Бессмертие, Бессмертие - Глава 60
Even more shocking news was that Shengxiang was actually the son of the founding emperor, his own uncle! He couldn't imagine that the constantly complaining, nagging, playful, and vain young master was actually his uncle! And he—knowing his true identity, why was he still so happy? Wasn't that…a tragic thing? Tragic enough to suffocate, wasn't it? The idea of borrowing the Northern Han army wasn't his own, but rather it was the remnants of the Northern Han army who learned of it, and Jiang Chenming came back to him, wanting to lend him a hand. The purpose…Shang Xuan let out a faint sigh; the purpose was naturally to restore the kingdom, using his status as the direct grandson of the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty and the strength of Zhao Dezhao's Yanwang faction. He was unwilling to be used, but having stepped into this chaotic world where right and wrong were blurred, who knew what tomorrow, the next step, the next enemy would be like? At this moment, he felt the hardships of his father, Rong Yin, and even the emperor. Back then…they lived like this every day; imperial power and military might—these were things that could drive a person mad.
Pei Tian... left him without saying a word. The sight of her departing figure that day would haunt his dreams, keeping him awake. She never believed in his actions; she said he would definitely regret it.
The army marched to the foot of Daming Mountain. If they didn't surrender at the blood sacrifice ceremony, a major battle would ensue. He wasn't in a good mood; too many things could happen in this world. Bi Qiuhan wanted to investigate the secret history of the founding emperor, but he didn't really care what the founding emperor had done in his youth—what did that have to do with him? Jiang Chenming ordered Qu Zhiliang to kill Bi Qiuhan, and he had no say in the matter. Then Li Lingyan also investigated the secret history of the founding emperor, so he either surrendered or died… absolutely true. Knowing all this only made him feel increasingly lonely and indifferent.
Over the past year, he has even secretly longed for those years in the capital when he was at odds with Rong Yin and arguing with Sheng Xiang, fearless and carefree. Back then, he disliked everyone and thought he was the only one who mattered. Now he regrets it... There is nothing to choose from, no one to care about, and everything is empty.
Qu Zhiliang was an absolute master; he believed even Yu Xiu couldn't defeat him. But he didn't know what Qu Zhiliang was thinking. He wasn't actually a despicable person, but he was always forced to obey Jiang Chenming and do despicable things. Unbeknownst to him, he lost everything.
A distant "whooshing" sound came from outside the door—an enemy was attacking! His eyes lit up slightly, then dimmed; even in a fight, he was completely useless.
The noise outside the door grew louder and louder, clearly indicating that the person who had come was someone of great importance; he listened intently.
"Halt! The Blood Sacrifice Clan is indeed fierce, daring to barge down the mountain like this..."
"Take this!"
"Smack!"
"Just kidding!" said the man who had said "take a look at the sword" earlier, grinning.
Shang Xuan suddenly froze, completely stunned—Sheng Xiang? It's Sheng Xiang! Why is he here? With Li Lingyan? Isn't this the most absurd and ridiculous thing in the world? Sheng Xiang is actually fighting alongside someone who wants to investigate his biological father's shameful deeds and seek revenge on him?
"This is the vanguard camp." The voice that spoke was clear, with a slight hint of naiveté. Shang Xuan didn't know who it was, but it was most likely Li Lingyan!
"Take a look over there."
"If I were a Han soldier, my commander would have fled long ago."
"Working with Xiao Yan to catch people feels great. The timing is perfect."
Shengxiang's mind was never troubled, as if she had never known what sadness was. Shangxuan sat and listened. For no reason at all, he felt envious. Being able to play freely was... truly an enviable thing.
The sounds of weapons collapsing, cracking, snapping, and clanging filled the air. Shang Xuan was startled, realizing that the person they were looking for was himself! To capture the thief, they had to capture the leader first! Jiang Chenming was not in the army; the one in charge of forcing surrender was himself! He jumped up with a whoosh, clenching his fist, a near-absurd expectation rising in his heart: Sheng Xiang—does he know that the person in the military tent is him?
"Here!" A soft shout came from outside the military tent, and the curtains at both the front and back doors were torn open at the same time, and two people rushed in.
Shangxuan didn't move.
The person who burst in through the front door sighed, "It really is you."
"It really is you, it really is you," the "ah" in the sentence just sounds so awkward. Shang Xuan was furious the moment he saw Sheng Xiang, and sneered, "Long time no see."
"Long time no see!" Shengxiang smiled brightly, as if she were seeing a close friend she hadn't seen for two hundred years. "Hi—" she waved twice.
He had grown thinner. Shang Xuan glanced at Sheng Xiang; two years had passed, and Sheng Xiang hadn't changed at all, only thinner, but not haggard. "You've come, very well," Shang Xuan said coldly, "very well." With a "ding," the fire in front of him suddenly went out, and a chill filled the entire tent. The curtains at the front and back swayed slightly, and the lingering heat outside and the cold wind circulating inside stirred up strong vortices, causing clothes to flutter and rustle!
"'Rolling Snow Divine Skill'!"
Li Lingyan and Shengxiang reacted as follows: Shengxiang rushed forward, while Li Lingyan retreated.
"You actually cooperated with your enemy, all for my sake?" Shang Xuan's chilling aura felt scorching against his face. "I knew all along you were this kind of... idle, indiscriminate idiot!"
"This young master is exceptionally intelligent, renowned for his martial prowess, handsome, and universally loved! Who's the idiot?" Shengxiang rushed forward and tapped Shangxuan's chest with her folding fan. "You're the one who's causing trouble and disrupting this young master's conversation and chess game!"
"You're completely incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, and you've forgotten your ancestors! You don't care at all about the deep-seated blood feud with your ancestors..." Shang Xuan grabbed Sheng Xiang's folding fan and punched him in the face. "I've disliked you for a long time..."
"I can do whatever I want—" Shengxiang dodged the punch, grabbed Shangxuan's collar, and threw a punch back. "What others think is their business..."
"Damn it! How could you know how I felt when my father was forced to his death by Rong Yin! And how could you know what I gave up these past two years for revenge!" Shang Xuan shouted angrily, "'Gunxue'!" He clasped his right hands together and pushed them towards Sheng Xiang's chest.
"I don't know how you feel—I simply won't allow—your army of thousands to create even more people with your feelings under the beautiful Daming Mountain!" Sheng Xiang retorted without backing down.
"This young master is just overly compassionate!" He punched Shang Xuan squarely in the chest with a "bang," while Shang Xuan's palm "Rolling Snow" was also aimed at Sheng Xiang's chest!
"Hey!" Just as Shengxiang struck Shangxuan with his fist, Li Lingyan had already circled behind Shangxuan, smiled gently, and grabbed Shangxuan's arms with both hands.
"Gunxue!" Shang Xuan shouted sharply, and with a "crack," the arm that Li Lingyan was using to grab Shang Xuan's right hand broke. But Shang Xuan's movements were already restricted and deformed, and the "Gunxue" strike swept past Sheng Xiang's side. With a loud crash, the military tent exploded and collapsed. Sheng Xiang was startled and jumped behind Shang Xuan, "How terrifying!"
Li Lingyan's uninjured right hand had already wrapped around to embrace Shangxuan, and he smiled gently, "Grab it."
"Do you think I'm so easily..." The icy and fiery poison of "Rolling Snow" hadn't even fully dissipated from Shang Xuan's body yet; his aura swirled around him, and he suddenly felt a slight tingling sensation in the area where Li Lingyan had entangled him. "You actually—"
Li Lingyan said softly, "Poison it."
"Despicable and shameless..." Shang Xuan was covered in cold sweat, partly from the poisoning, but more so from the "Gunxue" power swirling within his body. However, if Li Lingyan wanted to use poison, it must be an extremely potent one, and he couldn't unleash it in one breath.
"Hey!" Li Lingyan pressed five or six acupoints on his body and laughed, "Success!"
“Actually, Xiao Yan’s martial arts skills are not that great,” Sheng Xiang said, still shaken by his “Gunxue” that broke through the military tent. She peeked out from behind Li Lingyan, “but he is not afraid of pain, so even if you break his arm, he can still grab you.”
Shang Xuan gritted his teeth, "There's no need... to tell me about this..."
"I'm just trying to annoy you. You've always been an emotional fool," Shengxiang said with a smile. "Don't worry, don't worry, with me here, Xiao Yan definitely won't be able to kill you. Leave it to me."
"You damned..." Shang Xuan said angrily.
“Did I say I wouldn’t kill him?” Li Lingyan said softly. “He’s not my friend.”
"He's a friend of a friend, so don't worry, I will absolutely not let you kill him, although I know you really want to," Sheng Xiang said with a grin.
"I've lost an arm," Li Lingyan said cautiously, raising his eyes to look at Sheng Xiang.
"First, that's your hand; second, you're not in pain; third, I didn't hit you. What does it have to do with me?" Shengxiang rolled her eyes. "Anyway..."
"Wait!" Li Lingyan exclaimed in surprise. "It's a little hot." The person he was holding tightly in his arms suddenly felt a surge in body temperature, as hot as a boiling kettle. Shang Xuan closed his eyes to expel the poison, and the power of "Gunxue" activated, making his whole body feel like a steamer. Even though Li Lingyan had long lost his sense of touch, he could still feel "a little hot." "The 'Gunxue' within him hasn't even manifested yet. Won't this kind of internal energy manipulation cause problems?" Li Lingyan slightly raised his chin. "A stubborn person who refuses to admit defeat."
"No! He has to unleash a palm strike to spread the 'Rolling Snow' technique. Otherwise, if he dies, I'll fight you to the death!" Sheng Xiang shouted, her expression changing. "Where's the antidote?"