#977 - Clouds cover the sun and swallows return to their nests (V)
“Your Majesty! Let's go!!”
Meridian Gate, atop the city wall.
Heads crowded together, the glint of unsheathed blades a dense thicket.
Below the city wall, layers upon layers of stern-faced Imperial Guards stood ready, while on the wall, a dozen or so experts in varied attire blocked Jing Guoqing's path.
An old eunuch knelt prostrate at the latter's feet, his voice hurried and beseeching:
“Your Majesty! The rebel army is approaching, you absolutely cannot take even the slightest risk right now!”
“That Wei Yanluo has openly appeared here, intending to use the people in this city to hold you back! You must not fall into his trap!”
“Your Majesty! Heed this old servant's advice! Let's go!!”
“...”
The slightly shrill plea was heartfelt, the old eunuch wailing as he crawled forward to clutch at Jing Guoqing's leg, his expression utterly disheveled and anxious.
In truth, the old eunuch was right.
Most of the people standing on the city wall could see Wei Changtian's true purpose.
After all, if he only intended to assassinate, there was no reason for him to be so “leisurely”.
Therefore, the reason Wei Changtian was in no hurry was undoubtedly to make all the people see his identity clearly, to see how he stepped through the ranks of the army to reach the Meridian Gate.
Obviously, Wei Changtian was not doing this to “show off”.
He wanted to use this to force Jing Guoqing to stay.
One must know that Jing Guoqing's purpose in ascending the Meridian Gate today was to boost morale for the upcoming battle.
But now, as the “rebel leader” appearing alone in the city, if Jing Guoqing was so frightened that he turned tail and ran...
It would be fine if the people didn't know.
But if he made such a cowardly move in full view of the public, one could imagine what the people of Daqian would think.
That their court, their emperor, couldn't even deal with Wei Yanluo alone? That he would flee for his life as soon as the man appeared?
Then what was the point of fighting this battle? What were the chances of winning?
Without a doubt, if Jing Guoqing fled at this moment, no matter how he tried to remedy the situation afterward, it would inevitably cause irreparable damage to the confidence of the million-plus soldiers and civilians in the capital.
This was, of course, something Jing Guoqing could not bear.
But if he didn't escape...
“...”
Staring intently at the figure not far away, surrounded by countless long swords, each step claiming several lives, Jing Guoqing's face was extremely gloomy.
One person.
Wei Changtian was only one person!
His hands clenched tightly in his sleeves, Jing Guoqing remained silent, his heart in turmoil.
He didn't know if Wei Changtian really wanted to kill him, or if he was just bluffing.
After all, both could be justified.
However, one must know that the responses he should take in the face of these two situations were completely different.
If it was the former, then regardless of how damaged the morale of the army and the people was, he would definitely have to escape.
But if it was the latter, if Wei Changtian didn't actually have the ability to kill him, but just wanted to use his fear to perform a “empty fort strategy”...
Ignoring the Imperial Guards who were still dying under the city, and ignoring the old eunuch who was desperately pleading beside him.
Jing Guoqing slowly closed his eyes, the fists in his sleeves also slowly loosening.
As the ruler of a country, he quickly forced himself to calm down, his mind rapidly scanning through all the details.
Then, at a certain moment, Jing Guoqing seemed to have suddenly thought of something, suddenly opening his eyes and taking a step forward amidst tens of thousands of gazes, loudly roaring each word:
“All soldiers, listen to my command!!”
“Whoever kills this thief! Will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold! And be granted the title of a king with a different surname!”
“I will watch from here!”
“And will not retreat half a step!!”
“...”
Like a dragon's roar falling from the sky, like a shot of adrenaline.
When Jing Guoqing shouted these words amidst the desperate wails of the old eunuch and the shocked gazes of countless people, the Imperial Guards besieging Wei Changtian under the city all flushed red in an instant, and a strong sense of fighting spirit surged in their hearts.
But now, since Jing Guoqing had said “I will never retreat half a step”, they were naturally willing to fight to the death for this.
“Kill!!!”
“Long live Your Majesty!!!”
“Kill him!!!”
The roar was several times louder than before, no longer needing officers to supervise the battle, one by one the golden-armored Imperial Guards rushed towards Wei Changtian like madmen, as if they were completely different from before.
The people in the shops along the street also seemed to have suddenly recovered from their fear, and all kinds of cheering sounds such as "Kill the thief" and "Kill him" resounded throughout the capital.
Even many martial artists rushed out of the shops and spontaneously joined the ranks of besieging Wei Changtian.
In an instant, there were more than twice as many people on the street as before, and although the scene was chaotic, it made every Daqian person who witnessed this scene feel their blood boil.
Ever since Wei Changtian arrived in Linchuan, the entire Daqian seemed to have been shrouded in a cloud of gloom.
But now, with Jing Guoqing's words, this haze vanished, replaced only by sincere excitement and joy.
It could be said that since the defeat in the Battle of Xinfeng, the people of Daqian had never been so united as they were today.
At this moment, everyone wished they could dismember Wei Changtian into eight pieces, and anyone with a little cultivation had already run to the street, looking down from the sky like a dense swarm of ants.
But Wei Changtian, who was in the center of the “ant swarm”, did not show any panic because of this, but a slight sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.
He guessed right.
Jing Guoqing really didn't escape.
In fact, before leaving the teahouse, Wei Changtian had already made this judgment.
It wasn't that he knew Jing Guoqing so well, he just felt that the latter must think that he didn't dare to risk a life-and-death struggle.
After all, there was still the matter of the Son of Heaven...
Because he was afraid of being “profited by the fisherman”, so he was just bluffing. Jing Guoqing would definitely make such a judgment, and then believe that his killing was fake and his intention was to attack the heart.
Little did he know that what he wanted to do was “kill first, then attack the heart”.
Humph...
Sneering, the sword formation around him suddenly expanded outwards, instantly changing from a few zhang to more than ten zhang, and the lives taken with each breath also changed from a dozen or so to hundreds.
At the same time, Wei Changtian's pace also gradually began to accelerate, no longer as slow as before.
Since Jing Guoqing had already stated his position, he didn't need to dawdle any longer.
“Boom!!!”
In the next moment, in the dazed gazes of countless people, a ghost-faced crimson serpent tens of zhang long suddenly appeared in the sky above the crowd, casting a huge shadow like a sun-遮天蔽日.
A fishy wind suddenly rose, and Yin Qi swirled around.
As Wei Changtian's current strongest fortune beast, the strength of the candle dragon itself has basically reached the quasi-first rank.
In addition, its gloomy and terrifying appearance instantly gave people a feeling of chilling to the bone as if falling into purgatory.
“This, what is this...”
Like a basin of cold water poured down on their heads, looking at the fierce-looking candle dragon overhead, the blood in the hearts of the people on the street instantly cooled by half.
But Wei Changtian would not stop because they were afraid, and would not have any pity or softheartedness.
He just waved his hand, and the candle dragon dragged its long snake body and crashed into the crowd from the air, instantly smashing countless people into clouds of blood mist and flesh.
“Ah!!!”
“Demon, monster!!!”
Heart-wrenching wails were in a chaotic mess, and there was no half-inch of “pure land” on the long street, and every corner was covered with blood and minced meat.
This scene was undoubtedly extremely bloody.
But Wei Changtian turned a blind eye to everything, and didn't even bother to take a look.
He just waited for the candle dragon to pass by him, then suddenly turned over and jumped on the snake's head, and then opened the way with three thousand long swords, like a true Yama, rushing straight towards the Meridian Gate not far away.
