Chapter 114 Three Arrows
Wen Yao's dantian ripped apart, and the internal energy she forcibly released surged upward in waves, causing a dull ache in her meridians and a fishy, sweet taste in her throat. She estimated the fighting power of the Northern Liao people behind her, licked her lips again, and calmly looked at Zhao Xuanxu and said, "Don't be angry... This is a special situation. You take Chun Yanzi back to Tianshui first, and I'll stay here for a few days."
The longbow in Zhao Xuanxu's hand was already cracked. He stared at Wen Yao and spoke softly, unhurriedly, "Ayao, I can kill them."
Yelu Duhan sneered: "Only you?"
Wen Yao raised the long sword in his hand, and Yelu Duhan paused, forced to raise his chin and shut up dejectedly.
Wen Yao: "The Northwest Recruiting Division came to the Western Dynasty's capital to discuss terms and cooperation with the Western Dynasty Crown Prince. No matter how you think about it, they wouldn't bring only these few people with them."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of horses' hooves clattered behind the city gates, and a large group of men and horses pursued them. There were Liao warriors in armor, as well as the Red Guards. The Red Guards were led by Xue Shen, a mysterious figure on his face. A carriage followed behind him. The carriage stopped, and two Red Guards unloaded a chair. Sitting calmly on it was none other than Zuo Fengjiang, the Western Dynasty's foremost expert, who had recently reappeared after being missing for several days.
The old eunuch with white eyebrows sat with his head bowed, draped in a large robe, looking more like a skeleton at first glance. On either side of him were two men holding umbrellas for him. A flash of lightning and a ghostly aura filled the air.
"Their top experts are here, so let's not confront them head-on." Wen Yao raised an eyebrow and gestured for the spy to get the carriage reins. "You go back first. I'll take the hostages and wait for you, Chun Yanzi and the Lingyu Guard to reunite."
She blinked and mouthed something to Zhao Xuanxu.
Go back home to get treatment. Don't be angry and wait for me to come back.
The spy looked at Zhao Xuanxu and then at Wen Yao. Seeing that more and more people were gathering around, he hurried forward to lead the carriage, took down the footstool, and respectfully lifted the curtain.
Xue Shen watched the situation unfold, his brow furrowed. Although Wen Yao and Zhao Xuanxu were still wearing human skin masks, he had already recognized Wen Yao's identity, and naturally guessed the identity of the black-robed man before him. There was no one else in the world so close to Xingyi Sword except King Yan of Tianshui.
If any one of the princes of other countries came to Xingqing secretly or participated in the assassination is found out, Tianshui and Xichao will have no peace.
He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly felt a pain on the back of his hand.
"Shen'er." The old eunuch, having lived to this day, was a shrewd man. He withdrew his hand, drooped his brows, and uttered two words concisely to his apprentice: "Shut up."
Xue Shen just shut up.
Up ahead, Zhao Xuanxu's usual quiet, submissive demeanor in front of Wen Yao had vanished. His eyes grew cold and dark, and he stood silently in the rain, bow in one hand and arrow in the other.
"It's not that I don't want to go back." Wen Yao said softly, "I want you to take Chun Yanzi away first."
Zhao Xuanxu slowly loosened his clenched fingers and responded to Wen Yao's words: "Okay." After that, he turned around, the corners of his clothes were lifted up and spread out, and he stepped onto the footstool and leaned into the car.
Seeing this, the remaining spies in the forest led their horses out. Unaware of Wen Yao's past with Yelu Duhan, they solemnly saluted Wen Yao with swords drawn, deeply moved by his sacrifice, trapping the rising Northwest Recruiting Envoy of the Western Dynasty. The scout driving the carriage flicked the reins, and the carriage, dragging the massive coffin, sped away through the night rain.
"No one is allowed to chase us. Swords and knives have no eyes." Seeing that someone could not help but draw his sword to chase, Wen Yaotuo warned him and exerted force with his hands. Blood immediately gushed out and flowed onto Yelu Duhan's clothes.
The Northwest Recruiting Envoy had a blank expression on his face and glanced to the side.
The Northern Liao people didn't dare to move anymore, and the Red Guards also stopped moving.
Wen Yao sighed deeply: "That's right." The bloodstains at the corners of her lips expanded slightly, and her breathing became heavier.
Yelu Duhan seemed to have realized something, his brows twisted into a black mountain, and after a moment of silence he said: "Okay, I won't kill him this time, your internal injuries-" He stopped speaking abruptly, and a long arrow suddenly flew from the front and pierced through Yelu Duhan's palm hanging by his side.
The sound of swords being drawn echoed. The Liao warrior, reacting with a frantic cry, rushed forward, slashing down the second arrow. The second arrow was followed by a third. The archer's skill and internal energy were exceptional. All three arrows were aimed at no vital points, glancing down the horse's belly, heading straight for Yelu Duhan's arm and palm. The force was just right, the arrowheads lodged in flesh and remained motionless, unable to injure Wen Yao behind him.
Yelu Duhan's reaction was also very quick. After being hit by the second arrow, he groaned, and then without hesitation reached out his hand to firmly grasp the third arrow that followed. The tip of the arrow broke the flesh on the palm of his left hand.
This situation seems familiar.
Yelu Duhan knew this, and he gritted his teeth, suddenly looking up ahead. As the carriage moved further away, the rear window could still be seen open. Zhao Xuanxu slowly loosened his grip and threw the longbow out of the carriage.
Yelu Duhan's eyes burned red with anger and jealousy, and he wished he could chop this shameless man into pieces: "Zhao Xuanxu——"
"What are you yelling about?" Wen Yao was a little surprised by Zhao Xuanxu's sudden comeback, but not entirely. She glanced at Yelu Duhan's wound, and said sarcastically, "As a prince, you should be more tolerant. Are you the only one allowed to hurt others, but not others in return?"
Yelu Duhan was furious, blood dripping from his five fingers onto the horse's mane: "You really are protecting him!"
"People from the Supervisory Office are used to coating their weapons with poison. I wonder if these arrows have any... Prince Yelu, it's raining so hard, why don't we all just stop talking while standing?" Wen Yao waited until the carriage completely disappeared from view and said, "Let's go to the inn and have a seat."
As the sky neared dawn and the heavy rain finally stopped, the post house bustled with activity. Xue Shen had returned, bringing with him the palace physician to treat Yelu Duhan. Zuo Fengjiang had already learned of the palace incidents and the old emperor's death, but the man who had risen to prominence after saving the emperor showed no sign of anxiety. He sat in the post house for a cup of tea before leaving with Xue Shen.
Wen Yao was led to a room and given another dose of the enhanced Qi-Dispelling Powder. She suppressed her surging blood and coldly observed the chaos at the posthouse. She wondered if the rumors about the Western Emperor's indulgence in wine and meat, his power overshadowed by his two sons, were entirely true. Even after the emperor's death, on the way back to the posthouse, Xingqing City remained peaceful, as if nothing had happened.
It was quite strange. Wen Yao wondered how Li Fubai and Li Youqi would divide power next. If Xi Chao really tried to play both sides and muddy the waters, and the old emperor died, she might as well find an opportunity to fake her own death and leave with Jinyun. Whoever wanted to take care of this mess could do it.
Just as he was thinking about this, the beaded curtain outside was suddenly opened. Wen Yao's thoughts were interrupted, and he looked up to see Yelu Duhan wearing a round-necked purple gown with gauze, a rhinoceros jade belt, and a golden crown to hold his hair together. He looked very imposing.
He walked straight to Wen Yao's side. The wound on his hand had been treated briefly and quickly, wrapped in gauze. He placed a medicine bowl next to Wen Yao with great force. With a "bang", a few drops of brown medicine splashed onto the table.
"You're truly amazing for forcing your way through the Hua Gong Powder." Yelu Duhan stood up straight, and spoke in that sarcasm that Wen Yao was all too familiar with: "How can holding that blood clot in your stomach cure hidden injuries?"
Wen Yao ignored the barking dog, slowly picked up the medicine bowl and sniffed it.
Yelu Duhan: "It's not poisonous. It won't kill you."
"Oh." Wen Yao raised his hand and drank it in one gulp. After drinking it, his expression looked a little strange again.
...and added acacia flower honey.
The sweetness of the locust flower honey diluted the bitterness of the traditional Chinese medicine, making it easier to drink. However, Wen Yao didn't like it very much. She felt uncomfortable all over when she thought of Han Zhao's words, "Master Xianyinsi is pleased with you," and her throat was choked with sweetness.
"Oh." She sighed, then waved her hand: "Bring me some sour food."
Yelu Duhan said in a bad tone: "You are a prisoner now, and you still want to order me around?"
"I'm not picky, anything sour is fine." Wen Yao: "Licorice plum cakes would be best."
Yelu Duhan stood aside with his arms folded across his chest, looking down at her face, which was dampened by the heat. After a while, he called out to the door in a harsh tone, "Go get the licorice plum cakes."
The licorice plum cakes were delivered immediately.
Wen Yao was absentminded, stuffing one bite at a time. Halfway through her meal, she felt a sudden chill and heaviness on her wrist. She paused chewing, her eyes turning to the ring on her right wrist, which had snapped shut.
The lock ring was about three fingers wide and half a finger thick, loosely buckled around Wen Yao's wrist. Ignoring the fact that it was a pair of shackles, the chain and beads adorning it looked quite pretty when dangling.
Wen Yao's mouth continued to move as he swallowed the plum cake, his gaze following the chain upwards. The chain had two ends, and Yelu Duhan was holding the other end, playing with it. The material of the chain looked somewhat unusual, not like iron, not like silver either. It was dark in color, yet shone with a dignified sheen.
Looks familiar.
Yelu Duhan noticed Wen Yao's gaze, and his mood suddenly brightened, his expression relaxed. He leaned over and clasped the bracelet on Wen Yao's left hand. When he released his grip, the chain immediately dangled in the air. Wen Yao tugged at it, realizing it was about a meter long, fastened at both ends to her wrists and dangling in the middle in front of her.
"Your Xingyi sword is made of meteorite iron." Yelu Duhan looked over with emerald green eyes, and said with a tone like a naughty child showing off: "So is this chain."
"Really?" Wen Yao wiped his lips, bowed to him, and said perfunctorily: "Then this chain is not cheap. You just give it to me like this? It's very generous. Thank you very much."
She had been wondering why they hadn't just taken the Xingyi Sword away, even though they were so worried about her and had given her three bottles of Huagong San. So, there was such a thing. A chain made of meteorite iron... If her internal energy was suppressed by Huagong San, there was really no way to break it.
There was a hasty knock on the closed door. Yelu Duhan took two steps back and said, "We will stay in Xingqing for a few days, not too long. At the latest, you will come back to Nanfu with me the day after tomorrow."
After saying that, he turned and walked out. When he reached the door, he pressed it with one hand, turned his head and looked back at Wen Yao deeply, and said, "I know you are still angry now. After a while, you will understand me."
Understand the size.
Wen Yao turned his head and spat the fruit core in his mouth into the plate, then slowly leaned back, leaning his back against the chair, and raised his sleeve to wipe away the blood that was flowing from the corner of his mouth again.
She had to think of a way to dissolve the power. There was no way she was going to let this damn chain stay on her hand. Although Zhao Xuanxu had taken Chun Yanzi back with him, Wen Yao felt uneasy and worried when she thought of the three arrows he had shot when he left. The hidden worry and bad premonition made her eyelids twitch.
After Zhao Xuanxu returns to Tianshui, will he directly send a message to Qianying and the Lingyu Guard to turn around and fight back, or will he remember to tell Zhang Yunxi about his double-edged swordsmanship?
If she brought troops here directly, then the fact that she and Zhao Xuanxu sneaked into Xingqing would be revealed, and the Tianshui court would probably be in an uproar; if Zhang Yun knew that she accompanied Hao Chunhe to kill the Emperor of the Western Dynasty, Lord Zhang, who was so weak and powerless that he didn't even dare to kill a chicken, would probably faint from anger.
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