La vie parfaite sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 116

Mu Shuangshuang and General Feng Yin observed the unease and fear of Jin Yao's soldiers after losing their young commander. Mo Li's eyes gleamed with battle-hungry excitement: "Miss, Qin Luo looked sickly; he must have exhausted all his energy in that battle. Now that their commander is gone, they are leaderless and have no other generals to rival you. It seems we will surely win today."

It seems we're destined to win today. Is that so? Will we really win? Mu Shuangshuang frowned, repeatedly asking herself this question. What was this unease in her heart? What was this burgeoning fear? With Qin Luo's flawless calculations, why would he wage war against her when she had no chance of winning, leaving tens of thousands of soldiers for her to slaughter?

A slightly immature male voice, seemingly born with a child's voice, interrupted: "What are you still hesitating for, Miss? Speed is of the essence!"

Mu Shuangshuang glanced at the handsome young man beside her. The young man had a baby face that made it impossible to guess his age, and his large, dark eyes were bright and piercing, occasionally flashing with a look of doubt. Qin Gui was a man who had suddenly become very active in the court three years ago. The late Emperor Zhuo Shengchao's favor towards him almost surpassed that of the current Emperor Zhuo Qing, and even Zhuo Qing was extremely tolerant and forgiving towards him.

Mu Shuangshuang had heard the rumors circulating in the court that Qin Gui was the illegitimate son of the late Emperor Zhuo Shengchao, who had been abandoned among the common people since childhood and suffered greatly. He was finally discovered by the late emperor, but because of his mother's lowly status, the matter could not be made public. In addition, the late emperor had very few children, and Qin Gui had rare talent and political ability, so naturally the emperor pityed and doted on him.

However, Mu Shuangshuang disliked Qin Gui. She couldn't fathom the true nature of this seemingly innocent, charming, and intelligent young man. She felt she could easily be deceived by his naive appearance and fall into his trap. Even someone as naive as herself, accustomed to navigating deceit and cunning schemes, couldn't handle him; how much less could she deal with the seemingly kind-hearted yet somewhat foolish Emperor?

Qin Gui blinked and asked innocently, "Miss, why are you so hesitant? Is there some reason for your hesitation?"

Mu Shuangshuang's heart skipped a beat at the question, and sure enough, she saw several generals casting suspicious glances at her. She composed herself, reminding herself even more to be wary of Qin Gui, but her face remained impassive as she said, "Order the army to prepare for attack!"

As the war drums sounded, the second wave of attack and defense between Jin Yao and Feng Yin Army finally began.

However, Mu Shuangshuang was astonished to find that Jin Yao's infantry had all retreated to a safe place a mile away, and the Xuanjia cavalry had completely disappeared. She looked up at the high slope opposite, and at that moment, the bright sunlight stung her eyes. Under the blazing sun, the once bustling Sunrise Viewing Slope was now eerily deserted. Only a solitary figure in a blue robe stood among the mountains under the clear sky.

He held no banners, no drumsticks, but gently gripped the hilt of the renowned Azure Frost Sword. He stood alone on Sunrise Slope, motionless, one hand behind his back, yet his faintly visible, cold gaze fixed intently on the empty battlefield that should have belonged to Jin Yao, foreshadowing his imminent descent.

Mu Shuangshuang steadied herself, waved her battle flag, and the Wind Whisper infantry and cavalry, who had been waiting in battle formation, immediately charged westward in a diamond formation. Even though the formation seemed clumsy, the momentum of their advance was astonishingly fast, accurate, and ruthless.

As the war officially began and the Fengyin army advanced, the Jinyao infantry, a mile away, suddenly moved. They moved to the left and right, quickly tearing a rift in the middle. The rift was small, only wide enough for two people to pass side by side, but it allowed Mu Shuangshuang to clearly see the black-clad men filing in almost at breakneck speed.

Just as Mu Shuangshuang looked up in shock and even a daze, she saw the man in blue glance at her. It was a glance filled with guilt and helplessness, yet also with unwavering resolve.

Then, gripping the Azure Frost Sword, he leaped down from the Sunrise Viewing Slope, which was over thirty feet high, without the slightest hesitation, and gracefully landed in front of the neatly arranged men in black.

"Lin Xuan guards the Death Gate, Ruo Shui guards the Rest Gate, Qin Li guards the Departure Gate, Qi Luo guards the Shock Gate, Qin Wu guards the Wound Gate, Qin Xue guards the Block Gate, Shen Hongjing guards the Gate!" With the movement of the man in blue and the issuance of the command, all the men in black quickly divided into seven groups and followed the leaders. Before Mu Shuangshuang could even react, the fewer than a thousand men in black had already occupied seven key positions, firmly surrounding tens of thousands of Wind Whisper infantry and cavalry on the battlefield.

"The so-called Kuiyang Formation was created three hundred years ago by a martial artist proficient in Qimen Dunjia. The gates are based on the transformations of the Eight Trigrams, namely Open, Rest, Life, Injury, Block, View, Death, and Shock, hence the name Qimen. Dun means hidden, and Jia means instrument. The Six Jia and Six Yi interact to form Dunjia, creating a three-tiered method that symbolizes the Three Powers. The upper layer symbolizes Heaven and arranges the Nine Stars, the middle layer symbolizes Man and opens the Eight Gates, and the lower layer symbolizes Earth and arranges the Eight Trigrams, establishing Yin and Yang Dun, one forward and one reverse, to arrange the Three Wonders and Six Yi. [Note 1]"

"When setting up the formation, each of the eight gates needs to be guarded by a highly skilled martial artist. If the intention is to save lives, the Gate of Life is the most important; if the intention is to capture and kill, the Gate of Injury is the most important; and if the intention is to destroy, the Gate of Death is the most important. Each of the eight gates contains sixty-four variations, and each variation draws upon the Six Jia ritual, resulting in endless transformations. Therefore, the edge of Kuihai is unpredictable, ever-changing, and without end. The Kuiyang Formation is the most powerful and terrifying formation in the world. This is also one of the reasons why the Tianxingliu Sword Sect claims that it can influence the situation of the world with just one person, one sect, and one star soul."

Mu Shuangshuang suddenly felt her blood turn ice-cold, a chill rising from the depths of her heart and sweeping through her entire body. She could hear nothing but the cold, clear voice of her master's teachings and warnings from years ago.

The man in blue robes standing less than ten feet from the Gate of Death, who could complete the formation with a single leap, was utterly unfamiliar. His master's wife had said that Feng'er was of a tranquil nature, truly unsuitable for involvement in the world's conflicts; she had also said that Feng'er was deeply affectionate and loyal, and would rather die than fight his fellow disciples; even on his deathbed, she had said: "Fu Yu, do not harm Feng'er. Even if he does not wish to become a Star Soul, please do not harm him..."

She clearly heard everything clearly outside the door; she clearly still remembers the lingering warmth of the boy's embrace. Why, then, does she have the illusion that everything from back then was just a dream? Brother Feng, so indifferent, so cold on the outside but warm on the inside, how could you be so heartless as to lead Ling'er into the Kuiyang Formation?

Do you know that once this formation is activated, your brilliance will no longer be able to be concealed, and all your efforts to fight against fate will be in vain? Do you know how many fine men will die when this formation is activated? Do you know that once this formation is activated, Ling'er... will have no home anymore!

In a daze, Mu Shuangshuang felt a gaze slowly fall upon her. She suddenly woke up, still clutching the brocade banner in her hand, her eyes fixed on the man in blue who hadn't moved an inch. The man in blue's dark eyes looked at her silently, his unfathomable pupils indistinct in the distance of the valley, seemingly calm and still, yet conveying a thousand unspoken messages.

Mu Shuangshuang's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, she stared intently at the wide-open Death Gate, an absurd yet delightful thought rising from the depths of her heart. Brother Feng hadn't stepped into the Death Gate to activate the formation. Could it be that he was tacitly allowing her to retreat?

Brother Feng ultimately refused to be a ruthless killer; Brother Feng ultimately wouldn't truly hurt her!

Having grasped the man in blue's implication, Mu Shuangshuang naturally wouldn't hesitate any longer, regardless of his true intentions or the conspiracy behind this bizarre battle. The lives of tens of thousands of people were ultimately the most important; how could she sacrifice them so casually?

Then, the red banners fluttered, the diamond-shaped formation slowly split, and the soldiers retreated in an orderly fashion through the Death Gate. Throughout this, all the black-clad men who had been waiting in ambush watched their prey leave without moving, their expressions remaining completely unchanged.

When half of the tens of thousands of Wind Whisper Army had withdrawn from the battle, the man in green suddenly waved his hand, and the man in black who had arrived silently moments before sped away from his position like lightning, disappearing without a trace once more.

At that moment, everyone's astonished gaze was focused on Mu Shuangshuang, who had inexplicably and suddenly retreated. No one noticed that the black-clad man who had been guarding the Jing Gate had inadvertently dropped a jade pendant on the ground before leaving. A retreating general named Fengyin, passing by, hooked it with his foot and held it in his hand. The Fengyin general, who had initially been casually admiring the jade, was horrified when he saw the inscription on it.

Next update: Thursday, January 31st

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Author's Note:

It's my birthday today, and I just got back from the celebration, so it's late.

But actually, I rarely celebrate my birthday according to the Gregorian calendar; this is the first time… XD

Chapter 8: The Scheme of Counter-Espionage (Part 2)

Chapter 8: The Scheme of Counter-Espionage (Part 2)

Mu Shuangshuang, looking utterly exhausted, descended Wangyue Slope and entered her own camp. All the high-ranking generals sat solemnly in the main tent, seemingly waiting for her. Mu Shuangshuang waved her hand, her voice somewhat weak: "Pass on the order, return to Fangling City immediately."

"Wait!" An old voice interrupted Mu Shuangshuang's order. The old man had white hair and beard, but his eyes were bright and piercing. "Don't rush back to the city. We have some questions for the marshal."

The speaker was Tong Zhi, who had just celebrated his sixtieth birthday last year. He was a close friend of Mu Shuangshuang's father, Mu Chengying, and could be considered Mu Shuangshuang's elder. Therefore, even though Mu Shuangshuang was the commander-in-chief in this battle, he still dared to speak to her in such a disrespectful manner.

Despite being physically and mentally exhausted, Mu Shuangshuang dared not delay: "Uncle Tong, please ask."

Tong Zhi stared intently at him, her eyes filled with a pain and reproach she couldn't understand: "Why did you retreat just now?"

Mu Shuangshuang was taken aback: "That's because, if we don't retreat from the formation just now..."

Mu Shuangshuang's hesitant tone seemed to have completely enraged Tong Zhi, who angrily said, "The enemy troops that charged out just now numbered only a few hundred. Even if they were all top-notch experts, they could never possibly defeat our tens of thousands of troops. May I ask why the Marshal withdrew his troops?"

"I..." Faced with such accusations, Mu Shuangshuang suddenly found herself unable to refute them. How many people in the world knew about the Kuiyang Formation? How many could recognize that the formation she had just witnessed was the Kuiyang Formation? Could she explain? And what could she explain?

“Shuang’er, I watched you and Jun’er grow up. I didn’t believe those rumors from the streets, nor did I believe Wuya’s one-sided story. As a servant of the gods, you have always been respectful and polite. How could you be the kind of ignorant woman who would betray her country for the sake of her lover? Who knew… who knew today…”

"Uncle Tong!!" Mu Shuangshuang interrupted him in shock, her voice trembling slightly. "In today's battle, Shuangshuang knows she didn't achieve the full merit, driving the barbarians out of Fengyin. But that was only because Shuangshuang was less skilled. How can you pin such a serious crime as betraying the country on Shuangshuang?"

"Then may I ask you, Miss?" A male voice, which even when speaking seriously, carried a hint of a smile, interjected. Qin Gui's youthful face had a pair of dark, unfathomable eyes. "Why did you become so distraught as soon as you saw Qin Luo unconscious and leave? Why did you hesitate when you were told to take the opportunity to annihilate the leaderless Jin Yao Army? Why did you withdraw tens of thousands of troops when it was just a demonstration by a few hundred people?"

Qin Gui's words sent shivers down Mu Shuangshuang's spine. She suddenly recalled the pity, guilt, and unwavering determination hidden behind Feng Yihan's calm, expressionless gaze when he looked up at her. No! Impossible! Could it be... could it be that Qin Luo's intention in this battle wasn't to win at all? Could it be that Brother Feng's purpose in setting up the Kuiyang Formation wasn't destruction at all, but... but a frame-up!

Mu Shuangshuang's face was deathly pale. She slowly looked at Mo Li and asked, "Do you think so too?"

Mo Li frowned in pain and slowly lowered her head.