Chapter 224: The Last Time

"General!"

Inside Pingling, within a luxurious courtyard, countless soldiers clad in armor stood silently all around, guarding this place together.

They were expressionless and meticulous. A cold murderous aura filled the surroundings, giving off a "keep away" vibe. This place did not look like a manor, but rather like an army camp.

Anyone with a bit of insight would know that this was the Pingdu Marquis Mansion, and that the young Northern Frontier general who once amazed the world lived in this manor.

Ordinary folk, and even the unruly martial arts experts of the pugilistic world, would cast looks of awe when passing by here.

At this moment, the courtyard gate was pushed open with a bang. The person who entered had a fierce expression, and when paired with that savage face, it was enough to make anyone who saw it tremble in fear, their legs shaking.

However, upon entering the room, this fierce-looking Deputy General became cautious, as if afraid of disturbing the person inside.

"What is it?"

A lazy voice rang out, and from under the table, a man slowly opened his eyes. This man was unshaven and disheveled, appearing utterly dissolute.

If there were anyone familiar with him, they would certainly recognize that the person before them was the once-renowned Pingdu Marquis Lin Zhao, a far cry from the nearly invincible image in the mouths of outsiders.

No one knew how he had become like this, nor did anyone know how long he had been this way. But everyone who had seen him felt an inexplicable heartache.

At this moment, he was holding a wine pot, lying horizontally beside the table, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.

Beside him, a portrait of a young girl sat quietly, appearing completely out of place with the surrounding clutter.

Although Lin Zhao's eyes were bleary and unfocused from drink, his gaze was indescribably gentle when looking at the portrait.

"General, General Mo Yu of the Xiaoyun Guard has arrived!"

"Mo Yu, why would he come here?" Hearing this name, Lin Zhao's unfocused eyes instantly regained a glimmer of spirit, though it quickly faded away.

"Did he come alone?"

"No!" With his head bowed, the Deputy General's face was filled with seriousness as he said in a deep voice, "The entire Xiaoyun Guard is here too!"

When mentioning the Xiaoyun Guard, the Deputy General's face was indescribably solemn. No one knew better than these soldiers what these three words represented.

These three words represented victory in every battle, represented invincibility, and represented the dream of every soldier. It was the dream of their own, but the nightmare of their enemies!

"The Xiaoyun Guard! Hahaha, the Xiaoyun Guard! It really couldn't be kept hidden!"

With a light laugh, Lin Zhao sat up from the floor, his face devoid of any fear, filled instead with composure.

"Let them in; it has been a long time since I last saw this old friend."

"General, I fear they come with ill intent!"

"I know, but so what? What is meant to come will come eventually!" Smiling and shaking his head, Lin Zhao raised the wine pot in his hand and drained it in one gulp.

"A-Yuan, how many years have you been with me?"

"I have been by the General's side since the General was just a youth; it has been nineteen years now!"

"Nineteen years, has it been that long!" Sighing, Lin Zhao looked up, his squinted eyes fixed on the other man.

"Go, leave as far as you can, and do not come back!"

"General!" With a thud, Gu Siyuan knelt down, his face full of disbelief; he had never imagined that one day, his own General would ask him to leave.

"General, I will not go. I will stay by the General's side, even if there is a mountain of blades and a sea of fire in front of us!"

"A-Yuan, why must you be like this!" Slowly standing up, Lin Zhao looked at him, a faint bitter smile hanging on his face.

"Having been by my side for so long, you must have already guessed it in your heart. That's right, everything was done by me. Now that the Xiaoyun Guard has come to the door, it is enough to prove the point!"

"This time, I cannot escape, do you understand!"

"General! Even if I am smashed to pieces, this subordinate will follow you!" Smashing his head heavily against the ground, Gu Siyuan's muffled and resolute voice rang out, without the slightest hesitation.

"Do you know that this is not just about being smashed to pieces, but also about leaving a bad reputation for ten thousand years. I know my own crimes; a hundred deaths would not be enough to redeem them!"

Slowly walking forward to Gu Siyuan's side, Lin Zhao looked down at him, a flash of bitterness in his eyes as he shook his head slightly.

"Back then we were determined to protect these people, yet now I have done such things; you must be very disappointed, right!"

"General! In this subordinate's eyes, the General is still the same General as before; you must have had some unavoidable hardship!"

"What hardship could there be? It was nothing but selfishness. To kill so many people for my own selfish desires, I should have died long ago, and I have lived long enough!"

"General!" Gu Siyuan kept his head bowed and said nothing. He could hear it; his General was giving his final instructions. This time, the General had no intention of resisting at all, but was seeking death!

Having followed the General for many years, although he was not clear about some things, he actually had his suspicions in his heart.

He did not know what had happened to make his General do this, but he understood that once this matter was exposed, the loyal Lin Family would likely be reviled by everyone.

Now it seemed that this matter was not only true, but even the General himself had no intention of letting himself off.

At this moment, he wanted to ask why. But he opened his mouth, yet still could not say it.

"General, from the day I began following the General, I decided to live and die with you. If the General has any trouble, this subordinate is willing to die with you!"

"A-Yuan, you cannot die!" Placing his hand heavily on the other's shoulder, Lin Zhao squatted down and sighed, "I have one more important task to entrust to you!"

"I am handing the Secret Guard to you; this is the guard force that my Lin Family has cultivated for a hundred years, I am giving it to you!"

Gripping the other's shoulder, Lin Zhao couldn't help but exert a little force, his eyes staring straight at him. "My affairs have already been entrusted to the leader of the Secret Guard; he will help me complete them!"

"Once that matter is completed, the Secret Guard will be under your command from then on, and what I want you to do is something else!"

Looking outside, the garden beyond the courtyard was bare, with only a few flowers growing vigorously. Moreover, these few flowers had not yet bloomed, but were merely buds waiting to open.

However, just looking at the buds outside was enough to see that these flowers were exceptionally vibrant; when they bloomed, they would surely be dazzling.

"Do you see the flowers in the courtyard? I want you to find the people who gave me these flower seeds, kill them, and leave none alive!"

"Also, whoever kills me this time, do not harbor hatred, and do not seek revenge at will. If this person is a villain, I want you to kill him. If this person is a good official, then I want you to pledge your loyalty to him from now on!"

"General!" He looked up, his face full of confusion. Whoever killed the General would be his sworn enemy. To ask him to pledge loyalty to an enemy, he could not do it!

"You don't understand. Even though I have done so many things, no one in the entire imperial court dares to kill me. With the Lin Family's century-old reputation, no one dares to disregard themselves!"

"Whoever dares, either this person is a thorough villain, using any means to climb to the top. Such a person living will inevitably harm the people, so he must die!"

"Or, it proves that he is truly a good official who fears nothing. Such a good official is worthy of your following!"

Patting his shoulder, Lin Zhao seemed to have set down a heavy burden, smiling as he said, "Go, call my old friend over, and then tell the kitchen to prepare a table of wine and food for me!"

"We haven't drunk together in a long time, and this time, I fear it will be the last!"

"General!"