ng Qianqian was stunned by the sheer audacity of his face.
Had he never heard a single honest word since he was a child? Was his entire world built on sycophants and flatterers, fostering this blind, inflated self-confidence?
Lu Lingxiao stared at her fixedly: "Why aren’t you saying anything? Have I struck a nerve?"
ng Qianqian sneered coldly, "Lu Lingxiao, your body may have co to the border, but clearly your brain stayed behind in the Capital City. Do you think everyone sees you as your grandmother or your precious Wan’er does—like so unparalleled treasure? You ask if I regret it? The only regret I have is being too young at the ti, unable to change my fate, and forced by family arrangents to marry you. If I could go back five years, I’d rather drag a husband off the street than ever marry into your Lu Family!"
Lu Lingxiao’s face darkened: "You—"
"There’s one thing you guessed right. I did co to the border to find you, but it wasn’t to reconcile. It was for these two items."
As she spoke, ng Qianqian pulled out a signal firework and a token from her pouch. "Do you know what kind of token this is?"
Lu Lingxiao furrowed his brow: "Of course I do. This is the rescue token Wan’er gave . When I’m in danger, all I need to do is release the signal fireworks, and the Black Armor Guards within a hundred li will co to aid !"
ng Qianqian let out a cold laugh. "Aid you? More like kill you!"
Lu Lingxiao’s voice sank: "What did you just say?"
ng Qianqian replied, "Its na is the Hundred Li Kill Order. If you dare to release the signal, you and your companions will be slaughtered by the Black Armor Guards within a hundred li—all without exception. If I weren’t worried about innocent lives being dragged down by you, I wouldn’t have co to the border to find you!"
Lu Lingxiao, bristling with anger, retorted, "You’re making this up! How could it possibly be an execution order? It’s clearly a rescue token! Wan’er would never harm !"
ng Qianqian replied, "Then go ask her yourself. As the daughter of Yin Hu, how can she not recognize the Hundred Li Kill Order?"
Lu Lingxiao clenched his fists. "Wan’er is Yin Hu’s daughter, but you have no connection to the Black Armor Guards. What makes you think you know more than she does?"
"Think whatever you like."
She had said all that needed saying. Whether he believed her or not was no concern of hers.
Expressionless, ng Qianqian lifted the curtain and left.
Just as she reached the doorway, she saw Lu Yuan walking leisurely with his hand warr, draped in a purple cloak, looking entirely unbothered.
Behind him followed Yu Zichuan and Qing Shuang.
Their eyes were as wide as bells, clearly having heard plenty of juicy gossip.
"Greetings to the Grand Commander. I’m off to tend to the horses."
ng Qianqian gave a perfunctory bow and walked away without looking back.
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Lu Lingxiao stord out, only to see Lu Yuan and his companions, which gave him a shock.
Realizing sothing, he imdiately asked, "Grand Commander, was it you who told her the token was an execution order?"
Lu Yuan smirked. "And if I did?"
Lu Lingxiao clenched his fingers tightly. "Grand Commander, your scheming knows no bounds!"
"Little Nine!"
A shout rang out not far away as Zhang Feihu called, "Co over here for a drink!"
Lu Lingxiao’s expression turned icy.
A woman drinking and carousing with a group of n—it was utterly indecent in his eyes.
Lu Yuan glanced at Qing Shuang and Yu Zichuan and said nonchalantly, "Let’s go."
"Enough with the horses! Co drink instead!"
Zhang Feihu grabbed ng Qianqian’s Brocade Spring Saber and dragged her to sit by the campfire. He kicked his Deputy General. "Move! Make room for Little Nine!"
Opposite them, General Zhou Wei chuckled. "Little Nine, sit over here!"
Zhang Feihu glared at him. "Who the hell are you? You think you’re qualified to sit next to Little Nine? Han Ci! Scoot over!"
Han Ci said nothing and quietly shifted aside.
He was a man of few words, focused solely on warfare, and everyone was used to it.
Zhang Feihu pointed to the empty spot beside Han Ci and said to ng Qianqian, "Sit!"
ng Qianqian sat down.
In the military camp, they were all comrades-in-arms on the battlefield; none of the rigid etiquette between n and won from the Capital City applied here.
Zhang Feihu just so happened to sit beside ng Qianqian. Catching sight of Lu Yuan strolling over, he quickly shouted, "Grand Commander!"
Lu Yuan halted his steps and asked indifferently, "What is it?"
Zhang Feihu grinned. "The brothers want to celebrate Little Nine’s victory. Would the Grand Commander care to join us for a drink?"
Qing Shuang and Yu Zichuan exchanged glances: inviting the Grand Commander to share a drink? You really are bold.
Lu Yuan sat down without a word.
Qing Shuang and Yu Zichuan looked as if they’d seen a ghost.
Ever since arriving at the border, they often felt like they didn’t know the Grand Commander anymore.
Lu Yuan didn’t sit beside ng Qianqian but across from her.
If the gathering had been filled with the court’s Civil Servants, the room would have fallen into total silence.
But these Military Generals were jubilant just to see the Grand Commander join them—they were nearly as thrilled as if they’d married off their daughters.
"Grand Commander, I, Old Zheng, toast you with a jar!"
"I toast the Grand Commander as well!"
"Han Ci! What are you standing there for? Toast the Grand Commander!"
Zhang Feihu reached across ng Qianqian and clapped the back of Han Ci’s head hard.
A bewildered Han Ci: "..."
Lu Yuan said, "Wasn’t this a celebration for ng Xiaojiu?"
Zhang Feihu smacked his forehead. "Ah, got carried away seeing the Grand Commander—almost forgot!"
He turned and handed ng Qianqian a jar of wine. "Little Nine, why so quiet? You’ve done a great deed! Rember us when you rise to fortune and fa! Don’t forget Old Zhang!"
ng Qianqian, completely puzzled, asked, "What great deed?"
"Yin Hu!"
Seeing her still confused, Zhang Feihu turned to Lu Yuan and asked, "Grand Commander, didn’t you tell Little Nine?"
...
Endless mountains stretched into the horizon as a white-haired man in black robes ascended to the peak, holding a compass.
"It should be here."
He turned around and gave a faint smile. "There we go—found it!"
Putting away the Feng Shui Compass, he approached a naless stele and removed the gourd from his waist, pouring half of its contents in front of the grave.
"Yin Hu, Yin Hu... who would’ve thought? Seeing you again would only be this—to part as worlds apart. Not a bad spot you chose here; excellent feng shui."
He looked toward the south. "Ah, you can even see the burnt ruins of the Chu Family."
"I went to find Yin Hu. Yin Hu died. Now I’ve co to find you, and you’re dead too."
He stroked his chin, seriously pondering, his pupils suddenly contracting in shock. "Could it be... you all would rather die than see ?!"
After a long pause.
He set aside his wounded and surprised expression and sighed. "Fine, it’s ti to go."
After taking only a few steps, he turned back again. "No, wait. Among us Twelve, you’re the craftiest of them all. You wouldn’t just depart without leaving so clue, would you? Fine, let break your puzzle one last ti."
He pulled out the Feng Shui Compass, following the direction indicated by the shifting needle, until he discovered a mountain cave.
This was precisely where Yin Hu and ng Qianqian had last t.
On a stone wall Yin Hu leaned against, he burned a row of small characters with fla.
"So, you left a Little Yin Hu after all."
Looking at his own hand, he murmured, "Alright, let see whether this Little Yin Hu is worthy of becoming a true mber of the Twelve Guards. But let warn you, if she’s not... I’ll kill her and take the token myself!"
"Oh, I heard Yin Hu’s daughter is also in the Capital City. May as well drop by."
Reviews
All reviews (0)