In the capital, it was raining lightly. Since the funeral began in Loei a few days ago, the sky over the capital of the Great Xia Kingdom has never been clear.

In the Loei house of Suzaku Street, white curtains are hung everywhere, and it is a sad scene.

But unlike the usual tranquility without servants, at this time, there were many soldiers in armor and generals dressed in mourning clothes standing beside the doorways of the upper and lower corridors of Loei.

Some of these sergeants were the personal guards sent by the old subordinates of Li Bu who had just returned to the capital from the Northeast Battlefield, and some were soldiers who were originally registered as Li Bu's personal guards, and they all came to guard the soul of this general who had made brilliant achievements in battle but died young. Their expressions were resolute and upright, and their eyes naturally showed a sad look.

And those generals are the generals of the Li family who were sent by the Li family to help with the funeral as soon as the news of Li Bu's death came out.

The relationship between Li and Li is extremely close and is well known. Now that Li Bu has died suddenly, although Li Heyuan is fighting against King Zhao Chen in Jiangnan, his brother and grandfather will not sit idly by.

At this time, in the lobby of Loei, a pitch-black coffin was placed in the center, and a girl in mourning clothes and wearing a mourning scarf was kneeling silently on the ground, with her head lowered, making people unable to see her face and expression. On the ground on the right-hand side was a spear, none other than Libu's Pawn Hook and Scythe.

On the other side of the coffin, there was a woman dressed in the same mourning dress. She has a charming and beautiful appearance, a slender figure, and looks like she is only seventeen or eighteen years old.

After a long time, the woman who was standing whispered to the girl who was kneeling on the ground: "Sister, it's been nine days, you see...... Is it possible to bury your eldest brother?"

The kneeling maiden did not answer her.

The woman's expression was slightly embarrassed, and after a while, she said, "Sister, sister-in-law knows that you are sad, how can your sister-in-law's heart feel good?" As he spoke, his voice choked slightly: "What did he say." It's my husband too! Sister. You can't let your eldest brother lie here all the time, you should always let him be buried early!"

The woman who spoke was Li Bu's wife Lin Hong, who had not been married for a long time. And the kneeling girl, needless to say, must be Li Bu's sister Li Ying.

Lin Hong said for a long time, but Li Ying still knelt on the ground and did not react at all. In the past nine days, Li Ying has always knelt in front of her eldest brother Li Bu, except for drinking some water and gruel from time to time under the persuasion of a few subordinates, she has hardly left the mourning hall, and she has not spoken much. Ministers and generals who came to mourn a few days ago. They were all greeted by people sent by Lin Hong and Li Fu, and Li Ying ignored no one at all, just bowed his head and knelt like this.

Lin Hongxiu's eyebrows wrinkled inadvertently, and said, "Sister, if you don't speak, I can be your consent." Then he said to a short and fat middle-aged man in gray mourning clothes beside him: "Wangcai, bring people and carry the coffin." Prepare for burial. It's raining outside, so go get a tarpaulin to cover it, but don't let the coffin get drenched. ”

Originally, because the brothers and sisters of the Li family loved to be quiet, there were basically no people in the Li Mansion. At most, they were just a few of's personal guards. However, after Lin Hong got married, Lin's father was afraid that his daughter would suffer, so he married a lot of maids, subordinates, and a housekeeper Wangcai.

Wang Cai got his wife's order, so he hurriedly responded, called a few family members, and cleaned up the ice in the coffin.

Suddenly, "Bang!" With a sound, Lin Hong, Wang Cai and several family members were startled, and looked at the sound, only to see that Li Ying, who was kneeling, had raised her head at some point, and stared at them coldly with her bloodshot and slightly red and swollen eyes, and held Li Bu's weapon hook and sickle in her right hand, the gun head was upward, and the gun cone smashed the tiles on the ground, and the sound just now was made when she held the gun and smashed the ground with the gun cone.

Li Ying said word by word: "Who dares to touch my brother, ask this hook and sickle first!" Her voice became a little hoarse, but the words she uttered were still clear and unwavering, and one would not doubt the truth of her words at all.

Lin Hong seemed to be frightened, her chest rose and fell violently, and she covered her hands in front of her chest and said, "Li Ying, what do you want!" How can I say that I am also your sister-in-law, the wife of Li Bu, and the mistress of this family, why can't I call the shots? It's been nine days, it's been nine days, why don't you still refuse to let your eldest brother go to the ground? What the hell does this sister want to do?!"

Standing on Li Ying's side, a general dressed up humanely: "Madam, since General Li Xiao is unwilling to bury General Li now, there must be a reason for her." Since Li Ying participated in the southwest war with the army, the generals in the army no longer called her Miss Li and Miss Li, but changed her name to General Li Xiao, and Li Bu became General Li.

Another person dressed in mourning clothes also said: "Mrs. Li, how can General Li Bu say that he is also a first-class general of the imperial court, even if he wants to be buried, this ceremony is not simple, how can he act hastily now?" And our eldest son has also confessed. General Li Bu's future affairs are all under the orders of Miss Li Ying. Since Miss Li Ying does not want General Li Bu to be buried now, she cannot be buried. Listening to the tone of this, you can know that this person must have been sent by the Li family.

"You ......" Lin Hong was angry, it was obvious that Li Bu's old subordinates, generals in the army, and the people of the Li family were all towards Li Ying, but this brigadier general's wife was excluded.

On the day of Li Bu's death, Li Ying cried into tears, carrying a hook and sickle to guard his brother's corpse, and no one was allowed to approach. If it hadn't been for a few guards to stop him, Lin Hong would have almost been stabbed to death.

It wasn't until Li He's brother Li Ming heard the news that he finally persuaded this stubborn Nizi to let several famous doctors and pestles in the capital conduct autopsies.

In the end, the doctors and the pestle came to the same result: Li Bu died suddenly due to a heart attack.

Later, with the help of some generals of the Li family and the Lin family, the funeral hall was quickly set up. And from then on, Li Ying knelt in front of Li Bu's corpse, silent, even the people sent by the emperor to mourn ignored him. It was only when someone mentioned that she wanted to bury Li Bu and wanted to move Li Bu's coffin, that she would pick up her hook and sickle and drink and threaten as before.

Li Bu and Li Ying have depended on each other since childhood, and there are no other particularly good relatives and friends in the capital except Li He, so at this time, the only one who can persuade Li Ying is Li He's brother Li Ming, but obviously, Li Ming can't persuade her, and finally has to order someone to make a special coffin, move Li Bu to the new coffin, and then instruct the Li family to prepare new ice cubes every day to put inside, so as not to corrode Li Bu's body.

The rain outside the house was getting heavier and heavier, and the roaring thunder seemed to be mixed with a few tiger roars and dragon roars.

Lin Hong felt that she was treated as an outsider, full of grievances, and didn't want to stay in the mourning hall anymore to be looked down upon. asked Wangcai to send him back to the room.

Seeing Lin Hong walking towards the door, no one said anything. There was still a dead silence in the mourning hall.

A gust of wind blew from outside the hall, sweeping through the ice inside the coffin, carrying an icy chill through everyone's bodies and hearts. A few candles in the hall were blown to the brink of extinguishment. Lin Hong, who walked to the door, couldn't help but shudder, and subconsciously slowed down.

"Ah——" A frightened scream sounded, and all the people in the Loei Province were heartbroken, and they turned their heads to look at the gate, even kneeling on the ground, Li Ying's delicate body trembled. Half turned.

I saw Lin Hong, who was originally walking to the door, staggered backwards under the support of Wang Cai at this time, his face was full of horror, and he almost fell to the ground.

Outside the door, in the heavy rain, a tall figure suddenly appeared. Because of the light, no one in the hall could see the man's face clearly, but they could vaguely see that he was wearing a black armor. If you look closely, you will see that there seems to be a white figure beside him. It's just that it's much petite.

In the past few days since Li Bu's death, there are not a few generals in the army who came to Lefu to mourn, and it is not a strange thing if there are generals who have just returned to Beijing from the northeast, why is Lin Hong so shocked?

At this time, several family members on the side noticed that Li Ying's body trembling slightly on the ground, and looked at the eyes outside the door. There is also a strange light, like misery, like grief, like joy, like liberation. Looking at it, two lines of crystal tears slipped down like this. You must know that except for Li Ying who cried grief-stricken on the day Li Bu just died, in the following days, this stubborn girl never shed a single tear in front of everyone. His eyes have always been cold and resentful, and no matter who he looks at, he looks like he wants to kill. And the look revealed at this time really made everyone puzzled, who was standing at the door, who was sacred?

With the rumble of thunder, a bolt of lightning streaked across the dim sky. This moment of daylight did not let the people in the hall see the appearance of the person outside the door, but made the atmosphere even more weird.

The general standing next to Li Ying took two steps forward and said aloud to the door: "Who is outside the door?" He couldn't help but wonder a little, if it was a military general who came to mourn, why didn't the family members and sergeants guarding the door have a registration number?

"Click!" The man outside the door stepped into the mourning hall with a foot raised, and the military boots on his feet were wet, apparently soaked in the rain for a long time.

"Click! Click! Click...... Footsteps sounded one after another, and the people outside the door entered the mourning hall step by step, and the candlelight in the hall illuminated his face, and almost everyone let out an exclamation - this person in armor should still be Li He who was still in Jiangnan to assess King Zhao Chen's judgment!

His dark armor was covered with rain, and the battle robe under the armor was completely soaked, the edges of the armor and the placket of the armor were dripping with rain, there was no helmet on his head, his hair was wet and sticking to his forehead and shoulders, and the whole person seemed to have just been fished out of the pond.

His face was expressionless, his lips pursed, and he let the rain run from his hair to the bridge of his cheeks and nose. It's just that those eyes are clear, and they are also bloodshot like her Li Ying, her eyes are as cold as a hungry wolf in the forest, and there is a chilling aura all over her body, no wonder Lin Hong screamed when she saw him just now, and her heart was cold.

Li He walked towards Li Bu's coffin step by step, staring at the huge spiritual position behind the coffin with blood-red eyes.

He was followed in by a woman in a long white dress who was also soaking wet, it was Li He's maid Xiangxiang.

Originally, with the mana of Xiangxiang, it was a matter of effort to separate the rain or make a cloak or cloak and other things to follow the fire unicorn to block the rain like in the Northeast. However, after Li He learned of Li Bu's death, he immediately rode back to the capital on a fire unicorn, and he did not want to let Xiangxiang cast a spell to block the rain in the rain, as if he hoped that the rain would be enough to extinguish the nameless fire rising in his heart. And Xiangxiang naturally braves the rain with the owner.

The fragrance of the soaked body, the dress is attached to the body, and the delicate face and delicate figure of the fairy are fully displayed. But no one in the hall dared to stay on her. is not only afraid of Li He's might, but also because the little fox demon's eyes and temperament at this time are as cold and terrifying, no less than her master Li He.

Because Xiang Xiang feels it. The owner was angry. So she couldn't help but sit up, but it's a pity that she, like Li He, doesn't know where to spread this nameless anger.

Everyone in the mourning hall had not yet reacted from the surprise of seeing Li He for the first time. The news that the Xiao family's father and son were killed on the battlefield by Li He had just reached the capital, and it was said that he should be on the way to Changzhou at this time, and it was impossible to rush back anyway. But they didn't know that as soon as Xiangxiang, who was in the capital, learned of Li Bu's death, she rushed to Jiangnan overnight, and ran wild day and night to bring the news to Li He. After hearing the news, Li He only gave a brief explanation, and immediately rode the fire unicorn to the capital without stopping on the way.

Li Ying slowly stood up from the ground with the hook and sickle spear. strode towards Li He, but because he had been kneeling for too long, he only took two steps and his legs went soft. Seeing that she was about to fall, Li He had already hurriedly stepped forward to hug her.

As soon as Li Ying fell into Li He's arms, regardless of the rain on his body, he buried his head in his chest and cried with a whimper. At first it was a low, suppressed whimper, then louder and louder. became a voiceless pain, and the whole delicate body trembled uncontrollably in his arms, as if to vent all the grievances and sorrows. But throughout, the bare hand holding the hook and sickle. But it was not too loose.

Li He gently stroked Li Ying's back, and his eyes slowly became gentle.

"The Great Fu Army......" "Second Son." At this time, the talents in the hall saluted Li He one after another.

"The concubine has seen Master Hou. After Lin Hong was frightened, he also came back to his senses, knowing that the person in front of him was the famous General Huwei, so he hurriedly stepped forward to salute Li He.

Li He glanced at her, nodded, and said, "Sister-in-law doesn't need to be polite, she was frightened just now."

"Second son, shouldn't you be in Jiangnan, how can you ......" The family sent by the Li Mansion hesitated for a while, stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "Have you been to see the master and the eldest prince?"

"Get out." Li He said lightly.

"Second Son......"

Li He's eyes suddenly became fierce, and he glanced at him coldly. The blood-red eyes and sharp eyes made the Li Mansion family take a few steps back subconsciously, and even believed in his heart that if he didn't leave, Li He would definitely cut his arm in half with an axe.

"All out!" Li He shouted to the other guards and family members in the mourning hall. A cold wind blew in, and the candles were extinguished.

Everyone didn't dare to hesitate at all, and hurriedly retired to Li He, and withdrew from the mourning hall one after another. Lin Hong was so frightened that her heart was beating, her mind was blank, and she and Wangcai were about to go out, but they were stopped by Li He: "Sister-in-law, you stay first." ”

Lin Hong let out a soft "ah", her body trembled, stopped, and her legs trembled.

Wangcai in front saw her stop and wanted to come back, but was glared at by Xiangxiang coldly, and hurriedly withdrew from the mourning hall, running into the rain, not daring to turn back.

As soon as Xiangxiang waved her hand, the doors of the lobby were immediately closed, and with a wave of her sleeves, the few candles that had been extinguished in the room were lit again, and the brightness was much stronger than just now.

Lin Hong was dumbfounded, and her heart was terrified. I don't know when, her back has been wet with cold sweat, and almost every time Li He or Xiangxiang looks at her, she will feel like falling into an ice cave and feel cold.

Li Ying in Li He's arms didn't know when she had stopped moving, and when she looked down, she saw that the poor girl was already crying tired and asleep, and there were still tears on her delicate cheeks. Yes, for so many days, I have hardly slept for a moment, and my heart is always occupied by sadness, and now I can finally have a shoulder of trust to rely on, and my heart can finally relax temporarily.

"Sleep well, ......everything is up to me," Li He muttered in a low voice, wanting to hand Li Ying over to Xiangxiang, but found that she hugged her tightly, and didn't dare to break her away too hard, so he had to hold her like this first.

And even in his dreams, Li Ying's hands are still tightly holding Li Bu's life-hook sickle.

It seems that it is the soul of his brother Li Bu, for fear that as soon as he lets go, his brother's soul will also disperse......

"Sister-in-law, Brother Li and I were born and died on the battlefield, and we were like brothers and sisters, and when you got married, I couldn't drink because of my military life. I thought that I would make up for it after I returned to Beijing after the Northeast was pacified, but I didn't want this parting, it became a farewell..."Li He remembered when he left Beijing for the Northeast. Agreed with Li Bu that he would not get drunk and return home after returning to Beijing. Sadness came from it, and the eyes couldn't help but narrow, leaving the tears tightly in the eye sockets, and holding back the tears.

"Waiting for the master...... Hou Ye's heart... If you have knowledge, you will understand. Hou Ye doesn't have to be too sad......" Lin Hong lowered his head, not daring to look at Li He's face, his eyes looked at the crack on the ground that Li Ying had just smashed with a gun cone, and Jing was a little distracted.

Li He said again: "Sister-in-law, you can call me Li He or Tielang." When Brother Li was alive, he called me Brother Li and Li ......" when I thought of beating Hu Ren. He called Li Bu Li Laohei, and Li Bu called him Li Erhu. Once upon a time, they were still killing enemies side by side and drinking at the same altar, but now they are separated by yin and yang, and looking at the pale and familiar face in the coffin, my heart is even more sour.

"It's Brother Li." Lin Hong's head was still lowered.

"Sister-in-law, Brother Li, how did he die?" Li He asked slowly.

He asked calmly. Lin Hong was not calm at all when she heard it, every word smashed into her heart like a thousand pounds of boulders, banging, and panicking for no reason in her heart.

"He... He...... He ...... At... Dead in the house. Lin Hong always felt that he was standing by Li He's side. There was an invisible pressure that overwhelmed her. As long as a casual word, a casual action, or even a casual look can make her tremble.

Li He frowned slightly, and turned his head to look at her: "Sister-in-law, I'm asking, how did Brother Li die?"

He...... He...... He died suddenly of a heart attack. "Heart attack?" Li He whispered to himself: "Could it be a heart attack?" Impossible. How could Brother Li have a heart attack? If you have a heart attack, you didn't commit it when you fought to the death on the battlefield, how could you commit it in the capital?"

Turning his gaze to Lin Hong again, Li He couldn't help but be suspicious in his heart, this woman's performance was really suspicious. But thinking that when she appeared outside the lobby just now, she scared her a lot, maybe that's why she was so afraid of herself.

"Was Brother Li murdered?" Li He suddenly shouted loudly, and the candle flame in the hall swayed.

Lin Hong let out a low sigh, her body shook, and Jing is soft fell to the ground, fainting.

Li He frowned: "Why are you so intimidated." The suspicion of her in my heart was even greater.

"Xiangxiang, you take her down and tell someone to take care of it. Then go back to our mansion and go to Fenghuo Xiaolan, and ask her to inform the people of Honglian Gate and the North Pole Gate that they are ready to be at my disposal at any time. Li He turned back to Xiangxiang and commanded.

"Yes, master." Xiangxiang agreed, then lifted Lin Hong on the ground and walked towards the door.

Li He stopped her again: "Wait, find a few more jars of wine, and ask for the He family wine in Yuanzhou." Tonight, I'm going to hold a wake for Brother Li.

Today's rain in the capital is almost crazy, in the morning it is still a light rain, and in the afternoon, it is already a violent storm, as if someone is pouring down one after another on the clouds above the capital. Originally, the drainage system in the capital was quite developed, but today's rain was so heavy that in less than two hours, even the wide main street was covered with a palm-deep water. Many of the houses built in the early years were washed away by the rain, and many houses with poor roof tiles began to leak somewhat. Before dinner, the sky was already pitch black, as if the end of the Buddhist scriptures was coming.

Many old people were scared, and they burned incense and chanted scriptures in front of the Buddha statues enshrined at home, and the Dapulai Temple in the capital also received the emperor's order to do the rituals in the rain. But the heavy rain still did not abate at all, as if it was about to wash away the entire capital.

Late at night.

In the hall of Loei, there were already many people standing, in addition to Xiangxiang and Fenghuo Lan, there were also Sanniu, Yang Jin and others who returned to Beijing from the northeast, Xueshan Yin of Honglianmen and several two masters of the Arctic Gate, Sikong Ming, the master of the Arctic Gate, because he was far away in the southwest, so he couldn't come back for a while.

Li He sat in front of the coffin, Li Ying was still lying in his arms, and there were several jars of old He family wine beside him.

"Xiangxiang and Xiaolan stay, and the others wait in the corridor." Li He patted the sealing mud of a jar of wine and said lightly.

After everyone had answered, they walked out of the lobby and stood in a row in the corridor outside.

The door was closed again, but the sound of pouring rain could still be heard outside in the hall.

Listening to the sound of heavy rain hitting the roof and then pouring down the eaves to the ground, and smelling the strong fragrance of the He family in the altar, Li He seemed to have returned to the northern battlefield of the golden iron horse and the bloody rain, and the sound of the rain was like the roaring sound of iron hooves. The smell of wine is like the strong smell of blood on the battlefield.

"Brother Li. Under Jiuquanxia, don't forget my brother......"

A few years ago, Li He was the commander who first led his troops to the battlefield, and Li Bu was the leader of the young generals in the former Wu Zhuangyuan army. Li He's long axe swept away, no one was invincible, Li Bu hooked and sickle wielded, invincible, and the two of them worked together to tear a hole in the army formation of 300,000 Hu people.

Heroes see heroes. The most capable generals of the two armies have cherished each other since that bloody battle side by side. "Brother Li, this wine is your favorite old wine of the He family. I remember you said at the beginning that the wine in the capital is all the wine drunk by the girls, and there is only this Hejia wine in Yuanzhou. It's the wine that men drink. Come, Brother Li, I'll pay tribute to you!" Li He picked up a jar of wine with one hand and poured it into his mouth. Not a drop was leaked.

After drinking a jar of wine, Li He's eyes were already a little foggy, as if covered with a layer of fog. If it was usual, it would be impossible to get drunk even if he drank hundreds of altars and thousands of altars, but now, he deliberately wanted to let his heart get drunk first: "Brother, it's okay." We don't get drunk and don't go home..."

A few years ago, on the battlefield in Northern Xinjiang, in the camp of the Second Route Army, two men who had met for the first time were already brothers, and invited each other to their hometown to drink. The original situation is still vivid in Li He's mind......

……

"Brother Li, let me tell you, the Hejia wine in Yuanzhou in our northwest is the strongest, and it is the strongest wine I have ever drunk, which is stronger than the first spirits sold in those buildings in the capital, and the wine in the capital is the wine drunk by the girls! When we return triumphantly, when we arrive in the capital, go to my brother's house, and I will open two jars of real Yuanzhou good wine to you and admire you!"

"Okay, Brother Li can take out as much wine as he wants, little brother, if I can't finish drinking, I'm a bear!"

"Hey! Good! Heroism! Brother Li, Brother Li, let me tell you, when you come to my house, I will let my sister cook for you to eat. The braised pork is delicious, and it is perfect for wine!"

"Brother Li, you go to my Huyang, and I will let you know what the real delicacy of the world is."

"Brother Li, let me tell you...... My sister-in-law, who looks like a fairy, is knowledgeable and reasonable, but also gentle and virtuous...... Don't look at me black, I'm playing a little martial arts, my sister is as white as milk. ”

……

Li He looked at Li Ying in his arms. The little girl curled up her delicate body, lying on Li He's lap, leaning tightly into his arms, her delicate face, her eyebrows wrinkled slightly from time to time, as if she had achieved some terrible dream, and arched into his arms again, as if she was going to drill into his body, and the hand holding his waist was harder. In the other hand, he still held the hook and sickle that had accompanied Li Bunan in the northern war.

Li He gently pinned a few strands of hair on her forehead behind her ears, gently stroked her soft cheeks, and whispered to herself: "Brother Li, you are right, your sister is as beautiful as a fairy, as white as milk......" The voice was hoarse and choked, and tears came out of her eyes at some point.

Fenghuo Xiaolan, who was standing behind Li He, looked at it, although she could only see his back, she clearly knew that he was crying, and she couldn't help but feel very strange in her heart - what kind of man is this Jing? Is it a bloodthirsty demon who kills people without blinking? Is it a gentle and amorous merry boy? Is it an arrogant and domineering gentleman? Are you a friend and brother who values love and righteousness?

In the blink of an eye, Li He had drunk five altars of congratulatory wine.

This is the second time he has drunk so much Tanhe family's old wine, the first time, it was to calm Hu Man's return to Beijing to drink with the Li family brothers and sisters in Lifu, at that time, it was also in this hall. But things are not people, and everything has become a thing of the past forever......

…………

"Brother Li, you're drunk."

"I... I'm not drunk. You promise me not to let Li Ying be wronged and take good care of her, okay?"

"Brother Li, don't worry, I won't let people bully Li Ying."

"With your words, I am relieved. Brother Li, I can trust you...... Although I am also a general now, and my martial arts are not bad, but in the DPRK and in the army, I can't tell when there will be an accident. At that time, Li Ying will be the only one left in the world, and there will be no one to rely on......"

"Brother Li, don't think too much, there is a day for me Li He, there is a day for you, whoever dares to touch a hair of you, I will fight with whomever I want. With us taking care of Li Ying, she will always be happy and happy in her life. ”

"Okay, Brother Li, good brother......"

…………

Holding the last altar, Li He didn't know whether he was crying or laughing: "Brother Li, I promised you that if there is a day for me Li He, there will be a day for you." But now...... I, Li He, swear in front of your spirit today, Li Ying, I will use my life to protect it, and I will never ...... I will never let her suffer a little bit of hurt, and I will never let her suffer a little bit of grievance!" Then he raised his head and drank the wine.

Looking at the six empty wine jars, Li He was already in tears, with indescribable melancholy and sadness in his heart. In the past, whether it was for others or himself, he felt that he had strong control, felt that he could control his destiny, manipulate life and death, and rarely had powerlessness. But since he went to the Netherworld Island and saw the Queen of the Netherworld, he knew what it meant to have a heaven outside the sky, and Li Bu's death made him feel the strength of God and the helplessness of death.

For the first time, he had the desire to break through the sky.

Suddenly, there was a "creak", and the door to the lobby was pushed open.