HomeAfter I Bloom Hundred Flowers DieChapter 551: Confrontation

Chapter 551: Confrontation

Xiao Huayong’s calm and seemingly sincere thanks made Xiao Changtai’s mocking smile fade: “You planned this deliberately!”

“Not entirely foolish,” Xiao Huayong’s lips curved upward. “From beginning to end, my target was Geng Liangcheng. You… were just a bonus.”

Geng Liangcheng had already turned to Emperor Youning. Even though he had ulterior motives, if not eliminated, his first move would surely be to seize the opportunity to work with Emperor Youning against Shen Yueshan. The more Shen Yueshan had trusted him before, the more devastating his betrayal would be.

However, until now, Geng Liangcheng had never done anything harmful to the Northwest – or if he had, there was no evidence. Instead, his military achievements were brilliant, and his dedication to the Northwest had won people’s hearts. Even for ordinary mistakes, countless people would surely plead for mercy on his behalf.

For someone like Geng Liangcheng, the strike had to be decisive, leaving no chance for recovery.

Xiao Huayong knew Xiao Changtai had seen through his identity, so he deliberately entered the city pretending to be bedridden. With Xiao Changtai’s spies in Tingzhou, he would surely hear of this and suspect Xiao Huayong had other plans. Looking across Tingzhou, finding no other changes, Xiao Changtai would boldly guess that Xiao Juesong was him in disguise.

The goal was to use Geng Liangcheng to lure Xiao Changtai into a trap. Since that was the case, Xiao Changtai decided to play along, convincing the Turkic Khan to use Geng Liangcheng as bait. Turkic soldiers would follow Geng Liangcheng back to the city under cover of darkness, launching a surprise attack. If they could breach Tingzhou’s walls, it would shake the Northwest’s foundation.

Because the Northwest’s power structure was complex, with numerous tribes once entrenched there, though Shen Yueshan had forcefully suppressed, gathered, and civilized them in recent years, people had to bow their heads but weren’t necessarily willing. Without opportunity, they remained docile, but if the Turks breached Tingzhou, they might be tempted to act, especially with Shen Yueshan’s death making them restless.

If all went smoothly, this would surely throw the Northwest into fragmentation. With the Northwest in chaos and Xiao Huayong distracted, he could seize the chance to eliminate Xiao Huayong and perhaps become the one who quelled the rebellion. Then he could clarify that the witchcraft incident was Xiao Huayong’s frame-up, and maybe negotiate with his Imperial Father to become the king of the Northwest.

One could say Xiao Changtai was both daring in thought and action. If his opponent hadn’t been Xiao Huayong, he might have truly risen from the ashes.

His fingers clenched, veins bulging on the back of his hand. Rage burned in Xiao Changtai’s eyes like a physical force. He had calculated everything, yet still fell into Xiao Huayong’s scheme. Xiao Huayong was like a massive stone pressing on his back – all of Xiao Changtai’s misfortunes had started when Xiao Huayong returned from the Taoist temple.

“If I had known…” Xiao Changtai gritted his teeth. If he had known, when he first showed his edge, he should have immediately targeted the temple, ensuring Xiao Huayong could never return.

“Even if you had known, this would still be your fate,” Xiao Huayong’s eyelids lowered slightly. Though he made no contemptuous gesture, his disdain was evident.

“You think you can escape unscathed today?” Xiao Changtai raised his arms, and instantly dozens of guards rushed out from behind the rock wall.

He had arranged this meeting with Xiao Huayong among rock formations that resembled a range of small peaks, behind which he had hidden nearly half his elite guards. Today he would surely take Xiao Huayong’s life!

Xiao Huayong surveyed the crowd that instantly surrounded him, each wearing light armor and showing murderous intent in their eyes.

“Outside Tingzhou city, I have another great gift for you, to let you taste the flavor of being too clever for your good!” Xiao Changtai stepped back and made a gesture, and his guards surged forward, cold blades stabbing toward Xiao Huayong from all directions.

Xiao Huayong stood his ground, completely composed. The passing wind gently lifted his black hair. He seemed to ignore the approaching blades that could turn him into a pincushion.

Before the frontmost attackers’ blade tips could touch Xiao Huayong’s robes, he lifted on his toes, drew a breath, and then stepped on the blade edges. Before the sweeping cold swords could reach him, he lightly leaped out of the encirclement.

Xiao Changtai’s men quickly turned to pursue Xiao Huayong. At that moment, dense arrows flew like streams of light, raining down and instantly felling many of Xiao Changtai’s men.

Xiao Changtai’s expression changed as he drew his sword and leaped toward Xiao Huayong.

Shifting his body, the hand behind his back turned deftly, his fingertips using a short flute to block Xiao Changtai’s incoming sword tip.

Xiao Changtai’s eyes flashed fiercely. His sword-wielding hand pressed down with force, the sharp blade scraping along the flute’s body, sending sparks flying, cutting downward with unstoppable momentum.

Xiao Huayong’s hand holding the short flute avoided Xiao Changtai’s sword, sliding to the end. His wrist turned, fingers flicking the flute’s base, sending it flying as he spun on his foot, quickly avoiding Xiao Changtai’s sword as it swept down from the flute’s body.

Missing his strike, Xiao Changtai reacted nimbly, reversing for another slash. Xiao Huayong spun to the other side, avoiding while reaching to grab the falling flute.

Xiao Changtai seized this opportunity to stab at Xiao Huayong’s back. Xiao Huayong quickly performed a back flip, but as he landed Xiao Changtai’s sword thrust straight at him, forcing him to keep retreating.

His foot touched the rock wall as the long sword swept horizontally. Xiao Huayong raised his knee to push off, doing a side flip. His arm swept across, the short flute in his hand striking toward Xiao Changtai’s cheek.

Xiao Changtai’s eyes turned cold as his waist twisted, slashing his sword fiercely down at Xiao Huayong.

The two crossed paths for an instant, and then Xiao Huayong landed while Xiao Changtai had to spin several times to steady himself.

Xiao Huayong’s knee was wounded by the sword’s edge, his robe torn with a small cut that only he could feel stinging.

On Xiao Changtai’s face, a long red mark stretched from his ear to his nose bridge near his eye corner. Almost instantly, blood flowed from his nostril.

Xiao Huayong raised his eyebrows: “Fourth Brother’s martial arts are quite impressive.”

His praise was genuine, and he understood why Xiao Changtai had escaped several encirclements – with such skills, few could capture him.

Xiao Changtai’s curved finger wiped above his upper lip, looking down at the shocking red. His left face throbbed with pain. Seeing that Xiao Huayong only had torn robes at his knee, not even certain if the skin was cut, his expression grew darker.

“Enough talk. Today either you die or I perish!” Xiao Changtai raised his sword and attacked Xiao Huayong again.

He ran so fast that only afterimages could be seen. Xiao Huayong narrowed his eyes, also taking on a serious demeanor to respond.

Meanwhile, outside Tingzhou city, in the deep night heavy with dew, faint dust clouds could be seen rising in the distance. Soldiers who discovered the situation quickly went on alert.

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