Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 217 Hu Meiren and Mingzhu Furen
Xinzheng, South Korea.

Yan Ri and Jing Ni retreated to the same spot. Hearing the commotion coming from the city gate, the eyes of these two top-tier assassins from the Luo Wang organization darkened.
"The battle horn has sounded!"

Yan Ri looked at the two people in front of him, the long sword in his hand trembling slightly, as if responding to its master's wishes.

Jing Ni raised her right hand slightly, holding the Jing Ni sword upright in front of her, with sword energy swirling around the sword.

The dark red sword now had a more bewitching red hue.

"The outcome of this battle is already decided; no matter how much you struggle, it will be useless."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhuang's lips curled into a smile.

"But that doesn't determine your fate. I, however, can decide your life or death!"

Upon hearing Wei Zhuang's words, Yan Ri and Jing Ni chuckled.

"Indeed, the battlefield over there cannot determine our fate, but there is one thing you are wrong about."

"It's not you who decides our fate, but we who decide your life and death!!"

Yan Ri raised his left hand and shouted coldly.

"Show yourself!!"

Upon hearing those two words, Yan Lingji subconsciously looked around. The surroundings were quiet, and the once peaceful alleyway now felt somewhat oppressive.

Quietness isn't always a good thing, at least not at this time.

She then looked at Wei Zhuang beside her, and seeing that he did not react, the girl narrowed her eyes.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Wei Zhuang remained calm and composed, while Yan Ri and Jing Ni, standing opposite him, had darkened expressions.

"Are you two looking for them?"

A somewhat childish voice came over, and then a young man in white casually threw several men in black into the alley.

Seeing this, Yan Ri tightened his grip on his long sword, looked at the young man in white, and said coldly, "Bai Feng."

The newcomer was Bai Feng, and then Tian Ze and the others emerged from the shadows.

Jingni's eyes flashed with a cold light, and she sneered repeatedly.

"I never thought that Ji Wuye's dog would also change masters. Very good!!"

Upon seeing the two wielders of the Eight Swords of Yue, Tianze's gaze turned somewhat cold. The things that Han and Chu had done back then might not have been unrelated to the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven).

Then Tianze clenched his right hand, and a huge amount of internal force began to circulate around his body, causing the iron chains swirling around him to swing.

"The dogs of the Net are truly inexhaustible. I killed two back then, and now two more have arrived. I wonder if you can bring me some amusement this time!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Ri gave a cold laugh.

"The defeated dog of Baiyue!"

"You actually fawn over your own enemy who destroyed your country. I remember you were the crown prince of Baiyue. Aren't you afraid of disgracing your ancestors by acting like this?"

Upon hearing this, the surroundings fell silent. Even Wei Zhuang glanced at him slightly, for Yan Ri's words were truly scathing.

Standing on the roof, Bai Feng placed one hand under her armpit and raised the other, looking down at the people facing each other, playing with the white feather in her hand.

Previously, he had been working under the Nightfall organization as a member of the Hundred Birds organization. Ji Wuye had actually cooperated with the Luo Wang organization before, so this wasn't the first time he had dealt with people from the Luo Wang organization.

However, for the moment, the two top-tier assassins from Luo Wang were quite sharp in their words, which was unexpected for him. After all, in his view, assassins were all taciturn people.

After a while, Tianze suddenly laughed.

"Provocation won't work on me. I know better than you who killed Baiyue back then. And today, there's only one fate for both of you—death!!"

"Do it!!"

After saying this, Tianze's figure blurred, and he took the lead in making a move. The iron chain tore through the air and strangled Yanri.

The battle is about to break out.

Unlike previous battles, this time, the quicksand held an absolute advantage.

Facing Wei Zhuang, who was shrouded in darkness, once again, his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"You are my prey."

Yan Ri looked at the Guigu disciple in front of him and chuckled.

"prey?"

"The iron hooves of Qin are about to break through the gates of Xinzheng. Even if you win this battle, what will you gain? How long can you hold out against the Qin army? Afterwards, you will face the relentless pursuit of the Luo Wang."

A rational analysis leads to the answer.

Faced with this result, Wei Zhuang remained unmoved, and his right hand wielded the Shark Tooth sword in a horizontal slash.

"Whether I can stop it or not, if I am destined to fail, I will use your head to pay tribute to the dead."

This time, Wei Zhuang held back. After taking off his cloak, he became even more unrestrained in his swordplay, displaying the domineering power of his horizontal sword technique to the fullest.

When facing Wei Zhuang alone, Yan Ri's expression became somewhat anxious.

In a one-on-one situation, he was no match for the man in front of him. Right now, he could only hope that Neishiteng could break through Xinzheng's defenses as soon as possible, so that he and Jingni might be able to escape alive.

On the other side, in the palace of Xinzheng, Consort Hu looked at the young man who suddenly walked out of the room, her bright eyes showing a hint of surprise.

"It's you?"

"Oh, Miss Hu, you still remember me?"

Seeing the surprised expression on the person's face, the newcomer raised an eyebrow and asked a question.

"Naturally remember."

Hu Meiren first looked around and, seeing that no one was around, breathed a sigh of relief. Although the Qin army had already besieged the city, the royal palace was still a forbidden place for most men.

"Are Yu'er and my sister all doing well now?"

Speaking of which, what she was most worried about was her older sister and the girl Nongyu.

"They are all doing well. Currently, Yu'er, Madam Hu, and General Li Kai are all helping me with my work."

The boy nodded, then offered an explanation.

Hearing this, Hu Meiren sighed softly. In this chaotic world, being able to live peacefully was a luxury.

Just like her, who would have thought that the favored concubine of the King of Korea, who could wield power in South Korea just two years ago, would now be a caged bird helplessly awaiting its death?

"We still don't know where you come from, young hero."

Hu Meiren slowly sat back down, her gaze returning to the boy not far in front of her. Several years had passed since they last met, and the boy from back then had grown much taller, his demeanor becoming increasingly elegant.

"Taoist Heavenly Sect".

Hearing this answer, Consort Hu was slightly taken aback. Being in the inner palace, she didn't have much access to outside information. Most of it was about the affairs of the Korean court and the inner palace, while she had very little access to information about the outside world.

Even under these circumstances, she still knew of the sect's existence.

"Are you Qingxu?"

As if she had thought of something, Hu Meiren suddenly stood up.

King An of Han once mentioned a young man to her, a young man who had attracted the attention of all seven kingdoms.

That young man, or rather that boy, broke through to the Grandmaster realm at a young age, becoming a force to be reckoned with throughout the martial world, or rather, alarming the Seven Kingdoms.

That young man was from the Taoist Tianzong sect, and his Taoist name was Qingxu.

The fact that even the King of Han was wary of a young man naturally came to the attention of Consort Hu. She was actually very curious as to why a ruler of a country would be wary of a young man. "Qingxu greets Consort Hu."

The person who came was Xiu Yuan. Seeing that Hu Meiren had guessed his identity, he no longer denied it.

"It really is."

Seeing that Xiu Yuan had agreed, Hu Meiren couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"I should have realized this sooner. Besides you, who else could save someone from Ji Wuye's clutches?"

After a moment of silence, Hu Meiren hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "Young hero, could you lend a hand?"

She later heard Han Wang'an talk about the terrifying power of a grandmaster in the martial arts world, whose strength alone was comparable to that of a thousand troops.

Xiu Yuan came to the window and stood there. He could already hear the shouts of battle coming from outside the city. After a while, he said softly, "The course of Heaven is constant. It does not exist for Yao, nor does it perish for Jie. The unification of the seven kingdoms is an inevitable trend. The return of Han to history is its predetermined fate. Han Fei did not change its destiny, so this is its fate."

"Although my intervention can delay this day to some extent, is it ultimately good or bad for South Korea and its people?"

"War is always built on bloodshed. South Korea is currently almost out of soldiers. Even if we manage to stop this attack, the next one will inevitably result in even more deaths. And I have no intention of getting involved in the karma of the Seven Kingdoms."

Upon hearing this answer, Hu Meiren stirred the handkerchief in her hand and finally sighed. Although the person in front of her did not directly refuse, she understood his thoughts from his meaning.

"What brings Master Qingxu here today?"

Hu Meiren remained silent for a moment before asking again.

Thinking of the girl at the foot of Mount Taiyi, Xiu Yuan gently shook his head.

"Entrusted by Nongyu and Madam Hu, I have come to rescue them."

Upon hearing this, Hu Meiren was taken aback.

Xiu Yuan took Nong Yu and Madam Hu away, which meant he saved their lives and was their benefactor.

The two men are now working for him and are his subordinates, so it is unreasonable for their master to come and rescue them.

Furthermore, unlike usual, the Qin army was at the city gates, and the state of Han was on the verge of collapse. If they were surrounded by the army, it would be a situation where they would have a slim chance of survival.

"According to the eunuch, the Inner Minister Teng has led hundreds of thousands of troops to surround Xinzheng. The city is now completely blocked. I do not doubt it, but can you really save people amidst this army?"

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan chuckled softly but did not reply.

However, this also reveals something fishy: this Consort Hu, who has lived in the deep palace for so long, doesn't really know much about the affairs of the martial arts world.

If it were any other martial arts practitioner who heard my words, they would never have asked such a question.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing, but I'm not sure if I should say it."

Xiu Yuan turned his head and looked over. Seeing the conflicted look on Hu Meiren's face, he nodded.

"But it doesn't matter."

"Madam Mingzhu once said that she possesses a secret concerning the young hero."

Upon hearing this name, Xiu Yuan was taken aback.

Madam Mingzhu.

This lady was Tide Demoness, one of the Four Fiends of the Night. When she left the Chu Kingdom and returned to the Heavenly Sect for seclusion, she received a secret letter from Bai Yifei. The letter contained an interesting deal.

The subject of the transaction was his cousin, who possessed a special secret technique that could enhance one's cultivation level.

Bai Yifei sensed that Korea would soon perish, so he made a plan for his cousin's survival in advance.

However, at that time, Xiu Yuan was far away in Taiyi Mountain, and his cultivation level had not stagnated. Therefore, he did not care about this method of improving his cultivation level with external force, and soon he forgot about it. Now, when he heard Hu Meiren mention it, his thoughts were racing.

He might not come if I make a special trip, but if I go with the flow, it won't cause any harm.

"Which palace is she in?"

After thinking for a moment, Xiu Yuan asked in return.

Upon hearing this, Hu Meiren's eyes lit up with surprise. After that incident, her relationship with Madam Mingzhu had gradually improved, especially during the last period when the two had become increasingly close.

"I'll take you."

There are hardly any people left in the harem right now. More than 90% of the Imperial Guards have been transferred away, and most of the palace maids and eunuchs have been transferred by the King of Han to serve as guards. Therefore, this huge harem appears very deserted at this time.

"Lead the way!"

Time waits for no one; we must act decisively.

Xiu Yuan didn't waste any words and had Hu Meiren lead the way. If she was a burden, he naturally wouldn't need to save her. However, that person wasn't entirely useless to him.

Xinzheng, in a large courtyard of the royal palace's inner palace.

A noblewoman dressed in purple looked at the datura flower in her hand, her eyes flickering.

"Sister, your little sister has come to see you again."

Before long, Hu Meiren brought Xiu Yuan to this secluded courtyard. Having weathered the vicissitudes of time, this once bustling courtyard had become extremely deserted.

Upon hearing this, the door was slowly opened from the inside, and the person who opened the door was none other than this noblewoman.

"Why is my sister out here at this time of year instead of staying in her own yard?"

Hu Meiren smiled and chatted happily.

"Sister Mingzhu, someone wants to see you."

Upon hearing this, Lady Mingzhu blinked. Apart from Marquis Bai Yifei, who returned to the capital to visit, few other people had set foot in this place.

Hearing from Hu Meiren that someone wanted to see her, her brows furrowed unconsciously.

"Sister, who saw me?"

"it's me!"

Suddenly a voice reached Madam Mingzhu's ears. Upon hearing this, she subconsciously looked behind Hu Meiren and saw an extremely handsome young man with an exceptional temperament.

"Madam Mingzhu, it's been a long time!"

Xiu Yuan spoke softly and greeted him.

When Madam Mingzhu saw Xiu Yuan, her gaze was still somewhat evasive. The impression he had left on her back then was too deep, and she still hadn't completely let go of it.

"It's you??"

Her tone was filled with surprise and uncertainty, as if she hadn't expected the other party to appear here at this time.

"Judging from what my cousin said, you are a member of the Taoist Heavenly Sect."

Unlike Hu Meiren, who had to guess, Madam Mingzhu directly threw out Bai Yifei.

Xiu Yuan nodded.

"Taoist Heavenly Sect Purity and Emptiness".

"The Marquis and I made a deal in private. Now that the Marquis is gone, I have no choice but to come to you."

Madam Mingzhu seemed unaware of Bai Yifei's arrangements, and was completely confused when she heard Xiu Yuan's words.

Hu Meiren, who was standing to the side, was also a little confused. Xiu Yuan had not mentioned this matter to her before.

"My cousin's arrangements?"

Xiu Yuan nodded.

"This is a business deal involving you, Madam. If you are willing, I can take you away from here!"

(End of this chapter)