The world of film and television begins with Hikaru no Go

Zhang Rui floated in the corner of the stone chamber, watching the two people.

Di Renjie's concern was both genuine and feigned; Li Qingxia's weakness was both feigned and real.

"Yuanfang, help the princess out."

"Yes, Princess, please."

Li Yuanfang reached out and supported Li Qingxia's arm.

Li Qingxia slapped it away, saying, "I can walk by myself."

Once they emerged from the secret passage, the sun had already dipped far to the west.

The ghost town remains a gray, shadowy place nestled at the foot of the mountain.

The wind was stronger than when we arrived, whipping up sand that stung our faces.

Yuanfang led his men to inventory and catalog the contents of the secret passage: three boxes of silver, two boxes of Shu brocade, seventy-three unfinished weapons, over three thousand catties of iron ingots, and forty-seven pieces of luggage belonging to the delegation...

The soldiers loaded these things onto the horses' backs one box at a time, the hemp ropes squeaking as they tightened.

"A female corpse was also found in the secret passage, suspected to be the leader of the bandits." Yuanfang paused for a moment, "The rest of them were all dealt with without exception."

Judge Di nodded: "Send the princess back to the governor's mansion, clean up the East Flower Hall, and assign two female relatives to take care of her."

"Yes."

"yes."

The wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the gravel.

The ghost town shrank smaller and smaller behind us, until finally only a gray shadow remained, lying at the foot of the mountain, slowly merging into the twilight.

-----------------

Hu Jinghui arrived at the ghost town with Di Gong and his group, but left quietly after opening the entrance to the secret passage.

He knew where Jin Mulan's remnants might be hiding, and he went to find them on purpose.

Three miles outside the town, there is an abandoned kiln pit.

The kiln had long since collapsed, leaving only a few pits, with broken bricks and burnt ash scattered on the ground.

The wind rushed in through the pit opening, making a howling sound.

When Hu Jinghui arrived, there were already more than a dozen people gathered there.

Upon hearing footsteps, they all looked up in unison, their hands reaching for their waists.

Hu Jinghui stood at the edge of the pit, a snake-head mask on his face, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Someone saw the mask clearly, their hand trembled, and before they could draw their knife, they fell to the ground.

"Snake... Snake Messenger."

Hu Jinghui didn't respond. He squatted down and glanced at the people at the bottom of the pit.

"Di Renjie led his men to Ghost Town, leaving few troops in the city. This is the best opportunity to take advantage of the situation and seize Youzhou City."

Someone looked up, their lips moving slightly: "But..."

"No buts."

-----------------

When Li Yuanfang rushed back to Youzhou City, the shouts of battle outside the city gates had already been carried by the wind.

He dismounted and rushed up the city wall in a few steps. On the city gate, two figures were entangled together.

A man dressed in black, with a snake-head mask covering his face.

The bronze mask gleamed dimly in the firelight, with two dark holes cut out for the eyes.

The man's swordsmanship was sharp, his attacks were fast and accurate, and his offense and defense were clearly structured, showing that he was a first-rate fighter.

The other was the city gate guard, whose swordsmanship was also quite good, but he was clearly at a disadvantage. He could only exchange a few blows before he had to take a step back, and it seemed that he was about to have nowhere left to retreat.

The one with the snake-head mask seemed to be aiming for vital points with every move, the sword blade occasionally grazing his throat and passing close to his heart, yet each strike left room for maneuver.

Li Yuanfang leaned forward and peered into the mask, or more precisely, into the eyes.

It is Hu Jinghui.

Remembering Di Renjie's instructions, Li Yuanfang slowly pressed his hand on the hilt of the knife, but his palms were covered with a thin layer of sweat, sticky and clinging to the texture of the cloth wrapping.

-----------------

"Yuanfang, Jinghui is a viper."

"What?"

"He went to see Jin Mulan tonight. Jin Mulan asked him to kill Li Er, but he refused."

"Do you believe him, sir?"

"I believed it the moment he returned." Di Gong turned around. "He will gather Jin Mulan's remaining troops to attack the city gate. You have to cooperate and put on a show."

"Yes."

-----------------

Li Yuanfang knew that Hu Jinghui didn't really want to seize Youzhou; he just wanted a suitable way to make his exit.

From this day forward, there will be no more vipers, nor will there be any more Hu Jinghui.

He leaped into the fray, his sword already drawn.

When Hu Jinghui saw him, he paused for a moment, his sword still in his hand.

In that instant, Li Yuanfang had already rushed in front of him, his blade slashing down with a whooshing sound.

Hu Jinghui turned sideways and slashed upwards with his sword.

As the two blades clashed, Hu Jinghui took a step back, his sword sinking and then springing up again, slashing at Yuan Fang's shoulder and neck with a backhand.

Li Yuanfang parried the attack with his blade, the back of his blade sliding along the sword, creating a string of sparks.

The two separated as soon as they came together, each taking a step apart.

Beneath the snake-head mask, those eyes never flinched.

Yuanfang suddenly changed his move, his blade sinking and shifting from a slash to a sweep, horizontally cutting Hu Jinghui's waist and abdomen.

Hu Jinghui raised his sword to block, but he was a beat too slow.

The blade sliced ​​diagonally across Hu Jinghui's chest, tearing his clothes silently and drawing blood. He stumbled, falling to one knee, the tip of the sword touching the ground to support his weight.

Yuanfang's knife followed closely, and he slashed down with a second strike.

Hu Jinghui fell backward and closed his eyes.

Yuanfang's knife stopped in mid-air, the tip of the knife no more than three inches from his throat.

"The bandit leader has been beheaded. Clean up the battlefield and report to the lord."

The sunlight was already setting in the west, and the wind blowing in through the city gate was carrying the stench of blood, coming in gusts.

The broken half of the flag on the flagpole was still being whipped against it, making a snapping sound. Apart from that, there was no other sound from the city wall.

When Li Yuanfang jumped down from the city wall, the soles of his boots landed on the bluestone slabs, splashing up a cloud of fine dust.

A group of men followed behind, blocking both ends of the city's defenses and pinning the remaining troops to a dead end in the barbican.

The last few men leaned against the wall, unable to lift their knives, panting heavily. The blades were chipped, and blood dripped down from the cuts.

The leader, huddled at the very back, had his back against the wall, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape as if he wanted to say something, but only a muffled whimper escaped his throat.

The sound of the blade piercing flesh was short and muffled, one after another, and soon it was gone.

The black-clad corpse was dragged onto a cart, its head tilted to one side, the snake-head mask still covering its face, its dark eye sockets facing the sky.

The wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the cracks in the flagstones.

The cart stopped in a corner inside the city gate. A gust of wind blew in from the alley entrance, causing the half-draped hem of a garment on the cart to flutter slightly before slowly falling back down.

When we returned to the governor's mansion, the lanterns under the eaves were already lit and swaying gently in the wind.

Li Yuanfang walked through the front hall and around the corridor. The bloodstains on his scabbard had dried to a dark brown color and smeared on his clothes, making a rustling sound as he walked.

"The bandit leader has been beheaded, the remaining troops have been wiped out, and the city gates are unharmed."

Judge Di sat behind his desk and nodded.

Not long after, Hu Jinghui returned, sporting an unfamiliar face.

It was a pre-prepared human skin mask, applied perfectly, with only a very fine seam at the base of the ear, hidden by the shadow of the collar, and not visible unless you got very close.

He had removed his viper costume and was no longer wearing official robes, only a dark robe.

Li Yuanfang's gaze swept over and lingered for a moment on that unfamiliar face.

Hu Jinghui clasped his hands in a salute, then lowered them to his sides. After a moment, he raised them again and subconsciously pressed them against his left chest.