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墨書 Inktalez
Fifty miles south of the city, Li Hong was anxiously stomping his feet while carrying Zhao Huan. Where was Chuxuan?
Suddenly, he saw a strange Crimson Glow rising from Five Nations City. It started as a small point and then expanded wider and higher, swirling flames shooting into the sky. In an instant, the entire sky in that direction turned bright red. The vast wilderness gradually lit up, and the wind and snow carried clear sounds of gongs and shouts, mixed with thick smoke that rushed towards Li Hong.
Had Chuxuan set fire to something?
At that moment, Zhao Huan behind him stirred slightly and let out a faint sound. Li Hong hurriedly set him down to examine his face.
Upon closer inspection, Zhao Huan bore some resemblance to Chuxuan. He wasn't old by age, but his face was lined with deep wrinkles, and he looked emaciated, hunched over as if he were much older than Zhao Gou.
His life had certainly not been easy; surviving was already a stroke of luck.
Li Hong couldn't express any particular feelings towards this former emperor of the Song Dynasty, but at this moment, he needed to calm him down first. He lifted Zhao Huan's head to shield him from the wind and snow and whispered, "How are you? Can you see me?"
Zhao Huan opened his eyes weakly and murmured, "Who are you?"
"I am from the South here to rescue you. Don't speak for now; the enemy is likely coming soon." Li Hong could already sense that powerful presence drawing nearer and said decisively, "I will take you away right now!"
He helped Zhao Huan up and was about to carry him on his back when Zhao Huan said, "Wait."
"What is it? We can talk later."
"First, clarify who sent you."
Li Hong could clearly feel Zhao Huan's tension; every muscle in his body was taut. Though impatient, he replied, "I was sent by Jianyan Emperor Zhao Gou. I am..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Huan shuddered all over. "Him? How could it possibly be him! I'm not leaving! You must be here to kill me!" He pushed Li Hong away and forced himself to stand, his body trembling in the cold wind, his face filled with vigilance. Li Hong could clearly sense the distrust radiating from him.
Li Hong was greatly troubled and frowned. "No one wants to kill you. I really am sent by Jianyan Emperor Zhao Gou."
Zhao Huan sneered, "After all these years, he hasn't even asked the Jin people to bring me back. Why would he be so kind as to send a young man like you to rescue me? Stop acting. If you want to know about that matter, I absolutely won't tell anyone."
The powerful aura was getting closer; Li Hong knew that if he stayed any longer, he might not be able to leave himself.
What had just been a successful ruse would not hold for long. Once that Demon gathered its wits, Li Hong knew he would definitely not be its match. Even if that Demon had forcibly raised its cultivation to the Nascent Soul Stage, it was still at a much higher level than his mid-stage Golden Core cultivation.
In a moment of thought, he prepared to kidnap Zhao Huan. However, seeing that Li Hong remained silent, Zhao Huan became even more convinced of his assumptions and suddenly turned to run toward Five Nations City, shouting as he ran, "There are robbers! Someone is trying to rob me! Help!"
This delay allowed the powerful aura to rush over quickly, stopping just ten zhang away in the snow—right in front of the Demon. Fortunately, that person was cautious and did not dare to charge directly forward; even now, they still believed there were two others lurking in the shadows.
Instead of being frightened, Zhao Huan felt joy and ran quickly toward the Demon, shouting, "Celestial Master, save me! Someone is trying to rob me!"
Li Hong stomped his foot in frustration; at this point, there was nothing more he could do. With a flash of golden light, he summoned Yue Que and quickly fled.
No wonder the Song Dynasty would fall at Zhao Huan's hands; he truly was not a bit foolish!
********
Three days later, Li Hong finally found Chuxuan.
Chuxuan hid in a cave, sitting there like a fool, staring blankly at the snow falling outside.
Li Hong was anxious to find him and even sneaked back to Five Nations City, almost running into a Demon. Fortunately, he managed to escape in time. Seeing Chuxuan made him feel dizzy with anger. However, seeing Chuxuan's expression made him sense something was wrong. When he asked Chuxuan what had happened, Chuxuan refused to say anything, only mentioning that after finding Xinghou, she was unwilling to leave with him and that she was already on the brink of death.
Li Hong was filled with doubts, unable to figure out what had happened in Five Nations City, so he told Chuxuan about Zhao Huan's foolish actions.
Upon hearing this, Chuxuan finally regained his composure and sneered, "He has always been a foolish person and is extremely suspicious of others. In his mind, no one can be trusted. Putting our lives on the line for him is a thankless task! So let's not waste our efforts. Besides, Uncle Emperor never intended for us to save him; it was merely a side task to rescue Empress and Empress Wei. If he doesn't trust you, then let him stay in that cold underground prison for the rest of his life and continue dreaming of being welcomed back as emperor!"
"What about Empress Wei? Have you found out anything about her?" Li Hong still felt somewhat reluctant since their mission had nearly accomplished nothing.
"Don't bother saving her! Bringing these women back would just be a joke," Chuxuan said with a grim expression.
Li Hong couldn't help but widen his mouth in shock. "Are they really not even letting Zhao Gou's mother, an old woman, go?"
Chuxuan suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing with anger, his fist almost swinging at Li Hong's head. "Watch your mouth!"
Li Hong scratched his head in confusion and stammered, "I was just saying it casually. If you don't want to talk about it, then fine..." Deep down, he was truly puzzled. Could there be a story behind Xinghou? Even Zhao Gou's mother?!
These Jin people were indeed shameless and indiscriminate!
Thinking about it made Li Hong somewhat understand Chuxuan's feelings. He patted Chuxuan's shoulder and said, "Let's go; I'm tired of this place. I never want to come back to Five Nations City again! Let's return to our beautiful Nine Li Sect!"
The two of them took off together into the sky.
Chuxuan remained sullen and silent, a stark contrast to his usual witty and talkative demeanor.
By noon the next day, Yanjing Prefecture came into view. Yanjing was one of the seven capitals of the Jin Kingdom, located along the Central Capital Road of the Jin Kingdom. From above, it appeared to be a grand Great City, somewhat reminiscent of the cities in the Southern Song Dynasty.
Li Hong thought of Chu Xi, who was still in seclusion, and felt a stir in his heart. He said to Chuxuan, "The New Year is approaching. Let's go down and buy some common trinkets to bring back for our fellow disciples."
Chuxuan shook his head and replied, "No. I will never buy anything from the Jins; I cannot coexist with them." After saying this, he ignored Li Hong and flew southward.
Li Hong felt helpless as he watched them fly past Yanjing, feeling a twinge of regret. There would be no more Great Cities on this journey south; it seemed unlikely they could buy any small items. He wondered about Chu Xi—was she doing well? Had she come out of seclusion? He hoped she wouldn't pay attention to any gossip...
Thinking of that day when Chu Xi stood alone in the wind, delicate and beautiful, a warm smile unconsciously spread across Li Hong's face.
As they flew, Chuxuan suddenly stopped and stared blankly below.
Li Hong followed his gaze and was startled to see a large Jin Army camp.
In the midst of winter, amidst the white snow-covered wilderness, rows of leather tents stretched over ten miles. The camp was filled with the sounds of neighing horses and shouting soldiers. There were countless heads bobbing around.
In the center of a training ground, no fewer than three thousand elite cavalry were practicing vigorously, turning the ground into mud.
The cavalry wore light armor for training, advancing in groups of three tied together with leather straps, each horse's hooves wrapped in rough cloth for grip. Behind every three riders stood a line of infantry holding long spears, followed by another group of three cavalry. They moved forward one horse length at a time, pausing briefly before advancing again.
In the cold wind, white mist billowed from every Jin Army soldier. Their formation was extremely disciplined; both men and horses moved in perfect unison, maintaining an orderly rectangular formation as they advanced.
Chuxuan whispered, "This is the famous 'Iron Pagoda' of the Golden Dog. Damn! Look at how serious they are during training. This isn't about peace talks; they are likely preparing to attack us again in the Song Dynasty!"
The renowned heavy cavalry of the Jin Army, the "Iron Pagoda," was trained in this manner. Li Hong watched with great curiosity and soon realized that the infantry behind the cavalry, armed with long spears, were not there to fend off enemies. The spear tips were aimed at the backs of the horses and riders in front. It seemed that if there was any disruption, those long spears would mercilessly jab into either the horses or the riders.
Discipline was strict; there was no retreat! Li Hong felt a headache coming on. Such heavy cavalry was indeed a significant nemesis for the Song Dynasty Army.
He looked at Chuxuan, who happened to be looking back at him. Both of them understood that there was a shared intent to kill.
"Take them out, Commander!"
"Alright! But we must wait until nightfall!"
"Yes, let's strike at night."
********
It was very cold, and the snow had stopped. The two hid their presence in a snowbank and waited until they heard three loud bangs from the direction of the camp. They immediately sprang up and saw two ghostly figures silently darting toward the Jin Army's camp.
The target was easy to identify; the Central Military Headquarters was a large leather tent with a golden top, particularly tall and wide. A crescent moon hung in the sky, reflecting off the snowy ground, making the pure gold top shine brightly, radiating a cold, unique golden glow.
The two were not ordinary people; they were not afraid of a million troops. They flew across the wilderness straight toward the Central Military Headquarters, moving as swiftly as two wisps of smoke, unnoticed by any Jin Army soldiers who had no idea that enemies had infiltrated their camp.
In an instant, they stopped in front of the grand tent with the golden top.
There were three presences inside, two of which had shallow breaths, indicating they were likely maids, already asleep in the corner of the tent. The third person sat in the center of the large tent, seemingly flipping through documents, with deep and long breaths. He was robust in build and was likely the target.
Li Hong and Chuxuan exchanged a glance, and with a swift movement, they passed through the curtain and approached the man.
This man was a towering figure, standing at eight feet tall. Even while sitting, he appeared taller than most. He immediately sensed something was off and was about to shout when he suddenly froze, slowly standing up, his voice trembling with excitement: "Second Brother! It's you! How did you come here!"
Upon hearing "Second Brother," Li Hong's killing intent vanished instantly. He focused on the man before him, whose excited, narrow black eyes strikingly resembled his own.
Li Hong felt as if he had been struck by lightning, staring in disbelief.
Elder Brother! It was actually Elder Brother Li Wu!
He stood clad in armor, his posture straight and imposing. A golden helmet covered his forehead, and he sported a long beard. His appearance had transformed from the simple face he remembered into one of a dignified general. Li Hong surprisingly did not recognize him at first. But upon closer inspection, it was unmistakably his elder brother Li Wu!
Li Hong was stunned; he never expected to meet after so many years under such circumstances.
However, gradually, anger began to rise within him. Li Hong unconsciously clenched his fists and coldly said, "So it's you! I didn't expect you to rise so quickly and become the commander of the Golden Dog Million Army! Truly commendable!"
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