filled with scarlet fury, the previous loneliness and admiration vanished, she staggered half a step forward, pointing toward Chen Yan, her voice hoarse yet hysterically frantic: "Daughter of Emperor Wen Cheng, sister of Emperor Xiao Wu!"

"How can we stand by while the Yuwen Clan traitors usurp the throne!"

She roared, her tattered crimson cloak trembling with the violent motion.

As a member of the Murong Clan, Murong Su Xue cannot turn a blind eye and merely survive…

Even if it means being shattered to pieces, she must fight!

"Give her a king's death!" Chen Yan, expressionless, glanced at You Xian and ordered in a deep voice.

Murong Su Xue stared intently at Chen Yan, her eyes swirling with complex emotions—hate, unwillingness, and an inexplicable oddity. Suddenly she drew a cold smile, her voice pressed down extremely low, as if murmuring to herself: "The fields of those before are harvested by those after; the later harvesters rejoice, and there are harvesters behind them…"

The Yuwen Clan indeed won, but may not laugh till the end.

The young man before us is certainly no low‑born veteran…

Before the words finished, the nearby militia stepped forward, a flash of blades, and the last few remaining armed soldiers beside Murong Su Xue instantly fell into a pool of blood.

In the crowd, Tang Zizhan saw the scene, hurled his broken sword aside, and with a "thud" knelt to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "I surrender! Lord Chen Yan, spare my life!"

At this moment, You Xian stepped forward slowly, his hand holding no sword, only untying from his waist an oil‑soaked leather bowstring.

He moved behind the exhausted Murong Su Xue, without a word, wrapped the bowstring around her neck, and thrust both hands forcefully.

"Ugh!"

Murong Su Xue's body thrashed violently, her nails digging deep into You Xian's arm.

Yet she could not utter even a half‑word; the ferocity in her eyes gradually faded, leaving only a profound glint that lingered on Chen Yan…