Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 169 Don’t Insult My Swordsmanship
The next morning, a thin layer of mist still covered the streets of Tahe County, and the air was filled with a hint of chill. Sun Youcheng had just opened the door to his warehouse to work when he suddenly discovered a body lying on the doorstep.

He took a closer look and was immediately frightened to death - it was Liu De's body!
Liu De's chest was covered in blood, and the blood had already solidified, staining the bluestone slab beneath him scarlet.

Sun Youcheng's face was as pale as paper, his legs were weak and he could hardly stand.

He was terrified and realized that he had been tricked.

Just as he was about to call his servants to deal with the matter, several yamen runners came hurriedly, apparently having received a report from nearby residents.

The Tahe County Magistrate, who was in the lead, looked solemnly at the corpse on the ground, then at Sun Youcheng standing at the door, and asked in a stern voice, "Sir Sun, what's going on?"

Sun Youcheng also said in a rather puzzled tone, "My Lord, County Magistrate, I had no idea. I saw the body as soon as I opened the door. This is clearly a frame-up."

The county magistrate snorted coldly, his eyes filled with suspicion. "Sir Sun, as a clerk in the Ministry of Warehouses, you have been involved in a murder case. I can only follow the rules and procedures. Come, take him away!"

Sun Youcheng wanted to argue, but the bailiffs had already stepped forward, tied his hands behind his back, and put him on a carriage.

Sun Youcheng's mind was in a state of confusion, and he vaguely felt that he had been tricked. He did not expect that the other party was so cruel that he even dared to kill Butler Liu.

at the same time.

In Zhao Dahai's mansion, Ye Beixuan was having a secret conversation with Zhao Dahai.

Ye Beixuan pulled out a handwritten letter from his bosom and handed it to Zhao Dahai, saying solemnly, "Master Zhao, I promised you something. You don't have to panic. Just focus on your job as a warehouse doctor. This is a handwritten letter from me. It can save your life at a critical moment."

Zhao Dahai took the letter, feeling uneasy. He whispered, "Captain Ye, Liu De is the Prime Minister's confidant. Will we really be safe if we kill him?"

Ye Beixuan smiled slightly, patted Zhao Dahai on the shoulder, and said soothingly: "Master Zhao, you are joking. What does Liu De's death have to do with us? That was all Zhang Bei's fault. And how to deal with Sun Youcheng? I don't need to teach you!"

Zhao Dahai nodded, then he felt ruthless in his heart, Sun Youcheng, you forced me to do this.

the other side.

Zhang Bei was overjoyed when he received the supplies allocated by Zhao Dahai.

He thought Zhao Dahai had killed Liu De and was completely loyal to him, so he repeatedly warned Zhao Dahai: "Master Zhao, don't worry. With your support this time, I will definitely protect you."

Zhao Dahai forced a smile and said, "Thank you for your kindness, General. The war is urgent, and I will continue to make arrangements for you, General. Please rest assured."

Zhang Bei nodded with satisfaction and then ordered the troops to advance.

He was filled with pride and thought that with this batch of supplies, he would be able to shine on the front line and recruit soldiers to become a local emperor.

However, he didn't know that all this was a carefully planned scheme by Ye Beixuan.

Ye Beixuan's real purpose is to use this series of means to force Zhang Bei and Zhao Dahai to completely break with the Prime Minister and turn to the Empress.

The situation in Tahe County became increasingly tense, and the news of Liu De's death quickly spread throughout the capital.

When Prime Minister Li Chunfeng heard the news, he was furious and immediately ordered a thorough investigation of the matter. Even the empress was alarmed and sent people from the Investigation Bureau to investigate.

After Sun Youcheng was taken to prison, he remained silent when facing the interrogation of the county magistrate, and only said that he would wait for his superiors to come and ask questions, but he didn't know that he might never wait.

Golden Tooth Mountain.

In the mountains, the tents are arranged closely like a steel fortress.

On the military flag in the middle that was rustling in the wind, the word "Zhou" was eye-catching and prominent.

In the camp, the soldiers were extremely alert and were constantly on guard and patrolling.

Inside the tent, the lights were on and the generals were sitting around a sand table. General Lin Jiuyuan, the commander of the Great Zhou Dynasty, was sitting in the tent. He was staring at the sand table with sharp eyes, trying to break the enemy's attack.

At this moment, a soldier suddenly came in and reported, "General, Li Bei Jiedushi is leading his troops to reinforce us and is waiting outside the camp!"

Lin Jiuyuan's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "Okay! Okay, come in!"

"Wait." Suddenly he stopped the soldier and said excitedly, "No, this general will go to greet him personally!"

After saying this, Lin Jiuyuan straightened his clothes and armor and strode out of the tent. Outside the camp, Li Bei, the governor of Bei Prefecture, was riding a tall horse, followed by hundreds of elite cavalrymen, with great momentum.

Lin Jiu bowed and smiled from a distance, "General Li has arrived. I'm sorry for not coming to greet you!"

Li Bei saw this and immediately dismounted and returned the greeting, saying, "General Lin, you are very polite. It is my great honor to be able to fight alongside you and defeat the enemy together!"

The two exchanged a few pleasantries and then entered the military tent together. Ye Beixuan and several other captains also walked in.

Inside the tent, the deduction on the sand table had not yet ended. Li Bei could tell at a glance that Lin Jiuyuan was studying the enemy situation. The deduction was so exquisite that he felt ashamed of himself. Lin Jiuyuan was indeed worthy of being a famous general of the Great Zhou.

Ye Beixuan also looked at the sand table from the side and took note of it secretly.

Seeing Li Bei fascinated, Lin Jiuyuan said with a smile, "Since General Li is here, why don't we work together to figure out how to break the enemy's attack?"

Li Bei nodded hurriedly, and then the two of them stood side by side in front of the sand table, carefully analyzing the situation of both sides.

The two of them talked back and forth and soon reached a consensus and formulated a battle plan.

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Hahaha."

After studying the sand table, the two looked at each other and laughed.

At this moment, Li Bei suddenly changed the subject and said, "General Lin, is there anyone named Qin Beixi in the army?"

Lin Jiuyuan was stunned when he heard this, frowning slightly and said, "Qin Beixi? This general doesn't know?"

Li Bei smiled and said calmly, "General, could you help check this out?"

Although Lin Jiuyuan was doubtful, seeing Li Bei's sincere attitude, he nodded in agreement. He then called a personal soldier and ordered, "Go and check if there is anyone named Qin Beixi in the army."

The personal guard took the order and left. Not long after, he hurried back and reported with a fist clasped, "General, I have checked and found that there is indeed a soldier named Qin Beixi in the army."

"It's just that in the first wave of raids tonight, he was in the first round."

Ye Beixuan, who was standing next to him, was shocked when he heard this. Isn't this just cannon fodder? They're treating all the new recruits like cannon fodder! It seems like he'll have to go for a walk tonight too.

Hearing this, Lin Jiuyuan chuckled and said, "General Li, I wonder who this Qin Beixi is to you?"

Li Bei smiled slightly, a hint of deep meaning flashed in his eyes, and he slowly said: "General Lin, it's a long story. Qin Beixi is the younger brother of my subordinate. This time, Li is brave enough to hope that General Lin can give up his love."

Lin Jiuyuan understood immediately after hearing this and nodded, "He's just a soldier. If General Li needs him, I'll give him up. However, the Death Squadron has already been staffed and cannot be transferred temporarily. If he can come back, I will definitely give him over with open arms."

As the two were talking, there was a sudden commotion outside the tent. Then a lieutenant hurried in, clasped his fists and reported: "General, the Death Battalion has assembled and is awaiting your orders!"

Lin Jiuyuan nodded and said in a deep voice: "Okay, pass the order down and act according to the plan!"

Then he turned to look at Li Bei and said, "Li Jiedushi, the raid is about to begin. Shall we go and take a look?"

Li Bei smiled slightly and nodded, "That's exactly what I want."

After saying that, the two of them walked out side by side, climbed onto the high platform, and looked in the distance in the direction of the Death Battalion.

In the darkness of night, the soldiers of the Death Battalion moved quietly like ghosts. Their purpose was to go around to the rear and try to harass from the flank. Once the enemy panicked, Lin Jiuyuan could launch a frontal attack.

What they didn't know was that one person had disappeared in the field, and his figure quietly followed the Death Squadron.

The night was as dark as ink, and the outline of Jinya Mountain looked mysterious in the moonlight.

The death squadron where Qin Ruoxi was located quietly detoured from the south to the east, attempting to tear a hole in the enemy's weakly defended flank and create the illusion of a main attack.

The soldiers of the Death Squad all had death-like expressions on their faces. They walked lightly, crawling, rolling, or crouching.

Qin Ruoxi walked at the front of the team, holding the long sword tightly in her hand. There was no fear in her heart, only the figure in green.

The mission of the Death Squad is a life-or-death struggle, and there may be no hope of seeing each other again in this life.

Just as they were about to approach the enemy line to launch a surprise attack, a patrol army from Beiliang suddenly appeared.

They suddenly met in the darkness, without any words exchanged between the two sides, and a fierce battle broke out in an instant.

"Kill!" For a moment, the sound of weapons clashing echoed in the mountains, startling the pheasants that were resting and making them fly away in a flutter.

Qin Ruoxi's long sword was like a fine drizzle, and the tip of the sword was as dense as the rain.

She thrust seven swords in an instant, and in just a few breaths, seven Beiliang soldiers fell.

However, the sound of fighting awakened countless Beiliang soldiers, and the number of people was increasing. Although the soldiers of the Death Squad were not afraid of life and death, they were still just flesh and blood after all.

The battle lasted only three quarters of an hour. The soldiers of the Great Zhou fell one after another, and their blood dyed the land where they fell red, and the grass was also dyed red.

Finally, the Beiliang soldiers surrounded the last man in a circle.

Qin Ruoxi had been injured in many places, with blood flowing down her arms and cheeks. She was alone, holding the sword, still using the sword to support herself, refusing to fall down.

At this moment, the Beiliang army's formation suddenly split apart as if cut by a knife, and a seemingly modest and elegant man walked out slowly.

He was dressed in white, holding a folding fan in his hand, with a faint smile on his face, as if the bloody battlefield before him had nothing to do with him.

"Your swordsmanship isn't very good," the man said, his voice magnetic yet tinged with mockery. "If you surrender to me, I promise to teach you even more powerful swordsmanship."

Qin Ruoxi was furious when she heard this. She gritted her teeth, pointed her sword at him and said, "You are not allowed to insult my swordsmanship! If the person who taught me swordsmanship was here, he would definitely beat you to a pulp!"

The man chuckled and shook his head. "If you don't accept my toast, I'll drink the wine for you. If it weren't for your beauty, I would have killed you long ago."

"I didn't expect there would be such a beautiful girl in the Death Battalion. What a waste of talent."

Qin Ruoxi was startled, having never expected the other party to see through her disguise. But she remained stern, ready for a fight at any moment. The man raised his eyebrows and said jokingly, "If that's the case, then I'll show you some real swordsmanship."

Before he finished speaking, the man's figure flashed and instantly approached Qin Ruoxi's back.

He was extremely fast. Although Qin Ruoxi tried her best to swing her sword to block, she was easily defeated every time.

The man's attack was like a cat playing with a mouse, not fatal but exhausting for her to deal with.

Qin Ruoxi's physical strength was quickly consumed, her breathing became rapid, and the scene in front of her eyes began to blur. She swung her sword mechanically every time. Finally, the man lost his patience and knocked her away with a palm, and her sword fell to the ground.

"Are you willing to follow me?" The man walked slowly to her and said in a flat tone.

Qin Ruoxi gritted her teeth and used up her last bit of strength to swing her sword, but the man blocked it lightly. She could no longer hold on and slowly fell down.

"Then don't blame me for using force," the man said coldly. He raised his hand and grabbed her mid-air, saying, "One last thing, your swordsmanship is really terrible."

At this critical moment, a flash of cold light suddenly pierced the night sky, aiming straight for the man's throat! The man's face changed, and he suddenly opened the folding fan in his hand. A flying knife hit the fan with a sharp metallic friction sound, and at the same time, it shot him back, leaving a deep ravine under his feet.

Immediately afterwards, a figure in green clothes flashed by, and Qin Ruoxi was held firmly in his arms.

Qin Ruoxi's consciousness was already fuzzy, and she felt as if her body was wrapped in a warm force. She murmured, "Am I dead? Otherwise... how could I feel like I was in his arms..."

The man steadied himself, looked at the newcomer with a serious expression, and asked in a rather alert tone, "Who are you?"

Ye Beixuan held Qin Ruoxi in his arms, staring at the man with icy eyes, and said indifferently, "I'm the one who taught her such a bad sword technique."

The man's face changed slightly when he heard this. It seemed that his strength was not inferior to his.

He snorted coldly, with a hint of fear in his tone: "You are very strong, but my master is here. If you dare to make a move, he will definitely come."

Ye Beixuan sneered, his tone full of disdain: "Oh?"

Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly moved, approaching the man like a ghost.

Zheng.
A flash of sword light appeared, it was the Tingyu Sword Technique. Although the man's cultivation was not weak, he seemed to have no ability to fight back in front of Ye Beixuan.

In just three rounds, the man was stabbed through the heart by Ye Beixuan's sword. He spat out blood and his face showed horror.

"Don't you still have a master?" Ye Beixuan squatted down as if no one was around and said coldly, "Where is your master? He doesn't seem to be here."

The man gritted his teeth and continued to crawl forward, spitting blood, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground. Ye Beixuan stepped on the bloody hole in his back, killing him completely. Sometimes the hunter and the prey can reverse in an instant. The Beiliang soldiers nearby were terrified. Is this still human? The immortal master they revered as a god was dead like a dog in an instant.

Ye Beixuan didn't kill these mortal soldiers. First, there was no need to kill them, and killing them would be useless. Second, he needed them to pass on the message that a cultivator from his own side had arrived, so he asked the so-called master to come out and join him.

"What a stubborn girl..." After walking to a secluded place, he stripped off her clothes bit by bit and bandaged her.

Anyway, this was not the first time he had done this, and he was very skilled at it, just like peeling an egg.

After doing all this, Ye Beixuan took her to the vicinity of the military camp and put her down. After Qin Ruoxi woke up with a confused expression and walked towards the military camp, Ye Beixuan slipped away.

He originally wanted to wait for her to wake up and take her away, but suddenly he thought of a plan. He wanted to use this to create a rift between Zhang Bei and Lin Jiuyuan, so that it would be easier for him to defeat them one by one. According to Zhao Dahai's description, it is not clear which side Lin Jiuyuan belongs to, but it is very likely that he belongs to the Prime Minister.

the other side.

Lin Jiuyuan and Zhang Bei each led their armies and launched the attack according to the original plan.

Lin Jiuyuan attacked from the front, while Zhang Bei attacked from the flank, attempting to form a pincer attack and defeat the main force of the Northern Liang Army in one fell swoop.

In the darkness of night, the two armies, like giant pythons swallowing the sky, moved silently towards the front and flanks of the Beiliang army.

As they were about to reach the designated location, Lin Jiuyuan glanced at the time and whispered to the deputy general beside him, "Pass the order, all troops, charge, and make sure to break through before dawn!"

Inside the main tent of the Northern Liang Army.

The famous Northern Liang general Tuoba Hong was sitting in front of the sand table with a stern look in his eyes.

Next to him stood a man in a black robe, with a gloomy face and an evil aura. He was holding a bone staff and had a calm expression.

Tuoba Hong sneered at the sand table and said, "The Zhou army thinks their plan is flawless. The attack from the east is just a feint. With the Immortal Master's disciple in charge, we just need to wait and catch them in the trap."

The old man in black robe smiled sinisterly, and said with a hint of disdain and coldness in his tone: "I am here, you just need to move forward and kill."

Although the role of the ascetics is limited in large-scale offensive and defensive battles, they can protect the safety of the generals and take the heads of the generals without much problem.

Tuoba Hong smiled kindly and nodded, then gave the order: "Pass the order down, lure them over here, and then destroy them in one fell swoop."

At the same time, Lin Jiuyuan's army was approaching the front line of the Beiliang Army.

"Charge the entire army!" Lin Jiuyuan raised his sword and pointed it to the sky. With a command, the army rushed forward like a tide.

However, just as they rushed in, deafening shouts of killing suddenly rang out all around. The main force of the Beiliang Army rushed in from all directions and instantly surrounded Lin Jiuyuan.

Arrows rained down like a torrential rain, swords flashed, and Lin Jiuyuan's army fell into chaos.

"Not good!" Lin Jiuyuan's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly ordered: "Retreat!"

However, the Northern Liang Army seemed to see through his intentions and the encirclement suddenly tightened. Although Lin Jiuyuan's troops were all brave and combat-hardened veterans, they suffered heavy losses under the contraction of the Northern Liang Army.

Lin Jiuyuan fought desperately, trying to find a weak point to break out, but the encirclement of the Northern Liang army was as flawless and impenetrable as a solid wall of iron and steel, and there was no way to break through.

At the same time, inside the Beiliang army tent.

Tuoba Hong was commanding his generals while the man in black robe was sitting beside him with his eyes closed, resting. Suddenly, a soldier came running over to report.

"I have a terrible news report. General, our army was attacked by the Zhou army's death squad in the east, and the immortal master has been killed."

"What?" The black-robed man was startled and immediately disappeared in a flash of light.

Tuoba Hong finally reacted: "Not good, east"

the other side.

"Report!" A soldier came forward, covered in wounds, his voice trembling, "General, our army is surrounded by the Northern Liang army and can't break out! General Zhang is also entangled by the Northern Liang army and can't provide support!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiuyuan's face fell into despair.

He gritted his teeth and said, "How could this happen? Is God trying to kill me?"

The deputy general hurried forward and whispered, "General, I'm afraid our battle plan has been discovered. If we don't break out quickly, we will be surrounded and killed."

Lin Jiuyuan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew very well that if he didn't break out, he would die sooner or later. But now the Beiliang Army was like an iron wall and there was no way to find any weak points.

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and gave the order in a deep voice: "Pass the order down, the army will break out in five directions! As many as can escape."

Just when Lin Jiuyuan was giving the order in almost despair, a soldier suddenly came to report.

"Report to the Death Battalion, the Death Battalion has completed the mission, the news just came!" the communications soldier shouted loudly, his tone full of encouragement.

Lin Jiuyuan was shocked when he heard this, and immediately realized that the east was the weak point, so he immediately ordered and shouted: "Signal soldiers, all troops listen to my order, break out to the east!"

The east side was indeed a weak point. Lin Jiuyuan's army broke through the siege without much effort and fought their way out.

Just when they broke through the encirclement, the main force of Beiliang in the rear came to encircle them, but it was too late.

Lin Jiuyuan stood on the battlefield, looking at the corpses scattered across the ground, his heart filled with anger. He looked towards the Northern Liang army led by Tuoba Hong in the distance and shouted, "Tuoba Hong... I, Lin Jiuyuan, will not be a human being if I don't avenge this!"

The deputy general walked up to him and whispered, "General, the spies just reported that General Zhang has also retreated."

Lin Jiuyuan nodded, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice: "Pass the order, the entire army retreat!"

at the same time.

After Zhang Bei learned that he had fallen into a trap, he fought desperately to command the troops and finally led his troops out of the Beiliang army's flank entanglement.

When he met up with Lin Jiuyuan, both of their faces were filled with solemnity.

"General Lin, this plan should have been flawless, but why did it fail in the end?" Zhang Bei said in a deep voice.

Lin Jiuyuan shook his head and smiled bitterly, "We all underestimated Tuoba Hong, but we weren't completely defeated. My Death Squad killed the master stationed to the east."

Zhang Bei's eyes grew deep upon hearing this, and he whispered, "Oh? Is anyone still alive from the Death Squad? How is Qin Beixi doing?"

Lin Jiuyuan suddenly looked embarrassed. He had just agreed to give Qin Beixi to Zhang Bei yesterday, but today Qin Beixi had made a great contribution. What should he do? He really didn't want to give such a talent to Zhang Bei.

"Qin Beixi is still alive, but this general has promised to promote him to the rank of captain..." Lin Jiuyuan said in embarrassment: "I'm afraid..."

Zhang Bei's face darkened, and he felt unhappy. He had agreed to let someone go, but now he was going back on his word? However, he remained calm and said, "In that case, I will not embarrass General Lin. Farewell."

When Zhang Bei returned to the military tent, Ye Beixuan and many captains were there. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he immediately threw the cup.

"This Lin Jiuyuan clearly promised to give me the person, but now he doesn't want to give it to me. What's going on?" Zhang Bei then recounted the whole story.

Upon hearing this, Ye Beixuan realized that a rift had already arisen. He immediately revealed a look of disappointment and said, "Since General Lin cannot give up, then let's just drop the matter."

Hu Mei'er, who was standing next to him, immediately said in an angry tone, "He clearly looks down on you, General. We've helped him so much, and the loss is so great, yet he can't even bear to spare a single soldier."

When Zhang Bei heard his woman say this, he became angrier and angrier.

Ye Beixuan touched his chin. This Fox Meir had become more sensible. He would have to find a way to heal her face in the future as a reward.

Both Beiliang and Dazhou suffered heavy losses, and supplies definitely need to be allocated. It is time for Zhao Dahai to play a role.

Ye Beixuan thought of this and smiled secretly.

(End of this chapter)