After her transformation and rebirth, she manipulates the innocent and ruthless to overthrow the wor

“Very well, Ran’er’s words make perfect sense.” Xiao Mu nodded slightly. “In that case, when you go to the Summer Palace late at night, I will send a few guards with you. If anything happens, they will be able to protect you.”

After saying that, he reached into his robes to pull out a hidden whistle, but before he could blow it, Xiao Ran hurriedly stopped him.

Seeing Xiao Mu's puzzled expression, Xiao Ran quickly explained, "Father, you absolutely mustn't! Right now, the capital is swarming with people from the Grand Tutor's Mansion. Any slight movement by the secret guards will be noticed. If the Grand Tutor's Mansion suspects the General's Mansion, things will get very bad..."

Xiao Mu snorted coldly and said, "What does it matter if they have doubts! Am I wrong to protect my own daughter?!"

Xiao Ran quickly grasped her father's hand and gently comforted him, "Father, Young Hero Duanli will go with me. It was Young Hero Duanli who protected me when we were at Liuyun Village, so you don't need to worry."

Xiao Mu then glanced sideways at Duan Li beside him, and asked with some doubt, "This kid... can he do it?"

Duan Li seemed not to hear, silently placing his hand on the scabbard and staring coldly at Xiao Mu, the meaning in his eyes obvious.

Xiao Mu was immediately enraged. He thought to himself that he had fought his way up from an ordinary soldier in his youth to become the Grand General of the Nation. How could he be so disrespected by others?

With a roar, Xiao Mu drew his sword and charged forward like lightning. Though he was getting older, his swordsmanship remained undiminished. His longsword danced in his hand, the swordsmanship sharp and fierce. Xiao Ran could clearly see that it was the Xiao family's swordsmanship—sharp, ruthless, and incredibly powerful.

Duan Li merely parried the moves, showing no intention of harming the general before him, and even only drew one sword.

The moonlight poured down like water, and the dust on the ground slowly rose. Under the silvery moonlight, the swords clashed and crisscrossed, and the dust, as if disturbed by their battle, danced wildly in the cold moonlight.

As Xiao Mu fought, he felt increasingly strange. Why did this kid's swordsmanship seem so familiar?

Suddenly, he sheathed his longsword and shouted, "That's enough!"

Xiao Ran hurriedly stepped forward, gently supporting her father. A sweet smile appeared on her face as she said in a clear voice, "Dad, a bet is a bet."

Xiao Mu snorted coldly and argued, "I never said I couldn't beat that brat. I just thought that Ran'er's situation was urgent, and saving her was the most important thing right now!"

She nodded obediently, her tone full of admiration: "Yes, I've always thought Dad is the best!"

"You!" Xiao Mu tapped the tip of her nose, his tone indulgent, "If you're so capable, why would you let outsiders do everything?"

Xiao Ran thought for a moment, then smiled mischievously and said, "Then can Father prepare a carriage for us outside the city? I don't want to travel such a long distance."

Xiao Mu knew perfectly well what his daughter was thinking; she was just trying to coax him. Someone who could consider the Grand Tutor's family's intentions would surely be able to prepare even a carriage.

Xiao Mu's expression softened slightly, and he gave a haughty "hmm." Then he strode over to Duan Li's side, raised his hand and patted his shoulder forcefully, solemnly instructing him, "Kid, protect my daughter!"

After speaking, Xiao Mu turned and strode away. Under the cold moonlight, his originally upright figure appeared somewhat lonely and desolate as he walked further and further away until he finally merged into the watery moonlight.

Xiao Ran suddenly felt as if her father had entrusted her to another mission, and with a complete severance of ties…

She immediately shook off her thoughts, walked to the front of the broken door, and her voice involuntarily rose several notches.

"Let's go too!"

Yet, upon seeing her again, her small earlobes turned red again and again.