There were three reasons for Fan Xian's shock. First, the Emperor sending him down the mountain contained a glimmer of pity for his son. It was truly unexpected. Second, the Emperor's words seemed to no longer have his usual confidence. Third, the Emperor's last words …
Who would sit in that chair and let him decide? Were those last words or something else? The problem was, even if he was lucky and could make it back to Jingdou before the Eldest Princess announced the truth, what power did he have to turn his ideas into reality?
This was not the Jiangnan Ming family, the Cui family, the court officials in Jingdou, or the pitiful people in the Imperial Observatory. It was the Royal Palace and the ownership of the world.
A bitter smile appeared at the corners of Fan Xian's lips. Even if he was a powerful official in the Qing Kingdom, he didn't have a single soldier in his hands. What could he use to help the Emperor stabilize Jingdou? What right did he have to decide the ownership of that chair?
"I will not lose." A glimmer of a smile bloomed at the corners of the Emperor's lips. The smile was filled with cold killing intent. "Even if I lose, if Ye Liuyun and Sigu Jian accompany me in death, what is there to be afraid of? You don't have to worry. Director Chen is in Jingdou, and the empress dowager is in the Palace. Those people won't be able to cause much trouble. Take my edict and my royal seal. If anyone dares to stop you, kill them all! "
Cold sweat beaded on Fan Xian's forehead. If the Ye and Qin families also rebelled, even if he was a Great Grandmaster, the most he could do was fight a guerilla battle. How could he kill them all?
He could already see the glimmer of uncertainty in the Emperor's heart. His mood couldn't help but grow dim. If the Emperor truly died on Dong Mountain, what would the world become? Regardless of whether it was the Crown Prince or the Second Prince succeeding, there would probably be no place for him in the Qing Kingdom. Did he really have to hold on to that treasure bowl and take the second path?
However, the situation had not reached its most dangerous moment. There was still old Eunuch Hong and Uncle Wu Zhu on the mountaintop, as well as over a hundred Tiger Guards. No matter what kind of powerful enemy they encountered, they would be able to hold out for a long time.
There was only one way to forcefully climb Dong Mountain. The mission of the 5,000 longbowmen at the foot of the mountain was clearly to cut off Dong Mountain's connection to the rest of the world. It had to be cut off for at least three days to make time for the Jingdou incident. If they truly wanted to kill the Emperor, these rebel soldiers would not be of any use.
The Emperor would not stupidly go down the mountain.
And then … Ye Liuyun would climb the mountain.
This was indeed a gamble. If the situation of the three countries remained the same as before, the ruler of Qing Kingdom setting up a trap to kill Ye Liuyun, Northern Qi and Dongyi would certainly be happy to see it succeed. Ku He and Sigu Jian would not cast aside their identities and interfere.
But … the cold sweat on Fan Xian's forehead had already dried. His body only felt cold. When he was in Wuzhou, his father-in-law Lin Ruofu had reminded him that for a sufficiently alluring and even somewhat gorgeous goal, the Great Grandmasters might naturally walk together.
The bitterness in Fan Xian's mouth grew. If the situation continued to develop like this, how could there be anyone left alive on Dong Mountain? But could it be that the Emperor did not predict this situation from the very beginning? He carefully glanced at the Emperor's face and found that the Emperor's expression was somewhat gloomy. In the night, his pupils were flashing with flames.
He didn't continue thinking about these questions. He quickly analyzed the situation in front of him in his mind. The outcome of the battle at Dong Mountain was unknown. If it reached a stalemate, there would be problems in Jingdou. He had to bring the news that the Emperor was still alive to Jingdou and the empress dowager's side.
Even if the Emperor died and he returned to Jingdou, he had to let the empress dowager believe that the Emperor was still alive. Otherwise, given the judgment of a political figure like the empress dowager, once she learned of the Emperor's death, she would certainly choose to have the Qin family protect the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne and stabilize the Qing court.
The Emperor was her son. If someone wanted to harm the Emperor, the empress dowager would certainly not allow it. If the Emperor's death became a certain reality, as the oldest member of the royal family, the empress dowager had to consider the continued existence of the entire royal family and the survival of the world.
Regardless of whether it was for his own safety or the situation in Jingdou, Fan Xian knew that the Emperor's arrangements were correct. He had to bring the Emperor's personally written letter and royal seal back to Jingdou to stabilize the situation and deal with the post-Grandmaster era.
In the post-Grandmaster era, regardless of who won or lost in the battle at Dong Mountain, there would certainly be one or two Great Grandmasters who would leave the stage of history.
…
…
He nodded silently and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. Nothing will happen to Jingdou."
The Emperor glanced at him deeply and said, "The road ahead will be difficult and dangerous. You must be careful."
Fan Xian was slightly startled. Originally, in the depths of his heart, he had been full of mockery and self-mockery toward the Emperor's earlier words, "I have four sons." Unexpectedly, after hearing these words, his heart softened slightly.
… …
Fastening his belt and confirming that he was fully equipped, Fan Xian quickly changed from an official to a ninth-level night walker. He restrained his aura from head to toe. It was as if he wanted to become one with the scenery at the summit of Dong Mountain.
Only the infuriating silver moonlight shone unharmoniously on his body.
He carried the Emperor's royal seal and the letter to the empress dowager. They were not very heavy, but he felt very heavy. He knew that the news of Dong Mountain being surrounded would certainly return to Jingdou soon. At the same time, the news that would return would be that the Emperor had been assassinated. The Eldest Princess had used the perfect time difference. She didn't even need to prepare anything in Jingdou. As long as she confirmed the Emperor's death, the empress dowager would have to walk out sorrowfully from behind the curtain and choose one of the three princes to inherit the throne.
At this time, the worship to heaven had not been completed. The heavenly edict had not descended. Although everyone under heaven knew that the Crown Prince was about to be deposed, the Crown Prince was still the Crown Prince. Regardless of whether one looked at it from the perspective of the stability of court politics or any other angle, the empress dowager would choose the Crown Prince to inherit the throne.
This was not a conspiracy. It was just taking advantage of the situation. Even if the Emperor had countless backup plans in Jingdou and Chen Pingping and the Imperial Army were equally loyal, once the news of the Emperor's death spread through the world, who would openly disobey the empress dowager's edict? Unless they wanted to rebel a second time.
Fan Xian stretched his limbs as if he wanted to lighten the burden on his body. He knew that he was essentially carrying the Qing Kingdom's dragon chair on his back.
"After all, they are your brothers," the Emperor stood beside the black-clothed Fan Xian and coldly said. The Emperor stood beside the black-clothed Fan Xian and coldly said, "If we can avoid killing, we won't, particularly Chengze. If I have to, then I'll kill them all. "
Fan Xian's heart trembled slightly and he nodded.
The corners of the Emperor's lips twitched slightly. Gazing at the little boat in the distance, he mockingly said, "Why is Uncle Liuyun so slow? As a Great Grandmaster, do you still have uncontrollable cowardice when facing me? Do you still need helpers? "
Fan Xian smiled and didn't say anything. He raised his head to glance at the bright moon in the sky and furrowed his brows.
…
…
"During the day, I once told you why I chose Dong Mountain to worship heaven," the Emperor suddenly said. "The first reason was to invite Fifth Prince out of the mountain."
Fan Xian looked at the Emperor.
The Emperor gazed at him calmly and said, "The second reason is that Dong Mountain is a lonely peak by the sea. It is the best place to die. Yunrui had Yan Xiaoyi surround the mountain and then invited Uncle Liuyun to come up and assassinate me. I have nowhere to go."
Dong Mountain was isolated by the sea. There was only one dead end to the foot of the mountain. The side of the mountain facing the sea was a stone wall as smooth as jade. Even a Great Grandmaster would not be able to use lightness skills to ascend. If the Emperor was assassinated there, it would truly be difficult for him to escape.
"I chose Dong Mountain as a place of death to give Yunrui a misconception." The Emperor seemed to have shaken off the news that Sigu Jian might have come and recovered his confident expression. Calmly, he looked into Fan Xian's eyes as if he wanted to see through his heart.
"She thought she could seal off all news of Dong Mountain and let her do as she pleased in Jingdou. She forgot that I chose this place of death because I have a living person by my side who can fly out of this place of death."
Fan Xian smiled bitterly. He thought that even his ultimate skill had not escaped the Emperor's eyes. It looked like there were not many things about him that the Emperor didn't know. In this world, probably only his strange method of channeling qi could help him slide down the mirror-smooth Dong Mountain. The Emperor had captured him and brought him to Dong Mountain to set up an ambush there.
The Emperor had indeed thought far into the future. Fan Xian's heart suddenly jumped. He was no longer as worried as before. Since the Emperor could even use him, how could he not have a plan to deal with the most dangerous situation in front of him?
The Emperor smiled slightly and said, "I once told Gong Dian that your ability to climb walls is very similar to mine. Much better than mine."
Fan Xian looked at the abyss-like cliff under his feet and twisted his neck. In a rare moment, he made a joke. "It's a pity that the moonlight tonight is too bright."
"The moon waxes and wanes. That's what you once said." The Emperor raised his head to the sky and said, "I cannot predict everything that will happen, but I know that the moon cannot remain this bright forever."
As his words fell, a layer of dark clouds floated in from the sky and hid the full moon behind them. The silver light suddenly disappeared. Night once again descended upon the land. The summit of Dong Mountain was completely dark.
There was no trace of Fan Xian at the Emperor's side.
… …
The dark forest at the foot of the mountain was filled with the smell of blood. It was even more fishy than the sea breeze. Occasionally, the moonlight would brush through the forest. It was faintly possible to see corpses everywhere in the forest. Some of the corpses were lying on the ground while others were leaning weakly against tree trunks. Most of the dead wore the uniform of the Imperial Army. What was more consistent was that these Imperial Army soldiers who had been killed had numerous arrows pierced through their bodies.
The arrows pierced deep into the bodies of the dead and viciously pinned them to the trees and the ground. The scene appeared wretched and terrifying.
The forest at the foot of Dong Mountain was dense. The road was covered by the darkness and the forest at the same time. It was impossible to see its general appearance. One could only see countless corpses and blood. The closer they got to the foot of the mountain, the more intense the battle earlier could be seen.
Fires lit and then extinguished. Only a few trees in the forest near the mountain gate were still burning. They only lit up a corner of the silent night. The smell of burning on the ground gradually rose, suppressing the smell of blood and the sea breeze. It made the soldiers on both sides nervous.
Whoosh! A sharp sound broke through the air. A long arrow shot out like lightning and hit an Imperial Army soldier closest to the edge of the forest.
The Imperial Army soldier gripped the long arrow in his chest and wanted to pull it out. Under the intense pain, he no longer had the strength. Slowly, he sat down.
Just as he was about to sit down, three more arrows pierced through the air and pierced into his body!
The Imperial Army soldier's head tilted to the side. Blood sprayed from his lips as he died.
…
…
It was completely silent at the foot of the mountain. The 5,000 rebel soldiers had come to Dong Mountain without anyone knowing and launched the most despicable and sudden night attack on the 2,000 Imperial Army soldiers. The Imperial Army was unable to react in time. Additionally, they had followed the royal entourage to worship heaven and had not prepared the heavy armor needed for battle in the field.
The attacking rebel army was Yan Xiaoyi's personal camp. More than 5,000 longbowmen and marksmen had feigned an attack between Cangzhou and Yanjing. With Sigu Jian's tacit approval and purposeful concealment, they had passed through the 16 vassal states of Dongyi and emerged from a secret tunnel to the north of Danzhou. Using nearly 20 days, they had sealed off Dong Mountain like 5,000 ghosts.
The scouts along Dong Mountain had all been killed by the aces of the rebel army. They didn't have time to send out any news. Two thousand Imperial Army soldiers without heavy armor had been ambushed by 5,000 longbowmen. One could imagine the heavy price they had to pay.
What made these Imperial Army soldiers most angry and pained was that the first wave of attack from the rebel army archers was actually fire arrows.
In that instant, it was as if thousands of sky lanterns had been lit at the foot of Dong Mountain. They floated toward the Imperial Army camp. The moment the fire arrows landed on the ground, they ignited. The camp began to burn. The forest began to burn. Everything began to burn. The power was ferocious. It was the spots of fire that the Qing Emperor and his group on the summit of the mountain saw.
It was impossible for the Imperial Army to divert their attention to put out the fire. The burning fire and the suddenly bright night forest exposed all of their figures to the opposing archers. Although the Imperial Army was well-trained and immediately found a suitable cover in the first instant, they still lost more than 200 lives in the rain of arrows that followed closely behind.
What followed was a bloody and tedious counterattack, a surprise attack, failure, and annihilation.
The ground was littered with bodies and the mountain was covered in fresh blood.
In just a few rounds, the rebel army had defeated the Imperial Army and obtained an initial victory. They had sealed off the Imperial Army troops in an area half a li to the left of the mountain gate. The rebel army's attack suddenly stopped. There was only the occasional cold arrow that shot out and coldly killed the Imperial Army soldiers who had tried to break out of the encirclement to report.
The occasional sound of an arrow made the suddenly deathly silent forest at the foot of the mountain even quieter. It was a deathly silence.
…
…
Suddenly, a person covered in blood abruptly stood up from the pile of corpses. For such a scene to suddenly appear on such a moonlit night and in such a hellish field, the soldiers on both sides felt terror. However, they immediately grew numb. So many people had died. Who would be afraid of a corpse turning?
The fingers of the archers Yan Xiaoyi had sent out trembled. 10 arrows shot out. The target of each arrow was not the same. They were aimed at a certain spot on the bloody man's body and enveloped his entire body. It was very mournful, making it impossible for the person to dodge.
This was a military order. No one was allowed to break out of the encirclement. Thus, each time the attacking rebel army shot a person, they had to ensure that person died. Suddenly, someone walked out from the pile of corpses. The archers unconsciously released their arrows, thinking, Are you still not dead?
However, no one expected that the bloody man did not care about the 10 soul-devouring arrows in front of him at all. He just casually picked up two corpses beside him and used them as shields.
Pu, pu, pu, pu. A series of muffled sounds rang out. More than ten arrows shot at the bloody man at almost the same time. However, in the next moment, it was clear that they had only shot at the bloody man's dancing corpse. Countless amounts of blood sprayed out, dyeing the bloody man even more horrifying.
The corpse was heavier than the shield, yet this bloody man was able to dance the corpse and block the extremely fast arrows. It had to be said that this person's arm strength was very shocking. His vision and realm were even more stunning.
Someone in the rebel army camp seemed to have given the order, so there were no arrows fired at the same time.
The bloody man slowly put down the corpse in his hand. He grimaced as if he was sorrowful, sympathetic, and emotional about something. Then, he slowly walked in the direction of the mountain gate. Without the disturbance of the arrows, he walked very calmly.
He walked to the foot of the mountain gate. A thunderous cheer came from the Imperial Army.
They didn't know who this bloody man was, but they knew he was an official of the Overwatch Council and a trusted aide of Commissioner Fan. Furthermore, he was an absolute ace. In the rebel army's third wave of attacks, this Overwatch Council official killed 40 longbowmen alone until he was finally knocked down by the wave of people and buried in the pile of corpses.
Everyone thought he was dead. Unexpectedly, he was still alive. On such a terrifying night, at a moment when the rebel army could shoot all of the Imperial Army to death at any moment, the sudden discovery of such a powerful figure on their side was enough to raise the morale of what was left of the Imperial Army.
That was why there was that thunderous cheer.
Thirteenth Wang walked to the foot of the scorched mountain gate and slowly sat down on the stone steps. Accepting a towel from a member of the Qinian Unit beside him, he wiped the blood from his face, revealing his bright and handsome face.
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of healthy white teeth. Gazing into the darkness at where the rebel army was, he smiled.
Thirteenth Wang was a true warrior. Tonight, he had learned to use a corpse to block arrows. He could no longer be considered a brute. If Fan Xian had seen this scene, he would certainly have sighed with regret.
…
…
The sound of horse hooves could be heard. The rebel army parted, and a few horses came out. On the first horse sat a person. This person was shrouded in black from head to toe, and even his face was covered.
Yan Xiaoyi's trusted soldiers didn't know who this black-clothed man was. They only knew that Governor Yan had given strict orders that this battle was to be commanded by this person. Although the trusted soldiers strictly obeyed military orders, they were still dissatisfied in their hearts. It wasn't until they passed through the mountains and crossed the water to the foot of Dong Mountain that this black-clothed man gave out military orders to divide and surround the Imperial Army and beat them into a sorry state.
They were all simple orders and direct arrangements. However, they exquisitely matched the terrain at the foot of Dong Mountain and the dark night environment. This black-clothed man's use of troops was truly godly.
Reality proved everything. The gazes of the 5,000 longbowmen present as they looked at the black-clothed man were filled with respect and fear. Even the puzzling military order to withdraw earlier no one dared to question it.
The black-clothed man was tall. Sitting on the horse, he appeared even more mighty. It was a pity that he was shrouded in black clothing. No one could see his true face or the might hidden under the black clothing.
The black-clothed man looked at the blood-covered young man with jade-white teeth at the foot of the mountain gate. A voice came out from the black cloth and sighed with emotion.
"How brave … I've tried to kill him three times and still haven't killed him. He truly is a warrior. If this person joins the army, in less than a year, the world will have another brave general."
The black-clothed man suddenly smiled slightly. "However, the general trend has already been formed. How can the strength of one man go against the heavens? It is a pity that in a bit more time, this warrior will die. "
Suddenly, someone beside him sighed. The black-clothed man turned his head and looked over. Warmly, he asked, "Does Master Yun value talent?"
The person who sighed was none other than the first disciple of Dongyi's Sigu Jian, a master swordsman of his generation, Yun Zhilan.
Fan Xian had indeed guessed correctly. Dongyi had indeed sent out their most elite group of assassins to help the Eldest Princess' rebel army. Furthermore, it was Yun Zhilan who was personally leading the group.
Yun Zhilan glanced at the black-clothed man beside him and forced a smile. However, he did not reply to this question. Because among all the people present, only he knew who the young man who was covered in blood and yet still maintained a smile was.
That person was not an official of the Overwatch Council. He was not even a citizen of the Qing Kingdom. He was Thirteenth Wang, his teacher's most beloved disciple and his most accomplished younger brother disciple.
"Have they all gone crazy?" Yun Zhilan muttered to himself. He thought to himself, Since my brother disciple knows that the sect has sent people, why is he still standing guard at the mountain gate like a fierce tiger? What exactly is he thinking?
"Teacher sent you to follow Fan Xian, but he didn't want you to truly become Fan Xian's helper." Yun Zhilan looked at the bloody man at the foot of the mountain gate in the distance and thought with great confusion. "To be loyal to one thing after doing something? To even disregard the interests of the sect? Is this madness, or is it the open killing nature that teacher admires the most? "
"If one does not go crazy, how can one survive?" The black-clothed man lightly replied to Yun Zhilan's sigh.
Yun Zhilan shook his head and didn't say anything. Although he didn't know why his younger brother disciple would do this, as the heir of the Sword Hut, he respected his younger brother disciple. Thus, he would not reveal his younger brother disciple's background in front of this black-clothed man.
He didn't know who this black-clothed man was, but all of the troops were led by him. Furthermore, after watching from the side for a long time, he had to admit that this black-clothed man's use of troops was indeed remarkable. He did not take any risks or clever tricks. He fought steadily step by step and managed to deploy the resources of the entire rebel army to a near perfect realm. He did not give the Qing Imperial Army any chance to counterattack or break out of the encirclement.
Yun Zhilan brought out most of the aces of the Sword Hut to cooperate with Yan Xiaoyi's trusted soldiers. The cooperation between the two sides had always been problematic. If the swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council on the mountain or the highly skilled Tiger Guards had broken out, it would not have been so easy to completely seal them off.
However, the black-clothed man on the horse seemed to have a pair of godly eyes that could see all the details on the battlefield. At the beginning of the surprise attack, he forcefully ordered the aces of Dongyi to go to seemingly unassuming places to set up ambushes.
At the beginning, Yun Zhilan didn't understand. As the repeated attacks happened in the darkness and the repeated attempts to break out of the encirclement on Dong Mountain were ruthlessly pressed down by the black-clothed man's wrist, Yun Zhilan finally understood. This black-clothed man was no ordinary person. He was able to command the entire battlefield and not let go of any possible openings.
Such a use of troops could not be achieved without decades of experience on the battlefield. Thus, Yun Zhilan was confused as to why Yan Xiaoyi had not personally led the troops here. Who exactly was this black-clothed man?
He was guessing. Many people in the rebel army were guessing the black-clothed man's identity. This black-clothed man had only brought two trusted soldiers into the rebel army. He was free and at ease, but he used troops like he was moving his fingers. He was free and decisive in killing. He was worthy of admiration.
The black-clothed man did not explain to his subordinates why he had stopped attacking. He only looked coldly at the suddenly rising mountain in front of him. Leading the rebel army to attack this time was only a part of the agreement. If he didn't temporarily hold this power in his own hands, it would be difficult for the Emperor to make that decision.
Suddenly, a black cloud floated across the sky and completely covered the bright moon. The area near the mountain gate was covered in darkness. The black-clothed man sat motionless on the horse. Only the short weapons in the cloth bags held by his two trusted subordinates beside him flickered with a faint light.
… …
Fan Xian didn't know how long this cloud would cover the moon. He silently slid down the mountain. He didn't slow or speed up. Terrifyingly, he maintained a steady speed. During the day, the jade-like wall facing the sea of Dong Mountain gave off a faint and deep light in the night. It merged perfectly with him, who was wearing black clothing.
The knife-like dividing line along the two sides of Dong Mountain pierced straight into the ground by the sea. There were aces from Dongyi lying in ambush there, so he could not choose that route. He could only descend from the side facing the sea breeze.
No one in this world could slide down from such a hopeless situation, other than Fan Xian. Thus, he was not worried that the people on the sea or the rebel soldiers on land would discover his tracks. He was still incomparably nervous because he always felt a pair of eyes behind him piercing through the night and the whistling sea breeze and calmly watching him.
…
…
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