Aoyama

Chapter 174 Going and Returning

Under the dense white mourning curtain, in front of the coffin.

Chen Ji silently looked at the scattered silver and money on the ground, and suddenly understood what the real trump card of the escort officer's method was. The most cautious and fearful person with the heaviest gambling nature chose a method of cultivation that best suited him.

At this time, Master Liu ran outside, shouting all the way: "Where are the Black Guards? Chase that Feng guy back. We must not let the Tiger Armored Cavalry fall into his hands!"

Several men in black quietly emerged from the alley: "Master Liu, please be patient, we will go after him."

In front of the Liu family mansion, Master Liu had a few pigeons brought to the black-clad guards, and carefully instructed them: "You are no match for that Feng. Divide your troops into seven groups and go to the Tiger Armor Camp to find General Yang to expose that Feng. If General Yang doesn't believe it, ask him to come to the Liu family mansion to ask the master in person! If this is successful, write a letter immediately and let the pigeons bring it back!"

A black-clad guard hesitated and said, "But Mr. Feng... the man surnamed Feng holds a tiger talisman. The Tiger Armor Camp only recognizes military talismans, not people!"

Master Liu said in a deep voice: "We can only give it a try, go quickly!"

"Yes!"

The black-clad guards put the pigeons in their arms, mounted their horses and rode out into the night.

Master Liu held onto the door frame, anxiously waiting. Less than an incense stick of time passed before a pigeon flapped its wings and flew back.

Master Liu was startled, and immediately stretched out his hand to let the pigeon land on his wrist. An armored soldier reminded him, "Master Liu, there is blood on the pigeon's feathers."

"It's the blood of the Black Guards," said Master Liu, his eyes uncertain, "Someone ambushed and killed the Black Guards outside!"

Everyone looked up towards the gate. The dark sky was like an abyss that was ready to eat anyone it could ever find and could never be filled.

Master Liu's face turned pale, and he shouted, "Close the gate, light torches in the sentry tower, and no one is allowed to open the door without my order!"

Chen Ji and several soldiers pushed the heavy vermilion lacquered door slowly closed. When the two doors were closed, the Liu family mansion became a heavily defended city.

Master Liu suddenly turned around and walked towards the ancestral hall: "I'm going to look for the master!"

Chen Ji and other soldiers followed him through the long alley, only to see Master Liu coming to the gate of the ancestral hall and kneeling on the ground: "Master, we have all been deceived by Feng Wenzheng! I said before that the generals of the Tiger Armored Cavalry had been in trouble one after another, and it must be this Feng who was secretly obstructing. This man is full of lies and never tells the truth..."

At this moment, Chen Ji and Master Liu felt the same way.

That Mr. Feng seemed like a liar who was both good and evil, chaotic and powerful.

The other party walked freely on the edge of the knife, playing everyone around, and Chen Ji couldn't tell which of the other party's words were true and which were lies.

Master Liu continued, "Master, it is too late to call back other troops now. The most urgent thing is to send someone to find General Zhou and order him to bring the Elephant Armor Battalion to help..."

Elder Liu in the ancestral hall ignored Master Liu. He just turned his back to everyone and slowly looked up at the mountain-like tablet on the main niche. He sighed and said, "If Feng Wenzheng really started to set up this plan seven years ago, then it's all over... Prince Jing is harming me."

Master Liu suddenly looked at the back of Elder Liu who was kneeling and said, "Master, we can't just sit there and wait to die!"

"Of course we can't just sit there and wait for death, that's not decent," Elder Liu stood up and smoothed his grey robe, "beat the drums, open the court, burn incense, draw the death lot, and offer sacrifices to the flag!"

……

……

At the hour of Mao, the sky was slightly brighter and a pale sky appeared in the east.

Deep inside the high walls of the Liu family mansion, there was a loud drumming sound, which became more and more urgent.

In each house of the mansion, clan members of the Liu family rushed over after hearing the drum sounds.

Master Liu led the soldiers to push open the narrow doors of the mansion. Hundreds of black-clad warriors filed in through the doors and finally gathered densely in front of the ancestral hall, filling the open space and alleys in front of the ancestral hall.

No one spoke, just looked at the ancestral hall solemnly.

Lord Liu took out the death lottery that had been sealed under the tribute case for a long time, and a lottery tube filled with sixteen bamboo sticks.

He wiped a lottery stick with his sleeve and said slowly, "I was going to lead you to start a rebellion, but I didn't expect to be plotted against and made a big mistake. Today, I will open the ancestral temple. Those who draw the death lottery will join me to fight the enemy, and those who don't will leave through the back door. Someone will escort you quietly south and take a boat to Java Island. I have ordered my eldest son to buy property there a few years ago, which is enough for you to live. Remember, never return to Ning Dynasty."

Everyone thought that Liu Gun's eldest son had already been ordained as a monk at Yuanjue Temple in the capital, but they did not expect that the Liu family had already used a substitute and sent him to Java Island.

As Liu Ge Lao said, what aristocratic families seek is not 'victory', but 'invincibility', so that they can last long.

Over the past thirty-one years, the Liu family has been striving for constant victory, but there is no such thing as always winning in life.

Master Liu begged, "Master, why don't you go? That speedboat can carry more than a hundred people! I have already established a foothold in Java Island, and you can make a comeback there!"

Liu Ge Lao smiled and said, "If I don't die, the one in Renshou Palace will not be able to sleep. I stay here to give him an explanation. Beat the drum!"

The drum beats became more intense again, and the clean lottery stick tube was passed among the crowd. Everyone silently drew his own lottery stick. Some people who drew the live lottery stick cried for joy, and there was also a father who secretly gave the live lottery stick to his son; some people who drew the dead lottery stick remained silent, and some people who were unwilling to give up cried so hard that they fainted.

Liu Ge Lao stood on the steps of the ancestral hall, looking very old. After an incense stick, the person who drew the live lot left the ancestral hall under the guidance of several black-clad guards, and no one knew where he went. The person who drew the dead lot wrapped his head with white cloth, and everyone was in mourning.

Master Liu suddenly said, "Master, Prince Jing is still in our house. He played an indispensable role in the Liu family's misfortune!"

Elder Liu was silent for a long time: "Bring him here and use him as a sacrifice!"

Chen Ji's heart sank.

Master Liu turned to the black-clad warriors and said, "Go! Bring the prince, the crown prince, and the princess here! Offer them as sacrifices!"

Chen Ji watched as more than a dozen black-clad warriors turned around and left. He wanted to follow them, but he had no reason to do so.

How to do?
At this moment, a scream suddenly came from the watchtower of the Liu family mansion, interrupting Master Liu's thoughts.

Hundreds of people looked back and saw a meteor flying across the dark sky, piercing through the death soldiers on the watchtower.

When the meteor died down, the sky darkened again, as if nothing had happened.

The darkness paused for a moment, and then seemed to pause for a very long time. The next moment, meteors suddenly burst out like rain, brilliant as the Milky Way, piercing through all the death soldiers on more than a dozen watchtowers!
The sound of heavy iron hooves was heard outside the Liu family mansion. The sound spread from the north to the east and west, surrounding this huge mansion that had stood for hundreds of years.

At this time, a soldier who was shot in the abdomen lay on the sentry tower and shouted with his last strength: "The Jiefan Guards are here! The Qiansui Army is here too!"

Master Liu roared: "Where are the Tiger Armored Cavalry?"

The assassin was already silent.

The Tiger Armored Cavalry that was supposed to block the road for defense was taken away by Mr. Feng to an unknown place. The Qiansui Army and the Jiefan Guards penetrated the Liu family's defense line and came directly in front of them.

Master Liu said in a fierce voice: "The Thousand-Year-Old Army is here too. What a great Prince Jing, what a great Thousand-Year-Old Army! Where are the soldiers... Wait, why is there one less soldier?"

At this time, Elder Liu sighed softly: "Your Majesty, Prince Jing, and the eunuch party have been planning for my Liu family for many years. It is not unfair that they lost. Master, take people to stop them and buy some time for the clansmen who have drawn the live lot."

Master Liu led his men to rush to the gate for support: "Go to the gate quickly and stop them. Don't let them rush in..."

Before he could finish his words, there was a loud bang and the Liu family's front door was broken open from the outside. The two doors slowly fell down, raising a cloud of dust that stirred in the air.

The black-clad warriors in front of the door wanted to see the person coming through the dust, but they could only see a blurry figure slowly emerging from the dust.

A few breaths later, a man in white clothes and a white mask stepped through the threshold. He fanned the dust in front of him with his right hand and smiled as he looked at the hundreds of assassins crowded in the alley in front of him: "Wow, so many people here?"

The white mask was painted with light golden dragon patterns using gilding techniques. According to the rules of the Ning and Jing dynasties, anyone who wore a dragon pattern would have his property confiscated and be executed, unless the item with the dragon pattern was bestowed by the emperor himself.

Master Liu felt as if he was facing a formidable enemy: "Bai Long?!"

Bai Long took out a token from his sleeve as if no one was around, and said slowly, "Here is the royal banner. Anyone who sees it should kneel down and bow as if I were here in person."

Master Liu and his assassins had no expression on their faces and did not move.

Bai Long smiled and said, "If you don't want to kneel, forget it. Everyone present here will be sentenced to death anyway."

Master Liu said coldly: "Master Bailong really thinks highly of my Liu family and actually came here in person."

Bai Long laughed: "It might be unsafe if I don't come in person."

Master Liu's face was grim: "My Liu family will not surrender..."

Before he finished speaking, a voice suddenly came from above their heads: "I advise you not to move, or I will kill you first."

Master Liu looked up and saw Jiaotu and Yunyang wearing black suits on the roof on the left side of the alley.

Jiaotu sat on the high eaves of the roof, her legs dangling in the air, and Yunyang stood beside her with his hands crossed in front of his chest. The two of them looked down at the assassins with smiles on their faces.

Master Liu was incredulous and said, "You... weren't you exiled to Lingnan?!"

Jiaotu played with the jade pendant on his collar button and said with a smile, "The climate in Lingnan is hot and humid, and there are many poisonous insects. We didn't want to go on halfway."

A voice came from the other side: "Master Liu, if you don't want to die, put down the weapons in your hands."

When Master Liu turned around again, he saw Golden Pig and Dream Chicken standing on the roof on the other side, trapping hundreds of assassins in the alley!

White dragon, Pegasus, and golden pig.

Dream of chicken, bright rabbit and cloud sheep.

Six zodiac signs are here!

(End of this chapter)