Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 413 Young Couple

The fine snow fell slowly and the night sky gradually darkened.

Dang Dang Dang————

Even in the dead of night, the sound of iron hammering in Yagu Pass was still clear and loud. The fire in the furnace almost became a street lamp, and strings of red flames spread to the end of the street in Yagu Pass, making it quite bright.

The high temperature melted the snowflakes less than ten feet above the ground, turning them into snow water. The ground was gray, black, cold and hard, with little snow accumulation.

Young soldiers in armor would pass by from time to time, pulling carts on their way to the military camp. Freshly-forged weapons were neatly placed in wooden boxes inside.

The entire city has entered a state of war readiness. Even though the coalition forces of the Rong people and Goguryeo have not yet approached Yagu Pass, everyone knows... they are on the way.

It will probably only take two or three days for them to arrive at the gates of the city.

Fortunately, the imperial court usually had quite a few spies stationed in the grasslands, so they were able to make preparations a short time in advance.

Zhao Wumian stood in front of Prince Yan's Mansion. The area around the mansion was relatively quiet, but he could still hear the continuous sound of iron hammering. Thinking of this, he couldn't help feeling a little depressed and tense.

There were subtle footsteps behind him, Xiao Lengyue came behind him, holding an umbrella with her small hands, blocking his head, and asked softly:
"Why are you standing at the door waiting for King Yan? Even if he really becomes your father-in-law, there's no need to be so respectful, right?"

The exact location of Prince Yan is a secret, known only to a few people. The young general in white robe obviously does not know, so he can only temporarily settle Zhao Wumian in the mansion and wait for Prince Yan to come and find him himself.

"It has nothing to do with King Yan. It's just that we are rebels and it's a rare opportunity to infiltrate behind enemy lines. Should we take a closer look?" Zhao Wumian joked to Xiao Lengyue.

Xiao Lengyue also smiled, but it soon turned into worry, "Are you really going to come out?"

"I'm not a passive person. Do I really have to stay inside the pass as the personal guard of the King of Yan all the time, allowing Shamantian to plan outside the pass with peace of mind?"

Zhao Wumian raised his hand out from under the umbrella, looked at the snow falling on his palm, looked at Xiao Lengyue, and laughed a few more times.

"Unless King Yan calls Xiao Lengyue, then I will willingly accept the position of Moon Protector."

"Then my aunt will kill King Yan immediately and replace him with a disguise. Don't come out. It's too dangerous." Xiao Lengyue's words did not sound like a joke.

"My aunt has been in the underworld for a lifetime, and she has encountered no fewer dangers than I have. So when I become the Immortal of Peeping and use the Red Silk of Naraku to go back to the past, the first thing I will do is to kidnap you and keep you by my side, and not let you enter any danger."

"Slippery tongue." Xiao Lengyue gave him a charming look, but she also knew that Zhao Wumian was determined to leave. She turned and walked towards the stone pavilion in the courtyard, sighing softly and saying:
"Go ahead. With your current martial arts skills, even if you meet Shamantian and Wudamu, you can still escape unscathed. And I will follow you too..."

Zhao Wumian followed behind her and said after hearing this:

"The road to the Jianghu is long, and the grassland is even more vast. If Shamantian comes to the pass to assassinate the King of Yan in person and passes by me, it will be bad news."

Xiao Lengyue sat on a stone bench, looking at the falling snow outside the stone pavilion. She looked like a fairy in the snow, isolated from the world. Hearing this, she looked over curiously.

"We have no idea where Shamantian is, and you can't always stay by King Yan's side... What's your decision?"

"Jian Kui is no match for Shamantian, but I learned most of my martial arts from Auntie. If you stay inside the pass..."

"It's not that I want you to be the King of Yan's bodyguard. Even though I call you my father-in-law, I would be unhappy if I became his bodyguard."

"But it's impossible for Sword Master to be defeated by Shamantian in one move. When Sword Master and Shamantian fight and make some noise, you can rush over to help them... If one Wu Master can't stop them, can't two of them stop them?"

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Lengyue's beautiful eyes widened, having only heard one sentence.

"You don't want to take me with you when you leave!?"

Her voice became a little louder, and a lot of the snow on the stone pavilion seemed to fall off.

Zhao Wumian went over to massage her shoulders and said softly:
"My aunt also knows that this is the safest way. Do we have to write a letter now and ask the Sword Sect to invite a few more martial arts champions? Not to mention whether the Sword Sect can allocate manpower to protect the sword, just the news will be sent back and forth. By the time they arrive, I am afraid I have already returned from outside the Great Wall..."

What Zhao Wumian said was not without reason. Xiao Lengyue also knew that if the three of them came out in full force, Shamantian would take advantage of this opportunity to assassinate King Yan, and Jiankui would definitely not be able to stop them.

But it was impossible for Zhao Wumian to really be the personal bodyguard of Prince Yan. With his martial arts skills, this was a complete waste of his talent. Even ordinary soldiers knew this.

But knowing is one thing, and being dissatisfied is another.

"Prince Yan is dead, so who cares about him?" Xiao Lengyue said mercilessly.

That's what she really thinks.

"Poor father-in-law, no one cares...but father-in-law really can't die. I promised Princess Xiangzhu, is Auntie going to teach me to be a person who doesn't keep promises?"

"If you don't keep your promise, what will happen?"

"If I lied to sister Xiangzhu today, I will lie to aunt tomorrow."

"Oh? How?"

Xiao Lengyue raised her eyebrows slightly, looking at him sideways with an expression of interest.

This exquisite face that Zhao Wumian had seen since he was a child was no different from the one he saw when he was a child.

Thin, lightly pursed red lips, a straight nose, flawless skin, plum-like eyes, and crescent-like eyebrows.

But there are some differences. Zhao Wumian thinks she is prettier than he was when he was a child.

Maybe it's just a difference in mentality.

Zhao Wumian said: "Auntie is even more beautiful now."

Xiao Lengyue proudly lifted the soft long hair that cascaded down like black water beside her ears, and said confidently:
"This is the truth."

"No, this is Auntie Lie..."

"?"

Xiao Lengyue's eyes turned cold, and she raised her hand to grab Zhao Wumian's ears, but Zhao Wumian dodged it easily. He even bent down and picked Xiao Lengyue up from the stone bench.

Zhao Wumian smiled and said, "The first sentence is true, the second sentence is a lie."

Xiao Lengyue was slightly startled when Zhao Wumian picked her up. After hearing what he said, she rolled her eyes at him and urged him in a calm tone:
"I know, put me down quickly. You and I are hugging each other. How can this be allowed?"

Zhao Wumian did not let go, but said with a hint of meaning:

"After all these years, your appearance hasn't changed at all. When I say you are more beautiful, don't you think I am flattering you?"

Xiao Lengyue wanted to see what tricks Zhao Wumian was going to play, so she did not struggle. Instead, she raised her hand to hold his shoulder and said with a smile:
"Women love to hear flattery."

"Flattering words are mostly lies."

"You just said it was true."

Xiao Lengyue's face was resting on Zhao Wumian's chest. She could hear his beating heartbeat, which she found interesting and warm.

There was snow and wind outside the stone pavilion, and a plum tree with red and white blossoms stood out.

She had never snuggled in a man's arms, and she never knew that a man's arms could be so warm and reassuring.

Especially in a man’s arms on a snowy night.

"It's true." Zhao Wumian nodded slightly, lowered his eyes to look at Xiao Lengyue, and said softly:
"My mentality has changed. Of course I think my aunt is prettier than before."

Xiao Lengyue's pretty face, which was full of interest, froze immediately, and her body began to slowly heat up, then spread to her neck and face.

She tried her best to remain calm in case Zhao Wumian noticed something was wrong, and her tone was full of joking questions.

"Oh? Is this true or false?"

"The truth." Zhao Wumian replied immediately.

As soon as the words fell, the inside and outside of the stone pavilion immediately became quiet, and the sound of wind and snow reached the ears, so clearly.

A hint of surprise appeared in Xiao Lengyue's eyes and eyebrows. She could no longer maintain a calm expression. Her heart began to beat rapidly and she struggled.

"You, how could you do this to your aunt...you, put me down!"

Zhao Wumian hugged her tightly, and only then whispered in her ear with a smile:
"See, this is how I lied to my aunt."

"?"

Xiao Lengyue's expression paused again, and then she began to feel inexplicably angry in her heart, with a nameless rage rising.

Her chest heaving, she struggled hard to get down, and sat down on the stone bench with a cold expression, staring at the plum blossoms outside the pavilion, not looking at him or paying any attention to him.

This is really angry.

But Zhao Wumian was happy. Just as he moved forward and was about to speak, Xiao Lengyue suddenly looked over at him and signaled him with her eyes to stretch out her hand.

Zhao Wumian silently stretched out his hand, and Xiao Lengyue patted his hand with her embroidered shoes again, warning:

"You can't lie to me."

Zhao Wumian said: "It's all true, no lies."

Xiao Lengyue was angry and didn't know whether she understood Zhao Wumian's hint. She put on her embroidered shoes, stood up and patted her skirt. She heard hurried footsteps outside the wall and thought that it was King Yan who came after hearing the news.

She took a deep breath to stop her rapid heartbeat, and looked at Zhao Wumian for a few times. The two of them had just been playing, and their clothes were quite messy, so she walked over and straightened his collar.

"It's not right to be in disarray... Don't let the King of Yan laugh at you. Just chat."

After saying that, Xiao Lengyue lifted her skirt and hurried to the backyard of the mansion. She stood alone by the artificial lake to calm herself down. After being blown by the cold wind for a long time, she vaguely remembered Zhao Wumian's last words.

Zhao Wumian's words were subtle, but she was not stupid.

She stared at the faint silver moon hidden in the clouds in the artificial lake, lost in thought.

The maid in the backyard looked at the hurried Xiao Lengyue, but she was staring at her in a daze.

It’s not because he thought there was something wrong with Xiao Lengyue, but because she was too beautiful standing by the lake in her white dress.

Xiao Lengyue noticed the maids' gazes and suddenly came to her senses. She lowered her eyes and looked through the reflection of the lake.

I saw the blush on her face, her eyes like spring water, and her red lips tightly pursed, as if she was smiling.

The lobby of the mansion was lit.

The Prince of Yan was extremely talented in his early years, but later he was hit by others and became depressed. However, since he married the Princess of Yan, his inner demons have been broken. Although he is not yet the best in martial arts, he has superb martial arts skills and a strong physique.

Therefore, although he is over 60 years old, he is still considered to be in his prime. He looks like a middle-aged man in his 40s, with a handsome face, but with a head full of white hair, he looks haggard.

"Prince Yan." Facing his father-in-law, Zhao Wumian took the initiative to bow and greet him.

"Unfortunately, the Marquis Weiming is you..."

Prince Yan had seen Zhao Wumian when he was a child, and when he saw him again, he couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.

Over the years, he had never been to Beijing and had not met Zhao Wumian. If Zhao Wumian had not said in the letter that he and Luo Xiangzhu had an engagement as a child, Prince Yan would never have associated Xiao Yuankong with Zhao Wumian.

Chu Ruzhou, the sword master and Zhao Wumian's uncle, held a long sword and stood behind King Yan. He nodded slightly at Zhao Wumian and asked softly:
"Is the Wuxiang Emperor dead?"

Zhao Wumian nodded, turned around, took a sword from the weapon rack behind him, and threw it to Chu Ruzhou, "Emperor Wuxiang's Sorrowful Sword... I promised him that I would let his sword return to its roots."

Chu Ruzhou raised his hand to take it, looking a little speechless.

"How did he die?"

"His sword isn't as fast as mine."

"Really..." Chu Ruzhou drew the Lichou sword three inches out of its sheath, his eyes slightly confused.

Zhao Wumian said this calmly, but when he thought about the three times he tried to assassinate Wuxiang Emperor, all of which ended in failure, and now, in just a few words, Wuxiang Emperor had died under Zhao Wumian's sword...

The title of sword champion is not worthy of me, and I feel like I have been living in a muddle these years.

But besides the confusion, there is more sighing.

"Back then, I went to the capital to help you kill Eunuch Lin. Now that I think about it, he is no longer your opponent... How long has it been? Less than a year."

Zhao Wumian smiled slightly, "It won't be long before the New Year comes."

Chu Ruzhou shook his head slightly, sheathed his sword, and said, "Your master has been in frequent correspondence with the sect. She said that you once wanted to become the leader of the Sword Sect?"

"?"

The real master was right in front of him, so Zhao Wumian would not lose his manners in front of his elders, so he did not want to say anything big, and said with a smile:

"It was just a joke... But if Master wants to give up his position, forget it. I am used to being carefree and don't want to bother with so many affairs for my disciples."

"I feel the same way. Being the leader of this useless sect is not as free and easy as riding a boat to fish or practicing martial arts and swordplay."

"You're not really going to abdicate, are you?" Zhao Wumian felt something was wrong when he heard this.

Chu Ruzhou smiled slightly and said, "Let's discuss this matter after we finish it."

The three of them sat down, and a soldier served them hot food and wine. "I heard you want to leave the border?"

“I just don’t want to sit still.”

"Okay." Prince Yan was obviously not a hesitant person. He did not say much, but sent someone to take out two scrolls of portraits and showed them to Zhao Wumian.

"The grassland is thousands of miles long, unlike the martial arts world in the Central Plains. At this moment, Goguryeo and the Rong people are marching together. No matter how high your martial arts skills are, it is unrealistic to kill hundreds of thousands of people. Remember to be careful. If you are surrounded, do not fight. If you want to run, no one can stop you. With your martial arts skills, it is a waste to use your physical strength to cut grass."

"Although the Rong people and Goguryeo are in cahoots, they are certainly on guard against each other and it is impossible for them to surrender their troops easily. Therefore, both groups of troops are led by their own generals."

"The siege was probably divided into batches, such as the Rong people attacking the north gate, and the Goguryeo people attacking the east gate... These are their two vanguards, and many of our scouts were killed by them."

Zhao Wumian glanced sideways and saw that the Rong general was a strong man with a big beard, while the Goguryeo general was a handsome man without a beard.

"King Yan wants me to kill them?"

King Yan shook his head. "They are veterans with high martial arts skills, not inferior to mine. They are surrounded by thousands of troops. Even if we kill them, we will be surrounded. The risk is too high."

Chu Ruzhou said softly:
"Many of us were captured by them. Some were scouts, and some were heroes who came to help and cause trouble behind enemy lines... It's difficult to rescue them, but we can't just stand by and watch. Most of the reinforcements we sent out are missing..."

"And Shamantian has returned to the outside of the pass, most likely staying in the military camp. If you can rescue them, to put it coldly, they can help you attract the attention of the Rong people, making it easier for you to take action against Shamantian."

Zhao Wumian hesitated for a moment. If he wanted to save people, it would be inappropriate for him to break into the military camp alone. Otherwise, he would alert the enemy and the Rong people would take them as hostages, thus killing these heroes. He naturally did not want that.

"We have to find a way to sneak into the barracks."

This was not the first time that the King of Yan sent people to cause trouble in the rear. He was experienced and said softly:
"The Rong people grew up on horses, and everyone is a ranger. It is not an exaggeration to say that the location of the military camp changes every two hours. It is not easy to find it."

"Then how do their scouts return to camp?"

"If they get lost, the horses will lead them home... This is a common saying among the Rong people. Perhaps there is some special spice or something else that can let their horses know the real-time location of the military camp."

Zhao Wumian thought of his Snow Owl and agreed with him deeply.

In this world, people are also good at taming beasts.

The three of them talked all night long, and it was almost dawn when Zhao Wumian returned to the backyard.

Prince Yan's identity is sensitive, so it is impossible for him to live in such a conspicuous place as Prince Yan's Mansion, so this huge courtyard was given to Zhao Wumian.

If you round it off, it can be considered as Sister Xiangzhu's dowry.

Zhao Wumian was thinking about all these random things when he heard a clear and ethereal voice of "Zhao Wumian".

To this day, there is only one person who still calls him by his full name.

Zhao Wumian glanced sideways and saw Guan Yunshu, wearing a neat monk's robe, leaning against the wall, catching snowflakes with his fingers, his brows lowered, looking quiet and natural.

It was not the first time he saw Guan Yunshu leaning against the wall waiting for her, but he was moved every time he saw him.

"Why are you waiting for me here?"

"I heard from your aunt that you want to leave her inside the pass?" Guan Yunshu played with the strands of hair on her shoulders with her bare hands and glanced at him sideways.

"This is the safest way."

"What about the poor nun?"

"You come with me."

Guan Yunshu was just about to say that she wanted to go too, but when she heard this, she paused and the words died in her throat.

She was a little surprised, "You don't want your aunt to go with you, but you want me to go with you?"

Zhao Wumian asked back: "Are you unwilling?"

"Why?" Guan Yunshu ignored him and asked out of curiosity.

“I am a person who cannot stand loneliness.”

"Aren't you lonely when I'm with you?" Guan Yunshu's eyes showed a hint of amusement and a faint smile on his face.

“Not only am I not lonely, but I also feel that life is full of hope.”

Guan Yunshu couldn't help laughing again, but soon she heard what Zhao Wumian had to add.

"Besides, you are of no use staying inside the pass."

?

Guan Yunshu's smile suddenly turned cold, and he silently bent down, picked up a handful of snow from the ground, and squeezed the small hand that was so small that Zhao Wumian wanted to hold it in his hand, made a snowball, compacted it, and then threw it at Zhao Wumian without mercy.

Snapped----

The snowflakes shattered on Zhao Wumian's chest, leaving traces.

Zhao Wumian looked at the nun.

She gave a smug smile as if she had gotten her revenge, with her chin slightly raised.

Zhao Wumian also bent down to pick up the snow, but when he looked up, the nun had already walked briskly, hiding behind the plum tree, and smiled at him provocatively.

"You're still hiding?"

"Or should I just stand there and be bullied by you?"

Zhao Wumian chased after Guan Yunshu with a snowball in his hand.

The two of them started a snowball fight just before dawn.

When daybreak came, the horses galloped in the pass, the sound shook the sky, and the soldiers passing by shouted:

"It is often said that those who are not of our race must have different hearts. Since the beginning of winter, most of the spies we have captured are Rong people!"

"From now on, all the Rong people in the city who have a pass should pack their bags and leave south before noon. If you are refugees, surrender and get out of the city!"

Although the Rong people and the imperial court were constantly fighting, this was a political stance, not a life-and-death struggle between every Rong person and every person from the Central Plains.

There were people from the Central Plains who did business with the Rong people, and naturally there were also Rong people who did business with people from the Central Plains, and there were even many Rong people who married Rong women.

However, most Rong women are as strong as iron towers, with muscular bodies that are probably even stronger than Zhao Wumian’s. Therefore, those who can marry Rong women obviously have different tastes from ordinary people.

Those who had travel permits were basically the military merchants. Most of them had already settled down inside the Great Wall, but fortunately the King of Yan did not want to force them to death, so they just packed up and left on their own.

The current situation is tense, and these people can't blame anyone. They had anticipated this and left as soon as possible.

But those without a pass are refugees. This group of people have unknown identities and most of them sneak here because they desire the good life in the Central Plains.

It would be fine if it were usual, but now it is obviously impossible to let them stay inside the pass.

Many spies sneaked in this way.

If we detain them, we will have to control their eating, drinking, defecating and urinating... I'm sure they would like this, so it would be better to just drive them away and put an end to it once and for all.

This was not the first time that the Prince of Yan had cleared out refugees from the interior of the country, and the people there had long been accustomed to it.

Zhao Wumian and Guan Yunshu mingled among these refugees.

Guan Yunshu said that she knew a little bit of everything, which naturally included the art of disguise...Nuns never lie.

The two men were wrapped in sheepskin coats and wearing felt hats. They all had high noses, deep eye sockets, and three-dimensional facial features.

Zhao Wumian became a young Rong boy, while Guan Yunshu disguised herself as a Rong woman in her twenties.

Although Guan Yunshu still looked a little petite and delicate compared to other Rong women, not all Rong women were rough and strong. There were always many exceptions, so they did not attract attention.

The two men mixed in with the crowd and were driven out of the pass together. Unlike the other Rong refugees who groaned and groaned, the two men walked together and secretly winked at each other.

Guan Yunshu said with her eyes: "Call me sister."

'You deliberately? '

"I'm disguising myself for you, so of course you can do whatever you want."

The two exchanged glances and walked forward with the crowd.

Outside the Great Wall, there is white snow, no green at all, and all you can see is white.

The sky seems so close that you can touch it.

The scenery was nice, but when I thought about the fact that there were no crops and food was scarce here, and that people might starve to death, the magnificent snowfield immediately became terrifying.

The Rong people around were not annoyed at being 'expelled', and were obviously used to it. Many of them were even chatting in a relaxed manner.

Zhao Wumian didn't understand what they were saying, but from their tone, he seemed to want to join some tribe.

Zhao Wumian thought of Luo Xiangzhu.

Despite the language barrier and lack of martial arts skills, Sister Xiangzhu took care of him for a whole month.

Let Zhao Wumian have meals to eat, clean clothes to wear, and a warm bed to sleep in every day.

The two did not say much, but just lowered their presence and followed the crowd. The surrounding warriors did not pay any attention to them and just thought they were a poor couple.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, I finally heard the sound of horse hooves.

At the end of the sky, a small group of troops rode towards them. They were Rong scouts.

Zhao Wumian looked at them and thought to himself that they were finally here.

The scout quickly came up to them, rode his horse in a circle around them, and chattered in bird language.

The people around all had timid expressions and answered every question the scout asked.

Zhao Wumian knew that the scouts wanted to take them back to the camp to work as laborers.

When a war breaks out, there is a shortage of people everywhere. People either go to the front line to fill in the gaps, or work in the logistics department.

After robbing the horse, Zhao Wumian didn't know whether the horse would be obedient or not, so he decided to follow the refugees into the camp.

But suddenly, the scout pointed his whip at the two men and asked something in a mumbled voice.

Zhao Wumian frowned slightly, but Guan Yunshu took a step forward and answered in fluent grassland dialect.

The scout looked at the two men and asked something.

Guan Yunshu still answered.

Then the scout withdrew his gaze, waved his whip, and led them away.

Zhao Wumian glanced at Guan Yunshu and spoke in secret.

"Can you speak Prairie dialect?"

"I've already told you that I can do everything."

"What did he ask?"

"Which tribe are we from? I can handle it casually."

"anything else?"

“He asked what our relationship was.”

"How did you answer?"

Zhao Wumian originally thought that she would say they were siblings, but then he remembered that nuns never lied, so she would probably just say something like "friends" to get away with it.

"I said we are a young couple."

Guan Yunshu's tone is like a yellow oriole in winter, or like white mist in the forest.

Zhao Wumian stood there in a daze. Guan Yunshu smiled at him jokingly, very satisfied with his reaction.

"Don't you say you don't lie?"

"I'm not lying, but the grasslands are not as winding as the Central Plains."

Guan Yunshu looked away and explained softly:
"You like me, and I like you, so we can live together in the tent... and we'll be husband and wife."

(End of this chapter)