Chapter 272 - 134: The Xuanyuan Clan

Words : 1334 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Yun Canglang was like a madman at that time, frantically searching the entire city, but he never found any trace of the girl. Heartbroken, Yun Canglang bought the residence where the girl had lived. Every few days, he would come to play the flute in front of the house, hoping that one day the girl would come back. Until one day, when he arrived at the residence, he discovered a young man with a gloomy expression waiting inside. The man claimed to be the girl’s fiancé, saying they had been engaged since childhood and demanded Yun Canglang to cease all entanglements with the girl. It turned out the girl was actually the daughter of a noble family from the hidden city of Emperor Hong City on the continent, Yuan Shahu. Only then did Yun Canglang realize that the identity and name the girl had initially told him were all false, Yuan Shahu was the eldest daughter of the great Yuan Family clan in Emperor Hong City. From birth, she had always lived within Emperor Hong City and never ventured out. It wasn’t until she reached the age of sixteen that, following the customs of Emperor Hong City, all citizens who came of age were required to travel outside to broaden their horizons and understand the strengths of their peers on the continent. This journey would last for a year, and during this period, family elders and guards were strictly prohibited from accompanying them. Yuan Shahu, innocent of heart, traveled alone until she reached Great Zhou City’s Southern Border City. On that fateful day, she encountered soldiers from Hou Qin outside the city and was about to teach them a lesson when Yun Canglang happened to pass by and rescued her. Yun Canglang, a young man of valor and remarkable martial prowess, established contact with her after that encounter, and they got along harmoniously. Yuan Shahu grew up in Emperor Hong City and unwittingly fell in love with Yun Canglang. When her one-year period of travel was nearing its end, Yuan Shahu received an order from Emperor Hong City to return. Only then did Yuan Shahu realize that her heart could no longer part from Yun Canglang. It was during this time that Yun Canglang too became aware of his feelings, and he took the initiative to propose to Yuan Shahu. Upon learning of Yun Canglang’s intentions, Yuan Shahu was ecstatic, but her heart was also shattered. Because she knew that as a daughter of a noble family from Emperor Hong City, she had already been betrothed to someone else within the city. Yuan Shahu was well aware of the means of Emperor Hong City; not wanting to implicate Yun Canglang, she could only suppress her love and harshly reprimanded him. Yet Yun Canglang did not give up; he would come to find Yuan Shahu every evening. Until Yuan Shahu, under her family’s pressing, had no choice but to leave Border City and give up. After returning to Emperor Hong City, Yuan Shahu’s yearning for Yun Canglang grew stronger by the day. She would clutch her lute and weep incessantly, her health deteriorating. This struck Yuan Shahu’s mother as very strange, and after persistent persuasion by the family, she finally revealed the whole story to them. Moreover, she pleaded with her family to dissolve her engagement to the City Lord’s eldest son. When her fiancé, who was also the Emperor Hong City Lord’s eldest son, Xuan Wuji, heard the news, he was furious. Using the power of Emperor Hong City, he quickly found out that the man who had seduced his fiancée was none other than the son of Great Zhou Martial Saint, Yun Canglang. After learning of the girl’s identity, Yun Canglang finally understood why she refused his marriage proposal. Facing the aggressive son of Emperor Hong City Lord, Yun Canglang, upon knowing the truth, not only didn’t back down but also declared that he would not give up on Yuan Shahu. Xuan Wuji merely chuckled and warned Yun Canglang that he would one day regret his actions. At that time, Yun Canglang didn’t take the threat too seriously. After all, Yun Canglang was too young then and unaware that Dihong City, though hidden from the world, possessed strength beyond most people’s imagination. Following that day, an originally peaceful Great Zhou Nanjiang became turbulent due to the discovery of a mine, stirring hidden undercurrents. Hou Qin and Tang Yuan formed an alliance, and to compete for the precious mineral resources of the frontier, they clashed with the Great Zhou Army. As a frontier garrison commander, it was natural for Yun Canglang to lead his troops into battle. In the initial battles, the Great Zhou Army achieved overwhelming victories. However, the tide turned in the last few battles. The Great Zhou Army’s grain transport units were repeatedly ambushed; the grains couldn’t reach their destination, leading to widespread demoralization within the ranks. Furthermore, the allied forces of Hou Qin and Tang Yuan pressed aggressively forward, driving the Great Zhou Army back step by step. The situation was a stark contrast to the earlier dismantled armies of the two nations. Upon investigating, Great Zhou’s scouts discovered that the armies of Hou Qin and Tang Yuan had acquired a new Think Tank rumored to be from Dihong City. It was then that Yun Canglang realized Xuan Wuji had made his move. Using this campaign, he intended to discredit Yun Canglang and shatter his reputation within the Great Zhou Dynasty. Upon receiving this news, Yun Canglang, no longer intent on a prolonged war, analyzed the frontier situation with Zhan Li, preparing to retreat to cities with ample supplies to wait for reinforcements. But just then, Yun Canglang unexpectedly received a letter. It was from Yuan Shahu, who wrote that she had fled from Dihong City. Now inside the Border City, she hoped Yun Canglang would meet her there, determined to leave behind her family and everything else to marry him. Learning that his beloved was within reach, Yun Canglang was stirred and, despite Zhan Li’s objections, he set out for the Border City personally. Concerned for his safety, Zhan Li selected a thousand elite soldiers from the Yun Family Army to secretly protect him. Border City was also where Yun Canglang first met the girl, and it was home to more than ten thousand innocent civilians. However, upon Yun Canglang’s arrival, he discovered that Yuan Shahu was not in the city; instead, Border City was already besieged by Hou Qin and Tang Yuan forces. The way forward was unclear, their retreat cut off, and the city was in imminent danger. It was at this moment that Yun Canglang suddenly realized, he had fallen for Xuan Wuji and Yuan Shahu’s trap. Unable to bear the thought of innocent civilians suffering because of him, he quietly evacuated the people from the city, but in doing so, the Yun Family Army missed the optimal time to break out. Recalling the past, Yun Canglang felt a momentary sorrow. The matter with Yuan Shahu had always been a knot in his heart. Originally, Zhan Li hid the fact that Yun Canglang had left the army privately to preserve his reputation. Yet Yun Canglang was well aware that many brothers from the Yun Family Army had died for his sake. "They say that someone played the lute outside the Southern Border City for three days and nights during the great battle. Could it really be Yuan Shahu? If she intended to use the Emperor’s Song to aid you, why would she harm you? Uncle, there must be more to this," Yun Sheng couldn’t help interrupting Yun Canglang’s story. "Sheng’er, you’re trying to defend her, but that letter was truly written by her. Her handwriting is quite distinctive, and the end of the letter even had her unique personal seal. She feigned writing to me to lure me to Border City. What could have been her purpose?" Yun Canglang said, his face filled with grief.

Chapter 272 - 134: The Xuanyuan Clan

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