Chapter 83 Come to my side immediately
The horse let out a heart-wrenching neigh that echoed through the sky.
The white-feathered arrow, stained with the scent of blood, whizzed past Xue Lanyi and embedded itself in the stone wall, its fletching trembling.
Xue Lanyi forgot to dodge, her eyes fixed on the fierce wind that crashed to the ground.
That was a warhorse that had accompanied Wei Xuan on five years of battles, a horse that struck fear into the hearts of the enemy. Now, its neck was pierced, and it lay on the ground convulsing.
Blood trickled and pooled, staining the silvery-white fur red.
Muyun sniffled beside it, nudging it with her nose, and the whimpering sounds emanating from her throat were as mournful as those of a human.
"Duke of Wei, you've gone too far!"
"They don't even spare the horses, what a vicious heart!" Yue Niang shouted from the side.
Deep in the dense forest, the shadowy figure drew ever closer.
As the thick fog dissipated, Wei Zhang, dressed in a black cloak, slowly approached, one hand on the saddle and the other gripping a powerful bow.
He tilted his neck back slightly, his long, narrow, upturned eyes looking down at those sitting below with a half-smile, an air of innate disdain.
He ignored Yue Niang; from the moment he appeared before everyone, his gaze was fixed on only one person.
"come over."
Wei Zhang, palm up, beckoned with his hand.
Through the cuff of his dark sleeve, Xue Lanyi saw the winding bloodstains on his wrist.
It was clear that he had not yet treated his wound after Xue Lanyi stabbed him.
He was unlikely to let the matter rest so easily.
The man's cold aura swept over her, sending a chill down Xue Lanyi's spine, and she took a half step back.
Yue Niang spread her arms wide, blocking her way. "Sister Yi Yi, we're not going over there!"
"What's there to be afraid of? At worst, we can die here together. It would be quite nice to share the same bed in life and the same blood in death."
"No matter how powerful the Duke of Wei is, can he control the underworld?"
Moon Lady talks a lot, one sentence after another, making the place lively all by herself.
She stood between the two of them, gesturing wildly and cursing.
Neither Wei Zhang nor Xue Lanyi looked at her.
The two looked at each other from a distance.
Xue Lanyi saw the fury and resentment in Wei Zhang's deep eyes.
The hand that had been reaching out to her remained in place, blood covering his wrist and dripping onto his dark sleeve.
That was the hottest blood flowing from the heart.
Her eyes showed nothing but defensiveness and fear.
The air seemed to freeze as the two stared at each other in a tense standoff.
A crimson tinge gradually crept up the corners of the man's eyes.
Perhaps it was the mist that made my eyes a little wet.
Xue Lanyi stabbed him in the back when he was at his most vulnerable.
Is he resenting her?
Xue Lanyi's eyes flickered, avoiding his gaze.
It wasn't guilt, but lingering fear.
She knew in her heart that Wei Zhang had given her the opportunity to take advantage of her in order to protect her.
But she hurt him even more.
If he catches her, how will he torture her?
Getting rained on, getting tattoos, or just continuing endlessly.
Xue Lanyi's face was pale, and her pupils began to become unfocused and wavering again.
A tall, red figure blocked their view.
Wei Xuan squeezed Xue Lanyi's cold hand.
Xue Lanyi suddenly looked up, and Wei Xuan smiled at her.
His gaze was so firm, and his hands so warm and gentle, that those terrifying images were finally erased from Xue Lanyi's mind.
Her breathing gradually calmed down, and she opened her palm to hold his.
She touched the sticky bloodstains on Wei Xuan's palm.
That was the blood of the fierce wind.
Lie Feng and Wei Xuan had been companions for many years and were like old friends.
Wei Xuan must be feeling really sad right now, but he still has to come and comfort her.
Her fingers slipped between his, their fingers intertwining tightly, which also comforted him.
Five steps away, Wei Zhang clearly saw the whole process, and his chest heaved.
The blood flowing from his heart surged even more fiercely down his arm.
His outstretched hand remained empty.
No hand came to help, and the blood was cooled by the wind.
"Come here, immediately."
His voice deepened, and his steady tone exuded an unshakeable aura of authority.
The wind rustled all around, and the leaves whispered.
Hundreds of guards emerged from the dense forest, each holding a crossbow and aiming it at the six people, some sick and some wounded.
Xue Lanyi and the others were surrounded. With just one word from Wei Zhang, the six of them would immediately fall dead on the spot.
"We are not afraid, we..."
Before Yue Niang could speak again, Mu Qinghong pulled her into his arms.
The deep, dense forest fell into a silent stalemate.
The road ahead was blocked, their warhorses were gone, and they had no way out.
However, Wei Xuan was not one to break his back. He secretly tugged at Xue Lanyi's hand, signaling her to step back.
He wanted to fight Wei Zhang to the death, so as to carve out a bloody path for the rest.
Xue Lanyi refused; she held him tightly, wanting to be with him through thick and thin.
The worry that was about to overflow was completely different from the cold look she had given Wei Zhang just now.
Wei Zhang saw this, and the crimson at the corner of his eye deepened.
"Brother, where do you intend to take my woman?"
He spoke each word clearly.
He would never let her out of his grasp again.
Immediately, earth-shattering explosions resounded all around.
The passageway behind them exploded.
The hidden weapons that Wei Xuan had deployed in Peach Blossom Valley exploded one after another.
After a series of explosions, dust and sand filled the air.
The once azure sky was now obscured by thick smoke.
The Peach Blossom Valley, which enjoyed spring-like weather all year round, was eventually engulfed in a raging storm.
A wave of heat rushed towards her, carrying a half-burnt fragment of red paper that grazed Xue Lanyi's cheekbone, cutting her skin.
A bright red crack appeared on her fair skin.
It hurts a lot.
The fragment was a small red paper figure that she and Wei Xuan had pasted together in the courtyard yesterday.
With a flick of his finger, Wei Zhang reduced everything to ashes.
One can imagine that her and Wei Xuan's home is now in ruins.
Even if Wei Xuan could fight a hundred men, so what?
They have no home anymore, where can they go?
Xue Lanyi's pupils contracted slightly as she gazed at Wei Zhang, who was positioned high above.
After a long while, she took half a step back.
Wei Zhang's eyes darkened.
She pulled Wei Xuan's hand even tighter.
Now that things have come to this, perhaps what Yue Niang said is true.
At worst, we can live and die together, and be husband and wife again in the next life.
In any case, she would never go back to Wei Zhang's side and let him humiliate her again.
She closed her eyes, leaned against Wei Xuan, and made it seem as if she was going to die with him.
She really dares to think that way!
She had promised to stay with Wei Zhang through thick and thin, for life.
She is his, she has been for a long time.
This life is like this, and so will the next.
Whether you're alive or dead.
Who else does she want to share life and death with?
Wei Zhang felt an urge rising within him, a desire to break off their clasped hands, press her against his chest, and make her see clearly whose person she truly was.
The surging tide crashed against his arm, the veins on the back of his hand bulged, and the oppressive aura emanating from him was like a mountain collapsing...
Suddenly, an image of her tear-streaked face beneath faded rouge flashed into my mind.
He paused, his fingertips curling slightly as he slowly dug his fingers into his palm.
“In the capital…in the capital there are the best doctors who can treat Xie Qingyun.” Wei Zhang’s breathing was uneven.
Xue Lanyi's slightly closed eyelashes trembled slightly.
The five people beside her, who had been in a defensive posture, were now frozen in place.
The guards behind Wei Zhang had already drawn their swords, and they all glanced at each other in surprise.
For six whole years, the boss acted swiftly and decisively in arresting people, never uttering a single unnecessary word.
Coercion was the primary method used; this was the first time I'd encountered such a blatant attempt at bribery.
Wei Zhang took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice calm. "Come back. I can also cure Lu Lin's muteness."
Xue Lanyi suddenly opened her eyes.
Legend has it that a reclusive high monk in Dayong accidentally lost his tongue, but later created a method to produce sound using his vocal cords and larynx, and was no longer troubled by muteness.
The high monk's whereabouts are hard to find; the Lu family has searched everywhere but to no avail. When did Wei Zhang finally find him?
Xue Lanyi looked intently into Wei Zhang's eyes.
Those deep, melancholic eyes were intimidating, but they were also undeniably authoritative.
If he says he has a solution, then he must really have one.
There is no doubt about that.
Xue Lanyi's heart stirred, and she subconsciously loosened her grip on Wei Xuan's hand.
If Xie Qingyun's tuberculosis can be cured.
If Lu Lin could return to his position as an advisor.
If Ah Xuan didn't have to die...
She met Wei Zhang's gaze from afar, her eyes swirling with emotion.
Wei Zhang flicked his finger at her, and the black jade thumb ring gleamed with golden light.
It seemed like a beam of light that could truly be grasped.
As if bewitched, she straightened up and stiffly took a step forward.
boom!
The moment her toes peeked out from behind her skirt, a loud crashing sound rang out behind her.
Something warm splashed onto Xue Lanyi's back.
"Ah! Lord Lu! Lord Lu!" Yue Niang screamed.
Xue Lanyi suddenly turned around, and Lu Lin crashed into the stone door, sliding down like a rag doll.
Blood splattered from the smashed head, leaving a trail of crimson on the uneven stone gate.
Did Lu Lin commit suicide by running into a wall?
"Lu Lin!" Xue Lanyi immediately regained her senses and turned to run towards the person lying in the pool of blood.
She almost collapsed onto Lu Lin.
But he remained motionless, with blood still flowing from his forehead.
Xue Lanyi wiped it with a silk handkerchief.
It wouldn't get clean; the more you wiped, the more there was, and the handkerchief became soaked.
Yue Niang pushed aside the dazed Mu Qinghong, stepped forward, and rolled up her sleeves. "I know how to pinch the philtrum! I know how to pinch the philtrum!"
Although Yue Niang only met them a few times, she liked them very much.
Not wanting anything to happen to any of them, my hand trembled violently as I pinched their philtrum.
However, no matter how deeply you try to find out, you can't detect even a trace of its presence.
Lu Lin's hand hung limply on the ground.
A few longans rolled out from the patched sleeve.
These are longans from his own tree, which he brought especially to congratulate Wei Xuan and Xue Lanyi.
They had agreed to cover Xuan Ge and Yi Yi's wedding bed with the longan he grew.
He hasn't even laid out the wedding bed for them yet...
Xue Lanyi stared at the longan swirling in the blood, shaking her head stammering, "Why? Why?"
Xue Lanyi's voice, choked with sobs, grew louder and louder until it finally turned into a roar, "Why are you going to your death?"
Five steps away, Wei Zhang's fingertips trembled.
A drop of blood that splattered from hitting the wall landed right on the tip of his outstretched finger.
Warm, and very real.
Wei Zhang frowned, staring at the drop of blood that swayed in his palm.
On the blood droplet, the image of young Lu Lin, his face bruised and swollen, was clearly visible.
He put his arm around Zhang's shoulder and said, "Zhang, a person's mouth is for speaking. If you don't speak, people will think you're mute."
"You're mute, people will think you're easy to bully."
"Next time someone bullies you, just like I did, reason with them and scold them until they can't find their way back, understand?"
With a broken, gaping tooth sticking out, young Lu Lin spoke, blood and saliva raining down his face, "You don't know how to swear? I'll teach you, I know thirty-nine different ways to swear!"
"Ah Zhang, go ahead and learn! Why aren't you saying anything?"
...
It was the fifth day of the twelfth month of the tenth year of Changde, in the dead of winter, when the watchman's bell rang six times.
The two boys walked arm in arm, limping along.
In the long corridor, only Lu Lin's noisy voice could be heard.
The cloak he draped over him was purple, ugly, and very heavy.
Moreover, he doesn't actually have thirty-nine ways to curse.
There are only eight kinds, which are difficult to pronounce, and you need to recite them one hundred and twenty times to learn them...
Wei Zhang gently pressed his finger against the drop of blood that was almost completely cold.
His calm gaze pierced through the crowd and fell upon the person lying motionless on the ground.
In reality, he couldn't see anything.
Lu Lin was surrounded by Xue Lanyi, Wei Xuan, and Yue Niang.
Xie Qingyun, leaning against the wall, clutched her chest and coughed a few times. "Yiyi, Xuan-ge, there's no need to be too sad. Actually, Lu Lin... he never intended to, nor could he continue living."
Lu Lin was determined to become an official who could advise the emperor.
After his tongue was cut out, he had little hope of surviving, but he managed to hold on because there were elderly, weak, women and children in his family.
However, over the years, Shen Jinglan has caused a lot of trouble for the Lu family, and his physical condition is already at its limit.
He suddenly realized that his existence not only failed to bring peace to his family, but instead brought misfortune time and time again.
Therefore, after leaving Kyoto and settling his family, he had no intention of forcing himself to live a life of hardship.
This time, he and Xie Qingyun came to attend Xue Lanyi and Wei Xuan's wedding, which was actually to fulfill their last wish.
They had agreed before they came that they would never become a burden to Xue Lanyi again.
They will no longer use Wei Zhang or Shen Jinglan as bargaining chips to put Xue Lanyi in trouble again.
It's really unfair that a young girl always has to protect several grown men like this!
The little girl doesn't live for anyone else; she has her own life.
Xie Qingyun chuckled and pulled a dagger from his sleeve.
A flash of silver light revealed the profound farewell in Xie Qingyun's eyes.
At this moment, everyone was immersed in grief, and no one saw the dagger being brought towards Xie Qingyun's neck.
Only Wei Zhang stood alone, naturally vigilant.
In an instant, he grasped Xie Qingyun's intention.
His eyes darkened, and he drew his bow, aiming it at the dagger.
The arrow left the bowstring, intending to shatter the dagger.
Xie Qingyun didn't have much strength to cut his own neck with the dagger.
Seeing the arrow rushing towards him, he tilted his body, his chest meeting the white-feathered arrow head-on.
Wei Zhang's pupils contracted.
It was too late; the arrow pierced Xie Qingyun's heart in an instant.
A jet of blood splattered as Xie Qingyun fell to Wei Zhang's arrow.
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