Chapter 71 Provocation

Beside Rong Si were the soldiers Chu Yu had just sent out to scout out the future.

Without exception, they were all kept under guard by Rong Si's men.

It was placed right there in front of them, which was extremely provocative.

Rong Si's amber pupils shone brightly and sharply in the sunlight. "The words of the Marquis of Chu don't really carry much weight."

Chu Yu gripped the reins in his hand, then suddenly chuckled, "I didn't expect Lord Rong to be so difficult to kill."

"I was thinking that since Lord Rong had taken such good care of my wife, I would leave you with a whole body. But it seems I can't be too merciful."

Chu Yu witnessed Wu Zhou bury Rong Si in a three-zhang-deep pit.

Even so, Rong Si was able to appear before him unharmed.

He underestimated Rong Si.

Rong Si raised an eyebrow and asked him slowly, "Aren't you afraid Yao Yao will find out?"

"I had already planned out a reason for your death, so that when Yaoyao finds out later, everything will be flawless," Chu Yu had it all planned out perfectly. "Unfortunately, you didn't die after all."

Coincidentally, Rong Si had also come up with a reason for Chu Yu's death on the way.

On benevolence and righteousness.

A bandit and a treacherous official.

No one can be called benevolent and righteous.

It was a life-or-death struggle between them.

There's no need to reason with Rong Si, because he himself is unreasonable; he was simply caught off guard by Chu Yu's preemptive strike.

This is similar to military strategy on the battlefield.

All's fair in war.

"Did you ask her if she was willing to go with you?"

Chu Yu found it amusing. "And you, did you ask her if she wanted to stay or go to Shanshan?"

On the treacherous mountain road, the two were locked in a stalemate.

Rong Si chuckled. He had indeed not mentioned this matter to Yu Wanyin.

He knew how much she wanted to return to Shanshan. Although the current situation was unstable, he was also afraid that her answer would be to leave with Chu Yu.

What happens after you leave?

This journey was long and arduous, taking several months.

Will she still remember him when she comes back?

Do you still want him when you come back?

Will she come back?

The same goes for Chu Yu.

No one dared to ask, and no one could accept that Yu Wanyin's answer was to go with the other party.

In fact, from the very beginning, when Chu Yu suggested that the two of them act separately, she never intended to give Rong Si any further opportunity to contact her.

The plan was to take her away from Rong Si's nose in a seemingly legitimate way.

In addition, Chu Yu always believed that it was more advantageous to launch an attack from Shanshan than from the Central Plains.

The reason why the King of Bei Chi dared to threaten Yu Wanyin like that was because he knew that Yu Wanyin cared about Shanshan.

As long as they secure Shanshan in their hands, they will no longer be afraid of being threatened by Bei Chi by attacking him.

Rong Si raised an eyebrow. "Shall we talk again when we get back?"

"We've come this far, why go back?"

Rong Si's voice was rough and hoarse, his words carrying a deeper meaning: "You're not going back?"

There are also warnings.

His gaze swept past Chu Yu and fell upon the troops behind Chu Yu.

A shadow fell over Chu Yu's eyes. He knew what Rong Si was looking at, and he also knew Rong Si's intentions.

The forest was silent at midday, and there was complete silence between their pauses in conversation.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Until the wind howled and a fallen leaf was lifted and crashed into the rut.

A soft, cracking sound rang out.

Suddenly, someone's sword was drawn!

Hidden behind the crowd and trees at the rear of the procession, among the carriages and horses, Yu Wanyin frowned deeply. "You mean they fought last night?"

Qin Yuan vaguely admitted, "You've been recuperating recently, and they don't want us to say anything."

Yu Wanyin calmed down and pondered the unusual events of the past few days.

It's also her fault; she's been so absent-minded lately that she hasn't noticed the argument between the two of them.

These past few days, they've been quite understanding and courteous in front of her.

There was nothing unusual about it.

Thinking about it this way makes many things easier to explain.

Why did she wake up on the road with Chu Yu when she was sleeping soundly?

It must have been Chu Yu who snatched her away.

No wonder she hadn't heard anything about the arrangements for the past two days, but suddenly set off this morning.

How did the fight start?

Qin Yuan sat next to him and said, "Those two have been at odds lately, they start fighting over the slightest thing."

That means they don't get along.

It turns out these two have a grudge against each other in private.

Plus, there's her connection...

Yu Wanyin's mind was in turmoil. "How is the situation on the Rongsi side?"

Qin Yuan poured a cup of tea for Yu Wanyin, and then poured one for herself. "I don't know."

Yu Wanyin didn't care about anything else. She closed the document, stood up, and wanted to go out to ask Chu Yu.

Before she could even stand up, a commotion and shouting erupted from the front of the line.

The melodious whistle rang out, and the coachman of the carriage where Yu Wanyin was was seemed to have heard some signal, and immediately turned around.

Yu Wanyin lost her balance and fell back down.

Qin Yuan sensed something was amiss.

He put down his teacup, turned around, and leaned out to ask the driver, "What's wrong?"

The coachman said calmly, "There are barbarian soldiers ahead, and the lord said we should change our route."

Qin Yuan frowned, "Hu people?"

"Yes, there aren't many people, Madam, you don't need to worry." The driver drove away from the back of the group.

Immediately afterwards, the surrounding soldiers skillfully swarmed forward, completely obscuring the carriage and horses where Yu Wanyin was, thus covering their rapid departure from the area.

At the front of the group, Rong Si swung his longsword and charged right in front of Chu Yu.

The sharp blade grazed the corner of Chu Yu's eye and brow, colliding directly with the iron-bone fan in Chu Yu's hand!

A metallic vibrating sound was produced!

Wu Zhou and Chao Yue, standing behind Chu Yu, swiftly drew their swords!

Su Fang saw this and went to greet them!

A sharp, desolate sound echoed through the mountains.

Behind Chu Yu, millions of soldiers stood motionless. The leading general frowned and asked, "Should we attack?"

The adjutant beside him said in a deep voice, "No."

"The Marquis has ordered that no troops be deployed for personal disputes."

This is just a personal grudge that they need to resolve privately; it cannot be escalated into war.

Almost identically, the troops behind Rong Si remained completely still.

One of the generals was in a panic, but it was a military order and a rule on the march that personal disputes should not involve troops.

Anyone who disobeys military orders will be executed immediately.

"If we just watch like this, what if something really happens to our lord?"

"As my lord has said, if either side's leader is defeated, the remaining troops will belong to the other side and follow their general to fight against the Northern Chi."

This was the consensus reached between Rong Si and Chu Yu on the very first day of their conflict.

One of the generals protested, "Do I even know who those people are? I'm just going to go with them?!"

"It's alright. If you don't want to go with them, then we can't go wrong by going with the Queen."

The group had to fall silent.

The people who clashed with Rong Si and Chu Yu were all people with their own grudges.

Outside interference will complicate matters.

Rong Si deflected Wu Zhou's sword, and the blunt end of the hilt struck Wu Zhou's chest heavily.

The powerful impact made Wu Zhou lose his balance and stagger a few steps before being caught by the soldiers behind him!

Rong Si broke through the encirclement and headed straight for the rear of the column.

Due to military regulations, they could not arbitrarily interfere in personal grudges. When Chu Yu's other soldiers saw Rong Si approaching menacingly, they could only draw their swords in defense, but could not go up to deal with him.

Rong Si lifted the curtains of carriages and horses one by one.

There was no sign of Yu Wanyin. Chu Yu watched as Yu Wanyin's carriage and horses left early.

He stared intently at Rong Si's movements.

Rong Si searched from beginning to end, but found no trace of Yu Wanyin.

The flames in my heart burned ever brighter.

The lesions, which had been unable to be suppressed for so long, began to grow wildly, eroding and burning throughout the body.

Rong Si's biggest fear was returning to his room to find it empty.

There was no trace of Yu Wanyin left.

Just like when he returned victorious from his previous military campaign.

She said she would wait for him to come back.

But he could never see her.

Rong Si felt that he often experienced such moments.

Each time, it tormented his sanity almost to the point of destruction.

Rong Si swept his gaze across one Chu Yu soldier after another, as if he could dissect each one and examine them to see if they knew Yu Wanyin's whereabouts.

Suddenly, Rong Si's gaze fell on the tire tracks on the ground.

In a place where only soldiers and generals stood, several reversed wheel tracks appeared.

Rong Si's pupils contracted, and he walked in that direction.

The soldiers over there were armed and on guard.

After confirming his judgment, Rong Si immediately cracked his whip and chased after the cart tracks.

Chu Yu's brows were furrowed, and his eyes were filled with a thick, misty haze.

Upon seeing this, Su Fang sought another direction and led his men to encircle the enemy.

Wu Zhou and Chao Yue followed closely behind Chu Yu.

The carriage moved through layers of dense forest, the horses' hooves clattering as they trod over the rocks.

The bumpy, jolting noise made both people in the carriage uneasy.

Yu Wanyin was somewhat puzzled, "Why do we still have to run around like this when there aren't many Hu people?"

Qin Yuan sat at the front, lifted the curtain and looked out for a while. The outside was calm and peaceful, and it didn't look like there were any Hu people at all.

But no one can take this lightly, nor can they relax their guard because of the apparent calm.

The coachman in front had a serious expression and was well-trained; he was a soldier carefully trained by Chu Yu.

He keenly observed his surroundings and reminded Qin Yuan, "Miss Qin, you'd better not come out. Stay in the car with Madam."

Qin Yuan said "Oh" and lowered the carriage curtain.

After they lowered the carriage curtain, the driver glanced back at the distant mountains, seemingly unintentionally.

At this moment, one could faintly hear the sound of rapid hoofbeats coming from the hillside not far away.

But at this moment, all that can be seen are some swaying tree shadows.

The driver observed the surrounding route, reacted quickly and turned the carriage around, leading the horses and carriage onto a mountain path.

Rong Si had just caught a glimpse of the car when, upon closer inspection, it had vanished.

He paused for a moment on the mountain and looked at another detour on the mountain road.

Yu Wanyin listened to the fact that even though they were already deep in the dense forest where they could hide, the coachman still did not slow down, but instead went even faster.

The carriage scraped past the surrounding vegetation, occasionally letting out the crackling and creaking sounds of breaking branches.

Some small, broken branches fell from the window, creating a messy scene.

They crossed mountain streams, their carriages traversed creeks and rivers, and trod over bumpy stones.

The carriage jolted violently.

This caused Yu Wanyin's emotions to be tossed and turned.

She braced herself against the table, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest.

The driver hurried along while keeping an eye on his surroundings.

He hadn't heard the sound of someone chasing him for a long time.

Perhaps they've already shaken off the person.

The driver took a deep breath and was about to slow down.

The shadows of the trees in front of me suddenly trembled!

Immediately afterward, a warhorse leaped down from the hillside beside him!

Suddenly, his path was blocked!

The man on horseback stared intently at him, then blocked his path and slowly took two steps toward him.

Like a tiger poised to pounce.

Immediately afterward, Rong Si spun his long sword and leaped onto the horse! The coachman quickly reined in his horse and was about to turn around when Rong Si cut the reins in his hand.

The force attached to the reins broke one after another, and the driver lost his balance and fell heavily onto the front of the carriage!

Inside the carriage, Yu Wanyin and Qin Yuan both realized something was wrong.

Qin Yuan hid Yu Wanyin in the carriage, drew her sword, and stepped out of the carriage first.

As soon as she lifted a curtain, Yu Wanyin saw Rong Si appear in front of her through the beaded curtain!

Rong Si's amber pupils were stained with thick red blood vessels, which not only did not lessen after he saw her, but became even more pronounced.

His eyelashes fluttered, his eyes revealing urgency, relief, and a strong desire to regain what he had lost.

Qin Yuan never expected that it would be Rong Si who arrived.

She had to step aside to look at Yu Wanyin inside the carriage.

Upon seeing this, Yu Wanyin stood up and quickly stepped out of the carriage.

Rong Si's breathing was heavy and labored, rising and falling with each breath.

He urged his horse to the carriage.

Yu Wanyin asked him, "Is it the Hu people who have come, or..."

Rong Si pulled her over and never let go. With a sudden burst of strength, he pulled her onto his horse's back, holding her tightly in his arms. He buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath.

Yu Wanyin was so squeezed that she couldn't speak for a moment.

Rong Si's chest heaved violently, causing Yu Wanyin's breathing to become irregular as well.

He felt like he could melt her into his chest.

Yu Wanyin vaguely realized that Rong Si seemed to have had his addiction aroused.

The last time she saw him with bloodshot eyes, like a vicious wolf ready to devour someone, was on the day they reunited after being apart for several months.

It took Rong Si an unknown amount of time to recover.

He took a long time to reply to Yu Wanyin, his voice hoarse, "Chu Yu lied to you, saying that the Hu people have come?"

Yu Wanyin paused, then realized that they had started fighting again.

They were in such a hurry to send her away that they used the excuse of the Hu people.

"No one can take you away from me." Rong Si's voice sounded as if it were covered with sand; he seemed to be getting sicker.

After not sharing a room with her for a long time, and constantly fearing that Chu Yu would cheat on his wife, he said, "Unless you let me die."

Rong Si turned around and prepared to take the person away without saying a word.

Almost simultaneously, another horse blocked their path from behind!

Chu Yu sat on his horse, staring intently at them.

His horse moved at a steady pace, yet pressed forward relentlessly, not stopping even when it reached them.

Knowing his own baseness, he willingly entered the mire and fell into the abyss.

If even madness cannot prevent loss.

He felt that he no longer needed to stay.

A sense of oppressive stillness and silence descended upon us, gradually spreading.

Yu Wanyin then sensed the hostility emanating from Rong Si behind her.

Chu Yu's eyes held a turbulent undercurrent, but his tone remained gentle as he reached out his hand to Yu Wanyin.

"Yaoyao, come here."

The two horses were getting closer and closer.

They were almost touching.

Yu Wanyin was not only sandwiched between two horses, but also between two people.

She stood on either side, her presence overwhelming, each aura more powerful than the last, all awaiting her choice.

Chu Yu spoke first, "Shanshan is in a predicament where we need to break through the encirclement first."

"I'll take you to them; we'll have a way to break through and work together to escape."

Rong Si looked at him and said, "She thought, I could just send the enemy back to Shanshan."

"It's easier said than done to take back Shanshan." Chu Yu had come up with a foolproof plan. "The Northern Chi have always known what they want. They will soon threaten to annihilate Shanshan if you dare to take any further steps. How will you attack them?"

"If your weaknesses are known to others, you should keep them to yourself first. Otherwise, why do you think I went to Shanshan first?"

Rong Si lowered his eyes and asked her, "Yaoyao, what do you want?"

The men's words, spoken with a seductive undertone, reached my ears.

And their inexplicable possessiveness and aggressiveness.

Each one of them wanted to possess her completely, without any gaps.

Yu Wanyin hesitated, feeling as if her soul was being wrapped, kneaded, eroded, and soothed by both sides.

She choked up, momentarily unable to breathe, let alone think calmly.

"Look at you, you're using too much force." Chu Yu came to face them. While scolding Rong Si, he hooked Yu Wanyin's fingers hanging to one side and climbed up her fingertips little by little, like a snake coiling around her.

“Yaoyao will feel uncomfortable,” Chu Yu said, putting his arm around her waist on the other side. “Come here.”

Yu Wanyin could feel two hands wrapped around her waist.

The contrast between the cold and the heat both brushed against her skin through her clothes.

Before Chu Yu could lift her up, Rong Si pressed her down again.

A tingling, numb feeling ran through their tailbone, followed by a tingling sensation as they exerted force simultaneously.

"Wait..." Yu Wanyin hadn't finished speaking when she let out a soft hum.

Then everything fell silent instantly.

Yu Wanyin immediately bit her lip to suppress the strange sound.

She could feel their gazes falling on her at the same time.

She didn't even dare to look up.

She was not an innocent young girl who had never experienced such things, and she had been intimate with both of them.

Yu Wanyin could feel the gazes on her body were somewhat like those of wolves and tigers, an indescribable, dark, and scorching heat.

Yu Wanyin's waist went limp.

And because the other party had also heard the sound, they were on high alert.

They looked up almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with unpredictable aggression.

However, this aggressiveness manifests in Yu Wanyin as a feeling of being caught in the middle.

The distance is too close.

"You..." Yu Wanyin hurriedly pulled off the two hands on her body, and it took her a long time to say a complete sentence, "Put me down first."

This time, no one wanted to let her go.

It's a strange feeling that I can't quite explain.

If she chooses one of them, the other will be driven to despair.

But when she tries to break free, neither of them will let her go.

At this moment, deep within the secret realm, someone slowly peeked out, observing the slightest movement of the two tigers fighting from a distance.

They probably felt the time was right, and the bowstring was drawn silently.

They've got their sights set on one of them!

Yu Wanyin tried to smooth things over with them, "Calm down first, like this..."

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly heard a sharp gust of wind.

Surrounded by martial arts practitioners, Qin Yuan, being closest to them, was the first to react, shouting, "Watch out!"

In the shadows of the woods, a swiftly moving black shadow loomed larger and larger in view!

They headed straight for Rongsi!

Rong Si reacted faster, sidestepping and blocking, his whole body pressing down on Yu Wanyin!

Make sure the arrows don't hurt Yu Wanyin.

Immediately afterwards, Rong Si's horse was suddenly yanked!

The two people on horseback were spun around by the sudden force and were pulled behind Chu Yu!

Two horses that were very close together switched positions with a single turn of their wheels.

The arrowhead approached sharply and swiftly in Chu Yu's dark eyes, aiming straight for his brow.

With a loud "ding," it struck the iron-boned fan handle in Chu Yu's hand!

The lingering sound reverberated.

The fan ribs shattered instantly.

The arrow's force was largely dissipated, and Chu Yu deflected the arrowhead, using his power to turn it around and grab the arrow shaft!

Chu Yu held the long arrow in his palm, playing with it. Looking at the distinctive Northern Chi arrow feathers, a sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he looked in the direction from which the arrow had come.

The attendants who rushed over from not far away immediately drew their longswords.

Wu Zhouchao and Su Fang were both on alert.

Chu Yu tossed the arrow aside and sneered silently, "Just because we joke with the lady doesn't mean that petty villains can ride roughshod over us."

Chu Yu raised his voice in a deep voice, "Someone come here."

“Those who are not of our kind shall be killed without mercy.”