Martial Arts Crossover: It All Started with Hijacking Li Canghai

Du Fuwei immediately leaped off his horse and pounced forward like an eagle.

"You two brats, stop right there!"

Kou Zhong glanced back and saw Du Fuwei make his move, then shouted.

"Dad, it's really a misunderstanding. We're just passing through!"

Xu Ziling kept his head down and just kept running forward.

"Stop shouting! The more you shout, the faster he'll run!"

As they spoke, the two moved with incredible speed, managing to dodge the attack a step ahead.

Du Fuwei was surprised that his attack missed; these two brats' martial arts skills had improved really fast.

With a burst of speed, they stepped over several high points, closing the distance between the three of them by more than half.

"If I don't take you two brats back today, I'm not a Du!"

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling simultaneously gathered their energy and rushed into the woods outside the pass.

Du Fuwei landed and rushed in after him.

The trees in the dense forest were tangled and disorderly. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling ran in opposite directions, knowing the way around the area, and managed to keep a distance from the people behind them.

Because Du Fuwei was unfamiliar with the terrain, the two of them managed to create some distance between them for a while.

Kou Zhong pushed aside the branches in front.

"It's all your fault! You insisted on coming back to eat Sister Su's sesame cakes. Now you haven't even gotten to eat the cakes, and you've ended up with an old man!"

Xu Ziling dodged and swerved to avoid the rotten log in front of him.

"You were the one who said you were hungry first, and now you're trying to blame it on me?"

The people behind were getting closer and closer.

Xu Ziling wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Running like this isn't a solution. Dad's skills are many levels deeper than ours."

Kou Zhong chose a path without grass.

"Let's split up and meet up at the usual spot later!"

The two parted ways on the path and went into the woods in different directions.

Just as Du Fuwei was about to arrange for his men to split up and chase after them, the man who had followed behind spoke up.

"My lord, we haven't finished our mission yet. If we delay the important matters the Emperor has entrusted to us..."

Du Fuwei's gaze was cold.

"Are you trying to teach me how to do things?!"

The man forced out the second half of his sentence.

"Your subordinate wouldn't dare. But if we waste time here, I'm afraid we won't be able to take care of things in Hangzhou."

Du Fuwei's chest heaved, he was truly unable to vent his anger.

"You two brats are lucky to be alive, let's go!"

Without wasting any more time, he mounted the horse, tightened the reins, and squeezed the horse's belly with his legs.

"drive!"

The person at booth number 100 immediately followed.

Deep in the dense forest.

Kou Zhong squatted against a thick tree trunk until the sounds of horses' hooves had subsided, then he cautiously poked half of his head out.

"Gone? Dad's gone already?"

Xu Ziling squeezed out from the bushes beside him, looking extremely disheveled.

"Judging from the commotion outside, they've definitely gone far away, but you know Dad's temper, this matter is definitely not over yet."

Kou Zhong lay down on the ground and looked at the leaves above.

"Damn it, when did Hangzhou Shuanglong become so pathetic? We even run into Dad while visiting Sister Su. I can't stand this godforsaken place for another day."

Xu Ziling leaned against the tree trunk for a while, then turned to look to the west.

"Xiao Zhong, haven't you always dreamed of doing something great?"

Kou Zhong's eyes lit up, but then he became somewhat dejected.

Xu Ziling spoke earnestly.

"Now everything is in chaos. Yuwen Huaji has killed the emperor, and people from all sides are watching and waiting."

"You still have quite a few people you built up in Nanjing back then. Isn't this the perfect time for you to make a name for yourself?"

Kou Zhong got up, dusted himself off, and looked toward the official road.

"Right! I almost forgot about that important matter; the brothers are still waiting for me there! But do you think Dad's angry enough to kill someone right now?"

Xu Ziling shook his head helplessly.

"Last time outside Yangzhou, he chased us for three days and three nights without sleep."

Kou Zhong shuddered upon hearing this, and without wasting any more time, immediately turned and disappeared into the alley.

"Let's get out of here quickly, or we'll be in trouble if Dad changes his mind and comes back to arrest us!"

The two ran westward along a secluded and difficult path.

.....

The sky was dark in northern Jiangxi.

The wind and rain lashed against a dilapidated tea stall by the roadside.

Cai Jing was wrapped in a thick coat and sat on the innermost long bench, looking rather miserable.

There were about twenty men guarding the teahouse, all of them covered in blood, and there were hardly any horses left.

Jia Sidao sat at the other end, his face also pale.

The two old men escaped while the Yuwen clan was carrying out a massive purge, leaving their families behind.

He picked up the broken teacup, took a sip of water, and then put the bowl back on the table.

"Minister Cai, I heard that Yuwen Huaji has changed the name of his state to Xu?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Jing was filled with rage.

Jia Sidao saw the murderous look in his eyes and continued reciting.

"Yuwen Chengdu's forces are currently advancing towards Jiangxi, and Li Yuan has directly rejected us, showing no intention of accepting us at all."

His expression became slightly more serious.

"Given the current situation, the only one who can withstand Yuwen Chengdu's military might is the Prince of Qin in Sichuan."

"The King of Qin?!"

Cai Jing muttered a sentence in a low voice.

Eighty percent of his wealth, which he had embezzled and accepted bribes in Jiangnan, was confiscated by the other party!

Are we supposed to beg for shelter like a stray dog?

He chuckled twice.

"What does Lord Jia want to say? Just say it."

Jia Sidao sighed.

"Prime Minister Cai, we have been called treacherous officials by the people over the years. Given our current situation, if Yuwen Chengdu were to bring us back with his men, we would be used as a sacrifice to divert his attention from murdering the emperor."

He glanced around at his surroundings.

"However, I managed to marry Qin Keqing and Xue Baochai off to Sichuan before. If they go to seek refuge here now, they can at least have a word with the King of Qin."

Cai Jing hadn't expected his opponent to have such a trump card.

"Are you saying you have a very good relationship with the other person?"

Jia Sidao was somewhat at a loss for words, and could only helplessly say, "This is the only way out we have right now."

The teahouse fell silent.

The rain outside was getting heavier, and water droplets were leaking down the broken thatched roof everywhere. Cai Jing remained silent for a long time.

A long time passed.

He reached into his inner garment, rubbed his hand for a moment, and then took out an object wrapped in yellow cloth, inside which was a piece of green jade tablet.

"This is a jade dragon tablet left over from the previous dynasty."

Cai Jing slowly placed the items on the table, looking pained.

"No matter how good something is, it's still an inanimate object. What matters is that people live. I don't want to risk my life for such a dead thing."

When Jia Sidao saw the jade tablet, he immediately perked up. This old man actually knew how to give gifts, and such a fine treasure at that.

Take it over and wrap it up.

"Don't worry, Prime Minister Cai, I'll have Jia She take the supplies and head to Sichuan tonight."

Cai Jing kept his eyes closed and didn't reply.

Jia Sidao left the teahouse and beckoned Jia She, who was outside, to come to the side.

Jia She's clothes were all tattered strips of cloth, and he was covered in dust and dirt.

Jia Sidao looked him up and down twice, then reached out and tore a large section of his collar.

"I want you to go to Chengdu to deliver a message. When you go, make sure your hair is all loose and that you look as pitiful as possible."

Jia She was no longer the arrogant man he once was. Knowing the power of the Prince of Qin, he simply assumed that his master had once again aligned himself with the Prince of Qin.

He quickly bowed and nodded.

"Don't worry, sir, I know what to do."