“Enough!” Yuwen Zhiji said: “I’ll give you two choices—either withdraw your men, or all become souls under my blade… including you!”
Cui Guangde was so angry he couldn’t speak. After a long while, he gritted his teeth: “Since you won’t listen to reason, then I’ll fight you to mutual destruction!”
“Good!” With this word, Yuwen Zhiji slowly raised his hand: “Kill them all!”
With this command, the thousand-plus soldiers clashed with Cui Guangde’s troops in fierce combat. Blade light and sword shadows flew as blood splattered everywhere—the scene was extremely brutal.
Knowing that Han Shan was the key, Cui Guangde led several trusted subordinates toward Han Shan’s position, forcibly driving back Li Shimin. However, they didn’t have it easy either, as Pei Qiantong and Yuwen Zhiji came charging with blades drawn. The latter said: “Cui Guangde, you should understand that with these men of yours, victory is impossible—you’ll only make them die in vain!”
Cui Guangde gripped Han Shan’s shoulder and said hatefully: “Mind your own business! In any case, no one can step through these city gates!”
“Is that so?” Before Cui Guangde could understand the meaning of these words, warm blood had already splashed across his face. Looking in shock, he saw that Pei Qiantong had somehow crept before them and brutally cut open Han Shan’s belly. One of his hands reached into Han Shan’s wound—clearly searching for the keys.
Cui Guangde wanted to stop him, but it was already too late. Pei Qiantong pulled a blood-soaked key from the belly, and in the next moment, he was already running quickly toward the city gate!
Cui Guangde shouted frantically: “Pei, you stop right there!” He wanted to give chase but was blocked by Yuwen Zhiji: “Master Cui is getting on in years. Always losing your temper like this is very harmful to your health.”
“Get out of my way!” Cui Guangde swung his blade in fierce attack, but unfortunately Yuwen Zhiji stuck to him like adhesive plaster, impossible to shake off. He could only watch helplessly as Pei Qiantong opened the city gates.
Pei Qiantong forcefully pulled the city gates open slightly and shouted: “Go quickly!”
Even before Pei Qiantong had called out, Du Ruhui and the others had already seen the situation and were fighting their way closer to this position. He said to Yunyi following behind him: “Princess, you leave the city first!”
Yunyi nodded and, taking advantage of the opportunity while Cui Guangde’s soldiers were being held back, quickly exited the city gates with Jixiang and Ruyi. Seeing them leave the city, Cui Guangde was beside himself with rage, staring fixedly at Yuwen Zhiji: “You will regret this day!”
Yuwen Zhiji laughed lightly: “I’m afraid I’ll disappoint Master Cui!” Speaking thus, he suddenly withdrew his blade and left. While they had been talking, Li Shimin and the other man had also exited the city gates. Seeing this scene, Pei Qiantong breathed a sigh of relief—finally he had sent them out of the city. As long as the city gates were closed, no matter how unwilling Cui Guangde might be, it would be useless. Jiangdu could finally be safe.
Just then, Pei Qiantong suddenly felt a chill through his body. Looking down, he saw a blade tip protruding from his chest, blood dripping from the tip. How… how could this be?
He wanted to ask who had stabbed him in the back, but as soon as he opened his mouth, countless streams of blood poured out, drowning his words into gurgling sounds in his throat…
“Big Brother!” Pei Qiancheng was the first to notice this, rushing over to support Pei Qiantong as he toppled forward. He frantically tried to stop the bleeding but found the blood simply wouldn’t stop, continuously dripping from the blade tip. His eyes turned red as he stared at the person standing behind Pei Qiantong: “Yuwen Zhiji, why did you kill my big brother? Why?!”
The one who had delivered this fatal stab to Pei Qiantong was none other than Yuwen Zhiji himself. The latter laughed lightly: “He wanted to harm the lives of my Yuwen clan—how could I let him live? Not only him, but you… must also die!”
“You despicable scoundrel, I’ll kill you!” Though he and Pei Qiantong had been quite unpleasant over Du Ruhui’s matter, they were still blood brothers after all. That bond of blood being thicker than water was irreplaceable. Seeing Pei Qiantong harmed by Yuwen Zhiji now, he was mad with hatred!
Pei Qiancheng picked up a blade from the ground to kill Yuwen Zhiji but was held firmly by someone grabbing his clothes. The one gripping him was none other than Pei Qiantong, who struggled to open his mouth to speak, but aside from the gurgling sounds of blood surging in his throat, he could make no other sound. He could only with difficulty raise his hand to point at the city gate.
“Big Brother, let go! Today I must avenge you!” Pei Qiancheng understood his meaning—he wanted him to leave quickly and not remain in Jiangdu City. But with his brother’s murderer unavenged, how could he leave? Even if it cost him his life, he would definitely kill this despicable scoundrel Yuwen Zhiji!
Pei Qiantong gripped him tightly, refusing to let go no matter what. At the same time, he struggled to turn his gradually dimming gaze toward Du Ruhui, who was already standing outside the city gates. Though he couldn’t speak, the latter understood—this was pleading with him to take Pei Qiancheng away to prevent him from being harmed by Yuwen Zhiji. Without the protection of Pei Qiantong, who held military power, Pei Qiancheng in Jiangdu City would be like a lamb, liable to be devoured without leaving even bones.
Since Pei Qiancheng had once been willing to risk his life for him, he naturally wouldn’t abandon Pei Qiancheng and leave alone. He stepped back through the city gates he had worked so hard to exit and ran toward Pei Qiancheng. At the same time, Yuwen Zhiji said to his trusted subordinates: “Go—whoever kills Pei Qiancheng gets five strings of cash!”
Hearing this, those subordinates’ eyes all lit up as they rushed toward Pei Qiancheng with blades drawn. At this moment, Pei Qiantong could no longer hold on and breathed his last, yet that hand still gripped Pei Qiancheng’s clothes, never releasing even in death!
Watching his big brother, who had served as both father and brother in raising him to adulthood, die before his eyes, Pei Qiancheng was overcome with grief. Scenes of the two brothers depending on each other flashed continuously before his eyes. Only one thought remained in his mind—to kill Yuwen Zhiji!
Just as he prepared to first kill the charging soldiers and then kill Yuwen Zhiji, a figure blocked his path: “Leave the city quickly—I’ll hold them here!”
This person was Du Ruhui. Hearing his words, Pei Qiancheng didn’t tangle with those soldiers, but neither did he exit the city. Instead, with eyes that seemed ready to split, he charged toward Yuwen Zhiji.
Seeing this, Du Ruhui shouted anxiously: “Brother Pei, don’t! Leave the city quickly! Quickly!”
Not only did Pei Qiancheng not heed his words, he actually quickened his pace. When he reached Yuwen Zhiji, he leaped up with both feet and swung his blade down fiercely!
Looking at that cold, menacing blade edge, Yuwen Zhiji smiled slightly and called out: “Ah Qing!”
Almost as soon as his words fell, a cold gleam even more dazzling than the steel blade in Pei Qiancheng’s hand rose from behind Yuwen Zhiji. That cold gleam made even the bright moon above pale in comparison, instantly severing the blade in Pei Qiancheng’s hand and forcing him back several steps.
Pei Qiancheng focused his gaze and saw a figure almost the same color as the dark night, holding a blade and blocking in front of Yuwen Zhiji. It was he who had just broken Pei Qiancheng’s blade.