"call--"
"You'll spend your whole life playing with eagles, only to end up having your eyes pecked out by one!"
The unruly scholar eventually lost too much blood and was too weak to escape. He could only barely stand by supporting himself on the tree trunk.
"It was truly a miscalculation..."
"None of Wu Zhaode's sons are easy to deal with."
He gasped for breath, looking down at the pooling blood at his feet. The dizziness intensified, and a wave of vertigo made him sway. He took several deep breaths, trying to regain his senses. He was very close to Heyin County; if he could just hold on, he would be about 70-80% safe. But that short distance now felt like an insurmountable chasm.
Simply because the blood that flowed out was not the normal color.
The blade that wounded him was poisoned!
If an ordinary person were to run this far, their blood circulation would be severely impaired, and they would have long since succumbed to the toxins throughout their body. The fact that he has managed to hold on until now is entirely due to the strong physique of a scholar and the continuous flow of literary energy protecting his heart from the toxins.
He used all his strength to try to move his right leg.
His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
"...I'm afraid I'm going to die here..." The unsophisticated scholar's experiences over the years flashed through his mind, all of which were mixed into a bitter smile on his lips. He struggled to sit up, leaned against the tree trunk, and felt the poison raging through his meridians. He murmured to himself, "Young Master Qin, I have now repaid your life-saving grace back then."
He gritted his teeth at the thought of Qin Li.
He raised his hand to touch the blood on the ground.
Using fingers as a pen and blood as ink.
He didn't recognize the people hunting him, but he could guess what faction they belonged to. If the message he left behind could reach Qin Gongsu, the latter would be on alert. He endured the excruciating pain in his internal organs and managed to write a few words, when he heard the rustling sound of leaves being trampled underfoot. This noise was definitely intentionally made by the intruder.
The unconventional scholar was slightly startled.
The pursuers have arrived.
His vision was blurry, but he could vaguely see a dark figure approaching.
The other party raised his weapon, carefully assessed the situation, and determined that the down-on-his-luck scholar had exhausted all his options and had no other means of escape. He then decided to cut off his head—a convenient way to hand over the body and also to conceal the true identity of the corpse, a practical little trick that killed two birds with one stone.
The down-on-his-luck scholar had no choice but to close his eyes and wait for death.
The expected pain and loss of consciousness did not occur.
An arrow pierced the air from the forest.
They didn't realize it until the arrow was right in front of them.
The assassin's expression suddenly turned serious.
This is no ordinary arrow.
The sound of an ordinary arrow piercing the air would be noticed by a valiant martial artist the instant it leaves the bowstring, unless deliberately concealed with a spell. This arrow, however, bore no trace of a spell; its silence was entirely due to the archer's skill, not any external force. The arrow didn't threaten his life, but it was enough to force him back and separate him from the unsophisticated scholar. The unsophisticated scholar also heard the sound of the arrow hitting the ground.
He suddenly opened his eyes, a surge of hope for life welling up in his heart.
Who is it?
The assassin was forced back several feet.
The person hiding in the shadows is skilled at concealing their presence.
"Go do those filthy things like murder and dumping corpses somewhere else. Do you think this is your personal burial ground?" A rough, loud male voice echoed from the woods, laced with a menacing, martial aura. Then, a young man dressed in animal skins, carrying a bow and arrow… uh, a savage? He was dark brown-skinned, with most of his chest exposed, and a rough hemp rope tied around his waist.
The assassin glanced at the savage.
Even with minor injuries, I should be able to take the target's life from this person? I probably won't be able to bring the head back, what a pity.
However, before he could make up his mind to take action...
He could hear several footsteps crunching on leaves.
A dozen or so savages, also dressed in animal skins, emerged, including three or four female savages. The crowd watched him warily.
The savages also looked at him with hostility.
Judging from the surrounding atmosphere, they are probably all savages who eat raw meat and drink blood!
Even though the assassin was unwilling, he had no choice but to retreat.
The target had been poisoned with a dose more than ten times the normal lethal dose, and unless a skilled physician specializing in antidotes intervened, there was no hope of recovery. To avoid escalating the conflict, the assassin raised his hand in a harmless gesture towards the group of savages, then stepped back while facing them.
Even after retreating several meters, the savages showed no intention of pursuing or firing arrows. Only then did the assassin use his incantation to accelerate his escape, vanishing in an instant. The savages left behind exchanged bewildered glances. The first savage to emerge sneered, "I thought there was something big coming!"
An arrow was shot, but it missed.
They even stumbled upon a murder scene.
The savage strode forward and squatted down in front of the unruly scholar, checking the latter's pulse. Seeing the color of the other's blood, he said with a hint of regret, "You're going to die. Do you have any last words? If you do, say them. You're lucky to have met me."
He raised his hand and channeled his powerful martial energy into the scholar's heart meridian.
The infusion of martial energy temporarily repelled the overwhelmingly dominant toxins.
Though it couldn't save his life, it would allow the downtrodden scholar to live and finish his last words. Suppressing his excruciating pain, the scholar said in a barely audible voice, "Help me... find an official named Qin Gongsu, and tell..."
Before he could finish speaking, the savage's expression suddenly changed.
Following the unconventional scholar, I felt myself taking flight.
He was tossed onto someone's shoulder.
A savage's shout rang in my ears: "Quick, back to camp!"
The group of savages also heard what the unruly scholar said.
They all followed the savage and ran wildly in one direction.
Just as they left the dense forest, they saw a mountain path. The savage holding the disheveled scholar let out a loud whistle, and a handsome warhorse materialized from the shadows, accelerating to catch up with the savage. The savage leaped into the air and onto the horse's back, his movements rough but focused on maintaining the disheveled scholar's vital signs, saying, "Hey, you better hold your nerve and don't die!"
The unconventional scholar was so shaken by the violent jolts that his eyes nearly rolled back.
The savage was no weakling, and his warhorse was no ordinary horse. Without the weight of horse armor, it accelerated at full speed, and the strong wind hitting the unruly scholar made his ears ache and his eardrums throb. What does it mean to live with pride and not die? Is it something that can keep you from dying just by being proud?
The other savages followed closely behind.
Just as the downtrodden scholar thought his internal organs were about to be shaken out, he spotted the outline of a large camp, with banners fluttering in the wind. The savages rode into the camp at breakneck speed, and no one stopped them along the way, acting with extreme arrogance.
The savage ran all the way to the logistics wounded soldiers' camp.
They grabbed the down-on-his-luck scholar and forced him to dismount.
"Quick, someone come and see if he can be saved!"
The doctor, who heard the commotion, went to check.
The savage said bluntly, "This situation is critical; we can't practice here. Get a physician from the medical field to come and save him at all costs!"
After a period of chaos and turmoil.
The downtrodden scholar lay on his sickbed in the wounded soldiers' camp, gazing at the top of the tent.
The conversation between the wild man and the physician could be heard in my ears.
"General Lü, where did you dig up such a corpse? Good heavens, half a foot's been snatched away by the King of Hell! You're really making things difficult for people." The physician complained, but his actions were swift and decisive. This was the first time the unsophisticated scholar had encountered this group. When they infused his meridians with a vibrant life force, he knew he was saved. The toxins in his meridians, upon encountering it, were like mice before a cat, forced to flee in terror, retreating in disarray.
Finally, with nowhere left to retreat, all the energy converged on his right arm.
A doctor went up to him and made a cut on his arm.
As the toxic blood flowed from the wound, his dark right arm slowly returned to its normal color. However, due to excessive blood loss and the fact that the unruly scholar had relaxed after being rescued, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
When I woke up again, it was already dark.
The unconventional scholar opened his eyes and saw the savage brothers.
The savage had changed out of his comical animal skin attire and into a smart, tailored outfit, looking somewhat imposing. The savage immediately noticed his awakening and, while ordering a physician to be summoned, sternly questioned him: "Who are you, and what is your relationship with Young Master Qin?"
The scholar knew that Qin Shaoshi was Qin Li.
He said, "I am an old friend of his."
The savage was displeased that the person he had rescued amidst the chaos of war would only give such a reply. He said, "You're an old friend of Junior Tutor Qin? He has countless old friends. What do you want with him? You'd better answer honestly. If you fabricate even a single word, this general will make your words your last words!"
The unconventional scholar looked at the savage with distrust in his eyes.
The savage stood up: "If you really are an old friend of Master Qin, then you must know a general surnamed Zhao. I'll call him over. If you're still hiding this, I'll twist your head off!"
As it turned out, the person who came was not Zhao Feng.
He was a down-on-his-luck scholar whom I barely remembered.
The scholar's expression was also rather sour.
The savage said sheepishly, "General Zhao cannot be found for the time being."
He missed his target and didn't notice Cui Xiao in the path, nearly knocking him away. When he came to his senses and realized it was Cui Xiao, he belatedly remembered that Cui Xiao was also an old friend of Qin Shaoshi, so he pulled him over to make up the numbers. Cui Xiao rubbed his shoulder, suppressing the anger that was rising within him.
The savage asked, "Do you know each other?"
Cui Xiao nodded: "I know."
The unremarkable scholar shook his head: "I don't remember."
Cui Xiao's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he squeezed out a sentence through his back teeth: "I am Cui Shanxiao, don't you recognize me?"
The unconventional scholar fell silent.
Judging from the way he kept glancing at Cui Xiao's face, he seemed to be trying to match "Cui Shanxio" with the face in front of him. He was three parts confused, three parts suddenly realized, three parts embarrassed, and one part socially awkward, trying to save face: "You're Shanxio? Why didn't you bring your fan today?"
Cui Xiao: "..."
Even the savage knew about Cui Xiao's faults.
He comforted her, saying, "This proves that the strategist's abilities have improved even further."
They were also completely ignored.
Cui Xiao took a deep breath, not wanting to argue with someone who had just returned from the underworld: "How did you end up like this? I heard from General Lü that when they found you, you were almost beheaded."
The unsophisticated scholar said, "It's a long story."
The savage general glared at him fiercely.
However, this time the unconventional scholar did not hide anything: "King Wu Xian of Gao Kingdom had two legitimate sons who recently committed suicide."
Cui Xiao paused, his hand still: "You did this?"
The unconventional scholar: "I only want to do one."
It was unethical to kill both of his only two legitimate sons, especially since he had genuinely helped the eldest son. The boy's talent was unmatched, but he had a good character and was grateful for kindness; he was a decent ruler. However, man proposes, God disposes.
Cui Xiao: "Your secret was exposed and Wu Zhaode found out?"
The unsophisticated scholar shook his head: "Wu Zhaode is probably the most confused one in this game; the ones fighting on the surface are his three sons."
Cui Xiao clicked his tongue in surprise: "Isn't it supposed to be a battle between two young masters?"
Wu Xian is inherently a "legitimate son-centric" person; he only wants to pass the family business on to his legitimate son, and he doesn't even consider illegitimate sons. Unless Wu Xian and his first wife have a third child, but even if they rush things, this legitimate third son is only five or six years old. What can he possibly compete with?
The unsophisticated scholar's expression was numb, as if he felt ashamed: "You know Wu Zhaode's indecisive and muddle-headed personality. Let alone the three sons fighting each other, if he continues like this, seven or eight illegitimate sons will fight each other to the death. I speculate that the one who will benefit from this is Lady Mi's eldest son, Wu Zhaode dotes on this child very much."
Cui Xiaodao: "It's all a muddled mess."
The unconventional scholar wholeheartedly agreed: "If you're not capable of being a clear-headed father-in-law, it's best not to have so many children; it's easy to cause chaos."
These words sounded rather harsh to Cui Xiao.
He felt he was being subtly criticized.
Cui Xiao: "So, the people chasing you are..."
"It should be that young master's subordinate, but the Southwest Gods Society is also involved. The two are probably secretly colluding."
There are some rules between the various branches of the Pantheon.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, we will not interfere in the politics of other countries within the jurisdiction of our branch offices. If we do interfere, there is only one possibility—the forces to which the Southwest Branch members are loyal intend to expand northward!
The conflict escalated further into a struggle between branch offices.
The Northwest was Qi Yuanliang's territory.
How could the members of the Southwest Branch not know?
Cui Xiao became serious: "Really?"
The unconventional scholar affirmed, "I spent some time in the southwest in my early years, and I understand the local customs and accents. I'm sure I'm right. With the conflict between Kang and Gao brought to the forefront, it's hard to say that the people there haven't done anything underhanded, trying to sow discord."
Cui Xiaodao: "This news comes just in time."
He knew that some people would try to take advantage of the situation.
But I didn't expect the Southwest branch to join as well.
The unconventional scholar sighed, "Looking at the current situation, several forces are trying to besiege Shen Jun. It doesn't look promising."
Cui Xiao wasn't worried about this: "Those who achieve great things throughout history have always faced predicaments that are unimaginable to ordinary people. The day they break free from these predicaments is the day they soar to the heavens, unstoppable. Have you heard of the armies of the southwestern kingdoms assisting Wu Zhaode over there?"
The unconventional scholar said, "No, it's just a guess that Lady Mi's son has spies from the Southwest branch."
Hearing this, Cui Xiao felt relieved: "They didn't send troops to help, but only sent people to give instructions from the side. Their intention is probably not to help Gao State invade Kang State, but more like to use Gao State to delay Kang State's process of consolidating its northwestern forces and buy time."
The unconventional scholar nodded in agreement.
He asked, "What are the odds of winning a battle in the Northern Desert?"
Cui Xiao pointed to himself: "Now that I'm right here, what do you think the odds of victory in the Northern Desert are? Absolutely 100%!"
The unconventional scholar has lost too much blood and needs to rest.
Cui Xiao and the wild man didn't bother him.
The assassin didn't bring back the head, but he did bring back a video clip.
His martial spirit totem was unique, allowing him to briefly share a segment of his memory with others. Upon returning, he delivered his memory of chasing the down-and-out scholar and encountering a group of savages along the way. For some reason, after reading this memory, the leader's expression changed, and his aura became frighteningly gloomy. It took a long time for this oppressive atmosphere to slowly dissipate.
"Check the identity of the man in charge."
"If it's an ordinary person, capture them."
The assassin asked one more question: "What if it isn't?"
"Cripple him, then capture him."
Investigating strangers is not easy. The assassin originally thought it would be a lot of work, but unexpectedly, this wild man was not only not an ordinary person, but also Lü Jue, a military general under Shen Tang. He completed the task the next day.
"This man's surname is Lü, his given name is Jue, and his courtesy name is Shousheng."
It's normal for the two countries to collect intelligence from each other. On the Gao side, there is a lot of information on the civil and military officials under Shen Tang, with portraits accompanying the information.
(；д｀)ゞ
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P.S.: Today is a sad day.
I went to the hair salon to wash my hair tonight, and I felt that the small tuft of hair at my temples was always curled and couldn't be straightened. When I wore glasses, those two curls would also stick out, so I simply asked the owner to help me shave it off. As a result, sob sob sob.
P.S.: To cover up the fact that I lost my sideburns, I plan to get a medium-short hairstyle for the New Year. It's heartbreaking.
PPPS: It's a shame that the surname Lü Jue isn't used for a Zhonglang General joke. However, it would be nice if he could adopt or have a daughter in the future.
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