Chapter 563: The Spy Of An Instant
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
There was a death-like silence. Perhaps it was very long or maybe only an instant. All around them were shards and shavings from wooden boards shattered by the zhenqi. The tables and chairs were broken into pieces. They fell down quickly as blood dripped onto the ground. Fan Xian slowly pulled out the sharp sword. The sound of a blade dragging through flesh and blood made a terrifying sound.
Ye Zhong relaxed his iron grip. Gong Dian coughed up blood and stood. The old Qin Master's sat at the foot of the wall in a puddle of blood with his eyes wide open, even in death. His hands were open slightly like he wanted to grab onto something.
This elder of the Qin army had finally died. He had died in a conspiracy that was the longest planned and longest hidden since the inception of Qing Kingdom.
Fan Xian wasn't injured, but he felt his body was slightly cold. Raising his head, he used a strange gaze to glance at the silent Gong Dian on his right side. He looked at this man, who was the first guard he had seen after he entered the capital at 16, like he was looking at a strange creature.
Then, he turned his head and glanced at Ye Zhong heavily. At the same time, Ye Zhong happened to also be looking at him. The two of them exchanged glances. There were no sparks. Each carried an understanding and a clarity, as well as a test.
Fan Xian knew that his gamble, at some levels, had succeeded. He did not gamble on the Palace walls because he had inside information. Rather, when he pressed down on the empress dowager's foot, he remembered what his grandmother in Danzhou had told him.
The Emperor never bought a battle he did not prepare for. The Emperor's will was very strong. It was not something that common people could imagine. The Emperor did not have any weaknesses. When Fan Xian was faced with a dead end, he did not believe the Emperor had not left anything behind at all. The Emperor clearly knew of the situation in Jingdou. How could he go to Dong Mountain to worship heaven? Thus, Fan Xian had to gamble that some unexpected change would happen in the rebel army.
The change finally happened. The Ye family defected. Rather, the bravest spies in Qing history had risen out of the depths.
When Fan Xian decided to gamble, he was unable to convince himself why the Ye family would suddenly take action until he saw Ye Zhong's eyes.
The glance perhaps only lasted a second, but it was enough for Fan Xian to understand many things. The past and everything that he had once suspected—everything these four years in Qing court that had appeared weird and proven the Emperor's paranoia, each exposure of his flaws—had a perfect explanation.
Fan Xian only glanced at Ye Zhong for a second, but he saw everything.
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Earlier in the month, at the foot of Dong Mountain, Ye Liuyun approached on a boat across the waves. His strike came from the heavens, striking through reefs and entering sheer precipices, leaving only the hilt outside. At that time, Fan Xian was standing on the reef heavily injured by an arrow. He was fortunate enough to escape through the ocean.
Earlier in the year, in Suzhou's Baoyue Brothel, Ye Liuyun came wearing a straw hat and split the building in half with his sword, acting on behalf of the Junshang Conference and forcefully taking away the account master. At that time, Fan Xian had cursed loudly, been heavily injured, and was fortunate to escape death.
Given Ye Liuyun's abilities and a Great Grandmaster's might, he had allowed Fan Xian to meet him twice and not die. With this as a reference, looking at the past events in the Qing Kingdom, everything became clear.
Two years ago, Gong Dian strangely failed at his duty when the Emperor was admiring chrysanthemums in the Hovering Temple. Thus, an assassination targeting the Qing Emperor suddenly happened. The tower fell into chaos. Fan Xian was heavily injured. Ye Zhong gave chase but was unsuccessful. The court was shocked. The Emperor was angry. He took away Ye Zhong's post as Commander of the Jingdou Garrison and sent him back to Dingzhou. Gong Dian went to prison and was lucky to return.
Two years and two months ago, Fan Xian heard about the Second Prince's marriage to Ye Ling'er while he was in Shangjing, Northern Qi. Feeling great astonishment, he secretly realized that the Emperor wanted to force Ye Zhong to quit his post himself and not involve himself in the matter of the princes.
Tracing back, it was eight years ago. At that time, Fan Xian was 12 and working hard to master the Tyrannical martial arts on the precipice in Danzhou. At that time, the singer Liuyun had come and tested himself casually against Wu Zhu. Then, he returned to his boat and floated far away.
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After the Hovering Temple incident, Fan Xian and Chen Pingping had once talked late into the night. They knew the Emperor had purposely arranged for this matter and used it to suppress the Ye family, remove Gong Dian from the position of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Army, and force Ye Zhong to leave Jingdou. At the time, he and Chen Pingping had been confused. They believed the Emperor's paranoia was strong. They also believed that this was a conflict between imperial power and the Great Grandmasters, so they had thought too closely about it.
On the matter of punishing the Ye family, the Emperor clearly exposed his flaw of being overly suspicious. Although the method he had used was obscure, it lost him the chance to be upright and frank.
Fan Xian thought about the singer he had met for the first time when he was 12. Now, he had thought through everything and finally understood that the Emperor's paranoia, the Emperor's blunder, were all to purposely show weakness. Through the Ye family's growing distance, he was giving his enemies the courage to take action.
After eight years, Fan Xian had never seriously considered why the first of the four Great Grandmasters he had met was Ye Liuyun. He had also never thought about why in his travels around the world, Ye Liuyun would just have happened to go to Danzhou and so easily find his Uncle Wu Zhu, whom many people wanted to but could not find.
Where was Wu Zhu? No one in the world knew. Some people knew that where Fan Xian was, Wu Zhu would also be. The only people who knew of Fan Xian's true identity at that time were the Emperor, Chen Pingping, and Fan Jian.
Having analyzed it to this point, he understood that Ye Liuyun had gone to Danzhou because someone had told him that Ye Qingmei's son was in Danzhou. Naturally, Wu Zhu was also in Danzhou.
The one that had told him everything was the Emperor. Or, perhaps, the Emperor had solemnly requested that Ye Liuyun go to Danzhou to have a look at his illegitimate child with a bizarre history.
Such a person was someone the Emperor trusted the most. How could such a person betray the Emperor?
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The Emperor's paranoia, Ye family's distance, marriage between the Second Prince and Ye Ling'er, and Ye Liuyun's unnatural existence suddenly changed direction. All of this was actually a lie. Maybe it was just a price that had to be paid. All of it was to create a perfect and flawless detail.
This plan had been woven for years. If one thought about Ye Liuyun's venerated position in the Junshang Conference, the beginning of this plan was probably as distant as a dozen years ago.
Having used so much time and paid such a large price, it had fooled everyone, including him and the Eldest Princess. It could definitively be said that this was the most terrifying ploy in the history of Qing Kingdom.
In comparison, what did Yan Ruohai and Yuan Hongdao, whom the Overwatch Council had planted, count as?
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It was only a second, but countless images flew through Fan Xian's mind. He withdrew his gaze and looked at the calm-faced Ye Zhong. Suddenly, he felt a chill in his body. It was as if he had fallen into an icehouse. Probably even Chen Pingping didn't know about this plan. The Emperor's resolution was terrifying.
He looked at Ye Zhong. His lips felt dry as he took out his special token and handed it over. In a trembling voice, he asked, "Is the Emperor still alive?"
Ye Zhong was also looking at the young Duke. His emotions were complicated. When he started the attack on the old Qin Master, he had not thought that Fan Xian on the Palace would be able to raise his power and cooperate with him. He was in a state of shock. Had the Emperor already told Sir Fan junior the entire plan?
When Fan Xian opened his mouth, Ye Zhong opened his mouth at the same time and said, "Is the Emperor still alive?"
The exact same words. They made Fan Xian and Ye Zhong feel shocked at the same time. Looking into each other's eyes, they felt a chill. It was only now they knew that the people of Jingdou, regardless of whether it was Fan Xian, who the Emperor trusted without question, or Ye Zhong, who played the most important role in this entire plan, did not know whether the Emperor was alive or dead.
"Where is Li Yunrui?"
"Taiping Courtyard."
Both of them stopped talking. Ye Zhong accepted Fan Xian's token. Gong Dian picked up the old Qin Master's body and headed quickly toward the square, where the sounds of killing were shaking the heavens.
Only a moment had passed since the assassination of the Qin master. The people involved had a lot of thoughts in their minds. However, there had only been two sentences of proper conversation because the first sentence out of both their mouths had explained too many things. Everyone was only a piece on the board. They only had to do play their role well. It was a man who planned, but it was the heavens that accomplished. For now, they had no idea of the situation on Dong Mountain, so there was no need to think about it.
Fan Xian breathed heavily a few times and forcefully suppressed the irritation that the Tyrannical zhenqi and medicine in his body brought up. He dissipated some of the coldness in his heart and didn't notice the small opening on the wall.
This plan the Emperor had strategized for so long and had given so much attention to was for a great purpose. Clearing out the opposing powers within the Qing Kingdom was one part of it. The Emperor's true purpose was far beyond that.
Using Chen Pingping's words, in this world, only the Emperor stood the highest and saw the furthest. With the Emperor's gaze over these decades, he had been looking at the beautiful scenery in the world and elegant sights, particularly those lands and people not yet his.
The target of this plan with the Ye family as agents was probably Northern Qi and Dongyi. Ku He and Sigu Jian on Dong Mountain were part of it, but Ye Liuyun was the Emperor's helper. The situation of the entire world may have already undergone earth-shattering changes on that mountain.
There were still some matters Fan Xian did not understand. Even if Ye Liuyun suddenly changed sides on Dong Mountain, Ku He and Sigu Jian were still unnatural people beyond compare. The four Great Grandmasters gathered at Dong Mountain. Even if Ku He and Sigu Jian suffered some losses, how could they be taken into the Emperor's control?
His brows furrowed together. It looked like the most important reason why the Emperor had chosen Dong Mountain to end the plan was because he counted on Uncle Wu Zhu to take action. However, he knew Uncle Wu Zhu's personality. He would probably disappoint His Majesty.
Sounds of killing came from behind him. it pulled him out of his complicated emotions, reminding him that he was standing beside a battlefield. The situation in Jingdou was not yet stabilized. There were still countless people spilling hot blood for a conspiracy woven over many years.
He took another deep breath and temporarily stopped thinking about the Dong Mountain incident. Charging through the wall, he disappeared into the cover of the dense private residences. The moment before he took action, he suddenly felt a wave of sorrow.
Suddenly, he felt sympathy for the Eldest Princess, Crown Prince, Second Prince, and all the Qing soldiers fighting in the Royal Palace. He also began to feel sympathy for himself. Had the fate-unknown Emperor never thought about the damage the conflict in Jingdou would have on the country's power given its level of aggressiveness?
The four Great Grandmasters were on Dong Mountain. Even a sleeve and a finger were enough to shake the heaven and earth, could the Emperor really still be alive?
Why did he have to take such a risk and expend so much energy to do this? Was it truly just to unite the world? Was it just to be the master of all ages?
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At the same time Ye Zhong, Gong Dian, and Fan Xian were assassinating the old Qin Master, the middle-ranking Dingzhou generals, who had long appeared silent, looked at each other. They saw the determination and confusion in each other's eyes. It was not until these generals had entered the city did they quietly receive secret orders from Commander Ye and General Gong. In order to keep the secret, they could not move the lower ranking soldiers.
At this moment, the Ye family's Dingzhou soldiers had to attack because they had already seen the strange sight in the rebel camp. Soldiers were not robots who only listened to commands. Any army about to change the direction of their attack right before a battle, when no mobilization had yet been done, would always bring confusion.
A moment earlier, they were preparing to attack the Royal Palace. In the next moment, they had to turn their spears to point at their own comrades. No matter how strict military rankings were in the Dingzhou army, their battle power would probably fall to an extreme low.
Fortunately, the talented deputy generals and middle-ranking generals who knew of the inside information cleverly partially resolved the problem of who they were fighting for.
They isolated the Second Prince's trusted aide outside and surrounded the Second Prince. They then yelled in a loud voice, "The Second Prince has an order! The Crown Prince has committed regicide and patricide. He is no better than an animal. Those who are men of Qing Kingdom, you can all begin your attacks… Kill!"
It was not until now that the Second Prince felt that something was wrong. His face immediately became pale. He didn't know why these respectful and polite generals were surrounding him in the middle. He didn't know why they had suddenly given such an absurd military order.
Did his father-in-law see that the Royal Palace was not open and wanted to use this opportunity to get rid of the Crown Prince and help him onto the throne? The Second Prince comforted himself in this way, but he watched as his trusted aides were knocked off their horses by Dingzhou soldiers and bound. Only now did his heart become cold. He knew that changes had happened that neither he nor the Crown Prince had expected.
Once the order went out, the common Dingzhou soldiers reacted quickly and attacked the Qin family's troops. Perhaps a portion of them truly believed this order and thought the Crown Prince's assassination had finally been exposed, and the Second Prince had thought of the painful experience and decided to avenge the previous Emperor. More of the common soldiers thought themselves clever and believed the Second Prince had decided to use this opportunity to strike against the Crown Prince.
All of the attacking Dingzhou soldiers finally successfully overcame battlefield defection, the most important of military problems. With great righteousness, they inevitably and rightly began to attack the Qin family.
Such a hurried defection could not, in the end, demonstrate Dingzhou army's true power. Fortunately, there were still a lot of soldiers of the Qin family. However, the old Qin Master had died, Qin Heng had been stabbed to death by Jing Ge, a few generals had escorted the Crown Prince to the rear of the camp, and Fan Xian had killed five and injured three of the eight family generals on the frontline. It could truly be said that this was a group of dragons without a head.
When a stable army attacked an army without a leader in charge, the victory and defeat were not difficult to guess.
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In the chaotic battlefield, other than Dingzhou's own soldiers, not many people heard the Ye family general's order. Many people were still striving to kill. Even if it was not to kill an enemy, it was to protect their own life.
Covered in blood, the Great Prince's long knife danced in his hands. He opened up a bloody path. Although he wasn't able to charge into the rebel army's camp, he had successfully joined up with the remaining Black Knights. In the excitement of battle, he had not seen the sight of Fan Xian and Ye Zhong striking out together. He thought he had come to the end of his road.
Fresh blood dripped down from his hand, but his expression was calm. As a prince of Qing Kingdom, he didn't feel a glimmer of regret in the depths of his heart for having fought for the Royal Palace.
The thunderous roar of horse hooves rang out. The Dingzhou cavalry, which had long been resting, finally charged forward.
The Great Prince narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at the already exhausted Jing Ge. He tightened his hand on the hilt and was about to chop down.
The Dingzhou cavalry swept by in front of him and didn't attack at all. In fact, they ruthlessly charged toward the Qin army!
"Kill!"
On the square in front of the Royal Palace, an earth-shaking roar of "kill" rang out. Everyone stared dumbstruck at this sight. Because of the rebel army exchanging camps, the Dingzhou army, which was in a relatively advantageous position, seemed to suddenly go crazy and charge toward their own comrades—Qin family soldiers who had already been fighting for several hours, who were already somewhat exhausted, and who had absolutely no preparation.
Chapter 564: Dingzhou Army's Order
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The sounds of killing shook the heavens. Abruptly and completely, countless riders carrying the smoke of Dingzhou began to carry out an attack on the Qin family from all directions of the square. A group of about a thousand riders were like a sickle as they swept sharply across the foot of the Palace walls. The scaling towers high on the walls were immediately severed with a crash at the root like ripened grains in a paddy field. The ears of wheat were heavy, so there were a number of rebel soldiers bravely climbing them upward. They had not thought that their comrades would attack from below. The defenses below the scaling ladders had also not considered this problem. All the three-part scaling ladders leaned in from the two sides and fell down wretchedly. The rebel soldiers on them gave tragic cries as they fell.
Many fell to their deaths, sending up a spray of blood and internal organs as they were crushed beneath the heavy scaling ladder. The rebel soldiers who had already surmounted the walls abruptly felt there was something wrong behind them and couldn't help but be afraid.
On the contrary, the remaining imperial soldiers and Overwatch Council officials on the walls realized there had suddenly been a great change to the battle situation below. Seeing their last chance of survival, courage immediately flooded into their chests. The people defending the Royal Palace charged forward. They surrounded and separated the rebel soldiers who had mounted the walls, forcing the trapped Qin soldiers into a helpless situation.
Some rebel soldiers had already broken through the main gates of the Royal Palace to carry out surprise killings. They had no idea what was happening behind them.
Two Ye family riders approached from the west, the direction of Taiping square. After sweeping through the scaling ladders, they didn't slow down. They directly rode their horses into the dark hole in the Palace gate and began to carry out an attack on the rebel soldiers at the back.
On the square, the Dingzhou army, which had already taken an advantageous position, had long begun a countdown toward the Qin family's counterattack. Too many of the Qin family's upper-level generals had died. In addition, things happened suddenly. For a moment, they were unable to organize an effective defense and counterattack.
On the battlefield, it was often the instant the battle began that decided victory and defeat. The Dingzhou army generals talentedly carried out the secret order the Commander left behind before they entered the palace. Striking suddenly like thunder, they caught the Qin army by surprise. The rebel soldiers suffered heavy casualties. The scales of victory fell toward the Dingzhou army.
Why the scales tipped toward that direction was not understood by everyone, particularly the imperial soldiers and Black Knights. They had experienced four hours of desperate killing, were exhausted to the extreme, and just about to meet their deaths. They stared with wide eyes. It was clear they were somewhat confused.
The Great Prince, who was covered in blood, stood with Jing Ge, who had his head down, and watched in shock at sounds of killing around them, the black smoke, knife light, and sword shadow. He listened to the muffled grunts on the battlefield, the tragic calls, and sorrowful cries. He realized the long knife in his hand was very heavy.
At this time, the rebel soldiers began to fight internally. The Qin family could not ensure their own safety. The Dingzhou army purposely avoided the center of the square. The Great Prince and people protecting the Royal Palace stood in a daze on the empty land unsure of what had happened.
A moment ago, they were fighting desperately for their lives against others. In the next moment, it seemed they had become spectators. What was happening in Jingdou seemed to have nothing to do with them.
The Great Prince glanced at the injured Jing Ge and furrowed his brows. As the Commander of the Western Expedition Army, he knew how important reactions were on the battlefield. Regardless of what went wrong within the rebel army, if he wanted to use this opportunity, he had to give an order immediately to gather the almost 2,000 people inside and outside the Palace.
However, his eyes were a bit vacant. Above and below the Palace walls had already been divided into a number of battle areas. If the imperial soldiers wanted to form into a line, it was essentially impossible. Furthermore, the Great Prince did not want these subordinates, who had reached the top, to once again leave temporary safety and throw themselves into the flames of battle.
He had to see clearly why the Dingzhou army had suddenly changed sides. Did the Second Prince want to use this opportunity to get rid of the Crown Prince and take the throne to become Emperor? Why did the Dingzhou army purposely keep away from this group of imperial soldiers, and why were they working hard to protect the Royal Palace? He suddenly thought of everything Fan Xian did and said in the morning. His heart thudded loudly.
Did Fan Xian know the Ye family would make a move? He given those orders so he could create a good opportunity for them? An imperial soldier suddenly rushed to his side and said a few things quietly by his ear. He briefly recounted the events that someone had noticed earlier in the rebel army camp.
The Great Prince's eyes lit up slightly. He looked at the Dingzhou soldiers shuttling back and forth around him and constantly retreating Qin family troops not far away, as well as the dragon banner that signaled the Crown Prince's locations. Finally, he relaxed slightly. His admiration of Fan Xian increased a little.
All around were the hurried sounds of military orders. Smoke filled the sky. Various powers all gathered to charge together. The Great Prince, along with 200 people who had the great fortune to meet up with the imperial soldiers returning from Taiping Square, slowly pressed toward the Royal Palace.
In the distance, one could faintly see the yellow dragon banner, covered by smoke, leaving the field.
The entire square had become a massacre field. Although the Qin rebel soldiers had suffered great casualties and injuries, they had many more people than the Dingzhou army. Although the military order did not go smoothly, the natural talents of the Qing soldiers and qualities of individual soldiers still made the Dingzhou army pay a great price.
The situation was chaotic. All of the Qing Kingdom soldiers had formed into countless small groups and were killing together. All along the walls were battles happening. There were people dying and crying out wretchedly in all directions. The autumnal sun hovered in the sky and finally shone a clear light on everything through the smoke surrounding the Royal Palace. Puddles of blood lay on the ground, particularly the three sides where the Royal Palace was surrounded by a moat.
The blood had already seeped into the river. A number of dead and injured soldiers had tragically fallen into the river. Some barely alive rebel soldiers were woken by the icy cold moat water and had no energy to struggle to the shore. With great misery, they struggled weakly and sank toward the bottom of the lake. It looked like there were countless water spirits in the moat were pulling on their ankles.
Faced with the Dingzhou army's abrupt attack, the Qin family barely managed to hold out for a while before finally retreating in defeat. A few generals escorted the Crown Prince and led the returned troops away from the square. Along the Jingdou streets, they began to retreat toward the city gate guards they still controlled.
The dragon banner retreated. The army situation worsened. The Dingzhou army cheered together and charged forward bravely. The battlefield immediately extended out from about 3 li outside the Royal Palace and once again extended toward Jingdou. Chased and those being chased, killer and those being killed, feathers flew wildly as spears stabbed out ruthlessly. Jingdou began to shake knowing it was about to deal with a chaos and bloodiness that had not be seen in 16 years.
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A series of hoof beats sliced through the remaining smoke and fog on the ground. With the general on the back of the horse, he appeared in front of the Imperial Army and Black Knights below the Royal Palace in a corner the rebel soldiers seemed to have forgotten.
Countless sounds of metal crashing together rang out. No one gave an order. There was no need for orders. The already exhausted imperial soldiers and heavily injured Black Knights abruptly exploded out with boldness, changing their array with remarkable speed. They surrounded the general and soldiers behind him within their formation.
The color on the faces of the soldiers behind the general changed dramatically. They drew their knives in unison.
The Great Prince slowly walked out. Looking at the familiar figure on horseback, he raised his eyebrows and maintained his silence.
Ye Zhong slowly raised his right arm. The dozens of soldiers cautiously and slowly pulled back their knives but remained nervously watching these remaining soldiers, who had once brought them countless mental assaults. Earlier in the square, these hundreds of riders had attacked twice and sent the rebel army into chaos. They had stabbed Qin Heng, and killed countless soldiers. They were truly too terrifying.
"I am moving 3,000 soldiers to help Your Highness guard the Palace."
Ye Zhong looked at the blood-covered Great Prince in front of him. A glimmer of admiration flashed through his eyes. However, his tone remained calm. "Gong Dian will arrive shortly. He will help Your Highness control the situation."
The Great Prince looked at him and still did not open his mouth. Ye Zhong had already reached into his clothes and taken out a token. From a distance, he threw it toward the Great Prince.
The Great Prince raised his sore right arm and caught it in his hands. Looking at it, he found that it was the token Fan Xian had just taken from his subordinate's hand the previous morning. Involuntarily, he furrowed his brows and raised his head to look at Ye Zhong's figure, which sat as steady as a mountain on his horse and asked, "Father…"
He had only said this one word when Ye Zhong cut him off. He knew what the Great Prince wanted to ask, but he had no idea how to answer.
There were not many idiots in the royal family. When Ye Zhong showed his identity, as well as having Fan Xian's token as an item of trust, the Great Prince clearly understood the role Ye Zhong played in this rebellion. He knew that someone at the level of Ye Zhong could not be persuaded by Fan Xian. Thus, his father must have already made arrangements for the Dingzhou army, which came with false intentions to present prisoners of war before he left the capital.
The Great Prince took a deep breath and didn't ask anything more. He just gave an order and said, "Give chase."
He knew Ye Zhong was waiting for his order. Although the Qin family had already been defeated, the sounds of killing remained in the square. In reality, the Ye family's Dingzhou army already controlled the entire situation in Jingdou. Yet, Ye Zhong still had to come see him because he wanted the Commander of the Imperial Army, the eldest son of the royal family, to give him a verbal order.
In the present situation, Ye Zhong could control Jingdou given the power in his hands, but he didn't want, or dare, to have anyone develop any suspicions. Thus, he was particularly respectful toward the Great Prince.
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The fires of battle had already extended into Jingdou and to the common people who had already shut their doors for a day and a night. There were tragedies of war everywhere. The main portion of the Dingzhou cavalry was chasing after the Qin family's main camp in the direction of Jingdou's nine city gates.
However, the Crown Prince was not below the dragon banner. The young man who was just about to charge into the Royal Palace and become the new monarch of Qing Kingdom had abruptly been blindsided. His dreams had shattered in front of his eyes. The color of his face had long become unbelievably dismal. Fortunately, the loyal generals of the Qin family had reacted with remarkable speed and opened up a bloody path with their remaining soldiers.
Li Chengqian didn't want to retreat. He knew he only had the Qin family's army in his hands. If he retreated out of Jingdou, even though the world was vast, what place would tolerate him? Even his aunt had not expected that the Ye family would defect, right? A bitter smile rose to the corner his lips. Even the movement of the warhorse below him did not have any effect on his frozen expression.
He had been thinking about how he would win the Ye family from the Second Prince's side after he took the throne so he could be a proper Emperor. He had thought about how to resist pressure from his aunt, mother, grandmother, and old Qin master. He had thought about how he was going to pardon the civil officials on the Palace walls who had set themselves up determinedly against him, particularly the scholars Shu and Hu.
He never thought the Ye family would betray him like this.
His aunt probably didn't know of this shocking news. His mother and grandmother were still bound on top of the Palace walls. The old Qin master was dead.
A wave of pain washed through the Crown Prince's chest. He almost couldn't hold himself up on his horse. A rebel soldier at his side said, with tears in his eyes, "Your Highness, as long as we can get out of the city, we can gather more soldiers. There are still our people in Mount Xiao. When the time comes, we can charge up North and meet up with Governor Yan. Everything will work out!"
These words made sense, but Li Chengqian didn't really believe them. Fan Xian had come back alive. Governor Yan had probably also died. Since the Ye family had defected, Uncle Liuyun was probably… Li Chengqian sighed in his heart. No one knew what kind of waves were rocking around in his heart as he bounded toward the city gate on his horse.
Below the Palace walls, another main conspirator of the rebellion, the Second Prince, was gazing at his father-in-law with a resentful and helpless gaze. Before Ye Zhong personally led the Dingzhou army in pursuit, for some reason he had come to this camp to have a look at his son-in-law.
"If you want to live, you have to remember what the Dingzhou army said today."
At this time, the Second Prince was completely bound and stood desolately below the horse. He raised his head and looked with hatred at Ye Zhong and spat. He knew what Ye Zhong's words meant. The Dingzhou army's final betrayal was, nominally, because he wanted to avenge his father's death and carry out his father's posthumous edict. However, he knew that this was not actually the case.
Of all the people present, it was the Second Prince whose feelings were the most helpless, shocked, and angriest. He had no idea that on Dong Mountain, the Qing Emperor had told Fan Xian that, if possible, he should leave the Second Prince his life. At such a moment, the Second Prince did not think that he would be able to survive.
What made him the angriest was that it seemed that he had planned for a long time. But, in the end, he was the stupidest person. Everything he had done now looked to be absurd and funny.
There was great rage contained within his eyes. His usually warm appearance appeared particularly cold. "Father-in-law, you are truly a good dog… However, if father is truly dead, what are you going to do?"
Ye Zhong didn't say anything. He only turned his horse around slowly. The expression on his face dimmed slightly. The Second Prince cried out behind his back, "You are all liars!"
A heavy object suddenly fell from the Palace walls and landed forcefully against the stone pavement with a muffled crash. A person had fallen. It was a woman wearing beautiful and extravagant clothing. Having suffered a heavy blow, all the bones and tendons in her body broke as fresh blood flowed out. She had long died, but her head remained perfectly preserved, revealing a sallow and dignified face filled with helplessness and mania.
Watching the dragon banner leave, the helpless Empress finally weakly threw herself to her death.
Chapter 565: Taiping Courtyard
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Looking at the empress's body on the ground and puddle of flesh and blood, everyone was shocked and unable to speak. Ye Zhong gave a few orders in a low voice. He then turned his horse away and headed toward the city gates in pursuit. The Qin family's chances of survival were still good, so he had to quickly contact all the soldiers around to finish everything in one go. Additionally, the empress had died in front of him. For the sake of his own safety, it was best for him to get as far away as possible. Matters relating to the imperial family were best to leave to the Great Prince and Duke of Danbo to handle.
The empress's swan dive off the palace walls surprised many people. Although the Crown Prince's army had been defeated and the empress's future would not be particularly good, no one would have thought that the outwardly gentle and inwardly weak empress would, in the last moments of her life, have such courage.
At this time, the killing on the walls had not ended. The Qin family's rebel soldiers were still fighting back and resisting. Fan Xian and the Great Prince's trusted aides were concerned with the empress dowager and officials' safety. They did not neglect the empress's existence, but they didn't have the extra energy to guard against the distress of her actions.
The Second Prince stared like a fool at her body. He suddenly began to tremble from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. His entire body was enveloped by a chill. He shivered endlessly, not sure what future he would meet. Unconsciously, he raised his head to confirm his birth mother, Lady Shu's, safety before collapsing to the ground.
There had long been Dingzhou soldiers at his side to help him up and respectfully and cautiously encircle him in the middle. They were worried that something else would go wrong. The Second Prince's expression was blank, but his gaze was scattered and bright. He thought to himself that having already reached this point, if someone wanted to kill themselves, who would be able to stop them?
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The Qin family army had already retreated. The Dingzhou army was in full pursuit. Sounds of killing rang out everywhere in Jingdou. The rebel army group with the dragon banner, in particular, moved with remarkable speed through the long streets and Zhengyang Gate, which was personally watched by Zhang Deqing, and headed away from Jingdou.
Zhang Deqing watched the scene in front of him with an ashen expression. No one knew what he was feeling. With something like loyalty, it needed a lifetime of conviction. Even if you swayed at the very end, your loyalty from the previous half of your life would become the foundation of treachery.
He knew that he had no chance to turn things around for himself. He didn't have the courage to use the 3,000 city gate guards and nine city gates to help the Qin family stall the Dingzhou army's speed.
The city gate would only defend against those outside the city. How could it defend against a betrayal inside? Zhang Deqing sighed long and sad. He took one last glance at Zhengyang Gate, which seemed to flash with golden light under the bright sunlight, and led his own troops behind the dragon banner, fleeing with the main portion of the rebel army.
There wasn't even time for Zhengyang Gate to close before the Dingzhou troops, led by Gong Dian, arrived. Becoming a yellow dragon, they pursued them out of the city.
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…
The Crown Prince, who was cutting and running, used the dragon banner as a smokescreen. He had been escorted by the few remaining Qin family generals to Donghua Gate. The old Qin master and Qin Heng had died. The rebel army was a dragon without a head. Fortunately, the generals the old Qin Master had sent to protect the Crown Prince were still alive. At such a critical juncture, they had thought of this escape plan in an attempt to leave the capital and go North to meet up with the Northern Expedition camp in Cangzhou.
However, the Crown Prince's heart had long become dim. Since there was foreshadowing in the capital, Governor Yan had perhaps already died. Where would he escape to? He didn't know of the news that his mother had fallen from the Palace walls and died. He took a deep breath. A moment later, he forced himself to raise his spirits. He thought to himself, If father was truly dead, with aunt's help, there may still be a chance to rise again.
After all, he was the Crown Prince. This world belonged to the Li family, not to the Fan family. Even if Fan Xian controlled Jingdou, it didn't mean he would be able to control the world.
The glimmer of fighting spirit he had raised with difficulty was abruptly shattered into dust by the two tightly closed city gates in front of them. With an ashen face, the Crown Prince looked at the two city gate guards, who had their bows nocked and ready on the stone steps on either side of Donghua Gate, and at the white-clothed official beside the general. His heart tightened.
The Crown Prince recognized the white-clothed official. He was the third-ranking figure in the Overwatch Council and someone his father had a great appreciation for, Yan Bingyun. However, he had received news that Yan Bingyun had been captured by people under his aunt's command when he had gone to persuade Zhang Deqing and then had been rescued under difficult and dangerous circumstances. How did he get here?
"Crown Prince, please stop."
There were still blood stains on Yan Bingyun's white clothes left by the morning attack. He coughed a few times. His expression was serious.
After the black-clothed man rescued him and left him somewhere safe, he had disappeared without a trace. Yan Bingyun was unable to personally participate in the events that happened in Jingdou. Through one remaining channel, he had tensely watched everything. When something strange had happened in the square, he had come ahead of time to Donghua Gate.
No yamen was all of the same heart. Even though Zhang Deqing had been Commander of the city gate guards for 20 years, it was impossible to order all his subordinates to be of the same mind as him, even though the rebel army had lost.
Yan Bingyun knew he was taking a risk, but he liked the feeling of being risky. Furthermore, he felt that after he had made a mistake, he should make up for it and help Sir Fan junior do something.
Fortunately, he succeeded this time. The city gate guards had successfully blocked the Crown Prince at Donghua Gate. The Emperor's super strict control of the city gate guards made them determined to stand on Fan Xian's side after the Donghua Gate Commander learned of the specific situation—to stand on the side of his wealth and status. If the Crown Prince led his troops out of Jingdou and connected with the soldiers outside, no one knew what other changes would happen in the world
…
…
The rebel soldiers were solely focused on breaking out of the city and did not give Yan Bingyun much time to negotiate. The Qin family general did not ask the Crown Prince before beginning to make preparations for battle. With a military order, the rebel soldiers charged courageously toward Donghua Gate. Arrows flew from both sides. Many were killed and wounded.
The battle had not raged on for long when the Crown Prince's face turned white. He heard a thunderous roar coming from behind him. It was the Dingzhou army's cavalry.
A banner flapped in the wind through Jingdou's streets. It moved with remarkable speed toward Donghua gate. There was a large "Ye" character written on the banner.
Ye Zhong personally led the troops here. He unexpectedly found that Donghua Gate was closed and the rebel army, which included the Crown Prince, had been blocked in front of this narrow city gate. Packed in densely, they took up half a street.
He took a deep breath. He knew Donghua Gate would not be able to hold out for long. Raising his right arm, he prepared to carry out the bloodiest part of the events in Jingdou. Unexpectedly, the rebel army's fierce attack on Donghua Gate gradually subsided.
After Ye Zhong caught up, the Crown Prince's head had rested on his chest, thinking about something. He slowly raised it and said, with his eyes full sadness and relief, "Surrender."
Everyone fell silent and gazed at the Crown Prince with disbelief, anger, sorrow, hopelessness, and confusion. They didn't understand why he would suddenly lose all of his will to fight.
The Crown Prince's gaze slowly passed over the faces of these soldiers, who had followed him loyally. He knew if they fought desperately now, there was a chance they could still get out of the city. However, having gotten to here, the Crown Prince was tired and hopeless. Even if they could get out of the city, then what? Jingdou was thousands of li away from Cangzhou.
Was he going to allow these thousands of soldiers to die one by one while being pursued? Was he going to allow the army to fight, kill, and burn the Qing people's fertile land?
The Crown Prince turned his horse and looked at Ye Zhong in the distance across the street full of soldiers and a forest of spears. "General Ye, I don't want to go anymore."
Ye Zhong furrowed his brows slightly. He didn't understand the reason for this scene in front of him. No matter what, he would not be able to guess the changes in the Crown Prince's heart. He thought that the Crown Prince had other ideas. Since the Crown Prince had said this, it seemed there was a chance. Ye Zhong also didn't want the Dingzhou army to pay an even heftier price.
"Your Highness is wise."
At this time, Li Chengqian's Crown Prince status had already been removed by Fan Xian according to the edict. Ye Zhong still habitually used it.
Li Chengqian laughed bitterly and said, "I have a condition."
"Please, speak."
"I want to see Fan Xian. He has to promise me one thing."
Li Chengqian's face immediately became cold. It was not because he understood something. Rather, as a son of the Li family, as the Crown Prince that had been raised as the next Emperor for many years, he faintly knew what kind of fate the hand in heaven wanted to create in Jingdou. However, he didn't want to surrender to this fate. He wanted a small stone to press painfully into the hand as it formed its mud people.
Ye Zhong was silent for a moment and said, "I don't know where Duke Fan is right now."
A strange light flashed through Li Chengqian's eyes. He immediately guessed something. His expression became ugly. He began to worry about the safety of a certain person. He thought to himself that his condition hadn't even landed in Fan Xian's ear yet, so would it be in time?
Ye Zhong was lying. He could guess where Fan Xian was.
Regardless of whether it was the rebel army or people who accepted Fan Xian's power as regent, they had all lost track of him. After the old Qin Master was stabbed to death, Duke Fan, who had organized the Jingdou incident, could not be found again.
The Crown Prince, who had made up his mind in front of Donghua Gate, guessed, like Ye Zhong, where Fan Xian had gone. Ye Zhong was able to guess it because he had personally given that address to Fan Xian. The Crown Prince could guess it because he was concerned with everything and the people there.
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…
Fan Xian was in Taiping Courtyard.
Dressed in black, he stood on the bank of Liujing River and looked at the scenery on the other side. He melded with the shadows of the trees. If one did not look closely, it was impossible to tell them apart. He was on the outskirts of the city. After he killed Qin Ye, he had taken advantage of the chaos in Jingdou, surpassed the tall city walls, and come here as fast as he could.
In this royal family courtyard was his wife, whom he cared the most about, Lin Wan'er, and Da Bao. There was also the Eldest Princess, who had orchestrated the Dong Mountain incident and rebellion in Jingdou.
Fan Xian was not a stranger to Taiping Courtyard. Twenty years ago, this country estate was the property of his family. It was where his mother, Ye Qingmei, had lived after coming to Qing Kingdom.
After the Ye family fell, this country estate was taken by the royal family. However, the Emperor had always kept Taiping Courtyard sealed with internal guards standing watch. He had strictly prohibited any member of the royal family from entering. Only then was its reputation gradually buried.
In the fourth year of the Qing calendar, between summer and autumn, Fan Xian had once brought his sister to see it from across the river. Now, the river wind stroked across his skin. He couldn't help but sigh.
Fan Xian didn't understand why the Eldest Princess would choose Taiping Courtyard as her headquarters for directing the events in Jingdou. But, he didn't have time to consider this. The most important matter was how to rescue Wan'er and Da Bao.
Although Wan'er was the Eldest Princess's trueborn daughter, Fan Xian couldn't promise that the crazy woman would know her family after she personally saw the dismal conclusion to her plan of many years.
Over these dozen days, he knew what kind of situation Wan'er was in, but he was unable to resolve it. He didn't reveal any of his worries to those beside him. Only he knew how Wan'er and Da Bao's safety affected his mood.
Standing on the other side of the river, Fan Xian's heart twisted slightly in pain. It was only now that he realized that Wan'er was more important to him than he could have imagined.
Wu Zhu had once told him about the structure of the rooms in Taiping Courtyard. Furthermore, Wu Zhu had once entered the courtyard to retrieve an object. After Fan Xian came to the bank across from the courtyard, he carefully observed the defensive power of the quiet and secluded courtyard. The defenses were much weaker than he had imagined. It looked like his and the Overwatch Council's endless attacks on Xinyang's action did indeed have some effects. The Eldest Princess's aces had been reduced a great deal.
The sounds of killing within Jingdou shook the heavens, yet Taiping Courtyard was completely quiet. This clear discrepancy made it clear that Fan Xian could not act without thought.
The site where Taiping Courtyard was built was special. It was built on a peninsula in Liujing River. There was only one way into the courtyard. The banks around it were relatively shallow. Fan Xian observed from the top of the branches for a long time. He found that his line of vision was blocked by the courtyard walls, so he couldn't see the situation inside.
The courtyard wall was cleverly designed. It wasn't very high, but it just happened to block all lines of sight going in.
Fan Xian's lips tasted bitter. He knew that even if he brought out the assault rifle, it wouldn't be of any use. Thinking of this, his heart gave an involuntary thud. He wondered if his mother had once thought about defending against the attack of assault rifles when she designed this courtyard.
However, there was no such thing as an invulnerable courtyard in the world. Otherwise, 20 years ago, the woman surnamed Ye would not have disappeared from Qing Kingdom.
Fan Xian didn't want to attack forcefully in case he hurt the innocent. He knew that this move of Li Yunrui's had indeed grasped his weakness.
He didn't think for long on this riverbank before his expression calmed. Taking a deep breath, Fan Xian turned toward the platform he had passed in the bamboo trees and walked toward Taiping Courtyard's front gate as if he was taking a stroll.
Many people abruptly appeared on the wall behind the bamboo forest and surrounded him between them. The Eldest Princess's personal guards and aces looked at him with faces full of shock. They had long recognized him and didn't understand how he could show himself like this at such a time.
Fan Xian's gaze was as calm as the slowly flowing water in the Liujing River. He said, "I want to see her."
Chapter 566: A Tree Of Flowers, A Thousand Notes For The Qin, A Single Person
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Fan Xian stood in the doorway of the Taiping Courtyard and glanced sideways at the faint green inside. After he said those words, he said nothing more. The dozen Xinyan aces looked at him with faces full of astonishment. They didn't know what had happened in Jingdou. How could this Overwatch Council Commissioner, who should have been trapped in the Royal Palace, suddenly appear in front of Taiping Courtyard's door?
A gust of wind breezed through the bamboo woods and slowly removed some of the heat around everyone's bodies. The Xinyang aces gave a low roar and charged toward Fan Xian, who furrowed his brows and retreated. His left arm seemed to twist and stretch out. His fist suddenly opened when extended to the extreme and, like an old flowering bulrush, he slapped it against the ace's face.
Although it wasn't a solid slap, it still caused the ace to lose half his teeth and blood flow freely. He fell to the ground and fainted.
Fan Xian rose to his toes. Tyrannical zhenqi surged out of his body as he shrunk. Like a faint shadow, he charged out of the circle. Looking at the people gnashing their teeth and charging toward him, his eyes became more bloodshot. His fists trembled slightly.
Just as Sir Yan junior had said when they first made the plan, present-day Jingdou was like an empty city to Fan Xian. The people who were the greatest threat to him had all been drawn by the Emperor to Dong Mountain. Regardless of whether they were aces from Northern Qi or the numbing ninth-level sword masters from Dongyi, they were all drawn to the jade-like mountain like magnets.
There were only three people who were of the ninth-rank in Jingdou. The old Qin Master had already died, and Ye Zhong was on his side. Fan Xian had the confidence that as long as he didn't sink into the rebel army, who would be able to kill him?
However, he had no way of knowing where Wan'er and Da Bao were, so he didn't dare to attack. Thus, he took another gamble and knocked on the door outside Taiping Courtyard. Perhaps it was somewhat arrogant, but it was actually a form of helplessness. When it came to the Eldest Princess's tricks, the sinister and surly Fan Xian could only temporarily shed his tyrannical behavior and seek a different path.
The Xinyang aces did not know that Sir Fan junior was preparing to attack them verbally. In their shock, they attacked with all their strength. When they came face to face, someone became heavily injured. No one knew what kind of bloody battle would follow.
The aces charging toward Fan Xian abruptly stopped their steps. The bows and arrows extending out of the walls of Taiping Courtyard also raised the heads of their arrows. They were no longer aimed at Fan Xian. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the bows and arrows. Involuntarily, his heart felt cold. However, life was full of too many helpless things. If he wanted Wan'er and Da Bao to be safe, then he had to go around this tiger-infested mountain.
No one else stopped Fan Xian entering the courtyard. Countless eyes, whether in the open or in secret, watched his every move. If he made any unusual movements, probably only then would the killing truly start.
The elegant and faint sound of a guqin traveled throughout Taiping Courtyard. The sound was as flowing as water, cleansing and calming, making the listener feel at ease and comfortable.
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…
Since the Eldest Princess had already used the sound of the guqin to give an order, then the aces across Taiping Courtyard would not obstruct his entry. There was boundless confusion in their hearts. Why was Her Highness allowing Fan Xian to go in? Did she not know how terrifying he was? Why didn't she take advantage of his solo approach to kill him?
The dozen people slowly escorted, or watched, Fan Xian through Taiping Courtyard's main gate. They then stopped in front of the second platform, which was prohibited land. Without the Eldest Princess's personally command, no one was to enter.
Fan Xian stood in front of the wooden platform and looked at the wooden planks with his head down. There were gaps between them. He could see the clear river water below. At this part in Taiping Courtyard, the Liujing River was separated by a stone path from the upper island. It formed a puddle of slow-moving water. As flat as a lake, the surface of the water seemed to always be calm and unable to flow.
The quiet and even guqin sounds coming from the internal courtyard across from the platform entered his ears. He lowered his head to look at the flowing water and cocked his ear to hear the sound of the guqin. It was as if he wanted to determine the current mood of the person playing.
A moment later, he carefully tidied his clothes and stepped onto the bridge. He walked calmly to the island and pushed open the wooden doors to the internal courtyard. He raised his eyes to the woman gently stroking the strings on the guqin in the pavilion in the center of the lake. Wrapping his hand around his fist, he lifted it and bowed respectfully, "Greetings, Your Highness."
There was not the slightest pause from the guqin because of this abrupt greeting. The slender and pale hands moved across the instrument just as calmly as before.
Li Yunrui had her head down and seemed to be putting all her attention on the seven strings of the guqin. Only her wrists were slightly weighted. Her fingertip slid to the right. Compared to the faint music earlier, it appeared more restrained and elegant.
An autumn wind blew across the little lake, creating ripples in the water. The green rocks by the lake and low hill were reflected beautifully in the water. The pavilion was on a hill. The person and guqin were not in the pavilion. Instead, they were among the flowers and trees. On the trees, the stamens were light and powdery. The autumn wind blew across the clear water and stroked across the tip of the flowering branches. The water moved. The petals fell like rain, landing on the Eldest Princess' wide-sleeved clothing like they were adorned with a slightly darker flower shadow.
Fan Xian calmly watched that spot and saw Li Yunrui's calm and quiet appearance, which still could not hide her charm. The Eldest Princess had not put on thick makeup. She had only lightly outlined the tips of her curving brows, yet her natural aura filled the courtyard. A head full of beautiful and long black hair was spread out behind her shoulders, tied back with a silk scarf. It looked beautiful and relaxed.
She played the guqin with her head down. Her eyelids were slightly lowered. Her long eyelashes gently lay on her jade-like skin. It made Fan Xian involuntarily think of the eyes his wife had inherited from her.
If one did not think about who she was or her age, then any man would have to acknowledge this woman's charm.
Fan Xian followed stones on the bank of the lake and walked over. Narrowing his eyes slightly at the music, he suddenly said, "Yan Xiaoyi is dead."
The guqin continued to buzz lowly and occasionally jumped. It made a few trembling sounds, indicating that she already knew of this matter and there was no need to speak more about it.
"Qin Heng has died." Fan Xian stared at her hands and said quietly.
Two fingers on Li Yunrui's right hand slid past the fourth string and pressed down twice. The guqin below her fingers made a leisurely sound.
Fan Xian didn't hesitate at all. Forging ahead in a plain but forceful tone, he said "Qin Ye has also died.
Li Yunrui still did not raise her head. However, the speed at which the seven strings moved became slower and slower, gradually becoming a sorrowful sound. The guqin was elegant. It had sorrow but no pain. A faint sense of yearning was plainly visible. One could grasp the Eldest Princess' emotions through the faint trembling of her wide sleeves behind her hands.
Suddenly, the sound of the instrument reverberated again. The tips of her fingers flicked quickly, but the range of sounds were still constrained to one region. The speed gave the piece, which should have been filled with vicious currents, a completely different sense of slowness. It pledged a sense of pureness.
Only someone filled with confidence could play the correct sound.
Fan Xian had already walked into the trees and flowers to her side. He lowered his head and looked at the strings that rose and felt like waves. Suddenly, he said, "Everyone says that I am a genius, but I actually know nothing about musical theory. For me, the thoughts you are putting into this is probably like that saying of playing guqin to a cow."
Li Yunrui probably had heard that phrase, but her head remained lowered as she stroked over the strings, intoxicated and with no ties to her heart. No one knew which soul mate she was playing this piece to. It was only a coincidence that Fan Xian had come to Taiping at this time.
Fan Xian had thick skin and never knew what shyness was. Seeing that she was ignoring him, he smiled self-mockingly and plunked himself down next to her. Then, he turned to her profile and said, very naturally, "Ye Zhong defected."
Abruptly, a chaotic buzzing sound came from the guqin, spiraling across the lake, hills, and flowers. The string on the guqin struggled for a moment, then three of them snapped.
The Eldest Princess slowly raised her head and looked into Fan Xian's eyes. In only an instant, she had recovered her calm. "Every time I see you, it seems that I never hear any good news."
Through these few years, the Eldest Princess and Fan Xian had each stood on their own sides, competed and clashed endlessly. The struggle between them linked together the major events these years in Qing court. It was quite remarkable that Fan Xian and her had not met many times. This pair had each become the other's greatest enemy, yet they were not very familiar with each other.
"If you wish to hear good news, my head should follow behind the good news," Fan Xian said quietly. His gaze casually scanned his surroundings. Unfortunately, he didn't make any discoveries, so his gaze dimmed for an instant.
The Eldest Princess's hands were gently resting on the guqin with the broken strings. Both her eyes were slightly closed. Her already pale skin seemed even paler, like it was going to become translucent. The usually alluring red blush was nowhere to be found.
She had indeed not expected Fan Xian's sudden appearance at Taiping Courtyard. Fan Xian had moved too quickly. The people she had left in the rebel army didn't have time to report on the situation in Jingdou yet. However, she already faintly felt that there was a problem. She had not taken action against him at the first instance. Instead, she had let him come in to see how the second half of the story would happen.
Furthermore, she held Fan Xian's life in her hands. She did not care about what remarkable powers her son-in-law had.
Fan Xian's four truths, one after another, had caused the Eldest Princess's heart to finally loosen. Although she had already guessed Yan Xiaoyi's death after Fan Xian appeared in Jingdou, her heart still dimmed involuntarily as she heard the confirmation from one who was there. After all, this Governor had long been her trusted confidant, promoted by her hand and absolutely loyal to her.
Qin Heng and Qin Ye's death made the Eldest Princess slightly fearful. She had not thought that the situation in Jingdou would become like this. Fan Xian's last sentence made clear all the answers and had finally made her angry.
She was only angry for a moment before she became calm again. Opening her eyes, she pouted as she expelled her breath and was somewhat mournful. "However, you still have to come beg me."
"Since I am here, you can guess what has happened in Jingdou." Fan Xian lowered his head slightly. He and the Eldest Princess both knew the reason he dared to come alone into the courtyard and the reason she had let him in was because they each held the other's life in their hands. Neither of them wanted to end all of the possibilities in the first instance.
The Eldest Princess had Wan'er and Da Bao. Fan Xian had obtained an irreversible advantage in Jingdou.
Li Yunrui suddenly lowered her head. Her wide sleeves hid the broken guqin. Her light-colored clothing at her shoulders trembled with her movements. She appeared pitiful.
"I have come to ask you," Fan Xian sincerely said, "to let go."
Li Yunrui heard his words and suddenly raised her head. She stared at Fan Xian with an apathetic look and didn't speak. Although her eyes were apathetic, Fan Xian could see a marrow-deep resentment in them. This resentment was clearly not aimed at him. Instead, it went through him and pierced those who were not present.
"Let go? What right do you have to say those two words to me?" Li Yunrui laughed mockingly and lifted a light petal from her shoulder. "Ye Zhong's betrayal… That is indeed beyond my expectations. However, since you have come, what do I need to worry about? Perhaps many people fear your martial ability, brains, and the Overwatch Council, only I have never worried about your existence from the beginning."
Fan Xian remained silent.
"Everyone thinks that you are ruthless and vicious under your bright exterior." The Eldest Princess looked at him mockingly. "I have to admit, you've faked it quite well these years in the Overwatch Council. Everyone thinks that in the face of great personal interest, you would become someone who wouldn't acknowledge those closest to you. However, I know you have never been that way."
"That is why you have Wan'er and Da Bao." Fan Xian cut across her words.
"Two years ago, I had said that you appeared powerful but actually could not stand up to a single strike," Li Yunrui slowly said. "You care about too many people in this world. You have weaknesses all over your body. I can grab any one of them, and you would be unable to turn over. Otherwise, why would you not be in Jingdou right now? Why would you sneak your way here?"
Fan Xian lowered his head and said faintly, "I have to admit that you are very good at reading people. I care about too many people. This has caused great inconvenience when I am doing things."
"Take Wan'er, for example. You can use your own daughter's life to threaten your son-in-law, but I could not do this. On the contrary, I am willing to sacrifice my own life for Wan'er's life. I have been tortured by this every night these 10 days. in the end, I have to admit this."
Hearing these words, a faint light rose below the Eldest Princess' slightly hooded eyes.
Fan Xian flatly watched the smooth surface of the lake and the petals moving slowly with the ripples. Calmly, he said, "But, being willing to sacrifice my life and being threatened by someone else are two different things. If Wan'er was sick and needed my head to cure her, perhaps I would cut it off. If my death does not do anything for Wan'er's safety, why would I do such a thing?"
He turned his head to look at her and said, "I am here today to let you know that threatening me won't do anything. Of course, we could chat about what kind of good conclusion this matter could have."
"I care about many people, I am full of weaknesses." Before the Eldest Princess opened her mouth, Fan Xian blocked up the last opening. "But because there are many weaknesses, they are no longer weaknesses. I cannot turn back and attack because of Wan'er. Otherwise, what about my father? What about my brothers the Great Prince and Third Prince? They are all family. No one is more important than another. Presumably, Wan'er would agree with my perspective and actions."
The Eldest Princess couldn't help but smile slightly and shake her head. Fan Xian's words had already blocked all her threats. Although she could try, her thoughts had long floated to another place. Faintly, she sighed and said, "Your eldest brother and third brother, looks like you have finally acknowledged your identity. The men of the Li family are always so hypocritical and shameless. You've said a lot, but what benefit was it to the situation? It was for no other reason than to force me to rise in revolt then you could comfort yourself with the fact that Lin'er and Da Bao's death had nothing to do with you. You had no other choice. For the greater good, you could only stand aside and watch. The one devoid of a conscience would be me. The person who would be sad afterward and receive the comfort of thousands would be you."
She gazed at Fan Xian's face and smiled slightly. "Do you not think you are very shameless?" She paused then laughed self-mockingly. "You are very similar to your father in this."
The father she spoke of referred to the Emperor. Fan Xian was silent for a moment and then said, "To have the intention to do evil yet hide it is to be shameless. I have been forced to the end of my choices by you. In the depths of my heart, I don't want any harm to come to Wan'er."
The two people's negotiations sank into a stalemate. Fan Xian could easily kill the Eldest Princess at any moment. However, he had yet to see a trace of Wan'er and Da Bao. They were probably being watched by Xinyang aces in some corner. If Fan Xian acted, the first to die would probably be Wan'er.
Fan Xian's face was calm, but he began to worry in the depths of his heart. Faced with such a hopeless woman, he was unable to give her anything she wanted. What could he do next?
The Eldest Princess' expression becomes serious, completely at odds with her pretty appearance and light makeup. She stared in a daze at the surface of the lake and said, "Earlier, I said that the men of the old Li family were shameless. This is not wrong. Last time in Xinyang Palace, the Emperor did not kill me because he wanted to give a chance. The action soothed his heart. He could have killed me justifiably and wouldn't have had to worry about how the history books would describe this portion of history."
She looked at Fan Xian. "He had never truly cared for me as a sister. Since he had so confidently given me this opportunity, I had to return him a great surprise."
In Fan Xian's eyes, the Emperor's worship of heaven at Dong Mountain was taking a huge risk and completely underestimated the Eldest Princess's capabilities. To be able to invite out the Great Grandmasters of two foreign countries and move the rebel troops into surrounding the capital required powerful persuasive powers and organizational powers. It was truly difficult to imagine that a weak woman had shouldered such a massive plan.
Ye Zhong's strike had allowed Fan Xian to understand one thing. The Eldest Princess had laid down a large plan. However, the Emperor had laid down an even larger plan. The only people who could completely destroy the Eldest Princess were her elder brother and old cripple.
"An Zhi, I want to ask you a question." The Eldest Princess suddenly said. "In the past, I have tried to repair our relationship. Why have you always pulled your hand back?"
Before Fan Xian answered, Li Yunrui faintly said ahead of him, "Don't say it is because I have once tried to kill you, and don't say it's because you've had trusted confidants die by my hands. You and I both know what kind of person you are. Perhaps you have feelings and loyalty toward your family and friends, but it doesn't mean that you're truly a warm-blooded man."
Fan Xian was silent for a moment and then said, "It is very simple, you wouldn't back down, and the Emperor would not accept you and I becoming close." In reality, he did not wish to speak with the Eldest Princess about the past. In order to deal with her having a stranglehold on his lifeline, he could only pretend to compromise.
The Eldest Princess did not seem to be vacantly thinking about the past because her major plan had failed. Fan Xian's heart jumped. He stared at the Eldest Princess' eyes, only to see her lower her head slightly. "Don't misunderstand. I have no desire to once again join hands. Regardless of whether the Emperor is dead or alive, I no longer have much interest in this world."
Fan Xian suddenly realized that her expression was very melancholy.
"My brother was indeed the most powerful person in the world." Li Yunrui suddenly smiled slightly and said. "I made a big mistake. I thought he only wanted to use the heaven worship at Dong Mountain to draw out an attack from Uncle Liuyun. I didn't think that he would have such powerful ambitions. It looks like these dozen years of subdued endurance made him unable to tolerate loneliness."
Given the her planning ability, she had guessed the truth of Dong Mountain in the shortest possible time and Emperor's intention. She understood why there hadn't been any news from Dongsheng Road after five days.
"Don't think that a lack of news from Dongsheng Road means that the Emperor is still alive." The Eldest Princess slightly closed her eyes. "That old cripple could also accomplish this. The situation on Dong Mountain is probably not what you're hoping."
"Since Ye Zhong took action, naturally, Grandmaster Liuyun would also take action." Fan Xian lowered his head and said.
An expression of complete understanding rose to the Eldest Princess face. She lightly said, "Although Sigu Jian and Ku He believed that Ye Liuyun was my man, how could those two strange creatures so easily trust a Qing person?"
Li Yunrui's eyes narrowed. There was no sense of coldness or murder in them. There was only indifference and aloofness. "You and the Emperor both seem to have misunderstood one thing. I am, after all, a Qing person. My entire life has been spent in helping the Emperor unify the world. How could I not include Qing Kingdom's future danger in my calculations before I went?"
"I have never underestimated by brother. I believed that even at the very end, he would still have a remarkable trick to turn the tables. I had not thought that this remarkable trick would be Uncle Liuyun."
"I never intended for Ku He and Sigu Jian to return alive. Four Great Grandmasters met at Dong Mountain. Even if Uncle Liuyun attacked, it would still be a two on two. What kind of people are Ku He and Sigu Jian? If the Emperor wanted to kill the two Great Grandmasters, his thinking was a bit too simple."
"I trust my brother, which is why I believe that even if he died, he would drag the two Great Grandmasters down with him. Otherwise, how could he be worthy of his wisdom and power?" the Eldest Princess said indifferently. "At that time, Qing Kingdom would have Uncle Liuyun, while Northern Qi and Dongyi would have no one to protect them. What difference is there to the development of the situation presently? If Uncle Liuyun attacks, all four of the Great Grandmasters would die. There is little difference to what I was thinking."
She continued speaking. "Strange creatures like the Great Grandmasters should not even exist in this world. If there were not Great Grandmasters in the world, given Qing Kingdom's national and military strength, we would have united the world long ago, what need would there be to wait until today?"
"Regardless of what happened on Dong Mountain, it would all be of benefit to the Qing Kingdom," she said. "Once they all died, do you think that the Emperor would be so fortunate as to survive such a momentum?"
Not allowing Fan Xian to open his mouth, the Eldest Princess coldly threw out each line, making his mouth go dry. Not knowing what to say, he had no idea that the Eldest Princess had not wanted, from the beginning, for the Great Grandmasters on Dong Mountain to survive. She was not an immortal, after all, and could not account for every detail. However, the development of the present situation seemed to not be far off from her estimation.
The only change had, on the contrary, happened in Jingdou. It had been him leaving Dong Mountain alive and in Ye Zhong's strike.
"If the four old men and the Emperor all died, do you think I care about who sits on the dragon chair? Although I am disappointed that you control Jingdou and Chengqian will not be able to take the throne, what do these little setbacks matter?" The Eldest Princess glanced at Fan Xian. "Of the Emperor's five children, other than the Third Prince, who is still young, any of the other four, even the most useless Second Prince, would still be able to lead Qing Kingdom in conquering this world."
"Having the four Great Grandmasters accompany him to the grave," a proud and maniacal light rose to the Eldest Princess' face, "presumably he would be very pleased to have four such guards in the afterlife. And, I'll also give his son the world. I owe him nothing."
"What about you?" Fan Xian asked with a raspy voice. It was only now that he truly understood why his father and Chen Pingping always told him this woman was crazy. After making so much trouble, she didn't even care who could survive in the major battle in Jingdou and sit on the dragon chair. They were all children of the Li family, all children of the Emperor.
"Me?" The Eldest Princess looked at her son-in-law like she was looking at an idiot. "Who would you rather be, the uneven path on the ground or a brilliant falling star under the heavens? In life, one only has to emit the light that belongs to them. There is no need to fear people's words or dread the history books. For someone like the Emperor, who likes to have face, he'll always need me to help him."
Although he had single-handedly forced the Eldest Princess and Emperor's final break, Fan Xian still couldn't resist asking in a raspy voice, "Why did you have to do this?"
He asked it quietly, but the Eldest Princess heard it clearly. Looking at the secluded and simple scenery of the Taiping Courtyard, she slowly said, "Because he turned his back on me. I wanted to prove to everyone that a woman could also change the history that stupid men have dominated for years."
She slowly rose. Her hair fell down from her body. She looked very beautiful.
Fan Xian listened to these words in a daze, particularly the last line. He had once heard it in Xinyang Palace. It appeared particularly piercing and shocking.
Li Yunrui looked at the scenery in Taiping Courtyard greedily and said in a low and reluctant voice, "When I was little, I loved this courtyard. Brother would never let me come. Later, I asked my father for it and was heavily scolded by brother. At that time, the mistress of this courtyard was dominating."
She smiled slightly and turned around, causing the flowers nearby to tremble. A dozen petals fell down. She looked at Fan Xian and said in a charming voice, "Tell me, have I finally surpassed your mother?"
Fan Xian had sunk into a strange emotion. Abruptly hearing these words, he had no idea how to answer and could only smile awkwardly.
The Eldest Princess stretched out her bare foot and stepped onto the green grass, slowly dancing. She carried with her a slow and relaxed mood.
For some reason, Fan Xian felt an incomparable anger as he looked at this scene. Yes, you have all stood higher than others and saw further than others. Regardless of whether it was the Emperor or Li Yunrui, from the very beginning, their sights had not been in Jingdou but focused on Dong Mountain and the four Great Grandmasters who should not have existed in this world.
How many people died? How many tragic stories of broken families are there in Jingdou? How many Qing Kingdom soldiers had lost their heads and lives because of your intention to leave your name in history? How many people have cried in pain? How many people have sorrowed?
"You're not as good as her," Fan Xian suddenly said.
The Eldest Princess's bare feet abruptly stopped on the grass. She turned her head and looked at Fan Xian with a cold gaze, as if waiting for him to give an explanation.
Fan Xian raised his brows and remained sitting on the ground. Mockingly, he said, "When my mother came to this world, at least she managed to make the Qing people smile. You could only make them cry."
Li Yunrui smiled faintly, revealing a mocking expression. She was completely unmoved.
Fan Xian's next words made her angry. He shook his head and said in a tone that was inevitable and right, "I have seen paintings of my mother. I have to say, she is prettier than you."
Fan Xian laughed. "Everyone loves Ye Qingmei, is that not so?"
He stood and dusted the grass from his bottom, not looking at Li Yunrui's expression. He now knew that the Eldest Princess had intended to die from the very beginning for her plotting and only wished for a final glory before going to the afterlife to seek her brother. Fan Xian began to feel tired. He only wanted to provoke her and create some change to find a way to rescue Wan'er and Da Bao.
Of course, there was still a massive question surrounding his heart.
Could the Emperor actually survive the shaking of heaven and earth in the Great Grandmasters battle?
Chapter 567: Clouds Leave The Sleeve Without Intention, The Sword Has Intention But Does Not Return
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The Dong Mountain incident.
Following Sigu Jian's pointing, the sword that had been hovering in midair flew out with a whoosh. It drew a half circle around his body and pierced toward the Qing Emperor's back.
At this time, Ye Liuyun had already come to the Qing Emperor's side. He flatly stretched out his two hands, which were as white as metal.
The sword had broken through the air and tore through the thick vitality of Dong Mountain. In the next second, it seemed about to pierce into the Emperor's back. Out of everyone's expectations, that pair of pure white, even somewhat young and tender, hands pressed down toward the sword.
The situation of the Great Grandmasters surrounding the Qing Emperor on Dong Mountain suddenly underwent a great change. Ye Liuyun stretched out his hand toward the sword and not the Emperor.
The first thing to touch this sword was Ye Liuyun's sleeve, a wide sleeve woven out of hemp. In an instant, it became soft like the clouds that periodically floated across the middle of Dong Mountain when there was no rain. Gently, layer by layer, it enveloped the quickly approaching sword.
The cloth broke, and the hemp sleep shattered into butterflies that danced around the summit of Dong Mountain. The sword burned through its essence in a gentle and warm embrace. The iciness and murderous intent it carried disappeared instantly. It became a chunk of waste metal, dull and dark, petty and low.
The power of this word was too vicious and severe. After Ye Liuyun had chanted a Buddhist verse, he had no choice but to take action to protect the Emperor's safety. When he demonstrated his true position, he was unable to find the most crucial point to carry out an attack. How would he deal with the following situations?
Ye Liuyun's white beard was soaked by the rain. His eyes remained intently on the sword in his hand. He did not underestimate the sword because of the dimness of its blade. He also didn't feel any unease about not being able to ambush Sigu Jian because he had been forced to act early.
He only looked intently at the sword and held onto it. It was like countless spirits were contained within this normal sword and would come out in the next instant to devour everyone on the summit.
The hands that were as steady as jade formed an abstract circle. The thumb and index finger became a loop. The lightless sword stopped abruptly high in midair.
He was a Great Grandmaster, so he knew that all of Sigu Jian's sword intent was contained within the sword. If he didn't take action, the sword would wholly enter the Emperor's body.
He had traveled the oceans for many years for this one moment. However, he had been forced to act early. Sigu Jian was not truly an idiot. Just as the Eldest Princess thought after the fact, although he and Ku He did not think Ye Liuyun would be on the Qing Emperor's side, the Great Grandmasters from Northern Qi and Dongyi had a deep understanding of the Qing people's cunning. Until the last moment, they would not allow themselves to enter dangerous ground.
The little body wearing the straw hat actually contained the wisdom of a Great Grandmaster, which was completely different to his reputation in history. He only used this one sword outside of his body and broke through the Qing Emperor's setup, forcing out the true killer on Dong Mountain, Ye Liuyun.
Just as Ye Liuyun stood in front of the Emperor's body like a bright sun with his hands held together forcefully fending off the vicious sword, Sigu Jian's body began to shake. The hemp clothing on his body shook violently like it had been attacked by lightning. Suddenly, his sword flew into the sky, stopping between Ye Liuyun's steady hands. Following his body's trembling, an astonishing cold sword intent fluttered and pierced through the hemp clothing he wore and shot straight to the horizon.
Inspired by this sword's intent, the sword Ye Liuyun's naked hands controlled also began to tremble violently and made a buzzing sound in the air while glowing with a brilliant light.
The rain was still pouring down on Dong Mountain. The raindrops seemed to be using a remarkably slow speed to finely sense the ground's attraction. They were no longer threads or a downpour. Instead, they were crystal-clear pearls.
After the heavy curtain of pearls, the short man wearing hemp clothing used his body as a sword. With world-shattering power, he covered 30 or so meters in a flash, reaching Ye Liuyun like a bolt of lightning. Stretching out his hands, he pressed down on the common sword he had worn by his side for dozens of years. The sword that had long integrated with his heart.
Sigu Jian's hand once again grasped his own sword. The tip of the sword spat wildly, dancing like a silver snake. Its aura was imposing.
Just as the hemp-wearing Sigu Jian broke the frozen layers of rain, a brilliant light abruptly shot out from Ye Liuyun's pupils like flowing clouds enveloping the sun and forcefully absorbing the sun's power. With a muffled groan, the two fists that formed an endless circle folded together inward.
With a crisp clapping sound, the empty air became as solid as metal. A moment later, it was forcefully shattered by the pair of pure white hands and closed around the body of the sword.
…
…
For the Great Grandmaster, there was no setup. Even though the Qing Emperor had set something up and hid Ye Liuyun until the very end, the fog of confusion was easily broken by Sigu Jian's one strike. Immediately after, Sigu Jian used the opportunity to pour all of his sword power into the sword again.
The Emperor was to Ye Liuyun's side. When this attack came, it was impossible to dodge. He could only use Cloud Hand to meet it head on. When the ultimate sword power met his flesh, Ye Liuyun's Sanzhou movement could not be demonstrated to the extent he desired. This was the opportunity Sigu Jian was looking for.
In a Great Grandmasters' battle, an occasional thought caused the heaven and earth to change. Only a slight deviation could change the entire situation.
Sigu Jian began to yell shrilly and maniacally. All the wild and ruthless sword intent in his body surged into the sword in his hand. The surging speed was so fast that the part of the hilt where his hand grasped it heated up. It abruptly evaporated all of the water droplets on the rope.
A terrifying sound of metal moving against rock rang out. The sword between Ye Liuyun's tightly closed hands moved forward an inch.
Ye Liuyun's head remained slightly lowered. The wide sleeves on his shoulders had long turned into the dancing butterflies around him. The steadiest hands in the world were locked tightly around that sword. A moment later, the skin on the hands began to crack open inch by inch like the victim of some kind of skin disease. The skin aged. The edges began to rise up. It looked like the earth during the massive drought in the fifth year of the Qing calendar cracking open. It was especially terrifying and mystical.
His eyes were full of a calm light. Looking at the sword between his hands inching closer toward his body, there was not a glimmer of expression on his face. He only spat out a single word.
"Cloud!"
Following this word, the skin on the two hands, which had already been cracked open by the ultimate sword intention, abruptly became soft and gentle again. Deeper than sea water, softer than lake water, and purer than the glance of a Jiangnan woman, it was the clouds in the sky, the threads in the clouds that wrapped around the sword like worries. It forced the extremely powerful sword to unexpectedly encounter gentleness and have no choice but to rest in the middle of its journey.
In this short second, the heaven's aptly awarded a flash of lightning with a crack, lighting up the particularly dark summit of the mountain that had been covered by black clouds.
The lightning illuminated Sigu Jian's face under his straw hat. His eyes were completely filled with the wildness of a savage animal.
He didn't say a single word. He only roared shrilly. His roar echoed around Dong Mountain, shocking countless people into a dead faint. He was a Great Grandmaster who used a sword. He used the Sigu Sword, caring only about what was in front of him and not what was behind him, endlessly forward.
The power of the sword surged out with the cry and became unstoppable. Endless and boundless killing intent and an aura of ruthlessness were all contained within this one strike.
This was Sigu Jian's most powerful attack in his life. His entire life, spirit, and faith had converged to form this strike. The power of the sword was vicious and ruthless. It appeared to be in defiance of the natural order. No one had ever performed such an attack before, and probably no one in the future would.
No one could stop it, not even Ye Liuyun.
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…
Often it was the people outside a situation, who didn't know who was involved with the situation or what situation determined victory, that sorrowfully realized in a moment that they had calculated themselves in.
The development of an incident detracted further and further from the calculations of the person in control of the situation as the incident went on. If one knew everything that happened in this second that was at a standstill, perhaps from the beginning the Qing Emperor would have chosen differently. He would have had the Tiger Guards enter the Mountain and face-off against Ku He and Sigu Jian with Qing Kingdom's two Great Grandmasters and Wu Zhu on the side. Then, he would have swung the knife down after the Tiger Guards and both sides were heavily injured. If he had done so, there would be no need for the situation appearing in front of him now.
On the most important day of his life, Sigu Jian perfectly demonstrated a Great Grandmaster's wisdom and decisiveness. Using only one attack, he forced out Ye Liuyun and perfectly used the Qing Emperor's set up and life to force Ye Liuyun into a dead end.
If Sigu Jian had not burned through part of his spirit when he killed over a hundred Tiger Guards with one strike as he mounted the staircase to heaven up Dong Mountain, the astonishing strike would perhaps have long pierced into Ye Liuyun's abdomen.
Of course, if he hadn't used the blood of hundreds of Qing Kingdom aces to worship this sword, to contain within it a boundless bloodlust and killing intent, perhaps Sigu Jian would not be able to execute such a heartless, emotionless, and ruthless strike.
Ye Liuyun had three ways of dealing with this attack. Like the last trick in that world's 36 tricks, when things developed to an extreme, the best way was often the simplest way.
Given the Qing Kingdom's Great Grandmaster's ultimate techniques and Flowing Cloud Sanzhou, when he faced Sigu Jian's astonishing attack, he could have chosen to retreat and escape at the beginning. He could use Sanzhou Sea of Clouds to temporarily seal the blade of the sword. Only an instant was needed for him to leave the enveloped boundary of the sword.
However, the Emperor was at his side. If he dodged, then the Emperor would probably be turned into shards of flesh by the sword. Thus, Ye Liuyun did not dodge. Now, he was unable to dodge.
…
…
Wu Zhu, who had stood silently by the door to the ancient temple, had his head down. He had placed, at some moment, his hand back on the metal drill by his waist. The Emperor's life was hanging on by a thread, yet he still didn't do anything.
In the last moment of this second, a slight smile suddenly flashed across Ye Liuyun's inelegant face. The timing of this smile's appearance was particularly strange.
A portion of the flowing cloud-like hands was suddenly picked up by the wind on the summit and sent straight toward Sigu Jian's face.
The flowing clouds did not stop there. The straw hat flew far away. A powerful wind blew over his face, heading straight for Sigu Jian's five sense organs.
Since he couldn't block the attack, then why should he block it? Ye Liuyun chose to let go of one hand, scatter a cloud, and use it to envelop Sigu Jian's face. This was the trick, which even low-level martial artists were particularly skilled at, of rescuing an ally by attacking the aggressors. However, being used by a Great Grandmaster, it appeared unconstrained and smooth.
It was a cloud on the horizon that followed the sword intent, which shot into the sky ruthlessly and gently and quickly floated to Sigu Jian's face.
If Sigu Jian ignored this Sanzhou, the sword would pierce into Ye Liuyun's abdomen. Given the killing intent contained in the sword, it would churn Ye Liuyun's internal organ into pieces in an instant. Even if he managed to survive, he would not have any battle power.
If he avoided this Sanzhou, his intention would sway. A gap would appear in the energy pouring into the sword. How could an imperfect and ruthless sword technique pin a Great Grandmaster under it?
Ye Liuyun's choice in this instant was wise. It could even be said to be wonderful. He knew that this Flowing Cloud was unable to heavily injure Sigu Jian, but he was forcing him to make a decision in a short amount of time.
He was using his life to gamble on Sigu Jian's heavy injury because he could clearly sense that Sigu Jian had already entered into a fatal realm. However, there was still Wu Zhu, Eunuch Yao, and others on the mountaintop.
Ye Liuyun could die, but Sigu Jian could not be heavily injured. After being heavily injured, he wouldn't be able to ensure that he could kill the Emperor of Qing Kingdom. This kind of result was not one that Sigu Jian could accept.
Thus, with his Flowing Cloud moving forward, he waited for Sigu Jian to change his attack.
Sigu Jian did not change his attack. His eyes still shone with a savage light. His black hair danced wildly in the wind, looking like a demon-wielding a sword with a shocking aura. The sword continued to press forward inexorably toward Ye Liuyun.
His left hand closed over empty air and pointed in front of him to the left, completely ignoring the ball of Flowing Cloud coming toward him.
There were all kinds of sword techniques in the world, but there was only one technique to holding a sword. Sigu Jian's left hand was in a perfect sword holding posture. His thumb and four fingers formed a hollow circle with nothing in it. However, there was suddenly a weak sword intent emitting from the nothing.
Although it was weak, it could easily kill the bright yellow shadow the empty sword in his left hand pointed toward.
Sigu Jian had no choice but to react to Ye Liuyun's attack. Sigu Jian's illusory grasp of the sword hilt broke through the air with sword intent, forcing Ye Liuyun to react to the counterattack.