newbobooks Chapter 458 Yi Bu's Clever Words Divert Attention, Xiao Ruojin Bestows Title on Lei Men (1)
Chapter 458 Yi Bu's Clever Words Divert Attention, Xiao Ruojin Bestows Title on Lei Men (1)
Ye Xiaoying walked to Lei Mengsha's side and whispered, "Mengsha, the drug-using people... are they really that terrifying?"
Lei Mengsha smiled wryly: "Old Ye, you've never been in the martial world, so you don't know much about unorthodox techniques... But you should have heard of the bloody battle in Losang, the capital of Western Chu, right?"
Ye Xiaoying was taken aback, then nodded:
"This was the toughest battle to annihilate a city in the life of Marquis Baili Luochen of Zhenxi. I heard that the Pofeng Army, which usually suffered very low casualties, lost six or seven out of ten men. The old Marquis personally supervised the battle at the front line, and Baili Chengfeng even wore out several of his swords in the process..."
Lei Mengsha, abandoning his usual carefree demeanor, said with a solemn expression:
"That's right, it was the brothers Gu Chen and Gu Mo who led thousands of medicine practitioners that enabled them to hold off the 100,000-strong Pofeng Army for so long... This battle was far too bloody; what we heard was very different from what actually happened..."
He paused, his voice growing deeper: "Who would have thought that the once gentle and witty Wen Yanzhao would now possess the evil art of drugging people..."
I originally thought he was just good at using poison, but I never expected that he would now create a medicine man... a monster that is immortal, painless, and obedient to orders.
Our four thousand men, if they were to encounter a well-organized army of drug-using soldiers, would probably... not even be enough to fill a tooth gap! Seventh Brother's decision was absolutely right..."
He didn't say the rest, but Ye Xiaoying understood.
They may never return.
“No wonder Your Highness was in such a hurry.” Ye Xiaoying gripped the hilt of his sword. “Then we…”
"Let's go back first." Lei Mengsha mounted his horse. "We'll meet up with Lao Qi and then discuss things further."
Even the most powerful medicine man was defeated when the Marquis of Zhenxi breached Losang City, so I think this technique must have a weakness!
Even so, his eyes were full of worry.
The army quickly reorganized, and the four thousand men turned around and marched swiftly along the route they had come from.
Lei Mengsha and Ye Xiaoying rode side by side in front, neither of them speaking again.
Only the sounds of horses' hooves and footsteps echoed in the valley.
In the distance, the entrance to the Micang Road was hidden in the morning mist, like a giant mouth, quietly waiting for the opportunity to devour life.
……
At the same moment, west of Qiandong City, at Tieji Ridge.
Wen Yanzhao stood at the entrance of the cave, gazing at the gradually emerging pale light on the northern horizon.
The bone flute in my hand was icy cold, and the essence blood on the flute gleamed eerily in the morning light.
Behind him, three thousand medicine practitioners stood silently, like three thousand statues.
At the very front, Xuan Yin—that is, the Heavenly Realm Medicine Man transformed from Zhuo Luo—stood with his hands at his sides, his eyes flashing with purple light.
"Soon..." Wen Yanzhao murmured to himself, "The Northern Li army should have already set off, right? My good sworn brother, I wonder what kind of expression you'll have when you see my medicine man..."
A slight smile curved his lips, but it held no warmth whatsoever. The wind blew across the mountains, stirring up rustling forest leaves.
A great battle is imminent.
……
North of Tianqi City, there is a dilapidated temple dedicated to Manjushri.
When Yi Bu left the Manjushri Temple, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
He gripped the copper coin so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Ji Ruofeng's humiliation was like a thorn stuck in his heart, causing him to feel a dull ache with every step he took.
What alarmed him even more was Ji Ruofeng's unfathomable cultivation and the extensive intelligence network of the Hundred Knowledge Hall.
"Bai Xiaotang... Ji Ruofeng..."
Ib muttered to himself, a sinister glint in his eyes, "I'll remember this debt."
He did not return to the Shadow Sect, but went straight to the palace.
As dawn broke, early-rising vendors were already setting up their stalls on Zhuque Street.
Ib walked briskly, his grey robe fluttering in the morning breeze, attracting the attention of several patrolling imperial guards, but none of them stepped forward to question him.
The Shadow Sect Master's face was his passport in the palace.
Outside the Zichen Palace, Jinxuan held a cup of hot tea in one hand as she walked and watched the eunuchs sweeping the courtyard.
Seeing Yi Bu approach, he narrowed his long, thin eyes and asked from afar, "Sect Leader Yi, when did you arrive today? Why did you enter the palace so early? His Majesty has not yet risen. Why don't you wait in the side hall for a while?"
"I have urgent business to report to His Majesty," I said in a hoarse voice. "Please have Grand Eunuch Jinxuan announce my arrival."
Jin Xuan looked him over and saw that Yi Bu's face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot, indicating that he was dealing with a difficult situation.
Jin Xuan pondered for a moment, then bowed slightly: "Sect Master Yi, please wait a moment, I will go and report right away."
A moment later, Jinxuan returned and made a "please" gesture: "His Majesty has decreed that Sect Leader Yi be asked to come with me."
Inside the side hall, Xiao Ruojin sat on the couch wearing a bright yellow nightgown, holding a cup of ginseng tea in her hands, her face showing slight weariness.
I was busy in the palace until the third watch last night, and only got to sleep for less than two hours. Of course, I was exhausted.
"Yi Qing, what brings you here so early?"
Xiao Ruojin took a sip of tea, her eyes scrutinizing him.
Ib knelt and bowed, saying, "Your subject is guilty!"
"Oh?" Xiao Ruojin put down her teacup. "What crime has General Yi committed?"
"Your Majesty, I received a secret report from a disciple of the Shadow Sect last night. It concerns the war situation in the southwest, but because the information was incomplete, I dared not report it to Your Majesty immediately."
Ib knelt on the ground, his voice sincere, "This morning I thought about it again and again, and felt that this matter was of great importance. I dared not hide it any longer, so I came here to apologize!"
That's a clever way of putting it—it acknowledges the delay, attributes the reason to "caution," and gives the emperor a way out.
A hint of amusement flashed in Xiao Ruojin's eyes, but she remained calm and composed: "General Yi, please stand up and speak. What secret report could possibly trouble you like this?"
Yi Bu stood up, took out the secret letter that Song Chen had sent back from his sleeve, and presented it with both hands: "Your Majesty, please take a look."
Xiao Ruojin took it and began to read it carefully.
His gaze lingered on the words "medicine man" for a long time, and his brows gradually furrowed.
As he looked further down, his expression darkened when he saw the words "Wen Family," "Qiandong City," and "Already Formed an Army."
"The drug user..." Xiao Ruojin slowly raised her head and looked at Yi Bu, "Yi Qing, how credible do you think this news is?"
“Your Majesty,” Yi Bu bowed, “Song Chen is the most cautious disciple among the younger generation of senior officials. Since he mentioned him in his secret letter, it must be true!”
Moreover… it seems that Bai Xiaotang has also gotten wind of this.”
He deliberately brought up Baixiaotang, both as a test and as a prelude—in case Xiao Ruojin learned about the medicine man from elsewhere in the future, he could say that he had already mentioned that Baixiaotang was aware of it.
Xiao Ruojin pressed further, "Bai Xiaotang? What did they say?"
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty has not yet made contact with Bai Xiaotang."
Yi Bu shook his head and said, "But according to the intelligence that the Shadow Sect has, Ji Ruofeng has been frequently mobilizing manpower these past few days, seemingly investigating matters in the southwest. With the Hundred Knowledge Hall's information network, the matter of the medicine man probably cannot be kept from them."
This was half true and half false. Bai Xiaotang was indeed investigating, but he didn't mention a word about going to see Ji Ruofeng last night.
Xiao Ruojin remained silent for a long time before suddenly asking, "Yi Qing, do you think... the drug people are really as terrifying as the legends say?"
Yi Bu's heart tightened.
This is a difficult question to answer. If it is frightening, the Langya King's army has just set off. Does the emperor have to issue an order to withdraw the troops? Wouldn't that damage the imperial prestige?
If it's not scary, what if the medicine man really does wreak havoc on the battlefield in the future? Then he would be deceiving the emperor.
After a moment's consideration, he cautiously said, "Your Majesty, the art of medicine-making is said to have originated from the ancient dust of Western Chu. According to historical records, it can indeed be used to forge killing weapons that are unafraid of death and pain."
In the past, the brothers Gu Chen and Gu Mo of Western Chu used their art of creating human-shaped medicine figures to fight for months against the 100,000-strong army of the Marquis of Zhenxi… but this art also has weaknesses.”
"What weakness?" Xiao Ruojin's eyes suddenly lit up.
"I have heard rumors that the medicine man is controlled by some kind of Gu worm or talisman. Once the person controlling him is killed or the object being controlled is destroyed, the medicine man will go out of control and may even turn against his own side."
Ibn paused, "Furthermore, while medicine-people are not afraid of swords and blades, they are vulnerable to extremely yang forces such as raging fire and lightning strikes. If they can be defeated with fire attacks and lightning magic, they might be able to be controlled..."
"The power of thunder and fire?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Ruojin's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and she continued:
"In that case, Lei Mengsha, the vanguard under the Prince of Langya, is the best candidate. Doesn't he know a finger technique called... uh, Lei Men... Jing What Finger?"
"What Your Majesty speaks of is indeed the Thunder Gate's Divine Finger!"
Yi Bu caught the excitement in the emperor's eyes and was secretly pleased, but on the surface he became even more respectful: "Lei Mengsha is a genius that the Lei Sect has never seen in a hundred years. His Amazing Finger is a secret technique of the Lei Sect. It can sing three times with one finger and its power is not bad!"
Lei Mengsha is also skilled in Thunder Gate firearms and proficient in the extremely yang and powerful lightning-attracting formation, making him the nemesis of the Yin-evil drug users!
Xiao Ruojin seemed to be deep in thought, but then changed the subject, raising an eyebrow and asking:
"With only Lei Mengsha, the evil magic of the Medicine Man is probably just a drop in the ocean! If the imperial court can get the help of Lei Men, this battle will surely be successful!"
General Yi, do you think... the Lei family would serve the court? I've heard that the Lei family has a long-standing ancestral precept of "not joining the army, not getting involved in politics..."
……