Fu Ya was taken away by Duan Mu An Guo but not killed. In the end, Feng Yu Heng was able to guess what would happen; however, she did not believe that it would happen so quickly.
With a girl that resembled her so closely in Fu Ya, if Duan Mu An Guo did not make use of her, that would make him an idiot. In regards to this matter with Fu Ya, Feng Yu Heng always believed that this was a point of failure in this plan. It was also a reason that she needed to make amends with that family.
Unfortunately, she did not have the ability to attend to the Fu family. Now, there was still nothing that she could do, but Duan Mu An Guo felt that the family staying alive would be of benefit to him. This bought her some time to save them.
Feng Yu Heng and Ban Zou were on horseback and riding in the direction of Guan Zhou’s southern gate. She had to go and take a look. If news of her capture had already reached Bian An, it would quickly reach the military camp. Although she did not believe that deputy general Qian Li would ignore everything else and lead the army into the North to save her, the army had soldiers from her Divine Intent Army. Those soldiers were selected by her from a total of 30 thousand soldiers. They had been taught by her personally. She feared that these people would become rash. If she truly had been caught, then it was fine; however, this was clearly Duan Mu An Guo setting up a trap. If the soldiers really went to save her, they would definitely enter Duan Mu An Guo’s grasp. She definitely could not allow for that to happen.
The two urged their horses to move faster and faster, hastily riding through the snow. Like arrows that had been loosed from the bowstring, they rushed South. The two horses were apparently the result of some breeding with horses from Qian Zhou. Not to mention their ability to endure the cold, their physique and speed were not things that normal horses could compare to. The person selling the horses wanted a high price, asking for 300 taels of silver for each horse. This nearly caused Ban Zou to kill him and steal the horses out of anger. Feng Yu Heng felt that this was not a loss. As long as they could quickly reach their goal, this bit of money was something that she could afford.
Neither of the two spoke, as they repeatedly swung their horsewhips and urged the horses. Even if this was the case, they traveled for an entire night. Only at dawn the next day did they see Guan Zhou City’s gates through the snow and fog.
Feng Yu Heng pulled the reins, finally bringing the horse to a stop. She said to Ban Zou: “I remembered something. That woman returned to the North on her own. Who knows which path she took, but it definitely does not seem to have been in the direction of the southern gate.”
Ban Zou nodded, “She went West.”
“Say… do you think anything will happen?” She was a little worried. Regardless of why Prince Lian had gotten close to her, she at least did not do anything to threaten her life. Moreover… “People that beautiful need to be worried about more! Why can I not feel at ease about her.”
Ban Zou angrily gritted his teeth: “It’s already hard enough for us to stay alive. What are you doing worrying about someone else?”
Feng Yu Heng shook her head, “It’s not to that degree. No matter what happens, I have the ability to protect myself.” After thinking a bit, she added: “Especially when nobody is around to take care of me, my ability to survive is extremely good.”
Ban Zou suddenly realized that his master’s words had a secondary meaning. He could not help but frown and very vigilantly asked: “What are you going to do now?”
“Ban Zou!” Feng Yu Heng turned to look at him, “How about you go West to join up with her. You will at least be able to take notice of any signs of fighting or attempts at her life along the way. I cannot personally send her, and I need to know whether or not she is safe.”
Ban Zou was speechless, “Don’t you hate the people of Qian Zhou? The imperial family of Qian Zhou cut off one of young master’s fingers. Instead of killing Prince Lian, you’re worried for her?”
Feng Yu Heng shook her head, “This is this, that is that.” After thinking a little more, she felt that these words were not very convincing, thus she simply told the truth: “Isn’t it just that I find her to be beautiful? Ban Zou, you’re only getting older. The matter of a wife…”
“I will go and look for her.” Ban Zou did not want to continue listening to this damn girl speak. Turning the horse around, he headed West as though he was running away.
Damn it! Was his master’s brain waterlogged? Was his taste that bad? Could he accept just any person? Did she not even pay attention to male or female?
Feng Yu Heng looked at Ban Zou’s departing figure for a while. She was feeling a little regretful, as she should not have mentioned that matter. It was just as Ban Zou had said. The imperial family of Qian Zhou was an entity that she had nothing but enmity towards. Prince Lian dying was even better. Why was she bothering with this?
However, it was already too late to call him back. That brat Ban Zou had an extremely unhappy look on his face, but he would still leave faster than anyone else. Feng Yu Heng helplessly shook her head, moving forward by a bit more. This bit was quite difficult to advance along. She could not say for certain what was happening, but she felt that there was a feeling in her chest that endlessly fluctuated. It was as though there was something ahead of her that was enticing her and causing her to feel expectant about what was ahead. This sort of expectation was not like the urgent sense of nervousness and anxiety that the soldiers of Da Shun felt to save her. Instead, it was a kind of heartwarming joy.
Only when the fog dissipated and Guan Zhou City’s gates could be clearly seen did Feng Yu Heng finally understand where this expectation came from.
Just across from the city’s gates, there were tens of thousands of soldiers from Da Shun fully armed standing 50 paces from the gates. There were 12 battle chariots and 12 shield formations. The soldiers of the Divine Intent Army stood in these shield arrays with their bows out and arrows drawn. Meanwhile, at the top of the city’s walls was the one opposing Da Shun. It was Duan Mu An Guo’s eldest son with countless soldiers from the North.
However, none of this was able to attract Feng Yu Heng’s attention. In her eyes and heart, there was only one being. In purple battles robes, a golden mask, he sat on a treasured red colt. With a wind blowing from the North, his cloak was lifted, giving him the appearance of a god of war that none could move.
His arms were crossed in front of him while he looked up and to the front. Staring at Duan Mu Cong, he did not look flustered in the slightest. There was also no nervousness. It was as though this battle was nothing more than eating a meal while drinking wine. All that was missing from this scene was someone to bring food and drink up to him.
Feng Yu Heng’s heart thumped. Why had he come?
As for Duan Mu Cong, who was up on the wall, he was not as relaxed. He was Duan Mu An Guo’s eldest son. No matter whether it was physique or experience, he was not on the same level as Xuan Tian Ming. Moreover, he was a Han person. He did not have the blood of a northerner in him. Although he was quite burly, he was far inferior to true northerners that were born and raised there.
For Duan Mu Cong, Xuan Tian Ming was something of a mythical existence. He had heard much about the god of war ninth prince from all kinds of rumors over the years. He had a desire to try and compete with him that burned from long ago. Now that they finally met on the battlefield, however, just a single exchange of glances left him feeling as though he had been defeated.
Duan Mu Cong calmed himself down then took a deep breath. He did not his best to adjust his mindset before using his inner strength to loudly say: “Xuan Tian Ming! My Guan Zhou City’s walls are ten zhang tall and five zhang thick. Even the city’s gates were made using bronze. I want to see, do you have the ability to break into my Guan Zhou!”
These fierce words were spoken, but he did not truly have any hope in scaring him off; however, he still could not accept that look of apathy on Xuan Tian Ming’s face. It was as though everything he had just said was some sort of grand joke. All that they brought about was a bit of laughter but not the slightest bit of movement from the army.
Duan Mu Cong became unhappy and could not help but repeat: “Xuan Tian Ming, even if you have ten thousand soldiers, you cannot break through my city’s gates. The soldiers of the North are also far more experience in fighting in the snow. Guan Zhou City’s 100 thousand citizens are also respectfully waiting for your arrival. If you have the ability, just flatten this Guan Zhou City. I, Duan Mu Cong, want to see if a general that does not even care for his citizens will receive the support of the population!”
Pft!
Xuan Tian Ming ended up laughing at what he said. It was just that this sort of laugh had a great deal of scorn. Fortunately, he was finally willing to engage in a conversation with Duan Mu Cong. Unfortunately, the words that Xuan Tian Ming spoke nearly caused Duan Mu Cong to leap off the wall in anger.
He said: “Flatten the city? Flattening the city is flattening the city. This prince has never been a benevolent person. You’re talking to me about popular opinion? What a joke! You want to talk to me about people being in a bad situation? So what if I, Xuan Tian Ming, ruin the things that I can’t have? If the citizens of the three northern provinces have the same feelings as your Duan Mu family, this great one really cannot support them. Even killing them is fine.” Saying this, he raised his head even more, and that inherent look of being best in the world appeared vividly once more. “I’ll tell you guys, the entire North with all of its people tied together is not worth as much as my wife. In this world, if everyone in the world stood together in one place, that still would not attract my attention from my wife. Duan Mu Cong, this great one’s attitude is this. You said that the North capture my wife, right? Listen well, if there is a single hair missing from that damn girl’s head, this great one will dig up the entire Duan Mu family’s ancestral grave. Every coffin will be opened up and the corpses dumped out. The living will then be shoved into the coffins. Need to recycle. We can’t waste those coffins. As you see it, is that alright?”
Duan Mu Cong was so angry that he was on the verge of vomiting blood; however, Xuan Tian Ming had not finished speaking. His voice rang out once more: “The lowly North cannot even compare to Qian Zhou, yet you want to fight with this Prince? Soldiers!” He loudly shouted, raising his right hand up high: “Prepare to attack the city!”
With this order, the soldiers in the back immediately prepared a heavy wooden ram and slowly advanced toward Guan Zhou City’s gate, one step at a time. Their steps were in unison and were very forceful, causing the snow and ice under their feet to crack.
Duan Mu Cong would not be frightened by just this, as he immediately ordered in a loud voice: “Archer! Get ready!”
“Hahaha!” Xuan Tian Ming laughed loudly as though he had just heard the world’s funniest joke, since he looked arrogant and proud. When he had finally had enough of laughing, he raised his hand and loudly said: “Divine archers, give that thing on the wall a look what archers really look like!”
The 500 from the Divine Intent Army had come with Xuan Tian Ming. Hearing this order, they immediately stepped forward and aimed their arrows up toward the top of the wall.
Xuan Tian Ming reminded them: “Just give them a bit of a scare. Don’t kill all of them. That would be no fun.”
Ten divine archers nodded, and ten bowstrings sounded out in unison. 20 arrows flew through the air and whistled toward them! Shooting from low ground to high ground and against the wind, even if the soldiers at the top of the wall did their best to hastily dodge, they were still struck by the tracking arrows that had seemed to grow eyes.
There were no illusions with this archery. All 20 of the people at Duan Mu Cong’s side fell. The closest was neither too close nor far from him.
TN: One zhang = 3.2 meters