The newcomer was tall and burly, at least 195 centimeters, with dark skin, eyes wide as brass bells, a full beard, and fists clenched so tightly they looked capable of knocking out an ox.
Seeing me, he froze in obvious disbelief.
“How is it you?”
I was puzzled. “Do you know me?”
He shook his head, muttering to himself, “No, you’re not her.”
I understood then—he must have mistaken me for that girl named ‘Zhenzhen.’
Noticing the incense burning before the memorial tablet, he said, “So you’re Fifth Brother’s Disciple Horse. Where is Fifth Brother?”
“Are you talking about Liu Xuanyi?” I countered. “And who are you?”
“I’m Chang Di, Fifth Brother’s sworn brother. Take me to see him right now.”
I was exhausted from the night’s events and didn’t want to move a finger, just close up and sleep.
“He’s in Dragon Locking Valley. If you want to find him, go yourself. I—”
Before I could finish, Chang Di grabbed me by the collar, forced me to kneel before the tablet, and ordered, “Beat the drum. Summon Fifth Brother.”
“?”
He really thought I was Liu Xuanyi’s Disciple Horse. How would I know how to beat any drum?
“Hurry up!”
Chang Di’s roar felt powerful enough to blow the roof off.
Startled, I instinctively shouted, “Liu Xuanyi!”
A sudden cold wind swept through the room, and the next moment, Liu Xuanyi stood before us.
Chang Di rushed forward and embraced him excitedly. “Fifth Brother, it really is you! I knew you weren’t dead!”
When I recovered, a surge of anger welled up inside me. “Liu Xuanyi, you can teleport! Why did you make me run all the way from Dragon-Locking Village on my own? My legs are about to give out!”
“So delicate.” Liu Xuanyi pushed Chang Di aside, glanced around, and sighed. “A hundred years. I’ve finally returned.”
“A… hundred years?”
“Yes, a hundred years.” Liu Xuanyi gently stroked my cheek. “You must know the legend of Dragon-Locking Village well.”
It was said that a hundred years ago, Dragon Locking Valley experienced a Fallen Flood Dragon incident, and the village’s curse began from that time.
“My True Form was trapped in Dragon Locking Valley. I only recently awakened, and my primordial spirit hasn’t fully recovered yet. Without the offerings and summons of a Disciple Horse, it would still take some time for me to leave Dragon-Locking Village.”
“Disciple Horse? Who’s the Disciple Horse? Me?”
Liu Xuanyi nodded. I immediately jumped to my feet. “I never agreed to be your Disciple Horse! And aren’t there many rituals involved in taking on a Disciple Horse? We haven’t done any of that.”
Liu Xuanyi narrowed his phoenix eyes, looking at me with a faint smile. “Huai Yan, do you have a choice?”
I froze.
I truly had no choice.
Chang Di clicked his tongue. “Miss Huai, do you know how many people in this world would kill to be Fifth Brother’s Disciple Horse? I suggest you not act ungrateful when you’ve been given such an advantage.”
I muttered discontentedly under my breath, “Who cares.”
Liu Xuanyi ignored me and turned to discuss matters with Chang Di.
“How many of your troops remain after all these years?”
“When you disappeared without a trace back then, I sensed something was wrong. I ordered my capable brothers to blend into the populace for their own safety. To this day, about thirty percent still keep in regular contact.”
“Thirty percent should be enough.”
Liu Xuanyi nodded and instructed, “Chang Di, contact these brothers as soon as possible. By the night after tomorrow at the latest, we need to escort a mission to the Gu family.”
Chang Di: “The Gu family? The last escort mission you took on a hundred years ago?”
After receiving confirmation, Chang Di clasped his fists and turned to leave.
I was utterly confused and couldn’t help asking, “An escort mission? Is this your business?”
“An escort mission from a hundred years ago, can it still be delivered now?”
“Delivering what?”
“It couldn’t be… that coffin in the main hall… mmm…”
Liu Xuanyi lowered his head and kissed me, one arm encircling my waist. In a dizzying whirl, he had already carried me to an antique canopy bed.
He kissed fiercely, passionately, like a wolf that had been starving for a long time, as if he wanted to devour me whole.
I finally found a chance to catch my breath and growled, “Let go, don’t touch me!”
He chuckled softly, “You’re my wife. If I don’t touch you, who should I touch?”