Sealing Sword

Ye Fusheng and Chu Xiwei were not ignorant of the name "Mu Qingshang".

The eight masters have long been famous in the rivers and lakes, and Mu Qingshang, the cloud-breaking swordsman who "breaks the clouds and opens the world with one sword", is even at the top of the list. Whether it is his early fame or his later vicious reputation, it is all in the heart of the martial arts circle. A restricted area, some people hate it to the bone, some people sigh with regret, and even more people yearn for it.

Ye Fusheng has heard many versions of the legend since he was a child, and Chu Xiwei has also read all kinds of theories in the information. It is precisely because of the divergent opinions that "Mu Qingshang" has been distorted in the legend. I can make it clear.

Until today, they heard an unknown "Mu Qing Shang" from Isar.

Isar led them into a secret room, where precious gold, jade and porcelain were placed on the sandalwood shelf, the Four Treasures of the Study were placed on the nanmu table, and a few pens and inks of literati and poets and a jade flute hung on the wall. It looks like the furnishings of the Central Plains study.

Ye Fusheng's eyes fell on one of the paintings. The paper was made of Tianshan antelope skin, and it was carefully mounted with gold scrolls and jade scrolls, but it had turned yellow due to the age.

The painting depicts a woman in Chinese dress, with silk brocade dress wrapped around her chest, hookah gauze auspicious clouds, her long hair coiled into a complicated bun, embellished with agate Huasheng and emerald jade buds, her lips are smiling, but her eyes are full of autumn water. It was painted amber, and there was a dark red cinnabar mole in the corner of the eye.Even though the drawing paper is no longer white, it still does not damage the beauty of the person in the painting.

Ye Fusheng is not that he has never seen a graceful and noble beauty. When he was in the palace, he was responsible for protecting Chu Ziyu's safety.

The reason for his astonishment was that the faces of the people in the painting seemed familiar. Before he could figure out why, Chu Xiwei read out the inscription on it: "July 15th, [-]th year of Hongyuan."

"Hongyuan" is the last year name of the former dynasty, but the former dynasty was destroyed in the 14th year of Hongyuan, how come 17 years?

Isar said at the right time: "The person in the painting is my biological mother, Helian Shahua, and the person who drew the painting is her ex-husband, Mu Zening."

Ye Fusheng's face suddenly changed.

He didn't know "Helian Shahua", but he had heard of the name "Mu Zening" - a genealogy of the royal clan of the former dynasty that was sealed at the highest place of the clan in the Tianjing Lve Shadow Guard Secret Office.

The previous dynasty was originally a foreign race that entered the pass, and its origin was Anle, one of the four major countries outside the Southwest Pass. In [-], the former government finally gave in and began to promote Sinicization, which gradually merged the two sides in the friction. The royal family even set an example and adopted a Chinese name.

Mu Zening was the last prince of the former royal family.

In the year when the dynasty was changed, Great Chu Gaozu led his troops to the city. The nobles of the previous dynasty either died in battle or surrendered.

At that time, Gu Zheng, the first Lve Ying commander who assisted Gaozu, personally handled the funeral affairs, counted the corpses and residues from the ruins, and recorded them in black and white. However, all the corpses of the royal family were burned beyond recognition. Judging from the identification of remnants and clan survivors, their identities cannot be completely determined.

If someone embezzles flowers and trees, it may be unknown.

"At that time, there were three major clans in Anle, one was Mut, the second was Sabo, and the third was Helian." Isar said lightly, "The power struggle among the three clans has been going on for a long time, and later Mut came to rule the Central Plains. Mu' royal family, Sabo still stayed in the mainland outside the customs, and the Helian family changed their attitude. On the one hand, they provided help, and on the other hand, they sought benefits through in-laws. As a result, they became inseparable for decades, and the Helian family became the most powerful family in the court at that time. Strong foreign relatives."

Chu Xi narrowed her eyes slightly: "If the relatives are big, the clan can sit and watch?"

The person who answered him was Ye Fusheng: "Since ancient times, the imperial family has been afraid of foreign relatives interfering in politics. One prerequisite is that their own strength is sufficient to suppress the opponent. As far as I know, although the royal family of the previous dynasty conquered the country, but because of the war, the descendants were weak. After two generations There are not many people who can stand alone in the military, politics, and business. In the Hongyuan period, the last emperor of the previous dynasty had only one son and one daughter. Coupled with internal and external troubles, even if he was afraid of his relatives seizing power, he had to rely on the Helian family the power of."

Chu Xiwei's eyes turned cold: "So, when the palace was on fire, people from the Helian family secretly rescued Mu Zening."

Isar nodded: "As the crown prince, Mu Zening married the eldest daughter of the Helian family as his concubine. In the eyes of the Helian family, he is still valuable."

Ye Fusheng rubbed his chin: "The value...means that he will be used as a puppet to rectify his name and raise the flag. After returning to Anle, he will call the Mut people and their vassal tribes to prepare for a comeback?"

The 15th year of Hongyuan, when Mu Zening signed the painting, should have been the first year of the Great Chu, but he was never reconciled to losing the throne that should belong to him like this. Can return to that prosperous and vast land.

Isar twitched the corner of his mouth: "It's a pity that he has such a heart, but not such a life."

The clan of the previous dynasty abused drugs, and Mu Zening was also infected with this terrible thing. Later, because of this, the country was ruined and his family was destroyed. From madness of love to hatred, it took a year to force himself to quit this drug. things.

However, his physical foundation was already defeated when he took drugs, and then he contracted an illness during a long-distance escape, and then went through a painful withdrawal from addiction. Furong's erosion completely destroyed him, and he passed away half a year later and was buried in Anle.

When Mu Zening passed away, Helian Shahua was only three months pregnant.

"My mother hates these secret power struggles. She is neither willing to stay in the Mut clan to be a princess in name only, nor to return to the Helian clan. She knows in her heart that these people are only interested in her. The royal blood in her womb, she can’t have an abortion to save her life, but she can’t raise this child for freedom.” Isar looked at the painting with a distant gaze, “So she obediently gave birth to the child and nurtured it carefully, but in that The baby escaped during the Hundred Days Banquet, left the child in Anle, traveled long distances with the merchants, and finally came to Jiuyao City, remarried to the city lord, and gave birth to me two years later."

Chu Xi was slightly taken aback.

Although he has been in the bloody storm for ten years and has seen all kinds of mother-child relationships in the world, but in terms of himself, Princess Jing Tang Zhiyin loves him as much as life;

Therefore, when he heard Helian Shahua's escape of his abandoned son, he could understand it intellectually, but he couldn't agree with it emotionally.

Ye Fusheng suddenly said: "That child is Mu Qingshang?"

Isar didn't answer, the expression of turning his head already told him the answer.

When Mu Qingshang was born, he had some congenital deficiencies. Without breastfeeding, and in such a harsh environment outside the customs, and had to face the internal struggles in Anle Kingdom, it was not easy to raise him.

The only way to support him is the Helian family's Gu technique.

Therefore, after some disputes, the Helian clan and the Mut clan compromised with each other. The Mut clan stayed in Anle and merged into Saber, while the Helian clan moved to Mizong Ridge with Mu Qingshang, in the southwestern border land. The communication between the two sides, on the one hand, can pay attention to the situation in the Central Plains, and on the other hand, can keep in touch with the outside of the customs. It can also allow this child to be isolated from the prying eyes of other forces, and grow up under their noses according to their plan.

He was only two years old when he was planted with the "Longevity Gu".

Gu worms can heal his five viscera and meridians, making a weak and sickly child gradually grow up to be no different from ordinary children. However, the Gu worms were refined from blood sacrifices, and they are extremely vicious. It also planted a deformed seed in the body of the child.

The Helian family only wanted to use him, not really want to raise him well, as long as he lived under control for a day, he would be safe.

But as human beings, how many people are born to learn to be submissive?

"When Mu Qingshang was nine years old, he disappeared in Mizong Ridge." Isar turned around, "Mizong Ridge is the residence of Helian's family. Not to mention the net of heaven and earth, he is also in ambush. He is a nine-year-old child. I can't go out, unless someone outside takes him away, and an insider has to be a cover... I don't know how, I was young at the time, I only know that after Mu Qingshang disappeared, the Helian family killed him In order to take care of all his servants, he then contacted the Mut tribe to start a secret search in the Central Plains and outside the pass, but unfortunately found nothing."

After a pause, he looked at the token held tightly in his hand, and said, "Until 47 years ago, when my mother celebrated her fiftieth birthday, Jiuyao City celebrated endlessly, and Mu Qingshang also appeared here."

On that day, Isar was still a young man who had not reached the weak crown. He brought the sand fox he had just hunted into the backyard to celebrate Helenshahua's birthday, but he saw her talking to a man in white.

The man looked to be about the same age as Isar, and he was dressed as a Central Plains swordsman in white clothes. Isar didn't know how he got past the guards and entered the backyard, and he didn't know why his mother had to withdraw and leave him alone, let alone I know why she is sobbing at this man.

The man in white stood straight and silent, like a poplar tree in the desert, but he had sharp eyes and ears, and Isar had been spotted before he reached the door, so he had to bite the bullet and walk in.

When he came, the man in white turned around and left, but Helian Shahua chased after him, tearing up his face regardless of his makeup, took out three tokens from his girdle, and stuffed them into the man's hand.

Isar recognized that it was Helenshahua's private order.

"It's only natural that you don't want to recognize me; but I know that you are still alive, so I have to make up for you, otherwise I will feel uneasy, and I will not rest in peace until I die." Helian Shahua grabbed the man's sleeve and said, " No matter if you think I'm hypocritical or posturing, you have to think about yourself, there's nothing wrong with having multiple options."

At that time, Isar was confused, and the man in white stopped for a moment, took the token and walked away. When he chased him out, he could only see rolling yellow sand, but the man was nowhere to be seen.

"I asked my mother 'who is he', but she didn't hide it from me, she told me one by one, and made me swear." Isar stroked the ruby ​​on the token with his fingertips, "Father is not I am a son, and she can try to make me his most valued son, who will take over the position of city lord in the future."

Helianshahua is beautiful and scheming, and has moved between the royal family of the former dynasty and the Anle tribe. Who among the beautiful wives and concubines in the city lord's mansion can compare with her wrist?

She's just tired of fighting.

Ye Fusheng's eyes fell on the token, and said: "She did it, so as the price, you have to do something for the person holding the token."

"I promised her that if someone takes this order to enter Jiuyao, I will do three things for them. As long as the foundation of Jiuyao is not damaged, I will spare no effort regardless of the gains and losses of cause and effect." Isar hooked the corner of his mouth, "Since then , I have been paying attention to the news of 'Mu Qingshang', watching him challenge the world's masters in order to prove swordsmanship and martial arts, and then retreat from the sword at the height of the sun, becoming a well-known figure outside the Central Plains, and then..."

"Then, watching him go mad because of "Thousand Tribulations" 34 years ago, from a hero praised by everyone to a lunatic devil who shouted and beat him in the street." Chu Xiwei is not as good as Ye Fusheng as the master of the Hundred Ghosts Sect. Knowing the secrets of the court, but knowing the anecdotes of the world better than him, he immediately told the later development.

Ye Fusheng frowned slightly.

Isar sighed, and said: "The relationship between the foreign race outside the pass and the Central Plains is delicate. He can ride into the city alone to ask for help, but I can't take the initiative to take someone to the southwest border to rescue him, but..."

As soon as this turning point started, Ye Fusheng's heart skipped a beat: "But what?"

Isar recalled the past, and said: "However, I didn't wait for him to come to seek asylum with the order, but I waited for his disciple, Mu Yan'an."

Hearing this name, the expressions of Ye Fusheng and Chu Xiwei all changed!

Isar didn't notice their abnormality, because it was too long ago, he recalled it carefully for a while before he spoke again: "He claimed to be Mu Qingshang's personal disciple, and he also brought his teacher's personal letter and a token, I have the physical evidence in my hand, and I saw that his martial arts skills and words and deeds are similar to Mu Qingshang, so I believed that man's words."

Ye Fusheng's voice turned cold: "What was written in the letter?"

"The letter was written by Mu Qingshang, saying that he was hunted down by various sects in the Central Plains and could not escape, so he asked his disciples to secretly send Chen Cang here to seek my help, and asked me to send a man to meet him at the ghost crying stream on the southwest border He." After a pause, Isar's face turned cold, "I did as I said, but the people I sent out revealed their hiding places for no reason before the appointed time, and were surrounded and suppressed by the Chu border army and martial arts people. A small number of people came back, and there was no sign of Mu Qingshang."

Chu Xiwei's almond-core eyes suddenly widened at this moment.

As the descendant of Jinghong Dao, he has been very concerned about the affairs of the eight masters since he entered the Hundred Ghosts Sect. Although the bloody storm that Poyun Sword Master caused back then was whitewashed, there are undercurrents surging under the peaceful light to this day.Chu Xiwei had read the relevant information word by word, and knew that when Mu Qingshang committed the bloody case for the first time, many people had doubts, and the reason for the joint pursuit of Mu Qingshang was because of another matter - having an affair outside the customs , related to the clan of the previous dynasty.

Because the time was too long and the information was incomplete, Chu Xiwei didn't know how this statement came about, but she knew that after that, all the people who had argued against Mu Qingshang stopped talking and tried their best to punish the culprit for themselves.

Mu Qingshang's rare explanations were lost in the accusations.

He fled to the southwest with thousands of miles of pursuit, and wanted to find Wuxiang Temple to prove his innocence, but before the defense began, news came from Xiling that Rong Mo's assassins had sneaked into Guikuai Creek, intending to take the devil out of the customs.

If Isar hadn't sent someone there at that time, maybe the matter wouldn't have turned into a mess; if he hadn't believed in Mu Yan'an and that letter, maybe Mu Qingshang wouldn't have cut off his final retreat.

Isar's good intentions became an ironclad proof of Mu Qingshang's collusion with other races.The moment the news came, Mu Qingshang knew that no matter what he said, no one would believe it at this juncture, and no one would dare to believe it.

In the end, Rong Mo's assassins were driven back outside the pass, and Mu Qingshang jumped off the cliff of the deep ravine.

The legend of breaking the clouds with one sword fell that night, and since then, his body has been smashed to pieces, and he will never be restored.

"I didn't know I was cheated until after the accident, but when I sent someone to find 'Mu Yan'an', he had transformed into Helian Yu." Isar raised his eyes, "I have lived in Jiuyao for a long time, except for Mu Qingshang. Besides, I didn’t pay attention to the news from the Central Plains, only then did I know that the Helian family had been split up in the internal struggle and was replaced by the Buried Soul Palace, and he became a pivotal person in it.”

Ye Fusheng's hands were clenched into fists unknowingly. Chu Xiwei gently opened his fingers, smoothed the marks on his palms, and asked, "Since you know who he is, why don't you avenge Mu Qingshang?"

Yisar looked at him fixedly, and did not speak, but Ye Fusheng spoke suddenly.

He is a person who loves to laugh, but he can't laugh at this time, even his voice is a little hoarse and trembling——

"Because Mu Qingshang is still alive."

He remembered that 20 years ago, when he was a child, he lay on the back of his mistress and braided his ink-splashed long hair into a messy twist. Proclamation, write down a line of correct Taoism.

At that time, the master Gu Jianfang was sitting next to him holding a pot of wine, his eyes turned into crescent moons with a smile: "You really look like a mother, quiet and careful."

Duanqing glanced at her with neither joy nor anger, grabbed the flagon with his free left hand, and said, "Drinking too much will hurt your health."

Gu Xiao was not yet ten years old at the time, but she was full of gossips in the book of words that Gu Huafang used to enlighten her, and asked with blinking eyes: "Master, did you really snatch Master?"

After Duanqing paused, Gu Jufang patted her thigh and smiled: "I think so, but it's a pity that he won't let me... But it's not far from it, I picked up your teacher's wife."

Gu Xiao was shocked immediately: "Where did you pick it up?"

Gu Yufang rested her chin on one hand: "That year, I rode by a dark river in the southwestern border. I wanted to drink water from the horse, but I didn't expect to find a person lying on the water's edge, and she was a beautiful woman."

Duanqing shook his head, noncommittal.

In the southwestern border, Mu Qingshang jumped off the cliff, the deep stream, the dark river, Master Niang, Longevity Gu, Poyun Sword, Token... The yellowed picture scroll of memory gradually became clear in his mind, and Ye Fusheng connected these clues together, his expression slowed down. Slowly turning white.

It was only then that he realized that he only knew his teacher's Taoist name Duanqing, but he didn't know her lay name. He only remembered Gu Yaofang's smiling face when he was still alive, and the same intimate name in his mouth——

Ah Shang.

If Mu Qingshang had lived to this day, he would be an old man over [-] years old, so... how old should Duan Qing be now, as the junior master of the host and the elder of the Supreme Palace?

Can a single "The Promise" martial arts really make people live forever?

Chu Xiwei suddenly felt that Ye Fusheng was holding his palm instead. The force was not as if he was holding hands, but more like he didn't stand firmly at this moment, and put his whole body weight on himself.

He was stunned for a moment, thinking that Ye Fusheng was repeatedly injured, and subconsciously wanted to help him up, but the man quickly supported his arm and stood firm, looking directly at Isar, and his tone was rare and urgent: "Thank you, the city lord, for letting me know." I have an unfeeling request for these things about us, and I hope you will try to hide it from the guards along the way, we... have to return to the Central Plains immediately!"

When Ye Fusheng spoke, his heart was beating like a drum, and a kind of fear that hadn't appeared for a long time rushed in from behind, like a poisonous snake crawling on the flesh, which was creepy.

He had a strong intuition that he didn't dare to admit, and he knew something was wrong.