usatvline Chapter 108 Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue set off for the capital!
Chapter 108 Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue set off for the capital!
Chapter 108 Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue set off for the capital!
Baiyun City.
Ye Gucheng stood in his own courtyard, facing the moonlight, and poured himself a drink.
At this moment, a person dressed in black, moving stealthily, sneaked into Ye Gucheng's courtyard.
"Lord Ye, this is a letter from my master to you."
The man in black respectfully handed a letter to Ye Gucheng.
Ye Gucheng drank a glass of cold wine, his gaze lingering on the letter for a long time before finally taking it.
Upon opening the letter, one finds it written in the handwriting of Zhu Chongyao, the heir apparent of the Southern Prince. The letter states that Zhu Houzhao has approved the requests of these princes to enter the capital and instructs Ye Gucheng to make preparations in advance.
At the end of the letter, Zhu Chongyao stated that he had already set off for the capital and asked Ye Gucheng when he planned to depart.
Ye Gucheng put down the letter and said calmly, "Go back and tell your master that I, Ye Gucheng, will set off for the capital immediately."
"Yes."
The man in black nodded, then hesitated for a moment before asking again, "My master also wants to ask, what are the chances of the City Lord defeating Ximen Chuixue?"
Ye Gucheng looked at the man in black, his cold eyes devoid of any emotion, yet filled with a chilling sword intent.
The man in black was startled and quickly explained, "Lord City Lord, please don't misunderstand. My master didn't mean to question you, but the matter is of great importance, that's why—"
Ye Gucheng lowered his eyes and focused his gaze back on the pot of light wine in front of him.
"Go back and tell your master that no matter who wins or loses my duel with Ximen Chuixue, it won't affect his plans."
"yes!"
The man in black dared not linger any longer and quickly bowed and took his leave.
After the man in black left, Ye Gucheng reached out and touched the sword beside him.
This sword was forged by the elite of overseas cold iron, capable of cutting hair with a single blow. The blade is three feet and three inches long, and the net weight is six pounds and four ounces.
lonely.
This was Ye Gucheng's deepest feeling; he had been lonely for far too long in this boring world.
Seeking defeat.
This is what Ye Gucheng desires most. He has been invincible in the world for too long. He has forgotten who the last person was who deserved his second sword strike, and on what day it was.
At this moment, his heart, which had been calm for so long, finally began to beat rapidly.
The battle with Ximen Chuixue in the Forbidden City gave him a long-lost thrill and made him realize that he was still alive.
He knew he might die in this battle, but he wasn't afraid to die.
Or rather, he longed to die.
He longed to die at the hands of someone worthy of being called an adversary, to die a glorious and earth-shattering death. He didn't value human life, whether it was someone else's or his own.
Loneliness and solitude are more terrifying than death.
Ye Gucheng gripped his sword tightly. For a moment, the sword in his hand trembled slightly, as if it, like its master, longed for an earth-shattering duel.
Ye Gucheng made a move.
His ethereal white robes shimmered in the moonlight, and in a few leaps, he had already left Baiyun City and Flying Immortal Island in the South China Sea.
He was heading to the capital, to face a situation where there was no chance of survival!
Wanmei Mountain Villa.
Ximen Chuixue leaned against the window, holding the sword in his arms, and opened his eyes.
He's gone.
"Who? Who left?"
Sun Xiuqing, Ximen Chuixue's wife and one of the Four Beauties of Emei, asked in confusion.
"Ye Gucheng".
-
After Ximen Chuixue uttered those three words, Wanmei Manor fell silent, and both of them fell into silence.
Sun Xiuqing stroked her slightly protruding belly, her heart filled with bitterness.
"Is it okay if I don't go?"
Ximen Chuixue did not answer, but stared blankly at the sword in his arms.
The sword is black, pitch black, long and narrow, ancient, and the sharpest weapon in the world. Its blade is three feet and seven inches long, and its net weight is seven pounds and thirteen ounces.
Sun Xiuqing looked at Ximen Chuixue, dressed in white with a black sword, standing in the moonlight, and forcibly suppressed the sadness in her heart before turning away.
Before that challenge was issued, Sun Xiuqing always felt that her future life with Ximen Chuixue would be very happy and fulfilling.
Ye Gucheng's challenge rekindled Ximen Chuixue's pursuit of swordsmanship, but also caused their relationship to gradually drift apart.
Sun Xiuqing knew that Ximen Chuixue was, at heart, a very lonely person.
Loneliness is rare on the path of swordsmanship, making it difficult to find a worthy opponent and to achieve further breakthroughs in the art.
Ye Gucheng is an opponent that Ximen Chuixue acknowledges, and the only opponent for whom he is willing to go all out.
The opportunity to fight Ye Gucheng was an inevitable tribulation he had to go through on his path of pursuing the way of the sword.
He couldn't not go.
"I'm leaving now. Take care."
Ximen Chuixue looked at Sun Xiuqing when a night wind suddenly blew, scattering plum blossoms all over the courtyard.
"Fubuki, promise me and our child that you'll come back alive, okay?"
Sun Xiuqing knew that she couldn't stop Ximen Chuixue from going to this duel, just as she couldn't stop herself from falling hopelessly in love with Ximen Chuixue.
Her wish was very small, so small that she only hoped that Ximen Chuixue could return to her side alive, nothing more.
Ximen Chuixue did not answer, because he was not confident of winning against Ye Gucheng.
But this duel will not end with a mere skirmish; it must end with the death of one of the two sides.
Like Ye Gucheng, Ximen Chuixue was not afraid of death.
But that was before. Now, Ximen Chuixue has a wife and an unborn child, and his heart is no longer as cold as it used to be.
"I will come back."
Ximen Chuixue lied; this was the first time in his life he had ever lied.
Ximen Chuixue moved, his white robes fluttering, his whereabouts unknown. In just a few breaths, he had completely left Wanmei Manor.
Sun Xiuqing stroked her swollen belly, looked in the direction where Ximen Chuixue had disappeared, and two lines of clear tears fell to the ground.
Meanwhile, Ximen Chuixue's figure was rapidly approaching the capital!
He, too, was prepared to die, to embark on a mission where he disregarded life and death!
The towering city walls of the capital gradually came into Zhu Wushi's view.
Sitting on his horse, Zhu Wushi gazed at the magnificent capital city before him, his heart filled with countless emotions, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh—
gas.
He finally returned to the city where he had lived since childhood, after spending half his life away from it.
Memories flashed before my eyes, but everything had changed.
He still remembers the time when he was a boy, studying and learning to read with the late Emperor Zhu Youcheng in this city.
That was during the Chenghua era.
At that time, his and Zhu Youcheng's fate was already sealed.
Zhu Youtang was the crown prince personally appointed by the emperor and was the first legitimate heir to the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Wushi, however, was merely a vassal king.
Later, during the Hongzhi era, he left the capital and established the Hulong Villa.
It wasn't until now, when the reign title of the Ming Dynasty had changed to Zhengde, that he was able to return to the capital.
Nearly twenty years have passed in this period!
"My lord, the capital is just ahead. Let's hurry and enter the city!"
As he approached his hometown, he grew increasingly timid. Zhu Wushi instinctively stopped his horse, causing the entire column to halt.
To avoid suspicion, Zhu Wushi ordered Duan Tianya and his men to lead imperial spies into the city in batches. Therefore, at this time, only the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals were with Zhu Wushi.
Zhu Wushi, after being reminded, finally came to his senses, quickly pulled on the reins, and headed back towards the capital.
After easily passing the entry inspection by the Five City Garrison Command, Zhu Wushi and his entourage entered the capital.
Upon entering the capital, Zhu Wushi immediately sensed the presence of many more martial arts figures.
They have fierce faces and a thuggish manner, and often resort to violence and fighting to satisfy their momentary verbal sparring.
At the same time, Zhu Wushi keenly sensed that the capital was outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense.
The streets and alleys of the entire capital were filled with secret agents and constables hiding among them.
They all disguised themselves as ordinary people and integrated into the everyday life of the city.
However, their eyes and ears were constantly monitoring every move within the capital.
These imperial guards and constables were so well hidden that ordinary people and martial arts masters could hardly detect them.
Only someone like Zhu Wushi, with his exceptional martial arts skills and extensive experience as a spy, could sense it.
It seems that the capital city is starting to get lively.
Zhu Wushi frowned, pondering to himself.
Just as he was thinking of meeting up with Duan Tianya and the others from the Dragon Guard Manor, Cao Zhengchun, the Director of the Eastern Depot, appeared before him with a smile.
"Cao Zhengchun greets Lord Shenhou. How have you been?"
Zhu Wushi and Cao Zhengchun were old acquaintances. They were wary of each other, tested each other, and took advantage of each other.
"Eunuch Cao, how have you been?"
Zhu Wushi was not surprised to see Cao Zhengchun.
The streets are full of spies from the Eastern Depot; he's probably been targeted by Cao Zhengchun as soon as he arrived in the capital.
Zhu Wushi said calmly, "I've heard that the Eastern Depot's office is loose on the outside but tight on the inside, with numerous traps and strong defenses, so that even a fly can hardly get in."
"Has Eunuch Cao come to invite me to your Eastern Depot for tea?"
Zhu Wushi's words were a veiled sarcasm, but Cao Zhengchun merely smiled and said, "If Lord Shenhou is interested in our Eastern Depot, there will be plenty of opportunities to come and have tea there, but not now."
"His Majesty has specifically instructed that after the Marquis arrives in the capital, he should immediately go to the palace for a discussion."
"His Majesty has been waiting for the Divine Marquis in the palace for a long time. Please come in, Divine Marquis."
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Cao Zhengchun bowed slightly and paid his respects to Zhu Wushi.
Zhu Wushi's pupils contracted, his brows furrowed slightly, and his expression became serious.
From the moment he entered the capital, he was closely monitored by a large number of imperial guards.
Now, without giving him any time to adjust, he was immediately summoned to the palace.
It seems that this emperor's nephew values his imperial uncle very much!
Zhu Wushi sneered and nodded: "Since Your Majesty has given the order, I dare not disobey."
"Eunuch Cao, lead the way."
"Lord Divine Marquis, please!"
Cao Zhengchun led the way, guiding Zhu Wushi smoothly to the most heavily guarded place in the land.
The Forbidden City!