Chapter 1169 Is it only allowed for you to have the surname Liang?
"By our own power."
Before Liang Shide could even process whether the word "we" referred to Pei Xingyuan, who was right in front of him, and Yuwen Ye, who was far away, or to Pei Xingyuan himself and someone else, he felt a gust of wind rushing towards him from behind.
Someone rushed up behind him!
A martial artist's instincts compelled Liang Shide to immediately turn around and simultaneously deliver an elbow strike.
However, his years of pampered life and high status had dulled his reflexes. Moreover, the gust of wind came too fast; even the guards on the highest altar didn't have time to react before a slender and agile figure rushed up behind him.
"Do not move!"
As the deep yet clear female voice rang in his ears, a cold light suddenly appeared in front of Liang Shide's neck, the sharp blade pressed against his throat. Just as Liang Shide was about to turn his head to look, the blade immediately left a bloody mark on his neck.
Upon hearing this voice, Liang Shide immediately froze.
In that instant, he could barely make out that the woman holding him at knifepoint was dressed in ordinary coarse cloth, so ordinary that he wouldn't have given her a second glance even if she stood right in front of him. He couldn't see her face clearly, but he felt that she exuded a familiar aura.
At that moment, the woman lowered her head, exchanged a glance with Pei Xingyuan in the crowd, and then whispered a threat into Liang Shide's ear: "Your neck is no match for this knife."
Liang Shide was startled and did not move.
Although he dared not move, the guards on the altar all sprang into action. Several quick-reacting guards immediately drew their swords and rushed towards the woman who was holding the Xia King hostage, shouting, "Assassin!"
"Protect King Xia!"
"Quickly, kill that woman!"
Some of these people were fast, some were slow. The guards standing on the highest altar were naturally the fastest. But just as they were about to get close to the woman, she suddenly raised her other hand and flicked it. A black shadow suddenly darted out from her narrow sleeve and pounced on the guards like a venomous snake. A scream was heard, and the man in the lead fell to the ground.
"ah--"
The scream startled the two people behind him, who instinctively stopped in their tracks. But the woman's hand did not stop. With a slight turn of her jade wrist, the dark shadow slapped the two men's faces again, striking them twice and causing them to bleed from their heads. They staggered back and finally fell off the altar.
Everyone was shocked. Upon closer inspection, they realized that the woman was holding a long whip in her left hand.
Holding a knife in one hand and a whip in the other, she moved with ease, her sharp blade holding Liang Shide hostage, her whip as nimble as a snake, and in the blink of an eye, she had knocked down several more guards.
This scene shocked countless people.
However, things weren't that simple. Although she moved quickly, there were quite a few guards surrounding the three-tiered altar. She had just knocked down a few people in front, and more were already surrounding her one after another. After all, she was the only one holding Liang Shide hostage, and she was a woman. Even if she was fast and skilled, these people thought she was insignificant.
But just as they were charging forward, another unexpected event occurred!
Several of the guards, who had initially drawn their swords and charged alongside them, suddenly turned on each other as they rushed to the highest altar. They glanced around, their eyes meeting as if certain of something, and then simultaneously attacked those around them. Caught off guard, those who charged forward saw only a flash of cold light before being struck multiple times in the blink of an eye. Some collapsed dead without even a whimper, while others clutched their wounds and screamed as they fell to the ground.
Those behind, unaware of what was happening, only sensed that those in front had suddenly started backing away, shouting, "What's going on?"
A bloodcurdling scream erupted from ahead: "Retreat!"
"What are you doing?!"
"There's a traitor!"
Upon seeing the chaos on the altar, the guards below were also alarmed, especially Wei Yu, who frantically pulled at the guards beside him, saying, "You, you must go up and protect King Xia!"
Upon hearing his words, these people all wanted to draw their swords and step forward.
But just as they were about to charge forward, the same thing happened in the group. A group of guards suddenly appeared, drawing their swords faster than they could, and turned to face them. Two of them even rushed directly in front of Wei Yu, placing two swords against his neck. Wei Yu was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost fell to his knees, but the man holding him back grabbed him and said fiercely, "Shut up!"
At the same time, the woman holding Liang Shide hostage shouted, "Don't move! If you move again, I'll kill him!"
After saying that, she tightened her grip on the knife.
The sharp blade immediately drew another bloody line on his neck. Although the wound was not deep, the slight stinging pain terrified Liang Shide. He immediately tilted his head back and shouted, "No, don't move!"
As soon as he spoke, everyone around him stopped.
This forced the entire situation to temporarily come to a standstill. Only then did Liang Shide realize that Pei Xingyuan's loud and arrogant behavior was merely to attract his attention, as well as the attention of the guards around him. Because of him alone, everyone's eyes were focused on him, and no one noticed that there was a woman in the crowd who had secretly gone around to the back of the altar and suddenly launched an attack while his attention was on Pei Xingyuan.
Seeing the standoff between the guards, he realized that some of them were actually obeying the woman, or rather, obeying Pei Xingyuan.
Before today, they had never revealed their true intentions, but at this moment they suddenly turned against him, catching him completely off guard.
They've infiltrated so deeply that they've already reached my side?!
How could Pei Xingyuan possess such abilities?!
I never even realized it!
Shame, anger, frustration, helplessness, and even despair surged into his heart. He struggled to turn his head, wanting to see the woman who had taken him hostage, but she seemed to be deliberately avoiding his gaze, pressing a knife firmly against his neck. If Liang Shide moved, blood would immediately splatter on the spot. He could only stiffen his neck and look down at Pei Xingyuan below the altar, his gaze cold.
Seeing this scene unfolding on the high platform, the officials and common people below the altar were stunned by the sudden turn of events, but at the same time, they were also amazed by the woman's heroic bearing and felt a sense of admiration.
Especially Pei Xingyuan.
His eyes crinkled into crescents, and despite being surrounded by swords and spears, he looked at the scene with delight, as if the dazzling glory had shone upon him, making him feel glorious as well.
He ran forward a few steps and walked to the foot of the altar: "Youying, well done!"
Seeing his excited expression, Liang Youying curled her lips, but couldn't laugh. After all, she had only controlled Liang Shide, but he was here while Luoyang City was there, and the important matter hadn't been resolved yet. Moreover, if Liang Shide fell into despair and really wanted to fight them to the death, she, Pei Xingyuan, and the guards who originally came from Wanggang Village and had been turned by her would be like eggs hitting rocks.
More importantly...
She took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Come up here and release them!"
"Hey, hey hey!"
Hearing her words, Pei Xingyuan ran up the altar in a few steps. The guards were all eyeing him menacingly, but they were wary of Liang Shide and could not make any rash moves. They could only watch helplessly as he ran up the altar, pushed aside the axemen, pulled Guan'ao up from the ground, and loosened the ropes binding him.
Guan Ao looked at him, still somewhat incredulous: "Pei, Young Master Pei?"
Pei Xingyuan smiled at him: "It's me, it's me."
As he spoke, his hands continued to untie Guan Chiying and the others. Guan Ao still stared at him blankly, as if he couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes: "You, how did you get here?"
Pei Xingyuan said, "I've been driven out of Chang'an. Liang Youying and I are here to rescue you."
After hearing the woman's subconsciously lowered voice several times behind him, Liang Shide seemed somewhat dazed. But when the name "Liang Youying" was uttered by Pei Xingyuan again, Liang Shide, who was holding a short knife to his neck and dared not even breathe loudly, finally seemed to remember something. This time, he turned his head sharply. The blade pressed against his neck almost cut his throat. Fortunately, Liang Youying reacted quickly and moved the knife away, preventing blood from splattering on the spot.
At the same time, she met Liang Shide's bloodshot eyes.
Their eyes met, and an unspoken emotion seemed to surge within them in silence.
Liang Shide spoke, his voice hoarse: "Liang? You are—"
"..."
Liang Youying didn't speak, but at his murmur, the murderous aura between her brows gradually faded, and she even looked away, as if unwilling to meet his gaze.
Upon hearing Liang Shide's voice, Pei Xingyuan turned to look at him and said, "That's right, she is Liang Youying."
After saying that, he deliberately asked, "Is it only allowed for you to have the surname Liang?"
"..."
Liang Shide didn't speak, his throat felt as if something was blocking it—in fact, his throat was indeed blocked by the blade pressed against him again, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, as if he had a thousand words to say, but after struggling for a long time, he could only manage to utter one sentence: "Chong'er, you, are still alive..."
"..."
Liang Youying did not answer him, but Pei Xingyuan continued, "Of course she's alive, living well. If no one had implicated her, she and her mother would have lived even better."
Liang Youying finally seemed unable to hold back any longer: "Xingyuan, stop talking."
Pei Xingyuan gave her a deep look before rolling his eyes at Liang Shide: "Hmph."
This sudden change left Guan'ao and the others feeling even more lost, as if an overwhelming number of people and events had suddenly flooded onto the altar and into all of them, leaving them somewhat bewildered.
Guan Ao asked, "What are you doing—"
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