Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 174 A Dramatic Change in the Situation

It's not just women who become silly when they're in love; men do too.

Even the clever Zhu Wen never expected that Flower King Youdi would use his relationship with Tian Jun as a starting point for an attack.

This woman's ruthlessness and cunning are truly astonishing.

Zhu Wen suddenly grabbed Tian Jun's hand and pulled her back to a corner of an earthen wall.

The corner was narrow, allowing them to use the two high, vertical walls to protect their flanks. Zhu Wen had brought Tian Jun here, clearly intending to limit You Di's attack angles and then look for an opportunity to defend and counterattack.

These earthen walls, built with mud bricks, are not sturdy. If Zhu Wen and Tian Jun cannot withstand them, they can simply crash through the wall to escape, thus avoiding their own demise.

You Di seemed to completely disregard Zhu Wen's calculations.

Her lake-blue eyes sparkled with a shrewdness, like a cat toying with a mouse.

As bright as the sun rising in the morning, as dazzling as lotus emerging from the green waves.

The phrase Cao Zijian used to describe the Goddess of the Luo River is equally apt to describe the King of Flowers, You Di.

Yu Di's full head of golden hair, reflecting the soft glow of the lamplight, reached down to her waist, making her incomparably beautiful.

As the crowd scattered in alarm, many people still turned to look at her.

Ordinary people have never seen such beauty.
A soft sword, as clear as autumn water, shot out from the sleeve of Flower King Youdi like an electric snake.

This sword is much longer than an ordinary soft sword; it's practically like a long whip.

Such long, flexible weapons are not often used well. When faced with fierce attacks from hard weapons, flexible weapons are often ineffective, and even in martial arts battles, they can easily lead to losses.

But in You Di's hands, the soft sword is not only agile and nimble, but also incredibly sharp and deadly when infused with power. There is no doubt that when the soft sword is taut and thrusts with full force into an enemy, it can even pierce through armor.

Its softness and resilience make the soft sword exceptionally agile to wield, its shadows spreading out like a net, enveloping Zhu Wen and Tian Jun.

Zhu Wen and Tian Jun exchanged a glance, then simultaneously drew their precious swords and spears, charging towards the Flower King.

Crimson blade light and cyan spearhead, one on the left and one on the right, flanked the sword light that seemed to seep into every crevice like mercury.

"My two little mandarin ducks, I will send you to reunite with Cao Shixiong!"

You Di remained alluring and seductive, giggling incessantly.

Zhu Wen and Tian Jun entered the invisible aura of Flower King You Di and instantly felt a powerful pressure that even hindered their movements.

However, both Zhu Wen and Tian Jun were known for their fierce and advanced fighting style. Facing the field formed by You Di's sword intent, they charged forward with overwhelming force, aiming to tear the field apart.

In the blink of an eye, You Di's soft sword clashed several times with Zhu Wen's Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber and Tian Jun's Azure Dragon Spear.

You Di's body trembled slightly, and she flew backward.

She looked incredulous.

Although Zhu Wen and Tian Jun's strength had only increased to a limited extent, the combined power they displayed was beyond her ability to match.

The sword light, as sharp as mercury, penetrating everywhere, was completely dismantled by Zhu Wen and Tian Jun in just a few moves.

Zhu Wen interlocked his fingers with Tian Jun in front of everyone and burst into laughter.

"How can you, a woman who can't trust anyone else, know the power of me and Junmei working together?"

Tian Jun also revealed an extremely happy smile, her eyes meeting Zhu Wen's, her eyes full of tender affection.

When she opened her crimson lips wide, her two little tiger teeth gleamed in the lamplight, making her incredibly adorable.

Falling in love doesn't just make men and women stupid; it can also make them work together more seamlessly.

In foot combat, the combined attack power fluctuates greatly, and close coordination can bring a huge boost to combat power.

Tian Jun's frank and easygoing nature enabled Zhu Wen to quickly reach a state of perfect harmony with her when they practiced martial arts together, thanks to their mutual understanding.

On the battlefield, it was not uncommon for lovers to fight side by side. Because there were far fewer female warriors than male warriors, there were even instances in history where generals selected large numbers of homosexual lovers to form an invincible army.

As Zhu Wen felt the warmth of Tian Jun's palm, his heart pounded like a drum in his chest.

Compared to the tender affection of a young girl, the place where Tian Jun truly understands him is the battlefield of blood and fire.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhu Wen and Tian Jun moved with lightning speed, smashing through the crowd and rushing towards You Di's retreating direction, intending to take her down in one fell swoop.

You Di has many accomplices here, but she is confident in her martial prowess, and none of them made a move earlier. Zhu Wen pondered that it was highly likely that he and Tian Jun could work together swiftly and decisively to kill or capture the Flower Queen, You Di.

Including the blonde bearded woman who served food yesterday, Yu Di's accomplices were all stunned and speechless, unable to react for a moment.

With unstoppable momentum, Zhu Wen and Tian Jun moved ever closer to Flower King Youdi.

They could already see the faint panic in You Di's eyes.

When faced with an imminent threat of death, panic and fear are instinctive human reactions.

Even a powerful and ruthless woman like You Di is no exception.

She could already feel the wind from the spear and the intent of the blade brushing against the skin of her neck.

In the nick of time, You Di's body suddenly shifted, and like a cannonball fired from a trebuchet, he crashed into the earthen wall beside the road with a bang.

Her movements were incredibly unpredictable; she almost instantly transformed her retreating momentum into a sideways force.

Zhu Wen and Tian Jun had no choice but to stop abruptly. They had practiced together many times using You Di as a hypothetical opponent, which was why they were able to handle the Flower King so well in this duel. However, they were still caught off guard by You Di's unpredictable demonic movement techniques.

This was originally Zhu Wen's plan to use as a last-minute tactic if he were to be defeated. However, it was You Di who used it.

The flying dust was dazzling, and Zhu Wen and Tian Jun couldn't easily chase after them into the courtyard.

But Zhu Wen also noticed something unusual.

The chaotic crowd gasped in surprise, but no screams came from inside the courtyard. If You Di had rashly barged into the house, the residents would surely have screamed as well.

This courtyard must be one of Youdi's strongholds.

As the dust settled, Zhu Wen and Tian Jun suddenly heard a wailing sound coming from the courtyard.

A slender, frail figure, with her hands bound behind her back and a rag stuffed in her mouth, was being gently embraced by Kao Yu-di.

You Di gently stroked Lan Suting's face with her fair, creamy hands: "What a pitiful young lady, no wonder Lord Zhu Wen is so fond of her."

"When Zhu Lang scolded me for not taking Zhizhen as a hostage, I naturally complied." You Di's eyes were gentle and charming, and her words were like a young girl whispering to her lover.

Zhu Wen and Tian Jun's eyes widened in fury in an instant.

During the Lunar New Year, the soldiers in the barracks would all go out to play, which was also the time when the defenses of the grass army camp were at their weakest.

Lan Suting disliked crowds and chose to stay in the camp.

Zhu Wen actually left Huo Cun and Zhu Zhen for protection, but how could they be a match for the surprise attack force sent by You Di?

Only then did Zhu Wen realize the dire situation his side was facing.

You Di not only wants to kill people, but also to destroy their spirit.

The Flower King's eyes were gentle as he softly breathed hot air into Lan Suting's ear, then yanked out the rag that had been stuffing Lan Suting's mouth: "Little sister Zhizhen, why don't you say a few words to your sweetheart and the vixen who stole your sweetheart?"

Lan Suting's face was deathly pale, like a lily swaying in the wind, pitiful and delicate.

Zhu Wen felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

Tian Jun panicked and stood there, not knowing what to do.

Lan Suting looked up at You Di with an unusually firm gaze: "Sister Jun is not some vixen. She is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than you."

"Hehehe..." You Di giggled, pinching Lan Suting's chin with her delicate hand: "Little sister, you're quite stubborn. But words are meaningless. How can you judge whether a woman is good or not?"

Lan Suting remained remarkably calm: "Release me."

"Why? Do you know how much effort they put into capturing you?" Youdi sighed. "That man named Zhu Zhen is really fierce. Although my men injured him, they also lost a beautiful maid in his hands."

“Bi Shao is worth five hundred strings of cash! These rough soldiers really don’t know how to cherish a beautiful woman.”

Zhu Wen felt slightly relieved upon learning that Zhu Zhen's life was not in danger.

When discussing the deaths of his subordinates, the emperor actually assessed them by their social status, showing a complete lack of compassion.

Since Zhu Zhen is still alive, Huo Cun is probably unharmed as well. The two of them will surely find reinforcements quickly and track them down.

But saving lives is urgent and cannot be delayed. How could Youdi possibly give their side that time?
Unexpectedly, Lan Suting, who was under the control of the enemy, became even more calm and composed in front of the dignified Flower King: "With the combined forces of Sister Jun, we can already suppress you. So, with your subordinates added, we can't keep them even if we want to."

That's the truth. Without Lan Suting as a hostage, Zhu Wen and Tian Jun wouldn't have had any problem breaking through the encirclement.

"So you want them to abandon you and just run away?" Youdi looked down at her with a meaningful gaze.

"No, I won't be a burden to them."

A bluish-black aura suddenly appeared on Lan Suting's face.

Even You Di was somewhat surprised: "You took poison? When did you take it?"

“I got it from Sister Hongyan. It sticks to your teeth, and once you bite it, the poison will take effect immediately.” Lan Suting said calmly, “Since I am powerless and could become the general’s weakness at any time, how could I not make preparations?”

"If you still want to leave me a way out, release me immediately. I have the antidote on me. The antidote is stored separately, and only I know how to mix it." Lan Suting said, "If I die, both Jiang Hejun and Sister Jun will fight you to the death. They will chase you to the ends of the earth and tear you to pieces."

Faced with this scene, Zhu Wen and Tian Jun were both somewhat incredulous.

Zhu Wen knew that Lan Suting was not afraid of death, but he did not expect her to be so decisive.

Lan Suting's face grew increasingly dark and sallow, yet her gaze remained calm, as if she held the life and death of Flower King Youdi in her own hands.

Youdi was also stunned.

Such a delicate young girl displayed such fearlessness in the face of death, which deeply shocked even You Di, who treated human life as worthless.

Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something.

But at that moment, Lan Suting suddenly lowered her head and bit down on the arm that You Di was holding around her neck.

Even in the dead of winter, Youdi wore very thin clothes, showing that she was not afraid of the cold at all.

But this is clearly not a good thing now.

Lan Suting knew no martial arts and was bound. You Di was preoccupied with her own thoughts and completely unprepared when Lan Suting bit through her clothes, leaving deep teeth marks that bled.

"And now?" Lan Suting raised her head and met You Di's gaze, which was filled with disbelief.

"King of Flowers, you may not care about Su-ting's life, but at least you should care about your own."

Even the most meticulous people can make mistakes.

The change happened so suddenly that Youdi never expected this move.

When the venom from Lan Suting's teeth seeped into her bloodstream, Youdi immediately realized that it was an extremely potent poison.

Lan Suting could decide how much of the poison pill to swallow by biting down on her teeth. The amount of poison that entered You Di's body in that bite was probably more than what Lan Suting had ingested.

Upon entering her body, You Di immediately felt dizzy and weak.

Zhu Wen and Tian Jun glared at her, their eyes burning with murderous intent.

(End of this chapter)