Chapter 678

It was dusk, and the sun was as red as blood.

Xu Qi 'an saw a sumptuous meal in front of him. There was a gentle old woman, a young man, a pretty girl, and two children of different ages sitting at the table.

They are Zheng Xinghuai's family … I am looking back at his memories from Zheng Xinghuai's point of view … Xu Qi 'an, who had experienced empathy once, immediately understood.

He listened quietly as Zheng Xinghuai reprimanded his son.

Zheng Xinghuai had two sons. The eldest son was an official, and thanks to Zheng Xinghuai's teachings, he had a good reputation and a bright future.

The second son was a good-for-nothing, and he had nothing to do all day long.

Because Zheng Xinghuai's family was strict, the second son did not dare to bully others, and he could not even be a good-for-nothing.

He was a good-for-nothing.

Today, the second son of Zheng was drinking at a brothel, and he had a conflict with an officer. He was beaten up badly.

Zheng Xinghuai reprimanded the second son.

Second Young Master Zheng was indignant and said with grievance, "Father, I only went to the brothel. It was that ignorant man who provoked me, not me. What did I do wrong?"

Yes, what was wrong with visiting a brothel? Xu Qi 'an felt it was unfair for the second son of Zheng.

"Father, I want to go back to my parents' home. Next month is my father's sixtieth birthday."

At this moment, his daughter-in-law spoke.

Before Zheng Xinghuai could speak, the second son waved his hand and said, "Are you crazy? The barbarians have been causing a lot of trouble recently, and Chu Zhou City is so close to the border. What if we meet the barbarians on the way out? "

His face was full of fear as he reprimanded his wife.

Zheng Xinghuai said angrily, "You coward, how did I give birth to a good-for-nothing like you."

Xu Qi 'an could not see Zheng Xinghuai's expression, but under the state of empathy, he could feel Zheng Xinghuai's anger.

He was disappointed and helpless with this second son. He felt that the second son was useless and could not even compare to a hair on his eldest son's head.

At this moment, a man in light armor rushed into the inner hall. He carried a horn bow on his back and a long saber at his waist. It was Li Han.

Li Han said, "Sir, I don't know why the army suddenly entered the city and gathered the people. I don't know what they are doing."

Zheng Xinghuai was shocked and asked in confusion, "The army gathered the people? Where are they gathering, and who is leading them? "

Gathering the people for a massacre? Xu Qi 'an's heart skipped a beat. He braced himself and heard Li Han say,

"The commoners have been gathered in the four directions of north, south, east, and west. The one leading the army is the commander, Duke Protector Yong Xiu. He should be in the south city. "

Zheng Xinghuai put down his chopsticks, stood up and said, "Prepare the horse, I want to take a look. Inform Mr. Zhu to accompany me. "

Immediately, Zheng Xinghuai brought along the residence's "guest chamberlain" and rode towards the southern part of the city. Along the way, he saw soldiers from the City Guards Institution escorting commoners. They formed up into groups, but he did not know where they were headed.

"Stop, what are you doing as well!" Zheng Xinghuai 'an.

Of of of of as. Of as! Long as I is Is.

Qi, and, and as as, as, as, as.

An ominous feeling rose in his heart. He did not continue to tangle with the low-ranking soldiers. He whipped his horse and galloped along the street towards the south city.

Following the soldiers along the way, Zheng Xinghuai soon arrived at his destination. He saw a dense crowd of people. Roughly estimating, there were at least a hundred thousand people.

There were commoners, merchants, and even officials from the yamen. This group of people were gathered in a wasteland in the Southern City, rubbing shoulders with one another.

Thousands of fully-armored soldiers with bows and crossbows on their backs surrounded this group of people.

Zheng Xinghuai's gaze swept across and locked on the high horse, Que Yongxiu, as well as the dozen or so secret agents in black robes beside him.

The secret agents of the King of Zhenbei … Zheng Xinghuai narrowed his eyes and shouted, "Lord Protector, what are you doing?"

"Minister Zheng, you came at the right time." Que Yongxiu's single eye looked at him coldly. "Official Zheng, do you know why the barbarians have repeatedly invaded the borders, burning, killing, and looting?"

Zheng Xinghuai did not understand why he would ask such a question. He frowned. "What does this have to do with you gathering the commoners?"

Que Yongxiu pointed his spear at the commoners and laughed.

"Of course it has something to do with me. As a citizen of Daibun, we should do our utmost for the stability of Daibun's borders. We should shed our blood for the sake of Daibun. Minister Zheng, do you think what I said makes sense? "

"Ridiculous …"

Zheng Xinghuai was about to scold him when he suddenly saw Que Yongxiu urge his horse's abdomen and charge towards the commoners.

"Puff!"

His spear pierced through a commoner's chest and lifted him up high. Blood splashed out. The man on the spear's tip struggled in pain for a few moments before his limbs drooped down.

The scene instantly became chaotic. The commoners in the surroundings screamed in fear. The commoners further away did not see this bloody scene and were still at a loss.

Zheng Xinghuai's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Que Yongxiu, how dare you kill commoners indiscriminately. Are you crazy?"

The massacre was about to begin … Xu Qi 'an already knew what was going to happen next. Through his empathy, he could deeply understand Zheng Xinghuai's shock and anger.

"Lord Zheng, don't be anxious. It will be your turn soon." Que Yongxiu shook off the corpse on the spear's tip and waved his hand. "Fire!"

Thousands of soldiers drew their bows and aimed at the innocent commoners who had gathered.

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh …"

An overwhelming number of arrows shot out. They were as dense as locusts and as heavy as a rainstorm.

Every arrow took a life. One by one, the commoners fell to the ground after being hit by the arrows and let out cries of despair. Their lives were as worthless as grass. This included the elderly and the children.

Those who were lucky enough to escape the first wave of arrows started to escape. However, what awaited them was the elite soldiers' blades. As soldiers of Daibun, they did not hesitate to kill the commoners of Daibun.

"Help, help …"

"Don't kill me, don't kill me."

The commoners panicked and knelt down to beg for mercy. They could not understand why the Daibun army wanted to kill them. Why did the soldiers who were guarding the borders not kill the barbarians, but instead brandished their blades at them?

Puff …

The blades fell and the commoners fell to the ground. Fresh blood splattered everywhere.

The soldiers did not show them any mercy because they begged for mercy and knelt down.

"Bastards, what are you doing? I am a student of the prefectural school, an Elementary Scholar. You are slaughtering the innocent commoners. This is a heinous crime … "

A scholar wearing a green Confucian robe was pale, but he bravely stood up in front of the commoners and shouted at the soldiers.

Not far away, a ten-man squad leader took out his sword and stabbed it into the scholar's chest.

Warm blood flowed along the blade. The scholar stared at him, staring at him …

Xu Qi 'an felt his soul trembling. He did not know if it was from himself or from Zheng Xinghuai, but it was probably from both.

"Kill everyone, don't leave anyone alive." Que Yongxiu raised his spear and shouted.

Don't leave anyone alive. Of course, that included Minister Zheng.

Several secret agents pulled out their weapons and charged towards Minister Zheng in an overbearing manner.

The guest surnamed Zhu lowered his waist and bent his crotch. His fist ignited with a transparent flame-like aura, distorting the air as he suddenly struck out.

A black-robed secret agent did not retreat but advanced. His five fingers were like sharp claws, stopping the incoming fist energy. "Hu", the fist energy dispersed into a hurricane.

"Your Excellency, let's go."

The Foreign Official Zhu stayed behind to guard the rear, while the rest of the guards took Zheng Xinghuai and fled to the Zheng Mansion.

The horses galloped away. Zheng Xinghuai turned his head and saw thousands of soldiers shooting arrows, piercing the commoners' bodies. He saw soldiers brandishing their swords and beheading a mother who was running away with her child. He saw Que Yongxiu sitting high on the horse's back, looking at everything coldly.

Life was like grass.

Bastard … Xu Qi 'an heard the voice in his heart. He could not tell if it was his, Li Miaozhen's, or Zheng Xinghuai's.

The soldiers along the way ignored them. They mechanically and numbly repeated the task of escorting the civilians and herded them to the designated location.

Zheng Xinghuai knew what kind of ending these commoners would face. He ordered the guards several times to rescue them, but they refused and escorted Zheng Xinghuai all the way back to the mansion.

"I'll go gather the guards. You go inform the madam and the young masters. Leave the city now. We'll kill our way out." Li Han shouted with the horn bow on his back.

Soon, the guards of the mansion gathered in the front yard. Except for weapons and armor, they did not carry anything else.

"Father, father … What's wrong? Did the barbarians attack?"

The second son of the Zheng family ran out with the women. His face was pale and his eyes were filled with fear.

"The soldiers in the city are killing the commoners. We are among them. Leave the city now." Zheng Xinghuai made a long story short.

Until now, Zheng Xinghuai was still confused. He did not know why Que Yongxiu and the King of Zhenbei gathered the commoners to kill the commoners. He did not know what their purpose was.

However, he knew that this was not the time to find out the truth. The only thing he could do now was to leave the Chu Zhou City and get out of danger.

The second son of the Zheng family swayed and almost fell to the ground. It was his wife who helped him up.

Everyone was used to Second Son of the Zheng family's cowardice, including Zheng Xinghuai himself.

Under the protection of the guards, the women and children got into the carriage. Everyone rode the horses and sped toward the city gate.

"They're coming!" Li Han shouted with the horn bow on his back.

A few spies in black robes chased after them. Their speed was much faster than the horses. Li Han turned around and drew his bow. With a bang, an arrow whizzed through the air.

The secret agents were not weak. They dodged the arrows and arrived in an instant. They swung their long swords down from the sky and slashed at the carriage.

"Protect the madam!"

Wei Youlong, who was wearing a purple robe, swung his blade and blocked the spies' blades. The carriage let out a creaking sound as if it was on the verge of falling apart.

The two sides fought as they ran. Soon, they arrived at the city gate.

In front of them, hundreds of well-equipped soldiers were waiting. On the city wall, more soldiers were waiting.

The commander, Que Yongxiu, sat on the back of his horse. He looked at the people who were trying to escape from the city and sneered. "Lord Zheng, you can't escape.

"There are not only elite soldiers on the city wall, but also Sky Level Martial Artists trained by the King of Zhenbei. No one will be able to escape."

"No one can escape. Once the city gate is closed, and there are soldiers and Sky Level Martial Artists guarding the city, the barbarians may not be able to break through …" Xu Qi 'an's heart sank.

He was in the middle of the battle, and his heart was filled with anxiety. His mind told him that the Zheng family would not be able to escape.

Minister Zheng pulled the reins of his horse and shouted, "Que Yongxiu, what are you trying to do? Are you trying to rebel?"

Que Yongxiu sneered. "Why would I need to rebel to kill you ants?"

His only eye was filled with murderous intent. He raised his spear and shouted, "Kill!"

There was a wolf in front and a tiger in the back. The situation instantly became dangerous. The guards tried their best to protect Minister Zheng and his family. However, in the face of life and death, they had to use all their strength. How could they take care of so many powerless ordinary people?

After a round of killing, the carriage overturned and the women were hacked to death. Que Yongxiu raised his spear and picked up Zheng Xinghuai's grandson. He laughed wildly.

"Lord Zheng, you boast that you are an honest and upright official. Two years ago, you disregarded Duke Huai's face and investigated the military field case. You used the military field as an excuse to kill three of my capable subordinates. Did you ever think that this day would come?

"I killed your grandson. It is a courtesy to return the favor. Catch."

He shook his hand and threw the child's corpse towards Minister Zheng. However, this was just a pretense. When Zheng Xinghuai subconsciously reached out to catch it, Que Yongxiu threw his spear.

The spear pierced through the body and nailed him to the ground.

However, the one who died was not Zheng Xinghuai, but the cowardly hedonistic son of rich parents.

Second Young Master Zheng, the cowardly hedonistic son of rich parents, raised his pale face and choked with sobs, "Father, I am in so much pain. I, I am so scared …"

He was still that useless hedonistic son of rich parents. He had a family long ago, but he still cried to his father.

However, this cowardly good-for-nothing pushed his father away at the critical moment and used his own body to block the spear. He did not even blink his eyes.

He was afraid of his father. He was a yes-man, but in his heart, his father was the sky above his head, more important than anything else.

Xu Qi'an suddenly felt his vision blurred by tears. His eyes were burning. He subconsciously wanted to reach out to wipe his tears, but he remembered that he was just a bystander. The one who was crying was Zheng Xinghuai.

Empathy ended here. The scene was fragmented. The last thing Xu Qi'an saw was Que Yongxiu's ferocious smiling face.

…

He suddenly woke up and opened his eyes. Zheng Xinghuai's wailing voice was beside his ears. He clearly recalled the scene of his family's tragic death. This caused Minister Zheng's emotions to collapse. Empathy ended prematurely.

The crying turned from intense to low. After a long time, Zheng Xinghuai carefully wiped his tears with his sleeves. His eyes were red. He cupped his hands and said:

"I forgot myself."

"I am sorry."

Xu Qi'an cupped his hands and bowed back. He let out a long breath and said: "What happened after that?"

Li Han, who was carrying a bow, said in a deep voice: "We sacrificed two Fourth-pin warriors to fight our way out of the city. After that, we have been hiding here and there. We secretly contacted some chivalrous people, trying to expose the King of Zhenbei's conspiracy."

So, except for Zheng Xinghuai, his family had all died in the Chu Zhou City … Xu Qi'an glanced at the crowd and said in a low voice: "I need to go out and calm down."

The air here was unusually stuffy. The carbon dioxide produced by the bonfire was extremely uncomfortable. Xu Qi'an felt a little suffocated.

Ignoring the expressions of the crowd, he turned around and walked to the entrance of the cave. He pushed aside the branches that were blocking his way and walked out.

He stood in the valley and breathed in the slightly cold air. Only then did he realize that the suffocation had nothing to do with the air. It was the difficulty in calming down, the difficulty in exhaling, and the difficulty in relaxing.

Soft footsteps came from behind him.

"I want to go to the Chu Zhou City." Li Miaozhen said in a low voice.

Hatred was silent. Her calm face did not reveal any emotions. Her eyes were filled with determination.

"Yes, we need to go to the Chu Zhou City. Before we go, we need to sort out our thoughts and revisit the Case of Three Thousand Miles." Xu Qi'an snapped off a dried twig and put it in his mouth.

"The King of Zhenbei massacred the city to refine the blood essence and reach the Second Pin level. However, it takes time to refine the blood essence, so he chose to massacre the entire Chu Zhou City.

"When I intercepted the spy of the King of Zhenbei, I asked him about the situation. The spy didn't know where the King of Zhenbei massacred the people. However, according to the memories of Minister Zheng, there were many soldiers and spies involved in the massacre."

Li Miaozhen frowned and said, "You mean those soldiers and spies might have had their memories altered?"

Xu Qi'an nodded. "It's also possible that they didn't know what they had done. Either way, it wasn't something a Warrior could have done. So, the King of Zhenbei has a helper, a top Overlord of another system helping him.

"That Overlord even has the ability to restore the Chu Zhou City to its original state, but I'm not sure which system it is. Many barbarians have infiltrated the Northern Region and they are all investigating the incident. The King of Zhenbei must know about it. He either stopped refining the blood essence, or he has nothing to fear. If that's the case, we won't be able to do anything.

"Miaozhen, I need you to send a message to the barbarians and the monsters."

Li Miaozhen nodded. She could fly on a sword, so she was very suitable for sending messages.

Xu Qi'an looked into her eyes and said, "I will stay here to protect Lord Zheng. We will go to the Chu Zhou City together when you come back."

Li Miaozhen heaved a sigh of relief. "Wait for me."

"Let's not waste any more time."

"Alright."

Li Miaozhen summoned her flying sword and leaped onto the blade. She floated in the air.

Xu Qi'an returned to the cave, and Minister Zheng and the others looked at him. He said in a deep voice, "Lord Zheng, everyone, wait for my news."

Minister Zheng seemed to have sensed something, so he asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I am going to the Chu Zhou City to investigate the case."

This was understandable. Minister Zheng and the others nodded slightly.

Xu Qi 'an glanced at them and said, "You heroes have protected Sir Zheng and never left him. I admire you. It is interesting and desirable to have heroes like you in this world.

"I promise you that I will punish the murderer and bring justice to the people of the Chu Zhou City."

Zheng Xinghuai rose to his feet and cupped his fists. "Then I will die without regrets."

Li Han and the others cupped their fists and said, "I will die without regrets."

…

Early in the morning, Xu Qi'an arrived at a small town and found the best inn.

Xu Qi 'an paid the silver and asked the waiter for a bucket of water. He closed the door and took out the fragment of the Book of the Underworld. With a shake of his hand, the sleeping princess rolled onto the soft bed.

"Wake up …"

Xu Qi 'an gently patted her face. He suddenly remembered that this woman had been drugged by him, so he immediately channeled his Qi and forcibly woke her up.

The Wang Fei murmured as she opened her eyes. She looked at Xu Qi'an blankly for a few seconds. Then, her face froze and she shrank to the foot of the bed like a rabbit.

As he examined himself, he looked around and shouted, "You, you, you, what did you do to me?!"

Her eyes were wide open and she looked fierce, but it gave people the impression that she was just a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Xu Qi'an felt like laughing when he saw her. He shrugged and said, "I didn't do anything to you. I just let you sleep."

"I don't believe you. You knocked me out. You must be up to something." She said angrily.

"You are at the age of a young woman. Can't you tell if your child's bedroom has been broken into?" Xu Qi'an complained in his mind.

"I will go out for a while. You can examine yourself."

He waited at the door for a while until he heard the gentle voice of the Wang Fei. "Mr. Xu?"

Xu Qi'an pushed the door open and walked in.

The Wang Fei was combing her hair at the dressing table. She turned her head and glared at him. "Why did you knock me out?"

She continued to stare at herself in the mirror and focused on combing her hair.

It seemed that she had confirmed that she was still a complete melon. The anger in her heart dissipated a lot.

Xu Qi'an lifted the wooden bucket and poured water into the copper basin. He added a bottle of red liquid into it. He buried his whole face in it and kept rubbing it.

About a quarter of an hour later, Xu Qi'an's face was hot. When he raised his face again, it was a different person.

This person was so handsome that it shocked everyone and embarrassed Gu Tianle. He was the one and only handsome man in the world … At least, that was what Xu Qi'an thought.

He pushed the Wang Fei away and looked at the familiar face in the mirror. He was absent-minded.

After a while, he murmured, "It's been a long time …"

The Wang Fei looked at him and nodded slowly. "Who are you in disguise? Such an ordinary appearance is very suitable for hiding. "

After saying that, she saw Xu Qi'an glare at her with murderous intent.

What do you know about handsome? Xu Qi'an didn't look at the Wang Fei. He said lightly, "I went to investigate a case. It's not convenient for me to take you with me, so I came up with this plan."

After a pause, he said in a low voice, "The King of Zhenbei massacred the Chu Zhou City."

Clatter!

The wooden comb fell to the ground. The Wang Fei came back to her senses. Her face was filled with shock and sorrow. She unconsciously lowered her voice and said, "Chu … Chu Zhou City?"

No matter who heard the news, they would not believe it.

The Wang Fei was no exception.

Xu Qi'an briefly described what had happened to Zheng Xinghuai.

The Wang Fei murmured, "Although I don't like him, and I hate that the two brothers used me as a commodity to trade, I still admire him. He is the most powerful martial artist in Daibun. He is a great strategist and has guarded the borders for the people of Daibun for more than a decade …

"I was wrong. He is a selfish man. He guarded the borders not for the people, but because Daibun belongs to him and he will not allow outsiders to rob it.

"Similarly, the people are also commodities in his eyes. They can be traded and sacrificed. When he needs them, he will sacrifice them without hesitation."

She knew that the King of Zhenbei had massacred the people, but when she heard Xu Qi'an talk about the massacre, she couldn't help but feel emotional.

The King of Zhenbei's atrocities were unforgivable, and Yongxiu of the Huguo Public Tower deserved to be hacked to pieces. However, he was a rank-three martial artist and the Prince of Daibun. Who could punish him?

Who could force him to plead guilty?

Then, she heard Xu Qi'an say, "I need to leave for a few days. Stay in the inn and don't go anywhere."

Then, Xu Qi'an put the book on the table. "Keep it safe for me for a few days."

Once the monk Shen Shu went all out, there was a risk of losing everything he had on him, including his clothes.

The book was very important. He didn't want the Princess to see it. The best plan was to give it to Li Miaozhen. However, the Princess was still sleeping inside. She was not an object, so she couldn't stay inside the book forever.

In order to not let the number one beauty of Daibun die of starvation, he could only do this. Fortunately, the Princess was a silly girl and didn't know much. To her, the book was probably just a small, crudely made mirror.

The Princess didn't look at the jade mirror. Instead, she stared at him. "Where are you going?"

At that moment, Xu Qi'an's mind flashed with images of the people falling like weeds, of the scholar with a knife through his chest, of the mother and child who tried to escape with their child but were killed, of the toddler who was picked up by a spear, and of the second son of the Zheng family who was nailed to the ground …

"I've said it before. I'm going to punish the King of Zhenbei. He doesn't deserve the blood. I'm going to make him and the Imperial Tower pay the price. "

Xu Qi'an looked at her calmly. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were firm. "I'm going to Chu Zhou City."

The Princess looked into his eyes and knew that she couldn't stop him. She bit her lips and said softly, "You have to come back. Promise me."

"Okay."

Xu Qi'an nodded and walked toward the door.

"Xu Qi'an!"

She shouted. She got up and knocked over the stool in her haste. She took a few steps forward and mustered up her courage.

"Young man, befriend the heroes of the Five Capitals. Be brave and brave. Live and die together. A promise is worth a thousand pounds of gold. "

A promise is worth a thousand pounds of gold, so you have to come back.

…

On the Mount Carrying Mountain.

The horn sounded.

Twenty thousand elite cavalrymen of the Qing Yan Tribe gathered at the foot of the mountain. They rode on horses with horns on their heads and were covered in scales. They swung their machetes in the air.

Amidst the sound of the horn, he gazed at the towering palace.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Heavy footsteps came from afar. A twenty-foot tall green giant stepped out of the palace. Every step he took caused the ground to tremble. He was dragging a giant sword that ordinary people couldn't use.

The cavalrymen of the Qing Yan Tribe stared at their leader in silence. Only the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard.

The azure giant raised its heavy sword and roared, "In the Chu Zhou City!"

"In Chu Zhou City."

"In Chu Zhou City."

The cavalrymen of the Qing Yan Tribe raised their machetes and shouted.

…

On a black mountain in the north, in a valley surrounded by clouds.

A warlock in a white outfit with a blurry face stood at the edge of a cliff and looked down. The valley was shrouded in a thick fog that never dissipated. There was no sign of life.

"Zhu Jiu."

As soon as the warlock in a white outfit called out, the fog started to move like a woman's veil.

A black shadow dashed through the fog and stopped in front of the warlock in a white outfit.

When the fog dissipated, it was a giant snake head. It was red and scaleless, and there was only one eye on its forehead.

Its body was as tall as a mountain. The warlock in a white outfit was as small as an ant in front of it.

Legend had it that in the ancient times, there was a demon god who ruled the land of extreme cold in the north. He only had one eye, and it was red. When he opened it, it was day. When he closed it, it was night.

The leader of the demons in the north, Zhu Jiu, was the descendant of that demon god.

"In Chu Zhou City." The warlock in a white outfit smiled.

The vertical eye on the forehead of the giant snake suddenly opened. A ray of golden light pierced through the clouds and could be seen from dozens of miles away.

…

On a steep cliff, under an old pine tree, a beautiful woman stretched out her hand. Her sleeves slid down, revealing her fair arm.

The black eagle circling in the sky swooped down and landed on the woman's arm. It said in human language, "That person sent news. He is in Chu Zhou City."

The beautiful woman in a white dress said, "It seems that he not only wants the blood essence, but also the life of the King of Zhenbei. All demon soldiers are to attack Chu Zhou City. "