Chapter 208: The Mirror of Right and Wrong of Old Friends in Mountain City

“The first year of open source.”

The man muttered something, and it seemed that the passing of time touched his heart, so his face showed sadness.

Chen Laosan just felt it was weird.

This person is out of tune with the atmosphere of Jiujiang. Isn't it worth being happy that Lin Shihong is dead?

Take a closer look at him.

This man was dressed like a gangster with a long sword on his waist. He was very tall and thin, with a pale and bloodless face as if he had been ill for a long time.

Seeing his miserable face, Chen Laosan guessed that he might have lost his relatives in the war.

Thinking of several of my own relatives and friends who had passed away earlier, I couldn't help but say a few words of comfort:

"My friend, the great years have passed, and many people are like you. But now is a new beginning, and you must change your mindset and cheer up. I have been in Jiujiang for a long time, and I have heard that the Qingliu area is enjoying a peaceful life. It may not be long before the rest of the world will be the same."

"If you don't have any copper coins, I'll give you a bowl of soup noodles."

As he said that he was going to take a spoon to scoop it up.

The tall, thin man thanked him, then declined. Suddenly, he asked, "Do you know where the Heavenly Master is?"

Hearing the word "Tianshi", Chen Laosan showed admiration.

"A friend just came to Jiujiang?"

"Yes."

"I heard earlier that the Heavenly Master was in Xunyang Palace, but now I don't know."

After Chen Laosan finished speaking, the tall and thin man asked how to get to Xunyang Palace. After Chen Laosan pointed the way, he threw out some silver coins and went straight to Xunyang Palace.

This is very strange.

"Why"

Seeing that he was so generous, Chen Laosan wanted to remind people that Xunyang Palace was not a place that could be entered casually, but in a blink of an eye, the man with a high nose bridge walked away very quickly.

"What a weird guy."

He muttered to himself and was attracted by the noisy noise from the tea shop next door.

For Chen Laosan, it has been a long time since he felt this way. Jiujiang City had gone through a great war and many places were damaged. Naturally, it was not as intact and bright as before the war. Even at this moment, many soldiers in the army were participating in the repairs and cooperating with the craftsmen to move stones and carry wood.

However, this ruined city gave him a sense of rebirth.

It makes even a small person like him feel hopeful about the future.

The harsh winter is over, spring is back, and all things are reviving.

A vague white shadow flashed in Chen Laosan's mind. Thinking of various legends, he couldn't help but look towards the direction of Xunyang Palace.

At this moment, he was awakened by the sound of slapping the table.

"Shopkeeper, what are you doing? Hurry up and serve the soup! Don't delay me from catching the boat north to Chang'an to watch the opera!"

“Here it comes, here it comes~!”

“…”

To the north of Jiujiang, there is a separate small hall in front of the Chaisang Hall of Xunyang Palace. This Zixuan Hall is where the secretary under Lin Shihong works, who specializes in writing memorials, documents and proclamations.

When the city was in chaos, the recorder had already run away.

At this time, Xu Xingzhi was busy drafting a document.

It reads:

"Emperor Yao, the ancient sage, had virtue like heaven and wisdom like a god. He governed the world with ease. He selected the virtuous and capable, and brought harmony to all nations. His benevolence was widespread, and he was admired by all people."

After Zhou Yi decided on the country's name, Xu Xingzhi had a lot to consider.

We can't just talk in vain, we need to improve it.

Moreover, there must be a deep meaning behind the lord's proposal.

After constant pondering, he suddenly understood.

The Zhou and Tang dynasties originated from Tang Yao in ancient times. They first followed the supreme virtue of the ancient sage kings, implemented benevolent policies, governed the country with virtue, selected virtuous people and appointed capable people, and pursued a peaceful and prosperous era like "Yao's Heaven".

This is the orthodox lineage that inherits the Chinese Taoist tradition and shows the fundamental reason for the world to return to its roots.

Confucius praised him, saying, "Great is Yao as a ruler! How majestic and imposing! Only Heaven is great, and only Yao follows it."

Therefore, this is the most ideal monarch in history.

Looking around the world, only our lord has such virtue and ambition.

Combining the Kaiyuan era with the ancient Emperor Yao, we can see that the new Zhou and Tang dynasties heralded a new destiny and held the promise of a prosperous era.

One of the virtual actions is to think and write at the same time.

After finishing a lengthy article, he put the pen to the inkstone, read it over and over again, and stroked his mustache with satisfaction.

Around 9:00 PM, he was ready to present it to his lord.

However, footsteps were heard outside and the palace guards came to report.

After listening to the guard's report, Xu Xingzhi thought for a moment and said, "Bring the person here."

"yes."

The guard took his leave and soon brought in a tall and thin man. Xu Xingzhi was also a first-rate fighter. After a quick look, he knew that the man was quite skilled in martial arts.

"Where do you come from? Why do you seek my Lord?"

"Military Advisor Xu, I've traveled south from Yuguan Pass and have extremely important news to share with the Heavenly Master. This matter concerns the safety of the Central Plains. I'd like to ask the military advisor to introduce me to you."

"What's your name?"

"My name is Yin Xianhe."

Xu Xingzhi was very knowledgeable about the affairs of the martial arts world, and he felt a sense of familiarity when he heard the name.

I flipped through the memories in my mind and looked at him again:

"Are you Mr. Die from Yuguan?"

Yin Xianhe didn't expect that the other party could recognize him: "Exactly."

Master Die is a swordsman from the Northeast. He is said to be cold and ruthless, and has a solitary temperament. Although he has not done any evil, not many people like him because of his personality.

Xu Xingzhi felt even more puzzled after learning his identity.

“But is it related to the Turks?”

"good."

This person often traveled around the northern desert, and most of his news came from Jie Li Khan.

In that case, there is no reason for him to stop anyone.

"Mr. Die, please wait a moment. I will go and ask for instructions."

"Thank you very much."

After Xu Xing finished speaking, there were two footsteps coming from outside.

He hurried out to greet them, and Zhou Yi and Shi Qingxuan were already walking over.

Hearing Xu Xing's respectful greeting, how could Yin Xianhe not know who the visitor was?

Suddenly, I felt complicated. He was always indifferent to others, never smiled, and always had a face that said, "You owe me money."

At this moment, thinking of the rumors in the martial arts world, he couldn't help but be intimidated by the power of the person who came.

He bowed with both hands and said politely, "Yin Xianhe greets the Heavenly Master."

After making sure that he heard the three words "Yin Xianhe" correctly, Zhou Yi glanced at him.

Laughing and asking:

"I just heard you want to tell me about the news from the Turks?"

"yes."

Yin Xianhe, having met the real master, dared not keep the secret any longer. "Since the Heavenly Master arrived in the Eastern Capital, his power has spread throughout the nine provinces. The Turks regard the Heavenly Master as their greatest enemy. This has prompted the Great Khan and the Little Khan to abandon their internal strife and prepare to gather their armies and march south together."

"Western Qin, Liang State, and the two Turkic lackeys Liang Shidu and Liu Wuzhou are also secretly cooperating with Jie Li."

"I can conclude that this time there are not only 100,000 Golden Wolf troops, but also these four coalition forces. The number of people is extremely large."

Having said that, Yin Xianhe glanced at the young man in front of him and found that he was calm.

It seemed as if he didn't care at all about the Turks' actions.

Yin Xianhe continued:

"Before the great battle in the south, when Dou Jiande was heading north to attack Luo Yi, I heard people in Mobei say that Wu Zun had already gone south ahead of him."

"oh?"

Zhou Yi became interested and guessed, "Did Bi Xuan hear the rumors about Chang'an?"

"Yes," Yin Xianhe nodded, "but rumors alone wouldn't have caught Bi Xuan's attention. It was the news that the three great masters had shattered the void at the Pure Thoughts Zen Temple that reached his ears, convincing him that unimaginable changes had occurred in the Central Plains martial arts world."

"Similar to Bi Xuan's situation, the Goguryeo chess and sword master will probably arrive in Chang'an as well."

Zhou Yi thought about what he said.

The three veteran grandmasters, Ning Daoqi, Bi Xuan and Fu Cailin, all went to Chang'an.

The Evil King and the Queen are also there.

Tian Dao also set off yesterday.

Now, Chang'an was really lively, and naturally, I felt moved.

Yin Xianhe discovered that a pair of eyes that seemed to see through him were staring at him.

"Master Die came to see me. Besides bringing this news, did you bring anything else?"

After hearing this, Yin Xianhe became ruthless and wanted to bow down.

Zhou Yi reached out and supported him:

"We've never met before, and your information is very useful to me. I haven't had time to thank you yet, so why bother doing this? If you have something to say, please tell me."

"yes."

Yin Xianhe sorted out his emotions:

"I have a younger sister named Yin Xiaoji. Back then, bandits were rampaging and my family was destroyed. My sister and I wandered the world, relying on each other for survival. But on the way, misfortune struck again. Bandits kidnapped my sister. I lay in a pool of blood at that time. I will never forget it.

She was very strong when she was little, and I knew she would survive, so I searched everywhere for so many years, but the world is so vast, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Xu Xing's doubts were suddenly resolved, and he suddenly understood why Master Die had such a personality.

In troubled times, tragedies like this are common.

"If you are looking for someone, why did you find me?"

"When Yin was passing through Youzhou, he happened to encounter Liu Heita, Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, and others who were attacking Luo Yi. He became acquainted with them. Liu Heita heard my story and described his fate, saying that I was destined to be alone. And the only one in the world who could break this fate was the Heavenly Master."

Yin Xianhe said this with both anticipation and nervousness.

Although Liu Heita and Kou Xu had their say, the matter was so mysterious that it was beyond his understanding.

"Do you know which force abducted your sister?"

Yin Xianhe sighed and shook his head, "I don't know."

Zhou Yi's face darkened slightly. "Among the eight gangs and ten associations in the world, there's the Baling Gang, which specializes in trafficking women. Among the villains are the Xiang family members behind them. I've killed many of them, and I've heard some news about them."

Yin Xianhe's heart was beating violently, his face turned pale, and his eyes were wide open.

"There's a girl among them who looks a bit like you."

"Master, where is she?"

Yin Xianhe tried to ask, and he never expected that there was an answer!

"Go to Xiangyang and try to find her."

Such a plain sentence exploded in Yin Xianhe's mind like thunder.

Looking at the person in front of him again, he seemed even more unfathomable.

Yin Xianhe bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

"Yin will definitely spend the rest of his life slaying evildoers and helping to bring peace to the world in return for your kindness."

He bowed again and then stepped out.

Xu Xingzhi watched Yin Xianhe walk away and couldn't help but sigh:

"It is said that this Butterfly Master is cold and indifferent to others. No matter who he is, he is always as cold as a stone. Now that even such a person is willing to work for Your Majesty, what else can hinder the arrival of a prosperous era?"

Zhou Yi smiled slightly. "He has a good personality, but it's difficult for him to find his sister alone. Send a letter to Ji Yinong in Xiangyang to help reunite them."

"yes."

After Xu Xingzhi responded, he brought the written document.

After reading it, Zhou Yi laughed again.

Xu Xingzhi felt very satisfied when he saw his expression.

The two chatted for a while about the news brought by Yin Xianhe, and then Zhou Yi took Shi Qingxuan out of Xunyang Palace.

Along the way, Shi Qingxuan asked about the brother and sister's tragic life experiences.

Zhou Yi naturally knew that Yin Xianhe's sister was in Xiangyang, but he just gave her a perfunctory answer.

Talk to her about the Baling Gang, the scourge it poses, and the Xiang family behind it.

Xiang Yushan is dead, but the Xiang family is still there.

When we go to Chang'an, we must give them a little surprise.

Zhou Yi did not stay in Jiujiang for long. Six days later, he went to Yuzhang and then headed west to Dongting Lake.

Along the way, some people recognized his identity, while others mistook him for a passerby.

Zhou Yi walked through the streets of various cities and counties. What made him happy was that although the war in the south affected a large area, many cities surrendered directly.

Therefore, the city walls and houses were not damaged.

Even if bandits take the opportunity to cause chaos, it won't be long before the various armies will return and use the rules used in Qingliu City to maintain public order.

Don't worry about the big picture; if you focus on the details, there will be too much to do.

Being close to the market, Zhou Yi basically has a clear idea of ​​the situation.

"There are many experts in Chang'an right now, so be careful when you go there."

When leaving Dongting Lake, Shi Qingxuan prepared to return to Bashu.

Zhou Yi heard the deep meaning in her words and advised: "Don't leave in a hurry."

Shi Qingxuan shook her head: "Finish your work first."

Seeing that she was determined to leave, Zhou Yi thought, "How about this, I'll take you to see an old friend."

"Old friend.?"

"Yes, it's an old friend."

Zhou Yi kept it a secret and didn't tell her who it was.

They first went to Jiangling, then headed north to Nanjun, and finally arrived at that blessed land.

Shi Qingxuan saw the fertile fields on both sides of the river and a huge mountain rising suddenly from the plain, and naturally knew where this place was.

"Pegasus Ranch?"

Shi Qingxuan was a little surprised: "Mr. Lu is here?"

"Did you guess it?"

"I don't have any old friends. It can only be Senior Lu Miaozi. But why is he at Pegasus Ranch?"

then

Shi Qingxuan glanced at him and said, "Are you bringing me here to see Mr. Lu, or to see your beautiful owner?"

Zhou Yi laughed and said, "What a strong hostility."

"Don't interrupt, just speak."

Zhou Yi leaned close to her and whispered something.

"Is this true?" Shi Qingxuan was slightly stunned.

"I'm not lying to you. Xiuxun is Mr. Lu's daughter."

"Don't you want to see Mr. Lu's daughter?"

When Shi Qingxuan heard this, the anger she had just felt disappeared completely.

Senior Lu Miaozi was someone her mother also respected, and many of her interests were influenced by this senior.

"Let's go, you've got what you want."

“…”

Amid the bustle of Pegasus Mountain City, Zhou Yi and Shi Qingxuan entered the inner castle of the mountain city together.

When Shang Xiuxun saw the two of them, she was neither very enthusiastic nor cold.

But after hearing the purpose of their visit, he was obviously surprised.

So I asked about this old story.

In the Bird Garden, Zhou Yi walked among them and he was the one doing most of the talking throughout the whole process.

In a very clever way, he let them know each other's life stories while telling them old stories.

This inevitably gives rise to a sense of sympathy.

Their mothers are all very good. They raised them from childhood and taught them carefully, allowing them to learn many things that will benefit them throughout their lives.

However, they were all exhausted because of their father and eventually passed away with regret.

Therefore, this old man is annoying, and they all have an unclear relationship with the Queen of Hell.

And now.

Feiniao Garden went to the entrance of the Moon Cave in the back mountain. Shi Qingxuan and Shang Xiuxun looked at each other, and then looked at Zhou Yi together.

Now, because of this guy, they are connected again.

Zhou Yi felt two unfriendly gazes.

An inexplicable chill came over him, and the sense of crisis it brought to him was a hundred times stronger than Lin Shihong's cold power.

"Miss Shi."

As the owner of the ranch, Shang Xiuxun took the initiative to step forward.

"There's a waterfall in the back mountain. I'll take you to see it."

"good."

They agreed to look for Lu Miaozi together, but they left first, leaving Zhou Yi behind. He thought about it all the way and finally arrived at Lu Miaozi's cozy nest.

Lao Lu was living a very comfortable life, but suddenly he felt that there was something wrong with the way his daughter looked at him.

He naturally knew Shi Qingxuan, and after asking Zhou Yi, he finally understood what was going on.

"Zhou boy, you are quite courageous."

Lu Miaozi flicked her sleeves and said in a low voice:

"Xiuxun is thinking about the past and will probably give me a look again. You are such an unfriendable person. You have caused me so much trouble."

"I just want them to get acquainted."

Zhou Yi said with a hint of helplessness and righteousness, "Don't worry, I will make sure I won't deflect the blame."

Lu Miaozi handed him a jar of wine.

He glanced to the side and saw his daughter and the daughter of his old friend walking beside the bamboo grove not far away.

"Although I am uncomfortable, you are going to be the emperor, so why worry about this?"

"It's not that I'm worried. I'm just thinking, it's okay for Jiujiang to be in a war at the end of the year, but where should I go to celebrate the New Year in the future?"

This was beyond the scope. Lu Miaozi waved his hands repeatedly: "Where can I get the answer?"

"But I really admire you."

He recalled the past and sighed, "You are very clever and put in more effort than I do."

"besides."

Lu Miaozi looked him up and down: "You are always thinking about these romantic affairs. How can your martial arts skills be so high? Doesn't it make all martial artists in the world feel ashamed?"

"It's not difficult, just manage the time well."

He said it casually, but Lao Lu was actually thinking about it seriously.

Soon, Shi Qingxuan and Shang Xiuxun approached together.

When she saw Lu Miaozi, Shi Qingxuan greeted him politely.

When old friends meet, they will naturally talk about some old stories, most of which are related to Bi Xiuxin.

They had lunch together at noon, with Zhou Yi and Lu Miaozi sitting opposite each other.

He sat below, looking left and right.

Although they were a little dissatisfied with his behavior, they responded to him with their eyes.

Zhou Yi felt relieved upon seeing this.

"Mr. Lu, I'm about to go to Chang'an to retrieve the evil emperor's relics. Do you want to come with me?"

He finished speaking and added:

"The Queen is in Chang'an. Sir, would you like to go and settle the past grudges?"

Lu Miaozi didn't understand why he asked this at first, but she decisively refused:

"I have nothing to do with the Queen of Yin anymore, so why should we meet?"

After he finished speaking, he heard his daughter's voice beside him:

"Old man, you finally have some conscience."

As a result, Shang Xiuxun's anger towards him subsided again.

Lu Miaozi smiled to herself before she realized that Zhou Yi had asked the question on purpose.

Zhou kid is really righteous.

He was also about to help pass the message, but unexpectedly, Zhou Yi had already picked up the six-fruit wine he brewed and poured a glass for Shang Xiuxun and Shi Qingxuan respectively.

Then he said nothing, as if Lao Lu didn't exist. He picked up the wine cup, gestured to the two of them, and drank it all in one gulp with a smile.

They were silent for a few moments and looked at each other.

Shi Qingxuan said, "The relic has a lot of spiritual power, so be careful when handling it."

"I understand." Zhou Yi responded.

Shang Xiuxun continued, "Don't take risks, don't get hurt."

"good."

Zhou Yi responded again, and then saw them drink the sour and sweet wine.

Lu Miaozi watched the whole process, felt the gap, and took a big gulp of Six Fruit Wine.

Strangely, this wine is more sour today, and has a slight bitter taste.

Next, Zhou Yi stayed at Pegasus Ranch for nine days.

During these days, because the three of them were together, except for occasional jokes, he mostly followed the Zhou etiquette and his behavior was impeccable.

He prepared vegetables and painted, took them to practice martial arts, and even went fishing on the frozen waters of the Ju River.

Time flies.

On the day he left, Shi Qingxuan did not return to Bashu immediately, and perhaps he would stay here for a few more days.

Thinking of their tempers, Zhou Yi was not worried.

East Gorge exit of Pegasus Ranch.

"The troops in the south are being mobilized, and now we are about to part. The next time we meet, it may be when the world is pacified."

Zhou Yi seemed to be feeling sad about the separation, but the two people opposite him had a smile on their faces, as if they didn't feel any sense of separation at all.

"What else do you want to say?"

"Well, tell me what you said next."

Zhou Yi's sadness flashed away and he smiled slightly.

"I just want a goodbye hug," he pointed to the rising sun in the distance, "just like embracing this warm morning light."

Shi Qingxuan smiled and shook her head: "No."

The beautiful owner pointed down the mountain and said, "Hurry up and leave."

After hearing this, Zhou Yi turned around and was about to leave, but he only took one step before changing his mind and walking towards them.

He hugged the beautiful owner and then hugged Shi Qingxuan.

Perhaps because he didn't do anything excessive, just a goodbye hug between friends, everything went smoothly.

However, this is already a great courage.

Zhou Yi waved without looking back and went down the mountain with a relaxed smile on his face.

Shi Qingxuan saw him walk away before asking, "Did he come up with all those dishes?"

"Yes, and there are recipes he made."

"That's very thoughtful. Can I take a look?"

Shang Xiuxun's thoughts flashed through her mind, and she quickly nodded: "Of course."

"Qingxuan, can you tell me about his time in Bashu?"

Shi Qingxuan said simply: "Yes."

…

At the end of January in the first year of Kaiyuan, after the south quickly returned to stability, the army crossed the Yangtze River and gathered south of the Huai River.

In early February, the army officially marched north.

The documents from Zhou and Tang dynasties, escorted by fast ships and strong horses, were first delivered to the hands of the northern overlords.

Before the army arrived, many county and prefecture officials along the way had already prepared the city seals, hung high the Zhou flag, and were ready to accept surrender.

After receiving the news, Dongdu responded immediately and sent a letter written by Yang Tong himself to Guanzhong.

Only by waiting for Li Yuan to surrender can unification be achieved in the shortest possible time.

But surprisingly.

No matter whether the letters came from the south or the eastern capital, once they entered Chang'an, they were like a stone sinking into the sea.

According to the character of the leader of the Li family, he should have reacted, but Li Yuan seemed to be oblivious to it, and I don't know what he relied on.

While there were many different opinions, many people from inside and outside the Nine Provinces flocked to Chang'an.

It is said that the evil emperor's relics have reappeared, and they have the secret of breaking the void.

A few years ago, a rumor would not have caused a sensation.

But after the battle at Jingnian Zen Temple, everyone in the world knew that Broken Void really existed. It was also heard that the great martial arts masters of the time might be gathering in Chang'an.

Just this action made people in the world believe that the rumors were true.

The Mobei Martial Master and the Goryeo chess and sword master never leave their guarded areas. Now they are heading to Chang'an together because they are nearly a hundred years old and want to obtain relics to prolong their lifespan.

Therefore, more people from the underworld flocked in.

Most of them are people who want to gain knowledge and join in the fun, or there are martial arts scholars who want to see the great masters of martial arts. There are also many people who are taking chances and trying to fish in troubled waters.

This time, more warriors entered Chang'an than those who went to Dongdu before.

But in such a dangerous situation, the Li family remained unmoved, which is puzzling.

At almost the same time, a riot broke out in the Mobei grasslands.

The Beiba Gang, Wailian Gang, Saimo Gang and Changbai Faction located in the northern border lost a large number of manpower.

The three gangs and one faction in Mobei suffered a huge blow.

For example, the external liaison gang headed by Da Gonglang of the Xi people directly turned to Jie Li Khan.

Any force that dared to disobey the orders of the Great Khan in the Mobei area was completely destroyed.

The passage of the 100,000-strong Golden Wolf Army was a devastating disaster.

Jie Li Khan was preparing his army and, with the cooperation of the young Khan Tuli, integrating the forces of the grassland.

Li Gui of Liang and Xue Ju of Western Qin also mobilized large armies.

In order to survive, the caravans and horse gangs that had been fighting in the Mobei and Hexi areas for many years all retreated to the Central Plains.

Everyone knows that a great war is imminent.

…

"Kill! Kill them all, don't let any one go!"

On the top of the Xingyang city wall, a man in his forties or fifties, dressed like a scholar, was shouting.

Anger flowed in Wei Zheng's eyes, and the melancholy on his face was even more intense than before.

Below the city wall, a large group of people were surrounding the group in the middle and fighting.

The number of people surrounding them was almost twice that of the group in the middle.

However, they were unable to capture the group for the time being.

The fight between the two sides was extremely brutal.

"Wei Zheng, what are you doing?"

An Englishman in a loose white robe ran over with a look of rage on his face: "Stop it, tell them!"

He carried a longbow on his back, his eyes gleaming with sharpness.

"General Wang, they have gone crazy."

"They are the secret confidants of the emperor, how could they go crazy?"

"That's the truth."

Wang Bodang frowned and said, "Wei Zheng, you secretly mobilized troops and are going to betray Lord Mi?!"

After saying this, he drew the long sword from his waist.

Wei Zheng glared at him and walked towards his knife. Not only was he not afraid, he also put Wang Bodang's knife on his neck.

"General Wang, five families in the city were slaughtered by them, hundreds of lives lost. Don't people like this deserve to die?"

Wang Bodang was immediately dismayed when he heard this. "Damn them, but you should have let me investigate. If it's true, I'll kill them myself!"

"The secret minister asked you to manage the government, you shouldn't presumptuously mobilize troops."

When he said this, his tone had slowed down.

Wei Zheng said, "By the time you investigate, they've already left."

"Do you know who died?"

"Some of them were Li Mi's close associates. They hid in Xingyang, observing my movements and also yours. Therefore, they knew where Li Mi was. Now they were killed because these lunatics were trying to silence him. Besides those few, the rest of the dead were innocent people who were implicated."

Wei Zheng shouted towards the city again: "Kill them!"

After shouting, he looked at Wang Bodang, who was a little dazed:

"If you think I'm talking nonsense, then may I ask you, where is Li Mi?"

Wang Bodang put away the knife.

The confusion on his face became even more intense because he couldn't come up with an answer.

Wei Zheng ignored his breakdown and continued:

"You treat others with loyalty and righteousness, believing that a scholar will die for his confidant, but you chose the wrong person. Li Mi is afraid of the Taoist Heavenly Master. He doesn't want to die, so he doesn't trust you either. Otherwise, you wouldn't be placed in Xingyang, becoming the target of the Heavenly Master's wrath like me."

Wang Bodang stood there in a daze, and he opened his mouth to refute.

Wei Zheng interrupted directly: "Isn't what I said the truth?"

"General Wang, you are no longer blindly loyal; you are foolish. If you know someone is harboring evil intentions and causing harm to a region, yet you continue to aid and abet their evil, even risking your life for them, that is not heroic or loyal, but rather hopeless."

Wang Bodang's eyes widened. Although he liked to talk, he was no match for Wei Zheng when it came to arguing.

"People should have a mirror in their hearts that can distinguish right from wrong, so they can know what is right and wrong and fight against it. Even if the emperor makes a mistake, they should have the courage to point it out. In this way, they can die a happy death. If you have this mirror now, you should look at yourself."

"I've said before that those foreigners can't be trusted. They've messed up their heads."

"If you are still a man, kill them now and don't let these evildoers run to other parts of the county and harm the people."

Wang Bodang finally found an outlet to vent his anger. He was furious and stood on the top of the city wall, drawing his bow and shooting.

He is known as the Archer of God, and the arrows he shoots can draw various trajectories in the air, making it impossible to defend against them.

He shot arrows one after another, each one faster than the last.

In the chaos of battle, being targeted by a sharpshooter is quite deadly.

In an instant, several top-notch masters among those surrounded fell off their horses and to the ground.

Wang Bodang fired several rounds in a row and emptied his quiver.

He raised his knife and attacked again!

At this time, the besieging party's morale increased greatly, and with the leadership of the powerful general Wang Bodang, they immediately rushed to the center of the encirclement.

There was a river of blood under the city wall, and nearly a thousand corpses were lying there.

Wang Bodang returned to the top of the city wall to find Wei Zheng. He was covered in blood and had a knife wound on his shoulder.

"please!"

Wei Zheng understood what he meant and followed him to the homes of the families that had been slaughtered.

After some investigation, it turned out to be just as Wei Zheng said.

Wang Bodang threw his knife down on the street. The pain in his heart was far greater than that in his body.

Thinking back on what Wei Zheng said now, it was even more heartbreaking.

"How did you find out? Also, why were you able to mobilize troops without my order?"

Wei Zheng said frankly: "The news was found out for me by the Heavenly Master's men."

"Li Mi asked you to supervise the army, but many people are no longer willing to follow Li Mi. These people are willing to listen to me."

"you!"

Wang Bodang wanted to curse, but stopped himself.

"Have you seen the Heavenly Master?"

"Yes."

Wei Zheng casually recounted what happened that night: "He and Li Mi are two completely different types of people. One is on the wrong path, and the other is on the right path."

"You've heard the news from the south. Do you still want Xingyang to be in the midst of war?"

Wang Bodang sighed: "What should I do?"

Wei Zheng said: "Even if the Heavenly Master wants to kill you, you should still do something meaningful. Most of the army still listens to you. First mobilize the troops and kill those who are going to cause trouble in advance according to the information I received."

"You've been in Xingyang for so long, eating the rice grown by the people. You should do something for them."

"That way, when you die, they'll say Wang Bodang was a real man."

"Do you want to do it?"

Wei Zheng stared at him. Wang Bodang looked up at the sky for a long time and then nodded to Wei Zheng.

Wei Zheng patted his shoulder vigorously, feeling that this man was not that stupid.

This time, the blow hit Wang Bodang's wound, causing him to grit his teeth in pain.

Wei Zheng acted decisively and, with the cooperation of Wang Bodang, fought from day to night. All of Li Mi's "crazy" confidants and the underworld and alien forces behind them were eliminated.

Without Wang Bodang's cooperation, he really couldn't do it.

This killing resulted in thousands of heads being lost.

Wei Zheng himself felt scared.

Late at night, the two men came to Li Mi's house, and Wei Zheng washed his face with well water in the moonlight.

"Actually, I was also deceived by Li Mi."

Wei Zheng wiped the water stains from his face:

"Li Mi told me back then that once the Heavenly Master reclaimed the south, the layout of Xingyang would become meaningless, and his trusted aides would withdraw from this place and hand Xingyang over to the enemy."

"In this way, there will be no harm to the people."

"But for some unknown reason, his closest associates have no intention of withdrawing and are instead hatching a sinister plan."

"Without external help, we will both become eternal sinners."

Wei Zheng shook his head: "This time it's all thanks to you, otherwise the Heavenly Master would have thought I was deceiving him."

Wang Bodang suddenly laughed:

"Why, you, Wei Zheng, are afraid sometimes?"

Wei Zheng said, "I'm not afraid of death, it's just a pity."

"I still have many ambitions to fulfill. If a new dynasty is established, I want to be a minister of remonstration."

"A minister of remonstration?" Wang Bodang laughed again. "That's tantamount to seeking death. Haven't you heard that he's petty and always looking for revenge?"

"No."

Wei Zheng smiled and said, "This is the wisdom of a new monarch. Everything should be done with a legitimate reason."

Wang Bodang was stunned. He felt he didn't have many days left to live, so he spoke casually, "Your words are clearly flattery. You can't be a minister of remonstration, but you are good at flattery."

"What do you know?"

Wei Zheng said, "Think carefully, although he killed many people, who did he kill?"

"If he was really petty, could Xu Shiji have survived? Perhaps I would have been killed that night."

"On the contrary, I feel that this new ruler is a generous and magnanimous person, and he also cares for his people, which is rare. Perhaps it is because of this mentality that his martial arts level is so high."

"Well, there are definitely some minor issues, but I haven't had much contact with him, so I don't know much about them."

After hearing this, Wang Bodang couldn't help but think of what happened in Yongqiu that year.

Taking this opportunity, he began to talk to Wei Zheng.

The two chatted until dawn, and Wei Zheng finally understood the grievances between them.

He said to Wang Bodang:

"It seems that your death was not unjust."

"Don't worry, in recognition of your help this time, I will erect a good tombstone for you, and every year on the anniversary of your death, I will always give you a pot of wine."

Wang Bo bowed to him and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Wei."

Wei Zheng was about to speak when he suddenly heard footsteps coming from outside. Then, before the two men looked on in disbelief, a figure in white strolled towards them.

…

(End of this chapter)