Chapter 449 Who's looking for me?
Huang Xuan went to the kitchen to get the porridge, without disrupting Rong Zhen and the others' formation progress.
Just as Yan Zhang announced that the formation was complete, Huang Xuan brought out a bowl of porridge and walked towards Ouyang Rong.
Meanwhile, Rongzhen walked to the center of the courtyard and put on the golden four-eyed mask again.
Ouyang Rong's attention was originally focused on the little girl in the red coat who was walking towards him.
Suddenly, he felt a weight on his body, as if someone had placed a heavy object on his shoulder.
Looking to the side, in the center of the courtyard, Rong Zhenxue's white dress was swaying like waves.
At the same time, a misty fog spread out from the ground beneath Rong Zhen's feet, extending within a radius of ten zhang, roughly encompassing the area of this old courtyard.
Ouyang Rong turned his head and found that Yan Liulang, who was looking around curiously, did not have the same "feeling of becoming heavier" as him. He was just surprised by the misty water vapor that appeared out of nowhere.
He suddenly realized that it wasn't that the pressure on his shoulders had increased.
Rather, it's because the spiritual energy in the dantian is sealed off.
Being within the ten-zhang-wide Moon Array in the pool, having lost my spiritual cultivation, I felt a renewed sense of weight.
Just like fish returning to shore, or birds losing their wings returning to walk on the ground.
Ouyang Rong immediately mobilized his spiritual energy, and sure enough, it caused a great deal of obstruction.
Even the sword in the carriage at the courtyard gate couldn't be mobilized.
He turned his head and silently looked at Rong Zhen.
The latter stood in the center of the courtyard, wearing a heavy golden mask, yet holding his head high, and gave orders to the silent audience:
"Take your positions."
"The Fangxiang face is another key point of the formation, which requires me to wear the presiding robe. During the presiding period, I cannot move around, otherwise the formation will be flawed."
"Lianqing, you stay by my side and protect me."
"Yan Zhang, take your men, draw your swords, and get ready to wait for the Earth Escape teleportation."
At this point, Rong Zhen turned her head and looked at Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang one last time;
“Prefect Ouyang, Military Advisor Yan, you two follow Yan Zhang to prepare to apprehend the thief… Prefect Ouyang, where is your sword? Why haven’t you brought it yet? Never mind, use mine, for killing enemies or self-defense.”
Rong Zhen frowned slightly and gave the instructions.
Before Ouyang Rong could react, the cold, palace-dressed girl who was in charge of the formation had already taken off a sword from her waist and handed it to Lian Qing.
Ouyang Rong looked down at the sword, then at the palace-dressed girl who had given him the sword.
“My lord…” Yan Liulang squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.
Turning his head, he saw Yan Liulang looking at him with some anxiety in his eyes, as if asking what to do next.
If we don't find a way to break this formation or run out of the courtyard to find Miss Xie and the others to join the battle against the enemy, it will be too late.
If you are going to use the Cauldron Sword in a desperate fight, then you should immediately find an excuse to leave the courtyard and this formation, and summon the Cauldron Sword to attack.
If we don't have enough spiritual energy, we can't kill them all. It's better than just sitting here and waiting to die. Even if we exhaust all our resentment, we can still take a couple of people down with us.
Although at this point, it seems that the first method of escaping to the Prince's mansion to find Xie Lingjiang and other trusted men to defend against the enemy is no longer feasible due to time constraints.
As for attacking Rongzhen with a sword, or killing Huang Xuan, Miao Si, and others to silence them, it would be tantamount to openly revealing their identities.
Before Ouyang Rong could speak, a short, fiery red figure passed through Yan Liulang, who was carrying a sword, and walked up to him, offering him a bowl of warm porridge in both hands.
It was Huang Xuan who suddenly asked Ouyang Rong if he was hungry and wanted some porridge.
At this moment, the courtyard quieted down, and Rong Zhen, Lian Qing, Yan Zhang and the others all turned their gazes toward it.
Now we just need Huang Xuan, who will serve as the other key figure in the formation, to take her place.
Yan Zhang and the others looked impatient and wanted to urge him on, but seeing Rong Zhen's calm and waiting expression, they had no choice but to swallow their anger and stand still to wait.
"My benefactor, Chief Secretary, here you go."
Huang Xuan stood on tiptoe and handed Ouyang Rong a bowl of porridge.
"Thanks."
Ouyang Rong muttered something under his breath, preparing to drink the last bowl of warm porridge.
Even now, in his desperate situation, he still doesn't regret saving Huang Xuan on the street that day, which led to all the trouble that followed.
If time could turn back and he could do it all over again, he would still do the same thing.
Ouyang Rong looked down at the bowl of porridge with an incredibly peaceful gaze.
Huang Xuan looked up at the young man drinking porridge, pulled out a sheathed dagger from her sleeve, and in front of everyone in the courtyard, drew out the rusty blade and stabbed it towards Ouyang Rong's right chest.
The situation was urgent, and everyone present looked on in surprise.
Ouyang Rong was also stunned.
"Be careful, Your Excellency!"
Only Yan Liulang, who was closest to him and Huang Xuan, reacted and rushed forward with his sword drawn.
Huang Xuan's movements as she stabbed with the dagger were not skillful, even appearing somewhat clumsy and slow. Before the dagger even touched Ouyang Rong, Yan Liulang's blade had already arrived, about to slash at her small body from behind.
"Wait, Liu Lang, stop!"
Ouyang Rong suddenly realized what was happening, pulled Huang Xuan in front of him to his body, dodged Yan Liulang's blade, and at the same time turned his body to block Yan Liulang's desperate strike again.
"My lord, you..."
This act of getting close enough to stop the guards and then protecting the assassin left the astonished crowd stunned once again.
At the same time, a dull thud, the sound of a dagger piercing flesh, rang out in the courtyard.
No one stopped him; in fact, he recklessly moved closer and stabbed Ouyang Rong in the right chest with a dagger.
Huang Xuan, who was being held by him, quickly broke free from his embrace.
With a clang, the blood-stained dagger fell to the ground.
Huang Xuan slowly backed away, her innocent and bright eyes staring wide-eyed at Ouyang Rong, who was "courting death".
The bowl of warm porridge in his hand remained intact from beginning to end, not even a drop spilled. He even held it a little further away, afraid of getting it stained with blood.
In the open space of the courtyard, the young man serving porridge looked down at the bloody wound on his chest.
Whether Huang Xuan was inexperienced or doing it on purpose, the dagger was initially aimed at her right chest, and the wound was there, but it did not hit her heart.
However, due to excessive blood loss and excruciating pain, Ouyang Rong's body was swaying precariously.
"My lord!" Yan Liulang rushed forward, his face full of worry as he supported him.
Besides Rong Zhen, who was in charge of the formation, Yan Zhang, Lian Qing, and others quickly surrounded them.
Lianqing placed her hand on Huang Xuan's shoulder to restrain her and prevent any further accidents.
Yan Zhang stepped forward, first glancing at Ouyang Rong's wound, then at the bowl of porridge in his hand that hadn't spilled, and a slight smirk appeared on his lips:
"According to Lady Rongzhen, Chief Secretary Ouyang has some Qi cultivation, so how could he be stabbed at close range by a little girl? He couldn't even prevent such a small danger, and it almost hit his vitals. He's really become lax in his official duties."
Yan Liulang glared angrily:
"What kind of ridiculous formation is this? All our spiritual energy and cultivation are gone. How are we supposed to dodge? If you're so capable, you come and try it yourself. It's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering."
Lianqing smiled and said:
"Don't talk nonsense. Chief Secretary Ouyang didn't even spill the porridge in his hand. Doesn't he look quite dashing? He's handling it with ease..."
Yan Zhang's eyes lit up:
"Oh, I see. No wonder he protected this little girl just now. Was Chief Secretary Ouyang afraid of delaying Lady Rongzhen's investigation and ruining this 'key point' of the formation? That's why he was so accommodating, tsk tsk tsk."
At this point, the man with the mole on his eyebrow became serious, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ouyang Rong, and spoke with admiration:
"I see. Chief Secretary Ouyang is indeed mindful of the overall situation. Lady Rongzhen did not misplace her trust in you."
"you……"
Yan Liulang felt that the effeminate man in front of him was being sarcastic and cryptic, so he gripped his knife and glared angrily.
"Mukuro."
Ouyang Rong didn't even glance at Yan Zhang, who seemed to dislike him and was making sarcastic remarks, and instead held down Yan Liulang.
With the latter's help, Ouyang Rong covered his bloody chest wound with his hand and silently glanced at the little girl in the red coat whose hands were stained with blood.
Huang Xuan, who was being held down by Lian Qing, was momentarily dazed. Suddenly, she glared at Ouyang Rong with hatred in her eyes, her face filled with resentment.
"That time at Xunyang Tower, it was all your fault. My father and I could have lived in a big house, but it was all your fault. For the sake of your so-called reputation, you refused to agree to Madam Pei's win-win-win plan. You deserve to die."
“Ouyang Lianghan, what are you pretending to be, you just want to win a reputation for loving the people like your own children. It's one thing to have selfish motives, but you also have to put on an act.”
"Still pretending even now, feigning to protect me and forgive my past transgressions? Ha! Can you even hurt me? I am a seed of cultivation, possessing a pair of spiritual eyes, and I am the key to Lady Historian's formation today. If you had dared to lay a hand on me just now, Lady Historian would have already twisted your head off. You're still pretending to be benevolent? Bah, hypocrite!"
Huang Xuan stared at Ouyang Rong, cursing and complaining, but for some reason, tears streamed down her face.
Yan Zhang, standing to the side, gloated. These words were truly satisfying. He hadn't realized that this little girl was actually his best mouth double.
Yan Zhang turned his head to try and see Rong Zhen's expression, but unfortunately the latter was wearing the Golden Four-Eyed Weapon, so he couldn't see her face clearly. Yan Zhang looked slightly disappointed.
Huang Xuan, furious at the failed assassination attempt, berated Ouyang Rong, who remained silent with his head bowed the entire time.
Yan Liulang, who was standing nearby, noticed that he silently put down his bowl of porridge, without drinking a drop, and laid it flat on the ground.
"alright."
Rong Zhen spoke, her voice cold:
"I don't care what deep-seated grudges you have, from now on, no one is allowed to make any more underhanded moves, or they will bear the consequences."
Her sharp gaze swept over everyone in the courtyard, and they either lowered their heads or nodded.
Yan Liulang bandaged Ouyang Rong's wound, then looked up, his face filled with anxiety, and said:
"Your Excellency, the Lord's wound is quite deep and the bleeding cannot be stopped. There is no way to tell what was smeared on that rusty blade. How about I take him out to treat his wound? There seems to be some medicine in the carriage."
“Take him to get treatment,” Rong Zhen sighed, her tone seemingly disappointed. “You don’t need to come later; leave the rest to us.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Liulang didn't waste any words. He immediately helped Ouyang Rong, who was clutching his wound with his head down, and together they limped out of the courtyard.
With a soft "bang," the courtyard gate was closed.
They even thoughtfully closed the door when they left.
Inside the courtyard, the plan to set up a trap to catch the thief remained unchanged.
After Ouyang Rong left, Huang Xuan, who was somewhat dazed, was taken by Lian Qing to the original location of the array's core.
In addition, Miao Si, whose mouth was gagged, was also thrown by Yan Zhang into the corresponding position within the formation.
"Ugh... Waaah..."
Miao Si looked at Huang Xuan, who was also being controlled, with tears streaming down her face.
The two of them still had to be part of the formation to expose someone's identity.
All their efforts today have been in vain...
Everyone on the field was in their positions.
In the Moon Formation under the pool.
Rongzhen took out a piece of red paper from her sleeve that recorded the story of the butterfly and the flower. She glanced at it and was about to crush it to extract the man's literary aura as a catalyst.
Just then, all the movements of the cold, palace-dressed girl stopped. Her small face, adorned with a golden mask, slowly tilted back, staring blankly at the sky.
The palace-dressed girl, gazing up at the sky, remained motionless, like a statue.
"What happened to Lady Rongzhen?"
Yan Zhang noticed something was wrong and curiously followed her gaze to the sky. His expression immediately froze.
Inside the courtyard, Lianqing and the others also looked up curiously.
A blue moon appeared in the sky above, standing side by side with the sun...
No.
It's not the moon.
It is an "arc".
The clear blue arc is like a dream.
“It’s that cauldron sword!” Rong Zhen suddenly exclaimed, “The owner of the Butterfly Love Flower is nearby.”
A cauldron sword?!
Yan Zhang and Lian Qing suddenly realized.
Only the Dingjian can possess this dreamlike appearance from mythical books.
It's like a martial arts novel where suddenly a fantasy swordsman with superhuman abilities appears.
A dimensional reduction attack, damn it.
Lianqing immediately became anxious and said:
"It's time to return! He set up his sword outside the formation, trying to avoid Chi Xia Yue, but his sword setup was useless. The Ding Sword couldn't enter Chi Xia Yue! Anyone who dared to enter would have their spiritual energy cut off and be trapped in the formation."
"Rongzhen, from now on, do not cancel the magic array, otherwise one of us will lose our lives. Quickly activate the Moon Array under the Pool, use Earth Escape to get there and trap this person!"
Before she could even close her eyes and activate the Xuanhuang Earth Dragon's whiskers, a furious and startled shout suddenly came from outside the courtyard:
"My lord! Beware of this thief... Ah!"
The people inside the courtyard only heard the loud shouts outside the courtyard wall, which were then interrupted by a scream.
"Bang--!"
The courtyard gate was shattered into pieces, with wood chips flying everywhere.
Everyone saw Yan Liulang's figure fly backward into the courtyard, and the constable's knife landed with a crisp sound.
He closed his eyes and fell to the ground, unconscious. The people in the courtyard looked at each other in bewilderment. Judging from his words just now, that Chief Secretary Ouyang must have also been infected outside.
Everyone's eyes turned to the doorway.
A young man in a scholar's robe wearing a bronze mask and carrying a piece of light purple cloth slowly walked into the courtyard. His voice was muffled and somewhat hoarse.
"Who's looking for me?"
His tone was curious, and he didn't hide or avoid the situation, but instead took the initiative to enter the fray.
The entire room fell silent.
(End of this chapter)
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