At noon.
A group of more than ten people galloped through the mountains, heading deep into the mountain range. Ye Jingtang had been here yesterday and was acting as a guide, leading the way at the front.
The mountain road of more than thirty li wasn't too far for those with high martial arts skills. However, climbing over mountains and traversing the terrain along the way was still quite tiring. Without being familiar with the road conditions, it was normal to step on empty ground or slip.
Ye Jingtang saw that Dongfang Liren was having some difficulty following in his footsteps. He originally wanted to fulfill his duty as a personal bodyguard and carry the Clumsy One on his back while walking.
But in front of her subordinates, how could Dongfang Liren have the nerve to lie on a man's back? She just secretly grabbed True Person Xuanji's wrist and asked her master to take care of her, to avoid accidentally falling in public and losing face.
After galloping through the mountains for a while, the group arrived near the Fulong Cave. The original large medicine furnace was still standing alone in the forest, and the body of Guan Yujia, who was a well-known figure in the Jianghu of Wuzhou, had already been carried away by the officers and soldiers.
Walking another four or five li deeper into the mountains, many arrows, discarded armor, and weapons could be seen in the wilderness. The temporary camp of the two thousand soldiers was nearby, where there were more than a hundred wounded soldiers. The surrendered personal guards of King Wu and the captured entourage were temporarily detained here.
Ye Jingtang went into the camp to inquire and learned that when King Wu fled with his die-hard personal guards, he was injured by a stray arrow and fled to Huangshi Ridge.
More than a thousand soldiers had already surrounded Huangshi Ridge. However, since Huangshi Ridge was another hiding place prepared by King Wu in advance, defensive facilities had been built in advance. It was a place where one man could hold the pass against ten thousand men. Currently, the leading general was still trying to persuade them to surrender.
As for the more than a hundred people who were used as test subjects for the medicine captured by King Wu, when the encirclement and suppression was launched yesterday, King Wu simply didn't have the time to care about them. Most of these people, in order to avoid the chaos of war, fled into the mountains during the commotion and hadn't been searched for yet.
After learning all this, Ye Jingtang could only focus his attention on King Wu for the time being. He and Dongfang Liren went to Huangshi Ridge together.
Under the scorching sun, nearly a thousand officers and soldiers, holding powerful bows and crossbows, were scattered in the mountains around Huangshi Ridge.
The geographical environment of Huangshi Ridge was very special. All four sides were steep mountain walls. The only path leading to the top of the ridge was a narrow and winding path dug by King Wu's men. At the turning points on the path, door-like openings had been dug out. Arrows couldn't reach from below. As long as one person with a spear guarded at the turning point, even thousands of troops wouldn't be able to break through and reach the top of the ridge.
There were many experts in the military of Zezhou who were proficient in lightness skills. However, there was also the White Death Deity on the ridge. Sending three or five experts up there would be the same as giving themselves away for nothing. With more than a thousand officers and soldiers who came to encircle and suppress them having no solution, they could only surround Huangshi Ridge tightly to prevent King Wu from breaking through. A military officer stood at the foot of the mountain and shouted at the top of his voice:
"A dignified prince of the Great Wei Dynasty, the direct descendant of the founding emperor, should die by being granted a white silk for self-hanging by the court if he is to die, leaving a whole body decently...
"It's so hot in June. If you die on the mountain, we can only cut off your head, smear it with lime, and take it back to Yun'an. When the court officials see it, I'm afraid it will be full of maggots and stink horribly..."
These words of persuasion to surrender were quite absurd, but they had a good effect.
In the depths of a natural cave on Huangshi Ridge, two torches were lit.
Four wounded and die-hard personal guards leaned against the wall, looking blankly at the weapons in their hands.
King Wu, Dongfang Heng, had aged almost ten years in just a few days. His hair was gray, and he was holding a sword inlaid with pearls and jade. He raised it to his neck several times, but when he heard the shouts from below the ridge, he stopped.
King Wu thought that he should be a heroic figure. He rebelled to prevent the imperial lineage of the Dongfang clan from falling into the hands of an outsider. Since he had failed due to bad luck, he should commit suicide bravely and not bow down to the empress. In this way, in the history books of later generations, he might still leave a reputation for being "fiery-tempered and upright".
But what the military officer outside said also made sense. He was the direct descendant of the founding emperor and the uncle of the current empress. Even if he had committed the crime of treason, he should be given a whole body and a proper burial. If he died now and the officers and soldiers cut off his head, leaving him dismembered and stinking for the court officials to see, it would be a very undignified death...
Next to King Wu, the White Death Deity, wearing a blood-stained robe, sat cross-legged on the ground with a relatively calm expression. Seeing that King Wu didn't dare to commit suicide, he said:
"As long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood. The officers and soldiers can't break through in a short time. When it gets dark, I'll lead Your Highness to break through and flee to Northern Liang. With Your Highness's status, the court of Northern Liang will surely provide protection..."
Zhang Jinglin, sitting beside him, shook his head upon hearing this:
"The two dynasties have just opened trade relations not long ago. Your Highness is not very useful to Northern Liang. If you flee to Northern Liang, it's very likely that Northern Liang will send you back as a favor. If you can cross the two countries and flee to the northwest of Tianlang Lake, there is still a possibility of making a comeback."
Dongfang Heng's eyes moved. Driven by the will to survive, he said:
"Decades ago, when the Tianlang Iron Cavalry was around, I might have been able to make a comeback if I went there. Now, the various tribes in the Western Sea are just a disorganized mess. Even if I go there, I'll just be lingering on. It's better to seek refuge with the Pingtian Sect."
Zhang Jinglin shook his head and said: "The Pingtian Sect is located in the southern border of the Great Wei. There are no war horses produced there. No matter how many soldiers they have, they are just infantry. They are more than enough to defend the city, but no one has ever succeeded in fighting from the south to the north to conquer the world throughout history.
"However, the various tribes in the Western Sea are different. The local people are wild in their customs, full of martial spirit. Both women and children, the old and the young, can put on armor and draw a bow, and they are good at fighting. As long as someone can unite the various tribes into one force and gather thirty thousand Tianlang Iron Cavalry, it will be enough to carve out a territory and establish independence between the two dynasties..."
King Wu knew the geographical differences between the north and the south and frowned:
"The various tribes in the Western Sea have been scattered for a long time. Northern Liang has annexed them for decades but still hasn't been able to completely subdue them. If I go there, how can I make those barbarians in the northwest swear allegiance to me?"
"Tianlang Lake is a holy land for the various tribes in the Western Sea, and the Tianlang Pearl is regarded as a 'gift from the gods' by them. I have recreated the Tianlang Pearl. When Your Highness goes there, you just need to find the leader of a large tribe and offer this pearl..."
?
Hearing this, the White Death Deity said impatiently:
"Then the leader takes it and dies on the spot, and they hack us to pieces with knives?"
Zhang Jinglin said confidently: "My Tianlang Pearl is definitely real. Guan Yujia exploded and died because his serious injuries hadn't healed. If Mr. Bai eats it, he will definitely..."
"Definitely not live to this moment."
After witnessing the spectacular death of Guan Yujia, the White Death Deity had already made up his mind about the Tianlang Pearl - it was completely a "quick-acting body-exploding pill". Whoever believed it was a fool.
If it weren't for the fact that Zhang Jinglin's medical skills were indeed powerful and he was their life-saving capital, he would definitely make Zhang Jinglin try for himself how powerful the Tianlang Pearl was.
After chatting for a few words, their original idea of committing suicide was also dispelled by their will to survive, and they began to discuss ways to break through, one sentence after another.
But not long after they started talking, a personal guard who was on sentry duty on the ridge rushed in:
"Something's wrong. It seems that Prince Jing has brought a lot of experts and is preparing to launch a fierce attack..."
When the White Death Deity heard this, his heart sank. He knew that this time they were truly doomed.
If it were just ordinary officers and soldiers, relying on the natural barriers to hold out until night and then leading King Wu to break through alone, there might still be a chance.
But now that Prince Jing had brought the experts of the court, with just one cliff and six or seven personal guards, it was simply impossible to hold on. Not to mention anything else, just Ye Jingtang alone was enough to give them a hard time.
If King Wu was captured, he might be given a mercy death, but these die-hard subordinates of his would surely either be lingchi (death by a thousand cuts) or torn apart by chariots.
Seeing that there was no hope of escape, the White Death Deity also developed the will to die. After a moment of silence, he stood up:
"I'll go out and take a look. If the situation is not good... Your Highness can decide for yourself whether to stay or leave."
After saying these words of farewell, the White Death Deity tidied up his robe and strode towards the exit of the cave, wanting to show the peerless elegance that a peak martial artist should have in this last battle of his life and die like a hero.
At the same time, below the ridge.
After communicating with the military officer who was persuading them to surrender, Ye Jingtang learned that there were only seven or eight stragglers left up there and that Zhang Jinglin seemed to be still alive. Naturally, he couldn't just wait stupidly at the foot of the mountain. In case King Wu was going to commit suicide and killed Zhang Jinglin along the way, it would be a great loss to the Great Wei.
Therefore, after determining the situation, Ye Jingtang requested to go up to Huangshi Ridge and negotiate with King Wu in person.
Dongfang Liren had finally rushed here and definitely wanted her subordinates to do something. So she naturally agreed. However, for safety reasons, she still instructed:
"Master, go up with Ye Jingtang. If the situation is not right, prioritize self-protection. There's no need to force King Wu to stay alive."
True Person Xuanji was just worried about standing in the camp like a vase and being bored. Seeing this, she directly walked towards Huangshi Ridge:
"Young Master Ye, let's go."
Ye Jingtang, wearing a black official robe and with a sword hanging from his waist, walked behind True Person Xuanji. After they were far enough away from the troops behind, he asked:
"Miss Shui'er, how is your injury?"
True Person Xuanji walked leisurely up the narrow and winding path that was only wide enough for one person and smiled softly:
"You call me Fairy in front of others, but you change your name to Shui'er behind my back. What do you mean, Young Master?"
Because the path was too narrow, Ye Jingtang could only walk behind True Person Xuanji. He didn't want to look at her swaying waist and hips, so he looked up:
"Miss Shui'er said that calling you 'Senior' made you seem old and asked me to call you this, so I naturally do as you say. As for Fairy, I don't think you look like a fairy. Calling you that feels... Hmm... a bit strange."
True Person Xuanji knew that her image in Ye Jingtang's heart had long been shattered and that he lacked respect for her.
In order to restore her image, True Person Xuanji decided to show off a bit. She gently tapped the ground with her embroidered shoes.
Whoosh——
Under the gaze of nearly a thousand officers and soldiers, a celestial woman in a snow-white dress, without any obvious exertion, suddenly soared into the air. In almost the blink of an eye, she reached the corner at the top of the cliff.
Behind the corner, two personal guards of King Wu were hiding and secretly observing the situation below the cliff. Before they could react, the woman in white was already right in front of them. Then:
Dong dong~
True Person Xuanji casually tapped twice with her snow-white sword sheath, and the two personal guards of King Wu fell limply on the narrow and winding path with looks of shock and confusion in their eyes.
Dongfang Liren watched from a distance and was amazed by this scene. But before the admiration in her eyes could show, she saw Ye Jingtang following behind. His figure lightly leaped up, and by just tapping the branches and leaves on the cliff with his toes, he instantly leaped onto the ridge and landed beside True Person Xuanji. Along the way, he made no sound, like a black leaf being blown up by the wind.
"Wow..."
The chief constable of the imperial guards standing behind, who was quite familiar with Ye Jingtang, was shocked to see that Ye Jingtang could actually show off his lightness skills in front of True Person Xuanji and even seemed to be on par with her. Dongfang Liren's eyes even sparkled with little stars.
True Person Xuanji turned around and saw Ye Jingtang's graceful and immortal posture. She looked down at the cliff that was dozens of feet high, and a strange look also flashed in her eyes:
"You..."
"Why are you running so fast? It's always the good swimmers who drown. Being reckless and relying on your own martial prowess is not a good habit."
"..."
True Person Xuanji failed to achieve her goal of showing off and was even lectured by Ye Jingtang in return. Naturally, she wasn't very happy and said stubbornly:
"They are just a few nameless pawns. Being too cautious will only waste time."
Ye Jingtang secretly shook his head. In his heart, he thought that this unreliable sister was not as good as the Big Clumsy One. The Clumsy One liked to play around but at least had self-awareness and wouldn't get into trouble. This sister was completely the type of "I suffered a loss but just won't admit it and keep making the same mistakes". It wouldn't be surprising at all if she got herself into trouble one day.
The two of them leaped onto the ridge and directly reached the vicinity of the entrance of the cave where King Wu was hiding.
The White Death Deity, with the idea of "having a good fight and dying heroically", walked out of the cave. As soon as he turned around, he saw two figures coming from the corner of the narrow and winding path.
Behind was the Night Great King of Hell, Ye, whom he had met a few times and was worthy to be his opponent in this last battle of his life.
In front was a woman in white...
?!
The tragic and resolute expression on the White Death Deity's face twitched violently. He originally wanted to quickly retreat back into the cave, but then he immediately realized - True Person Xuanji was personally blocking the door. Where the hell could he hide?
The White Death Deity's expression was stiff. Afraid that True Person Xuanji would kill him with a single move, his first reaction was to say urgently:
"Wait a moment!"
True Person Xuanji was still trying to figure out who this dirty man in front of her was. Seeing that he directly pleaded for mercy, she didn't take action and walked forward unhurriedly:
"Are you the White Death Deity? Why are you wearing a red robe? Surrender now, and you can avoid suffering physical pain."
The White Death Deity was stained with the blood of Guan Yujia, and his appearance was really a bit disheveled. However, in this desperate situation, he still had a strong aura. Standing with his hands behind his back, he said:
"For the crime of treason, I will die anyway. The court will never pardon me. Since I have chosen this path, how could I bow and scrape before I die!"
True Person Xuanji nodded slightly:
"You are a man of courage."
As she spoke, she prepared to draw her sword.
"Wait!"
The White Death Deity raised his hand to stop her, with a complex look in his eyes:
"It would indeed be an honor for me to die by the hand of the Imperial Tutor. But the gap in strength between me and the Imperial Tutor is too great. Fighting with you would be the same as stretching out my neck for execution. I wonder if the Imperial Tutor could give me a chance to have a good fight with Master Ye?
"Master Ye has been relentlessly pursuing us. First, he disrupted the plan of the Crown Prince in the capital, and then he made the prince end up like this. As a retainer of the prince, I have been generously treated by the prince. If I never fight with Master Ye from beginning to end, I will really feel ashamed of the prince and die with my eyes open."
Seeing that the other party was at the end of his rope and wanted to choose a more dignified way to die, True Person Xuanji wasn't too harsh. She turned around and pressed against the mountain wall, making way for Ye Jingtang:
"It's up to you."
Ye Jingtang sideways passed True Person Xuanji and walked along the narrow and winding path. Looking at the White Death Deity with a solemn expression, he asked:
"Aren't you going to use a weapon?"
The White Death Deity took a deep breath, looked at the flowing clouds in the sky, and slightly raised his right hand:
"I, Bai, have no sect affiliation. I'm self-taught. When I was young, I admired the old Fist Chief Liu Qiansheng. By drawing on his palm techniques, I created my own 'Flowing Cloud Palm'. Lord Ye, since you were able to compete with Guan Yujia, your boxing and kicking skills should be quite good. Do you dare to have a bout with me?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Jingtang untied his saber and handed it to True Person Xuanji behind him. Standing ten zhang apart, he raised his right hand and beckoned.
Whoosh~
A mountain breeze blew by, and the cliff fell into a deathly silence.
Two top-notch martial artists stood firmly at both ends of the narrow path that was only two chi wide. They stared at each other, and the atmosphere gradually became oppressive.
Bai Siming had witnessed Ye Jingtang's fighting skills these days and knew his strength. Ye Jingtang was probably about twenty percent stronger than him. If the other party used a weapon, he would have no chance of winning. But when it came to a bare-handed fight, he was confident that he could create a situation where they were evenly matched and put on an earth-shattering show. Even if he were to die in the end, at least he could demonstrate the demeanor that the number one martial artist under King Wu should have!
"Lord Ye, watch closely!"
Bai Siming's eyes were extremely focused. He gently raised his right hand, and his five fingers traced a path in front of his body with a unique rhythm. After staring at Ye Jingtang for a moment, he quietly took a step forward with his right foot!
Bang——
A thunderous dull sound suddenly rang out on the silent cliff.
Ye Jingtang's right foot moved slightly, and his figure had already broken through the mountain wind that was ten zhang away. When he stopped, his left foot was in front, with his crotch astride. His right hand tightly grasped his robe, which instantly swelled up. Then, with a powerful punch like a battering ram, he sent it towards Bai Siming.
??!
Bai Siming's pupils suddenly shrank. Before he could react, a fist as big as a sandbag suddenly loomed large in front of his eyes!
Ye Jingtang threw a full-strength punch and found that Bai Siming didn't move at all, as if he was "accepting death calmly". Immediately, he stopped the powerful punch that was enough to shatter the opponent's upper body just half an inch in front of Bai Siming's nose.
Although the punch stopped, the vast surge of inner energy wrapped in the fist still poured out like a violent tide.
Rumble——
Under the fierce fist wind, the hairpin on Bai Siming's head exploded directly. His long hair stretched straight behind his head, and even the skin on his face was trembling violently. In an instant, his expression turned dull.
In the eyes of outsiders, it just sounded like a dull thunderclap on the cliff. By the time everyone could see clearly, Ye Jingtang, dressed in black, was already standing in front of Bai Siming, maintaining the posture of the punching gesture without moving a muscle.
Bai Siming also raised his right hand in the same position.
Seeing that Bai Siming didn't respond, Ye Jingtang frowned and said, "What do you mean? Do you want to die by my hand?"
"..."
Bai Siming's scattered hair fell down. He stared blankly at Ye Jingtang in front of him. After holding back for a long time, his eyes finally showed an expression of disbelief. "You... How is it possible..."
As he said this, Bai Siming suddenly remembered one thing – yesterday, the Tianlang Pearl was left on the medicine stove and was taken away by Ye Jingtang. After that, Ye Jingtang's strength had skyrocketed to this level...
Could the Tianlang Pearl really be useful?!
No, it must be useful, otherwise he couldn't have grown this much in just one night!
Thinking of this, Bai Siming's eyes were filled with mixed emotions, including disbelief and regret!
Seeing that Ye Jingtang stopped his hand, Bai Siming reacted very quickly. He quickly stepped back, and a Daliang Pearl slipped out of his sleeve. He directly slapped it towards his arm!
"Ah?!"
Seeing that Bai Siming was determined to commit suicide, Ye Jingtang's expression suddenly changed. He immediately raised his hand to block Bai Siming's wrist and tried to snatch the Daliang Pearl. "No, no, no..."
But Bai Siming was a bit hysterical. He held the Daliang Pearl and engaged in a Taiji push hands with Ye Jingtang. He said angrily, "Lord Ye! You've already taken advantage. Can't you just let me take the medicine and have a fair fight with you?"
"You can't use it..."
"Why can't I use it? Lord Ye, you're a renowned hero. Don't you think it's against the martial arts code to even crush the last wish of a dying person..."
Slap, slap, slap——
The two of them quickly engaged in push hands on the narrow path. Bai Siming tried to detonate the Daliang Pearl, while Ye Jingtang tried his best to stop him.
True Person Xuanji stood behind them, looking completely confused. After thinking for a moment, he flashed forward. The scabbard of his sword shot out from under Ye Jingtang's armpit and accurately struck Bai Siming's chest.
Dong——
Bai Siming's movements stopped abruptly. Then, his eyes were filled with unwillingness and indignation as he slowly fell down. It seemed that he felt that these two top-notch martial artists, whose strength was far beyond his, didn't even give him the chance to take the medicine, which was really inhumane.
After knocking Bai Siming down, True Person Xuanji frowned and said, "What were you doing?"
Ye Jingtang shrugged slightly. "Preventing him from committing suicide. I must say, among the martial artists recruited by King Wu, they're no good at rebelling, but they're all experts at giving themselves up easily. It's really not easy for them to have managed to hold out until now before their scheme failed..."