Lian Yue felt somewhat awkward as she stepped forward to block Gu Quan’s path, saying uncomfortably, “Marquis Gu, is there anything else?”
Hmph, if there’s nothing else, please leave.
Gu Quan glanced down at her, his lips curling into a faint, indifferent smile as he bypassed her and walked toward the pile of discarded clothes.
He reached out his hand.
Lian Yue: !!
Ah—
No, help!
The young woman rushed over in a flash, grabbing his hand to stop him, her tone fierce: “What are you doing!”
Gu Quan narrowed his eyes, sneering inwardly. How dare she still try to stop him.
Really.
Infuriating.
Without a word, he picked up the handkerchief beside the undergarment and asked, “Shao Zili’s?”
His tone was mocking, but his eyes were cold as ice.
Only when Lian Yue realized his target wasn’t her undergarment did she understand she had overreacted, her face instantly flushing crimson.
Gu Quan: “…”
Why is she blushing?
His chest tightened with a sour, suffocating feeling, making it hard to maintain even his fake smile. He said coldly, “Why would his things be in your tent?”
Lian Yue coughed twice, feeling it was better not to tell the truth. Thinking quickly, she explained, “This was originally the State Preceptor’s tent. After he found me, he gave it up for me to rest in and spent the night squeezed in with the other soldiers. He probably just forgot his handkerchief.”
Gu Quan scanned the tent and, seeing no other belongings of Shao Zili, concluded he had at least been discreet.
He frowned. “Then why are you blushing?”
Lian Yue bit her lip, instinctively glancing at her undergarment without answering.
A misunderstanding.
She had thought he was a pervert.
His gaze had been fixed on Lian Yue, and now, noticing her eyes shift elsewhere, he followed her line of sight.
The young woman’s discarded clothes lay in disarray, the topmost item a white, sheer undergarment resting quietly.
Gu Quan froze, his expression turning slightly awkward. Clutching the handkerchief tightly, he forced a calm tone. “This is a personal item. It’s improper to leave it here with you. I’ll return it to Shao Zili.”
Lian Yue: “Oh.”
It’s over.
He probably hadn’t noticed her clothes earlier, but now, because of her interruption, he had definitely seen them.
She blushed from her face down to her neck and ears, quietly stepping forward to block his view and whispering, “You… you should go now.”
Understanding the reason for her blush, the gloom in Gu Quan’s heart dissipated. He clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes charming and playful. “Fine, I’ll go.”
He gave Lian Yue a deep look, fighting the urge to touch her face, then turned and walked out.
It wasn’t the right time yet.
Once Gu Quan left, Lian Yue collapsed onto the bed, covering her face and rolling over twice in embarrassment.
So humiliating.
After stepping out, Gu Quan went straight to Shao Zili and tossed him the handkerchief. “Yours.”
Shao Qing caught it, and as he looked at the handkerchief, he recalled infusing his inner force into Lian Yue earlier that day, his face still showing a hint of discomfort.
He asked, “What did she say to you?”
“Nothing much.”
“Oh.”
Gu Quan said, “It’s late. Tomorrow morning, I’ll join you to personally escort her back to Ruyang.”
Lian Yue had admitted to killing Wu Yuru, and with Yang Jian nearby, even if he wasn’t afraid of him, if Yang Jian discovered this and resorted to underhanded tactics, it could indeed become troublesome.
Hearing this, Shao Qing rubbed his nose.
As a diviner, he saw things more clearly than anyone. To avoid further contact with Lian Yue and fearing he might develop other feelings for her, he proactively suggested: “In that case, only Xuan Yao remains in Xiang City. He’ll likely be overwhelmed working alone. How about this: tomorrow you escort Moon Consort back while I return to Xiang City to assist.”
Yuan Jing nodded: “Very well.”
Meanwhile.
Yang Jian was searching everywhere for Wu Yuru’s figure. Even at night, soldiers held torches that illuminated the surroundings bright as day.
On the dark river floated a person.
The clothing looked somewhat familiar.
“Yuru.”
Without a second thought, Yang Jian immediately jumped into the river to retrieve the woman floating on the surface.
The river was pitch black, making visibility difficult.
When he swam over and touched the woman’s body, feeling warmth still in her, his heart surged with wild joy.
Soon Yang Jian pulled her ashore. Under the torchlight, he turned her over and instantly froze.
It wasn’t his Yuru.
He recognized her – she was Yuru’s female attendant named Xiu He.
Yang Jian stood up, his wet clothes clinging coldly to his body. With disbelief in his eyes and his body stiff, he stepped back, gritting his teeth: “Wake her at any cost. I need to learn Yuru’s whereabouts from her.”
“Acknowledged.”
Xiu He had exchanged clothes with Wu Yuru to buy time for her mistress.
After diverting some assassins, she quickly shook them off. But when she returned to find her mistress, she discovered the lady’s corpse in a cave.
Later, while attempting to find Yang Jian, she encountered a pack of wolves on the road. During her escape, she fell into the water and lost consciousness.
Now, as she opened her eyes, she saw a cold man looking down at her from above.
Thank heavens.
“General Yang.” Xiu He’s eyes welled with tears, “The lady… the lady has been killed. You must avenge her.”
Yang Jian bent down, expressionless: “Where’s the body?”
“In… in the cave.”
“Lead the way.”
Soaked and shivering from the cold, Xiu He was supported by soldiers as she trembled uncontrollably.
She pointed: “Over there.”
Then she was carried along by the soldiers.
They soon reached the cave. Wu Yuru had been dead for a day and night, her body already stiff, still bearing the terror of her final moments.
Yang Jian reached out, intending to touch the corpse’s face, but when he saw insects crawling from the eyes, his hand froze mid-air.
He stood up, puzzled: “By the way, why are you wearing Yuru’s clothes?”
Xiu He stammered an explanation: “I exchanged clothes with the lady to impersonate her and divert the assassins, so…”
Yang Jian drew his sword and slit the woman’s throat.
Clutching her neck, Xiu He stared wide-eyed, unwillingly asking: “Gen… General Yang, why?”
Yang Jian’s face was icy: “She needs servants in the underworld. Since you shared such deep mistress-servant bonds, you may go serve her there.”
If Yuru was dead, how could a servant expect to live on?
Covering his nose and mouth, he exited the cave and ordered his subordinate: “Have two coffins made. Bury them in a good location.”
Subordinate: “Acknowledged.”
Yang Jian wiped the blood from his sword with a handkerchief, then looked up at the pitch-black night sky, showing not the slightest grief of a man who had lost his beloved.
He issued another order: “Investigate who did this. Leave no clue unexamined.”
“Acknowledged.”
As for Shao Zili who had obstructed his rescue attempt… thinking of the scout’s earlier report…
Yang Jian’s voice was icy cold: “All officers, rest well. At the third watch, follow me to the battlefield to slay the enemy.”
Soldiers: “Yes.”
……
After the evening meal, everyone was resting when rain began to fall outside again.
As the cold air swept in, Lian Yue’s meager inner force couldn’t withstand the chill. She had long since removed her outer garment and crawled under the covers to sleep with her head buried.
The bedding was warm and cozy, and she slept quite comfortably until she was vaguely awakened by a commotion.
“Enemy attack—”
“Enemy attack—”
With bleary eyes, Lian Yue casually wiped her face a couple of times, felt for her outer garment, and hurriedly pulled it on.
Before she could fully dress, she sensed someone barging into the tent.
Hmm?
She grasped her dagger, hiding in the shadows, not daring to make a sound.
“It’s me.” Gu Quan’s voice was steady. “Yang Jian has launched a surprise attack with his troops. I’ll help you break through the encirclement.”
Lian Yue let out a sigh of relief, reaching out blindly to locate him.
Then she bumped squarely into his embrace, her hands instinctively wrapping around the young man’s firm waist.
He grunted softly, holding the young woman’s shoulders as he removed his own rain cape and draped it over Lian Yue. “Reinforcements have arrived for the enemy. The situation is critical. Ride with me to avoid falling behind.”
She said, “I’ll follow your lead.”
Perhaps Yang Jian had found Wu Yuru’s body.
The rain outside was heavy. The horse stood just outside the tent. The sky was pitch black, with only a few torches providing faint illumination.
Gu Quan helped her onto the horse before mounting behind her. “Retreat.”
The retainers followed, fighting while withdrawing.
Once on horseback, Lian Yue’s head was covered. She could only feel her body jolting with the motion—sometimes her back collided with his chest, other times her whole body pitched forward. Fortunately, his right arm remained firmly wrapped around her waist, preventing her from being thrown from the horse.
All around echoed the harsh clashing of weapons, while the scent of blood grew increasingly thick in the air.
Soon, Gu Quan broke through the encirclement on horseback.
The horse galloped swiftly, cold wind piercing through her body.
His hard arm tightened around her waist, and she couldn’t help but cling to it, her voice coming in broken phrases: “Marquis Gu, is it because I killed Wu Yuru that Yang Jian launched this surprise attack tonight?”
Gu Quan reined in the horse, his palm massaging the small of her back. He remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“Don’t make a sound.”
Then the young man helped her dismount, slapped the horse’s rump to send it away, and led her into the dense forest.
They had just hidden themselves in the woods when pursuers arrived. Finding no movement around, they continued chasing forward.
Only after the pursuers had left did Gu Quan answer: “It’s not because of you. He always intended to watch me and Governor Wu exhaust each other in battle so he could reap the spoils. Zili intercepted him, making him miss his opportunity. When his other subordinates arrived, given his temperament, he naturally sought to vent his anger on Zili to save face.”
He led her deeper into the forest. “This matter has nothing to do with you.”
Still, he had to admit the man possessed some skill to have located Zili’s camp.
Lian Yue asked, “Will Young Master Yuan and National Preceptor Shao be alright?”
Gu Quan: “Look at this forest—so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. Now that we’ve broken through the encirclement and our soldiers have dispersed into these woods, the roles of attacker and defender have reversed. This battle is already lost for him.”
Had he been alone, those pursuers who came earlier would have met their end here.
He glanced down at the young woman.
Though well aware that Lian Yue wasn’t truly fragile, Gu Quan still preferred avoiding unnecessary trouble—lest his hands be tied during combat, leaving her vulnerable to harm.
After walking for half an hour, the rain finally ceased.
Gu Quan found a sheltered spot and said, “We’ll rest here until daybreak, then regroup with the others.”
Lian Yue replied, “Alright.”
She hastily removed the heavy straw raincoat from her shoulders, tossed it to the ground, then tilted her head up to offer Gu Quan a smile.
The young man’s clothes were completely drenched. Feeling somewhat apologetic—since he had given her the raincoat, leading to his current state—the maiden said, “Your clothes are soaked through. Why not take them off? Once we build a fire, I can help dry them for you.”
Gu Quan looked down at her with a light chuckle. “You don’t mind?”
Lian Yue looked puzzled. “Mind what?”
He said nothing more, obediently removing his upper garments to reveal a lean, muscular torso.
Lian Yue bit her lip.
Gu Quan’s physique was exceptional—sleek muscles rippling with latent power, well-defined abs, and a waist that hinted at formidable strength. He was clearly someone not to be trifled with.
Quite striking.
He frowned. “Why are you staring at me?”
Author’s Note:
[dog emoji][dog emoji]