Chapter 596 Dilemma
"What? How... could this happen?"

Liu Xunyi's words were shocking, and the usually calm Zhao Yuan was immediately horrified and at a loss for words.

Qin Wei stood there in a daze, not knowing whether to persuade or not, feeling very awkward.

Qiu Han was held tightly under the sword by Liu Xunyi. He was so angry that his face flushed. Half of his face was pressed against the table. Veins bulged on his forehead. He stared with a pair of red eyes and gasped fiercely.

"I've said it before, Luo Tianjin is a man with a fickle temper and will take revenge for any slight." Liu Xunyi explained to Zhao Yuan, "Today, Qiu Han spoke rudely in the Xianwang Mansion and mocked him repeatedly, which made Luo Tianjin very angry, so he wanted to kill me and sent me to take Qiu Han's head. The purpose is to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, to punish the 'small' and warn the 'big'."

"This..." Zhao Yuan was shocked and said in astonishment, "Luo Tianjin dared to openly assassinate an official of the imperial court?"

"My Lord, don't you understand now? In Luo Tianjin's heart, there is no court at all. He doesn't even take the emperor seriously, let alone the court officials? Not to mention that you have come from afar, the Song court is far away, even if it is a Mongolian general guarding Luoyang City, what can you do? If you offend Luo Tianjin, the result will be the same. The heroes of the world are different from ordinary people. They have no respect for the court, let alone fear. They do not abide by the laws and regulations, but the law of the world of 'tooth for tooth, blood for blood'."

"Even if it is the law of the underworld, you shouldn't lose your life because of a few sarcastic remarks," Qin Wei argued.

"Don't say a few sarcastic words. In the martial arts world, sometimes two people who have never met before may draw their swords and kill each other just because they don't like each other." Liu Xunyi said helplessly, "What's more, Luo Tianjin is not an unknown person, but a powerful martial arts leader. In the martial arts world, you can humiliate the emperor, but you can't humiliate the martial arts leader. Qiu Han's disrespect to Luo Tianjin in the Xianwang Mansion today is like you and I being disrespectful to the emperor in the Golden Palace. How can we not get into trouble?"

“Liu Xunyi, you are so bold that you dare to compare a mere commoner with the current emperor?” Qiu Han gritted his teeth and said, “In my opinion, you are no different from Luo Tianjin. Both of you are disloyal and unrighteous people…”

"shut up!"

Zhao Yuan's eyes turned cold, he stopped Qiu Han's insults, frowned and looked at Liu Xunyi, hesitantly said: "Is this why you want to leave Luoyang City?"

"That's right." Liu Xunyi said, "My Lord, I really had no choice but to do this, so... Alas!"

With an angry sigh, Liu Xunyi threw the Wuji Sword on the table, sat aside angrily, and said without looking back: "How can I chop off Brother Qiu's head? But if I don't kill him, I can't explain to Luo Tianjin when I go back. I am in a dilemma and can only persuade the Marquis to leave this place of trouble together, otherwise... Sigh!"

Thousands of words turned into an endless sigh.

Until this moment, Zhao Yuan, Qiu Han and Qin Wei suddenly realized that they had misunderstood Liu Xunyi. He was not timid, but he did not want to hurt Qiu Han's life.

Qiu Han looked at the helpless Liu Xunyi with complicated eyes. After hesitating for a long time, he finally asked, "Really... Luo Tianjin asked you to kill me?"

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi pushed the Wuji Sword in front of Qiu Han and said bluntly: "I can't do it, so why don't you kill me with one sword, Brother Qiu. This way, you can stay in Luoyang City and won't arouse Luo Tianjin's suspicion."

"Nonsense!" Qiu Han said angrily, "If you can't do it, how can I do it? Moreover, if you die, how can Luo Tianjin let it go?"

Having said this, Qiu Han's thoughts changed, his eyes softened a bit, and he said guiltily: "Just now... I was impulsive, I hope you won't blame me..."

"What are you talking about, Brother Qiu?" Liu Xunyi said nonchalantly, "You and I have known each other since childhood, how could I not know your temper and character?"

"That's enough! Now is not the time to reminisce about the past." Zhao Yuan waved his hand impatiently, "Xun Yi, besides killing Qiu Han and leaving Luoyang City, isn't there a way to have the best of both worlds?"

"This……"

"Based on your understanding of Luo Tianjin, if Qiu Han is not killed..." Zhao Yuan pondered, "What will be the result?"

"I don't know." Liu Xunyi said bitterly, "Maybe Luo Tianjin will kill me, maybe he will expel me from the Xianwang Mansion, or maybe he will punish me severely and beat me half to death... No one can predict Luo Tianjin's temper. In the more than two years I have been with him, he sometimes treats me with passion and sometimes with coldness. Sometimes I commit capital crimes and he can just laugh it off, but sometimes he gets furious for a small mistake and wants to skin me alive. Therefore, if I don't kill Brother Qiu tonight, how will Luo Tianjin react... I don't know."

Qin Wei rolled his eyes and suggested, "If Brother Liu is no match for Brother Qiu and fails to assassinate him... does Luo Tianjin have nothing to say?"

Zhao Yuan's eyes lit up and he looked at Liu Xunyi expectantly, as if asking what he thought.

"This..." Liu Xunyi thought for a moment and hesitated, "Luo Tianjin has a keen eye. He can tell whether it is true or false at a glance. If we want to play a trick on him, I'm afraid... it's not easy. If he sees through it, my sin will be greater, and even our relationship may be exposed. Let's take a step back. Even if we can hide it, if I fail, it will definitely cause Luo Tianjin's dissatisfaction, and my position in his heart will definitely plummet. Most people in the martial arts world respect martial arts. If you don't have good means, you will only be looked down upon. Besides, I'm not bragging. With Luo Tianjin's martial arts and vision, who is stronger between me and Brother Qiu... I think he has already known it in his mind, otherwise he wouldn't have sent me."

"Fighting alone is one thing, fighting against many is another." Qin Wei argued, "You only said that you were outnumbered and could not succeed..."

"This method is not feasible!" Zhao Yuan interrupted, "At this critical moment, we must not let Luo Tianjin have any grudges against Xun Yi. This move is too risky and cannot be tried lightly. What's more, you walked into Danfeng Garden tonight with a swagger. I don't know how many people saw you. It is impossible to hide it from Luo Tianjin's eyes and ears..."

At this point, Zhao Yuan suddenly had an idea, and his voice stopped abruptly. He said in surprise: "Xunyi, you didn't want to assassinate Qiu Han from the beginning, right? Otherwise, you couldn't walk in here openly!" "Yes." Liu Xunyi couldn't deny it, "If it were someone else, I might not show mercy. But I can't kill Brother Qiu no matter what."

"Yes!" Qin Wei said worriedly, "The price is too high."

"More importantly, Luo Tianjin sent me to assassinate Brother Qiu, which is a signal that couldn't be more obvious." Liu Xunyi explained, "If he had the slightest intention of submitting to the court, why would he send me to assassinate a court official?"

"That makes sense." Zhao Yuan pondered, "Luo Tianjin is killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, hoping that I will give up."

"That's right! Since I know Luo Tianjin has no intention of surrendering, why should I harm Brother Qiu's life? If so, wouldn't it be a waste of my life?"

"Are we... going back like this?" Qin Wei was unwilling to accept the situation, with a bitter look on his face. "The East Palace's painstaking plan to recruit the enemy has become a mere empty talk so easily. How will the Marquis report to the court after we return? How will the East Palace report to the emperor?"

"You can't leave!" Zhao Yuan's face was as gloomy as water, and his tone left no room for doubt, "This trip, I must succeed! I will never leave Luoyang City unless this is accomplished!"

"That's right!" Qiu Han echoed, "Now, the fate of the Song Dynasty hangs by a thread, and the emperor and the court have placed all their hopes on the East Palace's plan to recruit them. If we make a mistake, the Song Dynasty will surely fall into danger, and it will be difficult to turn things around."

"If we leave, the Song Dynasty will be finished." Zhao Yuan sighed, "This is a difficult problem that Luo Tianjin has given us. Not only can I not retreat, but I must face it head-on to show my determination."

“Liu Xunyi, chop off my head with your sword!” Qiu Han made up his mind and stuffed the Wuji Sword into Liu Xunyi’s hand, saying righteously, “The Marquis is right. Now is the critical moment. We must not let Luo Tianjin have the slightest suspicion of you. In this plan of recruiting the amnesty, it doesn’t matter whether I live or die. You are the top priority, so there must be no mistakes. It’s just a head, isn’t it? If Luo Tianjin likes it, just give it to him! As long as I can help you gain Luo Tianjin’s trust, Qiu Han will die without regrets!”

"Brother Qiu..."

“Liu Xunyi, you and I are both appointed officials of the imperial court. We eat the emperor’s salary and share his worries. How can we be hesitant and afraid of death?” Qiu Han said with sincerity in his eyes, word by word, “My death is not a pity, but you must remember that ‘family and country are the most important, and the world is the most important’. No matter what time, don’t forget that you are a minister of the Song Dynasty!”

Qiu Han's words moved Liu Xunyi so much that she choked up and said, "I will remember every word of what Brother Qiu said and I will never forget it!"

“Come on!” Qiu Han’s eyes were red, and he had a sinister smile on his face. He stretched his neck in front of Liu Xunyi and said jokingly, “Hurry up and let me die quickly.”

Seeing this, Qin Wei was conflicted, but didn't know how to persuade him.

Zhao Yuan looked at Qiu Han, who was ready to die bravely, with complicated eyes. He remained silent for a long while without saying a word.

It seemed that Zhao Yuan had no choice but to "sacrifice the rook to save the king."

Today, Zhao Yuan is responsible for the life and death of the Song Dynasty. He cannot lose, and cannot afford to lose.

Therefore, in the face of the interests of the country and the nation, everything can be sacrificed, even the adopted son whom one has raised.

"Brother Qiu, you..."

"Liu Xunyi, why are you still hesitating?" Qiu Han said angrily, "What did I teach you? When killing someone, you must be free from emotions and desires, and look down on everything. Even if the person under the knife is your parents or brothers, you cannot have the slightest compassion for them. Tianji Pavilion is responsible for the secrets of heaven and is ordered by heaven. You are acting on behalf of heaven and must not be bound by your own emotions."

"Brother Qiu, don't blame me..."

"Stop talking nonsense, do it!"

"excuse me!"

Along with the two roars from Qiu Han and Liu Xunyi, the cold light of the Wuji Sword flashed, and a silver arc flashed through the eyes of Zhao Yuan and Qin Wei. The sword energy whistled, and rolled up countless wind and snow.

In an instant, the sword rose and fell, and blood splattered seven steps, adding a touch of bright red to the green mercury flowers on Ningcui Lake.

……

(End of this chapter)