La vida perfecta en la dinastía Song

Capítulo 59

The other two were momentarily distracted and were killed by Zhu Yu and one of his men. In a short while, five or six more corpses appeared on the ground. Seeing that the enemy had suddenly received reinforcements, the remaining men dared not fight any longer. The leader whistled and they immediately scattered and fled.

Zhu Yu drew his sword and chased after them for a few steps, then struck another man through the heart, hitting him in the back. The man immediately collapsed to the ground, dead. The others, unable to catch up, fled in terror.

Chapter 173: The Battle of Tiema Temple (4)

Blood dripped from Zhu Yu's clothes and longsword. Under the moonlight, the blood was dark, and a strong, fishy smell permeated the wild, rocky, and sandy land.

The three men surrounded them, one of whom was Zhu Sihuai, one of the two most skilled guards in the Prime Minister's mansion.

The three looked at Junyu with surprise and suspicion. Zhu Yu said in a deep voice, "You guys go ahead and wait for me."

Zhu Sihuai asked, "Young master, are you alright?"

Zhu Yu shook his head, and the three dared not disobey, so they left immediately.

Under the moonlight, Zhu Yu's eyes were bloodshot, his breathing uneven, and he was filled with a mixture of ecstasy and ecstasy. His mouth moved several times, but he could not utter a word.

He stared intently at Junyu, who handed him a pill and watched him swallow it. This was a pill that Tuosang had given her when she left the secret chamber. Because there was only one, she had kept it carefully by her side, and now it had finally come in handy.

She sat down on a rock and sighed, "Why don't you sit down and rest for a while too?"

Zhu Yu sat down as instructed, still staring intently at her.

Why are they chasing you?

This seemingly ordinary sentence suddenly struck Zhu Yu like a whip. At this moment, in this moment of rebirth from the brink of despair, it was she, the woman from his dreams, who, together with him, had defeated their foe in a single move. Now, all he wanted to do was look at her, ignoring everything else and nothing else mattered.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Junyu finally couldn't help but ask after a long while, "Tuosang, where is he?"

It was as if a red-hot iron had been branded deep into Zhu Yu's heart. At this moment, she could only look at herself and care for herself, yet she was asking about others and worrying about them. And the person she was asking about had always been far more important to her than herself.

Zhu Yu suddenly stood up and said sternly, "Have you ever cared for me in this way?"

Junyu also stood up: "You are my friend, of course I have worried about you too!"

Zhu Yu sneered: "Young Master Jun has friends all over the world, but unfortunately I, Zhu Yu, have never been your friend, and never will be."

Junyu recalled his tragic scream before the avalanche, and stood silently to the side, feeling an immense pang of sorrow in his heart.

Chapter 174: The Building Is About to Collapse

Zhu Yu sneered again: "So you finally found out about Tuosang? I told you not to save me, now you regret it..."

Junyu met his gaze: "I will never regret saving you, no matter what you have done in the past!"

Those clear, gentle eyes pierced his heart like a sharp sword, and Zhu Yu burst into laughter: "I framed him..."

“It wasn’t you who framed him…” Junyu interrupted him, saying loudly, “He’s not innocent. He broke the rules first, and I’m the culprit who caused him to break the rules! Everyone should pay the price and bear the consequences for their actions… The day of atonement will always come…” Her voice slowly lowered, “But, Zhu Yu, where is he now?”

"Are you begging me to let him go? To spare his life?" Zhu Yu laughed wildly.

“If Tuosang needs others to beg for his life to survive, then he is not Tuosang…” Junyu looked at the moon in the sky, his voice unusually calm: “Who in this world can live forever? Sooner or later, we will all die, so what does death matter?”

Her voice was too calm, and her dark eyes were like water in a dry well. Zhu Yu's heart sank, and she murmured, "Junyu, you...you..."

His voice was very soft, and Junyu didn't pay attention. After a while, he suddenly looked at him deeply and said, "Zhu Yu, take care. You must take good care of yourself. If you can avoid going back to the capital, never go back again."

Then, he turned and strode away.

"He went towards Qinghai. If you don't get there in time, you might not see him one last time..."

Zhu Yu's voice came from behind, completely hysterical and filled with despair.

Junyu slowed her pace, tears streaming down her face. For a fleeting moment, she felt a strong urge to run back and hug him. But a gust of wind blew by, and Zhu Yu's voice had vanished without a trace.

Under the moonlight, Zhu Yu bent over like a wounded ostrich. His injuries weren't serious, and he had taken the elixir given to him by Jun Yu; his wounds were all in his heart. He knew he would soon lose everything, even the world.

He took his elder brother's sword manual, learned the "Five Strings in Hand" technique, and even joined forces with the woman he could never get close to in his dreams, defeating their enemy in a single move. However, the woman from his dreams, who had never belonged to him and would never belong to him, finally left.

Since the third ambush and Zhang Yaoxing's death, he has come to fully understand that these people are not only here to take Tuosang's life, but also to eliminate him completely.

Then, the Zhu brothers arrived. The mutual restraint that had been calm before was now beginning to tilt violently. He already knew: the building was about to collapse!

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Chapter 175: The Great Calamity (1)

The night at Maomao Mountain is like a sheet of ink.

There was only one road through this forest, and more than 500 men in black, wielding various sharp blades, leaped out from four directions and surrounded the jungle.

Xia Ao led the way, dragging his long iron rod. A knife had slashed his left shoulder; the blood had already congealed and gone numb. His torn robes rustled in the night wind. Tuosang glanced at the endless darkness. Behind him were dozens of guard monks from the Holy Palace, led by Danba Shangren. Especially in the fourth and fifth ambushes, the enemy's forces grew larger with each attack. Although the Holy Palace's followers included many highly skilled martial artists, under repeated attacks from forces ten or even dozens of times larger, the Holy Palace's more than three hundred guard monks had been reduced to only a few dozen after the fifth ambush.

As soon as they entered the mountain path and forest, Tuosang stopped and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, be careful."

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound came from the jungle, and countless hidden weapons, powerful bows and arrows, and even Lei family firearms that exploded as soon as they landed attacked the group.

Despite being prepared, more than a dozen monks with lower martial arts skills were still unable to avoid the attack, their screams echoing throughout the room. Soon, amidst the flashes of firearms, hundreds of men in black, who had been lying in ambush, surged in from all directions.

One by one, the followers fell before his eyes. Tuosang could no longer see the splattering blood, nor smell its stench. His robes were stained beyond recognition by blood and dust. He had already suffered several arrow wounds, and now, wielding a long staff, even the top experts among the black-clad men were no match for him.

By dawn, only the swaying Xia Ao and the two guards brought by the one-armed Danba Master remained by Tuosang's side.

Of the hundreds of men in black, only seventy or eighty remained. The rest, though still fighting, were all terrified.

Eight men in black leaped to the treetops, drew their small bows, and fired them with a whooshing sound, aiming directly at a lone cultist. The cultist screamed in agony, and Tuosang leaped up, his sleeves brushing away seven or eight crossbow bolts. He pulled the cultist to his side, turned around, and a powerful crossbow bolt pierced the cultist's shoulder. Blood gushed out, and Tuosang staggered.

The remaining dozens of men in black were overjoyed. At their leader's command, they all immediately attacked Tuosang. Master Danba raised his golden cymbals, while Xia Ao and two other guards dragged iron rods and staffs. Everyone knew that they would have to fight to the very last moment to escape this jungle.

The eight men in black fired dozens more crossbow bolts. Tuosang glanced at the tall treetops, waved his staff, and leaped into the air. With a few swishes, the eight men in black who had fired the crossbow bolts fell to the ground with a thud.

The men in black, who were about to rush forward after seeing that he had finally been wounded by an arrow, were now stunned by the sight of this overwhelming force and none of them dared to make a move.

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Chapter 176: The Great Calamity (2)

Just as the stalemate was at hand, a rapid sound of hooves suddenly came from behind. A dozen heavily armored cavalrymen galloped into the jungle and charged straight at the men in black. The leader, dressed in a tall hat and wide belt, brandished his long sword, and none who met his attack were spared. The men in black, already exhausted, saw the situation was dire, and three of them immediately fled. The rest, realizing the danger, dared not fight any longer and immediately gave chase.

Xia Ao dragged the iron bar, bowed deeply, and exclaimed with delight, "Lu Ling, it's you!"

After being rescued by Junyu in Qinghai, Xia Ao met Lu Ling and others who had come to the Northwest Army camp with Junyu. Later, he saw Lu Ling several times in the Northwest Army and knew that Lu Ling was someone Junyu trusted very much.

Lu Ling returned the greeting, glanced at the man in the tall hat and wide belt in front of him, and was about to introduce them when he noticed the strange look in the man's eyes. He took a step back and remained silent.

Looking at the person in the tall hat and wide belt, Tuosang suddenly had a strange feeling—it was like looking at himself ten years from now.

The man in the tall hat and wide belt also looked at him carefully, and felt a strange feeling in his heart—like looking at himself ten years ago.

"Mr. Nongying?!"

"Takusan?!"

They both spoke at the same time, and then smiled at the same time.

By this time, the morning sun had slowly risen, and the sound of dew sliding through the forest could be clearly heard. Lu Ling and the others were busy bandaging Xia Ao's wounds and distributing dry rations and water to everyone.

Tuosang's minor injuries had been treated and bandaged by Young Master Nongying with special medicinal powder. At this moment, Young Master Nongying was distributing the pills he carried with him to everyone according to their injuries.

Tuosang sat on a wooden stake, watching Nongying Gongzi's every move. During their time in the secluded meditation chamber, Junyu had once told him in detail about his parents and teachers, including a significant part about Mr. Nongying. At that time, Tuosang had longed for the opportunity to meet Mr. Nongying, and now that they had finally met, he felt that no one he had ever met could match his charisma, demeanor, and noble character.

And this man was the most important guide on Junyu's life journey. He taught Junyu martial arts and strategy; in the first few years after Junyu left Qiansi Academy, it was thanks to his protection that she didn't end up adrift and helpless. In a sense, he was not only Junyu's teacher but also someone who had deeply nurtured her. He whittled a flute for Junyu, taught her to play "Guangling San," and loved and protected her from childhood, always appearing by her side in times of difficulty and crisis! This was the person who treated her best, like a father and brother.

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Chapter 177: The Great Calamity (3)

After checking on the injuries of the group, Mr. Nongying walked over and saw Tuosang's smiling face. He couldn't help but laugh as well: "I once heard Junyu mention you. Apart from Tuosang, there is no one else in the world like you!"

On the day that Young Master Nongying returned from Fire Mountain after dreaming of Junyu's perilous situation, Junyu told him how Tuosang had rescued her in the secret chamber of Cold View Garden. Tuosang had not only destroyed the Buddha's tooth but also risked his life to save her. Therefore, Young Master Nongying had long held a great fondness for this mysterious "Bokdo" whom he had never met. Now, upon seeing him in person, his charm far surpassed his expectations, and he felt an instant connection to him.

It turned out that Mr. Nongying had developed the new type of cannon, but since the Northwest War had ended and he figured it wouldn't be of immediate use, he hadn't sent it. Knowing that Junyu had been appointed Grand Marshal, he anticipated that her identity would eventually be questioned. Therefore, after the Northwest War, before she went to the capital to report on her duties, he immediately arranged for Zhao Manqing, Mo Feiyan, and others to go to the capital as her fiancées. However, although Junyu had taken a year's leave, she hadn't returned to Phoenix Village and had lost contact with everyone.

After Dongfang Jiong received the news of Bokdo's dethronement, no one knew who Bokdo was, and since it was none of their business, they didn't pay much attention. However, Young Master Nongying knew that Tuosang and Junyu had a deep connection. Now, there was no news of Junyu, and this matter couldn't be made public. So, he only brought a dozen or so people to gather information along the way, intending to rescue Tuosang first and then look for news of Junyu.

Unexpectedly, after nearly three months of investigation, they had no results. It wasn't until they entered the Sichuan-Shaanxi border about half a month later that they secretly obtained some information. They followed along the way and happened to catch up with the tail end of this great battle.

Tuosang was secretly grateful that Young Master Nongying had been running around for three months for a complete stranger. After a while, he asked, "Do you have any news about Junyu, sir?"

Young Master Nongying shook his head. Although he didn't know the exact reason why Tuosang's identity had been stripped, he guessed it was somewhat related to Junyu. Because over the years, Junyu had never spoken to him about such a "friend" in that tone and with that expression. Now, seeing Tuosang asking about Junyu's situation with such concern, especially the undisguised sadness and deep affection in his eyes, it further confirmed his guess.

Mr. Nongying said, "I don't have any news about her either, but I don't think she's in any danger, so you don't need to worry too much about her."

Tuosang suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Young Master Nongying. Due to his special status, he had never bowed so deeply to anyone before: "Junyu's ideal is to establish an academy and live a peaceful life. From now on, only you, sir, can help and take care of her. After you see her, please do not mention my situation to her. Tuosang thanks you in advance."

Seeing the deep bow from him, Young Master Nongying finally understood the immense importance Junyu held in his heart. A chill ran through him, and he shook his head: "I understand your feelings. However, it's impossible to keep this from Junyu forever. She hasn't returned to Phoenix Village. I'm certain she's on her way to find you. Perhaps you'll see her soon..."

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Chapter 178: The Great Calamity (4)

Tuosang raised his head, his gaze piercing through the dense foliage of the forest. At this moment, despite his deep reluctance to let her be involved in the same danger as himself, at the end of his gaze, he also yearned so intensely to see the person he longed for one last time.

Young Master Nongying glanced at Tuosang's face, then reached out to feel his pulse, and said with great surprise, "You've been suffering from this illness for a long time; you should get treatment as soon as possible..."

Tuosang shook his head. Once, when passing through a miasma-ridden land, dozens of cultists died without a fight. He was also vaguely infected by the miasma, but he suppressed it with his profound internal energy to prevent it from erupting immediately. Over time, the miasma had penetrated deep into his bones, and there was no way to save him.

Mr. Nongying took out a green medicine bottle from his pocket, poured out a pill, and handed it to him: "Although it won't do much good, you should still take it."

Tuosang himself was knowledgeable in medicine and knew that it was no longer of much use, but seeing the concern in Mr. Nongying's eyes, he could not refuse and so he took it.

At this moment, Xia Ao and Master Danba and others had already arrived. He looked at Young Master Nongying and then at Lu Ling and the others: "Thank you for your help, sir. We are about to set off. Farewell."

Lu Ling immediately said, "We'll see you off for the rest of the way!"