Chapter 726: Revenge and Avenging [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Bai Su gritted her teeth and took a deep breath.
Seeing that the still-developing Martial Courage Totem had successfully stopped Tao Yan, she breathed a sigh of relief; at least she hadn't completely lost out on this military achievement. Disarmed, she drew her longsword from her waist, slashing aside the cold sword aimed at her from behind. She leaped onto the nearest raft, raising her hands high to strike the shoulder of the enemy soldier attempting to ambush her. With a swift wrist strike, the blade cleaved the latter's shoulder and abdomen; before he could even scream, blood spurted out.
clang--
The blade blocked the weapon that was about to cleave him in two.
He kicked the man off the raft.
Although she had exhausted her martial energy and could barely maintain her weapons and armor, she still had physical strength and martial arts skills. Back when she was a thief, she wasn't afraid of being surrounded, let alone now that her body had been tempered by martial energy. She could still kill another wave.
The orange flames burned in her eyes, growing ever more intense.
It was difficult to tell at first whether it was fire or the enemy's blood.
"General Bai, we should retreat when our martial energy is exhausted."
As the incantation fell, the empty dantian seemed to be nourished by spring rain, gradually filling up. Bai Su's expression hardened, and she used her inner energy to shake off the dozen or so enemy soldiers who were attacking her, donning her full armor once more: "Fighting isn't all about martial energy!"
As long as I can kill, who cares how the enemy was killed! Even without martial arts skills, I can still pave a bloody path with the enemy's corpses!
Gu Chi, who had been scolded, could only awkwardly scratch his nose.
Before his finger even touched his nose, Bai Su's blood-stained knife swept past his ear, piercing the attacker from behind.
"General Bai, just take care of yourself. You shouldn't be distracted on the battlefield." He pointed to himself, "I am the incarnation."
As it turned out, Bai Su was very obedient to advice.
After Gu Chi finished speaking, she turned around and, without looking back, picked up the twin swords she had recreated and went to another battlefield to collect military merits.
Gu, the Incarnation of Chi: "..."
Doesn't General Bai ask where the real body went?
Bai Su didn't care about this issue; her only concern was going to her old enemy Tao Yan to get revenge, and her safety was never an issue.
As for the result—
Gu Chi did not go to find Tao Yan.
He led his troops to pursue the remnants of Tao Yan's forces.
Gu Chi had suffered enough from these lingering poisons and knew all too well that to nip the problem in the bud, one must eliminate the root cause; otherwise, when the spring breeze blew next year, he would be the one filled with regret. Besides Tao Yan, the main culprit, there was a group of accomplices who had wiped out the entire Gu family.
The ringleaders should be held accountable, and the accomplices shouldn't even think about escaping.
Feng gathered a group of remaining soldiers and ran in the opposite direction.
She shared similar thoughts with Tao Yan. If Shen Tang suddenly attacked and wiped out Tao Yan's troops, who were still nominally allies, and there wasn't a larger force backing him, how would Shen Tang explain himself when the truth came out? The Dragon Slaying Bureau's allied forces must also know about this!
Taking the remnants back would be like walking into a trap.
The warhorse galloped, a fierce wind rushed towards them.
Feng's ankle was still throbbing with pain, but her mind was unusually calm and clear. She was thinking about her next move. The Dragon Slaying Bureau's allied forces were problematic, and Zheng Qiao might not even care about these remnants. It would be difficult for them to gain a foothold.
Should we temporarily become outlaws to alleviate our predicament?
As Lady Feng was pondering this, she heard the voice of a military officer under Tao Yan, who said worriedly, "Madam, the lord and the others have not yet broken through the encirclement. Should we turn back to provide support—"
"cannot!"
Ms. Feng resolutely refused.
The military officer suddenly tightened the reins, panting heavily as he looked at Madam Feng for several breaths, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Finally, he gritted his teeth and pointed to two trustworthy men: "This place is far from the riverbank, and the traitors won't be able to catch up for a while. You must protect Madam Feng with your lives and make sure she gets to a safe place."
Madam Feng scolded, "What are you doing?"
Military general: "Naturally, I will return to fight alongside my lord to the death."
Lady Feng was taken aback by the general's answer. Her usually clear-headed mind momentarily went blank, and she couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. All the people around Tao Yan were driven by self-interest, each with their own agenda; not one could be considered truly loyal. She never expected that there would be one foolish enough to risk his life for them, and Lady Feng naturally wouldn't allow it.
Now they have neither money nor food. If these remnants are not suppressed, it's foreseeable that they will mutiny halfway through. How can an ordinary person like her possibly control them? If she's lucky, she'll only lose her life; if she's unlucky, she'll suffer a fate worse than death.
She said, "No! Going there would be suicide!"
A thought flashed through her mind: "If something were to happen to the Lord, and the General were to pass away, what would become of the Lord's children?"
Upon hearing this, the military officer indeed calmed down.
Feng did not give him a chance to think or hesitate.
"drive!"
only--
After the warhorses galloped for a while, shadowy figures appeared at the end of the road.
The black-clad figures all held weapons, ready for battle.
Feng was not one to sit idly by and wait for her fate; she decisively chose to break through, even though she knew in her heart that the breakout would inevitably fail.
As expected, after a couple of rounds of fighting, the corpses lying on the ground were all remnants of Tao Yan's forces. Feng Shi was also hit in the shoulder by a stray arrow, fell from her horse, and was captured. In the end, less than half of Tao Yan's remaining troops were killed, and all of them were wounded.
Feng's hands were bound behind her back with thick ropes.
She saw the person waiting for her, a familiar face.
Feng understood in an instant—
Gu Chi has come for revenge!
Gu Chi didn't even glance at her, walking straight to another prisoner, a scholar named Wenxin. However, he seemed to be suffering a severe backlash, blood trickling from the corner of his lips. His usually meticulously styled hair was now disheveled, his hair ornament nowhere to be seen. He looked more than ten years older. Upon seeing Gu Chi's face, the last vestiges of color drained from his face.
He said, "Gu Guanchao..."
Gu Chi, his expression slightly indifferent, said, "It is Gu Wangchao. You and my father were once ministers in the same court and had no conflicts. However, you and Tao Shenyu and others harmed six members of my Gu family for your own selfish desires. Do you have any regrets now?"
The man twisted his shoulders and shoved aside the soldiers who were trying to restrain him.
Straightening his shoulders, he said proudly, "Of course I have regrets, but my biggest regret is that when I saw you jump off the cliff and fall into the water, I didn't send anyone to rescue you! I regret not demanding to see you alive or dead! Letting you live to this day! That's what I regret every moment!"
Gu Chi showed no surprise whatsoever, not even a ripple of emotion: "Fine, you're getting on in years, everything about you is soft, but your mouth is harder than ever before! Very good!"
He gave the soldier a wink: "Take him away."
"Gu Wangchao, you dare to kill me!"
Gu Chi mounted his horse, turned his head and sneered, "You've got guts? Thanks to you and Tao Shenyu, I've remained single until now. Does it matter whether I have guts or not? If you old codger really have the backbone to die a heroic death, wait until we see our lord and settle the score, then I'll lend you my sword. You can commit suicide, I won't stop you!"
His words showed that he didn't take this person seriously at all.
Feng was also taken away along with the prisoners.
She looked up at the figure on horseback, seemingly about to break free from the shackles of hatred, and gritted her teeth inwardly, yet she didn't know where the hatred lay. Perhaps it was hatred for her own ill-fated life, for her unfortunate existence; perhaps it was hatred for being ignored even as she approached death…
Although they were prisoners, they were of little value.
When Gu Chi led his men back, the battlefield on the Miao River was already being cleared. If the corpses on the river were allowed to float downstream, their whereabouts would be exposed sooner or later. While the soldiers were retrieving the bodies, Xun Ding, bored, released his Martial Courage Totem to carry the corpses.
The blue crocodile is somewhat clumsy on land, but it becomes agile in the water. One crocodile can carry a carcass as efficiently as a hundred or eighty people.
Gu Chi was used to this scene.
However, seeing Bai Su whispering something to her avatar on the riverbank, she inexplicably found the avatar extremely displeasing.
If you don't like it, just take it back.
Bai Sutu was learning about advanced knowledge of the Martial Gallant Totem from Gu Chi, but the person next to him disappeared halfway through the conversation.
Turning his head, he saw Gu Chi in person.
"Military Advisor Gu."
The three words plus the period all conveyed a sense of dissatisfaction.
I dislike Gu Chi's bad habit of only speaking halfway.
Gu Chi coughed lightly: "General Bai, where is our lord?"
Bai Su pointed in a direction.
"Our lord is waiting for strategist Gu."
Tao Yan, this prisoner, will definitely be killed, but Shen Tang will wait for Gu Chi to come back so they can be killed together; revenge also needs a sense of ritual.
Upon hearing this, Gu Chi walked with a brisk pace.
His fingers, gripping the sword, trembled uncontrollably, and the excitement in his heart almost burst from his throat. When Gu Chi arrived, Shen Tang was resting against a large rock on the riverbank, arms crossed, her head slightly tilted. She only opened her eyes when she heard him arrive.
"A great harvest tonight! We'll capture Tao Shenyu alive!"
Before Gu Chi could speak, he clapped his hands.
The soldiers brought up the prisoners, who had been temporarily sealed off from the alchemy palace and were bound hand and foot. The moment Gu Chi saw the prisoners, his calm mask shattered, and he burst out laughing.
There was no other reason than that Tao Yan was not only bound hand and foot, but also had a large red ribbon tied into a bow. The lord had said that this bow was for wrapping gifts, and it was very cute. Gu Chi's laughter wasn't just because of this "gift," but because Tao Yan was simply too comical.
"Ta-da! Your year-end bonus."
Shen Tangchong Tao Yan's position, with his hands outstretched upwards.
Gu Chi's smile vanished: "Year-end bonus?"
Shen Tang said playfully, "It means that if you accept this gift, you won't get any extra bonus in your salary this year. After all, it's just a makeshift operation, and they're broke, so they'll save money wherever they can."
Gu Chi said, "That won't do."
Shen Tang countered, "Why?"
Gu Wangchao wasn't obsessed with year-end bonuses; he took them lightly. In previous years, he would give away his surplus salary to poor people under the guise of praying for his family and accumulating good karma. If the people felt unworthy of receiving it, they could recite scriptures and pray for his family.
Gu Chi sighed, "It's time to save money."
Shen Tang said in surprise, "You're only a few years old and you're already saving up for your coffin? As long as a scholar doesn't die a violent death or get killed, he'll live a long life. Don't worry, you'll definitely live to be a hundred!"
Gu Chi: "...My lord, please have some sympathy for me."
Shen Tang wanted to ask something more, but was interrupted by Jiang Sheng from the side.
"Tao Jun is still here." Telling someone in front of them that it can offset the extra reward, what will they think?
Even on the road to the underworld, one cannot find peace.
Jiang Shengyi reminded him, and Gu Chi realized something was wrong.
It was so quiet that Tao Yan didn't even swear.
Jiang Sheng saw through his thoughts: "The lord disliked his harsh words and issued a spell to silence him. He tried to break through the spell, but his lack of skill backfired and damaged his vital energy."
Gu Chi said "Oh," and lifted the [silence ban].
Tao Yan felt a lightness in his throat, caught his breath, and said in a hoarse voice, "Gu Wangchao, a scholar can be killed but not humiliated! The victor is king, the loser is villain. Today, I, Tao Shenyu, have fallen into your trap... I admit defeat! There is only one thing I ask: please spare the elderly and weak in your family!"
Gu Chi found it amusing: "Let the old and weak go? Tao Shenyu, when my mother was surrounded and burned to death in the old house by you, she was pregnant with my younger sister. She didn't even get to see the world. You committed the act of wiping out your entire family back then, why didn't you think about the retribution you're getting today?"
Tao Yan: "I never intended to harm your family!"
Gu Chi simply looked at him calmly.
Tao Yan explained, "Whether you believe it or not, I never gave the order! It's just that I realized it was irreversible after it happened."
The three sentences were spoken with force and conviction.
Gu Chi's expression seemed to show a hint of hesitation.
He asked, "Then who is the mastermind?"
Tao Yan sneered: "Although it wasn't my order, it was still done by my men. They've helped me for years, and to say it out loud would be to betray them. I, Tao Shenyu, am afraid of death, but I'm even more afraid of living a cowardly life."
Shen Tang watched the play with great interest and took out a handful of fried beans.
Even Jiang Sheng's eyes showed a hint of a smile.
Tao Yan sighed, his face full of remorse, as if he regretted killing his teacher's entire family, but could not betray them for the sake of morality.
In short—
This is a truly spectacular show.
Tao Yan tried to appeal to emotions by reminiscing about his friendship with Gu Chi's grandfather and father, but Gu Chi just laughed and looked at him with mockery in his eyes, as if he were a clown: "Tao Shenyu, do you know my way of the scholar? It was forced out of you all by your own hand! For so many years, I've been wondering just how far a person can go in saying one thing and meaning another! Why is it that what you say is completely opposite to what you think?"
Tao Yan wasn't stupid; he understood immediately.
His face was a riot of colors, a truly spectacular sight. Hatred, anger, shame, resentment... all took turns on display.
Tao Yan was about to unleash a torrent of curses when Gu Chiyi silenced him with a [Silence] spell, saying, "A life for a life, an eye for an eye. The way my mother and children died, you will die the same way."
Shen Tang asked, "Burned?"
"burn!"
Shen Tang suggested, "Why not stab them twice before burning them?"
Gu Chi: "Chi will personally light the fire."
These people are not worthy to defile his sword.
Those prisoners who had a blood feud with Gu Chi were all taken away. The rest weren't guilty of capital crimes, but they weren't worth recruiting either. Tao Yan's corporate culture wasn't good; recruiting everyone would only harm him. After clearing everything out, only an ordinary, insignificant woman named Feng remained. If Feng were just an ordinary wife, releasing her would be fine, but unfortunately, she wasn't.
Shen Tang hesitated for three seconds.
Feng is not Tao Yan.
She didn't think she could survive by arguing. Rather than being laughed at and dying in an undignified manner, she would rather take the initiative and seek a dignified end: "I ask myself, I have no grudges against you, Gu Wangchao, and recently it's just a minor feud. I dare not ask to live. Please, in consideration of the past relationship between you and me, grant me a quick death. If you refuse, you can throw me into the fire to die with my lover."
Gu Chi looked at her intently for a long time.
He unfastened the sword from his waist and handed it forward.
He said, "Please, Lady Feng, embark on your journey."
Feng's eyelids trembled slightly. Although she was determined to die, the fear of death was a basic human instinct, and a sense of dread inevitably arose in her heart. However, her pride overcame this instinct. She raised her hand to take the sword, drew it from its sheath, and the gleaming blade was indeed clean and beautiful.
"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Gu."
"Second Sister Feng bows in gratitude."
She held the sword to her neck and took a deep breath.
May your literary career be long and prosperous!
As soon as she finished speaking, she didn't hesitate for a moment. Blood splattered, soaking the soil beneath her feet and wetting the tips of Gu Chi's shoes.
︿(￣︶￣)︿
Sigh, I didn't get all the monthly pass rewards from the event post. My heart is broken.
(End of this chapter)
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