Chapter Ninety-Five: The Blade Cuts Through the Shackles, Dust Rises
"Is this what you think, or is it the group of advisors around you who make you think this way?"
"I..." He Yuan froze on the spot upon hearing this, and could only frown and lower his head, remaining silent.
“Ignoring loyal advice drove Mr. Cen Fei to the brink of despair, forcing Mr. Che Yan to head north to seek refuge with Zhong Li’an,” Chen Mo sneered, glancing at He Yuan. “Now that things have come to this, how many of those ministers who spoke so eloquently to you are still around? They were only after their own careers. Who cares about you or the fate of Jiangnan?”
He Yuan lowered his head, clenched his fists tightly, and his voice trembled. "It seems that today's disastrous consequences are entirely my own doing." He sighed as if he had made up his mind, and looked up at Chen Mo. "I have let down Zhong Li'an, I have let down Cen Fei and Xue Chang, and I have let down the people of Jiangnan..." He suddenly raised his head as if he had made up his mind, as if he were a hero. "Now that things have come to this, you may kill me or torture me as you please."
"You're quite tough now, where were you all this time?" Chen Mo sneered. "I was born an actor, how could I kill my master? Besides, if I really wanted to kill you, how could you be alive now?"
He Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up at Chen Mo with surprise and confusion. "You're not going to kill me?" He leaned against the wall and barely managed to stand up. "Then what about this time..."
“I have a very good relationship with Xue Chang. I can write him a letter and ask him to persuade Zhongli An to withdraw his troops.” Chen Mo stepped forward and pressed towards He Yuan. “However, you need to realize your mistake and turn back.”
He Yuan was taken aback, then nodded. "Alright, I understand. From now on, I will sever all ties with Xiao Yun. If Zhong Li'an needs anything, I will do my best to help... I will write a letter to Zhong Li'an to apologize."
"Wait a minute," Chen Mo reached out and grabbed He Yuan, who was about to run away, frowning as he questioned, "Why Xiao Yun?"
“This…” He Yuan hesitated for a long time, “Those people and I were always talking about Xiao Yun.” He lowered his eyes and sighed softly, “Xiao Yun has always had the ambition to become emperor, but his sister Xiao Yan does not allow it, so… he secretly colluded with outsiders and promised me that as long as I could submit to him and help him defeat Zhong Li’an, he would grant me fame and title, and when he becomes emperor in the future, I will still be the ruler of Jiangnan.”
Hearing He Yuan's voice grow softer and softer, Chen Mo couldn't help but scoff. He looked up at He Yuan and said, "Do you even believe that yourself? He can't even persuade his own sister, so how can he expect the world to submit? You command a million men in Jiangnan, yet you are not ambitious, but greedy for easy gains and commit acts of betrayal..."
"Why don't you just kill me..."
Chen Mo raised his eyes and remained silent for a long time, staring at him calmly. "How can you entrust your life and fortune to others? Your advisors are all only after joining Xiao Yun for their own personal gain. As the ruler of Jiangnan, it is harder than climbing to heaven for you to survive under such a ruthless person as Xiao Yun."
He Yuan clenched the sweat from his palms and let out a long, deflated sigh. "If I take this wrong step, even death would be too lenient for me. Chen Mo," he made up his mind, raising his eyes to look at Chen Mo, "I have seen your ability to quell the rebellion today. I am willing to hand over all military power in Jiangnan to you. I am no longer worthy to be the ruler of Jiangnan. As long as you can give the people of Jiangnan peace, that will be enough."
"Thank you for your trust. I will accept the military power you have given me, but... you still have to be the ruler of Jiangnan." Chen Mo raised his head slightly as if he had achieved his goal. "For the sake of the people's hearts, we also need to give the outside world the illusion that 'Jiangnan is not in chaos'."
"This..." He Yuan frowned upon hearing this, and took two more steps forward. "Aren't you going to take my place?"
"As long as you recognize the situation and are on my side, why should I force you?" Chen Mo sighed with a smile, then his expression turned cold again. "However, I have a condition."
"What are the conditions?"
Chen Mo glanced at him sideways and said, "Why don't you personally go and invite Mr. Cen Fei, who has gone into seclusion because of your anger, back?"
-
As the chaos gradually subsided, Chen Mo's letter was delivered to Jizhou as promised.
Another handsome figure appeared on the dusty training ground. The light sword forged by Zhong Lishuo was shining in the sunlight, whistling through the air in Cen Xun's hands.
Her swordsmanship flowed smoothly, yet with added power. After completing a set, she was inevitably a little exhausted. She stood still to regulate her breathing, once again assuming a fighting stance. Suddenly, she heard the sound of horses' hooves. Looking up, she saw a scout galloping towards her, whip in hand.
"Report! Miss Cen!" The scout clasped his hands in a fist salute to Cen Xun, then dismounted and ran to her.
Cen Xun sheathed his sword and walked towards the man. "What do you want to tell me?"
The scout's eyes gleamed with undisguised joy. He knelt on one knee, raised his eyes, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Cen Xun, "General Lingyu and General Zhaoqing have returned victorious and are now at the city gate..."
"Really? They're back!" Cen Xun's eyes lit up, and he pulled the kneeling scout to his feet. "Quick, let's go out of the city to meet them..."
Before they could finish speaking, they were interrupted by a rapid hoofbeat. The two turned around and saw a crimson figure rushing past the edge of the training ground like a gust of wind. Cen Xun was overjoyed and hurriedly went to meet her.
"Tongxi!" Before Chi Lian could even stand up, Yang Xiao leaped off her horse and galloped directly towards Cen Xun.
Cen Xun jogged towards her, opened her arms and gently hugged Yang Xiao who was rushing towards her. "Why are you back so soon?" she asked with a smile, nuzzling Yang Xiao's shoulder and then rubbing Yang Xiao's head.
"I rushed back to see you, didn't I?" Yang Xiao tightened her arms, then stepped back, looked Cen Xun up and down with a smile, and then breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm relieved to see you're alright."
Cen Xun raised her hand and patted Yang Xiao's shoulder. "Don't worry, of course I'm fine." She looked at Yang Xiao, who was travel-worn but still looked radiant, and couldn't help but smile and sigh. "You must have had a tough time fighting your way back."
Yang Xiao crossed her arms reproachfully, "It's all Bai Ming's fault for healing so slowly, it took three months to fully recover." She couldn't help but laugh, "Otherwise, I would have definitely finished my revenge long ago and rushed back to discuss with you how to deal with Xiao Yan."
“You,” Cen Xun chuckled and tapped Yang Xiao, “no matter how anxious you are, you can’t let Zhao Qing go to the battlefield with injuries, can you? But speaking of which, you fought a really good battle, and you were able to return to the capital in just two days.”
Yang Xiao chuckled and nodded. "In this battle, in terms of both strength and mentality, we are determined to win." She pondered for a moment, then a hint of worry appeared in her eyes. "How have you been these past few days?"
"Don't worry," Cen Xun said with a soft laugh, his eyes lowered. "Trust me, there won't be any problems."
"Of course I believe you," Yang Xiao leaned slightly against Cen Xun upon hearing this, then took a step back, looked at Cen Xun who was holding her sword with her narrow sleeves rolled up, sighed with a smile, and raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, "Abandoning literature for martial arts. Taking this step must have been quite difficult, right?"
Cen Xun paused for a moment, then chuckled and shook her head. "Compared to the process, that one step was insignificant." She looked up at Yang Xiao as if she didn't care, and waved her hand. "But what are you saying? I didn't 'abandon my studies,' I just practiced martial arts more diligently."
Yang Xiao looked at her, sighed again, and couldn't help but reach out and pull her into his arms, resting his chin tightly on her shoulder.
“I know what you want to ask,” Cen Xun chuckled, raising his hand to gently pat Yang Xiao’s head. “He shed his blood on the battlefield. As a general, he has no regrets for his country and no shame in his heart. He even won a battle with fewer troops, so naturally he has no regrets. But as for himself… he has not seen enough of this world. He should also witness the future prosperity of Chang’an.”
"So, you learned martial arts yourself, embarked on his path of no return, and led him to the end, right?"
Cen Xun chuckled and patted Yang Xiao's back. "It may seem absurd and unbelievable, but I always feel that... if someone can think what he thinks, do what he does, see the world from his perspective, and carry his aspirations to the end of this journey... wouldn't that be a continuation of life?"
“I understand,” Yang Xiao nodded with her eyes closed, nuzzling Cen Xun’s shoulder with her chin. “To avoid any regrets, you must integrate everything about him into your life, live with him, as if he had never left.”
Upon hearing this, Cen Xun smiled and nodded. "You understand me best. When I first told my lord and master, they probably thought I was crazy. They asked me repeatedly if I was sure I was doing this." She sighed with a smile and looked up at Yang Xiao. "But my lord promised me that he would pass on Yu De's command to me when I am able to lead troops into battle."
“Go ahead with peace of mind,” Yang Xiao lifted her head from Cen Xun’s shoulder, smiled and patted Cen Xun’s shoulder, “If you have made up your mind, never look back.” She turned around and stood side by side with Cen Xun, looking at the sun, “When you decide to embark on this path, every step you take is absolutely correct.”
She sighed softly with emotion, then turned to look at Cen Xun. "To be honest, I'm really looking forward to it. You and Yu De have such different personalities. If you really see the world through his eyes, the world you see should be completely different from what you've seen before, right?"
Looking at Yang Xiaoxi's hopeful eyes, Cen Xun couldn't help but smile. "Then let's wait and see. Perhaps, by the time I can lead the troops with his command, I will have already combined the strengths of both of us and grown into a true general?"
“Then, future General Cen,” Yang Xiao smiled and put her arm around Cen Xun’s shoulder, “your land swordsmanship is already superb. If you were to mount a horse, what weapon would you choose to use?”
Cen Xun glanced down at the sword at his waist, then smiled and tapped Yang Xiao's nose. "Then naturally I'll take that—the horse-slaying sword!"
"Then why don't you practice?"
Upon hearing this, Cen Xun froze on the spot. "With my current skill level... is it usable?"
Yang Xiao looked into Cen Xun's eyes as if she understood everything. "With your high level of comprehension and more than ten years of sword practice, your swordsmanship has long since become a complete system. You will naturally have no problem attacking enemies on horseback. However..." She paused, as if looking directly at the self-deprecation in Cen Xun's heart, "Since you want to use that horse-slaying sword, why don't you dare to practice it now?"
“With my current strength, how could I possibly wield that sword?” Cen Xun sighed and shook his head. “For the past three months, I have practiced swordsmanship every day, and my swordsmanship has improved considerably, but I still feel that I cannot lift that sword.”
"Are you unable to wield that sword, or do you feel incapable of surpassing Zhongli Shuo in your heart?"
Cen Xun seemed to have her thoughts exposed and stood there stunned. She looked up and met Yang Xiao's knowing gaze, and then sighed with relief, "I was already exhausted from rushing back, but you can still tell what I'm thinking at a glance."
“We’ve known each other for so long, do you think I can’t see through your intentions?” Yang Xiao smiled at Cen Xun, then put her hand on Cen Xun’s shoulder. “Since you’re going to follow his path, you have to go beyond him and carry his will forward, instead of being timid and repeating the same mistakes he made before.”
Upon hearing this, Cen Xun frowned slightly, looking at Yang Xiao with a puzzled expression. "Is this a recurring pattern in his previous experiences?"
“He should be the driving force for your progress, not a mountain that hinders your steps,” Yang Xiao sighed with a smile, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the sun high in the sky. “It is true that he is highly skilled in martial arts, but that is by no means insurmountable. However, if you are deterred by his previous achievements and feel that you can never reach such heights, you will limit yourself to Yu De, never be able to overcome that hurdle in your heart, and never be able to surpass Yu De.”
“If that’s the case,” she turned to look at Cen Xun, “what’s the point of talking about seeing him through to the end?”
Cen Xun also looked up, following Yang Xiao's gaze to the sun. She raised her hand, completely shielding the sun from it. Cen Xun slightly tilted her head, and golden rays flowed from the side of Yang Xiao's palm. A warmth filled her heart, and she couldn't help but smile. It seemed that as long as one could overcome this barrier of a palm, boundless light awaited beyond.
“I understand,” Cen Xun chuckled softly, raising his hand to gently place it on Yang Xiao’s hand, his outstretched fingers slowly closing into a fist. The instant their hands clenched, a blinding golden light enveloped them both. Cen Xun smiled and leaned on Yang Xiao’s shoulder, “Thank you for today.”
"Why thank me?" Yang Xiao chuckled and leaned on Cen Xun's shoulder. "Going to practice your swordsmanship, General Cen?"
Cen Xun smiled and nodded, then waved her hand and walked towards the perimeter of the training ground. A moment later, she imitated Zhong Lishuo's usual manner, hoisting the sword, which was taller than herself, onto her shoulder and striding towards Yang Xiao.
"How did it get so fast?" Yang Xiao asked with interest, stepping forward to meet Cen Xun. "Could it be that you've been leaving it by the training ground all along?"
“Yes,” Cen Xun smiled and tilted her head at Yang Xiao, “I want to practice every day, but I feel powerless every day.” She looked up at Yang Xiao, “Only you can give me a chance to face it directly.”
Yang Xiao nodded, but then looked at Cen Xun solemnly, "That's true, but you must not lose your true self."
"Don't worry!" Cen Xun gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands, his eyes filled with determination. "Today, it's time for it to show its true colors!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Cen Xun tightened her grip. She closed her eyes, kicked the scabbard away, and then swung it forcefully. Zhong Lishuo's voice echoed in the passing wind of the blade.
"This knife is heavy, be careful."
"We can't give up halfway. Shall we draw our swords and try?"
Cen Xun gritted her teeth, the force seemingly flowing through her veins at will.
"Treat this sword as part of your body... The purpose of the 'Horse-Slaying Sword' is to launch swift and unstoppable attacks."
The voice in his mind grew clearer and clearer, then dissipated with the wind. Cen Xun gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and suddenly opened his eyes. The long blade cleaved through the wind with unprecedented speed. The dry leaves on the ground were also swept up by the wind and floated in the air for a long time, as if they had gained a second life.
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