Chapter 866: Will You Willingly Entrust Your Life?

Pan Yun: "Unfortunate, I cultivate cause and effect—but the good and evil kind. This time, it was your Oirat who first attacked Great Ming. As a Han person, striking back is only right."

The lama remained silent, then told her firmly: "The Dao will not recognize it. It cannot even distinguish between humans and beasts, let alone nations or factions. You will die."

Pan Yun lifted her gaze and stared at him. After a moment, she smiled lightly, answering just as firmly: "I won't."

She twisted her fingers around the sword's hilt, having adjusted her state, and smiled softly: "Don't believe me? Let's test it!"

Pan Yun will test it with her life!

The lama hadn't expected her to be so bold—he'd told her she was defying the Dao, yet she charged forward without hesitation.

Pan Yun rushed forward with her sword, while her left hand snatched the Three Treasures Cauldron from her waist and hurled it toward Yun Yan and the others.

Yun Yan and the others knew how dangerous it was—they'd just ridden it from inside the city to outside.

The ten men showed no fear; they charged straight at the Three Treasures Cauldron, not forgetting to drag the Emperor with them.

The Three Treasures Cauldron flipped upside down and crashed down with a bang, covering all eleven men inside.

The instant they were sealed within, countless attacks clattered against the cauldron's surface.

The cauldron stood unmoved.

Inside, it wasn't completely dark. When the blacksmith Wang had designed it, he'd given Pan Yun viewing slits—like a flying tank, with narrow vision, but their numbers made up for it: each man clung to one slit, now seeing Pan Yun darting over there, now seeing four lamas charging together with the head lama to surround her.

Four others maintained the formation; no one had time to pay them any attention.

An Chen fumed: "They're bullying us with numbers!"

The scouts were also furious, but utterly powerless—they couldn't match cultivators in combat.

Yet their goal wasn't to fight—they were to protect the Emperor and extract him, even if it cost their lives.

Yun Yan seized the opportunity to grip the Emperor and warn him: "Your Majesty, follow me closely from now on. If I die, follow Chen Liutao. In short, each of us will fight to the death to protect you."

Little light filtered in, but just then, a beam struck the Emperor's face.

He looked at Yun Yan with pity and sorrow, then turned to the others.

Among them, he knew only Yun Yan well—but Chen Liutao and Qu Zhixing he remembered; he'd once sent them with Pan Yun to Japan, and after returning with merit and outstanding performance, he'd brought them to his side.

Both had accompanied him on this imperial tour; after leaving Datong, he'd left them with Kuang Ye.

Guo Jing had dared to conspire with Guo Deng to conceal military intelligence; he naturally could no longer use him as inspector, so he'd left a unit of Brocade Guard in Datong with equal authority.

Yun Yan had always stayed by his side; they'd fled together, lost contact along the way, and he'd assumed he'd never see him again.

Scenes of other soldiers dying to protect him flashed endlessly in his mind. The Emperor sighed softly: "Go."

Yun Yan's eyes widened: "Your Majesty!?"

The Brocade Guards and scouts were stunned—was the Emperor refusing to go with them?

The Emperor whispered: "You've seen it yourselves—Yisei was prepared. He set up this tent specifically to lure you into a trap. Who knows how many more traps lie outside? If you leave me behind, you still have a chance to survive."

Yun Yan pleaded: "Your Majesty, our lives mean nothing—we fear neither life nor death. As long as we can get you out—"

"But I won't let you die for nothing!" the Emperor shook his head. "Surrounded like this, you can't escape. Yisei is testing me—and training me. Look at his preparations: we're at the center of his camp. Can we possibly escape?" Yun Yan: "We must try—"

"To test it with your lives? How foolish!" The Emperor looked at their young faces and whispered: "I won't die if captured, but you will. And so will Pan Yun!"

He pulled free Yun Yan's hand, gripped it tightly, and said firmly: "You must survive and return. Let the imperial court find another way to rescue me. Don't risk yourselves like this again."

Yun Yan was moved, yet burned with anguish. He knelt beside the Emperor, pained: "What other plan can the court have? Your Majesty, Yisei uses you to threaten the court—Datong and Xuanfu dare not mobilize. Every battle, our soldiers dare not even fire arrows, fearing they'll strike you. I truly can't think of any other way the court can act…"

The Emperor murmured: "The ministers in court are wise—they must have a plan. I only hope fewer people will die."

Yun Yan opened his mouth but couldn't speak. His eyes were lost. Yet they were dying every day…

No matter how Yun Yan pleaded, the Emperor refused to leave with them: "You'll die."

The Brocade Guards knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly. The scouts' eyes turned red; they found no words.

Outside the cauldron, four young lamas lay on the ground, lifeless or unconscious. The other four maintaining the formation swayed, on the verge of collapse.

The head lama's face was pale; Pan Yun wasn't faring any better—her primordial energy had scattered completely.

He thought this was her limit—but she lifted her eyes to him, filled with madness.

Her meridians and the primordial energy from her crown dantian poured out in a chaotic mass, carrying a streak of golden light cascading forth.

The head lama's pupils shrank—he stared in shock: "Merit…"

The head lama's expression changed. He hurled his golden alms bowl at lightning speed. The two collided midair, unleashing immense energy. The entire tent trembled. The golden bowl slowly cracked into three fine fissures. The four young lamas maintaining the formation could no longer bear it—they spat blood and collapsed.

The head lama also spat blood, his limbs going limp as he slumped to the ground.

Pan Yun showed no expression. Her sword appeared in her hand as she stepped forward.

The head lama looked up at her, baring his neck calmly: "You may kill me. But you will die."

Pan Yun stared at the golden light of merit swirling around him—and halted.

The head lama smiled faintly and drew his neck back: "So you want to live too."

Pan Yun gave him a long look, then turned, lifted the Three Treasures Cauldron, and spoke to the eleven crouched inside: "Let's go."

Yun Yan didn't hesitate—he grabbed the Emperor and pulled to leave.

The Emperor quickly pulled back his sleeve: "You can't take me with you. Go on your own."

Pan Yun: "We came to rescue you. If you won't go, what's the point of this mission?"

The Emperor pulled aside a corner of the tent for them to look outside: "How do you expect to leave like this?"

Outside, an army formation had been arranged. Pan Yun glanced out—row upon row of bows had been raised, all aimed squarely at the tent, a dark, unbroken sea.

The Emperor whispered: "I know you're powerful. You possess strength beyond ordinary men. The palace venerates the Zhang family's Laozu—I know as much as you do. But no matter how great a cultivator's power, it cannot rival a nation's army."

He fixed his gaze on Pan Yun and asked: "Can you guarantee my safe escape?"

"No." Pan Yun looked at him calmly. "But being outmatched doesn't mean we can't fight. Your Majesty, we are willing to stake our lives for you. Will you entrust yours to us?"