Chapter 593: Gathering
Chapter 593: Gathering
Inside the tent, Duan Mingyue and Duan Wenliang were having dinner.
Like Lu Yuan and the others, they were eating steamed buns and pickled vegetables.
Duan Wenliang opened a package and took out some dried meat: "Big Brother, have some of this."
Duan Mingyue replied, "You eat it yourself."
His appetite had never been very good, so Duan Wenliang didn’t insist and tore open the package to eat the dried meat himself.
"By the way, Big Brother, do you think Xu Zhongping will agree to join the Long Princess? I feel like he’s a tough nut to crack."
"The Black Armor Army doesn’t have any soft bones."
Duan Mingyue said.
Duan Wenliang quickly asked, "So, are we going to be out of luck?"
He turned and sighed, "The conditions the Long Princess of Great Liang offered are really tempting."
Duan Mingyue neither confirmed nor denied it, just smiled.
Duan Wenliang, surprised, asked, "Big Brother, that look on your face... Are you saying we have a chance?"
Duan Mingyue broke a steamed bun and said confidently, "The Black Armor Army will definitely join the Long Princess."
---
After Meng Qianqian rescued Chen Long from the Dragon Trap Array, the group went to a stream.
She treated Chen Long’s injuries, and Lu Yuan, Ji Li, and Si She also arrived.
"Snake!"
Ji Li was excited to see Si She, "What a coincidence, you’re here too! How’s it going? Did you kill that horse? Where’s that scoundrel’s head? Let me see it!"
Si She replied, "I didn’t kill him."
Ji Li was confused, "W-Why not? That scoundrel deserves to die a thousand deaths. We couldn’t kill him before, but now we finally have the chance, and you let him go?"
Lu Yuan smiled faintly, "Is it possible that he escaped by his own strength?"
Ji Li exploded, "Absolutely not!"
Lu Yuan gave Si She a meaningful look and then stopped worrying about Wu Ma’s fate.
He walked over to Meng Qianqian and quietly waited for her to finish bandaging Chen Long’s wounds.
"Hey, Chen Long, you’ve become a Sleeping Dragon."
Chen Long glared at him.
Lu Yuan pulled out a heavy sword from behind his back as if by magic.
Chen Long’s eyes lit up.
"I dug your sword out for you. Call me a good brother-in-law, and I’ll give it to you."
Chen Long clenched his fingers.
"Not going to call me?" Lu Yuan turned to Cui Hu, "Then I’ll give the legendary Azure Dragon Sword to you."
Chen Long’s eyes shot daggers at Cui Hu.
Cui Hu’s scalp tingled!
Oh Lord, don’t let the dead fight and drag us little ghosts into it!
Meng Qianqian said to Lu Yuan, "Good brother-in-law, I’ll speak for my brother."
Lu Yuan: "..."
The group took a short break by the stream.
"Can we start a fire?"
Cui Hu asked Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan replied nonchalantly, "Ask the young lady."
"Got it!"
Cui Hu went to ask Meng Qianqian.
Lu Yuan: Wait, you didn’t even hesitate?
Meng Qianqian replied, "Let’s start it."
In battle, lighting a fire on someone else’s territory was extremely taboo as it could easily expose their position. But since the young lady said it was fine, it probably wasn’t a problem.
Cui Hu started the fire, caught some game, and picked some wild fruit. This was the most sumptuous meal they had eaten since entering the mountains.
The group sat around the fire and exchanged important information.
The Black Armor Army had at least two of the Twelve Guards—Wu Ma and Zi Shu.
Wu Ma had already shown up.
If they included Mao Tu, that made three.
The second crucial piece of information was that the Black Armor Army’s General Yun Chaomu and General Song Yingzhong had been swayed.
"Let’s talk about the Twelve Guards first."
Si She said, "I think there might be more than just these three."
Ji Li asked, "You mean Dog Kid and Big Ox are also in?"
Si She paused, "Yes."
Ji Li looked at Meng Qianqian, "Little Yin Hu, what do you think?"
"It doesn’t matter whether they’re there or not."
The Black Armor Army, she was determined to reclaim it.
Meng Qianqian went to the stream to wash her face.
Lu Yuan followed and sat down behind her. "Those few of the Twelve Guards, do they not get along with you?"
His perceptiveness surprised Meng Qianqian, but then she realized that he was often this way.
However, when it came to matters of the Black Armor Army, he never overstepped his bounds. He always quietly stood behind her, just as he was doing now.
Meng Qianqian said, "Wu Ma, you should have heard from Ji Li."
Lu Yuan nodded. "Lecherous and debauched, he is not on the same path as Ji Li and Si She. Neither does he have much of a relationship with your master, Yin Hu, and Chen Long is even less likely to be on good terms with him."
"Among the Twelve Guards, there are chivalrous warriors, swordsmen, and also desperadoes. Wu Ma, Zi Shu, and Xu Gou are all desperadoes."
Meng Qianqian didn't explain why she had recruited these desperadoes.
This trust was built over their days of interaction.
She believed he understood.
Lu Yuan said, "It's better to have them serving you than causing trouble outside. They can fight, and under Chu Nan's watchful eye, they might behave a bit better."
Meng Qianqian replied, "That was my initial plan."
Lu Yuan smiled and didn't press the matter further. Instead, he asked, "You haven't mentioned Chou Niu yet."
Meng Qianqian shook her head. "That person... even I don't understand him well. He and Mao Tu are both drawn to Chu Nan."
Lu Yuan said lightly, "No matter. If he's on our side, that's best. If not, we'll deal with him in battle."
By the fire, Tan'er woke up and began to call out hoarsely for her sister.
Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan returned to the group.
Tan'er rubbed her dizzy head. "Sis, what happened?"
Meng Qianqian brought the water flask to her lips. "You were asleep. Drink some water."
Tan'er obediently drank from Meng Qianqian's hand.
She then said strangely, "I had a very long dream, about Mama!"
After speaking, she suddenly remembered something and quickly pulled at her collar.
Seeing that the jade pendant was still around her neck, she let out a long sigh of relief.
Meng Qianqian planned to ask about the woman in the portrait at a more appropriate time.
Tan'er looked around at everyone. "You all found me, huh? Hey, Big Brother Chen Long, why are you hurt?"
She ran over to Chen Long, crouched down, and tilted her head to examine him.
In her memory, Chen Long had never been injured.
She was both curious and regretful, feeling like she had missed out on a fortune.
"Let's talk about the next plan."
Chen Long spoke, not wanting to be observed by a little girl.
Ji Li opened her fan. "We were originally planning to find Xu Zhongping, but looking at your condition, it might be hard to find him."
Chen Long said sarcastically, "Even you have moments of cowardice. That's a rare sight."
Ji Li snapped her fan shut. "Hey! Don't be so harsh. I'm not being cowardly; I'm just being honest. Among us, you are the best fighter. If even you are nearly dead..."
"Who?"
Chen Long asked warily.
Ji Li was about to send a burst of inner energy into the forest when Lu Yuan stopped her.
"It's me!"
Shang Wuyou emerged from the forest, out of breath.
He had somehow stolen a set of black armor, which clearly didn't fit him well, making him look awkward in it.
Meng Qianqian's eyes lit up. "Wuyou!"
Shang Wuyou stopped in front of her, panting and staring at her in a daze.
The person he once despised deeply now made him feel a bit wronged.
The bad woman had watched him so closely that he had barely managed to escape.
During his escape, to avoid her pursuit, he didn't dare light a fire, and he had left in such a hurry that he hadn't taken any food.
He was starving and picked a wild fruit, only to be attacked by a group of wild monkeys.
His hands were scratched, his knees were bruised, and he was alone in the forest, fleeing from danger. At night, he even encountered a pack of wolves...
"Unyou."
Meng Qianqian raised her hand, wanting to touch his reddened eyes.
He turned around and quickly wiped away the tears that had splashed out. "I’m not crying!"
Damn!
I can’t control it!
Stop it!
No crying!
Shang Wuyou cried like a child.
"For someone so grown up, you’re still shedding tears."
Lu Yuan threw him a handkerchief.
"I said I’m not!"
Shang Wuyou took the handkerchief, wiped his tears, and blew his nose. "Here, it’s back to you."
Lu Yuan: "… Keep it."
Meng Qianqian pulled Shang Wuyou to sit by the fire and tore off a rabbit leg to give him.
He started gnawing on it, his cheeks bulging, clearly famished.
Meng Qianqian tenderly brushed the bangs from his forehead.
Shang Wuyou’s cheeks turned a faint pink.
He sniffed and asked solemnly, "Are you here to take me back?"
Meng Qianqian smiled. "Yes, I’m here to take Wuyou back. Ever since I sent you away, I’ve missed you every day and deeply regretted my decision."
Ji Li’s lips twitched.
Who would believe such nonsense?
Shang Wuyou, holding the rabbit leg, said, "I knew it would be like this!"
Ji Li was speechless.
Shang Wuyou asked seriously, "So, will you send me away again?"
Meng Qianqian whispered, "No, I swear I won’t."
Shang Wuyou lifted his chin. "Hmph, that’s better."
Meng Qianqian handed him two fruits. "Have some wild fruit. I picked them especially for you, thinking I’d give them to you when we met."
Shang Wuyou was very pleased. "Mm-hmm."
Seeing Shang Wuyou being so easily appeased, Ji Li was utterly speechless.
"I didn’t run away on purpose."
After finishing his meal, Shang Wuyou volunteered an explanation for his presence. "I have a message to bring to you. I have the tracing insect you gave me, and I followed it to find you."
Meng Qianqian gently patted his head. "Wuyou is so capable. Have you always been this capable?"
Shang Wuyou’s lips curled up, wishing he could hang two wine jugs from them. "Anyway, the teacher has always praised me like that."
The men around him all wanted to punch this kid.
Meng Qianqian asked softly, "What important message made Wuyou risk his life to deliver it?"
The mention of risking his life gave Shang Wuyou a sense of mission.
His expression turned serious. "Something happened at the Crown Prince’s Mansion."
Emperor Liang had regained his memory and recalled his grievances with the Miao Borderlands. He immediately ordered the arrest of the Miao King.
The Miao King and Emperor Liang engaged in a fierce battle, from the imperial study to the imperial garden, and then from the imperial garden to the cold palace.
Then, they vanished.
Prince Jin immediately entered the palace and accused the Miao King of kidnapping Emperor Liang.
Since the Miao King was the father-in-law of the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince was also implicated in the incident.
Prince Jin then led the officials to the Crown Prince’s Mansion to demand the return of Emperor Liang.
This news was brought back by the hawk when it returned to the Crown Prince’s Mansion.
To avoid leaving any clues, the note Lu Zhaoyan had tied to the hawk’s leg was burned by Shang Wuyou.
Lu Zhaoyan and Liu Qingyun were in grave danger.
The Miao King and Emperor Liang had disappeared without a trace.
Currently, Prince Jin was in charge of the imperial court.
Meng Qianqian said, "We need to find Xu Zhongping as soon as possible."
Ji Li gritted her teeth. "I’ll go and capture Song Yingzhong!"
"I’ll take you to see the General."
A deep voice echoed, and a tall figure slowly emerged from the forest.
He wore black armor and had a stern expression.
It was Huo Ting.
Yesterday, he went to challenge a 3,000-meter skydiving jump, all by himself. He even managed to write a chapter update on the way there, suddenly feeling very brave.
(End of Chapter)
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