When they heard that the Xinzhou Army in Zhending Prefecture had made unusual movements, the Heavenly Teaching Righteous Army, which had only rested for a few days in Baoding Prefecture, nearly went insane with fright!

Over these past months, they had almost grown accustomed to the pursuing troops behind them.

After all, the enemy seemed to deliberately calculate something—each time, though they chased and attacked them, they also left them sufficient time to rest and reorganize, not pushing them so hard as to exhaust too much of their combat strength.

So when this news arrived, they simply couldn’t believe it.

What followed immediately was a sense of overwhelming crisis: Could it be that the Xinzhou Army was finally going to get serious with them? Now that they’d reached the capital, did the enemy think they no longer had any use?

Ever since Wan Xiuzi had been released by Xie Wei, both his hands were practically useless. No matter how many famous physicians he consulted, they couldn’t be healed. At his advanced age, still having to fight alongside the army, no amount of health preservation techniques could sustain him.

After several months of this, where was his former vigor?

However, being driven all the way back to the capital reminded him of the glorious momentum when he led troops northward in the past. This ultimately stirred up some of his fighting spirit—even if he were to die, he would die on that supreme dragon throne!

So he immediately gave the order to break camp and march, not caring whether wolves or tigers pursued from behind, attacking the capital with manic fervor!

How could Baoding Prefecture’s city defenses compare with the capital’s?

If he could capture the capital first and hold the city with heavy troops, he might not be unable to keep Xie Wei and Yan Lin’s great army outside the city walls, winning for himself that single thread of survival!

The Sect Leader above was driven mad by obsession, while the sect followers below, because of the pursuing troops about to arrive, surged with an intense will to survive. Knowing they had no other choice, they instead gritted their teeth and displayed astonishing combat power in attacking the capital!

The capital had four main city gates.

The Heavenly Teaching Righteous Army didn’t divide their forces in the slightest. Upon arriving at the city, they went straight for the southern gate, attacking fiercely and rapidly, clearly willing to take it at any cost in the shortest time possible!

Wan Xiuzi had thought it might take considerable time, but unexpectedly, what he had assumed would be solid city defenses now seemed as fragile as paper, breaking at a single thrust!

So vulnerable they couldn’t withstand a single blow!

The moment the city gate was opened, everyone showed expressions of wild joy, including Wan Xiuzi. A boiling excitement pervaded, and no one even thought to consider whether this victory had come too easily.

If Xie Wei, who was sufficiently familiar with the capital, had been here, he would certainly have spotted the irregularity at a glance: If the court truly intended to defend, with the Heavenly Teaching’s capabilities, even if they could win through numerical superiority, opening the city gate would take at least three days and nights—it absolutely wouldn’t be this easy.

In warfare, deception is the way.

The real trap likely wasn’t at the city gate, but inside the city!

The rising sun broke through the darkness before dawn, golden-red light spilling across the golden glazed tiles of the imperial palace. The white frost condensed on them quickly melted, reflecting only a dazzling color.

Before the Hall of Supreme Harmony, an expanse of open space.

Shen Lang, wearing dragon robes, stood barefoot at the very top of the steps, hair hanging loose, his eyes staring unblinkingly at that gradually brightening sun, as if waiting for something.

Zhou Yinzhi didn’t know whether the Emperor’s plan could succeed.

Or rather…

It no longer had much to do with him.

As the newly appointed Commander of the Nine Gates, he hadn’t been assigned to ambush the Heavenly Teaching inside the city, but rather to defend the eastern gate. The troops he commanded numbered less than ten thousand, with few real experts from the army. If anyone chose to break through the city from here and struck ruthlessly, they could practically annihilate his entire force!

Beside him, a young soldier’s hand trembled as he gripped his spear.

Zhou Yinzhi, however, picked up a water pouch filled with strong liquor and tilted his head back to take a drink, as if also trying to dispel the icy cold that invaded his body along with the autumn chill.

No one knew that he had secretly sent three letters of surrender to the Xinzhou Army.

But they had all sunk like stones into the sea, without response.

Ever since discovering Yao Niang’s disappearance, he knew that misfortune would sooner or later descend upon him.

But he hadn’t expected it to come so quickly.

A lifetime of restless striving, always calculating, climbing upward to become one of those above others—yet as he changed masters one by one, it was only lowering his head to one after another.

Half a lifetime of scheming, ultimately the wrong choice!

News came from the southern gate that it had been breached.

The entire army felt a collective dread.

Zhou Yinzhi’s gaze, however, remained fixed ahead. Finally, two quarters of an hour later, a scout’s swift horse galloped back from the front, shouting in panic: “They’re coming, they’re coming! The Xinzhou Army is also here!”

The young soldier immediately asked: “My, my lord, what should we do?”

Zhou Yinzhi said: “Why panic?”

He grabbed the Embroidered Spring Blade resting on the gate tower and fastened it at his waist. His cold, stern face showed no emotion as he actually turned and walked toward the city below, merely saying: “Prince Yan and Minister-Tutor Xie lead a loyal army that serves the monarch. They’ve come pursuing the Heavenly Teaching rebels—what’s there to worry about?”

Those around him exchanged glances.

Zhou Yinzhi descended from the gate tower and raised his arms in a shout, calling loudly: “Open the city gates!”

The defending soldiers knew in their hearts how many troops guarded the eastern gate.

Who in this world doesn’t fear death?

If they hadn’t yet heard the news that the Heavenly Teaching had already attacked through the southern gate, they might still have hesitated, wondering whether to stake their lives on a desperate fight. But now that the southern gate was breached, and Zhou Yinzhi as Commander had given such an order, that bit of hesitation was forcibly dispelled—

They were only following orders and wouldn’t bear responsibility.

So the soldiers on both sides finally pulled the city gates open with force!

Rolling dust and smoke approached from ahead.

The three armies arranged their formations below the city.

Zhou Yinzhi didn’t know whether this gamble of his was right or wrong, but in the end, he had no other choice. When he saw that carriage arrive before the city gate from afar, he closed his eyes briefly, then actually planted his blade on the ground and declared in a clear voice: “This official Zhou Yinzhi respectfully welcomes the Minister-Tutor and the Prince back to the capital to serve the monarch!”

Xie Wei lightly lifted the carriage curtain. Hearing his voice, a trace of a smile appeared at the corner of his lips. He first stepped down from the carriage but didn’t immediately acknowledge him, only extending a hand back into the carriage.

Jiang Xuening hadn’t heard this voice in a very long time.

The scene of You Fangying falling in a pool of blood that day suddenly flashed through her mind again. She took Xie Wei’s hand and also stepped down from the carriage.

When Zhou Yinzhi saw Xie Wei descend from the carriage, he felt it was within expectations. However, when he saw that Xie Wei didn’t respond to him but instead extended a hand into the carriage, his heart suddenly sank. Immediately after, when he witnessed his former master Jiang Xuening emerge from the carriage with Xie Wei’s support, a chill that had previously been dispelled by the strong liquor suddenly returned to his heart, making him feel as if he’d fallen into an ice cellar!

Dao, Qin, Jian, and Shu stood attendant to the side.

Xie Wei didn’t speak.

Jiang Xuening looked at him, came before him, then glanced at the wide-open city gate behind him and suddenly laughed: “Worthy of Lord Zhou indeed—able to bend and stretch, able to risk your life for the Emperor, and also able to sell the Emperor for your life!”

Zhou Yinzhi had thought that people in this world ultimately unite for profit.

As long as he still had use value, he wouldn’t be immediately discarded.

When the time came, he would first submit to Xie Wei and Yan Lin. Even if he had to suffer some hardship, it didn’t matter—as long as he could preserve his life, there would always be opportunities to maneuver and scheme afterward. But with a thousand calculations, how could he have calculated that at this critical moment of two armies facing each other, Xie Wei would actually bring Jiang Xuening along!

What this meant, he understood all too clearly.

His fingers hanging at his side clenched tightly from intense unwillingness. In this instant, too much flashed through Zhou Yinzhi’s mind.

However, the more desperate the situation, the more one wants to struggle before death.

A strange glint passed through his eyes. He raised his head to look at Jiang Xuening, putting on an appearance of remorse, and said: “The matter at Xinzhou—this official harmed Miss You. But at that time, this official’s wife and children were all in the capital, and every interest, large and small, was controlled by the court. I truly had no other choice! Today, with the young lady and the Minister-Tutor returning to the capital, this official reflects on past errors with deep regret. Therefore, I opened this city gate, hoping to make some small amends, only asking that the young lady, in consideration of past ties—”

At this point, his words suddenly turned fierce!

The Embroidered Spring Blade that had been planted on the ground shot directly from its scabbard. Where was even half a trace of remorse left on Zhou Yinzhi’s face? He actually took advantage of Jiang Xuening standing closest to him, using the pretense of speaking in repentance to relax her guard, and struck at her with his blade, attempting to take her hostage in this desperate situation to exchange for a way out for himself!

However, Dao Qin’s blade was faster than his!

“Clang!”

In a flash, with a sharp ringing sound, Dao Qin, his face cold without a trace of a smile, was clearly standing even farther from Jiang Xuening, yet he managed to block Zhou Yinzhi’s blade heavily before it reached her neck!

His wrist turned again, taking advantage of the momentum to slash downward.

The sharp blade tip instantly tore a long bloody gash on Zhou Yinzhi’s arm!

On the other side, Jian Shu took the opportunity to strike Zhou Yinzhi’s leg with his sword sheath, then kicked out with such force that it accurately shattered his kneecap, causing Zhou Yinzhi to immediately lose his footing and fall heavily to his knees!

His blade flew from his hand!

Zhou Yinzhi could hardly believe that these two who had been standing on either side could have such quick reactions, as if they had anticipated he would strike and had been guarding against him all along!

Dao Qin had witnessed him attack You Fangying, such that despite his exceptional martial arts, he could only watch helplessly as that living young woman met her tragic end.

Because when he arrived, You Fangying had already been taken hostage.

But now, face to face, with Zhou Yinzhi’s meager skills, to try to attack Jiang Xuening before him was simply a fool’s dream!

Seeing Zhou Yinzhi’s expression of shock and fury, of disbelief, Dao Qin only said coldly: “Earlier on the road here, Miss Ning already warned us, saying your nature is hard to change. If you knew you couldn’t escape death, you certainly wouldn’t submit quietly but would take desperate risks. Now, it has proven true indeed.”

Zhou Yinzhi never would have expected this.

Recalling his entire life, Jiang Xuening did count as one of his former masters, but altogether he had only handled a few matters for her. Their actual interactions were truly not many. How could she understand his conduct so thoroughly?

And moreover…

He clenched his teeth, glaring at her fixedly, his voice seeming to drip blood as it emerged from his throat: “Young lady promised! That letter! You clearly pledged that as long as I was willing to be an inside agent and help, you wouldn’t hold the past against me, would spare my life, and would also let Yao Niang and the child in her belly go!”

Jiang Xuening looked at him with pity: “So you actually believed it?”

In this instant, Zhou Yinzhi’s face turned ashen.

But Jiang Xuening only raised her head to look at the already wide-open city gate, thinking how absurd people were, and said slowly: “But yes, a person like me in Lord Zhou’s eyes must seem kind and easily deceived, so when such a person turns bad and deceives others, it’s all the less believable.”

She thought the hour wasn’t early anymore—best not to delay the great army behind from entering the city.

So she extended her hand toward Jian Shu at the side.

Jian Shu passed the sword to her.

She had almost never held a blade or sword. That sharp long sword drawn from its sheath seemed to press the weight of a person’s life onto the blade edge, heavily pulling down her wrist. When the light struck it, cold radiance shot in all directions!

Zhou Yinzhi tried to struggle.

But soldiers on both sides had already come forward to pin him down firmly.

Jiang Xuening held the sword with some difficulty.

Xie Wei then stepped forward, his palm covering hers, helping her grip the sword tightly, only directing it toward Zhou Yinzhi’s neck, and smiled lightly: “I’ll teach you.”

The blade edge instantly pierced through skin.

Zhou Yinzhi’s eyes had already turned red.

As death approached, he felt only an intense unwillingness, roaring loudly like a cornered beast making its last stand: “So what if I killed You Fangying? This was an imperial command! You raise armies in rebellion, engage in power schemes and plots, even have souls dead by your blades—in what way are you better than me, Zhou Yinzhi?! What right do you have to kill me!”

Jiang Xuening had never killed anyone before.

She was almost being guided by Xie Wei’s hand to thrust this sword forward.

However, the instant this questioning arose, a fierce anger suddenly grew within her!

Her originally trembling fingers actually gripped the sword tightly and forcefully pushed it toward his throat!

Blood immediately spurted out, even gushing from Zhou Yinzhi’s mouth.

He opened his mouth wide wanting to say something, but his pierced windpipe could only emit blurred hissing sounds—he couldn’t say anything!

He could only stare with wide eyes!

Jiang Xuening yanked the sword out abruptly. Her eyes had already turned red as she said each word coldly: “I once said that if you commit evil, don’t let me know. There are many in this world who engage in power schemes and plots, but you are the lowest of them all! Not a single one of your methods is presentable. You don’t even count as an ambitious hero—you only deserve to be a petty villain worse than an ant! No one wanted to kill you—you brought this death upon yourself.”

Zhou Yinzhi finally remembered that many years ago, she had indeed said such words…

But it was already too late.

As blood flowed more, the people pinning him from behind released him. He fell face-down to the ground, tears actually welling up in his eyes. He struggled desperately to reach his hand toward Jiang Xuening, opening his mouth trying to say something: “Yao, Yao…”

Jiang Xuening heard that he wanted to ask about Yao Niang.

But there wasn’t a trace of mercy in her heart. Exceptionally cold, she only looked down at him once from her superior position, didn’t acknowledge him, threw down the sword, and walked past him.

For a person, the most painful way to die is to not know the safety of the one you care about until you breathe your last!

Whatever You Fangying suffered that day, she would have him experience in full today!