After Zhou Fugui was escorted into Youzhou city, he was imprisoned in the Youzhou prefectural yamen's death row. The people of Youzhou, after their excitement and clamor, returned to their peaceful lives, as if nothing had happened. Travelers continued their journeys, merchants continued to hawk their wares in the streets, butchers continued to curse and chop meat, fortune tellers continued to seek out gullible customers, and begging monks continued to chant "Amitabha" from house to house. The streets were filled with a constant stream of people, shoulder to shoulder.
"Big brother, big brother, where are you? Yu Nu misses you, woo woo woo..." Amidst the crowd on the street, a small figure was searching everywhere for Zhou Fugui.
Zhou Fugui had entrusted little Yu Nu and their family to Murong Tengge, but in the chaos, little Yu Nu had somehow become separated from Xiao Qing and the others.
In little Yu Nu's innocent heart, Zhou Fugui was the kindest person to her and the only one she could rely on. Everyone else was untrustworthy. Therefore, despite her fear, little Yu Nu continued to search for Zhou Fugui.
Little Yu Nu also had a vague sense that something had happened to Zhou Fugui, but due to her young age, she did not understand the specifics of what had occurred.
Little Yu Nu only knew that Zhou Fugui had been captured by bad people, and all she wanted was to find her big brother.
"Little girl, what are you looking for?" a middle-aged man with a birthmark on his face noticed the pretty little girl with bright eyes and white teeth. He tried to force a smile onto his greasy face, making him appear more amiable, and bent down to ask little Yu Nu.
"I'm looking for big brother," little Yu Nu replied, shrinking back slightly in fear.
"Oh, and who is your big brother?" the middle-aged man asked.
If little Yu Nu were from a wealthy or influential family, the middle-aged man would not dare to act.
"Big brother is just big brother," little Yu Nu replied.
"Oh, I have a way to help you find your big brother," the middle-aged man said with a smile.
"You... I..." Little Yu Nu looked at the middle-aged man with a mixture of doubt and trepidation.
"I'm known as the 'know-it-all' within ten miles..." the middle-aged man said, casually fabricating a story. Then, when no one was paying attention, he picked up little Yu Nu, hired a carriage, and headed out of the city.
...
"Liao Laoba, where did you abduct someone from this time?"
In a dilapidated temple outside Youzhou city, three figures appeared. All three had unpleasant faces. A burly man asked the middle-aged man who had brought little Yu Nu into the temple.
"Brother Tu, what do you mean? Liao, I saw this little girl was homeless and pitiful, so I... hehe," Liao Laoba chuckled.
"Haha, so you're saying you're a good person, Liao Laoba?" The man surnamed Tu chuckled, looking around. "But we don't care what kind of person you are. Tell me, how much do you plan to sell this little girl for?"
The other two men also laughed.
"Let me go, bad guys, let me go!" At this point, how could little Yu Nu not realize what was happening? She struggled desperately in Liao Laoba's arms and shouted.
"Slap!" Liao Laoba was furious. His once amiable face turned ferocious. He slapped little Yu Nu and said menacingly, "It's better to listen obediently. If you don't, I'll show you what Liao Laoba is capable of!"
"Bad guys, woo woo woo... Big brother... Big brother..." Little Yu Nu continued to cry and struggle desperately.
Liao Laoba could not restrain her, and little Yu Nu continued to cry and make a fuss. He then put her down, preparing to beat her severely to make her obey.
The man surnamed Tu and the other two watched with smirking faces, making no move to stop him.
"A sword is honed for ten years, its frost-like edge untested. Today, I show it to you, who bears an unjust grievance?"
Just then, someone suddenly recited a poem from behind them. Startled, everyone turned to see a person in green, who had somehow appeared in the temple.
After arriving at the dilapidated temple, the man surnamed Tu and his companions had already confirmed that there was no one else in the temple. The sudden appearance of another person made them exchange shocked glances.
Was he a ghost or a human? The man surnamed Tu and his companions secretly wondered.
"Hey, man, what brings you here? Ruining our good deed," the man surnamed Tu said, reaching into his robe and gripping the hilt of a short dagger. He signaled to his subordinates and shouted.
His two subordinates moved to surround the person in green from the left and right, intending to capture him together. Liao Laoba, clutching little Yu Nu, his face shifting between anger and uncertainty, planned to flee with little Yu Nu if things went south.
They were all desperate criminals, accustomed to killing to silence their victims.
"Specters and demons, despicable scoundrels, do you call this a good deed?" The person in green sneered, as if he hadn't seen them.
The man surnamed Tu was enraged and waved his hand. The three of them lunged at the person in green.
"Pfft... Pfft... Pfft..."
Liao Laoba, who had been preparing to flee, couldn't even see how the person in green had moved. He only saw a flash of green and a glint of sword light. The man surnamed Tu and his two companions each received a sword wound and fell to the ground, howling in pain.
"Let her go!" The person in green then sheathed his sword and slowly walked up to Liao Laoba, saying coldly.
"I... you... yes... sir..." Liao Laoba's face turned pale with fear. He released little Yu Nu and prepared to flee the temple.
"Wait!" Just as Liao Laoba was about to slip out of the temple, he saw a green shadow flash before his eyes, followed by sharp pain in his cheeks.
The person in green carved the words "Yanu" onto Liao Laoba's face.
...
"Sister, you're so amazing!" Little Yu Nu praised from within the arms of the person in green.
"Wait, how did you know I was a sister and not a brother?" the person in green asked, greatly surprised.
"Sister smells nice, brother smells bad," little Yu Nu said with a naive smile.
"Haha, you little clever thing!" The person in green nodded at little Yu Nu's forehead with satisfaction and said, "Does your big brother also smell bad?"
Little Yu Nu was much better than that person, the person in green thought to himself with amusement.
"Sister, since you are so capable, can you go save big brother?" little Yu Nu asked, looking at the person in green.
"Sister does not have such great power," the person in green replied, shaking her head slightly. "Moreover, this is a heavenly tribulation. A heavenly tribulation is a disaster or misfortune. It is difficult to obtain a human body, and difficult to be born in the Central Land. Even if born, it is difficult to encounter the correct teachings. Many fall into evil sects, sow many seeds of sin, practice much deceit, indulge in much lust and killing, are fond of many popular sentiments, harbor much greed and anger, sink into many hells, and lose their human bodies. With such karmic conditions, sentient beings do not awaken, do not understand the righteous path, and are often deluded..."
Seeing that little Yu Nu was listening with a bewildered expression, the person in green explained, "This means that your big brother is destined to suffer this hardship in this life. Whether he can overcome the tribulation depends entirely on his own destiny."
"Sister can't save big brother? Oh, sister, please, big brother is too pitiful," little Yu Nu pleaded.
The person in green's face flushed slightly, but since she was wearing a mask, little Yu Nu could not see it.
Even the strongest martial artist, facing overwhelming odds, cannot easily rescue Zhou Fugui from the death row. Even if they could, they would still face endless pursuit by the Great Yan kingdom.
"What is your name?" the person in green asked little Yu Nu.
"My name is Yu Nu," little Yu Nu replied.
"Yu Nu, do you want to learn martial arts?" the person in green asked again.
"Yes, sister, why should I learn martial arts?" little Yu Nu countered.
"Once you have learned martial arts, you can protect yourself and others. You can also protect others, like your big brother, and prevent him from being bullied," the person in green replied.
"Okay!" Little Yu Nu nodded joyfully.
In this world, there are few easier to deceive than a little girl like little Yu Nu.
...
West of Luoyang, Hongnong Commandery
"Great Commander, the Zhao army has been defeated three times. What are your plans, Great Commander?" Tang Qingsi, a strategist for Murong Bolie, the Left Virtuous King of the Great Yan kingdom, asked Murong Bolie.
After the Great Yan army suffered a major defeat at Niuzhu, the state of Zhao to the west took the opportunity to launch an invasion. However, Murong Bolie personally led his troops to defeat them three consecutive times, forcing the Zhao army to retreat in disarray to Qinzhou, Liangzhou, and other regions.
"Yingying, what do you think we should do?" Murong Bolie did not answer and instead asked Murong Huiying, who was beside him.
"Peace," Murong Huiying replied concisely.
Murong Bolie and Tang Qingsi exchanged a look and then smiled at each other.
"Like father, like daughter. Princess, you truly have extraordinary insight," Tang Qingsi said after praising her. "The Great Yan has Zhao to the west, Xia to the south, and the northern tribes are also restless. And the Oou'ao kingdom in the East Sea is also making moves."
"The Oou'ao kingdom in the East Sea? A mere small country dares to raid our borders?" Murong Bolie said angrily.
The Oou'ao kingdom in the East Sea was a country established by pirates who lived by the sea and frequently raided the coastal prefectures of Yan.
The Great Yan kingdom had a powerful cavalry but a very weak navy. They had almost no decent naval forces, so they were helpless against the swift raids of the East Sea pirates.
"Great Commander, urgent dispatch from the capital."
Just then, a messenger officer rushed into the command tent and handed Murong Bolie a letter from Youzhou.
"Smash!" After reading the letter, Murong Bolie was furious, unable to suppress his anger. He slammed the letter onto the table and, after glancing at Murong Huiying, exclaimed, "That brat is too audacious! How could he do such a mad and heinous thing?"
"What is it?" Tang Qingsi asked, surprised. He picked up the letter and read it carefully, murmuring, "Zhou Fugui, General Zhou, killed over two hundred people..."
Murong Huiying was struck as if by lightning, her face turning pale as she snatched the letter.
"Alas, succession, what do you think of this matter...?" Murong Bolie asked Tang Qingsi after a long silence.
"Great Commander..." Tang Qingsi pondered. "Zhou Fugui's actions have greatly inconvenienced you, Great Commander. Now you are in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat. This matter also involves treason. It would be best to pretend ignorance and stay out of it. That is the wisest course of action!"
"Hmm, your strategy, Xi Shi, is indeed profoundly cunning!" Murong Bolie nodded.