The Young Swordsman of Dalu

When Wenfei returned to Yongfu Inn, it was just dawn. Li Wei saw that he had returned unharmed, and a weight was finally lifted from her heart.

"Let's get out of here quickly!" Wen Fei said to Li Wei as soon as he entered the room.

"What happened?" Li Wei asked worriedly.

"I'll tell you on the way. I'm afraid if we're too late, we won't even be able to leave the inn." Wenfei slung the package over his shoulder.

Li Wei packed her bags and slung them over her shoulder, then said to Wen Fei, "Let's go!"

Wenfei and Li Wei went down to the inn's lobby, checked out of their room from the innkeeper, and hurriedly led their horses out of Yongfu Inn. They mounted their horses and rode south.

No sooner had Wenfei and Li Wei left than a group of soldiers arrived at Yongfu Inn. The innkeeper asked in alarm, "Sir! What happened?"

"Do you have any guests named Wen Fei and Li Wei at your inn? Which room are they staying in?" the leader asked.

"Sir, were they a man and a woman? They just checked out and left!" the shopkeeper said.

"They're gone! Damn it! They're fast! Chase them!" the leader cursed.

A group of people chased after them south.

As soon as the city gates opened, Wenfei and Li Wei sped past the guards and left Yancheng.

Northern Dynasty soldiers chased after them to the city gate and asked, "Did a man and a woman leave the city just now?"

The guard nodded and said, "They just went out in front of me and headed south!"

"Useless!" the leader cursed, leading a group of men out of the city and chasing south.

Wenfei and Li Wei didn't dare to stop for a moment, and only stopped when they were almost at the border between the Northern Dynasty and the Great Lu Kingdom.

"Catch your breath!" Wenfei said.

"Listen to the sound of horses' hooves, they're coming!" Li Wei said.

"Let's go!" Wenfei said.

Shangguan Chenxing had already moved to the border military camp. He was discussing the war with his soldiers in the main tent when a soldier suddenly came in and reported: "General! Someone is trying to break into my camp!"

Shangguan Chenxing frowned and asked, "I want to see which one is so bold as to trespass into my camp! Soldiers, let's go and see!"

The group mounted their warhorses and arrived at the front line of the border guards. Shangguan Chenxing and his companions saw two people riding horses at high speed toward the military camp, with a group of men chasing after them.

"Speak out!" Shangguan Chenxing ordered.

The messenger shouted to Wen Fei and his men, "Hey! Stop! This is the military camp of the Great Lu Kingdom. You can't just trespass. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences!"

"General, they're still coming forward. What should we do?"

"Archers, prepare!" Shangguan Chenxing ordered.

Wenfei and Li Wei were about to reach the military camp when Wenfei looked up and saw archers preparing to shoot. Wenfei shouted, "Don't fire! We're on the same side!"

"What did they say?" Shangguan Chenxing asked.

He said he was one of their own!

Shangguan Chenxing craned his neck to look at the two people galloping ahead. He then rubbed his eyes and noticed that the person on horseback looked somewhat familiar.

Wen Fei also saw Shangguan Chenxing and shouted, "General Shangguan! It's me, Wen Fei!"

"Wenfei! It's Wenfei! Quickly put down the arrow!" Shangguan Chenxing said.

Wen Fei and Li Wei arrived in front of Shangguan Chenxing. Seeing the two men looking disheveled, Shangguan Chenxing asked, "Are you alright?"

"General! We are fine!" Wen Fei said.

The Northern Dynasty army stopped three zhang away. Wen Fei turned his horse around and said to the Northern Dynasty army, "Go back and tell Murong Bo that I'll be waiting for him on the battlefield!"

The Northern Dynasty army turned their horses around in disgrace and galloped away.

Wenfei and Li Wei followed Shangguan Chenxing back to the military camp. Shangguan Chenxing poured them water, and Wenfei and Li Wei picked it up and drank it down with a "glug! glug!"

“Our relationship with the Northern Dynasty is very tense right now. It must be very dangerous for you to go there,” Shangguan Chenxing said.

"We were spotted as soon as we entered Yancheng, but thankfully, we made it back safely!" Wenfei said.

"Did you find anything?" Shangguan Chenxing asked.

"General Shangguan, let's prepare for a battle with the Northern Dynasty! I was unable to stop Murong Bo," Wen Fei said dejectedly.

"Wenfei, don't blame yourself. This is beyond your control. I have already reported the situation here to the imperial court, and I think the imperial army will arrive here soon." Shangguan Chenxing patted Wenfei on the shoulder and said, "Your second brother and the others are also in Beijiang City."

"That's great!" Wenfei said.

"Are Sister Shangguan and Sister Feiyan both here?" Li Wei asked.

“Only Wenjie and Liang Feiyan are here; Yun’er seems to be on the northeastern border,” Shangguan Chenxing said.

"Sister Shangguan has indeed parted ways with them," Li Wei said.

"What's wrong? Did you two have a falling out?" Shangguan Chenxing asked.

"No! I was just saying," Li Wei said with a smile.

"I don't understand the affairs of you young people either. As long as you are all doing well, I'm happy," Shangguan Chenxing said with a smile.

“General Shangguan, let’s return to Beijiang City first to meet up with my second brother and the others, and then we can discuss our strategy for resisting the enemy,” Wen Fei said.

"Okay!" Shangguan Chenxing saw Wen Fei and the others out of the tent.

Wenfei and Li Wei headed straight for Sang Ziqi's house as soon as they arrived in Beijiang City.

"Wenfei! Wait a minute!" Li Wei called out to Wenfei.

"What's wrong?" Wenfei asked.

“We should bring some gifts for Sang Ziqi’s baby; it would be bad if we went empty-handed,” Li Wei said.

"You're so thoughtful. Whatever you say we buy, we'll do whatever you say!" Wenfei said, scratching his head sheepishly.

"Look, there are rattles for sale over there, let's buy one!" Li Wei dismounted and walked over.

Wenfei dismounted and followed. Li Wei selected a rattle drum, and Wenfei then handed the silver to the merchant.

"There's a place over there selling gold and silver jewelry. Let's buy the baby a gold bracelet!" Wenfei said.

The two of them picked out a pair of tiger-head gold bracelets. Wenfei paid the money and happily headed towards Sang Ziqi's house.

When Wenfei and Li Wei stood in Sang Ziqi's courtyard, Ayiguli saw them and tears streamed down her face. Ayiguli hugged Li Wei tightly and refused to let go for a long time.

“My dearest Wei Shi sister! You’ve finally come to see me in the Northern Frontier! Otherwise, Sang Ziqi and I would have taken the baby to Wenxian Pavilion to find you.” Ayiguli said happily.

"Sister Ayiguli! Don't you miss me?" Wenfei asked jokingly.

"I missed you! You naughty boy!" Ayiguli hugged Wenfei.

"What are you doing? Aren't you afraid we'll get jealous?" Sang Ziqi said.

"Brother Sang! Do you like being jealous?" Wenfei asked.

Wenfei and Liwei presented him with the gifts they had bought while holding the baby. Ayiguli accepted the gifts and said gratefully, "Thank you!"

“It’s our duty!” Wenfei and Li Wei said.

Seeing Wenjie and Liang Feiyan standing quietly to one side, Li Wei said, "Why don't you two have any enthusiasm at all?"

“We can’t get a word in edgewise!” Liang Feiyan said.

"Sister Feiyan, I miss you so much!" Li Wei nestled into Liang Feiyan's arms.

Liang Feiyan hugged Li Wei and said, "I missed you too."

After the initial joy, the group gathered again to discuss the impending war between the Western Regions and the Northern Dynasties against the Great Lu Kingdom. This matter weighed heavily on their hearts, like a mountain pressing down on them.