Legend Management Bureau Chapter 211

[ … words ]

“Men!” the vanguard waved his massive hand. “These two have disrespected General Chang Yuchun and insulted the King of Ming! Execute them on the spot!”

Chang Yuchun frowned slightly, but he silently permitted it.

A large swarm of Red Turban soldiers surrounded them, raising their weapons.

Du Yu was utterly confused. Why was this happening? Wasn’t Xiaonian a girl?

The vanguard standing before him was a hulking, heavily built man!

How could he possibly be Xiaonian?!

“Brother Yu, do you need me to take action?” Ah Kui asked coldly.

Du Yu furrowed his brows in deep thought. Whether they fought or not, the situation was looking grim.

If a fight broke out, they would inevitably have to defeat Chang Yuchun. Should Chang Yuchun suffer a defeat here, Zhu Yuanzhang might not entrust him with heavy responsibilities in the future, which could severely alter the course of history.

“We can’t fight. We can only run,” Du Yu quickly made a decision, turning his head to whisper to Ah Kui.

“Understood, Brother Yu. I will do everything in my power to ensure your safe escape,” Ah Kui replied.

“You don’t understand a damn thing,” Du Yu snapped, shooting Ah Kui an exasperated look. “What do you mean ‘ensure my safe escape’? You’re not allowed to die either, hear me?”

“This…” Ah Kui looked at Du Yu, flattered and overwhelmed. “Brother Yu, I am merely a servant. Compared to you…”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Du Yu stared at Ah Kui in disbelief. “Since the day we met, when have I ever treated you like a servant?”

“I suppose… you never have…”

“You’re injured right now, so if anything goes wrong, I’ll protect you. Anyway, let’s just find a way to escape first. We absolutely cannot kill these people.”

Only then did Ah Kui nod, his respect for Du Yu deepening even further.

“General Chang,” Du Yu called out. “We gave you all our belongings, yet you still want to kill us. Is this how the Ming Cult conducts itself?”

Chang Yuchun’s expression shifted. He initially hadn’t wanted to lay a hand on Du Yu and his companion, but since his vanguard had already given the order, backing down now would look extremely inappropriate.

“Sir, you did indeed disrespect the King of Ming just now. If we turn a blind eye, what will become of the Ming Cult’s prestige?” Chang Yuchun declared. “Killing you today is not about personal grudges, but for the righteous cause of our Ming Cult, to save the common people from their suffering, and to put an end to this chaotic era.”

“Oh, aren’t you full of grand speeches?” Du Yu muttered snarkily. “Once the Great Ming conquers the world, you won’t be far from death yourself.”

“Cease your demonic lies. Zhang Qi, do it.”

The vanguard nodded. “Yes, sir!”

Du Yu glanced at the vanguard. So his name was Zhang Qi now?

But no matter how many times he changed his name, he was still just an ordinary mortal.

“I was going to let you off the hook, but on second thought, you’re just too dangerous.”

Du Yu’s expression turned icy as he lunged toward Zhang Qi. The strike was blindingly fast; there was no way a mortal could dodge it.

Yet, without batting an eye, Zhang Qi swiftly raised his weapon to block his chest. With a loud clang, he miraculously withstood Du Yu’s assault, though the impact forced him several steps back.

Du Yu was completely bewildered. If this Zhang Qi was Xiaonian in disguise, why had his strength changed too?

“You dare to strike first?!” The vanguard named Zhang Qi roared in anger. “Resist the Red Turban Army, and you’ll find only death!”

Before Du Yu could figure out what was happening, Xie Bian’s shout echoed from a distance. “Little Du, we found Xiaonian! Retreat! Regroup at home!”

“You found Xiaonian?!” Du Yu was startled. What in the world was going on?

Although he was completely lost, Xie Bian was right—it was time to retreat. And the ‘home’ he referred to had to be the City God Temple.

“Ah Kui, let’s split up! Regroup at home!”

Ah Kui gave a slight nod, and the two of them darted off in opposite directions.

Chang Yuchun was taken aback. Only then did he realize that neither of them were ordinary fighters. If they had chosen to leap out and attack him just now, he likely wouldn’t have been able to fend them off.

“General Chang! I’ll go after them!” Zhang Qi yelled, immediately giving chase in the direction Du Yu had fled.

Du Yu bounded across the shoulders of a few villagers, twisting and leaping agilely until he quickly escaped the sea of people in the market. However, when he reached the main street, he found it completely packed with Red Turban soldiers.

Spotting his suspicious behavior, they immediately swarmed after him.

“Damn it… why are there so many of them?”

Du Yu wracked his brain. He absolutely could not head back to the City God Temple right now, or he would lead the enemy right to their doorstep and get everyone captured.

He ran aimlessly for a while before realizing he had nowhere left to go, forcing him to slowly come to a halt.

Seeing him stop, the dozen or so Red Turban soldiers trailing behind cautiously surrounded him.

“Brothers, do me a favor and stop following me,” Du Yu sighed.

“Who exactly are you? The civilians are all cordoned off in the market. How did you get out?”

“How could I be a mere civilian?” Du Yu sighed again. “Your ranks are too low, so it’s normal that you don’t recognize me. I am in a rush to deliver an urgent message to the King of Ming. If you block my path, you’re dead meat.”

The soldiers exchanged stunned looks, wondering if this man was actually some big shot.

A man who appeared to be a squad leader stepped forward, cupping his fists respectfully. “General, it’s not that we don’t believe you, but the decisive battle against the dog emperor is imminent, and anything could happen. We have to act with caution.”

“Indeed,” Du Yu nodded approvingly. “You possess a high level of vigilance, which is commendable. I will be sure to put in a good word for you with Chang Yuchun later.”

Du Yu was just about to leave when he was blocked once again by several men.

“General, we haven’t finished speaking yet. Since you’re such an important figure, you naturally know what today’s secret password is, right?”

Du Yu frowned, looking at the men. “Speaking of that, I’m quite irritated.”

“Irritated?”

“Yeah, today’s password is just too hard to remember.” Du Yu shook his head in frustration. “I said from the beginning that today’s password was no good, but Chang Yuchun told me it was just a precaution and we might not even need to use it. But look at us now! Aren’t we using it?”

The men glanced at one another, forcing apologetic smiles. “Today’s password is actually quite easy to remember… If you truly have an urgent mission, just tell us the password so we can let you pass. Otherwise, if military affairs are delayed, we won’t be able to bear the responsibility either.”

Du Yu’s eyes shifted, and he asked Dong Qianqiu, “Sister Qianqiu, can you see me?”

“I can’t see you…” Dong Qianqiu replied quietly.

“Then can you hear me?”

“What do you think?”

Du Yu smiled bitterly and asked, “Do you know what the Ming Cult’s password for today is?”

“Du Yu… who do you take me for? How would I possibly know that?”

“Sigh…” Du Yu let out a heavy breath. Even this last sliver of hope was gone.

Left with no choice, he waved at the squad leader and said, “Brother, lend me your ear. I’ll whisper the password to you.”

The squad leader nodded and leaned in close, offering his ear to Du Yu.

“Today’s password is…” Du Yu’s face instantly turned ruthless. He raised his hand and chopped down hard on the back of the squad leader’s neck. “Wa-tah!”

The squad leader froze, instinctively grabbing the back of his neck as he stared blankly at Du Yu.

Du Yu sneered. “Stop fighting it. When it’s time to pass out, just pass out.”

The squad leader’s face twisted in agony as he roared, “That hurt like hell! What is wrong with you?”

“Huh?” Du Yu was equally startled. “Why aren’t you unconscious? Logically speaking, a swift strike to the back of the neck should knock you out cold.”

Dong Qianqiu sighed silently. “Du Yu, you really need to watch less TV. Hitting someone like that won’t knock anyone out.”

“Damn it!” Du Yu realized his miscalculation. He had originally wanted to knock them all out quietly, but clearly, that wasn’t going to work. Did he really have to kill them?

The dozen Red Turban soldiers now fully understood that Du Yu was no high-ranking official, but a lying countryside bumpkin. They immediately drew the weapons at their waists.

Before Du Yu could try negotiating with them again, a figure leaped out from a distance and directly kicked a soldier to the ground.

Du Yu took a closer look and realized it was actually Fan Wujiu! However, he was completely alone; Xie Bian was nowhere to be seen.

“Eighth Lord, what are you doing here?”

“Du Yu, I got separated from the others. Let’s find a way out of here first, then we’ll regroup with them later.”

“Oh…” Du Yu nodded silently. “Alright, Eighth Lord.”

Fan Wujiu coughed violently as he struck down several soldiers. Although he seemed to be an excellent fighter, he still appeared incredibly frail.

The dozen or so Red Turban soldiers were no match for Fan Wujiu and Du Yu. They quickly lost the upper hand and collapsed to the ground one by one.

Leaning against a wall, Fan Wujiu coughed for a long time before slowly straightening his posture.

“Du Yu, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Where to now?” Du Yu asked.

“Back to the City God Temple.”

“That might not be a good idea,” Du Yu said.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. No one is following us anymore.”

“Even if no one is following us, we still can’t go,” Du Yu insisted.

“Why not?” Fan Wujiu looked at him with a face full of confusion.

Du Yu scratched his head and said,

“If we go to the City God Temple, wouldn’t we run into the real Fan Wujiu? Then how are you, an imposter, supposed to kill me?”

Hearing this, ‘Fan Wujiu’s’ expression immediately turned cold. He stopped coughing instantly and slowly stood tall, staring at Du Yu. After a long moment, he finally cracked a smile. “How strange. How did you figure out I was a fake?”

Du Yu shook his head helplessly. “Your disguise wasn’t meticulous enough. Ever since I arrived in this legend, I’ve never told Fan Wujiu my name is ‘Du Yu’. To him, I’m Ah Yu, Old Ninth, or Little Du, but never Du Yu. Yet here you are, affectionately calling me Du Yu left and right. I’d have to be stupid not to notice.”

‘Fan Wujiu’ burst into laughter and reached up to touch his face, asking, “Putting aside the flaws, just look at my appearance. Don’t I look exactly like the real Eighth Lord?”

Du Yu nodded. “I can’t deny that. Whoever you impersonate, you look exactly like them. I’m starting to understand why you’re one of the ‘Sacred Seven’.”

Hearing this, ‘Fan Wujiu’ was clearly delighted. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped it across his face, revealing the visage of an unfamiliar woman. Her true appearance was neither Xiaonian nor Zhang Qi, but someone else entirely.

“Du Yu, you have always been my only audience.”