Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 134 Which General Xu

Chen Lei stood up, but didn't move.

Helian Quan sneered, took out a silver whistle from his pocket, and blew it forcefully.

The whistle was sharp and piercing, like a needle pricking the ear, or like a call from the abyss, carrying a seductive power.

Chen Lei's body trembled violently.

As if whipped by an invisible lash, his back stiffened and his hands trembled violently.

He slowly raised his head, his usually gentle face filled with pain—his brows furrowed, his jaw clenched, and veins bulging on his forehead, as if he were desperately resisting something.

"Brother Chen?" Ye Qingying's voice was full of disbelief, but even more so, worry.

A moment of clarity flashed in Chen Lei's eyes.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the whistle rose another notch, and his gaze quickly dimmed, like a lamp blown out by the wind.

He slowly drew his sword, the tip pointing at Tuoba Feng.

"I'm sorry." The voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible, as if it were squeezed out from the deepest part of the throat, from the bottom of the consciousness, and every word was filled with endless struggle and pain.

His swordsmanship remained steady and skillful, the tip of his sword drawing exquisite arcs in the air, only a few degrees slower than usual.

Tuoba Feng did not retaliate, but only parried and dodged.

He didn't want to fight Chen Lei, but Chen Lei's sword was getting faster and more ruthless, as if he was trying to drive Tuoba Feng to the brink of despair.

Ye Qingying wanted to go up and help, but she was held back by several guards and had to be wary of Helian Jun's crossbow bolts, so she was unable to do anything.

She could only watch helplessly as Tuoba Feng struggled against Chen Lei's sword, facing imminent danger.

The situation has taken a turn for the worse.

"Stop it, all of you!"

Just then, a voice came from the entrance of the hall, instantly silencing the noise in the room.

The fighting stopped abruptly, and everyone's eyes turned to the direction.

Jiang Xun was already standing at the door at some point, one hand gripping Helian Jun's shoulder, the other holding a sword, the blade firmly pressed against his throat, leaving a shallow white mark.

Helian Jun's face turned bright red, the veins on his neck bulged, his crossbow had long since fallen to the ground, and his legs were so weak that he could barely stand.

"Jiang Xun?" Ye Qingying was both surprised and delighted. She hadn't seen when Jiang Xun appeared or how he subdued Helian Jun.

Jiang Xun winked at her, then looked at Helian Quan, his tone slightly nonchalant: "Helian Quan, tell your men to stop. I'm a coward, my hands shake when I'm scared, what if I accidentally hurt the young city lord's neck—"

"Stop!" Helian Quan shouted sternly, staring intently at Jiang Xun. "Let him go!"

"Lord, don't be anxious." Jiang Xun's sword lightly grazed Helian Jun's neck, leaving a shallow bloodstain.

"I have a few words to say." He pulled a roll of parchment from his pocket, waved it in his hand, and said, "The city lord should recognize what this is."

Helian Quan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Treasure map.

The treasure map of Tianji Pavilion.

"Where did you come from—"

"It was a gift from Helian Bo," Jiang Xun said with a grin. "Senior Helian has already reached an agreement with Dayong and Dahan. As long as the city lord surrenders, Helian Jun will become the next city lord of Shuofeng City."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Helian Quan stared at the scroll of treasure map, his expression changing several times.

He knew better than anyone that his brother never parted with this thing, and no one could get it unless he handed it over voluntarily.

Helian Bo sold him.

The thought was like a bucket of cold water poured over him, leaving him feeling icy cold all over.

He stood there, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

His hand rested on the hilt of the knife, his knuckles turning white, but he hesitated to pull it out.

Just then, several muffled thuds came from afar.

It wasn't thunder, it was the sound of horses' hooves.

A dull rumble came from outside the city, growing louder and closer, shaking the ground slightly and even causing the wine glasses on the table to sway gently.

The border troops of Dayong and Dahan have entered the city.

"Lord Helian," Xiao Rui knew the time had come and spoke decisively, "the situation is hopeless. Don't let your men die in vain."

Helian Quan stood there, motionless, his face ashen.

After a while, he slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"That's enough."

He drew the short knife from his waist.

The blade flashed, so fast that no one had time to react.

Blood gushed from his chest, instantly staining his dark brocade robe crimson.

Helian Quan fell to the ground with a dull thud.

His eyes were still open, staring at the dome above him, his pupils gradually dilating, his eyes filled with resentment.

A once-powerful figure met his end.

The hall was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Jiang Xun released Helian Jun and took a step back.

Helian Jun staggered to his father's side, his knees buckled, and he knelt down.

He was trembling all over, his eyes were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, but he bit his lip tightly and didn't cry out.

He reached out and gently closed his father's eyes, his fingertips lingering on his father's face for a moment.

Then he stood up and threw the sword in his hand on the ground.

"Clang—"

The sound of the sword hitting the ground was particularly jarring in the silent hall.

The other guards looked at each other, then put down their weapons, lowered their heads, and remained silent.

Xiao Rui sheathed his sword and let out a long breath.

He glanced at Jiang Xun, his expression somewhat complicated.

It became.

The matter of Shuofeng City was resolved without bloodshed.

He originally planned to wait for his uncle's border troops to launch a strong attack, but that would inevitably lead to a bloody battle and might also provoke a counterattack from Dayong.

Jiang Xun's method—first turning Helian Bo to defect, then coordinating from within and without—was risky, but surprisingly effective.

In this way, his status in the Xiao family can rise another step.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jiang Xun squatting next to Chen Lei, supporting him along with Ye Qingying.

Chen Lei's face was frighteningly pale, and his eyes were sometimes clear and sometimes blurry, as if he was struggling with something.

Xiao Rui walked over and stood in front of Jiang Xun.

"Jiang Xun".

Jiang Xun looked up: "Hmm?"

"You just said, 'Helian Bo has reached an agreement with Da Yong and Da Han to guarantee Helian Jun's position as the city lord of Shuofeng City.'" Xiao Rui stared at him. "How come I didn't know about this?"

Jiang Xun paused for a moment, then smiled.

That smile carried a hint of roguishness and a touch of cunning.

"I was just talking nonsense."

"Nonsense?" Xiao Rui frowned for a moment, but quickly relaxed.

fair enough.

In fact, his earlier statement that the border troops of Dayong and Dahan had arrived was also meant to scare Helian Quan.

But his uncle, Xiao Yidong, did indeed have a plan to launch a surprise attack on Shuofeng City.

As long as Uncle's iron cavalry arrives first, Shuofeng City will belong to Da Han.

Moreover, Da Han has irrefutable evidence that Helian Quan has been raising a private army, so even if they send troops to seize it, Da Yong will have no grounds for complaint.

As for agreeing to let Helian Jun continue to be the city lord, that was all Jiang Xun's idle talk and had nothing to do with Da Han.

Just then, Lu Zhong rushed in from outside.

He was still wearing armor, had a bloodstain on his face that hadn't dried, and his clothes were torn in several places, clearly indicating that he had just been in a tough battle.

He strode up to Xiao Rui, bowed respectfully, and panted, "Young Master! General Xiao's troops have arrived!"

Xiao Rui's eyes lit up: "Quick, take me there!"

Lu Zhong didn't move, hesitating for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Rui frowned.

"General Xiao..." Lu Zhong swallowed hard, lowering his voice, "He arrived at the same time as General Xu."

"Which General Xu?"

"Xu Zhe, the garrison commander of Tiebei Pass in Dayong."