Der Mond scheint hell über den leeren Bergen, und Blumen füllen den Himmel

Kapitel 98

Upon hearing this, Bi Lianyi's expression changed slightly.

“But I promised that if you ever fell into my hands, I would spare your life,” Li Lingyan continued softly. “Do you remember?” He smiled. “Tonight you ruined my plans, so I’ll forgive you for now. But next time—I’ll make you pay me tenfold.” He finished speaking softly, turned around, and waved. “Let’s go.”

Li Lingyan, along with Li Shiyu, Huaiyue, and Beiyue, leisurely departed, leaving behind Shengxiang and Bilianyi.

Watching Li Lingyan's dashing departing figure, the blood that had gushed from Sheng Xiang's body earlier had frozen into ice in the night. He slowly loosened his grip on Bi Lianyi's neck, glanced at her, and smiled, "I'm sorry..."

Bi Lianyi still felt a chill when she recalled the moment he forcefully took the sword by pressing his ribs against hers. Suddenly, she asked, "What will you do if I refuse to give up the sword?"

Shengxiang glanced at the bleeding wound on her side, "You... how could you... refuse to put down your sword?"

Bi Lianyi's expression changed slightly. "What if I kill you with a single sword strike?"

Shengxiang pulled up his face and made a face. "You clearly...didn't kill me with one sword." As he spoke, he suddenly turned serious. "For the sake of me being seriously injured and bleeding for Awan, take me to see him...This young master...has something important to tell him..." This man's face changed faster than turning the pages of a book. Bi Lianyi was smiling bitterly. Hearing this, she nodded and led him flying into the town.

Wan Yuyuedan is still alone in her room tonight, with a pot of fairy grass on her left and a female corpse on her right.

He seemed quite relaxed and comfortable, dressed in an elegant white silk robe. Looking at his left side, it accentuated his gentle, delicate, and cloud-like temperament, just like a child.

"Palace Master, Palace Master, our encirclement and annihilation of Li Lingyan's group was blocked by Shengxiang. He has taken Protector Bi hostage and forced us to retreat." The first group of the retreating "Twelve Clouds" reported to Wan Yuyuedan. "Protector Bi is still in his hands. Palace Master, should we regroup and rescue Protector Bi? We don't know what his intentions are!"

Wan Yuyue's eyes widened. "Sacred Incense?"

"That's right. He didn't hesitate to suffer a sword strike from Protector Bi and a knife strike from Huaiyue, forcing us to retreat and taking Protector Bi hostage."

Wan Yuyue's wrinkles at the corners of his eyes lessened slightly, making his eyes appear sharp and narrow. "Is that so... Please ask Uncle Wenren to come over. He said there would be injured people coming."

"Yes." Although Qingyun, who came to report, found it strange, Wanyu Yuedan's words were the Palace Master's order, so he accepted the order and withdrew.

Before long, Bi Lianyi returned to Biluo Palace's temporary residence in Banzhu, holding someone in his arms.

Shengxiang was covered in blood, and even after Bi Lianyi applied pressure points to her acupoints, the two severe wounds on her body still bled profusely. Just by standing there for a moment, drops of blood splattered on the ground in front of Wanyu Yuedan.

Shengxiang was still quite lucid. When he saw Wanyu Yuedan, he smiled and said, "Awan...long time no see...still...the same as always..." He struggled to stand up from Bilianyi's arms, staggered a few steps to Wanyu Yuedan, and unceremoniously pulled over a chair and sat down. Blood stained the area with his sleeves as he moved.

Although Wan Yuyuedan couldn't clearly see Shengxiang's horrific state, he saw a sea of blood, a color that sent a chill down his spine. "Shengxiang?"

"Awan, I want to ask you, can you spare Li Lingyan's life..."

Shengxiang sat opposite Wanyu Yuedan, her breath almost touching Wanyu Yuedan's cheek, unbearably hot.

“No.” Wan Yuyuedan didn’t even blink. “If we don’t kill him now, we won’t be able to kill him later.” His words were resolute, but his tone was gentle, even warm.

“Li Lingyan has cast the spell ‘Holding Hands and Growing Old Together’ on so many people…so many people. If you kill him, many, many people will die with him…” Shengxiang said.

"Including Liu Ji?" Wan Yuyue smiled.

Sheng Xiang's eyes widened. "Li Lingyan can only lose, not be killed..."

“He killed my father and burned down my Luoshang Palace. Why can’t he be killed?” Wan Yuyue asked gently. “He has already killed so many people. If he continues to live, even more people will die.” He slightly moved his eyes. “Since he has cast the ‘Holding Hands to Grow Old’ spell, killing Li Lingyan can annihilate the Blood Sacrifice Society. Compared to mobilizing a large force to force him to admit defeat and surrender, perhaps fewer people will be injured or killed.”

"He carries a poisonous mother; anyone who comes into contact with her will be poisoned. Along the way, countless people, good and bad, women and children, have fallen victim to his 'Holding Hands to Grow Old Together' poison..."

Saint Fragrance was panting heavily, "A-Wan, how could you bear to kill one person and harm the innocent... Besides, Li Lingyan's ten thousand troops are nowhere to be found. If Biluo Palace and the Blood Sacrifice Society are both severely weakened, I'm afraid..."

Upon hearing the words "mutually devastating," Wan Yuyue's brows furrowed, and her eyes widened suddenly. "His troops have already entered Luoyang?"

“I don’t know… but you need to know that Li Lingyan is never one to lead from the front… to be a vanguard… Since he’s drinking in Banzhu, where are his men… Awan, you’re not an idiot, why are you asking me…” Shengxiang’s breathing became more and more rapid, “Banzhu is your territory, I’m afraid you’re too proud to be a local bully, that’s why you can’t see clearly…”

Wan Yu slammed her hand on the table and stood up, ordering Bi Lianyi to return to the old place by the Luo River to investigate the situation. Sheng Xiang followed her, helping herself up from her chair. "If you find out that his troops are gathering to counterattack, A-Wan, you..."

"I will kill Li Lingyan!" Wan Yuyue interrupted Shengxiang, turning around abruptly. "If he has a large force behind us, should I not kill him now, or wait until he has surrounded us and the situation is under his control? If it is found that there is indeed an ambush, and we cannot kill Li Lingyan to eliminate the leader of the ambush, do you expect Biluo Palace to submit and wait to die?" He was usually gentle and frail, but now, with a raised eyebrow and a shout, he possessed a fierce and bloodthirsty power!

"I'm forcing you to stop tonight so that I absolutely won't allow you to kill Li Lingyan..." Shengxiang met his gaze directly, her heavy breathing like that of a dying beast. "Once you kill Li Lingyan, the Northern Han army will be uncontrollable. First, Biluo Palace will be severely weakened and unable to withstand a chaotic army of ten thousand. Second, even if the Northern Han army doesn't cause trouble for your Biluo Palace after Li Lingyan's death, these ten thousand soldiers will definitely become refugees in Luoyang, either becoming mountain bandits or bandits. This place will never have peace again..."

"I will not allow you to kill him—" A cold glint flashed across Wan Yuyuedan's gentle and delicate eyes. "Is it for Liu Ji, for Yu Cuiwei, or truly for Luoyang, for my Biluo Palace?"

Shengxiang slammed her palm down on the back of the chair he had just been sitting on. With a crack, the chair back was shattered by her blow. "You insist on killing Li Lingyan. Is it to fight him and dominate the martial world, or for your father and for Biluo Palace?"

Former friends slammed their fists on the table in protest. The people of Biluo Palace had never seen Wan Yuyuedan so angry, let alone so pale. Wenren Nuan, who rushed over upon hearing the commotion, stared blankly at the two men glaring at each other, just like everyone else.

"For Da Yu's sake, I would never dare to speak up—" Blood was still flowing from Sheng Xiang's wounds, and the place where he stood was covered in blood. Wenren Nuan had never seen so much blood before... He still stared wide-eyed at Wan Yu Yue Dan, "I saved Da Yu because I didn't want to see him die with his eyes open. Not allowing you to kill Li Ling Yan is a different matter. Don't get involved... Nonsense..."

Wan Yuyue laughed, "Nonsense?"

“Ah Wan…” Sheng Xiang’s voice was hoarse and finally carried a trace of desolation, “Killing Li Lingyan is equivalent to killing more than a hundred people. After that, whether Biluo Palace is attacked or Luoyang is attacked, no matter whether you win or lose, even if you dominate the martial arts world, you will definitely regret it!”

Wan Yuyue clenched her fist and slammed it onto the table with a loud "bang".

"To be invincible and unbeatable, one must first kill oneself before killing others... Ah Wan, Ah Wan, these are Xiao Yan's true feelings over the past twenty years! Do you know that you would rather sacrifice innocent lives and the safety of your hometown to win this battle? But—do you have to go to Xiao Yan's level to know what 'no turning back' means?" Sheng Xiang coughed up a mouthful of blood at the end, the blood slightly black, which was the blood that had been pent up for a long time.

Wan Yuyuedan's face was deathly pale, almost purple. With a "crash," he abruptly pulled out his sleeve, sweeping up teacups and books that were scattering them all over the floor with a clatter. The people of Biluo Palace had never known that Wan Yuyuedan's emotions could fluctuate so violently. They only heard him say, word by word, "What if I absolutely have to kill Li Lingyan?"

Sheng Xiang's eyes were slightly closed, as if he was holding onto a last breath. Hearing this, he suddenly opened them. "If you insist on killing Li Lingyan, of course I can't stop you..." He grabbed the back of the chair to support himself. "I'll ask you one more time, can you not kill Li Lingyan... cooperate with me, consider the bigger picture... and defeat him first?"

Wan Yuyue stared intently at Shengxiang, as if he could truly see it. After a while, he slowly said, "That's your overall plan, not mine."

Shengxiang was almost out of breath, her left hand gripping the front of her clothes tightly. "Don't you have the confidence to kill him later, if only now..."

“Holy Fragrance, Holy Fragrance, you still don’t understand… Li Lingyan injured fifty-six of my Biluo Palace members, causing my father’s death. Biluo Palace has suffered numerous calamities and is now on its last legs…” Wan Yuyuedan said slowly, word by word, “Otherwise, why couldn’t Biluo Palace gather its forces to kill him after months of surveillance? It’s not that I didn’t want to, but that I couldn’t!” His chest heaved. “Outside Bianjing City, I was powerless to save you… Biluo Palace is currently powerful but precarious. If we cannot dominate the martial world, we will expose our weakness, be seen through, and die here!”

Upon hearing this, everyone in Biluo Palace paled. Wan Yuyuedan remained calm and composed, seemingly expecting everything, unaware that the palace's strength was no longer sufficient to support its immense reputation. Wan Yuyuedan suddenly continued, "If we can kill Li Lingyan now, Biluo Palace will establish its fame and prestige. The sheer power it wields in the martial world will be enough to ensure decades of peace for the Biluo lineage..." He clenched his fist until his knuckles cracked. "If we can't seize this opportunity to win, how can I protect the old, weak, women, and children of the palace, and the Taiqing relics? If I can't dominate the martial world here, I'll never have another chance! Not to mention, you defeat Li Lingyan first. If Li Lingyan is defeated by you, what use is killing him?"

"Aren't you afraid that you and Li Lingyan will both suffer heavy losses, and then he will launch an ambush, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Biluo Palace lineage?" Shengxiang coughed a few times and said slowly.

"With our current strength alone, I absolutely can kill Li Lingyan!" Wan Yuyuedan said, enunciating each word clearly. "Tang Tianshu is already damaged, and it will only take Biluo Palace an hour to kill Li Lingyan. There is absolutely no possibility of both sides suffering heavy losses." He took a deep breath, speaking clearly, "As long as Li Lingyan is dead, Biluo Palace will have won. Even if there are ambushes afterward, can't Biluo Palace simply flee to the ends of the earth?"

Shengxiang's eyes deepened and became vast and desolate. "To establish the prestige of Biluo Palace in this battle, you must kill Li Lingyan. If you don't kill him now, you'll never have another chance to dominate the martial world..." He slowly repeated Wanyu Yuedan's grand strategy. "But even if you kill Li Lingyan, you won't win. Biluo Palace can certainly flee, but by doing so, you're only escaping, not winning... Awan... you have your own grand strategy, and I can't force you to believe me... But what about me... I... I must win... I absolutely cannot lose..." He stared blankly at Wanyu Yuedan. "You can escape, but I can't. You can fake a victory, but I can't..."