Madam, please listen to my explanation.

Chapter 146 Xiaoyao
Am I finally going to die?

Despite uttering incredibly cruel words, the woman's tone was remarkably calm, even carrying a hint of relief.

"This is the first time in so long that I've seen Brother Jingyu so clearly in my dream." Zhou Congjia reached out one hand, wanting to touch the man in front of her.

Yet she feared that all of this was just a mirage, and that it would shatter just like before if she touched it even slightly.

"Congjia. It's me, it really is me."

"Stop lying." Zhou Congjia gave a bitter smile. "Brother Jingyu's appearance has already been ruined. Even his voice became extremely hoarse after swallowing the sword."
Only in dreams will it look like this.
"How wonderful, if I could die in my dreams, I could never wake up again."

Before he knew it, Zhao Jingyu was already in tears.

He simply stopped absorbing the life force from the leaf on his chest and voluntarily stopped his body's self-healing.

Fine cracks began to appear on his face, neck, hands, and all other exposed skin. In an instant, the man who had just been handsome became a blood-soaked figure.

He cupped Zhou Congjia's face in his hands and said, word by word:

"It really is me. It's not Meng Congjia. I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. I've made you suffer so much."

"Brother Jingyu?"

Under the cover of his divine sense, nothing could escape Zhao Jingyu's perception.

He knew better than anyone how many hidden injuries and ailments this woman had.

If I had hesitated any longer...
Even if it's just a few days later
Without anyone lifting a finger, I'm afraid I'll truly never see her again.
Not far away, the fat man with a face full of scars was desperately crawling forward with his two remaining arms.

Zhao Jingyu narrowed his eyes, and two invisible sword energies whistled past!

"what!!!"

Zhou Lushan continued to swing his arm forward, but his wrist was now empty.

He couldn't kill the other person so easily.
That would be far too lenient on him.
With a thought, countless dense sword energies appeared behind him.

With just a thought, he could tear that person to pieces!

With his current level of control over his power, he can guarantee that he can only inflict pain on his opponent without killing them, until the very last sword strike!
"Jingyu, run!"

"You shouldn't have come looking for me. They're here again!"

"again?"

Zhao Jingyu keenly noticed the problem in the other party's statement.

Suddenly, two figures appeared in mid-air.

The person on the left is wearing a dark blue robe, with slightly graying temples.

He appeared to be an ordinary person, without revealing any aura, yet his feet stood firmly in the void.

Beside him stood an old man with a wrinkled face and a long beard, holding a fine iron spear.

The spearhead pointed straight at the sky, and even the clouds above seemed to give way, creating a huge hole.

"Zhao Jingyu, as a Saint, you not only trespassed into my Great Zhou Kingdom, but also attacked the General! Could it be that you intend to break the agreement?!"

The old man with the gun roared, his voice shaking the surrounding area like rolling thunder.

Lin Que from Heavenly Blade and Hu Yanwei from Soul-Chasing Spear?
"But I'm already here."

Even when facing two people of similar cultivation level to himself, he remained fearless.

"What kind of bullshit rules are these? What do I care about the agreements between you bunch of old fogies?"

“Bold!!!”
-
"Zhao Jingyu, you utterly useless bastard! What are you doing here, you turtle and tortoise! ​​Get out of here right now!"

Zhou Congjia was extremely anxious.

Regardless, all she wanted was for this person to leave alive.

Don't let yourself get hurt anymore, since you're about to die.
However, the past suddenly reappeared, and the back of the person in front of him completely overlapped with that of more than ten years ago.

That time, his body was so hunched over that he was unrecognizable.

Now, it has finally stood up again.

Looking at that spirited figure, just like the one she had met for the first time, Zhou Congjia covered her mouth with both hands, and the rest of her lies could no longer be sustained.

She covered her face and squatted down, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."
Congjia never blamed you. It was me, it was me who lied.
I knew from the beginning that someone wanted to poison you, but they didn't tell you beforehand.
When I finally mustered the courage to go out and look for you, I was...

"Alright, Congjia, stop talking about it. It's all in the past."

The fierce look in Zhao Jingyu's eyes faded completely, and he lowered his head to gently comfort her.

Zhou Congjia shook her head vigorously, like a rattle drum.
"No, I must say it! I'm afraid if I don't say it now, I'll never have another chance."
I didn't want to marry Li Yanzhou. But if you had taken another step forward back then...
Those two supreme experts, hidden in the shadows, could use the pretext of plotting against a member of the Zhou royal family to kill you.
I'm sorry, Jingyu-ge. I shouldn't have said such cruel things to you.

Zhou Congjia suddenly displayed an unprecedented level of clarity.

Zhao Jingyu's heart skipped a beat at the sight.
Oops!

Back to the light!

As expected, as if she had finally revealed the secret she had kept hidden in her heart, she felt a great sense of relief. Her pale face suddenly turned an unusually rosy color, and she immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.

He dared not hesitate any longer and quickly took out the leaf that Xu Jinhuan had given him and stuffed it into the other person's hand without saying a word.

By channeling his internal energy to help the other person absorb the life force from the leaves, Zhou Congjia's pale complexion finally improved slightly.

Zhao Jingyu immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

These unprecedented leaves are brimming with vitality.

If it can heal its own injuries, how much more so can it heal Congjia?

Don't be afraid, it's okay, it's all over now.
Congjia, don't worry, this time, I won't be foolish enough to be deceived by you again.
No matter what happens, no matter who's blocking the way.

I will definitely take you with me.

A satisfied smile appeared on Zhou Congjia's face as she slowly closed her eyes.

Her breathing was steady, and the hidden injuries inside her body were healing little by little.

Seeing this, Zhao Jingyu finally felt a little relieved.

"Zhao Jingyu, you are so young, it is already quite remarkable that you have achieved such cultivation."

We two value your talent, which is why we didn't stop you immediately. Put the princess down and leave quickly. I'll decide that it can be considered as if nothing happened.

The man in the dark blue robe waved his sleeve and finally spoke.

But today, the one he tried to persuade was completely ungrateful.

"I want to take the person away."

Zhao Jingyu gently placed Zhou Congjia on the ground, and a thin layer of light appeared out of thin air, enveloping her.

He turned around and faced the two old men, "I want to kill that pig too."

"What war of the saints? What life and death of the common people?"

"Today, that disgusting reptile must die."

Even if Lu Yuan comes, he can't be kept here!

As soon as he finished speaking, the dense rain of swords behind him finally surged forward, stabbing towards Zhou Lushan.

"Stubborn!"

Lin Que, the Heavenly Blade, stood with his hands behind his back, wielding no blade, yet his overwhelming blade aura had already ripped open the sky above his head.

"I will pass on all the ultimate skills of the Sword Saint to you."

In terms of the exquisiteness of sword techniques and the sharpness of killing, the two of us combined are no match for even a fraction of your skill!

Unfortunately, for even the most powerful beings to unleash their full potential, the first step is to understand themselves.

Your consciousness is a chaotic mess, your spirit as fragile as paper. You can only unleash one or two tenths of your full power. No matter how powerful you are in the Southern Frontier, how many great demons you slay, defeating the two of us is nothing but wishful thinking!

Ding ding ding ding.
Lin Que transformed into a tornado that pierced through the heavens and earth, blocking all the rain of swords and producing a dense, crisp clanging sound.

"Old man, don't speak too soon!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Que realized that among the scattered sword rain, there was actually an extremely strange sword aura hidden.

The sword energy was so slippery that it bypassed the tornado as soon as it made contact with it.

They headed straight for Zhou Lushan, who was lying on the ground.

Hu Yanwei snorted coldly and thrust his spear repeatedly from a distance.

The spear shot out like a dragon, carrying an unstoppable momentum, and crashed fiercely into that strange sword energy.

clang--!
A deafening roar, as if the world had just begun to open.

With just this one collision, the entire General's Mansion was reduced to dust in an instant.

Hu Yanwei sheathed his spear, his expression unchanged, but inwardly he was greatly alarmed.

This younger generation is truly formidable!

In another year or two, I'm afraid I won't be able to do anything to him!

This madman can act with impunity and wreak havoc here.

He and Lin Que also had to be careful to control the overflowing power and prevent it from leaking out, so as not to harm innocent bystanders.

It's really frustrating.

He had barely caught his breath when he saw thick clouds obscure the moon, casting a hazy glow across the night sky. It was snowing.

"You two, eighteen years ago, were you the ones who ambushed me on the banks of the River of Divine Tears?"

Whether Lin Que was simply too lazy to hide it, or simply had a clear conscience, upon hearing this, he surprisingly replied with an open and honest expression:

"good."

"At that time, I was merely at the peak of the sixth rank, how could I have fallen to this state?"

This time, before Lin Que could even speak, Hu Yanwei had already let out a cold snort:
“Young man, when the two of us were fighting demons on the front lines, your father hadn’t even been born yet.”

Why should I explain to you how things should be done?

Let me guess.

Having the rare opportunity to confront the two parties involved from back then, Zhao Jingyu did not rush to take action.

Some things, if you don't ask them clearly now, you may never get the answer in your lifetime.

Moreover, from the very beginning, the fierce and violent resentment that had been building up in my heart for many years has completely dissipated.

He clearly felt that something inside his body had shattered—
On the banks of the River of Tears of God, atop the altar.

Xuanweizi's hair and beard stood up, and he held his hands outstretched.

Before them, a huge water mirror was slowly turning.

The scene reflected in the water mirror is exactly what is happening in the General's Mansion at this moment.

Beside him, a robust man in a golden dragon robe stood with his hands behind his back, staring intently.

"Yunlu, do you think the two seniors, Heavenly Blade and Soul-Chasing Spear, can kill that traitor Zhao here?"

With his hands tucked into his sleeves, Chu Yunlu, who was also staring intently, smacked his lips.

Your Majesty, you don't care at all whether General Zhou lives or dies.
"Your Majesty, this humble general was unaware."
I am but a mere sixth-rank cultivator. What virtue or ability do I possess to glimpse the heavens?

Moreover, the sages have long agreed not to interfere in the struggle for supremacy among the dynasties on Qin land. I believe that, as long as these three don't fight to the bitter end and destroy most of my Zhou kingdom, who wins and who loses is not important.

"Yunlu is mistaken."

Zhou Chongyin shook his head. "If it weren't for the existence of Zhao Jingyu, this scourge, perhaps it would really be as you said, that whoever wins or loses wouldn't matter much."

But this guy isn't one to follow the rules.
If such a person becomes unrestrained and acts without restraint, and no one in my Zhou Kingdom can stop him, then forget about unifying the world; you should surrender to the Great Yan as soon as possible.

Xuanweizi said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty need not worry. The ancestors of Heavenly Blade and Soul-Chasing Spear were already supreme experts hundreds of years ago. How old is Zhao Jingyu?"
Even if they cannot kill him, they certainly cannot be defeated.

"I hope so, Yunlu. Has the envoy sent to the Mo Kingdom sent any news back?"

"Return to Your Majesty"

Just as Chu Yunlu was about to answer, a towering golden pillar of light suddenly rose up in front of him!
-
"I once met my unfortunate senior brother."

A look of reminiscence appeared in Zhao Jingyu's eyes as he softly said:
He readily admitted to poisoning me.

However, that jar of wine was a gift from my master.

He had also been poisoned, and when he realized something was wrong, it was his master who personally intervened and saved him.

Zhao Jingyu looked at the two elderly people opposite him and slowly said:

I believe him.

May I ask if you two were also entrusted by my mentor to keep an eye on Congjia?

Don't let me take her away.
The purpose is to give me a huge stimulus so that I can break through my bottleneck and reach the highest level of sainthood.

"Are I right, gentlemen?"

Lin Que remained silent.

Even Hu Yanwei, who had been so arrogant just moments before, looked at Zhao Jingyu with a calm expression.

Clearly, the old man's actions just now were all an act.

Lin Que slowly descended to the ground, sighing softly:

"The Sword Saint has made great contributions to our human race. We two have no right to comment on his methods of teaching his disciples."

Zhao Jingyu took a deep breath.

"As I thought, thank you both for informing me."

These words seemed to have finally lifted a heavy burden from his shoulders.

The two immediately sensed that the man in front of them had changed.
In the past, this rising star's consciousness was like a vast ocean in a raging storm. A slight misstep could have devoured even his physical body.

Now, there is no more wind or waves on that sea; it lies there peacefully, like a flawless gem.

The strange phenomenon that had occurred during the battle in Youzhou, which caused a blizzard to spread to Nanliang City, dozens of miles away, did not reappear.

Lin Que was surprised to find that at this moment, only the courtyard where the three of them were located was experiencing a few snowflakes falling.

Zhao Jingyu closed his eyes slightly, and his aura instantly subsided, becoming completely ordinary and unremarkable.

This world, however, was like boiling water, instantly turbulent.

At the same time, not only in the Qin City of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but also in the Southern Frontier, Yanjing, Mozong, Dongying and other places, a dazzling golden pillar of light shot into the sky!

If someone were to stand high enough in the void and look down, they would see that these points of light, faintly outlined above Qin Lu, form the shape of a shackle.

One of the keyholes, now dull and lifeless, points directly towards the direction of the Qingzhou Hehuan Sect!
With a flick of his wrist, Zhao Jingyu's rusty longsword suddenly shone brightly.

All the rust on the sword blade had fallen off.

The sword, which was originally like scrap metal, became crystal clear like jade, and was surrounded by a gentle white light.

Zhao Jingyu opened his eyes, and the snowflakes that were falling all around him instantly surged up, but only circled around the three of them, without falling outside the General's Mansion.

Lin Que and Hu Yanwei immediately became alert.

The younger man in front of him had no more injuries on his body.

At this moment, it looks like a piece of smooth, beautiful jade, perfectly integrated, round and flawless.

"How is this possible?"

Hu Yanwei exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Que was equally on high alert, muttering to himself:

"Embrace the primordial essence and guard the oneness, let your spirit shine forth and be contained within."

"His 'domain' is now entirely his own."
Eighth-Rank Free and Unfettered Realm!

"Excuse me, gentlemen."

Zhao Jingyu said softly.

The next moment, the sword light in his hand shot out and swept horizontally, turning into a shower of starlight.

Centered on his feet, the snowflakes, falling from the sky, faintly formed a blooming lotus flower.

"not good!!!"

For a moment, the sword light and snowflakes were of one color, and even the two veteran saints could not distinguish them at all.

All I know is that every speck of light floating around me carries a deadly threat!
A giant blade suddenly shot out from Lin Que's sea of ​​consciousness, and he and the blade became one, about to break through this space and escape.

The overwhelming shadow of the sword was ravaged by the seemingly soft and light snowflakes, leaving it riddled with holes and on the verge of collapse.

Hu Yanwei was even worse off.

The spear floated around him, and under the control of his divine sense, it danced so tightly that it was impenetrable, yet it was still pierced by many snowflakes and sword energies.

For hundreds of years, the old man had never experienced what it meant to be 'injured,' but suddenly hundreds of deep, bone-revealing wounds appeared on his body.

Fresh blood sprayed out as if it were free.

Zhou Lushan on the ground was bound to the spot by an invisible force, unable to move an inch.

He could only watch as those points of light sliced ​​off pieces of his flesh.

His massive body trembled incessantly on the ground, yet his consciousness remained remarkably clear.

With his limbs severed, he couldn't even beg for death; he could only watch helplessly as he slowly died.

Zhao Jingyu sheathed his sword, no longer paying attention to the outcome of the battle behind him.

He bent down and gently picked up Zhou Congjia, who was still unconscious.

The woman's long eyelashes trembled slightly as she gently opened her eyes.

"Brother Jingyu."

Her gaze fell upon a trembling body not far away, a body that consisted of only half a torso and half a skeleton.

Zhao Jingyu walked slowly and gently westward.

It was as if he was afraid that if he took a bigger step, the person in his arms would perish.

"Let's go, Congjia."

You must hold on.
"Your brother will take you to Yanjing (Beijing) for the wedding ceremony."

(End of this chapter)