Qu Yunmie walked in and the first thing he saw was the long sword hanging on the outer wall.

 

He was familiar with weapons since childhood, and at a glance, he could tell that this sword must have been made by a master swordsmith.

 

Qu Yunmie reflexively wanted to walk over and take a closer look, but after taking a step, he remembered why he was here. He slightly turned his foot and walked inside.

…

There was no one there.

 

The child was gone, and there was no sign of Xiao Rong in the lounge. The bedding was in disarray, with a corner of the blanket on the floor.

 

Qu Yunmie stood still. His first thought was that Xiao Rong couldn’t stand him and, like others, had secretly run away.

 

It took him three seconds to realize that Xiao Rong didn’t have the strength for that. Normally, he could only walk three steps before gasping, and stopping after five steps. Now he was running a high fever. How could he have run away by himself?

 

Realizing this, Qu Yunmie sprang into action, quickly searching the place. Soon, he found Ah Shu unconscious in the corner.

 

Qu Yunmie picked up Ah Shu like a chick and shook him hard twice before Ah Shu slowly woke up.

 

Qu Yunmie asked, “Where is your master?”

 

Ah Shu looked at him blankly. After a moment, his eyes widened. “Master — Chef Guard Zhuang hurt me, the master… the master is in danger!”

 

Upon hearing this, Qu Yunmie’s expression turned extremely ugly. He threw Ah Shu back to the ground, turned his head, and took big steps to the bed, feeling it. It was cold.

 

 He gritted his teeth and said, “Zhuang Weizhi! You. Are. Courting. Death!”

 

On the other side, Xiao Rong was also jolted awake.

 

When he woke up, he found himself hanging head down, with brown horse hair in front of him, tied to a horse like cargo.

 

When he was unconscious, Xiao Rong didn’t feel anything, but now he felt like he was going to vomit even the food from the previous night.

 

“Stop, stop!”

 

He shouted loudly and struggled to lift his head to see what was going on, but no one listened to him. They were still rushing forward. Xiao Rong couldn’t see who was carrying him, but he saw that the person riding alongside turned to look at him when he heard his voice.

 

A scarred face, with a conspicuous black mole on the back of one of the hands holding the reins of his horse.

 

—Li Xiuheng.

 

Xiao Rong’s pupils contracted. He had no idea how he ended up in the hands of this person. After glancing at him and seeing that Xiao Rong couldn’t do anything, Li Xiuheng continued to focus on the road.

 

They were traveling through a dense forest, a place where it should have been impossible to ride a horse, but they were moving effortlessly. With his limited view, Xiao Rong could only estimate their numbers by sound.

 

Fortunately, there weren’t many people, maybe five or six, perhaps six or seven.

 

He tried to lift his head and even turned his body slightly, but the horse couldn’t bear it and bucked. The rider didn’t react, but Li Xiuheng immediately lashed out with a whip. “Stay still!”

 

The whip cracked in the air, not hitting anything. It was too far, and whipping Xiao Rong would also whip the horse, which would cause it to panic and run wild, wasting time.

 

Still, Xiao Rong showed a terrified expression and immediately lowered his head.

 

Li Xiuheng, seeing that he was scared, felt relieved.

 

With his head down, Xiao Rong silently cursed.

 

What kind of situation is this? He had only been with the Northern Army for a few days, not even a month, and had no enmity with Li Xiuheng. Why would he kidnap him? Ah, right, they did have a grudge. It was his information that led to Li Xiuheng’s plan failing.

 

So, was this for revenge? To torture him in some hideout?

 

That didn’t seem right. Judging by their frantic pace, as if something was chasing them, no one would risk their lives for a grudge. Especially not someone like Li Xiuheng, who had evaded Qu Yunmie’s pursuit for ten years with a strong will to survive.

 

So not for revenge, yet they still took him, a burden, along.

 

Xiao Rong stayed silent for a moment, then shouted again with all his might, “Let me down! I’ll die from this bumping. If you don’t want to deal with my corpse, let me down!”

 

Realizing that he was valuable to Li Xiuheng and wouldn’t be killed on the road, Xiao Rong began to struggle. This time, no amount of threats could stop him. In a fit of rage, Li Xiuheng had everyone stop. Zhuang Weizhi frowned but still dismounted.

 

Seeing Zhuang Weizhi appear before him while he was still hanging upside down, Xiao Rong felt both shocked and enlightened.

 

He actually didn’t know who the traitor in the Northern Army was. The army seemed united but was like loose sand. Not everyone was worthy of being recorded in history.

 

He could only analyze logically, knowing the person mustn’t have a high position but also not too low. Liaising with the Xianbei was despicable, and anyone with a name like Jian Qiao would be remembered for a long time.

 

Zhuang Weizhi, as the chief guard, fit this middle-ground assumption.

 

The chief guard was supposed to be the leader’s right-hand man, responsible for the leader’s daily life and safety. The problem was, the leader of the Northern Army was Qu Yunmie.

 

He neither liked being served nor having people around. As for protection, in case of an attack, it would be Qu Yunmie protecting the guards, not the other way around.

 

So, Zhuang Weizhi, though the chief guard, had no real power. Rather than being Qu Yunmie’s right-hand man, he was more like the head of the palace guards. Qu Yunmie was generous to capable soldiers, giving positions, merits, and money, but he placed Zhuang Weizhi in the palace to do chores, indicating he was not highly valued.

 

Qu Yunmie was straightforward, showing no pretense, so Zhuang Weizhi was very aware of his status.

 

Not being valued and feeling resentful, choosing another path was quite normal.

…

Zhuang Weizhi reached out and freed Xiao Rong from the horse. He remained silent, avoiding eye contact.

 

In contrast, Li Xiuheng kept a close watch on them.

 

Li Xiuheng ordered Zhuang Weizhi, “Let him sit behind you.”

 

Then he looked at Xiao Rong menacingly. “If you cause any more trouble…”

 

Xiao Rong, rubbing his numb wrists, asked, “Where are you taking me?”

 

Li Xiuheng paused, looking at Xiao Rong’s calm expression, and asked strangely, “You’re not afraid?”

 

Xiao Rong replied, “Entering a tiger’s den, life or death is up to you. As a scholar with no strength, what use is fear? I’ve heard you’ve allied with the Qingfeng Sect. You’re not taking me to see them, are you?”

 

Li Xiuheng sneered, not intending to answer.

 

Xiao Rong, observing his expression, nodded. “So, that’s not it.”

 

Li Xiuheng: “…”

 

“Enough talking, let’s go! Don’t think I won’t kill you. If you want to live, follow quietly!”

 

With that, Li Xiuheng stormed off, the others following, leaving Zhuang Weizhi at the rear. Zhuang Weizhi tried to lift Xiao Rong, who stepped back and climbed onto the horse himself, asking, “Is my servant still alive?”

 

Zhuang Weizhi was taken aback. He looked at Xiao Rong’s calm face, and nodded before mounting as well.

 

They resumed their journey, and though Li Xiuheng rode quickly at first, he soon slowed, waiting for Zhuang Weizhi to guide him.

 

In ten years, the area had changed greatly. Li Xiuheng had no idea where it was safe, but Zhuang Weizhi did. He avoided main roads, taking them through desolate places, greatly reducing the chance of being spotted.

 

Xiao Rong, sitting behind, watched the dust and Zhuang Weizhi’s tense posture.

 

Everyone was too nervous. After a moment of thought, Xiao Rong stayed silent. In the face of absolute threat, talking was useless. Better to rest, gather strength, and think of a way to escape. As for whether the Northern Army would rescue him, Xiao Rong believed they would. Even if Qu Yunmie didn’t care about his life, Jian Qiao and Gao Xunzhi wouldn’t stand by. So, he needed to buy time and create some surprises.

…

After dawn, they stopped in the forest to fetch water, eat dry rations, and let the horses rest. They had been traveling at full speed all night, and except for Zhuang Weizhi’s horse, all the other horses were panting heavily. This clearly showed how poorly off Li Xiuheng was, as he couldn’t even afford a good horse.

 

There were six of them, and including Zhuang Weizhi it made seven in total. The six sat together, eating in a group, while Zhuang Weizhi pushed Xiao Rong to sit under a tree on the other side, tossing him a piece of bread and a water bag.

 

Xiao Rong took it without any reaction.

 

He wouldn’t think Zhuang Weizhi had any conscience or was redeemable just because of a little food and drink. Look at what he’s done—knowing that Qu Yunmie had a grudge against Li Xiuheng and still siding with him, knowing that Li Xiuheng had allied with the Xianbei people and still passing on information to help them enter Central Plains smoothly.

 

This person was selfish to the extreme. His current calmness and care for Xiao Rong were only because Xiao Rong was still useful to him, and his naturally quiet demeanor made him seem a bit better than Li Xiuheng.

 

After a night in the cold wind, if Xiao Rong really had a high fever, he would have been buried by now. However, he felt a bit better than yesterday. Opening the water bag, he tilted his head back to drink some water, moistening his throat a bit. Then, as he handed the water bag back to Zhuang Weizhi, he glanced at Li Xiuheng and the others.

 

In a low voice, Xiao Rong said, “Li Xiuheng is a two-faced traitor who will do anything to survive. I wonder if the Qingfeng Sect abandoned him, or if he abandoned the Qingfeng Sect. It must have been his idea to kidnap me, right?”

 

Zhuang Weizhi paused in his chewing but didn’t respond. Xiao Rong glanced at him and continued. “Do you really believe you’ll get the benefits he promised you? Would he really share the credit he could claim all for himself?”

 

Suddenly, Zhuang Weizhi looked at him and said two words: “Shut up.”

 

Xiao Rong shrugged and actually fell silent, then made a zip-up gesture at his mouth with his hand.

 

Zhuang Weizhi didn’t understand the gesture and ignored it, but he didn’t know that Li Xiuheng had been watching them since they started talking. To him, Xiao Rong’s gesture seemed like a sign to kill.

Xiao Rong accidentally met Li Xiuheng’s gaze and immediately looked away, moving closer to Zhuang Weizhi.

 

Li Xiuheng’s face grew even darker.

 

Li Xiuheng and Zhuang Weizhi didn’t really have a special relationship. Li Xiuheng knew Zhuang Weizhi’s father, who had been his subordinate before dying in a tragedy ten years ago. Li Xiuheng had never taken up any duties as an elder, and if he hadn’t needed a spy, he wouldn’t have remembered Zhuang Weizhi.

 

Their relationship was purely based on mutual exploitation, and because the plan had failed, it was now extremely fragile.

 

Zhuang Weizhi didn’t trust Li Xiuheng, and Li Xiuheng didn’t trust Zhuang Weizhi either.

 

They had fled together because of a common enemy, but now that they had escaped Yanmen County, the immediate danger seemed more pressing than the silent pursuit.

 

The tension escalated. Li Xiuheng urged everyone to get up. Xiao Rong leaned against a tree, pretending not to hear. Annoyed, Li Xiuheng walked over. Zhuang Weizhi had his back to him, intending to help Xiao Rong up. Seeing Li Xiuheng approaching, but not too close yet, Xiao Rong put on a terrified expression and quickly said, “Watch out!”

 

Zhuang Weizhi, already on high alert, drew his knife without thinking and slashed behind him.

 

Li Xiuheng reflexively jumped back, drawing his weapon.

 

With weapons drawn, there was no point in talking. Moreover, Xiao Rong was right: as long as Zhuang Weizhi lived, Li Xiuheng would have to share the credit. Now that Xiao Rong was captured, Zhuang Weizhi was useless to him.

 

Both sides fought instantly. Xiao Rong quickly hid behind a tree. It was six against one, and Zhuang Weizhi’s skills were mediocre. Xiao Rong didn’t need to watch to know he would lose.

 

That’s what happens when you’re too treacherous.

 

If only Zhuang Weizhi had defected without siding with Li Xiuheng and the Xianbei. He might have persuaded a few subordinates to escape with him and wouldn’t be so desperate, blindly following Li Xiuheng.

 

The sounds of fighting gradually ceased. Xiao Rong still leaned on the tree, trembling.

 

Li Xiuheng approached with his knife, and before he could speak, Xiao Rong broke down, screaming, “Don’t kill me! I’ll do anything, just don’t kill me!”

 

Li Xiuheng sneered, sheathed his knife, and ordered a subordinate to lift Xiao Rong before continuing their journey.

 

The thrill of killing passed, and Li Xiuheng realized he had lost his guide. Still, since they had already left Yanmen County, heading south shouldn’t be too difficult.

 

Xiao Rong was given another horse to ride, but the jolting made him nauseous, and his thighs were likely chafed.

 

Saddles hadn’t been around long, and while some people got used to riding with them, others preferred riding bareback. Li Xiuheng’s group was the latter, which tormented Xiao Rong.

 

Even so, Xiao Rong was resilient and wouldn’t stop trying to gather information. “Where are you taking me? To Southern Yong?”

 

No one answered.

 

“But I remember, you’ve been to all the places in Southern Yong where you could go. The Northern General said you had nowhere to go, so you joined the Qingfeng Sect.”

 

Li Xiuheng’s temples throbbed, but he ignored him for the sake of the journey.

 

Xiao Rong mentally reviewed Southern Yong’s powers and suddenly had an epiphany. “I get it, you’re going to seek refuge with the governor of Jianning, Huang Yanjiong!”

 

In the future, Huang Yanjiong became so powerful that he annihilated the entire Qu Yunmie clan. However, at present, he was just a minor governor in a remote area.

 

Huang Yanjiong and Qu Yunmie were not rivals after they both rose to fame, they knew each other long before they were famous.

 

Ten years ago, after Qu Yunmie escaped with the remnants of his forces, he also went to Nanyong because he had soldiers but no provisions and couldn’t support so many people. To survive, he had no choice but to seek refuge with someone else.

 

The person he sought was the then-governor of Lujiang, Huang Yanqin.

 

Huang Yanqin was Huang Yanjiong’s elder brother. Compared to his brother, Huang Yanqin was known for his benevolence and loyalty to the court. He was well-respected and influential. He took Qu Yunmie in and thought highly of him, even overshadowing his own brother for a time.

 

Huang Yanjiong wasn’t as magnanimous as his brother. He targeted Qu Yunmie and the remnants of his Zhenbei army, causing Qu Yunmie much distress. Qu Yunmie still sought revenge and didn’t want to protect a corrupt court. Therefore, within less than a year, he left.

 

Before leaving, Qu Yunmie defied a military order, took away a large quantity of supplies, and fought a battle with the Nanyong army, winning with fewer troops, which brought great shame to Nanyong.

The Nanyong court was displeased, and naturally, Huang Yanqin, the one who had taken in Qu Yunmie, suffered. He was stripped of his military power, removed from his governor position, and three years later, he died at home, despondent.

 

Still, the Huang family was a prominent clan. When Huang Yanqin was removed, his brother took over. However, there was a big difference between prosperous Lujiang and desolate Jianning.

 

Huang Yanjiong had always disliked Qu Yunmie and now saw him as a thorn in his side. However, he was rational enough to know that he didn’t have the strength to confront Qu Yunmie, so he remained in Jianning County, biding his time.

…

 

Even if Xiao Rong guessed their purpose, Li Xiuheng remained calm. In his view, Xiao Rong was just a burden, unable to cause any trouble.

 

Xiao Rong suddenly realized the true reason for his fever. It wasn’t Li Xiuheng or Zhuang Weizhi’s betrayal, but the intelligence Zhuang Weizhi provided to Huang Yanjiong about Qu Yunmie that caused it.

 

At this moment, outsiders still thought of Huang Yanjiong as a minor governor, but only Xiao Rong knew that he had amassed a significant amount of troops and supplies, ready to rise at any time.

 

However, he needed an opportunity. In an era where moral justification was crucial, anyone planning to rebel needed a legitimate pretext.

 

…

 

The sun had risen, and it was around 9 a.m., six hours since Xiao Rong had been kidnapped.

Sitting calmly on horseback, Xiao Rong pondered excuses to make them stop. Just then, he heard a sound, like an avalanche.

 

Where would snow come from on the main road?

 

As he wondered, the person carrying him shouted, “General, the pursuers are upon us!”

 

Li Xiuheng was shocked that they had caught up.

 

“How many?!”

 

To Xiao Rong, it sounded like a rumble, but the man could discern more. “Five hundred… no, a thousand… General, it seems there are three thousand heavy cavalry!”

 

Li Xiuheng: “…”

 

Three thousand heavy cavalry?! Just to chase him and Zhuang Weizhi?!

 

This was too much. Even in the years after Qu Yunmie’s brother’s death, Qu Yunmie had never deployed such a large force!

 

Li Xiuheng couldn’t understand but had no time to figure it out. Hearing the noise, he knew it was over. The main army was fast, but Qu Yunmie’s actions were faster. He always led the charge without fear. They were about to be surrounded.

 

Panicking, Li Xiuheng’s group urged their horses frantically, shouting that Qu Yunmie was closing in, but to no avail. As Qu Yunmie’s horse appeared behind them, they thought their heads would be cut off. Unexpectedly, Qu Yunmie swung his long spear and used it to scoop Xiao Rong off his horse.

 

Xiao Rong: “…”

 

He was stunned, ready to shout for help, but found himself on Qu Yunmie’s horse instead.

 

Xiao Rong: “…”

 

Are you a bull?! Such strength!

 

…

 

Sitting in front of Qu Yunmie, Xiao Rong had no more worries. Qu Yunmie, without any hesitation, swiftly killed the five men. Xiao Rong couldn’t even see his movements clearly.

 

Seeing Qu Yunmie about to kill Li Xiuheng, whom he hated the most, Xiao Rong shouted, “Great King, spare him! Take him back to Yanmen County, we can execute him later!”

 

Qu Yunmie’s arm paused, then he lowered the spear and stabbed the horse’s leg. The horse went wild, throwing Li Xiuheng to the ground, breaking bones and leaving him in agony.

 

Li Xiuheng looked up to see Qu Yunmie, icy and unrelenting, riding around him. He already felt like a dead man.

 

Finally safe, Xiao Rong leaned back, and Qu Yunmie, not displeased, protected him with one arm, preventing him from falling.

 

Xiao Rong glanced at Li Xiuheng on the ground and then smiled slightly. Although Qu Yunmie held the power of life and death, Li Xiuheng felt more terrified by Xiao Rong at that moment.

 

…

 

Finally, the main army arrived. Indeed, it was three thousand heavy cavalry, accompanied by two generals, Jian Qiao and Yuan Baifu.

 

Both knew Li Xiuheng. Jian Qiao laughed heartily seeing him captured, while Yuan Baifu looked at him with a complex expression, sighing and ordering his men to bind Li Xiuheng.

 

Jian Qiao, seeing Xiao Rong safe, breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness we caught up. Lord Xiao, you don’t know how chaotic the palace has been.”

 

Xiao Rong thought, the whole palace?

 

There were hardly any people in the palace.

 

Not wanting to flatter them, he turned to Qu Yunmie and asked, “Great King, is my Ah Shu alright?”

 

Qu Yunmie glanced at him. “He’s fine, just crying annoyingly.”

 

Xiao Rong: “…”

 

After a moment, he politely asked, “And Chancellor Gao, was he frightened?”

 

Qu Yunmie looked at him longer this time. “He’s fine, calm in the crisis, just worried about you.”

 

Xiao Rong was about to lower his head when he noticed Qu Yunmie still looking at him. He blinked.

Finally, he realized. “Right, I haven’t thanked the Great King for saving me.”

 

Qu Yunmie made an ambiguous sound. “You’re my advisor. It’s my duty to save you.”

 

 Xiao Rong chuckled. “That’s true.”

 

Qu Yunmie: “…”

 

Jian Qiao watched them silently, noticing that when the Great King and Xiao Rong were together, he seemed invisible.

 

Only when they stopped talking did Jian Qiao speak. “Lord Xiao, you’re still feverish. Are you unwell? Should I have a carriage made for you?”

 

With many people, making a carriage wasn’t an issue. Qu Yunmie frowned, but before he could say anything, Xiao Rong coughed weakly, saying, “No need for trouble. I’m very weak now. Great King, can I have a word with you?”

 

Jian Qiao: “…”

 

You didn’t seem so weak just now.

 

Qu Yunmie, seeing Xiao Rong’s genuine concern, led the horse to a quieter place, allowing Xiao Rong to speak. “Recently, I wronged you, Great King.”

 

Qu Yunmie was silent.

 

“I was focused on building your reputation, attracting more people, seeking better renown, but forgot that you’re foremost a brave general, then the King of the North. As a leader, you have your preferences, and I kept pushing you. It was…”

 

Xiao Rong smiled bitterly. “How many more years do I have? I wanted to see you bring peace to the world in my lifetime, but I didn’t want to create discord over the matter of the monk.”

 

Qu Yunmie: “…”

 

Feeling uneasy, Qu Yunmie looked at Xiao Rong’s sincere eyes and, after a moment, shared his decision. “If you think he’s good, invite him. Just don’t let me see him.”

 

Xiao Rong was shocked, then delighted, sitting up straight. “Thank you, Great King! The people will be grateful! Since the monk is coming, Yanmen County isn’t suitable for a large temple. How about–”

 

Qu Yunmie’s face remained impassive. “Xiao Rong, don’t push your luck.”

 

Xiao Rong obediently nodded. “Yes, Great King.”

 

…

Xiao Rong took the opportunity to dismount and sought out Jian Qiao, asking him to arrange for a carriage or flatbed cart since he no longer wanted to ride a horse.

 

Feeling an emptiness in his arms, Qu Yunmie frowned but said nothing.

 

After that, he followed the main force back instead of returning to the city alone as he usually did.

 

When they arrived back at Yanmen County, a tearful Ah Shu, who hadn’t slept for nearly two days and nights, immediately ran out, with Gao Xunzhi following closely behind. Seeing Xiao Rong safe and sound, Gao Xunzhi couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

 

Fortunately, he was alright.

 

He had thought Xiao Rong might already be dead.

 

It wasn’t just him; everyone thought the same. After all, Xiao Rong had been kidnapped while critically ill and with a high fever. The kidnapper, Zhuang Weizhi, was a desperate man due to Xiao Rong’s intelligence report, making Xiao Rong’s survival seem unlikely.

 

It was the King who promptly mobilized troops to pursue him, providing a sense of stability and hope, preventing further despair.

 

Li Xiuheng, tied up like a pig, and Zhuang Weizhi’s corpse were also brought back. Gao Xunzhi glanced at them indifferently before leading Xiao Rong to his room.

 

He asked Xiao Rong how he felt, and Xiao Rong replied that he felt much better. He then informed Gao Xunzhi that Qu Yunmie had agreed to let him fetch the Buddhist son.

 

Gao Xunzhi’s shock was no less than Xiao Rong’s. He stared blankly for a moment, then took a step back and praised, “Rong, a living deity couldn’t do better!”

 

Xiao Rong: “…”

 

So you think changing Qu Yunmie’s mind required divine intervention?

 

After a moment of silence, Xiao Rong said, “This matter is settled, but there’s another urgent issue. Chancellor, with Li Xiuheng captured, now is the best time to persuade the King to relocate the capital. Whether the army’s morale can be consolidated depends on you.”

 

Gao Xunzhi: “…”

 

Is it really that crucial?!

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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