Chapter Fifty-Nine: Loving You Is Not Just for a Few Days

“King of the Bald Eagles, you don’t need to follow me all the time. Please, go and watch over my friend in red,” Lu Hu said, covering Quan Zhenzhu’s ears as he sent a piercing eagle cry skyward.

“As you wish, Divine One, we’ll go now,” the Bald Eagle replied. With a deft twist in the air, he led his family away in flight.

Quan Meiyu, dressed in crimson armor and helmet and mounted on her chestnut red horse, was a glaring sight amidst the snow-blanketed wilderness. The Bald Eagle King only needed a few beats of his wings to spot her clearly.

“I say, my dear, our god is quite the philanderer,” the Eagle Queen couldn’t help but remark.

“Ah, what can you do? He’s a deity—no matter how sharp we make ourselves, we can’t compare,” the king replied.

“You old fool, growing less proper with age. By the looks of it, you wish you could follow his example and take another mate, don’t you?”

“An old ox still craves fresh grass, and I’m in my prime! Who wouldn’t want to try something new?”

“Bah! I’ve toiled to lay your eggs, put my heart into raising your young, and all you think about is cheating! You turtle-head!”

“Who are you calling a turtle-head?”

“You, of course! If you can stray, so can I. Believe it or not, I’ll turn your snowy head green. Don’t you know? There’s no such thing as a ruined field, only an exhausted ox!”

“You wretched woman! Who are you trying to scare? If any eagle dares cheat with you, I’ll kill him!”

“I don’t need to play with eagles. I’ll just catch a few roosters and have a little fun.”

“If you dare, I’ll go after wild pigeons!”

“If I do, and hatch chicks, they’ll still be eagles—just goes to show how remarkable I am. I’ll name our chick ‘Eagle-Rooster Strong’!”

“If I did it with a wild pigeon… well, pigeons don’t have the right build to lay such big eggs. Even if they did, I’d name the chick ‘Eagle-Pigeon Tired’—which doesn’t sound good at all. My dear, I give up, all right? No more pigeons for me, you’re the only one for this lifetime.”

“That’s more like it. Let’s stay true to each other—one life, one love, forever unchanging.”

“Indeed! My love for you isn’t fleeting; it will last for ten thousand years. Even if the prettiest eagle hen appeared before me, I’d see her as nothing more than a pile of dung.”

“That’s right! Even if the strongest eagle cock stood before me, he’d never enter my heart.”

The Bald Eagle King and his queen watched over Quan Meiyu, no longer worried about hunting for food. As they soared through the sky, idly bickering, they whittled away the time.

“Dad, Mom, the god is carrying one and has us watching another—who does he like more?” Ying Bangbang, who had overheard quite a bit, tried to make sense of it all.

“The god is just being foolish, child. Don’t you follow his bad example…” the mother eagle began a lesson in morals for her heir.

Education must begin early; not a single detail can be overlooked!

“My dear, look at those men down below—each and every one is lecherous, losing their minds at the sight of a woman.”

“Isn’t that the truth? People have learned all the wrong things from the god—always obsessed with that business.”

From the sky, one could see squads of mounted soldiers in the forest, each led by a centurion, surrounding and shooting at wild beasts in organized, though bustling, groups.

Quan Meiyu, radiant in her splendid red, ignored all rules as she dashed wildly through the woods.

The soldiers who caught sight of her grew especially spirited, eager to show off before a beauty. They jostled and vied for a chance to catch a glimpse of her, throwing the once orderly hunting formation into chaos.

Even the commanders felt their hearts pounding like startled deer; their orders came out slurred, their bodies weak as they barely managed to stand upright.

One could hardly blame them—Quan Meiyu was simply too beautiful!

Wine does not intoxicate, yet people become drunk; beauty is bewitching, and all the more so when it’s real.

Lu Hu, cradling and coaxing the lovely maiden, returned to camp.

Within the camp, aside from the sentries on duty, two companies had been left behind as guards.

But even the guards couldn’t be idle. With only three days set aside for training, the two companies had to treat one another as mock enemies and practice real combat.

The soldiers, sparring with wooden sticks, paused and stared in amazement when Lu Hu entered the camp.

“Look, look, the Divine One is back!”

“And carrying the goddess too!”

“What goddess? That’s a young divine maiden!”

“Oh my, and look at that herd of wild horses!”

“Are you blind? Those aren’t wild horses—they’re divine steeds!”

“They really are—shining with golden light!”

The two centurions, Shi Xiangxiang and An Shiji, dismounted and knelt. “Greetings, Divine One and young divine lady! Long live our lords!”

The soldiers all leapt from their saddles, kneeling and chanting in unison.

“Enough of that. Focus on your drills. Achieve merit in the days to come, and you’ll be rewarded and promoted.”

“Thank you, Divine One! We will not disappoint you. Rest assured, both our companies have our own battle slogans now!” Shi Xiangxiang seized the chance to impress Lu Hu.

“Oh? Let’s hear them,” Lu Hu said, intrigued. Battle slogans could boost morale—an idea worth spreading in the army.

Kneeling, Shi Xiangxiang raised his fist. “Brothers, our slogan is…”

“Slay every foe, rise in rank and marry a wife!” shouted over a hundred throats in unison, their voices fierce and intimidating.

Good heavens, isn’t this just like those pyramid scheme slogans from my previous life?

Slay every foe? If you kill everyone, even if you’re promoted, who’s left to govern?

Shi Xiangxiang must have a screw loose. This slogan is terribly misguided!

Lu Hu’s expression darkened.

An Shiji, his beady eyes giving little away, tried to compete for favor. “Divine One, we have a slogan too.”

Lu Hu looked at him coldly, deep in thought, saying nothing.

Regardless, An Shiji waved his arms and barked, “Ready… together!”

“Advance relentlessly, seize the princess together!” came the uneven shout of his men.

Well, their tastes might be a bit extreme, but even if they succeeded, someone would have to go first—no one wants leftovers, after all.

One wonders if the princess could withstand such enthusiasm…

Everything comes with its downside. The slogans certainly roused the soldiers’ wolfish spirit—but perhaps too much so.

Yet if you don’t give them a taste of gain, how can you expect them to risk their lives?

Lu Hu felt his head pounding.

Quan Zhenzhu, hearing the wolfish words in the slogans, blushed furiously, feeling prickles of anxiety on her back. At a loss for what to do, she clutched Xiao Bai tightly to her chest as a talisman.

“Your slogans are all well and good, but they’re too bloodthirsty. Corrupt officials may be killed—do so, and you’ll be promoted. But never kill the common folk; to slay them is like murdering your own parents,” Lu Hu tried to set them on the right path.

“Yes, Divine One! We’ll only kill corrupt officials, never the people. Only seize the wives of the corrupt, never the daughters of the people.”

“That’s much better!”

With that, Lu Hu spurred his horse toward the main tent.

Just as the tent came into view, Ma Lihong suddenly rushed over, gasping, “Divine One—something’s wrong…”