The Red Mansion

Chapter 163 He Yun Unleashes His Power, Wang Long Dies Tragically

In the Luo sect, there was a venerable protector of scriptures named Han Tianhong. He was burly and had a thick beard with each hair standing up like a steel needle.

This person is in charge of the sect's martial arts, and has many skilled and experienced warriors under his command.

Tan Fengchi was a capable lieutenant under Han Tianhong. The two were not only subordinates but also sworn brothers, and both valued brotherhood in the martial arts world.

Previously, when Chen Bina, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, sent his elite troops to besiege Tan Fengchi and Wang Long, Han Tianhong disregarded the danger and personally led more than a hundred followers to meet them and rescue them.

Han Tianhong, who was originally stationed at the Xinyi Escort Agency in Jiangning, could no longer stay in Jiangning because of this incident. He had no choice but to take Tan Fengchi and Wang Long to the Zhengyuan Escort Agency in Suzhou for refuge.

Zhengyuan Escort Agency is located at the confluence of Shantang River and the Grand Canal. On the surface, it is a private escort agency, but in reality, it is an important stronghold of the Luo Sect, specifically set up to protect the sect leader and the protectors of the Heaven, Earth, and Human Sects. The compound has high walls and a training ground inside, where dozens of elites usually train.

Today, Yao Jisheng, along with a group of trusted men, escaped from the underground palace of Puji Temple to the banks of Shantang River. They then boarded two awning boats and fled along Shantang River to Zhengyuan Escort Agency.

Han Tianhong was training his elite followers on the training ground when he suddenly saw the sect leader, Yao Jisheng, rushing over. He had taken off his usual robes and was now only wearing a blue cloth robe. The cinnabar mark between his eyebrows was also gone, and he was dressed like an ordinary pilgrim. His expression showed a hint of panic.

Han Tianhong's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting, "Master, why are you dressed like this today? Has something happened?"

Yao Jisheng said, "Let's go inside and talk privately!"

Han Tianhong hurriedly led Yao Jisheng into the back hall, where a statue of Luo Zu was enshrined in the center, and the Five Books and Six Volumes of the Sutra were neatly arranged on the altar, with wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner.

Han Tianhong said, "Please sit down, Master."

Yao Jisheng did not sit down, but paced back and forth in the room.

Seeing this, Han Tianhong knew in his heart that something big must have happened, but he dared not say anything and just stood aside with his hands at his sides.

Suddenly, Yao Jisheng stopped in his tracks and sighed, "Disaster! The imperial court has sent an imperial envoy to investigate and ban our sect, most likely because of your previous uprising in Jiangning to rescue Tan Fengchi." As he spoke, his brows furrowed, and his eyes were filled with worry.

Upon hearing this, Han Tianhong's face immediately flushed red with shame.

Yao Jisheng continued, "You brought such a terrible disaster upon yourself by trying to save Tan Fengchi. How am I supposed to handle this?"

"Please forgive me, Master." Han Tianhong knelt down with a thud, clasped his hands and said, "Tan Fengchi is not only a trusted confidant of my sect, but also a brother who would die for me. When I saw him about to be killed that day, I really... really couldn't bear to stand by and watch!" After saying that, he touched his forehead to the ground and kowtowed twice.

Seeing Han Tianhong's reaction, Yao Jisheng sighed again and waved his sleeve, saying, "Enough, enough, there's no point in saying this now." Suddenly, he became serious and said, "Immediately gather thirty elite soldiers, prepare carriages and horses, and escort me to Baiyun Temple on Xuanmu Mountain. Also, order Tan Fengchi to accompany you and the remaining men to meet Protector Murong here. Protector Murong is about to escort a batch of goods here; you must ensure that Protector Murong and that batch of goods are safely delivered to Baiyun Temple!"

Han Tianhong was startled, but dared not ask any further questions. He kowtowed deeply and said, "Yes, sir! I will do my utmost to fulfill your trust!"

Yao Jisheng nodded slightly, gave a few more instructions, and then, under the protection of the crowd, left Zhengyuan Escort Agency and fled towards Baiyun Nunnery on Xuanmu Mountain.

……

……

Near Zhengyuan Escort Agency is a three-courtyard house with its black lacquered gate always tightly closed. It is the hiding place of Tan Fengchi and his disciples.

Although the courtyard was not luxurious, it was tidy and organized. In the backyard, there were stone locks, knives and spears, which clearly indicated that it was the residence of a martial arts practitioner.

After seeing Yao Jisheng off, Han Tianhong headed straight for this three-courtyard residence.

When Tan Fengchi’s apprentice saw Han Tianhong arrive, he hurriedly ushered him into the inner room.

The interior was simply furnished, with only a rosewood square table, a few armchairs, and a plaque on the wall that read "Righteousness Reaching the Heavens," written by Tan Fengchi himself, with vigorous strokes.

Tan Fengchi was wiping a long-handled broadsword when he saw Han Tianhong enter with a solemn expression, so he quickly got up to greet him.

Tan Fengchi let Han Tianhong sit in the main seat, and sat beside him.

Han Tianhong recounted the imperial envoy's investigation and the sect leader's escape, among other things. When he got to the crucial parts, he lowered his voice considerably, as if afraid of being overheard.

Upon hearing this, Tan Fengchi sighed, "This is all my fault for being greedy! If I hadn't been blinded by greed and coveted those seven hundred taels of gold, how could I have attracted the siege of Liangjiang by the Governor-General? I even implicated the Venerable One in leading his men to rescue me, and now I'm in such a terrible state... Alas!" At this point, he choked up and could not speak.

Han Tianhong waved his hand and said, "It's too late to regret now that things have come to this." Suddenly, he said seriously, "You still have more than thirty trusted men here. Immediately lead them to Zhengyuan Escort Agency with me to meet Protector Murong and retrieve the treasures from the sect."

Upon hearing this, Tan Fengchi stood up abruptly, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I will go through fire and water for you, whatever your command!"

Having said that, he turned and went out of the house, took out a copper whistle from his waist, and blew out one long and two short whistles.

Before long, more than thirty men gathered in the courtyard.

……

……

In the corner of the backyard of Zhengyuan Escort Agency stood a small gray-tiled house. Crickets chirped softly beneath the moss-covered walls, and the mulberry paper pasted on the window frames was long since tattered. When the autumn wind swept by, the tattered paper made a mournful sound.

Inside the room was nothing more than a table and a couch, with several bundles of moldy straw piled in the corner. The musty smell mixed with the dust made one's head ache.

Wang Long has been imprisoned here ever since he fled to Suzhou with Han Tianhong and Tan Fengchi.

In fact, Wang Longyuan was not a member of the Luo Cult, and did not even know that Tan Fengchi was a key member of the Luo Cult. He only knew him as a chivalrous leader of a Jianghu gang.

Because Wang Long coveted Xue Baochai's gold, he and Tan Fengchi rebelled against the government troops and fled, and also colluded with the Luo Sect.

Because he was not originally a member of the Luo Cult, and because Han Tianhong and other members of the Luo Cult blamed him for harming Tan Fengchi, thus implicating the Luo Cult, he was imprisoned when he fled to Zhengyuan Escort Agency in Suzhou. Fortunately, Tan Fengchi was very loyal and sent people to deliver some food and drink to him every day, so he was not too miserable.

At this moment, Wang Long sat alone at the table, drinking his sorrowful wine with a half-dish of salted beans. He was no longer wearing the luxurious brocade robes he had worn in Jiangning, but a set of dirty, coarse cloth clothes.

After three cups of wine, tears welled up in his eyes. He sighed inwardly, "I wonder what has become of the Wang family? I have committed such a heinous crime, which will surely implicate the Wang family. I don't know what a miserable end I will suffer. Alas, if only I had known this would happen, I should never have coveted the Xue family's gold!"

The thought of this made my throat feel like it was blocked with cotton, and I couldn't even swallow the salted beans.

Just as he was grieving, he suddenly heard the door hinge creak, and Tan Fengchi slipped in, his face showing a mixture of anxiety and gloom.

Wang Long hurriedly stood up to greet him: "Heroic Elder Tan."

Now he can only rely on Tan Fengchi, so he naturally treats Tan Fengchi with the utmost respect.

Tan Fengchi lowered his voice and said, "Something terrible has happened! The imperial court has sent an imperial envoy to investigate and ban our sect. The envoy has already arrived in Suzhou, and even the sect leader has been forced to flee. Right now, Venerable Han and I are here to meet him..."

After explaining the situation, Tan Fengchi sighed heavily: "This matter is most likely caused by what happened between you and me."

Upon hearing this, Wang Long was struck dumb, his mind reeling. He thought to himself, "If the Luo Cult suffers heavy losses this time, I fear I will lose my life here!"

Thinking of this, he knelt down with a thud, grabbed Tan Fengchi's clothes, and cried, "Hero Tan, save me! Now that the sect has suffered such a calamity, how can the people spare me? I'm afraid... I'm afraid they will kill me to vent their anger!"

Tan Fengchi smiled bitterly and helped Wang Long up, saying, "Now that things have come to this, even I am walking on thin ice. But don't worry, if Venerable Han and I successfully meet Protector Murong later, we will escape together. Since I brought you here, I will not abandon you."

After saying that, he turned and left, his back showing a slight hunch. Wang Long stood there, stunned, feeling a chill run up from the soles of his feet.

He suddenly shivered, thinking to himself, "Although Tan Fengchi values ​​loyalty, Han Tianhong and his group of Luo Cult bandits see me as a thorn in their side. If they succeed, they may not actually take me with them; if they fail, they will surely kill me to vent their anger."

The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became, and before I knew it, my clothes were soaked with sweat.

The autumn wind howled outside the window, making the torn window paper rustle.

A fierce glint suddenly appeared in Wang Long's eyes. He gritted his teeth and thought to himself, "Rather than sit and wait to die, I'd better run away!"

He tiptoed to the window and peered out, only to see two elite members of the Luo Cult guarding the outside.

"Alas! There's no escaping it now; we can only wait for an opportunity!"

Wang Long sighed inwardly.

……

……

Through torture and interrogation, Jiang Nian learned from Cheng Muqian, the protector of the Heavenly Sect, that the previous incident involved Han Tianhong, the protector of scriptures of the Luo Sect, who raised an army to help Tan Fengchi and Wang Long. The three of them fled to Zhengyuan Escort Agency in Suzhou.

Therefore, when Jiang Nian led his army to besiege Puji Temple and Yunyan Temple today, under his orders, He Yun, together with Qin Song, the commander of the Suzhou City Garrison, led twenty elite cavalrymen from Jiangning and two hundred soldiers from Suzhou directly to Zhengyuan Escort Agency.

Han Tianhong and Tan Fengchi led dozens of people to Zhengyuan Escort Agency to meet Murong Zheng and a million gold and silver.

Unexpectedly, He Yun and Qin Song led their troops to attack Zhengyuan Escort Agency.

With Qin Song's command, "Surround them!"

Upon receiving the order, the officers and soldiers immediately surrounded the escort agency like an iron barrel.

Inside, Han Tianhong was discussing with Tan Fengchi the matter of receiving Murong Zheng and the million gold and silver when suddenly shouts of battle arose outside, the clash of swords and the thunder of horses made the copper bells under the eaves tremble.

Han Tianhong was startled, and then he realized that the soldiers had surrounded the escort agency like an iron barrel, and arrows were flying like locusts, forming an inescapable net.

"Not good!" Han Tianhong quickly drew his bow and arrow and said to Tan Fengchi, "The soldiers have arrived, escape from here immediately!" Before he finished speaking, there was a "whoosh" sound, and an arrow came flying through the air, just grazing his face and embedding itself in the beam behind him, the arrow tail still trembling.

The two sides began to fight.

Relying on their superior numbers, the officers and soldiers unleashed a barrage of arrows, raining down upon them.

Although Han Tianhong and Tan Fengchi led dozens of their men in a desperate resistance, they managed to kill a few government soldiers amidst the flashing swords and arrows, but they were outnumbered.

Seeing that the soldiers in the front yard were too powerful, Han Tianhong and Tan Fengchi had no choice but to fight and retreat, all the way to the back yard.

In the backyard, Wang Long tried to escape by climbing over the wall in the chaos, but Han Tianhong caught him red-handed.

Han Tianhong saw this at a glance and was immediately filled with rage. He shouted angrily, "What an ungrateful wretch! Today's disaster is all because of you, and you actually think you can escape alone?"

He immediately drew his bow and nocked an arrow. With a "whoosh," the arrow shot out like a shooting star, piercing Wang Long's back. Wang Long screamed in agony and fell from the wall, instantly dying.

Tan Fengchi caught a glimpse of this, and although he felt a pang of pity, he knew that Wang Long was more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything, so he could only sigh inwardly and dared not say anything more.

At this moment, the shouts of the soldiers grew even more intense, and arrows rained down.

Knowing that the situation was hopeless, Tan Fengchi said to Han Tianhong, "I will protect the Venerable One and help him break through the back door. Venerable One, please leave quickly. I will cover the rear!"

Upon hearing this, Han Tianhong hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "Take care, Brother Tan!"

Immediately, Han Tianhong and Tan Fengchi led a group of men to break through the back gate. Among them, Han Tianhong and a group of his confidants rode on horseback, assuming a charging formation.

They exited through the back door, breaking through the encirclement of a group of soldiers guarding the back entrance. Han Tianhong then led a group of his confidants, who all spurred their horses and fled.

Tan Fengchi led a group of his apprentices and subordinates to hold off the government troops.

Tan Fengchi wielded a long-handled broadsword with incredible speed and a swift, cold light, and in a flash, he slew two elite cavalrymen from Jiangning, their blood splattering onto their sleeves and turning them completely red.

He Yun was furious when he saw this. He drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and, after a close look, shot the arrow, hitting Tan Fengchi squarely in the thigh.

Tan Fengchi cried out in pain, staggered, and fell to the ground. The soldiers rushed forward and captured him alive.

In this battle, the government troops lost two Jiangning cavalrymen and ten Suzhou soldiers.

On Luo's side, Tan Fengchi was captured, more than ten people surrendered, and more than twenty people were killed.

Zhengyuan Escort Agency, corpses strewn everywhere.

……

……

Jiang Nian had just captured Shi Xiao at Puji Temple and subdued the garrison commander Situ Jing, and was about to muster her troops.

Suddenly, a cavalryman from Jiangning galloped to Puji Temple, his hooves crushing the bluestone and raising dust.

The cavalryman dismounted and rushed to Jiang Nian, kneeling on one knee and clasping his hands in a fist salute, reporting, "Your Excellency, the Imperial Envoy! Master He has captured Tan Fengchi alive at the Zhengyuan Escort Agency, and Wang Long has been killed by the Luo Cult..."

Upon learning of the battle situation at Zhengyuan Escort Agency, Jiang Nian dared not delay. He left ten elite cavalrymen from Jiangning to guard Puji Temple, while he and Situ Jing led over a hundred soldiers straight to Zhengyuan Escort Agency.

Upon arriving at Zhengyuan Escort Agency, they found corpses strewn everywhere, blood staining the courtyard, a scene of utter devastation.

When He Yun saw Jiang Nian arrive, he hurriedly went forward to greet her and led her to see Wang Long's corpse. The body lay beside a pile of straw, an arrow piercing its heart from behind, the blood already congealed into a purplish-black color.

Turning into the corridor, one sees Tan Fengchi tightly bound to a pillar, his leg wound still bleeding from the arrow wound, yet he still raises his head and sneers, his eyes blazing, showing no fear whatsoever.

Jiang Nian asked Tan Fengchi a few questions, to which Tan Fengchi responded with angry glares and curses, revealing that although the man was old, he was a tough guy. Jiang Nian immediately stopped talking to Tan Fengchi and said in a deep voice to He Yun, Situ Jing, and Qin Song, "Time is of the essence. Yao Jisheng and Han Tianhong have not yet been executed. We should pursue and eliminate them quickly to prevent further trouble!"

Immediately, He Yun, Situ Jing, and Qin Song mustered their troops, preparing to join Jiang Nian in pursuing Yao Jisheng and Han Tianhong.

Jiang Nian couldn't help but think of Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyan.

The original novel mentions the Xuanmu Panxiang Temple in Suzhou, where both Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyan reside.

"This time I'm heading to Xuanmu Mountain, I wonder if I'll be able to see Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyan."

Jiang Nian thought to herself.

(End of this chapter)