Chapter 96: I’ll Have His Majesty Propose When We Get Back!
Six limbs spread slightly, and from within the Zerg Empress’s abdomen, over a dozen deep-blue energy tubes suddenly extended, swarming toward Xie Qiang’s back.
However, they were intercepted halfway by a long blade.
Mo Yin held his scabbard in his left hand and his blade in his right, his gaze cold and fearless as he stared at the Zerg Empress. Then, with a slight lift of his feet, he shot toward her like a launched missile.
His slender body moved flexibly through the dozen energy tubes, his dual blades cleanly slicing through them. The Zerg Empress screeched, extending her limbs to attack Mo Yin, but she was entangled by the now-recovered Zhu Que and Tian Lang.
She flailed her limbs in irritation. After two minutes of mutual entanglement, the tunnel finally vibrated. Following that, the sound of flying Zerg flapping their wings drew near, echoing continuously.
The insect tide had arrived.
The dense sound of Zerg chirping made Xie Qiang’s scalp tingle as she continued the purification. She pushed Hong Que’s face away and felt his throat with her fingers.
The piercing wound was almost completely recovered, but such a massive amount of mental power purification had also triggered Hong Que’s Combining Heat.
The red-haired youth’s vision was out of focus as he moved toward her lips. His wheat-colored Adam’s apple rolled with a damp heat and thin sweat, and his hands instinctively rested on the girl’s waist, wanting to pull her back into his arms.
“Xie Qiang…” he said with a blurred consciousness, “Continue…”
The howling of Tian Lang suddenly sounded behind them. Xie Qiang snapped awake. Realizing that Mo Yin was also falling into Combining Heat at this moment, she immediately opened her mouth and bit down on Hong Que’s cheek.
The temporary mark was formed, and the overflowing Guide pheromones rapidly cooled the red-haired youth’s heat. Hong Que regained his senses and immediately clutched his marked cheek, stuttering, “Why did you bite here again!”
Did she want everyone to know that he was her Sentinel that badly?!
“Stop talking nonsense, go help Mo Yin!” Xie Qiang didn’t want to discuss such unconstructive topics at a time like this. She picked up the Zhu Que Spear from the ground, her cat eyes warily scanning the surroundings. “We have to withdraw quickly, the insect tide is coming!”
“Tsk!” Hong Que scratched his hair in annoyance, but he still obediently picked up Xie Qiang and quickly observed the surroundings. “Since the insect tide is here, the Zerg Empress probably won’t keep entangling us. We can slowly wear them down…”
Before he could finish, he saw the insect tide surging from all directions, and the Zerg Empress, instead of retreating, actually sped toward him and Xie Qiang.
Hong Que broke into a cold sweat instantly. He picked up Xie Qiang and ran, cursing, “What’s going on! Aren’t Empress Mothers always cautious and never linger in battle?!”
Especially when she was already injured!
“Mm…” Xie Qiang poked her head out slightly, looking at the Zerg Empress behind Hong Que. She wasn’t attacking Mo Yin or the two mental spirits, but was solely chasing after her and Hong Que.
Xie Qiang pondered for a moment. “Maybe she holds a grudge.”
“Holds a grudge? Because Sen Ji and I fought her before?” Hong Que asked in disbelief.
Xie Qiang pondered again.
No, it’s probably because… I hit her.
The flying Zerg grew more numerous. Hong Que ran back to the cave with Xie Qiang, stuffed her inside, and then stood before the entrance, staring solemnly at the Zerg Empress who had also stopped.
The Empress gave a roar and attacked Hong Que. The high-level Zerg generals followed suit, and in an instant, all the combat pressure weighed on Hong Que alone.
Mo Yin and the two mental spirits fought through the tide to join them, standing before the cave with Hong Que. However, they still couldn’t withstand the Zerg Empress’s attacks. After a bitter struggle, Mo Yin and Tian Lang’s abdomens were both pierced by limb spikes, and they fell to the ground, blood gushing out.
“Mo Yin! Go inside and have Xie Qiang purify you!”
Hong Que clutched his aching abdomen, ordering through gritted teeth, “Hurry up! I can’t hold out much longer alone!”
Mo Yin’s jaw tightened. He glanced at Hong Que, then clutched his stomach and ran into the cave.
Hearing the noise, Xie Qiang hurriedly stepped forward and placed her hand on Mo Yin’s abdomen. While treating Mo Yin’s wound, she looked toward Hong Que’s side in worry.
He was dealing with the entire insect tide and the Empress by himself, and it was clearly very taxing. Without Mo Yin and Tian Lang to share the load, he nearly had his body pierced by the Empress’s spikes several times.
This wouldn’t do; he would be worn to death.
Xie Qiang bit her lip, her brain working rapidly. Just as she was thinking of how to deal with the Empress, she suddenly felt something fly over her head.
Looking back, she saw Hong Que had been flung into the cave. His body slammed into the stone bed, instantly smashing it into a pile of rubble.
Hong Que coughed up a large mouthful of blood and crawled up with a pale face, panting for air. “Damn it! Without Sen Ji, we simply can’t kill her!”
The Zerg Empress bent her body down. Through the cave entrance, her compound eyes stared at the three of them coldly and gloomily. “Sss-oh—”
Hong Que’s expression changed. “Xie Qiang! Run—”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Zerg Empress’s face thrust into the cave, her large mouth opening to bite toward Xie Qiang. Just as Hong Que let out a heart-wrenching scream of “No!”, Xie Qiang suddenly raised the Zhu Que Spear and injected her mental power.
The piercing red light caused the Empress’s compound eyes to instinctively close. When she felt the light vanish, she couldn’t help but give a light sneer and open her eyes.
Human, a futile struggle!
Xie Qiang injected mental power into the Zhu Que Spear again.
The dazzling white light shone once more, piercing the Empress’s eyes so that she uncontrollably closed them again.
Hah!
Xie Qiang held the Zhu Que Spear, her face expressionless as she injected mental power into it over and over again, like a flashlight being switched on and off at high intensity. Dazzling light flashed frequently within the cave, making the Empress’s eyes ache so much she couldn’t help but retreat.
“Xie Qiang!” Seeing she was alright, Hong Que wept with joy. Just as he was about to run over and hug her, he saw the “fragile and small” girl he spoke of hoisting a heavy sniper rifle. Her beautiful cat eyes surged with fury as she aimed at the Empress’s face.
“Get the hell out!”
The flame bullet trailed a screeching whistle through the air and exploded violently on the Empress’s face. The Empress screeched miserably, covering her face as her body rapidly backed out of the entrance.
The cave collapsed with a roar from the explosion. Hong Que and Mo Yin pounced toward Xie Qiang at the same time, shielding her beneath their bodies.
“Cough, cough…” Dust filled the air. Xie Qiang coughed several times. The force of the recoil made both of her shoulders ache intensely. She pulled back her collar to reveal the skin of her shoulder; it was indeed a patch of deep purple, hurting like crazy with the slightest movement.
“Xie Qiang…”
Seeing the injury on the girl’s shoulder, Hong Que’s shock was followed by his nose prickling. His eyes turned visibly red. He sniffed, but couldn’t hold back his emotions, and teardrops went pitter-patter as they fell from his eyes.
He sobbed, “You actually hurt yourself like this for me… Waaaah! I accept your love! I’ll have His Majesty propose to my family when we get back!”
Xie Qiang: …?
Translator’s Note: Xie Qiang is literally using a flashbang strategy on the Empress! And Hong Que… oh, Hong Que. He thinks she’s proposing because she saved him. A “proposal from the Emperor” (陛下提親) is a huge deal in the Imperial City. The misunderstanding is real!
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