The Qingying Division, a tribe that lasted for two hundred and thirty-two years, sat on the most powerful cavalry unit in the Beidi grassland, and once occupied the most vast land in the grassland. Tieduo Guletai, the first Khan of the Blue Eagle Tribe, lost his legs in the Northern Expedition 38 years ago.

Chu Zhixia immediately stood on the small hill, and the moonlight sprinkled from the dark sky, like a silver-white blizzard. Chu Zhixia looked at the quiet and peaceful Qingying Department from a distance, and the smell of burning cow and sheep dung floated in the air.

"If there is heavy snow this year, the snow disaster freezes cattle and sheep to death, and the weather is very cold, the people of Beidi are not good at farming, and the grain harvest must also fail. At the beginning of the spring of the second year, ordinary women took medicine to kill them when they were pregnant, because even if they gave birth to children, they could not support them. ”

Shen Zhou listened silently and answered, "But? ”

"But it's been a warm winter." Chu Zhixia said lightly, "So even if Beidi's vitality is greatly damaged, the ten troops are seriously damaged, and the nobles and commoners are deeply resentful, Erdan is far from the end of the road." ”

Shen Zhou didn't speak, and looked down at Chu Zhixia's hand.

On that day, Li Qingbai broke through the encirclement of the Beidi cavalry and opened the way for Chu Zhixia to pursue Erdan. The tiger and leopard rode to chase Erdan to the snow line river, Chu Zhixia released four arrows at his back from a distance, and the last arrow pierced Erdan's heart.

It was the first time in Chu Zhixia's life that he had missed since he learned archery. The four beads were very heavy on the bow and the burden on the people, and the hard bow was almost broken on the spot, and Chu Zhixia's thumb was cut by the bowstring with a deep blood mark.

Chu Zhixia noticed Shen Zhou's gaze, raised his hand and smiled indifferently, and said, "If the arrow shot out will definitely be deflected, then I will cut his throat and cut off his head." If God wants him to win, to take his head back with His own hands, to stitch up his wounds, to bring him back to life, then I will kill him a thousand times, ten thousand times. ”

"As long as it's alive, it's impossible not to kill."

"Sounds so murderous." Shen Zhou suddenly showed a faint smile, and said with a little resentment, "Don't kill the red eyes, forget that there is still an unmarried husband who is waiting for you to triumph and return to the clouds to complete the marriage." ”

——

Erdan brushed aside the corner of the swaddling clothes and couldn't help but kiss the baby's little face. Da Yan's face was unbearable, and he grabbed Erdan's hand but didn't know what to say. Erdan handed her a cyan dagger and said, "Protect yourself." ”

"You go with me." Da Yan's eyes were red, and he grabbed Erdan's hand and said.

Erdan shook his head and said, "The Blue Eagle Department was given to me by my father himself, and I must give an account of this. You don't have to worry until the end of the day. ”

A loud noise of human voices suddenly sounded in the distance, and Erdan frowned and looked back, seeing a bright fire. The ground shook slightly, and Erdan, who was very familiar with the battlefield, immediately realized that it was cavalry approaching. His face changed, and he shoved the big man into the carriage and slammed the door shut.

"Take the Da Yan clan away!" Erdan ordered his guards, turned and grabbed his knife and walked in the direction of the flames.

The black cavalry rushed into the camp, their horses' hooves kicking over the campfires, and the long knives on their horses cut off heads like wheat harvests. Blood and fire spread wildly across the meadow, and soon reached the tent, and the men ran out in a panic, only to be stabbed in the chest head-on by knives and guns. The black cavalry was like a plough for the plough of the field, and every inch of land it traveled had flesh and blood turned up.

Erdan quickly organized cavalry to resist, but the tactics of the tiger and leopard cavalry were only two words at all, and the word "robbery" was simplified compared to the tactics passed down from generation to generation in the northern Di, and the movement speed was amazing. The soldiers who had seen the battle before the snow pass collapsed did not dare to chase too deeply, lest they fall into the trap carefully prepared by the enemy.

Erdan raised his elbow and smashed it on the temple of a tiger and leopard rider, grabbed his neck and twisted it outward, breaking his cervical vertebrae. The guards guarded Erdan in the center, everyone was tired, and no one knew how many tigers and leopards were still lurking in the night.

It has only been three days since the siege of Yongxue Pass. How could the Tiger and Par Rider reach the Blue Eagle Department so quickly?!

Erdan's heart was so confused that he suddenly remembered that it was actually possible for a tiger and a leopard to ride.

Unless Chu Zhixia shot Erdan by the Snow Line River, he did not turn back to Yongxue Pass, but continued to advance towards the north of the Snow Line River.

The north of the Xuexian River was a dangerous place for all the generals who supported the Snow Pass, because of the lack of knowledge of the grassland terrain, they could fall into the dilemma of being cut off from the water source at any time, or surrounded by the Beidi tribe and the supply line cut off.

But Chu Zhixia once went deep into the northern part of the grassland and burned the holy mountain.

"So it's for this ......," Erdan muttered to himself.

Swaggering across the city to burn the holy mountain is just a trick. From the beginning of the massacre of the Chihe Division, Chu Zhixia dropped the first chess piece in this game of chess, chased and intercepted him, watched his subordinates sacrifice and his relatives died, endured all the pain, and coldly watched Erdan enter a dead end.

"Erdan Khan, where is the Great Clan?"

A deep voice broke Erdan's musings, and a column of horsemen broke through the tent that had been burned to the skeleton and stopped in front of Erdan's people.

"That's not what you should ask." Erdan said coldly.

"Really?" The arrogant aristocrat sneered and threw a bloody human head on the ground, which was a tiger and leopard rider.

"The tiger and leopard cavalry and the Tiance army worked together to encircle and suppress, and the Yi cavalry was also on the way to come. The tiger and leopard rode around the stockade over and over again, just to find the prince of the Central Plains, and kept saying, 'The big thing has been accomplished, take His Highness home'. You two have already colluded! ”

The nobleman gritted his back molars and said viciously, "If there is no internal response, how can the people of the Central Plains quietly approach the Blue Eagle Department?" You defeated coward, shameful traitor, actually betrayed the entire tribe and secretly sent your wife and children away! ”

"Pay attention to your words and deeds, I am the Khan of the Blue Eagle Tribe, why should I betray my tribe?!" Erdan's face was calm, but he knew in his heart that the matter was irreparable.

"You are also worthy of being the master of the Blue Eagle Division? You're a slave cub who sells for glory! Jisha is dead, Hongji is also dead, do you think that the Guletai family fell into your hands and was in a hurry to sell it to Yongxueguan Xianmei, don't you?! The nobleman was furious and shouted, "Kill this traitor!" ”

——

Bai Yu was awakened by the sound of horses' hooves, put on his clothes and rushed to the door of the tent in a panic, and saw a monstrous sea of fire. Like a needle pierced in his brain, Bai Yu's eyes flashed for a while, and he thought in a trance that he was standing in front of the Xuande Gate, and the torch in Yu Linwei's hand was like a floating ghost fire, shining on the person who was cut off his head.

His nails clawed at the walls of the alley, turning up, bleeding, peeling, and a new layer had long since grown. But the pain of ten thousand arrows piercing his heart was faint, as if it wanted to tear him apart.

"Brother." Bai Yu shouted quietly.

"Bai Yu, long time no see."

Bai Yu shuddered and turned his head to look at the sinking boat that appeared in the tent out of thin air. The firelight outside the window reflected Shen Zhou's face, like a burning painting of a lady with a fine brush.

"It's you." Bai Yu suddenly laughed, his smile was sad and hideous, "Why aren't you dead yet?" ”

"I don't know." Shen Zhou's horizontal sword was in front of him, and he slowly drew his sword, "But you are about to die." ”

"Chu Zhixia's eldest brother is dead, is she sad?" Bai Yu laughed maniacally, "I heard that her second brother also died in Honghu River. She must have been the one who was so painful that she wanted to die. Do you know what it's called? This is retribution. ”

"Their surname is Chu, and they can't all die well!"

Shen Zhou couldn't bear it anymore, and stabbed straight out with his sword. Bai Yu suddenly raised his hand to knock over the candle flame, and the boiling flame instantly formed a barrier between the two of them. Bai Yu turned around and ran out, but the wind behind him did not stop at all.

Bai Yu paused, and looked down at the blood-colored silver-white sword blade coming out of his heart. Shen Zhou twisted the blade of the sword, and the blade crushed Bai Yu's heart, and blood spurted out along the blood trough. Bai Yu fell limply to the ground, his body sliding off the blade of his sword.

The corners of the sunken boat's clothes were sporadic with flames, and the ends of his hair were charred and curled. With an expressionless face, he provoked Bai Yu to turn over with his toes, looking down at the shattered baby face. Bai Yu's eyes looked through him, looking blankly at the sky lit by flames.

"Did you kill the Regent?" Shen Zhou asked a meaningless question.

"yes." Bai Yu said lightly, "I hate you to death." ”

"You know what? In fact, at the beginning, Mo Xue did not choose Bai Ziche. Shen Zhou suddenly said, "If it weren't for your nonsense that exposed Bai Huan's hypocrisy so quickly, maybe Mo Xue would have supported Bai Huan." Although he is a hypocrite, he is still alive as an emperor. ”

"What did you say?!" Bai Yu was like being struck by lightning, and he propped up his body in a drowsy state and stared at the sinking boat.

Shen Zhou stepped on his shoulder, held the sword in both hands, stabbed straight into his throat, and said word by word: "I said, you are the one who killed Bai Huan." ”

——

The morning light is faint.

Covered in blood, Erdan rushed out of the Blue Eagle Department with his guards, and looked up to see a curling cloud of smoke rising from the north. Erdan's face was a little ugly, the north of the Blue Eagle Department was not an inaccessible place, but there should not be smoke at this time—that was the direction he had arranged for the Great Eagles to leave.

The sky was getting brighter, and the sun was pouring out from the horizon like molten gold. Both men and horses breathe in damp white air from vigorous exercise, as if in response to the rhythm of the wind. The smoke grew fainter and fainter, and Erdan felt like he was running towards the sun.

He was greeted by a full bow and a tiger and leopard riding in full battle. The white crane and tiger and leopard flags were planted in the open space in front of the burning carriage, waving in the flames and smoke, and their shadows cast on the ground like the wings of a mythical peng.

Chu Zhixia sat in front of the carriage with his sword, raised his head and greeted Erdan: "Erdan Khan, I've been waiting for you for a long time." ”

"Let them go." Erdan stared at Chu Zhixia and said, "One is a woman who has never killed anyone, and the other is a newborn baby, they have no blood feud with the Chu clan in the clouds, they are innocent." ”

Tied tightly, he looked up from the tiger and leopard riders, looked at Erdan and shook his head. The baby was roughly held in the arms of the iron armor and let out a loud cry.

"Are you talking in your sleep?"

Chu Zhixia raised his eyebrows and mocked: "Tie Duo chose you, is it because you are more naïve? You and I have come here today, and we have already taken the lives of countless people, and we are even ready to take our own lives. Now you tell me that you are innocent - there are no innocent people in this war, and the winners write the history of justice. ”

Chu Zhixia pulled out the drinking stream snow and walked towards the Da Yan clan.

Da Yan raised her head and stared at Chu Zhixia, her hair was scattered and her eyes were resentful, as if she wanted to use her gaze as a knife to rip off pieces of flesh from Chu Zhixia's body. She hated Chu Zhixia so much that she naturally hated it, and her brothers all died at the hands of Chu Zhixia.

But no one needs the forgiveness of the enemy.

Chu Zhixia is especially serious.

With a "boom", the feather arrow grazed the tip of Chu Zhixia's nose and shot into the wall of the carriage. Chu Zhixia took half a step back before he was hit by the arrow. Erdan continuously fired arrows at Chu Zhixia, roared angrily, and led the guards to charge.

"Avenge the General!" Ye Qian roared, drew his sword and pointed at Erdan, and led the tiger and leopard to meet the battle.

Chu Zhixia casually cut off the tail of the arrow, and a sword slashed through the throat of the Great Yan clan. Blood gushed like a spring, and Chu Zhixia grabbed her by the collar and threw her into the burning carriage. The sound of the baby's cry pricked Erdan's eardrums, and he looked in the middle of the chaos in the direction where the cry had come from.

The swaddling clothes were thrown into the carriage, and the tiger and leopard rode with more fire oil, and the flames on the carriage suddenly rose like the sun falling on the grassland.

"Chu Zhixia—"

Like a mad leopard, Erdan desperately smashed through the blockade of the tiger and leopard rider, the blade brushing the sides of his shoulder, leaving a deep bloodstain on his bones. The war horse raised its front hooves high, and the hooves of the horse nailed to the iron palm stepped on Chu Zhixia's head.

A figure suddenly rushed out from the side.

Cheng Yuan slammed the knife into the horse's belly, and the entire blade was submerged into the horse's body. The war horse was knocked to the side, and the moment Erdan landed, he drew his knife and slashed at Cheng Yuan's neck, but when the blade was about to touch its flesh, he suddenly abandoned the knife and rolled to the side.

Drinking snow swirled into the ground, stabbing right at the spot where Erdan had just landed.

"You want to kill me?" Chu Zhixia walked over and pulled out the drinking stream snow, and looked at Erdan indifferently, "I also want to kill you." ”

Erdan half-knelt on the ground, stared at Chu Zhixia fiercely, and suddenly jumped up, like a falling eagle, and slashed at Chu Zhixia's head from top to bottom with a knife. Chu Zhixia flashed to the side, and the blade slammed into the sand, but Erdan's movements did not stagnate at all, and he continued to slash towards Chu Zhixia.

The big knife brushed against the condensed lines of the drinking stream snow, and Chu Zhixia listened to the harsh sound of metal rubbing, but his feet were close to Erdan, almost shoulder to shoulder. Erdan's feet swept violently, Chu Zhixia's movements were faster, and he stepped on his popliteal fossa at the moment when he raised his leg to dodge. There was only a crack of bones cracking, and Erdan knelt on the ground with half a leg.

Erdan's muscles were tense like stones, and he let out an overwhelmed moan from the snow. Chu Zhixia's face remained unchanged, and he suddenly raised his leg and kicked Erdan's heart, Erdan flew out for a distance, and then rushed forward with a knife.

Chu Zhixia's left foot retreated half a step, and the bones of his whole body made a slight popping sound because of the rapid buckle, and the speed of heartbeat, breathing, and blood flow all soared to the peak in an instant. The rustle of the wind through the grass, the sound of the sun in the air, and the heartbeat of a fighting soldier were in her ears.

The moment the long knife fell, it was infinitely stretched in Chu Zhixia's eyes, and the drinking stream snow and the blade were drawn into a cross and brushed.

Chu Zhixia took a step to the side, and Drinking Jian Xue turned around on her wrist and slashed at the back of the knife. The heavy back of the sword snapped at the sound, and the hilt of the sword jerked in sharp direction, smashing Erdan's ribs. Erdan didn't fall, he grabbed the scarred sword body of Yinjian Xue, and slammed a dagger into Chu Zhixia's heart.

Chu Zhixia turned his palm into a knife and slashed heavily at his throat bone.

Erdan vomited two mouthfuls of blood foam, and half-knelt on the ground and looked at Chu Zhixia.

Chu Zhixia pulled out his dagger expressionlessly and threw it on the ground.

The moment the dagger stabbed into Chu Zhixia's body, Erdan knew that he had lost. The dagger stabbed on a round hard object, slipped an inch upward, and stabbed into Chu Zhixia's shoulder blade.

"You won." Erdan whispered, "Actually, you can threaten me with them, and I'm willing to trade my life for them." ”

"Do things to cut the grass and eradicate the roots, and leave no trouble." Chu Zhixia said calmly, "I once killed a very important person because I didn't finish cleanly. I won't make the same mistake a second time. ”

"It's so ruthless." Erdan smiled and closed his eyes.

"Do you have any last words?"

"Please burn me with them, and we'll be reunited in the wind."

"What an extravagant wish, do you know that because of this war, many people will not be able to see their relatives until they die? But I'm willing to satisfy you. ”

Chu Zhixia picked up the drinking stream snow and stood behind him, slashing at the back of his neck. The serene-looking head rolled down, and the body fell to the charred wagon.

The sun rises completely above the horizon.

The sunlight was too dazzling, and Chu Zhixia turned around and walked south. Blood poured from the wound on her shoulder blade, and the victorious tiger and leopard riders hesitated to step forward. Chu Zhixia looked like she was going to fall down at any moment, and it seemed like something was supporting her back, asking her to walk down exhausted.

Chu Zhixia walked a long distance and suddenly fell to his knees. She subconsciously supported the ground with the snow of drinking, and the sword of unknown origin but surprisingly tough and sharp finally shattered after the second perfect Cangliu sword technique.

Drops of blood fell in the sand.

Chu Zhixia pressed the wound, as if he was in a daze.

"Miss!" Cheng Yuan crawled on the ground and wanted to bandage her wounds.

Chu Zhixia slowly but firmly pushed his hand away, trembling and unfastening his shoulder armor and breastplate. The shattered cuirass fell, and the blood dripped into the sand and blossomed into bright flowers. A string of broken, bloody beads fell from the breastplate.

A little coolness bloomed on the back of Chu Zhixia's neck.

Chu Zhixia raised his head blankly and looked at the sky where the snowflakes were fluttering and falling.

It's snowing.

Chu Zhixia grabbed the string of Buddhist beads that had been smashed by the dagger, and his five fingers were so hard that they spasmed. She squeezed a hoarse laugh out of her lungs, which grew louder and louder, and gradually dissolved into a low sob. Chu Zhixia grabbed the Buddha bead and pressed it on the beating heart of Anran, and suddenly cried.

Countless souls trapped in the chaos of war rose and disappeared with the wind, and the cries scattered in the vast snow dissipated without a trace.

A wisp of wind mixed with fine snow swept through Chu Zhixia's tearful face, gentle like an old friend.

——

Three years of Xuande, Chinese New Year's Eve.

The maid hung a lantern under the eaves with window grilles. Shen Zhou brought back a little cat-like Luo Tong from outside, and walked into the house by her ear. Luo Tong was holding a wet puppy in his arms and sticking out his tongue stupidly.

"His Royal Highness the King of Jin." The female envoy in charge saluted Shen Zhou, and when she saw the messy little girl in his hands, she couldn't help laughing, and took out a handkerchief to wipe Luo Tong's face.

"Where did this young lady come from, how did she get this way?"

Shen Zhou sneered and said: "I tease cats and dogs all day long, chasing small animals all over the city, and even the old hen raised in Yulin Lane has to be teased." Just jumped into the pond to catch the dog, can the dog need her to fish? I almost drowned myself. ”

"Don't be angry, head of the house," Luo Tong whispered for mercy, "Do you remember the monkey I raised last time?" ”

"Do you mean the two monkeys who went into the study, stole the official document that Mo Xue had just approved, and were used by you to make kites?" Shen Zhou looked at her with his eyelids down.

Luo Tong shrunk his neck and stopped talking.

All the assassins of the Nine Shadows have their own place, or wander the world, or lie dormant in the market. Only Luo Shuangyi's name of the pulse interceptor resounded all over the world, so he stayed by Shen Zhou's side and did not leave, and added a Luo Tong who was far from the age of walking the threshold of the rivers and lakes.

The female envoy in charge was very relieved and said, "Oh, it's the first time I've heard His Royal Highness King Jin say so many things, and I'm much more lively than when I was a child." ”

Shen Zhou's teeth itched, and he said, "I'm going to find Mo Xue and ask her to ask Mr. Yuan to give a lecture to Luo Tong." ”

Luo Tong didn't know that the sky was high and the earth was thick, and the sympathetic gaze of the female envoy in charge had already fallen on her.

Mr. Yuan is a law master who has taught Chu Mingyan, Chu Mingxiu and Chu Zhixia, the three brothers and sisters, and he is strict and does not advance. willful and uninhibited, like Chu Zhixia, he has to be a man with his tail between his legs in front of Mr. Yuan, and he feels distressed when he mentions this person's name.

——

Den.

"After Erdan's death, the Gultai clan and other nobles killed each other, and were finally served by the Kerebu. If nothing else, the Blue Eagle Tribes should move north to the Desolate Land, and if the ending is worse, they may be wiped out. ”

Ye Qian stood in this study room where the layout, decoration, and even the order of books had not been changed, reporting on military affairs, and he had the illusion of time disorder. It's just that the person sitting in front of him changed from the sick Chu Mingyan to the taciturn Chu Mingxiu, and finally to the young and white-headed Chu Zhixia.

"It's snowing heavily this winter."

Chu Zhixia held a white seed and said without raising his head: "Erdan went south on a large expedition, consuming countless grains and grass, but he failed to get back more. Beidi will have a hard time this winter. Find two teams of merchants to 'do business' with the tribes of Beidi, don't choose too strong tribes, so as not to be daunting, and don't choose too weak tribes, otherwise there will be no loss in robbing. ”

This is to make the Beidi people fight each other for food.

Ye Qian nodded and said, "Yes." ”

"Go ahead." Chu Shixia glanced up at him and said with a light smile, "Happy New Year." ”

"Your Highness has fun."

Ye Qian withdrew from the study, and Chu Zhixia was the only one left in the pavilion lined with countless bookshelves.

Through the heavy white walls and black tiles, the sound of firecrackers on the long street came vaguely, and the air was filled with a faint smell of gunsmoke. The wind blew the snowflakes and swirled, passing through the rattling bamboo forest and falling on Chu Zhixia's eyelashes.

Chu Zhixia looked down at the chess game in front of him.

This was the last game of chess left by Chu Mingyan, and the person opposite was himself.

Kuroko has driven Shiroko to a dead end.

"Mo Xue, I brought you a dirty kitten."

Shen Zhou's voice came from outside the study, lively and vivid. Chu Zhixia raised her eyes, and the edelweiss fluttered and fell from her eyelashes, embellished on the chessboard. The hand holding the white chess piece finally falls, and the victory is reversed in this hand.

Chu Zhixia stood up and put the things in his sleeve on the chessboard.

"Brother, I've finished playing chess."

Chu Zhixia finished speaking softly, and bowed slightly to the chessboard, as if chess players were greeting each other.

She got up and opened the door of the study, and saw Shen Zhou walking over with Luo Tong's ear. Luo Tong lifted the puppy in his arms aggrievedly, trying to please Chu Shixia with the puppy's round eyes and avoid a punishment - everyone knows that the head of the family listens to His Highness everything.

Chu Zhixia walked to the two of them, raised his hand to touch the puppy's soaked hair, and asked, "This was rescued by jumping into the water?" ”

Shen Zhou nodded resentfully and added: "It was she who chased this dog, scared people into jumping into the water, and dived into the water to save the dog." As a result, the dog swam much faster than her. ”

The puppy licked Chu Zhixia's fingers obediently.

"It's a little ugly." Chu Zhixia said, "But if Luo Tong likes it, keep it." ”

Shen Zhou gritted his teeth and said, "I think I should invite Mr. Yuan to give her a lecture, so that she won't jump up and down all day long and turn around and make another big disaster." ”

Chu Zhixia raised his eyebrows and confirmed to him: "Is it the Mr. Yuan I know?" ”

"Yes."

"Wouldn't it be a little cruel?" Chu Zhixia persuaded tactfully.

Shen Zhou looked at her unhappily.

"Okay." Chu Zhixia relieved his mouth, touched Luo Tong's head and said, "Poor little bite." ”

The three of them left the study, and the voices grew farther and farther away. On the chessboard in the study, a snowflake melts between the black and white chess pieces. On the chessboard lay a string of broken, blood-stained beads and a fragment of a sword.

"The Buddha bead is broken, the sword is broken, and the eldest brother protects you for the last time, and the second brother helps you for the last time. In the future, you will have to go alone. Tomorrow will be the exception."