What do you mean by “invited back but still have to let go”? Mi Yunzhong quickly understood amidst his daze, then first turned his head to signal the people beside him.
The commander immediately called over the deputy general and the hidden sentry who had come to give an oral report, and they all withdrew together.
With no one else around, Mi Yunzhong then asked, “Great Walker, who are the three people in the portrait?”
What was not convenient to say in front of others, Xiang Lanxuan did not conceal from him. After all, given this Outer Marquis Commander’s status and position, he was qualified to know many things. She immediately said in a low voice, “The little girl born of the legitimate line in the palace, the one making a fuss about who she wants to marry, you must know about that, right?”
Mi Yunzhong thought for a moment, said suspiciously, “I know. The princess is making a fuss about marrying that Third-Rank Scholar from the Jin Kingdom, uh…” Suddenly his eyes widened, and he turned his head sharply to look at the portrait that had already turned to ashes in the bonfire, uncertain with shock, “Could it be?”
Xiang Lanxuan: “Sigh, yes. The little moustache in the portrait is that Third-Rank Scholar.”
“This…” Mi Yunzhong felt slightly at a loss. “What is he doing running here to make trouble? Great Walker, you couldn’t have mistaken him, right?”
Xiang Lanxuan: “I couldn’t be wrong. Back then, it was these three fellows who pried open the gates of Little Cloud Abode. I don’t know how many times I met them in Little Cloud Abode. We were very familiar. The three people in the portrait are exactly those three.”
Since it was confirmed without doubt, Mi Yunzhong couldn’t help but nod slightly. He murmured, “The princess’s beloved has come. His Majesty also seems to have the intention to fulfil this…” His eyes flickered continuously.
Xiang Lanxuan saw his intention and asked, “You aren’t thinking of reporting this to the palace, are you?”
Mi Yunzhong heard that there was more to her words. “Shouldn’t I?”
Xiang Lanxuan: “I advise you not to worry about this blindly. Otherwise, whether you can still sit steadily in this position of Outer Marquis Commander is a problem.”
Mi Yunzhong was shocked. “How so?”
Xiang Lanxuan looked around, then leaned in close and said in a low voice, “Lord Commander, it’s only because it’s you. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have meddled in this matter. Back then, the princess’s fondness was shouted about so everyone knew. Added to that, His Majesty had the intention to recruit a son-in-law. I was also extremely concerned about it. I even went to find that Third-Rank Scholar to act as a matchmaker. Guess what my final outcome was?”
Mi Yunzhong stared at her blankly. “I would like to hear the details.”
Xiang Lanxuan raised her hand to touch her own cheek. She didn’t know what she was recalling. In short, she had a bitter smile all over her face. “One day, Her Ladyship suddenly came to the Great Enterprise Bureau. In front of ‘the Lord’, she called me before her, then publicly gave me a slap.”
Mi Yunzhong was surprised. “Given Her Ladyship’s dignity, she would hit you in public? That can’t be, right?”
There was reason for saying this. After all, this person’s status was right there.
Xiang Lanxuan sighed repeatedly. “The scolding was extremely unpleasant. She said I was meddling in other people’s business, that I dared to interfere in her family affairs. She said if it weren’t for the sake of ‘the Lord’s’ face, and seeing that I had rendered meritorious service by stationing myself in Little Cloud Abode, she would have abolished all my cultivation. Anyway, from then on, the upper echelons of the Great Enterprise Bureau all understood. Her Ladyship did not wish for the princess to marry that Third-Rank Scholar. ‘The Lord’ also later instructed us to do proper business and not to meddle in those messy affairs anymore. I really had a hot face pressed against a cold bottom.”
Mi Yunzhong was puzzled. “Then why is it that in the palace, one never sees Her Ladyship expressing any opposition?”
Xiang Lanxuan sighed. “I say, Lord Mi, how is it that your insight within the palace is not even as good as mine, an outsider? Because His Majesty approves. Her Ladyship has always maintained His Majesty’s dignity. Naturally she would not express opposition in the palace. Behind the scenes is another matter.”
Mi Yunzhong shook his head. “Why would Her Ladyship oppose this? A Third-Rank Scholar who comes once in a hundred years truly does not disgrace the princess. He is much better than those nobodies. Why…” Speaking to this point, he suddenly froze again. A look of sudden realisation appeared on his face. He seemed to have understood something. He muttered, “A matter of the previous generation?”
Xiang Lanxuan nodded. “Isn’t it exactly that matter which everyone knows in their hearts but doesn’t speak of? Her Ladyship probably does not wish for the next generation to continue being entangled. But His Majesty is the opposite. He probably hopes the antagonism between the two sides becomes even more severe. Lord Commander, this matter cannot be reasoned out. Pull at it and it becomes more tangled. Whatever you do is wrong. How can we intervene in this? Don’t invite displeasure upon yourself. Do you think you know why the head of Azure Sea Shipping was stripped of his position? His outcome was much more miserable than mine.”
Mi Yunzhong thought of the head of Azure Sea Shipping’s outcome, and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He sighed, “So I wondered who could see through this ‘fishing’ arrest here. So it was the famous Third-Rank Scholar. It seems the insight of the world’s number one talent truly is extraordinary.”
Xiang Lanxuan: “That fellow truly has some ability. In the Jin Kingdom ancient tomb, almost everyone died. He actually managed to escape alive. Little Cloud Abode, which no one could find, was also dug out by him. Before that, he also caused a heap of trouble in the Sea Market. It seems he entered the Sea-Quelling Bureau prison twice, and still retreated completely unscathed.”
Mi Yunzhong: “I’ve heard of it. It’s said he even caused the Earth Mother’s relatives to be ruined and dead. His Majesty is very interested in him.”
Xiang Lanxuan: “Zheluo Mountain, without the Earth Mother’s background, is probably going to collapse into a slump. He dared to run to Kunling Mountain to stroll around after causing such a huge incident, and still wanted to sneak in furtively. Who knows what he wants to do again. Running around causing trouble everywhere, is that abandoning literature for martial arts? That fellow doesn’t live a good life properly. He is a bit restless.”
Mi Yunzhong suddenly coughed dryly and said, “Great Walker, you didn’t say anything. I also know nothing. You people in the Great Enterprise Bureau can handle this matter as you see fit.”
…
The wilderness was desolate. The clouds parted and the moon emerged.
The three martial brothers who had been rushing along suddenly stopped. It was Yu Qing who urgently waved his hands left and right to stop both Nan and Mu together. All three stared blankly ahead.
Three cold gleams shone under the moonlight. Three arrows were already nocked on the bowstring. They seemed to be aimed at the three of them.
The masked woman who had been running ahead stopped first. She drew her bow and forced them to stop.
The three martial brothers also hurriedly drew their swords. The two sides who had just been fleeing together suddenly entered a confrontation state.
The night breeze was slightly cool. The knee-high wild grass swayed.
Yu Qing was the first to break the silence. “Heroine, what is the meaning of this?”
The masked woman retorted, “Why are you following me and not letting go? Do you want to kill me to silence me?”
The three martial brothers were slightly stunned. They had just thought it was the other side who wanted to kill them to silence them. After all, what they saw killing a court official was a Great Archer. Moreover, it was a female Great Archer. The characteristics were too obvious. It would be very easy to find out. They hadn’t expected that the other side instead suspected them of wanting to kill her to silence her.
Nan Zhu hurriedly said, “No, no. Heroine, you have misunderstood.”
Masked woman: “We are strangers. Why follow closely and not let go?”
Yu Qing: “Wasn’t it you who told us to leave?”
The masked woman thought for a moment, then said, “I was reminding you that the garrison troops had mobilised. Telling you to leave was reminding you to depart. I didn’t tell you to follow me.”
Yu Qing: “Then we misunderstood. Calm down. We won’t follow you. The great road faces the sky, each goes their own way.”
He finished speaking and waved his hand to signal Nan and Mu to retreat.
The three retreated together, slowly retreating while maintaining high alert. Without retreating to a sufficient safe distance or finding sufficiently safe terrain to take cover, facing such a Great Archer with extraordinary killing power, they truly did not dare to relax.
Who knew that the masked woman did not believe their words. Her hand gesture’s intention to shoot and kill was very obvious. She had already slowly drawn the bowstring back a bit more.
Yu Qing was greatly shocked. He shouted, “We said it was a misunderstanding. If we really started fighting, at close range, you as a Great Archer might not necessarily gain much advantage. A misunderstanding. We each go our separate ways and never meet again. Why must we fight to the death?”
Masked woman: “I should have waited for you to fall into the garrison’s hands before taking that surnamed Cao. Now that you have seen me, how can I believe that you won’t betray me later?”
Nan Zhu shouted, “Heroine, your words are unreasonable. You have also seen us. You are masked. We don’t even know what you look like. Our three faces were shown to you clearly and plainly. We aren’t afraid of you betraying us. Yet you are instead afraid of us betraying you. What logic is this?”
Masked woman: “I am the one who killed the person. You did not!”
Yu Qing: “What you say makes sense, yet also doesn’t. We were sneaking around intending to infiltrate the grand meeting. We are already targets for arrest by the garrison. If we betrayed you, we wouldn’t fare well either. Would we go that far?”
Masked woman: “Can’t you understand human speech? How do I know you won’t fall into the hands of the Yin Kingdom military?”
This truly could not be guaranteed. Yu Qing could only respond toughly, “Neither side can convince the other. Must we really fight to the death?”
Masked woman: “If you want me to spare you, that’s fine. Help me with something.”
The three martial brothers glanced at each other. Nan Zhu asked, “What kind of help?”
The masked woman answered irrelevantly, “Don’t you want to enter Kunling Mountain? I can help you get in.”
The three martial brothers looked at each other in dismay. Nan Zhu shouted, “What do you mean? We don’t understand.”
Masked woman: “My martial brothers were captured and taken into the mountain. I want to enter the mountain to find them. I am alone and weak. I need helpers.”
This time, the three understood her meaning.
Yu Qing hesitated and said, “Forgive me for speaking bluntly. Your martial brothers were only lured into the mountain and captured. Whether they are still imprisoned in the mountain is not certain.”
Masked woman: “How do you think I found out Cao Wei’s identity? You should have more or less heard of the Great Archer profession. I found fellow practitioners serving in the military here to help inquire. The captured people are all imprisoned in the mountain.”
Nan Zhu said with a pounding heart, “Do you want us to help find people, or do you want us to help rescue people? I say, if you want us to rescue people, with just the few of us, it’s no different from seeking death. Then it would be better to fight you desperately with greater hope of survival.”
Masked woman: “Finding people is enough. I will think of a way for the rescue matter myself. What you said is also correct. You don’t have that ability. Relying on you is useless. I have no expectations of you.”
These words, although factual, truly did not sound nice. Fortunately, the three martial brothers were to some extent thick-skinned. They didn’t care.
Yu Qing: “With this great army sealing the mountain with visible and hidden sentries, Kunling Mountain’s own troops are not decorations either. How easy is it to infiltrate the mountain? What method will you use to bring us in?”
Masked woman: “Directly use the identity of our sect’s disciples to register and enter. Rest assured, I will send a message to my sect. I will have my sect arrange things properly. They won’t let this side see through your false identities.”
Yu Qing was suspicious. “Since you have a sect, why not find help from your fellow disciples, but instead look for us three outsiders?”
Masked woman: “Great Archers, after completing their training and leaving the mountain, have their own destinations. There is no need to participate in the ‘Dawn Assembly’. The sect also does not permit it. The two martial brothers came secretly. As a result, something happened. I can’t care about that much now. Rescue is the urgent matter. Enter first and talk later. Even if the sect finds out, the wood is already made into a boat.”
So that’s how it was. The three martial brothers nodded secretly. Great Archers indeed had no need to participate in this so-called grand meeting. After their training was complete, they naturally had stable and superior prospects to pursue.
“After registering and entering, if something happens inside, none of us can run away. You don’t need to worry about me killing you to silence you, and I don’t need to worry about you either. After the matter, we each go our own way. But before this, I need to know your true identities. If you dare to deceive me, my sect definitely will not let you off.”