Chapter 99: Horses Trampling Yangzhou
Wen Yao pierced the meridians in Feng Jimin's hands, making quite a noise. The two white-faced men Xue Ke had held turned around hastily, opened their eyes, and shouted loudly, "Master!"
The next moment, the shouting stopped abruptly. Jiang Qiaosheng, cursing and scowling, walked over, picked up a sword from the ground, and stabbed one of the men in the head. White brains splattered and fell to the ground in a string. Xue Ke's movements became increasingly ruthless. The next time he got close, he slashed with his sword and cut off the remaining white-faced man's head.
Feng Jimin didn't even glance at the two masked men. He bent his elbows and supported himself on the ground, his wrists trembling with blood. He stared at Wen Yao with a look of disregard and ferocity. His pretentious expression vanished, and his clear features shone with a cruel murderous intent.
He said slowly: "What did you say?"
"As a human being, you can't have healthy legs but be deaf." Wen Yao raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly, revealing some reckless and sharp spirit.
She leaned over Feng Jimin, intending to seal his position to prevent him from getting into trouble. Once the Yangzhou and Taizhou incidents were resolved and they returned to Bianliang, she would bring him with her to Wang Fu to observe how to unlock the ghost lantern. Having someone else hold Jiang Qiaosheng's lifeblood in their hands was never a good thing.
At this moment, Wen Yao suddenly heard a noise coming from the corner of the alley where she had walked before.
She was already feeling suspicious about Feng Jimin being caught so easily this time, so she immediately stopped and looked at Feng Jimin and said, "...Do you have a backup plan?"
Feng Jimin's expression returned to calm, he lowered his eyes and did not answer Wen Yao's words.
In the blink of an eye, the movement in the corner of the alley became more pronounced. Jiang Qiaosheng waved his hand, and the dagger flew out and sank into the stone wall. He shouted, "Get out!"
Around the corner emerged a dozen pale-faced men, each holding a handful of women and children in coarse linen. Wen Yao, observing their clothing, suddenly recalled a Keats Home for orphans nearby. Cold, heavy swords rested on the necks of these men, leaving deep marks, faintly stained with blood.
"Release the master, and I will release these people." The white-faced leader's voice was muffled by his mask, making it unclear. "The Xingyi Sword is renowned throughout the world, and they wouldn't disregard these people's lives."
The threat is clear.
"Oh." Wen Yao suddenly realized something: "I thought you were asking for death this time, but it turns out you knew I wouldn't kill you on the street, and I knew I wouldn't use their lives in exchange for yours."
"Know yourself and know your enemy." Feng Jimin said in a neutral tone, "Feng Mou has always been in the martial arts world, and he's used to making preparations before doing anything."
Wen Yao was very calm and not surprised. He put away his sword and said, "Okay, then you can go."
The tip of the Xingyi sword moved away, and she took two steps back, watching as two pale-faced men standing by with their hands hanging down came over to help Feng Jimin up. Feng Jimin planted her feet on the ground, and when she stood up straight, she was surprisingly tall, half a head taller than Wen Yao, giving off a very tall and graceful look.
He lowered his eyes, his wrists drooping limply, blood dripping from his fingertips. His red eyes glanced coldly at Wen Yao, not even bothering to pretend to be gentle and polite. The two white-faced men, accompanied by Feng Jimin, immediately leaped onto the rooftop and disappeared in a few breaths.
The remaining white-faced men stared at Wen Yao and Jiang Qiaosheng. Once they were sure Feng Jimin had left, they tightened their grip on the women and children, raising their hands to kill them. Wen Yao wasn't surprised by their murderous actions either. Their movements were as swift as ghosts, and without even using the Xingyi Sword, they effortlessly tore off the heads of the men as if they had been blown by the wind.
She didn't often twist people's heads, and killing people wasn't easy for her. Her sleeves were stained with blood, sticky and tinged with a thick, faintly sickening smell of rust. The elderly, weak, women, and children, freed from their shackles, immediately knelt down, hugged each other, and trembled, not daring to look at the bodies scattered around them.
Jiang Qiaosheng snorted, rather unwillingly: "He ran away again."
"It's okay, he will come up again. I'll catch him for you next time." After Wen Yao finished speaking, he raised his hand and sniffed his fingertips for some reason, revealing a rather disgusted expression.
The lingering smell of blood was unbearable. She finally understood why Zhao Xuanxu always had to take a shower after twisting someone's head. With his picky nature, he really couldn't stand the smell on his body.
Wen Yao wiped the blood from her hands and told the women and children to leave and return home. The chaos and bloodshed from the distant battle in the city had spread to this area, the battlefield gradually expanding. Wen Yao heard the clashing of weapons and the screams and wails of many people. She easily climbed onto the rooftop. Facing the vast, blood-gold sunset outside Yangzhou City, she saw half the city drenched in sunset and blood.
After the imperial army advanced through the city gates, they had already thrown open the gates. The powerful army outside, watching eagerly, immediately rushed into the city like a tiger among a flock of sheep. Their bodies were gilded with a golden sheen, and the blood on their faces and hands was the same color as the stumps on the ground, like a layer of red gauze covering them.
An overwhelming victory.
This was understandable. The mob's rebellion was fueled by a surge of rage. While it might have overwhelmed a small local army, it certainly couldn't withstand the elite troops carefully nurtured by the imperial court. Many of the rebels had already become timid, abandoning their weapons and fleeing.
Wen Yao also spotted Zhao Xuanxu. He dismounted, dressed in a black robe, his eyes slightly raised, and walked slowly down the main road of Yangzhou City, carrying a long sword. The sword was stained with blood, indicating he had killed many people along the way.
Okay, at least I didn’t reach out to twist anyone’s head.
Wen Yao looked at Zhao Xuanxu. The next moment, Zhao Xuanxu, who was far away from her, looked up as if he had sensed something. Without hesitation, he met Wen Yao's gaze across the numerous roofs of Yangzhou City with carved beams and painted buildings.
There was a sudden uproar on the street near the city gate. Wen Yao half-crouched on the eaves, slowly stood up holding the Xingyi sword, knowing that the reinforcements that the two people in the prefect's mansion had mentioned had arrived.
But man proposes, God disposes. The over ten thousand men who arrived from Gaoyou Lake on the Qiu family's massive ship, believing themselves to be divine troops, had no idea that the Yangzhou city gates would be breached so quickly by Zhao Xuanxu. The previous defenders were already in disarray, fleeing with their tails between their legs. The reinforcements' leader, leading his troops through the city gates from behind, attempted a two-pronged attack, but to no avail.
The imperial army fought bloody battles, their morale high. It was difficult to stop the killing spree, and if this continued, casualties would continue to mount for both the rebels and the imperial army.
Wen Yao felt it was unnecessary. After all, they were all on the same side, the outcome was already decided, and there was no point in continuing the fight. He should use his remaining energy against the Northern Liao forces later.
Jiang Qiaosheng and Xueke came up from below. She turned to them and said, "Go and help. We'll talk about Feng Jimin's matter when we get back."
Coincidentally, although Feng Jimin had left first, his men were among the reinforcements that arrived. Though they didn't wear white masks, they were neatly dressed and bareheaded. The blood-red ghost-head insignia on the right side of their necks was striking. They didn't care whether they won or lost the defense; their goal was single-minded. After entering the city, they quickly separated from the reinforcements, soaring up on tiptoe, swords drawn, and charging straight at Zhao Xuanxu.
Qianying led his men forward to resist, but the Red Pavilion killers were numerous and all of them had high martial arts skills. They sent some men to kill the surrounding Lingyu Guards and then drew their swords to slash at Zhao Xuanxu.
Zhao Xuanxu turned his sword around and didn't block the opponent's attack. He also swung his sword. The man from the Red Pavilion's head and neck suddenly separated, fell to the ground, rolled twice, and was crushed by the horse's hooves.
The people in the Red Pavilion did not expect that Zhao Xuanxu's internal strength was so powerful and domineering, as vicious as fire. Every blow was like lighting a cluster of fire in the meridians of the people, causing piercing pain. They were helpless even though they surrounded him.
Jiang Qiaosheng's attention was completely absorbed by the Red Pavilion's men. She licked her lips, her anger ignited by Feng Jimin's repeated provocations rising. She led Xue Ke over the rooftops and headed straight for the Red Pavilion assassin.
Wen Yao also quickly approached the battlefield. Instead of heading towards Zhao Xuanxu, she rushed straight towards the reinforcements' leader at the city gate. She marched in a straight line, unhesitatingly drawing her sword and engaging in battle. She effectively cut a path through the dense crowd. Her face was warm, and the gentle, clear blade of the Xingyi Sword was coated and washed with blood.
Since Yue Changtuan forged the Xingyi Sword, this was the second time it was stained with so much blood.
All three were rare masters of their time, and their departure immediately shifted the tide of battle. The reinforcements, destined to pour in from the city gates and encircle the imperial troops, were stalled, waiting for the imperial soldiers in the lead to turn around and attack.
The situation changed dramatically, and the long-planned mantis stalks the cicada while the oriole waits behind ended abruptly.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Get out of the way!" Seeing that the evil star in black was holding a sword and was obviously coming for his head, the leader of the reinforcements was already panicked. He reined in his horse, turned around, and shouted at the people around him to make way for him.
"Puff."
The sound of silk breaking could be heard. He was still shouting, but his eyes suddenly dropped. His neck felt hot, and he fell off the horse, his head rolling to the ground.
Wen Yao, of course, hadn't reached him yet. She casually killed one man, snatched the knife from his hand, and flung the blade back with her right arm. The bloodstained blade pierced through the crowd of figures, severing his neck with incredible precision, severing his life.
The leader of the reinforcements was dead, and the people around him cried out in panic. Wen Yao, his goal clear, quickly approached them, leaped forward, and snatched their flag. Grabbing the flagpole with one hand, he leaped onto the city wall. With his back to the setting sun, he held the flag high and shouted, "Your commander is dead! The outcome of the battle is decided! Those who lay down their swords and kneel in surrender will be spared! No one will be held accountable! The imperial court's disaster relief supplies have arrived. You should return home immediately. Why accompany the rebels and risk the lives of your entire clan?"
She concentrated her energy into her dantian, her voice carried outward by her internal force. Every word echoed clearly into the streets and alleys. "Begin with a hard stance, then a soft one, combining kindness and force"—this phrase was more effective than powerful troops at a time like this, because once the people's hearts wavered, their hands would lose their strength. Upon hearing these words, many of the rebels stopped moving, unhesitatingly dropping their swords and kneeling one after another. Word of this spread like ripples far and wide, and in a short time, the fighting within the city quickly came to a close.
Outside the city, horses trampled the yellow earth, sending dust flying. Wen Yao, standing on the city wall, felt his ear twitch and turned his head to look over. He saw a group of feathered guards, who had emerged from the city gate at some point, pushing aside the rebels and marching straight in. They dragged several people off their horses and threw them at Zhao Xuanxu's feet.
"Report! These are all the leaders on the ship!"
The men dragged over weren't dressed like rebels, but rather in long robes, looking like stewards. Suddenly, they were plunged into a sea of blood and corpses. The blood-soaked Feathered Soldiers around them glanced down. Before them stood the impassive yet even more terrifying Prince Yan. They knew the outcome was lost, their spirits escaping. They trembled, unable to speak.
Qianying dealt with the assassin at hand, walked up and neatly broke the jaws of these people to prevent them from committing suicide, and then together with the secret guards took these people who were suspected to be members of the Qiu family away.
The winner was decided, and the whole city was in chaos. The loser knelt on the ground, and the winner roared with his weapon raised.
Wen Yao took in the scene within the city, then lifted her leg and decisively snapped the flagpole, leaping from the towering wall. As she landed, she heard a general approaching, his face still smeared with blood. He beamed and praised loudly, saying, "A mere thirty thousand bandits are truly vulnerable! My victory this time is entirely due to the planning of Your Highness and Commander Wen!"
...He is truly worthy of being a brave and experienced general. Even at this moment, he is so skilled in flattering others.
Zhao Xuanxu was clearly used to hearing this nonsense, letting it go in one ear and out the other. His robe was stained with blood, and the cuffs were soaked from the blows he'd taken, hanging wetly at his waist.
Wen Yao saw that he was frowning tightly, probably because he could no longer bear the bloody smell all over his body, and his expression looked particularly gloomy.
Zhao Xuanxu walked silently toward Wen Yao, taking her by the hand and heading toward a nearby inn. The two secret guards, perceptive and discerning, immediately stepped forward and pushed the inn's tightly closed door open. The general who had spoken waited for His Highness and Commander Wen to enter, then waved his whip and barked out commands, shouting, "The rebels are defeated! Order all three armies to regroup and recover, and search the city for the rebels' food supplies! Station outside the city, and depart for Taizhou tomorrow!"
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