Fish Meat – Chapter 160

The Third Year of Zhao Wu

The Lamp Behind the Curtain, the Sword in its Case (19)

The carriage had been stopped for a long time. Zhen Wenjun sent people to check the surroundings, but they found no suspicious individuals.

            

Just as the carriage was about to depart, the bluestone pavers [traditional stone road blocks] in front of the alley were suddenly upturned with loud cracking sounds, flying toward them like lightning. Countless black shadows erupted from underground, swiftly surrounding Li Yanyi’s carriage convoy.

“Form ranks! Protect the sovereign!” Zhen Wenjun shouted, and the Zhuiyue Army immediately arranged their formation, weapons held outward in unison. Zhen Wenjun stepped onto the carriage and stood before the cloth curtain, guarding the most vulnerable entrance. Before she could determine the number of attackers, the black-clothed figures launched a devastating assault.

Zhen Wenjun remained completely calm, as she had diligently trained her central army unit, and the current battle formation had been practiced countless times.

            

Zhen Wenjun was quite confident in this formation, which was originally inspired by an old book.

In recent months, her thoughts had been rather unsettled. Sometimes she acted normally around Wei Tingxu, while other times her mood was mixed with inexplicable oddness. Fortunately, Wei Tingxu had to go to the Forbidden Garden daily, with only one day off per month, spending very little time at home. Not having to face each other frequently actually made things easier for Zhen Wenjun.

During Wei Tingxu’s absence, Zhen Wenjun immersed herself in reading, categorizing and reviewing her book collection. She discovered Wei Tingxu had broad interests, from astronomy and geography to military strategy, tactics, Buddhist philosophy, and metaphysics. Although she didn’t have a habit of taking notes, she could analyze which books were her favorites by their worn condition.

            

She enjoyed reading military treatises, and among all the volumes, the books on military strategy were the most worn, with several completely falling apart.

So Wei Tingxu’s brilliance came from studying military strategy…

Zhen Wenjun held the military books for a long time, finding them increasingly fascinating. As she planned to thoroughly study all the military texts, she accidentally discovered an extraordinary book that analyzed the tactics and formations of military commanders throughout history.

            

Being trained in martial arts and warfare herself, she immediately recognized the book’s brilliance after just a glance. Once she started reading, she couldn’t stop, neglecting even meals, and finished it in three days. She carried this book with her constantly, and when training her central army, she had subordinates arrange formations while she attempted to break through from the outside, being repelled repeatedly. If her subordinates hadn’t held back their killing intent, her chest would have been pierced countless times.

This formation had endless variations, derived from the Liuren [liùrén, ancient Chinese divination system]. From Wuji [wújí, concept of limitlessness] comes Taiji [tàijí, supreme ultimate], from Taiji comes Liangyi [liǎngyí, two opposing forces]. Each soldier in the formation was a crucial point in the Tianpan [tiānpān, celestial disk used in divination]. When the Tianpan was still, it was as impenetrable as a fortress; when it moved, its changes were unpredictable.

After nearly two months of training, the formation gradually took shape, and Zhen Wenjun was confident it could withstand any fierce attack.

            

She didn’t know who wrote the book, as even its title had worn away beyond recognition, but the author must have been a strategic genius. If given the chance, Zhen Wenjun wished to discuss with them for three days and nights.

Zhen Wenjun stood at the formation’s center. Wave after wave of black-clothed attackers were repelled, and the formation remained flawless like an iron fortress.

Her arduous practice of qinggong finally found its use as she moved through the air, forcing the aggressive attackers into retreat. Her long blade reflected the bright sunlight, appearing like multiple suns in the sky. Positioned at the center of the Tianpan, her expanded range of movement made the entire formation more flexible with a wider killing radius. Zhen Wenjun danced gracefully through the air, leaving trails of blood mist wherever her blade struck.

            

The black-clothed attackers seemed surprised that a court dog [derogatory term for government officials] possessed such martial prowess. The small alley was littered with fallen attackers and several Zhuiyue soldiers, while the remaining assassins stood atop the walls on both sides, hesitant to attack.

“They are the Blue-Armed Bandits!” someone from the Zhuiyue Army called out.

Zhen Wenjun glanced at the corpses. These assassins weren’t afraid of revealing their identity – several of the fallen had blue characters tattooed on their wrists reading “Carrying out Heaven’s Justice”. “Blue-Armed Bandits” was another name for the Zhuxie Sect [zhú xié jiào, demon-purging sect], as one dared not speak those treasonous words before Li Yanyi.

            

The Zhuxie Sect? Zhen Wenjun had only heard that these rebels were even more rampant than the previous Yellow Earth Bandits, causing constant chaos within the country, even directly confronting the Da Yu [dàyù, name of the state] army, killing several regional governors and seizing cities. Now they dared to target the emperor – truly outrageous!

The assassins hesitated momentarily before a sudden arrow shot toward the carriage from behind the crowd. As Zhen Wenjun raised her hand to block it, a black shadow descended from above, whipping toward her face. Something stirred in her heart, causing her to hesitate for half a beat, and the whip struck her shoulder. If not for her Zhuiyue Army armor, that strike would have torn her flesh open.

She recognized the whip technique’s pattern, which hadn’t changed after all these years.

            

Feinting east while striking west to deliver a fatal blow – this was Ah Xun’s most comfortable tactic.

Zhen Wenjun stood with her blade horizontal, looking in the direction of the whip’s attack.

“Why didn’t you strike earlier?” Ah Xun, dressed in black, landed back on the wall-top, feeling dissatisfied.

            

Ah Xun’s earlier sneak attack had been rather impetuous. When she saw her hated enemy before her, the desire to kill overwhelmed her reason, and she rushed in rashly to attack. When Zhen Wenjun dodged her whip, there had clearly been a chance to counterattack – Zhen Wenjun’s slight shift had brought her beneath Ah Xun’s unguarded left arm. With just one slash, given Zhen Wenjun’s strength, she could have severed Ah Xun’s arm right there, but she didn’t.

“I don’t need your mercy!” Ah Xun removed her black mask, pointing her whip at Zhen Wenjun. “Being shown kindness by a court dog like you is my shame! I never expected to meet you here – our ill-fated connection runs deep! Since it’s come to this, let’s settle all our past…”

Before Ah Xun could finish speaking, Zhen Wenjun had already charged forward, raising her blade in a relentless assault, advancing step by step without giving an inch. Ah Xun stumbled while frantically defending herself, and if not for her companion’s rescue, she might have been cut in half.

            

Ah Xun quickly scrambled up and hid behind her companion, looking at Zhen Wenjun in astonishment. When had Zhen Wenjun’s qinggong become so excellent, and how had she mastered those moves? Her strength now completely surpassed Ah Xun’s own.

Even while surrounded, Zhen Wenjun remained completely at ease, advancing and retreating as she pleased. Just when everyone thought she would retreat, she suddenly counterattacked, killing four Zhuxie Sect members with the ferocity of a tiger. In an instant, those guarding Ah Xun vanished. Face to face with Zhen Wenjun’s eyes, Ah Xun trembled with goosebumps, like a sheep fixed in a predator’s gaze, her legs weak, knowing she had no chance of victory.

This time, Zhen Wenjun was serious, truly intent on killing.

            

She was no longer the little kid who used to follow Ah Xun around in Suichuan, but a dangerous predator, cold-blooded and showing no mercy.

She would kill anyone who stood in her way, be they human or Buddha.

After three more exchanges, Zhen Wenjun repelled all surrounding attackers while landing three strikes on Ah Xun. Ah Xun was completely powerless to fight back.

            

She couldn’t understand – all these years, she had trained day and night to avenge the Xie family, never slacking for a moment, developing countless calluses on her hands, greatly improving her skills. How could she now be thoroughly defeated by her enemy?

How could Zhen Wenjun have improved so rapidly? How did she accomplish this?

The answer to Ah Xun’s confusion was simple – Zhen Wenjun was simply no longer showing mercy.

            

The moment she saw Ah Xun again, she thought of Lingbi, of Lingbi’s tragic death at the hands of Ah Xun and her companions, and a long-suppressed anger at being toyed with erupted from deep within her heart.

Li Yanyi looked out from the carriage window, silently approving as she watched Zhen Wenjun’s heroic display of fighting ten opponents single-handedly, thoroughly defeating these rebels. As expected of Ah Xin’s sister and Ruan Ah Qiong’s daughter, her potential wasn’t fully realized yet. With careful nurturing, how could Da Yu lack fierce generals to repel bandits?

Seeing the commander gaining the upper hand in the wall-top battle, it was time to press the advantage. The central army split, with one group supporting Zhen Wenjun while the remainder maintained their formation around Li Yanyi’s carriage.

            

Battle cries arose everywhere. The Zhuxie Sect assassins grew anxious, knowing that Li Yanyi’s Imperial Guard included not only Zhen Wenjun’s central army but also left and right armies nearby, who would quickly arrive upon hearing the commotion. If they didn’t reach Li Yanyi soon, they feared they would all perish here.

Unable to match Zhen Wenjun and suffering several wounds, Ah Xun cried out, “I am your elder sister! You dare to commit sororicide!”

Zhen Wenjun’s heated blade paused briefly, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Ah Xun.

            

Ah Xun raged, “If not for my mother taking pity on you and your mother back then, sending me to help you, you both would have died! How dare you live to become a villain’s accomplice! I only regret listening to my mother, accepting you as a sister and teaching you literature and martial arts. Such kindness only brought catastrophe to the Xie family! You truly are a slave’s worthless offspring, willing to betray even your own blood relatives for wealth and glory!”

Facing Ah Xun’s verbal assault, Zhen Wenjun smiled instead of anger: “We’re even. At Nanya, I spared your life remembering your care for my mother and me, only to have you brutally murder Lingbi! I showed mercy again and again because of our past relationship, but what did you do? If I hadn’t been weak and hesitant, Lingbi wouldn’t have died! There’s no one trustworthy in this world except oneself! Our debt of gratitude was settled when Lingbi died. Today I’ll avenge her by taking your life!”

Seeing that Zhen Wenjun held no regard for their past relationship, Ah Xun laughed, “Everyone has the right to eliminate demons and their lackeys! I only regret not killing you back then! You aid tyranny, willingly serving as that Wei family demoness’s pawn, causing the people of Da Yu to suffer in misery. You’ll become Da Yu’s eternal sinner, cursed by generations to come!”

            

“You keep saying ‘demoness,’ but since the sovereign’s ascension to the throne, which of their actions hasn’t been for the people’s benefit? The construction of the Path of Ten Thousand Directions is an achievement that neither Emperor Ming nor Emperor Huai ever accomplished. Why do you oppose her? Have you ever questioned yourselves?”

“Starving corpses lie everywhere and disasters strike cities after cities. The lowest commoners can’t even afford food, yet Li Yanyi still heavily increases labor duties to build the Path of Ten Thousand Directions. How can you talk about benefiting the people? What use is this road! Why not address the most urgent matters first? Why not use the road-building funds to feed the people? Does Li Yanyi want the people’s welfare or just achievements? Don’t you know the truth in your heart?”

Ah Xun waited for Zhen Wenjun to argue back, even become flustered, but Zhen Wenjun showed no intention of refuting. She merely raised the corner of her mouth, looking at Ah Xun as if at a fool.

            

There was nothing more to say – they were now people of two different worlds.

A fire burned in Zhen Wenjun’s heart, one that consumed her, and she couldn’t even distinguish the source of her current hatred.

Slashing like a whirlwind, Ah Xun gradually weakened. Just as Zhen Wenjun was about to end Ah Xun’s life with one stroke, she suddenly remembered something extremely strange.

            

She recalled Lingbi’s last words.

“That Xie family woman said you were their spy… that you came to the Wei family to kill the lady. Is it true?”

Zhen Wenjun’s blade-holding hand paused.

            

Are you?

Don’t lie to me.

Lingbi’s desperate desire to know the truth at the moment of death indicated that she didn’t know Zhen Wenjun’s true identity.

            

Lingbi had followed Wei Tingxu since childhood and was one of her closest confidants. If everything had been Wei Tingxu’s scheme, if she had deliberately arranged for Zhen Wenjun to be by her side, why wouldn’t Lingbi know about it?

Could she have wrongly blamed Wei Tingxu?

This moment of hesitation gave Hang Lie, who had been lying in wait nearby, an opportunity to launch a sudden attack. Although Zhen Wenjun was lost in thought, her body remained highly sensitive to sneak attacks. She spun to avoid Hang Lie’s sword and counterattacked fiercely, striking his back. Hang Lie barely blocked the strike, clearly sensing how dramatically Zhen Wenjun’s martial arts had improved.

            

Hang Lie had remained hidden all this time, waiting for an opportunity to kill Li Yanyi, and he had indeed managed to get close enough to the carriage to loose an arrow.

The arrow brilliantly penetrated through the tight formation into the carriage’s interior, but before Hang Lie could confirm whether Li Yanyi was dead, the Zhuiyue Army forced him to reveal himself.

Hang Lie hadn’t faced a worthy opponent for a long time, and his blood boiled as he killed five or six Zhuiyue soldiers in succession. However, this imperial guard was well-trained, and their formation was incredibly difficult to break, adapting to compensate for fallen soldiers. No matter how many Hang Lie killed, he couldn’t create an opening, forcing him to temporarily retreat.

            

Upon retreating, he discovered Ah Xun was in danger.

Ah Xun was of Xie family bloodline, and Lord Xie had shown him great kindness – he had to risk his life to save Ah Xun.

After rescuing Ah Xun from Zhen Wenjun, the Zhuiyue Army and Zhuxie Sect fought in chaos, blood spraying everywhere amid endless wails of agony.

            

Hang Lie’s arrow had actually been incredibly accurate – if not for a small stone flying in to deflect it, Li Yanyi’s heart would likely have been pierced by now.

Li Yanyi watched nervously as the cold arrow passed through the space near her face and shoulder. While battle cries rose and fell outside, and as she hesitated about her next move, a long streak of blood splattered across the carriage window.

Although Zhen Wenjun’s formation was formidable, the Zhuxie Sect’s numbers were overwhelming. Two fists couldn’t fight four hands [meaning: one cannot overcome superior numbers], and as fatigue set in, the formation gradually fell into disorder.

            

Li Yanyi gripped the sword she always carried, anxiously watching her surroundings, ready to fight to the death against anyone who dared enter!

Another scream made Li Yanyi’s scalp tingle with fear. Someone stood before the carriage, separated from her only by a thin curtain.

Li Yanyi smelled the scent of blood.

            

It had been a long time since she had killed someone with her own hands.

Faced with crisis, she became unexpectedly calm. After all, she wasn’t like those crown princes raised in honey jars [meaning: raised in luxury]. She had traveled far and wide, personally slaying many bandits – how could such a small skirmish frighten her?

Just as she prepared to lift the curtain and strike first, the person outside rushed in. Li Yanyi pointed her sword horizontally, but the intruder easily avoided it, gently twisting her arm and blocking the sharp blade.

            

Before Li Yanyi could understand what happened, the twist caused intense pain in her arm, making her face turn pale and break out in cold sweat. The person who twisted her arm said:

“So the broken arm was true – you weren’t deceiving me this time.”

Hearing this clear voice, Li Yanyi suddenly looked up to see Ah Xin’s face – the one she had been longing for day and night – right before her eyes.

            

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