Asesino sin nombre

Capítulo 102

"Everything... I just hope A-Wan won't make a move... Just wait a little longer..." Sheng Xiang murmured, her eyes gazing across the street. "Of course... if Li Lingyan loses to us first, it will be meaningless for A-Wan to kill him later. If Li Lingyan dies first, A-Wan will be even less able to dominate the martial world..."

Rong Yin revealed a sinister look, "The matter of dominating the martial world can be brought up again another day."

“That’s our overall situation, not Awan’s,” Shengxiang said softly, her fingers twitching slightly before falling limply to the ground.

Rong Yin was slightly startled. "Where do you feel unwell?"

“I have a headache, backache, waistache, and chest pain…” Shengxiang smiled slightly and chuckled softly, “It hurts everywhere.”

He often acted spoiled and playful like this before, but this time Rong Yin's lips twitched slightly, unsure of what to say. After a long, stiff silence, he finally said calmly, "You should rest." He then walked out of the incense room.

A faint, warm smile lingered in Shengxiang's eyes. Even Rongrong could be afraid…

The feud with Li Lingyan would be resolved in a few days, wouldn't it? And his friendship with Awan... A faint melancholy lingered in his eyes, but more so, a sense of relief and acceptance. Everyone was striving desperately for their own reasons, for reasons they couldn't afford to lose. Having met such enemies and friends, even death wouldn't be a regret, would it? His thoughts shifted, and he wondered, if his father, elder brothers, and second elder brothers knew he was like this, would they be as afraid as Rongrong?

It definitely will...

So he was actually very happy, always had been...

January 19th.

Suddenly, funeral lanterns were hung in Jiajing Garden, and everyone dressed in mourning clothes. Cries could be heard from inside, indicating that a funeral was being held. Half a day later, when Wan Yuyuedan, dressed in mourning clothes, led the funeral procession, everyone learned that Wenren Nuan had passed away.

That gentle, always smiling girl is gone. She was eighteen years old and seven months old, just over ten days shy of becoming a bride.

Shengxiang was somewhat stunned. Just two days ago, this brat was serving him tea and water and even joking around. Now she's gone just like that.

Rumors circulated among the neighbors that they saw the girl carrying a piece of ice, running towards the inn, with a young man chasing after her. Somehow, the girl died. The young man carried the girl home, but went blind afterward. No one could find the ice shard the girl was carrying; it was believed to have contained some treasure.

After hearing this, Shengxiang sighed softly. Rongyin told him not to worry, as life is unpredictable. Shengxiang smiled and said he wasn't, but he had decided to stop seducing beautiful young women and start seducing handsome young men instead, lest all beautiful women die for him, and how pitiful it would be if handsome young men like Awan were to die alone. Surprisingly, Rongyin made an exception and didn't reprimand him for talking nonsense, instead saying that the Northern Han army had already arrived in Luoyang.

When the Northern Han army arrived in Luoyang, there was no grand procession of troops, no earth-shattering display of force. On the night of the 19th of the first month, the number of people gathering outside the Jiajing Garden in Banzhu grew steadily—merchants, farmers, peddlers, scholars, beggars… By moonrise, the area outside the Jiajing Garden was densely packed with people. A count revealed at least five thousand. Seeing the strange situation, the surrounding shops quickly closed their doors; the timid had already fled. The long street, though already somewhat deserted, now appeared even more desolate, as if uninhabited, with each building resembling a ghost. Inside the Jiajing Garden, there was no movement. Shengxiang and Rongyin were fully focused on the changing situation, while the troops gathered from the six prefectures slowly advanced towards the Jiajing Garden as ordered.

At this moment, the gates of Jiajing Garden suddenly opened wide, leaving only Bi Lianyi inside, facing thousands of people with a cold expression.

Rong Yin frowned upon seeing this. Sheng Xiang suddenly sat up in bed, panting, and pushed Rong Yin forcefully. "A-Wan actually took everyone from Biluo Palace away during the funeral procession! His escape proves he's already made his move to kill Li Lingyan... Rongrong... Rongrong..." He gasped for breath, then suddenly exhaled, "Rongrong, go check on the situation..."

“Yu Cuiwei is at Li Lingyan’s place,” Rong Yin said in a deep voice. “Stay calm!”

Shengxiang propped himself up on the bed, frowning and pressing his chest. "Da Yu's internal injuries haven't healed; he can't fight for too long... I'll stay here. You go—you go stop...stop A Wan's assassins..." His face was deathly pale, and he gasped for breath before saying, "If Li Lingyan dies, he won't be able to save Da Yu and will harm Ze Ning. I..."

Rong Yin frowned deeply, "Now..."

Suddenly, a clear laugh rang out from outside the window. "Wan Yuyuedan, are you perhaps afraid of my Li Lingyan? You've left only me as a scapegoat, and everyone in the palace has fled. Could it be that the vast Biluo Palace, its great reputation, and its immense power are all just a facade?" This person suddenly spoke in the crowd, then rose up and stepped over the heads of many people to reach the top of the Jiajing Garden wall.

If Li Lingyan had leaped forward, it might have been uneventful; instead, he strolled over, taking one head at a time. Even Bi Lianyi, with her high martial arts skills, couldn't help but feel horrified, wondering why the Han army from Jiang Chenming was so obedient. Li Lingyan was indeed astute; seeing the current situation, he immediately pointed out Biluo Palace's weakness. If Wan Yuyuedan truly fled without a fight, and this news spread, even if Li Lingyan was eventually killed, Biluo Palace would not gain any advantage.

“I am currently in mourning, and the Palace Master has not yet returned from his funeral. Li Ling, you led a large group to besiege my Jiajing Garden. Do you have any respect for the dead?” Bi Lianyi replied.

Li Lingyan burst into laughter. "A stray dog dares to talk to me about etiquette and morality? Tell Wan Yuyuedan," he laughed, then suddenly changed his expression and said softly, "I, Li Lingyan, only talk to people about how to make the world dare not utter a single word against me. I don't talk about etiquette and morality, not even if they want to surrender on the spot." Li Lingyan laughed again after Bi Lianyi replied with something else.

Shengxiang got out of bed, his injuries still healing and his body weak. Rongyin helped him stand by the window, looking outside through the crack. Shengxiang was panting heavily, and Rongyin, hearing his increasingly rapid breathing, finally couldn't help but ask, "Would you like to go back to bed and rest?"

Shengxiang frowned, muttering, "I'm about to die..." Upon hearing this, Rongyin shuddered, but Shengxiang took a few breaths to rouse herself and looked up at Li Lingyan. "Rongrong, Li Lingyan is here, and Awan is definitely not far. Li Lingyan is hiding in the crowd, and Awan must be too... and Da Yu... what exactly is Awan planning... ah..."

He was almost out of breath, "Rongrong..."

Rong Yin placed a palm on his back, transmitting a surge of true energy to help balance his blood and qi. Sheng Xiang's spirits lifted again, and he immediately laughed, saying with a smile, "I bet A Wan must have done something to trick Xiao Yan into going in at Jiajing Garden."

Shengxiang's blood and qi were insufficient, making it extremely difficult to circulate her true energy. Rong Yin had healed people countless times, but never before had it been so troublesome. Moreover, Shengxiang had two wounds on her body, and every time her blood flowed, the wounds would bleed. She had to stop after circulating her energy for one cycle. Shengxiang stood by the window, and soon began to pant heavily again. Rong Yin let out a long sigh and slowly said, "Shengxiang, your elder brother helped you this time with the fake talisman to borrow troops."

Shengxiang's eyes lit up. "Really?"

“Your elder brother is in Anyi,” Rong Yin said. “He recognized that I wasn’t the emperor’s envoy, and although he refused to send troops, he didn’t expose my false imperial edict.”

Shengxiang exclaimed, "Yes, we're neighbors... He knows you're my friend." He paused, his breathing seemed to calm down a little, and his mood became more composed. "My eldest brother must be cursing me in his heart right now, thinking I'm getting more and more reckless as I grow older, even daring to deceive the Imperial Guards. But... he and my second brother have always hated me... hated me for taking so much from them."

“But it doesn’t mean they’ll be happier, calmer, or live on just because you’re dead,” Rong Yin said calmly, without looking at Sheng Xiang.

“This young master will never die…” Shengxiang glared, “Don’t curse me… I still want to see your chubby, healthy… son…”

He seemed to have forgotten that he had just said, "I'm about to die." Rong Yin knew that he was currently on the verge of death, and whether he could pull through depended entirely on how strong his will to survive was. Although the battle outside was chaotic, it might actually be able to help Sheng Xiang, which was the battle he had been longing for.

A loud bang was heard outside, as if something had exploded in Jiajing Garden. Li Lingyan laughed, "Wan Yuyuedan doesn't think that such a trap can take my life, Li Lingyan, does he? He's such a child."

That was a house in Jiajing Garden that had been destroyed. Seeing that the battle was getting more and more intense, Rong Yin opened the cage and released dozens of gray-feathered carrier pigeons under the cover of night, ordering the people lying in ambush on the perimeter to move forward in a high-profile manner.

There was still a distance to travel from the hiding place of the Six Provinces Army to Jiajing Garden. After a brief commotion outside Jiajing Garden, the Northern Han Army suddenly launched a fierce attack from all directions. Jiajing Garden was only ten miles in circumference; its blue brick and earthen walls crumbled in an instant, and dust billowed into the sky. Countless people rushed into Jiajing Garden, and the clamorous scene made the houses across the street from Shengxiang tremble. But the Northern Han Army appeared only confused and disoriented, lacking any trace of fierceness.

Bi Lianyi dodged the combined attack of Li Shiyu and Beiyue in the crowd.

Li Lingyan smiled from atop the wall and shouted, "Wan Yuyuedan, your former residence by the Luo River is just like this, long ago reduced to ashes and rubble..." It turned out that he had mobilized five thousand men to sweep through Jiajing Garden, and another five thousand men had simultaneously swept through Biluo Palace's former residence. He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, fell from the wall, and disappeared into the crowd.

Sheng Xiang took a couple of breaths, smiling as she looked at the wall. Rong Yin, however, didn't immediately realize what was wrong. He caught a glimpse of Sheng Xiang's unusual expression, calmed himself, and then focused his attention. Every possible foothold in Jiajing Garden was studded with nearly invisible three-inch iron needles. In the darkness of night, they went unnoticed. These needles wouldn't harm others, but Li Lingyan was completely oblivious, stepping on them without even realizing it. Li Lingyan's sudden silence and entry into the crowd must be due to something sinister about these needles.

"Ah Wan isn't going to poison Xiao Yan like this, is she...? Biluo Palace isn't good at using potent poisons." Sheng Xiang muttered to herself, her eyes bright as she watched the battle.

After disappearing into the crowd, Li Lingyan vanished in a few turns; the crowd had become his hiding place. Suddenly, a shout rang out, and a flash of light, as dazzling as moonlight falling into a long river, slashed directly at a gray-clad man in the crowd. The wielder was Yang Zhongxiu, an elder of the Biluo Palace. This strike had been brewing for a long time, containing twelve parts of his power; the light was so bright it illuminated the hair and beards of over a hundred people. The person he had struck was none other than Li Lingyan.

A man rushed out from behind Li Lingyan, meeting Yang Zhongxiu's blade head-on with his own. A scream rang out; Yang Zhongxiu's sword was of such power that the man who met the blow died instantly. With this man's death, the crowd erupted into an even greater uproar. The Northern Han army was no longer besieging Jiajing Garden, but rather scattering in all directions. The crowd trampled each other, and several people were already on the verge of death from being trampled while fleeing. Li Lingyan, however, turned and disappeared again.

But the Biluo Palace offensive had already begun. After the Northern Han army's momentum in sweeping through Jiajing Garden dissipated, everyone was disguised as Song people, completely unaware of who was their ally and who was their enemy, nor what would happen next. The Biluo Palace, disguised among them, were completely unrestricted by the army and moved as if they were in an empty field, pursuing and killing Li Lingyan and his accomplices.

Seeing the situation was turning against them, Huaiyue, Beiyue, and the others ripped off their disguises with a "whoosh," revealing themselves in Northern Han army armor as they ran around. The Northern Han soldiers, who were also running into obstacles, followed suit, tearing off their disguises to reveal their Han armor. Li Lingyan let out a long laugh and commanded the Northern Han army to encircle and annihilate the Biluo Palace group.

The scene was chaotic, with swords flashing and fighting raging everywhere.