His words trailed off, but the aning was clear.
After a brief silence, Baili Fengzhi slowly said, "Xia Lie is not dead. If he were dead, the whole world would know, and his killer would also be dood. So, he must still be alive, perhaps under house arrest."
"Dead, and the whole world would know?"
Deputy Commander Chu grew even more perplexed.
"This is a confidential matter; do not speak of it outside."
Baili Fengzhi said sternly, "As long as we can find Xia Lie, what is this small post of Military Commander at the border?"
Deputy Commander Chu fell silent.
He finally understood why the Commander placed such importance on the missing Master Xia Lie.
Perhaps, Master Xia Lie's true identity was even more astonishing than he had imagined.
"Report—"
Suddenly, there was a loud announcent from the sentry outside: "The Prefectural Governor of Qingdu has sent soone to see the Commander. They claim to have an important lead on Master Xia Lie."
"The Prefectural Governor of Qingdu?"
Baili Fengzhi slightly raised an eyebrow, hesitated not, and imdiately ordered, "Bring him in."
Monts later.
The tent flap was lifted, and a young gentleman in an ink-colored silk robe walked in.
Deputy Commander Chu imdiately recognized him: "The son of the Prefectural Governor of Qingdu?"
The newcor was indeed the Third Young Master of the governor's mansion in Qingdu, Xu Mingli.
"I am Xu Mingli, greetings to Commander Baili."
Although Xu Mingli had long heard of Baili Fengzhi's na, it was his first ti seeing her in person, which left him montarily stunned.
He hadn't expected.
This Commander, who had guarded the Northwest Heroic Pass for years, was not the rumored ugly and wild woman, but a woman with such graceful poise and elegance?
Moreover, just by looking at the part of her face revealed below the mask, it was clear she was no ugly woman.
At a glance.
She seed not so much like a mighty and imposing Great Commander, but more like a sowhat languid beauty lounging on a couch.
For a mont, he couldn't help but gaze at her, transfixed.
"The son of the Prefectural Governor of Qingdu?"
Baili Fengzhi leaned comfortably against the couch, glanced at Xu Mingli, and casually said, "If your words turn out false, you'll leave your eyes here."
Xu Mingli felt as if struck by lightning, his face turning deathly white.
He quickly bowed his head and, with a trembling voice, said, "I ant no disrespect. I have always admired the Commander's great achievents in guarding a region with a woman's valor. Seeing your true visage today, I was montarily lost. Please forgive , Commander."
Baili Fengzhi said indifferently, "My word is as solid as a mountain; how can it be changed?"
"Yes."
Xu Mingli's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He had to take a deep breath to suppress his fear and respectfully said, "I am here on behalf of my father to present Commander Baili with news that will surely beco a vital clue in the pursuit of Master Xia Lie."
He didn't dare to keep them in suspense and imdiately said, "Just a few days ago, my father accidentally received information about the Deputy Seal Master of the Daoist Academy in Qingdu, about the true identity of Daoist Tu."
Baili Fengzhi narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly and softly said, "Go on."
"According to my father's information, Daoist Tu is very likely a Daoist master from Yunzhou's Daoist Sacred Land's 'Shenxiao Sect,' but for so unknown reason, he was expelled from the Shenxiao Sect, beca a discarded disciple, and then ca to this small town of Qingdu," Xu Mingli said.
"The Shenxiao Sect?"
Baili Fengzhi, hearing this, seed to furrow her brows under the mask and quietly pondered.
After a while, she spoke, "How did a minor local official like the Prefectural Governor of Qingdu learn of the discarded disciple of the Shenxiao Sect?"
"This..."
Xu Mingli hesitated for a mont before saying, "In his youth, my father had a distant cousin nephew who joined the Shenxiao Sect over ten years ago. This year, when this person ca down from the mountain, after much invitation from my father, he ca to Qingdu incognito for a few days. It was purely by chance that he recognized Daoist Tu from the academy."
Baili Fengzhi pondered for a while longer and asked, "This Shenxiao discarded disciple, Daoist Tu, what is his cultivation level?"
"This... I am not very clear." Xu Mingli said, "However, it is said that when Daoist Tu was in the Shenxiao Sect, he was the Mountain Guardian Elder of the Outer Peak."
"Mountain Guardian Elder of the Outer Peak?"
Baili Fengzhi nodded slightly and said, "Is there any other news?"
Xu Mingli, a bit flustered, said tremblingly, "No... oh, Daoist Tu is quite reclusive at the academy and rarely befriends others, except Lin Yue, who has a good relationship with him and often buys him wine."
Afraid his eyes would be left behind, he spilled all the potentially useful information.
Seeing that Baili Fengzhi did not react after listening, he hurriedly added, "And Lin Yue's unwed wife, Su Ziqiu, was stabbed by Master Xia Lie. Not long after Lin Yue carried Su Ziqiu away, I noticed that Daoist Tu disappeared too, perhaps to help."
Baili Fengzhi squinted her eyes, quietly watching him.
"I... I know only this much." Xu Mingli bowed anxiously, "Please forgive , Commander. I have spoken all I know."
Baili Fengzhi glanced at him again and then said in a calm voice, "Soone, escort our guest out."
Xu Mingli felt as if granted amnesty, and the stone in his heart finally fell, leaving his back soaked with cold sweat.
Since he was being 'escorted,' there was no need to leave his eyes behind. He thus qualified as a 'guest,' which ant the Commander acknowledged the favor his family had done.
He imdiately bowed once more and said, "Thank you, Commander. I shall not disturb you further."
With that, Xu Mingli cautiously retreated out of the tent.
After Xu Mingli departed, Deputy Commander Chu couldn't help but say, "Commander, since Daoist Tu was a discarded disciple of the Shenxiao Sect and is hiding in the academy, it seems he cannot be disconnected from the disappearance of Master Xia Lie."
He voiced his concern, "However, as he hails from the Daoist Sacred Land's Shenxiao Sect, his Daoist skills might..."
"The Shenxiao Sect, being one of the Daoist Sacred Lands, is naturally exceptional."
Baili Fengzhi said indifferently, "But he was rely a Mountain Guardian Elder of the Outer Peak, responsible for docunting the descendents from Shenxiao Sect. He was just an elder waiting out his ti. Even if he broke through the shackles of the Five Elents Heavenly Barrier, at most he's at the peak of this realm."
She slowly stood up and solemnly declared, "Relay my order: prepare at once. Tonight, I shall lead the Personal Guard in an ambush. Under our Earth Net, a re discarded disciple of the Shenxiao Sect cannot escape."
This Mid-Autumn night was destined to be anything but peaceful.
...
The next day.
Lin Yue pushed open the door, looked up to check the position of the sun, and estimated that it was nearly noon, ti for lunch.
However, due to the strong dicine from yesterday, the 'Su Ziqiu' in the room was still asleep and probably wouldn't wake until midday.
He was too lazy to cook, and since there were leftover mooncakes and dishes from yesterday, they'd suffice as a 'Life-Sustaining al' to satisfy his hunger.
"Knock knock."
While eating in the courtyard, there was a sudden knock at the gate.
"Who is it?" Lin Yue called out.
The voice of Deputy Commander Chu ca from outside the gate, "Northwest Border Army, I ntioned yesterday that we might visit again. Please open the door."
Again?
Lin Yue's expression subtly changed. Silently, he slipped a pill from his sleeve into his mouth and, while swallowing it, walked over to open the gate.
Outside the gate stood a large squad of armored soldiers, each robust, agile, and visibly brimming with energy, clearly elite forces with impressive martial prowess.
At this mont, dozens of armored soldiers stood in neat ranks, holding spears, all with serious expressions, exuding an air of battlefield severity, an intangible ferocity perating the atmosphere.
The two leading the group, one was Deputy Commander Chu, whom he had t yesterday.
The other, a tall figure with long, graceful legs, dressed in a war robe as fiery red as a blaze, a deep red cloak like blood draped over her shoulders, her hair bound with a crown adorned with red tassels, and a silver mask on her face, revealing only a pair of deep, sharp phoenix eyes, thin lips, and a petite chin.
This person was evidently a woman.
But even through the mask, just the eyes and attire exuded an overwhelming sense of heroism and authority.
Deputy Commander Chu stood right behind this woman, evidently subordinate to her.
Lin Yue's gaze swept over them and imdiately deduced the identity of this woman.
The fabled Great Commander who guarded the Northwest Heroic Pass and commanded a formidable army of one hundred fifty thousand—
Baili Fengzhi!
"You are Lin Yue?"
Baili Fengzhi scanned Lin Yue with her narrow eyes and coolly said, "Daoist Tu is waiting for you in the prison. Co with us."
Reviews
All reviews (0)