Chapter 207
The fierce wind could not disperse the dark clouds, nor could it sweep away the mud and sand on the ground. The blood droplets remaining on the blade rolled down, grazed the edge, gathered at the tip, and fell silently.
The army standing directly in front was heavier than the dark clouds, like a swift wind. It seemed that as soon as they arrived, they could tear apart the stagnant air and destroy the seemingly solid city gate.
"I will fight."
Yin Qiu held the Zhu Bing sword and stood in front of the disciples. Ji Wanshu, Wen Chaoyu, and Bai Ling stood behind her, all with their chests straight, facing the dark mass of people.
The disciples blocked the city gate. Although their expressions were solemn, none of them felt afraid. In this tense atmosphere, everyone gripped their swords tightly and did not feel the slightest fear despite the enemy's superior numbers.
"All archers, enter!" Lu Huaiwei appeared on the high city wall and shouted at the top of her lungs, "The rest of you, defend the city from the invasion outside and close the city gates!"
The group of archery disciples immediately closed the city gates, climbed up the walls one after another, nocked their arrows and drew their bows, and stood beside Lu Huaiwei, ready to fire.
"She actually came!" Bai Ling was furious at the sight of this. "You were so worried about her even when you were struggling to take care of yourself, and I almost ran myself ragged just to warn her about the danger that was coming. How could she repay kindness with enmity like this!"
Yin Qiu ignored these words and did not reply, but just silently looked at Fu Xiang.
The sky was overcast and the wind was strong. Fu Xiang's mourning clothes fluttered in the wind like a white banner. She sat upright on the horse, gripping the reins tightly, and looked at Yin Qiu in the distance.
Her former radiant appearance had vanished, leaving only an indelible sense of melancholy and sorrow. Fu Xiang looked exhausted and had lost a lot of weight, no longer possessing her former carefree and bright spirit.
The wind carried her voice to Yin Qiu's ears. Fu Xiang asked, "It's been so long, how have you been?"
Seeing the undisguised weariness on her face, Yin Qiu frowned and looked back at Fu Xiang, saying, "I'm fine."
Although Yin Qiu did not ask a question, Fu Xiang still said to herself, "I am fine too." She drew her sword and jumped off her horse. "Today's battle was not what I wanted. I'm sorry, Xiao Qiu."
Yin Qiu was quiet for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Don't talk about whether I've wronged you or not. You haven't wronged me, and I haven't wronged you. We've come to this point because of the circumstances."
Fu Xiang took a deep breath, feeling guilty towards Yin Qiu. She looked away from the ground and said, "I have no intention of hurting anyone, but it has come to this point and there is no turning back." She paused and said sincerely, "If you do not want to see death and injury, please lead your people to make way. As long as you are willing to open the city gate and let people pass, I will take charge and will not let anyone lay a finger on you."
"Are you trying to make me lose without a fight?" Yin Qiu said. "Impossible. Even if I could agree, my fellow disciples wouldn't."
After she finished speaking, her disciples all chimed in with their own words.
"Exactly! Are you kidding me? Why should we let you through!"
"You, Fu Xiang, were once a member of our Yunhua sect, and even the sect leader's last disciple! Now you dare to attack our sect? Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed if word gets out!"
"Don't be so arrogant before the fight even starts! The outcome is still uncertain! Even if we all die here, we will protect the people of the city and protect Yunhua!"
"You told us to let you through, but we're telling you to get lost! Those who commit heinous crimes will not have a good end. You'd better go back to where you came from!"
...
Facing pairs of eyes filled with hostility and hatred, Fu Xiang stood still, listening quietly to those blunt words, without saying another word.
She ignored the insults and the stares from the crowd. She just looked at Yin Qiu, watching her raise her arm and point the tip of her sword at her.
“I understand your predicament, and I know you don’t intend to hurt anyone,” Yin Qiu said solemnly, “but one thing at a time, I will not let you step into the city gates today.”
When they met again after several months, her face hadn't changed much, except that it no longer looked sickly or pale. However, the aura she exuded was quite different from before.
At this critical and anxious juncture, Fu Xiang suddenly thought inappropriately: Spring has arrived, and Xiao Qiu's injuries in Wei City should have healed by now.
She looked radiant, a stark contrast to my own tired appearance.
Once this thought crossed Fu Xiang's mind, she remembered Yin Qiu from the past.
She recalled the little things they had shared. In those quietly passing days, she and Yin Qiu studied together, practiced martial arts together, ate in the canteen together, and even bathed together in the hot spring.
She would care for Yin Qiu like a younger sister, and she would be the first to stand up for her if anyone bullied her. If Yin Qiu didn't have time to eat, she would prepare the food and bring it to her room. On occasional stormy days, when Yin Qiu was afraid to sleep alone, she would stay with her.
When she was sad, Yin Qiu would try her best to comfort and console her. When she sprained her ankle while practicing martial arts, Yin Qiu would bring her medicinal wine to wipe it. She also remembered that at the new disciple assembly, Yin Qiu deliberately injured herself under the White Spirit Sword and bled a lot, but she never cried out in pain.
Back then, they were inseparable, deeply in love with each other, and everyone knew they were the best of friends.
But why...did they end up like this?
A faint sorrow and an indescribable bitterness rose in her heart. Fu Xiang looked at Yin Qiu for a long time, and then stiffly raised her hand.
"Go then."
With this sigh-like command, the disciples of Mingyue Tower and Jiuxian Hall received the signal, immediately dismounted, and rushed towards the city gate with their long swords in hand.
"kill!"
"We must fulfill the sect leader's mission and capture Yunhua Mountain!"
"Victory or defeat hinges on this moment, kill them!"
...
The brief reminiscing had barely ended when a series of angry howls and roars erupted.
In an instant, the wind and clouds shifted, and the two sides clashed head-on, swords clashing. Thick dust billowed out, and flying sand and stones shot straight into the sky, creating a chaotic and turbulent atmosphere.
The once orderly crowd quickly descended into chaos, with flashes of swords and spears everywhere, dazzling the eyes.
Before the disciples could set off, Yin Qiu leaped up and stood in front of them, blocking their path.
Her outer robe was already soaked with blood. Ji Wanshu moved swiftly through the crowd, leaving only fallen figures in her wake. She removed her outer robe and stood guard around Wen Chaoyu. The two worked together seamlessly, forming an impenetrable wall that protected the disciples behind them, preventing them from being overly disadvantaged in the fight.
A stray arrow struck, its tip gleaming coldly, piercing the enemy's heart. Without civilians around, the archery disciples no longer needed to hold their hands and feet, and their fellow disciples knew how to nimbly dodge. Lu Huaiwei, having just recovered from a serious illness, was still unable to wield a sword and participate in this fierce battle, so she stood atop the city gate, overlooking the situation and giving timely, loud commands.
"Bai Ling! Watch out behind you!"
Several long knives came flying in the wind. Bai Ling, alerted by Lu Huaiwei's shout, immediately leaped into the air. As she landed, Lu Huaiwei's bow delivered five sharp arrows, perfectly eliminating the men for her.
Even amidst her busy schedule, Bai Ling didn't forget to thank her: "Thank you, Senior Sister!"
·
"The enemy knows to fire arrows, Miss Afu! What are you standing there for?" someone shouted anxiously from the crowd.
Afu, carrying her bow, squatted on the outskirts of the battlefield, looking somewhat guilty at Fu Xiang, who stood ramrod straight in front of her, and weakly replied, "Senior Sister didn't go... so I won't go either!"
"How can the master of a tower send himself out so easily? Quickly shoot that woman down from the city wall!"
From her vantage point, Lu Huaiwei had a panoramic view of the area below. She could spot any unforeseen danger at a glance and immediately call Ji Wanshu and Wen Chaoyu to their aid. With her providing guidance, Mingyue Tower and Jiuxian Hall were bound to suffer some losses.
"If you don't make a move soon, the sect leader will see it from the shadows, and you'll be in big trouble!"
Upon hearing the mention of Meng Wugui, Afu immediately looked around before reluctantly taking down her bow. But just as she aimed it at the city wall, Lu Huaiwei ordered her disciples to raise their shields, kneel down on one knee, and fire arrows again through the brick holes on the battlements that were specifically for releasing arrows.
Afu couldn't bear to see Yunhua disciples die, nor did she want to see her own people die. But when she thought that it was their own fault for fighting, she stamped her foot in frustration and said, "Let them fight! I can't shoot through those shields, so it's not my fault!" After saying that, she took a step forward and grabbed Fu Xiang's sleeve, saying, "I think we should leave! We have no grudges against each other, so why kill innocent people indiscriminately? If Master blames us, she can just cut me down with one stroke. Anyway, she saved my life!"
Fu Xiang watched Yin Qiu and Bai Ling fighting bravely in the center of the battlefield without saying a word.
Her heart suddenly raced, and her back was sweating profusely. She thought blankly: If she were still in the palace, no matter what happened, she should be the one fighting alongside Yin Qiu.
But now, she is on the opposite side from Yin Qiu.
"Did you hear what I said?" Afu said anxiously. "Yin Qiu is here now, so Xie Yijun can't use her to blackmail Master anymore. Even if she sends people to capture Yin Qiu, we can protect her! Man Jiangxue hasn't shown up for so long; she might already be confronting Xie Yijun in Yunhua Palace. As the saying goes, every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. What's the use of killing these innocent people? Master should go to the palace to seek revenge on Xie Yijun himself. There's no need for us to fight here!"
Hearing this, Fu Xiang frowned: "Do you think I don't understand this principle?" She said painfully, "Before it's confirmed that Xie Yijun has been brought down, Yunhua Palace must be taken. This is something my master repeatedly instructed me to do before he left. I have already betrayed her once, and I will never betray her a second time. You want me to withdraw my troops? You make it sound so easy. Everyone thinks I, Fu Xiang, am a heartless, ungrateful, and two-faced villain. But now both sides have considerable ties with me, and it would be wrong for me to side with either side!"
Afu said, "But—"
"There are no 'buts'!" Fu Xiang interrupted. "I'm destined to be unfair in this matter! Compared to the other two, my master's kindness is still as heavy as a mountain. Besides, I've already told her that once this matter is resolved, I will leave and never get involved in these grudges again. This is my last chance to repay my master's kindness. After today, we will be completely even and go our separate ways. Furthermore, do you really think Yunhua Palace will lose?"
Afu said decisively, "We will lose! We are bound to lose! How many of us are there? How many of them are there? Even if Ji Wanshu and Yin Qiu are unparalleled masters, the two of them cannot possibly defeat so many of us!"
Fu Xiang felt a surge of anger and gritted her teeth, saying, "I don't care about all that! Now even you're forcing me? Your so-called justice is just because you seem to be caught in the vortex, when in reality it has nothing to do with you!" After saying that, she shoved the sword in her hand into Afu's hand, "Then I beg you to give me a quick death now. As long as you kill me, everyone here will listen to you, and you can make them retreat!"
Afu, standing next to the sword as if it were something scalding hot, jumped up and down, saying, "I would kill anyone but you! What nonsense are you spouting! What are we supposed to do then? Can you really bear to watch Yunhua Palace be taken down by us?!"
After the battle with the large group of men in black, Yunhua disciples had suffered heavy losses. There weren't many disciples stationed in Shangyuan City to begin with, and the disciples in the mountains were also busy guarding key entrances and exits, so they couldn't easily come to help. If they left, a breach would appear. If the city gates were difficult to breach, Meng Wugui would choose another route; he could break in no matter what.
Furthermore, it's still unknown whether the people in Yunhua Palace have received the news. Even if they have, it's impossible for them to abandon the palace and all run down the mountain. If they did, Meng Wugui could easily seize their stronghold. In addition, the disciples from various prefectures are still on their way back to Shangyuan City after receiving Lu Huaiwei's letter. Even if they had wings, they couldn't arrive to provide support so quickly. In this battle, Yunhua Palace is outnumbered and is destined to be on the defensive.
"Stop pushing me!" Fu Xiang cried out in anguish, struggling. "Either you kill me with your sword, or you..."
As she was speaking, she suddenly heard Lu Huaiwei shout from the city wall: "Xiao Qiu!"
Fu Xiang hurriedly turned her head and saw that Yin Qiu had somehow gone to the outer ring of the south side of the city gate. Several men in black who had returned threw ropes around her neck and were dragging Yin Qiu into the woods with all their might.
The ropes were so tight that Yin Qiu was almost suffocating. She raised her hand and swung her sword, cutting the ropes, but as she stood up, her hands and feet were bound by several chains.
Upon seeing this, Ji Wanshu and Wen Chaoyu immediately rushed towards Yin Qiu. Before they could reach her, a white figure flashed in the distance; Fu Xiang had arrived at Yin Qiu's side even faster than they had. She cut the chains in half at the waist, pulled Yin Qiu up, and hurriedly asked, "Xiao Qiu! Are you alright?"
A thin trail of blood seeped from Yin Qiu's neck.
Fu Xiang quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her face. Afu, who had followed closely behind, fired an arrow, killing the men in black. She cursed, "Pah! Despicable! No wonder they're Xie Yijun's men, all they do is launch sneak attacks!"
Yin Qiu was panting heavily when she heard this and suddenly froze. She looked up at Afu in shock and exclaimed, "What...what did you say?!"
Afu paused, then instinctively covered her mouth. Remembering that the matter no longer needed to be kept secret, she exclaimed, "Xie Yijun! I'm telling you, Xie Yijun! She's the mastermind behind the secret guards, and the murderer who killed your mother and my master's parents!"
She spoke quite loudly, and Ji Wanshu and Wen Chaoyu, with their exceptional hearing, heard her from a great distance. The two of them stopped at the same time, both stunned and frozen in place.
"Keep your voice down!" Seeing that the Yunhua disciples were all looking in their direction, Fu Xiang said irritably, "You just said you didn't want to see them die, so shut up now and don't let the Yunhua disciples hear you and get flustered!"
Afu exclaimed "Ah!" and quickly covered her mouth again, muttering, "I...I didn't mean to!"
Yin Qiu's face turned pale, and she staggered back two steps.
The sect leader... how could he be the sect leader?!
·
"Little brat, don't talk nonsense!" Wen Chaoyu and Ji Wanshu rushed over and looked at Afu together.
Wen Chaoyu said solemnly, "Yijun and Mandong are fellow disciples under the same master, how could she kill her!"
Afu, failing to grasp the main point, first argued, "What little kid? I'm two or three years older than Yin Qiu!" Then she continued, "How would I know why she wanted to kill Uncle Shen? Anyway, it was my master who said it, so it can't be wrong!"
Wen Chaoyu's heart skipped a beat, and she asked incredulously, "Are you sure?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Afu said. "If you don't believe me, ask my senior sister! She went to the palace to protect Yin Qiu and to find the Holy Sword. Unfortunately, Xie Yijun hid it too well. My senior sister stayed in Yunhua Palace for a year but still couldn't find it, so my master sent her back to Mingyue Tower!"
"Is this really true?" Ji Wanshu looked at Fu Xiang.
Fu Xiang breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
All three of them suddenly realized what was going on.
No wonder the secret guards were chosen from different peaks and were all in the same group by chance. Ye Zhilan also said that she was taken advantage of in this matter. Xie Yijun is the sect leader. With her order, she also has people's relatives in her hands. Who would dare not to follow her and commit evil deeds?
No wonder Ye Zhilan said that the person had a close relationship with Yin Qiu. At the time, Yin Qiu was only focused on suspecting Gongzi Fan, but she did not expect that Xie Yijun was also among the people with a close relationship with her!
Thinking about it this way, she was the one who sent people to Jinhuai City to try and take Yin Qiu away before Man Jiangxue, she was the one who caused the tragic deaths of Meng Jing's parents, and she was the one who shot Ye Zhilan with a sneak arrow on the summit of Yunhua Mountain!
"I never expected this!" Wen Chaoyu said angrily, "I've been in the palace for so many years, and I've never heard of her having any grudge against the Shen family, nor have I seen her have any animosity towards Mandong. This... this is truly..."
Ji Wanshu snorted coldly and struck Fu Xiang in the chest with a palm strike. Caught off guard, Fu Xiang was immediately knocked to the ground. Ji Wanshu said, "I told you long ago that I would show no mercy if you dared to come. Now that we know the sect leader is the real culprit, and my martial aunt has not descended the mountain, she must have become suspicious and stayed in the palace. Now that you've brought so many people to break through the city, I'll kill you first. Without the leader, let's see how your Bright Moon Pavilion can continue fighting without a leader!"
Having said that, he was about to stab Fu Xiang in the heart with his sword. Afu was so frightened that her hair stood on end, and she hurriedly stepped in front of Fu Xiang: "What are you doing! My senior sister was forced into this situation. You clearly had a talk with her in the building. You can't possibly not know how difficult her situation is! With this energy, you might as well go and capture Xie Yijun!"
"With my uncle there, I have no worries at all!" Ji Wanshu said with a stern face. "As the young master of Yunhua Palace, how could I tolerate your Mingyue Tower and Jiuxian Hall running rampant in our Yunhua territory? I'll give you two choices: either immediately order your people to retreat, or die by my hand. Make your decision!"
Afu's eyes reddened, and she helped Fu Xiang up, saying, "Senior Sister...you'd better make a decision quickly!"
Fu Xiang was stunned for a moment, then wiped the blood from her lips with a blank expression. After a moment of silence, she said dejectedly, "Fine, Senior Sister, kill me then."
Afu was slightly taken aback, then grabbed her collar and said, "You're talking nonsense! When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. There's no such thing as reincarnation in this world. Don't take your life so lightly!"
Fu Xiang threw down her sword, looked up at Ji Wanshu with a desolate smile, and said, "I'm serious, just kill me. I will never betray my master again. If my death can end all this, I will have no regrets and will do it willingly. I've had enough of this kind of life all these years. If you can really take my life, it will be a relief for me. I should thank you."
Without the slightest hesitation, Ji Wanshu immediately thrust her longsword forward. Afu, seeing that Ji Wanshu was no bluffer, was terrified and cried out, "No, you mustn't kill my senior sister! If you want to kill her, kill me first!" Then she remembered that Yin Qiu was standing nearby and hurriedly called out to her, "Yin Qiu! What are you standing there for? Are you going to watch my senior sister die too?"
Yin Qiu had just heard that Shen Mandong was killed by Xie Yijun, and she hadn't yet recovered from this horrifying fact. She turned her head blankly, her eyes turning bloodshot, and tears blurred her vision, making it impossible for her to see anything clearly.
"Sect Leader... the Sect Leader is like a second master to me," Yin Qiu murmured, tears streaming down her face. "I practiced swordsmanship with her in the Mingguang Hall for five years, going there at dawn and returning at dusk every day, spending more time with her than with my martial uncle. She told me many things about my mother's past, saying that they had a very good relationship, and that the Buddhist prayer beads she wore for half her life were made by my mother herself..."
Seeing Ji Wanshu's devastated state, Wen Chaoyu couldn't bear to listen. She pressed down on Ji Wanshu's sword-wielding hand and sighed, "So be it. Aren't there enough innocent souls who have died unjustly in this world? Capturing her alive is the same. Let's just acupuncture and tie her up."
Upon hearing this, Afu felt as if she had been given a new lease on life, and said with trembling lips, "Yes, yes, yes... capturing her alive is fine too! You two don't need to do anything, I'll tie her up!"
After saying that, he quickly pressed Fu Xiang's acupoint and then used the ropes left behind by the men in black to tie Fu Xiang up.
“Yin Qiu,” Wen Chaoyu pulled Yin Qiu into his arms with one hand, patting her shoulder gently as he said, “Don’t be so sad yet. We still have a lot to do, and now is not the time to be sad. Since you came back to us, haven’t you been through enough? One more thing won’t make a difference, right? You’re a resilient girl, and no storm can break you. So this time will be no different. You have to cheer up and not lose heart. Look, we’re still here. We’ll be with you. Man Dong’s spirit in heaven will protect you. As long as you haven’t forgotten her, she’ll always be there. She’s never really left you.”
Yin Qiu's eyes were unfocused, her breathing was rapid, and she couldn't speak; only tears continued to stream down her face.
“Pick up Zhu Bing,” Ji Wanshu said. “This is Uncle Shen’s sword. If you take her with you, you will fight alongside Uncle Shen. Don’t you consider Yunhua Palace your home? Now that your home is in trouble, how can you just be sad and ignore it? If Uncle Shen were still here, with her style, she would definitely fight to the end and never admit defeat.”
Yin Qiu's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she looked down at Zhu Bing on the ground.
The sword seemed to possess a spirit, as if it could understand human speech. The moment Yin Qiu looked at it, Zhu Bing's light intensified, and the sword trembled violently.
A dazzling light shone in her eyes, and her vision instantly became clear. Yin Qiu remained silent for a moment, then raised her arm and fiercely wiped her eyes, erasing the tear stains on her face.
She bent down, took Zhu Bing in her hand again, then straightened up and said firmly, "Fine... I will never admit defeat!"
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