Zou Zheng sat stiffly on the bed, staring blankly at the person who was vaguely seated on the throne behind the screen.
He was sure that it was a person, and it should be a woman, because the snow-white skirt was extraordinarily wide, flowing over the jade steps like a cloud, only women would wear such a cumbersome skirt.
For a moment, he thought it was Jing Hengbo coming, which made him break out in a cold sweat, and then even though he felt something was wrong, even though he was far away, he could still see clearly that this person was sitting upright, with his chin raised slightly, and his hands folded Overlaid on the skirt, it is a noble, proud and cold posture, which seems to be different from the legendary lazy and gorgeous Queen of Black Water.
But no matter who it is, it is enough to make him nervous—he has guards outside his bedroom, which can be described as iron barrels. There are layers of guards, and even his roof is full. How did this woman get in?
Zou Zheng didn't have time to think, so he stretched out his hand to press the handle beside the bed. His dragon bed naturally had a tunnel to protect him from escaping.
On the other side of the screen, so far away, the woman seemed to be able to see clearly, and raised her hand slightly.
"Hoo." There was a slight sound.
Zou Zheng only felt that his finger was pierced by an ice sword, and the cold pain pierced his bone. He subconsciously wanted to shrink back. Somehow in his body, but because of the coldness, suddenly a cold air passed through his heart and lungs, and went straight to his finger. He raised his fingers involuntarily, and there was a slight "pop", his fingers hurt, his body shook slightly, and the snowflakes disappeared in front of his eyes.
The woman seemed to let out a slight "Huh", and then said: "Gong Yin, everyone says you are weak, and you are really out of breath."
Zou Zheng thought quickly, the woman in front of him clearly recognized the national teacher, and her tone was familiar, but she also revealed information that seemed to have been seen for a long time, and it was difficult to determine the relationship between friend and foe. But no matter what, he must play Gong Yin to the end.
He didn't answer, but raised his jaw slightly, imitating Gong Yin's cold gaze.
He has studied Gong Yin for so long, and he knows how the national teacher will react in what situation.
While being cold and arrogant, he turned the mechanism quietly, only to find that the mechanism was already frozen and hard, and could no longer be turned.
He raised his head, facing the golden embroidered dragon screen, the dragon's scorching eyes had turned into two small holes at some point.
The night wind blowing through the small hole made him feel cold all over.
The woman suddenly got up slowly and walked towards him, the snow-white skirt that was several feet long cast out the light and shadow like moonlight, her walking posture was like a real queen.
Zou Zheng clenched his dagger tightly under the quilt, and wanted to shout, but he knew in his heart that since the other party could come in silently, the guards outside would definitely be useless.
He is quite calm, and he can still think at this moment, thinking that since the other party has such abilities, he can kill him in his dream, and since he doesn't kill him, naturally he has other requirements.
Although this request was made to Gong Yin, he was Gong Yin.
The thick four-panel screen suddenly flew up like a pear blossom, and then the woman's bland and bright face appeared in front of him.
Zou Zheng was suffocated for a moment, because he suddenly thought of Gong Yin.
It's not that they are similar in appearance, but that they have similar demeanor and temperament.
He wanted to step back and stab the dagger out from under the cover of the bedding, but the closer the opponent got, the more he couldn't move, the air around him seemed to have turned into ice gel, cold and sticky, restraining all movements.
He lowered his eyes, seemingly indifferent, but actually desperate.
Immediately, I heard the woman say in a voice that was not considered cold, but actually had no human emotions: "You will not be my opponent now. If you want to live, abdicate in exchange."
Zou Zheng suddenly opened his eyes.
His eyes were like needles, and he said coldly: "Then I would rather die!"
The woman in white seemed to be smiling, with the expected expression, and her voice was slightly ridiculed, "There are different ways to die."
Without waiting for Zou Zheng to resist, she raised her hand, Zou Zheng was in her hand suddenly, his fingers were as cold as snowstones, no need to struggle but he knew it was irresistible, Zou Zheng sighed in his heart, closed his eyes and waited for death.
There was no killer, but the wind was blowing by, and his body was freezing cold. Zou Zheng opened his eyes and saw the roof of the hall flashing past under his feet. The glazed tiles were shining coldly under the moonlight. The court lighted up the lights one after another, but the speed of the lights and the chase couldn't match the woman's wandering steps. She seemed to just take a light step, and the long skirt was still passing by like snow in the eyes of everyone, and she had already left the palace gate.
Zou Zheng didn't know where she was going to take him, so he had no choice but to go with the situation, and saw her leave Miyagi, past Dige, from the most remote place of Dige, Xuanningmen, where corpses and dung trucks were taken, all the way. west.
To the west is the uninhabited swamp behind Dige...
In the middle of the night, just before he felt that he was about to freeze into an iceman, he saw the swamp, but the swamp at this moment was not the desolation and emptiness of the past at all. On the swamp and on both sides of the swamp, there were figures flickering, swords flying The sound, people's voices shouting, the trees brushing and pulling, and various long screams sounded from time to time.
He froze - this is the battlefield.
Suddenly, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back, he was even more frightened than being captured by this woman just now.
When can people cross the swamp? When is there going to be a fight here? This is behind Dige, and it is only a hundred miles away from Dige! This is the only place around Dige without any defenses, because this is a swamp that no one can cross!
But at this moment, a fierce battle is clearly taking place here!
He gritted his teeth tightly to stop himself from trembling, so that the other party would not notice his abnormality.
If it hadn't been blocked, if this army really crossed the swamp, then it would only take half a day to go straight to Xuanning Gate, and Xuanning Gate has always been the weakest in defense because of its proximity to this swamp, so it is known as the Great Wilderness. The strongest, impenetrable, and never shaken by the rebellions of all dynasties, the city wall of Dige will be broken in an instant!
He kept his eyes on the field of battle, vaguely saw thinly armored soldiers, saw strange "people" rolling around in the swamp, and saw some figures flickering in the dark jungle, but the speed of the figures And movements, but not human at all... He shivered quietly again.
"This is Jing Hengbo's army, led by Yingbai." The emotionless voice of the woman behind him made his face pale again, "Jing Hengbo and Pei Shu led the army all the way south, attracting everyone's attention, but No one knows that her real killer is here."
"You..." Zou Zhengqian hoarse, wanted to ask, but dared not.
"If this army passes through the swamp smoothly, it will happen that Jing Hengbo has already arrived at the foot of Emperor Song City, attacking from both sides," she said calmly, "You know how it will end."
Zou Zheng took a slow and deep breath, reminding himself that he was Gong Yin.
"Isn't that enough?" Xu Pingran turned his face and looked at "Gong Yin" under the moonlight. His face was pale, just like the Gong Yin in her impression. She knew that he didn't have a needle in his body, which was also the same as her guess. When Yin went down the mountain, she used to pull out the needle with the help of the killer who intercepted people. Some people said he succeeded, and some said he failed, but she asked her subordinates whether there were any yellowish spots on Gong Yin's eyebrows or sideburns, which meant that there were needles in his body. The reaction is that the needle at that position will inevitably hurt the kidney qi. Over time, there will be small yellow spots on the cheeks, and the report says there are no.
The needle was not there, and his counterattack at the beginning just now showed the true power of Banruoxue, but it seemed very weak, which also matched the information she had obtained—Gong Yin was too exhausted when he went down the mountain, and he still had blood. Poison, the onset of injury and poison in recent years is already at the end of its strength.
So at this moment, she has no doubts in her heart, only a little certainty.
"Is it enough?" Zou Zheng smiled, and he gradually recovered his composure. He felt that the relationship between this woman and Gong Yin was complicated, and it seemed that she still had something to ask for, so he boldly refused. The world, your ambition is enough."
Xu Pingran smiled lightly, "Then, what about your health and the freedom of your family?"
Zou Zheng was taken aback, and quickly lowered his eyelids, for things that he didn't know, silence was the best answer.
"You are in my place, and I will protect your life, return your family, and still give you the honorable status of a national teacher or prince. If you insist on taking the throne, I will help Jing Hengbo." Xu Pingran looked at the man over there with a smile. Fighting, "I heard that you and Jing Hengbo had a lot of affection. Now that you marry her behind her back and order you to die, she must hate you at this moment, surpassing the original affection. Tell me, if she wins , Will you continue to be a national teacher?"
Zou Zheng felt a chill in his heart.
He doesn't know what Jing Hengbo will do to Gong Yin, but he can be sure that every word of this woman is not a threat, and he is even more sure that once Jing Hengbo enters Dige, he will definitely not be like this woman who is not familiar with Gong Yin. Whether it is true or false, the Queen of Blackwater will recognize him immediately and crush him to ashes.
The woman beside her didn't speak, her snow-white skirt was lifted up, like a magnolia flower blown to pieces by the night wind.
The fight on the swamp in the distance was splashed with red light and blood, Zou Zheng raised his head and silently watched the night that never seemed to light up.
After a long time, he said, "Okay."
…
In the dark night, Xu Pingran and Zou Zheng were fighting in the swamp. At the moment of the negotiation, Jing Hengbo was in his tent, launching an urgent letter to Feige.
The format of this letter is very strange, and its source is unknown. It was picked up by soldiers outside the gate. The reason why it is guessed that it is a letter passed by a flying pigeon is because there is a little bit of bird fluff stuck to the corner of the letter.
On the ordinary letterhead with no personality, there are petite characters without personality, and the sender made it clear that he did not want to reveal his identity.
The content of the letter was also very strange. Jing Hengbo felt like watching "The Lord of the Rings".
"Strawman"? "Swordman"? "Beast species"?
What a good letter, why are you talking about these inexplicable things? She did not meet these prehistoric races.
She suddenly remembered that Yingbai was attacked. It was a soldier in the Yingbai army who came to report. He was sent to report at the beginning. Weird.
Could it be that Yingbai was the one who met these half-orcs? Then this letter of information that clearly revealed the enemy's arms and weapons is invaluable.
who is it?
Her heart twitched violently. It took a long time to suppress my mind, and my eyes fell on the last line.
"If you encounter a strange army, remember to hold on for three days before going down the Dige city wall."
…
"If you want to know, abdicate in exchange."
Gong Yin's short sentence caused the two gatekeeper disciples of Xueshan to back away in panic.
After a burst of hasty whistles, a large group of disciples rushed forward, lined up in front of the mountain gate, facing Gong Yin vigilantly.
Naturally, there were other people who immediately rushed to the back mountain to ask the elders, the suzerain and the others were not qualified to meet as soon as they wanted.
Gong Yin was not impatient, like a suzerain returning from experience, casually leaning on his long sword, looking up at the goshawks circling in the sky.
The eagle flew around in circles, its posture was a little irritable, which was inversely proportional to his calmness.
All along the back of the mountain, there are tall and low buildings, there are tile houses and thatched sheds, palaces and stone caves. They are the residences designed by the elders according to their own preferences.
When Xu Pingran went down the mountain, he naturally wouldn't take all the elders with him. There were about half of the internal and external disciples on the mountain, as well as the ten elders who were in charge of the affairs of the snow mountain.
The sharp whistle continued, and the elders in white robes and sackcloth came out, not all of them were old. In recent years, Xu Pingran has promoted many young people by focusing on young people.
The elders were also shocked when they heard the announcement from the gatekeeper disciples—the successor suzerain, Sang Tianxi, had practiced in the snow-capped mountains many years ago. In principle, the suzerain should leave the seclusion this year. He was recalled before the sect meeting. Why did he come back suddenly?
Suzerain's missing son? The suzerain had a son many years ago, who died shortly after he was born. This is a secret kept secret by Xueshan. Why did the suzerain suddenly have another son?
Ask the suzerain to abdicate? The Nine Heavens Gate has been established for hundreds of years, and it has never heard such an arrogant request.
Immediately, someone rushed to the valley first to inform the suzerain, the suzerain's wife had strictly ordered not to disturb the suzerain with any affairs before leaving, but this matter was too big, it involved the most important matters of the three snow mountain sects, no one dared to neglect.
An elder deacon shouted at the wooden house ten times on the boundary line by the green grass lake, but the wooden house was silent and there was no answer.
The lack of answer is also expected by everyone—since the suzerain retreated, no one has heard his voice or seen him. If it weren't for the people's great confidence in the suzerain's martial arts, some people even wondered if the suzerain had been killed by his wife. died.
There was no answer, sometimes it was considered a kind of tacit consent. The elders met and discussed, and decided that no matter what, the "future suzerain" who said the three important things of the snow mountain had to be brought in first, and then they had a long-term plan.
Gong Yin was welcomed in politely by everyone. Of course he wore a mask. No one knew that face, and no one pursued it. The people on the snow mountain were not sure what the future suzerain looked like. For so many years, I only heard that this person was selected as the successor suzerain, and he left the mountain early, and the early batch of elders on the snow mountain have almost been replaced by his wife.
After receiving Gong Yin, naturally he cannot be allowed to enter the valley and grassland. The explanation of the elders is that the suzerain is in seclusion and will meet him when he leaves the seclusion. While editing the book in a hurry, he ordered someone to pass it on to the suzerain's wife who had gone down the mountain.
At this time, in the small wooden house in the valley, the hanging curtains automatically move without wind.
At this time, on the mountain road in front of the mountain, a figure was running like lightning, and Murong Zhen was rushing towards the back mountain like crazy.