A well-reasoned speech, full of strategy, sorrow, and despair, yet also imbued with a sense of duty to the nation…

But Luo Shuang’s eyes still held a deep wariness. She had been through too much recently.

Deception, betrayal, fleeing for her life, hunger and cold, wandering without a home…

In such a short time, she had experienced the most tragic and sorrowful events of her life.

Even if she was once a naive and sheltered princess, she had grown up, and a key sign of that growth was that she no longer trusted anyone easily.

General Sichen was dead.

During their escape, there were blades and swords everywhere. Who would care if someone was secretly guiding everyone to kill each other…

Leng Shi’s words seemed righteous, but upon closer thought, they were all unverifiable.

But what was his purpose?

Clearly, he could have killed her if he took one more step.

Was he still trying to use her identity?

Now, her only value was her status as a fleeing princess!

Capture her and hand her over to Duke Dingguo for a better future; or use her as a hostage to threaten Duke Dingguo; or simply turn her into a plaything to cater to some noble’s special tastes…

Perhaps his orders were not to kill her, but to capture her alive.

Luo Shuang looked at Du Ge, who was calmly facing death, and many thoughts of how she could be used flashed through her mind. She bit her lip tightly. She knew that killing Leng Shi and escaping alone was the best choice. No matter what schemes he had, she could easily thwart them.

But seeing Leng Shi, who was waiting for death with a tragic yet strong demeanor, she knew she had no chance. If she harbored any intent to kill, she would face a storm of retaliation.

Moreover, she was injured and nearly exhausted. She wasn’t confident she could fight and kill a professional assassin in this state.

Besides.

Even if she managed to kill Leng Shi, in her current physical condition, she couldn’t possibly make it out of this forest.

She couldn’t die.

She still had to avenge her father and brother and reclaim Qingwu Kingdom.

At the very least, she couldn’t die here, unknown, perishing alongside an assassin.

She had to survive.

Whether it was true or false, the man before her was her only chance to live. Once she recovered, she would have the opportunity to escape from him…

“He Xu, what are you saying? General Sichen died loyally for the country. How could I kill his soldiers just to save my own life? If I killed you, I wouldn’t be able to face my father or General Si in the afterlife!”

Luo Shuang sighed, put away her dagger, and said, “Get up, Mr. He. I believe you. If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already. Why go through all this trouble to deceive me?”

Wow!

What an actor!

Du Ge was moved, his eyes shining with excitement. “Princess, you are willing to trust me?”

“Of course.” Luo Shuang forced a smile and shook her head. “I don’t think a fallen princess is worth deceiving. Killing me and taking my head back would be enough for you to get a promotion in Dragon Fang. There’s no need to reveal your identity. If I can’t trust you, who can I trust? I have nothing left.”

“No, Princess, you are not without anything. You still have me.” Du Ge stood up, picked up the sword on the ground, and sheathed it, saying righteously, “And you have the countless people of Qingwu Kingdom waiting for salvation. Fourth Princess, although I am not very talented, I am willing to give my all for your path to restoring the kingdom, even if it means death…”

“…” Luo Shuang looked at Leng Shi, who suddenly stood up, looking refreshed and uninjured. The healing medicine she had taken out to win his favor froze in mid-air, and her heart pounded rapidly.

At this moment, she had only one thought.

He wasn’t hurt.

It was all a lie.

Thank goodness she didn’t try to kill him.

Swallowing lightly, Luo Shuang tentatively asked, “Mr. He, your injury?”

“Just a blood bag.” Du Ge smiled calmly. “It was a temporary measure to test the Princess. Although I am loyal to Qingwu Kingdom, I am not foolish. If the Fourth Princess had abandoned me or really tried to kill me, it would have proven that the Princess was selfish. Even if she succeeded in restoring the kingdom, it would be of no benefit to the country. At that time, I would have personally sent the Princess to reunite with His Majesty…”

“…” Luo Shuang’s face turned pale.

“But the Princess did not leave alone and even took out medicine to help me, proving that she is kind-hearted and worthy of my loyalty.” Du Ge looked at Luo Shuang with satisfaction. “He Xu is also thinking of Qingwu Kingdom’s future. I hope the Princess can understand.”

“…” Luo Shuang felt a chill in her limbs, her mind racing with curses. Throughout history, only rulers tested their subjects, not the other way around. This man was disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unrighteous.

But for some reason, after He Xu explained his reasoning, Luo Shuang’s suspicion of him lessened a bit.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Mr. He, you are indeed a meticulous person!”

“Princess flatters me.” Du Ge smiled. “If I weren’t meticulous, how could General Sichen have sent me to Chongming Kingdom as a spy? Without such careful planning, how could I have caused Dragon Fang and the guards to kill each other, leaving only the Princess and me?

If any part of the plan had gone wrong, either I would be dead, or the Princess would be dead. How could we have achieved this perfect outcome, eliminating the traitors and ensuring the Princess’s safety?”

Listening to his self-praise, Luo Shuang was at a loss for words.

Honestly.

If she didn’t have to rely on this guy, she would rather stab him to death.

Killing all her guards, not even leaving a maid, making her helpless—this was called a perfect outcome?

This was clearly wiping out all potential threats!

Taking a deep breath, Luo Shuang bowed to Du Ge. “In that case, I will rely on Mr. He from now on.”

“Princess is too kind.” Du Ge cupped his hands. “I was born a person of Qingwu Kingdom, and I will die a ghost of Qingwu Kingdom. I am loyal to Qingwu Kingdom for life, and I will do my utmost to help the Princess restore the kingdom. My loyalty is evident to heaven and earth…”

“Alright, I understand.” Luo Shuang’s head was starting to ache. “Mr. He, now it’s just the two of us. Let’s not mention Qingwu Kingdom anymore to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

“I understand,” Du Ge replied. Through his actions, he had already gained some of Luo Shuang’s trust. With his repeated declarations of loyalty, his injuries had long since healed, and his attributes had increased.

The true energy within him was gradually recovering.

Compared to the previous Alien Star Battlefield, the cultivation system in this world was much more complex. Martial artists cultivated true energy, sorcerers cultivated magic power, and there were professions similar to mages who harnessed the power of heaven and earth, as well as beast tamers, alchemists, and more.

Moreover, there were not only humans but also demon beasts and other creatures.

Various professions and races competed for attention, creating a rich and colorful world.

“What are the Princess’s plans next?” Du Ge asked.

“According to the plan, we will go to Qinglan Sword Sect to see my master. Then, I will ask him to persuade the emperor of Chongming Kingdom to send troops to help me restore the kingdom,” Luo Shuang said.

Du Ge looked at Luo Shuang and fell silent.

“Mr. He, do you think there’s a problem with my plan?” Luo Shuang asked.

There was more than a problem; it was a huge problem.

Qinglan Sword Sect.

One of the eight strongest sects in the world. Each sect leader held the title of Qinglan Sword Saint, and their immense personal strength could influence the fate of a nation.

Various countries liked to send their princes and princesses to these sects to learn martial arts, thereby maintaining relationships with the big sects. The big sects, in turn, needed royal resources, making it a mutually beneficial arrangement.

But princes and princesses, born into nobility, learned the ways of governance and power struggles. How many of them were willing to put in the effort to truly learn martial skills? They entered the big sects just to gain a prestigious title.

Being a disciple of a certain Sword Saint sounded impressive.

But in reality, they were just named disciples.

Qinglan Sword Sect had countless princes and princesses as disciples, at least a hundred, if not eighty, much like the descendants of Liu Bei’s Zhongshan Jing King.

A fallen princess with no people and no money—why would a Sword Saint help you?

What benefit would it bring?

Because you have a big face or look good?

This was clearly a desperate move!

“Fourth Princess, let’s focus on surviving first before considering anything else!” Du Ge sighed, looking at Luo Shuang. “Dragon Fang will likely send a second wave of assassins since no one returned to report. Duke Dingguo won’t let the Princess live either. We must overcome these immediate challenges first…”