lcionline Chapter 485 Face? Can face feed you, or can it stop those monsters?
Chapter 485 Face? Can face feed you, or can it stop those monsters?
Deep inside the dungeon, Chu Ruohan's attempts continued.
She brought the bone whistle to her lips again and blew out the sharp, short sound that had caused the "ghost soldiers" to react.
"Woo——"
This time, the "ghost soldier's" reaction was even more obvious.
His head suddenly twisted in the direction from which the bone whistle sound came. Although the movement was still stiff, it was no longer the aimless struggle it had before.
The eerie red light in his eyes seemed to brighten slightly.
This means it worked...
Inside the dungeon, the sound of the bone whistle was sometimes rapid, sometimes slow, sometimes high-pitched, and sometimes low.
The "ghost soldiers'" reactions also became increasingly strange.
Chu Ruohan's forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, but her eyes shone even brighter.
She began to believe that the bone whistle was not simply a means of control, but more like... the manipulation of emotions, or rather, the awakening of some subconscious command.
She tried combining the syllables that had previously caused the "ghost soldiers" to move to form a short melody.
As the melody played in its entirety, the "ghost soldier's" body suddenly tensed up, and then his arms broke free from the chains binding him!
"Clang!" The chains collided with the iron frame, producing a piercing loud noise that echoed through the dungeon.
Chu Ruohan's bone whistle trembled and almost fell.
The "ghost soldier" did not attack; it simply stood there blankly, its arms hanging at its sides.
"Madam!" Yingyi called anxiously from outside the door. Hearing the noise, he rushed in immediately.
Dr. Qian followed closely behind, his face showing a hint of shock.
"Don't come any closer!" Chu Ruohan hurriedly stopped them. She knew that the "ghost soldiers" were in an extremely unstable state at the moment.
She raised the bone whistle again, and this time, she played a soothing melody she had found in the sheet music.
The melody was gentle and slow, unlike any of the previous tunes.
A miracle happened.
The frenzied aura of the "ghost soldiers" gradually subsided.
His bloodshot eyes, that eerie light, gradually dimmed, and finally, he slowly sat back down on the iron frame.
Although his arms were still freed from the chains, he no longer struggled, but remained silent, like a puppet whose soul had been taken away.
Both Yingyi and Doctor Qian stared blankly at the scene, their faces filled with disbelief.
Chu Ruohan's lips curled into an excited smile.
She found it!
She found a way to control these "ghost soldiers"!
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the entrance of the dungeon.
Gu Junze appeared in the dimly lit passage. He strode over, his gaze immediately falling on Chu Ruohan.
Seeing that she was safe and sound, his tense nerves finally relaxed a little.
He approached, his gaze sweeping over the quietly sitting "ghost soldier" and the bone whistle tightly clutched in Chu Ruohan's hand, and he already had some guesses in his mind.
"Han'er, you..." he began, his voice carrying a hint of suppressed surprise.
Chu Ruohan looked up, her eyes sparkling.
She handed the bone whistle to Gu Junze. "Junze, I understand. This bone whistle is not a simple military order; it's more like... a way to manipulate the emotions of these 'ghost soldiers.'"
"I found the syllables that made them frantic, and I also found the melodies that calmed them down."
Gu Junze took the bone whistle; it felt heavy in his hand.
He looked at Chu Ruohan's tired yet determined face.
He felt a mix of emotions.
There was admiration for her exceptional intelligence, concern for her facing danger alone, and a deep affection for her.
He gently held her hand, and the warmth from his palm brought Chu Ruohan a sense of peace.
"You did very well." Gu Junze's voice was deep and powerful.
But in his mind, the image of the Northern Yan princess and her profound words resurfaced.
Her interest had already been drawn to Chu Ruohan.
This is Gu Junze's deepest worry at this moment.
The next target of the Northern Yan princess may well be her, the woman inside the barbican.
Inside the council hall, everyone looked terrified, wondering when Northern Yan would attack again.
Duan Qingye slowly picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and said, "If you can't beat them, just run away!"
"General, you are mistaken!" An old general suddenly stood up, his face flushed with anger. "How can we be cowardly before the battle even begins and abandon the city to flee? If word gets out, what face will our Pingzhou Army have left!"
"Face? Can face feed you, or can it stop those monsters?" Duan Qingye scoffed, refuting him without any politeness.
A murmur of discussion immediately filled the council chamber. Clearly, although Duan Qingye's words were harsh, they also revealed the deep-seated fears of some people.
Gu Junze instantly understood and lightly tapped the city gate of the barbican with his fingertip.
"The Empty City Stratagem".
Three words, loud and clear.
The council chamber fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.
A moment later, Vice General Wang's eyes lit up, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
"General, you are wise! We opened the city gates wide to create a diversion. When the Northern Yan princess sees that our city is empty, she will not dare to lead her ghost soldiers into the city rashly. She will surely think there is a trap..."
Gu Junze shook his head slightly, denying his guess.
"The Northern Yan princess is extremely arrogant. In her eyes, an empty city is just a sign that we have exhausted all our options."
The joy on Vice General Wang's face froze, replaced by deeper confusion and worry.
"Then...then what is the purpose of this plan, General?" he asked blankly. "If it's not to intimidate her, wouldn't opening the city gates wide be...wouldn't that be inviting a wolf into the house and courting death?"
The hearts of the generals sank as Vice General Wang asked his question.
Yes, if the Empty City Stratagem fails to scare away the enemy and may instead lure them deeper into the city, then what is the point of this strategy?
Duan Qingye stood up. "It seems you have a backup plan!"
Gu Junze did not explain immediately; his gaze was deep, as if he were plotting a deeper scheme.
The next day, the morning mist had not yet completely dissipated.
The heavy city gates of the barbican slowly opened to both sides with a dull creak.
The city walls were deserted; not even the soldiers who usually patrolled there were to be seen.
Only a few military flags swayed weakly in the breeze.
Smoke and dust began to rise on the distant horizon.
Princess Beiyan did indeed arrive.
She was still wearing that golden mask, riding a black warhorse.
Behind her was a dark mass of "ghost soldiers," their movements perfectly synchronized, yet exuding an aura of deathly stillness.
The army stopped a hundred paces away from the city gate.
Princess Beiyan reined in her horse, gazing at the open city gate and the empty city walls. Behind her mask, a hint of undisguised contempt curled at the corner of her lips.
"The Empty City Stratagem?" She chuckled softly. "Gu Junze, is this your plan? Trying to scare me off with this kind of trick?"
One of her lieutenants whispered, "Princess, could this be a trap?"