The cold wind blew across the icy surface of Yansuo Lake, lifting a thin layer of snow.
Zhao Douan held Jin Jian’s small hand, and as soon as they appeared, they witnessed the scene of battle at the center of the lake.
At the sa ti, Xu Jianwen’s light greeting, amplified by the Qi chanism, spread widely.
Suddenly, everyone fighting on the lake retreated in tacit agreent, adopting defensive postures, their eyes searching for Zhao Douan’s figure.
"My lord..." Song Jinxi, like a wisp of smoke, retreated with the Tributors, turning to look over with surprise and delight.
Ji Yue also lifted his head from the cold lake water, cautiously watching Qi Yuchun on the floating ice, his ears pricked up.
"Yes." Zhao Douan nodded to them first, then walked quickly to close the distance with Jin Jian.
He ignored the struggling prisoners who were inching towards the two camps.
Holding the Chasing Saber in his hand, Zhao Douan’s cold gaze swept over the familiar figures of Qi Yuchun and Ren Kun, finally landing on the cloaked figure wearing a monkey mask at the forefront, saying, "You’ve been waiting for ."
It was not a question, but a statent.
At this mont, he understood that the true objective of the other side was not to attack the defensive line, but to lure him to Yansuo Lake.
In other words, their target had always been him.
"That’s right," Xu Jianwen stood at the front of a bamboo raft, with a smile, as if this was not a battlefield of life and death, but a gathering of literati and scholars:
"I’ve long grown tired of hearing your na, but unfortunately, we’ve never t. Today I invited you here, hoping you wouldn’t mind."
Zhao Douan stared at him, suddenly saying:
"You are the military advisor appointed by Xu Wen. Also the new leader of the remnants of the Kuangfu Society."
He was not surprised, both because Yun Xi had told him this information back in Jingchuan City, and because a vague suspicion in his heart was becoming clearer.
"It was you who proposed the plan to exchange prisoners, you who set up this ruse to hold the others at bay with an internal offensive, and laid a trap here to lure to this eting," Zhao Douan said.
Laughter ca from beneath Xu Jianwen’s mask:
"In fact, I wasn’t even certain you would co. However, it seems you do care about the lives of these people."
He pointed at Ji Yue, Song Jinxi, and the others.
At this mont, everyone he pointed at suddenly realized with a change in expression that this had been a trap aid at their governor from the start.
And perhaps the other party had been holding back earlier, inadvertently turning them into bait to lure Zhao Douan here.
"My lord..." Song Jinxi anxiously glanced back.
But Zhao Douan calmly shook his head, even taking a few steps forward, with his gaze firmly locked on the "monkey mask," as if he was not flustered at all, speaking in a strangely calm tone:
"No. What I truly care about is you. How do you know I’m not intentionally using myself as bait to lure you out of the city to et here?"
These words might sound ambiguous at first, but Xu Jianwen’s gaze under the mask froze.
Given Zhao Douan’s stature today, he wouldn’t waste words just to get the last word, so if he said it, it might be true.
And indeed it was true.
In the eyes of outsiders, from the mont Zhao Douan arrived at Hu Ting, he seed to have been led by the nose by Xu Jianwen, from Jiang Wangsun’s contact to the implentation of the prisoner exchange plan.
However, very few knew that from the mont Zhao Douan crossed the White Stone Bridge, he wasn’t focused on victory at Hu Ting, but on uncovering the identity of "Military Advisor Xu."
Therefore, even though he had early on sensed the overly smooth defection of Jiang Wangsun and even suspected during etings that the "opposing hand" might aim to cut down his crossing dragon, he never pointed it out.
Nor did he resist.
He simply followed Xu Jianwen’s plan step by step, seemingly passive at every turn, yet how could he not have entered the ga intentionally?
"Military Advisor Xu, I’m genuinely curious about your identity, while seasoned hunters know never to alert their prey before making a move."
Zhao Douan smiled and said:
"Whether you plotted against or I entered the ga willingly, it doesn’t matter now. What matters is... I’m very curious about who is beneath your mask. After all... since the death of Zhuang Xiaocheng, there aren’t many capable of leading the remnants of the Kuangfu Society."
Xu Jianwen paused in silence, laughter again erging from behind the mask: "Makes sense. But if you want to unveil my mask, you’ll first have to wade across. I’ve heard that all your life you’ve walked on thin ice. Zhao Douan, can you make it to the other side?"
In the distant mountains, a flock of birds took flight in alarm.
In the vast icy center of Yansuo Lake, two groups, the north and the south, were divided by the rolling waters between them.
Without warning.
Zhao Douan and Xu Jianwen almost simultaneously shouted, "Move!"
Boom!
Ji Yue, having charged up a strike under the lake for a long ti, released it, causing the floating ice beneath Qi Yuchun to crack. Countless large hands ford from the lake water reached out to seize the Great Commander.
Qi Yuchun sneered, kicking up a splash, rolling through the air, and fiercely thrusting his spear toward Ji Yue, "Did you really think I couldn’t deal with you?!"
At this mont, Qi Yuchun held back no longer, fully unleashing his power.
Ren Kun’s eyes shifted, shaking out the cloth bag at his waist, turning dirt and stones into a sweeping yellow sand, within which a giant dog’s head ford, viciously snapping at Song Jinxi and the Tributors he led while the elite soldiers of the Prince Jing Mansion sward forth.
The battle began anew, its intensity surpassing before.
"Follow ..." Zhao Douan whispered to Priest Jin Jian at his side, gripping the Chasing Saber.
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