Chapter 20: Pursuing and Killing for a Thousand Miles

  When Sun Shangxiang's wound was not healed, King Qi personally went to visit her. At that time, the Crown Prince and King Yong of Jing were clearly distinguished, but many people at the time did not understand it. Later, they came to know that King Qi was good at self-protection.

  The Book of Southern Chu · Biography of Jiang Suiyun

  The next morning, I was in a daze, vaguely feeling someone covering me with a quilt. The movement was very unfamiliar, and I suddenly woke up. To be honest, after this life-and-death experience, I no longer felt indifferent to things around me like I used to. I slightly opened my eyes and saw King Qi Li Xian sitting beside me with a worried expression, while Xiao Shunzi stared at him fiercely. My heart skipped a beat as I recalled what Prince Yong had said - that during my life-and-death struggle, King Qi knew I needed bear gall to survive and sent over a dose of it despite the suspicion, which surprised me even more than Princess Chang Le sending me xuan shen and bear gall. Why did he do this? It would surely anger the Crown Prince. But I didn't open my eyes - what could I say? I had already made my choice not to follow Prince Yong; why would I follow King Qi now? Since we were destined not to have a monarch-subject relationship, why bother with more entanglements.

  The King of Qi let out a sigh, turned around and walked out. At the door, he stopped and said faintly: "I know you're not an ordinary person. Tell your master that since he's a man who doesn't care about fame or wealth, why bother getting involved here? The Fengyi Gate is not to be trifled with. Even if they don't make a move, are there no experts by the Crown Prince's side? Su Yun is just a weak scholar, and this time he managed to keep his life by luck. Next time... advise him not to stay in Chang'an anymore."

  I heard Xiao Shunzi's cold voice say: 'The prince's teachings are, I will naturally inform the young master.'

  After a while, Xiao Shunzi pushed the door and walked in, his face full of cold murderous aura. I asked strangely: 'What's wrong? Do you dislike Qi Wang very much?'

  Xiao Shunzi angrily said: "Who wants him to come and cry with the cat, does he think we don't know what role he's playing?"

  I raised an eyebrow in doubt, and Xiao Shunzi calmed down and said: "In recent days, Prince Yong and I have been busy with the young master's affairs. The investigation of the Wangfu was led by General Sima. General Sima found that the bow and arrow left behind by the assassin were used by the military, but it would be difficult to bring them in. On the 16th, when the prince entertained guests, the inspection of the guests was very strict, and no one could have brought in a bow and arrow on that day. If there was an insider in the Wangfu, then the bow and arrow might have been hidden beforehand. However, after General Sima's investigation, no clues were found. Later, we remembered that Princess Qi had visited the Wangfu on the 15th. We couldn't thoroughly inspect Princess Qi's carriage, so General Sima suspected that she brought in the bow and arrow and provided them to the assassin for use."

  I said calmly: "This matter is impossible to verify, the only way now is to re-plan the defense of the Wangfu. In the past, although the prince had repeatedly encountered danger, but at that time Fengyimen had not yet officially supported the crown prince, so the defense of Yongwangfu was still sufficient. Now facing a killer like Fengyimen, it's naturally a bit insufficient."

  Xiao Shunzi said coldly: 'Young master, can it be confirmed that the one who assassinated you is indeed Fengyimen?'

  I looked at the fire in his eyes, afraid that if I said "yes", he would go out and kill people. But all I could do was shake my head and say: "I only said that the assassin's skill should not be worse than Fengyimen, but I didn't say it was someone from Fengyimen who did it. That day, I caught a glimpse of the assassin, if I saw him again, I should be able to recognize him, all I can confirm is that it wasn't Qin Qing who did it."

  Xiao Shunzi frowned and said, "Apart from this, there are only Xiahou Yuanfeng and Li Han-you. Pei Jiangjun is by the young master's side, and as the prince of Wei State, it can't be him."

  I said calmly, "Xiahou Yuanfeng said he was going out to relieve himself, while Li Hanrou said she didn't like the commotion in front and went to the back to see the princess after congratulating. Both of them are possible suspects, but we can't rule out the possibility that someone else might have snuck in. We all know that whoever had the skills to directly assassinate in the Cold Garden must be either a guest from that day or an insider traitor in the palace. However, this cannot serve as evidence, so although both of them are highly suspicious, Prince Wang cannot arrest them." I couldn't possibly say it was Li Hanrou, after all, I hadn't even seen her face before. It's not good to make guesses without evidence.

  Xiao Shunzi said coldly: "What Prince Wang cannot do, I can. As long as the young master permits it, I will go and kill them."

  I laughed and said, "Nonsense, how can we not reason with them? If they did it, in the future they will still make things difficult for us. Are you afraid there won't be a chance to deal with them later? Alright, let's go after Poisonous Hand Evil Heart again. In any case, we absolutely cannot let him get away scot-free and leave behind future troubles."

  Xiao Shunzi said calmly: "Young master, rest assured, I have rearranged the defenses of the Cold Garden. You didn't like them being too close before, but this time you can't follow your heart's desire."

  I awkwardly said: 'This, I won't hurry them then.'

  Xiao Shunzi saw me like this and said: 'When I come back, do whatever you want, but if I'm not here, there must be someone to serve the young master.'

  I nodded repeatedly, this time I encountered a narrow escape, Xiao Shunzi felt extremely guilty, always feeling that he had not protected me well. But he is not the kind of person who indulges in self-pity, so from now on, he will absolutely not let me act recklessly again. Although I like to be free and easy-going, thinking about it, my life is more important after all. In the past, they didn't know how important I was, and I almost lost my life. From now on, there will probably be danger lurking around every step, where can I still dare to act carelessly? Anyway, it's just that there are a few more bodyguards by my side, I'll just pretend not to see them.

  Xiao Shunzi hurriedly left, I knew he was going to pursue and kill Duoxie Xixin. It's said that Duoxie Xixin had escaped several pursuits again, if Xiao Shunzi didn't hurry up, he might let him escape back to Nan Chu. If he couldn't personally kill the assassins who participated in the assassination that day, Xiao Shunzi would never forgive himself no matter what.

  I lay down comfortably, now my most important task is to take good care of my body. I still remember Mr. Sang's warning and don't want to live for only ten years. The long-abandoned qigong practice also needs to be resumed. Life is so rich and colorful, if I die early, wouldn't it be a pity? This time I escaped death, but I feel that many things are now trivialized. Even thinking of Xiangxiang, my heart no longer hurts, instead, I only remember her beauty and the happiness we once had.

  Leaving the Yong Wang Fu, Qi Wang Li Xian returned to his own mansion with a calm expression. As soon as he arrived at the gate of Jingu Garden, which only he could enter, he saw Qin Zhen waiting there with several maidservants. Jingu Garden was Li Xian's own residence, and without permission, no one was allowed to enter, not even Queen Qin Zhen, so she waited at the door.

  Upon seeing Qin Zhong, Li Xian revealed a sarcastic smile and said: "Ah, the queen is six months pregnant, how can she be standing here? I'm afraid I won't be able to bear it. Does the queen have any instructions?"

  Qin Zhen's body swayed slightly, and she said: "Your Highness, I don't understand why you're treating me like this when I'm showing you kindness. You and the Crown Prince are on the same boat, but just the other day, you were sending medicine and making inquiries, which already made the Crown Prince unhappy. Now you're going to visit him again, aren't you not putting the Crown Prince in your eyes? I'm all thinking for Your Highness's sake, why...

  "Shut up." Li Xian's expression turned cold and ruthless, he said coldly: "Wang Fei, what have you done? Do I need to tell you? How did Fengyi Gate suddenly think of assassinating Jiang Zhe? How was the bow and arrow brought in? Do you think I'm a fool? Jiang Zhe once saved my life, although I don't have the good fortune to make him serve me. But who allowed you to overstep your authority and come out to kill him?"

  Qin Cong's face was flustered, and Li Xian, although she had been prone to mood swings in the past, had never been as furious as she was today. She couldn't help but explain: "It wasn't my intention, I just said that both the prince and the Duke of Yong valued Jiang Zhe, and the order came from the inner hall, I was just following orders." As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Cong's face turned pale, and she only then realized that she had just admitted to monitoring Li Xian, and also admitted to participating in the assassination attempt on Tian Ce Fu Si Ma.

  Li Xian looked at Qin Zhuang coldly and said lightly, "If you weren't my wife, why would I bother to make things right for you? Zhuang, you're really foolish, not knowing who's truly good to you. Never mind, go ahead and rest well, don't go out wandering around during this time, just stay home and take care of your pregnancy."

  After finishing speaking, Li Xian turned around and walked into the Golden Valley Garden. Looking at his cold and proud back, Qin Zhen wanted to follow him, but the large black lacquered gate closed, and Qin Zhen felt her heart getting colder and colder, she didn't know why, but suddenly felt dizzy and faint, and softly fell into the maid's arms.

  The moon was sinking, the stars were hidden, and he stood on the riverbank, wearing a black robe, his poisonous hands and evil heart gazing at the reeds across the river shrouded in misty moonlight. His heart felt a surge of joy, for this was the outskirts of Guangji County, located between Yongning County in Suzhou Prefecture and Tianjia Town. This small ferry, though unknown to the world, was his most familiar place. Located at the remote edge of three counties, the rolling Yangtze River flowed through both banks, with mountains stacked like screens, lush vegetation, and a narrow river surface, making it the secret crossing point for spies from South Chu and Dayong. He gazed up at the sheer cliff on the riverbank, where four large characters read "Chujiang Lock Key". Yet his heart did not relax in the slightest. Although this place was known only to night travelers as the best spot for sneaking across, those now pursuing him were either military spies or Dayong martial arts masters. This must be their ambush point. Though he would be safe once he crossed that narrow strip of water on the Yangtze River, it wouldn't be easy.

  As he traveled, he was on high alert everywhere, and the King of Yong's orders had spread to all the checkpoints within the borders of Yong. Although he had disguised himself, he still revealed his tracks several times, but fortunately, his martial arts skills were exceptional, and hiding in plain sight was one of his strengths, so he managed to narrowly escape. What was most infuriating was that the targets of those unaffiliated with the government in the jianghu also turned their sights on him. One reason was because of the high esteem in which they held the King of Yong, while another reason left him speechless: the reason why Xia Hou Yun Feng, the number one young master of Yong, had been recognized was that he had defeated Commander Pei Yun in a martial arts performance, but many people believed that if they continued to fight, it would still be unclear who would win. So when those young masters from the jianghu learned about his "mutual defeat" with Pei Yun, they all thought that if they could beat him, then they would have the qualifications to challenge Xia Hou Yun Feng. Therefore, these numerous young masters began to pester him, and after he broke through several layers of encirclement, this young man felt like he had lost face, and actually spread rumors that if "Poison Hand Evil Heart" returned alive to Nan Chu, then the jianghu masters of Yong would lose all face. In this way, he truly was surrounded on all sides by enemies. Although he managed to narrowly escape here, perhaps there were already people waiting for him up ahead. He smiled slightly and adjusted his clothes, striding confidently towards the riverbank.

  Less than a hundred paces from the riverbank, he only heard the sound of the bowstring ringing out. A silver arrow flashed across his face like lightning and disappeared into the night, Evil Hand and Wicked Heart stopped in their tracks, slowly turned around, and saw under the cover of night, a young man in white clothes holding a silver bow, looking at him with satisfaction. Beside him stood a woman in red, smiling slyly. Evil Hand and Wicked Heart's expression changed, and he said calmly: "Good, so it's Silver Bow Rogue Du Muqiu and Flame Scorching Qiao Yaner. If you hadn't made that assassination attempt back then, the king wouldn't have been injured. Today, if I can kill you both, my trip to Da Yong won't be in vain."

  At this time, someone behind him chuckled and said: "Ah, Duanmu, your great achievements are still remembered by people. What a pity, if you had succeeded that day, it would have been even better."

  With that clear and bright laughter, a small boat floated over from the middle of the river, on which stood a slender young Taoist priest. His arms were slightly longer than those of ordinary people, matching his extraordinary appearance, giving off an air of elegance and refinement, but his eyes were lively and spirited, showing him to be a person with a cheerful disposition.

  Duanmu Qiu heard his words and couldn't help but smile wryly, saying: "Suffering Bamboo, you always can't get ivory out of a dog's mouth."

  At this time, several people came out from both sides. On the left were two beautiful girls like fairies, one elegant and refined, the other naive and lively. On the right were three young men with identical faces. The two girls had long swords at their waists, while the three young men had a sword, a spear, and a soft whip wrapped around his hand.

  The poisonous hand and evil heart slightly smiled and said: "Indeed, only you guys chased after us. It's strange to say, the people of the Yong Wang Fu are not anxious, but the Crown Prince, Qi Wang, and Feng Yi Men are very anxious."

  This sentence was like a sharp sword that pierced through people's hearts. Except for the young man on the small boat, everyone else in the scene changed their expressions. With poisonous hands and evil intentions, they slowly took off the leather pouch from their waist, took a sip of the fine wine inside, and said: "The Great Harmony is perfect, but the wine here can't compare to the fine wine of South Chu. Alas, I can only endure it for now. After crossing the river, I'll go to the tavern to taste the fine wine again. Today, who will come first? Is it the Silver Bow Luo Sha under the banner of King Qi, or the Zhongzhou Three Virtues from the Crown Prince's mansion, or the Third and Seventh Ladies from the Fengyi Gate? Can't you let the old man Wulang take action first?"

  The three young men stepped forward, and the youth with the sword said coldly: "You have a poisonous hand and an evil heart. It's one thing that you've been running amok in the Yong Wang Fu, but to drag the Crown Prince into it and make others suspect him... The Lord has given orders to send you to the Yong Wang Fu for punishment. If you surrender quietly, so be it. But if not, don't blame us for being ruthless."

  Du Shou Xie Xin smiled faintly and said, "Alright, let me first experience the joint efforts of the three of you. I've heard that the three of you are born of the same mother, with hearts that understand each other. The other day when we fought, it was rushed and I didn't have time to fully appreciate it. Today is a leisurely day, please, all three of you."

  Three young men stepped forward, their footsteps synchronized but with slightly different strides. The one wielding a sword took the lead, while the other two followed half a step behind. Their rhythmic movements seemed to create an unsettling atmosphere, and after several steps, they suddenly surrounded the villainous Toxic Hand Evil Heart. The sword's shadow and the whip's gleam complemented each other as they trapped their enemy.

  The three men moved in perfect harmony, their coordination seamless. Toxic Hand Evil Heart had anticipated this and had a plan to counter them. As the trio was about to merge into a single formation, he launched himself at the young man wielding the whip. He knew that this youth was always one step ahead of his peers, but also suspected that he might be timid.

  Indeed, the young man instinctively retreated half a step, and if their formation had been complete, his two companions would have taken advantage of the opening to launch a pincer attack. However, due to the slight delay, Toxic Hand Evil Heart was able to seize the opportunity and strike at the whip-wielding youth's throat.

  As Toxic Hand Evil Heart's shadow flashed across the young man, blood splattered everywhere. The other two men did not pursue him but instead stood frozen in shock, staring at their fallen brother's corpse.

  At that moment, two women appeared, blocking Toxic Hand Evil Heart's path. They were Huo Luo Xian and Qiuniang from the Phoenix Gate sect. Huo Luo Xian was a woman with a heroic bearing, while Qiuniang had an innocent face and a sweet appearance. Both women were known for their ruthless tactics.

  Their two long swords clashed, one with a fierce and merciless edge, the other with a more elegant but equally deadly technique. Toxic Hand Evil Heart found himself sweating profusely after just a few exchanges. Just then, Duanmu Qiu drew his bow and shot an arrow at Toxic Hand Evil Heart, who barely dodged it.

  Jiao Yan'er took advantage of the opening to press her attack, forcing Toxic Hand Evil Heart into an even more precarious situation. Qiuniang's sword technique became increasingly dazzling, and both women grew more ferocious as they fought.

  Meanwhile, the remaining two members of the Zhongzhou Three Chivalrous Heroes had arrived from behind, and together with Huo Luo Xian and Qiuniang, they surrounded Toxic Hand Evil Heart, making his situation even more desperate.

  The elegant fairy beside him, pressing her sword and not speaking, was the third daughter of Fengyimen, whose expression was somewhat uneasy. She said loudly: 'Seventh sister be careful, this person is full of tricks, beware of his deceit.'

  Four young men and women were on high alert, knowing that the Poisonous Hand Evil Heart not only had exceptional martial arts skills but was also extremely cunning. Otherwise, how could they have escaped to this place? Just then, the Poisonous Hand Evil Heart suddenly burst out laughing: "Too late, haha!" The crowd felt dizzy and disoriented, and they all fell to the ground.

  The three girls wondered when they had been secretly calculated, and suddenly felt the gentle wind of the river. Looking at Su Zhangzi again, she sighed: "I didn't expect that Su Zhangzi, who was famous in the south of the Yangtze River, would be a spy from South Chu. It's really beyond my expectation."

  Kuzhu Zi smiled slightly, put away the silver cylinder in his hand, and with a few strokes of his arms, he stopped at the shore. He smiled and said: "The 'Dark Fragrance Floating' of Tianji Pavilion is indeed good stuff, the fragrance is colorless and odorless, spreading in the wind, but its medicinal power is not reduced. Unfortunately, this cylinder of Dark Fragrance can only be used once, and a thousand taels of gold is really too expensive."

  Du Shou Xie Xin laughed and said: "If it weren't for me asking Prince Wang to buy a tube, you think you can still use it? You should know that Ku Zhuzi is my younger brother from the famous Southern Chu family. Although he was ordained as a monk since childhood, he still longs for his hometown in Southern Chu and is better than those who forget their integrity for personal gain. Don't blame him when you suffer." After speaking, he walked to the front of the two brothers from Zhongzhou San Yi, picked up a long sword, made a few gestures, and was about to stab them down.

  At this time, a cold and gentle voice came from the wind: 'If you kill them, wouldn't it be a pity that there's no one to watch the good show that follows?'

  A sinister hand and an evil heart, a sudden chill in the air. Looking up, I saw a young man in a green robe standing not far away, barely out of his teenage years, with a delicate appearance, but with a hint of femininity, standing with his hands behind his back under the dim moonlight, his expression as cold as ice and snow.