Consultor de vida de la dinastía Song del Sur

Capítulo 13

The moment the body of the archer was lifted, a silver arrow arrived swiftly.

Tie Gan dared not turn around. He threw the body of the guard out to block one arrow. The second arrow arrived as expected. He endured the pain and leaped up with the arrow still in his body.

Qiu Yeyi's gaze darkened, and with a slight movement of her left hand, a pearl slid down and caught on her fingertip. She then flicked it out with her inner energy, and the small, sparkling pearl flew through the air with a soft whistling sound.

Tie Gan let out a muffled groan and collapsed. Two more corpses immediately fell beside the clear stream in the plum grove. There was a small hole in the back of Tie Gan's head, with a pearl sparkling in his hair. Pale blood flowed into the stream, drifting shallowly into the distance.

Long-armed swordsman barely managed to counterattack when he was struck in the chest by Master Songbai's powerful palm strike.

"Guan Yin," Qiu Yeyijian said coldly again.

A silver light shot out from behind the bowstring.

Guan Yin roared, his hair and beard bristling, and charged fiercely at the green-robed old man before him, wielding his sword with moves typical of battlefield combat. Yin Guang sighed inwardly, his twin crossbows firmly planted behind Guan Yin.

Qiu Ye coldly planted the sword on the eaves, then stood silently with her hands behind her back.

Young Master Yinguang understood what the young master meant. It was like catching a turtle in a jar, a cat playing with a mouse—the game was all about the ruthless process. The young master didn't even need to lift a finger; the first to chill the other's heart would be the one to act.

Nan Jingqi caught a glimpse of the four dead guards out of the corner of his eye, his hair gradually becoming disheveled and drifting across his cold cheeks.

Master Songbai lunged forward to stand in front of Nan Jingqi, shouting, "Let me deal with this kid!" He blocked Leng Qi's path with both palms and slashed several times across Nan Jingqi's face.

Nan Jingqi's sword energy surged, slashing towards Songbai's palm. Leng Qi turned around behind Nan Jingqi, crossed her hands, drew her twin swords, and thrust them towards his back.

Nan Jingqi desperately lowered his body and used the extremely ugly move "Old Ox Plowing the Field" to dodge the combined attack of the two, but he still took a blow from Songbai from behind, and a little blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He rolled on the ground and landed at the foot of the tower.

He braced himself on the ground with both hands, slightly raising his head to reveal his handsome and rugged face. Just as he was about to gather his strength and stand up, he suddenly met a pair of cold, unfathomable eyes directly above him, and a dull voice drifted over: "Tianxiao, is that you?"

14. Flowing Light

A blood-soaked boy emerged blankly from the bushes, staring directly into Nan Jingqi's face. He lifted Nan Jingqi's body with his left hand, pressed himself against him, and gazed into his eyes.

The moment Nan Jingqi touched the boy's hand, he sensed the boy's continuous and profound inner strength, clearly surpassing his own, and was slightly surprised. The boy raised his barely recognizable face; a faint bloodstain remained on his left cheek. Yet, his eyes, clear and pure, deep and unwavering, held a captivating allure that drew the gaze away, instilling a strange sense of peace within. It was as if one were swept into the vast ocean of his eyes, unable to escape, unable to resist.

The boy remained staring intently at Nan Jingqi, his right hand holding the sword, back facing forward, subtly shielding Nan Jingqi's chest. He murmured, "Tianxiao, I've finally seen you. Heaven have mercy..."

“First day of the month.” Merlin’s previously cold Qi suddenly spoke up and shouted coldly.

The boy's body jolted suddenly, as if he had just woken up from a dream. He silently turned around and stood in front of Nan Jingqi.

It was the first day of the lunar month, when he had walked thirty miles at night, following the stream. He didn't even have time to recover from his internal injuries, and he drifted along the faintly reddish water with a somewhat cold expression.

Songbai looked at the young man in front of him. His clothes were of mixed colors and hard to recognize. He had a restrained aura. After a careful look, he realized that he was indeed the young man he had met on the road. He was overjoyed, but then he remembered that he and Leng Qi had both had difficulty capturing him. His eager body stopped in his tracks.

Standing high above, Qiu Yeyijian had already witnessed this scene. His cold eyes were devoid of any emotion as he uttered another name: "Nan Jingqi."

The Silver-Light Prince remained silent for a moment, then swiftly nocked an arrow and drew his bow.

The repeating crossbows roared away.

The boy on the ground didn't even raise his head. His body moved in a complex manner, as if weaving through flowers and trees. With a sweep of his long sword, two feathered arrows were deeply embedded two feet away from Nan Jingqi's side.

Aside from the few people engaged in fierce combat and the young master of Bixie, the expressions of the other four people changed slightly.

Everyone in the martial arts world knows that Xie Yinguang, the young master of Youzhou, has been skilled in archery since childhood. The Xie family's unique double-clustered gold and silver arrows are unparalleled in their accuracy. Legend has it that when the young master fires them, the golden arrow arrives first, followed by the silver arrow, a dazzling display of light like a shooting star chasing the moon, hence the name "Mother and Child Stars." To avoid using the name of the Seven Stars, it is also called the Mother and Child Repeating Crossbow.

A long, silvery beam shot out, swift as stars. The repeating crossbows, mother and child, offered no escape.

But the boy not only survived, he also dodged both arrows.

A faint frost appeared on the Silver Prince's face, and an incredulous look filled his eyes. He had already recognized Chu Yi, the boy he had encountered last night, the first person to escape safely from his two arrows, suffering only a scratch on his cheek. Today, both arrows had missed.

“No wonder even the pine and cypress trees hesitated,” Qiu Yeyijian said coolly. He turned his face and stared into Yin Guang’s eyes. “You hesitated for a moment just now. Have you fought him before?”

Yin Guang lowered his eyelids, looked at his bowed posture, and respectfully said, "Yes."

Qiu Yeyi waved her sword sleeves, sending golden threads tracing a brilliant arc in the air. Before her robes even fell, the silver-clad guards standing around her released their grip, unleashing a volley of arrows.

Nan Jingqi waved away the arrows flying like locusts and flew swiftly towards Li Jingtang.

As soon as Nan Jingqi moved, Master Songbai and Leng Qi in front of him both made their moves to intercept him. Unexpectedly, Chu Yi behind him took a step back and flashed in front of the two of them first, the moonlight slicing across his chest and blocking their movements.

Qiu Yeyijian still had her hands behind her back, her eyes fixed on that figure.

Li Jingtang, Shuang Tanggun, Wang Yifei, Nan Jingqi and the others were gradually forced into a corner, their backs huddled together, and the circle shrank smaller and smaller.

"First Year of the Lunar New Year, are you out of your mind?" Leng Qi asked viciously. "Your antidote is still in my hands!"

Chu Yi pursed his lips, swept his long sword, and stopped the two men in their tracks.

The two Tang soldiers exchanged a glance, then each took out several black and yellow beads from their pockets, held them between their fingers, and flicked them out with one hand.

Large bursts of blood erupted from the chests of the Feathered Arrow Guards surrounding Merlin, who collapsed with screams, causing Merlin's defenses to crumble.

Just as Yin Guang uttered "Thunderbolt Bomb" to himself, a figure caught a glimpse of swooping down into the circle where Li Jingtang and the others were standing. The movement was swift and silent, like a hawk swooping down to hunt, its hand gleaming with a blue light.

Qiu Ye moved swiftly with her sword, striking after the opponent had moved. As her sword pierced the air, it created a powerful, overwhelming surge, faintly carrying the roar of a tiger and the cry of a dragon. Elder Zhu and Lan Jun leaped backward, avoiding the sword energy.

Wang Yifei pulled Li Jingtang with his left hand, leaving him nowhere to dodge. Unable to defend himself with his spear, he had no choice but to withdraw. Then, a sharp pain shot through his left arm; his hand had been severed.

Qiu Yeyi struck with her sword, then turned her dragon-patterned sword and slashed at the double Tang staffs.

Blocked by the sword energy of Qiuye, the fleeing crowd slowed down. The two elders, Zhulan and Er, had already closed in, their staffs flashing as they attacked Li and Wang.

Li Jingtang was usually protected by two guards with Tang staffs, but now only Nan Jingqi was left to protect him. Unable to keep up, Li Jingtang was struck on the shoulder by Lan Jun's staff. Internal injuries erupted from both sides, and blood flowed continuously from his mouth, a sight that terrified Nan Jingqi. He raised his longsword to protect Li Jingtang's chest, determined to hold Lan Jun off to the death, attacking relentlessly and fighting with all his might.

Li Jingtang, standing behind Nan Jingqi, mustered all his strength and shoved him from behind. He rushed over and hugged Lan Jun's body, shouting, "General Nan, you must live!"

Nan Jingqi was pushed to the edge of the plum grove. Before he could turn around to help, a dark figure rushed over at lightning speed, grabbed him, and ran away. The speed and strength were like an instant burst of volcanic lava that was impossible to break free from.

Nan Jingqi heard only the whistling wind in his ears and the faint, cool fragrance of plum blossoms in the morning air. A few strands of hair from the person beside him fluttered in front of him, giving him a fleeting illusion of years past. He looked closely and saw that it was indeed the boy of unknown origin.

Chu Yi had just feinted a sword dance in front of the two masters, but his mind was full of Li Tianxiao. He noticed that the young man with extremely high sword skills (Qiu Ye Yi Jian) was entangled with the double Tang staff and could not spare any attention. Taking advantage of the opportunity when Li Jing Tang pushed him with his palm, he rushed out diagonally and used all the skills he had learned to leap up, as if there were jackals and tigers chasing him from behind. He dared not slack off in the slightest.

Just as Songbai and Lengqi were about to get up and catch up with Chuyi, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.

Qiu Ye moved with incredible speed, his clothes still fluttering even as he stood still. He stared at the two of them and said coldly, "Double Tang Staffs." He didn't look at them again, and soared up the Luoyan Pagoda like a roc spreading its wings.

"Bow." He stared straight ahead, his tone chilling.

Yin Guang presented the Xuanwu Embryo Bow with both hands.

Qiu Ye took the silver bow from the sword, nocked an arrow, drew the string, and channeled his energy into his arm. The bow was shaped like a full moon, exuding a powerful aura.

Silverlight Prince noticed the steady aura of the young master beside him and sighed inwardly, "I hesitated for a moment before, but you noticed it and I was the first to feel fear. In the end, I couldn't match your composure."

Qiu Ye Yi Jian's eyes narrowed and focused, locking onto the swiftly flying dark blue figure in the plum grove. He quietly released three fingers of his right hand, and the Mother-Child Linked Stars flew away with a thunderous roar.

The arrow, with its tail trailing a dazzling silver light, flew straight toward the plum grove, accompanied by the roar of the vast sea.

Upon hearing the commotion behind him, Chu Yi's expression changed drastically. Before he could even process what was happening, he instinctively grabbed Nan Jingqi's arm and leaped to the side.

Golden light pierced Chu Yi's right shoulder, causing him excruciating pain and halting his steps. Before the agonizing pain subsided, a silver light pierced through the air, penetrating the tail of the golden arrow and piercing Chu Yi's shoulder. Chu Yi felt dizzy and disoriented, and before he could even let out a heart-wrenching cry of pain, he collapsed onto the ground.

Nan Jingqi was shocked. He helped Chu Yi up and, with lightning speed, pressed on Chu Yi's Jianjing acupoint, softly calling out, "Chu Yi, Chu Yi..."

A spasmodic pain struck, and Chu Yi was so sleepy that he couldn't open his eyes. In his hazy state, he heard a caring and gentle voice echoing in his ears, and on the distant stone tower, a figure stood imposingly.

He looked like a fleeting iceberg floating in a mirage, drifting detached from the world, indifferently looking down upon the vast earth.

Her feathered sleeves fluttered, and she remained still and silent.

Chu Yi closed his eyes.

Qiu Yeyi turned her gaze, colder than a thousand years of ice and snow, and said to the Silver Light Prince, "Go."

Silverlight bowed his head in greeting, then waved his hand, and the remaining Silver Feather Guards all bowed and followed Silverlight into the plum grove.

Qiu Yeyi stood on high ground, watching the silver light recede into the distance, and noticed that Nan Jingqi seemed to still be squatting on the ground, swaying the human figure in front of him.

Suddenly, a pale red mist drifted out of the plum grove, floating in the morning breeze.

As the breeze passed, the two figures were no longer visible in the plum grove.

Qiu Yeyijian's lips curled into a cold smile as he withdrew his gaze, staring at the wounded and stubborn ants below the tower like a god.

Nan Jingqi held Chu Yi tightly with both hands, carrying him as they sped along on their mount, "Night Eagle."

Alongside him was a thin, frail teenager, dressed in a black bodysuit covered in filth and mud. His lips were tightly bitten until they bled, and he gripped the horse's reins with one hand while vigorously wiping away tears from his eyes with the other.

"Tong Tu, I'm fine." Nan Jingqi's hoarse voice came from the wind, the last syllable of which paused and then rose sharply. After a heavy cough, he said loudly, "Now is not the time to cry."

"I'm asking you, how are the reinforcements lying in ambush outside the inn doing now?" Nan Jingqi's chest was covered not only with Chu Yi's blood, but also with streaks of blood from his own cough.

Tong Tu glanced at the young master, then, as if remembering something, burst into tears: "Last night, a white figure came. He led dozens of men in black cloaks and slaughtered all three hundred guards hiding outside the moat. That man was as beautiful as a celestial being, and he killed people without even blinking. I was terrified. Seeing that the moon was red, I jumped into the river and floated into the woods, hiding in the mud..."

Nan Jingqi felt as if his heart had been filled with seawater, leaving it cold and empty. After a long while, he sighed, "It was all fate." He paused, then asked, "And then?"

Tong Tu was still sobbing softly: "Young Master, you know I've been learning jujitsu since I was little. I can hide in the mud and not eat or drink. Suddenly I saw someone pulling you and running towards me, so I dropped the smoke bomb you gave me to use to escape during the day..."

Nan Jingqi looked at him and smiled bitterly: "By some twist of fate, I was the only one who survived."

Tong Tu was so frightened that he forgot to cry. He stared wide-eyed at the young master beside him and asked hesitantly, "Are the lord and General Li... dead?"

Nan Jingqi, facing the winter morning breeze, his eyes sparkling, said in a deep voice: "I cannot dissuade my lord from coming to hunt for beauties, which is the same as not being able to change the fact that my lord insisted on bringing the Imperial Guards; I can neither protect my lord's safety nor change the fate of the three hundred guards being killed by the young master of Bixie. Although I did not kill Bo Ren, Bo Ren died because of me."

"Young Master, the Master always advised you not to get involved in worldly affairs and to go back to your hometown to live in seclusion, but you never listened. Now you're scaring me with all this talk about dying..." Tong Tu pouted like a child and shouted loudly.

Nan Jingqi lowered his eyes and sighed inwardly: Children are so good; they don't have to bear the burdens of the world and can indulge in joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

His gaze swept over the face of the boy in his arms, his grip tightened slightly, and he urged the night eagle beneath him forward again. "But this boy who saved my life, I must at least protect his safety..."

The night eagle let out a long neigh, raised its front hooves, and galloped forward, widening the distance between itself and the child's mount beside it. In the distance, Nan Jingqi's calm voice carried on the wind: "Child, go to the best clinic in the town ahead and find me."

Nan Jingqi stopped a foreign merchant entering the city at the city gate, handed him the jade pendant he had taken from his waist, clasped his hands and said, "Brother, I was accidentally hit by a stray arrow. May I ask where the best doctor in the city lives?"

The tall, blue-eyed merchant weighed the jade pendant in his hand, a bright, sunny smile spreading across his face. He grinned and said, "Go straight and turn left at 'Huichuntang'."

Nan Jingqi quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute, leaped onto his horse, helped Chu Yi up, leaned him against his chest, and rode away.

A carriage was parked on the left side of the city gate because of Nan Jingqi's delay. The two horses pulling the carriage were pure white, with a touch of crimson on their foreheads. They were agile and had full hooves.

The coachman sitting in front of the carriage muttered, "Good horse."

A long, slender hand, as white as jade, lifted the embroidered carriage curtain, revealing a handsome, pale face. He glanced at the outside, smiled, and nodded: "Indeed, it's good."