After the last word was spoken, the tent fell into a long silence.
The drizzle fell on the plank road outside the tent, making a sound like insects and ants gnawing on wood, which made people feel uncomfortable and itchy.
The general finally couldn't bear it anymore and knelt down to ask for punishment.
"I have failed to perform my duties properly. Your Majesty, please punish me."
Su Wei sighed lightly, obviously having no intention of punishing him.
"If he's determined, you can't stop him. Get up."
"Report!"
A shadow came hurriedly from the rain, its black clothes were soaked, and it was obvious that it had come a long way.
"Lieutenant Deer..."
The man in the long gown looked back, and the indifference in his eyes disappeared in an instant.
"Lu Songping is back? Alone?"
"No." The shadow who came to report paused, as if it was a little difficult to speak, "It's Lieutenant Lu's horse that has returned."
The man's face darkened in an instant, and the emotions surging in his eyes made it difficult to look directly at him.
"Where are the people?"
"The man is missing, only the horse has returned. I have sent people to look for him, but I don't know if they can find him before dawn. Perhaps we can wait..."
"No more waiting." The man interrupted the shadow's report in a deep voice and called out in a low voice, "Ding Weixiang."
The green-clothed swordsman jumped down from the hole in the tent roof and appeared silently behind the man.
"What are your commands, Your Majesty?"
"Prepare the carriages and horses, and go to Douchen Ridge. I will fly alone."
"exist."
A low, hoarse voice sounded from behind the gauze curtain, and a figure in imperial attire flashed by, but there was no trace of the eunuch in black robes.
The waist that had been half bent straightened up, and the shoulders supported the thin figure. Although the facial features were different, it was difficult to distinguish the true from the false under the blurry gauze curtain. Even the restraint and self-control in his gestures were just right.
Su Wei looked through the gauze curtain, and the person behind the curtain was also looking at him. Under the candlelight, he couldn't tell for a moment whether the person behind the curtain was another person or an extremely similar shadow.
After a moment, the man in the long gown smiled faintly and waved his sleeves as he had done countless times in the past. His posture was free and easy, as if he was just a passerby who hurriedly left the mountain after hiding from the rain.
"I'll leave this place to you. I'll be back soon."
Shan Jiangfei was silent for a moment and saluted solemnly.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Please take good care of yourself."
When he stood up again, the man in the long gown and the guard in blue were no longer in the tent.
******************
In the dense forest on the western foot of Douchen Ridge, a gray shadow was passing through the leaves. Its footsteps were as light as falling rain, and the sound it made was as subtle as the sound of rain.
The wet leaves in front of me gradually became sparse, and the winding mountain path and the moving figures below were faintly visible.
The mountain beneath his feet was shaking, and small pieces of rocks kept sliding down. The old man in brown clothes dodged them gently, but his eyes never left the front.
He is old after all, and although he is still agile, his hearing and eyesight are far inferior to his younger self.
In the past, he could see by the light of a star, the night seemed as bright as day to him, and nothing in the world could escape his sight. During the years when his murderous intent was at its peak, he even thought he could see the souls of those he had taken as they left their bodies.
Legend has it that the souls of those killed by swords will attach themselves to the blades, making them faster and sharper. But he often sneered in his heart, because he knew that it was not the sword that took a person's life, but the hand that held it.
He is such a sword.
A blade of unparalleled sharpness, unstoppable. But the hand that once held it is gone. It remains sharp, but no longer holds the killing intent.
He stopped and let his heartbeat calm down for a while so as not to disturb his hearing, then stood there holding his breath to distinguish the message conveyed in the trembling air.
Iron armor, heavy cavalry, black feathers, the imminent fight and the sudden night rain, everything is so familiar, everything is so trance-inducing.
In a trance, his white hair turned into black hair, his lame leg became agile, his brown coarse cloth cloak fell off, and he was replaced by the mysterious beast suit of the leader of the Black Feather Dark Guards. He wore water-repellent boots, and the sword at his waist was hidden under the cloak, just like his shadow, he looked solemn and introverted, hiding his edge.
He walked into the deepest part of the royal palace and found his master on the throne made of gold and jade.
The middle-aged man's cheeks were deeply sunken, his forehead was faintly blue, and his dark lips were thin and drooping, not a single iota of his former glory could be seen.
That is the facial feature of someone who has been suffering from illness for many years.
But on such a sick face, there were a pair of calm and bright eyes.
Those are the eyes that only a very wise and strategic person would have.
His master has the most ingenious mind in the world and the talent to see through the essence of all things.
However, no matter how outstanding the soul is, it will eventually be bound by the physical body.
The exhausted emperor coughed heavily several times, his voice was hollow and seemed to disappear into the air in the next moment.
"How's it going? Did you find the thing?"
He collected his thoughts, tried his best to control the pain in his eyes, and knelt on one knee to apologize.
"I was incompetent and failed to find Tianshou." After a pause, he whispered, "Besides that, the Xiao family also overlooked someone."
"Oh? Who is it?"
"Prince Shuo's second son, Xiao Zhun, participated in the hunt and, through some unforeseen circumstances, escaped the assassination attempt by the secret guards and discovered the plot."
Su Yin didn't speak for a long time, he clenched the scabbard in his hand.
"It's only been a day since the incident happened. He's not familiar with the mountain roads, so he'll be delayed for at least another half a day. If he wants to return to the city, he must pass through Liwang Ancient Pavilion. A simple ambush from my subordinates will solve this matter."
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