The wind howled, and yellow sand filled the sky.
The young man couldn't remember how many times he had gotten up from the ground.
The severe dehydration made him dizzy. His knees and palms were badly mangled, and the hot sand rubbed the soles of his feet with large bloody blisters. The endless sand dunes in front of him were rolling with torrential heat waves. Further away on the horizon, a storm was rising and sweeping toward the center of the desert at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Master …" The young man staggered forward and let out a hoarse cry.
"Wait for me, wait for me … Master!"
With a muffled thud, the young man fell to the ground again. The sharp pain almost made him lose consciousness.
After an unknown period of time, the wind became stronger and stronger. A figure finally came from the front and stopped in front of him.
"… Master …" The young man tried his best to make a humble plea, "Don't leave me, I beg you, Master …"
The figure was against the light, and his face couldn't be seen clearly. He vaguely saw a thin and tall figure wrapped in a coarse white linen cloak. After a while, he finally spoke.
"Who is your master?"
— — The voice was still very young, with a hint of familiarity, indifference, and carelessness.
The young man shook his head in despair and let out a painful gasp like a young wolf forced into a desperate situation. He struggled for the last time to reach out to the figure.
However, in the next moment, his blood-stained hand was stepped on to the ground. The sharp pain struck like lightning, and the young man screamed. Then, the person opposite him pulled out his sword. With a clang, the sword was inserted into the sand close to the young man's face.
"Ah!"
The young man's painful cry stopped abruptly. Immediately, the person bent down, and the light finally outlined a beautiful woman's face, handsome and impeccable.
The young man said hoarsely, "Master …"
The person raised his index finger and interrupted him with a simple gesture of silence. Then, he rotated the sword inch by inch until the cold sword reflected the young man's embarrassed face mixed with blood and tears.
"The people of Jin said that the Fighting Bull Constellation often has purple gas, which is the meaning of two swords. One is Tai Ah, the other is Long Yuan …"
The person pulled out his sword from the sand and pointed at the young man under his foot. Under the scorching sun, the corner of his mouth curved into a mocking smile.
"Today, the one who will kill you here is Long Yuan."
The young man's pupils suddenly constricted. In the next moment, he saw the tip of the sword piercing through the air. The murderous aura that penetrated into his bones reached his face. He couldn't help but cry out involuntarily, "Ah —"
"— — Ah!"
Shan Chao sat up, his chest rising and falling rapidly. After a while, his tense muscles gradually relaxed.
The moonlight passed through the wooden window, reflecting his naked back and sweat-soaked short hair on the blue-gray floor of the meditation room. It was quiet all around. In the late summer, the chirping of insects, one long and one short, came from the backyard of the Buddha Hall, accompanied by the gurgling of the running water. Other than that, there was no other sound in the dead of night.
He had that dream again.
Shan Chao panted as he turned his head to look. Sure enough, the Long Yuan Sword that was leaning against the bed was buzzing and vibrating, as if it couldn't wait to break free from its scabbard.
Ever since Shan Chao came to Ci 'en Temple two years ago, he often had similar dreams. In the dream, he was in the desert of the frontier fortress, living together with a young man whose face he couldn't see clearly, but whom he called his master. Sometimes, he practiced martial arts, sometimes he hunted, sometimes he led a camel for a long journey through the yellow sand. The most repeated scene was when he knelt down at the feet of the young man, begging but to no avail. In the end, he was stabbed in the head by the sword.
Who was the young man?
Shan Chao couldn't remember no matter how hard he tried.
His memory started from two years ago when he fell at the back door of Ci 'en Temple, covered in blood, and was rescued by Master Zhi Yuan and accepted as a disciple. Later, Master Zhi Yuan said that when the monks found him, he was covered in yellow sand, badly mutilated, and tightly held a sword with a white mermaid skin scabbard.
— — Seven Stars Long Yuan.
Everything that had happened before that had turned into fragments, haunting every night like a curse, and the cycle would never end.
Shan Chao let out a long sigh and pressed his hand on the Long Yuan. After a while, the sound of the sword finally subsided under his strong palm.
At this moment, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. The night was dark, and Shan Chao was no longer sleepy. He simply put on his black robe and walked out of the meditation room. The secluded path was hidden by flowers and trees, leading to the majestic Buddhist temple under the moonlight. Further away, the streets of Chang An had already been closed, and the sound of drums could be heard from the streets.
In the night sky, the Big Dipper stars were like the seven stars on the Long Yuan, emitting a faint light.
Shan Chao closed his eyes. The light gradually turned into yellow sand, the scorching sun, the snow-white blade, and the gentle yet cruel smile of a young girl.
— — Who was the person in the dream?
·
At the same time, Chang An City, Assistant Minister of the Secretariat.
After the beautiful singer finished her dance, she fell to the ground. Her long sleeves were like layers of petals falling slowly. Immediately, there was applause. "Good!"
Although it was close to the middle of the night, the banquet was still filled with delicacies and fine wine. Flowers and birds made of silk were shining brightly under the lights, and the singers were like the most tender and beautiful peonies in the garden.
The Assistant Minister of the Secretariat, Yu Zhongning, stood up with a smile and signaled a maid to give a glass of wine in front of him to the singer. He then turned to the head of the banquet and said with a smile, "Commander Xie — — This girl's nickname is Green Waist. She is the adopted daughter of my people. Although she has a rough appearance since young, she has at least practiced dance for a few days."
After he finished speaking, he saw that the young man at the head of the banquet was still smiling faintly, as if there was no displeasure on his face. He felt relieved.
"This girl has always admired Commander Xie's young and heroic reputation, so she volunteered to show her skills in front of you. If she can even slightly impress you, I will make the decision today and ask her to present the wine in her hand that she has buried for 18 years — — I wonder if you are willing to give her this face? "
Everyone at the banquet clapped and laughed. The banquet became more lively.
The young man at the head of the banquet also seemed to find it very interesting. He leisurely said, "There is a beauty in the Southern Kingdom, lithe and graceful Green Waist Dance … — — Rare."
His voice was very pleasant to hear. In such a noisy environment, there was a kind of penetrating charm that tugged at one's heartstrings.
Green Waist's expression changed. She only heard him say again, "Raise your head."
Green Waist slowly raised her head.
Her heart should have been filled with a myriad of thoughts, but in that instant, the most intuitive feeling was: So handsome.
The rumored three-headed, six-armed, green-faced, fierce-looking Commander of the Imperial Guards, Xie Yun, was completely different from what everyone had imagined.
He was wearing a brocade robe embroidered with silver edges, a jade belt around his waist, and a pair of white boots. Although he was leaning lazily behind the table, one could still see that his waist was tall and straight, his shoulders were wide, and his legs were long. His movements were graceful, and he was very different from the other officials at the banquet.
The only thing that matched the rumors was that he was wearing an exquisitely carved silver mask on his face. It covered most of his face, including his eyebrows. However, even so, the beautiful lines under the nose, the warm smile on his thin lips, and the fair and slender neck made people unconsciously feel infinitely good about him.
Green Waist's heart sank slightly. She had always known how beautiful she was. To her, that beauty was like the bow on the back of a general, or the sword in the hand of a hero. It was invincible and invincible. It was the weapon that she used to achieve all her goals.
However, right now, she was suddenly not so sure about everything that she had planned and planned for tonight.
The moment she saw that smile, a sense of uneasiness came out of nowhere and seized her heart.
"This girl is indeed stunning."
Xie Yun did not seem to notice, and even turned to praise Zhong Ning. The latter hurriedly said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. It's this girl's fortune to be able to enter the eyes of the commander." The two exchanged a few words, and Xie Yun turned to Green Waist again. This time, she casually waved her hand and said, "Come here."
There was no ambiguity or intimacy in those two short words. He did not even have the slightest interest in a woman. If one listened carefully, the tone of his voice seemed to be very casual.
Green Waist bit her lip. She stood up and walked forward with the wine cup in her hand. However, her heart was tumbling countless times in an instant. Finally, she made up her mind.
On the way from the waterside pavilion to the banquet, she had to take three steps. On the first step, she took light steps. The light gauze that was originally as thin as a cicada's wing slipped from her shoulders, revealing a large area of snow-white skin from her neck to the back of her shoulders. On the second step, her golden hairpin shook loose, and her cloud-like black hair fell down, making her look brilliant in the light. On the third step, she stopped in front of Xie Yun, and bowed deeply amidst the praises and envious voices of the surrounding guests. The lush green tube top was woven with gold, and it made her look even more exquisite and delicate.
She looked at Xie Yun with her charming, provocative, and bold eyes.
"I have admired you for a long time. It is my honor to be able to meet you today."
"Please do me the honor and drink this cup of wine, Sir!"
Xie Yun's eyes behind the mask seemed to be very interested in her. After a moment, the smile on his beautiful lips deepened.
He reached out to take the luminous cup. His hand was also long, thin, and fair. His knuckles were slightly protruding due to his martial arts training, but it did not hinder his elegant and beautiful appearance. At the same time, his hand was very polite. When he took the wine cup from her delicate hand, his movements were relaxed, but his fingertips did not touch her skin at all.
That pair of young and beautiful hands did not have the slightest connection with "holding a killing sword when awake and lying on a beauty's lap when drunk".
"Nu 'er Hong." Xie Yun carefully looked at the clear wine in the expensive luminous cup. For a long time, he did not have any intention to drink it. He did not seem to notice the slight change in the expressions of Yu Zhongning, Green Waist, and the others in the hall. He suddenly turned his head and ordered the subordinates behind him.
"Bring the silver needles."
Green Waist's expression changed dramatically.
She glanced at Yu Zhongning, only to see him nodding slightly.
At this point, there was no other choice but to reveal the dagger.
Green Waist straightened her heart and pulled out a short dagger from her chest. She shouted sternly, "Give me your life!"
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Before she finished speaking, the dagger went straight for her chest. The edge of the dagger flashed with a blue light that was dipped in poison!
At that moment, no one could react. Even the subordinates behind Xie Yun did not have time to react. At this critical moment, the tip of the dagger was already at her lapel. If it moved forward a little, it would easily pierce into her body. However, at this moment, everything froze.
Xie Yun pinched Green Waist's wrist with three fingers. He looked so relaxed that he did not even have a trace of strength.
Immediately after that, Green Waist felt that her opponent's inner strength was like a flash flood that covered the sky and earth. Her brain exploded, and blood spurted out from the corner of her mouth. Her whole body flew backward for more than ten feet!
Clang!
Green Waist fell with a loud bang and knocked over several small tables. Cups, plates, bowls, and chopsticks were all over the floor!
"What happened? What happened?" "Assassin!" "Ahhh! Someone! Someone!"
The guests in the banquet hall were in a panic. Yu Zhongning gritted his teeth and made a prompt decision. He pointed at Green Waist and shouted, "This woman dares to hurt people! Someone! Catch her! "
The servants who were already prepared rushed out from the back hall. Each of them held a wooden stick and rushed toward Green Waist. They were obviously going to kill her, but in the chaos, no one noticed or stopped them. Just as the servant who rushed at the front raised his stick and was about to hit Green Waist, Xie Yun, who was sitting on the other side of the banquet hall, casually splashed the poisonous wine in her luminous cup. Her action was neither too fast nor too slow. Then, she took off her white satin cloak and threw it.
The cloak whistled as it passed through the crowd. It was so powerful that everyone who came into contact with it was pushed back. The few servants in front of her even dropped their sticks on the floor.
Then, the cloak fell from her head and landed on Green Waist, who was in a sorry state. It happened to cover her naked body when she fell down.
The banquet hall was silent for a moment. Then, the servants behind Xie Yun pulled out their swords and shouted angrily, "Someone!"
There were sounds of footsteps around the waterside pavilion. Then, the doors and windows on all sides were knocked open. More than ten guards with swords and spears tightly surrounded the banquet hall.
Everyone at the banquet hall was shocked. Some of the more timid ones even knelt down. Yu Zhongning knew that the situation was not good, but he was worthy of being a core member of the Crown Prince's party. He forced himself to remain calm, "Quiet! Don't be impatient! Commander Xie, are you all right? Hurry up and take the guest to rest. Capture this woman … "
Xie Yun interrupted him with a smile, "Official Yu, don't be anxious."
He stood up from behind the table and walked around the banquet hall. Under everyone's gaze, he walked down the jade stairs and stopped in front of Green Waist.
The atmosphere in the hall was tense. Only the panicked gasps of everyone could be heard. Xie Yun asked arrogantly, "Why do you want to kill me?"
Green Waist coughed up a mouthful of blood and said with hatred, "Even if I want to kill you, what reason do I need? I hate shameless people like you who bully the weak the most. "
Xie Yun said indifferently, "Nonsense."
The disdain in his tone was like a steel needle piercing her heart.
"You …" Green Waist's ten fingers twitched. She scratched the ground hatefully. After a while, she finally couldn't help but curse, "You treacherous official still ask why?! Queen Wu is in power because she has treacherous officials like you as her accomplice. You have persecuted so many loyal people in the court! My family was originally full of loyal martyrs. "
This was more or less clear.
Xie Yun walked outside and said without looking back, "Take her to interrogate her accomplices. Be careful not to let her commit suicide. Seal the mansion and don't let anyone in or out. I will report to the Empress tomorrow and then search. "
The imperial bodyguards behind her shouted in unison, "Yes!"
Yu Zhongning finally couldn't hold on anymore. He trembled and fell to the ground. It was as if he had aged ten years in an instant. He couldn't even say a word.
·
Xie Yun strode out of the mansion. It was brightly lit outside. The entire mansion had been tightly surrounded by the Imperial Iron Guards. A few of his trusted imperial bodyguards were waiting by the carriage. When they saw him come out, one of them immediately handed over the brocade box in his hand, "Commander, we got it."
The brocade box was about the size of a palm. It was embroidered with gold and silver and was very delicate. There was a small "Liu" character on the corner. It was an imprint that a rich family would leave on their precious belongings. Xie Yun opened it and glanced at it. He saw that there was a pure white flower inside. As soon as the box opened, it emitted a refreshing fragrance.
The imperial bodyguard whispered, "This flower is said to be able to cure hundreds of poisons and has a miraculous effect on survival. The Liu family hid it in a secret room. A few of my brothers and I sneaked in … "
Xie Yun raised his hand to signal him to be quiet. He then put away the brocade box and stepped into the carriage without saying a word.
It was already past the third watch period. Chang An City had long been under curfew. Even the inner streets were empty. Every household closed their doors and windows. Everything was quiet. Only the crescent moon was reflected on the limestone streets, reflecting a faint, pale light.
The horse galloped through the streets. Xie Yun closed his eyes in the carriage. He wasn't sure if he was taking a nap or if he was silently thinking about something. After a while, the carriage turned a corner. He suddenly opened his eyes and asked, "Where are we?"
The imperial bodyguard, Ma Xin, stood outside the carriage and said, "Commander, we've already passed Zhongzheng Street. Ci 'en Temple is just ahead."
Ci 'en Temple.
Xie Yun lifted the curtain of the carriage and habitually glanced outside.
Suddenly, he stopped moving.
The tall gate of Ci 'en Temple stood majestically in front of him. Under the curtain of night, there were carved beams and painted red wooden pillars. There were seven steps leading to a wide street. There was originally a monk in black sitting at the bottom of the steps. He probably saw the carriage coming, so he got up and retreated into the temple.
At that moment, the two people's eyes met.
Shan Chao's handsome face showed a slight surprise. Xie Yun lowered his gaze and his fingers that were lifting the curtain fell.
The carriage continued to move forward, but this time, it suddenly stopped after a few steps. There were restless footsteps in front of the carriage, and there seemed to be some noise. After a while, the coachman angrily shouted,
"Who are you! Why are you blocking the road in the middle of the night? Quickly get out of the way! "
The neighing of the horses broke the curtain of night. There were people arguing outside, and then the imperial bodyguard outside the carriage quickly approached. Ma Xin stopped outside the carriage and whispered behind the curtain, "Commander, there's a monk in front who suddenly came up with a sword to block the horse. What should we do?"
What he didn't hear was that Xie Yun let out a slight sigh of relief.
The sound was almost inaudible. As soon as it left her mouth, it disappeared in the quiet street of Chang An in the middle of the night.
The noise outside the carriage gradually subsided, not because the situation had been resolved, but because both sides had entered a more serious and strange stalemate. Even in the carriage, the tense atmosphere could be felt. Xie Yun looked at the flickering candlelight in the dim light. Suddenly, she heard a clear, handsome, and steady male voice in front of the carriage.
"My Buddhist name is Xin Chao. I happened to meet you in the middle of the night. I vaguely felt that you were familiar, as if you were an old friend."
"It's fate to meet you. I wonder if you could do me the honor of getting off the carriage and have a chat with me?"
What he said was truly, truly too bold. Several imperial bodyguards were immediately enraged. Just as Ma Xin was about to open his mouth and dismiss this reckless monk, he heard Xie Yun's leisurely voice from inside the carriage.
"Xin Chao …"
As soon as the two words came out, the surrounding imperial bodyguards became serious. Even Shan Chao, who was standing in the middle of the road not far away, felt a chill in his heart.
"According to the law of our dynasty, when a monk meets an official above the fifth rank on the road, he must avoid it. Otherwise, he will be severely punished."
Xie Yun looked at the closed carriage door in front of her. There seemed to be a very gentle and even gentle smile in her tone,
"Monk, you know who I am, and you dare to say that we are fated to meet?"
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