Chapter 147: Nervous, Nervous
Just then, two screams rang out from the mansion's gate. This was followed by the clashing of weapons and a chaotic cacophony of curses!
Ma Pingchuan's face darkened, and he immediately said to Yin Xiaosheng, "Brother Yin! Please take Qingxue into the secret room immediately! My father and I will go to the front to deal with the situation. If anything unexpected happens..." He paused, took a deep breath, and his eyes were resolute, "Take care of yourselves!" After saying that, he exchanged a glance with Ma Kaitai, and the father and son turned and strode towards the gate of the mansion without hesitation.
Qiu Xia glanced at Yin and Yi, pursed her lips, and turned to follow Ma Pingchuan. Yi Qingxue watched the figure resolutely heading into the storm, tears instantly streaming down her face. She clutched Yin Xiaosheng's sleeve tightly, her voice broken as she cried out, "Brother Yin... what... what do we do?"
Looking at Yi Qingxue, who was weeping uncontrollably, Yin Xiaosheng felt a pang of pain in his heart. He regretted his own lack of skill; if he had his junior sister's extraordinary cultivation, he wouldn't be so helpless. He suppressed his emotions and comforted her in a low voice, "Listen to Brother Pingchuan, hide first! Calm your mind and find an opportunity later!" Without further hesitation, he half-supported and half-embraced the distraught Yi Qingxue and quickly led her into the secret passage of the inner chamber.
"Young Master!" "Master!" The servants and loyal horse farm brothers, seeing the arrival of the family head and his son, felt as if they had found their backbone. Their panicked eyes regained their determination, and their wrists gripping the swords became more steadier.
Ma Kaitai's gaze swept over the two loyal servants lying dead on the ground, then coldly swept over the dark mass of soldiers in front of the courtyard gate, finally settling on the Grandmaster in the lead, who held a goose fan and had an arrogant expression. His beard and hair stood on end, and he angrily questioned, "Grandmaster! You have led your troops to besiege my residence without cause and killed my servants. Do you intend to rebel against the Brahma Emperor?!"
The Grandmaster scoffed, lightly waving his goose-fan, his face showing utter disdain for Ma Kaitai. Before the Grandmaster could speak, a booming voice rang out: "You are the one who should be rebelling!" As soon as the words were spoken, Ouyang Longyuan strode in from behind the crowd.
Upon seeing this, Ma Kaitai's eyes flickered a few times, and he bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty! Why have you come in person?!"
Ouyang Longyuan remained expressionless and said coldly, "Master Ma, we had an agreement long ago. You provided me with horses, and in return, I allowed your Ma family manor to have a place to settle in Longyang City. Why are you betraying me like this today?"
Ma Kaitai remained expressionless, feigning injustice as he said, "What makes you say such things, Your Majesty?! My entire Ma family is utterly loyal to Your Majesty, how could we dare to harbor even the slightest rebellious thought?!" His earnest expression seemed genuine.
Ouyang Longyuan snorted coldly, his eyes sharp as knives: "Loyal? Since I took control of Longyang City, the number of horses your Ma family manor has been supplying has been decreasing day by day! I asked you to expand your pastures and raise more warhorses, but you kept making excuses! Your 'loyalty' makes me... feel cold!" His words were like ice, exposing Ma Kaitai's excuses.
Ma Kaitai immediately retorted, "Your Majesty, you are wise! If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext! All the ranches under my Ma family estate work day and night to expand the livestock. Not a single adult horse has dared to be sold privately! All the horses that have been bred have been delivered to Longyang City in full! We have no ulterior motives!" He spoke with absolute certainty.
Ma Pingchuan chimed in, speaking sincerely, "Father's words are all true! If the Emperor still has doubts, our Ma family will do everything in our power to provide even more horses!"
The last shred of patience in Ouyang Longyuan's eyes vanished completely. His icy gaze swept over the Ma father and son, and he spoke slowly, each word carrying an undeniable pressure: "No need! My 'loyalty' to you... has long since been exhausted. I am not here today for discussion, but only to... interrogate you!" With that, he pointed at the Ma father and son.
The cry of "Accusation!" was like a death knell! It severed all hope and all negotiation! The bloody siege had begun!
Ma Kaitai shouted angrily: "Ouyang Longyuan! Today you killed my father and son, who will raise thousands of troops for you tomorrow?! Your grand ambitions and empires will surely be trapped in this corner of Longyang City!"
"Hahaha...hahaha..." Ouyang Longyuan seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world, his body trembling violently with his maniacal laughter. His laughter abruptly stopped, and he abruptly pointed at Ma Kaitai, his eyes filled with arrogance: "Kill you! Kill you, and your Ma family's vast empire, all your horse farms and ranches scattered throughout Longyang! Will all belong to me!" He then abruptly turned, his icy gaze fixed on Yi Mingjian, his voice carrying an undeniable killing intent: "Jian'er! Why haven't you acted yet! Take this man's head for your master!"
Upon hearing this, Yi Mingjian's body stiffened abruptly, and he staggered forward two steps with a dazed look in his eyes. Ma Kaitai's eyes widened in fury, piercing him like sharp arrows: "You wicked son! Your father, Yi Yunke, was barely cold in the dead when he was tragically killed by this old thief Ouyang! Not only do you not think of avenging your father, but you also recognize a thief as your father. You are unworthy of being a son. How can you face your father in the afterlife?"
Ma Pingchuan, standing to the side, also raised his sword and angrily shouted, "Yi Mingjian! Think about what a hero your upright father was! Look at your groveling appearance! How can you face your father?"
"Shut up! All of you shut up!" Yi Mingjian's mind was filled with a thunderous roar. The Ma family's scathing rebukes were like sharp knives stabbing into his heart, completely igniting his pent-up shame, anger, and rage.
Yi Mingjian's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. "A wise man submits to circumstances!" he roared. With a clang, his longsword was suddenly drawn, the ear-piercing sound of metal scraping echoing throughout the courtyard! The sword light was like a venomous snake's tongue, without the slightest hesitation, carrying all his madness, straight for Ma Pingchuan's vitals!
Ma Pingchuan was prepared, and in a fit of grief and indignation, he gritted his teeth and drew his sword! "Clang!" The two swords clashed violently, sparks flying, and the rapid clanging of metal echoed incessantly. The two figures instantly became entangled in combat!
Seeing this, Qiu Xia drew her sword without hesitation, ready to attack. The Grandmaster, seeing this, waved his goose fan and his figure flashed like a ghost, blocking her path. "Judging by your looks, why don't you let this Grandmaster play with you for a bit?" the Grandmaster teased, waving his goose fan.
"Those who block my way shall die!" Qiu Xia's killing intent was fierce, the tip of her sword flashed with cold light, and her delicate body transformed into a swift shadow, stabbing towards the Grandmaster with unparalleled sharpness!
"My son!" Ouyang Longyuan stopped watching Yi and Ma's fight, turned to the young emperor who was standing quietly to the side and said in a deep voice, "Make your move!" His tone was indifferent, as if he were ordering someone to crush an ant.
The young prince remained silent, as if shrouded in an invisible mask. Dressed entirely in red, he exuded a chilling murderous aura as he slowly walked towards Ma Kaitai.
Seeing this, Ma Kaitai waved his hand sharply: "Attack!" More than twenty of his men on both sides, already driven mad with bloodlust, roared in unison, "Kill!" brandishing their swords, they all rushed towards the murderous red-clad figure!
The young emperor raised an eyebrow, his figure flashed, and the red maple sword at his waist silently drew. He moved through the crowd like a red shadow, and in an instant, screams of agony rose and blood splattered! In the blink of an eye, more than twenty burly figures froze and fell almost simultaneously! Crimson blood quickly meandered and mingled on the ground.
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