Niao Ni
Chapter 626: A Guest in the Thatched Cottage (Seeking Tickets...)
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When Wang Shisanlang snapped the willow branch with his palm and Fan Xian's butterfly danced around the tree, Lang Tao and Yun Zhilan didn't even exchange a glance before feeling the regret and fear in each other's hearts.
They finally understood why Fan Xian, after being discovered in the mountain dwelling, didn't retreat but instead fled towards the Sword Cottage, coincidentally subduing the Emperor of Northern Qi. From the very beginning, Fan Xian's target had been the Sword Cottage. He came today to enter it and meet Si Gu Jian!
In mid-air, Lang Tao roared, the metal chain on his wrist clanging. The two scimitars slashed towards Fan Xian's back like two golden rays. He knew he couldn't allow Fan Xian to take the Emperor into the depths of the Sword Cottage. Once Fan Xian escaped their sight, no one knew what terrible ending Northern Qi would face!
Furthermore, he believed in the Emperor whom Fan Xian held captive. Although young, the Emperor's experiences in recent years had proven his insight and wisdom far exceeded that of ordinary people. Since the Emperor had determined that Fan Xian wouldn't harm him, Lang Tao would bet on it, attacking what Fan Xian had to defend, forcing him to retreat!
The two golden rays slashed towards Fan Xian's undefended spot, while Yun Zhilan's longsword was incredibly serene, stabbing towards Fan Xian's nape through the gap within the two golden rays with a righteous and balanced approach. The sword light surged forth like a silver snake darting its tongue, the sword intent extremely sharp!
The sword intent of this strike was actually very similar to the intent of Wang Shisanlang when he embraced Yang Heng, fully focused and disregarding defense. Yun Zhilan's risky move was for a different reason than Lang Tao's. He cared about the Emperor of Northern Qi's life but didn't trust his judgment. However, he had a paramount reason not to let Fan Xian enter the Sword Cottage: his master was inside!
Driven by different reasons, the two top-tier Ninth Rank experts made the same decision, simultaneously unleashing their trump cards, sacrificing everything, even risking Fan Xian killing the Emperor of Northern Qi, to slash at the large vulnerable spot behind Fan Xian!
At this moment, the four people in the air were flying like birds above a stone pavement in front of the Sword Cottage, and time seemed to stand still.
Fan Xian held the Emperor of Northern Qi in his hand. Although he held a black dagger in his right hand, he couldn't stop the chilling intent approaching from behind.
Behind him, Lang Tao and Yun Zhilan floated in mid-air, their blades descending silently, but their auras interfered with each other, emitting a chilling, squeaking sound that made one's heart palpitate.
If Fan Xian didn't abandon the Emperor and turn to save himself, he would surely die. But if he turned to save himself, he would likely suffer severe injuries, and the Emperor of Northern Qi would surely escape his control.
So Fan Xian chose to do nothing, still following his established flight path and rushing towards the second gate of the cottage, completely ignoring the scimitars and the straight sword behind him!
Because he had left Kyoto, come to Dongyi, entered the mountain dwelling, and directly闯 (chuǎng, stormed) into the Sword Cottage, all based on one judgment, one source of confidence. He didn't believe that after paying so much sincerity, the other side would still watch this scene unfold!
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This was no longer about luck but entirely about Fan Xian's judgment of the world situation, his insight into people's hearts, and his faith in that old monster.
Things went as he wished. When the blades were only half a foot away from his back, the door three feet in front of him creaked open. The second gate of the Sword Cottage opened to welcome the fleeing Fan Xian.
Fan Xian, carrying the Emperor of Northern Qi, plunged inside, and then the door slammed shut, trapping Lang Tao and Yun Zhilan outside, along with their scimitars and longsword.
The doors of the cottage were often only symbolic barriers, mostly made of dried grass and wooden strips. Such a fragile door, however, managed to block Fan Xian from the two great experts behind him just in the nick of time.
How could such a door stop the enraged Lang Tao and Yun Zhilan?
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At this time, the scene outside the Sword Cottage was in complete chaos. A dozen streaks of light scattered, avoiding the willow tree. Wang Shisanlang stood alone, having abandoned the willow. Everyone ignored him, their tense gazes fixed on the gate of the Sword Cottage. They had all clearly seen Lang Tao and Yun Zhilan, these two great experts, chasing Fan Xian into the cottage.
However, only a moment later, everyone was shocked speechless by the next scene.
Two muffled groans were heard, and two figures flew back miserably. They were none other than Lang Tao and Yun Zhilan. They had stormed into the Sword Cottage with overwhelming momentum, but now they were retreating at an even faster speed, in a very disheveled state!
Lang Tao somersaulted in the air, his entire power pushed to the limit. The two scimitars protected his entire body like rain, a golden glow covering his front, as if resisting some invisible force.
Yun Zhilan, on the other hand, lowered his eyebrows and contained his breath, one knee slightly raised, one leg extended horizontally backward, his sword held flat at his brow, extremely respectful, daring not to exert his Qi, but only using the pure Zhenqi in his body to barely resist, retreating extremely quickly, not daring to stop at all!
Lang Tao spun faster and faster in the air, his double blades also becoming faster and faster, eventually turning into two streaks of light. He shouted loudly, and as the double blades slashed down, there was a muffled sound, and then he stopped.
A tree branch was cut in two by him, falling powerless to the ground. Lang Tao propped himself up, his eyebrows raised, forcibly stopping his retreat, but his chest tightened, and he was eventually killed by the endless killing intent contained in the tree branch, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Yun Zhilan retreated even faster, more thoroughly, and more respectfully than Lang Tao, never thinking of using his sword to resist anything. He was forced back fifteen zhang, then knelt on one knee on the ground, holding the sword with trembling hands.
A verdant leaf was attached to his sword.
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Everyone in the field was horrified. They had watched as the two great experts were about to capture Fan Xian when they had never expected that the person in the cottage would use only a tree branch and a leaf to force the two great experts back.
There were only a few people in the world who possessed such unfathomable power, and the master of the Sword Cottage was clearly one of them. It seemed that the noise outside the Sword Cottage had finally disturbed the violent Sword Saint.
Si Gu Jian cut a branch and plucked a leaf, forcing back the two top-tier Ninth Rank experts in the world. The realm of a Grandmaster was indeed far beyond the ordinary.
It was just that this Grandmaster was still somewhat biased, so what he threw at his eldest disciple was a leaf, while what he smashed at Lang Tao was a section of a tree branch.
When he saw the green leaf flying out of the second gate, Yun Zhilan retreated in fear, only knowing to retreat, while Lang Tao's heart was filled with endless fighting spirit, forcibly resisting the tree branch - so Lang Tao was injured and spat blood. In the flash of lightning, that was how things happened.
Si Gu Jian, who had been silent for nearly three years and had been hiding in the cottage for three years without seeing guests, finally made a move today. Once he did, it was so shocking and earth-shattering!
Outside the grass gate, all the disciples of the Sword Cottage knelt on the ground with a swoosh, kowtowing and greeting the Sword Cottage. Those disciples who had participated in controlling Wang Shisanlang felt fear and intense unease, subconsciously starting to look for the figure of the eldest senior brother. Just like in many novels, the eldest senior brother, who was best at taking the blame, definitely had the most black pots on his back, like the Monkey King.
Yun Zhilan knelt on one knee on the ground, his face calm, but the sleeves on his forearm trembled slightly as if blown by the wind, revealing the true emotions deep in his heart at this moment. He didn't know when Master had come to the front of the Sword Cottage, nor did he know what Master thought of what he had done, but he only knew that he had to do it, even if Master didn't allow it.
He Daoren supported the injured Lang Tao. The masters of Northern Qi looked at the closed door of the Sword Cottage with shocked faces, not knowing what was happening inside, what was about to happen, why Si Gu Jian was helping Fan Xian kidnap His Majesty the Emperor, and whether His Majesty was safe at this time. Their hearts were burning with anxiety, but under the prestige of Si Gu Jian, they didn't dare to rush in to save him.
Lang Tao, the most powerful among them, was no match for a tree branch thrown out by Si Gu Jian. This kind of gap in strength could not be compensated by determination and courage.
Lang Tao slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, coldly looking at the depths of the Sword Cottage, a very complicated emotion flashing in his eyes, as if he felt that some things were beyond his expectations.
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Heavily falling on the hard bluestone ground, Fan Xian's toes shrank at the moment of impact, and he used the momentum to bounce his body up. His palm had long released the little Emperor's hand and raised it, his right hand holding the black dagger upside down, squatting on the ground, staring at the wooden door behind him.
In such a short period of time, he had forcibly changed his position, prepared his killing move, and made a posture of fighting a rabbit like a tiger. It must be said that Fan Xian's current strength was indeed quite powerful.
If Yun Zhilan and Lang Tao were to break in, Fan Xian would at least not be as embarrassed as before, but could give the other party a thunderous blow.
It was just that after a long time, the seemingly fragile grass door was still calmly closed. No one broke in, and even the sounds outside the door gradually weakened. This ordinary grass door seemed to be able to shut out all the wind and rain and blood, allowing the people inside the door to be self-contained, living peacefully in the cottage, seeking pleasure in seclusion.
After a long time, Fan Xian slowly stood up, squinting at the door, knowing that since Yun Zhilan and Lang Tao had not rushed in before, they would at least not have the courage to make a second attempt in the short term.
Without even thinking, he also knew why. Although the Sword Cottage was a sacred place of martial arts, for Yun Zhilan, the only one who could drive him out was the master of the Sword Cottage, the eccentric Grandmaster.
Fan Xian was not surprised. The reason why he had chosen to force his way into the Sword Cottage was also because he estimated that Si Gu Jian would definitely not watch him suffer a big loss. He was just curious about how Si Gu Jian had expressed his attitude.
The Sword Cottage was quiet. Fan Xian turned around and found the little Emperor of Northern Qi sitting on the bluestone ground, holding his foot, as if the impact had injured him. Fan Xian was not in the mood to care about him, but calmly looked around, but did not find anyone.
He didn't see the tree branch and the green leaf, but in the moment before turning around, the corner of his eye vaguely caught a somewhat familiar figure. It was this figure that made him feel a little strange. Of course, he didn't dare to bring Shadow with him when he came to the Sword Cottage. Who was that figure? If it was Si Gu Jian, why would he feel familiar?
On the bluestone ground, grass clippings were slowly moving in the wind. The noise outside the cottage seemed to have become a story from many years ago. Fan Xian walked to the little Emperor of Northern Qi, stretched out a hand to help him up, and then walked towards the third gate in the Sword Cottage.
Just as the two of them were less than three steps away from the door, the grass door was slowly pulled open from the inside. A child stuck his head out, his eyes rolling around with great cleverness, scanning Fan Xian and the little Emperor of Northern Qi, and said with a smile, "Which of you is surnamed Fan? Who is surnamed Zhan?"
"I am the Emperor of Northern Qi." The little Emperor of Northern Qi's face was pale. It seemed that the injury to his ankle made him unable to bear the pain, but inside the Sword Cottage, he still habitually spoke first.
Fan Xian's feeling at this time was very strange. He didn't know what he would encounter in this Sword Cottage, and said with a slight smile, "Then I can only be surnamed Fan."
The child smiled very happily when he heard the two of them report their surnames, and fully opened the grass door, respectfully saluting and saying, "Please come with me, esteemed guests. The room is still inside."
The child turned around to lead the way, but the little Emperor of Northern Qi frowned. He had been in Dongyi City for several days and had entered the cottage several times. He was no stranger to the roads here, but he had never seen Si Gu Jian in person. Today, Fan Xian had broken through his and Yun Zhilan's obstruction and forced his way into the cottage. It seemed that Si Gu Jian was not angry, but instead had the intention of meeting the two of them.
At the thought of this, the little Emperor of Northern Qi's mind became heavy, and he faintly sensed a hint of ominousness.
Fan Xian's gaze was focused on the child's back. The child was carrying a long sword on his back, which seemed completely out of place with his thin body.
Before long, the child led the two to a room deep in the Sword Cottage. After servants brought hot water and food, they retreated, leaving this quiet room to Fan Xian and the little Emperor of Northern Qi.
The host had not spoken to meet them, so the two guests had to passively accept the arrangement. The problem was that they were deep in the Sword Cottage at this time, the room was unusually quiet, and Fan Xian and the little Emperor of Northern Qi were alone in the quiet room, and the atmosphere suddenly became strange.
Fan Xian walked to the window, pushed open the window, and looked out, and at a glance, he saw the big pit in the middle of the U-shaped courtyard, his pupils shrinking slightly.
At this time, the little Emperor of Northern Qi sat on the bed behind him, coldly staring at his back and said, "Fan Xian, now it's just you and me. What do you want to say?"
Fan Xian did not turn his head back, and said softly, "I believe Si Gu Jian can hear every word you and I say very clearly... However, I am really curious, why did you guess that I was hiding in Lili's room?"
The little Emperor of Northern Qi smiled strangely, without explaining this question, but instead said, "I am also very strange, why did you guess that I knew your whereabouts and arranged for people to kill you?"
Fan Xian shrugged his shoulders, and withdrew his gaze from the various sword branches in the big pit, turned around and looked at the little Emperor of Northern Qi and said quietly, "There is no need to explain this question. Actually, I am just a little angry, why have you become so stupid and naive now?"
He slowly lowered his eyes and said, "Have you ever thought about what price the world will have to pay after you kill me?"
The little Emperor's brow furrowed, not knowing whether it was because of the unbearable pain in his ankle, or because Fan Xian had given him such a second-rate evaluation.
Fan Xian walked back from the window and sat on the stool in front of the bed, calmly looking at the little Emperor's face, and suddenly said, "You are not young now, but I still habitually regard you as a little Emperor."
Speaking to the Emperor of Northern Qi as if he was an ordinary person, the attitude and emotions that Fan Xian showed really shocked the heart of the Emperor of Northern Qi. This was not a question of strength, but a feeling of equality rooted in the deepest part of his bones and blood. Even Lang Tao or Yun Zhilan would still be extremely respectful when facing the Emperor of Northern Qi. No one would treat the dignity of the king as nothing like Fan Xian.
Fan Xian quietly looked at the little Emperor's handsome and ordinary face, but his thoughts did not know where they were drifting. He knew better than anyone in the world how powerful this little Emperor was. A few years ago, when he was still somewhat immature, he had already taken the lead in laying out plans in the Jiangnan area of Qing Dynasty. No matter whether Fan Xian or the Eldest Princess controlled the Internal Treasury in the future, he would get some benefits from it. For example, the death of Shen Zhong, the commander of the Northern Qi Jinyiwei (imperial guards), this little Emperor cleverly used Shang Shanhai, achieving three goals in one move. It has to be said that the emperor's heart is like a mirror, and he understands himself and others.
However, Fan Xian still couldn't figure out why the other party wanted to kill him. If the little Emperor of Northern Qi could kill him through the hands of the eldest princess during the Kyoto rebellion in the seventh year of Qingli, and then support the eldest prince to ascend the throne, it would be of great benefit to Northern Qi... But now three years have passed, and killing him in Dongyi City would make it impossible for Northern Qi to stay out of it.
"Killing you in Dongyi City can at least force Dongyi City not to surrender to Qing." The little Emperor looked at Fan Xian coldly, seemingly not afraid to explain anything in front of him, "As for whether your death will anger the Southern Qing court, it is not within my consideration at all... Could it be that if you don't die, your Emperor father will not send troops against my Great Qi?"
The little Emperor sneered, "Since whether you are dead or alive cannot prevent the outbreak of war, and your death can at least make Dongyi City turn to me. Why wouldn't I do such a good thing?"
The figure of Wu Zhu Uncle floated before Fan Xian's eyes, and he looked at the little Emperor with a mocking and pitying smile, and tapped him hard on his bright forehead, and said, "Your Majesty may cherish his identity and will not personally take action, but will only send troops to avenge me, but if you really kill me, I guarantee you that Northern Qi without Ku He will only become a blood-soaked land."