The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: The Protagonist Must Die

When Prince Jing appeared, the soldiers immediately stopped making trouble. Sikong Han glanced at Jun Changyue without changing his expression, patted the soil on his sleeve, and turned to enter the big tent.

"Who allowed you to cause trouble in the army! Each of you will receive thirty lashes!" Jun Changyue was irritated, not following Sikong Han but wanting to severely punish the soldiers.

The soldiers, kneeling, were not afraid but rather defiant. "Your Highness, we were just joking, never causing trouble. It's a usual act in the army, Your Highness misunderstood."

"Dare you still argue? I clearly saw you bullying the Left Vanguard. Do you think I'm wrongly accusing you?" Jun Changyue, for the first time, asserted his authority in the army against Prince Jing.

"Your Highness, what a high-profile attitude. You know this is a military camp, not a palace?" A female voice, full of provocation, sounded. Everyone knew who it was without looking - only General Yunhui, highly regarded by the King, would dare challenge Prince Jing in the army.

Jun Changyue turned to see Ji Jiarong walking from the other side of the fire. She possessed heavenly beauty, her martial attire not diminishing her imposing presence. She casually glanced at the soldiers on the ground and said, "Get up."

"Kneel!" Jun Changyue seemed determined to confront her.

"What this general commands is military order," Ji Jiarong said, and as she finished speaking, the soldiers immediately stood up.

Jun Changyue, with a reddened ear, glared at Ji Jiarong. "Who do you think you are? Daring to oppose me!"

"This general wants you to do something, and it's a military order," Ji Jiarong said, and as she spoke, the soldiers gathered behind her.

Jun Changyue, with a red ear, coldly snorted and entered the big tent, driving out the soldiers resting inside.

Sikong Han didn't know that Jun Changyue had publicly embarrassed Ji Jiarong outside just now. He sat on his own cot, while Jun Changyue, with red eyes, approached him from behind, embracing him, and sadly said, "In just half a month, Brother Wang's prestige in the army has become so powerful. What should we do in the future?"

"In the future? There is no future," Sikong Han whispered to him.

Jun Changyue's pupils tightened, and his breath became cautious. "Qingguo Duke is loyal to you... but how can we escape? Brother Wang sends people to watch me daily, and soon he will send someone to escort me back to Danyang County."

"Has the plague been treated?" Sikong Han asked in a low voice.

Jun Changyue nodded, "It's not too obvious yet, but I've found a way. Don't worry; I still want to exchange something with Brother Wang." He caressed Sikong Han's right hand, and his eyes were dark.

That night, Jun Changyue stayed in the big tent for a long time. Knowing that General Yunhui came to urge him, he reluctantly returned to Danyang County. The soldiers only knew that Prince Jing and Du Yuxian had been alone in the big tent for almost half the night, but no one knew what they did or said.

Since Nie Jia brought back Qi Jinyu, he had been locked in a dark room, completely ignored, and entrusted to Ji Jiarong for supervision.

The Crown Prince, captured, had three times sent envoys for negotiation, all of which were rejected, and he was sentenced to death by the King. The tyrant of Yan disregarded principles, even killing the envoys. The military strategist on the Yantai almost collapsed.

As a result, small battles erupted one after another between the two armies. However, each time, they fell into traps or were repelled by Ji Jiarong.

Assassins infiltrated, but were taken down one by one by Xuanjia. The morale soared, many generals felt ashamed and admired, while the soldiers felt that as long as the King led them, they would surely capture Yantai.

These two days, there were many assassins, and General Yunhui originally thought of capturing them alive, hoping to extract some valuable information. However, the King didn't care about any valuable intelligence; each assassin was killed on the spot, one or two at a time.

On the fourth day, Xuanjia caught a spy who sneaked into the camp and directly brought him to the royal tent.

Before the King could ask any questions, the spy declared that he would rather be tortured to death than betray his country. He spat a mouthful of blood towards the King, fortunately blocked by the commanding officer with a fan. Later, the spy was handed over to Xuanjia, and during the night, he screamed continuously. The next morning, the distribution of military secrets and the strategist's intentions for Yantai were presented on the royal case. The spy was already unrecognizable, just half a skeleton, but still not dead.

General Yunhui once again reshaped his perception of Xuanjia.

Don't provoke the King, and don't anger the commanding officer. It's terrifying.

These two days, Yantai suddenly became quiet, indicating that Zhao Wushang was about to arrive.

Most of the generals had guessed it, feeling uneasy about the impending confrontation with Zhao Wushang, the fierce tiger. General Yunhui used to think the same, but now he had become indifferent. No matter how powerful Zhao Wushang was, in the battlefield, facing non-human entities like Xuanjia, the Yan side should be the one worrying.

Due to the tyrant of Yan refusing communication, the people in Yantai were in panic, while the Yan army was in peace. The weather was so hot that it made people dizzy. Nie Jia, with Xuanjia and others, went to Qilin River to fish. They could catch one or two hundred fish in a day, which were slaughtered and made into soup for the soldiers on the same day.

Nie Jia, in a thin shirt, rolled up his sleeves and sat barefoot on the riverbank, his calves soaking in the cool water. He stared fixedly at the fishing rod in his hand, excitedly telling Shi Chen that he had a premonition of catching a big fish!

Shi Chen, sitting beside him, fanning himself, chuckled, "You seem unusually happy recently."

Nie Jia raised his eyebrows, looking at him with stars in his eyes. "Recently? When I'm with you, I'm happy all the time."

Shi Chen ruffled his hair.

"Since the commanding officer returned to the palace, he has been exclusively favored by the King. When will it be our turn?" A Xuanjia warrior disdainfully threw a small fish back into the river.

"What about it? Will the King favor you tonight? Do you dare to go to his bed?" Another Xuanjia sneered.

The moment these words came out, the faces of several Xuanjia turned pale, shaking their heads like rattles. They dared not openly express their hope for the commanding officer's favor; if spoken out loud, it might lead to bloody consequences...

"King! King

!" General Yunhui rushed over, his tone full of panic, stumbling and tripping on loose stones when he reached the riverbank.

"What's the hurry?" scolded Shi Chen.

General Yunhui, panting heavily, knelt down and gasped for breath. Sweating profusely, he reported, "King, a plague has been discovered in the camp... The people below have been hiding it, and two have already died. After careful inspection, it's exactly the same as the situation in Danyang County!"

"Fool! How could there be a plague in the military camp!" Nie Jia was furious, smashing the fishing rod in his hand.

"I've already sent someone to inform Prince Jing," General Yunhui said, kneeling and gasping for breath, cold sweat streaming down his forehead. He wasn't afraid of the King's blame; he was afraid of the plague spreading uncontrollably. Once it went out of control, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"Have you counted it? How many people are infected?" Shi Chen frowned and asked.

"Back to the commanding officer, when I came, General Guiding was still counting. I estimate there are about four to five hundred people. We need to wait for General Guiding's report for specifics," General Yunhui replied.

Nie Jia, after a long time of not being angry, had been dealing with the plague issue since he arrived, expecting the plague to be at least somewhat under control. He never anticipated that the plague would spread in the military camp. The uncontrollable magnitude of this major event made Nie Jia's inner restlessness erupt.

Standing on the green stone by the river, although his expression was emotionless, all the radiance in his eyes had dimmed, and a surging undercurrent swept through.

General Guiding, on one knee, was originally only concerned about the safety of the soldiers in the camp. At this moment, he was also worried about himself. He thought he had experienced the King's anger at the banquet, but the sharp and intimidating pressure now made him tremble. Only now did he realize that the King was truly furious.

"Go and investigate the source of the plague," Shi Chen ordered quickly and then comfortingly embraced Nie Jia, soothing him. "Don't worry, there's still time. Everything can be handled."

Nie Jia's breath suddenly trembled for a moment, blinked, and the murderous intent deep in his eyes gradually dissipated.

Sikong Han squatted down to help him put on his military boots. When he looked up, he found Nie Jia's unhappy appearance.

"Is it my negligence?" Nie Jia gritted his teeth. Despite being arrogant all the time, at this moment, he looked like a bullied rabbit, with his eyes almost turning red.

Sikong Han felt a sharp pain in his heart. He gathered the strands of Nie Jia's disheveled hair blown by the breeze behind his ears and whispered, "No one can perfectly control everything. This is not your negligence. You've always done well. Some things are unavoidable. The more you try to control, the more out of control it becomes. Instead of blaming yourself, it's better to face it calmly and solve the problem."

Nie Jia remained in a daze for a while before nodding with clear eyes. The killing intent deep in his heart also gradually dissipated.

They immediately returned to the camp. When they arrived, Ji Jiarong reported with a solemn expression, "Reporting to the King, there are eight hundred and twenty-three soldiers infected with the plague. Among them, three hundred and seventy are already showing severe symptoms of hemoptysis. According to the situation in Danyang County, once hemoptysis occurs, they can only survive for four or five more days."

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