Chapter 818 [Zhao]?

When Li Guo'er returned with a book, everyone had already packed up and were ready to mount their horses and swim across the river.

The sound of a large number of cavalry approaching in the distance still lingered in my ears.

However, this group of people seemed to be traveling on the official road. Although the commotion of the hundreds of cavalrymen galloping was loud, they were still separated by several dense forests and could not get close to the riverbank in the forest where they were located for a while.

Lu Ya and Rong Zhen prepared to set up defenses on the spot to cover the evacuation of Li Xian's family. However, Ouyang Rong calmly surveyed the terrain and decided to swim across the river together to the other side. They would run if they could, and buy some time.

The origins of this group of cavalry are unknown.

It's still uncertain whether it's Li Congshan, Miaozhen, or the others.

It's possible that it was Qin Ying and the Xuanwu Camp who came to provide support.

Li Xian, Wei Mei, Li Guo'er, and Li Dalang, with the help of Shunbo Caishou and others, mounted their horses one after another.

They had abandoned their carriage back at Qingya Post Station, and the original luggage they brought with them was very little. They only carried some personal items belonging to the women, such as Wei Mei and Li Guo'er, but it was almost impossible for Li Congshan to mark these items.

The luggage I'm carrying right now, including necessities like food, was purchased temporarily at Qingya Post Station.

All of this was done to avoid being located by Li Congshan and his men.

However, all of the aforementioned factors that would slow things down were abandoned by Ouyang Rong, who ordered them to focus on crossing the river rather than letting the innocent go free.

Li Dalang mounted his horse and looked in the direction from which the sound of hooves was coming from, his face filled with confusion.

"Logically speaking, Li Congshan and Miaozhen shouldn't have been able to catch up so quickly, unless some things from the fire at Qingya Post Station hadn't been completely burned and were taken by us. But according to the message Zhang Daoshi sent back, Li Congshan and the others should have been tricked into heading south on the official road, and then there were more variables, and they were exposed halfway through?"

"So what if it's Li Congshan and Miaozhen? Let them come. I want to ask them if they also want to silence me."

Rong Zhen said with a stern face, "If Ouyang Rong hadn't just taken her wrist to help her mount the horse, she probably wouldn't have been willing to run away."

Wei Mei asked in a low voice:

"Tanlang, you just said that before you and Lady Rongzhen came here, you instructed Qin Ying to go and find Qin Yanqing and the Xuanwu Camp to provide reinforcements?"

"That's right."

She pondered:

"Speaking of which, could it be that Ling Jiang encountered them and led them here, which is why they arrived so quickly? Perhaps Master Zhang is also inside."

Rong Zhen nodded calmly: "Then there's no need to leave. Stay and wait to see who it is."

Li Xian forced a smile to ease the atmosphere: "Do you think it might just be another army passing by, unrelated to us, and we're just being overly alarmed?"

Ouyang Rong rode on horseback and led the way, swimming across the river that was deep enough to reach the horse's back.

Hearing the speculations of the people behind him, he walked at the front without turning his head:

"Let's cross the river first and then talk about it."

Upon hearing this, everyone had no choice but to obediently follow, traveling light and crossing the river at breakneck speed.

Whether it was Rongzhen or Lixian, they all subconsciously obeyed his words.

This is a lesson learned from countless past experiences.

Generally, only those who are "slightly rebellious" will have some personal opinions.

However, Li Guo'er's reaction was a bit strange. She rode her horse quietly, carrying the thick book, and followed the swimmer.

Like Li Xian, Wei Mei, and the others, they left all their other luggage at the campsite by the river.

The river waves soaked her men's boots and gray cloth skirt, but Li Guo'er paid no attention, simply holding a book.

Wei Mei was the first to notice that something was wrong with her daughter; no one knows a daughter better than her mother.

She glanced back at Li Guo'er and the book in her arms, and noticed that her daughter seemed to be reciting something without making a sound, but with the same mouth movements, as if she was trying to read it aloud.

Wei Mei asked in a low voice, "What is Guo'er reciting?"

Li Guo'er: "I'm fine, I just remembered something."

The mother and daughter remained unseen by anyone else, but Ouyang Rong, who was walking at the front, was frowning deeply.

The reason he was so conservative and chose to withdraw was because he had used up all his merits and had no more trump cards to play.

However, this matter could not be discussed in detail with Rongzhen, Lixian, and others.

That golden blessing he just received was very likely related to the New Cauldron Sword Night-Shining Pearl, a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. Fearing it would slip away, he used all of his last four thousand merits to exchange for the blessing.

But right now, not only is good fortune slow in coming, but a group of cavalry of unknown origin is also getting close.

Danger struck, but he only had a few hundred merits left.

Not only could he not unleash the final divine decree, but he also couldn't use the Kui Xing talisman more often.

The Kui Xing Talisman requires the spiritual energy of a Confucian Qi cultivator; previously, he had used it by relying on the purple mist of merit.

In addition, he had not yet fully studied the Peach Blossom Sword Formation, and he would need the Kui Xing Talisman to set it up on the spot.

The most suitable [Craftsmanship] is trapped in the "Cage of Thunder Punishment," leaving the swordsman without a sword to use.

The remaining two newly captured counterfeit swords, the Eighteen Seeds, and the Peach Blossom Spring Map are barely enough for self-defense.

However, firstly, he hadn't figured it out completely, and secondly, the spiritual energy in the dantian of a seventh-rank swordsman was simply insufficient to fully activate them. Moreover, Cui Hao had also placed the Kui Xing Talisman on them, which required the merit purple mist to fully mobilize.

In short, Gongde Ziwu was short of funds and had no choice but to flee.

Otherwise, staying at the riverside camp would be a good strategy. Whether it's unleashing the ultimate divine intervention or investing a lot of merit to prepare the "Return to the Past" sword in advance, killing whoever comes within a hundred paces, it's all a good strategy.

Ouyang Rong took a deep breath and rode his horse ashore.

The river was not flowing rapidly, and everyone reached the other side one by one.

Li Guo'er was the last to come ashore, and everyone waited a little while.

At this moment, Ouyang Rong, who had stopped his horse, suddenly turned around:

"What were you looking for? What book is this?"

Although the situation was critical, he noticed everything that had just happened to Guo'er.

Li Guo'er pursed her lips, rode her horse forward, and walked at the front, as if signaling Ouyang Rong to follow.

Ouyang Rong whipped his horse forward, and Rong Zhen also stepped forward.

The three walked ahead, Li Guo'er absentmindedly, not caring about Rong Zhen's interruption, and whispered privately:

"Ouyang Lianghan, do you still remember the calligraphy you gave me back then?"

Rong Zhen immediately looked at Ouyang Rong.

The latter's expression remained unchanged, and he showed no remorse:

"Words? What words?"

He genuinely couldn't remember some of them; he usually gave away too many things.

Li Guo'er opened the book in her bosom and handed over the old paper.

Ouyang Rong took it, glanced at it, and saw that it was his own familiar handwriting. After a moment of recollection, he was puzzled:

“曌? I gave it to you, what’s wrong with this character…”

It is pronounced the same as "昭".

Upon hearing this, Li Guo'er asked again, "Are you sure this is how it's pronounced?"

Ouyang Rong nodded:

"Yes... I made up this character, that's how I pronounce it."

Li Guo'er looked at the luminous pearl in her hand.

Ouyang Rong keenly said, "Wait, you don't mean to say that this character is a real name?"

Li Guo'er seemed preoccupied, nodding absentmindedly:

"Yes, I had a gut feeling. I had a dream in which you said you were my benefactor, and the things you gave me were extraordinary. I've kept that word to myself ever since..."

Ouyang Rong frowned, and after a moment, said decisively:

"Impossible. This is a newly created character. How could it be its original name? Could the swordsmiths of the Mei family in the past have been able to foresee the future? Unless I am the one with the most arrogance to name the Dingjian, but that is unrealistic. When I gave you this character, I had not yet discovered that it was a Dingjian. This deduction is invalid."

Li Guo'er shook her head: "It's just a dream, a guess."

Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment, then turned around and asked:

"Which of you is at the ninth level of Qi Refining?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Li Guo'er also shook her head, and asked in confusion:

"What does the Nine Ranks mean?"

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and answered truthfully.

"Actually, whether it's the real name or not, we'll find out by trying. According to convention, with the sword manual, ninth rank, and real name, as long as the cauldron sword is nearby, you can become its sword wielder by calling out the real name. I have the sword manual and want to test the real name, so I'll try the ninth rank."

Li Guo'er paused, as if hearing this for the first time, and then thoughtfully asked, "Ninth rank...?"

"Actually, there is another condition that can replace the ninth rank, which is abundant qi... Never mind, since there is no ninth rank, let's not talk about it for now. Leave this item with me, and don't get distracted anymore. Let's leave first; this place is not safe to stay for long."

Under Li Guo'er's sidelong glance, Ouyang Rong put the luminous pearl and the note into his bosom.

Behind him, Lu Ya suddenly looked up:

"It's Senior Brother Zhang! His compass is getting closer! It's Senior Brother Zhang!"

Everyone turned around and saw the expressionless Taoist priest pointing to the woods on the opposite bank behind them.

Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen also heard the sound of cavalry hooves growing louder and louder as they rapidly approached.

As if guided and knowing their location, they were indeed coming for them.

When everyone realized what was happening, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The probability is higher that they are friends rather than enemies.

Ouyang Rong's brows relaxed slightly.

In the next instant, everyone was surprised to see a young general in white robes slowly emerge from the woods on the opposite bank.

He was followed by a cold-faced middle-aged female official.

Nearly three hundred White Tiger Guards marched out in orderly formation, stopped on the shore, and stood on the open space where they had originally camped, watching them intently.

Everyone froze.

Lu Ya suddenly looked at the compass in Li Congshan's hand.

"What did you do to Senior Brother Zhang?!"

Li Congshan remained silent, coldly surveying the crowd, and then loudly proclaimed:

"Please return to the manor, Your Highness and Prince!"

Ouyang Rong looked at him calmly.

"Return to the mansion? The mansion has been burned to the ground, what's the point of returning? Has General Li's head been roasted?"

Li Congshan nodded:

"Then we must not run around. Your humble servant will protect the Prince and the Crown Prince."

Rongzhen suddenly walked out:

"You dare to kill me to silence me? Do you think I don't exist?"

Miaozhen tilted her head, looking at her with some surprise and uncertainty:

"Lady Rongzhen? What are you doing here? Where's Wei Wu?"

Li Congshan slowly turned his head, and after a moment, clasped his hands in a fist salute:

"Princess."

Rong Zhen looked at them coldly:

“Wei Wu is long dead. If you don’t want to die, get back here right now.”

Li Congshan lowered his eyes and said:

“Princess, please calm your anger. This humble general was merely following orders. His Majesty commanded us to guard the Xunyang Prince’s residence. Without His Majesty’s orders, the Xunyang Prince’s unauthorized departure from Xunyang is tantamount to rebellion.”

"Your order is to get back!"

Behind Li Congshan's silver-white mask, a pair of eyes narrowed, staring directly at the highly senior Princess Wei.

The soldiers and Miaozhen behind them showed some hesitation.

Li Congshan suddenly turned around, looked around at all the soldiers, and said loudly:

"It is obvious that the princess has been bewitched by the traitor Ouyang Lianghan. We must help the princess eliminate the wicked people around her. Men, prepare the crossbows and proceed."

Under his commanding gaze, his trusted soldiers lowered their heads slightly, retrieved the military crossbows, set them up on the shore, and aimed them at Li Xian's family.

Li Congshan turned around, his tiger-like face resembling a comical smile, offering a gentle reminder to the people on the opposite bank:

"Your Highness, Your Highness, please wait. Arrows have no eyes; do not accidentally injure the two princes."

Li Xian, Li Dalang, and Wei Mei all turned pale, their expressions filled with fear.

Once this powerful crossbow is fired, even Qi cultivators dare not confront it head-on.

Rong Zhen, Ouyang Rong, and Lu Ya can at most run away on their own, but Li Guo'er and Li Xian cannot escape and could be pierced by arrows at any time.

Rong Zhen stepped forward, her petite figure blocking the path of Ouyang Rong and Li Xian's family:

"You dare! You have the guts to kill me and silence me, Li Congshan. Let me tell you, even Wei Jisi wouldn't dare speak to me like that. You dog, do you want to try?"

Her face was icy cold as she nodded slightly.

"Yes, you can shoot arrows, but you can't stop me. I'm not really familiar with Li Xian and the others. You can kill them and that's fine with me. But I hold grudges. When we get back to Luoyang, I'll not only make things difficult for you, but everyone will know about your massacre of the Xunyang King's family. Don't try to fool me with the name of a river pirate from the southern Jianghu. Think it over."

Rongzhen held her head high, appearing indifferent.

Li Xian couldn't help but glance at her again.

Ouyang Rong waved his hand behind his back, signaling the people behind him to calm down.

His gaze fell on the faces of Miaozhen and the soldiers behind Li Congshan, trying to catch something.

Li Congshan remained silent for a while, raising his hand to give the command, but hesitated to lower it.

The cold, sharp arrows of the crossbows pointed at the crowd, glistening with dew in the evening breeze.

The two banks of the river are locked in a stalemate.

Time passed second by second.

Behind her, Wei Mei stood beside Li Xian, holding her husband's arm tightly. She stared at her husband's back as he stood in front of her, holding her breath. At one moment, she heard some voices. She turned around and saw that there was only her son and daughter standing behind her. There was no one else.

Both Li Dalang and Li Guo'er had their eyes fixed on their lovers in front of them, just like hers, with their lips tightly pursed.

Wei Mei frowned, as if he were hallucinating...

Ahead, Ouyang Rong suddenly felt a burning heat in his arms, like holding a scorching charcoal.

The next instant, he noticed that all eyes were on him.

Including Rongzhen and Li Congshan gazing at each other.

Ouyang Rong lowered his head in confusion.

Suddenly, he saw a bright, snow-white moon slowly rising in his arms.

That's right, it's the bright moon!

It emits a hazy, dreamlike, shimmering white moonlight.

Like the jewelry used by Chang'e in the moon palace in legend.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone stared in disbelief.

It took Ouyang Rong, the person involved, three breaths to react, and he looked around.

Is this... a blessing coming true?

As the bright moon slipped from his grasp, the slip of paper that had been placed with it fell into Ouyang Rong's hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he could vaguely see the character "曌" on the slip of paper.

Ouyang Rong stared blankly for a while, his eyes filled with both doubt and curiosity.

The question is, how did the sword react? Why was it so quiet for so long? What was the trigger?

Could it be that it slept for too long after transforming into a luminous pearl, and was only half a beat slow to react when its real name was called?

At this moment, Ouyang Rong was the center of attention, his mind wandering, but he subconsciously reached out to grab "Bright Moon".

It passed right through his palm.

However, Ouyang Rong's palm was not pierced.

It's just that I can't catch it.

Like a dream, a bubble.

It resembles the moon in the human world.

At this very moment, deep in the mountains and forests, as the sun sets and the river flows ceaselessly on both banks, everyone stares up in astonishment at the "bright moon" slowly rising above the young man in the scholar's robe.

It was even more dazzling than the crescent moon hanging silently in the distant sky.

Like a pearl covered in dust, it shakes off a century of dust.

The pure white moonlight bathed everyone's bodies.

It is a... mythical cauldron sword.

A brand new mythical sword!

(End of this chapter)