Ren Xuan: Ghost Fire

Lu Xiyun's expression changed, and he was stunned for a moment: "......?"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Wen Congren's expression darkened slightly, and his tone was filled with a coldness that brooked no room for argument: "General Xiao, be careful with your words."

He paused, his eyes swept across Xiao Jingxiu, with a hint of warning: "Not everyone wants to think about the past. Not everyone should think about it either."

Xiao Jingxiu sneered when he heard this, his tone was three parts ironic and seven parts playful: "If that's the case, why did Mr. Wen bring the prince to see me first? Sir, dare you say that you don't have any idea of ​​me?"

After he finished speaking, Lu Xiyun's expression changed slightly. He glanced back and forth between the two of them, his brows slightly furrowed. It was not difficult to discern the hidden meaning behind their words.

He opened his mouth and retorted: "Qin Shu is not such a person."

The words landed quietly, but like a blunt nail, it pierced into the suppressed confrontation between Wen Congren and Xiao Jingxiu.

Xiao Jingxiu's lips corners slowly curled up, and he glanced at Wen Congren meaningfully, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.

——As if to say: Mr. Wen, do you dare to respond to this?

Wen Congren just sighed quietly in his heart - no, he is.

However, this time, Lu Xiyun was not seriously contaminated by the evil, and he estimated that Qin Shu would not go that far.

Maybe.

Lu Xiyun still noticed Wen Congren's silence for a moment.

The young man's eyes swept between the two of them, revealing a bit of undisguised anger: "Qin Shu has never done anything like that. Why do you all look at him like that?"

Xiao Jingxiu was not annoyed, but smiled: “That’s because you don’t remember.”

Lu Xiyun was stunned for a moment, his brows furrowed, and his words became sharper:

"Fang Ci is the same, and so are you, bringing up the so-called 'past' to make your point."

"You would rather follow the shadow in the mirror than trust the person in front of you."

He looked at Wen Congren: "Congren, let me ask you - from the Imperial City to Yunzhong, in all these years, has Qin Shu ever killed anyone indiscriminately?"

The room fell into silence for a moment, and Wen Congren's eyes moved slightly.

There was still lingering anger in the young man's eyes: "Then why can't we trust him?!"

"I won't hide it from him."

After he said this, he said no more, flicked his sleeves, turned around and walked out of the military tent.

A corner of the curtain was lifted, the night wind blew in, the firelight flickered, and only silence remained.

Xiao Jingxiu looked at the tent door for a long time before sighing softly: "...It's like this again."

Wen Congren stood silently for a long time before he said calmly, "The past and the present... are indeed very different."

Jamel Xiao smiled lightly, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

He spoke slowly, like a knife cutting open an old wound: "Do you dare to believe His Highness? As long as His Highness wants, His Highness can hide it from you and me, from Lu Xiyun - from everyone."

He paused, his voice deep and profound, "Back then, didn't Lu Xiyun trust Your Highness as much as he does today? Yet Your Highness lied to him and killed so many people at the same time?"

"It was because Lu Xiyun trusted His Highness so much that he was forced into a desperate situation when he saw the truth."

Jamel Xiao’s tone turned cold, his eyes deep: “That’s why…that kind of thing happened back then.”

Inside the military tent, the fire flickered silently, as if illuminating a past that no one wanted to mention.

Wen Congren finally sighed softly, but didn't continue the conversation. He simply changed his tone and returned to a cold tone, "Don't abuse your power for personal gain. You're just trying to drag Lu Xiyun into this. If you go too far with the Fang family and His Highness calls you to task, you can just say 'it was for the Crown Prince'. No matter what the outcome, His Highness won't punish you severely."

Xiao Jingxiu didn't care and just smiled: "This time, Lu Xiyun and I have the same interests. When interests are the same, we are allies."

He leaned back to the case and said calmly, "Who is sincere and who is calculating? In this world...how many people can tell the difference?"

···

It was getting dark at the Dingyuan Guards’ base.

Ren Xuan and Qin Shu were reporting on the withdrawal of troops when they suddenly heard the curtain outside move. He looked up and saw a familiar figure lifting the curtain and entering.

Pei Jiming bowed and said, "Your Highness, we've searched the Nanfu camp, but the Crown Prince is not here."

He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on Qin Shu: "Should we search outside the city again?"

Qin Shu frowned when he heard this. Not only did Lu Xiyun go south without telling him, but now he has disappeared without a trace.

He reached out and pressed his Yang Baixue, his head aching slightly, but he didn't get angry at Pei Jiming. He just said in a slightly cold tone: "I'll ask Yue Anshan to send a few more teams to cooperate with you."

Pei Jiming sighed in his heart: it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack once he left the city. But before he asked for the person, he saw Qin Shu had already added the person over.

——It’s really comfortable to work with Qin Shu.

Qin Shu raised his hand and called Ren Xuan over: "Ren Xuan, this is the commander of the secret troops, Pei Jiming."

He spoke quickly, clearly too irritated to continue. "Those people in the Nan Mansion were plotting against your 70,000 troops. It was intelligence that his dark network intercepted in advance. You should thank them profusely."

Ren Xuan raised an eyebrow.

Qin Shu obviously didn't feel like chatting. He casually introduced the two and patted Ren Xuan on the chest: "Ren Xuan, Commander Pei must have heard of this. I won't waste any more words."

Pei Jiming nodded and continued with a smile, "I have heard of General Ren's name for a long time. It is a pleasure to meet you today."

Ren Xuan's eyes remained motionless, as he looked indifferently at the man in front of him who was pretending to be serious.

After not seeing him for a few years, he really is getting better and better. He even removed the "North" from his title of "Commander of the North".

Ren Xuan's expression was normal, as if they had just met. He even bowed and said, "Thank you, Commander Pei, for your help. I'll treat you to a drink someday when I'm free."

Pei Jiming smiled and nodded: "Then I would be disrespectful to refuse it."

The two of them were very serious and polite, acting as if they were meeting each other for the first time.

After saying that, Pei Jiming didn't say much. He bowed to Qin Shu and turned to leave.

Qin Shu raised his hand and waved, saying lazily, "Ren Xuan, please see Commander Pei off."

Ren Xuan responded: "Yes."

Pei Jiming, who was looking for someone all over the city, had just left when Lu Xiyun came back on her own.

Qin Shu was already fuming and about to explode, but when he looked up, he bumped into Master Lu, who looked even more annoying than him.

Qin Shu's temper was suppressed in an instant.

He was stunned for a moment, and his tone slowed down: "What's wrong?"

Lu Xiyun sat down across from him angrily: "Do you know Xie Ran?"

Qin Shu nodded: "What?"

Lu Xiyun: "Do you know how to solve this problem?"

Although Qin Shu didn't understand, he still answered truthfully: "Ordinary evil contamination can be suppressed by formations; serious ones require burning blood to exchange for essence."

Lu Xiyun lifted his sleeves, revealing the thin red lines on his wrists: "This isn't even 'normal', is it?"

Qin Shu's face suddenly changed. Before he could finish his words, he heard the young man speak angrily, "They actually said that you would kill innocent people for such a small evil!"

Qin Shu's eyes suddenly turned cold, and his tone was like a frosty blade being unsheathed: "Who are they?"

Lu Xiyun was stunned, raised her eyes and looked at him, her eyes full of disbelief.

Qin Shu realized that he had asked the wrong question. He frowned and waved his hand: "Forget it, it doesn't matter who it is."

His tone softened, as if he was afraid he would misunderstand: "Don't worry, I won't do that kind of thing."

Lu Xiyun nodded, her expression still filled with resentment, but her tone softened noticeably. "I also think they're overreacting. They have to make a simple matter so complicated."

Qin Shu didn't reply, but stared at the red lines for a moment. Finally, he walked forward, lowered his head and pulled his sleeve: "Are you really okay?"

Lu Xiyun nodded and patiently explained, "Really? You see, the last time I used my power, the evil spread to my arm. But these past two days, Shi An has been setting up a formation, and it's retreated back to my wrist."

He paused. "However, Shi'an said that I can't practice martial arts this month, and I'll try not to leave the barracks. But you should still send two guards to me."

Qin Shu nodded: "Okay."

Lu Xiyun paused, looked at him, and finally spoke seriously: "Also. If there are any problems, I will tell you. And you also promise me not to complicate things, okay?"

Qin Shu stared at him for two seconds, and finally responded softly: "I promise you."

He spoke calmly, but his fingertips gently retracted - he could feel the trust and wanted to do as he was told, but a corner of his heart could not settle down.

He couldn't help but ask again, "Apart from the arm, are there any other abnormalities? Are you feeling unwell? Besides Lu Shi'an, have you seen a doctor?"

Lu Xiyun waved his hand nonchalantly: "Cong Ren has seen it, he is a very good doctor."

He shook his wrist: "But this hand has been a little weak lately."

Qin Shu frowned again: "To what extent?"

Lu Xiyun thought for a moment and said, "Give me your hand."

Qin Shu obediently extended his hand.

Lu Xiyun raised her hand and grasped his wrist: "That's it, this is the most it can do now, I can't use any more force."

Qin Shu frowned: "It feels a bit cold, is it because of poor blood circulation?"

"No way, I think it's pretty good." Lu Xiyun said, his eyes suddenly lit up, "If you don't believe me, try it."

With a "whoosh", he placed his palm on Qin Shu's neck.

The palm was indeed a little cold, but because the distance was too close, it seemed more like a provocative joke.

His tone was full of playfulness: "Feel it carefully."

At the door, Ren Xuan had just returned from sending Pei Jiming back, and before he had even taken a step, he ran into this scene.

He stood there in silence for two seconds, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

...He was convinced.

If he didn't wait any longer, Qin Shu would be dealt with by Lu Xiyun.

Qin Shu's ability to break through the defense in three seconds made Ren Xuan feel dizzy.

That's it, and you still want severe punishment?!

Fortunately, he didn't take Qin Shu's lies before! Otherwise, God knows how he would have finished his work.