Chapter 160 Yingzhou Branch
The remote suburbs of Yingzhou.

"My lord, are you all right if you go in alone?"

Han Yanhui pulled his beard and looked into the temple from time to time, then looked at Fu An and asked.

"Don't worry, Mr. Han. Nothing will go wrong. Even if there is an accident and someone can hurt Xiao Shuai, I'm afraid we won't be of any use."

Although Fu An was a little distracted, he still responded immediately: "With Xiao Shuai's skills, only first-class masters can pose a threat to him. Besides, the Yingzhou branch is our own people, not a place of tigers and wolves."

Han Yanhui nodded in response. He had of course heard of Xiao Yan's abilities. This General Xiao could draw a four-stone bow and hold a ten-foot-long horse lance. He was good at both shooting and fighting. He was a first-rate warrior who could wear a hundred-jin armor and charge into the battle himself. He was indeed much more powerful than the Liu father and son he had been loyal to in the past. After all, even when Liu Rengong was young, he was not the kind of fierce general who could ride a horse and charge into the battle.

But he still sighed and said, "In my opinion, the lord really likes to take risks alone. This is not a long-term solution. Let's not talk about it in the past. From now on, we should persuade him more."

After that, he stroked his beard and squinted his eyes and said: "My lord is not old, and he has no children..."

Fu An, who was holding the knife, couldn't help but choke. To be honest, he followed Xiao Yan all day and often forgot that this lieutenant was actually nearly ten years younger than him. But Han Yanhui's thoughts were too far-sighted. You know, Xiao Yan would only be nineteen tomorrow...

Feng Dao, who had been admiring the snow with his sleeves rolled up, was laughing so hard that he couldn't straighten his back. He held Han Yanhui's shoulder and said, "Wait, wait, Old Han, the way you talk almost makes me think you are already in your forties or fifties."

"What's the problem?" Han Yanhui said with a straight face, "It's my fault that my lord is in danger."

He said in a serious and straightforward manner: "As a newly established team, we should put the master first. How can we take it lightly when the great cause has not yet been accomplished?"

"You have a point."

Feng Dao rolled up his sleeves, but felt embarrassed by Han Yanhui's serious look. He lowered his voice, leaned his head closer, and whispered seriously: "If you say it, the master is still unmarried, and it is a good age for marriage. Boling Cui, Qinghe Cui, Fanyang Lu... As far as I know, these families have daughters waiting to be married...

What's your expression? A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Although the noble families are not well-received, these families have many students and former officials, and are closely connected with Hebei. They are a huge force..."

"That's good, but with the lord's foundation, we should win over the generals from Hebei. Even if they are not from Hebei, it doesn't matter. The Fu family of Chenzhou has a family of generals. This generation, Fu Cunshen, served under Li Keyong and was highly valued." Han Yanhui pointed his finger and said, "There is also the Zhe family of Linzhou. Although their status is lower, they are also a great help..."

Feng Dao stroked his mustache and frowned fiercely, but suddenly, he hissed, "The little girl with the surname Ji beside the lord, I'm afraid..."

Han Yanhui paused.

Then, they both looked at Fu An at the same time.

"Commander Fu, do you know the details of that little girl surnamed Ji?"

Fu An didn't dare to get involved in such a matter. He shook his head and walked away with his knife in hand as if to avoid it: "Come on, a few people, follow me to take a look over there..."

Feng and Han felt very sorry, and then they leaned against the wall of the temple, braving the heavy snow and arguing about their opinions.

"My lord, you have many talented people under your command. How can I let you manage Hebei in person?"

"In times of emergency, we should put the generals first..."

------

Inside the temple's central hall.

The dust on the chair was casually swept away, but Xiao Yan did not sit down. Instead, he stood aside and turned to look.

The moment the sound was heard, the door of the nave closed quietly, and the dim light outside was almost suddenly covered behind the door, causing the nave to be completely dark.

But what was even more surprising was that a dim light suddenly came in from nowhere and reflected on the dusty floor.

At this moment, there were two sets of footprints on the floor, one on the left and one on the right, disappearing into the darkness. Two figures suddenly appeared in the middle of the hall, staring at him like ghosts.

The two figures, wearing green clothes and black armor, carrying Tang swords and bamboo hats, stood one in front and one behind, and on the left and right, blocking Xiao Yan's retreat with a subtle stance.

They were exactly two bad guys wearing masks, and it was worth mentioning that the armor on their bodies was quite old. Although it was still shiny and flashing a cold light, it could be seen from the uneven scars on it that these armors had gone through countless battles.

At least, it looks older than the armor of the old man in Yanzhou.

"Ask you."

The two men were standing with their arms around each other at first, but as soon as Xiao Yan turned around, the bad guy in front of him grabbed the hilt of the knife with his backhand without leaving a trace, and ignored him without any emotion.

It was obvious that even though the two knew that Xiao Yan was a bad guy, they were also prepared to kill him.

"Junior, the bad guy, the dark star."

Xiao Yan gently pressed the armrest of the chair, glanced at the two people, and said, "I am here to bother the seniors of Yingzhou Branch because of the chaos in Hebei."

"The Tang Dynasty has died, and the Yingzhou branch is no longer involved in Hebei affairs."

The bad guy did not let go of the knife handle, but suddenly pulled it out, pointed it at the ground, and said in a hoarse voice: "Also, the bad guys in Yingzhou are not under the control of the helmsmen. If you have nothing else to do, stay away from that commander."

Xiao Yan smiled casually, not being stubborn about this matter. He obediently let go of the armrest of the chair, put his hands behind his back, and continued to talk to himself: "I came here to seek detailed information about the various states, towns, generals, and nobles in Hebei.

For details about the various noble families and generals in Hebei who served in Jin, Qi, Shu, Liang, and even the various towns in the south of the Yangtze River, I hope that the seniors in the Yingzhou branch can help. "

The bad guy listened to him quietly, and then continued indifferently in a hoarse voice: "The bad guys in Yingzhou are not under the control of the rudders."

Xiao Yan paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, saying, "In July of the fourth year of Wude (621), Liu Heita, an old general of Dou Jiande, rose up against the Tang Dynasty. In March of the following year, he was defeated by Emperor Taizong at Luoshui. In June, Liu Heita rose up again with the help of the Turkic army and invaded Shandong. This time, Crown Prince Li Jiancheng took command of the expedition on behalf of Emperor Gaozu, and beheaded Liu Heita and his brother Liu Shishan, and Shandong was finally settled.

This time, the crown prince successfully pacified Hebei and listened to the opinions of his followers, "deeply establishing himself as a leader and making friends with the heroes east of Mount Xiao", thus extending the influence of the crown prince's party to Hebei. Later, the crown prince and the King of Qi attempted to assassinate Emperor Taizong, but were defeated by Emperor Taizong in a battle at Xuanwu Gate. From then on, the people of Hebei were uneasy.

The Yingzhou branch was the first branch established by the Bad People. It was created for Emperor Taizong to monitor Hebei. Over the past three hundred years, the rise and fall of countless noble families in Hebei have been controlled by you seniors. For you seniors, the basic information of these noble families is probably as easy as taking something out of your pocket, right?"

From beginning to end, the two bad guys gave him face and did not interrupt him casually. They even listened very seriously, as if they were recalling the glory of their ancestors, and remained silent.

After Xiao Yan finished speaking, the bad guy said in a deep voice: "What do you mean by saying this?"

"How can we give up something that has lasted for three hundred years so easily?" Xiao Yan stood with his hands behind his back and said, "For you seniors, the Tang Dynasty has passed away, but I'm afraid it is still monitoring Hebei's movements all the time, waiting for the Marshal to re-employ you and revive the old business?"

"Ha ha ha, there are clearly only two of us, but you, young man, keep saying 'you all'."

At this time, the bad guy who had been standing in silence with his arms crossed finally laughed evilly: "What, have you noticed that there are more than just the two of us in this central hall?"

Xiao Yan smiled calmly and bowed to both sides of the deserted central hall with his hands folded.

“Although I have not seen you all in person, your aura of greatness has made me feel a little scared…”

"What nonsense."

The unruly man who had drawn his sword shouted to the back, his voice was very hoarse, obviously he was an old man, but he was full of energy. He pointed his Tang sword at Xiao Yan and said without emotion: "You are right. The Yingzhou branch has been established since the fourth year of Zhenguan. No matter the rise and fall of the world, it has only one mission, which is to keep an eye on Hebei. Emperor Zhaozong disbanded the unruly men, but did not disband my Yingzhou branch.

But what does this have to do with you, the younger generation?"

He sneered and said, "I'll say it again. We don't know what the Dark Star is or the Star Star is. If it weren't for you killing Liu Shouguang and stirring up chaos in Hebei, you wouldn't have had the chance to enter this central hall. I'll say it again, get off that platform and stay away from the commander's seat!"

Behind him, the bad guy with his chest circling laughed again and said with interest: "If I remember correctly, you, the young man, led the bad guys from Yanzhou to rebel against Zhu Wen, right? What, are you tired of living?"

In the darkness, sporadic laughter could be heard from all four sides of the central hall. The voices clearly sounded quite old, but the playful tone made people feel that these people were all young people.

When they first entered the hall, Xiao Yan thought that these people were all old-fashioned, but now it seems that some of them are quite eccentric.

At least based on his perception, there should be basically no young people among the bad guys in the Yingzhou branch. At least in this central hall, all the people who came are old guys.

Seeing that Xiao Yan just remained calm and motionless, the bad guy laughed again and said jokingly: "Do you really think that you are invincible just because you killed a group of Shan Ya soldiers in Youzhou and practiced the broken magic of Xuanming Sect? Being able to fight with the Mobei shaman is nothing. You are really powerful if you can save your life from us.

By the way, let me remind you. Because of the trouble you caused in Hebei, we have analyzed you and there are at least ten ways to defeat you. "

After he finished speaking, without him making any movement, the Tang sword behind him automatically came out of its sheath, flew into the air, spun in the air, and fell into his palm. The cold light flashed and reflected on Xiao Yan's face.

"While you guys are still holding back, I advise you to hurry up and get out." His voice turned cold, and the Tang sword turned in his palm: "The two of us are the easiest to talk to."

"It's something that the seniors all look up to."

Xiao Yanyou was very polite, smiling and raising his chin to the sides: "You seniors have gathered here, just to punish the juniors?"

The bad guy at the front seemed to feel a little embarrassed and just said nothing.

However, the man at the back chuckled, obviously thinking that group fighting was the right way to go and he had no psychological burden.

"Forget it, forget it. I didn't want to move out the chief leader."

Xiao Yan waved his hand and said, "The seniors are in such a state, it is obvious that they don't want to make things easier for us. In fact, the chief leader has already delegated power to me and asked me to act on his behalf. The Yingzhou branch is here..."

"Is the kid from Sanqianyuan still alive?" An old voice interrupted him in the darkness and smacked its lips.

The next moment, someone in a corner said in a cold voice: "Sanqianyuan has come to Yingzhou and wants to pay his respects to us. Who does he think he is? How can he give us orders?"

Offstage, the evil-looking villain laughed again, waved his knife downwards, and said unceremoniously, "Get down."

"What nonsense! Just consider this as clearing the way for the bad guys!"

Suddenly someone shouted in the darkness: "You Yi, what are you waiting for!?"

Hearing this, the bad guy standing in front hesitated for a moment, but the man behind him suddenly laughed, and his steps were as fast as a ghost. He swept across several feet in an instant, and with the blade flashing, he almost instantly approached Xiao Yan's face.

"Young man, I'm going to play with you."

Seeing the blade suddenly slash into Xiao Yan's cheek, a trace of doubt flashed in the man's eyes, but the knife's momentum remained unabated, and he tried his best to move it downwards, saying in a dry voice: "Young man, you are too slow..."

call--

The knife's force did not slow down as it chopped down suddenly, but it seemed as if it had shattered a shadow. The wind from the knife passed by, and the figure of Xiao Yan standing with his hands behind his back quietly dissipated.

The bad guy took a closer look and his pupils shrank sharply. This was not Xiao Yan at all, but clearly a figure made of black mist!
The dust on the ground was blown up, as if a light breeze had started in the central hall.

No, how could there be wind in the hall?
"Stupid sheep, watch out behind you!" You Yi, who almost suddenly jumped up from behind, shouted and threw the Tang sword in his hand instantly.

The bad guy named Gong Yang Zuo's heart was filled with alarm, but before he could turn around, he suddenly got goose bumps all over his body.

"Om-"

The middle hall was dark, and a sound came from close to his heels.

When he glanced out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tall figure, who was even more ghostly than him, appearing behind him. Then a black shadow flashed, and a long and narrow magic blade appeared out of thin air. It suddenly chopped down the flying Tang sword, and it seemed like cutting iron like mud, easily splitting it in half.

Although Gong Yang Zuo was startled, he also cooperated well with You Yi. With a glance, he had already jumped into the air. With one hand behind his waist, he pulled out a long handle, and then connected it to the handle of the Tang sword, instantly turning it into a saber. Then he chopped towards Xiao Yan's head with the force of splitting Mount Hua.

The latter was not in a hurry, and suddenly raised the magic blade horizontally above to block the attack.

"puff……"

Gong Yang Zuo Ben tried his best, but he was delighted to see that the devil blade was easily cut off by the Tang sword. However, the Tang sword did not go down and take Xiao Yan's head, but a clear and sharp sound of metal clashing suddenly sounded.

The next moment, the evil spirit that was scattered in the air rolled around and condensed into a magic blade, which was pressed against Gong Yang Zuo's throat at a distance of half an inch.

Behind him, You Yi, who almost touched Xiao Yan's back, suddenly froze and flew backwards.

But under the Tang sword, there was a jade token emitting a faint green light, which was held between Xiao Yan's two fingers, just enough to block the blade which was less than an inch in front of him.

There are no such things as coincidences. It was obvious that this young man had predicted Gong Yangzuo's motives very accurately.

Gong Yangzuo was secretly annoyed, but his Adam's apple rolled up and down as he stared at the jade token without blinking. The delicate and ancient patterns on the jade token formed the three words "bad people" in one stroke, which was full of murderous intent.

In the blink of an eye, victory or defeat is decided.

The situation suddenly changed.

In the darkness, almost everyone stood up in astonishment, and then after being stunned, they fell into an unspeakable silence at the same time, allowing the sound of wind and snow outside to come in waves.

"Can I command you with this thing?"

Xiao Yan did not turn around, with the devil blade lingering around him. He just held the Tang sword between his legs, pressing it against Gong Yang Zuo's throat, and spoke in a light tone.

Outside, the wind and snow were howling. In the silence, the Tang sword in Gong Yang's left hand suddenly broke, and fragments fell inch by inch, making a rustling sound on the floor.

Gong Yang's left Adam's apple rolled up and down. He dared not look directly into Xiao Yan's eyes and looked away.

The magic blade in Xiao Yan's hand dissipated. He no longer looked at Gong Yang Zuo. With one hand behind his back, he raised the command in his hand slowly and spoke indifferently without any emotion.

"I asked.

Can I command you with this thing?"

In the darkness, there was a moment of silence, and then countless figures drew their swords in unison, facing this side, and knelt on one knee.

Neat and powerful, yet completely silent.

Xiao Yan raised his head and closed his eyes in deep thought for a long time, then finally turned around and walked over. Facing the faintly flickering cold light, he said slowly and softly:

"Everyone, let's revive the Tang Dynasty together."

(End of this chapter)