Chapter Forty-Four Welcoming
As dusk fell like blood, staining the dilapidated post station at the foot of the mountain crimson. Ye Yuqing and Sun Bin, along with the Imperial Guards, had been waiting for some time. Upon spotting Mu Lian and the others in the distance, Ye Yuqing rode swiftly to greet them. The mountain breeze, blowing through the forest, ruffled Ye Yuqing's sky-blue robes and ink-black hair. His handsome face, bathed in the warm, crimson light of the setting sun, was dappled with light and shadow.
Everyone stopped in their tracks. When Feng Wuniang caught sight of the peerless young master approaching on horseback, her eyes lit up instantly. This one was even more handsome than the reclining A Zhe; he was probably also a subject of this Lord Mu's affections. Sure enough, Ye Yiqing, riding at full speed, only stopped when his horse's head brushed past Mu Lian's horse. From the side, the two horses rubbed against each other as if their necks were intertwined, creating a rather intimate atmosphere.
"Lord Mu, you've worked hard..." Clear, star-like eyes looked straight at Mu Lian, her eyes seemingly containing a thousand words, concern, worry, and a hint of relief that she was safe and sound. If Mu Lian hadn't been wearing an ugly, rough mask, they would have looked like a loving couple watching over each other.
Mu Lian's heart skipped a beat. He hesitated for a moment, then refrained from pulling the horse's reins. He simply cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and replied, "Thank you, Lord Ye. I apologize for keeping you all waiting. Fortunately, you have not disappointed me..."
"Of course, of course..." Ye Yuqing waved his hand, turned his horse around and rode alongside Mu Lian: "I have already reported this matter to His Majesty in a timely manner. We still need to discuss the follow-up matters with Lord Mu..." The voices of the two talking could be faintly heard in the wind. One was quick-witted, and the other was listening attentively. The scene was quite harmonious.
The crowd followed closely behind. As soon as A-Zhe, lying on the stretcher, awoke, he searched for Mu Lian's figure. Upon seeing the scene ahead, his hand unconsciously clenched tightly. But then, he quietly loosened it. So be it. Who was Lord Mu? Even if he hadn't fully glimpsed her true face, he knew that such a celestial beauty and divine grace were not something a mere martial artist like himself could easily dream of. Just being able to gaze upon her from afar was enough.
Beside A Zhe, Feng Wu Niang glanced at this one and that one, with an expression of anticipation. Indeed, matters of love are more interesting when others are involved. However, this fool in front of her seemed to be quite honest, which only piqued Feng Wu Niang's interest even more.
The group rode swiftly towards Luoyang. Having just received the secret letter from Mu Lian's messenger, A Yuan, Ye Yiqing immediately discussed the plan with Sun Bin, devising this secret strategy. They would march straight to Liu Zhang's stronghold, launching a night raid on Liu Zhang's villa, feigning an attack while secretly sending Meng Yuan and A Zhe with soldiers from the Judicial Office and elite Imperial Guards to the mountains to provide support, all in order to destroy Liu Zhang's armory in one fell swoop. This move indeed dealt a heavy blow to the old villain Liu Zhang. However, the news from the villa that the previously stubborn Luoyang guards had all withdrawn overnight was quite strange.
As dusk deepened, a thick fog seemed to rise in the forest, and the group's hurried pace slowed. They had only been waiting to pass through this dense forest before turning onto the official road leading to Luoyang.
"On high alert! Light the torches..." an adjutant urgently relayed the order.
The forest mist seemed to grow thicker, and in the shadows, a faint, eerie green light flickered. The soldiers remained on high alert, but the memory of the gruesome death of the fire-man in the cave, filled with screams and wails, made them uneasy. This place was truly too eerie.
Suddenly, a whooshing sound came rushing in. Three black-feathered arrows, arranged in a triangular formation, aimed straight at Ye Yuqing's back. The arrowheads gleamed with an eerie bluish-green hue, just like the ones that had attacked Mu Lian in the cave.
Not good! In the nick of time, Mu Lian tore off the headscarf from her hair, which billowed like flowing clouds. She first pulled Ye Yuqing down to the ground, then drew her long sword from its sheath with a clang, slicing through two poisoned arrows amidst sparks. The third arrow, however, was deflected by a bronze wine vessel thrown from the side, the amber liquid drawing a shimmering arc in the twilight—it was A Zhe who had borrowed the wine flask from Feng Wu Niang's waist.
"Heh, as expected, Lord Mu's safety is more effective than this heart-protecting pill..." Feng Wuniang leaned against the stretcher and chuckled lightly, her fingertips still holding a maple leaf that she had picked at some point. In front of her, A Zhe, who had been lying down to recover from his injuries, had rolled over and fallen off the stretcher. His unhealed wounds were stained with dark red blood, but he was still tightly gripping half of the broken blade and panting.
"Quickly, protect the young master..." With a clang, Ye Xun, the guard, drew his longsword and led the Ye family's personal guards to shield Ye Yuqing behind him. Seeing Ye Xun's tense yet cautious demeanor, Meng Yuan chuckled inwardly, thinking that this silly boy was indeed loyal to his master. She also led the court guards to hold the perimeter. Alan and Ayuan, who knew no martial arts, stayed close to Sun Bin's imperial guards to avoid hindering the group.
Suddenly, an unexpected turn of events occurred. The arrow shaft that had just been severed contained phosphorescent light from the Western Regions, now igniting a faint green flame amidst the rubble. Mu Lian gripped Ye Yuqing's horse tightly, retreating hastily. As they rode past, she exchanged a glance with Meng Yuan: "Southeast, Xun position, seven-zhang ancient locust tree." Then, with a flick of her wrist, three butterfly-shaped iron caltrops embedded themselves in the tree's canopy. A masked man fell with a muffled groan. Having received the command, Meng Yuan swung her sword, flicking it back to reveal the black cloth covering the man's face, exposing the tattoo on his neck—a mark typically worn by death row inmates of the Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry of Justice? This old scoundrel Liu Zhang has even extended his reach to the Ministry of Justice? Before Meng Yuan could probe further, the condemned prisoner had already breathed his last with a sinister smile. Suddenly, a crackling sound came from within his body, and an eerie green flame burst forth, the shattered pieces of his corpse scattering in all directions with an incredibly foul stench of blood.
"Retreat quickly..." In a flash, Mu Lian used her longsword to pick up the bronze wine vessel she had just thrown. The amber wine drew a beautiful arc in the air, just enough to block the splattering, foul-smelling blood.
What a close call! The foul-smelling blood dripped onto the ground, igniting a puff of blue smoke. The vegetation on the ground immediately withered, as the poison was so potent that it directly damaged the roots.
"Damn it! I'll never forgive you!" Having narrowly escaped death, Meng Yuan touched her delicate face with trembling hands, instantly filled with rage. If she had accidentally been stained by that poisonous blood, wouldn't she have been disfigured instantly? That old scoundrel Liu Zhang truly deserves to be torn to pieces for his cruelty!
I'm afraid it's not just Liu Zhang. Mu Lian felt a little heavy-hearted. The enemy's target in the cave was clearly her. Even if they ambushed her on the way, they should have ambushed her instead. But this time, the target is Ye Yiqing, the Chief of the Cauldrons. I'm afraid things are not that simple.
It was past dusk, and with scouts having identified the path, the group resumed their orderly march. The torches lit by the magistrate's office contained specially prepared mugwort cores, dispelling the lingering fog and preventing mosquito bites. Once again on high alert, everyone felt completely safe. After a swift journey, they finally caught sight of the city walls of Luoyang, and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Behind them, in the dense forest beside the official road, a stiff and numb figure stared eerily at the retreating figures. On the ground lay the distinctive symbols he had drawn in blood, emanating a foul, stench…
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