Show mercy
He neither knew that A Qiu was Mo Yimingyue's junior sister and the master of the Thirteen Shadows, nor did he know why the first two reasons were the reasons for his inevitable death.
Logically, if he had to be killed at this moment, the more reasonable reason would be that he attempted to ambush Li Chongyu, the Marquis of Guannei, who was coming to pay homage, but A Qiu deliberately did not mention this reason.
In A Qiu's view, ambushing Li Chongyu was not a capital offense. She knew very well that Su Rouhua had sent Ghost Blade not to kill Li Chongyu, but at most to teach him a lesson.
But if they insist on pinning this matter on her senior brother Mo Yimingyue, she can't hold back.
This is a personal feud between Ghost Blade and Lanling Hall, and it must be settled today.
A Qiu Louyue made her move, her momentum like a soaring dragon and flying phoenix, aiming from afar at Ghost Blade's brow.
Ghost Blade brandished his fake "crescent blade," instantly changing his moves three times—blocking, parrying, and thrusting—all to deflect the sword intent aimed directly at his brow. But no matter how he changed his tactics, he couldn't escape A Qiu's ever-present sword energy.
He had no choice but to use his last resort, forcefully blocking the space between his eyebrows with his crescent blade.
A Qiu's longsword flashed and struck the crescent blade, causing Ghost Blade to tremble violently and stagger backward.
A Qiu showed no mercy, catching up and pursuing, intending to deliver another blow.
She had never liked the Hidden Moon Clan. In her eyes, Princess Wansui, Su Rouhua, and Ghost Blade were all treacherous and selfish, deserving of death.
If she hadn't impulsively decided to leave the palace to scout today, the Thirteen Shadows of the Divine Army would have been destroyed by this Ghost Blade, who then used the name Mo Yimingyue to severely injure Li Chongyu. Both she and her second senior brother, Mo Yimingyue, would have been in deep trouble from then on.
Before she could even stand up, she heard Li Chongyu's hoarse voice behind her say, "Miss!"
A Qiu's momentum didn't diminish in the slightest. She landed lightly, pointing her sword at Gui Dao, her back to Li Chongyu, and calmly asked, "Does the Marquis intend to plead for this man?"
Li Chongyu hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Hidden Moon Clan is not prosperous, and it is extremely difficult to cultivate a master. Moreover... although she is scheming for the power in my hands, in the end it is also for the survival of her own clan."
Seeing that A Qiu was unmoved, he continued, "If you spare his life, I will remember this favor and repay it double in the future."
A Qiu then put away the carved moon and said calmly, "One thing at a time, that makes sense."
He then smiled at Gui Dao, who was sitting on the ground, and said, "Since you have taken this matter upon yourself, Elder, please."
Though outwardly calm, she sighed inwardly. The Hidden Moon Clan was, after all, Li Chongyu's maternal clan, and within their ranks, there were likely no more than three experts like Ghost Blade, including Su Rouhua. If Ghost Blade were to perish here, the Hidden Moon Clan's strength would be severely diminished, making survival amidst the division between ethnic groups even more difficult.
Li Chongyu truly deserves to be the new ruler of Youzhou; he is both compassionate and righteous. However, he did not simply accept A Qiu's victory as a favor without proof. He personally agreed to put the favor on his account and intends to repay A Qiu and Gu Yi in the future.
Ghost Blade calmly stood up, dusted off his clothes, his eyes shining, and looked Li Chongyu up and down a few times without fear.
After a moment, he sighed and said, "The Hidden Moon Clan is not an ungrateful clan. I, Ghost Blade, accept your kindness, Lord Marquis. From now on, no matter what decision the clan leader makes, Ghost Blade will never make things difficult for you again."
His promise was both weighty and practical. It meant that no matter what actions Su Rouhua took against Li Chongyu in the future, Elder Guidao would never interfere.
It can be inferred that any decision Su Rouhua makes regarding Li Chongyu will not receive Gui Dao's support within the clan.
Li Chongyu cupped his hands and said, "Then, my safe return north is now guaranteed by another layer of protection. Thank you for your wise words, Elder."
He was well aware of his crisis, not only in Jianzhang City, but also on his way back north.
Now, all the Five Barbarian tribes in the north are eyeing the Shuofang Army covetously. The reason they haven't taken any action during his southward march is mostly because they are observing the development of his relationship with the Southern Dynasty, and even hoping that the Han people will start fighting amongst themselves first.
If he manages to leave Jianzhang safely, the first hurdle he will face is the assassination attempt by the various Hu tribes. And at that point, even if it wasn't Su Rouhua's intention as the clan leader, the assassins of the Hidden Moon Clan would inevitably be chosen as the vanguard to assassinate Li Chongyu.
Now that we have obtained Ghost Blade's promise, it is equivalent to removing a great hidden danger that has been lurking nearby.
Ghost Blade nodded and said, "It is only right that I have been spared. Farewell."
His figure flashed up and disappeared into the shadows of the distant trees, truly as elusive as a ghost, leaving no trace.
Li Chongyu waited until the ghostly figure completely disappeared before suddenly spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face ashen, and he collapsed backward.
A Qiu immediately channeled his inner energy into him.
Upon meeting him, he took a direct hit from Ghost Blade, sustaining serious injuries. He then lay in ambush within the formation, disregarding his internal injuries, and unleashed a full-force strike, which, in a head-on clash, exacerbated his injuries.
The thirteen divine soldiers stood there, looking at each other, seemingly at a loss for what to do.
Li Chongyu was someone A Qiu specifically asked them to protect, but now he is seriously injured, which can only be attributed to their inadequate protection.
Seeing that A Qiu immediately sat cross-legged behind Li Chongyu and used his internal energy to heal him, Scorpion Shadow immediately took the lead in kneeling down and kowtowing, saying, "This subordinate has failed in his duties and has let down the trust placed in him. Please punish me, Hall Master!"
As A Qiu circulated his inner energy, white mist rising from above his head, he said, "Scorpion Shadow, don't you feel different from before?"
Scorpion Shadow paused, then said in a hoarse voice, "This subordinate does not know."
Ah Qiu said without changing his expression, "If it were before, when you saw me busy using my internal energy to save people, you would probably be thinking, 'When will I have a chance to stab you?'"
Scorpion Shadow paused for a moment, then truthfully replied, "I have never thought of it that way. Firstly, we can only take action against you when the Hall Master is assessing you; otherwise, it would be an act of insubordination. Secondly, I have only ever seen the Hall Master kill people, never save one."
A Qiu pursed her lips, about to answer. Li Chongyu, his face deathly pale, laughed heartily, "Tonight, though I have faced life-or-death dangers, I feel an unprecedented sense of exhilaration! All because I know that there are friends of mine in the Southern Dynasty! This is truly an unexpected joy!"
Ah Qiu slightly curled the corners of her lips and said, "We could also be here to lie to you."
Li Chongyu laughed and said, "At this moment, I am all alone, with neither wealth nor beauty, only a worthless life. May I ask what you intend to deceive me about? Most importantly, what do I possess that would catch the eye of the famous Divine Weapon Hall Master 'Jing Ke' and require deception?"
A Qiu knew that Li Chongyu was not a reclusive master like Gui Dao, but a regional warlord. News from the Central Plains and even Jiangzuo was regularly sent to the Northern Frontier. He kept track of all the figures in the martial arts world of the Central Plains and Jiangzuo, whether they were unorthodox or rarely appeared in the martial arts world. When he heard Mo Yimingyue, who was protecting Xingfeng Hall, and saw the thirteen white-clad men under the moon address him as Hall Master, he guessed that he was the Divine Weapon Hall Master of Lanling Hall, which was not surprising at all.
In fact, Li Chongyu didn't need to belittle himself. If he were truly worthless except for being all alone, Su Rouhua wouldn't have gone to such lengths to target him.
However, after experiencing Hu Miaorong's death, Su Rouhua's scheming, and Gui Dao's ambush, he now deeply appreciates the value of true feelings and thus speaks his mind without any reservations.
To true friends, what you have is the least important thing.
Li Chongyu continued, "As soon as I entered the capital, I felt that I was being secretly followed. I went back and forth several times, but I felt that I could not shake them off. Later, I probably got used to it and the feeling faded. Now that I think about it, it must have been these thirteen friends who were protecting me in the dark."
Despite his serious injuries, he still raised his hand and sincerely said to the Thirteen Shadows, "Thank you!"
Scorpion Shadow and the others never expected that a hero like the Marquis of Guannei of Shuofang Army would personally thank them. They were quite flustered and stammered, "Your subordinates are just following the orders of the Hall Master. If the General wants to thank someone, he should thank the Hall Master."
Li Chongyu laughed and said, "Your hall master, that's more than just a simple thank you from me."
He suddenly turned around, and a rough hand grasped the one that was healing him with Qi. He said solemnly, "I am all alone and have no wealth to repay your life-saving grace. Although the Shuofang Army is now under my command, it is the Great Wall upon which the Han people of the North depend for their survival, not my private property. I have no brothers or sisters, and I have no friends in the Southern Dynasty, only enemies everywhere. If you don't mind, Master, I would like to become sworn siblings with you. Would you be willing?"
When A Qiu's hand was grasped by him, she was completely stunned, her heart filled with a myriad of emotions, unsure of how to react.
She glanced at the Scorpion Shadows with a complicated look, and all thirteen Shadows lowered their heads without exception.
The Divine Weapon Master and the Thirteen Shadows of Lanling Hall are naturally seasoned veterans, not newcomers to the martial world.
But what they are familiar with and know by heart are the rules of the game based on power and interests.
Li Chongyu's words were very clear: he was a man who had almost nothing except his enemies, yet he was able to confidently and openly ask A Qiu to become sworn brothers.
The Divine Weapon Master of Lanling Hall, despite his imposing appearance, is not actually a person with a good reputation, and in fact—he cannot be seen in the light of day.
Throughout Jianzhang, apart from her senior brother and master, the only person who knew for certain that A Qiu was the head of the Divine Weapon Hall and the chief assassin "Jing Ke" was Gu Yi.
Moved, A Qiu grasped Li Chongyu's rough hand and said, "My little sister is the leader of assassins whom everyone in the world wants to kill. If you become sworn brothers with me, I'm afraid you will suffer more."
Li Chongyu laughed heartily with great joy, saying, "To have found such a wonderful girl upon first arriving in the Southern Dynasty, Li Chongyu is truly fortunate."
He then examined A Qiu's clothes and said, "Sister, you claim to be the successor of the Junior Tutor. Judging from your attire, you should be working in the palace. Will our sworn brotherhood cause you any trouble?"
A-Qiu immediately recalled a whole host of things related to him and hurriedly said, "Right now, there are several matters in the palace that concern you, brother. I happen to have been present at all of them. I can help you clarify your doubts and prevent you from misjudging the situation the moment you step into the palace!"
She told Li Chongyu the whole story of how Li Mingyuan gave the three Han bricks to Empress Shangguan, and the events that happened before and after Hu Miaorong's death. Finally, she cupped her hands and said, "The conditions for the alliance with the Southern Dynasty proposed by my brother were quite coincidental, and they ended up in my hands. But I can only barely count that I have completed half of them."
Li Chongyu's tiger-like eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he said in a deep voice, "Is it Pei Yuanli's head?" He was shocked at first, but then regretfully said, "If I had known that this mission would eventually fall into my sister's hands, putting you in danger, I would not have mentioned it in the first place."
His eyes flashed with a piercing light, and he declared in a resounding voice, "Now that I, Li, have personally set foot on the land of the Southern Dynasty, surely I can bring back the head of Pei Yuanli!"
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