Болезненный юноша, путешествующий во времена династии Сун

Глава 103

"But what about you?" Chu Junfeng hesitated slightly, his steps coming to a halt.

"Put me up there, kill the bad guys and then take me away." Honglu looked up at the window on the second floor of the back pavilion and pointed weakly.

Chu Junfeng glanced at Honglu's face. The effects of the Snow Ginseng Pill had taken hold, and an unnatural blush had risen on Honglu's pale face. The medicine was quite potent and would surely help Honglu hold on for a while. Thinking of this, he stopped what he was doing and jumped into the second-floor window to settle Honglu on a bed.

With just these few simple movements, after putting down Honglu, he staggered a few steps and leaned against the window to barely steady himself. At Plum Blossom Manor, what Mo Xibei saw was only one of the many masks on Zhu Houren's face. But for Chu Junfeng, he didn't need to see the face at all; he knew who it was just by looking at their figures. Of course, he also knew that his master had used the most forbidden Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique, a strike that used all his life's strength to break through the double constraints of the drug and acupoints. Even if the opponent was a top master with the same profound skill as his master, it would at least deplete decades of his skill, or at worst, cripple him. And for him or Mo Xibei, this palm strike clearly had only one outcome.

"Luckily, I reacted quickly." After focusing his mind and suppressing the surging, sweet smell, Chu Junfeng prepared to go downstairs again. However, after only a few steps, his foot slipped, and he uncontrollably crashed into the wall. Countless pairs of boots swayed in front of him, and all he could hear was the clanging of weapons clashing. He casually raised his sleeve and lightly wiped his lips, leaving a rouge-like red mark, before slowly walking downstairs step by step.

The battle situation downstairs remained unclear. Empress Dowager Jiang, despite suffering several knife wounds, acted as if possessed, wildly slashing at her surroundings while protecting the emperor, whose expression remained unreadable. Mo Xibei and Mu Feinan were entangled with Zhu Houren, and also had to contend with the flying swords and spears around them, gradually allowing Zhu Houren to regain the upper hand. Chu Junfeng glanced at them only once before leaping into Mo Xibei's battle, deflecting Zhu Houren's blade before she could react.

"You're going to make an enemy of your master too? For this woman?" Zhu Houren had already seen Chu Junfeng and was somewhat relieved to see him take Honglu away. He didn't expect him to come back so quickly.

“Master, this is the last time I will address you like this. You should have realized when you killed Tian Xin that no one in this world can stand with you forever.” Chu Junfeng’s face was pale, even his lips were colorless, and his eyes were desolate. He had seen it clearly from above, and if his true energy hadn’t been blocked and he hadn’t been unable to move, he would have come down long ago.

"Feng'er, you should know that you and him have never been the same. Don't you really understand how your master treats you? Do you really want to go against your master?" Zhu Houren dodged Mu Feinan's sword, waved his sleeves, and blocked Mo Xibei's sword again, his gaze fixed on Chu Junfeng.

"I understand. We're all your pawns. You raised us from childhood, only to use us more effectively." Chu Junfeng shook his head. For over a decade, he had looked up to his exceptionally talented master, never imagining that one day, the veil of warmth would be torn away, revealing such naked coldness. "Pawns?" Zhu Houren suddenly sneered. "I think you've been bewitched by this woman. You're a pawn. What heinous things have I done using you? If you hadn't met this woman, you'd still be living a carefree life in the martial world. If you insist on calling yourself a pawn, then you're this woman's pawn."

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

"Nonsense! If you hadn't intended to seize the treasure key from Murong Songtao, how would he know the Northwest?" Mu Feinan had remained silent until now, but he couldn't help himself and thrust his sword out again. As he spoke, his hand inevitably became distracted.

"Watch out!" Mo Xibei raised his sword, slashing and wounding a Jinyiwei guard who was trying to ambush Mu Feinan. He then glanced at Zhu Houren and said, "Even if you can talk a good game today, it won't change the fact that you are ruthless and will eventually be abandoned by everyone."

"Is that so?" Zhu Houren laughed wildly. "You brat, I've been too lenient with you. Let's see what your fate will be today. Feng'er, if you're going to betray your master and ancestors for her sake, then you can join them in this."

Chu Junfeng's body trembled slightly, but he did not hesitate any longer. He thrust his long sword diagonally, aiming straight for Zhu Houren's ribs.

Seeing that Chu Junfeng was really going to make a move, Zhu Houren's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He tilted his body to dodge Chu Junfeng's sword, then spun around to avoid Mu Feinan's horizontal slash. He moved quickly and was already in front of Mo Xibei. He then focused all his true power on Mo Xibei and delivered a powerful palm strike.

"Northwest, Brother Mu and I are fine, you get out of the way." Chu Junfeng was unable to intercept and could only quickly slash back with his sword, while Mu Feinan's sword also changed direction and slashed from another direction.

Mo Xibei touched the ground with the tip of her sword, using the momentum to leap up and flip over Zhu Houren's head. At this moment, a Jinyiwei guard who had ambushed her was standing half a step behind her, about to pounce. Zhu Houren pushed out with a palm, and Mo Xibei disappeared, but the Jinyiwei guard's knife was already in front of her. Dodging or withdrawing the attack would inevitably hurt herself, so Zhu Houren simply still struck out with her palm straight out, hitting the Jinyiwei guard squarely. In an instant, the cracking sound of bones breaking could be clearly heard.

The Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards surrounding the group witnessed this palm strike. Everyone's hands froze, their steps involuntarily retreating, whether from the shock of Zhu Houren's crazed gaze or a sudden feeling of shared sorrow.

Before Mo Xibei's body even hit the ground, his sword was already thrust out, coordinating with Mu Feinan and Chu Junfeng's attacks. The three swords formed a triangular shape, blocking all of Zhu Houren's escape routes.

With two clangs, Zhu Houren deflected the two swords in front of him. At the same time, he focused his energy on his back, and Mo Xibei pierced his body with a sword, but Zhu Houren's true energy struck the sword, causing him to stagger two steps and almost vomit blood.

Before Mo Xibei could retreat, Chu Junfeng and Mu Feinan had already changed their moves. For some reason, Zhu Houren was unable to dodge, and both of their swords pierced a bloody hole through his leg at the same time.

The outcome is decided in a single moment.

Zhu Houren unleashed a flurry of palm strikes, forcing Chu and Mu back, his feet planted firmly. Suddenly, he bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Mo Xibei, with his limited understanding of the martial world, was unfamiliar with this almost demonic martial art. It could instantly unleash the body's greatest potential, but Chu Junfeng and Mu Feinan were both shocked. Almost simultaneously, they leaped up to pull Mo Xibei away, but Zhu Houren was faster; he suddenly leaped up, flipped over, and struck out with both palms, one in front and one behind, lunging straight at Mo Xibei.

When the scorching palm wind rushed towards her, Mo Xibei's mind went blank for a moment. Her first thought was to dodge, but there were people all around her, and there was nowhere to land even if she jumped. Then, a sentence from the tattered book in the treasure cave that day popped into her head in a nonsensical way: "Let him be as fierce as he may, the breeze still caresses the mountain. Let him be as strong as he may, the bright moon still shines on the great river." When she first saw this sentence, she found it funny that a line from a movie could be found here hundreds of years later. However, at this moment, her mind was clear because of the blankness. She felt enlightened and transparent. She didn't rush to jump and dodge. Instead, she moved her feet lightly, swaying with the strength of the palm wind. When Zhu Houren's palm was close at hand, she slowly bent her body backward, pulled her palm outward, and deflected the force of the attack. Then, she gently thrust out the sword in her hand.

The palm wind almost grazed Zhu Houren's nose, and Mo Xibei's seemingly weak and unsteady sword strike actually pierced into Zhu Houren's soft ribs.

A sudden chill ran through his body, and Zhu Houren's internal energy dissipated. He had twice forced the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique, exhausting his internal energy. At this moment, his body collapsed and rolled down. He propped himself up in disbelief, slowly looked down at his ribs, and saw a large amount of blood gushing out uncontrollably. When he looked up again, his eyes held a mixture of confusion, despair, and relief.

"The traitor is dead, do you still want to rebel?" With a thrust of his sword, Mo Xibei looked at Zhu Houren lying on the ground in disbelief. Mu Feinan rushed over and hugged her from behind. His hands were cold, even colder than Mo Xibei's. But before they could comfort each other, someone suddenly shouted. The voice sounded like it had no internal strength, but it was very loud, and perhaps also very authoritative.

The chaotic scene finally quieted down, and everyone's gaze turned to one point. The Emperor gently pulled aside Empress Dowager Jiang, who had been blocking his way, and walked step by step to the center of the inner pavilion. He was completely unafraid of swords and spears, and his expression was quite different from his usual lazy and idle demeanor. At this moment, his cold and majestic eyes swept around, and his aura was no different from that of his daily morning court. "The traitor has been eliminated. I know that today's events were all caused by Zhu Houren's rebellion. All of you have rendered meritorious service in protecting me, and I will certainly reward you accordingly. Remember, a king's word is law."

A moment later, the sounds of weapons hitting the ground filled the air. Inside the back pavilion, everyone except Zhu Houren, Mo Xibei, Chu Junfeng, Mu Feinan, the emperor, and Empress Dowager Jiang dropped their weapons, knelt down, and shouted "Long live the emperor!"

"Look, you've lost." The emperor smiled, looking at Zhu Houren, who was trembling and trying to stand up. "I am the one who has received the mandate of heaven, I am the true master of this world, this is the mandate of heaven. Look, I gave you such a good opportunity, but you still lost, and you still have to die."

"When did you find out?" Zhu Houren stared at the emperor, asking in a slightly strange tone.

"From the moment I ascended the throne," the emperor smiled. "You probably don't know, but back then, when the capital was engulfed in flames, Emperor Jianwen's fate was unknown. The search for him has never stopped. Now I'm not afraid to tell you that, besides the Eastern Depot, there has always been another force tracking down the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen's descendants. Unfortunately, when I ascended the throne, they just happened to find you."

"Then why didn't you strike first? You're taking such a huge gamble. Aren't you afraid of dying without a burial place?" Zhu Houren's expression changed, and his voice finally trembled slightly.

"I've already told you, I am the one who received the mandate of Heaven, so I will not lose. As for you," the emperor smiled, "you thought your plan was meticulous, but you certainly didn't expect that your only son has already gone to meet your ancestors before you." "You!" Upon hearing this, Zhu Houren suddenly leaped up from the ground, pointing at the emperor, but only staggered two steps. Seeing the emperor retreating with wary eyes as he advanced, he suddenly burst into laughter, "Well done, very well. The descendants of the Zhu family are indeed ruthless and..." Before he could finish speaking, he could no longer support himself, his legs gave way, and he collapsed.

"Master!" Chu Junfeng couldn't bear it, so he gently stepped forward, knelt down, and supported Zhu Houren's trembling body.

"..." Zhu Houren's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he did not make a sound. His eyes remained fixed on the position where the emperor was standing, and he gradually stopped breathing.

Outside the window, the first light of dawn finally appeared. Mo Xibei, nestled in Mu Feinan's arms, suddenly heard faint cries of a baby coming from the second floor of the back warm pavilion. With a sudden thought, he ran upstairs first and saw a blood-stained dagger on the ground, and a pink baby with the umbilical cord still attached lying next to Honglu.

end

The people outside only vaguely heard about what happened that night: Changyang Palace, located in a corner of the Eastern Six Palaces, caught fire unexpectedly. Because it was the middle of the night, Consort Xian and the young prince, who lived there, tragically perished.

Although the affairs of the imperial harem were the emperor's private matters, they were also a favorite topic of discussion among the common people. Despite the widespread presence of imperial guards, there were always many fearless individuals who whispered and discussed the matter discreetly during their leisure time, believing that Consort Xian's death was inextricably linked to the power struggles within the harem. Soon, some people recalled the famous story of the "Prince Replaced by a Civet Cat" from the Song Dynasty, speculating whether Consort Xian had also been rescued and what the whereabouts of the young prince were.

In fact, after daybreak, while the emperor was still dealing with the aftermath of his palace, Mo Xibei, Mu Feinan, and Chu Junfeng had already quietly left Qianqing Palace. It was already bright daylight, and it would not have been easy to escape from the Forbidden City like this. However, thanks to the fire that had just been extinguished, no one noticed that the three figures flew over the palace walls and disappeared into the morning mist.

Later, Mu Feinan also secretly told Mo Xibei that Murong Lianyun had been strangled to death. Before the fire, he had gone to Changyang Palace as instructed by Zhu Houren and found that everyone in the palace was dead. Before that, he had been following Zhu Houren. Zhu Houren had not ignored Changyang Palace in his early plans, and he did indeed intend to take Murong Lianyun and the child hostage. After all, the child's identity was special and he was a good tool to be used when the situation in Qianqing Palace was unclear. However, Zhu Houren probably did not intend to kill anyone, and Tian Xin had no reason to harm his own child in his hasty attack.

So who beat them to it and killed Murong Lianyun and the young child? The answer was almost obvious to everyone.

Because they were all injured and had a newborn baby, Mo Xibei and his two companions did not travel far but stayed at Plum Blossom Manor for the next few days. Chu Junfeng remained secluded, with only Mu Feinan occasionally venturing out to buy food and supplies for the child. The news he brought back was that over three hundred Jinyiwei and Imperial Guards who participated in the rebellion had all been executed in the Eastern Depot prison. Nearly thirty percent of the court officials were also arrested overnight. Almost all were sentenced to immediate execution, and their entire families, including those over thirteen years of age, were also sentenced to death, while those under thirteen were exiled three thousand li away.

"It's hard to believe you're from the same mother." After saying this, Mu Fei concluded his speech with this exclamation.

"What? Do you think he's too bad, or am I not bad enough?" Mo Xibei was flustered by the incessant crying of the baby. Hearing this, he narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Mu Feinan with a hint of threat.

"No. I was just relieved that you weren't as clever as him and ruthless." Mu Feinan quickly shook his head, indicating his innocence. But Mo Xibei acted faster, shoving the child into his arms. "I don't care. I didn't like what you said earlier, so I'm punishing you by making you take care of the child."

When faced with Mo Xibei, who was occasionally completely unreasonable, Mu Feinan was at a loss for words. It was easy for him to kill someone, but difficult for him to coax a child. After only one hug, his arms stiffened, and he felt completely helpless.

"Why is it so lively?" Fortunately, Chu Junfeng finally came out of his room at mealtime. His face was still pale, but he didn't look as tired as he had the other day. When he heard the child crying incessantly, he frowned slightly and walked over.