“Xue Yu…” The King of Beijiang gnashed his teeth, staring at Xue Yu.
Xue Yu flicked the blood from his sword and said with a cold sneer, "A presumptuous fool. He deserves to die."
The King of Beijiang gently placed Zhang Liangfang down, draped his cloak over him, and slowly stood up. At this moment, a powerful force emanated from his body.
His long sword pointed directly at Xue Yu, and he roared, "Xue Yu, I will surely kill you today."
Xue Yu looked at him and scoffed, "You? Can you?"
Xue Zixuan gritted his teeth and squeezed out a single word, "Yes."
He shot towards Xue Yu like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Xue Yu sneered, "One presumptuous fool wasn't enough, and now another comes."
With a sweep of his sword, he forced the charging Xue Zixuan back several paces.
Xue Zixuan gritted his teeth, his wrist still trembling slightly. Feng Yin lived up to its reputation.
"King of Beijiang, leave him to Feng Jiu." Feng Jiu landed in front of Xue Zixuan.
"Feng Jiu, go and help them. I will deal with Xue Yu…"
Feng Jiu was startled. "King of Beijiang, you cannot defeat Xue Yu. Even I…"
Even he was no match for Xue Yu, whose skills were second only to Feng Wu.
Never before had Feng Jiu wished for the past to return. If only he had practiced diligently, if only he had been a little stronger than Xue Yu, perhaps Feng Ying wouldn't have died?
But, where in this world could one find a cure for regret?
"So what if I can't defeat him? At least I tried." Xue Zixuan looked up at Feng Jiu, his eyes showing no trace of retreat.
Hearing this, Feng Jiu suddenly smiled. "You have grown up. You are no longer the person who used to follow His Majesty."
Xue Zixuan trembled, his gaze lowered. "But she will never see how much I have grown."
Elder Sister, Elder Sister, forgive me for calling you that once more. Can you hear my voice?
Bless Beijiang City to escape this calamity.
"You will. His Majesty will hear you," Feng Jiu said solemnly.
Xue Zixuan raised his head, tears welling in his eyes. "Feng Jiu, if I don't return, I entrust Beijiang City to you."
Feng Jiu was taken aback, then knelt respectfully. "Feng Jiu will surely not fail your trust!"
Xue Zixuan turned to face Xue Yu and charged with his sword. "Xue Yu, today I vow to fight you until death!"
Feng Jiu turned back to the soldiers surrounding him and said coldly, "Come on, I'll kill anyone who steps forward."
For a time, Beijiang City was like a living hell, filled with the sounds of killing and shouting, rising and falling.
Blood stained the three large characters on the wall of Beijiang City – Beijiang City.
Xue Zixuan knelt on one knee, his body covered in blood, whether his own or others, he was on the verge of collapse. He could only thrust his sword into the ground to keep himself from falling.
He could not fall. How could he fall before the very last moment?
He slowly raised his eyes. Xue Yu was walking towards him, and compared to his disheveled state, Xue Yu showed no sign of being troubled.
He saw Xue Yu raise his sword and point it at his forehead. He smiled. "What? Can't do it?"
"King of Beijiang, surrender, and I will spare your life and treat the people of Beijiang City well," Xue Yu said word by word.
"Heh…" He chuckled. "Wasn't Xue Chang'an's order to leave no one alive in Beijiang City? Can you disobey Xue Chang'an's orders?"
Xue Yu paused slightly, and after a long while, he said, "Yes."
"Xue Yu, if you had said this from the beginning, I might have agreed. But look at the situation now. Not a single one of them has fled. They fought alongside me, and what they desire is no longer mere survival, but the conviction to protect their homeland. Xue Yu, you will never understand this feeling."
Hearing this, Xue Yu's gaze deepened. "Then I apologize to Beijiang. I can only let you die."
Xue Zixuan laughed heartily and swayed as he stood up. "The Xue family has never surrendered; we fight until the very last moment…"
Suddenly, his sword lunged towards Xue Yu.
Xue Yu hadn't expected Xue Zixuan to still have the will to kill him at this point.
He kicked Xue Zixuan away, then lunged forward, his sword aiming for Xue Zixuan's heart.
Xue Zixuan fell heavily to the ground. He lay there, completely devoid of strength. He was truly tired, so tired.
"Elder Sister, I'm sorry. Zixuan is tired. I may not be able to defend Beijiang City."
He watched as Xue Yu approached with his sword raised to strike him. He slowly closed his eyes.
Elder Sister, I'm sorry…
A gust of wind brushed past his cheek, bringing a slight sting. After a long while, the expected release did not come.
Xue Zixuan opened his eyes and saw a slender, frail figure before him.
This figure was so familiar, yet so unfamiliar.
He heard the voice that he always remembered whenever he missed her. "Zixuan, can you get up?"
He felt as if he had been struck by lightning. This voice…
"Yes." He stood up, wanting to see if it was indeed…
He swayed and stood up, but he couldn't stay steady and was about to fall when a hand as fair as jade caught him.
He also saw her face, that familiar face he dreamt of even with his eyes closed, those eyes that could contain the vastness of mountains and rivers without being clouded.
"Sis… Elder Sister…" These two words had haunted him his entire life.
"I am here."
Tears welled up in his eyes. Like a child, he cried uncontrollably. Finally, disregarding his appearance, he cried out, "I waited for you for so long, Elder Sister. Why are you only coming now? Why are you only coming now?"
"Zixuan, I'm sorry, I'm late…" He was met with the familiar embrace from his childhood.
This time, he could cry to his heart's content, just like when he was a child.
He hugged his Elder Sister tightly, "Elder Sister, Elder Sister…"
"I am here, Zixuan. Don't be afraid…"
"Elder Sister, please don't leave again. Don't let me know that you're gone, okay?"
"Okay."
"Elder Sister…"
"Zixuan, be good…"
"Elder Sister… I'm not dreaming, am I?"
Xue Zixuan looked up at her familiar face and asked.
"No."
Xue Zixuan nodded and pointed at Xue Yu. "Elder Sister, he bullied Zixuan. It hurt a lot…"
"Shall Elder Sister take revenge for you?"
Xue Zixuan nodded. "Yes."
Xue Zining smiled and stroked his head. "It's only a year until your coming-of-age ceremony. You can't be like this."
"In front of Elder Sister, I am still a child," Xue Zixuan said excitedly.
"Go and help them. I will handle him…"
Xue Zixuan did not hesitate and felt no worry, because Elder Sister was no ordinary person.
She was his great tree, the one he could rely on. Of course, he was also Elder Sister's tree, someone she could lean on and depend on.
Xue Zining turned to face Xue Yu and said coldly, "Xue Yu, that's enough!"
Xue Yu was stunned. The maiden before him was just as she had been when he saw her in Miao territory. "So many years have passed, and you still haven't changed, Your Majesty."
"Xue Yu, why?" She wanted to know why he had gone this far.