Chapter Thirty-Six: The Phoenix Rides the Wind

  Liang Xiao saw his situation, and his heart was anxious. However, the two pine needles were still stuck in the hole and couldn't be opened. In his anxiety, he suddenly had an idea: "Didn't Mr. Gong Yang teach me 'Biqi Arrow'? It's said that external hardness and internal softness can lead to a breakthrough. Why don't I use my external hardness and internal softness to shoot out these two pine needles?" He quietly mobilized his inner strength, reaching the "Xuanzhong" acupoint, with hardness on the outside and softness on the inside. Suddenly, he drew his bow and shot, and with a "hiss" sound, the pine needles flew out of his body.

  Liang Xiao was overjoyed, and according to the method of cannon preparation, he also forced out the pine needles from the "Shen Feng" hole. At this time, Gong Yangyu's consciousness was unclear, his hands danced and his feet jumped, repeatedly shouting "Tuixi Congzhi, Daozu Qiechang", and had already reached the edge of madness.

  Liang Xiao didn't think much, and with a sudden movement, he jumped up and pressed his palm on the "Yu Zhēn" acupoint of Gong Yangyu's neck. His true energy poured into the Du Meridian, directly reaching the Da Zhi point, and he shouted loudly: "Order!"

  This Dharma comes from the "Entering Samadhi" chapter of the "Zi Fu Yuan Zong". When a practitioner first enters samadhi, they often have many distracting thoughts. If they are not careful, they will immediately fall into demonic delusion. Therefore, there are often revered teachers nearby to protect them. Once they fall into delusion, this method is used to awaken them. Gong Yangyu's current state was like falling into demonic delusion. So he set up a pole and saw his shadow. He responded with a shock, and his spirit platform turned clear and calm.

  Xiao Qianjue and Gong Yangyu had a deep feud, and he wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity to get rid of his arch-nemesis. However, at the critical moment, Liang Xiao intervened. Seeing Gong Yangyu's calm gaze, Xiao Qianjue knew that his plan was foiled, and he was extremely angry. He urged on with all his might, wanting to take advantage of his opponent's instability and catch him off guard. The white-robed man had the same idea, and the sound of the flute grew more intense.

  The male goat's whiskers were caught in the pincer attack, and he secretly thought it was not good. He retreated to defend one side, sat down cross-legged, and played a soft sword with his left hand, urgently playing the sound of "Wind and Rain" to resist Xiao Qian's reed pipe. With his right hand, he took off the red lacquered calabash from his waist and struck the rock with a "dang dang dang" sound that did not leave the key of Gong Shang, secretly matching the tune of "Xiao", resisting the bird flute of the man in white.

  He had just fallen into a state of madness, his mental strength was exhausted, at this time he was fighting two enemies, feeling extremely overwhelmed. Before long, his head was already steaming with white gas. Suddenly, with a "plop" sound, the wine gourd broke in half, and in an instant, his fingertips brushed against the sword blade, skin broken and blood flowing.

  Liang Xiao saw the situation and rushed forward, slapping his palm towards the man in white. The man was slightly startled by Liang Xiao's young age and the fierce palm wind, but before he could react, Liang Xiao had already moved a zhang away, carrying Ah Xue in his arms.

  A Xue saw him, and her heart was filled with boundless joy, and tears of excitement welled up in her beautiful eyes. The white-robed man saw this, and a murderous aura flashed between his eyebrows, but he couldn't withdraw now, so he could only glare at them with hatred. Liang Xiao saw that the three sides were getting more and more urgent, so he tore off his clothes, stuffed A Xue's ears, and slapped his palms towards Xiao Qian Yue. Xiao Qian Yue remained still, and when Liang Xiao's palm wind arrived, his robes puffed out and then shrank back, effortlessly neutralizing the incoming force.

  Xiang Xiao was secretly shocked, wanting to go forward and entangle in battle, but couldn't put down Ah Xue. However, if he didn't stop the two of them, Gong Yang Yu would undoubtedly be defeated. Just as he felt torn between two difficulties, a loud bell sound suddenly rang out, shaking the mountains and valleys. Someone laughed loudly, saying: "Two against one, haha... shameless!" Amidst the laughter, the bell continued to ring incessantly, each strike hitting the empty space with a clear and crisp tone. Xiang Qian was caught off guard for a moment, almost having his sound scattered by the bell's attack, and could only abandon Gong Yang Yu to defend against the bell sound.

  Gong Yangyu stretched out a hand, recalling the previous狼狈, and shouted: "He Tuo Luo, let's forget about before and have another one-on-one match!" A burst of malicious energy was released onto the white-robed man. Gong Yangyu used his sword as a zither and played a tune called 《殷武》: "Punish that Yin Wu, fiercely attack Jing Chu..." The murderous aura shot straight up to the sky. The white-robed man didn't dare to slack off and responded with an eagle's cry.

  Another loud laugh was heard, and at the end of the mountain path, Jiu Ruo appeared with a bronze bell on his shoulder, walking towards them with large strides. The bell was half the size of the one in Hanshan Temple. Jiu Ruo raised his stick to strike the bell, producing a deep humming sound. He caught sight of Liang Xiao and laughed, "Little guy, you're here too?" Without waiting for Liang Xiao's response, he shifted his gaze and stared at the white-robed man with a smile, "He Tu Luo, the monk has met an old acquaintance and chatted about old times, which is why I'm late. Haha, do you think of me?" With a swift swing of his stick, he struck the white-robed man directly on the head.

  This stick went straight in, nothing special. The white-robed man was very wary, retreated a few feet away, put the bird whistle into his sleeve, and coldly said: "Old bald thief, are you going to die entangled?" Jiuru smiled and said: "Dying entanglement is your specialty, rotten beating is what monks can do. Beating snakes beats seven inches, pulling cows pulls noses. Haha, unfortunately, you He Chou snake are not a Taoist, otherwise the monk would still find a rope to pull you." While speaking and laughing, the wooden stick in his hand flew back and forth, advancing step by step.

  The man in white robes flashed and retreated, raising his eyebrows and saying: "Old bald thief, the world is big, but it's not bigger than a single word. I've never provoked you, back then you and Xiao Lao Guai bullied me with numbers, forcing me out of the Central Plains was fine, but now that I'm back in the Central Plains, you're chasing me for thousands of miles, what kind of logic is this?"

  With a clang, Jiu Ru heavily struck the copper bell to the ground and slammed the black wooden rod down, coldly laughing: "He Tuo Luo, do you still have the face to mention this 'reason' word? You killed over 300 people as soon as you entered Central Plains, raped more than 60 women, committed all sorts of evil deeds, truly deserving of death a hundred times over."

  He Tuo hummed, impatiently saying: "Those trash, were born to be used by me for practice, killing a few is no big deal? As for those women, being able to receive my favor is their good fortune."

  Jiurou's gaze was like a sharp blade, and he swept it over him twice before nodding and saying, "He Xiangshe, you fart with great reason." The next instant, he swung out his staff, and He Daluo dodged to the side, shouting, "Today one of us will die!" From his shoulder, he drew a strange-shaped blade, its handle in the center, with four edges each having a foot-long knife edge, curved like a crescent moon, cold as autumn water, shaped like a large swastika.

  Jiuru recognized the name of this sword as "Prajna Edge", and couldn't help but laugh: "You're looking for trouble?" The staff method changed rapidly, with a loud shout: "Go!" The big bell rang out, pressing down on He Tuo's head.

  Pranidhana's blade flashed, splitting the copper bell in two. Jiuru laughed loudly, his stick moving swiftly like a bird flying through the forest, passing through the two pieces of the copper bell and pointing at He Daluo's heart. He Daluo's body was as flexible as if he had no bones, dodging and avoiding it. Pranidhana's blade rotated rapidly, shining like a bright moon, rolling towards Jiuru to kill him.

  Gong Yangping was self-satisfied, seeing Jiu Ru's skillful hands, he refused to play the zither to disturb her. He turned his eyes to gaze at Xiao Qianxue and smiled: "He Xiangshe has Old Master He as company, we've also made a clean break."

  Xiao Qianjue said coldly, "Just as I had hoped." Before he could finish speaking, Gong Yangyu's large sleeves fluttered and his soft sword stabbed at Xiao Qianjue's face. Xiao Qianjue's body swayed, his palms suddenly changing between knife and sword, spear and halberd, transforming into seven or eight different moves in an instant to block Gong Yangyu's wild and fierce sword strikes. Gong Yangyu was exhilarated by the fight, letting out a long whistle, his sword like wind blowing down flowers, moonlight shining on flowing water, completely natural and effortless.

  Xiao Qian's eyes saw that it was difficult to resist with bare hands, so he took out a bamboo tube from his sleeve. His "Tian Wu Blade" was originally an internal energy, aiming at "all things in the world are my blade". When used in fist and palm, flesh and blood turned into knives and swords, when used on paper pages and grass stems, it was like steel knives and iron clubs, unstoppable. He held the bamboo tube between his fingers, "brushing" out a five-inch long thin tube, its momentum not weaker than any weapon in the world.

  The four great masters were fighting in pairs, and Liang Xiao was dazzled by the complexity of the scene, unsure where to look first. Having watched Jiuru and Heta Luo's pair, he missed Gong Yangyu and Xiao Qianjue; focusing on the latter, he then missed the former.

  After a brief fight, Hetuo dodged and suddenly saw Gong Yangyu with his back to him. He harbored malicious intentions, withdrew Cold Subtlety, and with a stroke of Banruo's sharp blade, launched a sneak attack on Gong Yangyu. Gong Yangyu countered with his sword and turned around to launch a fierce counterattack.

  Xiao Qian was unwilling to join forces with He Tuo, and after a brief hesitation, he suddenly heard Jiu Ru laugh and say: "Old Xiao, it's been thirty years since we last met, and the monk thought you were dead!" With that, he swung his staff at him. Xiao Qian raised his bamboo tube to deflect the staff, counterattacked with a palm strike, and coldly said: "It's strange that old monk can live until today." Jiu Ru burst out laughing, swinging his ebony staff horizontally and vertically, striking left and right, as he exchanged blows with Xiao Qian, neither yielding to the other.

  Not long after, Xiao Qian turned around and faced He Gedor again, while Jiu Ru exchanged blows with Gong Yangyu. These four people had all met before, but it had been many years since they last saw each other, so they were eager to see how much the others had improved, which is why they frequently changed opponents and engaged in intense combat. Liang Xiao watched intently, wondering who among the four was the most formidable. Suddenly, Jiu Ru laughed and said: "Old beggar, you are different from Xiao Lao Guai and He Chou She. The monk didn't want to teach you a lesson, but your nickname is incorrect, and it offends the monk's taboo!"

  Gong Yangyu frowned and said, "What nickname?" Jiuru smiled and said, "Some people call you the number one sword in the world. The word 'sword' is fine, but the four words 'number one in the world' are a big taboo for monks." Gong Yangyu snorted, "You're bragging, are you the number one in the world?" Jiuru raised his left thumb and smiled slyly, "The old poor scholar is indeed a learned man with extraordinary insight. The monk is not only the number one in the world but also the number one in heaven."

  The ram's feathers saw him shaking his head, both angry and amused, scolding: "No wonder the monk is called a bald donkey, with a face thicker than a donkey's skin." He was rescued by Jiuru, feeling grateful in his heart, and finally left his hand. At this time, being stimulated by Jiuru, he had a good idea of winning, opening his hands and feet, taking the offensive directly. The two armies were close in color, entangled in one place, stagnant like a black snake wrapped around a branch, and agile like a black dragon riding on clouds. Jiuru fought with excitement, shouting "painful" repeatedly.

  Just as he was shouting loudly, a voice from outside the mountain called out: "Old bald donkey, is that you?" The sound was like thunder, shaking all the mountains. Jiuru's expression changed and he cursed: "It's your grandfather." The man laughed loudly: "Old bald donkey, come on, let's fight another 300 rounds." Jiuru looked ugly and cursed: "Bullshit! The monk has other important things to attend to, I won't accompany you in your nonsense." Suddenly, he swung his staff at He Tuolu's head.

  Hei Tuo Luo was slightly inferior to the three of them, and in a one-on-one fight, he could hold on for about five hundred moves. At this time, they changed tactics, and hundreds of changes occurred, making him somewhat busy and confused. Suddenly, he was ambushed, and his front and back were difficult to defend against. He was struck by Jiu Ru's two swift sticks, forcing him to retreat repeatedly. Suddenly, he heard Jiu Ru shout "zhao" like a crack of thunder, and a stick flew in, hitting him squarely on the left shoulder. Hei Tuo Luo felt pain down to his bones, turned around, and fled.

  Jiuru was hot on his heels. The two of them, one fleeing and the other pursuing, climbed up a mountain ridge, when suddenly a figure flashed out from nowhere, blocking Jiuru's path with a smile: "Old bald donkey, you can't escape!" With precise and exquisite moves, he punched and kicked, forcing Jiuru to stand his ground.

  Gong Yangyu and Xiao Qian were extremely surprised. They knew that the monk was formidable, but they didn't expect the newcomer to be unarmed yet force Jiu Ru into a flurry of defense. Looking at the man's martial arts skills, even with their experience, they couldn't discern his origins.

  The two of them exchanged blows like shooting stars for over twenty rounds. Jiurou forced the other person back with a single stick, and then leapt over the mountain ridge. The man let out a strange cry: "Where are you going...?" With a swift somersault, he chased after him, flying over the mountain ridge. Gong Yangyu and Xiao Qianxue saw that this person's words and actions were all extremely unusual, and his martial arts skills were also incredibly high, so they both felt an overwhelming curiosity, and couldn't help but chase after him together.

  The old ram ran out a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned around to glare at Liang Xiao: "Youngster, today you have done me a favor, killing you would not be righteous. But if you help the Tartars again, I will take your life even if it means bearing the name of being unrighteous."

  Xiang Xiao hesitated for a moment, then said: "Sir, rest assured that from now on, I will never harm another citizen of the Song Dynasty." Gong Yang raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down before nodding and following Xiang Qian away.

  Liang Xiao sighed and turned to look at Ah Xue. The girl's cheeks were flushed, her eyes shone like stars, and there were still tears on the ends of her long eyelashes. Liang Xiao took her pulse, but felt that the Ren and Du meridians were stagnant, and his efforts to stimulate them had no effect. He then used the "Bow Method", injecting internal energy into Ah Xue's body, with firm energy as the bow, soft energy as the string, and concentrated energy as the arrow, shooting it through her body. Ah Xue suddenly felt a lightness in her chest and exclaimed: "Brother, I could kill you!"

  Liang Xiao frowned and said, "How did you get here?" Ah Xue's eyes reddened as she replied, "I... I saw you chasing someone up the house, my heart was anxious, so I rode out of the city to find you." Liang Xiao asked, "You came looking for me, how did you end up in He Tuo Luo's hands? Did he... did he bully you..." As she spoke, she hesitated slightly.

  Ashley said: "At that time, I rode a horse out of the city, didn't know east or west, ran and ran, suddenly felt the horse's body sink, someone sat behind me..." Liang Xiao couldn't help but ask: "He Tuo Luo?" Ashley said: "Yes, I turned my head to look, but didn't see anyone, turned my head again, he was blowing air in my ear, so ticklish." As she spoke, her face grew more and more red, both cheeks like they were stained with rouge.

  Liang Xiao's heart was racing, and she fell silent for a moment before asking again, "What happened next?" Ah Xue said, "Next, I slapped him with my palm, but unexpectedly missed. As I withdrew my hand, he blew air into my ear, laughing as he did so, and said, 'Little girl, you know martial arts?' I was both scared and curious, and couldn't help but ask, 'How did you know I'm a little girl? I'm wearing men's clothes.' He said, 'My eyes can tell whether someone is a man or woman just by looking at a single hair, let alone a beautiful little girl like you.' His ambiguous tone made me very uncomfortable, so I said, 'If you don't get off your horse, I'll hit you!' He said, 'Okay, go ahead and hit me. If you can hit me, I'll get off my horse.' As he spoke, he reached out and touched my face." Ah Xue's face turned even redder as she spoke.

  Liang Xiao shook his head and said, "Ah Xue, don't say any more, I don't want to hear it." Ah Xue said, "There's even stranger things behind, it's a pity if you don't listen." Without waiting for Liang Xiao to respond, she continued, "When I got angry, I turned my head and pushed him away, but when I turned around, I couldn't see him. When I turned back, he was speaking next to my ear again."

  Liang Xiao stared at the girl, feeling a pang in his heart: "Let her say it out loud, maybe crying would be better." So he lowered his head and listened quietly. Ah Xue said: "Just as I couldn't shoo him away and was getting anxious, I heard the 'ding ding ding' sound of a bell from behind me. Yeah, just like the old monk's bell. That person hummed and said: 'Damn you, bald thief, get out...get out of my funeral!'". After she finished saying this, her face turned red, and she quickly added, "Brother, I didn't curse, it was that person who cursed."

  Liang Xiao frowned, and Ah Xue continued: "He scolded me a couple of times, pressed my acupoints, and laughed saying: 'Little girl, lend me your horse for a ride.' He snatched the reins and galloped away. After running for a while, he stopped, got off the horse, and released my acupoints. Only then did I get a clear look at him, and I was frightened, so I burst into tears. The man laughed and said: 'Don't cry, let's find a good place, and I'll make you very happy.' I said: 'I won't be happy if I can't find my brother.' He said: 'You don't need to look for him, I'm your good brother, and soon you'll be happy, it's not bad to call me that twice.' While saying this, he pulled me towards the woods. I struggled but couldn't break free, and just as I was getting anxious, I heard the sound of a bell again. The man froze, angrily shouting: 'Damn that stinky bald thief, can't even let people be at peace!' He cursed while grabbing me back onto the horse. But every time we stopped, the bell would ring again. He got angry and scared, and as soon as he heard the bell, he immediately took off."

  Liang Xiao let out a breath of relief, thinking: "It must be Master Jiuru chasing after him, and with He Tuo Luo catching Ah Xue, he won't have time to do any evil. As for Master Jiuru holding the big bell, it's probably to counter his bird whistle!"

  Ah Xue continued: "After rushing for a night and a day, the horse was also exhausted. The man lost his horse and took me on foot, walking for a while, when suddenly we saw a group of Yuan soldiers. They saw me wearing a military uniform and called out to let me go. He just coldly smiled, grabbed my acupuncture points, and rushed forward, knocking them all down with one punch each." Liang Xiao thought: "Those Yuan soldiers died trying to save Ah Xue." She couldn't help but ask again: "What happened next?"

  Ah Xue said: "There were six soldiers left, who had abandoned their weapons and wanted to escape with their lives. They were caught by that person and forced back into the village. Since there was no one in the village, he made these six people chop firewood, cook rice, and wash vegetables. After eating, he called the six people to line up, and with one punch, they all fell to the ground motionless. He walked around them in a circle, seemingly very pleased, laughed twice, and then said to me: 'Alright, the old monk has been thrown off, no one will disturb us anymore...' I saw him staring at me intently, my heart was afraid, just thinking of running away, but he grabbed my sleeve. At this time, I suddenly heard someone on the roof say: 'Old beggar, let's put our matters aside for now.' Another person said: 'Do as you please!' I recognized that it was Xiao Qian Yue and Gong Yang Xiansheng, my heart was both shocked and delighted. That person listened, his face changed, and he smiled saying: 'Old freak, old beggar, you two are the leaders of a sect, why do you act so secretly?' Xiao Qian Yue said: 'He Daluo, when you came to China to cause trouble that year, what did I say?' That person remained silent. Xiao Qian Yue said: 'I said that as long as I live, I won't let you set foot in China!' That person was very angry and loudly said: 'You and the old bald donkey bullied me with your numbers, forcing me to make a vow against my will! Now that my martial arts have improved, those vows from back then are worthless!' Xiao Qian Yue remained silent for a moment, then said: 'I detest three kinds of people the most in my life: first, those who speak but do not act; second, those who think they are right; third, those who follow evil women. He Xiang Shi, you have all three, will you take care of yourself or should I do it for you?'"

  The man laughed and said, "Xiao Lao Guai, good, you and Lao Cu Su are going up together." Xiao Qian Yue said, "Are you worthy?" After finishing a palm strike came, the man blocked it with one hand, laughing and saying, "Let's first compare our footwork." He grabbed me and took off running towards the mountain, Xiao Qian Yue also chased after. The man ran around in circles on the mountain for a while before stopping and saying, "Xiao Lao Guai, I'm carrying someone with me, it's more tiring to run than you, now if we fight again, you'll have an advantage." Xiao Qian Yue said, "Alright, take a rest, we'll fight again later." The man said, "Since we're idle anyway, let's compare something else first. I heard that Xiao Lao Guai has two bald eagles that are unmatched in the sky, is that true?" Xiao Qian Yue said, "What about it?" The man then said, "I also have a few hawks, let's compare birds first, and then compare martial arts." Seeing Xiao Qian Yue nod his head, he took out a blood-red flute and began to play...

  Saying this, Liang Xiao sighed and said: "Ah Xue, I also saw what happened later." Ah Xue was able to clear her name this time, all thanks to Jiu Ru and Xiao Qian. The former was fine, but the latter lent a helping hand, which made Liang Xiao feel uncomfortable in his heart.

  The two sat together for a while, and then Liang Xiao suddenly stood up and sighed: "Ah Xue, let's go." Ah Xue asked: "Brother, aren't you going to chase after Xiao Qian Yue and Gong Yang?" Liang Xiao furrowed his brow and said: "I couldn't possibly abandon you!" Ah Xue was stunned for a moment, her eyes reddened, tears streaming out as she grasped his hand and trembled with voice: "Brother, please promise me, no matter what happens, don't leave Ah Xue behind. This one day and night without seeing you is truly... more unbearable than death!"

  Liang Xiao was stunned, stretched out his hand to tidy up her hair, and sighed: "Silly girl, from now on, I'll take you with me wherever I go." Ah Xue felt satisfied after hearing this. She also felt his fingers brushing against her cheek, numb and warm, her heart racing wildly. At this moment, she suddenly heard a "ha" sound, and a person emerged from behind the mountain ridge, wearing white clothes and having white hair, it was He Tuo Luo.

  He Detuo took advantage of Jiu Ru being entangled by the unknown master, hiding in the dense forest, waiting for people to leave, before sneaking out. He guessed that Jiu Ru would chase himself and must have rushed forward, so he did the opposite and went back. Just as he turned around, he happened to meet Liang Xiao's siblings. He glanced at Liang Xiao and chuckled, "Hehe, little girl, is this your brother? You're calling him quite intimately, or else you can also recognize me as your brother?"

  Ah Xue hid behind Liang Xiao's back, greatly increasing her courage, and said loudly: "Your hair is all white, you're even older than my grandfather!" He Tuo instinctively smoothed his hair, coldly smiling and saying: "Little girl, what do you know? This is called youthful white hair. You don't want me as your brother, but I insist on being one!" Ah Xue pouted: "Under the sky, I only have one brother." He Tuo smiled and said: "This is easy to settle, I'll just kill that brother of yours, then there will only be me left, right?"

  A Xue was stunned and couldn't respond for a moment. He Tuo Luo glared at Liang Xiao, his eyes flashing with ferocity. Liang Xiao smiled slightly, raised his head, and shouted loudly: "Master Jiuru, you're just in time!" He Tuo Luo had been chased by Jiuru from afar and was already on high alert. Upon hearing this, he hastily turned around, but didn't see anyone. Realizing he'd been deceived, he turned back again to see Liang Xiao embracing A Xue and rapidly fleeing towards a mountain peak.

  He Daoren was furious in his heart, and he sneered with a "hiss" sound: "Good little boy, trying to trick me?" After two ups and downs, they were only about 10 zhang away from Liang Xiao. He laughed again and said: "Good sister, how do you think your brother will die? Will he die whole or in pieces? If you don't run, I'll make him die more intact."

  A Xue was so frightened that her teeth chattered. Liang Xiao turned around and entered a dense forest, but suddenly shouted: "Mr. Gong Yang?" He Tuo Luo smiled and said: "Deceiving people again? Ha, I'll cut off your tongue first and see how it grows..." Before he finished speaking, a sharp wind broke through the air. His body swayed back, his palms slapped out, and several small objects fell to the ground. Upon closer inspection, they were actually several pine needles. He Tuo Luo was shocked: "The old beggar's Bi Wei arrow? I clearly saw him traveling with Lao Guai, how did he suddenly appear here?" He quickly retreated from the forest, laughing sternly and saying: "Old beggar, if you have guts, come out and fight me for 300 rounds."

  After calling out, there was no response from the forest. He Zhidao's heart was filled with surprise and doubt, and he called out again: "Old Qiong Su!" Still, there was no movement or sound. He carefully thought back, and earlier, the force of the "Bimei Jian" had been ordinary, not like Gong Yangyu's urgent force.

  He Darted up, flew into the dense forest. Chased out more than three miles away, raised his eyes and looked, Liang Xiao was carrying A Xue, climbing that high peak, couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Good kid, you're even slicker than a loach!"

  Liang Xiao heard the laughter and secretly cursed. He used a trick to scare off He Tuo Luo, thinking that this person's lightness skill was formidable and it would be difficult to shake him off on flat ground. There was a stone cave on the mountain, perhaps he could hide there, and if He Tuo Luo chased after him, he would definitely miss it. The plan was originally clever, but unexpectedly, before reaching the stone cave, He Tuo Luo had already come to his senses and rushed over. At this time, Liang Xiao had already climbed up the mountain, and with no way to turn back, he could only grit his teeth and continue climbing upwards.

  As they climbed higher, the mountain became increasingly steep, and in many places there were only a few protruding rocks and shallow pits to step on. The sound of laughter echoed from below, and when they looked down, He Dakuo was climbing up like a fly, approaching the stone cave at the waist of the mountain. Ah Xue exclaimed in alarm: "Brother, he's catching up!" Liang Xiao's mind was racing, and he raised his sword to cut off the old vines below. Ah Xue was just feeling strange when she suddenly heard He Dakuo's loud angry shout, turned her head to look down, and felt dizzy. The two of them had already risen to a height of several hundred feet, and the trees and rocks below looked increasingly tiny. He Dakuo was at the waist of the mountain, looking even smaller. All they could see was that he was holding onto the rock with his left hand, propping himself up with both feet, and crawling up like a snake, which made them wonder in their hearts, and Ah Xue said: "Brother, his way of climbing is really strange." Liang Xiao looked down and also felt surprised.

  The wisteria vine was cut off, and Hei Tuo had to rely on his hands and feet to climb. After climbing for several zhang, he felt a sharp pain in his left arm and a lack of strength. Not long ago, he had been beaten with nine rods as thick as thumbs, one of which had crushed stone into powder, although it had reduced the force of the blow, but still injured his tendons and bones. He had no choice but to put away one arm and climb up with two legs and one arm.

  Three people climbed higher and higher, the wind howled, blowing their hair flying horizontally. Liang Xiao cut off the vines and pines along the way every few meters, not leaving any objects for He Daluo to borrow force from. Ah Xue looked back down, the scenery below getting smaller and smaller, her heart racing with fear, she didn't dare look again. She stole a glance upwards, her heart even more frightened, the sheer cliff rose up to the sky, except for a few old pines, there was no place to borrow force from at all.

  "A Xue whispered in a low voice: "If we fall, won't our bodies be gone?" After a moment of panic, she thought again, "Even if I die, it's with Liang Xiao." As soon as this thought occurred to her, the fear gave rise to an indescribably sweet feeling. She rested her head on Liang Xiao's shoulder, as if she could hear his heartbeat. A Xue felt like she was in a dream, where everything - clouds, mountains, pines, and rocks - seemed ethereal and unreal."

  Liang Xiao exerted all his strength to escape, and with a burst of energy, he climbed up, his hands bleeding as he grasped the vines and rocks. He Tao had nothing to hold onto and was now missing an arm, making it even harder for him to climb. After climbing for a while, he looked up and saw that hundreds of feet above, the rocky surface stretched out like a mirror. He also saw Liang Xiao's body getting smaller and smaller, as if he was disappearing into the clouds. He Tao was shocked and angry: "Is this kid a transformed gibbon?" Suddenly, his left arm started to hurt even more, and he knew that if he didn't rest and recover, he would be left with a chronic illness. So he thought to himself: "I'll wait at the mountain pass until my injury heals, then I'll go catch them."

  Two hours later, Liang Xiao crawled to the top of the peak, his limbs numb and weak, gasping for breath. Ah Xue took out a handkerchief to wipe away his sweat, and glanced around to see that the mountain top was several dozen feet wide, with an old pine tree growing in the center, its branches stretching upwards, its bones showing through its skin, exuding a strong and elegant spirit. Below, on the rocky ground, there was a depression filled with rainwater, clear to the bottom.

  Liang Xiao looked down and saw that He Tuo was sliding down the cliff with one hand and two feet. He didn't advance but retreated instead, which shocked Liang Xiao. After some thought, he realized the reason behind it and said: "The great villain can't come up for a while, let's go down from the back." When they turned to the back, they were greatly disappointed. The other three sides were even steeper, in comparison, the place where the two of them came up was like a wide and flat road.

  Liang Xiao slumped down, and Ah Xue also sat down beside him. The two of them had just gone through a great ordeal, were extremely exhausted, and leaned against the pine tree without realizing they fell asleep. Before long, Liang Xiao suddenly woke up with a start, but felt a cold wind blowing from the northeast, piercing his skin and bone, and couldn't help shrinking his neck. He looked down to see that Ah Xue had not yet woken up, curled up into a ball.

  Liang Xiao took off his shirt and covered her with it, blocking the wind. Turning back to look at Ah Xue, her fine black eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if hiding a hint of sorrow, and he felt a pang in his heart: "She has been following me all this time, always worried and fearful, never having a moment of peace..."

  As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Ah Xue softly calling out "brother". Liang Xiao looked over and saw that the girl's eyes were tightly closed, and she was just talking in her sleep. Liang Xiao felt a pang of sympathy for her and gently brushed back her hair. A tear rolled down from the corner of Ah Xue's eye, and she murmured: "The new moon is like a curved eyebrow, but there is no intention of reunion. The red beans are unbearable to look at, with tears of longing in my eyes. Every day I split open peaches, with you in my heart. Two flowers separated by the wall, soon to be joined together..." Her voice was barely audible, but each word struck a chord in Liang Xiao's heart. He had read this little poem when he was young at "Tian Yuan Fang Dong", and at that time he didn't understand its deeper meaning, but now that he was older, he finally understood some of it. It seemed that Ah Xue had heard Han Ningzi recite it a long time ago, remembered it in her heart, and didn't say it out loud during the day, but said it in her sleep.

  Ah Xue thought she had dreamed of sad things, and after finishing the poem, tears flowed out continuously. Liang Xiao looked at her, a hint of guilt flashing across his heart. He wasn't unaware of Ah Xue's feelings, but he couldn't let go of Liu Yingying, intentionally or unintentionally trying to avoid her. However, no matter how much he tried to evade, the foolish girl's infatuation was like a tendril of spring willow, entwining and binding him, even if it withered, refusing to part from him.

  Ah Xue woke up crying, and as she opened her eyes, she met Liang Xiao's gaze. She didn't know what had happened, but being looked at by him made her blush and her heart skip a beat. Seeing that the corners of Liang Xiao's eyes seemed to have tears in them, she hastily asked: "You... why are you crying?"

  Liang Xiao sighed, "Silly girl, why would I cry? You're the one who's crying!" Ah Xue remembered what she saw in her dream and became flustered, changing the subject: "Brother, what do we do next?" Liang Xiao furrowed his brow, saying: "I almost forgot." He peeled off the bark of a pine tree and twisted it into a rope. However, after working until dawn, the rope was only several zhang long. If they wanted to lower it down the mountain, it was simply impossible.

  Suddenly, a burst of chirping birdsong was heard, and Liang Xiao's expression changed. He looked up to see countless sparrows flying to the top of the mountain, as if swept by a strong gust of wind, swirling around the pine trees.

  The sound of laughter pierced the wind, winding its way to the mountaintop: "Good sisters, you'd better come down the mountain, or with one word from me, the sparrows will take you as a snack..." The voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

  Liang Xiao operated his inner strength and laughed loudly: "Who will do something for whom, it's hard to say!" He Tuo Luo was furious in his heart, blew the bird whistle, and a flock of birds suddenly flew towards the two.

  Liang Xiao spoke while gesturing for Ah Xue to come closer. He punched the tree trunk, and with a burst of energy, pine needles fell rapidly. Liang Xiao used his inner strength to strike out with two palms, one in front and one behind, creating a whirlwind that shot out pine needles like an invisible strong bow.

  The sparrows were driven by the bird whistle, lost their minds, and rushed forward in a daze, not knowing how to dodge. They fell down one after another, and their bodies covered the top of the mountain.

  He Tuo blew a bird whistle, but there was no response. He was shocked and suddenly remembered something. He shouted loudly: "Little boy, do you know the Azure Micro Arrow?" Liang Xiao smiled and said: "You're not stupid!" He Tuo was extremely annoyed. The "Azure Micro Arrow" was the ultimate move of the Sparrow Formation, and he didn't expect Liang Xiao to master it. As soon as he thought of this, his killing intent grew stronger.

  Liango forced the sparrows to retreat, looking down at the precipice on all sides, thinking that he could continue on his own, but if he brought Ah Xue with him, it would be impossible. Climbing up a mountain is easy, but getting down is difficult, which made him feel deeply worried. Ah Xue was carefree and didn't think much, as long as Liango was by her side, she felt happy in her heart. As for how to get down the mountain, she didn't think about it at all. She saw many dead sparrows, picked up a dry branch from a pine tree, struck a stone to make fire, lit a bonfire, skinned and cleaned the sparrows with water from a pit, threaded ten of them onto a branch, and roasted them until they were fragrant.

  After a while, she handed Liang Xiao a string of roasted sparrows. Liang Xiao tasted them and found that they were perfectly cooked, with a hint of pine fragrance. He couldn't help but praise: "Great craftsmanship!" Ah Xue was delighted, her eyebrows flying high, and laughed: "That's great, I'll often make roasted sparrows for you to eat." Liang Xiao sighed: "No need to do it often, today is also forced by circumstances." Thinking of the current predicament, his brow furrowed in worry. As he pondered, he remembered Gong Yangyu's experience of using a kite to escape danger on Stone Public Mountain, and couldn't help but sigh, thinking: "Unfortunately, this method won't work here and now."

  Ah Xue saw him frowning, and her joyful heart also cooled down. She stared blankly at the outside of the cliff, watching as birds flew freely in circles, and said: "Brother, it would be great if we could become birds, no matter how high or far, just spread our wings and fly."

  Liang Xiao's heart moved upon hearing this, and after a moment of contemplation, he clapped his hands and laughed: "Ah Xue, you're right! Let's turn into birds and fly far, far away, so that the great villain can't catch up to us again." He saw Ah Xue looking at him with incomprehension in her eyes, so he smiled and said: "Do you still remember the bamboo bird I made before?" Ah Xue saw him smiling and felt happy too, nodding her head: "I remember, it was a great mechanism that could fly back and forth. Unfortunately, the first one was broken by Tuhai, and the second one... this time we left in a hurry and forgot to bring it."

  Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Don't worry, let's make another big one to take us down the mountain." His gaze shifted to the old pine tree, "If we need wood, this tree is enough." He drew out the Huanyuan sword and examined it for a moment before sighing, "Huanyuan, you were once a divine weapon, but unfortunately your master is incompetent, so I can only humiliate you by using you as an axe."

  He finished speaking, and suddenly saw Ah Xue facing the old pine tree with her hands clasped in silent prayer. He couldn't help but ask in surprise: "Ah Xue, what are you doing?" Ah Xue said: "I'm telling this tree, great tree, you've struggled to live here for thousands of years, unfortunately my brother and I have to survive, so we can only sacrifice you. If you're aware, after this is over, I'll definitely burn incense and pray for your soul to ascend to the pure land."

  Liang Xiao wanted to laugh, but looking at the old pine tree, he suddenly couldn't laugh anymore. He thought: "Even grass and trees are pitied, let alone all living things in the world? I have been attacking cities and killing countless people, what does it amount to?" After a moment of depression, he suppressed his emotions and started drawing and carving wood. After studying Western mathematics, his mechanical skills improved even more, and this wooden bird was more exquisite than the bamboo bird he had made before. Liang Xiao didn't dare to slack off, working day and night, even burning pine torches to hurry up the work at night.

  The next morning, the wooden bird was completed. It resembled a large eagle, with wings two zhang long on either side and one zhang five chi from front to back. Under its belly were installed machine wheels, and on both sides of the top were winch handles. The head, tail, and two wings had four windmills in total, which were connected to the winch handles. At the bottom of the wooden bird was a round wooden wheel, with two wooden rails slanted below it for taking off.

  Although the wooden bird was well-made, the wind direction was unstable at that time, making it inconvenient to take off. Liang Xiao's heart was anxious and worried, knowing that this matter had never been done before in history, if there was any slight mistake, he would be finished, and if Ah Xue had any accidents, he would not be able to rest in peace even after death.

  He darted down the mountain path during the day, using his bird whistle to seal off the path, and at night, he practiced internal healing in a stone cave on the mountain waist. The stick injury had penetrated deep into his bones and meridians, and although Brahman's internal strength was profound, it would not be easy to cure. He asked the herb collectors about the name of this mountain peak, which was called Tiandu Peak, meaning "Gathering Place of Heavenly Immortals", and was originally the first dangerous peak among the 72 peaks of Huangshan. Since ancient times, few people have been able to climb to the top. When He heard this, his ambition surged. On the third day at dawn, his shoulder injury had slightly recovered, and he eagerly left the cave, shook off his spirits, and climbed up like a flying monkey.

  Ah Xue watched from the foot of the mountain, with clouds and fog blocking her view. Before she knew it, He Da Luo had climbed up the mountain, and by the time she noticed, the enemy was only about thirty yards away from the cliff top. Liang Xiao cursed under his breath: "The old thief has arrived so quickly!" At this moment, the wind was blowing northwest, which wasn't suitable for taking off. He took a gamble, helped Ah Xue onto the wooden bird, and vigorously turned the handle, causing the four windmills to whir and turn, stirring up dust and smoke on the mountain peak.

  Liang Xiao swung his sword and cut off the rope behind. The wooden bird slid down along the wooden track, making a whooshing sound, but failed to take off, and instead plunged straight down. Alarmed by the sudden change, Ah Xue closed her eyes tightly and let out a shrill cry. Liang Xiao's face also changed color, and he secretly cursed his bad luck.

  He Zhonglian was about to reach the top when he suddenly felt a strong gust of wind above his head. He thought it was Liang Xiao taking advantage of the height to launch a surprise attack, so he quickly turned his palm over and pushed out with all his might. This palm strike used 100% of his internal energy, its power enough to shake Mount Tai. The wooden bird was lifted by the wind from his palm and shot upwards, causing the four windmills to rotate against the wind. The wooden bird sank and then rose again, flying steadily into the air.

  Liang Xiao was overjoyed and laughed, saying: "He Tuo Luo, thank you for seeing me off!" He Tuo Luo lay on the cliff, staring blankly as the two sailed away with the wind, his face full of incredulity. Suddenly, his hands and feet went limp, and he almost fell off the cliff.

  Ah Xue took off from the wooden bird, starting with her eyes closed and screaming, until the wooden bird stopped shaking, only then did she calm down and open her eyes to sneak a peek. In front of her, the green peaks were clustered, breaking through the clouds. The morning light was like water, dyeing the vast cloud sea with brilliant golden colors. In the far distance, the rivers were like jade belts inlaid with gold, winding through mountains and ridges, flowing east into the sea. These past few days, she had grown accustomed to the beauty of Huangshan, but not for a moment was it as beautiful as it was now.

  The wooden bird rose with the wind, carrying two people past Guangmingding and Lianhua Peak, shuttling between the 72 peaks of Huangshan. The clear wind blew in waves, blowing the clothes and hair of the two people to flutter, their hearts were happy and their spirits were refreshing. Liang Xiao couldn't help but hold A Xue's slender waist, A Xue lowered her head and nestled into his arms. In an instant, the bodies and minds of the two seemed to melt away, the various disturbances in the world seemed like clouds and mist in front of them, dispersing and disappearing.

  The wooden bird flew for a while and was sent out of the mountainous area by the clear wind. In the distance, it saw the plains with crisscrossing paths, where farmers saw the wooden bird and rushed to run and shout.

  Liang Xiao gazed down at the flat plain below and sighed, "Ah Xue, if only we could fly forever, how wonderful that would be!" Ah Xue opened her mouth to say, "Good!" Liang Xiao smiled wistfully, seeing the Yangtze River ahead, then shook the handle, and the wooden bird dove down towards the river, landing on its surface and drifting away with the current.

  Liang Xiao broke off a wooden bird's wing and used it as an oar to row to the shore. The two stepped onto the riverbank, gazing at the wooden bird drifting away, their hearts filled with reluctance to part. After a long while, Liang Xiao took Ah Xue's hand and sighed, "Let's go."

  Ah Xue raised her eyes to meet them, and the two exchanged a glance. They both thought of their intimate encounter on the wooden bird and blushed with a racing heart. Liang Xiao turned his head away, suddenly realizing that except for Ah Xue, there was no one else in his mind. He glanced sideways at Ah Xue, who furrowed her brow and lowered her head, lost in thought. A warm feeling spread from her small hand to his, filling Liang Xiao's heart with warmth, making him want to throw back his head and let out a long laugh.

  Two men walked hand in hand, heading east for a day and arriving at the Jingkou Grand Camp. The soldiers guarding the camp saw Liang Xiao and hastily reported to the inside of the camp. The camp gate opened wide, and three riders flew out, who were Tudaha, Li Ting, and Nangutai. The three men wore white clothes and armor, with extremely gloomy expressions.

  Before he could get close, Li Ting jumped off his horse and hugged Liang Xiao tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. Liang Xiao guessed the reason and patted him on the shoulder, wanting to speak but his voice was choked with sobs. Ah Xue asked in surprise: "Li Ting, what's wrong? Where is Wang Ke?" Li Ting's body shook violently as tears streamed down his face. Tu Tu Ha said dejectedly: "Ah Xue, Wang Ke has fallen in battle..."

  Ah Xue's lips slightly parted, and tears welled up in her eyes. Tu Tu Ha gritted his teeth and continued: "Li Shao, you left without saying goodbye, and Ah Shi Ping Zhang was very angry, scolding you for not following military rules. I couldn't bear to listen, so I said that even if you weren't here, we wouldn't lose. Ah Shi said that in the army, there's no joking around; if war breaks out, you'll be the vanguard, and if you win, it'll be your merit, but if you lose, Li Shao will be severely punished. Not long after, the Song army sent a letter challenging us to battle, and Ping Zhang led the troops to meet them. The Song army's formation was fierce, and we suffered heavy casualties. Wang Ke said: 'We can die without worrying, but we absolutely cannot implicate Big Brother Li.' He then took the naval forces with Li Ting, loaded up on fire-spewing ships, and charged into the Song army's formation. I and Gua Guo covered both wings. Li Ting was intercepted by the Song army halfway through, so Wang Ke set his own ship ablaze and charged into the heart of the Song army's formation. The fire-spewing ships exploded, taking advantage of the wind to burn more than ten large Song ships... Following that, with a strong gust of east wind, all the Song warships within a hundred miles were burned to ashes..." At this point, Tu Tu Ha's voice became hoarse, and he said gruffly: "The Song army was defeated, but Wang Ke didn't come back, not even his corpse...".

  Li Ting had cried until her body was soft, and through tearful eyes, she saw Liang Xiao's expression was wooden, and she called out: "Liang big brother, you...you must avenge Wang Ke! I saw it myself, the one surnamed Yun is in the Song army giving orders, he first harmed Zhao Shan and Yang Yi, now he has also harmed Wang Ke, I...I will not live with him under the same sky..." As she spoke to this point, suddenly Liang Xiao's body swayed, and with a "whoosh" sound, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and she was shocked into saying: "Liang big brother! What's wrong?"

  Liang Xiao wiped away the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, gazed at the gray sky for a moment, then suddenly let out a mournful laugh. As he laughed, he walked towards the camp entrance and disappeared from everyone's sight in an instant.

  The Battle of Jingkou, the Song army's naval forces were annihilated. The news reached Lin'an, and the entire court of the Southern Song Dynasty lost its mainstay. The Yuan court had been debating whether or not to destroy the Song, but with the arrival of the report from the Battle of Jingkou, Bayan submitted a memorial requesting permission to go to war, wanting to use the momentum of a broken bamboo to directly attack Lin'an. Kublai Khan read the memorial and, disregarding the military situation in the west, appointed Bayan as Right Chancellor, Aju as Left Chancellor, and Liang Xiao as Minister of State Affairs, and marched south to destroy the Song.

  Bayan returned to the army and ordered Arutai to continue besieging Yangzhou. He appointed Liang Xiao as the vanguard and advanced on Changzhou.

  Changzhou is the birthplace of Shenyingmen, after the defeat of Jingkou, Jin Fei and Yun Shu led the defeated soldiers back to Changzhou. Hearing that the Yuan army was marching south, the two men discussed secretly in the study for a long time, but still couldn't come up with a plan. Yun Shu was stunned for a moment, then said: "Master brother, you and I should die on the battlefield, what about mother and sister? Wen'er is still young, will he also follow us to sacrifice for the country?"

  Jing Fei shook his head and said, "That's also an unavoidable thing!" Yun Shu furrowed her brow and said, "In my opinion, why not let sister bring mother and Wen Er to leave the city at night..." Jing Fei angrily said, "Nonsense! You and I are responsible for defending the city, how can we move our families at this time?"

  Yun Shu's face turned pale, and before he could speak, the door creaked open with a "creak". An old woman in plain clothes stood at the door, her face as round as a full moon, with stars of white hair on her temples. Behind her stood a beautiful woman in her thirties, whose eyebrows and eyes were vaguely similar to Yun Shu's.

  The two were both stunned and confused, neither of them noticing that there was someone outside the room. Jing Fei hastily got up and saluted, saying: "Shifu's wife!" He also took another glance at the beautiful woman and softly said: "A... Ah Shuang!" Yun Shu also stood up and faced the old woman in white clothes, saying: "Mother!" And to the beautiful woman, he said: "Sister."

  The old lady said faintly, "Just now I passed by, and I heard what you two were saying!" Her voice was hoarse, but her words carried a different kind of majesty. The old lady's gaze shifted, staring at Yun Shu: "Your despicable thoughts just now, how are they any different from Jia Si Dao? Could it be that the principles your father taught you have all been eaten by dogs?"

  She spoke sternly. Yun Shu was covered in cold sweat, kneeling down on one knee, and trembling said: "If the child suffers alone, it's fine, but if you and sister are implicated, I feel uneasy." The old lady sighed: "The country is already like this, what family can survive? The Tartars have ravaged China, how many families have been destroyed, how many people have perished? What does our Yun family count for? I am not an ordinary woman, Ah Xun is also a child who understands the great righteousness. Our Yun family has been loyal and righteous for generations, why should only men be so?" Her tone was calm and composed, but when Yun Shu heard it, he felt his heart being cut by a knife, and tears flowed down uncontrollably.

  Mrs. Yun let out a long sigh, helped Yun Shu up and said: "Shu Er, do you know the meaning of the word 'Shu' in your name?" Yun Shu replied: "Father said it means special." Mrs. Yun nodded and said: "Yes, when your father named you this, he wanted you to stand out from the crowd, be a great hero, a mighty warrior. Is being cautious and hesitant also what heroes do?"

  Yun Shu's body shook, and he lowered his head in silence. Madame Yun turned her head to Yun Xuan and asked, "Xuan, where is Wen'er?" Yun Xuan smiled and said, "He went to practice martial arts." As she spoke, she gave Jing Fei a deep look. She and Jing Fei were both master siblings and husband and wife. Jing Fei saw her expression and felt that in this critical moment, his wife's every frown and smile was precious, and he couldn't get enough of them. Thinking about the war that was about to start, with death and no life, he felt an unspeakable pain, and his eyes dropped, letting out a light sigh. Yun Xuan gently grasped his hand, her fingers secretly writing on his palm: "I'm not afraid." Jing Fei's heart shook, and he lifted his head, his eye sockets already wet.

  Madam Yun glanced at the two of them and smiled: "It's getting late, you've been working hard all day, it's best to rest early!" She said as she went out on her own.

  Yun Shu saw off his mother and was about to return to his room when he suddenly heard the sound of fighting coming from next door. He turned around the moon gate and saw Feng Mian holding a wooden sword, fiercely battling a spear-wielding young man. Chu Wan stood by with her hands behind her back, watching the fight. When she saw Yun Shu, she smiled and said, "Big Brother Yun." Feng Mian saw him coming and intentionally showed off his skills. He jumped back two feet, pretending to be weak, luring the young man into thrusting his spear at him. Just as the spear was about to hit, Feng Mian dodged to the side and grabbed the spear shaft. His wooden sword moved extremely quickly, chopping down on the young man's arm. The young man had no choice but to let go of the spear and retreat, angrily shouting, "I lost again!" He turned around and loudly called out to Yun Shu, "Uncle, why can't I ever beat him?"

  Yun Shu patted his chest, smiled and said: "Who told you to be naughty and lazy in your practice before?" Jing Wen pinched him and said: "Teach me some quick ways to kill the Tartars!" When he mentioned the three words "kill the Tartars", his eyes sparkled. Yun Shu sighed and bitterly smiled: "I can't teach you any quick ways!" Jing Wen pouted and said: "Hmph, stingy!" He turned to Feng Mian and said: "Let's go again!" The two of them shouted and hollered, fighting again in the same place.

  Yun Shu looked at her for a moment, then said to Chu Wan: "Miss Chu, come with me, I have something to say!" Chu Wan followed him out of the courtyard and walked silently among the flowers for a while. Yun Shu suddenly said: "Miss Chu, you should go back home!" Chu Wan was surprised: "What?" Yun Shu said: "War is cruel and dangerous..." Before he could finish, Chu Wan interrupted him: "I know, but I'm not afraid!" She gazed at Yun Shu with shining eyes, her voice soft and gentle, "With you here, I'm not afraid!"

  Looking at her appearance, a green shadow flashed across his heart, and he was secretly shocked: "How did I think of her again?" He turned to look at Chu Wan, thinking: "Chu is also a good girl, but... I'm afraid that for the rest of my life, I won't be able to forget that person!"

  Chu Wan saw him staring at her, her heart felt shy and a red cloud floated up to her cheeks. The two of them stood opposite each other in silence, when suddenly a maid rushed over, grabbed Yun Shu and exclaimed: "Young Master... it's terrible... it's terrible..." Yun Shu asked: "Shu Mei, speak slowly." The maid swallowed her saliva and burst into loud wailing: "The old madam... she hanged herself..."

  The sentence was like a thunderclap on a clear day, shocking Yun Shu to take two steps back. Chu Wan hurriedly stretched out her hand to support him. Yun Shu was stunned and rushed into his mother's room, only to see that his mother had hanged herself from the beam with a white silk rope. Yun Shu hastily put her down, checked her breath, and found that she had already stopped breathing. He was overcome with grief, holding his mother's body, wanting to wail, but his eyes were dry, and he couldn't cry out loud.

  I don't know how long I was stunned, when suddenly someone patted my shoulder. I looked up to see that it was Jing Fei. His eyes were red and swollen, and he said in a low voice: "The great enemy is at hand, let's mourn later!" Yun Shu didn't see Yun Xuan, and his heart felt uneasy, so he quickly asked: "Where's my sister?" Jing Fei lowered his head and said: "She deceived me into leaving... and took poison to kill herself..." Although he tried his best to calm down, two lines of tears still couldn't be hidden, silently falling down his cheeks.

  One day, losing two loved ones, Yun Shu sat paralyzed on the ground, unable to get up again. Jing Fei saw a plain paper on the table, reached out and took it, with eight small characters written on it: "Rather be jade shattered than tile whole!" The handwriting was elegant but powerful, Jing Fei recognized his master's writing, his heart filled with great sorrow, tears rolling down.

  Two people were grieving, Fang Lan quietly came in and said softly: "The Tartars have arrived!" The two were shocked, wiped away their tears and walked out of the house. A group of people went to the top of the city, only to see the vast sky stretching for thousands of miles, blue as if washed clean, the Yuan army's horses and men came from the south, black and dense, endless in sight.

  The Yuan army suddenly stopped its advance, and a lone horseman galloped out. Jing Fei sneered, "Has he come to persuade us to surrender again?" With a wave of his hand, the bows and crossbows on the city wall were all drawn, waiting for the man to arrive at the foot of the city, whereupon they would shoot him full of arrows like a hedgehog.

  The man and horse arrived extremely quickly, and in an instant they were pressing close to the city wall. Yun Shu recognized that it was Liang Xiao, anger rising from his heart, but suddenly he saw him stop at a distance of a thousand paces, holding his spear and riding his horse, shouting loudly: "Where is Yun Shu?" Yun Shu replied coldly: "Have you come to persuade me to surrender?" Liang Xiao fell silent for a moment, then slowly said: "I have come today only to ask that we engage in single combat. If I am defeated and die, naturally there will be nothing more to say; if you fall at my hands, I, Liang Xiao, will flee far away and from now on not concern myself with the affairs of war."

  Yun Shu's blood vessels were pounding, and he was about to respond when Jing Fei whispered, "This person is full of tricks. You have the heavy responsibility of defending the city, don't easily go out." Yun Shu was stunned and remained silent. Liang Xiao stopped his horse for a while, becoming impatient, and shouted, "Yun Shu, are you a coward?" Yun Shu raised an eyebrow, about to go down the city, when Jing Fei grabbed him from behind, saying, "Don't fall for his provocation!" Yun Shu could only grit his teeth and endure. Liang Xiao called out three times, but there was still no movement on the city wall, so he reluctantly turned back to his own camp.

  Liang Xiao stationed his troops outside the city, feeling anxious and depressed in his heart, getting drunk every day like mud. Tuer and others saw him like this, not understanding in their hearts, but also dared not to advise him to attack the city, only because once advised, Liang Xiao would inevitably explode in anger. Ah Xue saw him indulging in wine, feeling distressed in her heart, but also not good at comforting, only having clothes that were not removed, taking care of him wholeheartedly.

  Six days later, Bayan arrived and was furious at the sight. However, seeing Liang Xiao drunk and unaware of human affairs, he had no place to vent his anger for the time being, so he removed him from his position as vanguard and personally led the army to attack the city. The walls of Changzhou were high and the moat was deep, and Yun Shu defended it properly, but after more than ten days of attacking, the Yuan army still could not break through the city, and instead suffered heavy casualties.

  Song Ting received the news and sent troops to rescue, but was defeated by Tu Tu Ha's ambush at Yuqiao. The next month, Li Ting destroyed the protective ships of Changzhou. Gao Guo built a high platform outside the city, placed the cloud ladder on the city wall, and nearly 10,000 soldiers climbed up the cloud ladder to enter Changzhou.

  Song army retreated into the inner city, fighting while retreating. Yun Shu fell behind, dancing with his twin swords, invincible wherever he went. After a while, Jing Fei saw that the Yuan army was pouring into the city endlessly and knew that the situation was hopeless. He turned around, grabbed Yun Shu's shoulder and shouted: "I'll hold them off here, you lead the other troops to break through from the south."

  Yun Shu couldn't believe his ears and exclaimed, "What did you say?" Jing Fei raised an eyebrow and said sternly, "Don't you remember the grudge against your master?" Yun Shu was taken aback again. Jing Fei continued, "Master's reputation was ruined by Xiao Qian's hands, your father's revenge has not been avenged, how can you easily talk about death? Yun Shu, your intelligence and martial arts skills are a hundred times better than mine, you should spare your life to deal with the Tartars again."

  Yun Shu struggled free from his grasp, angrily saying: "I'd rather die in battle than leave." Jing Fei held a knife to his throat, glaring and shouting: "If you don't go, I'll kill myself right now!" Yun Shu's heart shook violently as he looked at his senior brother, his eyes suddenly turning red. Jing Fei stuck the knife into the ground, grasping Yun Shu's shoulders and saying in a low voice: "Younger brother Yun, our master's mother entrusted me with her dying wish; I absolutely cannot abandon the city and leave. Our master's hatred also cannot go unavenged. You take on the responsibility of avenging our master; I will fulfill our master's mother's wishes." Yun Shu was shocked again, turning to look at Fang Lan, who stroked his beard with a bitter smile, sighing: "Foolish kid, don't look at me, just go quickly."

  Yun Shu's voice was hoarse: "Fang Lao...". Fang Lan waved his hand and said, "I'm old and lazy to run. If you can break through today, come back and kill a few more Tartars for me tomorrow." After finishing speaking, he burst into loud laughter, with a hint of desolation amidst the grandeur.

  Yun Shu's throat was choked, and suddenly he saw Jing Wen leading a horse. Yun Shu gritted his teeth, took the reins, jumped onto the horse, and as he turned around, he stretched out his long arm and unexpectedly swept up Jing Wen. Jing Wen was caught off guard and couldn't move. Just as Jing Fei was about to stop him, Yun Shu shook the reins, and the horse galloped away with all four hooves, disappearing into the distance in an instant. Jing Fei stared blankly at Yun Shu's receding back, two streams of hot tears rolling down his face.

  Yun Shu led his troops out of the city. Li Ting was eager for revenge and chased after Yun Shu to Yuqiao, catching up with him. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle, and Yun Shu displayed his mighty prowess, charging in and out of the enemy formation twice, killing and wounding countless soldiers, and leading over a hundred remaining troops to break through the encirclement. The two armies chased each other for over a hundred miles, with one side pursuing and the other fleeing. At this time, Tudaha led the Jurchen army to arrive, with swift horses and sharp arrows like rain. The Song army was defeated, and they fled to Pingjiang, leaving only ten riders behind. With pursuers behind and the river in front, Yun Shu was unable to advance or retreat, and he temporarily fell into a desperate situation.

  He was shot with multiple arrows, his armor stained with blood. He glanced at Jingwen and let out a long whistle, then rode his horse like an arrow into the Pingjiang River. The Song army officers and men saw this and shouted in unison as they followed him into the river on horseback. Many people had already been injured, and the water of the Pingjiang was swift, swallowing them all in the blink of an eye. Only Yunshu, relying on his deep internal strength, carried Jingwen and swam with all his might towards the opposite bank.

  Yu Jun rushed to the riverbank, and Tuhatai was about to shoot an arrow when a whip flew from behind him, knocking his feathered arrow to the ground. Tuhatai turned around in surprise and exclaimed: "Liang Xiao!" He also saw that Liang Xiao's eyes were clear and bright, without any sign of intoxication, and he couldn't understand why, so he asked loudly: "Why didn't you let me shoot the arrow?" Li Ting also said: "Yes! Big Brother Liang, if we don't avenge ourselves now, when will we?"

  Liang Xiao gazed at Yun Shu for a long time, then sighed and said: "Good fellow!" The crowd was taken aback. Liang Xiao turned his horse around and declared in a loud voice: "He fought to protect his family and country, refusing to yield even in death. Isn't that a good fellow? I would rather engage him in a fair fight on the battlefield than take advantage of his current situation and shoot him with an arrow." The soldiers had all clashed with Yun Shu before and secretly admired him. Hearing Liang Xiao's words, they were left speechless. Li Ting and Tu Tuo Ha saw that Liang Xiao's mind was made up, so they each let out a sigh and said no more.

  A centurion pushed several captives forward. Liang Xiao took a glance, and Chu Wan and Feng Mian were among them. Both had been shot with arrows, supporting each other, and walking unsteadily. The centurion said: "These people hid by the side of the road and were discovered by me." Chu Wan glared at Liang Xiao, her beautiful eyes almost spitting fire. Feng Mian spat at Liang Xiao's feet, but he was severely injured and weak, only managing to spit on the horse's hooves. A soldier nearby raised his knife and chopped down towards Feng Mian's neck, but unexpectedly, Liang Xiao swung his whip and knocked the knife flying. The soldier hesitated, then retreated silently. Liang Xiao ordered the army doctor: "Treat their wounds, do not mistreat them." The doctor obeyed, personally removing the arrows from their bodies, applying medicine, and bandaging them.

  Yun Shu and Jing Wen struggled to cross the Ping River, supporting each other as they moved forward. After this bitter battle, the two were wounded and exhausted, barely managing to walk a short distance. Jing Wen lost too much blood and fell to the ground. Yun Shu was pulled down by him and also tripped, feeling an inexplicable sense of despair in his heart: "Could it be that we are going to die here?" Before he could finish the thought, he suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves. Yun Shu turned his head to look back, but all he saw were dark shadows looming in the night, and he couldn't tell how many people had arrived.

  Yun Shu sprang to his feet, let out a loud cry, and charged at the group of people with his sword. But after running for several steps, he tripped and fell, hitting his forehead on a bluestone, and his eyes turned black. He faintly heard a woman's cries, and then everything went dark, losing all consciousness.

  Liang Xiao led his troops back to Changzhou, and after a while, he saw the city wall in the distance. Suddenly, a group of Mongolian cavalrymen rushed towards him, with a smiling face. Liang Xiao asked about the situation in the city, and the cavalryman replied with a smile: "General Bayan said that this city has harmed us and killed many of our soldiers, so he wants to give them a good lesson. He ordered that everyone inside and outside Changzhou be killed, not even leaving a chicken or dog alive." As he finished speaking, he burst out laughing, but suddenly saw Liang Xiao's pale face and asked: "Are you injured?" Liang Xiao suddenly stretched out his hand, grabbed the cavalryman by the chest, lifted him up, and sternly asked: "Did Bayan order the massacre of the city?" His grip was extremely tight, and the cavalryman could hardly breathe, but he nodded to indicate yes.

  Liang Xiao waved his hand and threw it, causing Nangutai's back to ache as if it were about to split. Liang Xiao rode into the city on horseback, galloped around in a circle, but didn't see half of the Song people alive, only saw row after row of Yuan soldiers with bloodshot eyes, still shouting and yelling on the streets.

  Tu Ha and others rushed to the scene, seeing Liang Xiao standing in the street, about to call out to him. But Liang Xiao suddenly turned his horse's head and galloped out of the city, charging into the Yuan army's camp, leaping off his horse, and entering the commander's tent. Several bodyguards raised their hands to block him, but he knocked them all down with a single punch. Bayan was having dinner when he saw Liang Xiao burst in, opening his mouth to ask what was happening. But before he could speak, Liang Xiao's right palm shot up and struck him in the face. Bayan was caught off guard, raising his hand to block, but suddenly felt a suffocating sensation in his chest as Liang Xiao pressed his left palm against it.

  Bo Yan's face was stern, and he asked loudly: "Liang Xiao, are you rebelling?" Liang Xiao gritted his teeth and said: "Did you order the massacre of the city?" Bo Yan frowned and said: "What about it? This city has caused me to lose many soldiers and generals. If I don't massacre it, later cities will follow suit, when can we reach Lin'an?"

  Li Shuo snorted, furious: "On the battlefield, it's kill or be killed. Even when killing soldiers and generals, there is some reason to it. But slaughtering innocent civilians in the city, what kind of achievement is that?" Bai Yan sneered coldly: "Who among the people of the world wasn't born to parents? Who doesn't have brothers, wives, and children? If we're going to kill, what's the difference between killing soldiers, generals, or civilians? You've killed many people before, why are you suddenly showing mercy today?" His words were sharp as a knife, piercing Li Shuo's heart. For a moment, Li Shuo's mind was filled with only one thought: "Yes, it's all just killing, what difference does it make?"

  In the midst of confusion, Tootooha and two others rushed into the commander's tent, seeing this scene, they were all shocked. Tootooha shouted: "Liang Xiao, have you gone mad?" Nangutai said: "Liang Xiao, quickly retreat!" Li Ting also said: "Brother Liang, don't be rash!" Liang Xiao was called out by them, his mind slightly confused. Bayan saw clearly, his body shrinking back, retreating three feet. Just as Liang Xiao was about to pursue, Tootooha rushed forward and grabbed him around the waist. Liang Xiao's body paused, his left elbow suddenly shooting out, hitting Tootooha's "Qimen" acupoint, Tootooha fell backwards. Only this delay, Bayan turned from rapid retreat to rapid advance, his left palm flying diagonally, slapping Liang Xiao's chest. This slap had the momentum of thunder, sending Liang Xiao flying several feet, knocking him to the ground, a mouthful of blood shooting out like an arrow. The soldiers on both sides shouted in unison, rushing forward and pinning him down.

  Bo Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and shouted, "Liang Xiao, do you know your crime?" Liang Xiao gritted his teeth and remained silent. Bo Yan shouted again, "You have committed a grave offense by attempting to assassinate the commander-in-chief! You should be torn apart by horses and sliced into pieces for this!" Tu Tu Ha hurriedly knelt down and said, "General, please spare his life. I am willing to exchange all my merits for Liang Xiao's life." Nang Gu Tie also knelt down and said, "Liang Xiao is a man of strong will. Please let us take him back and slowly persuade him." Liang Xiao furrowed his brow, about to speak, when Li Ting knew his intention and repeatedly kowtowed to him, saying, "Big Brother Liang, don't say anything, don't say anything..." until his head was bleeding from the repeated knocking.

  Li Xiang saw this, his heart softened, and he swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth. He looked at Bo Yan and said loudly: "Forcing you into the account is my fault. But ordering the slaughter of the city was your mistake." Bo Yan also couldn't bear to kill him, seeing that he had relented, immediately said: "Whether slaughtering the city was right or wrong, let's not discuss it for now. Since you've admitted your mistake, I'll spare you this time for the sake of Tu Tu Ha and the others. If you offend again next time, you will be beheaded without pardon." With a wave of his hand, he said: "Release him!" Only then did the guards release Li Xiang.

  Liang Xiao slowly stood up, Li Ting wanted to support him but was shaken off. Liang Xiao endured the internal injury and walked out of the tent step by step. Tu Tuo Ha and three others feared he would cause more trouble and followed far behind.

  Liang Xiao walked out of the camp and suddenly turned his head to ask, "What about those captives?" Tuhatai said, "I'll treat them well as you instructed." Liang Xiao ordered Li Ting, "Bring them over." Li Ting rode into the camp and brought Chu Wan and others. Liang Xiao was silent for a moment, then waved his hand and sighed, "Let them go." The soldiers were stunned, but followed orders to untie the ropes binding the two. Chu Wan looked at him in surprise and suspicion, let out a cold hum, and walked away with her head held high. Fengmian also glared at Liang Xiao before limping after her.

  Li Ting couldn't bear it anymore and shouted: "Liang Ge, these two are also accomplices in killing San Gou Er, we can't let them go!" Liang Xiao remained silent, gazing at the backs of Chu Wan and the others until they disappeared from view. Only then did he say: "Tutuha, Li Ting, Nanguta, tell me, why are you fighting?"

  Everyone who heard him ask this question felt somewhat unexpected. Chagatai thought for a moment and said, "As Genghis Khan said, the greatest pleasure of men is to subdue the chaotic masses, defeat the enemy, seize all their belongings, ride their fine horses, and take their beautiful wives and concubines." Tului said, "Yes, what Genghis Khan said must be true." Li Ting hesitated for a moment and also nodded in agreement.

  Liang Xiao gazed at the three of them, silent for a long time, before softly sighing and looking towards Changzhou City. "Killing people's families, destroying people's homes, taking away what they love, debauching women - is this really your ambition?" The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, and Tuhai hesitated, saying: "Liang Xiao... you're not quite right." Liang Xiao gave a faint, bitter smile and said: "Who's not right?" Without waiting for Tuhai to respond, he swept his sleeve and departed.