Chapter 23 Jiang Qiaosheng
There is a Red Pavilion in the world of Jianghu.
The world's foremost assassin organization, established over fifty years ago, boasts a galaxy of skilled warriors, and a single Red Chamber Kill Order has ensnared countless heroes. Their methods are cunning and brutal, including gouging out eyes and slitting tongues, ensuring that even in the afterlife, even the souls of those wronged dare not speak out. The Red Chamber will kill anyone harboring resentment, offering a generous price, even if their target lies in the desert, snow-capped mountains, or on distant islands.
Aside from this, the Red Pavilion, operating within the underworld, remains untouched by the imperial court. Those with hidden agendas, grudges, and the means to pay bribes are naturally plentiful within the imperial court. They desire to kill others, but they fear being killed even more. Since the Red Pavilion has drawn a clear line between itself and the imperial court, the government, hampered by its treacherous power, has for years tolerated the glittering blade wielding in the shadows.
But today, this rule was broken.
Wen Yao looked at the hunting order in his hand, which was stamped with the blood seal of the Red Pavilion. On it were clearly written the words "Zhao Jin" in a flamboyant style.
Who is Zhao Jin?
The current emperor’s surname is Zhao, and his given name is Jin.
The kill warrant, carried by the wind, fluttered in the night sky like flying paper money. Commoners scurried below, while ministers in their official uniforms and hats jostled and shoved, creating a chaotic mess. Amidst the chaos, General Baili, a former martial artist, grabbed a handful of paper and examined it. He immediately recognized the hideous, blood-stained inscription of a ghost head. He shouted in shock and anger, "Red Pavilion Kill Warrant! Not good! Someone, quickly protect the emperor!"
As he finished speaking, a whirling plum blossom knife flashed through the darkness. Baili Cheng sensed something was wrong and quickly stepped back. The knife missed his heart, narrowly piercing his left shoulder. The knife was poisoned, and Baili Cheng's lips trembled twice, turning blue at a visible speed. His son pushed aside the people around him and rushed over, shouting frantically.
The clouds dispersed, and the moon emerged. Several ghostly figures emerged from the shadows and scurried around, treating the tens-meter-high city walls as nothing. With the swift, light-footed skill of a swallow, they scaled the walls without waiting for the imperial guards to catch up, closing in on the emperor, who was surrounded by a multitude of panicked eunuchs, maids, and guards.
Prince Yong held Princess Yong in his arms, calling out "Father." Prince Qin grabbed a guard's long sword and stepped forward to block the emperor, but was held back by Concubine Feng, whose hair was slightly disheveled.
In the chaos, Wen Yao suddenly pulled Zhao Xuanxu over, grabbed his collar from behind and asked him to come closer to her.
Zhao Xuanxu immediately bent down and obediently moved closer to her.
"Do you want to be emperor?" Wen Yao's voice brushed his ear, as light as a mosquito's whisper, barely audible. "If he died today, you have soldiers under your command. Once the city gates are closed, it's not impossible for you to kill someone else and take the throne."
Her eyes were clearly divided into black and white. Amidst the numerous figures around her and the pale moonlight, she observed every subtle change in Zhao Xuanxu's expression.
Zhao Xuanxu acted calmly towards this shocking question. After thinking it over carefully, he turned his head slightly and imitated Wen Yao's behavior by leaning close to her ear to speak. The warm breath from his mouth was like a bunch of butterflies, fluttering around Wen Yao, and a large area of her skin from her ears to her neck felt hot and itchy.
He looked into Wen Yao's eyes, and said seriously with a slight smile: "No, I don't want to be the emperor. I will follow you to Daluo and the Mediterranean."
Wen Yao then loosened his collar, smoothed his clothes, took a step forward and snatched the knife from a guard's hand, and spun the tip of the knife forward to deflect the assassin's sword that was about to approach the emperor.
Her inner strength surged forth, causing the assassin's sword to waver and miss. Wen Yao turned sideways, meeting the assassin's eyes at close range, and without hesitation, struck out with a palm, forcing the assassin to retreat several steps away from the emperor.
The emperor's crown was shaking, and he was surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs in front of him. On both sides were the empress and imperial concubines who were still in shock, looking at the people in front of them with sullen faces.
The assassin glanced at Wen Yao, then, his strike unsuccessful, turned and leaped from the city wall. The Imperial Guards below surged forward, holding back the remaining assassins. Gao Shaoshan, at some point, reached the wall, yelled, "Commander Wen," and tossed the Xingyi Sword into the air. Wen Yao lightly tapped his toes and soared into the air, catching the Sword in his grasp. His internal energy poured in, and the sword gleamed with a cold gleam. The Xingyi Sword rang with a sharp, cold ring, a sound that felt as if a bucket of ice water had poured down its spine, sending tingling sensations down its spine. He looked up at Wen Yao.
Among the retainers who had come with their master, someone was the first to recognize Wen Yao. Someone loudly called out "Xingyi Sword Wen Yao," and all those who knew a little about the martial arts world suddenly became nervous and looked up.
The vast world of martial arts isn't just about the joy of revenge; it's also about murderous plots. Just look at the countless tragic deaths that occur each year. A band of energetic martial arts enthusiasts are either looking for a fight or on their way to one. Among them is Bai Xiaosheng's World Masters List, a gathering of the best, with the top ten all considered among the world's top masters. No matter how the martial arts world changes, the top ten remain firmly in power, virtually unchanged.
This convention was broken by Wen Yao.
A woman, a gifted swordsman, emerged from nowhere. In just six years, she broke through the bottom five of the expert rankings, prompting Bai Xiaosheng to re-rank her five times. Her Xingyi sword's brilliance overwhelmed countless other prodigies. She often resided in the border town of Mobei. Though ranked fifth in the world, she was well-deserved to be the number one in Mobei.
Such a brilliant person was suddenly wiped off the list by Bai Xiaosheng a few years ago.
At the time, the entire martial arts world was abuzz with discussion, with no one knowing whether Xingyi Sword Master Wen Yao was dead or had retired. Not long ago, the Master of Liuli Island became the world's number one, and many lamented that if Wen Yao were still alive, it would be hard to say who would hold the top spot.
They didn't expect that they would be able to see this legendary figure here tonight.
Wen Yao is not dead, but alive. I don't know when he came to Bianliang. Now it seems that he is a retainer of the King of Yan.
Under the moonlight, Wen Yao and the Red Pavilion assassin exchanged dozens of blows in a flash. The assassin seemed overwhelmed and retreated step by step. In the blink of an eye, the two of them left the vicinity of the city wall and went to the eaves of a distant house.
The night wind picked up, drowning out the sounds of fighting beneath the city walls. The assassin leaned close to Wen Yao, his exposed eyes curved. "How was the roasted chicken last time? Has my cooking skills deteriorated?" It was a woman's voice, delicate and licentious, rising from her throat and quickly disappearing into thin air. No one but Wen Yao could hear it.
Wen Yao raised her sword, Jiang Qiaosheng took a few steps back, and she pressed on step by step.
"Bang!" The two swords collided.
Jiang Qiaosheng felt his palms tingling and complained, "What are you doing?"
"What are you doing?" Wen Yao was completely bewildered, looking at Jiang Qiaosheng as if he were a lunatic: "Issuing a killing order against the emperor?"
Jiang Qiaosheng, half of his face covered with a black cloth, leaned closer to Wen Yao, his eyes curved upwards, his voice as soft as a silver bell, still tinged with a smile: "Yes, I am going to kill him."
She didn't think there was anything wrong at all, and her frank attitude left Wen Yao speechless for a moment.
The Red Pavilion has not been involved with the imperial court for so many years. If it were to be involved, the emperor's head would be on the line. The impact would be huge.
"The emperor is not without experts around him. Your sword strike just now couldn't penetrate." Wen Yao said, "The Twelve Guards have deployed their crossbowmen to guard the outer streets today. If you don't take your men and leave now, it will be too late."
Jiang Qiaosheng smiled again. Her eyes swept into the distance and she saw the flickering torches coming towards them in the dark night.
Wen Yao was right. The emperor had several masters with lingering auras lurking around him. If Wen Yao hadn't intervened, she might have been held back by them and forced to face the Twelve Guards' crossbowmen head-on. Wen Yao forced her away, and the Red Pavilion's men, missing their attacks, would naturally follow their leader in retreat.
Jiang Qiaosheng looked at Wen Yao's face and suddenly said, "If the kiln chicken tastes good, I'll send it to you next time, directly to Prince Yan's mansion, okay?" He then abruptly pulled out a thumb-sized bamboo tube. Pulling the string at the end, a poisonous gas immediately surged outward. Wen Yao knew now was not the time to question Jiang Qiaosheng's madness. He retreated, holding his breath as he watched Jiang Qiaosheng disappear into the night. Then he sheathed his sword and returned to the city wall.
The crossbow troops had already reached the city walls, and upon Pu's arrival, the situation on the walls stabilized. The Red Pavilion assassins were well-trained, each one a death knight. Those who didn't have time to escape were instantly killed by the venom sacs they bit into their teeth. Assassins, palace maids, eunuchs, and guards lay scattered across the ground. The emperor stood behind with his family, his face grim. Clearly, being assassinated during a festival celebrating the divine right of kings was a slap in the face for the emperor.
Wen Yao returned and stood beside Zhao Xuanxu, becoming the center of attention for a moment. Zhao Xuanxu completely ignored the others watching him and pulled up Wen Yao's clothes to make sure he had no wounds.
The burning gazes around him became more obvious.
Prince Yong released his wife and quickly stepped forward. He bowed his head respectfully and bowed his hands towards the emperor, saying, "Father, this place is still unsafe. Let's end the celebration of the God's Day here. Please return to the palace as soon as possible to avoid any accidents."
The queen looked at her son and nodded repeatedly, supporting the emperor and calling him "Your Majesty" softly.
"Call General Baili up." The emperor brushed away the queen's hand, his face gloomy as he stood with his hands behind his back. "The Twelve Guards will assist the Inspection Office in thoroughly investigating the assassin!"
"Young Master." Zhao Xuanxu said calmly, without blinking an eyelid, "Dispatch the Feather Guards to search the city."
Gao Shaoshan had just killed several assassins, and his long sword and armor were stained with blood, and he no longer looked as honest as before. He accepted the order and left, passing by Baili Cheng's son who was coming up.
Baili Cheng's son knelt before the emperor, his head banging on the ground. He said angrily, "Your Majesty, my father was exposed as an assassin and was attacked. He was poisoned and is now receiving treatment."
"Oh." The emperor said calmly, "Who did your father say these assassins were?"
Baili Cheng's son quickly snatched the wanted poster from his sleeve and knelt a few steps to present it. Song Mingde stepped forward, held out two fingers to take the paper, and rolled it over in his hand to confirm it was non-toxic before handing it to the emperor.
"These people are from the Red Pavilion," said Baili Cheng's son. "The Red Pavilion assassins are ruthless and cunning, committing countless massacres in the martial arts world. I never thought they would harbor such rebellious intentions as to dare to assassinate Your Majesty!"
"Yes, Father," the King of Qin said coldly, "I see that the guards around my Third Brother are no ordinary men. They just went out to chase the assassin, how come they came back empty-handed?"
Prince Yong immediately said, "Fourth brother, your words are a bit unreasonable."
"Third son," the emperor interrupted his two sons' quarrel. "Does your guard have anything to say?"
Wen Yao thought to herself, "As expected," and was about to step forward to speak. Unexpectedly, her well-behaved, sensible, and considerate boss pulled her back and spoke first.
"She deserves a reward for rescuing the emperor." Zhao Xuanxu's expression froze, his lips curled, his brows curved, like a flamboyant poisonous flower. "The Imperial Guards failed to conduct an adequate investigation. Their leader should be executed, along with the assassin, and hung from the city gates as a warning to others."
The commander of the imperial guards was watching right beside him, and Zhao Xuanxu spoke in a light tone, not afraid of offending anyone at all.
For a moment, the faces of the commander of the imperial guards, Prime Minister Feng, and the King of Qin all turned pale. Only Grand Tutor Wang remained uninvolved, standing aside calmly, his expression unperturbed.
Tianshui was a city of aristocratic families from the north, where literature flourished. Seventy to eighty percent of successful candidates came from wealthy northern clans. Naturally, after entering the imperial court, officials, led by Prince Yong's grandfather, Grand Tutor Wang, marginalized southern officials. Prime Minister Feng, a military general and a southerner, held a high position of power and influence, naturally attracting both civil officials and military commanders from the south. The commander of the imperial guards had a close personal relationship with Prime Minister Feng.
To balance the power dynamics at court, the emperor had long favored Concubine Feng and placed Prime Minister Feng at the helm. However, his attitude has shifted somewhat recently, not only treating Concubine Feng coldly but also, a few days ago, under the pretext of removing the Qin Prince's financial and taxation responsibilities from Pingjiang Prefecture, accepting Concubine Su into the palace. Each of these actions clearly aimed to dissuade the increasingly powerful Feng clique.
The commander of the Imperial Guards was the first to kneel, his swords clanking aside, and he banged his head heavily on the ground. "Your Majesty, I failed to conduct a thorough investigation and allowed the assassin to infiltrate. This is a dereliction of duty, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
The King of Qin curled his lips and opened his mouth to speak, but Concubine Feng pinched his arm fiercely. He had to shut his mouth and looked at Zhao Xuanxu and Wen Yao gloomily.
"You have indeed neglected your duty." The emperor waved his hand. "I will fine you three years' salary and demote you by one rank. Do you have anything else to say?"
Wen Yao clearly heard the commander of the imperial guards kneeling on the ground heave a sigh of relief.
He slammed his forehead to the ground again and said loudly, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Thunder and rain are all graces from the emperor. The emperor deducts wages and demotes officials, and the ministers can only kneel and kowtow to thank His Majesty. Wen Yao lamented the cruelty of feudal imperial power, lowered her head, restrained her breath, and stood aside, trying not to attract attention. Suddenly, the edge of her sleeve tightened. Looking over, she saw Zhao Xuanxu's two fingers quietly approaching, pinching her sleeve and shaking it. He smiled at her sideways, with a soothing look, extremely gentle and submissive.
...Okay, for his sake, she would endure it for a few years.
After punishing the unfortunate man, the emperor departed in a grand procession, accompanied by his wives, maids, and eunuchs. Wen Yao kept her eyes on her nose, pretending not to notice the meaningful glance Song Mingde gave her as he passed by. After all, the lie he'd told behind the mask was still fresh in her mind. If this man really picked on her, Wen Yao wouldn't know how to explain the facial ulcer that had healed in a matter of days.
Zhao Xuanxu had no intention of greeting his brother. Even though Prince Yong had just offered to help, he did not stay a moment longer as soon as the emperor left. He pulled Wen Yao's sleeve and turned to leave.
After getting on the carriage, Zhao Xuanxu groped in the secret compartment and took out a bag of pastries and handed it to Wen Yao.
Wen Yao had long noticed that Zhao Xuanxu, for some reason, always liked to stuff food into her mouth, as if he was afraid she'd starve. These past few days at Prince Yan's mansion, she'd been pampered with delicious food and drinks, with five or six snacks and fruits a day. If she weren't a martial artist, her waist would have grown thicker.
Zhao Xuanxu's venomous smile disappeared, and he turned into a soft and innocent little white flower again. He said considerately, "Ayao, you've worked hard. The kitchen is heating up the food. We'll have dinner when we get back. Have some cakes to fill your stomach first."
Wen Yao quickly shook her head: "It's not hard, it's not hard." It was indeed not hard. After all, she and Jiang Qiaosheng were not really fighting, they were just acting.
Wen Yao took the pastry, and thought of this, he felt a little hesitant. He raised his eyes and secretly looked at Zhao Xuanxu.
But Zhao Xuanxu was also staring at her. After a while, he smiled and said, "Ayao knows the assassin from the Red Pavilion."
Wen Yao was shocked: "How did you know?" Could it be that Jiang Qiaosheng spoke too loudly just now and was overheard? That shouldn't be the case.
Zhao Xuanxu looked at Wen Yao with a smile on his face.
His A Yao is good in every way except his acting. He was completely focused on her from the beginning and noticed from the beginning that her expression was not right when she saw the Red Pavilion Killing Order and the leading assassin.
But Zhao Xuanxu didn't say that. He just said slowly: "Ayao is the best in the world. It's hard for others to escape from you. I guess Ayao is familiar with that person, so he showed mercy and spared her life."
What kind of reason is that?
Wen Yao blushed at the compliment and thought to himself, you really trust me.
Zhao Xuanxu: "I asked Shaoshan to investigate so that it would be convenient. If A Yao knows that person, just let them go." He was about to let go of the assassin who killed his father without any feeling that it was wrong.
Wen Yao shook his head and said, "It's alright, General Gao, just search as usual. Don't give anyone cause for complaint." Jiang Qiaosheng, that damned girl, might have a strange personality, but she was also very meticulous. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to kill the previous Red Pavilion Master at such a young age and become the new master of this behemoth. Since she'd done something as outrageous as putting a bounty on the emperor's head, she must have been prepared for failure and wouldn't be easily caught.
Wen Yao thought about it, quickly finished the cake in her hand, and reached into the paper bag to take something. Zhao Xuanxu, who was sitting next to her, suddenly reached out and took a piece of cake. His fingers gently brushed against Wen Yao's fingers, bringing an immediate warm touch.
Wen Yao paused for an inexplicable moment, and just as he felt something was amiss, he heard Zhao Xuanxu sigh, "Ayao has so many friends."
"After spending so much time in the martial arts world, you naturally know everyone." Wen Yao looked up and saw Zhao Xuanxu with lowered eyebrows and eyes, his face looking lonely. He quickly spoke to comfort him, "It's okay. When you escape the suffering of Bianliang and return to your fiefdom to be a free and easy prince, you can also make more friends and live a lively life."
Wen Yao forgot that Zhao Xuanxu didn't like the hustle and bustle, and the maids and servants in the house were all like ghosts.
Zhao Xuanxu did not refute and nodded in agreement.
"To be honest, Chun Yanzi was trying to persuade me to leave a while ago, fearing you'd rebel and I'd get stuck in trouble." Wen Yao felt a great deal more at ease after the lightning-fast confession on the city wall. She patted Zhao Xuanxu's shoulder with relief and said with a smile, "I knew you wouldn't be that kind of person."
Zhao Xuanxu leaned back, leaning against the wall of the carriage as Wen Yao pushed him forward. He chuckled softly, his head resting against the wall as he looked at her. His hairpin had been twisted askew by his movements, causing it to fall loose and scatter. His clothes were also a bit disheveled, making him look charming and full of life.
He is really good-looking, and he always behaves like this in front of Wen Yao. If he were to be in his previous life, he would definitely be chased by a group of people on the Internet, calling them their wife.
Very frivolous and not serious.
Wen Yao was laughing across from him, but gradually stopped laughing when she saw him like this. She felt something was amiss. She took a deep breath, lifted the curtain and looked out, mumbling, "Let me see where we are. We should hurry up and go home for dinner!"
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