Wang Lang said, "The capital is now impregnable, and the court has confined Xie Linghui's troops to one province, so there shouldn't be any major problems. If we keep our movements secret and bring a few more highly skilled guards, we can be sure of our safety."
Chu Tong smiled and said, "That's great, let's do it your way."
Three days later, under the warm spring sunshine, Wang Lang and Chu Tong, accompanied by more than twenty guards, chatted and laughed all the way to the outskirts of the capital. Wang Lang had been busy and weary from his travels these past few days, and had long forgotten his elegant demeanor. But today he looked completely different, wearing a light blue satin robe with three trims on the collar and cuffs, a matching jade belt around his waist, and a matching turban on his head, making him appear even more refined and scholarly, with an extraordinary air about him.
After traveling for half an hour, the carriage stopped. Chu Tong jumped down and saw a vast, silent wilderness stretching before her, dotted with a few gently rolling hills. Apricot blossoms bloomed on the hills, their delicate petals like wisps of pink clouds, creating a scene of ethereal beauty. Chu Tong exclaimed, "Wonderful! Wonderful! What a wonderful place!" Wang Lang smiled slightly and ordered wooden tables and chairs to be set out under the apricot trees, laden with fruits, cakes, pastries, and wine. He invited Chu Tong to sit down. Chu Tong glanced at the table and saw that all the food was her favorite. She was even more delighted and personally poured Wang Lang a glass of wine, saying, "Young Master Wang, I toast you!"
Wang Lang laughed and said, "Chu Tong, we've been through thick and thin together several times. We get along so well that calling me 'Young Master' would be too formal. Just call me Big Brother."
Chu Tong exclaimed happily, "That would be wonderful! I've wanted to call you 'Big Brother' for a long time, but I was afraid I wouldn't be worthy of it. Anyway, I'm just a little orphan. Since you think highly of me, you'll be my only family, my only big brother!" With that, she raised her wine cup and clinked it with Wang Lang's. Wang Lang laughed and said, "How could the dignified Yao Chu Tong not be worthy of it? I couldn't be happier to have a sister like you." The two of them raised their cups and drank them down in one gulp.
Wang Lang lowered his head and remained silent, taking another sip of his drink. After a pause, he said, "Chu Tong, we now address each other as brother and sister, and I've finally resolved one of my inner conflicts. But there's something I must tell you, otherwise, I fear I might never be able to." He took a deep breath, his deep, unfathomable eyes fixed on Chu Tong. "Chu Tong, I've always considered myself a romantic, believing all women in the world are lovely and have their own charm. But for you, I've given you my whole heart. Being with you brings me indescribable joy. I always imagined how I would cherish you, how I would make you happy, and what kind of life I would give you. Later, you fell in love with Yun Yinghuai, and I felt resentful, thinking it was a cruel twist of fate that made me miss the years I should have spent with you most..."
At this point, Chu Tong couldn't help but say, "Big brother, I..." Wang Lang waved his hand and continued, "But later, when I met Yun Yinghuai, I realized I was wrong. I knew that even if you and I had spent every day together during that time, you wouldn't have fallen in love with me." At this, Wang Lang couldn't help but laugh, like a gentle breeze caressing a tree of brilliantly blooming apricot blossoms, and said, "Yao Chu Tong is Yao Chu Tong. She will carefully weigh her options and make a prudent choice, unlike Xie Xiuyan, who is a young girl blinded by love. You've already left one wealthy family; how could you possibly enter another?" Always free and unrestrained, your true home is naturally that carefree world of martial arts, so why would you choose me? Besides, Yun Yinghuai is brave, passionate, and unparalleled in loyalty, and extremely devoted to his principles. You have the discerning eye to recognize a hero, so it's perfectly normal for you to fall in love with him… Hey, Yun Yinghuai is a true hero, and I, Wang Lang, admire him greatly, so there's nothing shameful about losing to him.” At this point, Wang Lang laughed heartily, raised his wine cup, and said, “Saying these words makes me feel much better. Chu Tong, please don't take offense; from now on, you'll always be my good sister.”
A gentle breeze stirred up apricot blossoms, one falling into the wine cup. Chu Tong felt Wang Lang suddenly appear very close, then very far away. Her eyes reddened as she said, "You will always be my good older brother." Wang Lang laughed, "Why are you crying?" Chu Tong quickly wiped her eyes and laughed, "I've always been a little orphan girl with no one to pity or love me. Now that I have an older brother, I'm so happy. This is tears of joy, haha, tears of joy." She then refilled the wine cup and said, "Older brother, sincerity is key. We don't need any of that incense-burning or sworn brotherhood ceremony. In short, from now on, for your sake, Yao Chu Tong would go through fire and water without batting an eye!" Wang Lang laughed, "Then that truly is my blessing."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a scream rang out from not far away, followed by a desperate cry: "Third Master, run!" Then silence fell. Chu Tong and Wang Lang's expressions changed. They stood up and looked into the distance, only to see over a hundred masked men wielding swords and knives charging towards them. Wang Lang drew his sword with one hand and grabbed Chu Tong with the other, shouting, "Come with me!" He then spurred her onto his horse. Chu Tong glanced around and saw that the twenty-odd guards Wang Lang had brought were already engaged in combat with the men. The masked men were highly skilled, and Wang Lang's guards were no match for them, retreating steadily. Chu Tong's heart sank. She thought, "This is bad! The enemy outnumbers us and are all experts. This is an open field; we can't call for reinforcements." Seeing the men surging forward, Wang Lang spurred his horse and shouted "Giddy up!" The horse galloped off.
Chu Tong glanced back and saw over thirty fine horses following behind her and Wang Lang. She felt a surge of anxiety and alarm. Just then, a whooshing sound filled their ears as several arrows rained down on them. Wang Lang, riding his horse, swayed left and right through the apricot grove. In a moment of carelessness, an arrow struck his arm, causing him to groan in pain, cold sweat immediately streaming down his forehead.
Gradually, Wang Lang felt his vision blur and his body throb with pain. He knew the arrow was poisoned, so he quickly pressed several acupoints on his shoulder, gritted his teeth, gripped the reins tightly, and struggled to break through. Chu Tong sensed something was wrong with Wang Lang and turned her head to look. She was shocked to see that Wang Lang's face was ashen and his expression was weak. She thought to herself, "This is terrible!" She quickly grabbed the reins and said, "Brother, I'll take your place. Hold on tight and hold on to me!" Wang Lang was already struggling to stay upright. In his daze, he hugged Chu Tong's waist and rested his head on her shoulder, saying, "The arrow was poisoned. I'm about to die. If you carry me, neither of us can escape. These people are all coming for me alone. You should find a chance to escape as soon as possible."
Chu Tong roared, "Bullshit! You saved my life! You're still my older brother! If I, Yao Chu Tong, were to abandon you here, I'd be worse than a pig or a dog! I don't care, we'll die together, we'll escape together!"
Wang Lang coughed and said weakly, "You, you stubborn fool..." He then tried to let go and jump off the horse.
Chu Tong was taken aback. She grabbed Wang Lang's arm and said sternly, "Sit still and shut the hell up! If you keep babbling like this, don't blame me for disowning you as my older brother! You better stay alive, and if you can hold on, I'll take you home!"
By this time, Wang Lang was delirious, slumped against Chu Tong. Chu Tong clenched her teeth, feeling arrows flying past her constantly. She pursed her lips, and suddenly saw a wide river ahead. Looking back, she saw the pursuers were getting closer and closer. Chu Tong gritted her teeth, spurred her horse into the river, and the pursuers caught up, shouting on the bank, raining arrows at them. Fortunately, a wind picked up, and the arrows missed their mark. The river was only a dozen meters wide and not too deep; the water only reached the horse's neck. Chu Tong supported Wang Lang's head, bringing him to the surface, and desperately urged the horse forward. When they reached the other side, Chu Tong was exhausted. She tumbled off the horse with Wang Lang in her arms. Chu Tong gasped for breath, and was somewhat surprised to see that the pursuers on the other side hadn't come, but she became even more vigilant, thinking to herself, "Could there be an even bigger conspiracy? I need to be even more careful."
She took a breath and dragged the unconscious Wang Lang into the woods on the opposite bank. Checking his pulse, she found he still had a faint breath, which reassured her somewhat. Chu Tong broke the arrow that had pierced Wang Lang's body. Seeing the wound was purplish-black, she knew something was wrong. Remembering that Yun Yinghuai had given her some pills, including those to clear blood stasis and detoxify, she quickly took out a medicine bottle from her bosom, poured out a few pills, and stuffed them into Wang Lang's mouth. Anxiously, she said, "Brother! Brother! How are you? If you become a coward and lie here dead, I will despise you for the rest of my life! Do you hear me?" She then slapped Wang Lang several times.
Wang Lang coughed a few times, opened his eyes slightly, a faint smile on his lips, and said with a trembling body, "I'm fine."
Chu Tong felt a little relieved to see that Wang Lang had woken up, but seeing his weak and limp state, her nose tingled again, and she said, "Big brother, you held on! You made such a commotion, someone will definitely come to save us. You fucking live well, you're not allowed to die!"
A hint of warmth flashed in Wang Lang's eyes. He coughed a few times and laughed, "Alright, I've already made up my mind. I don't intend to die. I haven't enjoyed enough of the riches and honors of the world yet. There's still so much fine wine I haven't drunk, so much delicious food I haven't tasted, so much beautiful scenery I haven't seen. I haven't yet had the chance to talk about love and romance with all sorts of beauties in the world. How can I die?"
Chu Tong said, "That's right, I'm determined to get you out of here!" After saying that, she looked around and said, "Big brother, who wants to kill us today? They brought so many people with them, it seems they planned this all along and were determined to kill us."
Wang Lang frowned and said, "The Wang family does have many sworn enemies, but now internal strife is rampant. At this critical juncture, the only one who wants my life is Xie Linghui. Our visit to admire the flowers here today was extremely secretive, which suggests that there is a traitor among us who has exposed our whereabouts."
Chu Tong said, "Don't worry, brother. Today, Yun Yinghuai brought some experts from Beiliang to follow us from a distance. He will come to our rescue if he notices anything amiss." As soon as Chu Tong finished speaking, someone behind her said, "Rescue you? Chu Tong, I'm afraid Wang Lang won't be able to leave today."
Chu Tong was startled and turned around to see a girl in a green cloak emerging from the bushes. She had a delicate face, narrow eyes, arched eyebrows, and a small mouth—quite pretty and charming. Chu Tong was overjoyed and immediately stood up, saying, "Juan Cui! What are you doing here?" Then, quickly realizing what was happening, her smile vanished, and she said expressionlessly, "It seems Xie Linghui is determined to kill us both?"
Juan Cui shook her head and said, "Chu Tong, Second Master doesn't want your life. Before he came, he told me that if I saw you, I should tell you that he was wrong about everything in the past and that he would repay what he owed you." After saying that, she looked at Wang Lang and said, "Second Master said that Wang Lang must not be allowed to live any longer. Today, we must take his head at all costs."
Chu Tong took a step to the left, blocking Wang Lang's path, and sneered, "If you want to take his head, then try cutting mine off first."
Juancui stepped forward, a hint of pity in her eyes, and said, "Chutong, why must you..."
Chu Tong walked over, took Juan Cui's hands, and said sincerely, "Juan Cui, I don't want to fight you. If you still care about our past relationship, you should leave quickly and pretend you've never met me."
Juan Cui sighed and said, "Chu Tong, you are clever and resourceful, but also very stubborn. The Second Master is determined to take Wang Lang's head. He said that the Second Miss's death was inseparable from Wang Lang. If Wang Lang is not eliminated, the Crown Prince will not be able to secure the throne of the Great Zhou. So he sent 120 assassins to kill Wang Lang. How will you escape? Besides, the arrows were coated with poison. Wang Lang won't last long."
Wang Lang laughed loudly, his laughter gradually weakening. He coughed a few times and said, "Good, very good! I never thought that Xie Linghui would think so highly of me, Wang Lang. Haha, Brother Xie really knows my tastes and temperament well, and even sent such a beautiful girl to send me on my way."
Chu Tong gritted her teeth and said, "Big brother, we will definitely get out of here alive today!" Then she looked at Juan Cui and said, "Juan Cui, please let us go. Give me the antidote for this poison. I'll give you whatever money you want. Or do anything I can do? I beg you! I'm kneeling down for you!" With that, she knelt down and was about to kowtow.
Juan Cui's face showed a look of pity. She lifted Chu Tong up and stared at her face for a long time, saying with endless sorrow, "Chu Tong, I really don't have the antidote. If you don't believe me, then search my body... Chu Tong, Mo Yuan committed suicide, Lü Qiao was expelled from the manor, Yu Ping went to a brothel and met a bad end, and then you disappeared... You don't know, do you? Zi Yuan is also dead. Of all the maids in the Xie manor, some are dead and some are scattered. Now only you and I are left here to talk to each other."
Chu Tong was stunned: "Zi Yuan is dead?"
Juan Cui sighed, her expression extremely sorrowful: "A year ago, Second Master sent her out to deliver a message, but she encountered ambushers. In the chaos of war, when everyone found her again, she was already dead." After saying that, she looked at Chu Tong and said: "Chu Tong, I really don't want you to die again. You should leave quickly. Wang Lang is already beyond saving anyway. I must take his head with me today."
Chu Tong stood up, took two steps back, and said coldly, "Dream on! Juan Cui, since you insist on this, then I have no choice but to disregard our past relationship."
At this moment, Wang Lang called out, "Chu Tong, good sister, come here." After saying that, he looked up at Juan Cui and smiled, "Miss, for the sake of your past relationship with Chu Tong, let me say a few words to her."
Juan Cui nodded, and Chu Tong leaned down to Wang Lang and asked, "Big brother, how are you?"
Wang Lang's face had turned purple. He coughed violently a few times, blood and froth dribbling from his mouth. He forced a smile at Chu Tong and said, "Chu Tong, did you hear that? That girl already said I've been poisoned and won't last much longer. There are still many experts hiding in this forest; you can't handle them..."
Chu Tong's eyes widened, and she snapped, "Shut up! You just said you weren't planning on dying, that you wanted to live on..."
Before Chu Tong could finish speaking, Wang Lang suddenly raised his left hand and slapped her across the face! Chu Tong was stunned. Wang Lang's arm went limp and he collapsed, panting as he said, "You stubborn...little fool! I'm beyond saving...I can't let you...die here with me." He paused, clearly in excruciating pain, his forehead covered in cold sweat, but he smiled, coughing up blood as he laughed.
Chu Tong was overcome with grief, tears streaming down her face. She held Wang Lang's hand, sobbing uncontrollably. With her other hand, she desperately wiped the blood from Wang Lang's mouth, but the blood seemed endless. Through her tear-blurred eyes, she choked back sobs and said, "Brother, please hold on a little longer. We haven't finished our wine yet. I wanted to invite you to Beiliang to listen to music, and I wanted to take you to Nanhuai to see the place where I grew up. There are many beautiful girls there... Also, I know of a great treasure that I want to dig up and give to you. I won't take a single copper coin; I'll give it all to you... I'll give it all to you... What do you say?"
Wang Lang was still smiling, weakly raising his hand to wipe away Chu Tong's tears, but his hand slipped down halfway, and he forced a smile, saying, "Don't cry anymore... Actually... actually I'm very happy right now... I, I always thought I could live and die with you... and now... I've actually done it..." At this point, Wang Lang suddenly gripped Chu Tong's hand tightly, saying, "Good sister, good sister, promise me... you must live well... avenge me!"
Chu Tong nodded frantically, tears streaming down her face, and cried out, "I know, I know, I know! I will live! I will avenge you!"
Wang Lang nodded, gazing at Chu Tong's face with tenderness in his eyes, and coughed a few times, saying, "If only... if only there were wine right now..."
Chu Tong gripped Wang Lang's hand tightly, almost frantically, and said, "Just hold on a little longer. Once we get out, once we get out, I'll give you a century-old wine! A thousand-year-old wine! A ten-thousand-year-old wine! Even if you want to drink the Heavenly Emperor's nectar, I'll get it for you!"
Wang Lang's eyes were already unfocused, yet he continued to laugh, whispering, "I'm sorry, sister... I have to break my promise... I can't hold on any longer... I'm going to die, you must run away... They won't... they won't make things difficult for you... If they want to take my head... let them... cut it off..."
Chu Tong shouted, "Nonsense! You're talking nonsense! I'll take you to Beiliang. Yun Yinghuai's master is a divine doctor. I'll invite all the divine doctors in the world to treat you! I will definitely take you out... Hang in there... Promise me you'll hang in there..." She was already sobbing uncontrollably. She only knew to tightly grip Wang Lang's hand, as if she could pull Wang Lang's life back.
Wang Lang gently shook his head, his voice weak as he said, "I have... a hidden weapon in my arms... take it and run... only if you survive... can you... avenge me..." He coughed up another mouthful of blood, smiled faintly, and said with difficulty, "Brother is leaving first... I... I should have... treated you... as a sister... Si Xi... but unfortunately I realized it a little... too late..." He laughed again, the laughter growing weaker and weaker, and gradually closed his eyes, never to make a sound again.
Chu Tong burst into tears, crying out, "It's not too late! It's not too late at all! Big brother! Big brother, say something! Don't pretend to be dead to scare me! I'm not going back to Beiliang. I'll stay in Dazhou. We siblings will drink and listen to music every day, eat and drink the best food every day. I'll stay with you every day. Is that okay? Is that okay?"
Juan Cui couldn't bear it and stepped forward, saying, "Chu Tong, he... he's already dead..." Then she couldn't help but sigh, "He... he didn't die from poisoning... he severed his own heart meridian... Chu Tong, he must have wanted you to escape quickly, you should leave, don't... don't let his good intentions go to waste..."
Chu Tong shuddered, turned her head and shouted angrily, "You fucking talk nonsense!" Seeing the overwhelming hatred in Chu Tong's eyes, Juan Cui couldn't help but take a few steps back and dared not say another word.
Chu Tong held Wang Lang in her arms, gently stroking his handsome face. She first met him at Xie Linghui's birthday banquet; he was exceptionally handsome and talented. Later, on a cold night, he saved her life, taking her to Beiliang, comforting her tenderly and caringly along the way. After she parted ways with Yun Yinghuai, he reappeared by her side, taking her to listen to music and play games, always by her side… In her most destitute, unlucky, and disheartened moments, there was always this slender figure by her side. Closing her eyes, she could almost see Wang Lang standing before her again, calmly fanning himself, his eyes bright and wise, smiling gently at her. Tears streamed down her cheeks again.
Chu Tong held Wang Lang and sat quietly for a while, then carefully laid him flat on the ground.
Reaching into Wang Lang's robes, she pulled out a bamboo flute. Holding back her tears, she knelt down, gazing at Wang Lang's face, and said, "Brother, I can never repay your kindness in this life, but I will repay you tenfold in the next! Don't worry, I will definitely live to avenge you. Rest in peace!" She then kowtowed three times to Wang Lang, before standing up, turning to look at Juan Cui with a blank expression, and coldly said, "Today I will take my brother back. Anyone who stands in my way will die!"
Juan Cui shuddered under Chu Tong's icy gaze. Composing herself, she said, "Chu Tong, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Please accept my condolences… Second Master insists on seeing Wang Lang's head with his own eyes, otherwise we cannot return to report. You should…"
Chu Tong's eyes widened in anger as she said, "He's already died such a horrible death, isn't that enough?"
Juan Cui sighed and said, "Since that's the case, then I can only ask you to make do." After saying that, she shouted, "Come out, all of you!" The surrounding grass and trees rustled slightly, and six burly men emerged instantly, wielding weapons, and approached Chu Tong step by step.
Chu Tong held the bamboo flute, looking around warily. Just then, Juan Cui said, "Don't harm the woman. Just cut off Wang Lang's head." As soon as she finished speaking, the burly man heard the voice and rushed over.
Chu Tong shouted and swung the bamboo flute with all her might, and a ring of silver needles shot out from the flute tube.
The five men at the forefront, unable to dodge in time, were struck by the silver needles. They immediately convulsed, collapsed, kicked their legs a few times, and died instantly. Juan Cui cried out in alarm. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was distracted, Chu Tong swung her bamboo flute again, aiming at the last remaining burly man! The man was startled and hurriedly twisted to dodge, but Chu Tong had feinted. She took a step forward and used the "Apricot Blossom Shadows" technique from the Qunfang Swordplay. Her wrist rolled rapidly, and the bamboo flute in her hand instantly transformed into thousands of shadows, slashing towards the burly man.
Seeing that five of his brothers had been killed in an instant, the man was furious, but he was also wary of the flute in Chu Tong's hand and dared not rush forward. He drew his broadsword from his waist and blocked the flute with a snap. Then he raised his wrist, causing Chu Tong to stagger back several steps, feeling a sharp pain in her hand.
Chu Tong was at a loss for words. The poisoned needles hidden in the bamboo flute were potent, but could only be used once. She was now completely out of ammunition, but her face remained impassive as her mind raced. She thought to herself, "If this drags on, he'll surely expose my trickery, and that would be terrible. I'd better kill him as soon as possible." With that thought, Chu Tong let out a shout and charged at the man, hurling the handkerchief and flute at him once more.
The man, already terrified, darted to the side, only to hear Chu Tong shout, "You've been tricked! Take another needle!" She switched the bamboo flute to her left hand, flicked her wrist, and swung it at the man. Startled, the man rolled to the ground, but Chu Tong was already several steps ahead, a dagger in her right hand. She shouted, "Give me your life!" and plunged the dagger into the man's chest! The strike was precise and ruthless, piercing his heart. The man screamed in pain, leaping up with brute force and striking Chu Tong's chest with his palm.
Chu Tong's vision went black. Gripping the dagger tightly, she flew backward seven or eight steps, crashing heavily to the ground. She coughed up a mouthful of blood, trembling with pain. Blood gushed from the man's chest like a fountain. He swayed a few times, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees, falling straight down.
Chu Tong burst into wild laughter. As she laughed, she moved her body backward until she was next to Wang Lang. Pointing at the six corpses lying on the ground, she said, "Big brother, big brother, did you see that? They wanted your head, so I took their lives first!" As she spoke, her cold, starry eyes turned towards Juan Cui.
Juan Cui was stunned. Looking into Chu Tong's eyes, which were filled with murderous intent, a chill ran through her heart! But she had always been loyal to Xie Linghui, so after hesitating for a moment, she still picked up her sword and walked towards Chu Tong, saying, "I'm sorry, but I will take Wang Lang's head with me no matter what!" After saying that, she raised her sword and stabbed.
Chu Tong deflected Juan Cui's sword with a flick of her bamboo flute, gritted her teeth, and leaped up, using all her strength to block three more of Juan Cui's attacks. With a clang, their weapons clashed, and the two faced each other, their expressions solemn. Juan Cui said, "Chu Tong, you've already suffered internal injuries. You've beaten me since childhood. You'd better let go, or don't blame me for being merciless and taking your life!"
Chu Tong sneered, "Juan Cui! From the moment my elder brother died, you have been my mortal enemy!" With that, she let out a strange cry and spat out a mouthful of blood at Juan Cui. Juan Cui was startled; it was too late to dodge, and she reflexively closed her eyes. At the same time, Chu Tong swiftly grabbed Juan Cui's head with both hands and twisted it with all her might. A sharp "crack" was heard, and Juan Cui's neck was snapped!
Chu Tong slumped to the ground, panting heavily as she stared at Juan Cui's corpse. After a moment, she picked up the longsword Juan Cui had dropped, slowly turned around, and inching her way towards Wang Lang. Reaching Wang Lang's side, Chu Tong took a few more breaths and looked at his face, saying, "Brother, I've killed them all. I can't abandon you and run away alone… If, if any more bad guys come, I'll take your head with me, okay? I'll find you a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains, build you a grand and magnificent tomb, and bury you there. It's better than letting those bastards cut off your head and offer it to that dog Xie Linghui!"
Her face was already streaked with tears as she finished speaking. She raised her sword several times, intending to strike Wang Lang's neck, but couldn't bring herself to do it. She collapsed beside him and wept bitterly again. Just then, the sound of hooves and footsteps approached from not far away. Chu Tong wiped her face violently, thinking, "Damn it! Those scoundrels are here again!" She raised her sword again, placing it against Wang Lang's neck, saying, "Brother! I'm sorry!" Just as she was about to strike, she heard a familiar voice call out, "Xing'er! What are you doing?!"
Chu Tong shuddered and turned to look. She saw Yun Yinghuai riding towards her like a whirlwind. Chu Tong's hand slipped, and the sword clattered to the ground. Yun Yinghuai jumped off his horse and pulled Chu Tong into his arms, anxiously asking, "Xing'er! Xing'er! What's wrong?"
Chu Tong stared at Yun Yinghuai's face and burst into tears. As she cried, she pounded on Yun Yinghuai's arms and chest, shouting hoarsely, "Why did you take so long? Why did you take so long? My brother is already dead! If you had come earlier, he wouldn't have died!" As she cried, she felt a surge of blood in her chest, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and then collapsed limply into Yun Yinghuai's arms.
Yun Yinghuai hurriedly channeled his inner energy into Chu Tong's body, then took out a pill and stuffed it into her mouth, repeatedly calling out, "Xing'er, Xing'er, wake up!" Chu Tong groaned and opened her eyes. Seeing Yun Yinghuai, she wept and said, "My elder brother is dead! I didn't even have time to repay his kindness before he died!" Looking at Wang Lang's smiling face as he passed away, her heart ached as if cut by a knife. She had long regarded Wang Lang as a confidant and family member, and now that he was gone, she felt a void in her heart, wishing she could die in his place.
Yun Yinghuai stepped forward and half-squatted beside Wang Lang. He took Wang Lang's pulse and immediately knew that he was dead, beyond saving even by a god. He had always admired Wang Lang's character, and at this moment he was also heavy-hearted and quite regretful. Seeing Chu Tong's grief, he rallied his spirits and said, "The enemy has a large number of people. It would be best to find a place to hide and wait for reinforcements."
Chu Tong jumped up, tears streaming down her face, and cursed angrily, "Damn it! Those bastards want to cut off Big Brother's head and hand it over to Xie Linghui for a reward! I'll kill one if there's one, and two if there are two, until I reach Xie Linghui's lair and cut off his head to appease Big Brother's spirit in heaven!"
Fearing she would act impulsively, Yun Yinghuai quickly took Chu Tong's hand and comforted her, saying, "You must save your life first so you can avenge your brother." After saying that, he carried Wang Lang on his back and said to Chu Tong, "There is a reed marsh by the river ahead. Let's hide there for a while." Chu Tong knew that Yun Yinghuai was right, so she followed behind Yun Yinghuai and quietly slipped into the reed marsh.
Seeing Chu Tong's sorrowful expression, Yun Yinghuai gently comforted her, "Xing'er, don't be too sad. Wang Lang was smiling, so he must have felt relieved when he left."
Chu Tong shook her head, her voice hoarse, and said, "Young husband, things in this world are so strange. Those close to me turn their knives on me, those I love leave me, and it seems I'm destined to wander alone. My elder brother has always been good to me, but now he's gone too..."
Yun Yinghuai frowned, pulled Chu Tong into his arms and said, "What are you thinking? I'll stay by your side and never leave you."
Chu Tong leaned against Yun Yinghuai's chest and said, "Very well. So, is my business your business too?"
Yun Yinghuai said, "Of course."
Chu Tong said, "Then is your money my money too?"
Yun Yinghuai said, "Of course."
Chu Tong said, "Then you'd be willing to spend any amount of your money to avenge my brother?"
Hearing Chu Tong's question, Yun Yinghuai was puzzled, but still replied without hesitation, "Of course, Wang Lang has done you a great favor, and you've even recognized him as your elder brother, so of course we should avenge him. But... what does revenge have to do with spending money?"
Chu Tong said, "Don't ask me that yet. Let me ask you this: no matter what I hide from you, you won't blame me or leave me?"
Yun Yinghuai couldn't help but smile. He was about to answer without hesitation, but based on his understanding of Chu Tong, and knowing that this woman was full of tricks and might be up to something again, he stopped himself and cautiously said:
"If it doesn't violate the code of the martial world, I naturally won't blame you." But in his heart, he added: If it does violate it, I'll be angry for a while, but I will never leave you.
Chu Tong thought to herself: Taking the treasure of Yunding Sect for myself would probably go against the code of the martial arts world. So she sighed and said, "Well... when you kidnapped me from the Jin Yang Prince's Mansion, you promised to do two things for me. I still remember that. Now I want you to give me both of those promises. First, I want you to give me all your money and all the money of Yunding Sect. You can't go back on your word."
Yun Yinghuai was filled with doubt, wondering what trick this little girl was up to now, but she still nodded and said:
“I have your life, let alone money.” Then he couldn’t help but add, “My master has entered the Buddhist order, and I have no intention of restoring the Great Zhao. I have already ordered the Yunding Sect to disband. Brothers who do not wish to disband will be replaced by Shi Yiqing as the new sect leader and form another sect. So, so the Yunding Sect has no money now.”
Chu Tong waved her hand and said, "It's alright, as long as you agree to give me all the money." Then she added, "Secondly, no matter what I do or what I hide from you, you must be my husband, never leave me, and never marry another woman except me."
Yun Yinghuai became increasingly puzzled, wondering what important matter had to be related to money, and why it was being discussed so solemnly. But he deeply loved Chu Tong, so he said without hesitation, "I promise you, you will always be my wife, and I will never marry another woman."
Chu Tong finally breathed a long sigh of relief and said to Yun Yinghuai, "I'm relieved that you've agreed. Once we escape from here, you'll accompany me to a place called Fire Lotus Mountain in the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Yun Yinghuai asked curiously, "What are we going there for?"
Chu Tong slowly rested her head on Yun Yinghuai's chest and said wistfully, "My most precious things, besides a sincere heart, are that treasure that everyone in the world wants! Now that I have given you my heart, I will dig out that treasure and give it to my only elder brother to avenge him!" Her low voice seemed to be speaking to Yun Yinghuai, but also to herself.
Let's not talk about heroes; a myriad of sorrows arise, only sighs for fleeting life.
In the ambush at Xingzi Forest, all twenty-seven of Wang Lang's guards were wiped out. Yun Yinghuai arrived shortly after and, seeing the situation was dire, sent his men to inform the garrison commander. He then infiltrated Xingzi Forest alone, killing over twenty enemy soldiers before finding Chu Tong. He then hid in the reeds by the riverbank, lying in wait and killing over thirty more. After holding out for half an hour, reinforcements arrived and rescued them.
After Chu Tong returned, she fell seriously ill and lay in bed for three days and three nights in a daze. On the fourth day, she gradually woke up and opened her eyes. She saw Yun Yinghuai standing by her side, his eyes bloodshot and a ring of stubble on his chin.
When Yun Yinghuai saw that Chu Tong had woken up, Xiao You was overjoyed and said happily, "Xing'er, you're awake?"