Chapter 152 - 151: Pei Xuan on a Murderous Pursuit, Only Gu Qingjin
Chapter 152: Chapter 151: Pei Xuan on a Murderous Pursuit, Only Gu Qingjin
Cangzhou had a total population of 63 million, with 3.5 million troops deployed and 2.23 million casualties.
Youzhou had a total population of 24 million, with 1.95 million troops deployed and 1.19 million casualties.
Meizhou had a total population of 47 million, with 2.74 million troops deployed and 1.96 million casualties...
Countless bloody lives had now been reduced to strings of cold numbers in a book.
In times of peace, they could play the zither, compose music, blend incense, and brew tea. But what about in times of chaos? Even the Hong Clan knew that not a single one of the Twelve Masters of Mingjing was skilled in martial arts. They were the easiest targets to eliminate.
They could have simply chosen death, as they would rather die than betray Jiuzhou and Da Xuan. However, dying a worthless death would leave them filled with eternal reluctance.
The Hong Clan came too quickly. Nie Mingchu was captured, while she, Pei Jiang, and a few others barely managed to escape, only to trigger a massive, drawn-out manhunt. They wrote their book while fleeing for their lives, even going so far as to adopt the clothing and hairstyles of the Hong Clan just to survive a little longer. It wasn’t because they feared death, but because their work remained unfinished.
Yet as long as the Twelve Masters of Mingjing were not eradicated, the King of Hong would never find peace, even though he had already crowned himself Emperor. With his red hair and green eyes, he would always be seen as a foreign conqueror whose rule was illegitimate.
Inevitably, they were discovered. At that point, however, *The Great Wilderness Immortal Journey* was less than half finished.
Ning Liuyu knew that to the Hong Clan, she and Nie Mingchu were the most important figures among the Twelve Masters of Mingjing. Having Nie Mingchu’s medical skills and her Alchemy Skill meant securing an extra lifeline. Since the Hong Clan was so desperate for her services, she decided she might as well offer them her life.
She wrote down every prescription, the properties of every medicinal herb, and all the vast knowledge she possessed, handing it over to Pei Jiang.
When she voluntarily exposed her location, her clothes were already packed with explosives. Furthermore, her surroundings were rigged with even more gunpowder. The Hong Clan never expected that four weak women without any martial arts skills would know how to manufacture explosives, nor did they anticipate that she planned to perish alongside her pursuers just to buy time for Pei Jiang and the other two.
Her plan progressed exactly as she envisioned, but Pei Jiang couldn’t bear to follow through, hesitating for a long time without making a move.
"Fire!" Ning Liuyu roared fiercely. "Why aren’t you firing?!"
That single scream completely ruined her vocal cords and alerted the Hong Clan that something was wrong. However, it was already too late.
BOOM!
RUMBLE—
The deafening roar of cannon fire filled the sky, accompanied by endless shrieks of agony. Foul-smelling blood splashed across her face, yet she felt an unprecedented sense of joy. Amidst the thick smoke, she caught sight of Pei Jiang, Qian Qiu, and Xiao Chengyi, their faces stained with tears and expressions of sheer devastation. They seemed to be shouting at her, mouthing words she couldn’t catch. Her ears were deafened by the blast, leaving her in complete silence. She could only watch as they supported each other, stumbling away without daring to look back or linger for even a second.
She finally smiled and murmured, "This is how it should be."
Firing at her was necessary for victory. At the very least, someone among their group of "rebels" had survived. As long as someone lived, Pei Jiang’s brilliant mind would undoubtedly ensure that *The Great Wilderness Immortal Journey* was completed. Future generations would then be able to learn their true history.
Her mission was finally accomplished.
BOOM!
Another massive explosion shattered the mountaintop, followed by absolute silence. Although the blast only killed a few hundred members of the Hong Clan, it guaranteed the safety of Pei Jiang and the others. That was more than enough.
In the final moment before her consciousness faded, Ning Liuyu felt as though she had returned to her childhood. She was climbing the mountain with a medicine basket on her back, covered in mud from head to toe. A figure in crimson had galloped toward her on horseback, drawing a bow and nocking an arrow, before taking her away from those remote mountains. More than a decade had passed, and it seemed she had finally caught up to that figure once more, able to leave and return together once again.
She would never forget the profound grace bestowed upon her by the late Emperor. By dying today, she was repaying the late Emperor’s kindness in recognizing her worth all those years ago. Ending things like this was a perfectly fitting conclusion. She wasn’t greedy, nor did she ask for much.
To be able to open her eyes once again and personally witness the future was something Ning Liuyu had never even dared to dream of. It was because... she had seen the New Nine Provinces. This shattered land had finally healed after four hundred years. There were no longer any red-haired, green-eyed foreign races, nor was there a purgatory of rivers flowing with blood. This was a beautiful world, and she was more than willing to continue dedicating everything she had to the New Nine Provinces.
TICK TOCK... TICK TOCK...
The private room was so dreadfully quiet that only the ticking of the clock could be heard. Shi Changying remained silent. For the first time in her life, she understood what it meant for her heart to bleed and twist in sheer agony.
How could it hurt this much? The pain was so intense that she couldn’t breathe. It felt as if a gaping hole had been torn into her heart, as if a blade had pierced straight through and was slowly twisting, severing every single blood vessel.
Ning Liuyu paused for a moment before speaking. "I also didn’t know where Lord Pei Jiang eventually went. It wasn’t until I arrived in the future and saw that *The Great Wilderness Immortal Journey* had been published—and even became required reading for middle schoolers—that I knew we had won."
Back then, they had been driven to a dead end. No one knew what the future would hold, and they had prepared themselves for the absolute worst.
After a long, drawn-out silence, Shi Changying raised her arms and gently pulled Ning Liuyu into an embrace.
"But we lost, too," Ning Liuyu finally sobbed, bursting into tears. "They erased so much... I can’t find it all! I can’t get it back!"
Shi Changying reached up to wipe the tears from her face. "Don’t cry. We’ll find it all again. And even if we can’t, we are always moving forward."
Ning Liuyu stared blankly at the person in front of her before hastily wiping her tears away. "Your Majesty, I just..."
Her words trailed off.
Shi Changying suddenly clutched her chest, doubling over as if struck by a sudden, agonizing pain.
The other three panicked instantly, rushing forward to support Shi Changying.
"Sister Ying, are you okay? What’s going on?"
"Your Majesty!"
Shi Changying’s expression had already returned to normal. She let out a long breath. "I’m fine."
It was happening again. Her heart ached once more, exactly as though someone had pierced it with a sharp knife.
"How can you be fine? Your pain tolerance is incredibly high," Ning Liuyu said anxiously. "Come with me to the Qi Sha Branch so I can give you a thorough checkup. This is a matter of great importance; we cannot be careless!"
Shi Changying quickly agreed. After all, it meant she wouldn’t have to go to a hospital for an IV drip or drink bitter medicine.
Watching the two of them leave, Xie Qingshi frowned. "The last time Her Majesty saw me, she exhibited similar symptoms."
"Could it be related to our rebirth?" Qingyuan’s expression shifted. "But why is she the only one in pain?"
Xie Qingshi shook his head slightly. "I don’t know either. I just hope Lord Ning can find out what’s wrong."
The Heavenly Thunder from four hundred years ago had been incredibly bizarre to begin with, leaving them with no choice but to worry.
"The director is looking for me, so I’ll head back to the set first," Qingyuan said, massaging her temples. "Let me know if there’s an emergency."
Xie Qingshi nodded. "Goodbye."
After parting ways with Xie Qingshi, Qingyuan was still digesting everything Ning Liuyu had said. As a result, when she returned to the set and saw Pei Xuan, she didn’t react for a moment.
Sister Xu winked at her, signaling her. "A Yuan, Mr. Pei..."
Qingyuan asked Sister Xu to leave the room. Then, she shot a glare at Pei Xuan. "Don’t you like keeping an eye on Lord Xie? Why did you run over to my place? I’m quite a popular celebrity right now. Aren’t you afraid of ending up on the trending searches, Young Master Pei?"
"It doesn’t matter," Pei Xuan said, shrugging his shoulders. "Exactly. Because you’re a big star and so many people see you, I figured starting from your end might yield better results."
Qingyuan smiled. "Then I look forward to Lord Pei’s discoveries."
Pei Xuan seemed completely oblivious to her underlying hint for him to leave. "The old man really liked your signed photo," he said casually. "He asked me to bring you a few tins of tea leaves in return. I think it’s called Qianqiusui or something—never heard of it."
Qingyuan was just about to say something when a commotion erupted outside the door.
"Mr. Gu, you can’t—"
BANG!
The door was kicked open.
Qingyuan and Pei Xuan turned their heads simultaneously.
Pei Xuan wasn’t wearing a mask today, leaving his stunning, peach-blossom-like face completely exposed to the open air.
Gu Lingyuan frowned. "Who are you?"
He had met Xie Lin before, and this man was definitely not Xie Lin.
Pei Xuan had always been arrogant. He completely ignored Gu Lingyuan, turning his attention solely to Qingyuan. "Open it and see if it suits your taste."
Being so blatantly ignored made Gu Lingyuan seethe with anger. "Do you even know my last name?"
Bringing up the surname "Gu" should have immediately conveyed his importance.
Pei Xuan finally looked at him, looking rather amused. "Oh? And what is your last name?"
Sister Xu instinctively answered, "Gu."
Pei Xuan raised his eyelids lazily. "Your last name is Gu?"
In this entire world, aside from the Imperial Commander Gu Qingjin, he, Pei Xuan, had never deferred to anyone else with the surname Gu!