Chapter 74: Eavesdropping

  It was already very late after finishing reading Nanfu Li Zihou's information.

  Qing Xia lifted the curtain of the big tent and looked at the vast night outside, suddenly feeling a huge boulder heavily pressing on her heart.

  Agreeing to let Chu Li stay in South Chu was not a momentary impulse, nor was it so-called sympathy and pity. As the emperor of South Chu, before ascending to the throne, he must have had his own history of blood and tears, which is the price that all those who climb high positions need to pay. Being moved is only temporary, for a qualified special agent, reason must always be above emotion. The reason for staying here and not leaving is that there are more important things to do.

  Chu Li and Nanjiang launched a war, the fire line sealed off the entire border of South Chu. Even if there was a way to escape through the sky, it would be impossible to escape safely under the defense of a million-strong army with strong walls and clear fields. At that time, she had easily walked out of the gate of Still Nest City with the help of Qin Zhiyan before the war broke out. So Yang Feng, who was fleeing from the remote eastern line of South Chu and was being pursued by three parties, must still be within the territory of South Chu at this moment.

  For Chu Li, she wasn't naive enough to think that he would give up catching Yang Feng for her sake. Qing Xia had been in the special forces industry for many years and was used to seeing people in power do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, so at any time, she wouldn't believe in intangible emotions and human nature; for someone who walked on the edge of life and death, strength and ability were the key to solving everything.

  So now Qīng Xià can only clear the way for Yáng Fēng and remove all obstacles in front of him.

  But before that, doing something for Chu Li as a return is also not bad.

  This is not taking advantage of him. Everything has to have interest, clearing the obstacles on his way to rights and collecting some compensation is also reasonable.

  The night wind had a hint of coolness, Qing Xia wore a thick cotton robe, her black long hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, looking clean and refreshed. Just as she saw Chu Li's central military tent, a sudden noise came out, Qing Xia hesitated, slightly raised an eyebrow, at this time the military meeting should have already ended, who would still be here.

  Mrs. Luolan's plump figure suddenly appeared in her mind, a thread of anger rose in her heart, and a cold light flashed through her eyes.

  "Why should I go back!"

  A clear and crisp female voice suddenly came out, the sound was sharp and clear, and it sounded very young.

  A woman wearing a white warrior suit was suddenly pushed out of the large tent, stumbling. Chu Li's voice had a hint of anger, and through the curtain of the camp, he ordered: "Send the Princess of Xilin back."

  "Yes!" The two black-clad guards responded in unison and walked towards the girl.

  The girl was only sixteen or seventeen years old, with a petite figure and a lovely face. However, this lovely face was now pale with anger as she shook off the two black-clad guards' hands and shouted loudly at the central army camp: "Why can't I stay here when that old woman Trulalan is allowed to?"

  "Mrs. Zhuolan is the acting head of the Southern Manor, with a noble status. The young lady should be more careful with her words, lest they are overheard by someone with ill intentions and become a topic for gossip." Chu Li said in a low, emotionless tone.

  "I'm not afraid of her!" The girl shouted loudly, pushing away the two personal guards beside her, and shouting towards the central military camp: "You wait and see, I said I will do it!" After finishing speaking, she suddenly turned her head and rushed into the dark night.

  Qing Xia hid in the dark shadow of the torches, and the girl passed by right in front of her, but didn't notice her presence.

  "Everyone, stand back! No one is allowed to follow!" With a crack of the whip, the girl, holding a fiery red whip, struck it across the body of a subordinate who was trying to follow her. She shouted angrily: "Anyone who dares to take another step forward will leave their head behind!"

  Qing Xia's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she thought for a moment before carefully following him.

  This was the first disturbance since Chu Li's ascension to the throne, with a huge amount of troops deployed. The northern camp stretched for over ten miles from north to south, and all the vassal states were assisting in the battle. The camp was so large that it was unimaginable. Even though Qing Xia had excellent tracking skills, she lost sight of the girl in no time, despite not being familiar with the terrain and avoiding the patrolling soldiers.

  Just after crossing a camp, they arrived at the outer perimeter of the camp. Qing Xia was thinking about how to sneak out without being detected when suddenly a faint sound reached his ears. With Qing Xia's keen sense of hearing, especially on such a quiet night, he quickly turned west and walked away, turning past a high warehouse storing firewood, and came to an open and empty field.

  "In the first year of winter, having been exiled, I was born in the south and buried in the south, born far from home and died returning home. Wanting to see you once but unable to, how can I know if this is where your bones rest? Alas! When alive, we cannot imagine what will happen after death; when dead, we do not know what happens before death. Crying for you, I do not hear your words; making offerings to you, I do not see you eat. The ashes of the paper money fly and scatter, the north wind is vast and wild, can it be cold where you are underground?"

  A low, muffled voice suddenly rose in the wilderness, Qing Xia looked around in confusion, only to see paper money and ashes flying everywhere. A young man in a green robe was squatting on the ground, silently burning a string of paper money.

  Qing Xia listened to him muttering the ancient sacrificial text, and couldn't help but frown slightly. This person was secretly holding a memorial service for the dead in the army, which was a major taboo in the military. If discovered, he would surely be killed without a whole corpse, but who exactly was it?

  "Xiangyuan girl, today is your 7th day of passing, Lin Mou has military duties and cannot go to your grave to pay respects, can only express my feelings here, hoping you will be reborn soon and become human again in the next life."

  A man in a simple robe suddenly stood up, and Qing Xia was shocked. He didn't expect that the man was Shi Guan Lin Mo Bai, whom he had met before. Then, the Xiang Ju girl he kept talking about, wasn't it himself, who Chu Li had lied to him saying she was already dead? Unexpectedly, this silly bookworm still hadn't forgotten about himself until now, Qing Xia couldn't help but smile in her heart. However, she thought that it's better not to provoke this person, Chu Li wouldn't want them to meet either, which would destroy the trust between them and delay the bookworm's career advancement.

  Just as he was about to turn around and leave, the scholar suddenly said: "Xiangju girl, that day we parted hastily, who would have thought it would be a lifelong separation. Lin had painted a portrait of the girl, originally intending to deliver it personally, but now it seems there will never be such an opportunity again. Today, I burn it here as an offering to your spirit."

  Having said that, he took out a scroll and slowly opened it. Qing Xia turned her head to look, only to see that it was exactly the same as the one she had given to Chu Li last time.

  Lin Shusheng held up the painting, suspended high above the raging flames, a scroll as tall as a person held high above his head. The woman in the painting was beautiful and elegant, with piercing eyes that seemed to be full of heroic spirit. Lin Mubai was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at the woman dressed as a man riding a horse in the painting, as the fierce flames gradually burned up the bottom of the scroll, making crackling sounds.

  "Oh no! No way!"

  Suddenly, Lin Shusheng, who was originally holding the painting high, let out a loud cry and frantically bent down to pat the already burning painting. It seemed as if he regretted it, and his hands were busy slapping at it. However, the flames were too strong, and after struggling for half a day, more than half of the painting was burned, leaving only the part above the shoulders intact.

  Lin Shusheng's sleeves were tattered and blackened, his face was streaked with soot, and he held a painting that had been completely ruined. He looked dejected and pitiful, almost to the point of tears, but also somewhat comical. He lovingly stroked the vivid portrait, speaking sincerely to the woman in it: "Xiangju, I just remembered that another one was taken by His Majesty, if this one is burned too, I'll have nothing left. How about this? Tonight, I'll go back and paint another one, tomorrow night I'll burn it for you, what do you think?"

  Nature would not have anyone respond to him, but he still nodded foolishly, as if the woman in the painting really nodded and agreed with him, and finally carefully rolled up the painting that had been burned for more than half.

  At this time, a sudden footstep came from afar, Lin Shusheng's face changed greatly, he naturally knew the cost of burning paper in the military camp at midnight. He hastily picked up the brazier on the ground and fled towards the distance, his footsteps stumbling, several times almost falling to the ground.

  Qing Xia covered her mouth, looking at his fleeing figure, almost laughing out loud. This silly bookworm was really adorable, she had only saved him once before, yet he was so grateful and virtuous.

  "Qiao Er!" A loud shout suddenly came, Qing Xia carefully hid and quietly approached.

  Where the grass is worn, there is no need to search. A girl in a white martial arts uniform was running towards this side quickly, and a man in blue armor was following behind her.

  "Jiao'er!" The man grasped the girl's clothes and said sternly, "Do you want to worry your father to death?"

  "Let go!" The girl shouted loudly and struggled violently.

  "Alright! Stop causing trouble!" The man said in a fit of rage: "You, disguised as a man, followed Tai Shu to the military camp on your own. Your father hasn't even settled accounts with you yet, what are you doing here making a scene?"

  "What's wrong with me coming?" The girl raised an eyebrow, still saying the same thing: "Even that old woman from the Li family can come, why can't I, Xi Lin Yuqiao?"

  "Qiao Er!" The man in blue clothes was furious and shouted loudly.

  "Besides, didn't he bring a woman back last night? What's this about no women allowed in the barracks, isn't it all up to him?"

  The man's face was momentarily stunned, and he slowly said with a bitter tone: "Qiao Er, he is the Emperor."

  "I don't care if he's the emperor or not!" The girl's eyes reddened at these words, and she suddenly covered her face and burst into tears: "I only know that he is Li Chuyi, whom I rescued from the chaotic tombs of Qunli a year ago. Why did everything change after I went to Baichuang?"

  The man let out a deep sigh, stretched out his long arm and pulled the sobbing girl into his embrace. He whispered softly: "Qiao Er, face reality. He is not Li Chu himself, he is our Nan Chu's Da Huang, an emperor of noble status. You will never have any intersection with him in this life. Return to Heng City, your mother must be waiting anxiously for you, listen to big brother's words."

  "Big brother, why is it like this?" The girl could no longer hold back and burst into loud sobs. Qing Xia stood in the shadows, having already grasped the general situation from just a few words, but not getting the answer he wanted, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of resignation - social status would forever be the huge chasm between lovers, past and present alike.

  "What a person!" A loud shout suddenly rang out, and Xilin Yuqiao's older brother's eyes turned cold, his head suddenly turning around, a cold and stern gaze shot towards the direction where Qing Xia was standing.

  In the darkness, a crisp sound suddenly broke through the silent night sky. The blue-clothed man's eyebrows rose, and he quickly ran forward, only to see his flying dart fall to the ground, split in two, while not far from the dart, a pale yellow bead fell to the ground, shining with a soft luster.

  In the pitch-black night where one couldn't see his own fingers, he could hear the sound of projectiles changing direction and falling towards him. This level of accuracy had already left the man in awe. Suddenly, he knew that there was no need to continue chasing because if the person who came wanted to take his brother's and sister's lives, it would be as easy as turning over one's hand.

  The man in blue held the pale yellow bead, standing still, gazing at the dark night sky, slowly furrowing his brow.