When Yu Shu learned that Yun Hua had the idea of perishing together with his enemies, she was immediately overwhelmed with shock. She originally thought that after Yun Hua had gone through so many hardships and met Xue Rui, he would regret his stubbornness that caused his family to be torn apart. Who knew that after twenty years, destroying the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens was still the most important thing in his mind. This matter had already become a demon in Yun Hua's heart. Compared to this, whether it was Jing Chen's, Xue Rui's, or his own life, all of them seemed insignificant.
This realization made her feel a chill run down her spine, because if she got the Chunjun Sword, it meant that Yun Hua would die. If she did not get the Chunjun Sword, she would be the one who would die. She was greedy for life and afraid of death, but if Yun Hua died because of this, how could she face Xue Rui in the future?
Yu Shu suddenly fell silent. There was no longer any sound inside or outside the room. It was so quiet that it was terrifying. She looked outside and saw that the screen in the living room had been pushed to the ground. The door was wide open, and cold wind kept pouring into the room. Two masked men of sacrifice were guarding the door, staring at their every move without blinking.
Yun Hua and Zhao Xiaozhu sat on the horizontal couch, separated by a tea table. Jin Ke stood behind them, while Zhao Xiaozhu swayed by the door. She did not clash with the men of sacrifice. Both parties were in a stalemate until the sound of nervous and orderly footsteps came from the backyard. It was mixed with the sound of armor rubbing against each other.
"Foster father." Zhao Xiaozhu turned around and said to Yun Hua with a solemn expression, "There are many people outside. They are armed, and they have surrounded the entire courtyard."
Yun Hua raised his head and looked outside the door calmly. After a while, he saw the courtyard suddenly lit up with a fire that reached the sky. A group of people hurriedly walked past the window. The first person to appear at the door was Jing Chen, who had left and returned.
Yu Shu smiled bitterly without making a sound.
"I brought him here." When Jing Chen saw that Yu Shu was sitting next to Yun Hua unscathed, he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. He glanced at Yun Hua with a complicated expression and moved sideways. The person standing behind him was exposed to Yun Hua's field of vision.
Zhu Muzhao, who was wearing embroidered clothes and a light fur coat, was surrounded by several armed guards. He was already in his fifties, but his hair was still black and he did not look old at all. He looked calm and composed, as if he was not here for a meeting, but to meet a friend that he had not seen for many years.
Their gazes intersected in the air. It was just a meeting, but it had evoked twenty years of grievances and entanglements. Once upon a time, one of them was a famous young talent in the capital, while the other was a proud son of heaven from an illustrious family. They had once appreciated each other's talents, and they had also drank and chatted merrily. Who would have thought that when they met again many years later, things would be the same, but the people would be different.
"Zhu Muzhao."
"Yun Mufeng."
Zhu Muzhao raised his hand and gestured for the guards to stay outside the door. He only brought the sword-carrying man into the room. Jing Chen was the last to enter. He silently stood in the middle of the two parties, intentionally or unintentionally preventing a conflict that might occur at any time.
Jin Ke stared at the sword-carrying man and took half a step forward without batting an eyelid. He pressed one hand on Yu Shu's shoulder. Zhao Xiaozhu also retreated to Yun Hua's side and formed a protective posture.
"Yun Mufeng, you have been hiding for so many years. You are finally willing to show yourself," Zhu Muzhao said with a sigh as he sat down on a chair at random.
Yun Hua looked at him coldly and said, "It's useless to say more. Did you bring the thing I wanted?"
Zhu Muzhao nodded and glanced at Yu Shu, who was under the control of the sword-carrying man. He said, "I didn't expect you to use such despicable means. You can even use your own son so easily. You have really changed a lot."
When Jing Chen heard this, he looked embarrassed. Yu Shu, on the other hand, had a sullen face and did not say a word.
Hearing his provocation, Yun Hua said coldly, "Aren't you also using them to lure me out? I am just doing what you want. The Life Destroyer is in my hands. You can use the Chun Jun sword to exchange for it. You can also try to see if I will kill her. "
Zhu Muzhao looked at him inquiringly. "As far as I know, the Chun Jun sword only has one use. It can destroy the Book of Mystery Fairy Liu Ren. This is a secret left behind by the Saint Ancestor and Empress Ning Zhen to prevent the Book of Mystery Fairy from falling into the hands of treacherous officials. Only the rulers of the past and the Celestial Commissioner in power know about it. You want the Chun Jun sword for no other reason than to destroy the book. I have always been curious about your origin. Where did you learn so many secrets of our dynasty?"
Yun Hua said, "The imperial court has been investigating me for so many years. If they can't even find out my origin, they are all a bunch of useless people."
In the face of his mockery, Zhu Muzhao was not ashamed or annoyed. He retorted, "In your eyes, how many people in this world are not useless? Even I am not as good as you, so it is more and more difficult for me to understand. Back then, you gave up glory, splendor, wealth, and the power and status that could be easily obtained. Was it to go against the imperial court? Do you know how much trouble you have caused by burning the Celestial Commissioner to steal the Book of Mystery Fairy for your own selfishness? Perhaps one day, the world will be in chaos, and the common people will suffer. You will be the sinner for all eternity. "
These words could not be said to be without criticism. Yun Hua frowned and smiled angrily. "I dare not bear this crime, and I can't bear it. The general trend of the world, after being separated for a long time, must be united for a long time, and after being united for a long time, must be separated. At the beginning of the founding of the country, Empress Ning Zhen held the Book of Mystery Fairy in her hand. It was to support the right path and benefit the people. She knew that taking the bones for divination was against the harmony of heaven, so before she died, she ordered the six founding instruments to be buried with her. Unexpectedly, the later generations were unfilial and opened the coffin to take the book after her death. In order to use the Book of Mystery Fairy to control the general situation of the world, they forged the so-called 'Sacred Ancestor's Teachings' and compiled it into a 'Key Techniques of Governing a State'. They engraved it on the back of the Book of Mystery Fairy together with the Tai Gu Deity Lesson. They thought that this could cover up their treason and heresy! "
"From Emperor Xizong to the present day, in order to obtain a set of Tai Gu, how many shameful things have been done secretly, and how many innocent people have died tragically? Behind this peace and prosperity, it is built by piling up white bones and casting blood. How many innocent people have died tragically instead of being ashamed? "
Her words shocked everyone. The truth revealed between Yun Hua's words was simply shocking. Yu Shu and Jing Chen looked at each other. No matter what, they did not expect that there was such a hidden story behind the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens.
According to Yun Hua's words, Empress Ning Zhen clearly forbade the future generations from using the Book of Mystery Fairy, but the later emperor actually dug up her grave in order to consolidate the imperial power!
Yu Shu could not help but look at Zhu Muzhao's face. She saw that he was frowning and was no longer indifferent. Obviously, it was also the first time he heard such a story.
"A bunch of nonsense. The Imperial Ancestral Temple has the whole holy teaching. It is clearly written by Emperor Anwu. How can it be forged? I saw it with my own eyes. How can I believe that you are inverting right and wrong?"
"It doesn't matter if you believe it or not. I'm not saying these words for you to hear. " Yun Hua glanced at Yu Shu, who was sitting next to him, and sneered, "In the eyes of the world, I am already a dead person. Even if I become the eternal sinner in your words, so what? It is better than letting my future grandson be skinned and broken into pieces to be used by the incompetent emperor and treacherous officials. Instead of that, it is better for me to kill her first. "
Hearing him insult the emperor and himself, Zhu Muzhao's temper was about to explode. He immediately said with a cold face, "Since you are so stubborn, it is useless for me to persuade you. Well, you let her go, and I will give you the Chun Jun sword." As he said this, he signaled the person holding the sword to come forward.
At this moment, Da Ti Dian became the Bodhisattva who saved Yu Shu's life. Seeing that he was willing to exchange the sword for her, Yu Shu did not feel happy. Instead, she was anxious. The Chun Jun sword was Yun Hua's life-threatening talisman. Both Da Ti Dian and Jing Chen did not know that the real Book of Mystery Fairy was tied to Yun Hua. Once he got the sword, she was afraid that he would immediately kill himself. How could she watch him die?
"No!" Yu Shu suddenly spoke. Everyone in the room looked at her. She could only pretend to be afraid of death and said to Zhu Muzhao, "What if he still wants my life after he gets the sword? Let him let me go first! "
"Shut up." Jin Ke pinched her shoulder heavily. Yu Shu shrank her neck in pain. She did not know where he pinched. She opened her mouth again, but she could not make a sound. She was so anxious that her forehead was sweating profusely.
Yu Shu wholeheartedly thought that she could not let Yun Hua get the Chun Jun sword. She did not know what her appearance had exposed.
Zhu Muzhao looked at her thoughtfully. Suddenly, he laughed as if he had discovered something interesting. He turned around and said to Yun Hua, "It seems that she doesn't want the Chun Jun Sword to fall into your hands. This is strange. If you can destroy the Book of Mystic Nyu Liuren, shouldn't she be happy to see it happen?"
Yun Hua said expressionlessly, "It is she who is afraid of death."
"No." Zhu Muzhao slowly shook his head. He looked at Yun Hua and said, "She is not afraid of death. She is afraid that you will die. Let me guess, the Mystic Maiden's Six Rens Book is with you, right? "
Yun Hua asked him in reply, "Do you think that I will bring it with me?"
Yu Shu listened to their questions and answers. She only felt that she was extremely stupid. In a battle of wits and courage at this level, one careless move would cause the whole game to be lost. It was not something that she could participate in at all. She could only be a bystander. She kept her mouth shut and widened her eyes to watch the outcome of the battle.
"I think you will." As he said this, the calm and composed expression returned to Zhu Muzhao's face again.
Yun Hua said coldly, "Even if I bring the Book of Mystery Fairy with me, what can you do to me? I killed the Life Destroyer. Even if you can capture me and obtain the Book of Mystery Fairy, it will be useless without the Destiny Tai Bone. Now, I will ask you one last time. Do you want to exchange a sword for her, or do you want me to kill her? "
Jin Ke moved his hand to Yu Shu's throat. His five fingers formed a hook. He was waiting for Yun Hua's order to instantly break her neck. Seeing this, Jing Chen was extremely anxious, but there was nothing he could do.
Zhu Muzhao looked back and forth at them. He calmly raised his hands and clapped his palms. Someone outside the door asked in a low voice, "Sir, what are your orders?"
"Go and bring the person over."
After a while, the sound of footsteps approached the door. The door was half-closed and was pushed open by someone. Yun Hua looked up and saw two men of sacrifice walking in with a person tied up. The person's eyes were covered with a black cloth. When the men of sacrifice took off the black cloth and Yun Hua saw the person's face clearly, his expression changed instantly.
At the same time, when Yu Shu saw the person, she was so shocked that her hair stood on end. Among the people present, only Jing Chen was kept in the dark. He called out in confusion.
"Brother Xue?"
Xue Rui squinted his eyes and adapted to the light in front of him. He looked around the room, and his gaze first fell on Yu Shu. When he saw that her neck was being strangled by Jin Ke, and when he saw the person holding the sword beside Zhu Muzhao, he immediately understood the situation.
Like Yu Shu, he had become a hostage.
"Now, let me ask you." Zhu Muzhao said to Yun Hua calmly, "Do you want the Chunjun Sword, or do you want your son's life?"
Yun Hua came back to his senses and looked at Zhu Muzhao with gloomy eyes. "What if I say that I want the Chunjun Sword?"
Zhu Muzhao snorted coldly, and a sharp blade was placed horizontally on Xue Rui's neck. When Yu Shu saw this, she opened her mouth in panic, but she could not make a sound. Yun Hua closed his eyes. Anyone could see that he was struggling at this moment.
"How did you know?" he asked.
Zhu Muzhao was confident that he would win, so he did not mind answering his doubts. "Before Xue Zao died, he told me personally."
Yun Hua opened his eyes abruptly, and a cold light shone in them. "Xue Zao's death is related to you?" He naturally did not believe that Xue Zao would betray him. More than ten years ago, Xue Zao suddenly died, and his death was strange. When he heard the news, he suspected that Xue Zao had died an unnatural death, and he was most likely implicated by him.
When Xue Rui heard this, he turned to look at Zhu Muzhao. The sharp blade scratched his neck, leaving a bloody mark, but he did not feel any pain.
Zhu Muzhao said with an indifferent expression, "After you went missing, the late Emperor learned that the Book of Mystery Fairy was lost. In a fit of rage, he issued an order to silence all witnesses. Later, the Celestial Commissioner's report was passed to me. Now that I have succeeded to the throne, recovering the Book of Mystery Fairy became the most important task. I knew that apart from Jing Chen, you have another son who is still alive. So, I followed this clue and investigated further. In the end, I suspected Xue Zao. After several tests, I used the Great Cave Illumination Technique and found out that his only son was not his biological son."
At that time, Xue Lingnan was already the prime minister, and Xue Zao had a good reputation among the literati. Emperor Zhao Qing had just ascended the throne, and his foundation was not stable. So, Zhu Muzhao secretly captured Xue Zao and brought him to the Celestial Commissioner for interrogation. Unexpectedly, Xue Zao, who was a literati, was so stubborn that he refused to confess under heavy torture. If Zhu Muzhao had not learned the Great Cave Illumination Technique, he would not have been able to determine that Xue Rui was Yun Hua's son.
Jing Chen stared at Xue Rui in a daze. "You and I are … are …" biological brothers.
Zhu Muzhao continued, "Xue Zao was a smart man. He knew that he would not be able to escape death after he was tortured. To prevent the entire Xue family from being harmed and to protect his adopted son, he bit his ten fingers and committed suicide by touching the wall in prison."
He bit his ten fingers because he was afraid that someone would forge a false confession after his death and commit suicide by touching the wall. He wanted to leave his body intact so that his family could recognize it.
"After Xue Zao's death, I sent someone to dump his corpse in the suburbs and made it look like he was robbed. When the Xue family received the news, they went to identify the corpse and secretly brought it back. They announced to the public that Xue Zao had died a sudden death."
After listening to Zhu Muzhao's account, Xue Rui felt as if his liver was about to explode. His eyes were red with hatred and he glared at Zhu Muzhao. "So, it was you who killed my father!"
Yu Shu was terrified. She was afraid that Xue Rui would throw caution to the wind and fight to the death.
Yun Hua knew that Zhu Muzhao was deliberately provoking him, but he could not help but feel angry. He pounded his chest and said, "Jing Bai, you did not betray me. I am the one who betrayed you!"
He coughed violently and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
"Godfather!" Zhao Xiaozhu quickly supported him. She patted his back to calm him down and glared at Zhu Muzhao.
Seeing this, Zhu Muzhao seemed to feel that it was not enough. He added fuel to the fire by saying something else. "During the battle for the crown prince, you became Prince Xiang's guest. The Zhu family supported the current emperor, but the former emperor wanted you to be the next Great Advisor. After that, I was the one who spread the news that you had a wife in your hometown. That was why they were killed."
Yun Hua coughed up another mouthful of blood. He pointed at Zhu Muzhao and said with a trembling voice, "I should have known that it was you."
That year, in order to make him marry Princess Luyue, the former emperor used both carrot and stick. In order to refuse the marriage, he confessed that he already had a family. There were only a few people who knew about this, and Zhu Muzhao was one of them.
"If you want to blame someone, blame yourself." Zhu Muzhao looked askance at Yun Hua. There was pity in his eyes. "From the beginning, you should not have appeared in the capital. If Yun Mufeng did not exist in this world, the things that happened later would not have happened. Your first wife would not have died, Princess Luyue would not have died, and Xue Zuo would not have died. These are all sins that you have committed. You reap what you sow today."
The blood drained from Yun Hua's face. He was on the verge of collapsing. He lowered his head and did not dare to look at Xue Rui's expression. He was afraid that he would see Xue Rui's look of deep hatred.
Zhu Muzhao curled up the corner of his mouth in satisfaction. He made one last attack. "Now that things have come to this, are you going to let your own son die for the righteous path that you have been defending?"
Yun Hua took a deep breath and swallowed the stench that surged up his throat. He said in a hoarse voice, "Don't say anymore. Take the sword back. We will exchange a life for a life."
In the end, he could not bring himself to sacrifice Xue Rui's life in exchange for the Chun Jun Sword.
"No, it's not exchanging a life for a life." Zhu Muzhao shook his head and pointed at Yu Shu. He then pointed at Yun Hua and said, "It's using your son's life in exchange for the person who broke your life and the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens in your possession."
"Zhu Muzhao, don't push your luck!"
"You can choose not to give it to me. Whether they live or die, it all depends on you."
When she saw the two of them opposing each other, Yu Shu was extremely nervous. She had to admit that she hoped that Yun Hua would agree to it so that they could both survive. If Yun Hua refused, once Xue Rui died, Yun Hua would also die even if he obtained the Chun Jun Sword. In the end, she would be the only one left alive. She might as well die!
"Promise him." Xue Rui suddenly spoke. He stared at Yun Hua with his red eyes until Yun Hua raised his head and looked him in the eye. "Let her go, give them the book, and I will go with you."
Yun Hua was defeated at this moment. He sighed and nodded. "I promise you."
Zhu Muzhao smiled with satisfaction. "That's right. As long as I get the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens and the person who broke my life is safe and sound, I can let you live."
Even so, Yun Hua found it hard to believe him. He proposed to exchange the person first. When they safely descended the mountain, he would give him the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens.
Zhu Muzhao naturally would not agree. He said, "If I give the person to you, what if you just run away? Why don't you give me the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens first, and I will let you take the person who broke my life down the mountain. When you feel safe, you can let her go. How about that? "
Yun Hua sneered. "Aren't you afraid that I will go back on my word and kill her?"
"Will your son be willing to kill her?" Zhu Muzhao stood up and walked to Xue Rui's side. He pressed on one of his shoulders. His meaning was self-evident.
Xue Rui suppressed his hatred and said in a deep voice, "I will live and die with her."
It was originally words of love that were moving, yet because of the current situation, it only caused Yu Shu to feel sorrow. After this departure, could it be that she and Xue Rui are going to part forever? From then on, Xue Rui would have to follow Yun Hua to the ends of the world. Would they be able to see each other again in their lifetime?
"Okay, I will give you the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens first, but not here. Let's go down the mountain." Yun Hua was not confused by his anger. The entire Taoist temple was surrounded. If he handed over his last trump card here, they would only become turtles in a jar.
Zhu Muzhao agreed, but he made a request. "I want to take a look at the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens to make sure that it is real."
Yun Hua knew that he was being paranoid, so he asked Zhao Xiaozhu to take out the red crystal book that they had forged beforehand and tossed it to him. "This is fake."
As he said this, he untied the layers of his robe and revealed the ring of the Mysterious Crystal Book on his waist. "This is the real one."
Zhu Muzhao held the fake book that Yu Shu and the others forged and looked at it again and again. He clicked his tongue and sighed. "It is really fake." Then, he handed it to the person holding the sword. The person clenched the red crystal hard in Yu Shu's eyes with one hand and shattered it to the ground.
Only then did she know how naive their seemingly perfect plan was.
Zhu Muzhao saw the ring of strange red light on Yun Hua's waist and could not help but walk towards him. When he approached, he was blocked by Zhao Xiaozhu with a guarded look.
Yun Hua was not afraid of the cold. He untied his entire robe and turned around to let him take a closer look. When he saw Zhu Muzhao's infatuated gaze, he could not help but sneer. "How was it? Did you see it clearly?"
Zhu Muzhao retracted his gaze and first asked Yu Shu, "Is the real Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens on Yun Hua?"
Yu Shu nodded reluctantly. Then, he asked Xue Rui and Jing Chen the same question. After getting the same answer, he was finally convinced that the book on Yun Hua was real and did not make things difficult for Yun Hua.
"Alright, you can put on your clothes."
The two reached an agreement and left Rising Cloud Temple, descending the mountain together. Jin Ke held Yu Shu hostage and walked in front. Zhao Xiaozhu brought up the rear and protected Yun Hua in the middle. Jing Chen followed closely behind. Zhu Muzhao publicly ordered that no one was allowed to chase after them. He held Xue Rui and followed them to the foot of the mountain.
Yun Hua first asked someone to unload Zhu Muzhao's carriage and asked for three fast horses. Then, he asked Zhu Muzhao and his men to retreat a hundred feet and only allowed Xue Rui to go forward. Only then did he untie the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens and let Jin Ke throw it far away. While they were trying to snatch the book, Jin Ke quickly went forward and took Xue Rui away.
The person holding the sword flew several feet away and steadily caught the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens. He returned to Zhu Muzhao's side and handed it to him.
Zhu Muzhao held the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens in his hand as if he had obtained a treasure. He could no longer hold back the excitement in his heart. He looked up at the sky and laughed. He said to Yun Hua and his men in the distance, "I said that I would let you live. Run for your lives!"
The other party did not answer. Yun Hua and Zhao Xiaozhu rode on one horse, Jin Ke rode on the other, and Xue Rui and Yu Shu rode on the other. They ran away without looking back and disappeared into the night. Jing Chen moved and was about to chase after them, but he was stopped by Zhu Muzhao. "Don't chase after them. Let them go."
Jing Chen turned around and looked at him with a struggling expression. "I am afraid that once she leaves, she will not come back."
Zhu Muzhao wrapped the Book of Mystery Woman's Six Rens in his cloak and looked into the darkness in the distance. He said with certainty, "Don't worry. She will come back. After all, her home is in the capital."
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