After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

The system also seemed somewhat flustered.

How could Xie Ansheng and Xie Yuhe be involved in this? It's not in the story.

What went wrong.

Xie Xing lowered her eyes. Instead of immediately communicating with the system, she looked up at Jun Lanjin and said, "You know all this."

Her clear eyes looked at Jun Lanjin, as if trying to see through the face beneath his mask.

After a long silence, she smiled and asked Jun Lanjin, "So, you brought me out today to threaten my father and elder brother?"

Jun Lanjin lowered his eyes to look at her.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Xie Xing could only say, "It's no use. You might as well bring Xie Mingzhu out."

"When you broke into the General's mansion at night, wasn't your target Xie Mingzhu as well?"

Jun Lanjin watched as her little mouth chattered on and on, seemingly calm, but in reality, her hands behind her back were trembling.

"Too long-winded." After watching for a while, Jun Lanjin chuckled lightly.

He raised his hand and tapped Xie Xing.

The force was neither too light nor too heavy.

"Come with me." Jun Lanjin put his hands behind his back and started walking forward.

Xie Xing stared at his retreating figure, instinctively taking a step back, intending to turn and run away when he wasn't paying attention.

Before any movement could be made, Jun Lanjin's leisurely voice came from ahead: "If you try to run again, I won't be so kind to you."

Ok.

Xie Xing was discouraged.

She was appointed to follow behind Jun Lanjin.

During this time, Xie Xing communicated with the system in his mind: [Will this plot change affect my mission?]

The system's voice was uncertain: "If the general plot remains unchanged, it shouldn't be a problem."

In the story, your older brother also accepted a mission to investigate the remnants of the previous dynasty, but not as early as this. Perhaps it was due to the butterfly effect?

Since even the system itself was uncertain, Xie Xing naturally stopped talking about it.

A black horse was parked at the alley entrance. Jun Lanjin was the first to mount the horse and extended his hand to Xie Xing from his elevated position.

Xie Xing tilted his head and glanced at Jun Lanjin. As he looked at him, he felt that the man's figure and movements were somewhat similar.

"Could he be Jun Lanjin?" Xie Xing boldly guessed.

This heartfelt statement almost made Jun Lanjin stumble.

His arm stiffened slightly, and his gaze toward Xie Xing was complex.

How did she guess it?

But the system quickly refuted this: "[Seriously? There was no mention of Jun Lanjin having this other identity?]"

[After all, his feelings for you have improved; he wouldn't poison you, would he?]

Jun Lan remained silent for a while.

He couldn't help but find it amusing.

Where did this strange thing come from, that it trusts him so much?

However, Xie Xing nodded in agreement, and without further doubt, reached out to Jun Lanjin.

The moment Xie Xing's hand touched Jun Lanjin's, Jun Lanjin grabbed it, pulled him onto the horse, and with a spur of his leg, the horse galloped away.

Xie Xing glanced back and frowned.

Since we've already used horses, we can't go to a very far place, can we?

……

The night was quiet and still.

Firelight flickered west of Shengjing as countless soldiers brought by Xie Ansheng searched the shore.

Xie Yuhe sat on horseback, his brows furrowed, gazing intently at the calm river surface: "These remnants of the former dynasty, perhaps acting on mere rumors, sensed the commotion, and fled."

Xie Ansheng snorted coldly, "Even if they escape to the ends of the earth, I will wipe them out in one fell swoop."

"I've sent men to guard the pass; if there's even the slightest disturbance, they'll be killed on the spot."

Xie Yuhe remained silent.

He lowered his eyes in thought, pondering Xie Xing's ending.

"Xing'er said that a famine would soon occur, and after I received the emperor's decree, I would investigate and eventually find Mingzhu, where I perished in the fire."

Xie Ansheng's expression changed slightly. "Don't talk nonsense. I won't let anything happen to you."

"General!"

Just then, the voices of soldiers came from the west.

"Something's amiss!"

Xie Ansheng's face lit up with joy, and he quickly said, "All troops, conceal yourselves and shut down!"

In an instant, the surroundings fell into darkness and silence.

The moonlight was rich, and the riverbanks were lined with groves of trees, their leaves rustling in the breeze.

"drive!"

Before long, the sound of horses' hooves came galloping in.

Judging from the sound, there are several horses.

Xie Ansheng hid on the treetop, looking down through layers of branches and leaves.

But then they saw several people dressed in black, their faces covered, carrying bundles on their backs, holding reins and galloping towards the riverbank.

A fierce glint flashed in Xie Ansheng's eyes.

He raised his hand, about to order someone to go and take it away.

Suddenly, the people below stopped a short distance from the shore, and a complaining voice came: "Where is everyone?"

A gruff voice rang out.

Xie Ansheng slowly lowered his raised hand, calmed his breathing, and looked down.

"Why aren't they here yet?!" The leader of the men in black was extremely irritable. He circled the shore twice with the reins in his hand and began to curse.

"Boss, don't be angry. After we pull off this job, we'll be rich."

His subordinates smiled obsequiously.

The man sneered, "Those southern barbarians are such idiots. They didn't come to get such an important defense map on time, and they even made us wait."

Deployment map?!

Xie Ansheng was startled.

Xie Yuhe was equally shocked; his pupils trembled.

The defense map was actually stolen?!

They originally thought their efforts would fizzle out today, but unexpectedly they stumbled upon the defense map.

Xie Yuhe couldn't help but look at Xie Ansheng.

The father and son locked eyes for a second in mid-air.

Xie Ansheng looked serious and shook his head at Xie Yuhe.

Now is not the time to go out.

Meanwhile, on the low slope on the other side of the river...

Xie Xing and Jun Lanjin sat together on horseback. From their perspective, the black-clad men hiding in the shadows, poised to attack, and those holding defense maps were all in sight.

Xie Xing felt a chill run down his spine.

She couldn't help but turn her head to look at the masked man behind her.

But he grabbed her chin with his hand, forcibly bringing her back on track, and his deep, pleasant voice sounded in her ear: "Look, aren't those your father and your eldest brother?"

Xie Xing's eyelashes trembled.

She couldn't help but think—

[The masked man's true identity is clear; he knows everything about court affairs and claims to be the "true self," so he obviously holds some status in the martial arts world.]

[If it's not Jun Lanjin, could it be Luo Hanfeng?]

Jun Lanjin: "..."

They still doubt his identity.

But Xie Xing quickly denied that it was Luo Hanfeng.

It is also impossible...

Given her relationship with Luo Hanfeng, if given the chance, he would have killed her long ago.

The hand gripping her chin was icy cold, the pressure stinging her skin. Her voice was crisp and clear: "And what role do you play in all of this?"

Xie Xing still couldn't understand it.

What does this have to do with her?

What can she possibly do here?

She couldn't possibly defeat so many people by herself.

Jun Lanjin chuckled and said, "I'm here to get the defense map. Can you do me a favor?"

Xie Xing: ?

"Ok?"