Chapter 10: Mutual Benefit
After Qi Xiao, Fu Yunzhi, and Chen Xinxin emerged from the western forest, they saw Qi Shaoling and Duanmu Ling sitting by the side, waiting for them. Duanmu Ling seemed to be roasting some wild game; the fragrant aroma drifted over, making the stomachs of the three who had just engaged in strenuous exercise rumble.
Seeing Chen Xinxin staring unabashedly at the chicken leg in his hand, Duanmu Ling said apologetically, “Sorry, this is the last piece.”
Qi Xiao noticed Duanmu Ling beside Qi Shaoling and asked, “Young Master Duanmu, didn’t you return to Duanmu Villa with Alliance Chief Shen?”
Duanmu Ling took a bite of chicken. “Alliance Chief Shen told me not to go back for now, because anyone who has practiced the Helan Divine Art can be controlled by the Duanmu family’s Helan Divine Formation. And besides…”
Duanmu Ling twisted Qi Shaoling’s sleeve, his face full of shyness, and said in the delicate voice of a young maiden, “Shaoling told me not to run around anymore and to stay obediently at his house.”
Fu Yunzhi shivered, goosebumps rising on his skin. What kind of tone is that…
Qi Xiao: …
Qi Xiao: !!
And just like that, the way Qi Xiao looked at Qi Shaoling instantly changed.
We promised we’d be friends for life, walking this path together! Whoever gets a partner first is a dog! What happened to weathering the storm together?! What happened to sharing joys and sorrows?! What happened to our revolutionary friendship?! How did you end up with such a great beauty just from chasing a thief?! (ノ=Д=)ノ┻━┻
Qi Shaoling calmly pulled his sleeve away and, when the others weren’t looking, shot Duanmu Ling a vicious glare.
Keep pretending. Just you keep pretending.
Seeing Qi Xiao looking at him with the eyes of a traitor, Qi Shaoling had no choice but to change the subject. “I have important business with you.”
Qi Xiao nodded. He knew this business must be serious, or Qi Shaoling wouldn’t have come all this way to find him.
“We came from the south of the city,” Qi Shaoling said. “While trying to avoid the One-Eyed Dragon Gang, we went deep into the forest and accidentally discovered a garrison of thirty thousand Sheng Luo soldiers. All the sentries in the south of the city have been killed.”
Qi Xiao’s brow furrowed. Hiding a hundred men in the western forest was reasonable, but the southern forest was frequently patrolled by soldiers and wasn’t as dense as the western one. It would be impossible not to be discovered. Even if all the sentries were killed, their posts were changed every two hours. Unless the garrison had just arrived…
Sheng Luo and Langxuan were neighboring countries, separated only by a forest. To march thirty thousand troops into Langxuan territory without a sound—what was their purpose?
Shahan in the west, Sheng Luo in the south—this was no small matter. Qi Xiao touched the military tally in his pocket. “We must return to the capital immediately.”
Clip-clop—
Clip-clop—
Qi Shaoling and Qi Xiao exchanged a look. Someone was pursuing them.
“Run?”
Qi Xiao shook his head. “We can’t outrun them. They’re on horseback, and we’re on foot.”
“What’s wrong?” Fu Yunzhi asked.
“Someone’s chasing us, but it’s only one person.”
“Since it’s only one person, we can just fight them,” Fu Yunzhi said. “Are you afraid you can’t win?”
Since wifey said so, I must win!
Qi Xiao said with a serious expression, “Of course I can win.”
Duanmu Ling swallowed the last bite of his roasted meat and clapped his hands. “But to dare to chase us alone, he’s either an idiot, or his martial arts are extremely high, with a combat power stronger than a small army… Ah!”
Duanmu Ling tilted his head, and an arrow flew past his ear.
He patted his chest, his heart still pounding. “Mm, looks like it’s the latter.”
Before his voice had even faded, a figure on horseback emerged from the forest. The man was draped in the tiger skin of a Shahan warrior, which complemented his bronze skin. His tall, muscular body looked brimming with power. A pair of eagle eyes looked down sharply at them, making him seem like a dangerous wild wolf.
The man put down his bow and cupped his fist in the manner of the Central Plains. “Wulanbaer. That is my name.”
Wulanbaer…
Everyone was stunned. Wulanbaer, meaning “fierce tiger.” The hero on horseback, the god and king of the Shahan people.
Fu Yunzhi waved his fan, his mind racing. Didn’t they say the King of Shahan was dead? How could he be here?!
If the King of Shahan was here, it meant the hundred-man army in the western forest belonged to him, and the disturbances at the inn were also his doing. In other words, this was an internal conflict between the King of Shahan and his uncle, General Damu?
Qi Xiao gave Qi Shaoling a look, signaling him to take care of the others, then took a step forward and also cupped his fist. “I am Qi Xiao, the Langxuan Kingdom’s General of the South.”
Wulanbaer leaped off his horse and drew his dagger.
“I have always wanted to test my skills against a master from the Central Plains, to see whether the longsword is faster or the dagger is more precise.”
Before his voice had faded, Wulanbaer’s figure vanished from the spot. Fu Yunzhi turned to look at Qi Xiao and saw that the two were already locked in combat.
Qi Xiao fought with a conventional, orthodox style, watertight and flawless, just like his steady personality. Wulanbaer, on the other hand, was fast, ruthless, and precise, his fighting style completely without form. It was as if he used whatever move came to mind, reminding Qi Xiao of a wild wolf tearing and biting randomly. However, although his attacks were like a chaotic storm, they were not easily broken. His movements were too difficult to predict. Someone with a weaker mentality would have long been frightened into revealing a flaw by his overwhelming, victory-assured momentum.
Although Qi Xiao’s moves were conservative, they concealed a ruthless edge. Every swing of his sword carried a deadly, unseen trap. But seeing that Wulanbaer seemed to be holding back, more interested in a spar than a fight to the death, he also slowed his moves to conserve his strength.
The two exchanged blows, the clang of their weapons echoing endlessly in the quiet wilderness. Fu Yunzhi’s eyes could barely follow the two blurry figures; he couldn’t make out their moves at all.
The moonlight glinted off their bodies and the blades in their hands, creating beautiful halos of light. Close combat was the dagger’s advantage, so Qi Xiao used his sword energy to leap backward, creating distance between them. Wulanbaer, of course, saw his intention. He stomped his left foot hard on the ground, using the force to leap into the air and dive towards Qi Xiao.
Qi Xiao smiled inwardly. He decisively abandoned his longsword, drew a dagger from his waist, and bent down to attack Wulanbaer’s lower body!
Wulanbaer was stunned. Unable to change course in mid-air, he had no choice but to take the hit. He raised his left leg to kick Qi Xiao’s wrist, which held the dagger. Although the dagger was knocked away, Wulanbaer lost his balance due to his unstable footing and fell heavily to the ground.
Wulanbaer helplessly raised his hands. “Alright, I admit defeat. I lost because I never expected someone with such a gentlemanly appearance to resort to such dirty tricks.”
“All’s fair in war. And besides, I’m no gentleman.”
A true gentleman wouldn’t hide under his covers secretly writing smut!
Wulanbaer stood up and dusted off his clothes. “I have no ill intentions towards the Langxuan Kingdom.”
Duanmu Ling grumbled inwardly, No ill intentions? Then why did you shoot that arrow just now? If I hadn’t dodged in time, my head would have blossomed.
Qi Xiao, however, was taken aback. “What?”
“My camping in the western forest has nothing to do with Langxuan. I just want to take back what is mine.”
Qi Xiao hadn’t expected this king to be so direct and casual, getting straight to business right after a fight.
“Did General Damu take something of yours?” Fu Yunzhi asked.
“Hmph, Damu colluded with the King of Sheng Luo to have me killed while I was out hunting,” Wulanbaer said. “Unfortunately for them, I have a strong will to live and didn’t die. But by the time I returned, Damu had already seized control of Shahan. I had no choice but to make my move while he was on a diplomatic mission to Langxuan.”
Qi Xiao sheathed his sword, dissatisfied. “The King of Shahan is beloved by his people. If you just show yourself, are you afraid the Shahan people will help Damu instead of you?”
“You think I don’t want to resolve this in Shahan? It would save me the trouble of being obstructed by you in Langxuan,” Wulanbaer said. “But there is a custom in Shahan. If a person is seen within six months of their death, it means their soul cannot find peace and has not been accepted by Tataliya. They are considered an evil spirit that must be slain. I don’t want to be mistaken for an evil spirit, so I only have the personal guards who were hunting with me.”
Fu Yunzhi shook his head inwardly. What a country, bound and controlled by faith.
Wulanbaer continued, “Hmph, you have ruined my plans. If you don’t want me to lead my troops to attack, you had better help me lure Damu out.”
“Setting aside whether your hundred men can even take the capital city,” Qi Xiao said, “what makes you think we will believe and help you instead of Damu? You’ve done plenty of ‘good deeds’ to Langxuan in the past.”
Wulanbaer laughed loudly.
“Foolish!”
“The worst I have done is plunder your border citizens. Damu’s goal is not just the wealth of the border. Do you think Sheng Luo would help Damu for free?”
Fu Yunzhi’s heart skipped a beat. The Sheng Luo Kingdom had always coveted Langxuan. If the King of Sheng Luo and Damu had reached some kind of agreement, for example, the King of Sheng Luo helps Damu seize Shahan, and in return, Damu helps the King of Sheng Luo obtain Langxuan…
“Let’s make a deal,” Wulanbaer said. “Langxuan helps me retake Shahan, helps me kill Damu, and helps me clarify the truth to the Shahan people. After I regain control of my army, I will naturally help Langxuan defend against Sheng Luo. Mutual benefit, how about it?”
Fu Yunzhi waved his fan. “This is a matter only the Emperor can decide. Qi Xiao and I have no authority to make such a decision.”
“But we don’t have time to ask the Emperor,” Qi Xiao said. “The thirty thousand Sheng Luo troops have already reached the southern forest. If I’m not mistaken, they will attack tonight. Otherwise, they risk being discovered and allowing Langxuan to prepare its defenses.”
Fu Yunzhi frowned. So soon… If Qi Shaoling and Duanmu Ling hadn’t stumbled upon the Sheng Luo army by chance, wouldn’t the Langxuan capital have been caught completely off guard?
“I don’t understand much about military matters. You decide.”
Qi Xiao turned to Wulanbaer. “With a great enemy at our doorstep, we can discuss the details after we drive Sheng Luo away. I must go to Lianzhou immediately to mobilize troops. While you wait for me, can you lead your personal guards to help the imperial guards defend the city? The Emperor doesn’t know Damu’s true colors yet. At the very least, don’t let Damu succeed as a mole and open the city gates from the inside. After all, if Sheng Luo wins, you won’t be able to retake Shahan either.”
“Hmph,” Wulanbaer snorted. “Naturally.”
“Then we will hurry back to the capital and inform the Emperor of all this, if there’s still time,” Qi Shaoling added.
Duanmu Ling’s heart blossomed.
“We.” Shaoling just used the word “we.”
Qi Xiao, who already considered Qi Shaoling and Duanmu Ling a couple, didn’t notice this detail. He simply nodded, borrowed a horse from Wulanbaer, and galloped off towards Lianzhou with Fu Yunzhi…
