0p0 Chapter 430 A Divine Journey of Ten Thousand Miles, Nangong Chunshui Returns to Tianqi City!
Chapter 430 A Divine Journey of Ten Thousand Miles, Nangong Chunshui Returns to Tianqi City!
The spear's intent exploded in front of the moat. Sikong Changfeng leaped off his saddle with a light touch of his feet, and the dust on the ground immediately spread outward in a ring.
His eyes were still bloodshot as he glared at Xiao Ruofeng and roared, "Since the Prince of Langya has made up his mind, then so be it, take this!"
Just as Sikong Changfeng was about to unleash his strongest killing move—the Dragon Transformation—Wen Yanzhao flashed behind Sikong Changfeng and placed his hand on Sikong Changfeng's shoulder.
"Sikong Changfeng, you are Senior Xin's only disciple right now. You still need to escort him out of the city later, so save your energy and let me do it!"
Wen Yanzhao stepped forward slowly, his aura as restrained as a deep abyss, yet it made Ye Xiaoying behind Xiao Ruofeng instinctively grip his golden knife—it was the vigilance honed from countless life-and-death battles that told him that this seemingly gentle young man possessed something more dangerous than a thousand troops.
Xiao Ruofeng looked at Wen Yanzhao, the Haoque Sword gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
Images of their first meeting kept flashing through his mind. Although he intended to win Wen Yanzhao over for the sake of the court, his brotherly affection for Wen Yanzhao was genuine.
"Brother," Wen Yanzhao suddenly spoke, his voice very soft, "if I were to intervene, what are your chances of winning?"
Xiao Ruofeng was taken aback. He knew that Wen Yanzhao had already ascended to the Divine Realm and possessed unparalleled poison skills. If he were to make a move, none of the tens of thousands present would be able to escape unscathed!
Aside from his mentor Li Changsheng, there is probably no one in the world who can rival him.
"Whether we win or not, I will not back down. We are brothers, so there is no need to hold back. Make your move!"
Xiao Ruofeng tightened his grip on the sword, his gaze remaining resolute.
Behind him, tens of thousands of soldiers stood silently, their bowstrings taut like a full moon. Wen Yanzhao had just drawn his intangible Chengying sword, but before he could make a move, the sky suddenly darkened.
It wasn't that dark clouds covered the sun, but rather that some invisible "force" enveloped the entire world.
The water in the moat stopped flowing, the dust stirred up by Wen Yanzhao's internal force froze in mid-air, and even the flags fluttering on the city wall seemed to be frozen in place, as if time had stopped at this moment.
A voice came from a very, very far place, ethereal as smoke, yet clearly rang in everyone's ears:
"Stop it all!"
The voice was calm and gentle, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.
Xiao Ruofeng was startled and suddenly looked up: "Master?!"
Wen Yanzhao, Baili Dongjun, Sikong Changfeng, and Ye Dingzhi all changed color simultaneously and looked towards the eastern horizon.
There was nothing there, but everyone felt that a pair of eyes were piercing through the vast sea of clouds, silently watching over this place.
At the easternmost point of Penglai, atop the sea of clouds.
Nangong Chunshui, dressed in red, sat cross-legged on a blue stone at the edge of the cliff.
Beside me was the Luo River, where people were hugging their knees and peering curiously, while in the distance, the waves crashed against the shore and seabirds circled overhead.
His eyes were slightly closed, but a faint golden light pattern appeared between his brows.
"Huh? What's wrong with you?" Luo Shui asked, tilting her head.
"I'm going to Tianqi City. Those troublemakers are about to start a fight! And that little poisoner is there too. If they really come to blows, the consequences won't be good!"
Nangong Chunshui sighed softly, and a ray of golden light disappeared into the sky, arriving at the foot of Tianqi City in an instant!
"Feng Qi, Dong Ba, Little Gun Immortal, Ye Dingzhi... all of you, stop right now! Do you want Master to punish you each with a stroke of the ruler?"
The voice carried three parts reproach and seven parts helplessness, yet it made both sides feel a pang of sadness.
Wen Yanzhao shrugged, glanced at Nangong Chunshui whose consciousness had left her body, and said, "You didn't mention me, huh? Well then, I'm going to make my move!"
Nangong Chunshui rolled her eyes at him, then stepped in front of him and put her hands on her hips:
"You little poison-wielding creature, you're ignoring me now that you're in a trance, huh? Hmm? You're not allowed to lay a hand on me either, put your sword away!"
Wen Yanzhao was somewhat helpless. With a slight flick of his wrist, Cheng Ying Sword vanished instantly.
"Didn't you say you'd go sightseeing with your wife? Why are you interfering in our affairs today? I think you still can't let go of the past..."
Nangong Chunshui was speechless for a moment after hearing what he said, and could only offer no excuses:
"If you weren't here, those little rascals could fight it out, at most they'd lose an arm or a leg, but they'd still survive! But once you, little poisoner, start using poison, how many people in Tianqi City would be left breathing?"
I won't allow you to commit such a terrible sin. Wen Yanzhao, it's truly remarkable that you've reached the Divine Realm. In the future, you will still fight alongside me against those truly powerful enemies. You shouldn't be attacking these mortals..."
After saying this, Nangong Chunshui ignored Wen Yanzhao and turned to walk towards Sikong Changfeng.
"Little Gun Immortal, you and Xin Baicao have only been master and disciple for half a year. I admire your willingness to risk your life to save him, but now that your master has returned, you must both stop fighting and make peace. I will handle the rest!"
Upon hearing this, Sikong Changfeng knelt down on one knee with a thud and said to the illusory figure of Nangong Chunshui, "Thank you for your understanding, Master, but Xin Baicao—"
“I know, I know…” Nangong Chunshui’s voice interrupted him, “The matter of the Medicine King was all due to the improper methods of the Zhuoqing, and the court was at fault first.”
These words immediately caused Zhuo Qing, who had secretly slipped out of the palace and was hiding on the wall watching, to change his expression drastically.
Hearing that the Imperial Guards had been mobilized and seeing that Xiao Ruofeng had ordered the Imperial Guards to gather outside the Qinglong Gate, he knew that something was wrong. So he thought he would come out and see what was going on, so that he could help Xiao Ruofeng if he was no match for him.
He never expected that his old rival, Nangong Chunshui, would travel thousands of miles to this place! Even more unexpectedly, he had known all along that he was the one who had orchestrated all of this.
Upon seeing his master arrive, Xiao Ruofeng dismounted and bowed to Nangong Chunshui, saying, "Master, Father is gravely ill. As a son and a prince, I truly—"
“I understand.” Nangong Chunshui’s voice softened. “Filial piety is not wrong, nor is loyalty to the emperor. What’s wrong is the method, the fact that the world forces you to choose between ‘filial piety and loyalty’ and ‘righteousness’.”
He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold as he looked towards the city wall:
"Zhuoqing! Still peeking? Don't think I didn't see you. Get down here! Let me ask you, how did the Medicine King Xin Baicao get into the palace?"
Zhuo Qing's face turned ashen, and he had no choice but to peek out from the city wall. He was drenched in cold sweat and stammered:
"Yes... I sent someone to 'invite' them."
"A fine 'please' indeed." Nangong Chunshui smiled contemptuously. "Then today I'll also 'please' you to pass on a message to that person in the palace: within one hour, ensure the Medicine King leaves the city safely; if even a single hair is missing—"
A thunderclap suddenly resounded in the sky!
It wasn't real lightning, but rather the resonance between heaven and earth triggered by Nangong Chunshui's sword intent reaching its peak!
Above the clear blue sky, a phantom sword shadow appeared, stretching across the heavens. The sword shadow was so huge that it seemed to hang above the entire Tianqi City, with its tip pointing towards the Tianqi Imperial Palace!
"I will personally go to Tianqi and ask the Xiao royal family," Nangong Chunshui's voice remained calm, yet every word struck like a hammer blow to everyone's heart, "Do you still want the Beili kingdom?"
overbearing!
Unparalleled dominance!
This is not a threat, but a statement of fact—if Nangong Chunshui, the number one person in the world, really wanted to storm the palace, no one could stop him!
Zhuo Qing's face turned deathly pale, and he said in a trembling voice, "Mr. Li, please calm down... This old servant will go and report to His Majesty immediately!"
"No need to report." Xiao Ruofeng suddenly straightened up, turned to look at Zhuo Qing, his eyes showing no hesitation whatsoever. "I will personally escort the Medicine King out of the palace. I will bear all the blame!"
"Your Highness!" Ye Xiaoying exclaimed urgently.
“General Ye,” Xiao Ruofeng shook his head, looking at his brothers on the other side of the moat, and gave a bitter smile, “Master is right, but the method is wrong. If I, Xiao Ruofeng, were to truly turn against my former brothers today, how could I face Master in the future? How could I…face the people of the world?”
He sheathed his Haoque sword and bowed deeply to Wen Yanzhao and the others: "Brothers, I, Xiao Ruofeng, was foolish. Give me an hour, and I will ensure that the Medicine King is safely escorted out of the city."
Looking at his sworn brother, Wen Yanzhao felt a surge of admiration. After a long while, he slowly nodded and said, "We'll wait for you."
An hour later, at the Azure Dragon Gate of Tianqi City.
Xin Baicao, carrying her medicine chest, walked out of the city gate under the escort of Xiao Ruofeng.
The old medicine king looked tired, but his spirits were still high. When he saw Sikong Changfeng and the others, he smiled with satisfaction: "Good disciple, it seems that the Qingfu Yin really worked. Thank you all for your hard work, young friends. Xin Baicao thanks you..."
"Master!" Sikong Changfeng threw down the Dragon Gall Spear and rushed forward, grabbing Xin Baicao and examining her carefully for a long time before finally letting out a sigh of relief after confirming that she was unharmed.
Xiao Ruofeng stood silently at the city gate. He watched Sikong Changfeng help Xin Baicao mount her horse, watched Ye Dingzhi glance back at him as he mounted his horse, and watched Wen Yanzhao walk up to him...
“Brother,” Wen Yanzhao said with a smile, “I once heard you say that if you weren’t born into royalty, you would also be willing to roam the martial world like us, living freely and unrestrained!”
Xiao Ruofeng was filled with emotion, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he said, "That's right."
Wen Yanzhao looked at Xiao Ruofeng with gentle eyes: "The situation in the southwest is irreversible. I think you know better than I do what the Northern Li court is really like. If that day really comes, I hope that you and I, brothers, can no longer fight each other, but sit down and drink together, expressing our feelings!"
Xiao Ruofeng's pupils contracted slightly, and he looked up at the sky and sighed, "Alas... I hope so!"
Wen Yanzhao gently patted Xiao Ruofeng's shoulder: "The more you care, the more you lose. I hope you can understand this soon!"
Nangong Chunshui then stepped between the two and placed a hand on Xiao Ruofeng's shoulder: "Your sworn brother is right. The more you care, the more you lose. Feng Qi, I hope you won't blame me for intervening today!"
The Northern Li dynasty has existed for so long, it's all in accordance with fate, and your father's destiny was also predetermined. You are still young, and you have a long road ahead of you!
Xiao Ruofeng's gaze shifted between Wen Yanzhao and Nangong Chunshui before he closed his eyes in anguish.
"Thank you, Master and my sworn brother. There have been too many changes today. The future of Beili is not something I can control alone. I... I just want to be alone right now."
After saying this, Xiao Ruofeng cupped his hands in greeting to the two men, then turned and led Ye Xiaoying and a group of Imperial Guards back to Tianqi City.
Nangong Chunshui and Wen Yanzhao watched Xiao Ruofeng's departing figure and sighed at the same time.
Just then, Baili Dongjun suddenly darted between the two, gazing in the direction Xiao Ruofeng had left, and sighed:
"I can understand my junior brother's situation. He has endured more than any of us. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to make the best of both worlds either. I hope he can see things more clearly and find his own path soon!"
……