Chapter 615

The heavily armed men surrounding them kept increasing, each holding a sharp weapon, all rushing toward Xiao Yin.

Looking from afar, it was a black mass, their number absolutely dozens of times that of Xiao Yin's side.

At this moment, the civil and military officials led by Bai Xiaosheng were even more panicked; most of those who came today were civil officials who couldn't even truss a chicken, and even the military officers who came were just a solitary few.

They had no troops with them, and it was clear they were about to be swallowed by these people.

Some timid civil officials had already hurriedly stood behind He Wanshan, worried they would be hacked to death by these people.

As more and more people stood on He Wanshan's side, Bai Xiaosheng's face finally changed somewhat.

He Wanshan said it clearly: this time they were here to purge the sovereign's side, to take down Xiao Yin, and had nothing to do with anyone else.

Grudges have a source, debts have a master; it's likely the people of Emperor Longqing's side.

Originally, Xiao Yin's coup in the palace had already made him unpopular, especially among the civil officials who supported the former crown prince, who naturally saw him as a military man and thus bore him no goodwill.

Moreover, Xiao Yin poisoned the crown prince in the palace, imprisoned the emperor, and even brought a fake prince from the populace to act as regent; in their eyes he was a treacherous minister who usurped power, deserving death by all.

More and more people walked toward He Wanshan, and Bai Xiaosheng's forehead instantly beaded with fine sweat; he also realized someone had set up a killing trap for Xiao Yin here.

The surrounding fire grew ever fiercer, almost trapping them all here.

The sole passage out was packed with He Wanshan's people; they were no ordinary civilians, and if his guess was right, someone had been raising a private armed force for years just for this moment.

The sky-reaching firelight, the sound of roof beams collapsing after burning, the cries of battle mingled with a thick stench of blood, incessantly striking Gu Jiu Ling's senses.

She was held tightly in Xiao Yin's arms; the blood of the first rebel troops to rush forward splashed onto her face, and was immediately cleaved in two by Xiao Yin's Dragon Spring Sword.

Xiao Yin's killing intent in his brows and eyes suddenly surged; he violently tore off his own cloak and wrapped it around Gu Jiu Ling's head.

"Don't look! Don't be afraid!"

Those two simple words reached Gu Jiu Ling's ears, and her terrified heart instantly calmed.

She tightly embraced Xiao Yin's waist, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat.

Outside, the fire grew ever fiercer, the scorching stench of burning flesh like a death god's summons, ever-present.

No one understands Xiao Yin better than Gu Jiu Ling—his fear, his loneliness, and the despair that rises from his very heart.

Compared to the carnage at Qi Sha Gu, this scene is far insufficient, yet it still manages to stir Xiao Yin's sensitive nerves.

She knew this person had emerged from the shadow of Qi Sha Gu, having spent seven whole years there; he is actually a man suffering from severe trauma-induced mental illness.

Gu Jiu Ling drew a deep breath, held Xiao Yin tightly, and entrusted him with her entire life and fortune.

She is willing to live and die with him.

"Xiao Yin, don't be afraid, I'm here."

Gu Jiu Ling's words reached Xiao Yin's ears, making his body tremble slightly.

So many people revere him as a god, or else regard him as a demon.

No one knows how terrified he is of fire attacks; he knows who the true mastermind behind the scenes is, and that woman understands him all too well.

He fears not ten thousand troops, but narrow valleys and blazing flames, which remind him of the comrades burned alive.

Their corpses still rot underground, with no one to bury them, for they are deemed guilty of letting foreign invaders in, and thus unworthy of tombstones.

To restore their honor, to be able to bury them properly and let them rest in peace.

Xiao Yin has walked for seven years toward this goal—no, it should be nine years.

He fears nothing, except when facing the fallen soldiers of the Azure Dragon Army, which terrifies him to death.

At this moment, the woman in his arms softly called his name, telling him not to be afraid, and his heart instantly steadied.

Bai Xiaosheng was also frightened by the scene before him.

Although he is a martial artist, his dealings are hardly respectable; facing the current ten-thousand-strong encirclement, Bai Xiaosheng only feels his scalp tingling repeatedly.

In fact, he has already figured out whose people He Wanshan is; aside from the missing master, who else could hate Xiao Yin to the bone?

He was placed in that position by Xiao Yin, but now, facing the onslaught of so many, he suddenly feels a great wavering in his heart.

He Wanshan is right; although Xiao Yin showed him kindness and promoted him to this position.

Yet he too is of royal blood; looking over the entire Southern Qi palace, he is the most suitable candidate—why should he rely on Xiao Yin's favor?

All the rebels clearly target Xiao Yin; it looks like they intend to put him to death.

Bai Xiaosheng slowly retreated a few steps, putting more distance between himself and Xiao Yin, lest he bring disaster upon himself.

Xiao Yin at this moment doesn't care how others are; the Dragon Spring Sword in his hand is like a hellish rope demanding life, and wherever he swings, blood suffuses.

But facing so many alone, even his nearby guards could not hold up, collapsing one after another.

Xiao Yin, having fought thus far, begins to show a bit of fatigue.

Behind him, Bai Xiaosheng's eyes flashed, and he slowly drew a poisoned hidden weapon from his sleeve.

He had just pinched the hidden weapon in his hand when a sharp sound suddenly came from behind.

Chen Ming drew his sword and shouted loudly: "As a young master, I utterly despise you flies and scoundrels."

"If you had followed Prince Rui from the start and stuck with him, now those few desperate men of He Wanshan wouldn't have scared you into this sorry state."

"You who betrayed Prince Rui—though I, the young master, think little of Prince Rui myself, I despise you all even more."

"I've figured it out today; that old thing He Wanshan is no good bird, madam."

Chen Ming turned his face to look at the pale-faced Lin Rujun beside him: "Madam, how have the Lin family been these days? As the Lin family's son-in-law, I haven't uttered a single word of criticism."

"Now I also see that if Prince Rui wanted to harm my elder uncle-in-law, he wouldn't have waited until now."

"Looking at these people before me, they seem more like murderers; but should we kill Prince Rui or these scoundrels? Madam, give me some advice."

Gu Jiu Ling's heart stirred; she knew Lin Rujun hated the people of the Prince Rui's mansion.

If Chen Ming heeds his wife's words on how to deal with Xiao Yin, then Xiao Yin may be in some trouble.

After all, Xiao Yin's dealing with He Wanshan is no matter, but Chen Ming is prone to going berserk and grows braver the more he fights.

Moreover, Chen Ming's martial arts are not weak; though not up to Xiao Yin's level, he is still a rare expert.

If he entangles Xiao Yin, and those surrounding people then join together to encircle them, then today she and Xiao Yin will truly be buried here.

After Cheng Ming finished a phone call, everyone looked at Lin Ru Jun in unison.