It doesn't matter what the lord is.

Several experts behind him realized that something was wrong and tried to escape from the scene. Some were pierced directly in the back by the tentacles, while others were strangled by the tentacles. Lid didn't care whether they were innocent or not. After seeing Lid's tentacles fully open, it meant that their lives had come to an end.

Reed didn't want to attract more trouble, so he tried his best not to expose secrets related to the three tribes.

After the gust of air disappeared, the mess on the ground was unbearable to look at.

The heavy rain continued to fall, washing away the blood on the ground.

Reed's body shook and he spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground.

57. The world is a chess game

Where did the army of Nan Chu go?

It can be roughly divided into two teams. One team quietly gathered and headed north, and the other team went to the southern border.

In Qinghe City near Yunmeng City, Xiang Jiqing and Xiang Geling, the two leaders of the pro-war and pro-peace factions, were sitting together playing chess. Xiang Geling looked out the window at the heavy rain, and persistently placed the white chess piece, while saying to Xiang Jiqing:

"I don't know what's going on with Xiang Tiange. He's your confidant, what do you think of him?"

Xiang Jiqing calmly placed a black piece and said to Xiang Geling:

"Are you worried about him or your granddaughter? If nothing unexpected happens, Xiang Tiange should be dead... He is not as capable as Xiang Linglong. Since Xiang Linglong can't beat Li De, then sending someone else will also lose. It's just a matter of losing quickly or slowly. Xiang Tiange looks calm on the outside, but he is sinister on the inside. Once he makes a move, he won't leave any room for either side to turn around. I'm afraid he will die even faster if he faces Li De."

Xiang Geling was not surprised by the result. He continued playing chess and said to Xiang Jiqing:

"It seems we have to launch the attack as soon as possible... Although Xiang Tiange should be able to delay Lid as much as possible, we cannot pin our hopes on him. The current public opinion environment is not strong enough to support us to launch a full-scale offensive, but you and I control the nobles, the wealth, and the army, so we can naturally create a big trend. On the other hand, the lords and the princes have almost no one to use except Xiang Hei, who has been intentionally befriending some heroes from humble backgrounds in recent years."

After thinking for a while, Xiang Jiqing placed a chess piece down. It was obvious that his mind was not on the chessboard, and this move was not very clever.

Xiang Geling stood in a strategic position, but there was no joy on his face. He changed the subject and asked:

"Is it really a good idea to divide our forces at this time? After all, there is no definite danger in the south."

Xiang Jiqing still had a tense face, frowned slightly and replied:

"I know. But once Nan Chu gets in chaos, I'm worried that the rebels will take advantage of the situation. Huang Yan is blocked in the Great Wilderness Mountain. If he wants to go north to the Central Plains, his biggest enemy is Nan Chu. He is a smart man and will definitely not miss this opportunity."

Xiang Ge Ling hesitated and said:

“But they don’t have any inside information…”

Xiang Jiqing sighed, tapped the chess piece on the chessboard, and replied:

"They may not have the news of our alliance, and they know nothing about what we are doing, but don't underestimate the sense of smell of jackals. They can smell blood... Huang Yan, including his subordinates Bicas, Tyrande, and Pleiades, these people have very sharp intuition. They don't have any news, but they can definitely guess that Nanchu is going to be in chaos."

Xiang Jiqing threw the chess piece in his hand back to the chessboard and said to Xiang Geling:

"The one above is crazy, we can't go crazy with him. Someone has to look after the foundation of Nanchu. If we really don't care and use all our strength to seize power, then what's the difference between us and the prince who led the dragon tribe to invade? The foundation of Nanchu can't be destroyed by the one above, and it can't be destroyed by us."

Xiang Geling smiled and said to him:

"No need to explain to me. I see these things much more clearly than you do. Whether they are the pro-war faction or the pro-peace faction, they all exist because they are attached to Nan Chu. If the skin is gone, where will the hair be attached? I have lived a lifetime and I still understand this truth. Otherwise, I would not be at ease to join forces with you and hand over the army to you people to command."

The two of them played a few more moves, and Xiang Jiqing surrendered, so Xiang Geling won this round.

Both sides packed up their chess pieces, but were not in a hurry to start the next game. Instead, they stared at the rain outside the window in a daze.

After a long time, he whispered to Ji Qing:

"Amu could have grown up to be a great leader."

Xiang Geling smiled. The old man still maintained his smart and capable appearance in front of others, but in front of Xiang Jiqing, who was the same age as him, he still showed some signs of aging:

"He is still like that now... He has always been like that. But because he is a lord, he insists on doing things his own way and won't listen to other people's advice. In the past, we followed his wishes, but now it's no longer possible. I have never blamed Amu from the beginning to the end. It was that woman who was wrong."

A look of nostalgia appeared on Xiang Jiqing's face.

He and Xiang Geling both watched Nanchu Lord Xiang Mu grow up. When Xiang Mu was full of vigor and vitality, he once rode his horse across the south of the Yangtze River, treating the world as his hunting ground, showing the appearance of an emperor, and his domineering aura was so revealed that everyone who saw him bowed down in worship.

Xiang Jiqing looked at the rain outside for a long time, and then said slowly:

"I can't go back..."

In the same heavy rain, Elder Mingzhu, who was determined to revitalize his sect, successfully managed to get out of Jinxiu City with his two disciples Qingfeng and Qingying before it was completely blocked. In the heavy rain, Elder Mingzhu walked very fast with his cane, and Qingfeng and Qingying followed closely behind him. After walking for dozens of miles, Qingfeng asked:

"Master, where are we going?"

Elder Mingzhu did not answer.

Qingfeng smacked his lips and said:

"Master, are we still going to do what we promised?"

Elder Mingzhu still did not answer.

Qingfeng stopped asking questions and waited for a long time until his stomach made a rumbling sound before he spoke again:

"Master, I'm hungry..."

Elder Mingzhu finally stopped, and Qingfeng was immediately delighted. Just as he was about to look around to see where to buy food, he saw Elder Mingzhu solemnly speaking to them:

"Don't speak, don't run around, just follow me."

Qingfeng immediately controlled his legs. The seaweed-haired girl Qingying looked very obedient, her mind wandering, not bothering to care where her master was going. The three of them walked through a village alley and knocked on the door of a shabby thatched house. An old man who was not much younger than Mingzhu opened the door.

The old man had a lot of lice on his body, and people who didn't know him would think he was raising poisonous insects.

Elder Mingzhu made a gesture to him and then whispered a few words. The old man covered in lice was shocked and asked in a low voice:

"Is the news reliable? Killing someone who has made great contributions to Nan Chu without authorization is a capital crime...!"

Elder Mingzhu nodded and asked:

"I want to get this message out everywhere, the sooner the better."

The old man took a long time to recover from his shock and said:

"Back then, Qingping Mountain took me in, and your master saved my life on a snowy night. Although Qingping Mountain is gone now, I still remember this favor. These petty thieves in my hands are definitely not enough to help you revive your sect, but when it comes to arranging news, I am definitely the fastest, so you can rest assured. But... are you sure you want to use the favor here?"

Elder Mingzhu nodded, let out a long sigh, and replied:

"Use it. If you keep dragging it out like this, what if I die, or you die, wouldn't it be another mess? Just now in Jinxiu City, I also owed someone a favor... I have to do what I promised to the other party."

58. Severing ties and going separate ways

The weapons and armor stepped on the ground, making rumbling sounds.

South Chu is going to be in chaos. This is a vague idea in the minds of the lowest class of people today. The bloody storm caused by the bloody clothes case has not ended since Jiang Yuesheng was imprisoned and his body and soul were destroyed. During this period, there have been countless speculations, such as the peace faction attacked Jiang Yuesheng, the war faction committed suicide and blamed the peace faction, a third party wanted to cause chaos in South Chu, and the lord was looking for an opportunity to weaken the power of the nobles, etc.

People who travel all over the country go to teahouses just to listen for fun.

But someone is working non-stop for Jiang Yuesheng.

Jiang Yuesheng's wife and granddaughter knelt in front of the lord's mansion holding the torn robe and bloody clothes, but the tightly closed door did not open. Lord Nanchu maintained his due mystery and did not appear until this time, leaving only a word that was not sure whether it was an advice or a hint:

"Old General, I don't want you to kneel here."

The entire Nanchu knew the lord's indifference, and also knew that this case would not produce any results at present. The retired veterans under Jiang Yuesheng took action spontaneously, running around for this case, trying to find a way out. They didn't care what conspiracy was behind this case, they just wanted to save the life of the general they once followed.

Finally, Jiang Yuesheng's granddaughter Jiang Lianqing fell ill with a high fever after kneeling for three days. Jiang Yuesheng's wife, the white-haired old lady, finally stood up in front of the manor, tears falling to the ground. She took out the knife that had accompanied her all the way, cut her husband's beloved battle robe in half, threw one half in front of the manor, and wrapped the other half around her granddaughter, whose body was hot but trembling constantly, and shouted to the manor in a hoarse voice:

"My husband was blind and worked for you guys! He shouldn't have saved you beasts in human clothing. Were you satisfied when Nan Chu was destroyed? Throughout history, has there been any general who lived a life as miserable as my husband? Damn Nan Chu, you are so sorry for him and for our family—"

Inside the room, a sandalwood pen made a crisp breaking sound.

Nan Chu, who was lying in the shadows, looked at the wound on the palm of his hand that was cut by the broken wood pieces and let out a sigh.

The gate of the lord's mansion was not opened in the end. Jiang Yuesheng's wife and her granddaughter returned in despair. Those who ran around for Jiang Yuesheng, after all the hardships, only got the news that Jiang Yuesheng was dead in prison. In an instant, thousands of people cried. Regardless of the truth, most people in Nanchu were paying tribute to this once legendary general. He faded from people's sight for twenty years. No one knew what kind of suffering he had suffered in the past twenty years, and no one knew what he was thinking before he died, whether he hated the territory that he had fought for all his life.

Afterwards, the atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.

The Lord's Mansion, the peace faction, and the war faction all did not make any statement. Jiang Yuesheng's death was like a drop in the ocean, which caused a huge wave at first, but then nothing was left. But smart people could still smell the smell of a storm coming. The whole of Nanchu was like a powder keg that was about to explode, but no one knew when it would explode.

Only the parties involved in the war and peace factions knew that there were indeed various difficulties that could not be told to outsiders. Jiang Yuesheng's death was a crucial defeat for them. On the one hand, public opinion began to dissipate rapidly with Jiang Yuesheng's death - he was dead, so who would care who stabbed him? On the other hand, because of Jiang Yuesheng's hasty death, the war and peace factions began to split. Some people thought that the arrow had to be shot, while others began to back off.

At the critical moment, it was the two old men, Xiang Jiqing and Xiang Geling, who stood up again, gathered all the people involved in the plan, and told them a cruel fact: there was no room for retreat. The Lord of Nanchu and the Prince of Nanchu were not fools. Once this action failed, they would definitely find ways to weaken the power of the nobles. By then, the so-called first-class and second-class nobles would all become a joke.

In addition, when the nobles joined the group, they handed over the control of their own armies to Xiang Jiqing and Xiang Geling, so there were no betrayers. Those who backed out were just hesitant, and finally surrendered under coercion and inducement.

After the news of Jiang Yuesheng's death spread, the blockade of Jinxiu City was naturally lifted. The city lord who took office after Xiang Tiange was named Xiang Kongting, a man with less skill than Xiang Tiange. When he took office as city lord, the news of Jiang Yuesheng's death had already spread. Xiang Kongting discussed with the staff he brought with him, and one of the staff said:

"It has not been confirmed that Lid has left Jinxiu City, which means that Lid had spread the news before killing Jiang Yuesheng. At this time, whether to blockade Jinxiu City has no effect. I think the city lord might as well lift the blockade of Jinxiu City. This way... at least the city lord's safety can be guaranteed."

Xiang Kongting thought about it and accepted this suggestion.

He was really scared.

The entire City Lord's Mansion was reduced to a pile of ruins. It would be better to say that with the City Lord's Mansion as the center, there was almost no grass growing within a few miles. The ground was full of cracks. Xiang Kongting asked the guards around him if they were sure they could stop Lid's assassination. Everyone who saw this scene shook their heads in shame.

If he didn't lift the blockade of the City Lord's Mansion, and if Lid came to kill him again, his death would be in vain.

Xiang Kongting then announced that people were allowed to come and go freely, and then he did not go to the City Lord's Mansion, but rented an inn and stayed there, not caring about worldly affairs every day, looking like a beautiful person alone. Lide did not cause any trouble to him, in fact, Lide's injury has not healed yet.

After he left the City Lord's Mansion that day, he kept bleeding.

He carried Xiang Zhehua to an alley in the heavy rain, used his last bit of strength to apply medicine to Xiang Zhehua, and then fainted. However, because the little ghost was still there, Li De was not too worried that someone would harm him. He was unconscious for a whole day, but Xiang Zhehua woke up first. Seeing Li De covered in blood, he was shocked and burst into tears.

One of her eyes was bandaged, and there were many bandage marks all over her body. She was lying in a relatively dry place. Although her bones were aching, she could feel the vitality in her body. But Lid was different. He was covered in blood, and many of his exposed wounds had not healed yet. His body was frighteningly cold.

Xiang Zhehua didn't dare to leave the alley easily, so she stayed by Li De's side, only drinking rainwater, and fell asleep several times due to hunger. She knew nothing about what was happening outside, and sometimes she felt that her life might end here, and she also felt that it would be fine to die with Li De.

Three days later, on a foggy morning, the hungry Xiang Zhehua was hugging Li De to keep him warm. Li De finally woke up with his hand covering his aching forehead.

59. Clear the court

The first thing Reed did after waking up was to confirm the time and place with Xiang Zhehua.

Four days had passed since the assassination attempt on Xiang Tiange... no, to be more precise, four days had passed since Xiang Tiange's mansion was destroyed. During this period, Xiang Zhehua was also completely unaware of any intelligence from the outside world. However, judging from the fact that Jinxiu City was still peaceful, the pro-war and pro-peace factions probably had not yet started to act.

Li De asked Xiang Zhehua to stay here first, and he went for a walk on the street. There were not many pedestrians around in the morning, so Li De found an old man pushing a cart to sell breakfast, and bought all the tea eggs, shortbreads and tofu pudding that the old man had, and at the same time asked about what had happened in the past few days.

After that, Lid didn't let Xiang Zhehua wait too long. He went back to divide the food he bought and ate it up voraciously. A very hungry person can't eat too much at once, but Lid was in urgent need of replenishing energy, so he didn't care too much.

Xiang Zhehua ate the food in small bites while observing Lid's expression. After Lid finished eating, she whispered to him:

"Thank you."

Lid glanced at her and replied:

"It's less than two silver coins in total, what are you thanking me for?"

He smiled at Zhehua and said:

"It's not thanks for breakfast, it's thanks for... coming to save me."

Reed patted her shoulder:

"I sent you there, so you are one of my people. If you are in danger, I will naturally go to save you. Besides, Jiang Yuesheng is dead anyway, so there is nothing to worry about."

Xiang Zhehua was stunned for a moment:

"Is Jiang Yue dead or alive?"

Xiang Zhehua really didn't know about this. She had always thought that Li De didn't go to assassinate Jiang Yuesheng, but came directly to save her, so before she fainted, she kept muttering to Li De to leave quickly and give Jiang Yuesheng a quick death. After that, Xiang Zhehua had been accompanying Li De and was unable to go out to inquire about the news.

Lid nodded:

"I killed him, but it can be considered that the old general committed suicide. He is a respectable man. After thinking it over, I have to apologize to his wife and descendants. If the old general's descendants are willing, I can give them all the silver bills I extorted from Xiang Linglong this time as an apology."

Xiang Zhehua was completely confused.

Lid sighed and said to her:

"People always say that those involved are confused, while those who are not involved can see things clearly. But in many cases, outsiders may see things in a fog, but the parties involved are the ones who know the most. Jiang Yuesheng once said in his confession that his greatest wish was that his family would not be harmed, and that his wife and children would be safe. At that time, I had a vague guess that maybe the old general already knew that his death was the best outcome, but he just couldn't. So I gave him a chance to commit suicide, and he seized it..."

Li De supported his knees and stood up from the ground. Although the matter here has come to an end, Li De's mood is obviously not good. He is not a kind person, otherwise Jiang Yuesheng would not have to die. As long as Elder Mingzhu spreads the news, the life and death of the old general will not matter. Anyway, the pro-war and pro-peace factions cannot take Jiang Yuesheng around Nanchu and announce to the world that Jiang Yuesheng is still alive.

But he still killed Jiang Yuesheng, on the one hand for safety, and on the other hand because Lide felt from the bottom of his heart that not letting Jiang Yuesheng see the chaos that would follow in Nanchu would be a good thing for this old general who had worked hard for Nanchu all his life. Human life is so precious, many people would kneel down and beg for mercy at the feet of the strong in order to survive, but Jiang Yuesheng was willing to cut his own throat for the orthodoxy of Nanchu.

Lid glanced at the gray sky and whispered:

"There's no point in staying here any longer, let's go."

The two men left Jinxiu City and walked north while asking about the old general's wife's return route.

Nanchu did not remain stable for long.

Not long after Li De and Xiang Zhehua left Jinxiu City, on the seventh day after Jiang Yuesheng's death, the pro-war and pro-peace factions raised troops to purge the emperor's court, and headed straight for the Southern Chu lord. It rained again that day, and the sound of the marching footsteps was covered by the thunderstorm. It got dark early. The army lit candles that were not afraid of water, but they could only illuminate a small area in front of them. In the distance, there was endless darkness.

The battle in Yunyang was not large in scale and not many people paid attention to it.

But now, every move of Nan Chu affects the hearts of people all over the world.