My Beautiful Duchess Wife

The small hand gripping Lin Peng's collar tightened its hold. It seemed filled with immense resentment, and her large eyes were bloodshot. The ends of her dark green hair appeared to be curling. Soon, this fireball might touch her.

At the same time, after all these years, it seemed she truly had no hope of surviving. In that instant, a tear slid down the little girl's cheek and dripped into Lin Peng's collar. She recalled so many things…

It was that same night of roaring flames, that same night filled with shouts, cries for help, and screams of alarm and anger. It was also the night he began his wanderings. Those same large hands, those warm hands that always loved to pinch his cheeks, collapsed before him.

……

So many memories flooded back; it seemed I was always destined to be a jinx. This man, too, probably couldn't escape this beast tide. I really wished he could escape.

In that instant, Lin Peng abruptly stopped. Before the little girl's astonished gaze, he grabbed her arm and draped her over his chest like a sloth, while his back was blasted by the fireball. He was sent flying into the air, turning his head to look at the black panther behind him, as if to say, "Thank you!"

Chapter Three: Run, Speedy Wheels!

This time, the Black Flame Leopard's fireball was truly compressed before being launched directly. Of course, Lin Peng had anticipated this. It's said that animals are extremely vengeful; once they've smelled someone's scent, they'll basically remember it. This time, it wouldn't be like last time, using a high-heat but weak fireball. Therefore, this time, Lin Peng immediately knew the power of the fireball after just one glance.

Of course, this also presented an opportunity for me to speed up and escape from the black flame leopard.

So, despite taking such a blow, he was sent flying into the air. The wind howled past his ears, and looking at the stone forest that was no more than two or three meters away from him, Lin Peng coughed up a mouthful of blood.

At the same time, using the power of the fireball, it flew directly over the stone forest. Upon landing, ignoring its injuries, it sprinted off again, maintaining its original speed without any decrease.

The little girl's hand tightened, and she suddenly paused, stunned by Lin Peng's timely rescue. If that fireball had hit her, not only would she have been able to leap into the air simultaneously, but she wouldn't have been injured. Why? For a moment… she couldn't understand it…

……

The crimson moon slowly rose from behind the dark clouds, and on the walls of Darkmoon City, the soldiers were just beginning their changing of the guard. However, even during this change of guard, there was no noise. All of them wore serious expressions, their brows furrowed with unwavering resolve.

"Brother, the monsters didn't come last night. They'll probably be here today! Be careful!" A tall demon, seemingly the captain, with rough skin on his hands that betrayed his strength, gave the warning to the new captain before leading his men down the city wall.

Nadas sneered, saying nothing more, and ordered his men to take up guard duty. He looked towards the mountain path in the distance; perhaps magical beasts would emerge from there soon.

"Heh heh, Lundy, this time the credit might really be mine. Hmph... It seems everyone in Darkmoon City knows you're the Duke's subordinate, while I... am the Princess's man! Besides... Darkmoon City isn't ruled by the Duke anymore!" Nadas seemed to be talking to himself as he coldly watched Captain Lundy leave in the distance.

Of course, there was a reason why the magical beasts arrived late. Originally, it would have been fine if the Black Flame Leopard had just given chase. However, for some reason, after crossing the stone forest, Lin Peng hadn't run far before he was surprised to find...

It seemed the monsters behind him were starting to chase after him. Whether the little girl pointed to a side path to escape or turned directly onto the main road, it seemed wherever Lin Peng ran, they would follow.

Despite having run for an unknown amount of time and taken countless detours, he simply couldn't shake them off. And now, it seemed his only option was to flee to Darkmoon City for refuge.

The little girl said that once they crossed this mountain path, they would soon enter Darkmoon City. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't muster any strength. No... he should say, he was truly exhausted.

Although they maintained this speed, it was entirely due to inertia. Each step seemed exceptionally difficult. They might fall at any moment.

"Although I don't know your name, hurry up and run! I really can't run anymore! It's only a short distance, and once they catch up with me, you can escape too!" Lin Peng said with a bitter smile, sounding weak and powerless.

The little girl on his back visibly twitched. Her previous composure vanished, as if she had suddenly exerted all her strength.

"why?"

I've wanted to ask this question since last night. Of course, I haven't said it out loud until now. Now... I have no more reservations. I believe this is the final answer.

"There's no reason why... Maybe you'll say I'm stupid. But I really am that stupid!" After saying this, Lin Peng seemed to have made up his mind. His brows furrowed suddenly, and his hands, which were supporting the little girl, were thrown away abruptly.

The little girl darted out, mid-air. But her head had already turned, her eyes fixed on Lin Peng with surprise, confusion, and an unreadable emotion. Even in this situation, this man, this strange, somewhat foolish man, still wore that same smile on his face, as if the pursuers were nothing more than a swarm of ants.

There was not a trace of fear, not the slightest tremor of apprehension.

Was he really that fearless? For the first time, I felt cared for. For the second time, I recalled that painful memory. I remembered that tall man, seemingly standing before me in the same way, giving me the only chance to escape. But it also seemed related to the talent I usually displayed.

But what... was this man doing this for?

To say that Lin Peng wasn't afraid would be a lie. Facing death without any fear seems beyond Lin Peng's comprehension. Furthermore, one could say he didn't even know why he saved the child.

"Making such a huge decision, just to save her... Haha... Lin Peng, you really only understand how terrifying the world is when you're dead!" Lin Peng said, shaking his head as he ran.

It seems that it has recalled things from its original world.

That man had stolen the only wealth he depended on for survival, that man had stolen the mansion where he could truly find refuge. And yet, he seemed to have no more words to say. He simply picked up his bag and resolutely walked out of the home that the man he called "uncle," but who was not even a stranger, had taken from him.

He shook his head, his steps slowing further and further. He had truly exhausted his potential. Lin Peng knew that within seconds, he would definitely fall. At the same time, countless magical beasts would swarm and tear him apart.

Seeing the girl running ahead, Lin Peng chuckled to himself, "At least I saved someone. I can't be too greedy!"

Behind him, he could hear the monsters catching up in what seemed like no time. At the same time, the flame in his chest pulsed violently. The small spark, which had been burning intensely, now seemed on the verge of being extinguished, leaping wildly.

Just as Lin Peng was about to despair, the thumb-sized spark of fire seemed on the verge of collapse. In an instant, it suddenly scattered throughout Lin Peng's body, breaking into countless tiny flames that spread directly towards his meridians.

Instantly, Lin Peng felt as if he had taken an aphrodisiac, his entire body heating up. At the same time, he seemed to possess untapped strength. His running speed increased even further. Lin Peng couldn't understand what was happening, but he was certain he could now run into Dark Moon City.

At the same time, on the walls of Darkmoon City, Nadas stared in astonishment at the small figure in the mountain path, his brows furrowed. He couldn't understand why someone would be running around outside when the monsters were about to arrive.

Moreover, this child was so young and weak. However, the child was incredibly fast. Before anyone could figure out what was happening, the child was already less than two hundred meters away from the city wall.

As she ran, she shouted, "Please, my brother is still in that mountain path, please save him!"

As they spoke, they reached the city wall. His face was filled with urgency, and tears streamed down his face. The soldiers on the wall saw this and seemed reluctant to watch any longer. Without the captain's order, the city gate would never be opened.

Nadas's brows furrowed tightly. Judging from the child's words, the magical beasts were clearly not far off. Perhaps they would close in soon. He snorted coldly and shouted, "Where did this brat come from? Don't you know today is the day of the magical beast surge?! If you don't want to die, get out of here right now!"

The little girl's expression froze. Clearly, this man, who appeared to be the Darkmoon City defense captain, was unwilling to open the city gates. Even less likely, he would rescue Lin Peng. Her body trembled slightly; there was only one good person left. But turning to look towards the mountain path, she sighed softly, "Perhaps he's already dead."

The tiny hands clenched into fists, trembling violently. Suddenly, the large eyes widened. At that moment, the magical beasts had already rushed out of the mountain path. But strangely, in front of them, there was someone running desperately.

As he ran in circles, his feet seemed to be carrying flames.

Lin Peng was slightly taken aback when he saw the little girl at the city gate, but then he quickly understood what was going on. The magical beasts must be arriving soon, and to avoid trouble, they hadn't opened the city gates.

He gave a wry smile; it seemed neither of them could enter the city now. Meanwhile, the magical beasts behind them wouldn't consider him one of their own. His fist clenched tightly, and in an instant, his speed exploded once more.

At the same time, he strode forward and sprang up. In just a few seconds, he was in front of the little girl.

"Looks like they're not like me; they don't seem to know how to open the city gates!" Lin Peng grinned, picked up the little girl, slung her over his shoulder, and quickly ran off in the other direction. He was now much faster than before.

It seemed that the flames emanating from his feet as he ran transformed into wheels of fire. He raced around the walls of Darkmoon City.

The little girl couldn't help but laugh out loud: "What's going on? Why are you running faster and faster! You didn't want to carry me, so you were just pretending!"

Lin Peng knew the little girl was definitely joking. He smiled faintly and didn't respond much. He just buried his head and ran as fast as he could! Just now, in that moment of exhaustion, the spark within him finally kicked in.

The flames scattered throughout the body's meridians, for some reason, did not damage them. Just like the flames in the chest did not damage the chest cavity. At the same time, the flame paths that circulated as the flames spread out seemed to generate power endlessly. It seems that the force exerted underfoot was now so great that flames were directly spewing from the meridians.

Of course, he wasn't burned. In fact, his speed increased even more.

Chapter Four: Finally Entering Darkmoon City

On the city wall, all the soldiers, including Nadas, stared in disbelief at the "brother and sister" duo. Even Nadas admitted he couldn't match their speed alone, let alone the other low- or mid-level demons.

Furthermore, Nadas was somewhat puzzled as to what was going on with the flames appearing beneath the man's feet! Could it be... some kind of magical artifact? It must be some kind of magical artifact that increases speed, otherwise, how could he run so fast?

Besides, if someone is truly strong, they could simply leap over the city wall. This wall is only a dozen meters high; it wouldn't pose any difficulty for a skilled fighter.

Lin Peng sprinted along the left side of the city wall. Meanwhile, the city wall was only a few hundred meters away from the horde of monsters. The leading few dark-colored leopards leaped out of the horde and headed towards the direction Lin Peng was running.

"These guys really aren't going to let me off the hook!" Lin Peng said through gritted teeth.

The little girl, no longer showing any panic or worry, chuckled instead. Looking at Lin Peng, who had run for so long without even breaking a sweat, she said, "My name is Angelina, remember that!"

"Angelina? How did she turn into a little girl!" Lin Peng muttered after a moment of surprise. He pouted and continued running. Meanwhile, the monster army had completely charged towards the city walls.

However, the soldiers who were relatively prepared were not overly nervous. Most of them picked up their bows and crossbows, and the initial volley was terrifying. A hail of arrows—no matter how large the monster army was, or how thick the hides of the monsters blocking their way, they couldn't withstand such an attack.

Moreover, although demons do indeed look quite similar to humans, their strength is undeniably immense. Therefore, these arrows are far more powerful. The demon army, though creating a gust of wind, could not withstand them.

Instantly, a large number of the monsters in the small area in front fell down.

"Roar……"

A series of roars erupted, and the previously somewhat fearful magical beasts, upon hearing the sounds, charged straight towards the city walls without stopping. This fearless display of courage astonished even the people of Darkmoon City.

For the past three years, it seemed that after a barrage of arrows, the magical beasts in Darkmoon City would take quite a while to regroup. Most would charge around haphazardly, running wild without any command. Essentially, they could only pose a slight threat to some of Darkmoon City's soldiers.

However, the current situation has made the soldiers somewhat apprehensive.

However, if such discipline and unity were to focus solely on charging through one city gate, and even one person actually managed to break through, that would be disastrous.

At least, the city's garrison alone simply couldn't stop them. Moreover, upon closer inspection, many of the creatures behind them were high-level magical beasts. They were eyeing the soldiers on the city wall with predatory intent, and some had already charged forward in the blink of an eye.

The soldiers might not have been afraid of the lower-level magical beasts from before. However, with so many high-level magical beasts charging at them all at once, even a high-level demon like Nadas felt a little uneasy, let alone the ordinary soldiers.

In that instant, no arrows were fired, and the demonic beast army had already reached the city gate. The heavy, ten-meter-high ironwood gate seemed like a blank sheet of paper before the towering earth dragon beast. It was pierced through in a single, instantaneous thrust.

The earth dragon beast was already intimidatingly large, standing four or five meters tall even when crouching. Combined with its powerful physique, a single ramming of its horn caused… a deafening boom… accompanied by a gust of wind and dust.

On the city wall, the soldiers finally reacted. However, they didn't move for a moment, all looking at Nadas. Now, they would only dare to rush forward if their superior gave the order.

Otherwise, we can only watch from the sidelines, without even the courage to take a single step.

"Damn it... why am I so unlucky!" Nadas thought to himself, but he had no choice but to give the order.

He drew his long sword from his back and shouted, "Go downstairs and attack! Don't let a single monster in!" He then jumped into the city, attempting to attack the earth dragon beast that had just stepped through the broken city gate.

While in mid-air, demonic runes appeared on his body. A horn even sprouted from his head! His already rough skin now hardened further. This state was the most powerful form of demonic transformation among demons.

Once a demon transforms, a high-ranking demon possesses overwhelming combat power. Their skin is tough, and they are incredibly fast. Furthermore, each demon race seems to possess an innate talent—perhaps the power of fire, ice, or the earth…

In short, it is much more powerful than a humanoid form.

While still in mid-air, the demonic transformation was complete. The thick-backed sword in his hand suddenly exuded a heavy aura, seemingly shimmering with a faint yellow light. He raised his hand and roared, "Stop!"

Instantly, the thick-backed blade struck the back of the earth dragon beast.

Although the earth dragon beast has tough hide and thick flesh, its body is as strong as a dragon!

However, the movement was extremely slow. Before he knew it, he was actually struck by the thick-backed blade and immediately stopped. The blade had penetrated more than a foot into his back, and dark red blood was spurting out.

Nadas, his chest splattered with blood, suddenly looked exceptionally bloody. He didn't wipe the blood off himself, but after a quick wipe, he shouted, "All soldiers, assemble at the city gate and defend!" The previously stunned soldiers suddenly reacted. Their initial fear seemed to have vanished, replaced by a hint of madness characteristic of demons.

"Ow..."

The Earth Dragon roared in pain after being struck by the blade. Regardless of whether Nadas was on its back, it lashed out with its long, thick tail. Startled, Nadas braced himself with his legs, using his waist strength to draw his thick-backed sword. With a swift movement, he dodged the tail. Turning, he once again raised his sword to slash at the Earth Dragon's neck.

If this strike lands, even an earth dragon beast would die on the spot.

After all, the talent he comprehended was the power of the earth. This sword was originally a magical sword, capable of being imbued with that power. Therefore, every strike carried immense force. One could say that a sword weighing only a few dozen pounds could, after being imbued, possess at least a hundred, or even a thousand, pounds of force.

With such gravity, combined with the power gained from demonization, even low-level magical beasts would be turned into a pile of minced meat.

However, it's clear that the Earth Dragon Beast is not so easy to deal with. Although it's not a true dragon, not even a sub-dragon, the very word "dragon" gives it a natural strength that other magical beasts can't match.

Otherwise, that last strike would have cleaved it in two. With a sudden twist of his head, he actually used the single horn on his head to meet the pale yellow light of the thick-backed sword. A dull, alarming "thud" resounded.