Chapter 227 The Swordsman's Box Had No Sword
"Lu Chaoge...does she know?" Guan Ye's mind was buzzing.
Mu You shook his head. "She doesn't know."
Guan Ye opened her mouth as if to ask something, but the words remained unspoken. Her father had sworn to the heavens that he hadn't done it, so how could his daughter have even the slightest doubt?
"Master Lu knows?" Wan Qixi frowned. "How could he... It concerns the lives of over a hundred people in the entire clan, how could he dare?"
Mu You laughed and said, "Because he also knows my identity and has long discovered my relationship with his daughter. I told Lu Nian that if he helps me this time, after Eagle Ridge is defeated, I will volunteer to save the country. I will destroy all the information about the Blood Crossbow Case. When I return in triumph, no one will be held accountable. When I become the crown prince and inherit the throne, his daughter will be the empress of Jin. Lu Nian will no longer be the national craftsman, but the father-in-law of the emperor."
“Master Lu is the head of the five major workshops, how could he…” Wan Qixi shook his head repeatedly, “He would never… do such a thing.”
"Hahahaha." Mu You found this Western Region man increasingly amusing. "You are a merchant, and merchants are all driven by profit. This is a deal that could defy fate. If it were you, would you refuse me? Most importantly, I have already told Lu Nian all my plans. If he refuses, he is making an enemy of me. I am of noble birth, a prince of the Great Jin Dynasty. Even if I am not successful, crushing a weapons workshop should not be difficult for me."
Wan Qixi took a few steps back, muttering to himself, "He's afraid of you, he can't refuse you. This isn't his true intention, it couldn't be..."
Wanqi Xi was always eccentric, and Mu You was too lazy to pay attention to him. "Let's get back to the point. Do you still want to hear what I have to say? The crossbow mixed with brass has already been cast, and it's too late to recast it. I can only bite the bullet and accept the order to go to Eagle Ridge. Before I left, Chaoge personally forged a sword for me." Mu You said, looking at Chen Bi, who was disguised as Ajiu.
Mu Chenbi said softly, "The Chaoge Sword in Chengen Hall is a treasure that His Majesty cherishes. It was given to me by a beautiful woman. How could I forget it?"
"That is my most cherished possession. Countless nights, I have polished the Chaoge sword, as if Chaoge were in the Chengen Hall, always with me, never to be separated." Mu You's eyes showed sorrow, and his voice gradually became low and slow.
Mu You continued, "I hold the Chaoge sword in my hand, yet there are so many things I cannot say to her. Chaoge encouraged me, saying that when I return in triumph, she will lead the five major districts to welcome me at the city gate. I sighed in my heart, triumph? I fear I will die on Eagle Ridge Road and never return."
Mu You spoke with his eyes shining brightly, "Guan Ye was right. I am destined to conquer Heaven. Heaven has granted me its mandate and will not fail me. The crossbow battalion fought desperately against the enemy, buying me time to retreat. I retreated back into the city and redeployed. This time, even Heaven was on my side. I put myself in a life-or-death situation and emerged victorious, achieving a great victory, defeating the rebels, and finally returning in triumph."
"But outside the city gates... Lu Chaoge didn't lead the five wards to welcome you. News of the complete annihilation of the Bentbow Battalion reached them, and the five wards were raided overnight..."
"It's all Lu Nian's fault. The craftsman is timid; if he had just gritted his teeth and persevered..."
Guan Ye sighed and interrupted Mu You, "You plotted everything, bewitched and coerced Lu Nian into helping you, and you still blame Lu Nian for being cowardly? Three thousand archers died on the battlefield. Even a fool knows that the crossbows were faulty. The fault of the weapons is the fault of the workshop. You are far away on the front line, your life or death unknown. How could Lu Nian escape? All he can do is send his daughter away to preserve the Tianhu Workshop, quickly confess his crimes, and spare his clansmen from physical suffering. He and the five major workshops will never see you return."
"On my way back to the capital, I learned of the beheadings of the Five Great Wards," Mu You said. "At the time, I thought that Chaoge was among those beheaded. But when I returned to Rongdu, the Dali Temple told me that Chaoge, Guan Xiaotian and his wife, and a swordsman from Tianhu Ward had escaped Rongdu before the city was sealed off and their whereabouts were unknown. Only then did I feel a little relieved... Chaoge is still alive."
Guan Ye stared intently at Mu You's face, hoping to uncover the malice deep within Mu You's heart through subtle expressions. "The Emperor says he's at ease, but what if... he's not at ease either?"
"You mean, I want Chaoge to die at Caishikou as well?" Mu You retorted. "Guan Ye, in your eyes, am I truly heartless and devoid of affection?"
Guan Ye revealed a mocking expression, "If you had a heart and feelings, how could you scheme against your own brothers? How could you deceive your future father-in-law and push the entire clan of the woman you love into the abyss, just to fulfill your desires? If you had a heart and feelings, how could you have hunted down the people who escaped from Tianhu Workshop for years, forcing them to live a life of hardship and never find peace?"
Mu You scrutinized Guan Ye with interest. Even facing death, her words became increasingly eloquent; she was truly audacious and amusing. "I admit, I was somewhat worried that Lu Nian would tell Chaoge everything. Chaoge's swordsmanship is extraordinary, and she's stubborn and daring. If she wants to, there's nothing she can't do. If she truly wants revenge, who knows, one day she might actually take her sword and storm into the palace, pointing it directly at my heart..." Mu You pressed his palm to his chest, as if still shaken. "One year, two years, three years... the days passed one by one. I ascended the throne, married, and had children... I tried my best to be a good emperor, a good father... and I succeeded. Chaoge... disappeared from the world, her fate unknown. Until..." Mu You glanced at Chen Bi again, then stopped speaking.
"Too much time has passed, long enough to die silently." Guan Ye murmured, "Mother is dead, Father is dead... I'll be next." Guan Ye suddenly looked at Mu You, "The Emperor thinks that once everyone is dead, no one will threaten your throne, your wisdom, or anyone will draw their sword and point it at your heart to avenge Tianhufang."
Mu You spread his arms as if to provoke Guan Ye, "Guan Ye, you are now in the Zetian Hall, only a few feet away from me. If you can, then come and take my life! To avenge your parents and Tianhufang? Guan Ye, the victor is king, the loser is villain. Can you do it?"
Guan Ye's anger surged. She unconsciously reached for the short sword in her sleeve, but it was empty. Before entering the hall, all weapons had been removed by the Eagle Guards. Mu You was accompanied by the expert Cui Jin. If there was any movement, the Eagle Guards who were densely packed outside the hall would rush into the hall... Guan Ye really wanted to kill the instigator of the blood crossbow incident, but... how could she possibly do it?
"Hahahaha." Mu You laughed loudly, then turned to look at Cui Jin, "Look, the Guan family girl is really funny."
Cui Jin chuckled coldly, "Overestimating oneself, that's truly laughable."
"Father," Mu Lexiu, kneeling on the ground, raised his head tremblingly, "there is another sword in the palace."
—Is there another sword in the hall? Mu You's pale eyes were fixed on the sword box held by the handsless man; it was the sword that the inner workshop was about to present.
"Your Highness is overthinking it. There is no sword in this hall." Wan Qixi chuckled and took a few steps, his body swaying as he reached the sword box. "What's in the box isn't a sword, it's..." Wan Qixi said as he opened the sword box.
There was no sword in the box? Wushuang had a bad feeling. The moment her starry eyes lowered, the object in the box was taken out by Wanqixi with lightning speed. The blade flashed like a meteor that ripped through the sky, leaving Wushuang with only a resolute afterimage.
—The knife, there was no sword in the box, but... it was Wanqixi's old horizontal knife.
With the speed of a gust of wind and the swiftness of lightning, before anyone in the hall could react, Wanqixi leaped up, sword in hand, shooting straight at Mu You like an arrow released from a bow. Mei Shiyu's cheekbone twitched; if the crossbowmen's crossbows were functioning properly, his uncle's crossbow bolts would surely have been fired at the rebels below Eagle Ridge Pass in the same manner.
"Father!" "Father, be careful!" the Mu brothers cried out in alarm.
The sword was drawn, but instead of the expected spurt of blood and flesh, there was only a crisp sound as the weapons clashed and sparks flew. Dozens of black-clad guards emerged from behind, their leader holding his own against the sword.
Wanqi Xi raised his narrow eyes, glanced at Mu You's composed face, and said, "I still underestimated you. Could this be the legendary Shadow Guard?"
Mu You sneered, "You even know about the Shadow Guards, so it seems you're someone of importance. I originally thought that Guan Ye and the others would risk everything to take my life today, but unexpectedly, they didn't make a move, instead drawing in someone else. Wan Qixi? Wan Qi... who exactly are you?"
"Hahahaha." Wan Qixi felt no fear of being exposed. His laughter was hearty and gratifying. Having lived in anonymity for so many years, he had almost forgotten who he really was. Today, he could finally let everyone know who he was. "Mu You," Wan Qixi addressed the King of Jin by his given name, "You set up such a scheme, so cunning as a fox, how could you not guess who I am?"
Mu You glanced at the prince, and Guan Ye's heart leaped into her throat. Mu You caught the fleeting tension in her eyes as she turned away. He pondered for a moment, then said, "You want to kill me, so you must have a grudge against me. Today we're talking about old matters; whoever wants my life must be an old friend. All those old friends are gone. Are you, like Guan Ye and the others, the son of an old friend? The son of an old friend…" Mu You closed his eyes, lost in thought. "The son of an old friend…? What other kind of son of an old friend…?"
Mu You recalled for a long time, gazing at Wan Qixi's weathered face. As if he had thought of something, his eyes widened in surprise and he said, "I have never looked closely at your appearance before, but today, looking at you, you... actually resemble... her..." Mu You took a few steps back and shook his head repeatedly, "Impossible, you can't be him. He died long ago, twenty years ago. He died, it's clearly written in the records, he... died."
Taking advantage of the shadow guards' unpreparedness, Wan Qixi flicked his wrist to deflect the horizontal sword. Just as he was about to swing it down, several shadow guards surrounded him. "For twenty years, I still fantasized about eating the honeyed lychees that person spoke of. I blame myself for being greedy and gluttonous back then. I ate a month's worth of candied fruit in half a day. Looking back now, I realize that I had tasted all the sweetness of my life during that time. After that, all that remained was bitterness and hatred. I was trapped by revenge for the rest of my life and could never escape it."
"It's you." Mu You's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "You're... Chaoge's younger brother... your name is... Lu... Lu Xiaojun..."
“I am Lu Xiaojun.” Wan Qixi pointed her thumb at her forehead. “Lu Xiaojun of Tianhufang, today, I will kill you on behalf of Tianhufang and my sister.”
Mu You sighed, "You think you can kill me in the palace?"
Wan Qixi licked his dry lips, and with a somersault, he had already cut down one of the shadow guards. In the blink of an eye, he stabbed several more people. He had endured for many years for this day, and he had practiced his swordsmanship diligently for this day. Today, everything would end today.
"Grand Preceptor Cui!" Wanqi Xi growled in a low voice, "I have long heard of Grand Preceptor Cui's skill with the curved sword, witnessed by everyone under the Emperor's throne. I wonder if there is any opportunity to test your curved sword?"
Cui Jin certainly understood what Lu Xiaojun meant, but Cui Jin's single eye was dark, and he seemed not to hear her words, as he stood as still and immovable as a statue, shrouded in a wide black robe.
No matter how valiant Wan Qixi was, he was no match for more than ten highly skilled shadow guards. If Mu You gave the order, the eagle guards outside the hall would swarm in, and Wan Qixi would be doomed. Guan Ye suddenly shouted, "Grand Preceptor Cui, Lu Xiaoyun said she wanted to test your curved sword! Are you pretending not to hear?"
"Grand Preceptor Cui!" Guan Ye's voice rose again, "You can't hear me calling you Grand Preceptor Cui, but what about calling you A-Jing?"
—Ah Jing? —Ah Jing! This name… everyone was stunned again. This name sounds so familiar, as if they had just heard it somewhere before…Ah Jing.
"Ah Jing," Guan Ye called out, "Don't you listen to your young master anymore? He was able to enter Rongdu, rise from the Ghost Market to become a royal merchant, and you must have played a part in that. You protected the Lu siblings all the way, so why are you ignoring the young master when it comes to life and death? You promised Miss Lu, you promised to protect the young master, have you kept your promise?"
Cui Jin's face twitched as the ink tattooed on his face, and his hands clenched so tightly that the veins bulged out.
"Ah Jing." Guan Ye glanced at Lu Xiaojun, who was almost at her wit's end. "My father said that the eldest young lady named you with the character 'Jing' because she wanted you to pave the way for Tianhu Fang and be a formidable troublemaker. Ah Jing, have you lived up to that?"
"Ah Jing, save us! Save us, Ah Jing!"
—Ah Jing, did you do it...? Did you do it?
—Ah Jing failed to do it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
