Boom!
Yuwen Huaji blocked Xu Ziling's strike with his left fist, his face flushing slightly. At the same time, a faint heat emanated from his left hand, while his right hand radiated a chilling cold. At this moment, Yuwen Huaji experienced the sensation of being caught between fire and ice.
"Yuwen Huaji, you probably never imagined you'd end up like this, did you?"
After Fu Junyu died saving them, Yuwen Huaji had become their sworn enemy. However, even the Twin Dragons hadn't expected this day to come so soon.
"Hmph."
Yuwen Huaji ignored Kou Zhong's words, letting out a cold snort. He unleashed the full power of his family's Ice Profound Energy, engaging the Twin Dragons in combat. After several exchanges, the three of them leaped onto the roof of the palace hall, with the Twin Dragons flanking Yuwen Huagi from both sides.
Boom!
Facing the Twin Dragons' combined assault, Yuwen Huagi took a direct hit from Xu Ziling's fiery punch, crashing through the palace roof and falling into the hall below. This sudden turn of events left the Twin Dragons momentarily stunned. Until now, Yuwen Huaji's attitude had suggested he would fight to the death, not flee.
As a cunning strategist, dying here would be the best outcome for Yuwen Huaji, at least preserving his final dignity.
"Over there!"
However, even if Yuwen Huaji wanted to escape, the Twin Dragons wouldn't let him. Xu Ziling, with his keen spiritual senses, immediately detected Yuwen Huaji's location. The two didn't enter the hall but instead rushed toward the rear palace. Yuwen Huaji, after falling into the hall, quickly emerged from another direction and sprinted toward the rear palace.
The Twin Dragons spotted him and immediately gave chase.
"What is this place?"
The Twin Dragons followed Yuwen Huaji to a small, secluded courtyard in the rear palace. They had initially intended to catch up to Yuwen Huaji and kill him, but upon seeing the scene inside the open room ahead, their steps involuntarily slowed.
What appeared before their eyes was Yuwen Huaji embracing a elegantly dressed, graceful woman. Although they could only see their backs, the Twin Dragons could sense the deep affection between the two. The reason for Yuwen Huaji's earlier escape became clear—he had come to see this woman one last time.
The sight of Yuwen Huaji displaying such tenderness left the Twin Dragons exchanging bewildered glances. However, this did not diminish their resolve to avenge Fu Junyu. At this moment, nothing could deter their determination for revenge.
"Yuwen Huaji, come out and face your death!" The Twin Dragons arrived at the room's entrance, and Kou Zhong called out in a low voice. The Twin Dragons' principles dictated that they would never harm the innocent, even if the person was Yuwen Huaji's consort. By now, the Twin Dragons had realized who the woman was—Wei Zhenzhen, whom Hou Xuan had mentioned earlier.
"Xiao Zhong, Xiao Ling, it's been a long time. You've grown up."
Seeing that Yuwen Huaji inside the room showed no reaction, Kou Zhong, gripping his Moon in the Well, was about to step inside when the woman nestled against Yuwen Huaji turned her head and smiled at them.
"Zhen Sao!"
Seeing the woman's face, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling exclaimed in unison. They never expected that Yuwen Huaji's beloved consort, Zhen Fei, was none other than Wei Zhenzhen, the woman who had cared for them since childhood. In an instant, their killing intent vanished, and they exchanged bewildered looks.
At this moment, their minds were in turmoil, unsure how to handle the situation. From the surroundings and Wei Zhenzhen's slightly swollen belly, it was clear that she and Yuwen Huaji were deeply in love. Despite their earlier determination to kill Yuwen Huaji, they couldn't bring themselves to do so in front of Wei Zhenzhen.
At this moment, the Twin Dragons would have preferred to face the three grandmasters in battle rather than deal with this dilemma.
"I take full responsibility for my actions. In this life, having met you, Yuwen Huaji, I have no regrets. Let's settle our matters outside. However, before that, I, Yuwen Huaji, have never begged anyone in my life. But now, I ask that after my death, you take good care of Zhen Fei." Yuwen Huaji stood up, his face pale. Xu Ziling's earlier punch and his desperate rush to get here had left him severely injured.
As he spoke, Yuwen Huaji prepared to walk outside.
"No, Your Majesty. Meeting you has been the greatest honor of my life. If we must die, I will die with you. Xiao Zhong, Xiao Ling, I hope you can grant us this wish."
Wei Zhenzhen grabbed Yuwen Huaji's sleeve, her expression calm as she looked at Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling. Her serene demeanor, as if she had already accepted her fate, filled the Twin Dragons with an indescribable sense of sorrow.
The Twin Dragons had always held deep respect and gratitude for Wei Zhenzhen. This bond was something even Fu Junyu couldn't compare to.
To be precise, Wei Zhenzhen was the first person to show kindness to the Twin Dragons. In fact, without Wei Zhenzhen, there might not have been the Twin Dragons as they were today.
Orphans from a young age, the Twin Dragons had met Wei Zhenzhen early in their lives. It was through her occasional help that they had survived.
The Twin Dragons were deeply sentimental. In their eyes, status and position were secondary. For example, after recognizing Su Su as their elder sister, the Twin Dragons treated her with great affection.
In contrast, Li Shimin, who claimed to value talent and humility, was actually quite selective. When he first met the Twin Dragons, he hadn't thought much of them. It was only after they gained fame that his attitude changed.
This was precisely why Daniel held the Twin Dragons in such high regard. He had encountered many protagonists, but only the Twin Dragons received his multifaceted care. This was natural, as when choosing friends, one would naturally prioritize those who valued loyalty and righteousness. No one would choose someone like Blackbeard, who harbored ulterior motives.
However, precisely because they valued emotions so deeply, the Twin Dragons were now in a state of confusion, unsure how to proceed. After finally reuniting with Wei Zhenzhen, they naturally didn't want her to die, especially since she was pregnant. This made it difficult for them to kill Yuwen Huaji. But if they didn't kill him, how could they justify it to Fu Junyu's memory?
"Please grant us this wish."
Seeing Wei Zhenzhen's resolute expression, Yuwen Huaji sighed softly. For Yuwen Huaji, he naturally didn't want Wei Zhenzhen to die. With the Twin Dragons present, Wei Zhenzhen would be safe. However, after spending so much time together, Yuwen Huaji understood Wei Zhenzhen's personality well. Once she made up her mind, he couldn't stop her.
"Wait a moment."
"Zhen Sao."
Kou Zhong gestured for them to pause, wanting time to think. However, before he could finish speaking, Xu Ziling's expression changed, and he rushed to Wei Zhenzhen's side, placing his right palm against her back. At this moment, black blood seeped from the corner of Wei Zhenzhen's mouth—it seemed she had taken poison.
"Kou Zhong, the medicine!"
"Medicine, got it!"
Xu Ziling, with his palm still on Wei Zhenzhen's back, suddenly called out to Kou Zhong, who immediately understood and retrieved a pill from his pouch, feeding it to Wei Zhenzhen.
Although the Longevity Scripture's true energy had restorative and detoxifying effects, Daniel had given the Twin Dragons various items, including talismans, healing pills, and antidotes.
After taking the pill, Wei Zhenzhen's faint breathing gradually stabilized, and her pale complexion regained some color. This sight made Kou Zhong breathe a sigh of relief. Whether or not to kill Yuwen Huaji could be decided later, but now that they had found Wei Zhenzhen, they couldn't let her die in front of them.
In the original story, Wei Zhenzhen had died in front of the Twin Dragons because they lacked the strength to save her. But now, with the pills Daniel had given them, they managed to save her.
"Ziling?" Seeing Wei Zhenzhen recover, Kou Zhong immediately looked at Xu Ziling, silently asking what they should do next.
"The child. I need to take Zhen Sao to see Brother Daniel immediately, or it'll be too late. Kou Zhong, I'll leave this to you."
However, Xu Ziling didn't respond to Kou Zhong. After retracting his right palm, he immediately picked up Wei Zhenzhen, gave a brief explanation, and then used the Wind God's Leg technique to rush outside.
Although the antidote Daniel had provided was highly effective, it only worked on Wei Zhenzhen. The child in her womb, still in its early stages, had little resistance to the poison.
"Sigh."
Watching Xu Ziling's retreating figure, Kou Zhong was at a loss for words. Now, Xu Ziling had gone to save Wei Zhenzhen, leaving the difficult decision to Kou Zhong. No matter what, Yuwen Huaji was Wei Zhenzhen's husband, and the two seemed deeply in love. Under these circumstances, Kou Zhong couldn't bring himself to kill Yuwen Huaji.
This was different from the original story's Xiang Yushan. In fact, if Xiang Yushan had truly treated Su Su well, the Twin Dragons might not have killed him.
As for Yuwen Huaji, in the end, he had taken his own life after Wei Zhenzhen's suicide.
"Your matter will have to wait."
Kou Zhong no longer had the desire to kill Yuwen Huaji. After briefly addressing Yuwen Huaji, he headed toward the palace's front hall. There were still many matters to attend to.
"Return to Luoyang as quickly as possible."
Carrying Wei Zhenzhen, Xu Ziling swiftly made his way to the rear of the Tang forces' camp, where a Mechanical Vermilion Bird was waiting to take him back to Luoyang. Even with Xu Ziling's mastery of the Wind God's Leg technique, it was impossible to carry Wei Zhenzhen all the way from Xu City to Luoyang. Fortunately, the Tang forces had brought several mechanical beasts on their campaign, allowing Xu Ziling to use the Mechanical Vermilion Bird for the journey.
"Don't worry, both the child and the mother are fine."
In Daniel's residence in Luoyang, after resolving the issue with the child in Wei Zhenzhen's womb, Daniel immediately informed Xu Ziling of the situation. Hearing that both the child and Wei Zhenzhen were safe, Xu Ziling finally relaxed.
"I never expected such an ending."
Seeing Xu Ziling's relief and recalling how he had rushed back, nearly exhausting his true energy, Daniel was somewhat surprised. From Xu Ziling's attitude toward Wei Zhenzhen, it seemed that the Twin Dragons might have to let go of their hatred for Fu Junyu.
However, Daniel was quite satisfied with this outcome. Wei Zhenzhen was undoubtedly a kind and good person, and such a person shouldn't meet a tragic end.
Wei Zhenzhen's life had been full of misfortune before meeting Yuwen Huaji. Her father was a gambler, her mother had passed away early, and she had been sold as a concubine. The family that bought her had a domineering wife, and Wei Zhenzhen had slightly concealed her beauty while showcasing her exceptional skill at making buns, which allowed her to survive.
In this era, the lives of concubines were often insignificant, and being traded between men was considered a romantic affair among Confucian scholars.
"Emperor Yuwen Huaji and his beloved consort perished in a fire."
Reading the contents of the Tang Daily, Daniel couldn't help but smile. This was his arrangement, though he hadn't actually killed them. Instead, he had allowed them to live incognito in Luoyang.
As for whether Yuwen Huaji lived or died, Daniel didn't care. Since the Twin Dragons could let go of their hatred for Fu Junyu, Daniel naturally didn't mind Yuwen Huaji's former status as an emperor.
After Yuwen Huaji's Wei Kingdom was destroyed, Kou Zhong brought Yuwen Huaji to Luoyang, where he reunited with the recovered Wei Zhenzhen. The four of them seemed to have reached some agreement, and the matter was put to rest.
"Zhen Sao's Bun Shop."
Living incognito in Luoyang, Yuwen Huaji and Wei Zhenzhen opened a bun shop to make a living. Yuwen Huaji had once been wealthy, but now, it was Wei Zhenzhen's culinary skills that supported them.
Wei Zhenzhen's bun-making skills were exceptional, which was why she had been summoned to the imperial palace's kitchens during Emperor Yang's reign.
At this time, even Daniel couldn't have predicted that Zhen Sao's Bun Shop would become a global sensation, a famous chain brand, and one of the world's top 500 companies. Wei Zhenzhen's name would become a model for many businesspeople to learn from. But that was a story for the future.
After Du Fuwei's Jianghuai Army surrendered and Yuwen Huaji's Wei Kingdom was destroyed, the situation in the south quickly stabilized. Previously warring factions like Li Zitong, Shen Faxing, and Lin Shihong immediately consolidated their forces, strengthening their defenses and forming alliances, seemingly preparing for a final stand.
Daniel paid little attention to these three forces. With the south largely unified, they were nothing more than clowns clinging to their last hope. At this moment, Daniel turned his attention to another matter—the emergence of Xi Ying, the Heavenly Lord.
"Heavenly Lord Xi Ying, this guy is truly ignorant and fearless. What a pity."
Upon his return, Xi Ying immediately headed to Chengdu to seek revenge against the Great Stone Temple. However, upon finding the temple gone, he turned his attention to Song Que and challenged him to a duel.
Both Xi Ying, the Heavenly Lord, and Song Que, the Heavenly Sword, shared the character "Heaven" in their titles. When Song Que was young, he had forced Xi Ying to change his title, claiming it violated his taboo. Xi Ying, one of the Eight Great Masters of the Demon Sect, naturally refused. After all, he had a reputation to uphold.
Then Xi Ying learned the cost of that reputation—being pursued by Song Que for nearly a thousand miles, all the way to the deserts beyond the frontier, before barely escaping with his life.
This time, Xi Ying had returned because his Purple Qi Heavenly Net had reached its peak, and he no longer feared Song Que. However, in Daniel's eyes, Xi Ying was nothing more than a joke.
A man who could be defeated by Xu Ziling before he even reached Chang'an dared to challenge Song Que? What else could he be but a joke?
The outcome was predictable. Song Que accepted the challenge and defeated Xi Ying in two moves. This result left many dumbfounded. While most expected Xi Ying to lose, they thought it would take at least several dozen exchanges, not a swift and decisive victory.
"Could someone in the Demon Sect have deliberately set him up?"
Daniel was baffled by Xi Ying's reckless challenge to Song Que. As one of the Eight Great Masters of the Demon Sect, shouldn't he have done some research before issuing the challenge?
(End of Chapter)
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