Xiangguo Temple (2)
The voice was light and airy, carrying a faint hint of apology, yet it was more chilling than a direct threat.
Miss Xiao?
Realizing what the man in black had just said, Jie Xiangsi's heart pounded in her chest. It was as if a thunderclap had exploded in her ears. In an instant, her blood seemed to freeze, and even her breathing became shallow.
How did this person know her true identity?! Who are they?!
A wave of shock washed over her, making her fingertips go cold. She pinched her palms to force herself to calm down, and her voice was completely emotionless: "You've got the wrong person. My surname is 'Xie,' not the 'Miss Xiao' you're talking about."
Upon hearing this, the man in black chuckled twice, the laughter sounding particularly eerie in the wind: "Whatever you say, young lady, is fine, but you know best who you truly belong to and what your real surname is."
Suddenly, his tone changed abruptly, carrying an undeniable force: "My master has been waiting for a long time. Please come with us, young lady!"
Almost the instant he finished speaking, the guards left behind by Zhou Yanzhi appeared from all around like ghosts, their blades flashing, firmly protecting Xie Xiangsi in the center.
Ji Feng stepped forward, the tip of his knife pointing straight ahead, "Insolence!"
A sudden gust of wind caused the green bamboo to sway wildly, and the rustling sound mixed with murderous intent rushed towards us!
Jie Xiangsi only felt a blur before her eyes, and the black-clad leader's figure had already rushed forward like a ghost, the tip of his knife aimed straight at Ji Feng's face.
"Miss Xiao, I'm sorry."
Just as Ji Feng swung his sword to defend himself, three other people simultaneously attacked Jie Xiangsi!
Blood splattered on the green bamboo, shattered blades flew everywhere.
The guards fought desperately to stop them; the piercing sound of clashing swords mingled with the muffled thuds of tearing flesh, and in an instant, several people were wounded.
The battle quickly became intense and deadlocked.
Xie Xiangsi staggered backward in the center of the battle, watching the movements of these men in black, and felt a chill run down her spine.
The bodyguards Zhou Yanzhi left her were already top-notch, their actions perfectly synchronized. These men, though each with their own unique and unpredictable techniques, were all deadly, each move extremely clean and swift, capable of taking a life in the blink of an eye—cleanest, swiftest, and most deadly.
They don't seem like bodyguards, but rather... assassins from the martial arts world.
As soon as this thought arose, a name suddenly appeared in Jie Xiangsi's mind.
"Shadow Pavilion".
The next instant, her hand reached for her waist without hesitation, wanting to pull the whistling arrow that Zhou Yanzhi had given her beforehand.
We must notify Zhou Yanzhi immediately!
"rub!"
A shard of razor blade came hurtling through the air, its sharp edge precisely slicing her wrist. A sharp pain shot through her, and her arm immediately went limp.
Hot blood gushed out, dripping like beads from his fingertips onto the ground, staining that small patch of ground a deep crimson.
"Miss Cousin!"
Ji Feng exclaimed in surprise, drew his blood-stained longsword and was about to turn around, but the men in black would not let him have his way. Almost the instant he touched the ground, several more men rushed up and entangled him.
Bamboo leaves stained with blood fell. Jie Xiangsi covered her wrist and dodged a hand that suddenly attacked her from behind. She looked at the situation and realized that things were not good.
Unbeknownst to her, she and Zhou Yanzhi had been quietly separated by them.
Seeing this, Jie Xiangsi gritted her teeth and used her other uninjured hand to grab the whistling arrow, but the next second, her outstretched hand was slashed by a blade that seemed to have shot from nowhere.
In an instant, a strong smell of rust filled my nostrils.
The branches trembled, and the sound of withered leaves being trampled suddenly rang out. A shadow suddenly fell in front of him. "Miss Xiao, why are you avoiding me? Are you afraid I'll come for revenge?"
A pang of longing stirred in my heart.
That voice... it's Dao Ying! It really is someone from the Shadow Pavilion!
Before I could turn around, a pungent smell mixed with the smell of rust rushed into my nostrils, and white mist instantly filled the air, blurring my vision.
Amidst the thick fog, the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground echoed continuously.
All her strength vanished in an instant, and Jie Xiangsi collapsed heavily to the ground. Using the force of the fall, her bloodied fingertips silently brushed across the ground, pressing a shard hard into the soil covered with fallen leaves beneath her.
Before losing consciousness, Jie Xiangsi managed to hear one sentence: "Making hidden weapons with medicinal powder is really fun."
...
The white mist dissipated, and the woman on the ground was roughly pulled up and hoisted onto his shoulder. The sword shadow casually drew the whistling arrow from her lower back.
His ears twitched slightly, a malicious smile flashed in his eyes, and then he casually tossed the whistling arrow into a pile of fallen leaves.
The withered leaves are fluffy, and the whistling of arrows is faint.
The black-clad man's footsteps faded quickly into the distance as his clothes brushed against the thorns, while another pair of footsteps drew closer.
...
When Song Baiyu arrived at the incense shop with his men, this was the scene that greeted him.
The bloodstains on the ground were still wet, and the air was filled with the strong smell of rust. Countless broken blades mixed with fallen branches and leaves lay on the ground, creating a desolate scene.
Undoubtedly, this was a very fierce battle.
The men brought by Song Baiyu were quickly checking the scene. After checking the last person, they returned and quickly reported: "Sir, the person is fine, just temporarily unconscious. Most of them are Zhou Yanzhi's men, and a few others should be from the other side, but they are already dead."
"Also, the woman who was rumored to be with Zhou Yanzhi... has disappeared."
A dark glint flashed in Song Baiyu's eyes.
really……
There was indeed a third-party force within Xiangguo Temple.
"Go investigate..."
Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred. A sharp, piercing sound shattered the silence of the mountains, followed by the muffled sound of fireworks exploding in mid-air.
Everyone's heart skipped a beat, and they all looked up to see a dazzling firework slowly dissipating in the sky above Xiangguo Temple, vanishing in an instant.
Song Baiyu whirled around and saw a person behind him with their head down, slowly moving aside their boots, rummaging around for a moment, and pulling out a whistling arrow that had been hidden beneath the withered leaves by a hidden blade. The person looked up at him, their face grim: "It's a whistling arrow..."
Zhou Yanzhi's whistling arrow!
Song Baiyu instantly understood. This wasn't an accident; it was a calculated scheme. The person who kidnapped Jie Xiangsi not only got there first but also intended to pin the blame firmly on him, Song Baiyu!
"What a brilliant move to shift the blame!" He practically spat out the words through clenched teeth, his eyes flashing with cold light: "Withdraw! Now..."
Before the words were finished, a huge explosion suddenly came from below. In an instant, the ground shook and the airwaves carrying dust and smoke rushed towards us.
The loud noise startled the wild birds in the mountains, and for a moment, they fluttered about and cried out incessantly.
Song Baiyu braced himself with one hand on the ground to steady himself. Feeling the aftershocks under his palm, he ignored the still trembling ground and staggered to the well. He peeked inside and his face turned ashen.
The once narrow and deep well now had a large hole, revealing an even larger dark chamber below. With no obstruction, groundwater from both sides was now continuously flowing into this specially constructed dark chamber.
And this place... is the only secret passage they use to enter and exit Xiangguo Temple...
This third force is clearly trying to cut off their path!
After closing his eyes briefly, Song Baiyu said sternly, "Everyone, retreat to the front yard!"
...
At the same time, outside the Sutra Repository, Zhou Yanzhi, who heard the sound of the arrow, looked up sharply and just happened to see the fleeting firework in the sky.
In an instant, his pupils shrank.
"cousin!"
That really is a clever trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain!
He hurriedly threw the bucket aside, turned around and rushed towards the pilgrim's courtyard, blowing an extremely sharp whistle along the way.
Suddenly, an eagle shot out like an arrow from a bow from the silent mountains, followed by an even sharper cry that echoed through the sky for a long time.
The sharp screech pierced through the clouds and reached the ears of the Dali Temple members who were lying in ambush at the foot of the mountain.
Hearing the eagle's cry while pulling grass, Wu Yue suddenly stood up, kicked over the stool he was sitting on, and turned around, shouting sternly, "All men of the Dali Temple, listen to my command! Follow me and rush to the aid of the Xiangguo Temple at full speed!"
...
Just as Song Baiyu and his men retreated to the front yard, they heard a series of hurried and heavy footsteps coming from the direction of the temple gate.
Unaware of who was approaching, the worshippers hiding in the front yard huddled together, trembling. Amidst the sobs, the sounds of armor rubbing and sword sheaths clashing drew rapidly closer.
"Surround them! Don't let a single one escape!"
Wu Yue's loud and authoritative command pierced through the temple gate, and the elite soldiers of the Dali Temple surged in like a tide, completely surrounding the Xiangguo Temple.
The green blade was drawn, its cold light instantly illuminating the terrified faces of the worshippers crowded in the front courtyard.
Wu Yue, wielding a green knife, strode in and bumped into Song Baiyu and his group, who were also rushing over. The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.
"Lord Song?" Wu Yue's gaze swept over the menacing-looking followers behind him, his grip on the knife tightening imperceptibly. His tone was ambiguous: "I've heard there are rebels causing trouble at Xiangguo Temple. Lord Song, could you explain to me who these people are...?"
Sensing Wu Yue's hostility, the group of followers couldn't help but show a fierce expression, preparing to fight him with their backs against the wall.
In an instant, a chilling atmosphere suddenly arose.
Song Baiyu remained calm and said, "Lord Wu is a military general, so naturally he cannot understand the helplessness of me, a civil official. When you are out and about, if you don't take care to protect yourself, what if you are kidnapped and imprisoned one day?"
Wu Yue frowned, his tone unfriendly: "I had no idea that Lord Song was so weak."
Song Baiyu remained silent, but kept his eyes fixed on Wu Yue.
There was a moment of silence.
Song Baiyu suddenly spoke up: "Lord Wu, you've come at the right time. When I passed by the incense burner just now, I noticed signs of a fight there. It was probably the work of a traitor. Since you've come to capture the traitor, why don't you come back to the incense burner with me?"
He had to seize the initiative and shift the blame, or at least muddy the waters!
That's half true and half false. Even if they were to investigate, they probably wouldn't find anything out in a short time.
"this……"
Just as Wu Yue frowned, weighing the truth of Song Baiyu's words, a figure in black rushed into the courtyard like a gust of wind—it was Zhou Yanzhi!
He didn't even glance at Wu Yue and the soldiers; his icy gaze, like a tangible blade, instantly locked onto Song Baiyu.
He walked straight toward him through the crowd.
"Song, Bai, Yu." Zhou Yanzhi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an extreme suppressed anger, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth, "Where are they?"
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