Sword from the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 149 The balance of offense and defense is different!
"Your Majesty~!!"

Looking at Yang Guang, who was slumped on the dragon throne, Zhang Xutuo's roar was filled with sorrow.

Everyone heard the wild and joyful laughter and couldn't help but look up at the top of Chengxiang Hall.

Based on the details of this person's ghostly movements, concealment methods, attack style, and methods of killing, his identity has been almost confirmed.

"Shadow Assassin!"

Eunuch Wei exclaimed in surprise and looked at Lin Shihong, whose face had turned purple, but Lin Shihong was also completely confused.

Although the shadow assassin emerged from his ranks, he was not the one who arranged it.

In the past, there were Zhuan Zhu who assassinated King Liao, Nie Zheng who assassinated Han Kui, and Yao Li who assassinated Qing Ji.

This time, the renowned Shadow Assassin has assassinated Emperor Yang Guang of Sui at such a critical moment!
"Boom~!"

Another loud explosion rang out from the top of Chengxiang Hall, and the top expert of the Dugu family broke through the tiles and rushed up, seemingly ready to fight the Shadow Assassin.

Lin Shihong activated the Purple Blood Technique, which had already given his face a purplish hue.

Seeing the Dugu family expert's exasperated expression, the purple-faced man with blood still dripping from his lips completely forgot his injuries and burst into laughter.

Just now, this guy was full of venomous words, acting as if he was in control of the situation, and he was fighting seven people by himself, as if he had become the savior of Yang Guang and the Sui Dynasty.

As a result, their good plans were ruined in the blink of an eye.

Seeing him suffer such a great setback, how could Lin Shihong not be happy?

The fighting around Chengxiang Hall continued, and the afternoon sun shone on two figures on the roof.

One of them was dressed as a soldier, wearing armor in front and behind.

One was dressed as a scholar, in a light robe and loose belt.

Zhou Yi looked at the young man's face and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

He had an excellent memory and immediately recalled the person he had seen at Crow Mountain and Misty Temple.

Yang Ying?

It turned out to be the case.

However, compared to the person I met on Raven Hill.

At this moment, the Shadow Assassin exudes a completely different aura.

His spirit was fully unleashed, radiant and vibrant, like a sapling on the verge of death being cleansed by a heavy rain, gaining new life, displaying a lively and energetic appearance.

For those who practice martial arts, this is a major spiritual transformation.

As the atom of the Great Ming Zunjiao (Great Ming Respectful Teachings).

The spiritual power emanating from the Shadow Assassin at this moment had surpassed that of Myoko.

As Zhou Yi sized him up, Yang Xuyan was also sizing up the scholar before him, his heart filled with vigilance.

"I killed Yang Guang, and you are very angry?"

Why am I angry?

Yang Xuyan said, "Your Dugu family is somewhat blindly loyal to Yang Guang, but he is a man who deserves to die, and he is not a good emperor. I am helping you to get rid of this burden."

"I heard you usually flee immediately after killing someone, but why is this time different?"

"Because I'm in a good mood, I want to see what the capital city looks like in chaos, and also, I'm waiting for you to catch up."

Zhou Yi was a little curious: "Wait for me?"

"You have mastered the essence of the Dugu family's martial arts, and your talent and ability are admirable. But unfortunately, even if you break through further, you will be limited by the upper limit of the techniques and stop at the level of the three grandmasters. Even if you cultivate diligently for a hundred years, you will only have a higher level of skill. You will never reach the ultimate level of martial arts and will never be able to break through the void."

As the saying goes, "A wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on." If you are willing to cooperate with me, you will obtain supreme scriptures that even the Dugu family cannot access.

Zhou Yi looked closely and confirmed that the person in front of him was not Zhou Laotan.

The two people speak very similarly.

The difference is that when Zhou Laotan speaks in this tone, it gives people a sense of obsession and madness.

What Yang Xuyan described sounded more like a conspiracy or deal.

What kind of martial arts do you use?

Yang Xuyan pointed to the dragon throne in the Chengxiang Hall, where Dugu Sheng's mournful weeping could be heard.

"Yang Guang has already experienced my suffering."

"This is an extremely wonderful method. Yang Guang was the first to experience it, but you have the opportunity to be the first to observe it."

At this point, Yang Xuyan stopped speaking, as he saw the scholar opposite him raising his long sword.

"Ok?"

“I have no interest in your wonderful methods.”

"Why?"

"Because I don't think the ultimate martial arts are that far away, nor are they something unattainable."

Yang Xuyan frowned slightly, wanting to say that the other party was "arrogant and shameless".

Given such talent, it's understandable that the other party would be arrogant.

"After so many battles, your true energy is probably already depleted."

“You’ll know once you try it.”

Yang Xuyan glanced into the distance; his hearing was extremely sharp, and he could hear a large group of people approaching.

As a renowned assassin, he survived countless assassination attempts thanks to his calmness, caution, and control over danger.

In addition, his upbringing has given him a personality that is quite different from most martial artists.

He wanted to fight, but he was able to suppress his emotions.

Before Zhou Yi could make a move, Yang Xuyan kicked the roof ornament away. As Zhou Yi shattered the ornament along with a large section of glazed tiles with a single sword strike, the Shadow Assassin vanished like a phantom from the Chengxiang Hall.

Zhou Yi did not chase after him, but turned around and jumped into the main hall through the large hole in the roof.

If Yang Xuyan hadn't lingered, Zhou Yi wouldn't have gone up to find him at all.

The Demonic Sect is already troublesome enough, but having an assassin lurking overhead is a huge threat.

Lin Shihong and the others were somewhat disappointed.

If Zhou Yi were to engage in a fierce battle with the Shadow Assassin, it would be highly advantageous for them.

In the battle outside the Imaging Hall, Lin Shihong's side still had the upper hand, after all, they had more people.

But soon after, a large sound of footsteps rushed in from afar.

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"

Yu Hongda, holding a steel whip, urged the troops to speed up.

Hearing the commotion, Bi Shouxuan looked at the disciple beside him.

Lin Shihong's demonic skills were truly remarkable; he actually recovered from the impact of the force field explosion and regained his fighting strength.

His face turned even more purple, and he fought with increasing ferocity.

Lin Shihong looked towards Zhou Yi's location, his fighting spirit surging.

Pi Shouxuan reached out and stopped him, focusing his voice into a line and saying, "Yang Guang is dead, and Zhang Xutuo will be unrestrained. While Yuchi Sheng is still attacking the capital, let's leave now."

Lin Shihong gritted his teeth: "This kid must be having a hard time too. Now is my chance to win."

"Your demonic powers are not yet fully developed, don't act rashly, go!"

As he finished speaking, You Hongda's men stormed in from outside.

"kill!"

"Don't let any of these thieves get away!"

You Hongda lashed his steel whip at the soldiers who had surrendered earlier:
"Quickly pick up your weapons and fight alongside me. Eliminating the rebels will be a great achievement! If you dare to watch again, your heads will all roll the moment my main force arrives!"

Upon seeing You Hongda's new army, everyone immediately understood that Linghu Xingda and Xie Shaojian's men were bound to be defeated.

With the battle situation clearing up, he made these remarks again.

After dozens of people took up their weapons at You Hongda's command, the rest also picked up spears and halberds and began to fight, shouting as they went.

In an instant, the situation turned into two or three people fighting against one person.

Dugu Feng exchanged a few glances with the strange scholar two zhang to the left of Eunuch Wei. Seeing that she looked away and looked at Zhou Yi next to the dragon throne.

Then, before anyone else could react, a hint of resentment in her eyes, she gracefully retreated.

Dugu Feng gazed at her retreating figure, lost in thought.

Eunuch Wei, Bi Shouxuan, and Lin Shihong also led their men out of Chengxiang Hall.

Zhang Xutuo roared angrily and led his men to surround and kill them.

Fu Gongshi and Xie Shaojian were standing closer to Lin Shihong, so they were more affected and suffered more serious injuries. They were a step behind at this point.

If you hesitate even slightly, you will be surrounded by the army.

General Zuo Xiaowei and his junior supervisor were forced back by a barrage of arrows. Zhang Xutuo stepped forward and beheaded them with a single stroke!

Fu Gongshi used his powerful skills to create an opening after Xie Shaojian was killed.

However, there were just too many people around.

A gap opened, and the others filled it in.

Lin Shihong, who had already fought his way out of the main hall, heard Fu Gongshi's shouts and wanted to come to his rescue.

Looking back at the situation at Chengxiang Hall, he paused for only a moment before retreating even faster with Bi Shouxuan and the others.

Amidst the crowd, Fu Gongshi's palm strike, carrying scorching force, repeatedly shattered the spearheads.

But as soon as he regained his composure, even more spears came thrusting at him.

This expert from the Heavenly Lotus Sect fought several battles, but in the end, with a scream, he was pierced through by spears coming from all directions.

Seeing this, the remaining troops of the Left and Right Valiant Guards camps all gave up resistance.

One by one, they dropped their weapons and knelt down to await judgment.

Apart from the Imperial Guards chasing Lin Shihong and others, the chaos in Chengxiang Hall has basically subsided.

But
Whether standing or kneeling, no soldier or officer could feel at ease.

Amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the Sui Dynasty emperor, clad in a nine-dragon robe, had his eyes closed on his dragon throne.

With the emperor's death, what will become of the Sui Dynasty?
Dugu Sheng's old face was filled with sorrow, as was Zhang Xutuo, who returned with his sword after killing Xie Shaojian.

The two looked at Yang Guang, who had his eyes closed, and then at Zhou Yi, who was standing beside the dragon throne.

"Sir, His Majesty..."

Zhou Yi stood silently beside Yang Guang's body for a while, and Dugu Sheng couldn't help but ask.

He was hoping for a different answer.

Perhaps Mr. Zhou, with his superb martial arts skills, can still create miracles.

But this fantasy was shattered immediately.

Zhou Yi removed his hand from Yang Guang's heart meridian and shook his head helplessly: "His Majesty's heart meridian has stopped beating. He has already boarded the carriage prepared by Sima Dekan and is heading towards Fengdu City."

"Your Majesty~!"

Dugu Sheng let out a long lament.

"Your Majesty—!"

As You Hongda entered the Chengxiang Hall, he also heard Zhou Yi's words. He was immediately overcome with grief and let out a miserable cry, which moved everyone who heard it.

"Your Majesty, it's all my fault for being late in protecting you!"

You Hongda ran close to the emperor and knelt down beside Dugu Sheng. As he kowtowed towards the dragon throne, he shouted "Your Majesty!"

Now that Yang Guang is dead, there is no need to flaunt loyalty.

It is evident that General Zhenkou's loyalty to the Sui Dynasty was genuine and stemmed from the bottom of his heart.

Dugu Feng glanced at You Hongda, then looked at Zhou Yi beside the dragon throne.

The first person to rally was Zhang Xutuo.

After bowing to Yang Guang, he stood up and helped You Hongda up: "Your Majesty, please put aside your affairs for now and deal with those traitors first!"

"How's the situation at the palace gates?"

You Hongda quickly said, "The battle is urgent!"

"Yuchi Sheng is sending a large army to attack the city, while Qin Shubao, Cheng Yaojin, and Luo Shixin are holding the city to the death."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xutuo dared not delay, as the Xiaoguo Army outnumbered them by nearly three times.

"Quickly come with me to defend the city; we must not let them breach the palace walls."

"General, your wound..."

"It doesn't matter."

Zhang Xutuo leaned on the ground with his knife and said to Dugu Sheng, "Brother Dugu, you lead a troop of imperial guards to protect His Majesty and prevent chaos in the harem. You must protect Empress Xiao well."

Dugu Sheng responded twice and also cheered up.

Zhang Xutuo nodded to Zhou Yi and then took You Hongda away. The imperial guards outside Chengxiang Hall began to move towards the palace gate.

“Niece Feng, take some people to look after Empress Xiao.”

"it is good."

Zhou Yi arrived at the edge of Chengxiang Hall and sat down to meditate next to Yuwen Chengdu.

If the good mother is with the Yuwen clan, they might attack again; we must adjust our strategy.

After Zhou Yi meditated for a while, a sound of weeping came from Chengxiang Hall.

Empress Xiao was in her forties and was very well-preserved. Although she had no martial arts skills, she still looked very young.

Upon meeting Yang Guang, she completely lost her composure as an empress.

Tears washed away her elegance and grace, making her appear like an ordinary wife, overwhelmed with grief over her husband's death.

Zhou Yi left Chengxiang Hall without leaving a trace, leaped onto the roof, and went to the back of the hall to continue meditating.

A moment later, a soft footstep approached.

The little phoenix came over and stuffed some pastries into his hand.

"I just got it from the Empress."

Zhou Yi hasn't eaten yet, having fought several rounds in a row. These pastries are just what he needs to soothe his stomach.

She said only that one sentence before she turned to leave.

Zhou Yi grabbed her hand and stuffed the two pieces back into her hands.

Dugu Feng shook her head: "You eat, I don't have much of an appetite."

"The people of the Great Ming Sect haven't retreated; there might be another great battle. Don't go hungry."

Zhou Yi pulled her down, and the two sat together, quickly finishing the pastries.

Dugu Feng's expression darkened upon hearing Empress Xiao's cries.

However, with a formidable enemy at hand, she did not disturb Zhou Yi.

She only stayed by his side for a short while before returning to the Chengxiang Hall.
Winter has arrived, and it gets dark early.

The battle at Linjiang Palace lasted from daytime until night.

When Zhou Yi arrived at the city wall, the shouts of battle were in full swing.

Yuchi Sheng has enough troops to attack the city wave after wave. As long as they open the gates of Linjiang Palace and wipe out Zhang Xutuo's troops, they will control Jiangdu and have the last laugh.

Unfortunately, many generals were commanding from the city wall.

We tried all sorts of tactics, but we just couldn't break through.

On the imperial road outside the capital, Yuwen Huaji stood with Yuchi Sheng, the latter looking somewhat anxiously toward Linjiang Palace.

Beside them stood a voluptuous woman with a unique air about her; she was none other than the kind-hearted mother, Shafang.

When does Mrs. Sha plan to make her move?

Yu Chisheng asked more than once, which was already urging him to hurry.

"Wait until it's completely dark."

Shafang's tone was calm; no matter how fierce the fighting was, it didn't affect her. The city walls were full of archers, and climbing the walls under a hail of arrows would make one an easy target. At night, even the archers' eyesight was far worse than during the day.

Her words possess a unique spiritual charm.

Upon hearing her voice and staring at her voluptuous figure, Yu Chisheng's infatuation vanished, and his anxiety subsided considerably.

The fighting continued intermittently until 9 PM.

Yuchi Sheng mobilized several elite detachments of soldiers. These men were the elite of the Jiangdu navy and his own troops. They had not participated in any battles before, but had been waiting for this moment.

At Yuchi Sheng's command, shouts of battle rose again.

After the army had charged through for a while, Sha Fang's figure swayed and disappeared into the darkness.

She was like a phantom in the darkness, and in a moment she reached the foot of the city wall.

By the light of the torches, the old general on the palace came into view. Zhang Xutuo was already injured, and having not rested, he had been fighting continuously until now.

If he didn't have many men around him, killing him would have been a piece of cake.

Yuchi Sheng's men attracted a lot of attention. By the time Sha Fang stepped onto the city wall, Zhang Xutuo was already dead in her eyes.

"General, be careful!"

On the palace wall, the Mother of Goodness merely swung her silver staff lightly, yet it unleashed a powerful force, sending several armored soldiers flying backward to either side.

With a flick of Yu Xiaoyao's finger, the breastplate on the armor immediately dented.

The archer turned his arrow around, but dared not let it leave the bowstring.

Sha Fang came to Zhang Xutuo's side. Under the hail of arrows, wouldn't General Zhang be shot to death as well?

Zhang Xutuo turned around and saw the smile on Shafang's face.

The smile vanished in an instant.

"Ding~!"

Yu Xiaoyao struck horizontally in mid-air, but his attack was blocked by a sword.

Zhou Yi flashed out; this was his second encounter with Shan Mu.

Back in Nanyang, I was beaten so badly by this woman that I could hardly fight back. This time, after I managed to block her attack, I felt that strange true energy again.

This dismantling of qi is very special; apart from using one's own internal energy to forcibly neutralize it, there is almost no other way.

Even when encountering the Immortal Seal Technique, one must follow the rules.

Once you try to divide your forces to resolve the conflict, you risk losing the initiative and even revealing a huge weakness.

The duel between top masters is decided by subtle differences.

But ever since he fought against Miaokong Mingzi today, Zhou Yi has come up with a way to deal with the dismantling of Qi.

In a flash, the two exchanged ten moves with their swords and staffs.

These ten moves all put the offensive on the good mother's side.

Her Jade Sword technique became faster and faster, with more and more variations. In the darkness, it was impossible to see the shadow of her staff, and each strike emitted a highly concentrated burst of energy.

Her movements were light and graceful, yet each strike could topple trees and break monuments.

Therefore, the clash of swords and clubs did not seem to cause much of a commotion.

But the mere outflow of energy shattered the blue bricks on the city wall, and the energy only increased with each strike. As Zhang Xutuo directed the battle formation, he looked at Zhou Yi's location and sensed that his situation was extremely dangerous.

However.
Shafang's composure slowly turned into suspicion.

Her long skirt swept the ground in the front and trailed more than a foot behind. As she took unusual steps, the two hanging red and yellow ribbons fluttered, giving her an elegant and graceful appearance.

Yu Xiaoyao drew countless light and shadow in her hands, and before Zhou Yi's sword could strike, she made twelve feints at his vital points in the chest and throat. Instantly, twelve arrows of energy roared out, blocking all evasion and changes.

Zhou Yi neither dodged nor evaded, but instead used his powerful and swift sword to directly confront the twelve arrows that aimed to dissipate Qi.

While manipulating Yu Xiaoyao, Shanmu observed Zhou Yi's changes to verify whether she was having an illusion.

One, two, three.
The sword light swirled around these energy arrows, as if dissolving ordinary true energy; no special energy-dissolving effect was felt.

Zhou Yi's sword split into three beams, extinguishing the last three energy arrows.

The disintegrating energy surged straight into his body through the longsword. Zhou Yi activated his Heavenly Peak Acupoint Spirit, unleashing his spiritual power that poured down to his Yongquan point, causing a cataclysmic upheaval!

It turns out that this dismantling of Qi was a method used by the Great Ming Venerable Teachings to transform spirit into substance and integrate it into true Qi, thus achieving a different kind of union.

Once inside Zhou Yi's body, he caused a cataclysmic upheaval, shattering the true spirit of the Good Mother.

In other words, Shanmu's attempt to undermine Shanmu's spirit was "undermined" by Zhou Yi.

Thus, the primordial spirit and primordial energy are separated, and the actual dismantling of energy leaves only the subtle true energy.

Zhou Yi has a thousand ways to deal with subtle internal energy.

At this moment, Zhou Yi gained a completely new understanding of the miraculous Dharma of "Sabulokhan".

Could the secret of the origin of all things also stem from this?

If I were in Nanyang now, I would definitely have a detailed discussion with my cousin.

What kind of benevolent mother? There's nothing to be afraid of!

Upon realizing this, Zhou Yi felt a surge of heroic spirit. He persuaded the little phoenix, who was secretly trying to help, to retreat and then slashed at the benevolent mother with his sword.

The offensive and defensive momentum is different!
Shafang then took another strange step and leaped to the top of the palace walls and buildings.

Zhou Yi chased after the sword, and the two fought a fierce battle in a space of about ten feet. The shadows of the staff and the light of the sword almost covered the entire building.

The howling wind pierced the air, sending sharp, chilling sounds through the night sky that sent shivers down the spines of those in the martial arts world.

Anyone who has practiced martial arts knows what this kind of energy represents and how dangerous it is.

"What kind of swordsmanship is that?"

Shafang darted to the corner of the building, her composure gone, her eyes filled with inexplicable fear. From the northern deserts to the Sui Dynasty, no one had ever dealt with her taunts like this.

"What sword technique? It's naturally the Free and Unfettered Sword Technique, specifically designed to counter your Free and Unfettered Disarming Technique."

"Why haven't I heard of it?"

Zhou Yi held the sword in his right hand and gripped the blade with his left, laughing, "It's just that you're ignorant."

Shafang was mocked but didn't get angry.

She already regarded Zhou Yi as someone on the same level, and that he was extremely special.

This time, we also encountered a purple-faced monster. Although he could also resist the Qi-dismantling technique, it was entirely due to his fierce and strange power. He relied on hard attacks and didn't use any tricks.

But this person in front of her clearly refuted her anger, which was puzzling.

"I think you've read our sect's most important secret manual."

"Oh?"

Shafang said, "If I'm not mistaken, you also seem to know the mystical arts of the Celestial Spirit."

"Wrong, this is called the Heaven-Shattering Earth-Striking Technique, which is enough to shatter your spiritual magic. Look at what you just said, did it stir my mind?"

After Zhou Yi finished speaking, he flicked his left hand, and the blade of the sword was covered in silver light.

He slashed with his sword, the longsword gleaming, its aura completely enveloping Shafang.

Sha Fang acted almost simultaneously, holding a stick in her right hand, while Yu Xiaoyao pointed it out from a distance.

With her left hand, she grabbed Yu Xiaoyao and struck out with her staff, but it gave people the strange illusion that she was holding a staff in each hand. Under the fusion of spiritual essence and innate true energy, she completed the essence of Xiaoyao's dismantling technique, "dismantling and combining in an instant".

The two energies merged into one, causing the air to distort and surge forward like waves on the sea, dissolving all the sword energy.

In the next instant, Sha Fang's spirit merged with her true energy and flowed into Yu Xiaoyao.

Her voluptuous figure also gives people a sense of carefree elegance.

At this moment, man and staff become one, and a breath is released.

Transforming into a dazzling, destructive silver rainbow that tore through the air, carrying an invincible aura and the eerie spiritual energy unique to "Sabulokan," it struck Zhou Yi directly.

Zhou Yi neither dodged nor avoided, directly confronting Yu Xiaoyao.

A continuous stream of energy surged into his body, and his mental strength was constantly being reduced by Zhou Yi.

The two entered into an extremely dangerous duel.

Zhou Yi's face darkened, and in a fit of rage, he thrust his longsword forward, breaking it against Yu Xiaoyao with a series of cracking sounds.

The shattered sword was blown away by the force of the energy surrounding the two.

The longsword broke completely, and Zhou Yi grabbed Yu Xiaoyao.

At this moment, the mental battle reached its climax.

Zhou Yi's earth-shattering attack followed Yu Xiaoyao's movements, directly striking the Great Acupoint at the top of Shanmu's head to probe her secrets.

A near-tangible spiritual storm also swept over the Good Mother.

At the same time, the two of them instinctively unleashed a fierce palm strike with the free hand they had!

The moment their palms met, there was a dense cracking sound, followed by a loud "boom" as the two-story watchtower on the city wall collapsed downwards, eventually breaking in half and collapsing to both sides.

Both the soldiers defending and attacking the city were terrified.

The dozen or so huge purple nanmu beams supporting the watchtower snapped all at once, which shows how terrifying the force was.

Under the cover of night, a voluptuous mark pierced through the billowing dust, and beneath it, drops of blood were sprinkled.

Without a word, Sha Fang fled into the distance amidst the horrified gazes of Yuwen Huaji and Yuchi Sheng.

She couldn't keep up the fight anymore; the opponent suddenly became desperate during the game.

This failed siege has already affected morale.

A deep voice suddenly came from the palace walls and city towers.

The voice wasn't shouted loudly, but it traveled extremely far, making it clearly audible to everyone along the entire imperial road.

"Yuwen Huaji, Yuchi Sheng."

Among the army, two people whose names were called raised their heads.

“You two have colluded with the evil cult of the Northern Desert. Now that the Good Mother has lost most of her life, it will soon be your turn.”

Near the Imperial Palace, this sound drowned out the shouts of nearly 100,000 people.

Yu Chisheng's breath hitched.

Shafang lost! Shafang actually lost!
If Zhang Xutuo leads his troops out to disrupt the formation, then if this expert rushes into the chaos to kill, can anyone stop him?
If the commander-in-chief dies, Zhang Xutuo's reputation will likely cause the Xiaoguo Army to surrender on the spot.

Yuchi Sheng looked at Yuwen Huaji.

What he could think of, Yuwen Huaji could naturally think of as well.

Looking in the direction where Shanmu had fled, Yuwen Huaji was more inclined to believe that this expert from the Dugu family was also seriously injured.

But
After glancing in a certain direction behind him, he had another idea and gave Yuchi Sheng a wink.

Yuchi Sheng felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders.

That's more like it; as long as the green hills remain, there's no worry about running out of firewood.

They had already planned their retreat. Once the troops at the front had withdrawn and their formation remained intact, they ordered a withdrawal.

The soldiers of the Xiaoguo Army were initially hesitant.

When Yuwen Huaji said he was going to board the ship and head north, they were completely relieved, knowing they had not been deceived.

As the army receded like a receding tide, cheers erupted from the imperial city.

Luo Shixin, Qin Shubao, and others immediately volunteered for battle:

"General, if we send out our troops to pursue them now, we will surely win in one fell swoop."

Cheng Yaojin also shouted, "Yes, General, I am willing to be the vanguard!"

Zhang Xutuo remained silent.

Thinking of the scenes in Chengxiang Hall, I felt extremely lost.

He was worried about the emperor's death, but even more worried about the unpredictable fate of the Sui Dynasty. This news would soon spread throughout the land, bringing about revolutionary changes.

Jiangdu may become the last isolated city of the Sui Dynasty.

"Stop chasing."

Qin Shubao and the other two looked at Zhang Xutuo in surprise.

"If a chaotic battle breaks out in the city, it will have a greater impact on the people. Moreover, the Xiaoguo soldiers are homesick and cannot be kept here. Let them go north."

The group wasn't stupid; they understood immediately.

Even if they defeated this elite army, they would still suffer heavy losses and would be unable to leave the homesick surrendered soldiers in Jiangdu.

Otherwise, a mutiny will happen sooner or later.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to let them go.

To preserve the strength of Jiangdu and deal with the surrounding rebels.

After Zhang Xutuo finished speaking, he walked towards Zhou Yi, while Cheng Yaojin and the other two led people to clean up the battlefield.

Luo Shixin looked around and asked in a low voice, "Where is General You?"

Qin Shubao replied, "He was assigned to the Chengxiang Hall to look after His Majesty's remains."

Zhang Xutuo walked towards the right side of the city gate. Ahead, by the crenellation, the Dugu family member was meditating and regulating his breathing.

Dugu Feng stayed by his side.

Zhang Xutuo's gaze swept back and forth between the two, and he vaguely sensed something, thinking to himself, "So that's how it is."

Zhou Yi opened his eyes, circulated his inner energy, and took a long breath.

Before Zhang Xutuo could speak, Zhou Yi said directly:
"General Zhang, there's no need for thanks. I was just doing what I could."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xutuo indeed did not thank him, but instead clasped his hands in a deep bow.

All the kindness shown to me will be remembered in my heart.

Fortunately, his identity has been confirmed. Since he is a member of the Dugu family, we can repay him slowly in the future.

"How is the gentleman's health?"

Zhang Xutuo's eyes were filled with concern. He had witnessed Zhou Yi's fierce battle from Chengxiang Hall to the palace wall.

When the Sui Dynasty was teetering on the brink of collapse, Zhou Yi was like a pillar that suddenly appeared.

They miraculously held on!

If it weren't for him being there, Jiangdu would have already fallen into the hands of the bandits.

Zhang Xutuo sighed inwardly, looking at the young man before him with a renewed sense of hope.

The fortunes of the Sui Dynasty seem to still be intact.

Zhou Yi waved his hand and said calmly, "Don't worry, that kind mother is no match for me. She is seriously injured, while I am only suffering from qi and blood turmoil."

Zhang Xutuo felt that things weren't that simple.

That benevolent mother, a monster-like figure, was not someone to be trifled with.

But Zhou Yi's expression remained normal, which led people to believe that he had already recovered due to his profound skill.

Upon hearing this, the little phoenix turned its head to one side.

After Zhang Xutuo said a few more words to him and left, he squatted down beside him and complained in a low voice, "Why did you have to show off? Wouldn't it have been better if I had helped you?"

"If you make a move, she'll definitely run away."

Zhou Yi coughed lightly: "Sha Fang is very arrogant in Nanyang. I have to teach her a lesson. She suffered a great loss this time, and she was hurt more badly than me."

"pity."

Zhou Yi asked, "What's a pity?"

The girl's voice was gentle: "It's a pity that my cousin Yina isn't here. She didn't see you stand up for her."

Zhou Yi pondered for a moment: "Actually, I wanted to study the Qi-dismantling technique of the Good Mother and see if I could deduce this method from the reverse."

The girl suddenly asked, "Do you know now who delivered the letter to you?"

"know."

Zhou Yi replied, "That's the one."

He stopped mid-sentence, clutching his chest and coughing several times, weakly saying, "Xiao Feng, I'm badly injured."

Dugu Feng knew he was doing it on purpose. She couldn't help but think of how domineering and awe-inspiring he was when facing Yang Guang in the Water Palace and many masters in the Chengxiang Palace.

The contrast was striking; even though I knew it was just a prank, I couldn't help but laugh.

She quickly pursed her lips to suppress her smile, but couldn't stop herself, and just patted his arm lightly: "Don't fight like that next time."

Zhou Yi slowly raised his hand and suppressed his inner energy.

With a serious expression, he said, “I’m not lying to you when I say I want to study the Qi-dismantling of the Good Mother. The Great Master has already sensed the changes in the Central Plains. He is using the Wisdom Sutra to guide the masters in the teachings. I really want to get a glimpse of this Dharma, but I can’t find the scriptures, so I can only use this clumsy method.”

Dugu Feng was puzzled: "Your martial arts are only slightly better than hers."

"However, I would like to see it."

Zhou Yi gazed at the night sky: "I need to speed up the process of perfecting the Celestial Master's Thoughts, otherwise..."

Zhou Yi's gaze returned to her, his voice leisurely:

"If one day my power exceeds my control and I accidentally shatter the void and disappear, without the complete Record of Thoughts, and you only cultivate an incomplete technique, then perhaps we will be separated by the void and unable to meet for a long time."

As the little phoenix pondered his words, she unconsciously forgot everything inside and outside the imperial city.

The boundless night sky, so empty and deep, evokes endless sadness.

A solitary lamp accompanies a tattered scroll; where can one find solace in this fleeting life?

Thinking of this, the girl's tone, for the first time, carried a firm and stubborn tone: "No."

With a flick of her sleeve, she extinguished all the nearby torches, plunging them into darkness.

The girl's figure flashed, and she was already hidden in Zhou Yi's arms, holding him tightly, and said in a voice only he could hear with infinite tenderness:
"Master Zhou, I want to stay under the same starry sky as you."

……

(End of this chapter)