Yun Yue, on the other side, was shocked the whole way.

Within a radius of fifty miles of Shacheng, there were still unburnt corpses and ashes. He immediately understood why, apart from the initial five thousand ambushing troops, there were no more Western barbarian bandits coming to stop him.

Was the entire army wiped out, burned to the bone?

What kind of supernatural power is this?

When he saw You Ran riding out of the city, Yun Yue greeted her with a smile, "You Ran, I was worried that you wouldn't be able to hold out in Shacheng, so I rushed here day and night. I didn't expect Shacheng to be so impregnable. But what's with those hundreds of thousands of Western barbarian soldiers outside the city?"

After exchanging only a few pleasantries, he couldn't wait to ask about the strange scene before him.

Knowing she couldn't escape, You Ran had no choice but to turn back and ride back to the city with her father. She pretended to be stupid and said, "I don't know either. I heard from the city that the City God Bodhisattva appeared. A few days ago, a lot of grain and meat fell from the sky, relieving the food shortage crisis in Shacheng. Last night, divine fire fell from the sky and killed all these bandits."

As the two were talking, they arrived at the city gate. Yun Zhao had already come down from the city wall and came to greet them.

Yun Yue asked the same question again.

Yun Zhao replied with the same words.

Watching the two walk and talk, You Ran spurred his horse on with a hint of frustration and followed them back to the general's mansion.

Yun Yue later had a private talk with Chu Heng. She didn't know what they talked about, but after that, she never heard Yun Yue ask about the City God again.

For the next two weeks, Yun Yue and Yun Zhao were busy directing their soldiers to clean up the mess and carry out post-war reconstruction. They were so busy that they didn't have a moment to spare, and You Ran didn't even have a chance to tell her elders about her trip to Shenshan County.

One day, she was extremely bored, so she went outside for a stroll.

Fortunately, Shacheng did not fall, but many soldiers were killed or wounded. Many soldiers had brought their families to live in Shacheng, and some elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people did not survive due to temporary food shortages. Therefore, after the battle, Shacheng was covered in white. However, the people are always resilient, and many shops have already reopened.

She walked aimlessly when suddenly a figure bumped into her from the front.

She recognized him with her sharp eyes, "Nan Zhuo!"

Nan Zhuo looked up abruptly, realizing he had been splashed with water from upstairs and had to take off his mask.

Unexpectedly, he bumped into the county princess. He quickly hid the mask in his bosom, stepped forward, bowed, and said in feigned surprise, "County princess, I never expected to run into you!"

You Ran ran over excitedly, "Nan Zhuo, you're here! Did Senior Brother come too?"

Nan Zhuo glanced somewhat awkwardly at the carriage not far away.

Without waiting for him to say anything more, You Ran ran straight towards the carriage.

Nan Zhuo shouted loudly, "Young Master, the County Princess has arrived!"

You Ran, completely oblivious to anything amiss, happily called out, "Senior Brother!"

After saying that, he was about to lift the curtain and get into the car.

result--

A hand with distinct knuckles pressed down on one side of the carriage curtain, and a familiar voice came from inside, speaking softly, "Junior sister, your senior brother has caught a cold and is afraid of passing on his illness to you. Please don't get in the carriage yet."

You Ran didn't care about catching a cold at all. She stubbornly pulled the carriage curtain again, but was still held tightly by the person inside.

Wen Yuanbai's voice continued, "Senior brother has just returned from the plague-stricken village in Shenshan County. Let him rest for a couple of days until he is sure he is alright before we meet again, okay?"

You snorted twice, "So you're the delicate one? You haven't seen me for over ten years and you're still playing the quarantine game?"

Wen Yuanbai's voice sounded slightly helpless, "It hasn't been more than ten years, just over a year. Listen to me, let me rest for a couple of days, then I'll bring you over for tea."

You Ran looked up at the Joyful Inn next door and asked, "His Highness the Crown Prince is inviting you to stay here?"

"Um."

She shrugged. "Okay, I'll come back in a couple of days!"

After saying that, she walked away, turning back every few steps.

As he left, he noticed that Nan Zhuo looked relaxed, and he knew there must be more to the story.

So she turned into an alley and quietly peeked out.

Sure enough, she saw Nan Zhuo help Wen Yuanbai into the inn, but because the carriage blocked half of her view, she didn't actually get a good look.

She then quietly followed him, pretending to be anxiously looking for someone, and said a few words to the innkeeper. She successfully got his room number, went upstairs, and pushed the door open, only to find it locked from the inside.

Without saying a word, she climbed through the window and shouted, "Ta-da! Senior brother! Surprised? Unexpected?!"

Nan Zhuo quickly stepped in front of Wen Yuanbai, awkwardly smiling, "County...County Princess, what brings you here?"

You Ran glanced at the long-haired boy who seemed to be shirtless, and quickly turned to face the wall. "Uh... Senior brother... I'm... I'm sorry!"

After saying that, he returned the way he came, climbed out the window and landed on the outside corridor, his face flushed red.

Who would have thought he would need to take a bath as soon as he entered the inn?

Wen Yuanbai chuckled softly from inside, "Junior Sister, please wait a moment."

You Ran hummed and said she would wait for him in the lobby downstairs, then ran downstairs as if she were escaping.

She sat down at the table and asked the waiter to bring her a pot of good tea, her heart still pounding.

I only glanced at it and didn't see it clearly.

Her long black hair revealed only half of her slender waist, and her shoulders were also faintly visible.

Tsk tsk.

That waist.

Her fiancé, the one she was looking for, has finally arrived!

Senior brother really did come to save her!

Her senior brother is Chu Heng's good brother. She is engaged to her senior brother. Surely the Crown Prince wouldn't be so embarrassed as to steal her away from his brother?

Besides, how many martial arts brothers and sisters in the martial arts world get married?!

My senior brother and I grew up together and have a deep bond. If I told my family that we were getting engaged, no one would object!

Uh... except... Wen Yuanbai's parents...

Let's get our own things sorted out first!

Most importantly, her senior brother knows her personality and will not restrain her. Wouldn't that mean she could enjoy a carefree life for the rest of her days?

Hehehe.

The more I think about it, the happier I feel.

After a while, Wen Yuanbai indeed came downstairs and sat down opposite her.

I just noticed that his face looked a little pale.

You Ran's face broke into a big smile. "Senior brother! Why didn't you write to tell me you were coming to Shacheng? I was planning to go to Shenshan County in a couple of days! What if you came after I left?"

Wen Yuanbai coughed twice, covering his mouth, before saying, "The disease in the village next to Shenshan County is spreading; you should not go near it."

You Ran was taken aback. "What happened? Is my brother there? Where's Yue Yue?"

Wen Yuanbai nodded. "They are all in the county town. Yueyue has already found out that the villagers in the plague village contracted the disease by drinking water from the river next to the village. Although the villagers in the previous plague village have been treated, the river flows through more than a dozen villages, and the three villages closest to the source have all shown the same symptoms to varying degrees. They are also working hard to prepare the antidote."

"So the epidemic isn't an epidemic, it's poisoning?"

"Yes." Wen Yuanbai coughed again. "I heard half a month ago that you and the Crown Prince had arrived in Shacheng, so I was very anxious and rushed over. Unfortunately, my horse died on the way, which delayed my journey. I arrived here a few days ago, intending to rest for a few days before going to find you. I never expected to run into you like this."