Firefly Journey

Chapter 309 After the Storm, All Grasses Turn Green (1)

Lin Yuanran quickly reported the great victory at Wenzhou to the Chu court.

Emperor Zhuang and his court officials were overjoyed, but also utterly astonished.

Did the Seven Gods Alliance really turn against both sides so easily?

Isn't that too far-fetched...?

As it turns out, reality is far more fantastical than fictional stories.

With the support of the Temple of Light and the Dark Church, the Chu Kingdom went from having an almost impossible chance of winning to having a two or three-tenths chance of victory.

Yes, only two or three points.

Emperor Zhuang believed that the Papacy and the Temple helped the State of Chu because of its ancestral precepts to maintain peace on the continent, which was the original intention of establishing the religion.

Among the extraordinary individuals who participated in the Papacy's eastern expedition, most were lower-level believers, and there were very few powerful figures with names and identities.

Apart from Blancti, who was preaching in the Chu Kingdom, the Papacy's ranks consisted of only two archbishops who commanded two cavalry regiments.

Of the nine archbishops in the Vatican, only three were dispatched to help, indicating that they were not very concerned about the matter.

As for the three high priests, none of them came.

The situation was similar at the Dark Temple. Most of those attending the alliance meeting were from the younger generation, with few veteran powerhouses from the church. This suggests that their assistance to the Chu Kingdom was merely a side benefit.

If the Chu Kingdom suffers a crushing defeat, they will likely back down in time. After all, no matter how arrogant the Imperial Allied Forces are, they still have to consider the Ancestral God Church's tens of thousands of years of history and its massive number of followers. Even if they are betrayed, they will not dare to pursue the matter afterward.

Blacksmith need its own hardware.

With the help of the Papacy and the Temple, they can't rest easy. On the contrary, they need to work even harder and do everything they can to resolve this crisis.

Even after suffering a major defeat on the southern route, the Imperial Army's main force continued its unstoppable advance, occupying most of Xiangzhou in just one month and beginning its march towards Yuanzhou.

Yuanzhou has no natural defenses; its gateway is the capital.

The main force of the allied forces advanced rapidly and set up camp ten kilometers away from Danyang.

Emperor Zhuang, who had been avoiding battle, and his officials returned to Danyang City to prepare for war. Lü Jianming was finally relieved of having to worry about politics all by himself.

……

……

After defeating the Southern Route Army of the Empire, Lin Yuanran led the "Dawn" Cavalry Regiment to garrison in the Baiyun Mountains and did not take any further action.

The same is true of the wind chimes and her dark temple.

This was not Emperor Zhuang's order. Given Lin Yuanran's contributions and his status as the commander of the Papacy's cavalry, Emperor Zhuang dared not command him again.

Lin Yuanran's one-month hiatus was at Cassius's behest.

Cassius set off a month ago, traveling alone from the North to the Great Chu, but for some reason, it has taken him so long to arrive.

In the White Cloud Mountains, at the camp where the Papal cavalry were stationed, a small mud figure covered in dust emerged from the ground.

Lin Yuanran was overjoyed to see it.

It came to deliver a message; its arrival meant its owner would be arriving soon.

A few minutes later, a tall figure appeared in front of Lin Yuanran.

"Uh... it's been a long time, teacher. Let's talk in my tent."

Cassius grunted in agreement, then looked around and asked, "Where's Fengling? Isn't she with you?"

Lin Yuanran avoided eye contact, scratched the back of his head, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "She... probably hasn't gotten up yet."

"Hmm?" Cassius frowned.

Lin Yuanran quickly explained, "Last night, after learning that you were coming to visit, she and I were overjoyed, so we drank some wine to celebrate. She drank more..."

"Just a little?"

“Okay, I only had a little, but she drank a whole barrel,” Lin Yuanran said. “Uh, Nagan fruit wine.”

Nagan fruit is extremely spicy, and almost no one eats it directly; it is mainly used for brewing. The resulting liquor is extremely strong, and very few people drink it.

Lin Yuanran doesn't drink much alcohol, and when he does, it's usually fruit wine, which has a low alcohol content and doesn't affect his health.

Wind chimes are different...

Of course, the reason the two were drinking wasn't because Cassius was coming, but rather...

They were playing a game last night, and Wind Chime kept losing without using any magic.

Lin Yuanran couldn't stand watching her lose so much, saying, "Why don't you just give it a little and let it go? Don't take the punishment too seriously." But Fengling just rolled her eyes at him and continued drinking in silence. The more unwilling she was to admit defeat, the worse she lost. As a result, Fengling is still unable to get up.

"The improvement of realm cannot change physical quality. I wonder if the Fierce Battle Arena, which is known for its strength, can change this phenomenon. I think not. After all, if that were useful, Mondstadt would not have been unable to withstand my divine decree..." Lin Yuanran couldn't help but let his mind wander.

“Go wake her up,” Cassius said coldly.

"Okay," Lin Yuanran replied obediently.

Lin Yuanran first led Cassius to his resting tent, then turned a corner and arrived at the Dark Temple's encampment.

The Papacy and the Temple were located next to each other, and within a month, they became familiar with each other.

During this period, Lin Yuanran spent almost every day with Fengling. The believers of the temple were no longer surprised to see him, and some even greeted him.

"Looking for the saintess?" Philip, a staunch supporter of Joanna, who was now only acquainted with Lin Yuanran, casually asked upon meeting him.

"Yeah." I can't possibly come here to see you, Lin Yuanran silently complained.

Both sides nodded, then turned and walked away. Lin Yuanran arrived at Fengling's tent, hesitated for a brief two seconds, and then went inside.

The two seconds of hesitation were a sign of respect for the wind chimes. As for why it was only two seconds, it was because Lin Yuanran carried her in and put her down last night when she was drunk. If he had any ulterior motives, he would have done it long ago. It's dark and windy, much better than in broad daylight.

When Lin Yuanran went inside, he found that Fengling's sleeping posture had changed.

Originally, when Lin Yuanran put her down last night, she lay her flat. Now she is sleeping on her side, her face facing the tent door, and the quilt is like a silkworm cocoon, wrapping her up completely.

Lin Yuanran stood there for half a minute. Feng Ling seemed to still be drunk, her eyes closed and her eyelashes still, giving off a sense of peaceful tranquility.

Lin Yuanran reached out and gently tapped the pillar next to him.

Fengling immediately opened her eyes.

Lin Yuanran was startled: "You're awake?"

"I woke up a long time ago."

"Before I came in?"

"Correct."

This was awkward. He had waited for half a minute after coming in, and the reason he waited was naturally because he was distracted.

The wind chime, wrapped in a blanket and positioned to the side, gave Lin Yuanran a feeling she had never experienced before. In other words, Lin Yuanran had never seen a wind chime from this angle before, and was thus amazed, which is why she was stunned for a moment.

Fortunately, Fengling didn't ask him why he stood for half a minute before coming in.

"Cassius is here?"

"Yes, he asked me to come and call you."

"Wait a moment."

"How about I go out first?"

"You don't need to change your clothes to see him."

Fengling threw back the covers, revealing her perfect figure, and then got out of bed and stood up.

Then, with a snap of her fingers, a stream of water appeared on Fengling's face, gently tracing her cheeks and wiping away the tiredness that appeared on her face from just waking up.

"Let's go."

Lin Yuanran also snapped his fingers, and a cluster of flames appeared from his fingertips.

"I think your face might need a dryer."

Wind Chime snorted, "This isn't funny at all."