Chapter 765 Ouyang Lianghan, I Will Be Your Broken Swordsman [Year-End Request for Monthly Tickets]

Yi Qianqiu was the first to obey the order and turned back to the high platform.

Then came Wei Wu, who remained silent.

Granny Song's face was ashen, her right palm was covered in blood, revealing the white bone beneath. She was the last to return, and she seemed somewhat reluctant.

The golden halo cast by the Buddha fell upon the white-eyed old woman.

The prayer beads on her wrist were made of some kind of black wood, slightly harder and thicker than Ouyang Rong's sandalwood prayer beads, as if they could be used a few more times. At this moment, there was a crack on the prayer beads, but it did not affect the golden light that shimmered on them.

As the golden light shimmered, the halo descending from the Buddha gathered towards the wound on her right palm, and the bleeding subsided slightly.

Granny Song was the most unwilling, and she glared fiercely at everyone:

"We just let this kid get away like that? And he even killed our men! He has the Ding Sword!"

A moment of silence fell over the room.

Rongzhen looked up at the lotus inscription stone carving on the dome.

Yi Qianqiu's face was covered by white armor, obscuring her expression. She glanced at the girl in palace attire, then lowered her eyes and said:

"The most urgent task is to protect the Donglin Buddha and lure and annihilate the rebels in Tiannan. Ouyang Lianghan's matter was an accident and not part of the plan. No one expected it... He really had the ability to retreat calmly. Fortunately, he did not go crazy, and the Buddha is safe."

"Moreover, judging from this, although he is the master of the Butterfly Love Flower, he has not colluded with the rebels of Tiannan Jianghu. Otherwise, when he revealed his sword just now, the rebels of Tiannan Jianghu should have already arrived, working together from the inside to destroy the Buddha. Now it seems that he was forced to show himself by the sound of the zither, and he probably really wanted to return to the city to find the King of Xunyang."

Yi Qianqiu nodded and said in a deep voice:

“The princess’s order is correct. We cannot pursue them yet. We must stay by the Buddha statue. Ouyang Lianghan caused quite a commotion just now. They must have noticed it and may have already arrived.”

"Actually, it's good to clean up the ranks like this; it's better than letting Ouyang Lianghan continue to hide his identity."

Granny Song said coldly, "What about the matter of General Duan's tragic death?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Wu looked at Duan Quanwu's corpse, his expression turning grim.

That kid actually managed to escape the inescapable net right in front of them, killed one person, and calmly took his leave.

Rong Zhen remained silent, while Yi Qianqiu pondered for a moment and said:

"Once the matter of the Buddha statue is over, we will naturally report to the court and apprehend the criminals. The princess knows what to do, so let's not worry about it."

Granny Song nodded emphatically:

"Alright! When the time comes, we'll petition the court together, not only to convict Ouyang Lianghan of exterminating his clan, but also to hold the Xunyang Prince's Mansion accountable! We can't let them off even if they return to the capital!"

After the old woman with the white eyes finished speaking, her old face was filled with deep fear.

The others fell silent.

Clearly, it was those words spoken by that young man in a scholar's robe before he left that still made me feel uneasy and restless.

No matter how much they comforted themselves or made excuses, they could not deny that Ouyang Lianghan had indeed grasped the temperament and thoughts of the sage very well. Even an old woman like Granny Song, who had been by the sage's side for many years, was awakened by his words and had to admit that what he said made a lot of sense.

If the Prince of Xunyang's family were to escape back to the capital and present the cauldron, sword, and their true name, the Emperor might genuinely be delighted, show leniency, or even directly promote them to higher ranks and titles.

The sage was not unaware of the many schemes, tricks, and despicable acts of his subordinates, but he simply did not care, or rather, he observed them with indifference.

Whoever wins and benefits, that's who we'll use.

Back then, when cruel officials were appointed and old officials were purged, wasn't that exactly the case? It was only because the cruel officials were wicked and deceived the emperor that most of the imperial clan were forced to their deaths.

The truth is, many notorious corrupt officials, after the subsequent wise and powerful emperors purged and overturned verdicts, found their homes nearly empty when their records were confiscated. They were relatively incorruptible; their only redeeming qualities were their brutal enforcement of the law, their harsh methods, and their humble origins. They were used as pawns to kill off the officials who opposed the emperor. But even a clean knife is still a knife; it must be discarded after use, drawing the ire of Confucian scholars and bearing a bad reputation…

Old Yang, who had been sitting in the audience and barely visible, knew this best.

But the people on stage weren't stupid either; they understood immediately.

Wei Wu glanced at the somewhat uneasy Granny Song and suddenly spoke:

"Deputy Supervisor Song, don't panic. Don't forget we have the sound of the zither. Just now, when the zither music started, all the Qi cultivators within a hundred miles were exposed by the pillar of light, including the Xunyang Prince's family. They couldn't have fled without taking any Qi cultivators with them. I have already ordered the city to follow the pillar of light to chase after them. If the Xunyang Prince's family took another route and hid, and didn't actually run away, then the pillar of light will also expose them."

He snorted coldly:

"Although Ouyang Lianghan didn't seem flustered just now, since he was in such a hurry to return to Xunyang City, he must be worried about something. Don't look at what he says, look at what he does."

"He was forced out by the music this time because he didn't expect us to use music to find people. Now that the Xunyang Prince's family has fled, the music must have been unexpected by Ouyang Lianghan as well. Perhaps that's why he was in such a hurry to run back."

As the square-faced man spoke, he walked to Duan Quanwu's body, squatted down to examine the wounds, and placed his palm on Duan Quanwu's head, where the eyes, wide open like copper bells, were filled with resentment.

He shook his head and said:

"Don't forget, besides the arranged pirates, we still have other backup plans in Xunyang City... Do you think you can run back to the capital unscathed, present the cauldron and sword to curry favor and escape punishment? It's not that simple."

Granny Song and Yi Qianqiu exchanged a glance, their expressions differing as if they had remembered something.

The anxiety on Song Mama's face eased slightly, and she said with a cold look in her eyes:

“Originally, I didn’t want to get involved, but now I’ve finally found the real culprit. He killed my beloved disciple and also protected the Xunyang Prince’s Mansion that ordered him around…”

She turned her head and said to Wei Wu, word by word:

"Take care of the Buddha statue first. Once things are settled here, I'll accompany you there to settle accounts with them, especially Ouyang Lianghan..."

Yi Qianqiu glanced at Rong Zhen.

Sure enough, they found the girl in palace attire tilting her head to look at the old woman with the disdainful eyes and the square-faced man who were speaking angrily.

Just then, a strange female official rushed over and whispered a report to Rongzhen.

Rong Zhen's expression froze for a moment, then she turned to look towards the south bank.

Granny Song frowned: "What is it?"

The unfamiliar female historian hesitated for a moment, and seeing that Rong Zhen was lost in thought and unresponsive, she spoke:

"When Elder Yu's zither music started playing just now, we observed that around Twin Peaks, apart from our own Qi Refiners, no unfamiliar pillars of spiritual energy appeared. However... there was one superfluous pillar of spiritual energy, a red sixth-grade spiritual energy cultivator, which emerged from the woods beside the official road on the south bank, seemingly inside Governor Ouyang's carriage..."

The unfamiliar female historian glanced at the girl in palace attire:

"Your Excellency, Deputy Supervisor Song, my colleagues and I on the south bank were afraid of accidentally harming Governor Ouyang's men, so we only blocked off the woods. We were planning to come and ask for your instructions... However, on the way, I heard that it seems that General Duan just ordered that Governor Ouyang's carriage be allowed to leave, so I came to ask Your Excellency for your instructions."

The atmosphere was somewhat silent.

In the silence, the unfamiliar female historian seemed to have also discovered the body. She stared in surprise at Duan Quanwu's corpse on the ground, and then, like the general who had just brought the news, she retreated with a puzzled expression.

Rongzhen lowered her head and straightened her elegant purple skirt.

She remembered the long strand of hair on his crimson official robe that morning.

Yi Qianqiu frowned and asked, "Is it Xie Lingjiang or someone else? Did they come with him?"

Wei Wu shook his head: "The Xie woman should not have left the city. This morning, an informant saw her enter the Prince's mansion."

Rong Zhen's somewhat indifferent voice rang out:

"The other half of his official robe, which he used to deliver the message, was not sent to the Prince of Xunyang's residence, but to her. Haha, even in danger, he didn't forget his beloved. Ouyang Lianghan, you are truly loyal and righteous. Did you delay so that she and Wang Caozhi could escape first? But your beloved is equally devoted and will not let you down. You are truly a pair of lovebirds, haha."

Everyone was puzzled. After a moment of silence, Granny Song spoke to Rongzhen, word by word.

“Princess, as you have seen, Ouyang Lianghan is not worth your devotion. If he truly cared for you, he would not have done such a despicable and shameless thing. Do not have any more illusions about him.”

As if recalling Rong Zhen's recent use of the term "old fellow," the old woman with the white eyes trembled all over, transferring all her anger onto Ouyang Rong.

Rong Zhen spoke coldly:

"My summons of you back has nothing to do with him, and also..."

She turned her head, her eyes fixed on Granny Song and Wei Wu:

"I don't care about the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, I don't care at all. But Ouyang Lianghan... Once the Great Buddhist ceremony is over, the Heavenly Pivot Formation will expand immediately. No matter how far he runs, I will personally capture him. You are not allowed to compete with me for him! I don't want dead people, I want living ones. I will personally make him wish he were dead! This is an order, not a request."

Granny Song and Wei Wu looked at each other in bewilderment.

At this moment, the old musician walked over, followed by a group of female guards.

He carried a zither and came up to the high platform.

Granny Song glared at him: "What just happened?"

The old musician shook his head and said:

"Who knew such a strange thing would happen? But I stopped the music in time and activated the Buddha statue. However, there was a slight delay. If he had lingered any longer, he wouldn't have been able to leave. Ah, this junior scholar is really decisive. He is even a legendary swordsman. However, it seems that he has not fully mastered the sword technique of the Emperor Wen. If that piece had been played, it would have been hard to say. It was indeed very dangerous, but it is also his ability."

Granny Song squinted at the old musician, whose tone betrayed his admiration.

The old musician was about to speak: "Young lady, you've heard the swordplay and zither music many times before, but you still don't understand it. I can't stay any longer. I'll record it into the Great Buddha now, and you can study it slowly later. Also, I'll take charge of this fake cauldron sword for you for now..."

Rongzhen suddenly spoke:

"No."

The old musician and the others looked puzzled.

"What do you mean you don't need it anymore?"

The girl in purple palace attire stepped forward quietly, reached out and took the white jade prayer beads, and suddenly her body radiated a dazzling golden light.

The myriad rays of light emanating from the golden Buddha statue behind her seemed to be absorbed into her body. For a moment, even her clear, golden eyes became somewhat dark and mysterious, captivating the soul if one gazed upon them.

The old musician and the others stared blankly at the palace-dressed girl whose appearance was now completely "disfigured".

Around the high platform, amidst a golden halo, the phantom images of lotus flowers bloomed.

Rong Zhen's dark eyes were indifferent, ignoring them. He tilted his head back and gazed at the largest lotus flower on the dome and the inscribed stone carvings on it.

She gripped the white jade prayer beads tightly in her little hands, her expression a mixture of laughter, tears, and both.

From within the petite figure enveloped in golden light, a somewhat hoarse and enigmatic voice rang out:

"I see it, I finally see it. You are the Emperor Wen, aren't you? You said... you, like me, somewhat dislike him?"

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, her purple dress fluttered, ethereal like a celestial fairy. Amidst the dazzling golden sword energy, the girl murmured, laughing and crying:

“Ouyang Lianghan, I will break your sword formation once.”

[Clang!]

A melodious zither tune, seemingly from nowhere, like a bodhi leaf falling or water dripping on stone, resounded throughout the twin peaks, echoing for a long time.

...

"Brother-in-law, what's wrong?"

In the distance, on the official road, a carriage was speeding towards Xunyang City.

Wang Caozhi looked at Ouyang Rong, who suddenly lifted the curtain and looked back towards the twin peaks, and asked curiously.

The young man in the scholar's robe stared behind him, seemingly lost in thought. Wang Caozhi noticed his calm expression and asked, "Did you hear anything?"

"A sound? What sound..." Wang Caozhi poked his head out, looking around in a daze. Then, remembering something, he asked in a panic, "Brother-in-law, are they chasing after us?"

"I didn't react that quickly." Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly, turned his gaze away from the twin peaks, and looked around the carriage. Xiu Niang and Wang Caozhi were both there.

Not long ago, he took advantage of the fact that the Hengjiang iron chain had not yet been dismantled to reach the south bank. Using Duan Quanwu's identity, he tricked the guards and led the embroiderer and Wang Caozhi to escape.

Inside the carriage, Ouyang Rong and Zhao Qingxiu sat side by side, while Wang Caozhi sat opposite them, looking somewhat guilty and ashamed, and asked, "Brother-in-law, have I caused trouble? Are there some cases that shouldn't have been investigated so thoroughly...?"

Ouyang Rong suddenly said, "The truth is never wrong. Rong Zhen is right to pursue the truth, and neither are you and I. You did the right thing, absolutely right." After saying that, he patted Wang Caozhi's shoulder, who was in a daze, and turned his head to look at the pretty girl next to him.

Zhao Qingxiu's blindfold ribbon had been removed, and her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but she had stopped crying now. She sat quietly, her small hands tightly gripping the cuffs of his scholar's robe, while her other small hand reached into his sleeve and gently stroked the bronze mask inside.

It seemed that there were a thousand words to say between the two.

However, with Wang Caozhi around, they couldn't indulge in overly sentimental expressions; the important matter of avoiding danger was paramount.

The Mo family sword box remained on Zhao Qingxiu's lap, and she guarded it with exceptional care and obedience.

Not long ago, a certain azure arc returned to the sword box right before her eyes.

At this moment, the group was busy on their way. Zhao Qingxiu didn't ask anything, and Ouyang Rong didn't retrieve the sword box or pull out the embroiderer's hand that was touching the mask from her sleeve. He let her do as she pleased.

The bronze mask had already absorbed Duan Quanwu's fake body. He had temporarily collected it on the high platform. However, the embroiderer was paying attention to it silently, not because of that, but because her senior sister had once deeply hated the person who wore the mask.

Once things settled down, Ouyang Rong immediately closed his eyes, entered the Merit Tower, and began inspecting the small wooden house.

Just after he ran out of Xunyang Grottoes, he heard a series of crisp wooden fish sounds. The same thing had happened before when he refused Rongzhen, Weiwu, and Granny Song on the high platform. His merits had increased considerably, but he hadn't had time to sort them out yet.

The remaining merit points are crucial for Ouyang Rong's race against time...

(End of this chapter)