Болезненный юноша, путешествующий во времена династии Сун

Глава 102

“You have broken our oath,” said the masked man, Zhu Houren. “Don’t forget, I didn’t commit this bloodshed alone. You didn’t make it clear that the only helper I hired was you. Half of these hundreds of lives are your responsibility.”

“That’s right. I’ve been tormented by conscience ever since I killed someone. For all these years, I’ve been waiting for the day I could speak out. Now, I’m no longer afraid of anything you have.” The master smiled faintly, then turned to look at Mo Xibei. “Bei’er, are you disappointed that your master is such a bad person?”

Mo Xibei felt a heavy weight in his heart, sensing something was wrong. Without thinking, he shook his head, but something seemed to be stuck in his throat. Mu Feinan interrupted, asking, "Are the Thousand-Faced Gentleman's family all dead?"

“At the time, we thought everyone was dead because we were in a panic. It wasn’t until a few days later that Zhu Houren realized that the youngest daughter of the Thousand-Faced Gentleman was not at home when the killings took place.” The master’s voice was very calm. “Later, I don’t know whether he found the person or whether the person is still alive. I only know that the Thousand-Faced Gentleman is a name that people remember but often forget. His real name is Mu Haotian.”

"So that's how it is. No wonder you're so skilled in disguise, no wonder you have the second half of Haotian's Notes," Mu Feinan sneered repeatedly, drawing his long sword and pointing it directly at Zhu Houren. "The hatred of wiping out your family is irreconcilable. Today is the day for reckoning."

"Settlement? Between you and me?" Zhu Houren's eyes flashed with madness. Mo Xibei gently picked up Honglu and hid in a corner amidst the chaos before returning to Mu Feinan's side and looking at Zhu Houren together.

"Blood for blood, isn't that what you've always wanted?" Mu Feinan gently pulled Mo Xibei behind him again, gripped Mo Xibei's hand tightly, and then quickly let go.

“What he said is only what he knows. So, would you like to hear my version?” Zhu Houren suddenly sighed. “Why was your mother not there at all? How was she able to escape? Aren’t you even a little curious?”

"Curiosity can't change the outcome, so why be curious?" Mu Feinan raised the tip of his sword slightly.

“That’s because I deliberately lured her away before I poisoned her. You know why I poisoned her? I entered the sect at the age of ten and have always followed the rules. My junior sister and I were childhood sweethearts and deeply in love. Just because I wanted revenge, just because I often secretly communicated and planned actions with my subordinates who had followed us since our ancestors, my master said I was treacherous and not only wanted to cripple my martial arts but also expel me from the sect. If it weren’t for my junior sister’s desperate pleas, I probably would have been crippled. Tell me, how could I not hate her? The stone blocking the way must be removed, and the person blocking the way must die.” Zhu Houren’s tone suddenly softened as he spoke. “But in the end, I couldn’t bear to kill her. I would rather she hate me than not let her go. Over the years, I have been afraid to see her again, afraid that she would raise her sword against me. But she didn’t. She never said any of this to you until she died. She still loved me.”

“She doesn’t love you, she just never had the chance to tell me.” Mu Feinan’s voice was icy. “My master said that when he saved my mother and me, she was being chased and killed. A few days later, she died in childbirth. If she hadn’t died, do you think she would have forgotten such hatred?”

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, hahaha," Zhu Houren suddenly burst into wild laughter, his figure rising rapidly, actually grazing past the sword blade that Mu Feinan had thrust at, and rushing straight towards the emperor who was surrounded.

Empress Dowager Jiang waved her sleeves, blocking the thunderous sword strike, but her sleeves were also severed in two by the sword.

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Houren's second sword arrived. Empress Dowager Jiang ducked and bent over, her phoenix crown being sliced in two by the sword. Because the emperor was standing behind her, although she was no match for him, she dared not retreat a single step. Then, the third sword was upon her.

With a soft "thud," the sound of a sharp weapon piercing bone was heard. Empress Dowager Jiang closed her eyes, but instead of experiencing that sharp pain, she heard Mo Xibei scream, "Master!"

Zhu Houren seemed unsurprised that someone would stand in front of Empress Dowager Jiang and her son. Looking at the person in front of him, he merely smiled mockingly and tried to pull the sword out. However, the sword did not budge. Not only did the sword not move, but a dense stream of true energy also rushed towards him through the sword.

"Fool!" Zhu Houren quickly let go. It was just a sword; there were other swords available. How foolish of him to try and hold him back with such a method.

But just as he took a step back, Mo Xibei's sword arrived behind him. This was different from the duel at Plum Blossom Manor earlier that night. This sword strike, carrying a strong wind, was a desperate fight.

Zhu Houren naturally dared not be careless. Without a suitable weapon in hand, he was forced to retreat, ordering the stunned men to act quickly while grabbing the closest Jinyiwei guard to shield him.

Volume 3, Chapter 39: The Dust Settles (Part 1)

In a single move, several figures clashed—in fact, it was only a blink of an eye—Zhu Houren's sword pierced Mo Xibei's master's chest. Because the sword was firmly gripped, he hadn't pulled it out hastily. To dodge Mo Xibei's rapidly approaching sword, Zhu Houren could only grab a Jinyiwei guard to shield himself. At this point, Mo Xibei's attacks were exhausted and she had nowhere to dodge. Enraged, her sword didn't even attempt to evade; instead, it plunged straight into the Jinyiwei guard's chest. Of course, while holding onto the human shield with one hand, Zhu Houren's other hand wasn't idle either. Taking advantage of Mo Xibei's momentary lapse in time to withdraw her sword and change her stance, he struck her head with a palm strike.

At this point, the distance between the two was only half a sword's length, making it impossible to draw their swords and change tactics.

Mo Xibei kicked the dead Imperial Guard, using the momentum to leap to the side and dodge Zhu Houren's palm strike, turning the hilt of his sword to his left. His long hair, tied on top of his head, billowed behind him as the wind from the blow swept past. Meanwhile, Mu Feinan had already arrived, slashing at Zhu Houren's right arm with his sword, forcing him to retreat and defend himself instead of continuing his pursuit of Mo Xibei. This move, "Concern Leads to Confusion," actually exposed an opening in his chest, but Zhu Houren seemed oblivious. He withdrew his right palm, tossed the shield aside with his left, and miraculously dodged to the side.

The Imperial Guards and the Imperial Bodyguards surrounding the room had already launched their attack, rushing straight at the people inside. Although the back warm pavilion was the emperor's bedroom, it now seemed extremely cramped. Empress Dowager Jiang was supporting her seriously injured senior brother with one hand and protecting the emperor with the other. Gradually, she had nowhere to avoid the attack. Even with her profound skills, she was almost hit by the random blades several times.

"You take care of the emperor." In the chaos, Mo Xibei's master had already forcefully pulled Zhu Houren's sword from his own chest, blood spurting more than a foot away, but he didn't even flinch.

"Senior brother...you've gone mad!" Empress Dowager Jiang sensed something was wrong as her left hand went empty. She slapped away the two imperial guards in front of her, but was splattered with blood. "No!" She shook her head violently, her voice hoarse, but she couldn't even find a moment to cry.

"Finally, I can go and tell the Mu family that I was wrong," Master raised his sword and stood in front of Empress Dowager Jiang. He no longer looked at the woman behind him whom he had loved and longed for all his life. He gathered his last strength in his hand, swung his long sword, and stepped forward step by step. With each step, several corpses were left behind. After three steps, no one from the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the Imperial Guard dared to approach even half a step. People were so close that they wished they could squeeze to the outside and dodge the indestructible sword energy.

"Senior brother...they are no match for you, you should rest." Empress Dowager Jiang's tears finally flowed uncontrollably, stream after stream. She never knew she would one day cry like this for him. For so many years, from the high walls of the Xing Prince's mansion to the deep palaces of the Forbidden City, she had dragged her son step by step, all for a dream of standing at the top. The Xing Prince had once loved her, but that love couldn't withstand the test of time. When her beauty faded, love also gradually disappeared. A weak and heartless husband, an innocent and ignorant young son—from Princess Xing to Empress Dowager, how many bloodless conspiracies had she witnessed along the way, how many missteps had led to her utter destruction in the power struggles? She thought she had won, even though she had long since lost her heart and love, even though she could sacrifice anyone for power, even her own daughter, but at least she had reached the top. Perhaps only now did she suddenly realize that she had never truly won, because she had never understood what she truly wanted.

A shoulder to lean on, a lover who will never betray you, and together, you can spend an ordinary but happy life together until old age. This happiness, which you could have easily had, was ultimately shattered by your own ambition.

"Junior sister, this is all I can do for you in this life." He took a few more steps forward, then stopped, watching the retreating crowd. He couldn't turn back; turning back would only bring regret. He told himself this, but his body still involuntarily turned slowly to the back. Their eyes met, and Empress Dowager Jiang slowly reached out her hand. He slowly looked away, only to see the hem of her magnificent robe embroidered with flying phoenixes. Drops of water fell onto the hem of her skirt, spreading out little by little. This reminded him of that summer when he was sixteen, when the two of them went out to play. Suddenly, a heavy rain started in the mountains. They stood shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, under a narrow crevice in the rocks. The raindrops fell and splashed, one by one landing on her light pink embroidered shoes, just like now.

"Senior Brother!" Empress Dowager Jiang sobbed, but dared not shout to disturb Mo Xibei, who was struggling nearby. She took a few steps forward, but in the end, she did not grasp the hand that her senior brother had reached out to her. The hand that had once pulled her through the mountains and fields, that had once caught rabbits and birds for her, that had once supported her when she was most confused and helpless, was now slowly falling into the dust before her eyes.

...From then on, though I had a thousand words to say, there was no one left to confide in...

I finished writing the ending last night in one go. It's a rather rough ending. I had a company gathering today and got back late, so I only managed to revise this part. Please bear with it for now. By the way, it's a happy ending, haha, I finally got to be a loving mother!

I estimate that after finishing the whole thing, I'll need to revise it from scratch. If you find anything unreasonable or frustrating, please let me know. Thank you very much.

Volume 3, Chapter 39: The Dust Settles (Part 2)

When Mo Xibei pulled his sword from the body of the dead Imperial Guard, Mu Feinan was already fighting with Zhu Houren. His sword was light and unpredictable, its blade moving left and right, entangling Zhu Houren. However, Mo Xibei could also see that Zhu Houren had profound internal strength. Mu Feinan's sword was just like his own back then. As soon as it touched Zhu Houren's sword, it would inevitably be bound by the soft force on the sword. Therefore, although he attacked with every move, he was easily pulled away by his opponent if he was not careful.

At this moment, more people dressed as Imperial Guards and Imperial Bodyguards poured into the main hall. Although each of them was not necessarily very skilled in martial arts, their sheer numbers made up for it. They used either knives or spears and formed a semi-circle around Mo Xibei and Mu Feinan. They started by slashing and stabbing wildly without any strategy, making it difficult for them to defend against.

There was no longer any time to hesitate. To end the chaos and get out of here alive, the only option was to deal with the instigator as soon as possible. After forcing back the crowd that had surrounded him, Mo Xibei brandished his long sword and, together with Mu Feinan, attacked Zhu Houren from the left and right.

Meanwhile, the fighting inside the Qianqing Palace went unnoticed by anyone outside the palace. The fire in the Eastern Six Palaces was raging, with countless palace servants screaming for help and more people shouting for help to put out the fire. The cries grew louder and louder. The eunuch who came to deliver the message was blocked by Zhu Houren's men outside and dared not disturb the "sleeping" emperor. He had no choice but to go elsewhere to seek help.

In the midst of the chaos, Honglu huddled under a desk in a corner, clutching her stomach. She watched as blood gushed from her body, feeling the waves of pain growing stronger with each passing moment. She was powerless to move an inch, and even the strength to utter a cry was gradually being drained from her body.

Her vision blurred little by little. The figure of Mo Xibei, who had been swaying not far in front of her, was finally obscured by the surging crowd. Honglu smiled bitterly, her fingers digging into her skin, her mind drifting to the stories of karma she'd heard from elders as a child. Tian Xin's body was in this very hall. Had he ever imagined that retribution would come so quickly? He had killed so many people; his own life wasn't enough, and now their child, their unborn child, would also have to pay for his debt.

"Good deeds bring good rewards, and evil deeds bring evil consequences. It's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't arrived yet..." Honglu murmured to herself. This was a phrase Mo Xibei often liked to recite. In the early days of their business on the fourth floor, they had suffered at the hands of many unscrupulous merchants. Honglu was furious, lamenting her own powerlessness, and often complained that Mo Xibei was too lazy. He had the ability to rise to the top, but was too lazy to do so. Mo Xibei, always reclining in his chair, would just smile and comfort her with this phrase. However, none of these unscrupulous merchants ultimately succeeded. As the fourth floor grew, Mo Xibei showed them no mercy, forcefully taking over many shops and squeezing out many businesses. Of course, Mo Xibei had a different explanation for her actions. Honglu neither understood nor remembered her profound reasoning. She only remembered that when local officials started treating them politely, Mo Xibei said it was because the economic base determines the superstructure, and when those unscrupulous merchants were reduced to begging on the streets, Mo Xibei claimed she was acting on behalf of Heaven.

When a person starts to enjoy reminiscing about the past, it means she's getting old. Honglu thought that she was probably getting old too, so old that she could only find herself when reminiscing about the past.

Rubbing her eyes vigorously, Honglu's vision regained some focus. Mo Xibei and Young Master Mu stood side by side, their swords flashing. Although more and more people surrounded them, their brilliance was undeniable. She smiled slightly, then realized that someone had already seen her and was approaching with a knife, grinning maliciously. Honglu closed her eyes. She knew that Mo Xibei's situation was not easy either. If she were disturbed and distracted, both she and Mu Feinan might die. The only thing she could do for her was to never disturb her again, no matter what.

Warm liquid dripped down her forehead and the back of her hands, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. She took a deep breath and barely managed to open her eyelids, which were stuck together. She saw the Imperial Guard who had just walked towards her with a knife lying on the table where she was hiding. Blood was dripping from his body. The next moment, someone ripped his body apart and gave her a warm smile.

"Young Master Chu, how could it be you?" Honglu's eyes widened in surprise, and there seemed to be an indescribable joy as well. She thought she had let go of life and death, but unexpectedly, at this moment, she suddenly felt that only by living can one have feelings and experience joy.

"Let's leave here." Chu Junfeng stretched out his left hand, but his right hand was not idle. Without turning his head, he had already cut down three or four Imperial Guards who surrounded him.

"Where to?" Red and Green asked blankly.

"Northwest said he wants me to take you to a safer place." Taking advantage of the moment when the Imperial Guards were dodging, Chu Junfeng took out a Snow Ginseng Pill from his bag and stuffed it into Honglu's mouth. Then, without waiting for Honglu to stand up, he quickly reached out and picked her up, his body flying out of the back warm pavilion like a bird.

"I'm about to give birth, we can't go far, it's dangerous here, don't leave the Northwest behind." The scenery before her eyes slowly flashed by, and Honglu suddenly realized something. She grabbed Chu Junfeng's clothes and said urgently, "Don't worry about me, go help them."