Film and Television: The Collector Who Rampages Across the Heavens

Chapter 79 Chaos

Xia Chun also spoke up, saying, "Thank you, Lord Marquis. Please grant our wish and let us see which of these two sword techniques is stronger."

Mei Changsu smiled and said, "I would also like to see it. It's such a fine night, I hope you won't spoil the fun, Marquis."

Su Li took a sip of wine, a smile playing on her lips as she swept her gaze across the room. Xie Yu had fallen right into the trap set by Mei Changsu.

It tightens little by little until the person is completely powerless to resist.

Xie Yu gritted his teeth and swept his cold gaze over them: "Tonight is my son's birthday banquet, and I will not allow anyone to disturb it with weapons."

"Guards, throw this Yue Xiuzhe out of here! The Ningguo Marquis's residence does not welcome him."

The long sword in Yue Xiuze's hand revealed a slight glint of cold light, clearly indicating that he was about to draw his sword.

"etc----"

Zhuo Dingfeng stood up, gave Xie Yu a reassuring look under Xie Yu's furrowed brows, took out the sword that was placed aside, and went into the hall.

"Since Brother Yue wants to fight, then I'll accompany you!"

"Okay, we can't work out here, let's go outside."

Yue Xiuzhe revealed a satisfied smile, and with a flash, he used his lightness skill to fly outside.

Zhuo Dingfeng followed closely behind and went out.

The moonlight was as bright as snow. Two swordsmen stood with their swords in hand, their bodies surrounded by a chilling, invisible sword aura, which made the surroundings feel even colder.

"Clang!"

With a crisp clang of a sword, the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath rang out, and the crowd saw two swordsmen locked in combat.

The sword light was like fire, leaping like thunder, and soaring like a dragon and phoenix, flashing with a chilling killing power.

This is not a plot device that can only be created through special effects in a movie, but rather the innate power that an ancient swordsman developed through 10 or 20 years of long-term training.

As a modern person, Su Li observed most carefully. In the clash of swords, the force of each strike was even and powerful. If one's strength was slightly inferior, one would be defeated instantly.

Zhuo Dingfeng and Yue Xiuzhe truly deserve to be called renowned swordsmen in this world. If they could come to the real world, they would probably be top-notch martial arts masters as well.

In the blink of an eye, a hundred sword moves had been executed, and the swordplay between the two became increasingly fierce and ruthless.

The scene was so captivating that everyone present held their breath, not wanting to miss a single second.

"Pfft!"

A delicate flower of blood appeared, accompanied by the crisp sound of a sword striking the ground. Zhuo Dingfeng, clutching his injured wrist, took two steps back.

"Brother Zhuo, it's you?"

Yue Xiuzhe was somewhat surprised, clearly not expecting that his opponent would dissipate the force of the sword move at the last moment, which allowed him to seize the opportunity to strike the wrist.

"Brother Yue, I was a little distracted just now, and I lost the game by a single move."

His wife and children rushed over to treat his wounds, but Zhuo Dingfeng remained unmoved and announced the results of the contest. Only a few people understood why he had conceded defeat.

Yue Xiuzhe took a deep breath: "I should be the one who lost. It seems that you have a lot on your mind today, which has affected your thoughts and made this battle unpleasant."

It's a pity—but we didn't determine who was better.

There will be other opportunities in the future; the Eyun Sword Technique awaits the successor of the Tianquan Sword for a duel.

Zhuo Dingfeng smiled and didn't say anything to Xie Yu, who had seen everything. He breathed a slight sigh of relief, but unexpectedly, Yuwen Xuan walked out with a smile and faced everyone.

"Everyone, this isn't over yet."

After he finished speaking, he stepped aside to let the slender girl with a veiled face walk out gracefully.

"Niannian, take off your veil and let everyone see what you look like. Tonight is the perfect opportunity, and it's time to reveal the truth."

"The truth? What truth?"

Everyone in the room, except for a few, was unaware of the truth that Yuwen Xuan was referring to.

But when Nian Nian removed her veil, revealing a face that bore an uncanny resemblance to Xiao Jingrui, the scene erupted in uproar.

Xie Yu's face turned ashen, and his hands clenched tightly under his sleeves.

All eyes turned to Princess Liyang, whose face was also deathly pale, and she bit her lip without saying a word.

Xiao Jingrui looked at Princess Liyang with a pale face, then at Niannian who was slowly walking over.

Being extremely intelligent, he immediately understood the situation.

Yuwen Xuan continued, "Twenty years ago, when my uncle was a hostage in your country, he was greatly cared for by Her Highness the Princess. This time, I brought my younger sister here not only to express my gratitude, but also to ask Jingrui to go to Chu to reunite with my uncle."

"Niannian, go and pay your respects to the Princess."

Princess Xiandai, Yuwen Nian, slowly stepped forward, knelt down on both knees, and kowtowed three times to Princess Liyang.

Before anyone could recover from this shock, the woman who had been arranged by Mei Changsu to impersonate Gong Yu stepped forward, gritting her teeth and sneering, "Lord Xie, do you recognize me?"

Xie Yu's expression hardened slightly as he glanced at the beautiful woman, his eyes flashing.

"That's right. How could you remember the daughter of an assassin? Years ago, you ordered my father to kill the illegitimate son of the eldest princess, but you didn't expect that he would only kill the children of the Zhuo family."

"Just because you didn't kill Xiao Jingrui, you got angry and arranged for my father to be killed. Am I right?"

These words resounded like a thunderclap throughout the room, and the Zhuo family members all turned their gazes toward Xie Yu.

Enraged, the latter drew the sword of a nearby guard and slashed at the woman.

Meng Zhi reacted quickly, gently grabbing the woman's sleeve and pulling her aside, thus dodging the fatal blow.

"Lord Xie, there's no need to get angry. If what this young lady says is true, then you're suspected of disregarding human life. You might as well let her finish speaking so everyone can hear clearly and clear your name," Meng Zhi said coldly.

Zhuo Dingfeng's wife also stepped forward, her beautiful face filled with anger: "Girl, tell me—tell me everything clearly and plainly, who killed my child."

"Enough! You vile woman who brings ruin to the country, how dare you wreak havoc in my manor! Where is the Flying Heroes Team?"

"exist-

—"

Xie Yu dared not let her reveal the truth and instead gave her a cold shout.

A large number of guards, clad in armor and carrying swords, surrounded the hall in columns. The swords gleamed coldly in the moonlight, a stark reminder of the winter chill.

"Brother Xie, what do you want to do?"

Although Zhuo Dingfeng had already guessed the truth, he still couldn't help but ask in sorrow.

"According to the ancestral laws of this dynasty, anyone involved in witchcraft or sorcery shall be killed. This sorceress disturbs people's hearts and confuses their minds; she deserves to die a thousand deaths," Xie Yu said coldly.

"Witch? I don't think so. She's just a girl who wants to tell the truth that's been buried for years, she just wants to clear her name. Why is Lord Xie in such a hurry to kill someone, isn't it to silence her?"

Unable to stand it any longer, Prince Jing directly rebuked him.

Xie Yu didn't bother to argue, and said calmly, "Your Highness is a prince, and I can't control what you think, but this vixen must die today."

He glanced at Su Li out of the corner of his eye; Su Li was still sitting in a corner of the hall drinking. The Prince of Ling seemed uninterested and didn't say a word.

Meng Zhi couldn't help but say, "Xie Yu, are you crazy? Trying to silence them in front of the two princes and Lord Xia Chun?"

Xie Yu didn't care about any of that. He had come this far, and only by destroying all the witnesses and evidence could he have a chance of survival.

After arranging for someone to take Princess Liyang away, Xie Yu strode into the army formation and coldly looked at everyone.

"Anyone who stands in my way today is a accomplice of this witch, a wicked monster who brings disaster to the country, and everyone has the right to kill her."

Madam Zhuo glared at him angrily: "Xie Yu, did this young lady touch a nerve?"

Xie Yu sneered twice: "I don't want to explain. If you want to believe me, then hide to the side. Otherwise—I'll kill you without hesitation."

"Well, Lord Xie—you are truly heartless."

After so many years of friendship, everyone in the Zhuo family thought the two families were already very close. Who would have thought that the other party would say such a thing? Everyone in the Zhuo family looked heartbroken.

Prince Jing, accompanied by Lie Zhanying and two guards, stood at the front. Even the usually stubborn Prince Jing said with dissatisfaction, "Lord Xie, what a show of power! I'm standing with this young lady too, are you going to kill me as well?"

Xie Yu raised an eyebrow, a sinister smile on his face: "To eradicate the wicked woman who has brought ruin to the country, swords have no eyes. If Your Highness truly stands with the rebels, then this humble servant can only forgive you."

"Once this matter is resolved, if Your Highness suffers any mishap, I will personally go before His Majesty to confess my guilt."

At this point, he couldn't help but ask Su Li in the hall, "Your Highness, what do you mean?"

Su Li played with the exquisite porcelain cup in her hand, while the four armored guards behind her stood motionless like statues.

Hearing Xie Yu's words, he smiled and said, "I came here tonight just to watch a show; I only brought my eyes and ears."

"Very well, since Your Highness has said that, I owe you a favor."

Xie Yu was secretly delighted. With the two princes present and Prince Ling showing no intention of taking sides, he would have plenty of room to maneuver with Emperor Liang.

He looked at the Chu side and asked, "And what about you, Prince Ling and Hero Yue?"

Yuwen Xuan grabbed his younger sister's sleeve and pulled her aside, saying with a grin, "I don't want to get involved in your own messy affairs—"

Yue Xiuzhe stood with Zhuo Dingfeng, sword in hand. Whether out of their long-standing friendship or his indignation at these events, he would not stand idly by.

Countless soldiers drew their swords and brandished their guns, slowly crowding towards the edge of the hall in a fan shape, their cold gun tips emitting a chilling aura.

Standing in the middle of the army formation, Xie Yu, under everyone's gaze, could only utter one word: "Kill—"

As soon as the signal was given, countless soldiers rushed forward, and the hall was thrown into chaos as the two sides clashed.

Xie Yu's side had a large number of men under his command; the First-Rank Marquis's Mansion could have eight hundred soldiers. Even a martial arts master like Yue Xiuzhe would not dare to confront them directly, let alone fight them on the battlefield.

Fortunately, the Marquis's mansion was large enough and had many buildings, and the narrow terrain allowed them to barely hold back the soldiers.

Even so, Mei Changsu's side fought a retreating battle.

The wonderful birthday banquet was completely ruined by these events. The hall, which had just been ravaged by war, was in complete disarray, except for the table where Su Li was sitting.

Fine wines and delicacies that ordinary people could not afford were poured onto the ground, their aroma filling the air.

Xie Yu strode in from outside and stared at the Prince Ling, who was leisurely enjoying his wine.

"Thank you for tonight, Your Highness. If I am able to survive this ordeal, I will certainly repay you."

Su Li said nonchalantly, "Let's talk about it after you get through this ordeal. Since this Mr. Su has already made arrangements, Prince Yu must already be waiting outside the Marquis's residence with his troops."

Xie Yu smiled and said, "I had already arranged for the patrol battalion to wait outside the gate; they can't rush in."

"Is that so? What if we add Prince Jing's personal guards to that? I suggest you use this time to chat with me instead of telling the Crown Prince the news as soon as possible."

Su Li's words startled Xie Yu. He pondered for two seconds, then immediately waved to his subordinate and carefully instructed him to take the tunnel.

After saying that, he looked at the young prince with slight confusion: "I don't quite understand why Your Highness reminded me. Wouldn't it be good for Your Highness if I were to fall?"

"Then guess what I want to do?" Su Li revealed a meaningful smile.

Xie Yu frowned and remained silent. Just then, his men, who had been sent to retrieve the crossbows, reported that all the bowstrings had been cut.

Moreover, Mei Changsu's forces were all entrenched in a small building, and the only passable point was a building blocked by Meng Zhi and Yue Xiuzhe, preventing them from advancing for the time being.

"waste!"

Xie Yu cursed under his breath, then bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, please rest for a while. This humble servant will go and deal with this matter."

Before leaving, he specially arranged for fifty armored soldiers to protect Su Li and prevent him from getting hurt.

Su Li understood Xie Yu's meaning. Although he had agreed not to interfere, he had also deliberately left himself a difficult situation to prevent Xie Yu from going back on his word.

"Tonight is going to be a long night!"

Meanwhile, at the Eastern Palace.

The crown prince, who was fast asleep with a palace maid in his arms, was woken up by a eunuch. He asked angrily, "What are you doing in the middle of the night?"

-

"Your Highness, Lord Xie has sent someone to pay his respects. The matter is extremely urgent."

"Lingyao, is something urgent?"

Although the Crown Prince was resentful, he still hurriedly got up. Xie Yu was his trusted minister, and it was no small matter for him to report something so late at night.

A lieutenant general entered, and Shan Shi knelt down and recounted everything that had happened that night.

"Lingyao?"

The crown prince's eyes widened, his lips trembling as he stammered, "The Marquis's residence has already started fighting?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The Marquis said that we must wipe out these accomplices tonight, otherwise, if this gets to His Majesty's ears tomorrow, everything will be over."

The adjutant, his face grave and filled with panic, said, "I implore Your Highness the Crown Prince to lend a helping hand. If the Marquis can survive this ordeal, I will surely pledge my loyalty to the death."

The crown prince waved his hand impatiently and paced back and forth.

"I know the gravity of the matter, but—I live deep within the Eastern Palace and can I really help Lingyao? Xie Yu, just tell me what you think of Lingyao?"

The adjutant hesitated, then said, "My lord, I would like to ask you to give the Ministry of War a secret order to mobilize the city guards and patrol battalions to wipe out the witch and Zhuo's accomplices. If necessary, Prince Yu and Prince Jing can also be implicated."

The Crown Prince was startled upon hearing this: "If your father finds out about such a major event as mobilizing troops, then I—"

"Your Highness, if the Marquis suffers misfortune tomorrow, your fate will be no better." The adjutant kowtowed to the ground and said loudly, "Please, Your Highness, reconsider."

The Crown Prince closed his eyes and sighed deeply: "I know what's going on—"

Having cultivated his influence in the imperial court for many years, he also had connections in the Ministry of War. This department was usually inconspicuous, but it wielded considerable power and had the authority to temporarily mobilize troops in emergencies.

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