Mingguang looked at Pei Su and said, "Are you Xiao Pei?"
Pei Su said: "It's me."
Mingguang squinted at Banyue and sneered, "I heard you lost your position as a priest for a little girl? Haha, Pei Ming, haven't you always been a believer in 'brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes'? How come your descendant is nothing like you? He hasn't even learned one tenth of your taste in choosing women. This Imperial Master Banyue is like a little quail. What's this? Could it be that you were cuckolded hundreds of years ago and the child you gave birth to wasn't your own? Hahahaha..."
Pei Su said, "You're full of nonsense." He then slapped him. Ke Mo leaped up from the ground and roared, "I will never stand against you!"
Mingguang shouted, "Hey! Big guy, let's go together!"
Ke Mo turned around and saw Ming Guang leap up, transforming into a long, green blade, flying into his hand. Ke Mo opened his palm like an iron fan, firmly grasping the hilt. A layer of black energy suddenly erupted from his massive body!
The evil corpse holds the magic sword, just like a beast with poisonous fangs!
Xie Lian had been inspired by Pei Ming's fatal blow. Although he didn't know the exact reason, he felt that perhaps the same method could help Hua Cheng. He had thought of sneaking in and talking to Hua Cheng while no one else was looking to see if it would help. But when he saw the situation was critical, he had to say, "Be careful!"
Pei Ming couldn't join the battle, so only Pei Su and Ban Yue joined forces. Although their movements were sharp and decisive, one was erratic and unpredictable, movements alone weren't enough. Pei Su lacked magical power, and Ban Yue lacked brute force. Facing Ke Mo and Ming Guang, who possessed both magical power and brute force, they struggled.
Banyue was embarrassed to throw more scorpion-tailed snakes at Kemo after being scolded by him, but Pei Su showed no sign of letting it get to him. He threw the snakes like rain, making Kemo roar in anger. Only Mingguang's sword energy protected him, keeping the snakes at bay. Despite this, Xie Lian felt relieved after watching the fight for a while. He could tell that Kemo and Mingguang weren't cooperating well.
Ke Mo, born in the Ban Yue Kingdom, wielded a mace. He was accustomed to heavy and bulky weapons, but not so adept with a sword. Even with his immense strength and the sharpness of his weapon, combining them didn't necessarily yield the best results. He couldn't quite grasp the technique, so Xie Lian seized the opportunity, clasped his hands together, and said to Hua Cheng, "Excuse me!"
But looking at the handsome, snow-white face before him, eyes tightly shut, Xie Lian felt hesitant to make the first move. Finally making up his mind, he closed his eyes and moved forward. In a moment of nervousness, he couldn't help but kiss Hua Cheng's forehead. It was a gentle, soft kiss, yet his heart was broken. A voice beside him said, "Your Highness, you're mistaken. What's the point of a forehead?"
Xie Lian nearly fell to the ground in shock. Turning back, he saw Pei Ming squatting beside him. With a rare hint of irritation, he said, "General Pei, could you please stop looking?"
Pei Ming raised his hand and said, "Okay, okay, I won't watch anymore." He turned back to watch the fight. After watching for a while, he said to Ke Mo, "This isn't the way you use a sword. If you don't know how to use it, don't use it!"
Ke Mo naturally didn't understand, but the bright light on his hand said, "I can't compare to you. You broke the sword yourself, and now you're standing here pointing fingers like a useless piece of shit!"
He had barely finished shouting when Pei Ming suddenly leaped into the fray, landing in front of Ke Mo. Ke Mo swung his sword, only to hear a crisp "clang" as the sword missed. He looked down, stunned.
The Mingguang sword in his hand broke again!
Seizing this opportunity, Pei Su unleashed another wave of scorpion-tailed snakes, like a vat of dye, splattering Kemo with a purplish-red hue. He roared and desperately tried to push the slippery snakes away. Pei Ming, looking down at the sword, said, "You know my moves perfectly well, so I also know exactly where you're most vulnerable."
Banyue descended from the sky, holding two jars. Without further ado, she yanked both the stunned Mingguang and the roaring Kemo into the jars. At this point, Xie Lian finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "Many hands make things easier!"
Ban Yue sealed the pottery jars, held them in her arms, shook them, and held them to her ears to listen to the sound. Xie Lian hurriedly said, "Stop playing with them, Ban Yue! Put them away quickly and be careful not to let them out."
Ban Yue nodded, squatted in front of Xie Lian, looked at Hua Cheng, and said, "General Hua, is this your son?"
Xie Lian smiled and said, “Unfortunately, no.”
Soon, he couldn't laugh anymore. Ban Yue said "Oh" and said, "I saw you kiss him just now, I thought it was you."
“…”
Xie Lian didn't want to say anything more, covering his forehead with his hands. Ban Yue, however, seemed to find Hua Cheng adorable. She tugged on one of his pigtails and said with concern, "He seems ill. Does he want to recuperate in the jar as well? The last time I stayed in General Hua's jar, I think he recovered quickly."
Pei Su finally came over and said, "No need. Don't worry about it. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will take good care of him."
Ban Yue said, "Oh."
At this time, Pei Ming looked at her and said, "Are you Ban Yue Imperial Preceptor?"
He looked down at Banyue, who was shrouded in the shadow he cast. She squatted on the ground and nodded.
Pei Su, intentionally or not, tried to stand in front of her, but Pei Ming pushed him aside and approached Ban Yue, seemingly wanting to examine her more closely. Unexpectedly, when he was two steps away from Ban Yue, her expression changed drastically, and she dodged behind Xie Lian, as if desperate to avoid him. But judging by her expression, she didn't seem frightened. Everyone was puzzled, but Xie Lian understood after a moment's thought. He gently suggested, "General Pei, that... ghost-flavored candy ball..."
Pei Ming was startled, his face darkening slightly. He figured the sweetness of the ghost-flavored candy balls hadn't dissipated yet. Banyue, a female ghost after all, couldn't stand the inferior ghost aura, so she fled...
Xie Lian couldn't help but laugh, but then he turned serious and said, "Why did Master Yu come to Tonglu Mountain as well? Where is he now? Why aren't you with him?"
Pei Su said, "Ten thousand ghosts were agitated, and a large number of inhuman creatures gathered and rushed towards Tonglu Mountain. When they passed through Yushi Township, they captured a few farmers and took them away as reserve food. At the time, Master Yushi and his guardian mount were away, so after learning of this, they pursued them here. We were originally traveling together, but when we heard you, Your Highness, calling out to us in the Half Moon Language, we came to investigate."
At the time, Xie Lian had only called out for help, never expecting them to actually be nearby. It was a stroke of luck. The Rain Master Township looked like a quiet little village, so it wasn't surprising that a passing ghost would randomly capture people without knowing what was good for them. Pei Ming frowned and said, "I couldn't find you in the human world before, so how did you end up with Master Rain? Don't tell me you were chasing this Ban Yue Imperial Preceptor."
Pei Su lowered his head slightly and said, "No. It was Master Yu who saved me."
It turns out that after being exiled to the lower realms, Pei Su had been wandering the mortal realm. With nothing to do, he raided Qi Rong's lair several times, angering him and gathering a host of unidentified creatures to hunt him down. If Pei Su had possessed magical powers, these rabble-rousers would certainly have been powerless against him, but he was a mortal, facing a siege of hundreds of ghosts, and was ultimately injured and trapped. While he was struggling to resist, the Rain Master happened to pass by on his ox and came to his aid. After learning his identity and the situation, Pei Su was taken in by the Rain Master to recover from his injuries.
Pei Ming seemed quite surprised and asked, "Master Rain didn't give you any trouble?"
According to Master Qingxuan, there had been a rift between Rain Master Township and Mingguang Temple, with the Rain Master having ousted Pei Ming's previous deputy deity centuries ago. It seemed Pei Ming didn't consider the Rain Master a broad-minded priest either. However, Pei Su replied, "No. Master Rain Master has never given us any difficulty; on the contrary, he has offered us considerable assistance."
At this moment, a buzzing voice suddenly sounded, saying, "Rain Master? Is Rain Master from the Rain Master Country?"
Xie Lian casually said, "Yeah." Only after he finished answering did he realize that the voice was actually Ming Guang's. He was already trapped in the jar, yet he was still listening for any noise outside. After Xie Lian answered, he spat, "Pei Ming! You slept with so many women, and this is the last of you to produce such a useless offspring? You actually need the protection of the Rain Masters to survive, and even speak well of them. Each generation is worse than the last! Ha!"
Hearing this, Pei Ming looked slightly uneasy. Xie Lian didn't understand the difference between laughter and anger, so he whispered to Ban Yue, "Do you understand?"
Ban Yue said, "I don't quite understand. However, I seem to have heard Brother Pei Su say that before his general ascended to heaven, he was a general of the Xuli Kingdom."
“…”
Pei Ming is a general of Xuli State, is there any problem?
Very problematic!
Because, as far as Xie Lian knew, the Yushi Kingdom was razed to the ground by the iron cavalry of the Xuli Kingdom!
Ban Yue continued, "Master Yushi is the last ruler of the Yushi Kingdom."
“…”
No wonder Pei Ming always looked strange when he mentioned the Rain Master, and no wonder the Rain Master had been so blunt in his reprimand of the Minguang Temple's deputy priest. It turned out the two sides had a long-standing grudge.
You have to understand that while for the priests, the constant destruction of nations in the human world, with one taking the stage and the other taking the stage, is simply natural, when it comes to their own fate, they can't quite let it go. If they were to share the same deity as the general who destroyed their nation, and if they were to hang around in the upper heavens all day, being so high-profile, it would be a bit disconcerting.
Pei Su added a talisman and stuck it on the outside of the jar. Ming Guang's voice suddenly stopped. He asked, "Why are you here, General?"
Pei Ming said, "It's all to get you back as soon as possible."
Xie Lian recalled Hua Cheng's words. Apparently, this was the "favor" Pei Ming had exchanged with Jun Wu when he was sent to Tonglu Mountain. Pei Ming patted Pei Su on the shoulder and said, "Since you're here, perform well. If you do well this time, perhaps you'll be able to return to Heaven early."
Before Pei Su could reply, the talisman on the jar in his hand suddenly began to burn. Ming Guang, trapped inside, had burned the talisman with his fury. He said, "Pei Ming!!! Do you still remember what you said?!"
Pei Su was about to place another talisman to seal his mouth, but Pei Ming stopped him and said, "I have said too many things in my life. Which one are you referring to?"
Mingguang said hatefully, "Do you remember the excuse you used when you killed the men who had followed you for years? 'Some people can be killed, some can't; some things can be done, some can't.' — you spoke with a tone as if you had the righteousness of the people at heart! And now? Do you think others don't know what filthy things your little Pei has done? It's all over the place! And you're still trying to cover it up for him? Do you think those brothers who fought with you in battles deserved to die, but now it's your turn as a descendant, he shouldn't die? You're the type who throws away clothes after wearing them, and you're the one who breaks off relations with your brothers after using them! Is your little Pei a treasure, and us just weeds?!"
He yelled a long string of words at once. Pei Ming listened and suddenly said, "You, aren't Mingguang?"
The jar fell silent for a moment. After a moment, Mingguang murmured, "What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't you see me, Mingguang? I've already transformed!"
Pei Ming said firmly: "No. You are not Mingguang."
The voice in the jar said irritably, "Who else could I be?"
Pei Ming took the jar from Pei Su and said firmly, "You are Rong Guang, right?"
After these words were spoken, the jar fell completely silent.
Pei Su's eyes widened slightly when he heard the name. Xie Lian asked, "Young General Pei, who is Rong Guang?"
Pei Su came back to his senses, hesitated for a moment, and replied, "He was the deputy general who followed the general the longest, and his most capable subordinate, before he ascended to heaven."
Xie Lian finally understood what the story behind the "General Breaking His Sword" was all about.
In his youth, Pei Ming was successful in both love and battle, a perpetually victorious general, undefeated for decades. While this success was certainly due to his own bravery and skill in battle, it was also largely due to the support of a deputy general. This deputy general's name was Rong Guang.
Rong Guang was known for his cunning and scheming. Although the two had very different personalities, they knew each other early on and worked surprisingly well together. One was in charge of the open, the other the covert, and they had been superior and subordinate for many years, forming an ironclad bond. Pei Ming's sword, "Ming Guang," was named after the homophonic combination of their names, "Ming" and "Guang."
Pei Ming was a skilled warrior. In times of turmoil and war, fighting was far more important than making money, far more important than anything else. Naturally, he rose through the ranks. However, no matter how high he rose, the highest he could reach was only a general. He could add countless honorific and lengthy titles to the title of general, but there was always someone towering over him, and he had to bow down and kowtow even to the king.
He himself had no objection to this, but as he conquered city after city, the glory on his armor became more and more dazzling, and his subordinates, led by Rong Guang, became restless.
Pei Ming himself was not proud and conceited, but his subordinates became infinitely arrogant on his behalf.
The most serious case was Rong Guang. Because he communicated more closely with the officers and soldiers, he was highly effective in stirring up public opinion, leading many of his veteran subordinates to believe, "General Pei's current position is far from what he deserves," "General Pei and we are being oppressed," and "Xuli Kingdom needs General Pei and us to save it." They were intent on infiltrating the Xuli Kingdom's palace, crowning Pei Ming as king, and leading their former subordinates to a meteoric rise, becoming the most powerful nation at the time. They even imagined a future in which their cavalry would conquer the world and unify the land.
Unfortunately, Pei Ming himself really had no interest in becoming king.
His joys in life were winning battles and sleeping with beautiful women, two things he didn't need to be a king to achieve. Besides, while the then-King Xuli hadn't accomplished much, he hadn't made any mistakes either. He wouldn't necessarily have done any better. A rash uprising would only do harm and no good, so why stir up unrest for no reason? So, Rong Guang enthusiastically hinted at this several times, but Pei Ming easily deflected each one.
After many attempts, Rong Guang remained unconvinced and, instead, grew increasingly obsessed. Finally, one day, the warriors decided to launch the rebellion, regardless of any consequences. Once the rebellion was accomplished, they didn't believe Pei Ming could shirk responsibility.
Hearing this, Xie Lian was speechless, thinking to himself, "This kind of thing, how can you force someone to do something like this..."
Pei Su saw that he was lost in thought and said, "Rong Guang may not really want to support General Pei as king. He just has to use the general's name to start a rebellion. Because his prestige is not as high as the general's, if he raises his own banner, he may not be able to win the support of the people."
Xie Lian thought about it and said, “Not necessarily.”
Their slogan was to support Pei Ming. Pei Ming certainly could not pretend not to know about this. He immediately took his sword and a small number of trusted soldiers, rushed into the palace and started a battle.
This battle is the last battle of his life.
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