Shanhe Festival 230. Assassin Attacks

"Guan Ting, who do you want to kill? Why don't you tell me?"

Guan Ting was also surprised when he saw the white-haired Mo Xiuyao coming out. But this time he was not afraid of Mo Xiuyao. In Guan Ting's mind, he was now a loyal minister of Da Chu and the emperor's confidant, while Mo Xiuyao was just a traitor despised by everyone. More importantly, there were at least 3,000 elite soldiers in and outside this small city, while Mo Xiuyao only had a few dozen people. No matter how powerful the Mo family army was, Guan Ting could not think of any reason for himself to fail with such an advantage. So, after the initial shock, Guan Ting's expression when looking at Mo Xiu Yao became arrogant and vicious again, and his eyes, which looked smaller due to the fat on his face caused by overeating in recent years, were filled with resentment and jealousy.

Yes, it is jealousy. In this world, including Mo Jingqi, the king of a country, there are probably few men who don't envy Mo Xiuyao. He controls the two most powerful forces in the world, the Royal Palace and the Mo Army, has one of the best martial arts in the world, a handsome face, and a wife and a lovely son that all ambitious men envy. People can't find any reason not to be jealous of Mo Xiuyao.

But Guan Ting's hatred for Mo Xiu Yao far surpassed that of everyone else. When he was still following the young prince Mo Jingqi, the high-spirited and elegant young master of Ding Wang Mansion was the object of his envy and jealousy. At the foot of the mountain where the bandits were being suppressed, Mo Xiu Yao came riding on a horse in white clothes, and without saying a word, he whipped him hard. He lost face in front of thousands of soldiers and horses. From then on, Guan Ting developed a deep-seated hatred and resentment towards Mo Xiu Yao. He hated Mo Xiu Yao's background. If Mo Xiu Yao was not the young master of Ding Wang Mansion, how could he dare to whip him in front of so many people? If he was not the descendant of Mo Suyun and the son of Mo Liufang, how could he have such good qualifications? Therefore, when he first saw Prince Ding's Mansion in trouble, he was one of the happiest people.

"Mo Xiuyao, you, a traitor and a thief, dare to set foot on the land of Da Chu? Today, this general will tear you into pieces to repay the emperor's kindness!" Guan Ting pointed at Mo Xiuyao and shouted righteously. Mo Xiuyao glanced at Guan Ting casually and said lightly: "Mo Jingqi is getting more and more unselective in employing people. He lets a cripple lead the troops outside. Even if he is not worried about you falling off the horse again, he should be worried about the safety of the soldiers under him." Feng Zhiyao waved his folding fan and smiled and continued: "Isn't it? General Guan, who is disabled but strong-willed, will definitely not be able to walk to the battlefield. What if he falls off the horse and hits the soldiers next to him? Tsk... The emperor really doesn't know how to cherish his soldiers."

"You...you!" Guan Ting was panting with anger. What he hated most was when someone lifted his leg. He was a military general, and having a lame leg meant that everything was over. Even if he was a civil official, it was impossible for a lame man to be an official in the court for the sake of the court's reputation. So the emperor sent him out to lead the troops because of their old friendship. In fact, it was not his turn to lead the troops to the battlefield, he just had an empty title. Although he had lived well in the past few years, how could the southwestern border compare to the prosperity of Chujing. And all this... was caused by the people of Dingwang Mansion! Although Guan Ting didn't know that his leg was broken by a horse because of Dingwang Mansion in order to push Murong Shen to guard Suixue Pass, he still wholeheartedly pinned the blame on Dingwang Mansion. However, Guan Ting's reason was that he was Mo Jingqi's confidant, so Mo Xiuyao was deliberately trying to get rid of him. "I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you! Shoot these rebels to death with arrows!" Guan Ting finally couldn't help but roared in anger.

But his soldiers were not as obedient as he imagined. After all, the reputation of Prince Ding's Mansion in Da Chu had lasted for a hundred years and was an immortal myth in the army. It was not something that Mo Jingqi could completely destroy. If Mo Jingqi was given twenty or thirty years, he might be able to completely wipe out the reputation of Prince Ding's Mansion in Da Chu, but five years was too short after all. Moreover, when the Northwest announced its break with Da Chu, the letter to the world spread all over the country. Ordinary people and soldiers may not understand the big truth, but they also understand that it is the royal family that is sorry for Prince Ding's Mansion, not Prince Ding's Mansion that is sorry for Da Chu. The hatred of killing his father is irreconcilable. Prince Ding did not immediately lead the Mohist Army to the capital to avenge his father and brother. Only then did the people think that Prince Ding was magnanimous and still remembered the friendship of protecting Da Chu for hundreds of years. At this time, Guan Ting asked these soldiers to shoot and kill Mo Xiuyao and his group immediately. Even if these soldiers did not care about the reputation of Prince Ding's Mansion, they still had to consider the mysterious Qilin that appeared and disappeared in Prince Ding's Mansion.

Mo Xiuyao glanced at the soldiers surrounding the inn with a half-smile. The soldiers who were originally holding their bows and arrows hesitantly put them down involuntarily after this faint glance.

When Guan Ting saw that the soldiers did not obey his orders, he was so angry that his face turned black and he shouted, "How dare you! Do you want to join the rebellion? Why don't you execute these traitors quickly!"

The soldiers below were naturally in a dilemma. They did not want to and were unwilling to become enemies with Prince Ding's Mansion, but Guan Ting was their superior. Even if this superior was unpopular, they still had to obey his orders. Feng Zhiyao walked out of the crowd with a smile, and said to everyone with a smile: "In fact, you don't have to worry about it in the future. This problem is very easy to solve." Everyone was puzzled, not knowing how the suave young man in red was going to solve this problem. Feng Zhiyao waved his robe sleeves, and a long whip shot out from his sleeves and went straight to Guan Ting. Before everyone could notice, Guan Ting had been tied up tightly with the long whip and was pulled directly from the crowd to Feng Zhiyao. It was no wonder that Guan Ting found people after being attacked by the cucumber just now.

There were too many of them to dodge. So he asked them to disperse a little, otherwise Feng Zhiyao might not be able to pull him out of the crowd.

Looking down at Guan Ting who was tightly tied up by him with a whip, Feng Zhiyao propped his chin with a folding fan and said with a smile: "Isn't this solved? We have taken this Guan away, you just need to report the truth when you go back. Don't worry, he won't come back."

The soldiers hesitated for a moment, and finally made way. Originally, Guan Ting brought them here without the consent of General Jingbian, the commander-in-chief of the southwest, but acted secretly according to Mo Jingqi's secret order. So if they go back and report that Guan Ting has been captured, General Jingbian will not punish them. In this way, they can avoid fighting with Prince Ding's Mansion, which is really the best of both worlds. The soldiers were satisfied, but Guan Ting didn't think so. Guan Ting naturally understood what Feng Zhiyao meant. If he was really captured by Prince Ding, his life would be over. "You dare! When I go back, I will report to the emperor to execute all of you!" It would have been better if he didn't say this. After he finished speaking, the soldiers retreated faster. The deputy general who was walking at the end bowed to Feng Zhiyao and the others and said, "This is related to the lives and property of several thousand of our soldiers. Please take care to deal with it, Your Majesty." Mo Xiuyao narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "Don't worry, I won't implicate you." The deputy general was delighted and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Seeing the soldiers of the Chu retreat, Feng Zhiyao turned around and asked, "Prince, should we leave here first?" Several thousand soldiers entered the city, and such a big thing could not be kept secret. It was better for them to leave here first.

Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, "If you have finished your meal, please leave."

The group dragged Guan Ting, who was beaten like a dumpling, out of the city. While still in the inn, Guan Ting kept swearing. Feng Zhiyao thought his swearing was unbearable, so he picked up a rag from the table and stuffed it into his mouth. Guan Ting was suffocated by the greasy rag and rolled his eyes, so he could only swear.

Less than ten miles out of the city, Qin Feng, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped. The people behind him naturally stopped as well, watching everything around them vigilantly. Qin Feng sneered and said, "Come out, you can't even hide properly, and you want to follow others and attack?!" Before he finished speaking, several sharp arrows whizzed towards Qin Feng. Qin Feng was too lazy to get off the horse, and he leaned sideways on the horse to avoid the long arrows. Many black-clothed and masked figures jumped out from the trees on the roadside and hillsides around. Feng Zhiyao leaned against Zhuo Jing and murmured to himself, "I knew that this trip to Nanzhao would not be so pleasant. But... is it really okay to wear black clothes and cover your face for most of the day?" In broad daylight, what eyes are more eye-catching than black? Zhuo Jing twitched his lips, and moved away from Feng Zhi in disgust, saying calmly: "Killers usually like to wear black clothes and cover their faces."

"Nonsense, there are so many assassins in Yanwang Pavilion, where have you ever seen them wearing black clothes and masks?" Feng Zhiyao retorted, Yanwang Pavilion is known as the world's number one assassin organization, but they never wear uniforms. This shows that uniform clothing is harmful to assassin organizations.

"A third-rate killer." Zhuo Jing said calmly.

Listening to the sarcastic comments between Feng Zhiyao and Zhuo Jing, the atmosphere that should have been tense became inexplicably funny. The killers with black scarves and masks around them could not reveal their expressions because of their covered faces, but their eyes that seemed to be blazing with fire were enough to show their anger. Feng Zhiyao smiled at the killers opposite him and said nonchalantly, "In fact, besides third-rate killers, there is another kind of people who must cover their faces in broad daylight."

Ye Li smiled and asked, "Who?"

Feng Zhiyao laughed and said, "People who are not to be seen by others, for example... the palace guards!"

The assassins were silent, but they couldn't hide the surprise in their eyes. Mo Xiuyao stepped forward and looked at the assassins who surrounded him with his hands behind his back, and smiled calmly: "The eunuch guards? Mo Jingqi's move is just to gain fame, which is really unnecessary." Feng Zhiyao smiled and said: "Isn't it? Our Dingwang Mansion has severed its relationship with Da Chu. If Mo Jingqi wants to kill our prince, he can just send someone directly. Wouldn't it be better to do it in the city just now? Why be so sneaky. But..."

Qin Feng said coldly: "We will think that Da Chu wants to provoke the Mohist Army."

The assassins hesitated for a moment, and the leader pointed his knife at Mo Xiuyao and said in a stern voice: "Prince Ding, no need to say more. We are here on orders. If we cannot bring back the heads of the prince and the princess, we will lose our own heads. Sorry!" After saying that, he raised his knife and swung everyone towards Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao looked indifferent, and just flicked his sleeves casually, and the two assassins were immediately thrown aside like a real gust of wind. Once Mo Xiuyao took action, the others naturally would not be idle, and the quiet official road was suddenly filled with the sound of fighting.

Several assassins attacked Mo Xiuyao in vain, and then they turned their attention to Ye Li, who was protected in Mo Xiuyao's arms with one hand and had not made any move. The four assassins worked together to divert Mo Xiuyao's attention with a fierce attack, while the other two assassins took the opportunity to point their swords at Ye Li. Ye Li was protected in Mo Xiuyao's arms and could move within a certain range, so she didn't respond. Seeing that the two swords were about to pierce Ye Li, the assassins holding the swords were delighted. But suddenly, his body froze and he felt his heart light up. Princess Ding, who was originally in Mo Xiuyao's arms, had disappeared, and a dagger with a cold glow was stuck in his heart. His slender hand, as slender as jade, grasped the handle of the dagger and pulled it out without hesitation. Blood spurted out immediately, and the killer who slowly fell down looked at the beautiful and gentle Princess Ding, who was like the most elegant lady in Chujing, holding the dagger stained with her own blood, and turned to avoid another long sword. Like a light blue wind passing by, a thin red mark appeared on his companion's neck...

Killing two people with a flick of her finger, Ye Li casually wiped the blood off the dagger and frowned. After all, she lacked exercise in the past few years, and her movements were not very flexible. It seems that although she has learned Qinggong and internal strength in this life, I am afraid that she can't recover to the peak of her previous life. However... Looking up at Mo Xiuyao who had almost eliminated the nearby killers not far away, Ye Li pursed her lips and smiled. This life is different after all, even if I can't really recover to the peak, it doesn't matter, right?

After Mo Xiuyao cleared out the people around him and Ye Li, he stopped attacking. The guards around them also separated the assassin from the prince and princess, so Ye Li and the princess were the most free people present, except for occasionally taking action to deal with one or two fish that slipped through the net.

"They are stalling for time." Ye Li frowned as she looked at the assassins entangled with the guards. Mo Xiuyao said calmly, "They probably didn't expect that Guan Yu, such a loser, would actually let us leave the small town. We don't have enough manpower right now, so we can only stall for time." If you want to deal with the guards of Prince Ding's mansion, especially when Qilin is among them, it is impossible without three to five times more manpower. The hundred or so people in front of them are not even enough for everyone to see. Ye Li looked up at him and said, "You want to..."

Mo Xiuyao sneered, "Wait. If we don't teach Mo Jingqi a lesson, he won't know what it means to be quiet. Although we are not afraid of him, too many mosquitoes and flies are also very annoying."

Seeing Mo Xiuyao say this, Ye Li must have had a plan in mind, so she didn't say anything more. She leaned on the horse next to her and watched the fight. The horses of Prince Ding's mansion were all carefully selected excellent war horses. Even though they were fighting on the official road, the horses just ran to the grass beside the road and ate the weeds quietly, without any panic. Some horses even stood on the official road and took the opportunity to trample on the black-clothed assassins who were knocked to the ground.

Although the killers tried their best to delay time, in just over a quarter of an hour, all the killers were lying on the ground. The guards who followed Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li south had been tired of being watched in the dark for the past few days. They were so reluctant to stop when they finally had a chance to stretch their muscles. When they stopped, they still complained that their opponents were too weak.

Mo Xiuyao naturally couldn't really stop and wait for the other party to come to him, so the group had to continue on their way. As for the corpse on the official road, no one paid any attention to it. Anyway, ordinary people would not walk on the official road, so there was no need to worry about scaring people.

The group knew that they were approaching the Broken Snow Pass the next day, but still no one caught up with them. If it was Mo Jingqi's people who were slow to do things, they would not be so slow. Mo Xiuyao frowned, waved his hand and ordered: "You guys go back and tie up all the deputy generals who are stationed along the way." After hearing the order, several Qilin immediately stepped forward and asked: "My lord, do you want to kill them?" Mo Xiuyao said indifferently: "If you can tie them up, tie them up. If you can't tie them up, kill them."

"I obey your command!" How could they, Qilin, have a mission that they couldn't complete? They immediately decided to take all the deputy generals of the eleven cities where the seriously ill people of the Great Chu were stationed back to the northwest. Although it was a bit regrettable, why didn't the prince order the main general to be arrested? It didn't sound difficult to arrest the deputy general.

Hearing this, Feng Zhiyao asked curiously, "Your Majesty, didn't they not chase us? They seem quite knowledgeable." Mo Jingqi certainly couldn't have just sent a group of people to assassinate them, and they didn't hide any traces along the way. The only explanation was that the generals guarding the city pretended to obey their orders but secretly disobeyed them and had no intention of chasing them.

Mo Xiuyao raised the corner of his lips a tiny bit, and said coldly: "There is a price to pay for making me wait in vain."

Feng Zhiyao couldn't help but shudder. In the end, it was Mo Jingqi who offended the prince, right? Just thinking about it, when the news that all the deputy generals were suddenly kidnapped and disappeared reached Chujing, what kind of expression would Mo Jingqi have? Feng Zhiyao secretly wanted to be happy. If they could kidnap the deputy generals, they could naturally kidnap the main generals. I believe that when they return from Nanzhao, the journey will be much smoother and cleaner.

"Your Majesty, the Broken Snow Pass is just ahead. Do you think General Murong will..."

Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said, "General Murong is an upright man. Mo Jingqi would never give him such an order. Even if there are people under Mo Jingqi in Broken Snow Pass who want to mobilize troops without authorization, it won't be that easy."

Feng Zhiyao nodded, "That's true."

Mo Xiuyao lowered his head and said to Ye Li, "How about we rest in Yonglin for a day and come out the day after tomorrow morning?"

Ye Li nodded and said, "Just make your decision. Big Brother should be waiting for us in Yonglin." Looking at the city that was already far away in front of her, Ye Li couldn't help but sigh. Five or six years had passed in the blink of an eye. Six years ago, she was still trying her best to protect this small town, but now, it seemed that this place had nothing to do with them.