L'hibiscus comme peinture

Chapitre 47

Although she thought this in her heart, she put on a heartbroken expression and hurriedly said, "Yu'er, don't have any illusions. Jin Xuan will never fall in love with you. Only I..." But she was interrupted halfway through her sentence by Chi Yu's angry roar.

"Shut up! Get out of here." Chi Yu didn't want to hear Ao Jun say any more, so he pressed his sword closer to Ao Jun's neck and growled.

Chi Yu placed the sword against Ao Jun's neck, and the two slowly walked out of the tent. Ao Jun pretended to be scared the whole time, which made Chi Yu look down on him even more.

When the soldiers outside the tent saw that Mo Junshi's most beloved girl, Yu'er, was holding a sword to the strategist's neck, they were so frightened that they didn't know what to do. They could only watch in bewilderment as the two slowly walked past them.

Upon hearing the news, Jin Xuan quickly exchanged a glance with Ao Jun, then angrily shouted, "Miss Yu'er, what are you doing? Release Jun at once!"

"Jun? How intimate!" Chi Yu said sourly to Jin Xuan, pressing harder on his hand until blood was visible.

"I'll say it again, release Jun immediately, or don't blame me for being impolite." Jin Xuan stepped forward anxiously, his eyes filled with heartache, and threatened sharply. Even though he knew it was a trap, he could clearly see the bloodstains on Ao Jun's neck, and Jin Xuan felt a pang of pain in his heart, wishing he could take her place. Knowing how dangerous this plan was, and that she only had rudimentary skills, how could he have agreed to her plan? Jin Xuan was now beginning to regret it.

"You're not welcome? Haha... Mo Jun is in my hands, what can you do to me? Haha..." Chi Yu laughed wildly, but tears welled in his eyes. He was heartbroken for her, worried about her, and even threatened her harshly for her sake. Did she really have no place in his heart at all?

"Your Highness, what happened?" The generals who arrived later were also confused by the chaotic situation and could only ask the prince, but the prince ignored them and kept staring nervously ahead.

Following the prince's gaze, everyone was startled again. What was going on here?

"Your Highness, are you alright? What happened?" Wei Ziqi was extremely anxious when he saw Ao Jun looking frightened and with blood on her neck. All his previous unpleasantness was forgotten. Now he only wanted to know why Yu'er had taken Ao Jun hostage and what had happened.

"Hmph, another one." Chi Yu suddenly said something inexplicable.

"You can't escape, release Jun now." Jin Xuan didn't answer Wei Ziqi's question, nor did he pay attention to Chi Yu. He just said to Chi Yu in a deep voice, and with a wave of his hand, a team of archers appeared in front of Chi Yu.

"Can't escape? I don't believe it! Your Mo Jun is still in my hands!" Chi Yu smiled alluringly, speaking ambiguously to Jin Xuan. Then, her expression changed, and she roared, "If you don't want her to die, get out of my way!" The sword in her hand went even deeper, and blood began to flow. Her change of attitude was so swift that even Ao Jun, who was being held hostage and bleeding, couldn't help but admire her inwardly: What a beautiful chameleon!

"No, don't hurt her." Wei Ziqi said anxiously, then turned to Jin Xuan and said, "Your Highness..." The meaning was very clear: let her go! As long as she doesn't hurt the emperor.

Jin Xuan paused for a moment, then waved his hand again. The surrounding crowd slowly parted to make way, and Chi Yu, holding Ao Jun hostage, walked out of Long Xuan's tent right under everyone's noses.

Seeing that Ouyang Jinxuan and his men were still following closely behind, Chi Yu suddenly turned around and said with a sly smile, "Stand there and don't move, or I might get startled and make a mistake!"

Upon hearing this, Jinxuan had no choice but to order that no rash actions be taken, and watched helplessly as the two walked further and further away until they could no longer be seen.

"Your Highness? What should we do? The strategist..." Wei Ziqi looked at Jinxuan with a worried expression. He wanted to go and save the prince.

"Ziqi, don't worry, Jun will be alright." Although Jinxuan was speaking to Wei Ziqi, his eyes were fixed on the direction where Ao Jun had disappeared.

"Hmph, I knew that woman wasn't a good person long ago, but the strategist was so bewitched by her that he couldn't distinguish between loyalty and treachery. Now look what he's done, reaping what he sowed!" Zhao Zhiyang sneered disdainfully. In truth, he was also very worried about Ao Jun's safety, but he was still angry that Ao Jun had hit Yue Ying and hurt her feelings. As for hitting him, he didn't care that much.

"Zhiyang!" Wei Ziqi angrily shouted at Zhao Zhiyang. He knew Zhiyang was still angry, but saying such things at this time was going too far.

"I..." Zhao Zhiyang wanted to say something, but Jinxuan interrupted him.

"Alright," Jin Xuan said in a deep voice, then turned to the crowd and said calmly, "Generals, the strategist has never been bewitched by that Yu'er. This is all just a scheme, the only scheme that has a chance to break the Blood Soul Heavenly Stem Eight Trigrams Formation."

"What? Your Highness, you're saying this is all just a scheme? What do you mean?" Wei Ziqi asked, half surprised and half puzzled. Was it really just a scheme? He knew Jun wasn't that kind of person, but what kind of scheme was it? Why keep it from them?

"Yes! Your Highness, are you saying we've wronged the strategist?" Zhao Zhiyang asked anxiously. Had they really wronged the strategist? Had the strategist truly never betrayed Yueying?

"Could it be that the strategist already knew that Yu'er was not a good person?" General Hong asked.

"Your Highness..."

"The strategist, she..."

Everyone chimed in with their questions, this matter was extremely important to them. The strategist had always been the person they admired most, and his sudden change had chilled them to the bone. It was like having a god you'd always believed in suddenly told you that he wasn't a god, but a demon. Now that the prince had said this, they had renewed their hope; their faith had not been wrong.

"It's hard to say for sure right now. The strategist may have already entered the Blood Soul Heavenly Stem Eight Trigrams Formation. I must hurry over there. Tonight is the night of extreme Yin, and success or failure hinges on this." Jin Xuan's deep voice slowly reached everyone's ears, quieting them down.

Jin Xuan glanced at everyone, turned and walked forward. After a few steps, he stopped but did not turn back and said, "Without my order, no one is allowed to follow." He paused and then said, "If neither I nor the strategist return, Zi Qi, you will temporarily assume military duties, withdraw to Luoyun City, and truthfully report the situation to the Emperor." As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Zhiyang, come back! Do you want to disobey the Prince's military orders?" Wei Ziqi shouted sternly when he saw Zhao Zhiyang trying to chase after him.

"Even if it means military law, I'm going! Didn't you hear what the prince said? Those were his last words. Can't you tell? I can't let anything happen to the prince and the strategist!" Zhao Zhiyang roared, turning around and running forward without regard for anything else.

Wei Ziqi leaped forward and stood in front of Zhao Zhiyang, grabbing Zhao Zhiyang's shoulders tightly and shaking him, saying, "Calm down, what good will it do you go? Can you help?" He also wanted to go with them, to die with them if he had to, but he couldn't. The prince had entrusted the lives of all the soldiers to him, and he couldn't act impulsively.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhiyang slumped his shoulders in despair, his whole body weak as he said, "Then what should we do? Ziqi..." His bewildered look was just like that of a lost child who couldn't find his way home.

The other generals also looked at Wei Ziqi, their faces showing obvious worry, while General Qiangqiang looked so confused.

"Everyone, let's go back to camp! We must trust the Prince and the strategist. A mere Blood Soul Heavenly Stem Eight Trigrams Formation is no match for the 'Cold-Faced War God' and the 'Number One Strategist Under Heaven'," Wei Ziqi shouted, trying to sound spirited.

Seeing Wei Ziqi's words, everyone had no choice but to return to camp. They should trust the prince and the strategist.

On Qianli Slope, Ao Jun was held hostage by Chi Yu and entered the Blood Soul Heavenly Stem Eight Trigrams Formation. The howling and wailing of ghosts was terrifying and sinister.

Ao Jun looked up at the sky. The moon was large and round tonight, radiating a dizzying, mysterious light. It was indeed an extremely yin night; the yin energy was growing heavier, and the power of the Heavenly Stems Eight Trigrams Formation was clearly weakening. Midnight was approaching; Yelü Ying would be here soon!

As expected, speak of the devil and he shall appear. No sooner had Ao Jun thought of this than Yelü Ying appeared.

Yelü Ying had just arrived when he saw Ao Jun with a sword held to his neck by Chi Yu. Startled, he rushed to the two of them and said urgently, "Jun? Chi Yu, what are you doing? Let Jun go." Seeing the bloodstains on Ao Jun's neck, Yelü Ying's red eyes burned even more fiercely and bloodthirstily, wishing he could tear Chi Yu, who had hurt Jun, to pieces.

Yelü Ying's bloodthirsty red eyes made Chi Yu tremble all over, and the hand holding the sword shook. But when he thought that they were just dying people, what was there to be afraid of? Besides, they were now inside the Blood Soul Heavenly Stem Eight Trigrams Formation, so no matter how high Yelü Ying's martial arts were, it would be useless.

"Haha... So nervous, haha... Don't worry, I'll definitely reunite you all in a bit, haha..." Chi Yu laughed arrogantly.

Before she could finish laughing, she suddenly saw a figure flash before her eyes, her sword was knocked away, and she was struck heavily in the chest, flying several meters away. She coughed up a mouthful of blood and used her sword to prop herself up. She saw that Yelü Ying was already beside Mo Jun. He was the one who attacked her. His movements were so fast that she hadn't even seen how he made his move.

"Does it hurt?" Yelü Ying gently stroked Ao Jun's neck with a pained expression and asked softly.

Ao Jun simply shook her head. She could clearly see the deep affection in Yelü Ying's eyes, but she was sorry, she couldn't give him any response, and right now she was even using him.

"Haha... What a touching scene! Haha..." A mocking laugh broke through the air, feeling as if it were being spoken right next to you, yet also as if it were from a great distance.

"Saint Chi, what do you want from leading us here?" Yelü Ying stood protectively in front of Ao Jun and roared at the sky. He couldn't tell where Saint Chi was at all; it seemed like he was in every direction. And Chi Yu, who was just a moment ago, had vanished right before his eyes in the blink of an eye. Was this the unpredictable power of the Heavenly Stems and Eight Trigrams Formation?