Chapter 94 Jiang Chengzi (Part 3)
Ni Su has not had a good sleep these days. Any noisy noise would keep her awake all night. It was still very noisy outside. This isolated city standing on the plain was struggling to survive. No one in the city could sleep well. But at this moment, Ni Su held Xu Hexue's wrist, but felt very sleepy.
She lay in his arms, half-opened her eyes, and called out, "Xu Ziling."
"Um?"
"My hair, please help me remove it. It's not very comfortable."
She said.
Xu Hexue lowered his eyes, reached out to take the white jade hairpin from her hair, untied her bun with one hand, and carefully tidied her hair. His movements were extremely gentle, not wanting to hurt her.
"What are you thinking about if you don't speak?"
“I was thinking, take better care of yourself and don’t get sick again.”
"That might be a little difficult. How can a person not get sick?"
Her voice was shrouded in sleepiness and a hint of laughter, "But if you return to heaven, can you bless me?"
There are no gods in the sky, only stars like him.
"sorry."
Xu Hexue spoke after a while.
"Why do you say sorry?"
"I can't go back,"
He just held her in his arms, motionless, like a pile of ice and snow, staring at her with cold eyes, "I can't protect you in heaven, but no matter where I am, I will pray for you."
"I wish you a healthy and carefree life."
Ni Su buried her head in his arms, her eyelids wet for no reason, but her voice still sounded normal, "If you don't want to be a star, what are you going to do?"
If he doesn't enter the Ninth Heaven or go to the Underworld, then where else can he stay?
Xu Hexue was quiet for a while, then said, "The Yongzhou military report from sixteen years ago stated that Miao Tianning died defending Yongzhou City. The Hu general who fought against him at that time was Yelu Zhen, but Yelu Zhen didn't seem to know that Miao Tianning was dead."
"So you suspect that he died at the hands of his own people,"
Ni Su continued his words, "Is it the reinforcements for Yongzhou? Is it Tan Guangwen who was supposed to support you sixteen years ago but did not receive your military orders?"
Sixteen years ago, Tan Guangwen was still a general of the Yongping Army.
At that time, he, like other generals commanding troops in border prefectures and cities, took orders from General Xu Hexue.
Shortly after Xu Hexue led his troops to Mushen Mountain from Juhan Pass, Yongzhou secretly withdrew half of its garrison and sent reinforcements to Jianchi Prefecture. On the way, they encountered the Hu army and were completely wiped out.
But this was not a military report from Da Qi, but came from Yang Tianzhe's oral narration and the military report from Danqiu Nanyan tribe. The military report from Yongzhou of Da Qi sixteen years ago did not mention the matter of increasing troops to Jianchi Prefecture, and the number of Yongzhou soldiers who died on the way to Jianchi Prefecture was counted among the deaths in the battle to defend Yongzhou and reported to the court.
Yang Ming died, Miao Tianning died, and all the Yongzhou troops defending the city died. Xu Hexue also asked Shen Tongchuan, and the prefect of Jianchi Prefecture at that time had died suddenly. In the sixteen years since then, no one knew that Yongzhou had sent additional troops to Jianchi Prefecture.
"Whether it is Tan Guangwen or not, we can only know the answer after he comes to Yongzhou," Xu Hexue raised his eyes and looked at the flickering candles, "but regarding the battle to defend Yongzhou, I should ask Yelu Zhen first."
Miao Tianning's death was very likely related to the truth that the Jing'an Army had been wrongly accused. Ni Su's heart skipped a beat and she almost slowed down her breathing. "What would you do if you find that person?"
What would he do if he found the culprit who caused him to be tortured to death and the tragic death of 30,000 Jing'an soldiers on Mushen Mountain?
The cold wind blew the felt curtains slightly, and the two strands of light hair on Xu Hexue's temples fluttered. He lowered his eyes and stared at her long black hair, "Kill him with your own hands."
Why can he never go back after killing his enemy?
Ni Su was shocked, her fingers almost trembling, and she grabbed his clothes tightly, "Are you going to use magic to kill people?"
Xu Hexue did not refute, "Only in this way can I use this person's life to resolve the resentment of the wronged souls of the Jing'an Army."
He is a ghost, but he does not belong to Youdu. The souls of the people he killed have to be scattered in the world for several years before they can enter Youdu. However, he needs to use the souls of the culprits of the past as soon as possible to free the wronged souls in the Youdu pagoda.
"Teacher died for me. I don't want any of my fellow disciples to offend the emperor because of his last words and die without a burial place," Xu Hexue said to her very calmly. "The winter clothes you burned for me in Dazhong Temple were given by an old friend of mine. I haven't told you yet that his name is Zhao Yi, with the courtesy name Yonggeng, who is now the Prince Jia. I have known him since childhood and we are close friends. Although he is a prince, he is not favored by the government. He has suffered many years in the palace. Although I am dead, I know the value of life. I don't want to implicate my fellow disciples, nor do I want to implicate Yonggeng."
"If they were alive, they could still hope for a clear sky, but the souls of the Jing'an Army trapped in the pagoda can no longer wait. If they can no longer cross the River of Hate, they will forever lose the chance of reincarnation and can only turn into resentful energy, wandering around the underworld."
Only by using magic can the soul fire prevent from being dispersed in an instant and becoming difficult to gather.
However, as long as he used magic in the world of the living, the punishment he had suffered in his lifetime would be inflicted upon him again, and he would have to exchange the way of heaven with self-harm. His current soul and body would eventually be unable to bear it.
Xu Hexue looked at the wrinkles on his robe caused by her scratching, "Ni Su, I feel really sorry for letting you stay in Yongzhou and accompany me through all these hardships. I also want you to live a better life, become a good doctor, and write a medical book for you and your brother."
A dead man was consuming his broken soul to avenge the 30,000 heroic souls trapped in the pagoda.
Ni Su realized that from the very beginning, he had returned to the world of the living with a self-destructive intention.
The current emperor can give justice to her brother, but it is difficult to give justice to Xu Hexue and the 30,000 Jing'an Army. It is a matter of national affairs and the dignity of the emperor.
There are many people involved, and no matter who they are, they will try their best to prevent the case from being brought up again. No one is willing to admit in front of the people of the world that the traitor who was ordered to be executed by the government sixteen years ago was actually innocent and sincere.
This road is too difficult.
But he still wants to go alone, even if there is no return.
He would not implicate anyone, let alone Ni Su.
Ni Su had known for a long time that he could not use magic to kill people in the world of the living. That was not an ability that belonged to the world of the living, nor was it an ability that belonged to the underworld.
What if he used it?
Does it mean that he will no longer exist in heaven or on earth?
"How come you still remember my medical book at this time?" She couldn't help but choke up and refused to look up in his arms. "What about you? Why don't you hope that you will get better?"
"I hope you're well."
He said.
Ni Su could hardly suppress the sourness in her nose any longer, but she tried to steady her voice, "It's not the last moment yet, Xu Ziling, let's not think about it like that, okay?"
"good."
Xu Hexue held her shoulders and asked her to raise her head. He wiped away the tears under her eyelids with his fingertips, "You are still sick, don't cry."
He helped Ni Su lie down, tucked in the corners of the quilt for her, and wrapped her whole body in the thick quilt, leaving only her head exposed. She had long black hair and looked at him with a pair of tearful eyes.
"actually,"
Seeing that she refused to close her eyes and fall asleep, Xu Hexue placed his hands on his knees and said, "If possible, I don't want to go that far."
"When Yonggeng and I were young, we went to the Dazhong Temple in Que County. But now I only remember this one thing, and I can't remember what Que County is like. When I returned to the world of the living, I followed you, but I didn't take a good look at Que County. Now I think about it, I still feel a little regretful. Ni Su, do you want to tell me about it?"
"I don't want to say it."
Ni Su hid her entire head under the quilt, but still held his hand tightly, "I want you to come back with me, and then you will know."
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Xu Hexue did not struggle to break free from her hand. He just silently looked at the small hill of bulge in the quilt and looked at her hand. After a while, he gently held it back.
He sat there almost all night long. When the candles in the tent burned out, he heard the sound of horns and the shouts of the defenders. He immediately opened his eyes, put her hand under the quilt, and then stood up and walked out.
Qingqiong had been squatting outside for a while. He saw the two of them holding hands outside the felt curtain, one lying down and sleeping, and the other just sitting there, so he didn't go in.
"The Hu people are coming again."
Qingqiong looked up at the city wall, where soldiers guarding the city were running back and forth. "General Xu, I saw you secretly hugging Miss Ni."
When it was still dark outside, there was still a little light in the felt tent. Qingqiong lifted the felt curtain and peeked out, just in time to see Xu Hexue leaning over and gently hugging the sleeping woman.
He just took a look, turned around and squatted here playing with the branches.
"Um."
Xu Hexue had wrapped herself in a long scarf before coming out, and her eyes were cold and calm.
Qingqiong looked at him and was a little stunned.
It seemed as if he had not expected Xu Hexue's frankness.
But Qingqiong thought again, it seemed that Xu Hexue had never hidden anything from him. He had always been so open and frank, and only when facing Ni Su would he be so restrained and cautious.
"Mr. Ni!"
Duan Rong hurried over with his soldiers and called out to him when he saw him.
It was still dark outside, and Xu Hexue did not have the lamp that Ni Su had lit. He turned around following the sound, but could not see Duan Rong's facial features clearly.
"Tianju Mountain has fallen!"
Duan Rong ran over panting.
"Is the iron chain broken?"
Xu Hexue was not surprised. According to Yelu Zhen's method of piling up human lives, it was only a matter of time before he took over Tianju Mountain.
"It has been broken, but at least we have brought back some soldiers and people from Zezhou!" Duan Rong said.
Previously, when Shi Monu pretended to attack Tianju Mountain, Wei Dechang promptly cut off the iron chain leading from Tianju Mountain to the rear of Yongzhou City. After Shi Monu was injured and withdrew his troops, they repaired the iron chain.
But until now, I still have to keep going on that path.
"Someone from Zezhou?"
Xu Hexue suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching and someone calling "Sir Zhou". He couldn't help but look not far behind Duan Rong.
A dark shadow, his outline was unclear.
Under the gloomy sky, someone suddenly lifted the curtain in the felt tent. Zhou Ting looked subconsciously and saw a woman wearing a purple and white dress, with her hair tied up with a white jade hairpin.
His pupils shrank slightly.
Is that——Ni Su?
Zhou Ting saw her looking around in panic, then she fixed her eyes and walked a few steps towards a person.
He was a tall and straight young man.
His face was covered with a long scarf, and his robe was snow-white but stained with blood. The cold wind in the early morning made his sleeves flutter.
He had also seen the material with his own eyes.
"It's the deputy envoy of the Night Division,"
Duan Rong turned his head and saw Zhou Ting parked not far away. "That's him, Zhou Ting, Mr. Zhou."
