Cheng Yaojin walked up to the three of them and laughed."Three little kids, you were even faster than me just now…I admire you, I admire you!”"Nothing!" Tuoba Yu 'er replied. Seeing injustice on the road, he drew his sword to help! This is what I should do." "Very good!" Cheng Yaojin gave him a thumbs up. I admire you! What are your names?" Chen Jingchou reported the names of the three people. "My name is Cheng Yaojin, I'm sure you all know!"”He pointed at the scholar beside him and said,"This is my childhood friend. His surname is Qin and his name is Shu Bao!"”Everyone bowed. "I'm very happy to be able to get to know these chivalrous kids!" Cheng Yaojin said.”Qin Shubao twirled his long beard and said," Indeed, heroes come from young people. You're so young, but you're able to stand up for justice. It's really rare!"-- Why don't we go to the shop and have a chat together?”"Good, good!" Cheng Yaojin shouted. I won't rest until I'm drunk today!" Without waiting for Chen Jingchou's reply, he dragged the three of them into the shop.
When they reached the restaurant, they reorganized their cups and plates and sat down respectively. Cheng Yaojin called for a big bowl of wine! After three bowls, Chen Jingchou could no longer hold his liquor. Yu Xiaoxue and Tuoba Yuer had only drunk a few mouthfuls and were already dizzy. Qin Shubao asked the waiter to send them to the guest room to rest. The three of them continued drinking. During the banquet, they talked about the general situation of the world. Cheng Yaojin drank more than ten bowls of wine and was already 70 - 80% drunk. He cursed in front of everyone and pointed his fingers randomly. He scolded Emperor Yang and all the civil and military officials, but he still felt that it was not enough. There were few customers in the shop, and now they all fled.
Cheng Yaojin stood up shakily and shouted,""What are you running for! I'm going to rebel! Even if the soldiers come, I'm not afraid. I'll still cut them into pieces!”The shopkeeper and the waiter were all frightened, but no one dared to persuade them. Qin Shubao quickly stopped him. Cheng Yaojin sat down angrily, holding the wine bowl and lying on the table, drowsy. Qin Shubao shook his head." Little Brother Chen, Brother Cheng lost his composure after drinking. Please don't take offense!"”"What are you talking about, Big Brother Qin?" Chen Jingchou asked. I'm so happy to be able to get to know you two today!”Qin Shubao nodded and sighed." In this world, the people are rising up. The situation is chaotic. The government is muddled. It is the autumn of the new generation. It is time for us to do something big! But…"
"What difficulties does Big Brother Qin have? Please speak!" Chen Jingchou said.”Qin Shubao paused and said," I can only blame Brother Cheng and my bad luck. Although we have the heart to serve the country and save the people, we have yet to meet a wise ruler. I still have an official position. Brother Cheng has always had great ambitions, but he can only do some business here without capital. It's really embarrassing, but it's really helpless!”"Big brothers, you have extraordinary abilities, so why are you afraid that you can't accomplish great things?" Chen Jingchou said. In the future, he would definitely be able to achieve great achievements and leave his name in history!”"Thank you for your kind words, Little Brother Chen!" Qin Shubao nodded. I hope so!" The two of them drank again, and Chen Jingchou gradually could not hold on any longer. "Little Brother Chen!" Qin Shubao stood up and said. I still have some worldly affairs to attend to today, so I'll take my leave first. See you again in the future!”Cheng Yaojin drank five to six catties of wine and waved his hand drunkenly."Farewell! Brother!" The two of them left. Chen Jingchou cupped his hands in farewell and returned to the guest room. The wine poured out and he fell asleep.
When he woke up the next day, it was already late in the morning. Chen Jingchou walked out of the room and saw that Tuoba Yu 'er and Yu Xiaoxue had woken up for a long time. "Brother Chen, you finally got up!" Yu Xiaoxue said.”"I'm sorry!" Chen Jingchou stretched. I drank a few more glasses yesterday and accidentally overslept.”"Childe Chen, did you find out about the Divine Cauldron yesterday?" Tuoba Yu 'er asked.”Chen Jingchou slapped his head and sighed,""I drank a few more glasses yesterday and actually forgot about the proper business!”Tuoba Yu 'er snorted and turned around. "Brother Chen!" Yu Xiaoxue said. I have an idea-that divine cauldron-could it have been taken by Big Brother Cheng?”Chen Jingchou thought for a while and said,"There are no other bandits nearby. It's very likely."”Tuoba Yu 'er suddenly turned around and said in shock,""Oh no! Could those hateful Sui Army have also come to the Demon King's stronghold?”The three of them recalled the soldiers from yesterday and couldn't help but be shocked. "There's no time to lose!" Chen Jingchou hurriedly said. We have to go up the mountain immediately and snatch it back before the soldiers find it!”
The few of them hurriedly took their weapons and headed up the mountain. The mountain path was quite steep and messy. Although it was ten feet wide, it was still difficult to walk. Chen Jingchou and the others walked for more than four hours before they reached the mountainside. Looking from afar, he saw a wooden fence on the mountainside. It was placed on both sides of the path up the mountain, blocking the dangerous terrain. Flags fluttered on the fence, and there were sentry towers everywhere. The three of them walked up to the fence and saw that the gate was closed. A lackey stood on the watchtower and shouted,"Who is it? What do you do?" "Big Brother, is there a King Cheng Yaojin on this mountain?" Chen Jingchou asked.”The lackey raised his spear and looked at the three of them for a while before saying,"There is one King Cheng! However, the king has recently ordered that the soldiers will attack the stronghold. In order to prevent spies from infiltrating, no one is allowed to go up the mountain!”"This little brother's surname is Chen, and I'm King Cheng's friend!" Can you please make an exception?" "Your Majesty has many friends!" the lackey said. How would I know if you're telling the truth?" "Please help!" Chen Jingchou said. I am indeed King Cheng's friend. Yesterday, I was drinking with him at the foot of the mountain!”The lackey was impatient." It's not difficult to let you pass, but if anything goes wrong, I have a few heads. I can take responsibility!" You guys should hurry back! If the soldiers came, it would not be a joke!”With that, he turned around and retreated into the fence. Chen Jingchou had no choice but to turn back with Tuoba Yu 'er and Yu Xiaoxue and stand a few hundred feet outside the village gate.
Tuoba Yu 'er was furious and wanted to rush in. Chen Jingchou hurriedly stopped. The stockade gate was at the throat of the enemy. Moreover, the stockade was filled with hard crossbows and heavy stones. It was definitely impossible to charge through. Chen Jingchou looked at the mountain and said,"We'll walk around the mountainside. Perhaps we can find the way up the mountain."”The three of them passed through the forest together and went around the right side of the hill. At the end of the wooden fence was a deep pool. The water in the pond was as green as jade and bottomless. On the other side was a steep cliff with huge rocks. But no one was guarding the edge of the pool. On the other side was the path up the mountain. "That's great," Chen Jingchou said happily."We only need to swim across the pond to reach the mountain."”As he spoke, he took a few steps forward and was about to enter the water. "Wait a minute!" Tuoba Yu 'er said. "What's wrong?" Chen Jingchou asked curiously. Sister Yu 'er, don't you want to rush into the village the most?”Tuoba Yu 'er hesitated and said,"I, I…""Brother Chen, have you forgotten that Sister Tuoba can't swim?”Chen Jingchou suddenly remembered and smiled,"Ah, I almost forgot. She was the one who refused to jump into the river on the dragon boat." Tuoba Yu 'er's eyebrows shot up and she said anxiously,"She's the one.""Humph! It's rare for me to have such a small flaw. Can you not keep mentioning it?”Chen Jingchou laughed." Yes, yes…but since someone is a drought duck, I can only spend some effort to help her over!"”Tuoba Yu 'er turned her head and said," I, I don't want to go into the water…I will definitely drown…" Chen Jingchou and Yu Xiaoxue repeatedly tried to persuade her, but Tuoba Yu' er refused to budge no matter what they said. Chen Jingchou had no choice but to return to the main road with the two to see if there was any other way to climb the mountain.
Just as he reached the roadside, the sound of wheels creaking could be heard from the foot of the mountain. The three of them looked down and saw a farmer driving a donkey and pulling a cart. They were making their way up the mountain with great difficulty. The cart was filled with vegetables. It seemed that the villagers nearby were delivering vegetables to the village. Chen Jingchou lowered his head and clasped his hands together.""There's a way!"
The farmer stopped in front of the village gate with his donkey cart and shouted a few times. The lackey guarding the stronghold recognized him and quickly opened the door. The farmer and the minions exchanged a few pleasantries before driving over. The minions didn't mind. The farmer drove the cart to the back of the mountain and stopped. He looked left and right to see that there was no one around and said,"Little brother, we're here." Chen Jingchou and the other two crawled out of the pile of vegetables and jumped out of the car. The farmer pointed to a hole under the tree roots on the nearby mountain wall and said,""I can only send you here. Not far ahead is the village's kitchen. Since you are King Cheng's friends, you can go up from this cave and directly reach the main stronghold.”Chen Jingchou thanked him and gave him a silver ingot. The farmer left happily.
Chen Jingchou hurriedly tied a torch to himself and led the way into the cave. Yu Xiaoxue and Tuoba Yu 'er followed closely behind. The path in the cave was winding and extremely humid. Centipedes, bats, and other poisonous insects were everywhere. The few of them walked for about an hour before reaching the end. After turning a corner, they suddenly saw a cave opening in front of them. Light shone into it, and the three of them rushed forward. However, just as he took a few steps, he saw a tall figure coming out of the cave and blocking the middle of the road. The cave was instantly pitch-black. One could vaguely see that the person was holding two large axes in his hands. Chen Jingchou was about to ask. "Where did this rat come from?!" the man shouted. How dare you barge into the Devil King's Bastion that your father has opened for a hundred years! Chen Jingchou found the voice very familiar and suddenly remembered. He shouted,"Big Brother Cheng! Don't misunderstand, it's me!" Cheng Yaojin was puzzled. He took a few steps forward with his axe and saw that it was Chen Jingchou in the dim light. He laughed and said,""So it's you guys! I was wondering which soldier was so bold as to come up the mountain! Please come in!" He walked out first.
Chen Jingchou and the other two followed him out. After passing through a few stone corridors, they arrived at the main hall. The hall was actually a huge natural stone cave that was eighty to ninety feet wide. The walls on both sides of the cave were lit up by torches. There were two rows of chairs in the hall. Cheng Yaojin quickly let the three of them sit down. There was a tiger skin chair on the stone base in the north, and there was another chair beside it. A person sat on it, and it was Qin Shubao. When Qin Shubao saw Chen Jingchou, he was slightly surprised. Cheng Yaojin sat on the tiger skin chair and gave a thumbs up. He smiled and said,""The three little righteous men are amazing. I really didn't expect you to find your way up the mountain!”Qin Shubao stood up and said,"It's rare for the three of you to come. It's really an honor!"”"Oh right, did you come to the mountain this time to look for Brother Cheng?"”Chen Jingchou hesitated for a moment." This little brother hasn't gotten permission to go up the mountain. Please forgive me, big brothers!"”"Hey!" Cheng Yaojin said. Brother Chen! We're all family. Don't say such things!”"Brother, I heard recently that someone in this area obtained a divine cauldron, so I came up the mountain…" Cheng Yaojin laughed when he heard this."Brother! You've found the right person. The one who snatched the divine cauldron from the dog soldier is me! -- So you guys are the same as Big Brother Qin, specially coming up the mountain to see my treasured cauldron?”Chen Jingchou only felt that this matter was very difficult to handle, so he said," We…actually…" Cheng Yaojin interrupted him and said,""Since you're here, don't stand on ceremony! Let's have a few drinks first. After dinner, I'll bring you to see it immediately!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard someone say,"No need to look! Please return the cauldron to me!”Everyone turned around and saw that the person who spoke was Tuoba Yu 'er. She had stood up from her seat. Chen Jingchou cursed inwardly. Cheng Yaojin looked left and right, confused.""Return…what return?" Tuoba Yu 'er said," That Divine Cauldron was originally a divine artifact passed down from generation to generation in our Tuoba tribe. Last year, it was unfortunately taken away by the soldiers in the Northern Desert. Now, it's been snatched away by you!"”"Oh!" Qin Shubao twirled his beard and said curiously. That cauldron was originally owned by your tribe?”Tuoba Yu 'er raised her head and said," That's right. I traveled thousands of miles south this time to find this cauldron and bring it back to the plains!"”Qin Shubao saw that Tuoba Yu 'er did not seem to be lying. He thought for a moment and said,"I see…Since that's the case, then Brother Cheng, return the Divine Cauldron to this girl!”
"No, no!" Cheng Yaojin shook his head. For this treasured cauldron, how long did I lie in ambush and how much effort did I put in to snatch it! Why do I have to return the cauldron to her just because of her words?”"Why not?" Tuoba Yu 'er asked anxiously. This cauldron was originally ours, not yours!”Cheng Yaojin looked up." I don't care who it belonged to. The cauldron is in my hands now. It's mine!"”"Hmph!" Tuoba Yu 'er said angrily. Since I can't reason with you, I'll take back the divine cauldron even if I have to use force!”Cheng Yaojin was unhappy and said in a hoarse voice,""Who's afraid of who! Would my Xuanhua Giant Axe be afraid of a little kid like you?”Qin Shubao saw that the two sides were getting into a deadlock and was about to make a move. He quickly advised,"Everyone, please calm down…Brother Cheng, let's talk things out, don't hurt the harmony!”Chen Jingchou also hurried forward to stop Tuoba Yu 'er. At this moment, a small fry ran in with a panicked expression and shouted,"Not good! Great King! Something bad happened! The soldiers have barged in and are going to take the cauldron away!”Cheng Yaojin was shocked. He stood up and glared at Chen Jingchou and the other two, scolding,""So it was a trap to divert the east and attack the west. I was really f * cking tricked today!”He hurriedly turned around and left.
Chen Jingchou and Qin Shubao didn't know what was going on, so they followed him. They passed through a mountain wall and arrived at a smaller cave. The underground of the cave was filled with gold and silver, and all kinds of weapons were placed on the four walls. Two generals in armor surrounded a bronze cauldron. They raised their hands and were about to move it away. Cheng Yaojin didn't know why, but he had already rolled to the ground and struggled to get up, looking extremely miserable. A person stood in front of the cauldron with his hands behind his back. When Chen Jingchou and the other two looked over, they could not help but be shocked. Tuoba Yu 'er pointed at him and said," You…You are…""That's right, I am Grand Tutor Yuwen! Today, I have been specially ordered by the Emperor to take back the Divine Cauldron that was snatched away by you thieves!”Qin Shubao was secretly shocked and thought, This person is actually Grand Tutor Yuwen of the imperial court. This is bad!”Grand Tutor Yuwen raised his right hand and said," Hu Lü An, Han Teng, help me move this cauldron back to our ship immediately!"”"Yes, sir!" The two generals bowed. This servant…no, this subordinate respects your orders!" He turned around and carried the cauldron away. Cheng Yaojin was furious. Just as he stood up, he swung his axe and rushed forward, shouting,"Dog soldier, don't go. Leave the cauldron behind!”Grand Tutor Yuwen stood still and raised his right hand slightly. He didn't know what move he used to block Cheng Yaojin and shouted,""How dare you! Don't come near me…Don't hate me! If you want to thank someone, thank these little brats properly! If they hadn't brought me here and held you two leaders back, I wouldn't have been able to succeed so easily!”He laughed and said," Then I won't accompany you anymore. I'll take my leave first!”With that, he turned around and left the mountain.
Cheng Yaojin rolled a few times on the ground before he stopped. He sat down on the ground, thumped his chest, and cried,"Oh my god! My treasured cauldron…Give me back my treasured cauldron!”Grand Tutor Yuwen had long disappeared. Cheng Yaojin turned around and scolded,"It's all your fault…If I don't tear you guys apart today, I won't be called the devil king!"”Without any explanation, he raised his huge axe and slashed over. "Big Brother Cheng! " Please listen to my explanation…" Cheng Yaojin's face turned red. In his rage, he kept attacking. Chen Jingchou had no choice but to raise his sword to parry. The weapons clashed with each other, causing loud banging sounds. Qin Shubao saw that the situation was not good and shouted,""Everyone, wait!" He jumped between the two of them and separated their weapons. Cheng Yaojin raised his axe and said,""What's wrong? "Big Brother Qin, you have to help these little ghosts too…" Qin Shubao said,"I don't know."Brother Cheng, calm down! This was a trap, a very obvious trap!”"Nonsense!" Cheng Yaojin said. I also know that this is a trap-these little brats sneaked up the mountain to deceive me, giving the soldiers an opportunity to take away the treasure cauldron. I know that too!" Qin Shubao hurriedly said," No, that's not what I meant. These kids are right. They were framed by the soldiers!"”Cheng Yaojin put down his axe and said,"Framing?" Why can't I tell?" Qin Shubao twirled his beard and walked back and forth a few steps.""Just now, a burly general actually called me a servant. It doesn't make sense! Moreover, revealing the identity of the spy was equivalent to sending them to their deaths. There were many suspicious points here! Don't trust me!"
Chen Jingchou had already sheathed his sword and cupped his hands.""Big Brother Cheng! Please believe us, we are really not soldiers!”Tuoba Yu 'er also stepped forward and apologized,""King Cheng, it's all our fault for being careless and being followed by the soldiers. -- I'm really sorry for causing the divine cauldron to be snatched away! But we're not soldiers!”"Hmph!" Cheng Yaojin said. Do you think I'll believe you just based on your words? How do you want to prove it?" Tuoba Yu 'er thought for a while and said," Please give me fifteen days. I will definitely find the Divine Cauldron and bring it back to the Demon King's Stronghold!"”Cheng Yaojin shook his head and said," How dare you! I've already suffered once. Will I be fooled again?" If you leave now, you can meet up with those dog soldiers just now and never come back. Who will believe your nonsense?”Chen Jingchou and the others were speechless. Qin Shubao advised," Brother Cheng, the cauldron has been lost anyway. It's useless to keep them. Why don't we let them look for it and see if they can find the treasured cauldron!"”" Don't worry, King Cheng," Tuoba Yu 'er said." I'll definitely find the cauldron for you…I'll challenge you to a duel when I return. I'll only bring the cauldron back to the north after I defeat you!"”"Hmph!" Cheng Yaojin said. What if you lose?" Tuoba Yu 'er raised her head." Then the cauldron will be yours forever. Is that okay?"”Cheng Yaojin threw down his axe and said," Humph…Interesting. I'll bet with you…15 days. I'll give you 15 days!"”
Qin Shubao sent the three of them to the gate of the stronghold. Chen Jingchou and the others bade farewell and turned to walk down the mountain. Under the moonlight, it was already late at night. They knocked on the door of the inn and went back to their rooms to rest. Chen Jingchou lay on the bed, facing the dim yellow light. His mind was in a mess, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Although he had half a month, he didn't know where the cauldron was. He only felt that the road ahead was vast and unpredictable. He sat up and suddenly remembered something. He quickly took out the letter and read it under the lamp. He thought to himself, Since Grand Tutor Yuwen has sent people to Mount Tai, maybe we can find out about the Divine Cauldron on Mount Tai. Although the hope was slim, it was better than worrying here.”Thinking of this, it was already dawn. Chen Jingchou lay on the couch and closed his eyes for a while.
Before long, the sky was already bright. The three of them had already gotten up, eaten breakfast, packed their luggage, and led their horses to the main road. There were no soldiers on the road. Chen Jingchou was puzzled." The soldiers just left the bean pit not long ago. They shouldn't have gone far. Why did they disappear into thin air? There's no news at all."”Yu Xiaoxue and Tuoba Yu 'er were also puzzled. Chen Jingchou took out the letter. Yu Xiaoxue did not study and did not read much. In order to assassinate the Emperor, Tuoba Yu 'er had asked Zhang Lie for advice. She was quite knowledgeable in Chinese and took the letter. She read it from the beginning and said,""Since Grand Preceptor Yuwen has sent his men to Mount Tai, we have to hurry up and go there immediately.”Chen Jingchou had this intention. Yu Xiaoxue also felt that there was no other way. The three of them made up their minds, mounted their horses, turned their heads, and galloped toward Mount Tai. Fortunately, the journey wasn't too far. After a few days, they arrived at Tai 'an City. Tai 'an City was located at the foot of Mount Tai. It was a place that the emperors of the past dynasties had to pass through during their Fengshan ceremonies. It was considered a large town in Shandong. Although it wasn't as wealthy as Daliang, scholars from all over the world came from afar, and the streets were bustling with people. The three of them dismounted and walked on the streets, hoping to find out some information about the Divine Cauldron. However, even after going all over Tai An, there was no news at all. It was getting late, so he could only find an inn to stay in first.
The next day, he went to the streets and asked all the pedestrians and shop owners, but no one knew anything about the soldiers. Those residents either really didn't know or were afraid of getting into trouble, so they didn't dare to say anything. Chen Jingchou felt helpless, while Tuoba Yu 'er was even more anxious. The three of them crossed the stone street and turned into a corner. Tuoba Yu 'er said," How hateful…Why can't we find the whereabouts of the Divine Cauldron after investigating for so long?!"”Chen Jingchou pondered for a moment and asked in confusion,""The letter clearly said that Grand Preceptor Yuwen sent his men to Mount Tai. How come we didn't hear any news about the officers and soldiers when we walked all over Tai 'an City? The soldiers didn't come to Mount Tai?" " It's been six days since we came down from the Demon King's Walled Mountain," Yu Xiaoxue said." Will we be able to make it in time if we keep going like this?"”Tuoba Yu 'er turned half of her face away and sighed.""Don't mention it…I'm dying of anxiety!”Another day passed and there was still no news from the soldiers. Chen Jingchou and the others discussed for a while and knew that they couldn't wait any longer, so they took a path to the foot of Mount Tai. Half a day later, they reached the foot of the mountain. The three of them dismounted and tied their horses to the tree trunk. They were about to climb the mountain. Yu Xiaoxue suddenly pointed ahead and said,""Look! There are government troops!" Chen Jingchou hurriedly dodged to the side of the road and hid behind the tall grass, turning his head to look ahead. At the foot of the mountain ahead, there were several soldiers with steel knives on their waists patrolling. Behind him stood a stone archway, which was filled with banners. The banners swayed in the wind, revealing the words Mount Tai. Chen Jingchou watched for a while and said,"I was wondering why I couldn't find the soldiers. It turns out that they've already climbed Mount Tai!" They even sent troops to guard the foot of the mountain. What were they doing on the mountain?”Tuoba Yu 'er had an idea and said,"Everyone, follow me!"”Chen Jingchou and Yu Xiaoxue followed.
The three of them lowered their heads in the dense forest and quietly circled around the archway. When they got closer, Tuoba Yu 'er raised her hand and suddenly drew her weapon. She took the lead and rushed out. The few of them took care of the soldiers in an instant. The soldiers didn't even have time to shout out a warning. Chen Jingchou wiped the blood off the iron sword and turned to go up the mountain. Suddenly, he heard Tuoba Yu 'er shouting from behind,""Wait a minute!" Chen Jingchou didn't know what was going on, but he turned around again. Tuoba Yu 'er said," You're going up openly like this. Who knows how many soldiers there are on the mountain? Do you want us to be surrounded and exterminated?"”"You're right!" Chen Jingchou patted his head. I was too careless!" Tuoba Yu 'er frowned and said,"You'll ruin my plan if you act so rashly!"”"Then may I ask Sister Yu 'er what advice you have?" Chen Jingchou asked with a smile. -- I almost made the same mistake as someone who went to assassinate the emperor alone!”Tuoba Yu 'er raised her eyebrows. What did you say? You're still joking at a time like this!" "It's nothing…I just want to ask Sister Yu 'er if there's any way to go up the mountain." Chen Jingchou put away his smile and said.”Tuoba Yu 'er pondered for a moment and said,""Got it. Put on this soldier's uniform and walk up first. -- Get rid of the sentries and find out the situation. Snowy and I will follow!”Chen Jingchou scratched his head." Why don't we dress up as soldiers together? Isn't that better?"”Tuoba Yu 'er turned around and said,"I'd rather die than wear a soldier's uniform!"”Chen Jingchou had no choice but to take off his soldier's clothes and walk into the forest to change. After cleaning up the corpses on the ground, he went up the mountain first. Tuoba Yu 'er and Yu Xiaoxue followed from afar.
Sentries were set up at all the dangerous places on the mountain. Chen Jingchou strode forward. When the soldiers saw that it was their own people, they were not very guarded. When Chen Jingchou got closer, he slashed down the cliff one by one. Don't tell me that you didn't even have the time to groan before you died from serious injuries. Tuoba Yu 'er and Yu Xiaoxue followed behind. Walking up the mountain path, it was almost noon when they reached the top of the mountain. The peak of the mountain was actually a ten-some zhang wide flat ground. Other than the forest on the west side, the other three sides were ten thousand zhang tall cliffs, and the clouds and mist at the bottom of the cliffs surged. On the ground in the middle of the field, there was a strange hexagonal formation. Flags of various colors were planted around the formation. Chen Jingchou and the others looked carefully, but there was no one on the field. "This strange ghost boundary is the only thing that has been set up on this mountain," Tuoba Yu 'er said in disappointment. " There's no trace of the Divine Cauldron. I wonder what the soldiers are up to…" Chen Jingchou continued to walk around the mountaintop, but he couldn't find any clues. Although he felt that this array was rather strange, he couldn't put his finger on it. "Brother Chen, listen!" Yu Xiaoxue suddenly said. Someone is coming!" Chen Jingchou turned around and listened attentively. Sure enough, there were several footsteps coming up the mountain path. He quickly made a gesture, and Tuoba Yu 'er and Yu Xiaoxue understood. They jumped into the forest together and hid well.
In the time it took to finish half a cup of tea, two people walked up the mountain path and stopped at the side of the field. Chen Jingchou and the others stole a glance and were shocked. The two of them were dressed in military attire. One of them was dressed in white and silver armor. He was only in his twenties. Although he had a domineering aura, it was still alright. The other person was nearly sixty years old, with a white beard and eyebrows. He wore a crimson cloak on his back and had an awe-inspiring aura. It was Han Teng, whom he had met in the Demon King's Stronghold. "Old General Han!" The young general cupped his hands. Thank you for coming! I have failed to welcome you. I hope you can atone for your sins!”"General Yang Shuo, you're welcome!" Han Teng waved his hand and said. -- Lord Yuwen is very concerned about the matter of the ten thousand spirit blood and specially ordered me to come here and tell me to bring the blood bead back safely!”Looking up at the sky, he paused for a moment."We have successfully obtained the first drop of Ten Thousand Spirit Blood from Yanmen, and it is now the seventh day." General Yang Shuo! When do you plan to start executing Dong Lai City's Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Formation?”Yang Shuo also looked up at the sky and said,"It's almost time. This subordinate will start immediately!"”He walked into the hexagonal formation and stepped on the center of it. After a moment, several dazzling red lights suddenly shot out from the six corners of the formation and pierced into the air. Chen Jingchou and the others could barely open their eyes. A moment later, a huge fiery light rose from the horizon and rolled up, illuminating half of the sky with a blood-red color. Yang Shuo raised his right hand, and the six red lights suddenly retracted, disappearing from the six corners of the formation. Yang Shuo slowly exhaled and raised his head. A blood-red ball had already appeared in his hand. He walked out of the array and could not hide the excitement on his face."General Han, we succeeded! This was the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Pearl that had been condensed by sacrificing the lives of sixty thousand people in Donglai City!”As he spoke, he handed over the blood bead. Han Teng took it and carefully put it away. He said,""Not bad! Well done! To be able to obtain the second ten thousand spirit blood bead so smoothly, I believe Lord Yuwen will be very happy! -- Then I won't say anything more and will go back first.”Yang Shuo cupped his hands and sent him off. Han Teng was about to go down the mountain when he suddenly turned back and said,""Oh right, Lord Yuwen also has a letter for me to give to you!”He handed the scroll over and went down the mountain.
When Chen Jingchou and the other two heard this, although they were puzzled, no matter what, since Yang Shuo was Grand Tutor Yuwen's subordinate, then the whereabouts of the Divine Cauldron would definitely fall on him. Seeing that Han Teng had gone far away, Chen Jingchou and the others jumped out of the forest together. Yang Shuo suddenly saw the three of them and exclaimed,""Who are you? How dare you peep at my formation?" "Dog soldiers!" Tuoba Yu 'er shouted. What did you do just now?”"How dare you!" Yang Shuo shouted. I haven't even held you accountable for trespassing, yet you actually dare to turn around and ask me? No wonder the sentries on the mountain path disappeared for no reason. It was all your doing!”Tuoba Yu 'er snorted and didn't reply. She raised her sword and attacked. Yang Shuo sneered. He wielded a sword with his left hand and a spear with his right as he welcomed the attack. The two of them exchanged more than ten moves in an instant. Yang Shuo's martial arts skills were strong, and his weapons were strange. Tuoba Yu 'er gradually lost. Chen Jingchou shouted and unsheathed his sword. He and Yu Xiaoxue rushed forward together. Chen Jingchou's figure was steady and natural, his sword momentum like a rainbow. Yu Xiaoxue's figure was graceful and agile, dancing the iron ring in several arcs, looking very beautiful. The two of them swung their weapons at Yang Shuo. Yang Shuo used his spear and sword together, one attacking and one defending. He was well-prepared for attack and defense, and his cooperation was close. He fought against three people, but he was not at a disadvantage at all. Swords and sabers clashed, clanging sounds rang out, and figures flashed as they shuttled back and forth. In a short while, both sides had exchanged forty to fifty rounds.
Yang Shuo saw that the three of them were attacking more and more tightly. His physical strength was gradually running out, and he could not win. He could not help but feel anxious. If this continued, he would lose. With a sudden thought, the short sword in his left hand quickly parried Chen Jingchou's weapon, revealing an opening. He turned around and fled, leaving a large gap behind him. This was the most common tactic used in military battles. Tuoba Yu 'er was anxious and did not know that it was a trap. She raised her sword and chased after him. Yang Shuo glanced back from the corner of his eyes. Without turning around, he quickly turned his spear around and suddenly thrust it back from under his armpit.
"Careful!" Chen Jingchou shouted in alarm.”He flew over to save her. Tuoba Yu 'er was too close to Yang Shuo and could not stop in time. She hurriedly leaned to the right. With a swoosh, the spear pierced into Tuoba Yu 'er's left arm, causing blood to spurt out. Tuoba Yu 'er threw away the sword and endured the pain. She grabbed the spear shaft tightly with her right hand. Yang Shuo was too anxious to pull it out. Chen Jingchou had already taken advantage of the situation to stab with his sword. He could only abandon his spear and turn around to block with his short sword. Yang Shuo relied on the sword and spear to unleash their power. Losing the spear was like losing an arm. His attack was immediately slowed down. Out of ten moves, nine were defensive. After exchanging another ten moves, the flaws on his body gradually revealed themselves. Chen Jingchou's attacks were fierce, and it was impossible to defend the door. After a few rounds, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. He had already been hit by Yu Xiaoxue's iron ring. He hurriedly turned around and forced her to retreat.
"Little Xue!" Chen Jingchou shouted. Go and see Yu 'Er. Let me deal with him!”Yu Xiaoxue jumped out. Yang Shuo was determined and desperately resisted. He brandished his short sword and stabbed at Chen Jingchou. Chen Jingchou dodged to the side. His dagger brushed past his cheek, and a strong wind cut his face. Suddenly, he took a step forward and arrived in front of Yang Shuo. Yang Shuo was shocked and was about to retreat, but it was too late. With a bang, Chen Jingchou had already struck his chest. His armor shattered, his internal organs churned, and the blood in his chest ran wild. The dagger in his hand fell to the ground, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood. His silver armor was dyed red. He covered his chest with his right hand and barely managed to hold on for a while before falling to the ground.
Chen Jingchou left Yang Shuo behind and hurriedly ran to Tuoba Yu 'er's side, only to see Yu Xiaoxue bandaging her wounds. Fortunately, Tuoba Yu 'er dodged in time. The spear was slightly off target and did not pierce any vital parts of her body. However, her left arm was covered in blood and had a wound that was several inches long. After all, it was not a light injury. Tuoba Yu 'er struggled to stand up after she was bandaged. Chen Jingchou and Yu Xiaoxue advised her to rest, but Tuoba Yu 'er refused to listen. The two of them could only support her and walk to Yang Shuo. Tuoba Yu 'er endured the pain and said,"Tell me quickly!" Where is the Divine Cauldron?" Yang Shuo only had half a breath left. He forced himself to endure and still refused to give in. He replied coldly,"The Divine Cauldron…How would I know that Lord Yuwen is also looking for the Divine Cauldron…If I knew, I would have told Lord Yuwen!”"Hmph!" Tuoba Yu 'er said. " Nonsense…I clearly saw Grand Tutor Yuwen last time…" He was so agitated that his wound was affected. He couldn't help but snort. Yang Shuo lay on the ground and turned his head,""It's up to you to believe it or not…Anyway, Lord Yuwen doesn't know the whereabouts of the divine cauldron!”Tuoba Yu 'er endured the pain and said,"Damn it! You're still stubborn…"
Chen Jingchou stopped Tuoba Yu 'er and walked up to her, asking,""General, may I ask if the formation you listed just now is the Nine-Five Formation?”"What Nine Five Array?" Yang Shuo laughed loudly. -- This was the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Formation! It was a fiendish demon formation that used the lives of sixty thousand Donglai people to form a blood bead!”Chen Jingchou and the other two were shocked and couldn't believe it.""What?" Yang Shuo raised his head and said," If you don't believe me, look to the east. Everyone in Donglai is dead!" Leave no one alive!" After saying that, he laughed out loud, his voice eerie and terrifying. Chen Jingchou and the others walked to the edge of the cliff and looked towards the east. Sure enough, they saw black smoke covering the sky and a faint glow of fire. The sky was blood-red. "This, could this be true?" Chen Jingchou was extremely shocked.”Yu Xiaoxue had never seen such a tragic killing scene. She could not help but kneel on the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks. Tuoba Yu 'er ignored the pain and scolded,""You…Why are you killing innocent people like this? Why?" Yang Shuo knew that he would inevitably die today, so he used the last of his strength to support himself with both hands and struggled to sit up. He said,"The blood bead has already been taken away by General Han…even if you want to chase after it…I'm afraid it's already too late!”Chen Jingchou was furious. He drew his sword and pointed it at his throat. Yang Shuo's expression was calm as he looked up at the sky and sighed,""All of this is for Lord Yuwen's great plan…It's a pity…that I…can't…be…loyal…anymore!”After saying that, he closed his eyes, lowered his head, and stopped moving.
Chen Jingchou stretched out his hand and found that Yang Shuo had already died. "Donglai City, Donglai City is completely destroyed…Brother Chen, I…I'm so scared!" Yu Xiaoxue cried.”Tuoba Yu 'er also sighed." These people who disregard human lives…How hateful, how hateful!"”Chen Jingchou looked at the horizon and couldn't help but feel dejected. After a while, he slowly recovered. He suddenly remembered that Han Teng had left a letter before he left. He quickly walked to Yang Shuo's side, bent down, and took out the letter from his arms. After opening it and looking at it under the sunlight, it was actually a white silk map. It depicted the mountains, rivers, and place names of the Nine Prefectures. There were several places circled with a red pen, distributed in the east, west, north, and south. Yanmen Prefecture, Donglai Prefecture, Kuaiji Prefecture, Changsha Prefecture, Fuling Prefecture, and Lingwu Prefecture. Then, he used red lines to connect all the names of the places. What was even more strange was that these six red lines intersected and overlapped, forming a huge hexagon. It was very similar to the shape of the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Formation just now, enveloping the Central Plains. Chen Jingchou looked down and saw a few lines of small words at the bottom of the map. General Yang: " If we have obtained the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood of Donglai, we must hurry back to Daliang and find the whereabouts of the Shennong Cauldron-Grand Tutor Yuwen."
Chen Jingchou was puzzled. After Tuoba Yu 'er calmed down a little, he took out the letter and showed it to her. Tuoba Yu 'er threw the letter on the ground and said,""Humph! This is clearly a trick…They were the ones who took the cauldron away, we all saw it with our own eyes! These guys actually said that they didn't know…It was clearly a trick to deceive people!”Chen Jingchou also did not understand, but he felt that there were many suspicious points in this matter. He said,""But how could they have expected the letter to fall into our hands? How do you explain this?”Tuoba Yu 'er could not understand either and said,""Alright then! Let's go to Daliang and see if we can get any information.”Chen Jingchou picked up the letter and walked to Yu Xiaoxue's side, comforting her,""Little Xue…don't be sad. Grand Tutor Yuwen has committed such a heinous crime. The sixty thousand wraiths in Donglai City will not let him off! I will definitely seek justice for the people who died tragically!”Yu Xiaoxue wiped her tears and nodded. Chen Jingchou saw that the sky was getting dark, so he helped Tuoba Yu 'er down the mountain. When they reached the middle of the mountain, the sky was already dark and the road was rugged. Chen Jingchou was worried about Tuoba Yu 'er's injuries, so he stopped and did not hurry. The three of them rested for the night on the mountain.
The next day, after they came down the mountain, Chen Jingchou went to the stream and filled a sheepskin bag with water. He then removed the cloth strips for Tuoba Yu 'er and washed her wounds. Yu Xiaoxue also found some herbs. After crushing them, she carefully applied them on Tuoba Yu 'er's wound before tearing off her clothes and bandaging it. Tuoba Yu 'er was grateful and said,"Ah Chou!" Snowy! "I treated you like this in the past, so why are you still so good to me…" Chen Jingchou said,""No matter who it is, they all have unspeakable difficulties in their hearts. In the future, we'll all be good partners, so don't say such things anymore!”Yu Xiaoxue held Tuoba Yu 'er's hand and said,""Yes, Sister Tuoba, I think you're very brave! If it weren't for you yesterday, we wouldn't have been able to defeat that general!”Tuoba Yu 'er lowered her head." If I get anxious, I won't care about anything. I might even implicate you!"”The estrangement between them disappeared. At this moment, Chen Jingchou felt very comfortable,""Let's go. There's not much time. We still have to hurry!”
Chen Jingchou found a horse in the forest and brought it back. He mounted the horse and pulled an empty horse as the vanguard. Tuoba Yu 'er had to share a horse with Yu Xiaoxue because she was injured. Along the way, Chen Jingchou and Yu Xiaoxue worked tirelessly to treat Tuoba Yu 'er's wounds. By the time they reached the canal, Tuoba Yu 'er's injuries were gradually recovering. She was already 70 - 80% better.
When they arrived at the canal, they could not find a ferry, so they had to walk northwest along the river bank. After walking for about two hours, they passed through a fork harbor. Fork Harbor was filled with weeping willows. The water surface was calm, and the fallen leaves were scattered on the water. "Brother Chen, there seems to be a boat over there." Yu Xiaoxue suddenly said through the willow branch.”The three of them got off their horses and walked closer. They hid behind a tree and looked outside. There was a large ship moored on the shore with flags fluttering at the bow. There were officers and soldiers guarding the side of the ship. It was actually a government ship.
"Ah Chou, I think this ship is very suspicious. What do you think?" Tuoba Yu 'er said.”Chen Jingchou nodded and said," Yes. Not far ahead is the road that must be taken to Daliang. Yet, this official ship is anchored in such a remote place. It's indeed a little strange!"”"Yes, that's right. Your opinion is exactly the same as mine." Tuoba Yu 'er said. -- What do you think, Little Xue?" "Ah, me?" Yu Xiaoxue blushed.……I, I have no objections! "My opinion is exactly the same as Brother Chen's…" Tuoba Yu 'er said,""I can't stand it, what do you mean by-exactly like him!”"Sister Yu 'er, didn't you say that you had the same opinion as me?" Chen Jingchou laughed.”Tuoba Yu 'er's face turned red." Damn it, you idiot! How dare you come and find fault with my words!"”"That's true!" Chen Jingchou laughed. Don't bully Xiaoxue!" After a while, Chen Jingchou asked,"Then what should we do next? Should we secretly board the ship and check it out?"”Tuoba Yu 'er said," There are only a few soldiers. The 15-day deadline is almost up anyway. Let's just charge straight up!"”
Chen Jingchou nodded, drew his sword, and took the lead. The guards were no match for Chen Jingchou and were all kicked into the river! The three of them entered the cabin and walked down the wooden ladder. A military captain stood in the middle of the aisle with a saber at his waist and shouted,"Who is it?" Tuoba Yu 'er continued,"I'm here to eliminate you lackeys of the Imperial Court!"”The captain was furious and shouted,"How dare you! Princess Dugu's ship is not a place where you lowly peasants can behave atrociously!”He waved his saber and slashed over. Chen Jingchou brandished his sword and blocked Tuoba Yu 'er's path, parrying the steel blade. Following that, the blade trembled and stabbed towards the officer. The officer hurriedly parried with his saber. The two of them exchanged more than ten moves, but there was actually no winner. The officer was furious. He held the hilt of his sword with both hands and slashed fiercely. Chen Jingchou dodged sideways. Who knew that the military officer had just raised his steel knife in the air when he suddenly stopped and fell back with a muffled grunt. The saber fell to the side with a clang.
Chen Jingchou was afraid of other people's deception and did not dare to pursue. The officer lay on the ground, blood slowly flowing out of his back. He moaned,""Who…who plotted against me?" Chen Jingchou was suspicious. He looked left and right, but there was no one else. Suddenly, he heard the clanging of jewelry. From the corner of the corridor, a young girl dressed in luxurious clothes came out. Her skin was fair and smooth, and her face was like a full moon. The girl pointed at the officer and snorted.""You helped the Grand Preceptor to poison the people and helped the evildoers. You deserve to die! Everyone can kill him!" The officer's face was full of surprise as he said in a trembling voice,""Lord, Lord Princess! You…Why did you…" Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stopped breathing. The girl was Empress Dowager Dugu's niece, Princess Dugu Ningke.
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