Chapter 730: Four Against One

The thirteenth day of the first lunar month.

Only two days remain until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

After a long journey of over ten days, the Gaoyuan Marquis and her party finally arrived in the vicinity of Jingcheng.

The journey of several thousand li from Yunzhou to Jingcheng took twelve days.

At a standard marching pace, this would count as "moving with the speed of a deity," and for a scholar entering the capital by public carriage, this amount of time wouldn't even be enough to cover half the distance. But for a feudal lord's retinue, led by a Sword Hero and with even the minor soldiers being outstanding Knights-Errant, this speed was far, far too slow.

Especially since the Gaoyuan Marquis had covered two-thirds of the distance in five days, and spent eight days on the remaining third.

This was, of course, intentional on her part.

Like those other feudal lords, she had judged that the muddy waters of Jingcheng were difficult to wade through and intended to arrive late. The difference was that she had long since received the report from Wei Se; having received the news five or six days early, she didn't need to wait until she was near the capital to find out, so there was no need to set up a conspicuous camp outside the city—she simply needed to move forward slowly.

Besides this, there was one other difference.

That was that the news Wei Se brought was the accurate information that "the Empress Dowager accidentally killed the Emperor."

After hearing the news, the Gaoyuan Marquis's mood had been poor. Just as when Tang Zhao first saw the scene of the accidental killing and thought of the disaster of "time," and thus hurriedly asked the Gaoyuan Marquis, she too had noticed this matter of "reversed order," only she did not need to ask anyone, nor was there anyone she could ask; she had to figure it out herself.

The Gaoyuan Marquis stayed in her tent for a full day; when she came out, her expression was as usual, and no one knew what she had thought of. She had not called anyone in to discuss it, nor was there anyone she could call. The people she could discuss it with had either been sent away or remained in Yunzhou. It could be said that although she still had over a hundred followers with her, she had no right-hand men; she was all alone.

Therefore, the next day, the person the Gaoyuan Marquis called over first was actually Wei Se.

"Return to the capital. Deliver this letter to Tang Zhao." The Gaoyuan Marquis and Wei Se naturally had nothing to talk about, it was nothing more than sending a message to Tang Zhao. "Are there difficulties?"

When she said the last few words, the Gaoyuan Marquis looked at Wei Se earnestly.

This was not a question, but a confirmation.

Wei Se did not expect her to be able to see the hesitation in his heart; this had never happened before, as he had no expressions. Even for Tang Zhao, he had to actively make expressions for Tang Zhao to confirm his emotions, otherwise he was completely closed off, but the Gaoyuan Marquis could see his thoughts, which made his heart stir.

He first took the letter from the Gaoyuan Marquis, lowered his head, and replied calmly, "It is not that this humble one is shirking, but the Master told me that since I have left the capital, I must not return; there is no place for me in the capital. But we have left a channel for Instant Communication. If the letter can be turned into a verbal message, this humble one can convey it. Or if the matter involves secrets, I can provide the channel for you to contact the Master directly; communicating face-to-face is more efficient."

The Instant Communication Art-Device of Yunzhou had developed repeatedly and was now very easy to use; it had played a very large role in the Battle of Wangliang Mountain back then, as information communication could pierce through the Tianwaitian of Wangliang, and more powerful versions could even transmit, and although they were only Dharma Artifacts, their functions were almost touching the edge of the immortal.

Tang Zhao sending Wei Se away was less about reporting news and more about protection, so he had specifically told him not to return once he left. Wei Se naturally had to obey this order, but if it were truly a moment of crisis involving Tang Zhao's safety, Wei Se would be willing to re-enter the capital.

It was just that Wei Se felt there shouldn't be anything that couldn't be said face-to-face, rather than specifically needing someone to pass a message, right?

The Gaoyuan Marquis, however, truly said: "I cannot say it face-to-face. Some things are better conveyed by letter. I also have some things to give to him..." Speaking of this, she suddenly supported her forehead and said: "Alas, I am truly a senile old woman. There is no need to give the things."

She seemed to relax all at once and said: "Fine. Since there is no need to give you things, you don't need to move; I will tell him myself, just..."

Before she finished speaking, her eyes narrowed, and she said: "You stay here and protect yourself well."

Wei Se was shocked: although what she said was somewhat reversing the order of superior and subordinate, since he had been sent back by Tang Zhao and had already met the Gaoyuan Marquis, his safety was the Gaoyuan Marquis's responsibility. The Gaoyuan Marquis naturally did not need to protect him meticulously, but as long as he was by her side, there should be no danger.

But the Gaoyuan Marquis's words just now let Wei Se know that the Gaoyuan Marquis had encountered thorny trouble.

In this world, although the Gaoyuan Marquis was already a top-tier Sword Hero, since she had not broken through that boundary, she still had rivals. If a master like Tang Zhao came, the Gaoyuan Marquis could encounter danger. If it were someone like the State Preceptor, it went without saying.

Or perhaps, several masters similar to the Gaoyuan Marquis came together to bully the few with the many.

Wei Se guessed the latter was more likely; after all, there were not that many masters in the world who could suppress the Gaoyuan Marquis, but there were always plenty of Sword Heroes. A top-tier Sword Hero, as long as they hadn't transcended to Tang Zhao's level, could not withstand the group attack of several Sword Heroes, especially if there was a possibility of being countered.

Wei Se hurriedly replied: "My Lady, do not worry about me; the Master gave me a trump card to save my life." Before the words fell, the Gaoyuan Marquis had already left the tent.

Wei Se looked at her back, and a thought flashed through his mind:

This time, she was overconfident!

This time, she was overconfident!

The Gaoyuan Marquis walked out of the gate and saw four people coming through the night, and a trace of gloom also flashed across her heart.

These four people, like the Gaoyuan Marquis, were all feudal lords, and like the Gaoyuan Marquis, they were all Sword Heroes.

Nowadays, apart from the royal bloodline and a few noble families, it was impossible to secure a position as a feudal lord in the current world without the strength of a Sword Hero; even with an appointment from the Imperial Court, it was impossible.

Of course, feudal lords were not all the same; every independent, unchecked vassal state could be called a feudal lord, whether it was a large province like Yunzhou or a small piece of land claimed by oneself. Another necessary condition was the "rank of a Marquis," which was not difficult either; during the time when the Son of Heaven had not grown up, one could operate to obtain the rank of Marquis. Therefore, there were truly many feudal lords in the world, and the gap between them was greater than that between humans and dogs.

The Gaoyuan Marquis was the legitimate master of a province, while the four people before her were merely minor feudal lords; she had a slight impression of their faces, but could not match their names, and their combined territory might not be as large as Yunzhou. On ordinary days, they would never have the opportunity to be mentioned in the same breath as the Gaoyuan Marquis. If it came to power, the Gaoyuan Marquis could hang them up and beat them with one hand, and a Sword Hero squad pulled from her subordinates could weave through their territory several times over.

However, once one stripped away territory, population, wealth, and foundation... these external things, and compared strength purely as Sword Heroes, the gap was actually not that large.

Four Sword Heroes against one; the Gaoyuan Marquis would never dare to say she had the upper hand.

And today, these four people came together, without bringing a single soldier or attendant. If they had brought a few followers, then it would still be a visit in the capacity of feudal lords, but they didn't; four people with four swords, the visitors were using the pure identity of Sword Heroes, a group of four, and they were strong among Sword Heroes.

This was pulling the battlefield into their most advantageous domain, gaining the upper hand from the moment they appeared.

Admittedly, they might not necessarily be here to fight; they might have other demands. But as soon as the Gaoyuan Marquis saw their appearance, she knew that they were not afraid to have a fight, and were willing to do four-on-one.

Perhaps putting on such a posture was not intended to fall out, but to use pressure to force the Gaoyuan Marquis to submit, but what was important was that they had the ability to resolve it by force and were prepared to resolve it by force; in the world of the Jianghu and feudal lords, which was close to the law of the jungle, this was the most important thing.

It could also be considered their good luck that the Gaoyuan Marquis had sent away the two Sword Heroes she brought this time one after another, leaving no one by her side. As long as one of those two Sword Heroes had remained, plus the Gaoyuan Marquis's own strength, four-on-two might even have made the outcome uncertain.

If Tang Zhao were here, the Gaoyuan Marquis wouldn't even need to make a move herself; what was one-on-four, and what were battles between Sword Heroes to Tang Zhao?

In the past, the Gaoyuan Marquis would never have been so reckless; even though she was already a top-tier Sword Hero, she would not travel outside of Yunzhou without bringing a single Sword Hero. If it weren't for encountering that kind of heaven-shattering news this time, how could she have sent away even Tang Zhao, whom she always wanted to keep by her side?

The luck of these few people was truly too good...

Suddenly, the Gaoyuan Marquis was shocked and remembered one thing.

It was a coincidence that she sent Commander Nan and Tang Zhao away, but was it a coincidence that these four people appeared here?

What if they knew this was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity?

Or rather, what if someone knew this was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity?

As for how they knew, it wasn't that someone leaked the secret, but...

The Empress Dowager accidentally killed the Emperor.

If such future events could be known by people, then what was strange about past events that had already been confirmed being known by people? As long as some methods were tainted with a bit of the Law, they would have an unstoppable power.

The Gaoyuan Marquis was originally only worried that people with great means were weaving nets in places she couldn't see, and that she might be dragged into a vortex, but she suddenly realized that this vortex might have been formed under her feet.

Or even formed by her.

In an instant, the Gaoyuan Marquis suddenly felt a bit of regret.

She regretted not finishing her conversation with Wei Se just now. It was truly an unwise move.

There were clearly only a few sentences, and they were key words, so why couldn't she have finished saying them directly?

If this opportunity is missed, is there still a chance to make it up?

Could it be that after a life of no regrets, one is left with a single regret in the end?

Fortunately, she had already handed the letter to Wei Se, and since Wei Se accepted it without returning it, sending word again would be the same.

She hoped he could keep himself safe. He was of vital importance now.

Thinking this, the Gaoyuan Marquis had already walked out.

Although the four people on the other side had come with ill intent, the Gaoyuan Marquis would not strike a pose of drawing swords and bending bows; she looked just like an old lady out for an excursion with her attendants, putting on the standard expression for encountering colleagues at a campsite.

"Ah, so it is the Siqing Marquis, the Baoying Marquis, the Zhe Marquis..."

There was one more; she racked her brains, but could not recall what the last person's title was.

The last person gave an awkward smile and said, "Huxiang Marquis Pang Yu greets the Gaoyuan Marquis."

The Gaoyuan Marquis smiled and said, "The four of you have graced me with your presence; it truly brings light to my humble dwelling. Please, come in." She had no intention of barring the door. After all, the tent flap was no natural chasm, and there was no point in blocking it.

The four marquises entered the large tent together; Wei Se was long gone, and only a maidservant came out to pour tea. As soon as they sat down, before the Gaoyuan Marquis could even Ask, the Baoying Marquis said impatiently, "Gaoyuan Marquis, we have brought you a great fortune."