Embers of Sword

Chapter 746 Begging
Night falls over the Xining ferry crossing.

A few lights flickered in the wind, reflecting the painful groans.

"Ok?"

The servants and attendants of the mansion gathered by the haystacks at the dock and distributed silver coins when they suddenly noticed the lights flickering.

Turning around suddenly, they saw a figure standing behind them, seemingly out of nowhere.

"What the hell... Who are you?!"

The servant was startled. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the figure was thin and not very tall. His black clothes fluttered in the wind, giving off a chilling aura.

Today, we have distinguished guests at the ferry crossing. Apart from this cargo ship, no other vessels have docked.

Could this guy be the laborer who unloaded the cargo with the cook earlier?
No.

It doesn't look like it.

This physique doesn't look like that of a laborer who can unload cargo at a ferry dock.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi remained silent, only watching the several young men groaning in pain beneath him.

Many people said.

He was a killer who could strike fear into the hearts of evil cultivators in the southern borderlands.

In some ways, he was more like a demon than a demon himself.

But nobody knows.

This demon is, most of the time, "compassionate".

Tap your fingers gently.

A wisp of snow-white primordial energy swept from Xie Xuanyi's sleeve. He split a strand of the Dao of Life into several smaller strands, which entered the mouths and noses of the groaning people on the ground. Soon, the dock and ferry crossing quieted down. Of course, Xie Xuanyi was not "merciful" enough to use his Dao Realm to save the lives of these suffering people.

He had no intention of interfering in this cause and effect; even if he could temporarily save these poor people, it would only be a temporary solution.

Such is the state of affairs when one leaves the country.

At the bottom, people fight amongst themselves, bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

Healed today, but will still be bullied and humiliated tomorrow...

Therefore, he simply used his Dao Realm power to put these people to sleep. Having finally managed to enter Li Kingdom through the Fangyuanfang cargo ship, he still needed to keep a low profile and try not to attract the attention of the Iron Curtain. Li Kingdom's hook-and-pincher masters were everywhere, and if he made a move, he might leave traces for others to trace.

"What the hell? I'm asking you a question!"

When a servant from the Marquis's residence received no response, he immediately stepped forward, reached out his hand, and tried to grab Xie Xuanyi's collar.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi glanced at it indifferently.

Just a glance!
Pfft!
The waiter's stride was incredibly smooth, but after taking a big step, he knelt down heavily, kowtowed, and prostrated himself on the ground.

"???"

The head servant nearly dropped his jaw in astonishment at the sight.

There was no rioting.

At this moment, the Xining ferry crossing was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Xie Xuanyi compressed his "divine sense" to the extreme, covering an area of ​​ten zhang in radius, so that no birds landed and no river water surged.

He stretched out his palm and gently pressed it on the servant's head.

Soul Searching... This is a technique that is extremely harmful to the victim.

However, despite the vast difference in their divine seas, Xie Xuanyi maintained the integrity of the "subject's" divine sea.

A cultivator's spiritual sea is as fragile as tofu.

The technique of soul searching will inevitably provoke fierce resistance; the victim will resist the spell's arrival with all their might.

In this way, the tofu will break.

But at this moment, Xie Xuanyi easily grasped and completely stripped away the "divine sea" of this servant of the Marquis's mansion, and next... it will be completely returned.

Information from the Marquis of Xining's residence flooded into Xie Xuanyi's mind at an extremely rapid pace.

Over the years, the Crown Prince and the Ninth Prince have been vying for power.

Nalan Xuance manipulates the Dali Dynasty with the "Iron Curtain," and has a total of seven marquises under his command, each stationed in a strategically important region.

Zhu Gong, the Marquis of Xining, was one of them.

Of the seven marquises, six were at the Yin Spirit Realm.

Zhu Gong was an exception.

Among the seven marquises, he was the only one with a "grotto-heaven" status, yet he was highly regarded by the crown prince!

Xie Xuanyi had been traveling in the Divine World for five years and knew the Great Li Dynasty inside and out.

The power struggle between the Crown Prince and the Ninth Prince was extremely fierce... In the final stages of the battle, both sides suffered heavy casualties.

This seemingly insignificant "Zhu Gong" not only survived to the end, but also successfully advanced to the Yin God Realm!

This guy has some tricks up his sleeve.

After counting the interest.

Xie Xuanyi released his grip, and the head servant slowly slumped to the ground, his eyes vacant.

"The intelligence from the Marquis of Xining's residence is pretty much as I expected."

The causes and effects that occur in the world of the spirit should not be taken entirely as fact.

Xie Xuanyi confirmed that the Marquis of Xining was still the same Marquis of Xining, smooth and shrewd in his dealings with others, leaving no room for error. Zhu Gong had no sons; his only relative was a "nephew," the former Young Master Zhu, Zhu Shuo.

In his early years, Zhu Gong had an elder brother who took great care of him. Unfortunately, his elder brother died young from illness. Therefore, he treated his nephew as his own son and loved him dearly.

"Zhu Gong is a cunning old fox. He usually keeps a low profile and is very shrewd."

Xie Xuanyi stared expressionlessly in the direction where Young Master Zhu had left: "This Zhu Shuo acts with utter recklessness... he seems unafraid of making enemies..."

……

……

Xining City, Baoyue Tower, top-floor private room.

Snowflakes fluttered in the wind, zithers and lutes played in harmony, and flowing gauze floated gently as layers of silk were laid out with the moonlight.

Zhu Shuo sat at the head of the table, drinking alone, his cheeks slightly flushed, as if he were immersed in the music.

the other side.

Xie Yueying sat silently, while the bronze ox stood in service.

The song is over.

Zhu Shuo slowly opened his eyes and said with a smile, "Miss Yueying, I specially invited a musician from Qianzhou to play this 'Yangchun Baixue'. What do you think?"

"..."

Xie Yueying was silent for a moment, then said seriously, "Young Master Zhu, I am just an ordinary person and cannot tell the difference between good and bad music."

"Oh?"

Young Master Zhu smiled and said, "Miss Yueying doesn't usually listen to music?"

"I never listen to that."

Xie Yueying shook her head and said frankly.

"Music...is a good thing."

As he smiled, Young Master Zhu leaned closer and said, "If Miss Yueying is to have more contact with Xining City in the future, she will inevitably have to learn some music."

Before Xie Yueying could speak...

Young Master Zhu then asked, "Miss Yueying, what do you usually do if you don't listen to music?"

"Sword practice."

Xie Yueying lowered her eyes and said softly, "Before vanquishing the demons in the Southern Frontier, Yueying only did one thing... and that was to practice swordsmanship."

Although the Xie family was the largest clan in Jiangning.

But its foundation is ultimately unstable.

Because of their connections with powerful figures, they rose to prominence and have enjoyed seemingly boundless glory over the years... but in reality, their foundation is weak, as can be seen when compared to the Qin family. With the Qin ancestor presiding over them for hundreds of years, the Qin family has long established itself as the number one martial arts family in Da Chu. In addition, wave after wave of talented young people have emerged within the family.

The only notable member of the Xie family in the past century is Xie Xuanyi.

The Xie family's rise to power was due to their stepping on Xie Xuanyi.

In Xie Yueying's eyes, the so-called Crimson Dragon Prince Xie Sheng... was nothing more than a figure forcibly elevated to a divine status.

"Sword practice?"

Young Master Zhu was somewhat surprised, but still smiled and said, "I consider myself well-informed... but a 'sincere person' like Miss Yueying is truly rare. I wonder if you would be so kind as to perform a dance for me?" "Perform a dance?"

Xie Yueying frowned.

Standing to one side, Bronze Ox couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Zhu, what did you say... what does 'offering a dance' mean?"

"The meaning of 'offering a dance' is naturally to offer a dance."

Zhu Shuo smiled and said, "Didn't Miss Xie say that she practices swordsmanship every day? The dancers I invited back from Qianzhou also practice swordsmanship every day."

After saying that, he raised his sleeve and patted it lightly.

The curtain rises.

A dozen or so young women, dressed in revealing clothing and possessing both beautiful voices and faces, filed in.

The music resumed.

These young women, each holding a sword, danced to the music.

"..."

Xie Yueying's face stiffened and her expression turned ugly when she saw this.

The Bronze Bull couldn't hold back any longer and wanted to lash out.

But this time, Xie Yueying still managed to suppress him.

"The sword I practice is different from theirs."

Xie Yueying pressed down her white bamboo hat and said seriously, "Young Master Zhu, the sword I practice is a sword for killing."

"it's the same."

Zhu Shuo smiled and began to speak, but then looked up halfway through: "They are all ruthless killers. Countless tall, handsome men have lost their souls and become weak in the knees after just one night with them... Brother, do you want to give it a try?"

"!"

The bronze bull glared angrily, its hooves bulging, and its face flushed with shame.

"Young Master Zhu—"

A helpless sigh rang out from the room.

Xie Yueying took a light breath, her tone no longer as polite as before.

She gritted her teeth and said, "The reason Yueying is attending the banquet tonight is because of the long-standing friendship between the Xie family and the Xining family... Please don't make things difficult for me anymore. I only want to see the Marquis of Xining."

"Simple, simple, no problem."

Zhu Shuo said calmly, "You want to see my uncle, simply because the Xie family has collapsed... I've heard that after the fall of Renshou Palace, Jiangning was purged again. Over the years, the Xie family has been domineering and oppressive, suppressing and making things difficult for countless small clans. Now, these people are all holding their breath and want to fight the Xie family to the death, so they're taking this opportunity to settle scores."

In the phrase.

Xie Yueying's expression turned even uglier.

Because Zhu Shuo was absolutely right, the Xie family is now in a very difficult situation. During the years when Xie Zhisui relied on Renshou Palace, he offended many enemies. However, the Xie family was too powerful, and those small fry who were suppressed by the Xie family, even if they harbored resentment, did not dare to resist at all.

Now that the wall has fallen, everyone is pushing it down.

If Xie Zhisui were still alive, the situation would be somewhat better...

This was, after all, a powerful expert at the Yin God Realm.

But Lady Xie even collapsed in front of Renshou Palace!

In the battle against the demons in the Southern Frontier, the Xie clan was almost completely wiped out... The prince died, and several venerable elders revered within the clan also perished in battle. The entire royal palace became an empty shell overnight. The clan elders held an emergency meeting, intending to seek help from the imperial palace. However, what happened next was a series of devastating blows, leaving them unable to accept it.

A confluence of causes and effects has led to the current situation.

Jiangning had long suffered under the Xie family's rule. Now that Chen Jingxuan was in control of the court, the fact that the Xie family's royal family was allowed to continue its lineage was already considered magnanimous. The vast wealth accumulated by the royal family over many years was completely divided up in just a few days, and the greedy advisors who had come because of the "Xie family's" reputation took the opportunity to escape.

Now, the Xie family is truly just an empty shell.

This is also the reason why Xie Yueying visited Xining City this time... Within the territory of Da Chu, it would be difficult for the Xie family to find any more "friends".

Look at the Buddha's face without looking at the monk's face.

The Xie family offended too many people back then.

Those sacred places and aristocratic families outside of Jiangning, even if they have a past relationship with the Xie family, will not act rashly at this moment, for fear of angering Chen Jingxuan... Who knows if this young national teacher is truly "benevolent and magnanimous," or if he is deliberately letting the Xie family prolong its life as bait?
therefore.

The only way out for the Xie family now is to leave Chujing.

It was common knowledge that the Prince of Jiangning had close ties with several important figures in the Li Kingdom. After all, before the Demon Suppression, the Xie family had been publicly accused of "treason." However, only Xie Zhisui knew about these relationships, and the elders in the clan's ancestral hall had almost gone bald from worrying so much before they came up with a solution.

Xining!

Marquis Zhu Gong of Xining had a good relationship with the Prince of Jiangning's Mansion.

Over the years, whenever there was a festival, Marquis Zhu Gong of Xining would send people to deliver gifts, which were quite valuable.

Xie Yueying, acting on her family's orders, crossed the sea to see the Marquis of Xining... The Xie family was on the verge of ruin and destruction; if the Marquis of Xining were willing to lend a helping hand, at least they could overcome their current difficulties. In truth, the elders of the clan were well aware of how ridiculous and absurd this idea was.

But people always harbor illusions even in desperate situations.

The Marquis of Xining was only at the Cave Heaven Realm. Although the Xie Clan had declined, there were still several Cave Heaven Realm members in the clan.

Although we haven't been in contact for a year, what if I visit in person and still have a chance to be received?

just in case……

What if?
These old folks knew that this wishful thinking was unlikely to come true. They wanted to give it a try, but they also cared about their reputation. So they sent out the only young man in the clan who was willing to stick it out and who was also the only one they could be proud of.

This is the background and context of Xie Yueying's trip.

"You've come to see my uncle..."

Zhu Shuo smiled and said, "You want to restore trade between the Xie family and Xining City? Do you think that's possible?"

With just one word, Xie Yueying swallowed back all the words she had prepared.

The Xie family was once the second most prominent family in Da Chu.

In the entire Jiangning region, his word is law.

That was a powerful family that countless people would beg to cooperate with—

Now, the Xie family is a disliked family by everyone.

In this critical moment, who will come to the rescue?
Even if you lend a hand, you might not be able to save them, and you might even end up getting yourself killed.

"Over the years, there has been a backlog of payments due to trade between Jiangning and Xining."

Xie Yueying changed her mind. She took a deep breath and said seriously, "This payment should have been settled a year ago... Now I want to get this payment back. Jiangning deserves it."

a year ago.

There is a debt of nearly one million taels in Xining City that has not been repaid.

For cultivators, money is an external thing, but now... Xie Yueying's "purity" is no longer acceptable. Her family is in dire need of these worldly possessions.

She had already prepared for the worst.

If he cannot see the Marquis of Xining, then he will demand what Xining owes him.

"Is it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shuo replied with an indifferent expression: "How come I don't remember? Is there such a thing?"

"..."

Xining City's attitude was not unexpected. Xie Yueying silently looked at the young master in front of her.

She knows better than anyone.

What will happen if someone visits Xining?

When the Xie family ran into trouble, the withholding of payments in Xining already foreshadowed the outcome.

"Miss Xie, there's no need to look at me like that."

Zhu Shuo and Xie Yueying looked at each other for a moment, then Zhu Shuo smiled again. He patted the seat next to him and said softly, "Actually, you don't need to see my uncle at all, because he has long since stopped dealing with the trade affairs of Xining City... I'm now in charge of these messy accounts myself. I know the Xie family is short of money right now. As long as Miss Xie agrees to one request of mine... the million taels of silver owed will be credited to your account before dawn tomorrow."

Xie Yueying narrowed her eyes.

"I, Zhu, have no real talent; I was just lucky to be born into a good family..."

Zhu Shuo sighed, resting his chin on his hand, and said with a troubled expression, "Actually, I also want to cultivate and live forever, at least to live a few more years and spend more time with my uncle. But I really don't have that talent. All I can do is listen to music, enjoy the music, and live for the moment without regrets."

"To be honest, this is not the first time we have met."

He looked up and said with emotion, "Three years ago, I visited the Xie family in person, and I fell in love with the young lady at first sight."

"?"

Xie Yueying was taken aback.

"With a beautiful woman by my side, the spring night is too short."

After going around in circles, the truth was finally revealed.

Zhu Shuo smiled and said, "If Miss Yueying is willing to spend the night with me... all those previous troubles will no longer be troubles."

(End of this chapter)