Chapter 156 The Prefect, in Desperation, Attempts to Murder the Emperor
Xiao Qidi steadied himself by bracing himself with the tip of his knife, gritting his teeth as he said, "We were still careless... He must have poisoned the wine we were given."
"So that's how it is, Your Majesty. It's a good thing you only drank one cup." Duan Wu suddenly realized, and then angrily rebuked Lord You: "You corrupt official! Since you already knew His Majesty's identity, why didn't you say so earlier! Quickly, detoxify His Majesty!"
Lord You sneered, "Heh, I didn't intend to kill you at first. I just put some muscle relaxant in your wine jugs as a precaution. As long as you are truly obedient to me, you will naturally be safe. But I never expected it to turn out like this."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lord You suddenly exerted force with both arms, snapping the thick ropes binding him. He then whispered a few words to his servant, who obeyed and left quickly.
Duan Wu was horrified. His Majesty was right; this corrupt official's martial prowess was indeed no less than his own.
"You corrupt official!" Duan Wu roared, "Are you trying to rebel?!"
Lord You's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. "His Majesty has learned of what I have done. If I let you leave alive, I will surely suffer torture and die a gruesome death, and I will be infamous in history for eternity. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but no matter what, I will make sure you both die today."
Xiao Qidi gently put An'an down, shielding her behind him, and said without changing his expression, "You still want to assassinate the emperor? You're really desperate."
Duan Wu forced himself to stand up. "You corrupt official! Let me tell you, I'm not just bringing fifty soldiers. I also have several thousand elite troops, and we should be able to reach Hewan County today! They all know that His Majesty and I left the county government with you. If His Majesty encounters any misfortune, you will definitely be implicated! At that time, another crime will be added to your already heinous crimes! You still want to save your life? You want to avoid being infamous for eternity? Dream on!"
After finishing this conversation, Duan Wu was so exhausted that his vision blurred and he almost fell over.
Xiao Qidi secretly gathered his strength and attacked Lord You with his knife.
Unfortunately, the drug had already taken effect, slowing him down considerably in both strength and speed, allowing Lord You to dodge in time.
Then, Lord You retreated and dodged several times, flipping and leaping onto a rock more than ten feet high. Looking down at it, he smiled and said, "General Duan, I might as well tell you, as long as you and the emperor are both dead, I can pin the crime of regicide on you."
"Bah!" Duan Wu roared, "Do you think my soldiers would believe that?!"
"Hahahaha!" Lord You laughed wildly. "So what if they don't believe me? Let me tell you again, I am a relative of the royal family and nobility. Otherwise, how do you think I could become a prefect at only thirty-something years old? Do you think the royal family, nobility, and court officials of Great Xuan will believe me or your bunch of watchdogs on the border after the emperor and you die? If your people want to seek justice for you in the future, they will only be labeled as accomplices in regicide and traitors by the court!"
These words left Duan Wu speechless, his rough face turning ashen.
Xiao Qidi was secretly alarmed. He hadn't known enough about the officials before. If it weren't for the refugee crisis in Yu Kingdom on the border, which led him to follow Ning Jinli's advice and go to Hewan County incognito, he would never have imagined that, centered on the prefect of Longyuan, from local county magistrates to court officials and nobles, they had colluded to such an extent.
Hurried footsteps sounded.
Lord You's guards arrived, armed with sharp blades.
There were about thirty people, who instantly surrounded Xiao Qidi and Duan Wu.
Xiao Qidi immediately threw the battle sword to Duan Wu.
This battle sword, like the general's armor worn by Duan Wu, was made using modern technology. Duan Wu was severely affected by the effects of the drug, but with this equipment, he still had the strength to fight.
Xiao Qidi took out the dagger he had brought with him, cut two strips of cloth from his clothes, and tied An'an tightly to his arms.
"Big brother..." An An's little face was filled with fear.
Xiao Qidi lowered his head and smiled, saying softly, "Don't be afraid, close your eyes and cover your ears."
An'an held back her tears and obediently did as she was told.
"Kill them," Lord You ordered casually.
More than thirty guards rushed forward.
Duan Wu became furious. He first slashed his left palm with a knife, using the excruciating pain to force himself to stay awake, and then swung his battle sword to meet the attack.
The life-or-death battle began instantly.
Normally, Duan Wu could hold his own against these thirty-odd guards even without superior equipment. But now, he was at a physical disadvantage from the start, and if it weren't for his high-defense armor, he would have been riddled with holes in no time.
Xiao Qidi and Duan Wu stood back to back. Duan Wu swung his sword and slashed widely, while Xiao Qidi finished off the remaining enemies with his dagger.
The two worked together seamlessly, and in the first round of combat, several of Lord You's guards fell in pools of blood.
Duan Wu's spirits lifted, and he roared, "A bunch of small fry, nothing special! Anyone who wants to die, come at me!"
Bang!
Two knives slashed at his shoulders, the force of which sent him staggering backward.
Xiao Qidi supported him with his back to help him regain his balance.
The two guards who had launched the surprise attack were also stunned, their hands going numb. To their surprise, their all-out slashes had not left a single mark on Duan Wu's armor. Instead, their own swords were bent and deformed, rendering them unusable.
Before the two could react, Duan Wu pounced and slashed their necks with his knife.
Fresh blood gushed out like a fountain.
Duan Wu, covered in blood, looked up and glared fiercely at Lord You, who was standing not far away.
Lord You exclaimed in surprise, "When did the Great Xuan Dynasty acquire such sturdy armor and such sharp weapons?"
"You corrupt official! Prepare to die!" Duan Wu roared as he leaped up and charged at Lord You with all his might.
Lord You, fearing the sharp blade in his hand, immediately leaped back.
Bang!
A muffled thud.
Duan Wu cleaved open the rock where Lord You had just stood, and the flying shards of rock cut a shallow bloodstain on Lord You's face.
Xiao Qidi seized the opportunity and, before Lord You could land, threw the dagger at him.
However, Lord You's skills were extraordinary, not to mention that Xiao Qidi was no longer able to exert his normal fighting power at this moment. Just as the dagger was about to hit, Lord You twisted in mid-air and kicked the dagger back.
Swish—
The dagger tore through the air, heading straight for Xiao Qidi's face.
Xiao Qidi shielded An'an in his arms with both hands and leaned back quickly. The dagger flying from the upper left just grazed his nose and nearly disfigured him.
"Are you all incompetent?" Lord You, still shaken, wiped the blood from his cheek and roared at the other guards, "Two men who were already at their last gasp, yet you still managed to injure me!"
The remaining twenty-odd guards used all their skills to once again besiege Xiao Qidi and Duan Wu.
The two fought as they broke through towards the outer forest, and finally managed to reach the forest after taking down the last guard.
Lord You then gathered all the guards from the hot spring mansion, a total of two hundred men, and went into the forest to hunt them down.
At the same time, he ordered his subordinates to send 5,000 elite troops from Longyuan County to surround the base area completely.
In his view, Xiao Qidi and Duan Wu were doomed this time, with absolutely no chance of escaping.
In the mountains and forests, Duan Wu was exhausted and collapsed on the ground like a rag doll.
Xiao Qidi had also reached his limit. With one hand covering the little girl in his arms and the other grabbing the back of Duan Wu's armor collar, he struggled to drag him to a hidden spot in the grass.
"Your Majesty... don't worry about me..." Duan Wu's eyes were empty as he stared at the sky, which was now only partially obscured by the tall tree canopy. "You must find a way to escape yourself. This humble general is incompetent... and can no longer help you..."
Xiao Qidi lowered his voice, "Save your energy by saying less."
"Big brother..." An'an asked, trembling, "Are we all going to die...?"
Xiao Qidi felt heavy-hearted. Judging from the current situation, it was indeed impossible to escape. But he still comforted him, saying, "No, I still want to take you to reunite with your mother."
An'an asked again, "Where did the fairy sister go? Will she come to save us?"
Xiao Qidi lowered his eyes, Ning Jinli's image and voice appearing in his mind. He murmured to himself, "Jinli... I'm completely helpless now, can you feel it..."
Just then, a rustling sound came from afar.
The soldiers dispatched by the prefect of Longyuan have already begun searching this area.
——
Right now.
In the ruins of the Kutcherberg nuclear power plant.
Ning Jinli has been meditating here for most of the day.
After teleporting Duan Wu and a troop of soldiers to Hewan County in the morning, she came here to recover her inner strength. She sat cross-legged on the ground without moving.
She continuously absorbed the radioactive energy permeating the environment and transformed it into internal energy using the Heavenly Profound Heart Method.
She was completely absorbed in her surroundings, her mind and body seemingly becoming one with her surroundings, so much so that even the wild animals that occasionally passed by did not notice her presence.
"Jinli..."
Suddenly, a voice called out in her mind, breaking her peace.
She thought she was suddenly missing Xiao Qidi again, but when she regained her senses, a feeling of unease quickly welled up in her heart.
This feeling is familiar; I've had it before.
That was the telepathic connection that occurred when Xiao Qidi was in danger.
Moreover, this time the sensation was stronger than ever before.
"Is it because my feelings for him have deepened, or because my internal strength has become stronger?" Ning Jinli muttered to herself, then suddenly frowned. "Or perhaps it's because he encountered a more dangerous situation than before?"
Thinking of this, her heart pounded as if it were about to jump out of her throat.
"No, we have to go find him right now!"
Ning Jinli took a deep breath, focused all her attention on sensing, and tried to determine the approximate location so that she could move the passage of the space-time portal around her, just as she had done before.
At this moment, Xiao Qidi was hiding in the tall grass, which was taller than a person, judging the location of the soldiers by the sounds around him, while dragging Duan Wu to move and avoid being searched.
Several times, guards passed by him just two steps away, and he almost got noticed.
Although the forest was vast, with over two hundred people searching back and forth, Xiao Qidi had fewer and fewer places to hide. The effects of the muscle-relaxing powder had reached their peak, and if it weren't for his strong willpower, he probably would have already fainted.
"That's strange. I clearly felt someone was hiding in the bushes here, but I just couldn't find them." Several soldiers were pacing back and forth in one spot, whispering to each other.
"Could we be seeing things?"
"There seem to be traces here, probably left by them."
"Could it be an animal? Wild boars and wolves often roam these mountains and forests, and there are even black bears and tigers..."
"Could they have slipped out of our encirclement and search area?"
"Quick! Over there! Don't let them get away!"
Then, Xiao Qidi heard the group of people quickly leave.
After a short wait, Duan Wu said in a voice barely above a mosquito's buzz, "Your Majesty...it seems they've gone looking elsewhere."
Xiao Qidi lay on the ground, slowly reaching out to part the dense grass and observe carefully.
The surroundings were quiet; the footsteps that had been heard in small groups earlier had ceased, and only the occasional chirping of birds could be heard in the distance.
Xiao Qidi felt that danger was nearby, but it was getting late and the forest was already shrouded in gloom. In a little while, even if he wasn't caught by the guards, he was very likely to encounter large beasts like bears or tigers.
Given their condition, he and Duan Wu would almost certainly become prey for wild beasts.
With no other option, he could only try to continue moving towards the edge of the forest.
Just as he had crouched down and dragged Duan Wu a few steps—
Wow!
Several guards suddenly jumped out from the side.
"Hahahaha!" A soldier rushed up behind Xiao Qidi, laughing, and held a knife to his neck. "You've fallen for my trap!"
Xiao Qidi was also helpless.
He wasn't unaware of this possibility, but he had no choice but to take the risk and try to escape. If he couldn't, then he would have to resort to the last method.
"I presume you already know my identity," Xiao Qidi said calmly, turning his head slightly. "Have you thought this through? The crime of regicide punishes nine generations of one's family. Do you really want to commit such a heinous crime for the sake of a mere prefect?"
The guards were about to deliver the fatal blow when they heard these words and paused in their actions.
Xiao Qidi continued, "If you save me this time, you will have rendered a great service. Not only will I not punish you, but I will also grant you official titles and ranks. Isn't this more promising than serving as a soldier for the prefect?"
The guard who had held the knife to his neck hesitated, and slowly began to move the knife away from his hand.
The other soldiers looked at each other, quickly making their own plans.
Duan Wu then coaxed them gently, saying, "This is a golden opportunity for you. I suffered countless hardships and escaped death many times at Xitun Pass before being appointed a border general. You can easily achieve the merit of saving the emperor. Your ancestors' graves will be emitting auspicious smoke..."
"Escort me, General Duan, and this young girl away," Xiao Qidi slowly turned around, looked directly at the guards behind him, and said, word by word, "I will grant you titles and lands, and I will not take this lightly."
The hearts of the soldiers present were pounding.
Such a promise was far too tempting for them, especially since it was personally agreed upon by the monarch.
"Your Majesty! I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse!" The guard in front of Xiao Qidi sheathed his knife, bowed his head, and clasped his hands in a gesture of loyalty.
Seeing this, the other five soldiers also defected.
Just as they were about to escort Xiao Qidi and the other two away, a large number of soldiers from all directions surged in, led by Lord You.
"Now that you've caught them, why not execute them on the spot? Where are you planning to take them?" Lord You stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the six guards with a cold smile.
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