Three Kingdoms: Ten Times Speed, Diao Chan Says I'm Too Fast

The knights carried the two men to the back of the horse and secured them with ropes.

With a slight shake, the warhorse took off and galloped forward.

The horse bounced and swayed, and Liu Bei, tied to the back of the horse, was constantly swayed by its movements. His stomach churned, and waves of nausea surged through him.

After an unknown amount of time, the warhorse gradually slowed down and finally came to a stop.

Liu Bei felt himself being taken off his horse, and the black cloth covering his eyes was also removed.

He squinted, adjusting his eyes for a moment, before realizing he was in a village.

Looking around, there were quite a few people in the village, men, women, and children, all dressed in simple cloth clothes. Some were chopping firewood in the yard, while others were tidying up farm tools. It looked no different from any other ordinary village.

But Liu Bei only glanced at them and immediately understood—everyone here was definitely not an ordinary person.

Those seemingly ordinary villagers walked briskly and moved steadily. Their eyes did not have the simplicity and curiosity of ordinary people, but rather a hint of wariness and indifference.

They barely communicated with each other. Although the village was large, it was unusually quiet. Apart from the clanging of firewood and the rustling of the wind through the treetops, almost no voices could be heard.

This is not what a normal village should look like.

Just as Liu Bei was wondering what was going on, Xiao Yu spoke up. Her voice was still trembling, but she was calmer: "Uncle, it's alright, don't be afraid."

Liu Bei was not afraid; instead, an indescribable excitement welled up inside him.

He knew that he was one step closer to Duan Yu.

A dozen or so black-clad riders dismounted, dragged the bound Liu Bei and Xiao Yu, and headed towards a secluded courtyard in the village.

The villa was located in the center of the village, surrounded by high walls made of blue bricks, covered with withered vines.

The courtyard gate was tightly closed, with a rusty brass lock hanging on it, looking quite old.

The man in the lead stepped forward and gently knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door opened slightly, and he handed the token in his hand.

The person inside glanced at the token and quickly opened the door.

An old servant opened the door. He was dressed in a gray cloth robe, his hair and beard were all white, but he was still very energetic. His eyes were sharp as an eagle's as he scanned Liu Bei and Xiao Yu with a scrutinizing look in them.

Liu Bei and Xiao Yu were escorted into the courtyard.

The courtyard was small, with a flat bluestone slab ground. Some firewood was piled up in the corner, and several bare fruit trees stood on both sides of the courtyard, their branches covered with a layer of white snow.

The two were tied again to two old locust trees in the center of the courtyard. The ropes were so tight that they dug into their flesh, causing waves of pain.

After a while, the door to a side room was pushed open, and a young girl came out of the room.

She was in the prime of her youth, about sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a plain cotton coat. The coat was light blue and had no decorations, making it look exceptionally elegant.

As she walked, she tied her hair with a light blue ribbon, her movements unhurried and her face expressionless, exuding a composure and calmness completely out of character for her age.

Duan Liuqing turned his gaze to Xiaoyu, his eyes calm and unwavering.

“I’ve heard Night Hawk mention you, and Night Hawk should have told you my name as well,” Duan Liuqing’s voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable authority. “My name is Duan Liuqing.”

When the name "Duan Liuqing" reached her ears, Xiaoyu's pupils widened suddenly, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but before she could speak, Duan Liuqing waved his hand and ordered the knight beside him, "Tie them all up tighter."

Xiaoyu didn't struggle; she knew it was futile.

Liu Bei did not struggle; he simply lowered his head, obscuring his facial expression.

The knights stepped forward and tightened the ropes binding the two of them again. The ropes were even tighter, and Xiaoyu couldn't help but cry out in pain, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

Duan Liuqing had already combed her hair and tied it into a simple bun with a blue ribbon. She walked up to the two of them, her gaze sweeping over Liu Bei, whose face was covered in scars, before landing on Xiao Yu. She pondered for a moment and asked, "Tell me, why did you betray Night Hawk?"

Almost the instant Duan Liuqing finished speaking, Xiaoyu shook her head frantically, her eyes instantly reddening. The tears that had been brewing for so long finally welled up and slid down her cheeks, dripping onto the cotton coat in front of her chest, spreading out a small water stain.

"No, I didn't!"

Xiaoyu struggled fiercely, her emotions running high, her voice trembling with tears, "I have never betrayed Uncle!" Her struggles caused the tree trunk binding her to sway slightly, shaking the snow off the branches and onto her head and shoulders.

Duan Liuqing's expression remained unchanged, calm and composed, as if he had already anticipated her reaction.

“You were brought into the Military Intelligence Bureau by Night Hawk,” her voice remained calm, yet carried a penetrating force. “If it weren’t for Night Hawk back then, you would have drowned in that river outside Xuzhou City long ago.”

He rescued you from the water and gave you a second life;

He taught you to read and write, and taught you the skills of reconnaissance and intelligence transmission, which led you to enter the Grand Council.

To you, he is both a second parent and a guide.

Why did you betray him?

As he finished speaking, Duan Liuqing's voice became colder.

"I don't!"

Xiaoyu struggled again, letting out a sobbing cry.

The journey had exhausted her physical strength, and the mental exertion from wielding the spear earlier had left her feeling weak and exhausted.

But at this moment, she unleashed an unprecedented power, as if she wanted to vent all her grievances and anger.

"I didn't betray Uncle, I really didn't!"

"You are an intelligence officer in the Military Affairs Department, responsible for transmitting core intelligence about the Xuzhou area."

Duan Liuqing remained unmoved and continued, "Night Hawk has been in the business for seven years and has always been cautious in his actions, never making a mistake."

As the head of the Xuzhou Military Intelligence Bureau, he possessed countless secrets. Had he not been betrayed by his most trusted confidant, he would never have been so careless as to fall into the enemy's trap.

"The only person who could betray him is the one he trusts most."

"Nighthawk never married and had no children. He treated you as his own daughter, raised you with all his heart, and trusted you without reservation."

Why did you betray him? Duan Liuqing's gaze grew even colder. "In this world, the things that should never be betrayed are family ties and gratitude."

You even betrayed the Nighthawk, who treated you like his own son. What makes you so cold-blooded?

At this moment, Xiaoyu finally couldn't hold back anymore. Her eyes turned red, and tears rolled down her cheeks like broken beads.

Her hair, disheveled from the struggle, was streaked with snowflakes and tears, swaying gently as she shook her head.

"You...you should kill me!" Xiaoyu's voice was pleading. "I didn't betray Uncle, I really didn't! Please kill me, please, don't say anymore!"

Duan Liuqing slowly walked up to Xiaoyu, reached out and pinched her chin directly. The force was not strong, but it made Xiaoyu unable to move.

Her gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed on Xiaoyu's eyes: "A 51-man action team in Xuzhou was completely wiped out, with no survivors."

The two information relay teams have been missing to this day, and most have likely met with misfortune.

The remaining intelligence agents, who were hiding in various locations, have also lost contact; the number of those killed or captured is currently unknown.

"The entire Xuzhou Military Affairs Bureau was almost wiped out, so why were you the only one who survived?" Duan Liuqing's voice was icy cold. "Haven't you thought about that yourself?"

Liu Bei, standing to the side, kept his head down, seemingly indifferent to the matter, but his slightly trembling shoulders betrayed his inner turmoil.

At this moment, Xiaoyu completely broke down. She could no longer hold on, tears blurring her vision, and she choked out the whole story she knew—from the attack on the military headquarters in Xuzhou, to how she managed to escape, and then to her journey to Chang'an.

In fact, on the way to Chang'an, Xiaoyu had already reported everything to headquarters through the Military Affairs Bureau's unique encrypted channels. However, Duan Liuqing, upon learning of the potential trouble at the Military Affairs Bureau in Xuzhou, immediately issued a strict order:

If any military intelligence personnel from Xuzhou attempt to contact military intelligence offices in other regions, all such attempts must be kept silent and no response is permitted.

This is an ironclad rule of the Military Affairs Bureau, designed to prevent the personnel of the Xuzhou Military Affairs Bureau from being arrested and betrayed, and then used by the enemy to lure out members of the Military Affairs Bureau in other regions.

The Military Intelligence Bureau is a large and sophisticated intelligence organization with an independent and complex network of relationships. If any part of it has a problem, it could implicate a large number of people and cause irreparable damage.

When Duan Yu first established the Military Affairs Office, he gave a clear instruction: any intelligence personnel who were arrested would be considered traitors until their absolute safety was confirmed, and all communication channels with them would be cut off.