novelraw Chapter 188 188
Chapter 188 188
Ji Guoyansheng has been away from home for many years.
He became a ghost hunter, killing evil spirits everywhere.Over the years, he has never relaxed or rested for a moment, and has been with the sword day and night.Today, he has become one of the best swordsmen in the Ghost Killing Squad, and he is on par with his younger brother Ji Guoyuan.When others mention the surname "Jiguo", they will know the brothers of Jiguo, instead of just mentioning Yuanyi.
So, it's time to go home—Iwakatsu thought so.
Over the years, it is not that he has not thought of his family in Ruozhou.Especially when sleeping in the wild, he will recall the scene at home in the old days.The cold wind at night, the deserted wilderness and the low starry sky all made his heart return to Ruozhou's past, and he missed the quiet moment when his wife snuggled up to him under the dim lights.
But he understood that if he went back easily, he would really lose.
When he left home, he swore that he would become an existence beyond Yuanyi.If you give up halfway before reaching this goal, you will lose to your cowardly and vacillating self.
Ji Guoyansheng has always been a proud and self-respecting person.He would not allow himself to lose to such things as "cowardly".Therefore, for many years, he never stepped into his hometown, but tried his best to practice and exercise, so that his tired body gradually forgot the existence of his hometown and family.
He knew that his younger brother Yuanyi often went to Ruozhou to visit his wife.But he doesn't care about that.You didn't belong to him in the first place, and he had nothing to be taken away.There was always only one way left for him, and that was to become a stronger and more perfect person than Yuan Yi, and then start anew with her.That's all.
/ / /
After many years of separation, Ji Guoyansheng finally returned to his hometown.
Ji Guoyi's school is as in the impression, nothing has changed.When he appeared in front of the longhouse door, the attendants who came to answer the door showed extremely astonished faces, as if they saw a ghost that had been dead for many years.The appearance of them panicking and stumbling around to pass on the news made Yan Sheng want to laugh.
The plants and trees in the courtyard seem to be no different from when they left many years ago.The shade of the trees is green, the spring buds are blooming, and the warm May sun reflects the waves of the pond.He stepped onto the wooden corridor, and heard the crackling sound of wooden swords hitting in the distant courtyard.
It sounds like there are young people practicing swordsmanship.Yan Sheng couldn't help thinking of the child he had with Yu.
After walking a few steps forward, he heard a startled and familiar voice.
"Yansheng... Palace...?"
Ji Guoyansheng's heart was silent for a moment.
He had guessed the scene of his reunion with You several times, but when the moment of reunion came, he didn't know what to say.Therefore, he just raised his eyes lightly and nodded to her.
The moment he raised his eyes, he saw the person he wanted to see. --
His wife, whom he has not seen for several years, is sitting surrounded by women's rooms in the porch with silk brocade curtains.A cluster of blooming cherry blossom branches protruded from above, and occasionally falling petals swirled down and landed on her dark heart.There was unstoppable astonishment in her eyes, but those eyes were still extremely beautiful, like a pair of eyes in the middle of the night.
Through the gaps in the courtyard, the light sea and sky light are revealed.
When he saw her, Yan Sheng let out a shallow sigh in his heart, as if his soul had been satisfied, and he fell asleep peacefully.
There was still the sound of the wooden sword being struck in the courtyard, and he couldn't help but look sideways, only to see a boy practicing swordsmanship with his younger brother Yuanyi.He is very similar to Yan Shengsheng, his youthful face is almost carved out of the same mold as Yan Sheng when he was young; not only that, the diligent look of his practice, and the sword cocoon in his hand seem to be exactly the same .
"Let's do it again, my lord father!"
Yansheng was a little taken aback by the boy's address to Yuanyi.But Yuanyi quickly corrected his mistake: "Liangxing, I am 'uncle', have you forgotten again?"
Yansheng knew the name "Liangxing".Yuanyi wrote a letter and talked about his child's name rectification.
Maybe because he noticed this strange atmosphere, You recovered from the surprise at the beginning, and smiled at his son who was practicing sword: "Liang Xing, you have been practicing for a long time, go down and have a rest first. Uncle Yuanyi will with you."
Yoshiyuki was stunned for a moment, put down his sword, and cast his eyes on the strange visitor in the corridor strangely.
Before he had time to carefully observe the identity of this man who looked quite similar to himself, Ji Guoliang was urged to take him down by the nanny A Fang: "Okay, young master, the tea is ready, please come here .Ah! Look at the young master's hand, it's worn out again! You need to take the medicine properly..."
Liang Xing came back to his senses, and hesitantly said "Oh".He looked back at Yan Sheng's direction three times a step, and left slowly.
--
Ji Guoyuan hesitated for a while, and decided to leave time for his elder brother and his wife, while he lowered his head and said, "Sister Yi, I'll go and accompany Liang Xing."
Soon, the courtyard became quiet, and only a couple were left facing each other.You slowly lowered his head and said, "Your Highness, long time no see, please sit down."
There was a soft sound of cloth rubbing, and the man with the long ponytail sat down in front of her silently.His shadow fell, I don't know if it was an illusion, but Yu felt that her husband, whom she had not seen for many years, seemed to have wider and stronger shoulders.
"Is that child good?" Yan Sheng asked.
"Yes." You replied lightly, "He will inherit the Jiguo clan, and now he is learning swordsmanship from Master Yuan."
"He grew up very healthy." Yan Sheng said, his voice was very low, "You, thank you for taking care of him."
You Hearing the words, the corners of his lips twitched lightly, and said: "Liang Xing is my son, of course I have to take good care of him. Speaking of which, why did Your Highness suddenly think of coming back to take a look? When do you plan to leave? For a while? Or tomorrow?"
Yan Sheng was stunned.
To be honest, he didn't really want to leave here.When he saw his wife and children, he had an impulse to "go back to his hometown like this".But the lord's confession before leaving the ghost killing team made him a little contradictory again.
"I...want to come and see you." Yan Sheng lowered his eyes, his beautifully shaped pupils raised slightly, "I just want you to know that I have become a ghost hunter comparable to Yuan."
"Oh?" She seemed a little surprised, "An equal ghost hunter?"
"Yes." Yansheng stretched out his hand and pointed to his forehead, "I already have 'zebra', which is exactly what Yuan was born with.
A talent bestowed by God.And through unremitting practice, I have also obtained this ability. "
On his forehead, there really is a large flame-like scar, which is almost the same as the one that Yuan has covered his face all his life.Yuna looked at the pattern with a little surprise, and said, "Your Highness, you really..."
She never thought that Yan Sheng could really do such a thing.
She knew that Yuanyi was a genius favored by God, so she never thought that someone else would surpass Yuanyi.But under unremitting efforts, Yansheng has the same ability as Yuanyi.What kind of hard work and sweat did this have to pay?It's no wonder that the current him looks more restrained and cold, making people dare not look at him closely.
"There is not much difference between Yuanyi and I." Yansheng said in a low voice, "Whether it is sword skills, breathing skills, the number of hunting evil spirits, or ability, it is the same. Both of us This time, we are really standing on the same starting point.”
After all, he raised his head and looked at his wife. There was a gleam of hope in his originally heavy gaze: "This time, can we...start again?"
There was a hint of condescension in his words, which Yu had never seen before.From the beginning of their acquaintance, Yansheng was the young master of the Jiguo clan, and later the lord of Ruozhou.Even if he becomes a ghost hunter, he is still the best "pillar".
How could he speak in such a tone?
You's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked with some doubts: "Your Highness, what are you talking about? A long time ago, you decided to leave me, Liangxing, and the entire Jiguo family behind. Why are you asking me now if I can What about 'start over'? Are you kidding me?"
At the end of the talk, she laughed in a fitting manner, and said lightly, "It's really an interesting joke."
Yan Sheng's expression froze.
He slowly clenched his hands on his knees, and murmured: "Yu, you only had Yuanyi in your eyes before; even if I feel reconciled to this, I can understand. I really can't surpass his talent , you will turn a blind eye to me, that's a matter of course. But now, I am no different from him..."
You secretly thought it was funny, and asked: "Does your Highness think that I choose the person I like based on my swordsmanship?" Her smile gradually faded, and she fingered the bat fan on her belt, and said slowly, "Your Highness, I always wanted to live with you. However, you took the initiative to abandon me and Liangxing."
The dazed look in Yan Sheng's eyes became more and more diffuse.
At this moment, the sound of children's fragmentary footsteps came from the side.Immediately, the nanny A Fang anxiously stopped her: "Young master! Please stay here, you can't go over! Young master!"
But the nanny's obstruction was obviously useless. The next moment, the young Ji Guoliang ran to his mother's side and stopped panting.He stared straight at Ji Guoyansheng who was facing his mother with a straight face, and asked, "Who are you?"
"Liang Xing..." You was a little surprised, and quickly put his arms around him, saying, "Liang Xing, come and sit down with mother, don't be rude."
"Mother, is this man my father?" Liang Xing frowned, and asked in a green voice, "Is it the man who left home for many years and never came back, and caused you to cry alone, mother?"
The child's frank and direct words caused a greater rupture in Ji Guoyansheng's calm face.He clenched his fists, as if he wanted to speak, but in the end there was nothing
Say.
Yan Sheng's originally firm heart suddenly became a bit confused at this moment.
Over the years, what has guided him forward is his jealousy and reluctance towards his younger brother Yuanyi.The reason why he lost everything - Yu's love, a peaceful life, and inner dignity, all of this is because Yuanyi has a talent that he can't match.As long as this problem is solved, everything that belongs to him will definitely come back.
He believed so firmly in that belief.Finally, he became a striped swordsman like Yuanyi, mastered the breath of the moon similar to the breath of the sun, and then he returned to his hometown.
But what awaited him was completely opposite to what he had imagined.You don't seem to be interested in his strength, and his own children also have a faint feeling of rejection towards him.
"Good line..." Yan Sheng sighed, trying to have the first conversation with his child, "I am your father, Ji Guo Yan Sheng."
He remembers the kid.He came back to visit him once when he was in Yusheng.He also had the joy of becoming a father in his heart, but the existence of Yuanyi prevented him from enjoying this joy purely, and instead made his heart occupied by greater anxiety and unwillingness.
"Father?" The immature child looked at him suspiciously, "Since he is my father, why didn't he show up?"
"That's because I wasn't strong enough in the past." Yansheng said, "I decided to return to my hometown only when my swordsmanship was strong enough to protect you and your mother."
"Have you become strong enough?" Liangxing's eyes were still suspicious, "Then, can you breathe the sun?"
Yan Sheng was stunned.
The breath of the sun is a unique technique of Yuanyi.When Yuanyi was in the Demon Slayer Squad, he taught the breathing technique to all the swordsmen without hesitation, but no one could master his unique breathing of the sun, so Yuanyi modified the breathing method to suit everyone. His unique physique enables different people to learn different breathing skills, such as wind, flame, thunder, water... and the breath of the moon owned by Yansheng.
Although the sun and the moon are in the same sky, the breath of the moon is just a degraded sword skill of the breath of the sun.
Yan Sheng clenched his fists and said in a low voice, "The breathing technique I have mastered is called Moon's Breath."
Liang Xing was a little disappointed, and said: "I thought you would also know the sword technique called 'Breath of the Sun'...Although Uncle Yuanyi said that I don't need to learn this kind of thing, but I really want to learn it. ah."
The disappointed look on the child's face made Yansheng's breathing suddenly quicken.
His face sank, and there was only one thought in his heart: why?
why why?
Obviously he has become an existence comparable to Yuan Yi, but he feels that he has lost more things than before.Even his own child showed a disappointed look towards him, and kept thinking about things like the Breath of the Sun.
You noticed his ups and downs, and hurriedly said to Liangxing: "Liangxing, don't be rude. Anyway, he is also your father..."
"I don't need it!" Liangxing frowned, and said stubbornly, "It was Uncle Yuanyi who grew up with me, not this guy!" After saying that, he turned around and rushed out at a trot .
After Liangxing left, the corridor was silent for a long time.
After a while, Yan Sheng raised his head and said, "It seems that I am not suitable to stay here."
Listening to his words, You couldn't help feeling a little
Resentment.She whispered: "Your Highness, you took the initiative to abandon us."
Yan Sheng lowered his eyes in silence, as if admitting to the crime.After a while, he pulled out a long and thin box from his sleeve and said, "This is the hairpin from the Tianzhu mother-of-pearl house that you wanted so much back then. When I left many years ago, I didn't have time to give it to you. Now Return it to its original owner.”
He opened the box, and you saw the sleeping hairpin inside.The camellia flowers pasted with gold leaf are decorated with thin leaf tassels.This is what she once said to Yansheng, "I want it very much".
However, she didn't take it.
"Your Highness, the reason why I wanted this at the beginning was because I wanted Master Matsuda to be spared from your punishment." You looked coldly and said leisurely, "We girls of the Wu family don't need hairpins and such despicable things. "
Yan Sheng's eyes flickered slightly.
"So that's how it is." After he finished speaking, he closed the box and put it back in his sleeve, "This is something you don't need."
You smiled and said, "Yeah."
After saying this, the two of them were silent again.Only the spring sakura in the courtyard drifted down leisurely and landed on the hem of her coral-colored gown.Yan Sheng looked at her quietly for a while, as if he wanted to fix her face into his eyes.Then, he stood up and said, "I'm leaving. There are still some tasks that have not been completed."
You looked up, only to see him turning away silently, just like the night when she gave birth to Liangxing many years ago.
"Wait...wait, Your Highness," she panicked for a moment, wanting to reach out to reach the man's back.
Ji Guoyansheng turned sideways and waited quietly for her to speak.
You's eyes flickered slightly, and the five fingers that were originally outstretched retracted in the air, and slowly fell down.Finally, she said, "Be careful on the road."
Finally, Yansheng lowered his eyes, turned and left.His back figure gradually disappeared as he walked farther and farther between the corridors.
/ / /
Ji Guoyansheng never thought that this would be his last meeting with You.
/ / /
After Yansheng left, life seemed to be back to the way it was before; but Liangxing had changed slightly—he was not as dependent on Yuanyi as before, as if he knew that his father had someone else, and he shouldn't have Yuanyi Looking forward to being a father.In addition, he has matured a bit, and often shows concern for you beyond his age.
"Mother is sad enough, I want my mother to smile happily all the time." This is what Ji Guoliangxing said to his uncle Yuanyi.
--
However, destiny is not something that is so easy to get one's wish.
In the summer of that year, because the Jiguo family became increasingly unable to speak, You moved from Ruozhou to Xiaoliutiao City with his wife and servants, as well as the eldest son Liangxing.
Although she was unwilling, she was helpless.
Her child has the bloodline of Yansheng and An Yiguo's Shanming clan, and should have inherited the entire Jiguo clan.But she doesn't have a husband, and the only thing she can rely on is Ji Guo Yuan Yi.But Yuanyi may be a powerful swordsman, but he can't intervene in family affairs.For a long time, it became more and more difficult for her to move forward in the Jiguo clan.
So, she had no choice but to leave Ruozhou, where she had lived for a long time, and came to live in Xiaoliutiao.Although he is not willing to lose the right of inheritance, but after thinking about it carefully, he can stay with his son safely.
It can be considered satisfied.Even if the scenery and superiority of the past are gone, but there is no one to bother, it happens to be quiet.
However, even such a simple calm was easily shattered by the sudden flames of war when autumn came—the Yamana clan of Anyi Kingdom, together with other daimyos from the Western Plains, fought against General Zhengyi Raised the battle banner and decided to crusade against the shogunate in the name of the imperial court.The Bando countries, on the other hand, united with each other and decided to defend the general and fight against the army of Nishihara.
Ruozhou is located in Gyeonggi, just sandwiched between east and west.Whether it is the Eastern Army or the Western Army, they all strongly demanded that the Jiguo family join them.The daughters of the Jiguo clan married far away to Bandong, and at this moment their heads were taken as hostages. They only waited for the Jiguo clan to refuse, and then they died in other places; and many men of the Jiguo clan married wives from Xiyuan. The relationship between them and the daimyos of Nishihara is intricate and inseparable.
After some struggles, conflicts and protests, Iwakatsu's uncle made a decision to join Bando's army.As a result, there are only two options left for those women from the Western Kingdom in the clan - divorce and leave, or die.
However, there is only one choice left for You, and that is to die.
Maybe it's because of her parentage, maybe it's because she's Yoshiyoshi's mother.In short, the uncle in power sent an envoy to Liutiao City with a short knife and a pot of wine.
The envoy was Yansheng's former retainer Hiraoka. When he saw the beautiful and gentle Mrs. Beizhidian, he still had the old respect in his heart, and couldn't help saying: "Beizhidian, you are the wife of Yanshengdian. Wife, although I have orders on my body, I don’t want to see you die in front of my eyes. I want to persuade Your Excellency to save your life so that you can continue to live in Xiaoliutiao City.”
But she resolutely refused, saying: "If I live in the Jiguo clan, I will just be a hostage. My father and elder brother in my hometown will hesitate because of my existence, and lose the opportunity, so that the soldiers die in vain. Rather than that, it would be better to die here."
Hiraoka sighed slightly, and understood what she said.
The girls of the Wu family were all brought up with the righteousness of loyalty since childhood.The blood of the family must come first. Since Mrs. Beizhidian was willing to marry Ruozhou for An Yiguo at the age of six, she was naturally willing to die for An Yiguo at this time.
In this war-torn world, the female relatives of famous families are more or less bearing the injustice of fate.Even Hiraoka's own wife committed suicide by drowning herself because of the war, so as not to be constrained by her husband and son.
"If you become a hostage in the future, you must not be greedy for life and afraid of death, cherish your life, so that you will be in a dilemma and kill innocent lives. Only repaying with death is the most appropriate." - This is what every woman in the Wu family will know Received education.
"The order you got was to watch me die, right?" Yu said to the old retainer in front of him, "Master Hiraoka, I won't make things difficult for you. What did you bring?"
Hiraoka took out the wine and the dagger, and offered it respectfully: "The wine is brewed in Anyi Country, and it comes from your hometown. This dagger is what was left of the Yansheng Temple in the past, and it is also a previous one. It has been passed down from the Lord Guard of the country."
Yu glanced at the jug and dagger presented by Hiraoka, and smiled casually: "I was born in a samurai family, so of course I can die in a suitable way. Don't want the wine, just give me the dagger."
"Yes."
This short knife seems to be quite old, and the scabbard is engraved with the pattern of eagle feathers and hemp leaves of the Jiguo clan.She flipped through it and pulled out the blade, only to see her youthful face was reflected on the shiny silver surface.
At this moment, there were messy footsteps outside the door.The next moment, the door was pushed open indiscriminately.
"Ji Jun!"
"Mother... my lord mother! Uncle Yuanyi, please save my lord mother!"
The figures of Yuan Yi and Liang Xing appeared outside the door at the same time.Yu looked at the two people who suddenly appeared in a little astonishment, wondering why no one stopped them.But if you think about it carefully, with Yuanyi's swordsmanship, it is impossible for the guards outside the door to stop him.
Ji Guoyuanyi, who came in a hurry, was still stained with blood of unknown origin, his whole body was covered in dust and plaster, and his hair was messy.But he didn't have time to take care of all this, he just walked towards You with anxious eyes and asked, "Ji Jun, what happened?"
Seeing this, Yuu sighed, put down the dagger, and said to Hiraoka: "Master Hiraoka, can you take my child out? At this last time, I have something to say to Master Yuan."
◎The author has something to say:
uu can finally die! !
/ / /
ps: Yan Sheng didn't know that his wife was going to die.Because he finally returned home after many years, but was driven away by his wife and children with cold faces. After that, he dared not go home and approach his wife.
: "Master Hiraoka, can you take my child out? At this last time, I have something to say to Master Yuan."
The author has something to say: uu can finally die! !
/ / /
ps: Yan Sheng didn't know that his wife was going to die.Because he finally returned home after many years, but was driven away by his wife and children with cold faces. After that, he dared not go home and approach his wife.