Beyond the Great Wall, the wind and snow continued for days. The world was silent. Outside of the Horse's Mane Ridge, there was not the slightest light.
Xu Buling held the iron mace in his hand and galloped through the countryside. The intense battle just now had consumed a lot of his physical strength. His heart was beating like a drum and his chest could be seen through his robe. Sweat dripped from his chin and soaked his soft armor and outer robe.
Although he was panting like a bull, he was not injured. He was resting on the horse and still had the strength to curse. His loud voice almost spread through the quiet countryside.
"Zuo, don't run if you have the guts …"
"Are all Northern Qi cowards? You bullied the few with numbers and plotted against them and still got beaten and fled. You should change your name to 'Right Zhuochun' …"
"You are the Nation Master, but you are siding with the enemy. Who the hell are you trying to seduce …"
"Little Peach Blossom has a person like you as her master. I feel bad for her. Believe it or not, I will bring a fat boy to visit you in the future …"
Cursing during a chase was also a skill. It was not as simple as venting anger. The main purpose was to provoke the enemy and make them turn back to fight.
But Zuo Qingqiu was not fooled by this kind of childish provocation. He galloped with Zuo Qiming on his back and had no intention of turning back.
The wind-chasing horse was produced in Mobei and there would be more than a few of them. As the Nation Master, Zuo Qingqiu was definitely qualified to ride one. Moreover, Zuo Qingqiu had arranged an ambush today and naturally had an escape route.
At this time, Zuo Qingqiu turned into the complicated terrain of Horse Mane Ridge. He galloped along the mountain ridge, bypassing pits and putting down logs to block the road.
Xu Buling wanted to make Zuo Qingqiu stay, but the visibility was too poor at night. He had to pay attention to the road under his feet. If the wind-chasing horse accidentally stepped on a pit or tripped over a rope, its leg would be broken on the spot.
Although they were only separated by half a mile and could vaguely see the figure in front of them, it was obviously impossible to catch up with them in this way. They kept crossing roadblocks and the distance between them was getting farther and farther.
Ta, ta, ta —
The two horses galloped, one in front and one behind. They chased for ten li, and Xu Buring also cursed for ten li.
Zuo Qingqiu did not turn back. His figure gradually disappeared in the night until even the sound of hooves could not be heard.
Xu Buling followed the hooves for another half a mile and the horse gradually slowed down. Finally, he stopped on the hills on the edge of the grassland.
The wind and snow swept across the boundless wilderness, and the grassland under the heavy snowfall was like a sea of snow. A few hungry wolves could be faintly seen wandering around the surroundings, smelling the scent of blood. It was hard to see anyone between heaven and earth.
"Pooh —"
Xu Buring dismounted from his horse and spat out a mouthful of saliva. After such a strenuous battle, he had finally relaxed. From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, he began to feel sore and fatigued. The webbing between his thumb and forefinger also felt a stabbing pain, which was slightly unbearable.
Xu Xu Buling's breath. As Buling Tiger Temple, King Dong Mountain, had in, a mountain, a, Wei, Buling, he, King, he, he was. and, water., a,
The Big Black Horse was born on the grassland and was a natural King of Horses. Deep in its bones, it had some nostalgia for this boundless world. At this moment, it stood valiantly by the side, puffs of white mist coming out of its nostrils. It seemed to be saying, "Look, this used to be my kingdom."
Xu Buling sat on the snow ridge and had just rested for a while. Before he could calm his breathing, a crisp "ding" came from behind him. It was the sound of weapons clashing. It was very striking in the night …
…
Horsemane Town was silent. The few civilians and merchants had all gone into hiding. Some collapsed houses were on fire. Broken walls were everywhere. It looked like a dead town that had just been affected by the flames of war.
In the middle of the street, Li Hansheng and Zhu Liu sat on the ground. Chen Chong from the Northern Borderline ran over first and bandaged the wound of Zhu Liu, whose right arm had been fractured.
Chen Chong used a spear to fight. His attacks were bold and powerful, but he was not agile in chasing. Yan Huilin did not fight him head-on either. After being led around the inn for a long time, he was in a better condition than Xu Buling. There was not even a speck of dust on him, let alone blood.
Thud, thud, thud —
The sound of hooves came from afar.
Chen Sining rode the Wind-Chasing Horse and galloped into the town. Cui Xiaowan sat behind her, while Zhu Manzhi took the lead.
"Father!"
Zhu Man Zhi galloped on her horse, her little face full of anxious tears. When she reached Zhu Liu, she did not stop and jumped down. She did not dare to touch Zhu Liu and said in a sobbing tone,
"Father, you …"
Zhu Liu's face was pale. The blood at the corner of his mouth had been wiped away. When he saw his daughter, his expression became calm again. He even smiled. He raised his left hand and rubbed his hair.
"I'm fine. This is just a small wound. It doesn't hurt as much as your mother hitting me with a rolling pin."
Zhu Man Zhi was after all a young lady. Even if she was extremely worried, she did not cry out loud like when she was young. She only hurriedly picked up the gauze and medicine to bandage her father's wounds. She wanted to scold her father but did not know what to say. She could only mutter out a few words in an unclear voice.
"If I know, I'll beat you to death …"
"Haha …"
Although the scene was tragic, the scene of a loving father and filial daughter was heartwarming.
Li Hansheng sat next to her and bandaged the wound on his waist and abdomen alone. He glanced at Zhu Liu and Man Zhi. His naturally gloomy eyes moved slightly, showing some disappointment and sadness.
Maybe it was because of the touching scene. He thought of the days when the family of three lived in the village. At that time, Qing Ye was still a little girl. She often squatted next to him and cried. She was very different from the cold girl now.
Some things, the more touching the scene, the more painful it was.
Li Hansheng looked elsewhere. He just looked at the wind and snow in the sky and sighed silently.
Chen Sining carried Cui Xiaowan down from the horse. In fact, she did not know how to greet the three top masters of Jianghu. She was worried about the safety of Xu Buling, so she got on the horse and ran out of the town to find Xu Buling who was chasing the enemy. The little sparrow flew in front.
Xu Buling was chasing Zuo Qingqiu and had already run far away from the town.
Chen Sining's tracking and anti-tracking abilities were very strong. She followed the footprints on the ground that had not been buried by the wind and snow and headed southwest. She observed carefully and did not step on any traps that blocked the pursuers.
The moon was dark and the wind was strong. Snow was flying everywhere.
Chen Sining chased after them for nearly ten miles. The footprints on the road were getting fainter and fainter, until they could no longer be seen clearly. Chen Sining couldn't help but feel anxious. Just when she was about to shout, the little sparrow suddenly flew back from the front, chirping and circling around.
Although Chen Sining did not understand what the little sparrow was thinking, she could clearly see that it was not a reaction to finding traces of Xu Buling.
Could it be that he ran into someone else?
Chen Sining's heart slightly tightened. She hurriedly slowed down and even suppressed her breathing.
The scene in Horsemane Town today was too shocking. Nine grandmasters appeared one after another, each of them legendary figures in Jianghu. They destroyed an entire street with their strength. Even a storyteller would not dare to write such a story.
Although Chen Sining was skilled in martial arts and believed that she was invincible among women, she could not help but be frightened at this moment and felt a little guilty.
Not to mention Zuo Qingqiu, who was an unreasonable hero of the country, even Shi Jinhai, who died the fastest, was a genuine top martial artist in Northern Qi. He was the "Northern Kick Grandmaster" who had the most superb leg technique in the whole of the north. It was only because the scene today was too grand that even Sword Saint Zhu Liu could not make it into the top ranks that he died without a sound. If Chen Sining encountered him, Shi Jinhai would probably only need one leg to kill her.
Now there were four people still alive in Northern Qi. Chen Sining could not afford to offend any of them. However, Zuo Qiming and Half-faced Buddha were seriously injured and could not fight. Perhaps there was a chance to steal a chicken.
Thinking of this, Chen Sining turned over and dismounted from the horse. She crouched and walked forward. Under the guidance of the little sparrow, she quickly came to the top of a snowy hill.
The little sparrow did not make a sound. Instead, it used its beak to point in the direction.
The snowfield beyond the Great Wall was boundless. She could not see anything.
Chen Sining took out her binoculars and searched carefully in the direction indicated. Soon, she saw a figure in a straw raincoat moving quickly on the snowy ground. His footsteps were almost silent.
？！
Chen Sining's eyes turned cold. This figure was obviously not Xu Buling. Xu Buling had brought many people with him. She knew Chu Chu very well. At this time, someone sneaking forward could not be one of them.
Chen Sining did not hesitate. She put away her binoculars and pulled out the machete behind her waist. She moved quickly from the side and came to the front of the figure's path, ready to attack.
The figure in the straw raincoat was probably afraid that Xu Buling would notice him in advance. He did not run very fast. If the little sparrow had not noticed him in the air, it would not have noticed him at all.
Seeing that the figure was getting closer, Chen Sining held her breath and bent down like a cheetah. However, she was afraid of accidentally stepping on a landmine. She chose a safe way to fight. She put the machete on the long whip. When the figure passed by the snowy hill, she suddenly burst out and whipped the figure in the straw raincoat.
Crack!
The whip, which was more than ten feet long, let out an explosive sound. Its momentum was extremely terrifying.
The tip of the whip with the machete looked sharp and cold in the snowy night. It swept towards the neck of the man in the straw raincoat like a scythe cutting grass.
Liu Wuye, who was moving stealthily, noticed something was wrong. He had already unsheathed the machete at his waist. With a clear clang, the edge of the machete hit the incoming machete.
However, Chen Sining attacked from the dark. The machete, with the help of the long whip, was astonishingly powerful.
Liu Wuye hurriedly pulled out his machete to block. Although the blade of the machete shifted, it still left a bloody wound on his shoulder. He lost his balance and fell on the snowy ground.
After the attack, Chen Sining could feel that the opponent was not much weaker than her. He was not one of those freaks from before. She immediately became more courageous.
"Die!"
As Chen Sining pulled back the machete with her right hand, she stomped on the frozen ground and approached him. She swung the whip again in the air.
Liu Wuye lost the initiative and fell on the snowy ground. He hurriedly rolled to the side to avoid the second attack. He then jumped up and pounced at Chen Sining.
Chen Sining's whip left a dent in the snowy ground. Seeing that the opponent was getting closer, she retreated at the same time. She pulled back the whip and swung the machete at the back of Liu Wuye's head.
Liu Wuye was prepared. He lowered his head and dodged the attack. However, before he could get close, Chen Sining threw the machete at him again.
This time, the machete was not attached to the whip. Liu Wuye raised his hand and knocked the machete away. He closed the distance between them to three steps. He was about to raise the machete to attack Chen Sining when he saw Chen Sining's right hand pulling at the air.
？！
Liu Wuye felt a chill in his heart. He leaned to the side and tried to dodge, but this time his reaction was obviously slower.
The scimitar pulled back by the thread brushed past Liu Wuye's face, shattering his bamboo hat and leaving a wound on his shoulder that was so deep that the bone could be seen.
Chen Sining used Green Bead to pull back the silver moon machete. At the same time, she sent a side kick at Liu Wuye's chest.
Bang!
The powerful kick sent Liu Wuye flying.
Chen Sining followed closely behind. Holding the machete, she was like a pouncing tiger. The tip of the machete stabbed at Liu Wuye, who had lost his balance in the air.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Liu Wuye had been ambushed and lost the initiative. If nothing went wrong, he would definitely be killed by Chen Sining.
Seeing the machete stabbing at his heart, Liu Wuye only had time to raise the machete and deflect it.
However, when Chen Sining was about to succeed, there was a sound of wind breaking in the distance. Then, there was a "ding" between the two. A scabbard flew over and knocked away the weapons in their hands.
Chen Sining sensed that something was wrong. She retreated and looked cautiously at the source of the sound, ready to escape at any time.
Liu Wuye was saved. He fell on the ground and rolled a few times.
"Stop!"
In the wind and snow, Xu Buling was already dozens of steps away. Holding the Frost Iron Mace in his hand, he appeared in front of Chen Sining in the blink of an eye.
"Why are you fighting? Brother Liu, why are you here? "
Seeing that Xu Buling knew him, Chen Sining's face turned pale. She thought that she had hit a teammate.
But on second thought, she felt that it was not right. Xu Buling was the one chasing. If they were teammates, it was impossible for him to sneak behind them.
Chen Sining glanced at Liu Wuye on the ground and grabbed Xu Buling's arm.
"Young Master Xu, he was sneaking toward you just now. Obviously, he is up to no good."
Xu Buling didn't hear anything before the two started fighting. He looked at Liu Wuye and frowned.
Last time, Liu Wuye helped him outside Autumn Wind Town. It was obvious that he was a chivalrous man and not a bad person.
However, in the eyes of Northern Qi, Xu Buling was not a good person either. It was the same as when he killed Zuo Qingqiu. It was just that they were on different sides, so it had nothing to do with good or evil.
Thinking of this, Xu Buling stuck the iron mace in the ground and spread out his hands.
"Brother Liu, are you here to give yourself away?"
Liu Wuye was indeed here to die.
In the cold wind, Liu Wuye climbed up from the snow. His shoulders were bleeding, and his long hair was a little messy. However, there was no pain on his face, only calmness. He stretched his neck and said,
"Do it. I'm here to kill you."
Chen Sining was relieved to see that she didn't kill the wrong person. At this time, there was a hint of displeasure in her peach blossom eyes. She pointed at Liu Wuye with the machete in her hand.
"You little brat, you can't even beat me. How dare you kill Young Master Xu? Are you tired of living?"
Liu Wuye was about the same age as Chen Sining. He frowned at the "little brat" and looked at Chen Sining.
"You sneak attacked me first, and your machete skills are not as good as mine."
"Machetes are used to kill people. Who cares about these things in a life-and-death fight …"
Xu Buling knew Chen Sining's temper very well. If he didn't stop them, they would argue for a whole night. He raised his hand to interrupt them and shook his head.
"Brother Liu, you must have seen what happened in the town. Killing me is not convincing at all. I'm afraid it's more appropriate to say that you want to kill yourself. If you want to kill yourself, I can't just kill you without saying a word. At least give me a reason. "
Liu Wuye also followed the envoy team and witnessed everything in Autumn Wind Town. He knew that with his martial arts skills, he couldn't survive more than three moves from Xu Buling.
But he still came.
Because if he didn't come, he didn't know what else he could do. Death was also a kind of relief.
Facing Xu Buling's question, Liu Wuye was silent for a while. Then he stuck the machete in the ground and said calmly,
"Do you have wine?"
"Hey, you …"
Chen Sining didn't like the sight of this effeminate man. She wanted to say something more, but Xu Buring raised his hand to stop her.
Xu Buling called the Wind-Chasing Horse over, took the wine gourd from the side of the horse, and threw it to Liu Wuye. Then he sat down on the snow and took off the glove on his right hand.
Chen Sining had been worried about Xu Buling's injury. When she saw that Xu Buling's hand was bleeding and his palm had turned blue, she quickly sat down next to him and took out some medicine and gauze to bandage his wound.
Chen Sining held Xu Buling's right hand naturally. Since it was an emergency, Xu Buling didn't think much of it. He just looked at Chen Sining.
Liu Wuye drank a few mouthfuls of wine and threw the wine gourd back to Xu Buling.
"Young Master Xu, you guessed correctly last time. I'm from the Liu family in Sky Mountain, the second son of Liu Shanpu."
Xu Buling nodded. "Our hometown is quite close. But the Liu family is a businessman and has nothing to do with me. You and I don't seem to have any grudges. Are you loyal to Northern Qi?"
"Sort of."
Liu Wuye looked into the distance and thought for a while.
"When I was a child, I lived at the foot of Sky Mountain. Once, the emperor went there to patrol the border. In the team that accompanied him, there was a … a lady from a noble family. She was the daughter of a noble family in Guiyan City …"
When Liu Wuye said 'lady from a noble family', he seemed a little hesitant. It seemed that he was too embarrassed to say it.
Chen Sining was very familiar with this plot. She had read a lot of Jianghu novels about unruly princesses meeting scholars and swordsmen. She looked up and asked,
"Then you fell in love at first sight and pledged to marry each other?"
Xu Buling was a little helpless. He tilted his head and looked at her. "Just let him talk. Don't interrupt."
Chen Sining felt that she was a little talkative, but that was her character. She would feel uncomfortable if she didn't answer. She could only smile awkwardly and continue to bandage his palm.
Liu Wuye smiled a little self-deprecatingly and nodded.
"Yes, it was love at first sight. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for her family to find out. She was a direct descendant of a noble family, while I was just the son of a merchant. Our families didn't match. In order to stop us, her father used his power to let my father solve the problem himself. Then he took her back to Guiyan City. "
Xu Buling nodded. This kind of thing was too common.
"And then?"
"My father wanted to lock me up at first, but I had been practicing martial arts since I was a child, so I escaped by myself. Then, my father sent assassins to hunt me down … "
？？
Xu Buling and Chen Sining were stunned. They looked up in confusion.
Hunt?
Xu Buling pondered for a moment and said with a frown,
"Our families didn't match, so they just separated. Why did they send assassins to hunt down a father and a son?"
Chen Sining also nodded. "Yes, it's common for young men and women to fall in love with each other. Why did they kill each other over this? Don't tell me you've already harmed that girl? No, if you really cooked the rice, the senior officials should have pinched their noses and accepted it … "
Noticing the strange look in Xu Buling's eyes, Chen Sining coughed softly and lowered her head.
Liu Wuye's eyes dimmed. He shook his head.
"Her family was too powerful. My father couldn't do anything about it. If I didn't die, the Liu family would be gone. Since then, I have been on the run all over Northern Qi. In the end, I came to Guiyan City and found her. "
Chen Sining looked up again. "You are good at martial arts. You can do whatever you want in Jianghu. Didn't you elope with her?"
"She didn't want to leave. She … she said that she couldn't forget the kindness of her parents. She couldn't go against their wishes. She only met me in private. When things were done, we could leave together in the future. "
Xu Buling understood a little. He nodded slightly.
"Hmm … What does this have to do with you coming to kill me?"
Liu Wuye sighed softly.
"She was born in a family of officials. She was very loyal to Daqi. She often … often helped her father deal with things. I am good at martial arts, so she asked me to help her."
"Oh …"
Chen Sining nodded thoughtfully. She could understand this. She was also a woman who hated evil. In the Imperial City, she always wanted to get rid of evil for the people. She even went to investigate cases herself. If she had a confidant like Xu Buling, she would probably ask him for help.
"I've helped her kill a lot of people, some of them that could be killed, some of them that couldn't be killed. However, she didn't finish what she wanted to do. Instead, there were more and more. A few days ago, she said … she said that during the coronation ceremony, she would become the Crown Princess and then the Empress. As long as I kill you, Daqi's empire will be stable. She begged me to follow you. If the Imperial Advisor fails, I will find a chance to stab you. "
"…"
Chen Sining sat up straight. She stared at him, speechless.
Xu Buling was a little angry. He spread his hands.
"So you really came? Are you retarded? "
"Yes. That vicious woman is obviously using you. She is already married, but she still begged you for help. She clearly doesn't want to be with you."
"Hehe …"
Liu Wuye flashed a bright smile. There was no sadness or joy in his eyes. There was only the calmness of a dead heart.
"Yes, we can't be together. It's just wishful thinking. That's how it is. I did come to kill you. The reason is ridiculous, but it's the truth. If you didn't intervene, I would have been killed by this girl. Do it. "
Xu Buling didn't know what to say. He wanted to scold him, but Liu Wuye did have a chivalrous heart. He didn't know what to say. He could only say that Liu Wuye had gone astray.
Chen Sining's mood was similar to Xu Buling's. After hesitating for a while, she decided to be a caring sister.
She shook her head and said, "You don't want to kill Xu Buling. You are just seeking death. How can Xu Buling kill you? How old are you? You don't have to be so stubborn. You are just a woman. There are so many good women in the world. Why do you have to hang yourself on one tree? With your martial arts skills and your looks … Although you are not as good as Young Master Xu, you are still a talented young man. As long as you want, you can find any girl you want. "
Xu Buling pondered for a while and finally followed suit.
"If you die like this, it will be a waste of your saber. Find a cool place and think about it. Come out when you have figured it out. As long as a man is capable, women will like him. If you can practice martial arts to my level, not to mention women in high positions, even a princess of a country will follow you and make eyes at you. "
"Yes … Huh??"
Chen Sining was about to nod, but she suddenly realized something was wrong. Her face darkened.
A princess of a country?
Follow me and make eyes at me?
Xu Buling reacted quickly. Realizing that he had said something wrong, he hurriedly said,
"I'm not talking about you. Don't think too much."
Liu Wuye didn't respond to his advice. She just shook her head and said,
"People are different. I'm different from you. Even if I don't die here, I will die somewhere else sooner or later. If I die in the hands of the most powerful man in the world, I will at least be worthy of my martial arts skills. "
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Liu Wuye, Xu Buling gave up and waved his hand.
"Get lost. If you don't want to listen, just pretend that I didn't say anything. Killing you will leave a knot in my heart. Why should I help you get rid of it?"
"Hehe."
Liu Wuye didn't say anything more. He stood up, drew out his saber, sheathed it, and turned around to walk into the depths of the snowfield.
Thud, thud, thud —
He walked further and further away.
Chen Sining looked at Liu Wuye's departing back. Just now, she had looked down on him a little, but now, for some reason, she felt pity for him. She frowned and said,
"This kid might not be telling the whole truth. He looks … weird."
Xu Buling sighed. The word 'love' had always been difficult to understand. If one did not experience it personally, one would never understand why a person who was deeply in love would do such foolish things that went against common sense. No matter how much one thought about it, one would never be able to understand why.
Seeing Liu Wuye disappear in the snowfield, Xu Buling stood up with his hands on his knees.
"Let's go. It has nothing to do with us."
Chen Sining agreed with him. This kind of thing could only be solved by oneself. No matter how much others tried to persuade him, it would be useless. She stopped thinking about it and followed Xu Buling back.
However, Xu Buling had just taken a few steps when his body suddenly swayed and he fell to the side.
Chen Sining was shocked. She hurried to hold Xu Buling's arm and helped Xu Buling up. She said nervously,
"Childe Xu, what's wrong?"
"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. My limbs are weak."
Xu Buling smiled softly, put his arm on Chen Sining's shoulder, and walked back, a little weak.
Chen Sining was very skilled in martial arts. It was no problem for her to hold Xu Buling. She also had to be careful when Xu Buling put his arm on her shoulder. However, after a few steps on the snowfield, she felt that something was wrong.
Chen Sining stopped in her tracks and looked at the two large horses following behind her. She blinked her eyes and looked at Xu Buring's crotch.
"Childe Xu, are you injured there and can't ride a horse?"
"…"
Xu Buling's crotch was fine, so he was definitely not injured.
He turned his head and seemed to have just noticed the two Wind Chasing Horses behind him. He nodded slightly and said, "Oh, right …" He loosened his arm and got on the horse.
？？
Chen Sining was a little confused. However, the battle just now was so thrilling that she didn't know the specific condition of Xu Buling's body. She even helped Xu Buling get on the horse before returning to Horsemane Town …
