Chapter 327
Heaven wishes for a man's ruin, it first makes him mad.
At the critical juncture of the Yang family's potential resurgence, they dared to ambush and assassinate Yang Xu at Aozi Pass. These few families secretly involved were truly driven to madness. After all, once the Yang family regained its footing, they would be the ones facing retribution.
Not only had these families fabricated false witness testimonies and physical evidence in the case where General Yang was framed for colluding with the enemy and treason, but they had also unscrupulously suppressed and framed former Yang family subordinates to seize power and influence.
They thought they could rest easy and enjoy wealth, status, and power once the Yang family had completely collapsed. However, who could have imagined that in less than ten years, the Yang family would be on the verge of resurgence, and these insignificant clowns would ultimately face reckoning, leading to imprisonment and ruin.
"Big brother, are they crazy? To provoke the Yang family's wrath at this time, isn't this suicidal?" On horseback, Zhan Feiyu, nestled in her cloak, looked at the corpses scattered on the ground. She could only think that these people deserved their fate and died a death they brought upon themselves.
The mountain path at Aozi Pass was winding and narrow, with scattered weapons and rocks that had fallen due to fighting. Coupled with the corpses that had been frozen for several hours, even a slightly faster horse speed could lead to an accident.
Yin Wuyan took off his cloak and wrapped Zhan Feiyu tightly before dismounting. He led the horse forward, holding the reins. "They committed the grave crime of implicating nine generations of their kin. Now, they are merely struggling in their death throes."
Precisely because they knew there was no way out, they had become desperate and acted recklessly, ambushing Yang Xu at Aozi Pass. It was an act of revenge against the Yang family, but also a gamble, hoping that the Zhenbian Marquisate could still defeat the Yang family as they did in the past. As long as the Yang family could not rise again, these corrupt officials would escape unscathed.
Zhan Feiyu cupped the collar of her cloak, looking down at the corpses on the ground. "The Zhenbian Marquisate incited this, didn't they?"
Back then, when General Yang was falsely accused of colluding with the enemy and treason, these people had fabricated false witness testimonies and physical evidence. However, the Emperor, in his bid to consolidate military power, had hastily concluded the case.
Now that the case was being reopened, these corrupt officials were bound to die. But to some extent, the Emperor's reputation was also at stake, as the Yang family's wrongful conviction had been personally decreed by him.
Yet now, not only had the three judicial departments reopened the case, but these people had courted death. In doing so, the Emperor's reputation was preserved. The Zhenbian Marquisate's actions served two purposes: they pleased the Emperor and allowed the Yang family to vent their anger.
Yin Wuyan was no longer surprised by Zhan Feiyu's intelligence. He glanced back at the young girl wrapped in the cloak on the horse. "Zhu Xiao can be called a formidable figure."
Regardless of the struggle between the Zhenbian Marquisate and the Yang family, Zhu Xiao had upheld his principles. He was a subject of Daqing and would never cooperate with barbarians or allow them to invade Daqing's territory. This was also why the Emperor was willing to be lenient.
Zhan Feiyu agreed with this point. Just as she was about to speak, seven or eight fierce-looking men with menacing glares suddenly rushed out from ahead.
"Hand over the horses!" the leading man snarled, casting a wary glance at Yin Wuyan. He barked, "Hand over the silver and any valuables you have, and I'll spare your dog's life!"
Indeed, when the King of Hell wants you to die at the third watch, he won't keep you past the fifth.
Zhan Feiyu looked speechlessly at these seven or eight enemies who had narrowly survived. They were all injured, but only lightly. They probably knew that their mission to intercept Yang Xu had failed, and a dead end awaited them, as the Yang family would never let them go.
However, if they were to search the bodies on the ground for some money and then leave, find a place to live in anonymity, or even leave Longyou Road altogether, that would be possible.
But these seven or eight men were greedy and wanted to rob Yin Wuyan. Their lives, which they had narrowly saved last night, were likely to end now.
"Brother, no need to waste words with this pretty boy. Just snatch the horses!" A subordinate standing by cast a lecherous gaze at Zhan Feiyu, licking his dry lips.
Having narrowly escaped death last night, they had survived by feigning death. But they dared not move around before dawn.
After enduring until dawn, they had scavenged weapons and silver from the corpses on the ground, intending to flee. But they hadn't expected two fat sheep to show up.
If it weren't for the young girl Zhan Feiyu accompanying them, with Yin Wuyan's cold and aloof aura, these men would never have dared to block his path.
"Pretty boy, hand over the silver and you can leave. We'll keep this little girl as a hostage for now." The man chuckled sinisterly, holding a saber in one hand and taking two steps forward.
Having walked back from the gates of hell, he felt he deserved a good reward. Damn it, the girl's skin was so fair. It was a pity there was a wound on her cheek. Tsk, tsk, he wondered what kind of pampered young lady from a wealthy family she was.
"Hold on tight." Yin Wuyan handed the reins to Zhan Feiyu and flicked his foot to pick up a long sword lying on the ground.
Seeing Yin Wuyan's action, the seven or eight men immediately became wary. This move clearly indicated he was skilled in martial arts.
Unlike the deafening roars of battle from last night, Zhan Feiyu only saw a flash of movement before her eyes. The seven or eight men who had been breathing moments ago were now mostly corpses on the ground, with a thin bloodstain on their necks, the blood slowly seeping from the wounds.
With a clang, he dropped the blood-stained long sword on the ground. Yin Wuyan turned back, took the reins again, and swept his gaze over them. Seeing no fear on Zhan Feiyu's face, his thin lips curved slightly, and he continued to lead the horse forward.
...
Not long after Zhan Feiyu and Yin Wuyan left, Yang Shoucheng and his party also arrived at Aozi Pass.
"General, these horse tracks look very fresh. Someone passed through Aozi Pass within the last two hours." Wei Shuying examined the horse tracks on the ground before standing up, frowning at the corpses scattered everywhere. She could imagine the danger at Aozi Pass last night.
Given such a dangerous situation, Wei Shuying's suspicion about Zhan Feiyu's motives grew stronger when she dared to come and rescue someone. However, Yang Shoucheng was not one to blindly believe others, so Wei Shuying could only suppress this thought for the time being.
Only one horse? Yang Shoucheng's first thought was of He Nuan and Yang Xu. But upon further reflection, he knew it couldn't be them. If it were them, their direction would be back to Xiangwu County, and they wouldn't pass through Aozi Pass at this time.
"General, there are eight bodies ahead."
Yang Shoucheng and the others dismounted. Eight bodies lay in pools of blood, staining the snow-covered ground a large patch of red. These people had been killed not long ago.
Tie Wen carefully avoided the corpses on the ground and nudged a corpse's head with his scabbard. He looked at the wound on its neck, then examined the second corpse...
"All killed with a single sword strike to the throat." Tie Wen pointed to the blood-stained long sword not far away. "An ordinary Qinggang sword. The bloodstains on the blade have just dried. The killer is a master swordsman but disdained to use his own sword to kill."
One horse meant only one person. Facing eight enemies, and calmly using a discarded sword on the ground to kill them, indicated that the killer's martial arts were extraordinary, as did the eight bodies killed with a single sword strike.
Wei Shuying agreed with Tie Wen's assessment. "This person is definitely not a hidden guard or an assassin. It's likely a young master from a noble family who passed through Aozi Pass."
Not to mention the assassins meticulously trained by various families, even martial artists like Wei Shuying, who came from military camps, would choose their own swords to kill enemies, as they were more familiar with them.
Only those aloof and proud young masters from noble families would likely find it bothersome to dirty their swords on such scum, hence their unnecessary actions.
Yang Shoucheng paid no attention to the eight killed men and walked towards the mountain wall on the right. Seeing a barely visible mark on the rock, Yang Shoucheng's stern face finally softened.
"Young Master Xu was able to leave a mark, which means he is safe." Tie Wen, who had followed, also saw the mark, which was used for communication among the former Yang family subordinates.
Hiding in a dilapidated house at the entrance of the village, He Nuan's expression was calm, but Yang Xu was as restless as a trapped beast. However, he also knew that if he went out now and encountered enemies, it would be certain death.
Suddenly, He Nuan's expression changed drastically, and she quickly walked towards the rickety wooden door. Yang Xu hurried to follow.
Standing in the courtyard filled with withered grass, He Nuan looked at the red signal flare disappearing into the sky, a faint smile finally appearing on her face. "Our people are here. Let's go, we'll head over now."
Whether it was the Jinlong Guard or the Yang family who had found them, as long as reinforcements arrived, He Nuan would know Zhan Feiyu's whereabouts immediately.
At the village entrance, Zhan Feiyu, sitting on horseback, saw two figures rushing towards them and couldn't help but grin, waving her arms excitedly. "A'nuan, I'm here!"
"Miss!" Seeing Zhan Feiyu at last, He Nuan's heart, which had been worried all night, finally relaxed. With a surge of energy, she rushed over instantly.
Yang Xu, who was a considerable distance behind, also ran over. In the morning sunlight, Zhan Feiyu's smile was as radiant as a flower. Yang Xu felt a sting in his nose. It was great that Xiao Yu was alright.
"Yang Xu, we are all fine, and Xiangwu County has also been secured." On horseback, Zhan Feiyu said to Yang Xu with a smile. If he hadn't been worried about Xiangwu County being surrounded by barbarians, he wouldn't have rushed back overnight and wouldn't have been ambushed by the enemy at Aozi Pass. Fortunately, although the process was difficult, the final outcome was happy for everyone.
He Nuan smiled and saw Yin Wuyan standing beside her, then knelt on one knee to confess her fault. "Your subordinate has failed in her duty!"
No matter what, as the young lady's personal maid, she had ultimately abandoned her young lady and left. He Nuan lowered her head, willing to accept any punishment.
The joyful atmosphere of the reunion suddenly froze. Yang Xu looked guiltily at He Nuan kneeling on the ground, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. If it weren't for saving him, He Nuan wouldn't have left Xiao Yu.
Yin Wuyan did not speak, but his imposing aura made people even more fearful.
Zhan Feiyu looked pleadingly at Yin Wuyan. "Big brother."
"Get up."
...
Yang Xu, who was a considerable distance behind, also ran over. In the morning sunlight, Zhan Feiyu's smile was as radiant as a flower. Yang Xu felt a sting in his nose. It was great that Xiao Yu was alright.
"Yang Xu, we are all fine, and Xiangwu County has also been secured." On horseback, Zhan Feiyu said to Yang Xu with a smile. If he hadn't been worried about Xiangwu County being surrounded by barbarians, he wouldn't have rushed back overnight and wouldn't have been ambushed by the enemy at Aozi Pass. Fortunately, although the process was difficult, the final outcome was happy for everyone.
He Nuan smiled and saw Yin Wuyan standing beside her, then knelt on one knee to confess her fault. "Your subordinate has failed in her duty!"
No matter what, as the young lady's personal maid, she had ultimately abandoned her young lady and left. He Nuan lowered her head, willing to accept any punishment. Yang Xu, who was a considerable distance behind, also ran over. In the morning sunlight, Zhan Feiyu's smile was as radiant as a flower. Yang Xu felt a sting in his nose. It was great that Xiao Yu was alright.
"Yang Xu, we are all fine, and Xiangwu County has also been secured." On horseback, Zhan Feiyu said to Yang Xu with a smile. If he hadn't been worried about Xiangwu County being surrounded by barbarians, he wouldn't have rushed back overnight and wouldn't have been ambushed by the enemy at Aozi Pass. Fortunately, although the process was difficult, the final outcome was happy for everyone.
He Nuan smiled and saw Yin Wuyan standing beside her, then knelt on one knee to confess her fault. "Your subordinate has failed in her duty!"
No matter what, as the young lady's personal maid, she had ultimately abandoned her young lady and left. He Nuan lowered her head, willing to accept any punishment.
The joyful atmosphere of the reunion suddenly froze. Yang Xu looked guiltily at He Nuan kneeling on the ground, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. If it weren't for saving him, He Nuan wouldn't have left Xiao Yu.
Yin Wuyan did not speak, but his imposing aura made people even more fearful.
Zhan Feiyu looked pleadingly at Yin Wuyan. "Big brother."
...
The joyful atmosphere of the reunion suddenly froze. Yang Xu looked guiltily at He Nuan kneeling on the ground, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. If it weren't for saving him, He Nuan wouldn't have left Xiao Yu.
Yin Wuyan did not speak, but his imposing aura made people even more fearful.
Zhan Feiyu looked pleadingly at Yin Wuyan. "Big brother."
...