Chapter 60: Longquansi
There were not many rooms in the hostage house. More than ten people were squeezed into one bunk bed with a heated kang underneath. Although firewood was scarce, it was better than nothing.
That night, everyone rested. Zhao Yuzhang was lying at the innermost position, against the wall. To the right were Shang Junnian, Gongsun Wuyou, Liu Quedan, and three or four other hostages from other countries.
Shang Junnian had fallen asleep with his eyes closed when he suddenly heard a voice beside him: "Why did King Fengling let you come back?"
It was Zhao Yuzhang. Ever since he heard Huan Wen's words in the afternoon, he felt like there was a knot in his heart, uncomfortable and aggrieved, fearing that his friend would really become a stupid and foolish male pet in order to save his life.
Like a piece of unpolished jade covered with mud, it's heartbreaking.
Shang Junnian didn't even blink, and said calmly: "I'm back, so why bother asking why?"
Zhao Yuzhang said stiffly: "Everything must have a reason."
Shang Junnian: "His Royal Highness King Fengling is kind-hearted and let me go back."
These words sounded like a cold joke to the people who were tortured by Lu Yan.
Zhao Yuzhang finally couldn't help but sit up and angrily cursed: "Bullshit! If he really had such a kind heart, a sow could climb a tree!"
Gongsun Wuyou was young and simple-minded. He curled up in his quilt to keep warm. Hearing this, he realized, "But King Fengling is very good. I called him good brother three times and he let us all out."
He stopped talking and asked curiously, "Brother Junnian, did His Royal Highness Prince Fengling also let you call him brother?"
Shang Junnian selectively ignored this question: "We left our hometown and traveled thousands of miles to be a hostage to the immortals. It is not easy to protect ourselves. Why bother to ask about the cause and effect? What is important is to live well for these three years."
Zhao Yuzhang twitched his lips sarcastically: "Three years? I can't live even a day longer. Do you know what happened during the time we were locked up in the dungeon?"
Without waiting for Shang Junnian's answer, he said angrily, "I heard that the people from Longquansi send people to challenge us every few days. If they lose, they will be killed, and if they win, they will be released. More than half of the people in this hostage house have been forced out of their unique sword skills. Sooner or later, it will be your turn and mine!"
Shang Junnian frowned when he heard this. The entire Twelve Continents were governed by swordsmanship. Whoever had the most extraordinary swordsmanship could rise to the top in one step. In the battle of Mingyue Ferry that year, the Sword Sect of Xianling Kingdom had the largest number of people, overwhelming the other three kingdoms. This showed how important it was.
The royal families of various countries all have their own methods of cultivating sword masters, which are kept secret. No wonder the Immortal Emperor would send hostages to the royal capital for no reason. It turns out that he wanted to obtain their family sword techniques.
"I am a useless person, I don't have any sword moves to use."
Shang Jun said in a young voice.
He lay on the cold, hard bed in the Proton House, covered with a damp, worn quilt. The wounds on his shoulders ached, and he had no desire to sleep.
Shang Junnian was obviously not a person who was greedy for pleasure, but as the night deepened, he actually missed the warm bedding from last night. Perhaps it was because that man did not do anything to him, nor did he humiliate him. Instead, he was considerate and responsive to his requests, which made last night not so bad.
My shoulders were itchy, as if countless ants were crawling on them and new flesh was growing on them.
In the second half of the night, when everyone was asleep, Lu Yan was still awake.
In the courtyard, the cold air attacked people, but he was holding a long sword and practicing sword moves. A dense mass of golden words was suspended in the air, shaking like waves, and then flew into his body one by one.
But Eunuch He could not see these. He only saw Lu Yan practicing swordsmanship in the snow, the long sword in his hand flying so fast that only the afterimage could be seen. The fluttering snowflakes in the air were attracted by the sword energy, forming a dragon that seemed to be visible and invisible. It moved with his body, and was extremely hard and soft. The exquisite sword moves were truly unprecedented.
When he saw the excitement, Eunuch He's hands trembled and he almost pulled out a strand of his hair. It was really weird, he thought.
Although His Royal Highness Prince Fengling had excellent physique since childhood and was a good material for martial arts, because the Emperor could not bear to see him suffer, and because he was greedy for pleasure, his swordsmanship declined day by day as he grew older. How come today, not only did it not decline, but on the contrary...
On the contrary, there is the realm of a master.
An unknown amount of time had passed before the snow stopped and a hint of white appeared in the sky. Lu Yan finally drew his sword and retracted his power. The condensed sword energy exploded in all directions, shaking the dead trees around. Fortunately, he had dispersed the nearby servants and guards in advance, otherwise this scene would have certainly aroused suspicion.
Eunuch He was originally on the rooftop, watching the situation. He flew down upon seeing this. His usually calm face twitched for a moment. "May I ask, Your Highness, where did this sword move come from?!"
Lu Yan was only wearing a thin robe, but he was sweating all over. He flicked the sword with his fingers and raised his eyebrows lightly, saying, "They are just some ordinary sword moves. Is it worth asking about them, Eunuch Danghe?"
Eunuch He was choked by his anger for a moment, and he lowered his voice and said excitedly: "Your Highness, do you know that in the battle of Mingyue Ferry, countless masters from the four countries died, and those exquisite sword moves have been lost since then and have never been seen by the world. The exquisite sword skills you just used are the only ones I have ever seen in my life. Your Highness, do you really not know or are you pretending not to know?"
Lu Yan obviously knew it, otherwise he would not have ordered all the guards around to withdraw and left only Eunuch He to keep watch.
But unfortunately, he had redeemed this set of sword moves from the system using points, and he could not tell anyone about it no matter what.
Lu Yan said casually, "I got this set of sword moves in my dream. I remembered it when I woke up, so I just did it randomly. Eunuch He, there is no need to ask or say more. This matter is only known to you and me, don't let anyone else know."
Eunuch He was sent by the Immortal Emperor to protect Lu Yan. He was loyal and powerful enough, so even if he had doubts, he did not dare to force him to answer because of his status and position.
Lu Yanyu ignored his stunned look and turned back into the house.
The system only emerged quietly at this time:
[You spent 5,000 points to get a Broken Sword Manual. Don't you think it's a pity? ]
Lu Yan walked to the compartment, waved away the maid, casually took off his sweaty clothes and hung them on the rack, then stepped into the warm jade pool. He closed his eyes and leaned against the edge, the heat blurred his handsome features: "What's the pity?"
The system flew to his side: [Ten thousand points can be exchanged for a chance to revive. If you fail...]
Lu Yan interrupted lazily, "If I fail, it only means that I am stupid and I deserve to die."
He waved his hands and said, "Don't worry, everyone will die eventually, whether it's early or late, it's all death."
System: [……]
The system thinks that since Lu Yan has exchanged for a divine sword manual, he should still have a strong desire to survive, but I don't know why he is so messed up: [So what do you want to do next? ]
[Master the swordplay, defeat those enemies, and unify the twelve continents? ]
Speaking of this, Lu Yan seemed to be more energetic. He raised his hand to take off the handkerchief covering his face, sat up from the water and said, "I have studied it carefully. In the previous life, Wu Yun, Dong Li, and Tian Shui joined forces to rebel. To put it bluntly, it was all because of one thing."
The system subconsciously asked: [What is it? ]
Lu Yan frowned and slowly uttered four words: "The Emperor has passed away."
He said: "Without my father's suppression, the entire fairy world is leaderless, and the surrounding countries are ready to make a move. There is only one way to solve this matter."
The system was puzzled by him: [What can we do? ]
Lu Yan raised his head to look at the sky at a 45-degree angle and said seriously, "That is to make father live a hundred years."
【……】
"As long as he is alive, no one will dare to rebel. If no one dares to rebel, I will be safe and sound."
System: [……]
It sounds like a fart, but if you take a closer look it seems to make some sense, but if you smell it it still stinks.
Lu Yan was a man of action, he always did what he said. For the next half month, he ordered the kitchen to use rare ingredients and precious materials to cook nourishing soup and send it to the palace every day. He watched the emperor drink it, and practiced sword skills diligently when he came home at night. He was so busy that he had no time to bully men and women.
Little did they know that this action caused quite a stir in the eyes of others.
The emperor was relieved, thinking that his son had finally grown up and become sensible.
The court officials were surprised. Prince Fengling had always been addicted to wine and women and ignored state affairs. Why was he suddenly so attentive to the emperor recently? Could it be that he suddenly came to his senses and wanted to compete for the position of crown prince?
If this is true, they will have to carefully consider whether they need to change sides. After all, the emperor's favor towards King Fengling is truly shocking.
When Nanxun King Lu Mang heard the news, he was so angry that he smashed a glass vessel: "Why did this third child go to the palace to show off? Father usually loves him, and now he is even more partial to him. This really makes me angry!"
He was just like his name, Lu Mang Lu Mang, which means he was reckless and straightforward. He was angry and that was it. He couldn't do anything. However, Guxu King Lu Sheng was very sharp and noticed something unusual:
"The third brother has always liked to play with cats and dogs, but he has changed his temper recently. I heard that he released all the protons imprisoned in the dungeon and has been running to the palace frequently. This is really abnormal."
Prince Guxu was probably the most elegant of the three princes. He was good at music and poetry, so he had a good reputation. He was also the most favored candidate for the crown prince by the court officials. At this moment, he was standing by the window with a cup of hot tea in his hand, like a banished immortal.
A military officer with a tough face stood beside him and said disdainfully: "Your Highness, why waste your time on him? Even if Prince Fengling is favored by the Emperor, he is a scoundrel known to the world. Anyone can become the Crown Prince except him. The court officials are the first to disagree. Otherwise, with the Emperor's favor for him, he would have been made the Crown Prince long ago."
King Guxu smiled upon hearing this and said, "That's right, my third brother has always been loved by everyone, but I am obsessed with him."
He turned around and walked closer: "General Wan, I have finally recommended you to the position of deputy envoy of Longquan Division. You should also make some achievements for father to see. Father ordered you to improve the sword manuals of various schools. How is your progress?"
Wan Pijiang clasped his hands and said, "The people imprisoned in the hostage palace are all weaklings. With a little intimidation, they will reveal all their unique sword moves. However, because the three hostages were previously imprisoned in Fengling Palace, the sword moves of the three kingdoms of Wuyun, Tianshui, and Dongli are still missing."
King Guxu hummed and said, "Others are not important, but these three are the most important. Before my father unified the Eastern Land, only they could stand shoulder to shoulder with the power of the immortals, and their swordsmanship is also the most exquisite. If you can get as much as possible, my father will definitely praise you greatly."
Wan Pijiang's eyes dimmed when he heard this: "How difficult is this? I will go to the hostage house immediately and force them to reveal all their unique sword skills!"
At noon, a group of black cavalrymen rode towards the hostage house with a cloud of dust rolling around. The sound of their hooves was swift and dull, like an earthquake. Gongsun Wuyou was originally climbing the wall of the courtyard, wanting to catch a few lonely sparrows in the winter to roast and eat. Seeing this, he was so frightened that his face turned pale and he fell off the wall.
"Ouch!"
Gongsun Wuyou didn't care to rub his butt, he trotted all the way to the courtyard, and shouted anxiously: "Oh no, oh no! Someone from Longquansi is coming!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the originally quiet courtyard suddenly exploded. The protons got up and went out to check. As expected, they saw a group of people standing outside the mansion. Leading them was Wan Pijiang, who had come to the Proton Mansion many times to provoke competitions.
Wan Pijiang dismounted and walked into the gate with a team of guards. His majestic tiger eyes swept through the group of panicked hostages, but he couldn't tell who was who. He shouted in a deep voice: "Where is the Prince Quedan of Dongli now?!"
The crowd was startled and then automatically parted to reveal a handsome man reading a book in the corridor. Liu Quedan was called out by Wan Pijiang, but he was not panicked at all. He calmly turned a page of the book: "General, do you have something important to talk to me about?"
Wan Pijiang drew out the long sword from his waist with a clang, pointed it directly at him, and threatened him: "I have heard that Dongli's Danqing swordsmanship is as graceful as a fairy and as agile as a swimming dragon, but I have never had the chance to see it. I wonder if Prince Quedan is willing to compete with me?"
He said word by word: "If you win, you live; if you lose, you die."
As for the people in the Hostage Palace who were willing to spit out their sword moves obediently, Wan Pijiang would turn a blind eye and let them go. If there were any stubborn ones, he would kill them all.
Liu Quedan sat quietly in the corridor. He closed the book and put it aside, but did not stand up to fight: "I'm sorry to disappoint you, General. I have never practiced martial arts, and I don't know swordsmanship."
When others heard this, they knew he was lying. Although he was famous for his calligraphy and painting, he was also the crown prince of a country. How could he not know swordsmanship? It was obvious that he was unwilling to reveal his unique sword skills.
Wan Pijiang's eyes turned fierce. If it was someone else, he would have killed him with a single blow of his sword. However, the Emperor had specifically specified that the Dongli sword technique should be included in his collection, so it would be difficult to kill him. "Prince Quedan is like this, so he is seeking death?"
Liu Quedan faced the sword and said calmly with his eyes closed: "Everyone has to die. Quedan's life is not worth grieving."
"Good! What a great Prince Quedan!"
Wan Pijiang sneered repeatedly, determined to teach him a lesson, and suddenly stabbed out with the sword in his hand, aiming at his shoulder blade. The crowd screamed in surprise when they saw this, and Gongsun Wuyou was so scared that he covered his eyes.
“Whoosh!”
Just when the tip of Wan Pijiang's sword was only an inch away from Liu Quedan, a stone containing hidden power flew from somewhere and knocked his sword off course by three inches, making a golden and jade sound.
Wan Pijiang retracted his strength in time, but his wrist was numb from the shock. He immediately looked in the direction of the source in anger: "Who is it? How dare you play tricks in front of this general?!"
A playful male voice came from the corner of the wall: "General Wan, everyone says that you are the bravest warrior in the fairy world. How could you have the guts to attack an unarmed person today? If you really want to compete, I can accompany you."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man in a green robe standing on the wall with his arms folded. He had a neat ponytail and no other decorations on his body, but he looked full of energy and his eyes were bright.
The Hostage House is lifeless. When has there ever been such a lively person?
Wan Pijiang saw that the man had a handsome face and was not very old, but he had just knocked away his sword. He asked in surprise, "Whose proton are you?!"
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