"The Grand Chancellor, that little bitch, killed our brothers for no reason!"
"Little bitch, what grudge do we have against you to commit such a heinous act? Kill them all, leave no one alive! That little bitch must be captured alive!"
"Grand Chancellor, why do you want her alive?"
"The Cleanser of Grievances and Suppressor of Cruelty? Heh heh, this Chancellor hasn't had the chance to play with her yet. Capturing her and taking her to the island to amuse myself for half a year or so would be a pleasant endeavor!"
"Understood, Grand Chancellor's orders! Men are to be killed, women spared! The old are to be killed, the young spared!"
"Haha, good lad, it's not for nothing that you follow me. You're quite clever!"
"Kill! Kill them! The Grand Chancellor has arrived with reinforcements! That little hen dares to bully us too much, let's fight them!"
"Kill, let's charge together! Who among us hasn't taken a few lives? If we don't fight them, none of us will survive today!"
"......"
What is known as losing Jingzhou due to carelessness, or perhaps the woman in white and the Mo disciples were too arrogant, believing they had control of the entire scene and the pirates and other ruffians. However, they failed to anticipate that the pirates and other ruffians had their own ways of communication. Upon receiving the warning, a large number of pirates and ruffians from other factions swarmed onto the balcony. They were armed, wore various pieces of armor, and even carried a few crossbows.
As the saying goes, a single fist cannot fight four hands, and even a fierce tiger fears a pack of wolves, or that no matter how high your martial arts, a sharp blade can still be fatal... The pirates and ruffians from other factions surged onto the balcony, hacking and slashing wildly. Although the skilled Mo disciples had already run through many of the ruffians, the overwhelming influx of the attackers left the Mo disciples in disarray. In an instant, several Mo disciples fell, dismembered by the frenzied blades of the ruffians, their blood splattering the ground in a gruesome spectacle.
"Retreat to the rear chambers!"
The woman in white possessed extraordinary swordsmanship. Coupled with the desire of the pirates to have her on their island for "entertainment"... The woman in white, moving like a phantom, had already dispatched over a dozen ruffians. However, she couldn't withstand the onslaught of the swarming attackers. After felling two ruffians, she retreated while protecting the zither player, shouting instructions to the remaining Mo disciples.
A moment of underestimation might lead to death here today. But... just a sliver of hope in her heart remained unfulfilled, thought the woman in white with deep sorrow.
Behind the stage was the dressing room for the actors. The woman in white intended to lead her people into this room, seeking an opportunity to escape and settle accounts later.
The Mo family disciples couldn't kill all the pirates and ruffians from other factions, but if they singled out any one of them, almost no one could escape their pursuit or assassination.
"Let's charge together..." A ruffian, rushing towards Zhou Fugui and his companions, looked at the four of them and asked in surprise, "Which island are you from?"
"Black Mountain Island!" Zhou Fugui replied with a smile.
"Oh, oh..." The ruffian had never heard of Black Mountain Island. However, he thought that since it was an island, they must be pirates... hence, they were of the same ilk. Raising his right hand with his saber and pointing his left finger at the woman in white and her group, he shouted, "Charge together, kill!"
"As you command!" Zhou Fugui responded loudly, drawing his greatsword and slicing the ruffian in two with a single stroke.
The ruffian's eyes widened in disbelief. To his death, he never understood why people from the same island would kill each other.
"Duke Tang... no... Miss, don't run! I've missed you so much!" Zhou Fugui then caught up with his sword, shouting at the woman in white.
It would have been better if Zhou Fugui hadn't corrected himself. His slip of the tongue enraged the woman in white, and she turned and unleashed a sword strike.
Zhou Fugui intended to explain, but the glint of the sword flashed, and its tip was already before him.
With a clang, sparks flew. Zhou Fugui hastily raised his sword, blocking the woman in white's fatal blow with its wide and thick blade, and quickly corrected himself, "Young Master Tang, it's me!"
"Zhou Fugui? Is it really you?" The familiar address and tone made the woman in white hastily withdraw her sword and ask, surprised and delighted.
The woman in white was, of course, Tang Yao, also known as Deng Lingyao Yao.
The reappearance of the Cleanser of Grievances and Suppressor of Cruelty in Qu County, Donghai Commandery, was also greatly related to Zhou Fugui.
Wandering the world, traversing the rivers and lakes, punishing evil and promoting good, and using punishment to prevent further punishment were common practices for Mo disciples and one of the tenets of the Deng Ling Mo family in Xichuan.
For the sake of justice in the world, Mo disciples were willing to go through fire and water, without hesitation!
As Deng Lingyao Yao and other Mo disciples were traveling in Jiangbei, they encountered a great plague in Donghai Commandery. Following a great plague inevitably came great chaos. In fact, even before the plague, Donghai Commandery was already extremely chaotic, with various factions gathered there. The struggle for the Yan Emperor's throne also plunged the world into turmoil.
While Deng Lingyao Yao and the Mo disciples were upholding justice in Donghai Commandery, they heard that a new Hu general had arrived in Donghai Commandery, surnamed Zhou. This caught Deng Lingyao Yao's attention, or perhaps Deng Lingyao Yao could never forget Zhou Fugui.
Previously, the news Deng Lingyao Yao received was that Zhou Fugui was sometimes in the heavens, sometimes in the earth... Some said he was dead, others said he was alive and kicking... One moment he was in the far north, the next he was back in the south. These fragments of information were inconsistent and unreliable.
The new Grand Governor of Donghai Commandery, a Hu named Zhou, was a general in the Yan army, and Zhou Fugui was also a general in the Yan army. Therefore, Deng Lingyao Yao brought her Mo disciples to this place, partly to cleanse grievances and suppress cruelty, and partly to confirm this matter.
Seeing Zhou Fugui now, how could Deng Lingyao Yao not be happy? How could she not be surprised?
But he still had that glib demeanor. She had almost killed him with her sword... Deng Lingyao Yao thought to herself. However, had his martial arts improved significantly?
"Pfft!"
"It's me..." Zhou Fugui replied, swinging his greatsword and felling an oncoming ruffian. "There's no time for pleasantries, let's first..."
Before Zhou Fugui could finish speaking, a body, not too petite, suddenly rushed forward, directly into Zhou Fugui's arms. She tightly hugged his neck and murmured joyfully, "Big Brother..."
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The sound of clashing weapons was incessant. Zhou Fugui, holding his greatsword with one hand, parried the weapons attacking him from all directions while using his other hand to pull away the not-too-petite body clinging to him. Upon seeing the girl's face clearly, he exclaimed with great joy, "Little Jade Slave?"
At this moment, Zhou Fugui's heart was filled with ecstatic joy, as if it were about to leap out of his chest, even more so than reuniting with "Tang Yao."
Little Jade Slave was from Guangling Commandery. Her parents had died in the war, but Zhou Fugui was greatly responsible for it. It was Zhou Fugui who led his troops into Guangling Commandery city. Little Jade Slave's parents committed suicide. Seeing her pitiable state, Zhou Fugui adopted her and promised to protect her for life. However, due to the events in Youzhou, Little Jade Slave went missing, causing Zhou Fugui immense guilt, regret, and heartache.
In times of war, the chances of a little girl surviving were too slim.
And now, Little Jade Slave was safe and sound. How could Zhou Fugui not be overjoyed?
After several years apart, Little Jade Slave had grown much taller. Her fair, oval face, her crescent-shaped eyebrows, her still childish face filled with smiles, and her clear eyes brimming with the joy of reunion and affection—she was indeed a graceful and budding young girl.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
"Pfft!"
"Ah!"
"Little Jade Slave, hide behind your brother, don't look. Miss Huang, I'm entrusting Little Jade Slave to you, protect her well!"
At this moment, no matter how happy Zhou Fugui was, and no matter how much Little Jade Slave had blossomed, he had no time to dote on her. He thrust Little Jade Slave into Huang Daimei's arms and, wielding his sword, felled two charging ruffians.
As always, Zhou Fugui did his best to protect Little Jade Slave.
"They won't even spare such a young child?" Huang Daimei thought bitterly, holding Little Jade Slave tightly, thinking that the Cleanser of Grievances and Suppressor of Cruelty should be applied to them.
"Who are you? I don't want your protection." Little Jade Slave glared at Huang Daimei with hostility, then broke free from her embrace. As she landed, she casually threw a hidden weapon, felling a ruffian.
Little Jade Slave had studied martial arts under Deng Lingyao Yao for several years, and her hidden weapon skills had already achieved some proficiency.
"Good skill!" Zhou Fugui exclaimed with pleasant surprise at the sight. Then, gripping his greatsword tightly, he roared, "Break through!"
"As the Grand Governor commands!" Wu Xi and Ke Ba stood shoulder to shoulder with Zhou Fugui, cutting down enemies as they shouted their assent.
"Kill!" Zhou Fugui swung his greatsword in a downward arc, like Mount Tai descending, striking a ruffian's shoulder and cleaving it along with his head. Blood spurted, and flesh flew, creating a scene of extreme brutality.
Amidst the chaos and turmoil, the heavy weapons wielded by Zhou Fugui, Wu Xi, and Ke Ba were far more practical than the slender and light swords of Deng Lingyao Yao.
Zhou Fugui, Wu Xi, and Ke Ba fought with broad, powerful strokes, felling many of the charging ruffians, blocking their advance, crushing their morale, and successfully retreating into the room behind the stage.
"Zhou Fugui, you've improved quite a bit, haven't you?" Deng Lingyao Yao said with a light laugh, looking at Zhou Fugui.
"Alas, Miss... Young Master Tang... Miss Tang? You have the mood to tease me at this hour? Let's escape first!" Zhou Fugui said as he retreated, holding his greatsword.
Inside the room was a spiral staircase, leading to an unknown destination. At this moment, their only option was to escape up the spiral staircase. Staying in the room meant being besieged and killed.
The staircase was narrow, and Zhou Fugui was almost pressed against Deng Lingyao Yao. Deng Lingyao Yao's body was almost leaning against Zhou Fugui's broad back as he used his sturdy back to push Deng Lingyao Yao and the others upwards.
Back then, when Deng Lingyao Yao disguised herself as a man, she had never been this close to Zhou Fugui. This made Deng Lingyao Yao blush uncontrollably.
Of course, if two big men were too intimate, it might lead to misunderstandings...
"Defend the entrance!"
At the top of the spiral staircase was another small balcony. Zhou Fugui, Deng Lingyao Yao, and the others rushed onto the small balcony. Zhou Fugui immediately ordered his men to defend the entrance.
The entrance was narrow, so even with many ruffians, only two or three could engage at a time. Thus, Zhou Fugui and his group could hold out for the moment, but not for long.
"To meet our deaths together unexpectedly," Deng Lingyao Yao thought with deep sorrow, looking at Zhou Fugui with her sword.
"What are you doing?" Deng Lingyao Yao asked in surprise as Zhou Fugui took a long, slender object from his pocket.
"One arrow shot to the clouds, a thousand troops will come to meet!" Zhou Fugui replied with a slight smile.
At the same time, Zhou Fugui suddenly felt two hostile gazes directed at him from behind.