La vie des gens de la campagne en ville sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 43

The two spun around in the sand for a while. Ji Wushuang was still unaware of what was happening. When she turned around and saw that the person who had pounced on her was Fengye, she was very puzzled. When she saw that black blood was flowing from Fengye's mouth, she exclaimed in surprise.

Two short arrows struck Maple Leaf squarely in the back. Judging from the dark blood, the arrows must have been coated with a deadly poison!

A mouthful of blood gushed from Maple Leaf's mouth. The poisoned arrow was extremely dangerous. Ji Wushuang shouted, "Maple Leaf, how are you? Someone come quick!"

As soon as Wushuang finished speaking, Gao Yongchang led a large number of troops out of the city gate. Yue Fei, who was far away, was unaware of what was happening ahead, so he sent a messenger to scout. However, the messenger had not gone far when Gao Yongchang, who rushed out quickly, beheaded him with a single stroke. Blood splattered everywhere.

As night fell, a fierce battle gradually unfolded before the city gates, while in the dark corners, whose heart was weeping?

Faced with the sudden outbreak of battle, Yue Fei, after a brief moment of surprise, calmly commanded his soldiers to fight. After retreating and maneuvering several times, they finally disrupted the enemy's charge and fought their way out.

When Yue Fei returned to camp with news of his vanguard army, which had suffered more than half its casualties, and the death of Feng Ye, the Liao soldiers stationed there were shocked and enraged. Shuihen stood beside Yue Fei, his fists clenched, his body trembling, and he kept letting out low growls like a young lion.

Yue Fei felt guilty and was about to apologize when he turned around and saw Zhao Yong with red eyes and despair on his face, which made Yue Fei feel ashamed! The dead are gone, and it would be futile for him to say anything more!

With a "plop," a large drop of ink ruined a nearly completed calligraphy and painting. Zhao Gou's wrist trembled slightly, and he finally lost control and put down the brush.

He walked heavily outside, his mind a jumble of thoughts as he recalled the battle report he'd received that morning. He had planned everything meticulously, but he hadn't expected it to be Fengye who died. He couldn't help but worry about how Zhao Yong must be feeling right now.

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 079 The Battle of the Bloodstained Chamber

Dust from the dance, deafening drumbeats, crimson...blood...

War was ultimately inevitable!

"Unforgivable!"

Facing Fengye's corpse, Ji Wushuang's tears flowed freely. She thought the Liao army had gone back on their word and ambushed her from behind, and that Fengye had died to save her. This time, she did not hesitate to issue the battle order to Gao Yongchang.

Even if it's like a moth drawn to a flame, she wouldn't want to see the maple leaves die in vain!

"Damn it, pay with your life!"

Holding two long, curved swords, Shuihen's eyes were bloodshot as he fought on the battlefield. He believed that the chaotic army had deliberately provoked the incident, resulting in the sacrifice of his sister, who was his only family!

The situation in Tokyo deteriorated rapidly, with heavy casualties on both sides after three days of fierce fighting. The Bohai rebels were ultimately no match for the numerically superior Liao army and had to retreat into the city to defend it. However, it was no easy task for the Liao army to capture the heavily fortified city of Tokyo. For a time, the two sides were locked in a stalemate.

Yelü Huan stood in front of the camp, holding his gun, scanning the towering city of Liaoyang on the horizon. Those who lived there were also subjects of his great Liao!

"General, Brother Shuihen has gone missing!"

Yue Fei rushed over to report that Shuihen, who was still grieving the loss of his sister, might do something irrational at any moment. Even though everyone was paying close attention, they still lost track of him.

Yelü Huan frowned even more and said, "He must have sneaked into the city to take revenge."

Yue Fei was heartbroken. He felt responsible for Fengye's death, and even though he had fought hard on the battlefield these past few days, he still couldn't make up for the guilt in his heart.

"General, Yue Fei requests permission to go and find him!"

"you?"

"Yes! General, you cannot leave the camp at this time. In terms of personal martial arts skills, Yue Fei is confident that he can take on this task. There is no more suitable candidate in the camp."

After considering it, Yelü Huan instructed, "Be careful in your actions. Once you find the watermark, bring him back immediately. Do not seek revenge blindly!"

"yes!"

After Yue Fei left, Yelü Huan suddenly realized that he hadn't seen Zhao Yong for a long time. Where had he gone?

Zhao Yong's grief was no less than Shuihen's. When he noticed Shuihen secretly leaving the camp, he followed her. Shuihen arrived at the entrance to the main altar outside the city, clearing away the vines and weeds on the stone wall. He activated the mechanisms in the lower left and right corners, and the stone doors on the wall opened.

Just as the watermark was about to enter, Zhao Yong called out to him.

"Don't go near the watermark."

Shuihen stared at Zhao Yong's haggard face. Although Fengye hadn't told Shuihen about her relationship with Zhao Yong, how could Shuihen not see the unspoken emotions her sister was pouring out to him? Zhao Yong's current state of exhaustion further highlighted his grief over Fengye's death. In terms of emotional connection, Shuihen and Zhao Yong shared a similar sorrow.

"Brother Zhao...I want revenge for my sister! I want to go and ask the Holy Maiden myself if she really killed my sister!"

Looking at the hysterical watermarks, Zhao Yong grasped his shoulders and said, "I know how you feel, but it's too dangerous for you to go to the enemy's lair alone! Your sister is already gone. I can't watch you get hurt too."

In Zhao Yong, Shuihen found a sense of family. His eyes gradually filled with tears as he said, "My sister is my only family. Even if I die, I will avenge her!"

"Alright then. I'll go with you."

Seeing that Zhao Yong was willing to accompany him into danger, Shuihen nodded gratefully.

The Beacon Fire Sect suffered many casualties in this battle and was severely lacking in manpower, so when the two of them arrived at the main altar, there was no one guarding the exit!

Shuihen, having grown up in the main altar, was familiar with its layout, so he led Zhao Yong straight to the Holy Maiden's bedroom. Ji Wushuang's room was empty. Shuihen wondered where he could find Ji Wushuang when he heard faint weeping coming from a crack in the wall.

He was startled and suddenly remembered that he seemed to have seen a secret room in this house when he was very young. So, he tried to recall it carefully and kept searching. Finally, he found the mechanism to open the secret room under the stone table.

The room was chillingly cold, and the sounds of crying drifted out along with the white mist. Zhao Yong and Shuihen cautiously walked inside.

In the mist, the woman in purple knelt by the cold pool, and in the very center of the pool lay the corpse of Maple Leaf.

"elder sister!"

Upon seeing Maple Leaf's figure, Watermark couldn't help but cry out, startling Ji Wushuang so much that she hurriedly stood up and looked at them in horror.

"Watermarks..."

Ji Wushuang felt a little more at ease when she saw that it was an acquaintance, but just as she called out the name of the person she was dealing with, she saw Shuihen draw his long sword and approach her.

"Did you kill my sister?! Tell me!"

Her eyes dimmed, and as she thought of Maple Leaf dying to save her, tears streamed down her face as she said, "Maple Leaf died because of me... I'm sorry..."

Whether it was because of his preconceived notions or because Shuihen was too grief-stricken at the moment, he was convinced that Wushuang was the murderer when he heard Wushuang say this.

"Why... why is my sister so good to you? She always thinks of you, but you... why... why?!"

Shuihen pressed him, closing in step by step, but Ji Wushuang was the Holy Maiden and his childhood playmate, so he couldn't bring himself to kill her.

As the two faced off, heavy footsteps startled all three. Gao Yongchang, who had come looking for Wushuang, was instantly enraged when he saw the long sword held to Wushuang's neck!

"You villain, release the saintess at once!"

Gao Yongchang drew his weapon and approached them, but Wushuang quickly shouted, "General Gao, no!"

The moment Gao Yongchang entered, Zhao Yong drew his weapon and charged forward. The ear-piercing sounds of fighting echoed in the secret room. Shuihen was completely immersed in the dilemma of whether or not to seek revenge, while Wushuang watched the fight between Zhao and Gao with bated breath.

Gao Yongchang was decent in battle, but he was no match for Zhao Yong in close-quarters combat. When Gao Yongchang was being pushed back, Wushuang, in a moment of panic, used a hidden weapon from her sleeve to help him.

This scene caught Shuihen's eye. He rushed forward to help Zhao Yong deflect the hidden weapon and glared angrily at Wushuang. At this moment, he finally made his choice. In his opinion, Wushuang was no longer the person he and his sister should protect in the past.

Having resolved Zhao Yong's crisis, Shuihen hardened his heart and launched an attack on Wushuang, causing Gao Yongchang, who was already trapped, to become extremely anxious. Wushuang was unwilling to fight back against Shuihen and retreated again and again, but Shuihen pressed her relentlessly, forcing her to fight back.

One was eager for revenge, and the other felt guilty and yielded. Compared to her, Wushuang was naturally no match for Shuihen. Just as Wushuang was watching in disbelief as Shuihen's long knife was about to pierce her body, Gao Yongchang's figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Immediately afterward, blood spurted out, and Gao Yongchang fell in front of Wushuang!

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 080 The Greatest Sorrow is a Dead Heart

With his hands on the ground, Gao Yongchang knelt in front of Wushuang, his clothes soaked through, staining his chest a dark red.

His eyes were practically spitting fire as he growled at Zhao Yong and Shuihen, "If you want to harm the Holy Maiden in the slightest, you'll have to step over my body first!"

"General Gao!" Ji Wushuang's voice trembled. She was heartbroken that Shuihen had drawn her sword against her, but she was also moved by Gao Yongchang's willingness to risk his life to save her.

Seeing Zhao Yong attack Gao Yongchang again, Ji Wushuang finally flew forward to intercept Zhao Yong's attack and did her best to protect the seriously injured Gao Yongchang.

"Holy Maiden, you must leave!" Gao Yongchang shouted, clutching his bleeding wound. They had no chance of winning inside the secret chamber, but once they left the main altar and alerted the other followers, they would be safe.

But Ji Wushuang ignored his words. She couldn't abandon Gao Yongchang, who had helped her for many years and was now injured because of her. She told herself that she couldn't let him die here no matter what!

In the midst of the chaotic battle, Ji Wushuang struggled to exchange blows with Shuihen and Zhao Yong. Although her martial arts were taught by Ji Wuhuan, she had been pampered since childhood and had never put in the effort to practice. Her current skill level was entirely due to her hard work in recent years. It was quite a stretch for her to fight against two formidable opponents at the same time.

With a determined look, Ji Wushuang flicked her sleeve, and a beam of golden light shot out from it—a set of golden needles for self-defense. The scattered hidden weapons forced Zhao Yong and Shuihen to retreat. Just as they regained their footing, two loud "bangs" rang out, and a purplish-gray mist swept over them. By the time they dispersed the mist, Ji Wushuang and Gao Yongchang had already vanished from sight.

Zhao Yong hurriedly said, "This is bad. They've escaped. We must leave quickly. If a large number of the Beacon Fire Sect members return, the two of us won't be able to escape."

Shuihen nodded and saw Zhao Yong leap into the cold pool and pick up his sister's body. Before she could feel grateful, she heard a "boom" sound coming from outside.

The two of them dared not leave through the secret passage they had come from, as it was highly likely that the Feng Huo Sect would ambush them there. So, led by Shui Hen, they escaped from the main altar through another back door.

After escaping through the back gate of the Feng Huo Sect, they plotted how to leave the city. Just as they were weaving and hiding in the alleys, they bumped into Yue Fei, who had come looking for them!

"Brother Zhao, Brother Shuihen!"

Yue Fei exclaimed with delight, "You're all alright! That's wonderful!"

After the three gathered together, they looked at the black smoke that suddenly rose around them and knew that the situation in the city was extremely bad. Zhao Yong said, "Let's leave here first."

Yue Fei said, "Follow me, our men are waiting for you in the northwest corner."

The following evening, the city walls of Liaoyang were covered in mourning. Yelü Huan, having heard the news, came out of his tent to investigate and muttered to himself, "Who has died?"

Shuihen stroked the long curved sword at his waist. Lengyu said, "No one is ever left alive under the Autumn Water Curved Sword."

Assassins typically carry weapons coated with potent poison, and Shuihen's knife was no exception, especially since it was poisoned by Ji Wuhuan himself. Gao Yongchang was struck by his blade; death was only a matter of time.

However, they did not realize at this time what Gao Yongchang's death meant for the people in Liaoyang!

There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart. Ji Wushuang has witnessed time and again the deaths of people important to her. Her spirit has been severely damaged!

Upon learning of Gao Yongchang's death, the grief-stricken Bohai people were filled with anger and despair, their emotions finding no outlet. After several days of pent-up frustration, a minor dispute escalated into a massive uprising. They unleashed their pent-up emotions on the common people of Liaoyang!

Inside the city, the Bohai people and the Liao people fought a frenzied battle, like cornered beasts struggling for survival. They transformed into bloodthirsty demons. The constant killing and being killed, the relentless burning and being burned, had turned Liaoyang into a living hell!

The Liao army stationed outside the city was still trying to make contact with Ji Wushuang. Yelü Huan sent men to shoot arrows with surrender documents attached to them every day, but after five days he received no news and finally couldn't sit still any longer.