Heirs of the Seven Swords of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 1937: Death of a Saint (IV)

Although the Mohists once intercepted the Black Dragon File, which represented the empire's top secrets, and successfully deciphered the intelligence.

But this does not mean that the idea of ​​attacking the empire's intelligence transmission system is a good idea, because the success rate is too low.

The empire's response strategy is not complicated, it mainly consists of two measures.

The first is the delivery channel.

Whenever confidential intelligence is delivered, not just one copy is sent, but multiple teams are dispatched in succession, some true and some false, some open and some secret, some earlier and some later in time, and some on staggered routes.

As for which type of team is more likely to transport real intelligence...there's no telling!
It is possible that some will depart first, and it is also possible that some will depart later.

The team in the open may be true, and the team in the dark may also be true.

There may not be only one true one among them, and the same goes for false ones.

This plan is obviously effective, but it can't stop the European emperor.

What if someone just randomly guesses and wins?
It’s useless even if you win!
The intelligence is encrypted, and the encryption schemes may not be the same.

You can guess the real thing by luck, but it is unrealistic to decode it by luck - if this can be done, then the position of the emperor should be replaced, and he is the "Son of Heaven"!
If you can't crack the code, you won't know that you have the real thing even if you get it.

The last time Mohism was able to succeed, it can be said that it was because of the right time, right place, and right people.

Not only did he get the authentic Black Dragon File, but because the destination of the file was Sanghai, the Thousand Machine Copper Plate used for decoding was placed in the General's Mansion.

There won’t be such a good opportunity this time.

They had no way to determine the route of the real intelligence and no way to decode it, so if they really tried to do so, it would be a waste of effort.

Tianming said at this time, "It is impossible to intercept the intelligence of the empire. It is also impossible to go on board the ship to find a needle in a haystack. It is even more useless to look for the top leaders of the Yin-Yang family... But we still have a way."

"Don't forget, we still have a friend on the boat."

Shao Yu suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly, "Ah... I almost forgot, there is also Qian Long."

"She must know something!"

"That's right." Tianming nodded heavily and continued, "Now we just need to find a way to get on the ship."

"It's too difficult to take any route during the day, so let's wait until night."

Now, not only are there Shadow Secret Guards at the port and coastline, but there are also mechanical bat wings flying in the sky, keeping a close eye on the surrounding sea.

Even if they tried to swim around in circles, the risk of being exposed would be too great, so they could only make plans at night.

"At night... why not just use the Suzaku to fly over there?" Shao Yu suggested.

Although there were mechanical bat wings surrounding the mirage, their number was actually very limited, even less than the last time they sneaked into the mirage.

During the day, the visibility is good and they can monitor the entire area, but at night they can only take care of a small area at the same time.

It's definitely not difficult to find an opportunity to take advantage of.

Tianming also thought this plan was good and nodded, "Okay! Let's go back to the base first."

………………

That night, in Sanghai City, the ruins of Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

As the moonlight shone, the fire debris that seemed pitch black during the day was now tinged with a hazy glow.

In the darkness of night, a figure in a hooded black robe slowly approached the ruins.

Standing in front of the collapsed gate of Xiaoshengxianzhuang, the figure was trembling slightly and seemed very excited.

He walked slowly forward, and when he passed the burnt and damaged plaque, he stopped, leaned over, and gently stroked the plaque with his hand.

Looking at the layer of black ash on his hands, the man in black robe sighed, then stood up and continued walking into the village.

Walking through the ruins, he soon arrived at the tombs of Xunzi and Fu Nian.

Looking at the two tombstones with familiar names engraved on them, the figure's body trembled more and more obviously, and finally he knelt down slowly:
"Teacher, the student is unfilial!"

"Brother, I am incompetent!"

A mournful voice rang out in the silent night, and the hood on the figure's head was lifted, revealing the true face underneath - Han Fei!
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Fei's body completely bent down, and his head hit the ground heavily.

………………

Han Fei revisited his hometown and paid homage to his teacher. At the same time, a mechanical Vermilion Bird flapped its wings and flew over the Sanghai Port.

The autumn nights were getting increasingly colder. Tianming and the others, who were high in the sky and bearing the whistling night wind, could not help but feel a chill running through their bones.

Master Ban was driving the Mechanical Suzaku and shouted behind him without even turning his head, "Are you sure the three of you are okay?"

Master Ban, who was relatively free, chose to take action himself this time.

"Don't worry!" Tianming shouted back, "It will definitely be enough!"

He boarded the ship just to see Qianlong, he had no intention of taking action and he didn't need any help at all.

If he wasn't in danger of fainting and losing his ability to defend himself at any time, he wouldn't even bother bringing Shao Yu Shi Lan with him.

Now that we have come this far, Master Ban will not give us any further advice:
"Ok."

"Get ready, old man. I'm about to start my descent."

Then Suzaku began to circle steadily and descend in altitude.

Shao Yu looked at the big moon in the sky that seemed to be within reach, and couldn't help shaking his head and muttering, "It's a pity that the weather is not good tonight. It would be great if a dark cloud could cover this bright moon."

Tianming didn't care about it, "It doesn't matter, this way our vision will be better."

"Anyway, there are only a handful of big bats flying in the sky. We can dodge them anyway."

Master Ban laughed and scolded him when he heard this, "You are so easy to talk without any pain in your waist. You don't need to hide, right?"

"Hey, don't I believe in your strength?"

Tianming immediately flattered Master Ban with a grin.

Master Ban snorted coldly, but in his heart he actually enjoyed Yong Tianming's flattery.

The most stubborn thing about Tianming is his mouth. When he gets along with Master Ban, he always attacks him. However, his talent in mechanical engineering is unparalleled in ancient and modern times, and Master Ban often cannot win an argument with him.

"Hold on tight, I'm going to speed up!" Master Ban reminded and pushed the joystick hard.

The mechanical Suzaku fell straight down in response, approaching the sea surface almost vertically.

Master Ban planned to approach the mirage by sticking to the sea surface, and then rise higher when he got close - it was roughly the same idea as the previous pilot, because there were really not many suitable methods.

However, Master Ban's skills are even more advanced than that pilot's. Even at his age, he can still perform such difficult operations, which made Tianming and the others' hearts almost jump out of their chests.

The mechanical Suzaku sticker skimmed across the water and quickly approached the mirage.

The attention of the mechanical bat wings in the sky was elsewhere and they could not see them.

Even if he looked over, it was still unknown whether he could find the mechanism of Suzaku in the first place.

The night vision is not very good.

Master Ban seized the time, accelerated and approached the mirage, and in a flash he reached the edge of the mirage.

Master Ban observed the mechanical bat wings in the sky - facing the moonlight, they were very conspicuous. After confirming their distribution positions, he pulled the joystick hard again, and the mechanical Suzaku immediately turned upwards and climbed up again at a nearly vertical angle. In the blink of an eye, it rose to a height close to the Mirage deck.

"Go!" Master Ban shouted in a low voice.

At dawn, the other two jumped onto the boat in response.

Master Ban then seamlessly turned around and descended, lowering his altitude in almost an instant, with his head exposed for no more than two breaths. ………………

In the ruins of Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

Han Fei was no longer kneeling, but sitting loosely on the ground, close to the tombstones of Xunzi and Fu Nian, holding a wine jug in one hand and a wine glass in the other.

"Teacher, Senior Brother, you all don't like wine, I will drink this wine alone."

After saying this, Han Fei, who looked very happy, drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, his face flushed.

"Huh..." Han Fei swallowed the faint fragrance that came up in his throat and took a long breath. He still had a smile on his face, but his tone was full of uncontrollable melancholy:
"Brother, when I was studying, you always liked to control me. You told me not to do this or that. I was so annoyed!"

"When I decided to return home, the thing that made me feel most relieved was that I could finally get rid of your nagging... But I didn't expect that you, who have always been old-fashioned, stubborn, and rule-abiding, would be willing to throw the rules aside in the end."

"What the world says is right. In our generation, only you, my senior brother, have the demeanor of a true gentleman... I am not as good as you."

As he spoke, Han Fei's voice became choked with sobs, but he was still forcing a smile on his face - it was more like crying than smiling.

Then he looked at Xunzi's tombstone, and his red eyes gradually turned watery.

He said nothing, suppressed his grief, poured a glass of wine, raised the glass and smiled at Xunzi, then drank it all again.

Maybe it was because of the alcohol, or maybe he couldn't control himself, but tears finally flowed down Han Fei's face. He was crying and laughing at the same time.

"teacher……"

Han Fei wanted to continue speaking, but after saying just two words, he could no longer speak.

He poured another glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp. He tried to control his tears with the help of the alcohol and continued with a sob, "Teacher... maybe your dissuasion was right back then. I shouldn't have gone back."

"I failed to save my country, failed to fulfill my lofty promises, and failed to stay by your side to fulfill my filial piety. In the end, I ended up like this... this..."

Han Fei choked a few more times, but he didn't finish his words. The tears he had just controlled burst out again, and he could no longer maintain his smile.

………………

On the other side, on the mirage.

The three of them got on the boat but did not act in a hurry. They first found a corner to hide and observe the situation.

After a brief observation, Shao Yu couldn't help but frown and said, "The scene on the ship is completely different from before. There are sentries and patrols everywhere."

Tianming nodded and agreed, "Yeah...it seems that the Yin-Yang family is keeping a close eye on the reason why Mirage returned this time. It's probably not a small problem."

"Try to be careful." Shi Lan reminded softly.

Tianming raised his hand and made a simple gesture, "No big deal, we can't avoid them in the middle of the night."

"go!"

After saying that, Tianming found the right opportunity and rushed out first.

Shao Yu and Shi Lan followed closely behind. The three of them carefully avoided all the sentries and patrols along the way and rushed towards the location of the Fusang sacred tree.

According to Tianming's current experience, seeing Qianlong is not limited to the vicinity of the Toad Palace or around the Fusang sacred tree, but basically anywhere on the ship.

But to be on the safe side, it is best to go to the Fusang sacred tree.

After all, it is a one-way contact and the time is uncontrollable, so it is better to find a safe place.

………………

In the ruins of Xiaoshengxianzhuang, Han Fei, who was crying and laughing, finally finished expressing all he wanted to say. He walked outside with unsteady steps, one deep step and one shallow step.

He also left his offerings on the tombstones of Xunzi and Fu Nian.

What was given to Xunzi was all the articles about Xunzi's life handwritten by Han Fei, and what was given to Fu Nian was Han Fei's most beloved wine glass.

Pass through the ruins and return to the collapsed main gate of Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

Han Fei took another look at the plaque on the ground, which was almost unrecognizable, and his steps became more and more unsteady.

In the darkness, a man came towards Han Fei from the same path he came from.

The sudden appearance of the second person made Han Fei stop in his tracks. As the other person approached, his appearance was fully revealed.

It was Zhang Han, the leader of the Shadow Guard.

Zhang Han raised his hand and greeted him, "Zhang Han, nice to meet Mr. Han Fei."

"General Zhang Han...looking for me?" Han Fei was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with him and asked directly in a hoarse voice.

"Someone asked me to pass a letter to you, sir." Zhang Han answered without any further ado, and at the same time handed over the letter.

Han Fei took it without rushing to ask, "Letter? Who gave it to me?"

"He is your friend, sir...but he should be passing it on for someone else." Zhang Han answered this question vaguely.

Han Fei was silent for a moment, did not ask any more questions, and took the envelope.

In the moonlight, he looked at the words on the envelope, and his eyes froze for a moment:

A letter personally from my disciple Han Fei!

Zhang Han tactfully left quietly at this time, leaving Han Fei alone.

Han Fei immediately opened the envelope, but his shaking hands failed to open the seal and take out the letter.

When he finally took out the letter and unfolded it, he saw that it was indeed written by his teacher Xunzi.

"Han Fei, my disciple:
A letter is like a meeting.

When you see this letter, I will probably be reduced to dust.

Regarding the death of my teacher and the demise of Xiaoshengxianzhuang, there is no need to ask whether they were right or wrong, or what sins were committed.

Everything is just a passing cloud.

Everything that has a beginning must have an end. This is the destined end of Xiao Shengxian Zhuang, and also of his teacher.

There is no need to worry about the so-called hatred, and we should not be trapped by the so-called hatred.

I don't know what the Imperial Master's plan is, but I believe in you. I believe that you are still the Han Fei who came to me many years ago to say goodbye and return to your country.

You will not give up your goals, and you will not be silent like an ordinary person.

Do what you think is right, do what you should do.

Remember: Heaven has its own way, it does not exist for the sake of Yao, nor does it perish for the sake of Jie;
If you respond to it with order, it will be auspicious; if you respond to it with chaos, it will be disastrous! "

Han Fei stared at the letter, reading it word by word. His trembling hands gradually became calm and steady.

After reading the contents of the letter, Han Fei couldn't help but look up at the sky, at the bright moon and the dim stars, in order to suppress the tears that might burst out of his eyes at any time.

After a long silence, Han Fei finally controlled the surging emotions in his heart, carefully put away the letter, and hid it close to his body.

"Teacher...I'm sorry, this time, I still can't listen to you."

"I want all those who harmed you to die!"

………………

"We're not very lucky tonight."

On the branch of the sacred Fusang tree, Tianming was lying on the trunk, crossing his legs and sighing.

"Indeed, I don't know how long we have to wait." Shao Yu on the side nodded in agreement.

Although Mirage's defenses have been strengthened several times, it is still just a piece of cake for them.