Dongfang Lu's hair turned white overnight. Though all the land under heaven belonged to the king, as the monarch he could only cower within the palace walls, making his final desperate stand.
As they say, a defeated army crumbles like a landslide.
If the Imperial Capital Army and the City Guard Army had not been divided and remained united, in the Royal Capital Dongfang Lu could have fought Long Zhaofeng to a standstill.
But unfortunately, Long Zhaofeng had been plotting for years and had even successfully infiltrated both the Imperial Capital Army and the City Guard Army.
As a result, the originally stalemated battle had turned into a one‑sided siege.
Dongfang Lu felt bitter. He knew better than anyone that besieged within the palace, he could only put up a desperate struggle and would not hold out for long.
Unless the Ancestor emerged from seclusion ahead of time and turned the tide.
“Gouyu.” Dongfang Lu’s eyes were red. “I was wrong, terribly wrong. I regret not listening to you. I know that I did not lose to Long Zhaofeng; I lost the people’s hearts.”
When a man is about to die, his words are kind.
At this moment, at the end of his rope, Dongfang Lu suddenly understood that Gouyu had always been right.
But in this world, there is no medicine for regret.
Gouyu had been fighting continuously for three or four days and was exhausted. Even an Eleven‑Meridian True Qi Master would be heavily drained by three or four days of continuous battle.
Hearing Dongfang Lu’s “words from the heart,” Princess Gouyu reacted indifferently.
It was too late to say all this now.
“Gouyu, I know you look down on me too. But it’s useless to talk about this now. Regardless, we are siblings. In our bones flows the blood of the Dongfang family.” Dongfang Lu rarely showed such emotion.
“You’re right. I am still here fighting a bloody battle today only for the Eastern Clan,” Princess Gouyu said indifferently.
“Alas! Gouyu, you can resent me; I deserve it. Enough, Gouyu, now I only ask you one thing: take Ruo’er and Lin’er and flee as far as you can. As long as the bloodline of our Eastern Clan is not cut off, after the Ancestor emerges from seclusion, in time, he can reclaim the kingdom. This is my final request. Little sister, you cannot refuse your brother the king’s request.”
Dongfang Zhiruo and Dongfang Lin were the daughter and son Dongfang Lu loved most.
“Escape? With a net spread from above and below, how can we escape?” Princess Gouyu was full of bitterness. Back then, Jiang Chen had extended an olive branch, but Dongfang Lu, in his muddle‑headedness, had rejected it.
Now, with the army at the gates and the palace surrounded so tightly that water could not trickle through, how could they contact Jiang Chen?
Besides, where was Jiang Chen now? Princess Gouyu had no idea.
“Gouyu, pull yourself together. Although Long Zhaofeng played a trick on me, our Eastern Clan could not possibly be without some trump cards. I still have one last card in hand. Though it may not be enough to turn defeat into victory, there is still a forty to fifty percent chance of cutting a bloody path to cover your escape.”
With these words, Dongfang Lu had already shown his determination to die.
After saying this, Dongfang Lu’s eyes grew clear instead, with a sense of enlightenment after having seen through everything.
“Gouyu, you don’t need to persuade me. This is my sin, and I will bear it with my life. In the future, tell Lin’er and Ruo’er that although their father was a fatuous and incompetent king, at least he was still a man who could take responsibility.”
Dongfang Lu was already slightly choked up as he said this.
“Brother…” Although Princess Gouyu was annoyed at Dongfang Lu’s self‑willed stubbornness and hated that he had not listened to her, leading to this situation.
But they were blood kin after all. Seeing Dongfang Lu like this, Princess Gouyu also felt a slight pain.
“Remember, in the chaos, break out! I will have Wei Tiandu open a path for you. Remember, do not be indecisive. Seize the moment, you must go!”
Saying this, Dongfang Lu clapped his hands a few times, and eight figures in black walked out from the darkness.
“Your Majesty.”
“Everyone, at this point, I can only ask you to act together.”
“We are willing to die for Your Majesty!”
These eight were uniformly True Qi Masters, and moreover True Qi Masters that even Princess Gouyu had never seen before!
“Gouyu, these eight Death Guards have been serving me since they were eight years old. No one knows of their existence except me.”
Dongfang Lu took out a jade bottle from his bosom and poured out ten pills. “This is the Great Dao Mad Demon Pill. After taking it, a True Qi Master’s strength can double, or even more, in a short time.”
Without a word, the eight Death Guards stepped forward one by one, each took a pill, and swallowed it.
Dongfang Lu’s gaze turned deep. He glanced at the pills, then threw his head back and swallowed his.
“The last one is for Wei Tiandu.” Dongfang Lu sighed softly. “Are you all ready?”
“We are willing to die for Your Majesty!”
The eight spoke with strikingly unanimous tone, carrying an air of determination.
“Good. In a moment, I will personally take the field to draw their attention. You assist me, delay as much as possible, and attract as many experts as you can.”
“Tiandu, come in.”
Wei Tiandu walked in from outside, without any hesitation, and took the remaining pill.
“Tiandu, when I enter the battle personally, it will certainly attract a large number of enemy experts. You are in charge of charging; use any means to cut a bloody path. Cover Princess Gouyu and the others’ retreat.”
Wei Tiandu bowed and accepted the order: “As long as I have a single breath left, I will ensure Your Majesty’s bloodline escapes safely.”
Dongfang Lu nodded. “Prepare. Go call Lin’er and Ruo’er.”
Half an hour later, the sky gradually darkened, and another night was about to fall.
Dongfang Lu’s gaze slowly swept over the faces of everyone present.
“Are you all willing to fight a decisive battle to the death for me?”
“We are willing to fight to the death for Your Majesty!” The eight Death Guards, Wei Tiandu, and a group of inner palace experts all answered in unison.