Chapter 18 Fight for Destiny

Duan Lingxiao was already like ashes, but when he saw that the five of Xiao Shunzi all withdrew their hands and retreated, in addition to surrounding themselves more tightly, they didn't even make any more moves, and couldn't help but look up, only to see those tiger guards scattered to both sides, revealing two people, one of them was a white-haired old man, and the other was a particularly childish and handsome young man, the old man looked depressed, his arm was wrapped with strips of cloth, and blood oozed out of the gaps in the strips of cloth, which made him look even more embarrassed, and the young man was holding the old man with his left hand, holding a short knife against the throat of the old man in his right hand, and was standing opposite Jiang Zhe, Far from each other. At this time, a scolding voice suddenly came from among those tiger guards: "Ling Duan, you ungrateful, you dare to threaten us with hostages. Jiang Zhe glanced at the tiger coldly, and his cold gaze made him retreat stupidly.

But it turned out that the young man was Ling Duan, he had no intention of returning to the army after following Qiu Yufei back to the Northern Han Dynasty, after all, for him, his general was only Tan Ji, not to mention that Qiu Yufei intended to introduce him to the Demon Sect, although Qiu Yufei went to the East China Sea before he could return to Jinyang, but still gave him a letter to ask him to see Duan Lingxiao, and Duan Lingxiao had a good impression of Ling Duan, although he had not officially accepted him as a disciple, but it was a matter of time. Although Ling Duan followed Duan Lingxiao's side for a short time, his martial arts were originally the foundation laid by Tan Ji for him, and he had to be ordered by Qiu Yufei and Duan Lingxiao successively, and his martial arts improved a lot, although it was not as good as the few registered disciples of the Demon Sect that Duan Lingxiao carried this time, but he had barely entered the second rate, and he had been in the army for many years, and he was very familiar with the geography of Qinzhou and Zezhou, so this time he also followed Duan Lingxiao to participate in the post-war search and killing operations. However, when following Su Qing, Duan Lingxiao did it alone, and the other Demon Sect disciples who received Duan Lingxiao followed the mark left by Duan Lingxiao. But Ling Duan was unwilling to stay behind and wait, for him, Jiang Zhe was the biggest shadow in his life, his most respected general, and his friends in distress all died indirectly at the hands of this person, so he disobeyed the order and sneaked into the village. However, he came late, at this time, the Tiger Guards had already withdrawn the ambush and trapped Duan Lingxiao by the lake, and the rest of the Demon Sect disciples gave their heads one after another, Ling Duan came late, but he saved his life.

Ling Duan knew that he didn't have the ability to rescue Duan Lingxiao, and he could only hope that Duan Lingxiao could escape by himself, but unfortunately, Duan Lingxiao failed to break through, and Ling Duan knew in his heart that this time the whole army would be annihilated, and the only turning point was himself, because it seemed that Yongjun did not discover his existence. Although Duan Lingxiao has not officially accepted Ling Duan as an apprentice, Ling Duan has already regarded Duan Lingxiao as a mentor in his heart, and the disciple should have sacrificed his life in order to save his master's life, so Ling Duan made a decision regardless of life and death.

When he sneaked into the village, he found Ji Xuan and Zhao Liang, these two people were protected by two tiger guards, or house arrest, and they were not allowed to leave the residence, Zhao Liang had nothing, but Zhao Xuan was there to complain about Jiang Zhe, and he heard the two tiger guards smile bitterly. Ling Duan, who had followed Jiang Zhe for a while, knew that although Jiang Zhe's surname was easy-going, his majesty was very strict, and he had personally experienced Jiang Zhe's methods, and although Zhao Xuan complained constantly, Ling Duan could intuitively feel the cordiality in this old man's tone, and the tone in which he talked about Jiang Zhe was like the tone of a confidant and an elder, and judging from the expressions of the two tiger guards, he was not annoyed by this, which shows that Jiang Zhe is not very respectful or tolerant of this old man, no matter which situation it is, it shows that this old man's important surname is very important. Thinking of this, Ling Duan decided to hold Zhao Xuan hostage to blackmail Jiang Zhe, of course, maybe Jiang Zhe didn't care about this old man's surname at all, but Ling Duan must not watch Duan Lingxiao die here, he knew very well that Duan Lingxiao was arrogant, if he was defeated and captured, he would definitely not survive in the world.

But not to mention that the young man who was busy sorting out his clothes was not weak in martial arts, even the two tiger guards were not easy to deal with, and they couldn't alarm the Yongjun by the lake, but fortunately, Ling Duan brought a sleeve arrow, which was originally given to him by Xiao Tong, at this time, the weapon used by the Northern Han scouts to capture the enemy, the arrow was quenched with a strong anesthetic, which could capture the enemy alive for torture, with the secret skills taught to him by Qiu Yufei and Duan Lingxiao, he successfully put down all four people. However, he didn't take the surnames of these people, this was not because he was soft-hearted, he was worried that if he killed these people to anger Jiang Zhe, he was afraid that it would be self-defeating.

At the beginning, my heart was like turning over the river and the sea, how could such a thing happen, the two Tiger Guards and Zhao Liang protected Ji Xuan, although Ling Duan's martial arts were excellent, after all, he was still young, and he would not be the opponent of the Tiger Guard, even if he was secretly attacking, he should not succeed silently. Su Qing whispered beside me: "My lord, that person must have used a secret weapon of quenching, and the scouts of the two armies have such a secret weapon, which is used to capture the enemy alive." "I suddenly felt in my heart, no wonder Ji Xuan looked weak, I don't know such a method, even the poison quenching secret weapon in the hands of the secret camp disciples was developed by me personally, but I have always regarded Ling Duan as a person with a bright surname, and I didn't expect him to use this method for a while. Now that I think about it, I can't help but laugh secretly, after all, Ling Duan is Tan Ji's personal guard, and it seems that the relationship with the Demon Sect is not shallow now, with such a background, how can I account for any means.

I glanced at Ji Xuan, and when I saw his expression, I couldn't help but be slightly angry in my heart, and said: "Ling Duan, Jiang didn't bother to mention the matter in the past, you treat you like dung, I don't blame you, now you want to threaten Ben Hou with hostages, don't you think Ben Hou is a soft-hearted person?" ”

Ling Duan's heart was cold, only to see Jiang Zhe's expression cold, although he was a weak scholar with an elegant bearing, but at this moment, he stood with his hands in his hands, his thin body seemed to be as proud as a green bamboo in the snow, and there was a faint murderous aura between his eyebrows. He said bitterly: "Adults' means, Ling Duan didn't dare or forget, in the past, Ling Duan was already a prisoner waiting to be killed, but fortunately, he was mercied by the adults and escaped." Although the adult later killed Li Hu, Ling Duan resented for a long time in his heart, but now that he thinks about it, our surname was originally picked up by the adult, and even if the adult takes us back, there is nothing to say about it. When it was said that in the snow field shop, Ling Duan aroused the demons in his heart for the sound of the piano, assassinated the adult, and it was the adult who was kind and spared Ling Duan's life. Ling Duan didn't dare to forget the grace of sparing his life three times, but Ling Duan couldn't forget the deaths of General Tan and Li Hu, and now Duan Dagongzi is Ling Duan who wants to worship his teacher, and his teacher's surname is in danger, and as a disciple, he can sit idly by. Ling Duan guessed that the adults cared for this old gentleman very much, so he dared to threaten him, as long as the adults were willing to let go of the eldest prince, Ling Duan was willing to die and apologize. ”

I frowned, although it was not my intention to kill Duan Lingxiao, but I also saw that it was probably impossible to capture him alive, this Duan Lingxiao's identity is very important, seeing that his surname is affectionate and intelligent, he is definitely not a character who is willing to endure humiliation, but I am unwilling to let him go like this. Subconsciously looking at Xiao Shunzi, I asked his opinion with my eyes.

Xiao Shunzi frowned, in his opinion, it was naturally the best to kill Duan Lingxiao, how could that Ji Xuan be more important than Duan Lingxiao, not to mention that if there was such a master, it would be a threat from Gongzi after all, but he also knew that he couldn't make his own decisions, after all, Gongzi had far-reaching vision, and many decisions seemed very unwise at the time, but the future was the key to determining the outcome of the game, so he finally decided to just explain the current situation. After thinking about it, Xiao Shunzi said: "Childe, Duan Lingxiao has been hit by my fingers twice, and now he has suffered serious internal injuries, my internal strength is from yin to cold, and Mr. Sang once passed on me a mental method that can restrain the Demon Sect's mental method, his internal injuries are like maggots attached to the bones, if you want to recover as before, even with the help of the Demon Sect, it is impossible to do it without a few months, and now he is just forcibly supporting." ”

Listening to Xiao Shunzi's words, my heart is slightly wider, even if this is the case, if Duan Lingxiao who can't do anything changes to Ji Xuan, I won't suffer, but I need to take advantage of the cheapness, and I can't let Ling Duan succeed easily, otherwise what if someone follows suit in the future? Deliberately putting his expression even colder, I said calmly: "Ling Duan, you have also been by my side, as long as you let Mr. Ji go, I will spare your life, otherwise I will kill Duan Dagongzi first, and then deal with you." ”

A determined look flashed in Ling Duan's eyes and said: "My lord, since Ling Duan dared to blackmail you, he didn't take life and death to heart, if the adult asked him to continue to attack the eldest prince, Ling Duan could only kill this old gentleman first, and then accompany the eldest prince to die here, whether this person is alive or dead, the lord can decide in a word." ”

My heart jumped, I didn't expect this Ling Duan to be so resolute, but how would he know that I was going to exchange hostages? At this time, Ji Xuan may have gradually retreated from the medicine, and said loudly: "The old man doesn't need you Jiang Suiyun to save him, he will kill if he wants to, how can the old man be a humiliating person." "I almost gritted my teeth, this Ji Xuan, really troubled me, but if Ling Duan misunderstood that I didn't want to save him, it would be troublesome, so I hurriedly checked Ling Duan's expression carefully, and saw that his expression became more and more confident, so I let Ji Xuan shout, and just put the short knife against Ji Xuan's throat, neither light nor heavy, so as not to hurt him, and beware of him breaking free. Seeing that I was silent, Ling Duan said in a loud voice: "My lord, if you don't decide, I will have to kill him." ”

I looked at Duan Lingxiao hatefully and said, "What does the eldest prince think of this matter?" ”

Duan Lingxiao has been adjusting his injuries so that he can find a burial when he strikes again, he is not sure that Jiang Zhe will let himself go for the sake of an old man, hearing Jiang Zhe ask himself, he said indifferently: "Duan'er is also nonsense, adults are daughters and nobles, how can they be easily threatened, Duan Mou is confident that his worth is not low, Duan'er should leave quickly, at least this person should be enough to change your surname." ”

Ling Duan's eyes were red, and he was about to burst into flames, he naturally doubted whether Jiang Zhe would be threatened by himself, although Jiang Zhe seemed to attach great importance to the hostages in his hands, but Duan Dagongzi was the head disciple of the Demon Sect, and his status was noble, even if he changed himself, he would never let it go easily, but as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he would not give up. Looking at Jiang Zhe, he gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, please decide, if you refuse to exchange, you can only kill this person in the next place, and it can be regarded as getting back some interest." ”

My heart is cold, Ling Duansheng's surname is arrogant and obedient, if he continues to be persecuted, I am afraid that he will really kill Ji Xuan, then it will be bad, since Duan Lingxiao has been seriously injured, it doesn't matter if he is released, anyway, as long as he can't make a move within a few months, I will rest assured, and when he can make a move, the Northern Han Dynasty will already collapse, and no matter how high his martial arts are, it will be useless.

I smiled slightly bitterly, and said in my heart, it's okay to let Duan Lingxiao go, but I can't let you go easily, my eyes rolled, and I said coldly: "Although Mr. Ji is my old friend, but Duan Dagongzi is the first apprentice of the Northern Han Dynasty, and his status is so noble. But you take hostages to blackmail Ben Hou, if Ben Hou gently lets the eldest prince go, won't it make the people of the world think that Ben Hou can be blackmailed, so let's do it, if you are willing to let Mr. Ji go, I allow you to exchange your surname for Duan Dagongzi's surname, one life is worth one life, I have already suffered a loss. ”

Ling Duan was stunned for a moment, although he was ready to pay the price of his life, but he didn't expect it to be in this way, but after thinking about it carefully, Ling Duan felt pleased, and said in his heart, taking hostages is a shameless thing, he is just a small person, but the eldest prince is the first disciple of the Demon Sect, if he can fight his life, he really took advantage of himself, thinking of this, he said calmly: "My lord's daughter, Ling Duan has never seen the son break his word, and he took his life to resist his life, Ling Duan was willing, just ask the adult to forgive his sins, before the eldest prince left, Ling Duan couldn't let go of the hostages. ”

Duan Lingxiao shook his head slightly, at this moment he knew that Jiang Zhe might not want to leave his surname, just based on Jiang Zhe's method of instructing Su Qing to intercept him, he knew that Jiang Zhe was a thoughtful person and a vicious person, and he would never leave a way for the enemy to survive. He asked himself if he faced such a situation, although it was a little dangerous, but there was no possibility of successfully saving the hostages, Ling Duan's martial arts were not high. He wouldn't think that Jiang Zhe was really a man who kept his promises, as long as he killed all the outsiders who knew about it, who would know that he had broken his promises. So maybe Ling Duan was the one who contributed to his survival, but if Jiang Zhe hadn't had such an idea, then it would have been absolutely impossible for him to get this glimmer of life. And Jiang Zhe wanted Ling Duan to take his life, or because he wanted to take revenge on Ling Duan and damage his majesty. But now Duan Lingxiao has no way to stop this from happening, unless he really wants to die here, but even if he is willing to die, he can't save Ling Duan. He looked up at Jiang Zhe, and it happened that Jiang Zhe was also coming and going towards him, those clear and quiet eyes seemed to have a hint of mockery, looking at each other, Duan Lingxiao clearly saw a trace of surprise flashing on Jiang Zhe's face, as if he had realized that he had seen through his thoughts, he couldn't help but show a bitter smile, no matter what, his surname was changed by a junior disciple of the Demon Sect, such humiliation must follow him for a lifetime.

Sighing softly, he said indifferently: "Duan'er, let go of Mr. Ji, what kind of person is Marquis Jiang, how can you threaten it, now that he has agreed, he will not regret it for no reason, and you should not be stubborn." ”

Ling Duan was at a loss in his heart, he already respected Duan Lingxiao very much, hesitated for a moment, and finally let go of Ji Xuan, he was confident that the eldest prince would not kill himself, sure enough, after he let go of Ji Xuan, except for the two tiger guards who quickly helped Ji Xuan away, Jiang Zhe did not order an attack, and no one even came to subdue him.

I glanced at Ling Duan, who was dazed and dead silent, knowing that this young man had really given up all hope of survival, and couldn't help but feel pity in my heart, at this time, a tiger guard hurriedly came to report: "Lord Qiyu, Zhao Gongzi and the other three are not in danger of life, but they are in a coma." ”

My heart was wide, I looked at Ling Duan, and said coldly: "Ling Duan, do you know why I have always been kind to you." ”

Ling Duan raised his head, there was no trace of blood on his pale face, he gritted his teeth and said nothing.

I said coldly: "You are just an ordinary soldier, why do I need to use it to please you, if you are not General Tan's personal guard ghost rider, why do I need to pay attention to your life and death, when Ben Hou left you by his side as an attendant, but did not humiliate you, but you were ungrateful and fled without permission, that's all, in the face of General Tan, your loyalty to the Northern Han is understandable, although Ben Hou is arrested, but he doesn't really do anything to you, you are lucky to steal your life, you should live a good life to save your surname, but you are here today, I am afraid that you are also here to assassinate Ben Hou, Seeing that the opportunity was not successful, and coerced the hostages to threaten Benhou, it was unbearable or unbearable, and someone came and dragged him down to be severely punished with fifty whips. ”

Since there was a tiger to take him down, Ling Duan had no heart to resist at all, and walked out silently, and after a while, the sound of leather whipping meat sounded in the distance.

After disposing of Ling Duan, I looked at Duan Lingxiao and said with a smile: "Does the eldest prince have any objections to my handling like this?" ”

A hint of happiness flashed in Duan Lingxiao's eyes, and he said: "Hou Ye is merciful and willing to spare Ling Duan's life, Duan feels the same way, that is, Hou Ye has broken his promise now and taken Duan's surname, and Duan is also dead and unshaken." ”

I smiled slightly, Duan Lingxiao's eyes were like torches, just by punishing Ling Duan, I knew that I had no intention of killing him, firstly, I had used Ling Duan, and I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him, secondly, I liked Ling Duan's surname very much, since he didn't kill the plotted Hu Cheng and Zhao Liang, I will also open the net, of course, the most important reason is that after today's incident, Ling Duan must have an unusual position in Duan Lingxiao's heart, and he will inevitably become an important figure in the Demon Sect in the future, there is a person who is afraid of me and grateful to exist in the Demon Sect, It's definitely a good thing for me, after all, it is impossible for the Northern Han Demon Sect to be destroyed, not to mention that the Demon Sect inheritance has its own uniqueness, just with my own heart, I won't want to destroy the Demon Sect, after all, the emperor and I don't want to see the Shaolin Temple These famous sects are dominant, the rivers and lakes are the same as the imperial court, and power needs to be checked and balanced.

Since there is no killing intent for Duan Lingxiao, I waved my hand and ordered everyone to retreat, leaving only Xiao Shunzi, Hu Yanshou and Su Qing by my side to protect, even the four masters let them retreat into the distance, Duan Lingxiao did not take the opportunity to make trouble, his internal injuries were not light, but Xiao Shunzi was not injured at all, and with masters like Su Qing and Hu Yanshou by his side, Duan Lingxiao would not believe that he could assassinate me no matter how conceited he was, how could such a smart and decisive person do useless things, so I also put on this friendly pattern, but Xiao Shunzi would not let him leave, The son of a daughter, I can't sit down, I'm very careful, who knows if Duan Lingxiao will go crazy?

I said gently: "Grand Duke Duan, Ling Duan is not suitable to stay in Qinzhou anymore, I will send him to the East China Sea to be with Yufei, I don't know what the eldest prince wants?" ”

Duan Lingxiao's eyes flashed, and he said: "Thank you Lord Hou for your compassion, although this child's martial arts skills are not high, but his character and qualifications are first-class, I can't bear to have any damage on the battlefield, Yufei treats this child differently, and it is good to send it to the East China Sea, Lord Hou really loves Ling Duan very much." ”

I sighed lightly: "Zhe Pingsheng regrets that he didn't see General Tan in person, General Tan only has such a close guard left, how can Ben Hou bear to take his surname." ”

Duan Lingxiao's heart moved, and when he saw Jiang Zhe's sincere tone, he couldn't help but sigh: "Tan Ji is arrogant and peerless, his heart is full of hatred and sorrow, when he said that Shizun had intended to accept him as a disciple, but unfortunately because his heart was too heavy, he only ordered to pass on martial arts in the next generation, and I was also saddened by the death of General Tan." ”

I chanted aloud: "The sky is unkind, and the earth is unkind, and the wolf smoke is rising; The parents of the relatives turned into dust, and their hearts were broken, but they could not help it; Although the resentment is endless, it is difficult for Jun En to die heavily; Murder is wild and unrepentant, bloodshed and life; The king holds the crossbow, I hold the ge, and I drive the horse to obey; Qinshui buried my body in the cold, and went to Huangquan to calm my mind; Life and death are fearless and generous, and I am sad when I am old! ”

Duan Lingxiao listened silently, his expression also showed a look of melancholy, silently recalling Tan Ji's voice and smile, his heart was full of sadness, but he suddenly realized that he had practiced Xuangong for many years, and it was already difficult for him to fluctuate emotionally, but now he couldn't help it, it seems that the weight of internal injuries is especially above the estimate, his face did not show the slightest abnormality, and said indifferently: "Hou Ye is really a contradiction, although Tan Ji died in the hands of King Qi, I am afraid that the strategy was set by Hou Ye, why should he be sentimental now?" ”

I smiled proudly and said: "Although I am a scholar, but a little arrogant, although there are many people in this world, but most of them are idle people, and the best of them are rare, I love heroes the most in my life, whether it is friend or foe, I will not slack off, but it is a pity that I am a worldly person after all, due to the limitation of identity, even if it is a love in my heart, I must get rid of it quickly, General Tan and Duan Dagongzi are all heroes in the world, so General Tan must die, and although you can not die today, I know that I am not for the future layout." , it's just that the eldest prince doesn't blame me then. ”

Duan Lingxiao laughed loudly: "Jiang Suiyun is really bold, although you are a scribe, you are a hero in the world, Emperor Yong has your assistance, no wonder you are so proud, Ling Duan is just a junior, if you don't kill him, it's just that, but Yufei once assassinated you, why didn't you kill him, but left him in the East China Sea at any cost, isn't this a woman's kindness?" ”

I smiled and said nothing, although Qiu Yufei is proficient in martial arts, but his surname is fond of music and rhythm, and he is tired of the world, how can such a person pose a threat to me, keep him, firstly, because I appreciate him, and secondly, because he will be useful in the future, killing a person does not mean that he is disgusted, and the affection of his subordinates does not mean mercy, how can these things be explained clearly to people, not to mention that I have no intention of discerning, so it is not good for others to think that I have the kindness of a woman?

Seeing that Jiang Zhe was silent, Duan Lingxiao was also silent, he naturally knew that the two were hostile and could not communicate with each other, but after these moments of getting along, Duan Lingxiao felt that although Jiang Zhe was a weak scholar, he had the wind of the forest, and when he got along, he sometimes felt like a spring breeze, and sometimes felt like walking on cold ice, which made people feel that they couldn't bear to stay away and didn't dare to get close, but it was a pity that this person was a great minister.

After a moment of silence, I also sobered up from my thoughts and ordered: "Huyan, go and get the wine, I will see off the eldest prince." ”

Hu Yanshou glanced at Duan Lingxiao vigilantly, went down to summon a sound, and after a while, he personally came over with a wooden tray, with a wine jug and two wine cups on it, I lifted the wine jug with my own hands, poured two glasses of wine, and picked up a glass myself, Hu Yanshou walked to Duan Lingxiao with the tray, Duan Lingxiao smiled calmly, and also picked up a glass.

I raised my glass and said: "The eldest prince, you kill my guards, I behead you with the same door, the two countries are fighting, you and I are enemies, there is only a country village brewed here, but today we meet is also fate, if there is no wine, it is difficult to have fun, I don't know if the eldest prince is willing to appreciate the light." ”

Duan Lingxiao drank it all and said: "Today, I will defeat you and win, but although your army is strong, it may not be able to win, I hope your Excellency will cherish it." ”

I didn't comment, but slowly drank the wine in the cup and said: "It's a pity that the eldest prince didn't lead the army to fight, with your wit and decisiveness, the use of troops should not be under His Majesty of our country." ”

Duan Lingxiao was stunned for a moment, and then showed a faint wry smile, as the head disciple of the Demon Sect, he needed to maintain a transcendent posture, how could he lead the army to fight, and once he was trapped in the army, it would be difficult for him to improve his martial arts, he was a master and a descendant, in order to maintain the reputation of his master, he could not be distracted from worldly things, but for this reason, how could he talk to people.

Sent away Duan Lingxiao, who was drifting away, I was also glad in my heart, fortunately, this person was not my opponent, let people take Ling Duan after being tortured, I didn't say anything, I just asked him if he was willing to go to the East China Sea to see Qiu Yufei, if he wanted to, he would go on his own way, Ling Duan was dumbfounded, nodded in agreement, he has never had the face to go against me again. However, after he left, I euphemistically asked Zhang Jinxiong to secretly follow him to the East China Sea, if Ling Duan really kept his promise, if he escaped on the way, then he would be killed, I think General Tan Ji would not mind if I killed such a trustworthy and unrighteous person.

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