Chapter 79
A few days later, Fan Hui finished processing the documents for settling the tribal people, and the chieftains set off for the capital.
As the sun rises in the east, the sky is filled with rosy clouds.
Fan Hui and Wei Mingsu reined in their horses in front of the city gate and watched the procession heading to the capital slowly walk into the morning light.
The group chatted and laughed as they rode by.
One of the people who passed by slowed down and his eyes crinkled into a smile.
The city gate was bathed in radiant light, reflecting the rising sun. She wore a red robe, her smile radiant, and she looked heroic and spirited.
Fan Hui smiled and said, "Third Sister, have a safe journey."
Wei Mingsu remained indifferent and silent.
Lu Huaying's gaze lingered on Wei Mingsu.
Amidst the swirling sand and the clatter of horses' hooves on the main road, their eyes met.
Wei Mingsu nodded slightly to Lu Huaying without saying a word.
Lu Huaying understood what he meant, smiled at him, turned around and spurred her horse to catch up with the others.
A group of cheerful young people from other ethnic groups surrounded her and headed east.
Fan Hui watched Lu Huaying's retreating figure, smiled, and said, "I remembered a few years ago, she rode past us on horseback, followed by a group of young masters from prominent families... She ignored everyone, but stopped in front of you. You were reading a book and didn't look up. She poked your shoulder with her whip... Her smile just now was the same as before."
He turned his head, looked at Wei Mingsu, and felt a surge of emotion.
Everyone used to envy Wei Mingsu. He was unremarkable, poor, and of humble origin, merely a scribe. He couldn't understand why Lu Huaying would like such an unromantic blockhead like Wei Mingsu, yet, Wei Mingsu could make Lu Huaying smile.
A few years ago, it was him who made her laugh; a few years later, it's still Wei Mingsu.
Fan Hui raised an eyebrow at Wei Mingsu: "You really aren't going back to Beijing with them?"
Wei Mingsu shook his head and said, "We haven't caught Nie Zijie yet, it would be better if we split up."
He watched Lu Huaying's figure disappear outside the city gate, then returned to the city, packed his luggage, and left the city under the escort of Tong Jin and A Yu.
The warming winds melted the glaciers on the mountaintops, and the melted snow rushed down, flowing through the dried-up riverbeds, gradually bringing more greenery to the Gobi Desert.
They traveled the northern route, entered the pass, and the closer they got to the Central Plains, the warmer the weather became. By the time they reached Liangzhou, the summer mountains were lush and green, and the wheat fields were rolling with golden waves.
The authorities failed to capture Nie Zijie, so Tong Jin and A Yu did not dare to relax along the way. They stayed at the post station at night and got up to check at the slightest sound.
As they traveled that day, a sudden downpour began. With no village or shop in sight, they had no choice but to continue their journey in the rain. At noon, they came across a village and entered to take shelter and rest.
They all caught a chill and stayed in the village.
As night falls, the village gradually quiets down, broken only by the occasional bark of a dog.
Wei Mingsu took his medicine, wrote a few letters, and then lay down to sleep.
In the middle of the night, a figure entered the room and raised a knife, aiming it at Wei Mingsu, who was lying on the bed.
The knife slashed down, but no blood splattered.
There was no one under the blanket.
He drew his knife, turned around, paused for a moment, and walked towards the corner.
At this moment, the man's voice had already woken up Wei Mingsu, who was sleeping in the corner.
The man walked up to him, his face covered in a thick beard, a flower pinned to his hat, and said with a smile, "Governor Wei, I, Nie, have gone to great lengths to find you, and I was almost captured by the Xiliang people to be a soldier."
Wei Mingsu stood up calmly.
"An assassin!"
Suddenly a loud shout came from the courtyard, and footsteps came from this direction. Tong Jin and A Yu pushed open the door and rushed into the house. Without hesitation, they grabbed Wei Mingsu and ran outside.
Nie Zijie was taken aback, then smiled and calmly swung his knife.
A cold glint flashed, and the knives in Tong Jin and A Yu's hands were both cut down.
Before the two could react, a cold glint flashed before their eyes and slashed across Wei Mingsu's chest.
Fresh blood dripped onto the ground.
Tong Jin and A Yu were so frightened that their trembling hairs stood on end.
No wonder Nie Zijie dared to call himself the number one swordsman in the world; his swordsmanship was indeed superb!
"Run!"
together
With A Yu supporting Wei Mingsu, the three of them rushed to the threshold.
Nie Zijie caught up with him.
Tong Jin and A Yu were knocked to the ground.
Nie Zijie stood in the doorway.
At the critical moment, a sudden gust of wind swept through the courtyard, and a figure leaped across the yard. With a flick of his wrist, a cold light flashed, and a curved blade, accompanied by the sound of thunder, pierced through the air and came through the window.
With a clang, the scimitar collided with Nie Zijie's blade.
The slash came with tremendous force and speed, leaving Nie Zijie's hands numb. A look of surprise flashed across his face.
Tong Jin and A Yu seized the opportunity to get up, helped Wei Mingsu up, and with a light step, the three of them escaped outside the house.
Nie Zijie snapped out of his daze, turned around, leaped over the threshold, and jumped into the courtyard.
A flash of light appeared outside the courtyard, and several people rushed in from outside.
The young man leading the group, dressed in a black robe and tall and slender, decisively said to his companions, "Take him away!"
When Nie Zijie suddenly appeared, Wei Mingsu remained calm. Despite being stabbed, he remained composed, as if he had expected it. However, when he recognized the young man who rushed in, he froze for a moment, his face immediately darkening and his eyes flashing like lightning.
He gripped the young man's wrist tightly: "You!"
The young man seemed to know he was about to fly into a rage, and said to Tongjin and Ayu, "Let's go!"
The two exchanged a glance, and while Wei Mingsu's attention was on the young man, they knocked him unconscious and helped him rush out of the courtyard.
"Leave the one surnamed Wei!"
Nie Zijie, gripping his knife, chased after him.
"I'll cover the rear!"
The young man blocked the gate, drew his saber, and went to meet them.
The light shone on the young man's face, revealing his white teeth, red lips, and exquisite features.
Nie Zijie looked at the young man with surprise: "You're a woman? Did you throw that knife into the house just now?"
The young man nodded.
Nie Zijie looked her over with interest for a while and asked, "What's your name?"
The young man calmly replied, "My surname is Lu, Lu San Niang."
Nie Zijie shook his head regretfully and said solemnly, "I'm going to kill Wei Mingsu tonight. You'd better back off, and I might spare your life. But if you're stubborn, don't blame me for being ruthless. Anyone who stands in my way will die!"
As he uttered his last few words, his figure shot up like a gust of wind, and his curved blade slashed down.
Instantly, the entire courtyard was filled with a chilling murderous aura.
The greatest swordsman in the world, if he were to strike head-on with all his might, no one could withstand it. If you were to be struck by this sword, you would surely be decapitated!
Lu Huaying remained unfazed and pounced on him.
Nie Zijie narrowed his eyes and swung his sword down.
The two knives clashed.
The gleaming blade reflected on their faces. Lu Huaying's gaze was calm, while Nie Zijie's hairpin trembled slightly.
The two figures entangled in mid-air, exchanging blows for a moment, before Nie Zijie leaped onto the wall and jumped down, chasing after the woods where they had fled together.
Lu Huaying was at a disadvantage, but she still kept up with him closely, trying to buy time.
Nie Zijie was spurred into action and decided to finish the fight quickly. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He was highly skilled in martial arts, and every strike he made was delivered with full force, each move a deadly and dangerous attack.
Lu Huaying dodged with all her might.
The two chased each other into the woods. Nie Zijie shouted and slashed with his knife.
Lu Huaying's eyes darted around, and she suddenly swerved to the left and right to avoid his attack, then turned and rushed deeper into the woods.
The wind howled behind them as Nie Zijie's knife lunged forward, swift as lightning.
Lu Huaying's path was blocked by this knife. She staggered and fell to the ground.
She gripped her saber, raised her head, and looked pale.
Nie Zijie walked up to her, sighed, and raised his knife.
A sudden gust of wind whistled past my ears.
Nie Zijie felt a chill and quickly dodged to the side. An arrow pierced through the air and struck his right cheek, drawing blood.
There's an ambush!
Nie Zijie wiped the blood from his face and frowned.
The wind started blowing again.
Arrows flew in one after another.
Nie Zijie raised his sword, dodged, and used the sword to knock down the other arrows.
Footsteps approached from all sides, and several torches lit up in the woods. A group of soldiers dressed in black and carrying bows and arrows surrounded Nie Zi from all sides and freed him from the encirclement.
Nie Zijie kicked away the arrows that had fallen at his feet, glanced around the woods, looked at Lu Huaying, and sneered, "So this was a trap. You, as a woman, dared to fight me. I respect you for not being inferior to men! I didn't expect it to be your trap to lure me in. Don't you dare to compete with me, Nie Zijie?"
Lu Huaying stood up, smiled, and said, "A martial artist should not bully the weak. You rely on your superior martial arts to hunt down an unarmed person. I can also set a trap to overwhelm you with numbers. All's fair in war, so surrender now."
Nie Zijie sneered, "None of you can keep me here!"
With that, he shouted and raised his knife.
The crowd was terrified. Several of his personal guards were shaken by the murderous aura emanating from him, their blood surging and their faces contorted in pain.
Lu Huaying said to everyone, "Don't panic! Those in the back, keep firing arrows and form a battle formation!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a dozen or so guards took a step forward, while the others either retreated or moved to the sides.
Nie Zijie sneered and raised his knife forward, intending to cut a path.
His personal guards hurriedly retreated, seemingly terrified of him and unwilling to get close, yet they maintained their formation. A dozen men brandished their swords and waved them around him, while the others hid behind trees and fired arrows at him. Although he was able to deflect the arrows, Lu Huaying pounced on him again, disrupting his swordplay.
Nie Zijie persisted for a while, somewhat surprised. The formation in front of him seemed loose and without any rules, yet it seemed to contain hidden secrets, always surrounding him and not dispersing.
He dared not be negligent and fought fiercely with his sword.
As Lu Huaying disrupted his swordsmanship, she laughed and said, "Nie Zijie, you are not worthy of the title of the greatest swordsman in the world! A swordsman is not defined by how high his martial arts skills are, but by his chivalry, his willingness to draw his sword to eliminate evil, and his swift retribution. That is what makes a swordsman. You take money and are nothing more than an assassin!"
Enraged, Nie Zijie slashed at Lu Huaying with his sword.
Lu Huaying was too slow to dodge this time, and her black robe was torn. Instead of calming down, she laughed even more triumphantly and continued to provoke Nie Zijie.
Nie Zijie suddenly couldn't suppress his anger, and his swordsmanship and movements became faster and faster as he approached Lu Huaying step by step.
Lu Huaying had no way out.
Nie Zijie raised his knife again, but suddenly his body stiffened, his whole body felt numb and weak, and he let his hands fall down.
He was taken aback, and tried to circulate his internal energy, only to find that he was unable to use his internal force.
While directing his personal guards, Lu Huaying was also provoking Nie Zijie. He was already on the verge of collapse, his black robe disheveled and covered in sweat. Seeing that Nie Zijie's complexion was not good, Lu Huaying breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "As I just said, all's fair in war. Tonight, these arrows are all prepared for the number one assassin in the world. The arrowheads are poisoned."
Nie Zijie suddenly realized that he had been poisoned!
Lu San Niang and the formation in front of him were meant to trap him, force him to circulate his internal energy, and make the poison be activated even faster!
Nie Zijie calmed down, and without hesitation, leaped up and fled into the woods.
The guards fired arrows in his direction and gave chase.
Lu Huaying finally let out a breath and collapsed to the ground.
"Third Sister!"
After settling Wei Mingsu down, A Yu came over to help. When he saw Lu Huaying fall to the ground, he was startled and ran over.
Lu Huaying sat up, panting, "Is Governor Wei alright?"
Ayu helped her stand up: "I examined your wound, it's not serious."
Lu Huaying felt relieved.
A Yu looked back at the woods, his expression grave, and said, "We prepared for more than a month, but Nie Zijie still managed to escape."
Lu Huaying shook her head: "He's been poisoned, he can't run far, and Shabo is waiting for him."
They've been preparing for so long; this time they won't let Nie Zijie go.
The two men led their wounded soldiers back to the village.
"Third Sister!" A soldier who had stayed in the village rushed over. "Prefect Wei has woken up and wants to see you!"
Lu Huaying felt a little guilty and stepped into the courtyard.
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