Chapter 10 Chapter Eight: Purple Sleeves and Chrysanthemums

The people on those black sailboats are still alive. A gunner fainted from fright when he saw the purple light in the sky, but luckily escaped the massacre.It just so happened that the ship he was on was hooked by the remains of another ship and failed to sink completely for a while.After being submerged in sea water just now, the man slowly woke up, heard someone on the Dawei Tianchao, pulled down the ring ring in a daze, and fired a cannon towards this side. A red-clothed cannon blasted out from only a few meters away, the power is beyond ordinary!Tang Xiu'er saw the cannonball spinning through the night sky, making a chirping sound, and it reached the top of the head in an instant.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning pierced the night sky, and an iron arrow rushed from the rear of the Tianchao, and met the shell squarely.I only heard the huge violent sound like thunder cracking in the sky, exploding in the sky above the Dawei Tianchao. When it exploded, the cannonball was pierced by the iron arrow, and it was broken into pieces, falling on the deck, and the iron filings flew, embedded in the wood more than three inches deep.Among the debris in the sky, Tang Xiu'er subconsciously stretched out her hand to block it, only to feel that the speed of the arrow did not slow down at all, it passed by her sleeve, flew into the distant sky, and disappeared in an instant.It took a long time to hear the sound of falling into the water.

Tang Xiu'er stood still and looked at the shrapnel on the ground in horror. This kind of refined steel shell can be pierced by an iron arrow. The strength of this arrow is simply unimaginable. Tang Xiu'er turned around and saw a narrow boat moored in the direction of the arrow. A big man in black on the top stood upright like a javelin, with his hands folded on his chest, and a surprisingly large bow in his arms. This bow is of an ancient style, with dark veins of light on its body, erratic under the moonlight, reflecting the indifferent face of the man in black, as if coated with a layer of dark sand - it can only be the result of the scorching sun and wind and sand. trace.His big hand with protruding knuckles was gently caressing the nine red gemstones on the back of the bow.

Zhuo Wangsun bowed his hands to the man and said with a smile: "Unexpectedly, Mr. Houyi Shengong Zhuang also came. There are still two vacant rooms on Yu's boat, which is just right." Everyone was horrified, could it be that that person is Zhuang Yi who is known as the best arrow in the world? It is said that this person has no relatives or friends, wandering around the world, but he has become obsessed with archery.When he was ten years old, he begged all the way to Mongolia, shot wolves on the grassland to eat, dug the ground to sleep, and waited for three full months before he got the opportunity to compete with the Mongolian Khan.The two competed for seven days and seven nights, each shooting two thousand elks, and there was no winner.However, although this person is skilled in archery, his actions are extremely vicious, and he never leaves anyone alive under his arrows.When he was young, he even killed his wife and children in order to learn archery from a teacher.So when it comes to his character, many people in the world don't think so.

But everyone is afraid of the bow in his hand.According to him, that Houyi Divine Bow is really an ancient divine object, it is all made of black gold, and it weighs a thousand catties.And the nine gems inlaid on it are the nine suns that Hou Yi shot down.Although few people in Jianghu are willing to believe that this legend is true, and they often scoff at him behind his back, saying that he is playing tricks, but when he mentions that bow, he can't help but help him tell the legend again.What's more, he was indeed standing on a boat with undulating leaves just now, and he shot down a whirling cannonball with his arrow.A person with such archery skills, no matter what kind of legend he tells, no one would dare to think it is absurd.

Zhuang Yi held the bow, nodded to Zhuo Wangsun, and regarded it as a return of the gift: "Yes, Zhuang is indeed going to sea for something, and wants to borrow this son's boat, but it's not now." He stamped his feet, Flying towards the wrecked ship that fired the gun, he came to the front, raised his hand lightly, and lifted the person who fired the gun up by the waist.The man was tall and tall, but Zhuang Yi held him in his hands, but he was like a scarecrow that had been hollowed out, and he had no strength to resist. Holding the bow in one hand and the man in the other, Zhuang Yi stepped back on the small boat and said, "Zhuang is on official business now, so he must bring this remnant of Japanese pirates back to the county government office. Zhuang will come back tomorrow morning when the sun rises." I will swim with you all on the sea." Before the words finished, the boat had retreated far away, and in a moment, there was only a black spot in the full moon.

The huge sea was as silent as before, only the waves were slightly turbulent.Everything seems to have never happened. Xie Shan shook his head and said, "It's incredible that someone like Zhuang Yi is willing to work for the Liujiagang County Government." Ao Guang helped his crutches, and said with a smile: "I think this is just an introduction to doing things for the county government." Xie Shan said: "Introduction, what introduction?" After finishing speaking, he glanced at Ao Guang vigilantly. Ao Guang said with a smile: "Young Master Xie, don't be nervous. This time, let's just talk about it. If there is any good business next time, Mr. Xie will just take care of the old man."

Xie Shan blushed and said, "I need to ask seniors more." Ao Guang said: "Don't dare, the old man thinks that Zhuang Yi works for the county government just to lure him onto this boat." Xie Shan said: "Could it be that he got on this ship for another purpose?" Ao Guang said with a smile: "I'm afraid that the people on this ship have other goals, isn't Mr. Xie?" Xie Shan's face was slightly embarrassed: "My cousin and I are just trying to track down the whereabouts of the pirates, do justice for the heavens, and talk about our duty as a chivalrous man."

Ao Guang glanced at him, and said with a smile: "Perhaps Mr. Zhuang's purpose is nothing more than that. It's just that the mighty Liujiagang pirates were wiped out by that young master Yan with a single move. It has hindered the elegant spirit of the two chivalrous men." Tang Xiu'er suddenly said in shock: "Eradicate it completely? Could it be that the people on the black sailboat just now were Japanese pirates?" Ao Guang sighed: "Except for the Japanese pirates in Liujiagang, even the Daming Navy may not have such a neat and sturdy warship, and it can't dispatch more than a dozen red cannons at a time. In other words, those strongmen deserve what they deserve. No wonder that Young Master Xiao Yan shot so cruelly." He suddenly remembered something, and asked again: "But this Young Master Yan's martial arts are indeed extremely strange, Leader Yang, I wonder what you can see from his martial arts?"

Yang Yizhi didn't seem to want to talk to him, he just said lightly: "No." Ao Guang said with a smile: "To be presumptuous, if I say that Young Master Yan's martial arts are not inferior to the leader, will the leader think so?" Yang Yizhi sighed: "I'm afraid it's hard to say that he is inferior to anyone." Bu Xiaoluan broke free from Acacia's embrace at some point, and asked: "The elder brother you mentioned is so beautiful, who is he?" Ao Guangdao: "Miss Xiaoluan, what do you think?" Bu Xiaoluan blushed: "Me? I don't know, but..." She turned her head and pulled Xiangsi's sleeve: "However, I can ask my sister to help me guess, she also watched it with me just now That brother has been around for a long time, maybe he will know."

Xiangsi blushed slightly, glanced at Zhuo Wangsun, and said, "I..." Zhuo Wangsun smiled and said, "You just need to tell what you think." Xiangsi said in a low voice: "Yes... this young man is from Dongpu, he must be a nobleman with a prominent family background from his temperament and demeanor, and his appearance and martial arts are all rare in the world. There should be only one such person in Japan. But..." Xiangsi frowned slightly, and said: "Although it is a bit unbelievable, I can only think that he inherited the family business at the age of fourteen, and became an official at the age of sixteen. The young master of the Owari Kingdom, Oda Nobunaga." Everyone was startled when they heard the words, Tang Xiu'er couldn't help laughing out loud. "I also ask Miss Tang for advice." Xiangsi said softly. Tang Xiu'er said seriously: "Oda Nobunaga's great cause of unification has not yet been completed, and the war is entangled. Why did you go to the Central Plains, and why are you still here to fight against the Japanese pirates? The girl said that, I'm afraid she hasn't woken up yet?" Acacia smiled mockingly, but did not answer, Fang Tiansui interjected loudly: "Miss Tang is deceiving people too much, Japan has been coveting our territory for a long time, and in the past ten years, it has even been rumored that the imperial family and the shogunate , colluding together, set up a trick, the plot is not small, maybe Oda came under a pseudonym this time, it is precisely for this huge conspiracy." Tang Xiu'er sneered and said: "Oda Nobunaga was a young man, he acted deviantly, he believed in heaven and earth, and he was the only one. When he really met the Buddha and destroyed the Buddha, he saw the gods and killed the gods. But the eyes of the man just now were full of melancholy and compassion, as if he was acting Can't bear it, but can't back down from the matter, definitely not the attitude of the Six Heavens Demon King." Fang Tian said: "I think that when you are as cunning as Zhitian, you can restrain your emotions, anger, sorrow, and happiness, and a little look doesn't explain anything. If Miss Tang thinks he is not Zhitian, what other good ideas do you have?" Tang Xiu'er said: "Don't tell me Mr. Fang thinks that the few words of nonsense that he agrees with can be regarded as some good ideas?" Ao Guang smiled all over his face, and interrupted: "The two of you must not argue over such a trivial matter. It will not do any good, and it will also hurt peace...Young Master Yu, what do you think?" Zhuo Wangsun said: "Have you ever paid attention to his clothes?" Ao Guang said thoughtfully, "It's as light as spiritual wind, colder than black ice, it's definitely not an ordinary material." Zhuo Wangsun smiled and said, "Where's the embroidery on the corner of the clothes?" Everyone suddenly remembered that on his lavender robe, there was a cluster of nine-petal chrysanthemum patterns embroidered with silver silk thread. The nine-petal chrysanthemum pattern is a special pattern for blood relatives of the Japanese royal family. Zhuo Wangsun didn't seem to care about everyone's surprise, and said, "This young master Yan is the fourteenth son of Emperor Go Nara, Prince Xinming." Ao Guang said in surprise: "Prince Xinming? Could it be that the fourteenth prince who was killed by several jealous concubines at birth?" The birth of the fourteenth prince was a story twenty-three years ago, but now that it is mentioned, everyone in the Central Plains martial arts is also familiar with it.Emperor Go Nara was weak and powerless all his life. Since the death of Empress Nara, he has not established a queen, but at the age of forty, he fell in love with the adopted daughter of Gohara Nobutada, the governor of the four right guards, and wanted to succeed him.The origin of the adopted daughter is unknown, and it is said that she was originally from China.At that time, there were many opponents in the royal family, and the queen mother even threatened her with a hunger strike.Unexpectedly, Emperor Go Nara, who had been cautious all his life, resisted all opinions and finally set up Gohara Hime.Wuyuan Ji was born in a very prestigious family, and she was also weak and sick. Therefore, it was widely rumored in the palace that she deceived the emperor by relying on sorcery.Wuyuan Ji was heartbroken when she found out, and stayed behind closed doors all day long.Later, Emperor Nara simply set up another courtyard and let Wuyuan Ji live alone in it, without being disturbed by outsiders.A year later, Wu Yuanji was pregnant, and she was always afraid of being plotted by others. After a year of fear, she died of dystocia during childbirth. In fact, everyone knows that the so-called death due to dystocia was actually caused by several powerful concubines in the palace.Poor Empress Wuyuan didn't even leave her bones, and she was slandered as taking on the shape of a monster and fleeing through the air.Fortunately, the little prince was saved by several court ladies who sacrificed their lives. Emperor Empress Nara was sad, but he had no choice but to go to visit the little prince secretly because his relatives were powerful.The little prince had a strange fragrance all over his body, and lay quietly in the swaddle without crying, and only opened his eyes when the emperor arrived.It is said that the emperor was fascinated by the little prince's eyes at that time, and immediately canonized the little prince as Prince Xinming, brought him back to the palace, sent heavy soldiers to guard him day and night, and declared that the world wanted to make him the prince. However, on the day when the imperial edict was issued, the fourteenth prince mysteriously disappeared from the layers of imperial confinement. Emperor Nara was so heartbroken that he sent people everywhere to press for the whereabouts of the prince. Of course, the other concubines denied it.He offered a huge reward throughout the country, but there was still no news of the little prince.Since then, Emperor Nara has been depressed and locked himself in the other courtyard of Wuyuan Ji. He neither saw the concubines nor the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty.The big names from all over the country were originally dissatisfied with the rule of the royal family, and they became more rampant in the past two decades, attacking each other, and the whole country has fallen into a chaotic war. ...with a strange fragrance all over his body, and a pair of eyes that turn everything upside down, in all of this, Xiaoyan seems to be very similar to that Prince Xinming, but... Ao Guang's whole body trembled violently, and his voice changed a bit: "Prince Xinming has been dead for twenty-three years, unless..." He stopped suddenly. Thinking of that young man's weird body skills, monster-like martial arts, and bloodless face, everyone's spine felt a chill, and he couldn't help but blurt out a word—unless he was not human at all. Zhuo Wangsun looked at the expressions of everyone, and said slowly: "He didn't come from the world." Not from the world!Everyone's hearts were hit hard. Could it be that what they saw just now was really the phantom left by the resentful soul in time twenty-three years ago? Tang Xiu'er bit her lip and said in a trembling voice, "Yu Qingyang, don't pretend to be a ghost. Didn't he come from the world or the underworld?" Zhuo Wangsun said solemnly: "It is from the underworld." Nether is not really the underworld, but a legendary island, Nether Island. However, after hearing these two words, everyone's expressions were more solemn than before. Legend has it that Nether Island in the East China Sea is the pinnacle of femininity in martial arts in the world.Extreme means that its weirdness has reached the point of unimaginable.It is said that if you fight against them, no matter how high your internal strength is or how good your swordsmanship is, you will die tragically inexplicably in the end.Because that was obviously using his own flesh and blood and the soul-spirit messenger to fight for his life-that is to say, there was no chance of winning, and he would definitely die. Therefore, everyone would rather regard Nether Island as a legend from hell, and would rather believe that the martial arts of Nether Island are not owned by humans. Although the heirs of Nether Island have traveled east to China several times to participate in the competition of the martial arts conference, and once defeated the heroes and won the championship, most people still firmly believe that the people on Nether Island rely on black magic, not magic. A very high martial art. Only a small number of people regard it as Penglai Xiandao and want to study there.But this island is hidden among the blue waves, and it is very small and hard to find. Those who crossed away by force never returned. In recent decades, no one dared to care about it.Some people also say that this island originally came from the underworld, and it will not appear on the surface of the sea until the hell is opened. Some people say that Nether Island was buried in the seabed forever with the eruption of a volcano a hundred years ago, and so on. .The only thing that can be proved is that the disciples of Nether Island appeared in the world a hundred years ago, and now there are only legends in the world. However, this prince who has been dead for 23 years is actually the descendant of Nether Island. Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, with expressions of absolute disbelief on their faces. Tang Xiu'er suddenly said to Zhuo Wangsun: "He hasn't appeared in the world for twenty years, how do you know?" Zhuo Wangsun said: "A certain generation of Yu's master once fought against the master of Nether Island at that time, and his internal strength is exactly the same as that of this young master Yan." Tang Xiu'er sneered and said, "None of the people who fought against Nether Island survived. Could it be that your master told you in a dream?" Before she finished speaking, Xiangsi yelled softly: "Presumptuous!" Tang Xiu'er glared at Acacia, and suddenly laughed out loud: "You say I'm presumptuous? I'm used to presumptuousness. Could it be that you want to discipline me today?" The sleeves drooped, and the counting points were already held between her fingers. And under the moonlight, Xiangsi Qinglijuechen's face didn't even have a trace of anger.She stood quietly, only the slender fingers under the red sleeves moved intentionally or unintentionally. The moonlight was like a huge piece of ice, pressing down heavily, and everyone backed away involuntarily. At this time, Zhuo Wangsun walked over as if nothing had happened, pulled Bu Xiaoluan, and said with a smile: "It's windy at night, you have to go back to sleep." Say yes.The three of them didn't look at everyone again, and went straight to the deck. Tang Xiu'er's face was heavy, and she didn't chase after her. Suddenly there was a gurgling sound on the surface of the water, and everyone was startled, only to see that the last piece of the ship's remains sank into the water.After rippling for a while, the water finally calmed down, showing a deep black color, like a pool of frozen blood. The boy's pitiful eyes and the images of him cutting off dozens of heads with his hands seemed to be alternately reflected in the water. An inexplicable fear and anxiety spread in everyone's heart. Even if he is the owner of Nether Island, how did he stand several feet away and take away dozens of people's heads with his hands? Where did Zishiji and those Japanese pirates get the horrible wounds on their necks? What is the purpose of his traveling thousands of miles across the Middle Earth? Everyone's faces dimmed together with the moonlight, and the sea breeze in the distance whimpered like a baby crying at night, which sounded very sad and empty.