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墨書 Inktalez
It is said that once a teacher, always a father. The Xu Zhen arrived in the Great Tang, without parents or kin. Initially, to avoid being entangled in the causes and effects of this era, she did not seek even a close friend. However, Li Jing, as a Duke, was willing to impart his knowledge to her. Although the Xu Zhen admired the Great Tang War God, over time, she developed a deep bond of gratitude towards her mentor.
Though there was no formal apprenticeship, in Xu Zhenxin's eyes, Li Jing was undoubtedly the master of Xu Zhenzhi. Tonight, as Li Jing was nearly attacked and harmed, the Xu Zhen felt immense guilt and harbored a deep hatred for the mastermind behind the assassination.
Seeing Li Jing instruct her to retrieve the classic texts, she understood that he wanted to pass on his treasures to her. Her heart was filled with indescribable emotion and indignation.
"Zhen, I, Li Jing, have always been straightforward and honest. I never speak in riddles. When we first met, I did not particularly like your character because I sensed something strange about you that I could not comprehend. Thus, I hesitated to trust you. However, after spending time together, your sincerity has won me over. I have come to regard you as a beloved disciple and even as a son."
As Li Jing spoke, he pressed his hand against his chest to suppress his internal breath. The Xu Zhen quickly offered him water to help him rest, but Li Jing gently waved his hand and continued.
"Although we do not have an official master-disciple relationship, I sincerely wish to pass on my lifelong knowledge to you. Unfortunately, time is not on my side; it seems I will not be able to impart everything. Li Deqian and De Jiang each have their own interests and gains; neither are military men nor possess leadership talents. Only you, Zhen, cherish the soldiers and possess both literary and martial skills. Today, I will pass this classic text to you in hopes that you can gain insights from it and use it wisely for the benefit of the people. Do not misuse it for evil deeds or aim too high..."
Li Jing wanted to continue speaking but suddenly broke into a violent cough. Once he stabilized his breath, he picked up the Wooden Box and gently caressed it before suppressing his reluctance and slowly handing it over to the Xu Zhen.
The Xu Zhen solemnly knelt halfway down with her hands raised above her head to receive the wooden box. Li Jing nodded in satisfaction as she performed this gesture of respect.
"Father-in-law," she declared earnestly, "I will certainly heed your teachings!" As she called him father-in-law with heartfelt sincerity, tears welled up in Li Jing's eyes. He repeatedly expressed his approval with several good words, his face flushing with emotion. Just as he was about to speak again, he began coughing violently again. He opened his palm to reveal bloodstains while crimson still lingered at the corner of his mouth.
"Father-in-law!" Li Jing's face turned pale as he slowly collapsed onto the couch. Xu Zhenxin panicked and hurriedly summoned all the household servants inside; chaos erupted throughout Wei Gongfu.
In this moment of concern turning into chaos, the Xu Zhen remembered that she needed to summon a skilled physician for treatment. She asked the steward if there were any fast horses available. The steward looked troubled and simply shook his head but then added that there was an Old Horse they usually used for pulling carts.
The Xu Zhen's eyes lit up; she didn't care whether it was an Old Horse or a young one—any horse would do. She immediately ordered for the Old Horse to be brought over. Without further ado or waiting for saddling or bridle fitting, she mounted its back and dashed out through the back door of the residence.
This Old Horse had been Li Jing's war steed for many years and had aged alongside him. It had always been well cared for but was accustomed to galloping freely; thus, Li Jing had only used it for pulling carts out of fear that others would mistreat it—he usually sat in the cart himself.
The Old Horse was quite intelligent; sensing that Xu Zhen was unfamiliar with it, it resisted several times in an attempt to throw her off its back. The Xu Zhen grew anxious and furious; clenching her legs tightly around its belly and grabbing its mane firmly ignited a surge of killing intent within her as she secretly activated the Enhanced I Ching Cleansing Inner Power Technique from within. The Old Horse seemed to sense a familiar aura from her and gradually calmed down.
Liu Shenwei's residence is about seven or eight blocks away from Wei Gongfu. Without this Old Horse, it would indeed take a lot of effort and time to get there.
However, a problem arose. Although Liu Shenwei was at the Imperial Medical Office, his rank was not high. The entrance to his residence faced inward towards the block, unlike Xu Zhen's Xu Manor, which had a large gate on the block wall. This meant that Xu Zhen would have to break the night curfew and call for the block gate to be opened.
There were always two keys to this block gate, held by two Bystanders who managed it. Both Bystanders had to unlock it simultaneously to open the gate. Xu Zhen couldn't concern herself with all that; when she reached the gate, she gently stroked Old Horse's mane and whispered a few words in its ear. Old Horse snorted in response, and only then did Xu Zhen feel reassured enough to climb over the wall.
Liu Shenwei had already gone to bed. His residence was not particularly spacious, and there were not many servants. Little Apothecary heard the loud knocking at the door and was extremely displeased as he got up, lighting a lantern to check what was happening.
After asking a few questions through the door and learning it was General Xu, he hurriedly opened the door. Xu Zhen had a good relationship with Liu Shenwei, so Little Apothecary recognized her and quickly called Liu Shenwei to get up.
After hearing Xu Zhen's urgent explanation, Liu Shenwei quickly grabbed his medical kit and left with her.
As a well-respected figure in the block who often helped others, regardless of their wealth or poverty, anyone suffering from illness would seek out Liu Shenwei. The Bystanders gritted their teeth and, out of loyalty, opened the block gate for Xu Zhen and Liu Shenwei.
"You ride ahead; I'll follow behind!"
After calming Old Horse down, Xu Zhen helped Liu Shenwei onto its back while she carried the medical kit and ran swiftly behind the horse.
Old Horse was unbridled and smooth on its back; Liu Shenwei felt panicked. However, Old Horse seemed to understand Xu Zhen's soothing words and ran surprisingly steadily!
Just as they were halfway there, a patrol of Wuhou suddenly appeared and blocked their path!
Xu Zhen quickly identified herself, but those Wuhou burst into laughter as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world. Xu Zhen didn't want to waste time arguing; just as she was about to pull out her fish pouch, she realized she hadn't brought it!
Liu Shenwei had been hastily taken out by Xu Zhen and hadn't had time to bring such things as a fish pouch. He quickly pointed at the medical kit on Xu Zhen's back and explained to the Wuhou.
"I am Liu Shenwei from the Imperial Medical Office. This is undoubtedly General Xu Zhen. Saving lives is urgent; I hope you can let us pass. If you don't believe us, you can accompany us both. Duke of Wei has contracted a chill and is experiencing night vomiting; I am going to examine him. If we delay his condition, how will you all handle it?"
Liu Shenwei often walked through the palace, and which noble in the royal court would not give face to the Divine Doctor Liu? This had cultivated an air of nobility around him. The Wuhou present held back their smiles, and one of the leaders stepped forward to salute, saying, "Regardless of your identities, violating the night curfew is an offense. It would be better for you to come with us to the Wuhou shop, where we can keep a record. We will personally escort you out later. We hope that you noble ones will not make things difficult for us..."
Although this statement sounded reasonable, the Xu Zhen noticed a glint of cunning in the man's eyes. Clearly, someone had deliberately sent these people to obstruct her plea for help!
Realizing this, the Xu Zhen was instantly furious. It was one thing to conspire to assassinate Li Jing, but it was another to be so meticulous about it. These people must have already laid down their eyes and ears throughout Wei Gongfu!
With the assassin dead, they would undoubtedly learn of it immediately. They had not anticipated that the Xu Zhen would return, and now that they wanted to strike again, Wei Gongfu was already under lockdown. In such a situation, seeing the Xu Zhen galloping out must mean she was seeking help. The fact that she brought back Liu Shenwei only confirmed their suspicion: as long as they could delay or stop the Xu Zhen for a moment, Li Jing's life would be in danger!
The Xu Zhen also did not expect that they would even mobilize Wuhou's forces openly; this was clearly a declaration of war!
At this point, the Xu Zhen no longer needed to hold back. Pointing at the Wuhou, she shouted with a voice like thunder, "Get lost!"
Having experienced life-and-death battles countless times and having killed many, her killing intent erupted. If it were any other Wuhou, they would not be able to withstand such might from the Xu Zhen. However, these individuals turned pale and their eyes shone with a strange light!
"Not good!"
The Xu Zhen was extremely alert; realizing she could not stop these Wuhou, she understood that their identities might be suspicious. She quickly reached for her waist and pulled out three blue flying daggers from each side. With a swift motion, she launched them simultaneously. The two Wuhou in front displayed astonishing reflexes; one executed an iron bridge maneuver and narrowly avoided the daggers while the other two were caught off guard and fell to the ground with daggers embedded in their throats.
This strike happened in an instant. The two leading Wuhou were drenched in cold sweat from surviving by a hair's breadth. One of them slapped the ground to gain leverage and sprang up to draw his sword, but he felt his wrist tighten as he realized he had been seized by the Xu Zhen. A surge of immense strength came from her grip as his sword clanged out of its sheath. The one on his left was just about to attack when the Xu Zhen steadied her stance; twisting her waist and pushing her shoulder outward caused him to be knocked away directly into the path of the left Wuhou's blade!
Seizing the opportunity, the Xu Zhen took hold of the sword in hand. Under the moonlight, its blade was long and narrow like a willow leaf with an unusually thick spine; it was indeed not a weapon suited for Wuhou but rather a military saber used by border troops!
"They actually mobilized private troops to infiltrate Chang'an; how audacious!"
Furious, the Xu Zhen charged forward with her sword drawn. The fake Wuhou had just passed by his companion when she followed closely behind him. As his companion retracted his sword to avoid another Wuhou ahead, he was suddenly pierced in the abdomen by the Xu Zhen's blade. With a fierce twist, it burst open like a filled bladder, spilling blood everywhere!
With a swift twist of her foot and a drag of her blade, a head fell with a thud onto the ground amidst splattering blood rain. The Xu Zhen wore a frosty expression as she dragged her sword forward; its blade sliced through like a cold gleam. The fake Wuhou could not dodge in time and received a deep gash on his left cheek before half of his head slid off at an angle!
From the moment Wuhou was perceived to be different, the intent to kill arose, followed by a flurry of flying daggers, seizing weapons and killing. Xu Zhen executed it all seamlessly, like flowing water, her internal skills honed to perfection with just a breath!
On horseback, Liu Shenwei was stunned, watching Xu Zhen ’s figure fade away, as if witnessing the grim reaper moving from the underworld to the mortal realm at night!
As four people were killed here, a faint sound echoed ahead. Xu Zhen cast a sidelong glance at the roof of a nearby house and exhaled a breath of foul air, slightly turning her head to speak to Liu Shenwei.
“Brother Liu, I apologize for startling you. Tonight is unusual; please stay close to Xu Zhen.”
As if to validate Xu Zhen ’s words, shadowy figures began to appear on both sides of the dimly lit street, slowly gathering like hungry wolves scenting fresh meat!
Xu Zhen loosened her belt and tightly wrapped the hilt around her hand. The night wind was bleak, and suddenly she felt a surge of heroism, raising her voice in song.
“Hey! Hey! Hey! Look ahead; it's filled with Fur Thief. Let me ride high on the ridge and spill their blood in all directions!”
Liu Shenwei felt a thrill run through him, his hair standing on end. After a long moment, he solemnly praised, “What a hero!”
Old Horse snorted loudly, seemingly catching the scent he had long awaited; it was the smell of Three Souls and Seven Spirits!
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