The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 115 Yan Nuzi (Seeking monthly votes)
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became more relaxed. Xiao Yi drank a few cups and observed Liu Yun's subordinates, quickly locking onto a man standing behind Zhang Lingchao.

This man was muscular and mostly kept his head down, but Xiao Yi had already guessed who he was from his dark skin—Murong Jixun.

Leaving this potential threat alive and constantly guarding against thieves is not a solution. It would be better to take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness tonight, lure them out, and quickly resolve the situation.

Thinking this way, Xiao Yi accepted every toast offered, and after several rounds, he pretended to be drunk.

He put on his acting skills, resting his hand on his forehead, his eyes glazed over, and his body swaying slightly.

"I must utter a treasonous word... Your Highness is far superior to the late Emperor..."

"The general is drunk."

"I'm not drunk! I just need to relieve myself... then I can still drink!"

Xiao Yi staggered out, and as he glanced around, he saw Murong Jixun walking behind Liu Luan and speaking to her in a low voice.

Liu Yun laughed and said, "General, you are a very honest person. It's alright, it's alright. Please lead General Xiao there properly."

Zhang Mei got up and helped him up.

Xiao Yi leaned slightly forward and whispered, "Did you see Murong Jixun? If he came out with Zhang Lingchao, you hold Zhang Lingchao back."

Zhang Meiwei nodded almost imperceptibly.

Xiao Yi pushed his way out.

In the shadows of the corridor, Lü Chou was talking to someone. He rushed over and whispered, "General, it's done. If there are any changes, she can send me a message immediately."

"Believable?"

"I'm 100% confident."

Xiao Yi said, "Did you see the dark-faced man inside? If he brings one or two people out of the hall, follow them. If there are three or more, call our men and kill them."

"Is this the governor's mansion?"

"Of course." Xiao Yi said decisively, "He has five hundred men outside."

As he left the hall, a servant carrying a lantern led him to relieve himself.

A cold wind blew by, its chill invigorating the spirit and instantly dispelling the blurriness in one's eyes, restoring clarity.

Listening intently to the footsteps around him, he saw no one following.

After relieving himself, Xiao Yi deliberately slowed his pace. When he reached the side gate, his pupils contracted slightly as he saw a figure hidden in the shadows ahead.

A chill ran down his spine, and he cautiously approached, ready to strike at any moment.

They're getting closer; it's not Murong Jixun.

Liu Luan stood with his hands behind his back, looking at me, and said, "Come with me, I have something to say to you."

Xiao Yi pondered to himself, "This woman's apparent interest in me might not be an act. Is she actually trying to lure me into her trap?"

At least that's possible.

He followed her to a secluded courtyard nearby.

What advice does the young lady have for me?

"You look like a scholar in this outfit, and it's quite handsome."

"so what?"

"We Shatuo people have our own customs, this is for you..."

Liu Luan lowered her head and reached into the brocade pouch at her waist to take something out.

Xiao Yi watched intently, remaining vigilant.

Sure enough, very faint footsteps were rapidly approaching.

The sound of breaking wind suddenly arose.

With no time to lose, Xiao Yi took two steps to the side and forward, then swiftly reached out with his right hand and pulled down the soft whip hanging from Liu Luan's waist.

Having seized Liu Luan's weapon, he did not rush to pull out the dagger from his boot.

The soft whip is a long weapon, and controlling the distance and rhythm is key. He kept walking and took several more steps before turning around.

A dark figure pounced like a tiger, slashing with a single blade—it was Murong Jixun.

"Take your life!"

Liu Luan shouted, "Someone come here!"

Xiao Yi took a step forward, as agile as a cheetah. With the power of his waist, he swung his arm and flicked his wrist, the soft whip lashing fiercely at Murong Jixun's head.

He swung the whip overhead, its shadow flashing like lightning.

Murong Jixun did not dodge, but took the blow head-on, while closing in at the same time. However, he clearly underestimated the power of the whip. A bloody mark appeared on his face, and he screamed in pain, his figure froze.

The distance wasn't shortened.

The difficulty of using soft weapons lies in not "dissipating" energy, but "reserving" it. Xiao Yi swung the weapon in a circle as the momentum carried him.

The whip tip, propelled by inertia, generated a powerful impact, striking Murong Jixun's elbow with a crisp "crack," seemingly tearing the air apart.

As long as he keeps his distance, Xiao Yi can beat him to death.

But Murong Jixun reacted quickly, knowing that he had to fight in close combat, so he stopped swinging his knife randomly and focused on pouncing on Xiao Yi.

"Snapped."

"Snapped."

Several more lashes followed, and the others collapsed and convulsed, but Murong Jixun refused to give up. He endured the excruciating pain, used the terrain to close the distance, and unleashed a fatal blow.

"Tiger--"

In an instant, Xiao Yi twisted his wrist inward, bent the whip, exerted force, and shook it rapidly, circling his waist with the whip, using the "close-range wrap" technique. The whip flowers merged with his crane cloak, causing Murong Jixun's wrist to become powerless and his every strike to go astray.

"die!"

Murong Jixun, with his great strength and heavy sword, used brute force to cut through the enemy.

Xiao Yi narrowly dodged the attack, finally finding an opening, and lashed the man's wrist with a heavy whip, the tip of which then wrapped around him.

Taking advantage of the situation to push the whip.

"Clang."

The single blade lands on the ground.

Xiao Yi raised his knee, pulled his leg back, tripped Murong Jixun, pulled back the whip, and strangled him.

Murong Jixun sensed the danger and raised his hand to protect his neck.

Xiao Yi suddenly pulled the whip, wrapping it around Murong Jixun's hands and neck. The whip dug into Murong Jixun's flesh, and blood seeped out.

"Luan-mei...kill him...quickly!"

This is Murong Jixun's killer move: two against one.

Xiao Yi looked down and saw the fallen knife not far from Liu Luan's feet.

He strained his waist and abdomen, his muscles bulging, preparing to quickly kill Murong Jixun and then kill Liu Luan with the dagger hidden in his boot.

at this time……

"stop!"

"Let him go!"

Hearing the roar, Xiao Yi felt a gust of wind behind him, leaped aside, and dodged the sharp blade. Zhang Lingchao, wielding a single-edged sword, swung it.

Xiao Yi, unarmed, didn't take the blows. Instead, he performed two nimble backflips, landing in front of Liu Luan and snatching the single-edged sword from the ground.

At the same time, Lü Chou pounced and engaged Zhang Lingchao in battle, the three exchanging several blows in an instant.

Before long, Jin Sanshui and the others arrived.

"stop!"

"Zhang Lingchao, stop right there!"

Liu Yun shouted twice, ordering his soldiers to surround Zhang Lingchao. Only then did Zhang Lingchao reluctantly sheathe his sword, take a few steps back, grab Murong Jixun, and drag him behind Liu Yun.

"what happened?!"

Liu Yun was clearly furious, his face contorted with rage.

Xiao Yi didn't rush to answer, but angrily shouted, "Murong Jixun!"

"Grandpa isn't dead, you're just waiting to die!"

"May I ask, Your Highness?" Xiao Yi finally calmed his breathing and questioned, "Why did you harbor a criminal wanted by the imperial court?"

Liu Yun asked, "What does the general mean by this?"

"Murong Jixun is a traitor, hiding in His Highness's former residence. If this gets out, how will the world view him?"

Xiao Yi paused, then asked, his words piercingly pointed, "Do you think that Your Highness is colluding with Murong Yanchao, or even Li Ye, Su Fengji, Guo Yunming, and others to plot a rebellion?"

"This..." Liu Yun's expression changed instantly, and he said firmly, "Absolutely not!"

"Then why did the young lady conspire with Murong Jixun to murder the imperial envoy? Is this the proper way to treat guests?!"

"I don't!"

Liu Luan looked both anxious and angry, stamping her foot and saying, "I never wanted to kill you, he came here by himself..."

Murong Jixun caught his breath, struggled to kneel, and coughed as he spoke.

"Brother Yun, don't listen to Guo Que'er's lies. He pretends to welcome you to the throne, but he's actually luring you to Bianjing so he can kill you. Help me conquer Yanzhou, and we'll work together as a wing-and-horse alliance. We'll contact Hedong and eliminate the traitor. You'll be the emperor sooner or later, without needing anyone else to support you!"

Zhang Lingchao was also excited and loudly echoed, "Brother, that's the right thing to do! You control Xuzhou, the money and grain of Bianliang, and have the strong support of the commander-in-chief. You can attack or defend as you please. Why should you have to be subservient to others?!"

“That’s right.” Murong Jixun said, “Brother Yun can become emperor by his own strength. We must not fall into their trap. Kill Xiao Yi as a sacrifice to the flag, and raise an army tonight!”

The two men took turns trying to persuade Liu Yun, whose expression changed and whose eyes were filled with struggle.

Zhao Shangjiao and Wang Du had a lot to say to persuade him, but Zhang Lingchao fiercely stopped them.

Xiao Yi suddenly sneered and asked only one question in return.

"Your Highness, why are you rebelling?"

The impact of the words "Your Highness" and "rebellion" on Liu Yun's ears was incomparable to that of "Brother Yun" and "Big Brother".

Liu Yun was at a loss for words and remained silent.

At this moment, Lady Dong rushed over, supported by her maid.

"Yunlang...Your Highness!"

Pulling Liu Yun aside, Dong Shi glanced at his hesitant expression, disregarded everything else, and desperately grabbed his arm, pulling him to the side.

But those anxious, sharp words still reached us.

"What's there to hesitate about? To protect your bastard brother, you're giving up the throne that's already in your hands and becoming a traitor. You've lost your mind. You're raising an army based on the advice of a fool. Can you win? How long will it take? Even if you win, who knows how long your grandfather will live? He has nearly ten sons..."

"Dalang!"

"Your Highness!"

"Shut up, everyone!"

Liu Yun turned around abruptly, his face resolute, and said in a deep voice, "There is no need to argue anymore. My mind is made up. I will go to the capital as ordered."

“Brother Yun…”

"Murong Jixun! You are a wanted criminal, hiding in this residence with the intention of assassinating someone. Seize you!"

Zhang Lingchao said, "Brother, think it over carefully."

Xiao Yi looked over and saw Murong Jixun turn and flee. There were still five hundred Yanzhou soldiers in the city, and he could not be allowed to escape.

Just as they were about to stop him, a figure had already darted past.

"No need to take it, just kill him."

With a sharp cry, Liu Luan snatched the single-edged sword from Zhang Lingchao's hand and, without the slightest hesitation, plunged it fiercely into Murong Jixun's abdomen.

"puff."

"Uh……"

Murong Jixun stopped upon seeing Liu Luan, lowered his head in disbelief, and murmured, "Sister Luan..."

Liu Luan snapped, "Why did you ruin my plans?"

After saying that, she turned her head to look at Xiao Yi, her pretty face showing only shame and anger, without any pity.

“Who conspired with this Yama to kill you? He came over when I spoke to him.”

"Luan-mei!"

Murong Jixun let out a mournful cry, his whole body trembling violently.

"How could you... do this? I've always treated you like my own sister... You siblings... I've treated you even better than my own brothers and sisters..."

"You dare mention it again? Does Yan Kunlun really think he's brothers with his great-grandfather and grandfather? Your family is nothing but bastards! Die, die!"

Liu Luan, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, flew into a rage and stabbed him twice more.

Xiao Yi also knew that Murong Yanchao was Emperor Gaozu's younger brother from the same mother, so he looked at Liu Yun, only to see Liu Yun dust off his clothes, with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

Murong Jixun's life force rapidly faded, yet he was unwilling to die so easily, murmuring, "Brother Yun... Sister Luan... you and I... are of the same root... born..."

"puff."

Liu Luan struck again, interrupting his last words.

She dropped the knife, turned around, and asked, "Do you believe me now?"

Xiao Yi did not answer, but looked into Murong Jixun's eyes, those eyes that were fixed on Liu Luan until the very end, intertwined with intimacy and pain, gradually turning into desolation and deathly silence.

"Boom."

The corpses fell heavily, kicking up snow and mist.

Xiao Yi wondered when Liu Yun would regret not listening to the "bastard's" advice.

Liu Yun breathed a sigh of relief and gently patted Dong's hand. Dong's eyes were full of joy as she brushed the snowflakes off his shoulder.

"Now that the traitor has been eliminated, pack your belongings as soon as possible and go to the capital to assume the throne."

"Your Highness is wise."

Xiao Yi responded indifferently.

He shifted his gaze from the corpse, glancing at Liu Luan's bloodstained hands and Liu Yun's longing eyes, suppressing the inexplicable disgust he felt towards the siblings and even Liu Chong's entire family.

(End of this chapter)