You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

However, Shen Cong'an was in no hurry to give Xie Wanru the token. If she wanted to contact Xie Wanru directly, Aunt Liu still needed to prove her loyalty.

The North at this moment.

Perhaps it was because I had stayed in the ancient city of Huang for too long that my days were ordinary yet interesting.

The mysterious man suddenly found the will to live.

When Xie Yanting set off, he suddenly remembered to see him, and he happened to get the chance to get some fresh air.

"Why... don't you kill me?"

he asked suddenly.

This question truly perplexed him. He didn't know who his master was; he was just a useless pawn, yet Xie Yanting and the others hadn't killed him, treating him only as a prisoner.

Xie Yanting dismounted and walked up to him. "Because you know nothing, there's no point in killing you. But we can't let you go either. So either you find a way to die, or you'll be stuck in prison for the rest of your life."

His gaze held no mockery, but rather was calm and composed.

The mysterious man knew that he didn't have many options.

"General Xie, what you said is quite interesting. You won't kill me, but you can let me die on my own. But I don't want to die now. Although I don't know much, I'm not completely ignorant either. There are three groups of people who kidnapped you. One is the people I led, another is Xiao Yan's people and the Northern Barbarians. But the Northern Barbarians are all paid to do things, so you may not be able to find the person behind them. Xiao Yan's people are not many. They are entrenched in the East Alley area of ​​Xuancheng. If you don't want to be betrayed by Xiao Yan again, I suggest you have someone keep an eye on the East Alley."

After the mysterious man finished speaking, he removed his mask with his shackled hands. Since joining the organization and becoming the Shadow, he had never taken off the mask.

He was grateful to the organization for giving him the chance to live, but how pathetic was he, a slave who didn't even know who his master was.

"You know where Xiao Yan's men are, but you don't know that you're working for someone else? I received information that the person who started the internal strife with Xiao Yan is Lou Li, the son of Grand Tutor Lou in Xuancheng. Your master must be him."

After Xie Yanting finished speaking, the mysterious man was somewhat shocked, and then gave a wry smile.

"Thank you, General Xie, for informing me."

The mysterious man cupped his hands in greeting.

"No need to thank me. I'm going to the Northern Barbarians myself. Come with me."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise and struggle flashed in the mysterious man's eyes.

He knew that this sudden "invitation" might be his only chance to escape his prison, but it could also be a road of no return.

But then I thought, I'm just a lonely ghost living in the shadows now. If I can use this opportunity to fight for a chance to live, why not?

"Yes, General Xie."

He agreed in a low voice, with a hint of unwavering determination in his tone.

He looked down at his heavy shackles, then looked up at Xie Yanting's deep eyes.

"The northern barbarian lands are extremely dangerous. I'm afraid my identity will cause trouble for the general."

He hesitated, but a longing for freedom welled up in his heart, even if it was just for a moment. He had been wandering aimlessly for too long, without a sense of self.

Xie Yanting smiled gently, took out an exquisite key from his waist, and unlocked the shackles on the mysterious man's feet.

Then someone handed him a set of ordinary soldier's clothes: "Change into this. I hope you can make a contribution when you get to the Northern Barbarian lands. It's clear that you know the Northern Barbarians quite well."

The mysterious man took the clothes, his fingers trembling slightly. He quickly changed his clothes, and although his face, hidden behind the mask, had not seen the sun for many years, it seemed to be illuminated by the light of hope at this moment.

"General Xie, I am willing to follow you to the death to repay this kindness." He swore in a low voice, his tone both resolute and uncertain about the future.

Xie Yanting nodded, mounted his horse, and someone immediately brought a horse for the mysterious man: "No need to call yourself a villain anymore. Do you have a name?"

The mysterious man paused, then shook his head. Years of lying low had made him almost forget that he was once a person with a name.

"There is only one code name: Thirteen."

"Then I'll call you... Bei Shisan. As a secret guard, your martial arts skills don't seem to be very good. That day when you ambushed me, if it weren't for the sleeping potion, you wouldn't have had a chance of winning."

Xie Yanting said calmly. The mysterious man had already mounted his horse, and the two rode side by side, heading towards the Northern Barbarians.

Bei Shisan lowered his head with some shame, admitting that they had indeed used improper means that day.

Then the sound of horses' hooves rang out, and Xie Yanting's group set off. Xie Yanzheng watched the group grow smaller and smaller from the city gate, and his worries grew even stronger.

"Third brother is taking too much risks."

He tilted his head slightly and spoke to his wife beside him.

Wen Ling turned her gaze away from the other end of the group. “It is indeed risky, but Third Brother has always been brave and resourceful. Since he chose to trust that mysterious person, I think he must also know the risks. This person has been in contact with the Northern Barbarians, so he may know more than that.”

Wen Ling sighed softly, her eyes filled with both worry and trust: "I only hope this trip will be fruitful. The Northern Barbarian Lands are complex and unpredictable, and with the uncertain forces of Lou Li and Xiao Yan stirring things up in the shadows, the situation is far more troublesome than we imagined."

“Yes,” Xie Yanzheng sighed, his brows revealing determination. “I have already dispatched the most elite spies to secretly protect my third brother, hoping to provide him with an extra layer of protection. As for Xuancheng, I don’t know how Wanwan is doing.”

As the eldest brother, Xie Yanzheng felt somewhat melancholy at this moment. He couldn't protect his younger siblings, and he had no face to face their mother who had died young.

Wen Ling's gaze was gentle. "Don't worry, Wanwan is smarter than my third brother, and I believe she can handle it. Once I give birth smoothly, I'll go back to Xuancheng to be with her. You'll be left alone in your room."

The two smiled at each other. Xie Yanzheng looked happily at Wen Ling's already showing belly. He did not object to his wife returning to Xuancheng. After all, the conditions in Xuancheng were much better than in the Northern Border. He would rather be separated from his wife than let his child grow up in this desolate Northern Border.

Xie Yanzheng then turned around and looked into the distance again until the team completely disappeared on the horizon before slowly turning his gaze away and silently praying.

The scenery along the way gradually transitions from bustling cities to desolate frontiers, and then to the vast, unknown, and dangerous northern lands.

Xie Yanting's trip was to the Northern Barbarians to demand an explanation.

The Northern Barbarians and the Great Zhou Dynasty had an agreement that no one in Xuan could break the law or violate discipline, otherwise trade would be suspended.

Whoever instigated the kidnapping of Xie Yanting by the Northern Barbarians must provide a reasonable explanation. All the Northern Barbarians involved have been captured and taken along, so that they can be confronted when they arrive at the Northern Barbarian side.

As they ventured deeper into the territory of the northern barbarians, the surrounding scenery became increasingly desolate, and a primal wildness and unease permeated the air.