Volu the Loyal and Steadfast (End) (1/2)

Volu the Loyal and Steadfast (End)

Beside the deserted¹ official road, a clear strearove here was quite sparse and a road wide enough for a carriage to pass through penetrated into the forest Outside the forest hung a wine (酒) sign With one glance, a thatched cottage with four or five spacious roo the banner of the inn This was presumably an excellent location for a traveler to rest and have a rance of wine in the forest could still be whiffed and it seemed like it had not closed up shop However, this was not strange This was not the pri army advanced As a result, the lives of ained much apprehensiveness This was the life of a co as the axe or saber was not at their necks, they would still have to earn a living, or else they would be unable to support theed into the casual dress of a traveler On the outside, he wore a cloak, while he had a bamboo hat on his head to block the sun This kind of ba commonly worn by travelers to keep the elees werethat could be used to conceal one’s face In Northern Han, the wind during spring and autu their faces fro the journey, he did not bother to spare his horse Although the Yong ararrisoned troops in this area, it was still frequented by Yong scouts He could only do his best to avoid them At thishis best to avoid la up at the sky, he could tell that it was al his mount soaked with perspiration, he forced hilance, he saw the inn located at the side of the road and was drawn to it Having left in a rush, he had not prepared any rations He decided to go within to rest, to buy some provisions and take some alcohol for the road If he missed this opportunity, he probably wouldn’t find any place to stop for a snack Thinking of this, he urged his horse towards the grove It wasn’t long before he arrived at the inn

The door to the inn ide open The tables within were all extre at the rightedthe relaxedhis horse to the tree in front of the inn, he walked into the dining area and shouted, “Serve soood food and wine! In a mo, he picked a table to the left and sat down In passing, he threw a few silver pieces on the table

The shopkeeper promptly came over to wipe down the table, while his left hand ni a cup of hot tea, he enthusiastically replied, “Honored custoh aed wine Honored custo to Duan Wudi, the shopkeeper shouted, “Little Third, please serve good wine and food!”

Following his shout, an honest and straightforward-looking youngto be well-built and stocky However, the expression on his face was insipid and si He blankly served a plate of peanuts and a plate of pig’s head on the table before filling a wine jar from a massive vat Afterwards, the si wok floated out It wasn’t long before several wild game dishes were served With the table covered with rant aromas assailed the nostrils

Duan Wudi felt his stoilant Intentionally or otherwise, he looked to the other side of the dining room He saw four people over there In the seat of honor was athe attire of a ht were individuals wearing bodyguard clothing and possessed gallant appearances There was also a h Duan Wudi could not see this ray and presue from the rear He probably was around fifty years old His only adorn else He wore a set of azure robes and presumably played the role of an accountant No matter how it looked, he didn’t see that these weren’t pursuing troops, Duan Wudi breathed a sigh of relief, beginning to devour the food

Having hurriedly departed Yangyi, he had not eaten anything for a greater part of the day With hunger, his tablehis stoan to relax Although the wine of this shop was a rustic brew, it was dry and spicy Wanting to drink more, just as he went to pour himself another cup, unexpectedly there was no , his only recourse was to ask for another jar He usually did not drink much wine, not because of his poor capacity for alcohol, but his unwillingness to adversely affect military matters Now that he had fallen into such straits, he had naturally lost so several cups, he felt his entire body lighten greatly and his exhaustion gradually reduce

Wine was so delusions Once a person relaxed, they would unavoidably indulge in flights of fancy Thinking of his loyalty and devotion, and yet accused of being a traitor and forced to flee, Duan Wudi could not help feeling sorrowful The wine fueled his anxieties and his expression gained desolate grief and indignation He did not realize that his mood was seen by the other custoh the man in azure robes had his back to Duan Wudi, a specially manufactured copper pot before hi everything, sadness and pity showed on thedrunk tootipsy, he could not help loudly reciting, “A prince am I of ancestry renowned, / Illustrious na its light display, / A child—I—was born, and Tiger marked the day …” Duan Wudi was fondest of this fah he was not extremely familiar with the histories, he deeply loved this poe Sorrow</e suffered mentally for several days, Duan Wudi’s voice could not but be a bit hoarse and downcast However, his recitation was sincere, filling with endless lamentation those who listened When Duan Wudi reached the lines, “It is this that h I died nine tiret it,” he recited it repeatedly, unable to continue Wiping away the tears, he once again drained a cup of wine

At this very moment, Duan Wudi heard someone continue the recitation ThatDuan Wudi was entranced, stopping his drinking When thethe spirit and curbing the pride, / Bearing the sha days: / Such conduct the wise ly pained Duan Wudi suddenly sobered up with the end of the recitation: “Enough! / Since in that kingdom all my virtue spurn, Why should I for the royal city yearn? / Wide though the world, no wisdoe was drowned”² In such a rustic shop, how could a merchant be able to recite the poetry of Qu Yuan?

Duan Wudi raised his head and looked The customers across the ere still the ones he had seen earlier The three Duan Wudi could see were silently drinking Probably sensing Duan Wudi’s gaze, the one with his back to Duan Wudi—the gray-haired , the man stated, “This one has seen that General was unable to finish the recitation out of grief and lamentation At the time, I was enthused and helped Sire finish Presuive me”

Duan Wudi’s heart pounded How could thiscarefully, Duan Wudi saw that although the gray-haired man’s temples were sprinkled with frost his appearance was scholarly and elegant He appeared handso In addition, theall those who saw hiure caused Duan Wudi to feel a hint of fa his identity, Duan Wudi tasted extraordinary bitterness in hisliquor in the cup, he serenely inquired, “How a the Marquis of Chu here?”

I didn’t find it strange that Duan Wudi recognized me After all, it was quite easy to identify me fromthe role of the uards were all experts frohu Duan Wudi had been deceived because they did not carry themselves like soldiers Now that my identity had been discovered, they immediately rose to their feet and protectedto the back rooms of the inn was pulled aside and Li Shun walked out slowly Behind him, the two Secret Camp members who played the roles of the shopkeeper and the siained their valiant appearances At the entrance to the inn, two additional figures appeared—Su Qing and Huyan Shou Fro and weapons being drawn could be heard It was obvious that this inn was already an inescapable trap that Duan Wudi had fallen into and had no hopes of escaping

Duan Wudi understood the situation he faced With things co to a head, he was actually as steady as a mountain Cal his cup in toast, he stated, “Ever since Your Lordshi+p came back from retirement in the Eastern Sea, my army has suffered repeated setbacks In succession, Generals Tan and Long died for the country, while General shi+ was forced to commit suicide I have been accused of treason and have now fallen into Your Lordshi+p’s trap Your Lordshi+p’s resourcefulness is truly world-shaking!³ It is only that Your Lordshi+p is greatly honored Why have you gone to such risks? If you wish to take uards will be enough What need is there for you to coh the last sentence implied ridicule, Duan Wudi’s expression remained extremely calm, almost as if he had not fallen into the trap

I did not have a hint of s thwarted All ofthis yi, there were ahisthat he would definitely stop here for a meal, I had seized control of the area to set up this trap Originally, I had hoped to deal him a mental blow at the first encounter and blunt his will However, even though this man had fallen into my hands, he remained quite tranquil and indifferent, almost as if he had expected that this would happen I could destroy the life and honor of this kind of resolute and steady individual, but could not wreck his deterh inwardly and continue to forge ahead without fear of success or failure

After flashi+ng a wry smile, I replied, “I set a trap to fra would not execute a loyal individual like you However, it was also impossible for the Princess to oppose the entirety of Northern Han and she could only allow the general to go far away If the general wishes to flee, you can only head towards the Eastern Sea Although the Eastern Sea will beco sooner rather than later, it is your only way of surviving Based upon Marquis Jiang’s character, even if he were to learn of General’s whereabouts, he would feign ignorance As a result, I have coeneral Even if the general cannot appreciate this kind of sincere motivation, you should not be so cold as to disappoint this one’s sincerity”

Duan Wudi’s mind turned rapidly, as he understood severalmaster Qiu was stuck in the Eastern Sea, but somehow returned safely this time Could it be that Your Lordshi+p had foreseen that the fourth young o to protectthe nail on the head and revealing my intentions I answered, “That’s correct I previously had Yufei placed under house arrest in the Eastern Sea, because he was an expert in the Xiantian realm and I did not want him to participate in this war However, now that the war is decided, I have some use for him As a result, I deliberately had him invited back However, General is one of the reasons, otherwise he would have reht Yufei is a senti affair Because I framed General, while others may doubt General’s loyalty, Yufei will never suspect that the general would coh status and autono had no choice but to harh Yufei’s whereabouts are like the mist—difficult to track—Qinzhou is already corasp I was fully aware of what he would do: pay his respects at General Long’s grave in Jishi+, spy upon the Prince of Qi’s encaeneral General Duan probably doesn’t know, but Xiao Tong was sent to intervene in the event that the Princess of Jiaping allowed you to escape Originally, he intended to pursue and kill you but was stopped by Yufei”

Gratitude appeared on Duan Wudi’s face, as he said, “I cannot be grateful enough for fourth youngmy life It is only that it is unlikely for me to have the ability to thank hiain, please thank hi the faint death resolution he revealed, I replied, “Of Northern Han’s enerals, I most admire General’s character General has been faithful and true, willing to ruin your own reputation, disregarding honor and disgrace General’s talents are greater than those of General Long’s and the Princess of Jiaping’s It is only a pity that you coins and had no patron to rely upon, thus never having the opportunity to serve as the co, both His Ihness, the Prince of Qi, will be ith joy Although General Xuan was hueneral If General is willing to surrender and pledge allegiance, you can definitely beco renowned and celebrated, as General has long cherished the co will definitely help the soldiers and co to continue to sacrifice your reputation for the sake of Northern Han’sup the wine cup, he downed its contents in one gulp Feeling like he had drunk a cup of raging flames, he dropped his hand to the hilt of his sword at his waist and responded, “Regardless of Sire’s elegant, but insincere words, it is impossible to sway my resolve Betrayal is still betrayal I am still a subject of Northern Han and do not care about the riches and honor bestowed by thethe commoners of Northern Han, that is only a pretext It doesn’t matter if this world is short a Duan Wudi If Northern Han is truly subjugated, it would naturally be for the best if Great Yong’s Son of Heaven is willing to treat the commoners of Northern Han well If not, there will sih I do not cherish my reputation, it is impossible for me to defect to the enemas attached to my name were a result of Your Lordshi+p’s machinations Since they are not real, could it be that I will act recklessly out of hopelessness⁴ to bend my knee and truly surrender? Today, Your Lordshi+p is out of touch with reality How does it feel to wake in the ht and think of Southern Chu?”

A slight, wry sinally, I had believed that in the face of the difficulties of his country and home, and his own difficult situation, he would waver I had not expected that he would be so stubborn Perhaps because he had seen me unable to refute Duan Wudi’s rebuke, Li Shun coldly interjected, “For you to be so rude in the face of nize that you presently face death? One order froically Afterwards,that you already surrendered to Great Yong When that happens, even if you die, your reputation will be co to serve with body and soul, ould know? I’ master Qiu will believe that you are a true traitor”

Duan Wudi srip on the hilt of the sword at his waist, he replied, “There is no need for the Marquis to give the order; I can act race, I have never taken my reputation seriously Even if the world denouncesas I possess a clear conscience? Besides, the truth cannot be hidden forever⁵ There will be the day when the truth co across Li Shun’s eyes, he stonily said, “In ht not be able to atte, he took a step forward, while his eyes stared fixedly at Duan Wudi

Duan Wudi’s coht hand seemed to prepare to draw his sword While everyone focused on his right hand, his left hand suddenly pulled out a dagger as swift as lightning from his hip and pierced it towards his abdo was about to shoot out a pair needles However, a thought popped into herDuan Wudi experience all kinds of hu her eyes, she did not flick out the needles to injure Duan Wudi’s wrist

However, once she heard a groan of pain and looked up with astonishment, she saw that Li Shun’s left hand had clenched down on Duan Wudi’s throat, while the dagger was already in Li Shun’s right hand Su Qing’s heart clenched As her eyes wandered, she suddenly noticed a pair of gentle eyes staring steadily at her Shaking inwardly, the two needles in her hand dropped to the ground

Withdrawing aze, I hid what I had just witnessed in the back ofmy hand, I had Li Shun withdraw as I mildly stated, “General Duan, please do not mind my subordinate’s rudeness”

Duan Wudi sank weakly The tipsiness and the cutting off of his breathas Li Shun removed the sword at his waist and forced another cup of wine down his throat When Duan Wudi returned to his senses once again, there was a bitter sa handkerchief Behind the younghirow cold, alazed at by a viper, and did not dare move He ell aware that if he made any ill-advised movements, he would definitely fall into a predica the handkerchief and wiping the sweat from his face, Duan Wudi understood clearly that there was only one way for hi Zhe, Duan Wudi heavily said, “I once had a heart-to-heart with fourth young h the world knows of Your Lordshi+p’s viciousness, I believe that Your Lordshi+p is a sentimental individual Southern Chu’s Prince of De treated Your Lordshi+p poorly and yet Your Lordshi+p never spoke ill of hi’s Empire, Your Lordshi+p has spared no effort The entire world knows about these yi Sect Master, you were also willing to sacrifice your reputation and your life I am untalented Even if I cannot live or die, I still have the courage to refuse to surrender Since Your Lordshi+p estee to watch me fall into such a state? If you can help h even in the underworld”

I sighed lightly Gazing into Duan Wudi’s eyes, I could only see his perseverance and fearlessness I felt increasingly agonized, recognizing that everything had been for naught At thistook a step forward In a rather eneral asks that you allow him to follow his aspirations”

When these words were spoken, Duan Wudi could not prevent his gaze froratitude Feeling everto look at as unfolding

I gently shookaround Understanding, Li Shun handed back Duan Wudi’s sword before retreating several steps hi knew that the tere tacitly allowing Duan Wudi to cohtly took a step back and looked away