EBE Chapter 263 Young Man on a White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze 37
Chapter 263 Young Man on a White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze 37
In this frigid land of swirling snow, a bead of cold sweat rolled down Ye Dingzhi's forehead. He was now fully aware of the perilous situation he was in.
Tianwaitian first promised to avenge the Ye family and rescue Wenjun from Tianqi City, and now he wants to pass on his skills to improve his inner strength. After giving so much, how could the ultimate goal be just to get him to open a door?
Where in the world can you find such a good thing?
Tianwaitian is not a charity organization; they must have ulterior motives for doing this!
A cold glint flashed in Wuxiang's eyes, as if he hadn't noticed Ye Dingzhi's ever-changing expression, and he softly uttered two words: "Naturally."
After saying that, he silently added two more words in his heart: No!
"What does Young Master Ye think?"
These words, like a wisp of smoke in the cold wind, drifted slowly into Ye Dingzhi's ears, causing his heart to pound violently as if it were about to leap out of his chest.
He raised his head, facing the wind and snow, and looked into the distance.
There is a city there called Apocalypse.
There was a man in Tianqi City; he was his wife.
There is another person in Tianqi City, King Jingyu.
When Lei Mengsha handed him the jade pendant, she also sent him a message—the concubine of King Jingyu had died.
This means that King Jingyu has begun to fulfill the promise he made that day, and naturally he should not back down.
nothing!
He'll be alright.
Wu Xiang Shi, Yue Qing, and Fei Li stood there watching Ye Ding Zhi.
Watching him look up into the distance, watching the snowflakes fall on his shoulders, and finally watching him slowly nod.
……
The far north.
The snow fell even heavier, as if it were about to completely cover this desolate land.
Lei Meng tightened his heavy fur coat. Although he didn't feel particularly cold, he deliberately made his body tremble slightly, trying to appear cold in order to reduce his conspicuousness in the crowd.
"Sigh, I wonder how Seventh Brother is doing. I heard that even the Dark River, the number one assassin organization in the martial arts world, has been mobilized this time. I wonder if he can successfully bring the Marquis of Zhenxi back to Tianqi City." Lei Mengsha huddled in a corner, muttering to himself with some worry in his eyes.
Lei Mengsha originally wanted to go to Qiandong City with Xiao Ruofeng, but before Xiao Ruofeng left, he received a message from Ye Dingzhi, knowing that Ye Dingzhi had infiltrated the Tianwaitian headquarters. Feeling uneasy, he asked Ye Dingzhi to bring the Jianghu people he had left behind in Tianqi City to this extremely cold place, ready to support Ye Dingzhi at any time.
Lei Mengsha squinted at the gloomy sky, where snowflakes were falling gently, and she wondered how long it would continue.
……
The forest was lush and green, the sound of horses' hooves echoed, and dust filled the air.
On the road from Qiandong City to Tianqi City, someone who shouldn't have been there appeared.
Ib was cursing under his breath as he hurried along on horseback, covered in dust.
As the sect leader of the Shadow Sect, he should have been in Tianqi City at this time, protecting the emperor's safety. However, he left Tianqi City and appeared here, which is really surprising.
Just like Mu Mingce, the current head of the Dark River Clan, he was also quite surprised after meeting Yi Bu.
Although Dark River is a subordinate organization of Shadow Sect, they usually communicate through dedicated messengers, and on the surface, Dark River and Shadow Sect have no contact whatsoever.
After all, if the martial arts world knew that the Dark River was actually an organization established by the imperial court, it would cause an uproar.
So what urgent matter could have prompted Ib to come to him in person?
Could there be a change in the ambush operation?
But that doesn't warrant Ib coming in person; couldn't he have just delivered a message?
Could it be...?
Mu Mingce lowered his eyes and said softly, "Sect Master Yi isn't in Tianqi City, so why is he here?"
Without wasting any words, Yi Bu said directly, "I don't need to say more about why I'm here; you should be able to guess."
A strange light flashed in Mu Mingce's eyes, and his voice carried a hint of inquiry: "If the employer who placed the order wants to stop the assassination, they should follow the old rules instead of having you come in person. So, who exactly gave this order?"
"You... came here on summons?" Mu Mingce asked solemnly, as if confirming something.
In fact, Mu Mingce knew very well why Yi Bu came here.
In this situation, the wisest course of action would be to directly order the Dark River to cease operations. This way, even if Emperor Tai'an were to question them later, Yi Bu would have taken the blame, as he was merely an executor and would not be held accountable.
But he did not do that; instead, he insisted that Ibn explain himself.
Ib gave a cold laugh: "Do I really have to explain myself clearly?"
Mu Mingce nodded calmly: "Of course, this matter is very important."
Seeing that he insisted on asking, Yi Bu suddenly smiled and pointed at Mu Mingce with his finger: "I see!"
Emperor Tai'an mobilized the Dark River to intercept and kill Xiao Ruofeng and Baili Luochen, but Xiao Ruojin took this opportunity to force the Shadow Sect to choose sides. Not only did he stop the Dark River, but he also had to come in person to completely declare his stance to the world.
Yi Bu was originally unwilling, but now the whole world knows that Yingzong has allied with Jingyu Wangfu, and he has already paid too much. It is too late to change course.
Therefore, he could only grit his teeth and obey Xiao Ruojin's orders, making his stance clear, even if he had to face Emperor Tai'an's wrath upon returning.
Mu Mingce's inquisitive attitude at this moment also reveals a lot.
The Dark River has intricate connections with the imperial court and the Shadow Sect.
Yi Shuihan, once the greatest assassin in the world, founded the Shadow Sect to help Emperor Xiao Yi establish his kingdom. After the kingdom was established, the Shadow Sect secretly guarded the imperial city.
Later, because the martial arts world was difficult to control, Yi Shuihan selected the Su family, who were skilled in swordsmanship and formations, the Xie family, who were skilled in knife skills and internal energy, and the Mu family, who were skilled in trickery and medicine, from the Shadow Sect to establish the Dark River. He hoped to use the Dark River to eliminate those sects and individuals that the imperial court could not easily eradicate.
On the surface, Dark River is just a Jianghu organization with no connection to the imperial court, but in reality, it is subject to the dual checks and balances of the imperial court and Shadow Sect.
With the support and resources provided by the imperial court, the Dark River has continued to grow and become increasingly powerful, but since they have never disobeyed the orders of the imperial court and the Shadow Sect, the imperial court and the Shadow Sect have tacitly allowed the Dark River to develop.
Now, more than a hundred years later, as the Dark River's power has grown, their ambitions have also expanded, and they are no longer as subservient to the imperial court and the Shadow Sect as before.
They longed to break free from the control of the imperial court and become a true江湖 (jianghu) organization.
If it weren't for Mu Mingce, the strongest person in the Dark River in the past hundred years, guarding it, the people below would probably have already started to rebel.
No one is born wanting to be a killer.
Furthermore, no one is born willing to be controlled by others.
The underground river of today is no longer the same as it used to be; it now possesses its own will and goals.
As the head of the Dark River, Mu Mingce naturally understood this.
At the same time, he also understood that the imperial court and the Shadow Sect could not stand idly by and watch the Dark River slip out of control.
Just when he was in a dilemma, things suddenly took a turn for the better.
In the Northern Li royal family, a prince appeared who was able to travel to a mystical realm.
There is a fundamental difference between the mystical realms of martial arts and those of the royal family.
Especially since Xiao Ruojin is a prince, he is the undisputed next emperor of Beili, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Will the emperor's journey through the mystical realm bring new life to Beili?
Does this vitality include underground rivers?
Mu Mingce pondered these questions, but before he could come up with a solution, Emperor Tai'an ordered the interception and killing of Xiao Ruofeng and Baili Luochen.
Mu Mingce understood that Emperor Tai'an's order for Anhe to kill Xiao Ruofeng and Baili Luochen was actually a way of pointing the sword at Xiao Ruojin.
Xiao Ruofeng and Baili Luochen can choose to die or not.
but--
Xiao Ruojin must die.
A suspicious emperor would never allow anyone who could threaten his throne to exist, even if that person was his own son, even if he himself was already nearing the end of his life.
Therefore, the focus of Dark River's mission this time is not killing people, especially since they can't kill Li Changsheng anyway.
All they had to do was stall Li Changsheng and Xiao Ruofeng, and draw everyone who could help Xiao Ruojin to Xiao Ruofeng's side until Xiao Ruojin died!
But now Ib has come.
The moment Mu Mingce saw Ib again, his once dormant heart suddenly began to beat rapidly, and at the same time, a firework exploded in his mind.
The Shadow Sect is the shadow of the imperial city, protecting it in secret at all times.
But now Ib has left Tianqi City and rushed here to stop the Dark River from taking action.
What does this mean?
This means that Yingzong has completely chosen Jingyu Wang despite Emperor Tai'an still being alive, and has even turned around and kicked Emperor Tai'an in the face.
At the same time, it was announced to the world that the Shadow Sect, the guardian sect of Beili, had completely submitted to King Jingyu.
And Jingyu Wang's reward was—
A shadow is no longer a shadow!
From now on, the Shadow Sect can walk freely in the sunlight and appear openly before the world, no longer needing to hide in the shadows.
This conjecture stirred Mu Mingce's emotions, and a thought flashed through his mind like lightning:
If the Shadow Sect can emerge from the shadows, then what about the Dark River?
Does the underground river have a chance to emerge into the light?
He suddenly realized that perhaps King Jingyu's ability to have Yi Bu come to him personally was a silent recruitment, not only targeting the Dark River, but also other forces and individuals who were observing.
Prince Jingyu is using his power struggle with Emperor Tai'an to silently delineate the spheres of influence between the two sides, sending a clear signal to everyone:
You should take your positions.
After this incident, the dispute over the succession was settled.
The loser's final fate can be summed up in one word—death.
Mu Mingce was shocked by Jingyu Wang's boldness, but also admired his courage.
They were able to narrow the struggle for imperial power down to just two people, without involving the common people, and obliterate everything without a trace.
He accomplished the power transition in a forceful yet almost gentle manner, maximizing the stability and strength of Beili.
Faced with such a person, Mu Mingce felt a surge of curiosity.
For the past thirty-odd years, Jingyu Wang had been an unknown figure, an appendage of Langya Wang Xiao Ruofeng.
Why did such a big change happen all of a sudden?
What kind of person is Xiao Ruojin?
If he survives this ordeal, what kind of emperor will he become?
If, in this power struggle between the Jade King and Emperor Tai'an, the Dark River chooses the former, what changes will follow?
So he insisted that Ib explain himself, and Ib clearly understood his thoughts, replying meaningfully, "I see!"
……
Clad in armor, Xiao Ruofeng rode swiftly at the head of the column, his speed increasing rapidly. His two lieutenants behind him were already showing signs of exhaustion, panting heavily; if it weren't for the fact that Xiao Ruofeng was a prince, they would likely have already begun to complain.
The Golden Guard is the most glamorous and prestigious army in the entire Northern Li, and has always been a shortcut for aristocratic families to seek honor and status.
On the one hand, although they joined the army, they almost never had to face the real battlefield and did not have to worry about their lives being in danger; on the other hand, because they were stationed in the imperial city and often accompanied the emperor, they were always promoted the fastest.
However, when it comes to the strength of the Golden Guard...
Shame!
Xiao Ruofeng was worried about the unrest along the way and what might happen. In addition, he was concerned about the situation in Tianqi City, so he kept urging everyone to hurry and return to Tianqi City as soon as possible.
However, he was so eager to get going that the two lieutenants finally stopped Xiao Ruofeng: "Your Highness, is His Majesty really setting such a tight schedule? As you know, although the Imperial Guards train every day and never slack off, this is the first time they have traveled such a long distance."
The implication is that they can't take it anymore and want to rest.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ruofeng sighed and could only rein in his horse, pointing with his whip to the open space by the river: "Let's set up camp here tonight."
The two lieutenants breathed a sigh of relief and were about to go down to relay the order when they heard a rustling sound coming from the woods on both sides.
Xiao Ruofeng immediately became alert, his hand gripping the hilt of the longsword at his waist. He looked sharply in the direction from which the sound came and shouted, "All troops, prepare for battle!"
In an instant, at least five hundred of the six hundred Golden Guards simultaneously drew their twin swords from their waists, their silver blades gleaming and their imposing presence overwhelming.
The remaining dozens of people seemed somewhat bewildered, clearly still reeling from the sudden turn of events.
The two deputy generals looked at each other in bewilderment. Were the Imperial Guards under their command really that well-behaved?
But the situation was urgent, and they had no time to react.
Dozens of figures emerged from the woods one after another and charged straight into the crowd. Swords flashed and blades clashed, and in an instant, the battlefield was in chaos.
Xiao Ruofeng had long anticipated an ambush on the road, so he wasn't surprised by the current situation. He calmly ordered his men to protect the carriage and methodically commanded them to engage the enemy.
“It is said that the Imperial Guards of Tianqi City are pampered, weak in martial arts, and easily defeated, but judging from today’s situation, it seems that this is not the case.” Su Changhe said slowly, as he and Su Muyu, who was holding an umbrella, walked slowly out of the forest.