Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 407 The Gate of Hell

Jingle Bell--

The snow in Yanyun seemed to never stop. The layers of snow almost covered the dome. Two horses left a few hoof prints in the snowy field. The cold wind also touched the bells on the horses' necks, making them ring crisply.

Snow Owl stood on Zhao Wumian's shoulder and used its wings to guide him.

Zhao Wumian had just been tidying up the inn for a few days when Xue Xiao came running after him, apparently having found Guan Yunshu's location.

Several people rode their horses non-stop, but the snow was a little too heavy.

Zhao Wumian raised his hand to catch a snowflake, and then couldn't help but wrap Luo Xiangzhu in front of him tighter with his fox fur.

"Is it cold?"

Luo Xiangzhu shook her head slightly, but couldn't help sniffing.

She seemed to have been wrapped up by Zhao Wumian like a little white dumpling, her little face was rosy. Although she was dressed warmly, her body was still too weak. After running around with Zhao Wumian for a few days, she had caught a slight cold.

Obviously, Luo Xiangzhu, with her frail body, was not suitable for traveling the world... at least not suitable for wandering around the world on horseback, in the snowfields and blizzards.

Zhao Wumian raised his hand and touched Luo Xiangzhu's forehead. His palm was cold, which made the little mute shiver.

Xiao Lengyue rode a little closer and touched Luo Xiangzhu's forehead before saying to Zhao Wumian:
"The further north you go, the colder it will get. The little princess has never practiced martial arts, so if she had taken a carriage and slowly traveled north, it would have been fine. But now, riding a horse outside in the cold wind, how can she bear it?"

Luo Xiangzhu shook his head repeatedly.

I can handle it. It's just a cold, not a serious illness.

The little mute didn't want to delay his journey because of himself.

Ta-da! Ta-da!

The sound of horse hooves came from the side, and Mu Lier rushed out from the snow, pulled the reins, and threw a bunch of letters to Zhao Wumian.

"Look at the letter your uncle sent."

Zhao Wumian took the letter tube, but did not open it immediately. Instead, he looked at the sky first. As it was getting darker, he dismounted and prepared to rest on the spot.

They found a place on the side of a snow hill that could shelter them from the wind and snow and set up a tent. Given the status of the people present, traveling around the world would not be too hard. The tents were made of the finest animal skins and were more than enough to sleep several people.

There was also a small stove in the saddle bag.

Scratch, snap—

Soon, a bonfire was lit in front of the tent, and a stove was placed against the inside of the tent, radiating heat outwards.

Because of the cold wind, Luo Xiangzhu felt a little dizzy. He huddled into the tent early in the morning and rested under the warm fox fur.

Xiao Lengyue and Mu Lier placed an iron pot on the campfire and poured in the fresh water they had brought with them.

Then comes ham, sausage, duck blood, wide noodles, and the Sichuan specialty hot pot base, which is very spicy and helps warm the body.

It is okay to be immune to cold and heat, but who wants to suffer if they can live comfortably? It is not like an ascetic monk.

The boiling soup gurgled and emitted an enticing aroma, which quickly aroused the appetite of the people present, even though their stomachs seemed to have been empty for a long time.

They can even eat hotpot in the wild, so their life is indeed comfortable and comfortable.

Zhao Wumian originally wanted to help make hot pot, but Luo Xiangzhu rested her head on his thighs and her arms around his waist. She seemed to be sick and was very clingy. Zhao Wumian could only sit cross-legged in the tent and take out the envelope.

The letter was sent by the sword master Chu Ruzhou, and it mainly talked about two things.

First, he would go to Yagu Pass in person. The Jian Sect was located in the heart of Yanyun and had been a partner of the King of Yan for decades. There was trust and friendship between them, so it was understandable that he would go there in person.

The second is to remind Zhao Wumian that he must be careful of Emperor Wuxiang.

In order to settle old grudges, Chu Ruzhou crossed the river three times to look for Emperor Wuxiang after building the bridge between heaven and earth.

He was beaten half to death the first time, but Emperor Wuxiang spared his life because he was a descendant of the Sword Sect.

The second time, he was more cautious and chose to assassinate, but unfortunately, he missed. He immediately fled far away and barely managed to save his life.

By the third time, Chu Ruzhou's martial arts had improved a lot. He had a head-on confrontation with Wuxiang Emperor and was beaten half to death. He barely escaped but was seriously injured. He stayed in the sect for three years before he recovered.

It has been five years since Chu Ruzhou last fought against Wuxiang Emperor.

Chu Ruzhou hasn't taken any action in five years, and it's obvious that he still has no confidence.

In his letter, he spoke earnestly, warning Zhao Wumian that although Emperor Wuxiang had ruled Goguryeo for sixty years, he was still as brave as a warrior.

Zhao Wumian went north to Yanyun, saying that he wanted to take his head, so he would definitely come and chop off Zhao Wumian's head and send it to the court.

Firstly, it was to let the world see that he, the Wuxiang Emperor, was not someone who could be challenged by Zhao Wumian, a junior who had debuted for less than 20 years.

Secondly, the war was already brewing, but before he sent out his troops, he killed the most powerful leader of the enemy country, Wei Ming Hou, on the spot. The boost to morale was self-evident.

Thirdly, he was well aware of the relationship between Luo Chaoyan and Zhao Wumian.

The Queen of Dali was bedridden at the time. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that it was because Zhao Wumian was captured by Hetuo and she was suffering from a mental illness.

If Zhao Wumian's head was chopped off and sent to the court, the Queen of Dali would probably be frightened to death on the spot, and the rear of Dali would be in chaos in an instant.

Therefore, both publicly and privately, there is no reason for Emperor Wuxiang to avoid war.

Chu Ruzhou's analysis was not without reason. Zhao Wumian also felt that if he died, Chao Yan would probably not live alone.

She was of a chaste character and might not care about the devastating flood that would follow her death.

It was obvious that his mind was related to the overall situation of the world. The grasslands, Goguryeo, and even the Western Regions were all eager to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Luo Xiangzhu propped up her little face and also read the letter. Seeing that the Sword Master had given her such a reminder, a trace of fear could not help but emerge in her eyes.

It’s not that he was afraid of Emperor Wuxiang, but he was afraid that if he stayed with Zhao Wumian, he would become a weak point and be used by Emperor Wuxiang.

Zhao Wumian saw her worry, smiled slightly, and comforted her:
"I'm here. The Wuxiang Emperor doesn't have the ability to do anything to you..."

Before he finished speaking, Mu Lier came into the tent with a bowl and chopsticks, and sat down beside the two of them. The chopsticks in her hand were still stirring the sesame paste, making a clattering sound, while she asked:

"I know that Wuxiang Emperor is no match for you, but you also have to consider Xiangzhu's health. She can't stand such a long journey. If she continues to run with us, her cold will only get worse."

Zhao Wumian touched Luo Xiangzhu's forehead again. Although it felt smooth, it was so hot that he even broke out in sweat. It was indeed not suitable for her to run around Yanyun with him anymore.

"Master, why don't you send my sister back to the Sword Sect to recuperate, while my aunt and I continue to do our business." Zhao Wumian suggested.

Luo Xiangzhu certainly didn't want to be separated from her lover at first, but since Sword Master had warned her like that and she knew how powerful Emperor Wuxiang was, she could only bury her face in Zhao Wumian's shoulder and act coquettishly, but she was unwilling to raise any objections.

Mu Lier pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"The Sect Master went alone to Yagu Pass to protect King Yan, so the Sword Sect is relatively empty. It would be good for me to go back and take charge of the situation... After sending Xiangzhu to the Sword Sect, I will come back later?"

Mu Lier was still worried that Wudamu would join forces with Wuxianghuang.

Zhao Wumian shook his head slightly. "My aunt and I are already the best in the martial arts world. Even if we are not opponents, we can retreat unscathed. Nothing will happen. Don't worry."

At this point, Mu Lier didn't say much. After all, the Sword of Departure was still in the Sword Sect, and the sect's important location could not be without Wu Kui guarding it.

The Sword Sect does have other martial arts champions, but Mo Jingxue is really unpredictable.

What's more, Wuxianghuang and Wudamu may not necessarily come to kill Zhao Wumian first. They may want to make a feint to the east and attack in the west. It seems that they want to kill Zhao Wumian, but in fact they want to get the sword first.

It would naturally be safer for Mu Lier to return to the Sword Sect to take charge of the situation for the time being.

That’s all they had to say. After eating the hotpot, Zhao Wumian, Xiao Lengyue, and Mu Lier took turns keeping watch.

When it was Xiao Lengyue's turn in the second half of the night, Zhao Wumian brushed off the snow on his body, tiptoed into the warm tent, and sat cross-legged in meditation.

He was still wondering where the little nun was when a warm and soft beauty wrapped around his waist like an octopus.

Looking down, Luo Xiangzhu's face was flushed. Looking up at him, a strand of black hair was stuck to the corner of her lips.

"Wake you up?"

Luo Xiangzhu shook her head and buried her face in Zhao Wumian's belly.

Zhao Wumian thought that Luo Xiangzhu must be reluctant to leave him, so she was being clingy, so he didn't say much and just sat there quietly.

Unexpectedly, after snuggling for a while, Luo Xiangzhu reached out to pull his belt, which scared Zhao Wumian. He held her little hand and looked at her in surprise.

Luo Xiangzhu raised her little face, her almond eyes full of spring, the meaning was very clear...

She's leaving tomorrow morning, so why not tonight?
Whoosh————

The cold wind whistled outside the tent, accompanied by a few rustling footsteps. It was Xiao Lengyue patrolling with a sword, but the footsteps were getting farther and farther away...

Zhao Wumian didn't know whether he should praise his aunt for being considerate... He warned in a low voice:

"You have caught a cold, how can you bear it now? Have a good sleep, I won't leave tonight."

Luo Xiangzhu raised a finger, his eyes showing some hope and stubbornness.

just one time.

Seeing that Luo Xiangzhu was so proactive, Zhao Wumian hesitated for a moment, but still listened outside the tent. He could no longer hear Xiao Lengyue's breathing, so he guessed that she had gone far away.

Mu Lier was lying on her side, her breathing still even, and it was unclear whether she was asleep or not.

Then he put his arms around Luo Xiangzhu's waist and slowly lay down on the blanket.

There was not much space in the tent, so Luo Xiangzhu just lay down obediently, with her back facing Zhao Wumian, her perky buttocks pressed against Zhao Wumian's lower abdomen.

The two of them lay side by side, close to each other, and Zhao Wumian whispered in her ear:

"Sister, don't make any noise."

Because she had caught a cold, Zhao Wumian didn't want to take off her clothes. He simply unbuttoned her skirt and pulled it down a few inches.

The two of them were covered with a blanket, and the air inside seemed to be sticky, hot and even a little stuffy, even Zhao Wumian began to sweat.

Zhao Wumian stuffed his hands into the blanket and pressed gently. Luo Xiangzhu also sweated a lot, and his palms were wet.

But this is definitely a good thing. Sweating can help cure a cold.

Luo Xiangzhu was not inexperienced. She did not look back, but clasped her hands behind her back familiarly, then slightly arched her waist backwards.

Forty degrees?
Zhao Wumian had never experienced this before, so he couldn't help but whisper:

"My sister has a severe cold and her body is burning... You must take good care of yourself when you get home."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Wumian stretched out one arm for Luo Xiangzhu to rest his head on, and then he bent his forearm and hugged Luo Xiangzhu's slender shoulders tightly.

Luo Xiangzhu frowned tightly, covered her lips with both hands, and had no energy to respond.

There was no light in the tent, and outside the tent it was snowing heavily. The campfire had long been buried and extinguished by the snow.

At dawn the next day, the snow gradually subsided. Zhao Wumian swept the snow outside the tent, lit a fire and had breakfast, then watched Mu Lier and Luo Xiangzhu get on their horses.

"This place is not far from the Sword Sect's headquarters. If Wudamu really joins forces with the Wuxiang Emperor, he will let Xuexiao come to find me after he escapes. I will lead others to get back at him."

Zhao Wumian nodded slightly, then looked at Luo Xiangzhu who was waving at him, reluctant to leave.

The two had been dependent on each other since Hetuo, and had been together for several months now, so Luo Xiangzhu couldn't help feeling distracted.

Zhao Wumian also waved at her, "Don't worry, I'll go to Jianzong to pick you up soon."

Only the sound of horses' hooves rolling over the snow could be heard, and then the figures of the two women and the horse gradually disappeared into the snow.

After they were far away, Zhao Wumian and Xiao Lengyue got on their horses, let Xue Xiao lead the way, and continued to look for Yun Shu's trace.

Zhao Wumian took a deep breath, and Mu Lier and Luo Xiangzhu seemed to be in a gentle place. Even though he knew that the situation in Yanyun was tense at the moment, he couldn't help but feel a little careless.

Now that they are gone, Zhao Wumian suddenly feels the future is uncertain and the world is cold.

His eyes changed slightly. They no longer had the chivalrous tenderness that he showed when accompanying his wife, but instead had the stern sharpness of a man in the world.

"drive!"

Tap tap tap——————

The thousand-mile horse galloped across the snowy field, and the cold wind blew in its face like a knife.

After running for a while, the two saw a snowman appear in front of them. A series of footprints could be vaguely seen behind the snowman, but now they were almost covered by the heavy snow.

How could someone be so idle as to build a snowman in the snowy wilderness? The two men frowned and rode closer, only to find that the snowman was quite angular, with a carrot stuck on its head as a nose.

However, the footprints near the snowman only extended to this place, as if the man disappeared into the air.

Zhao Wumian sat on his horse, looking sideways at the snowman.

"The snow in Lin'an is not as heavy as that in Yanyun. Every year at the end of the year, I think even if Yuanmu and I wanted to build a snowman, we couldn't build one this big."

"How old are you? You still want to build a snowman?"

"I'm just surprised that he has such a big pile..."

Zhao Wumian turned over, dismounted, pulled out the carrot nose, and then used the carrot to sweep the snowman's face, whispering, "It looks like it was made of real people."

The snow on the snowman's face fell off, revealing a frozen face.

This snowman is made of dead bodies.

Zhao Wumian and Xiao Lengyue were not moved, obviously they had expected this, and they looked at the man's face.

The dead man's pupils were dilated and he looked incredulous, as if he had suffered a great fright before dying.

Xiao Lengyue frowned, "This is..."

"Feimianke, a famous playboy in Yanyun. I have seen him in Yanyun before. He is an expert in swordsmanship and concealed weapons."

Zhao Wumian looked at the dead man for a few times, and then said softly:

"Now he is dead here...it should have been less than a day since he died."

"I guess he came here to escape from the world. The martial arts world in Yanyun has been in turmoil recently. Disputes and conflicts have arisen among each other, and it is not uncommon for people to be killed." Xiao Lengyue followed up with

"How did he die?"

"The fatal injury is..." Zhao Wumian used a carrot to sweep away some of the snow, revealing an imperceptible fine line on his cold and hard neck.

But there was not even a trace of blood around the thin line.

"What a fast sword." Xiao Lengyue murmured to himself:

"The sword was so fast that even after the man was beheaded, his head did not fly out and remained on his neck. Not a single bit of his strength was leaked out."

"Even after this person died, his body still maintained its balance, which allowed the man to use him as a foundation to build a snowman."

Zhao Wumian swept away the snowflakes again, and found that there were words carved on the man's chest.

"Today I am the Red-faced Guest, tomorrow... I am the Marquis of Weiming." Xiao Lengyue murmured, his expression suddenly turning cold.

"I came here for you!? Who?"

Zhao Wumian pondered for a moment and shook his head slightly, "This person knew I was nearby, so he did it on purpose... Could it be the Wuxiang Emperor?"

Zhao Wumian's heart tightened slightly. How could Emperor Wuxiang come so quickly?

He was not afraid of Emperor Wuxiang, but was worried that Guan Yunshu would meet Emperor Wuxiang and be killed.

The two men mounted their horses and did not dare to delay any longer, and continued riding. However, the journey was like entering the gates of hell, and many corpses were seen along the way.

Outside a pine forest, a middle-aged man was nailed to the tree by a broken branch in the throat. The blood flowed down his throat, staining his clothes and the snow beneath him red.

Zhao Wumian looked at it carefully for a few seconds and said, "This technique is a bit like Guan Yunshu's."

Xiao Lengyue raised her eyebrows slightly, "Your little lover is so cruel? Is she still a nun?"

"When she fights with others, she never wants to dirty her hands." Zhao Wumian began to speak for Guan Yunshu.

"And the man was killed by the tree, not by her."

Zhao Wumian looked at the bare pine tree behind the big man and guessed that Guan Yunshu first hit him on the tree with a palm in mid-air, letting his qi leak out and blowing away the pine needles, and then raised his hand and threw a branch to nail him down.

Zhao Wumian held the Qingxu sword in his hand. There was no visible sword light, but a scratch suddenly appeared on the pine tree. Then, due to gravity, it fell sideways, startling a large number of birds in the forest and raising a rustling snow mist.

Zhao Wumian lightly lifted the fox fur coat and slung the sword behind his waist.

"I taught the tree a lesson on behalf of the Buddha, so the Buddha can't blame the nun."

"Just spoil her." Xiao Lengyue found it funny, and then asked doubtfully:

"But why would this man resort to violence against your little lover?"

Zhao Wumian raised the Qingxu sword, used the scabbard to lift the man's waist, and threw out a token with Goguryeo characters engraved on it.

"The people of Wuxiang Emperor..."

The two men threw the token aside and continued forward. They soon left the pine forest and saw large bloodstains on the snow. Even though part of it had been buried by the snow, a lot of bright red could still be seen.

There were many corpses lying here and there, but they were all cut in half, which was why the amount of blood was so heavy.

Around the bloodstain, you can see a subtle trace that looks like a whirlwind.

"Wushan Sword...Mo Jingxue." Zhao Wumian muttered to himself.

Xiao Lengyue's expression became more and more ugly, "Guan Yunshu, Wuxianghuang, and Mo Jingxue are actually together?"

Zhao Wumian found a stone standing next to him with words carved on it with the tip of a knife.

"Emperor Wuxiang wants to kill you, and among these dead there are many of his personal guards. Zhao Wumian, you owe me a favor, remember to buy me a drink."

Zhao Wumian was slightly stunned, but after thinking for a moment, he suddenly understood.

"Mo Jingxue, Guan Yunshu, and Abbot Dongwen were chasing each other closely, all to escape from the world. Most of the dead were gamblers who wanted to take a chance, but they didn't know that their martial arts skills were not high enough, so they were not even qualified to gamble, which is why there were so many casualties."

"And Wuxiang Emperor originally came for me, but when he came here, he knew that the Sheath of Retreat must be in the possession of Mo Jingxue or Abbot Dongwen, so he turned around and planned the Nine Bells. It can be considered a coincidence."

In fact, it is not a coincidence. If Zhao Wumian finds Guan Yunshu, he will definitely continue to hunt down Mo Jingxue.

If the Prime Minister could not really sense the location of Ning Binglei, he would definitely run into Mo Jingxue and others, it was just a matter of sooner or later.

The two followed Xue Xiao's guidance and continued forward. Along the way, they could see traces of Wuxiang Huang, Mo Jingxue, Guan Yunshu and others fighting with others.

Or should we say instant kill.

There are not many people in the martial arts world, whether they are masters of harmony between heaven and man or masters of martial arts. Most of them have fallen into the hands of Zhao Wumian. Even if they want to come to Yanyun, they may have no chance if they wade into the muddy water.

However, only one white fir tree stained red with blood attracted Zhao Wumian's attention.

The trunk of the fir tree was stained with blood spreading outward, but there was no corpse. However, some bright red fragments of internal organs and scraps of clothing were hanging on the branches.

The snow on both sides of the tree trunk was also covered with bloodstains, but there was nothing behind the trunk.

"Oh~ there was an unlucky guy who was punched into a bloody mist and hanged himself on a tree..."

Zhao Wumian's tone was filled with an inexplicable smile, "He is here too."

"Him?" Xiao Lengyue looked at him blankly. "Who?"

"A friend from the martial arts world... I know him, but he has never shown his martial arts skills in front of me."

"Huh? Another group of bad friends you made?"

Xiao Lengyue became even more confused, but then he saw a jar of wine hanging on the branch of the fir tree.

The branch covered in blood and full of internal organs actually had wine hanging on it?
The more you look at it, the more evil it seems.

There was no blood on the wine jar, which obviously showed that it was hung there after someone was killed, but the flower mark moved Xiao Lengyue slightly.

"Tinglan wine?"

Zhao Wumian hooked the thin string of the wine jar with his scabbard, took out the Tinglan wine, and weighed a little.

"He has already drunk half of the wine... or to put it another way, he left half for me."

"Left it for you?"

"Not bad, he knew I would come, and he wasn't intercepted by Mo Jingxue, so he was lucky."

Zhao Wumian rode his horse forward, then threw the wine jar lightly, raised his hand to hold the mouth of the jar in mid-air, and raised his head to drink the wine.

After taking a few sips, he looked at Xiao Lengyue, "Auntie, do you want to drink? It's freezing in the snow, drink some to warm yourself up."

"Who knows if your friend drinks from his mouth... I won't drink it, it's dirty."

Zhao Wumian had no choice but to solve the problem by himself. He then threw the jar of wine behind him, lightly pinched the horse's belly, and continued to ride the horse.

The wine jar was pressed into the accumulated snow and was buried by it in a short while.

The two men seemed to be walking and stopping, but in fact they did not delay for long. As they were riding their horses at a gallop, a cold wind whistled past in the distance, bringing with it a thunderous muffled sound that shook the earth.

The two of them looked at each other with a slightly stiff expression.

"This kind of noise must be caused by a fight between martial masters..."

"go!"

The two men ran away upon hearing the sound.

Whoosh————

The wind came again and the snow was still falling.

Amidst the layers of snow, the swordsman in white held the scabbard in his hand and looked at the wanderer opposite him. The fox fur coat he had originally draped around his waist had been turned into shatters by the boundless sword force.

Mo Jingxue's black cloak fluttered, and he held a knife at his side, but there was no sign of Wen Wuzheng beside him.

The two men stood opposite each other, their momentum rising steadily, like a crouching tiger encountering a mountain dragon. Once they met, it would be a foolish dream to expect them to get along well with each other.

There were traces of battle between them, and it was obvious that they had exchanged several moves.

Mo Jingxue glanced at the Wuxiang Emperor's unsheathed sword and smiled.

"It seems that the fastest swordsman in the martial arts world is not Chu Ruzhou or Zhao Wumian, but you."

Wu Xiang Huang raised his eyebrows slightly, "I haven't even used a sword before, and you say I'm the fastest swordsman in the martial arts world?"

"I have also heard of the great name of Wuxiang Emperor... You will only draw your sword when you are sure of a hit, so once you draw your sword, it will definitely cost a life."

Wu Xiang Huang didn't care about Mo Jing Xue's boasting, and just whispered: "Where is the Sheath of Seclusion?"

"Who knows? It could be with me, it could be taken by Wen Wuzheng, or it could be taken away by Abbot Dongwen... Emperor Wuxiang, why don't you make a guess?"

Wuxiang Emperor frowned but smiled slightly.

"It seems that the only way to find out the whereabouts of Jiu Zhong is to beat you down."

"You came here to kill Zhao Wumian, but you wasted all your energy on me. Aren't you afraid that while the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole is behind?" Mo Jingxue stroked the hilt of the knife and asked softly.

Wu Xiang Huang said: "To kill you, I only need one sword. To kill Zhao Wumian, I also need one sword. Why waste your energy?"

Among all the martial arts masters, Mo Jingxue was obviously the one with a good temper. Hearing this, he was not annoyed. Just as he was about to speak, his ears moved slightly and he heard the sound of horses galloping towards this place.

He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly sheathed the knife.

"I don't like people who are crazier than me, so I'll vote for Marquis Weiming for the title of the fastest swordsman in the martial arts world. As for you, at least get past the Marquis first before you can talk about the fastest swordsman!"

Mo Jingxue laughed loudly towards the sky, pulled his cloak, and flew away.

Wuxiang Emperor was about to chase after him, but he felt something in his heart and looked into the distance.

Ta-da, ta-da————

The snow was so heavy and layered that the field of vision was limited, but the people coming did not conceal the sound of their horses' hooves, which grew louder and louder like thunder in a plain, as they drew closer.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves stopped, and the snowy field seemed to fall into an eerie silence.

rustle----

Until a faint sound of footsteps was heard, and a figure slowly appeared in the snow.

One man, one sword, wearing a green shirt and fox fur, he looks elegant and noble.

(End of this chapter)