A thin figure slowly walked out of the tall city gates. Under the contrast of the dark green towering city walls, the youth was as thin as a willow leaf that could be blown up by the wind. However, no one knew that within that slenderness, there was an unparalleled hardness that could not be destroyed by wind blades, frost swords, and the heart of the world.
Meng Fuyao raised her head and squinted her eyes under the sunlight.
She did not blink at all, allowing the warm winter sun to dry her tears. If she were to go to the Rong army camp with swollen eyes, she would be chopped into minced meat immediately.
She understood Tie Cheng's heart-wrenching cry at the end. She knew that Tie Cheng understood her intention, which made her feel somewhat comforted. She had walked the path of being condemned by thousands of people. Even someone as strong as her couldn't help but feel desolate. Fortunately, there was still someone who truly understood and warmed her up amidst this torrential hostility and hatred.
Meng Fuyao carried the bag that represented the administrative power of Yao City and walked towards the Rong army camp.
It was a tent for 50,000 people. The continuous rows of tents were like dark gray waves, with no end in sight. Compared to this gigantic structure, Meng Fuyao was like a drop of water in the ocean that could be drowned in an instant.
She walked over fearlessly and waved the bag in her hand at the forest of swords and spears, as well as the vigilant and hostile gazes of the Rong soldiers.
"Yao City Lord, here to offer the city."
The swords and spears fell to the ground with a clatter. The Rong soldiers stared at her blankly for a long time before going back to report. After a while, a general came out and looked at Meng Fuyao with a sharp gaze, especially when he scanned her from head to toe. In a rough voice, he said, "Since you've surrendered, why didn't you open the gates to welcome us? Instead, you came here on your own? "
"If I opened the gates to welcome you, would you dare to enter? Aren't you afraid of an ambush? " Meng Fuyao raised her eyebrows. "Is there anything more sincere than me entering your camp alone?"
The general held his breath. These days, they had exchanged blows with this City Lord, who did not play by the rules, many times and had learned of her methods. She had used a mere 800 soldiers to fight against a 50,000 strong army, and not only did she not collapse in the first wave of attack, she had even killed three of their generals. Indeed, they did not dare to enter when such a person opened the door to welcome them.
But now that she had come herself, what could a single person do to an army of 50,000? That was absolutely impossible.
"Follow me!" He thought for a while and said in a rough voice.
= = =
By the time Meng Fuyao met Tutemur, she had already gone through three rounds of interrogation.
At the last stage, Tutemur's personal guard touched her from head to toe. When he was done, he silently retreated. She quietly waited for him to finish. Then, she turned to him and asked politely, "Are you done?"
The man was taken aback. When he looked up and met her gaze, he felt a chill run down his spine. But Meng Fuyao had already walked in without looking back.
Meng Fuyao narrowed her eyes in discomfort as she walked from the bright light into the dark tent. Then, she felt a piercing stare from the corner of the tent.
She subconsciously turned her head, but the person sitting in the corner did not.
She glanced around and saw that the tent was filled with high-ranking officers in colorful robes. Except for the commander Tutemur, who was sitting upright, the others were either eating meat, drinking water, or scratching their feet. The tent was filled with the strange smell of tea-oil beef, wool, and men's sweat.
Scratching their feet in the main tent? No one in the world would manage an army like that. He was deliberately showing off his power and showing contempt.
Before she could finish looking, the person sitting in the main tent said in a disdainful tone, "You're the city lord of Yao City?"
Following his tone, the generals looked over coldly. The tent was filled with a murderous aura, and an invisible pressure pressed down on her like bloodthirsty beasts.
Meng Fuyao turned her head and did not speak. She slowly unfolded the bundle in her hand.
The glistening yellow copper seal shone in the eyes of all the generals. Their eyes widened. Amidst the whispers, Meng Fuyao said clearly, "I, Meng Fuyao, the city lord of Yao City, am here to offer the city. With the city lord's seal, I will pave the way for you to enter Yao City and even the hinterland of Limitless Nation."
"How arrogant of you!" Tutemur stared at Meng Fuyao with a yellowish complexion and deep-set eyes. His tone and expression were gloomy and suffocating. "Yao City is just a small city. Why would I need you to offer it to me? Why would I pave the way for you? "
"What an arrogant tone," Meng Fuyao laughed mockingly. "Yao City is a small city with 800 guards, 10 days of rations, no high walls, no cannons, and no well-trained soldiers. Yet, you've managed to obstruct your army of 50,000 Bright Tigers for half a month. You've taken too long to get what you want, and it's too difficult."
"You!"
"Cut the bullshit!" Meng Fuyao waved the bundle in her hand and raised her eyebrows. "I'm here to offer up the city. How are you going to explain this to the Southern and Northern Militaries, as one of the three main armies, if we can't take Yao City after so long? How are you going to face the other marshals who have won so many battles? How are you going to restore the morale of your army? How are you going to get them to continue fighting for you? Yao City's offer is the best way to restore your army's morale. I'm here to help you. Do you understand? "
Her last two words were like a thunderclap, shocking all the generals who were pretending to be indifferent. They threw away their cups of tea and stared at Meng Fuyao. All of a sudden, Meng Fuyao flung the bundle on her back and turned to leave.
"I'm a hero! I've never lost to you! If it weren't for someone causing trouble, I'd be talking to your corpses! I'm here to offer the city because I'm disheartened and want to find a better leader for my people. You fat barbarians dare to look down on me? I'm not going to serve you! "
"Just wait for my archers to shoot you to death at the top of Yao City!"
She carried the bundle on her back and knocked away the Rong leaders who were trying to mediate. Then, she walked away without hesitation.
"Wait!"
A deep voice came from behind her.
Meng Fuyao stopped in her tracks. With her back facing the tent, she smiled proudly and slightly sorrowfully.
'I was right after all. You bullies …'
Before coming, Meng Fuyao had pondered for a long time. Should she continue to endure humiliation and grovel to gain the trust of the Rong army's marshal, or should she use her domineering and unyielding personality to subdue them? In the end, she chose the latter. Based on her understanding of the Rong tribe, she believed that she would not go wrong with this method of attacking as a defense and not giving the other party a chance to think.
As it turned out, she was right.
Behind her, Tutemur could no longer sit still in the marshal's tent. He lifted his sleeves and hurriedly got down from his seat. "Wait, Governor Meng. Wait, it's the generals' fault for neglecting you …"
Meng Fuyao ignored him and continued walking.
"City Lord, I'm very happy that you've come to pledge your allegiance today. Come, come, City Lord Meng, let me introduce you …" Tutemur pulled Meng Fuyao and changed his attitude completely.
He had been carefully observing Fuyao just now. Although the City Lord was unexpectedly young, she was naturally domineering and courageous. She was obviously here to surrender, yet she wanted to pack up and leave at the slightest disagreement. His vast pressure and the murderous aura of the generals did not affect her in the slightest. Moreover, she seemed to know the situation of the Rong Army like the back of her hand, and every word she said hit the spot where he was in a difficult position. Such a talent was worth accepting even if she did not bring Yao City with her. If the king were to see her, he would definitely be pleased, and it would be considered a credit to him.
As for whether Meng Fuyao was pretending to surrender, it was only a fleeting thought. What a joke. How could someone who pretended to surrender turn around and leave without a guilty conscience? Based on his experience with Governor Meng, he knew that if she were to endure humiliation and grovel, Tutemur would have to be more cautious.
"Governor Meng," he politely extended his hand to lead Meng Fuyao away. "We were in the wrong just now. I apologize to you. Come, come …"
Meng Fuyao turned around and raised her eyebrows. "Do you believe me now, Marshal?"
Tutemur laughed awkwardly. "Of course, of course!"
Meng Fuyao slowly untied the bundle and took out the official seal. She weighed it in her hand before handing it over to Tutemur. Smiling, she said, "If that's the case, would you please show the official seal to the generals, lest they accuse me of making a fake one to fool them?"
"How could that be?" Tutemur took it. "Since that's the case, you blind fools should all show me Governor Meng's sincerity!"
The official seal was passed to the generals one by one. Meng Fuyao stood in the shadows of the tent with her hands behind her back, a faint smile on her face.
Some of the generals looked at it seriously, while others threw it away after a casual glance. "The Han barbarians are just so sloppy and weak," one of them muttered.
Meng Fuyao glanced at him and replied with a smile, "You probably won't have the chance to see the bravery of the Han people again."
When it reached the previous corner, the man who had glanced at Meng Fuyao seemed to have paused. Meng Fuyao's gaze seemed to have drifted over for a moment before she retracted it.
"Marshal, I've already shown my sincerity," Meng Fuyao said after looking at the official seal. "Don't you think it's time for you to show your sincerity as well?"
Tutemur hesitated for a moment before waving his hand. "Men, prepare the oath of alliance."
A boxwood tray was quickly served with a porcelain bowl filled with clear water and two sharp knives beside it.
Meng Fuyao's eyes revealed a cold, emotionless smile.
The oath of alliance of the Rong Tribe was not made by piercing one's finger, but by drawing blood from one's heart.
When the tray was served, Meng Fuyao took a step forward. According to the rules, Tutemur should be standing side by side with her. He hesitated for a moment before taking a step behind her. The two guards outside the tent immediately followed.
Meng Fuyao did not even look at him. She took the knife and pierced it into his heart as if there was no one else around. The tip of the knife was pulled out, bringing with it a wisp of bright red blood that dripped into the bowl of clear water.
Then, she smiled and took a step back, leaving Tutemur's side.
Tutemur heaved a sigh of relief. He took the knife, turned the tip, and gently pierced it into his heart.
Just as the tip of the knife touched the skin of his heart …
Meng Fuyao's hand suddenly appeared!
She was clearly an arm's length away from Tutemur, and there was still a guard in front of her. But for some unknown reason, with a cracking sound, her arm suddenly stretched out.
In an instant, her hand grabbed Tutemur's hand that was holding the hilt of the knife.
With a gentle push.
The sharp knife that had only intended to graze his chest immediately sank into the hilt without a sound!
Blood splattered everywhere!
Tutemur let out a wild roar that went straight to the sky, almost breaking out of the tent.
Meng Fuyao did not let go of his hand. She continued to smile coldly, and the hand that was holding the hilt of the knife twisted violently.
Everyone seemed to have heard the sound of flesh and bones being crushed in an instant.
A large amount of blood and minced meat spurted out, spraying Meng Fuyao's head and face. Tutemur could no longer let out another mournful cry. His throat gurgled as he spasmed and fell to the ground.
Meng Fuyao smiled warmly and pulled out her knife. With a wave of her wrist, Tutemur's head was chopped off. She stabbed the two guards who had pulled out their knives, picked up Tutemur's bloody head, and hung it on her waist. Laughing, she said, "I'm going to kill you!"
"This is the bravery of the Han people. I'll let you see it once before you die!"
Her laughter was sorrowful and wild, so loud and clear that it was like an eagle soaring into the sky. Her voice was like steel breaking and jade crashing in the bloody tent, like a sword or a halberd that could injure anyone it struck.
It was only then that the generals in the tent came to their senses. They saw Tutemur's headless corpse wriggling in the pool of blood, and Meng Fuyao laughing with her face covered in blood. All of a sudden, they went crazy.
"Kill her! Kill her! " One by one, they pulled out their weapons and rushed forward, stepping on the blood. Some of them did not even wear boots and rushed forward barefoot, waving their knives.
Meng Fuyao stepped on Tutemur's corpse and sneered at them. Suddenly, she turned sideways, and with a flash of black light, the Heaven Piercing Sword behind her was pulled out like a streamer. Holding the knife with both hands, she leaped into the air like a phoenix soaring in the Nine Heavens. When she spread her wings, the cold air was oppressive, and the black dagger left bloody marks in the air. Chop! Chop! Stab! Stab!
Fresh blood splattered, heads bounced, and broken limbs flew everywhere in the huge tent, hitting the cowhide tents before falling to the ground. The anger that Meng Fuyao had been accumulating for the past few days, as well as the pain from the humiliation she had just experienced, finally erupted in full. It was now the unlucky generals' turn to bear the brunt of it. Her long blade was like blood, and her murderous aura was sharp. Drops of blood dripped from the tip of her knife, splattering all over her black robe.
It was a one-sided massacre. None of the generals who had been hit by the Numbing Powder of the Official Seal could stand a chance against Meng Fuyao.
In the blink of an eye, the ground was littered with corpses, and a tent full of fresh lives turned into corpses. Such a violent massacre finally struck fear into the valiant generals of the Rong people. A few of the generals who were slightly poisoned looked at the ferocious and murderous Meng Fuyao, and their already weak limbs trembled so much that they could no longer lift their blades. They screamed and struggled to run out of the tent. "Help! Help! Someone! Murder!"
"Chi!"
A ray of cold lightning flashed in the dark and bloody space, and the fastest general who was about to rush out of the tent suddenly had a knife in his back.
It was not Meng Fuyao's dagger, but a curved knife that was specially used by the Rong people.
The one who had been killed turned around in shock and pointed at the man who had stabbed him from behind. His throat made a gurgling sound, and he struggled for a moment before saying, "Sha Ma, you …"
The man named Sha Ma was the one who had met Meng Fuyao's eyes when she had entered the tent. He calmly sheathed his knife and bowed to Meng Fuyao, who had suddenly turned around to look at him. "City Lord Meng, I am Sha Hong."
"You're a Han?" Meng Fuyao narrowed her eyes.
"Yes," Sha Hong's expression did not change in the splattered blood on the ground. "I'm a secret subordinate of the Sixth Squad of the Shangyang Elite Cavalry Division 18."
Meng Fuyao looked at him and slowly sheathed her knife. "No wonder you could tell that my Official Seal was smeared with the Numbing Powder."
Sha Hong smiled and said, "This one has received Master's order. If I meet you, no matter when or where, I must do my best to help you."
Meng Fuyao looked at him and then at the big-headed man from Yao City, whom she had pointed out at the beginning of the massacre. "You must have your own mission to hide here. There's no need to spoil it for me," she said softly.
Sha Hong was about to speak when he suddenly realized something. "Oh no, I just realized that there's someone missing!" he exclaimed.
Just as he finished speaking, heavy footsteps could be heard. Someone laughed outside the tent. "Damn it, I'm having an upset stomach at a critical moment. Marshal, I heard that Yao City has come to surrender? Let me take a look, "he said as he lifted the curtain.
There was still one who had escaped!
Meng Fuyao's eyes sharpened. "I'm sorry!" She slapped Sha Hong's head with the back of her knife and knocked him out.
Then, she nimbly leaped to the back of the tent and waited quietly with her knife in hand. In the darkness, her eyes were like those of a beast waiting to pounce on its prey.
The moment he stepped through the door, the knife would take his life!
The man outside had already lifted the curtain a little.
Meng Fuyao was ready to strike.
But suddenly, the finger retracted.
There was an unbearable silence. It was so quiet that one could hear the soldiers at the gate asking for the secret signal.
The breathing of the man outside the curtain gradually became heavier. Through the thick leather tent, one could hear him panting nervously, uneasily, and full of bewilderment.
Meng Fuyao's eyes gradually turned cold.
Things could no longer be reversed. Her plan to kill all the generals in one fell swoop and retreat had failed.
This was the will of the heavens. The will of the heavens wanted to destroy her.
But to destroy her, it depended on whether she was willing or not!
Meng Fuyao quietly wiped away the blood and flesh on her sword with her sleeves. There was a tough battle ahead, so she had to take good care of her sword.
A man who could notice that something was wrong with the situation inside the tent and determine her presence would definitely not be as rough as his words made him out to be. This should be a veteran who had been on the battlefield for a long time and was incomparably familiar with the smell of blood and corpses. This kind of person would be a difficult opponent.
Outside the tent, the general called Old Ha suddenly somersaulted. He was still in mid-air when he issued a command.
"Assassins! Archers, assemble! "
Before he could finish his sentence, a black shadow flashed, and a slender figure leaped out from the main tent. The newcomer was as fast as the wind. With a wave of her hand, she was already ten feet away from the general's heart!
The jade-green blade reflected on the general's horrified eyes. He did not have time to say anything. He tried his best to retreat, but he still could not escape from Meng Fuyao's sharp blade, which was imbued with Nine Heavens Cleaver inner force.
His arm was silently dismembered, and it rolled on the ground, staining the sand red.
Fuyao was too far away to kill the enemy with a single slash. It was already too late for her to follow up with another slash. Layers upon layers of soldiers had already swarmed forward under the command of the injured general like a swarm of man-eating ants.
The soldiers were like a sea, and the crowd was like a mountain.
A sea of blood, and a mountain of blades.
This was the time to massacre, the time to harvest lives, the time to turn flesh and blood into mud, and the time to scatter corpses.
At this point, Meng Fuyao had already emptied her mind and forced herself to become a killing machine. She leaped into the sea of weapons and flesh, her black long blade stabbing in and out like lightning. She was like Moses splitting the Red Sea, splashing blood everywhere she passed. In the midst of the waves, she had already turned into a streak of dark-colored Chasing Light. She carried the fierce midnight wind, the flying rain of blood, and the sky full of minced meat. Like a whistling line of blood, she tore through the colorful sea of soldiers. Every step she took left a bloody footprint, and every step she took left a severed limb.
She didn't know how many lives she had taken, nor did she know how many wounds she had added to her body. The soldiers who couldn't enter the encirclement stabbed randomly with their spears through the crowd. Such a dense attack would inevitably hit her, but in such a desperate and almost numb battle, she already didn't know the taste of pain.
How many people had died? She did not know. She only knew that the ground beneath her feet was uneven, and there were corpses everywhere. She had no choice but to kill as she kicked the corpses out. The corpses that she kicked out exploded into a rain of blood in mid-air, and then collided with the people who were charging at her … It was an endless massacre.
"National History: The Chronicles of Empress Shen Ying, Volume 1, Section 3:
At the beginning of the sixteenth year of Zhengning, the Rong army was in chaos and trapped Yao City. Later, as the city lord of Yao City, he fought against 50,000 soldiers with 800 soldiers, defended the city for half a month, killed three of the enemy's generals, won four battles in a row, and annihilated thousands of the enemy. The Rong army could not obtain him … Later, for the survival of the Han descendants in Yao City, he alone endured humiliation and pretended to surrender. He was pointed at the Rong camp and made a pact of blood, cutting his heart with a sharp knife, killing seven Rong generals and injuring one. He was trapped by the Rong army, and did not change his expression when he was surrounded. He pointed his sword at the heavens, stepped on corpses, and everywhere he passed, blood flowed … After this battle, he single-handedly annihilated nearly a thousand enemies, a feat that had never been accomplished in a hundred years since the Emperor of Divine Martial …
It was a horrifying massacre, so horrifying that when Fuyao stepped on the corpses, the severed limbs turned into blood-colored vines that broke out from the yellow sand, forming a forest of vines, convulsing and whistling as they entangled her …
Fuyao was tired of killing. Even if she were an iron man, her true qi would be depleted after the continuous killing. Even if she had prepared a large bowl of meat before coming, she could not withstand the endless encirclement and consumption. She looked up and saw that the number of heads did not seem to decrease at all. There was still a shocking number of them pouring towards her, while the people she had killed earlier were like a drop of water in the ocean.
Fuyao's arms were sore, and she could no longer wield her sword. However, she still had the strength to commit suicide. She smiled bitterly and habitually stabbed her sword into the heart of a soldier. Just as she was considering whether or not to stab herself, she suddenly heard a commotion in front of her.
The sound was very similar to her own. It was the screams of people being killed, the sound of bones falling, the sound of flesh being squeezed against flesh, and the sound of people being killed. However, the horrifying sound did not originate from one place, but from three places at the same time. She could even see a commotion in front of her when she raised her feet. Near the gate, there were three places that looked like they had been stabbed by a sharp knife. Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the soldiers who had been attacking Fuyao all turned their heads in shock.
The pressure on Fuyao was relieved. She jumped onto the corpse and opened her eyes to see that it was a dozen men dressed in black. They were killing people with a murderous aura and methods that were no weaker than hers. They were split into three groups, with five people in each group. Suddenly, they plunged into the crowd in a knife-like formation. In an instant, they effectively broke the formation and alarmed the entire team, causing chaos. It was obvious that they were elites who had been through tough training.
Where did this group of people come to her rescue at this time? Fuyao looked on in shock. She had never seen the hidden guards behind Yuan Zhaoxu, so she naturally did not know of their existence.
One of the men in black, who had rushed in the deepest part of the group, saw her and gestured for her to come closer. She took a deep breath, mustered up the last of her energy, and swung her sword again.
After another half an hour of killing, she and the black-robed man finally reunited. Both of them were covered in blood and minced flesh. Her eyelashes were almost glued to the blood. Only two of the four men by the black-robed man's side were left.
When they met, the man in black's eyes lit up with joy. Without a second word, he said, "Miss Meng, we have been ordered by our master to protect you. Please trust us —"
"Why wouldn't I trust you?" Fuyao smiled and cut him off. "Let's go."
She was so tired that she was on the verge of collapsing. She was covered in blood and had to rely on her sword to support herself. However, her smile was still clean, and her eyes were clear. The man in black looked at her and sighed. Suddenly, he remembered that there was another woman beside his master. Comparing the two, he shook his head and quickly extinguished the thought.
He turned around and helped Fuyao up. "Let's go!"
= = =
It was a night of killing.
By the time Fuyao broke out of the encirclement under the protection of the gradually shrinking army and finally saw the city walls of Yao City, the sky was already brightening.
Behind her, the wind brought with it a strong scent of blood. The Rong soldiers, under the command of the one-armed but still fierce general, were chasing after her relentlessly. Meng Fuyao looked around and saw only four people left. By the time she reached them, a third of them had already been killed or injured. Along the way, those who had died in battle, those who were exhausted, and those who had accompanied her through mountains of corpses and seas of blood fell from their horses one by one. In an instant, they were trampled into meat paste by the approaching cavalry. Meng Fuyao could only hold back her tears and charge forward. Her reins were in the hands of the leader of the black-robed men, who used his own body to shield her from the arrows coming from behind.
Finally seeing the city gates, Fuyao let out a sigh of relief. No matter what, they had finally arrived. If all 15 of them had died because of her, she would not have been able to face Yuan Zhaoxu.
The moment she relaxed, she felt all the wounds on her body cry out. Her bones felt like they were about to fall apart. She struggled and urged her horse forward, shouting, "Open the gates! I'm back! "
The valiant cavalry approached at a speed of dozens of miles per quarter of an hour. Fuyao could almost hear the neighing of the leader's horse, but there was no movement from the top of the city walls. The soldiers guarding the city stared at her from behind the battlements.
Realizing something, Fuyao quickly removed the head tied to her waist and raised it for them to see. "I pretended to surrender! This is the head of the enemy's commander, Tutemur! Almost all the generals of the Rong army are dead. They will definitely retreat in three days! Open the gates, quick! "
It was still deathly silent. This time, the soldiers on the city walls simply walked away.
Behind her, the sound of galloping hooves could be heard, like a thunderclap. A dark cloud appeared on the horizon, billowing and engulfing the heaven and earth.
The Rong army had caught up!
Fuyao fiercely whipped her horse and rushed to the city gates, smashing the bricks of the city walls with a single whip. Amidst the rising dust, she anxiously shouted, "Open the gates! Our pursuers are coming! Are you trying to kill us? "
"Can anyone recognize whose head this is?" A cold face peeked out from behind the city walls, staring coldly at her. "Open the gates. Are you going to let a traitor like you bring the Rong army in to kill us?"
Fuyao's heart sank, and her vision darkened. Her body swayed, and she almost fell off her horse. The man in black behind her quickly held her up, and she heard a muffled groan.
Fuyao turned around and saw an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. The pursuers were here!
General Ha, who had been chasing after her with a broken arm, suddenly burst into laughter. "Castellan Meng, who do you think can open the gates? If you break your promise, the commander will not be happy! "
Fuyao suddenly turned around and glared at him. Meeting her gaze, Old Ha could not help but tremble. However, his laughter, imbued with internal force, had already spread far and wide. Not to mention the people on the city walls, even the people inside the city had heard it.
With a loud bang, Tie Cheng slammed into the city gates. He had been kicked up by a group of Han people, who were pointing in the direction of the city and laughing maniacally. "Even in death, you still say that slut is an innocent Rong dog. Did you hear it now? Go open the gates? Open the gates for your woman and your master? "
Tie Cheng's face was covered in blood, and one of his legs had been broken. He coughed and spat out a mouthful of blood into the dust. "If I say it's not, then it's not!" he yelled angrily.
He really propped himself up and went to open the gates. Immediately, Han people rushed up to kick him, and a group of Rong people rushed up as well. In an instant, a chaotic battle broke out at the city gates.
Tie Cheng did not care about anyone. He had already heard the sounds of fighting outside, and anxiously went to pull the door bolt. But on the city gate, there was a silver chain that shone with a dim light. Tie Cheng used his True Power to pull the chain, but he could not break it. After thinking for a while, he pulled out his blade.
"Clang!"
The saber that had been tempered a hundred times shone brightly in mid-air and landed on the chain, but it did not even leave a mark.
Tiecheng was startled. Suddenly he felt a quiet and cold gaze on his back. He turned his head abruptly and saw Hu Sang Guniang was looking at him quietly with a pale face outside the noisy and chaotic crowd.
Tie Cheng was stunned again. Only then did he recall that Hu Sang's father was a famous blacksmith in the city.
"This is a chain made from a thousand-year-old bright iron that my father treasured." Hu Sang looked at Tie Cheng mockingly and said word by word, "You won't be able to cut it."
"Why? Why? "Tie Cheng roared." Why are you doing this? "
"She deserves to die." Hu Sang's eyes, expression, and every detail of her body revealed her crazy jealousy and disgust. "She deserves to die!"
Tie Cheng looked at her blankly. He could see the desperation and madness in her eyes. He was stunned, and his heart sank bit by bit.
"Bang!"
The sound of a human body hitting the city gates was like muffled thunder in summer. Fresh blood splattered through the gap and onto Tie Cheng's fingers. He lowered his head and looked at it. Was this Fuyao's blood?
That faint red … He recalled the redness in Fuyao's eyes when she left. Loneliness, desolation, helplessness, and determination. There was an irresistible perseverance in her gentle eyes, and a sense of vicissitudes in her perseverance.
That kind of gaze should not belong to an 18-year-old girl.
The fate of blood and tears should not belong to a girl who was brave enough to bear everything!
Tie Cheng suddenly knelt down.
This nineteen year old young man, let alone his knees, even his neck, had never softened, suddenly knelt down in front of Hu Sang in the dust in front of the city gate.
He kowtowed to Hu Sang.
"I beg you, let her go. She's innocent …" Tie Cheng knelt in the dust. His face was covered in blood and mud, and his forehead was bruised and swollen. He did not care about anything else. This was the first time in his life that he had knelt down. It was the first time in his life that he had begged so bitterly, and it was for a girl who could not even be considered a friend. However, compared to what the whole city owed her, he felt that his efforts were not enough to compensate her.
"I beg you, save her. The key, where's the key? Give me the key, I'll exchange all my assets for it …"
Hu Sang looked at him coldly, her eyes filled with hatred. After a while, she turned and walked away.
"I don't have the key."
Tie Cheng knelt on the ground in a daze, his mind blank. Suddenly, there was a loud bang behind him. Someone's body had hit the city gate and fell down without a sound. Tie Cheng did not dare to turn back to look at the corpse through the crack in the door. He was afraid that the body belonged to the girl he respected and worshipped. He was afraid that she would never be able to open her bright and determined eyes. He was afraid that this mistake would last forever. And he would have to watch her die alone, bathed in blood and killing. In the end, she did not die at the hands of the enemy, but because of the suspicion and selfishness of her own people.
"Ah!"
Tie Cheng suddenly raised his head and let out a blood-curdling scream.
= = = =
"Ah!"
Another scream. The second last man in black had died under another wave of ferocious attacks.
Rong Jun did not release any arrows. They laughed coldly and watched as Fuyao, unable to enter the city. They watched as the ferocious youth who had killed countless of their men was betrayed by his own people. Everyone around him was either dead or injured. The soldiers on the city gate looked on indifferently, thinking that it was still Fuyao's ruse.
They laughed heartily.
Fuyao, on the other hand, was silent.
She was as quiet as a tree that had lost its leaves but was still upright. She was as cold as a pool of water that was covered with snow and ice but was as unchanging as before.
She leaned against the city gate that should have been impossible to open for her. Her body was covered in blood, leaving a mottled mark on the city wall. That mark was the last and most vivid memory she left for this city. Right here, at this city gate, with her body covered in blood and corpses lying around her, in front of the city gate that still could not dispel the suspicion and anger of the Yao City guards, she had no future.
Fuyao's gaze slowly swept across the bloodstained yellow sand in front of her.
There were three corpses scattered on the ground, their bones incomplete. The only person left beside her was the leader in black, who was also seriously injured.
This elite team of secret guards had almost been wiped out because of her. Beside her, the leader of the team struggled to pull out his dagger and staggered forward, ready to use the last of his flesh to face the vast army of bloodthirsty soldiers for her.
Fuyao's fingers dug deep into the city wall. Bright red blood seeped out of her fingertips.
It was the blood of her heart.
And this city.
This was the city she had lived in for two months. This was the city she had truly liked and received warmth from. She liked the greetings and smiles from people in the morning and dusk. She liked the warmth of the mortal world that she had never experienced in her lonely life. She cherished and was reluctant to part with it. It was precisely because of this love and warmth that she had shouldered the responsibility that she could have avoided at the most difficult time. However, she had never thought that it would end up like this.
She had sacrificed herself for them, yet they had shut her out.
She had never benefited from them, yet they had thrown away their lives for her.
What kind of logic was there in this world?
What reason was there to continue with such an upside-down account?
"Ah!"
Tie Cheng's cries of grief and indignation rushed into Fuyao's ears. Then, she heard his despairing cries.
She took a deep breath and raised her head. Above the clouds, she could vaguely see a smiling face. It was tranquil, warm, tolerant, and broad, just like the dreams that had always floated in front of her.
Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.
The lost hometown, the persistence, and the hope that had been floating in her dreams had always been calling out to her. Could this end help her return to where she had started?
If she was destined to die, why drag out her feeble existence and drag others to their deaths?
This … was also good.
"Sir," she suddenly reached out and pulled the man in black who was limping forward, "there's no need to go."
The man in black looked at her in shock. She looked him in the eye and said calmly, "They want me dead. They won't touch you if I'm dead. I can't be a burden to you anymore."
"Miss, you're joking." After the initial shock, the man in black smiled. "Do you think they'll let me go? I've killed so many of them. "
Fuyao was silent for a while. "Alright, then we'll die together. I wanted to ask you to pass a message to him, but it seems impossible now. I only have one request. Destroy my body after I die, and don't let me fall into the hands of the Rong people. "
"Alright." The man in black sat down cross-legged and placed his hands on his knees. "Master ordered me to protect you. Whether I live or die, I've accomplished my mission."
She smiled at him, bent down, and knocked on the city gate. "Tie Cheng, I know you've tried your best. Don't cry." She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice was a little shaky. "Please forgive me … I'll repay you in my next life."
'Repay in my next life. Repay in my next life.'
Those people or things that I cared about, stopped by, looked back at, and thanked, please forgive me for having to abandon you at this moment. As for the next life … I hope there will be one.
She closed her eyes and slowly pulled out her saber.
The famed saber, Heaven Stealer, had reaped thousands of lives before tonight. Now, it was her turn to reap her harvest.
The thin and shiny blade reflected her pale but determined face.
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