Shan Chao took half a step back and looked at the dark wooden fence. Suddenly, he raised his hand and hit the wooden fence.
Bang!
The fence shook slightly, but it did not crack at all!
"Don't do it!" The beauty immediately shouted, "The cell is made of ironwood. It can't be broken!"
Shan Chao said seriously, "Miss, it would be fine if I didn't see you. But since I saw you, there's no reason for me to leave you in the lurch.
Don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person. After we get out, you can find your friends and relatives or leave on your own. I won't take advantage of you … "
The woman stared at him for a long time.
Her eyes were actually very strange. But in the face of her pain and embarrassment, it was easy to overlook the strangeness in her eyes.
"… Master, you are kind."
She finally opened her mouth slowly and paused for a while before continuing, "But this cell needs to be unlocked before it can be opened. If you really want to save me, please find the key."
Key.
Shan Chao suddenly thought of something. He simply said, "Please wait for a moment, miss." Then he ran to his cell.
The girl who delivered the meal was still asleep. Shan Chao found a bunch of keys from her waist and checked her breathing to make sure she was still alive. Then, he went through the winding tunnel and came to the door of the woman's cell.
The woman was probably embarrassed to see strangers in her disheveled clothes. She had wrapped her clothes tightly around herself. But because of this, she looked even thinner.
Shan Chao quickly tried a few keys. Sure enough, one of them unlocked the iron lock. He immediately pushed the door open and entered.
He did not want to look at the girl's disheveled appearance. His eyes were fixed on her hand that was nailed to the ground. The short dagger was made of gold and inlaid with jewels. It was cold and gorgeous. The blade had pierced through her palm. The dried blood was scattered half a step away. He could not imagine how painful and tragic the scene was.
Shan Chao held the hilt of the dagger and looked up to ask, "Can you bear it?"
The woman stared at him. Her lips curled up slightly as if she was smiling.
Shan Chao vaguely felt that the smile was somewhat familiar. But at this time, the light was very dim and the situation was urgent. He just nodded. He held the dagger hilt and the woman's hand and suddenly pulled it out!
Splat —
Blood immediately spurted out!
Shan Chao covered the wound with his hand, but the blood still sprayed all over his palm. It took a while for the blood to stop flowing.
The woman gritted her teeth and bowed her head. Her body was as taut as a bowstring. After a while, the pain subsided and she gasped for breath. "Sorry to trouble you, Master."
If it was an ordinary girl, she would have already fainted from the pain. However, the girl in front of him was still conscious even though she was on the verge of collapse. Her words were still very calm and gentle.
A person's character and appearance could be disguised, but bearing and cultivation were something that couldn't be faked.
Shan Chao's heart skipped a beat. He looked away uncomfortably and said, "Miss, you're too kind. You don't have to call me Master … The situation is urgent. Your wound must be bandaged immediately. Let's quickly find an exit and leave this place."
The woman said hoarsely, "There's no need to rush.
This underground palace had several entrances and exits. Most of the entrances were heavily guarded. There was also an entrance that led directly to the study of the Xie residence.
If you don't want to be discovered, there's only one way … "
"Which one?"
"The armory."
Shan Chao was startled. The woman raised her eyebrows and asked jokingly, "Benefactor, you don't want to take me out of the Xie residence with your bare hands, do you?"
After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the secret door was suddenly pushed open. Shan Chao crawled out of the tunnel.
The woman was right. As soon as he came out of the tunnel, he felt a gust of cold air. As far as the eye could see, there was a huge and empty warehouse. The four sides of the warehouse were dimly lit. There were only torches burning in the four corners of the warehouse, casting flickering flames on the walls.
In the armory, there were rows of tall iron racks that went straight to the roof. Most of the racks were empty. There weren't many swords or firearms.
Shan Chao walked through the racks and couldn't help but be shocked. "Why did the Xie residence build such a large armory? Is it a rebellion?"
"Commander Xie is one of the Empress' men," the woman said behind him.
"— — What do you mean?"
Shan Chao turned around and saw the woman leaning against the black rock wall with her arms crossed. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail and hung down from her shoulders. Although her face was slightly pale due to excessive blood loss, there was a glossy and firm luster to her face.
"A few years ago, Empress Wu took the place of the Emperor to write the decree. Since then, her henchmen filled the court and she had great power.
This year, the Emperor decided to hold a pilgrimage to Mount Tai. When Empress Wu heard about it, she asked to take the place of the Prime Minister and go to Mount Tai as a woman. Together with the Emperor, they were called the Two Sages. "
"If this plan is successful, Empress Wu will be able to attend the court and hold court with the Emperor. However, although Empress Wu has great power, there is still a group of people who oppose her. This group of people is more favored by the Emperor than Empress Wu. They also have the advantage of being the current Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace."
Shan Chao frowned. "What does this have to do with the armory in the Xie residence?
Could it be … "
"Yes."
The woman said, "The King Of Wei is not far away from the battle for the throne. The blood of the Xuanwu Clan has not dried yet. The cornerstone of this dynasty is built from the corpses of the Xuanwu Clan."
Shan Chao's expression changed slightly. After a while, he asked hesitantly, "… How do you know all this?
Your relationship with Xie Yun is … "
The woman turned her head away. After a while, she sighed faintly.
"Whatever relationship you think it is … it is what relationship we have."
Shan Chao immediately felt that he had made a mistake. Fortunately, his embarrassed expression was covered by the darkness.
Just as he was about to apologize, he suddenly heard the woman pointing to the front and asking, "… Master, what is that?"
He looked in the direction the woman was pointing at and saw a faint green light coming from the depths of the armory.
Dan Chao suddenly realized something and quickly stepped forward. He passed through the countless iron frames and saw two long swords hanging on the empty ground in front of him. The green and white shimmer came from the two swords.
The one on the left was Shan Chao's Seven Star Long Yuan!
After Shan Chao was' invited 'into the Xie residence, his belongings in the Ci' en Temple must have been confiscated. It was not surprising that the Long Yuan sword was here.
However, Dan Chao did not expect that Xie Yun would take the sword for granted. He felt extremely disgusted and went forward to grab the sword and hold it in his hand.
"Is this the Master's item?"
The woman curiously walked forward and gently touched the other sword that was shining with white light. "Why is it shining?
Master, look … Ah! "
For some reason, the hanging silk cloth suddenly loosened, and the long sword suddenly fell. The woman's hand was injured, and she couldn't catch it. The heavy sword was about to fall on her feet!
Shan Chao reached out and caught it. He shouted, "Be careful!"
In that instant, he gripped the platinum sword hilt.
Roar!
The next moment, the sword was unsheathed. Along with the cold murderous aura, the entire armory suddenly erupted with an ear-piercing sound!
At the same time, in the main hall of the Xie residence.
His subordinate hurried in. Ma Xin immediately raised his head and asked, "How is it?"
"Fortunately, the Shadow Guards reacted quickly. The Yuwen General did not find anything unusual."
Ma Xin finally breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled bitterly and said, "It's only the third day. There are still 27 days left in the month. How can we hide it?
It's easy to send away the officials who come to the residence every day. What if His Majesty summons us … "
His subordinate also felt numb. "Brother Ma, don't worry. Fortunately, everything is going according to the commander's calculations. The Shadow Guards also know what to do.
Besides, I heard from the medical officer that the commander's condition is actually not bad. Maybe this year soon … "
At this moment, another guard suddenly rushed in. He did not care whether he was heard or not. He entered the door and shouted, "Guards!
Something bad has happened. The people in the underground palace are missing! "
Ma Xin suddenly stood up. "What did you say?"
"The guard just found the girl who delivered the meal. The people in the two secret rooms are missing. We are sending people to search the entire underground palace …"
The Imperial Bodyguard was still gasping for breath when suddenly, an extremely sharp whistle came from outside the main hall. It was as if thousands of ghosts were crying and gods were howling, and it went straight up into the sky. Everyone's expression changed dramatically at the same time.
"… Tai-Ah Sword Roar!" Ma Xin cried out. "The monk entered the armory and touched the commander's Tai-Ah Sword …"
He pulled out his saber and rushed out of the main hall. He shouted angrily, "Guards!
Follow me to the armory. Chop up the monk and feed him to the dogs! "
Outside the armory, voices came from all directions. Shan Chao's forehead twitched. He suddenly put the white sword back into the scabbard.
The roar stopped abruptly, but it was too late.
The woman probably suffered a lot in the dungeon. When she heard the voices, she was like a bird startled by the twang of a bow. Even her lips were slightly pale. She said softly, "Master, now we …"
Shan Chao pulled out the Seven Stars Long Yuan. He took a deep breath and calmed down. "Don't be afraid. I'll take you out."
"What if we can't?"
Shan Chao said casually, "Then we'll die here together."
The edge of the Long Yuan reflected a trace of light on his handsome side profile. Under his thick eyebrows, his eyes were bright and burning.
The woman paused slightly. She seemed to be stunned.
There was a loud bang in the distance. It was the sound of someone kicking open the door of the armory. Then, the sound of footsteps and the clashing of weapons rushed in. Listening carefully, it seemed that there was a strict order, and it was quickly approaching along the iron frames.
"Master," the woman frowned. "Your martial arts are excellent. You can definitely kill your way out with a sword. But if you take me with you, you'll be a burden.
Why don't you hand me over? Maybe you can exchange for a chance to live … "
Shan Chao smiled at her and shook his head.
The feeling he gave when he smiled was the opposite of Xie Yun. It was like a clean, young, and slender tree.
The latter made people nervous, but the former made people feel very comfortable. She felt good about him from the bottom of her heart.
"Although we've only met by chance, since I've saved you, I won't watch you throw your life away again."
Shan Chao held the sword in one hand and stretched out the other hand to the woman.
"Miss, please hold on to me. No matter what happens later, don't open your eyes."
On the woman's deep and beautiful face, there seemed to be an indescribable expression. It could be said that she was in a dilemma.
However, she quickly regained her composure. It was so fast that it seemed that the moment just now was just an illusion.
"… Since Master insists, when everyone comes in later, please pretend that you're holding me hostage …"
"They're afraid that you'll really kill me. No one will stop you."
"— Stop!"
There was a loud explosion. Then, there was a big fire. Countless guards appeared from behind the iron frame in all directions.
Ma Xin rushed out of the crowd with his sword and roared, "How dare you, monk! How dare you —"
In the next moment, he was stunned. His eyes were filled with disbelief and fear.
Dan Chao stood with his sword in hand. His sturdy arms held the woman in front of him, and the bloody short dagger in his hand was firmly pressed against her neck.
The woman frowned and didn't say a word.
Shan Chao looked at Ma Xin coldly.
"If anyone dares to take a step forward, I'll kill her."
·
Ma Xin, "…"
Ma Xin went crazy in an instant.
"Retreat!
Everyone retreat! "
Ma Xin's roar was at least eight octaves higher than before. "Everyone, don't wait and don't shoot. Retreat!!"
Although the guards didn't know what was going on, they still immediately retreated. The encirclement immediately expanded by five feet.
Ma Xin stood in front of the crowd and glared at Shan Chao. He was almost flustered and exasperated, but he couldn't say a complete sentence. "Wild monk, if you can get out of here today, I'll …"
"Commander Xie won't let you go."
The woman suddenly opened her mouth and stared at Ma Xin. "Although I'm a prisoner of the Xie family, if I really lose my life here, Commander Xie won't let you go."
Ma Xin was stunned.
Then, a look of realization flashed across his eyes. He suddenly restrained his violent tone. "Xin Chao, monk, if you have something to say, let's talk nicely. First, let's put down our commander's family!
You're a man, what's the point of holding a woman … woman hostage? "
Shan Chao thought to himself, seeing how you're acting as an accomplice to a villain, I can't guarantee that you're also one of the people torturing this woman. He couldn't help but feel disgusted. He sneered, "Family?
I don't know which man in this world treats his family like this.
Don't talk nonsense, everyone get out of the way. Otherwise, I'll let her blood splatter on the spot! "
The tip of the dagger moved and immediately cut the woman's throat. A trace of blood immediately flowed out.
Ma Xin's voice almost broke. "Stop!"
He gasped for breath for a moment, then decisively made a hand gesture to the people behind him. "… Get out of the way, let this great master out."
Shan Chao tightly held the woman in front of him and stepped back out of the armory. The guards immediately followed behind him.
Ma Xin stared at Shan Chao without blinking. He beckoned for one of his trusted aides to come over and whispered, "Where's Yuwen Hu?"
"In the small parlor outside the study."
The trusted aide replied in a very low voice, "I've already ordered people to find an excuse to delay the Yuwen Great General and make sure he doesn't come out.
In about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea … "
"Try to delay as long as possible. If we encounter the Yuwen Hu Shadow Guards, we won't be able to cover it up.
Go! "
The subordinate immediately accepted the order and left.
Ma Xin turned to Shan Chao and said coldly, "Great master, you can leave if you want, but please leave this young lady behind.
Commander invited you as a guest at the beginning purely out of misunderstanding. He hasn't treated you badly in the past three days. But if you insist on taking this young lady with you, my Xie Mansion will have a grudge with the great master. In the future, even if we have to go to the ends of the earth … "
Shan Chao said leisurely, "Don't say such harsh words. Bring the horse over."
Ma Xin choked. The woman said in an extremely low voice, "Give me some more money …"
Shan Chao immediately understood and said loudly, "Give me ten taels of silver. Go quickly!"
Ma Xin almost vomited blood.
Great master, if you want money, why only ten taels? Is it enough?
Do you want your hostage to eat steamed buns with cold water every day?!
But young master Ma couldn't do anything. He could only suppress his anger and order people to prepare.
Fortunately, the Xie Mansion's extravagance was well-deserved. A moment later, they brought over a black horse with snow-white hooves. There was a money bag on the horse's back, which was shining with golden light.
"Great master, please kindly accept it. Here is ten taels of gold."
Ma Xin took out a piece of fine gold from the money bag and shook it. He said seriously, "Great master, listen to me. That day in Ci 'en Temple, I offended you a lot. It was really purely … purely a misunderstanding. If the great master is willing to let go of the butcher's knife and become a Buddha, uh, I swear on behalf of the commander that we will write off everything and let bygones be bygones …"
Poor Ma Xin was incoherent, but he was interrupted by Shan Chao with a sneer, "Let go of the butcher's knife and become a Buddha?
Do you know that if Buddha sees a demon, there will also be a time when Vajra glares at him? "
Ma Xin was speechless. Shan Chao held the woman in his arms and flew onto the horse. In an instant, his back was exposed.
But before the bodyguards could seize the opportunity to shoot arrows, he kicked the horse's belly and shouted, "Go!"
·
"— — Neigh!"
A horse's neigh came into the parlor. Yuwen Hu put down his teacup and looked up. He asked suspiciously, "Who dares to ride a horse in the Xie Mansion?"
"I think the bodyguards are playing polo in the drill ground."
The maid in a pink dress sitting next to him put down the konghou and smiled. "General, you don't have to worry about it. How about listening to this servant play another song?"
"… … Where is your commander?"
"The commander is taking medicine in the study room. He will come out in a moment. General, please forgive us."
In the study room, the young man in a white satin brocade robe put down the ink pen, makeup box and other things. He straightened his mask and smiled at the water in the copper basin.
The angle of the smile seemed wrong. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened his eyes and smiled.
This time, it felt right.
He nodded with satisfaction and made a gesture to his confidants around him. He got up and pushed the door open.
The parlor.
Yuwen Hu looked at the beautiful maidservants surrounded by fragrant clouds and mist. They were as beautiful as flowers and jade. He couldn't help but feel annoyed.
Xie Yun had been the commander of the imperial bodyguards for two years. She had become more and more vicious and merciless. She acted in a high-profile manner. It was said that in private, she was quite licentious.
Although this was only a rumor in the capital, looking at the beautiful maidservants in front of him, he was afraid that it might be groundless.
"This general is going out for a walk." Yuwen Hu took a deep breath and stood up. "Call me when your commander comes out."
He didn't expect that in the next moment, the maidservants would suddenly stand up. "General, you must not. Please wait!"
"Hm?"
The maidservants hesitated. Yuwen Hu's reaction was sharp. He immediately became suspicious. "What are you doing?"
At this moment, the neigh of a horse suddenly came from outside the parlor. It was followed by the sound of an arrow piercing through the air.
Yuwen Hu's expression changed in an instant. He pushed the maidservants away. "Get out of the way!"
How could the maidservants stop this general who had been on the battlefield for a long time? They only saw a black shadow flash past them like a hurricane. Yuwen Hu had already rushed out of the parlor.
The imperial bodyguards hidden behind the Drooping Flower Gate were too late. They could only watch as Yuwen General rushed out of the inner courtyard and passed through the moon gate. Then, his back stiffened at the entrance of the front courtyard outside the main hall.
The handsome black horse swept across the sky. Shan Chao held the reins in one hand and pulled out his sword with the other. He turned around and slashed in the air.
The Seven Stars Longyuan let out a howl and chopped several arrows behind him into pieces at lightning speed!
The sword light was as sharp as the moon. It reflected the other person sitting on the horse.
That person was leaning close to the back of the horse. His long hair that was tied into a bundle slid down. His white robe fluttered in the wind.
At this time, the curtain of night had just fallen. A torch was lit in the middle of the courtyard. It shone on that person's flawless face, like a piece of white jade burning in the firelight.
Yuwen Hu immediately recognized him. His mind was filled with disbelief.
In the next moment, that person turned his gaze. In a flash, their eyes met in midair.
"… Someone come!
Ride the horse! "Yuwen Hu almost went crazy." Stop that monk, quick! "
On the other side, when Ma Xin saw Yuwen Hu run out, he immediately closed his eyes. The expression on his face was too horrible to look at.
"Come here quickly." He reached out and called his trusted aide. He whispered, "Go to the study and tell the shadow guards to hide. Don't let them run into the Yuwen General again. This man has really been on the battlefield and killed people …"
At the same time, Shan Chao rode his horse towards the gate of the Xie Mansion. In the dark night, he was like a black flash of lightning. Everyone in his way was either forced to dodge or trampled under his hooves. Behind him, there were broken arrows scattered everywhere, forming a path.
Seeing that he could really rush out, Yu Wenhu couldn't care less. He immediately gathered his qi and leaped, his whole body touching the wall of the courtyard. He had been stationed at the frontier for a long time, so he naturally had the rough and tough temperament of the North. He was also much taller than the average person, even taller than Dan Chao by half a head. But this leap of his was untraceable, showing the depth of his Lightness Skill.
In midair, his body was like a ghost. He approached the horse and suddenly pulled out his saber from its scabbard.
"Release … him …"
Shan Chao turned his head. His pupils shrank slightly. However, it was too late.
The saber's killing intent was overwhelming. In an instant, it was in front of him. Even the muscles on his face felt like they were being pricked by needles.
At this moment, anyone's instinct would be to dodge. However, he knew that he couldn't dodge.
There was still a person in his arms. If he dodged now, the girl would be exposed. Under this saber, there would be no way for her to survive.
Shan Chao clenched his teeth. In an instant, this young man's handsome face was illuminated by the light of the saber. It was as if he was carved out of stone.
He turned his upper body, almost twisting his entire body. He held his sword with both hands to meet the saber.
Clang!
The strength of the waist and the strength of the arm could be said to be terrifying. The moment the sword blocked the saber, countless sparks burst out from the point of contact.
Yuwen Hu's mind was greatly shaken. His long saber flew out of his hand. In the darkness of the night and the light of the flames, it heavily nailed into the three feet thick brick wall of the courtyard.
Twelve years.
Yuwen Hu had galloped on the battlefield for twelve years. This was the first time in his life that his saber was defeated in one strike.
In an instant, from his heart, there was not only disbelief, but also an indescribable, indescribable … humiliation.
"I told you to let go of the girl. Did you hear me?"
Yuwen Hu roared and furiously attacked. There was a flash of red light in the center of his palm. He had actually used all the zhenqi of the Tiger's Roar that he had cultivated throughout his life.
Shan Chao raised his eyebrows. He withdrew his sword with his right hand and used his left palm to meet the attack. In an instant, there was an earth-shattering boom!
If there was anyone within three steps, they would definitely be able to hear the vast and distant dragon's roar contained in the collision of zhenqi.
Following that, Yuwen Hu's internal energy flowed backwards. His five internal organs were destroyed. He was knocked back while spitting out a mouthful of blood.
With a loud thud, Yuwen Hu fell to the ground. He used all his strength to bend his knees and kneel down. He barely managed to stop the momentum of flying backwards.
He gasped for breath and suddenly looked up. He saw the black horse galloping away. The person on the back of the horse was looking back at Shan Chao with a smile.
The smile was very faint, but the meaning behind it was very deep. It seemed to come from the bottom of the heart, from the bottom of the eyes. It was as if the jewels and jades could no longer be hidden. A brilliant and sinful light flashed from the bottomless canyon.
Following that, the person's gaze turned towards Yuwen Hu.
It was really just a quick glance. If it were anyone else, they would think that it was an illusion.
However, Yuwen Hu knew that it was not.
That glance was full of malice.
It was cold and evil. It was like a poisonous snake. It was malice.
The first time he was stared at like that was seven years ago in Qing Ning Palace.
That year, he had just taken over the military power when he was assassinated. Although he was lucky enough to survive, he was seriously injured. The four aristocratic families jointly exposed that it was Queen Wu who did it. When the Emperor heard this, he was furious. He summoned the Empress to confront him face to face. However, the Empress was faced with irrefutable evidence. She refused to admit it.
Just as the Emperor was about to kill the Empress in anger, a young secret guard beside Queen Wu suddenly knelt down and said, "This humble one surrenders.
In fact, it has nothing to do with the Empress. It was this humble one who assassinated the Yuwen General. "
At that time, everyone was shocked. The Emperor did not believe him and asked, "Why did you assassinate Yuwen Hu?"
The young man raised his head and took off his mask in front of everyone. He calmly said, while everyone was shocked.
"That night, the Yuwen General was drunk. He mistakenly thought that this humble one was a woman and wanted to take advantage of me. This humble one was humiliated and impulsively attacked."
"If the General is still angry, this humble one is willing to pay with my life outside the Meridian Gate. I hope the General will forgive me."
Finished speaking, he turned towards Yuwen Hu and bowed his head deeply.
That life-or-death struggle between factions eventually became a farce. It ended in incomparable awkwardness and ambiguity.
After that, no one mentioned what happened that day in Qing Ning Palace. Amidst the treacherous and unpredictable struggles in the Tang Imperial City, it was quickly and tacitly forgotten by everyone.
However, Yuwen Hu could not forget the glance the young man gave him after he stood up and kowtowed that day.
It was as if the blade was exceptionally beautiful because it had been dipped in poison. It flashed with undisguised allure and malice.
Xie Manor, front courtyard.
Xie Yun smiled as she looked away from Yuwen Hu. In the next moment, Shan Chao spurred his horse and galloped out of Xie Manor like an arrow. His sword was unstoppable.