Tricks

As paragons of an orderly retreat, the nearly twenty thousand routed troops led by Luo Qingfeng and Hou Jiancheng had actually brought along quite a lot of baggage. Nearly every remaining demon steed of the heavy cavalry carried a sack or two of grain and fodder, and there were even a dozen large beast-drawn carts loaded with supplies and armaments. Xu Yuan reckoned these two must have been among the earliest routed forces to muster their troops and flee. If this grain and fodder were used solely to feed themselves, it could probably last them about ten days or so. However, transporting and stashing military baggage fell into two methods: one was hauling it with horses and beast-carts, while the other was concealing it inside Sumeru rings. The two of them had handed over the former. Now, what Xu Yuan and Li Qingyan had to do was make them surrender the latter as well. After a few moments of silence, Hou Jiancheng was the first to speak. Cupping his hands toward Xu Yuan, he said in a low voice, "Our army's grain, fodder, and supplies—even the armor and blades worn by our soldiers—have already been handed over to your army in accordance with Princess Wuyuan's command." Xu Yuan glanced at the pair standing below the hall. Rubbing his chin, he chuckled, "Ah, but Princess Wuyuan demanded all of your baggage. Can't Sumeru rings store military equipment and supplies as well?" Pausing, Xu Yuan slowly rose from his seat. Walking down toward them, he chuckled softly, "I have great faith in your integrity, but the situation is what it is. The Barbarian army is entrenched near Beifeng City, and the garrison in the Houting County area is now marooned beyond Great Yan. Armaments, baggage, and even provisions are in dire shortage. We're all grasshoppers tied to the same string—we need to pull together through the storm." Luo Qingfeng pondered for an instant, then stated crisply, "Young Master, Qingfeng's Sumeru ring holds numerous confidential dossiers belonging to my father and Xuepo Valley. I must respectfully decline." A blunt refusal. Hearing this, Xu Yuan chuckled helplessly. In truth, he could guess what these two were thinking. One could call it harboring sinister motives, or biding their time. Right now, their greatest problems were scattered morale and the threat of being harassed by Barbarian wolf riders in the snowy wilderness. They wanted to reorganize their ranks here in Houting County first. When the great battle arrived, the Beifeng Army would inevitably have to return their armor and weapons. Then, the moment things looked grim, they would cut and run. Once battle broke out, as long as the Barbarians had any sense, they wouldn't stop them from fleeing. And to pull that off, they had to keep some supplies in hand. Otherwise, even if they managed to escape, they would undoubtedly collapse in this freezing expanse without food. With that thought, Xu Yuan had already arrived in front of Luo Qingfeng and come to a halt. Luo Qingfeng had a slender, graceful figure, but she wasn't particularly tall, just as in Cangyuan. Compared to the tall statures typical of women from the Northern Border, she possessed the delicate, ethereal grace of a woman from the Jiangnan water towns. With a height difference of over half a foot, Xu Yuan could look down on this third-rank Grandmaster powerhouse. He looked at her and said slowly, "Miss Luo, I am not asking for your opinions. This is a military order." Luo Qingfeng lifted her eyes slightly, her gaze calm and placid as she met his. "According to Great Yan law, Jiancheng and I are not under Her Highness's direct command." "......" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. In Cangyuan, he hadn't known this woman had such a stubborn streak. Then again, it made sense. Although the player had experienced some misunderstandings with her in Cangyuan, at the end of the day, they were on the same side. With differing allegiances, being obstinate was only natural. At this point, Xu Yuan fell silent, letting his gaze wander back and forth across the fullness of her chest. Being ogled at such close quarters caused Hou Jiancheng to clench his fists. Just as he was on the verge of erupting, Xu Yuan suddenly smiled. "Then tell me, Miss Luo: according to Great Yan law, when a commander's blunder causes an utter rout of three hundred thousand border army elites, what punishment should be meted out under the law?" "......" Neither of them uttered a sound. Xu Yuan let out a low chuckle and reached out to pat Luo Qingfeng's soft, seemingly boneless shoulder. "By military law, you should be beheaded. But I have a soft heart and can't bear to see a woman as lovely as Miss Luo perish before her time." At this, Xu Yuan deliberately glanced at Hou Jiancheng, whose face had darkened completely, and chuckled, "Still, while death can be spared, punishment cannot be avoided. We'll simply send Miss Luo to the Music Bureau for three years..." "Bastard!" Hou Jiancheng snarled in a low bark. He subconsciously reached for the saber at his waist, only to realize he had stored it into his Sumeru ring before entering the government office. *Clang!* A flash of cold light gleamed as a blade was drawn from its scabbard. Xu Yuan held his own saber directly out to Hou Jiancheng. "Are you looking for a blade, General Hou? Here, take it." With that, Xu Yuan fixed his eyes on Hou Jiancheng's gloomy, sullen gaze. "Whatever you want to do, you can go right ahead. I am merely a fifth-rank Soul Condensation cultivator; killing me shouldn't be difficult for you, General Hou." Having said that, Xu Yuan shot a discreet glance toward Li Qingyan, who sat atop the hall as steady as Mount Tai. *Sister, don't drop the ball on me here. If you mess up, you'll be a widow.* "......" Li Qingyan rolled her eyes. She seriously suspected this guy was using her orders as an excuse to unleash his true nature. Staring at the blade Xu Yuan was offering, Hou Jiancheng took a deep breath, looked toward Li Qingyan above, and asked in a low voice, "Princess Wuyuan, does this retainer of yours speak for you?" "Don't ask her. I can make the call on this matter." Xu Yuan cut in once more. Sheathing his saber, he said with a chuckle, "Hurry up and choose, you two. Either die, enter the Music Bureau, or hand over every single Sumeru ring on you." Such blatant humiliation made Luo Qingfeng's chest heave with anger. Her pretty eyes narrowed slightly as she said in a low voice, "Right now, the only commanders outranking the two of us should be Mr. Zong and Marquis Wucheng. On what authority does the young master claim to call the shots? Her Highness's bodyguard? Or..." "On the authority of my father being Xu Yinhe. Is that enough?" "......" Luo Qingfeng was speechless. "......" Hou Jiancheng was speechless. Watching the pair fall abruptly silent, Xu Yuan waved his hand and said with an airy chuckle, "Don't bother playing little mind games in front of me. Mr. Zong has already told me everything you want to do and might do. Last time I'm asking: hand them over, or not?" "......" Luo Qingfeng and Hou Jiancheng exchanged a brief look. As if realizing something, they nodded almost imperceptibly. "Since the Third Young Master puts it that way, refusing to hand them over would make us fail to appreciate your kindness. However, there are hardly any supplies left." With that, the two briskly removed the Sumeru rings from their fingers, buoying them forward with Source Qi to Xu Yuan while undoing the seals upon them. Xu Yuan snatched the two Sumeru rings, sent his intent-soul inside to check, and his brow twitched slightly. *Damn, they're loaded...* Banknotes, medicinal pills, and rare herbs beyond count—yet practically no grain, fodder, or baggage. Xu Yuan turned back to exchange a glance with Li Qingyan, then smiled directly. "You two, there isn't much in the way of military baggage inside these Sumeru rings of yours." Luo Qingfeng cupped her hands. "In that case, we hope Third Young Master will return the Sumeru rings..." "Hold on." Xu Yuan interrupted, frowning. "Right now, we need pills and coin to bolster the army's morale. I'll just hold onto these two Sumeru rings for you. Don't forget, you're currently condemned souls. Once you atone for your crimes through meritorious service, I'll return them to you." Luo Qingfeng and Hou Jiancheng seemed to have anticipated this as well. The moment they had taken off the Sumeru rings, they had already prepared themselves for the meat bun thrown to a dog. Even so, their faces still displayed a measured mix of reluctance and outrage. After a brief silence, Hou Jiancheng suddenly cupped his hands and ground out through clenched teeth, "If so, Third Young Master, we are weary from the march. May Qingfeng and I take our leave to rest?" "Rest?" A glint of amusement surfaced in Xu Yuan's eyes. Pointing a finger at himself, a hint of greed entered his gaze as he licked his lips. "Who would believe that commanders of an entire army only have a single Sumeru ring apiece?" Anger flashed in Luo Qingfeng's eyes. "Xu Changtian, what do you want?!" "A body search." Xu Yuan stared at her and uttered the two words. "You take things too—" "And what if I bully you?" Xu Yuan threw his saber straight at the feet of the speaking Hou Jiancheng, eyeing him from the side. "An ordinary man's fury splatters blood within five paces. If you don't accept it, come slash me down." "......" Hou Jiancheng glared. Veins bulged on Hou Jiancheng's forehead. He bent down to pick up the blade, but Luo Qingfeng grabbed him firmly; the Princess seated above had already locked her qi onto both of them. Luo Qingfeng drew a deep breath. Fixing her pretty eyes on this utterly shameless scion, she asked in a low voice, "How does the Third Young Master intend to conduct this search?" Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then gave an ambiguous grin. "I will inspect Miss Luo personally. I happen to know a thing or two about the subject; after all, there are quite a few places where a woman can hide things. As for General Hou, Princess Wuyuan's lieutenant can handle you—he likes men best." "......" Hearing this, Hou Jiancheng's glare could have murdered someone. Luo Qingfeng's breath hitched, her delicate body trembling slightly. "Why must Third Young Master humiliate us like this?" "How is this humiliation? Respect is something you earn. Your current predicament is entirely your own doing." With that, Xu Yuan gestured toward the hall's exit to Hou Jiancheng. "After you, General Hou." Hou Jiancheng clenched his fists, the Source Qi around him undulating somewhat erratically, but he stayed rooted to the spot. Xu Yuan chuckled with feigned surprise, "Ah, General Hou wouldn't want to watch in person as I search Miss Luo, would you? That might be a bit indecent." "Xu Changtian!" "Hmm?" "......" His face dark, Hou Jiancheng remained silent for a long while before forcing out a sentence through clenched teeth: "I can give you the Sumeru rings." Xu Yuan blinked, smiling with feigned delight. "Really?" Pausing, Xu Yuan added casually, "According to the allocation in our Black Scale Army, a force of twenty thousand is typically assigned three to five Sumeru rings." Hou Jiancheng clenched his fists and nodded. "I know." Seeing this, Xu Yuan directly held out an open palm. Hou Jiancheng shook his head gently, his voice carrying a slight tremor: "The Sumeru rings are not on us. They were buried under a cedar fifteen li outside the city." "......" Hearing this, Luo Qingfeng slowly lowered her eyes. Seeing this, Xu Yuan chuckled inwardly. Done. Cangyuan truly hadn't lied to him. This simp indeed couldn't bear to let his goddess be violated, especially when he still stood a very good chance himself. With that thought, Xu Yuan suddenly spoke up in a clear voice, "Mister Jiu, if you would trouble yourself to accompany General Hou out of the city and retrieve the Sumeru rings holding the weapons and supplies." Shortly after his words fell, a middle-aged man descended from the sky, landing outside the hall. Walking placidly up to Hou Jiancheng, he made a welcoming gesture. "General Hou, after you." "......" Hou Jiancheng clenched his fists and walked out of the hall in silence, with Mister Jiu following right behind. Then, under Xu Yuan's regretful gaze, Luo Qingfeng was also led away by a maidservant. For a time, the government hall fell silent. Seated on the dais, Li Qingyan's cold expression gradually turned amused. Looking at the back of Xu Yuan standing below, she asked, "You did that on purpose just now?" Xu Yuan was still watching Luo Qingfeng's graceful retreating figure. "Of course. Some people view power above all else, but others value emotion more. Hou Jiancheng and Luo Qingfeng grew up together as childhood sweethearts; there was no way he could endure seeing me violate the love of his life." Noticing where his eyes were fixed, Li Qingyan let out a soft huff. "Why do I get the feeling you seem a little disappointed, Prince Consort?" "Disappointed?" Withdrawing his gaze, Xu Yuan looked back at the woman's flawless countenance above, speaking with complete brazenness, "Your Highness lets me look but not touch; anyone unaware might think I, Xu Yuan, were a eunuch. That Luo Qingfeng had an otherworldly beauty, and an opportunity to enjoy her charms was a rare chance. Now that it's gone, of course I'm disappointed." "......" Li Qingyan rose from her chair, her phoenix eyes fixed on Xu Yuan. "You truly show no regard for my feelings whatsoever." "Do you harbor feelings of love for me?" Xu Yuan asked with a chuckle. Li Qingyan stared at him for a few moments, then shook her head. "Not yet, for now. But I dislike it." Xu Yuan looked at the woman in red who had walked up to stand nearly eye-to-eye with him. "In life, nine times out of ten, things do not go as one wishes. Some things won't cease to happen simply because Your Highness dislikes them." Li Qingyan rolled her eyes at Xu Yuan. "Truly shameless." "Heh, thank you for the compliment. Being shameless is a skill in itself."