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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 181: Return to the Central Plains
Ashina Silifu couldn't help but glance at the slave before him, then cast a sidelong look at his brother, clearly realizing that only he had received the dagger.
In those brief moments, he thought of many things, ultimately choosing to bow his head and lie on the ground to conceal what he held in his arms. He spoke in a low voice, "Khan, brother!"
Ashina Tuo Bi immediately reacted, crawling a few steps on his numb legs while crying. Their disheveled appearance diffused the anger within Shibi Khan.
He didn't want to kill his own younger brother at this moment, which would only stir unrest among the Turkic people. Instead, he began reminiscing about the days when Qimin Khan was still alive and they had gathered joyfully as brothers.
Ashina Tuo Bi fell at Shibi Khan's feet, clutching his knees and weeping in repentance. Shibi Khan stroked his younger brother's head and looked at his second brother, saying, "We are brothers; this is a fact that cannot be changed by anyone. We should share the glory of the Ashina Clan!"
Ashina Silifu let out a cry and lunged forward, but a flash of cold light stunned everyone present. Some gasped while others reached out, but none could stop the dagger from lunging toward Shibi Khan.
However, Li Jian Cheng was already prepared. He threw a heavy wine cup from his hand with the strength and precision of an expert archer, successfully deflecting the short knife so that instead of piercing Shibi Khan's heart, it merely grazed below his collarbone.
Ashina Tuo Bi did not understand what had happened. As he looked up, blood sprayed onto his face; the familiar scent of blood exhilarated him. Uncontrollably, he tightened his grip on his brother's knees, preventing him from rising or kicking him away.
Most of those in the tent were Shibi Khan's trusted aides. After their initial shock, they quickly rushed forward to pull the two apart and subdue them.
The wound was unlikely to be fatal—at least not immediately. Sili Fu suddenly seemed to awaken from a dream and shouted, "The slave who untied me just now gave me that weapon; it wasn't me, it wasn't me..."
Before he could finish pleading for mercy, a drunken Turkic general slashed his throat with a knife, leaving only a bit of flesh connecting his head.
"Who told you to kill him!"
Shibi Khan trembled as he gripped the hilt of the knife, bloodshot eyes fixed on the general. The general flushed and replied, "He attempted to assassinate Khan; he deserved it. I am Khan's hound and will kill anyone who dares harm you!"
As he spoke, he even attempted to approach and cut open Sili Fu's throat. The crowd hurriedly tried to pin him down as well, but this man was tall and strong by nature; four or five people struggled to control him.
Kang Tan quickly stepped in front of Shibi Khan to assess his injury. "By divine protection, thankfully Li Langjun deflected the blade. Khan, do not pull it out yet."
Shibi Khan cast a grateful glance at Li Jian Cheng. The intense pain and blood loss made his vision blur continuously, but he still managed to rally himself. "Go capture that slave and detain him..."
Just then, someone burst into the tent from outside. "Khan! The leaders of all tribes have been ambushed and killed; they are all dead!"
Shibi Khan was no longer audible behind them; he had fainted upon hearing the news that all the tribal leaders were dead.
The people in the tent wore wary expressions, unsure of what had transpired. They had initially thought that Khan's assassination was orchestrated by those tribal leaders, but now that they were all dead, it seemed like a dark hand had been laid upon Khan.
Someone directly asked Kang Tan, "Khan has always been willing to discuss matters with you. Did Khan send someone to kill the tribal leaders? This has created a deadly feud. Should we take action while the tribes are still unaware?"
Kang Tan shook his head. "This is not Khan's arrangement. The current situation is very unusual, but Khan is severely injured and needs the best healer. It is dangerous here; we must escort Khan back to Dali City first!"
"Then we will withdraw our troops."
"No, the army must remain here to closely monitor the tribes and prevent them from taking any action. When Khan wakes up, he will give them an explanation."
Kang Tan's plan was reasonable, and everyone agreed. He then selected a few people to accompany him in escorting Khan back to Dali City, including Li Jian Cheng.
There might have been objections since Khan's situation was perilous and an outsider should not be at his side, but everyone had just witnessed how Li Jian Cheng had indeed saved Shibi Khan's life, so no one said anything further.
Li Jian Cheng and Kang Tan tirelessly transported Shibi Khan back to Dali City, seeking out the best healer available. However, they only applied some herbal powder to his wounds.
Whether Shibi Khan would live or die remained uncertain, but Li Jian Cheng did not mind. Once Anar finished crying, he led her out of the royal court. "He will be fine."
Anar hugged Li Jian Cheng tightly. "Thank goodness for you; otherwise..."
The two embraced for a moment before Li Jian Cheng whispered, "I have to leave now. Do you want to stay here or come back with me to the Central Plains?"
"No, no! I can't leave. Please don't abandon me at this time."
Li Jian Cheng looked into her eyes. "I still have many things to do."
Anar clung to him, unwilling to let go as she glanced back at the royal court, but she did not shout out loud. Li Jian Cheng reassured her, "If you're worried, then stay here. I will wait for you in the Central Plains or send someone to fetch you in the future."
With that, he pulled his hand away from Anar's grasp and walked toward the city gate. It was as if no one saw him; they not only allowed him to pass smoothly but even brought him a horse.
After casting one last glance at the woman who sat on the ground weeping, Li Jian Cheng rode southward and soon encountered a group of Turkic-clad cavalrymen, seamlessly blending in with them.
The sky is high, allowing birds to fly freely; the sea is vast, enabling fish to leap without restraint. There are no more shackles!
Li Jian Cheng took the secret letter handed to him by Qin Shubao. After a hurried glance, he said, "Send word to Zhuojun; we can mobilize our forces!"
Qin Shubao acknowledged, while Zhang Hutan reported from the side, "My Lord, the Turkic and Tiele tribes are still engaged in battle."
"Good. You've worked hard. Now we can calmly reclaim our lands."
The riders shouted and increased their speed. Though they numbered only a few hundred, each man was mounted on three horses, allowing them to gallop swiftly back to the Central Plains.
Meanwhile, Shibi Khan had just awakened and was unaware of Li Jian Cheng's escape. He angrily rebuked Kang Tan for bringing him back and, disregarding his injuries, insisted on returning to the front lines to pacify the tribes.
However, bad news from the ongoing battles reached him first. With a pale face, Shibi Khan fell silent for a long moment before ordering, "Kill them all—kill every man of the tribes, kill every woman who dares to raise a weapon, including the children!"
At this point, no explanation would suffice; killing was the only solution. The longer they delayed, the more complicated things would become.
"Investigate who provided Sili Fu with weapons, who allowed Daurji to kill Sili Fu to silence him, and who murdered the tribal leaders. Find out for me! If you can't get to the bottom of this, you'll pay with your lives!"
………
(End of Chapter)
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