Qi Shan appeared calm on the surface, but was actually on high alert inside.

He carefully observed Gongxi Chou's expression, trying to figure out why the latter had suddenly brought up the matter. At the same time, he multitasked, examining the other man's features for the first time, trying to match Gongxi Chou with the Gongxi clan member he had seen many years ago. However, too many years had passed, and the boy from back then had completely grown up. In addition, the Gongxi clan members often had similar appearances, making it difficult to distinguish them.

The only certainty was that Gongxi Chou had seen him in his youth; he was definitely one of the Gongxi youths he had known back then. After so many years, reuniting with an old friend seemed like a wonderful thing. However, according to the intelligence Qi Shan had gathered, the Gongxi clan was wiped out several months after they had mistakenly entered Gongxi territory.

This timing is too sensitive.

It's hard to guarantee that Gong Xichou won't misunderstand him as a spy who's here to scout the location.

For this reason, Qi Shan could not guarantee whether Gong Xi Chou was an enemy or a friend.

Naturally, they dared not answer the question easily.

Gong Xichou raised an eyebrow, a gesture that made his eyes appear even more aggressive: "What is Qi Zhongshu afraid of?"

Qi Shan's heart pounded even harder. He carefully said, "I am not afraid. This sword was purchased at a high price many years ago. I am worried that the first owner had a past relationship with General Gongxi. I do not know how to tell him."

Yun Ce: "..."

That excuse sounds rather flimsy.

Given Gong Xichou's intelligence, he would most likely be fooled.

Qi Shan thought so too.

Gong Xichou nodded: "Yes, so you are Qu Tan?"

Qi Shan: "..."

Gongxi Chou picked up the sword, weighed it in his hand, and played with it for a while. Looking at Qi Shan's silent expression, he smiled and said, "Does Qi Zhongshu know where the flaw is? The Gongxi clan's sword-making method is different from that of the outside world. Back then, when the sword was forged, didn't they ask you for a few drops of blood to temper the blade? That blood was used to feed the Gu worms, and then special Gu worms were used to consecrate the sword, which allowed the master and the sword to communicate with each other."

This is just a rather mystical explanation.

To put it bluntly—

Qi Shan found the sword easy to use.

If one wears this sword for a long time, it will gradually absorb the aura emanating from Qi Shan, maintaining its sharpness to cut a hair without frequent maintenance, and its brilliance will be understated. Gong Xi Chou knew the sword's owner was still alive the moment he received it.

The sword is also in very good health.

It's obvious at a glance that the sword's owner had recently nourished it with his aura.

Qi Shan's excuse about acquiring swords in his early years is untenable.

Seeing that Qi Shan did not answer, Gongxi Chou pressed on, "Are you?"

Qi Shan could certainly answer no, and vehemently deny it.

But his intuition told him that Gong Xi Chou's personality and thought process were completely different from ordinary people. If he didn't admit it, Gong Xi Chou might break the sword with his bare hands. Just because Qi Shan wasn't the original owner, Gong Xi Chou felt he had no right to possess anything belonging to the Gong Xi clan. It was just an acquired sword; if Gong Xi Chou broke it, so be it. At worst, he could compensate with gold and silver of equal value.

Qi Shan reluctantly admitted it.

"I am you, but I don't know who you are?"

The Gongxi clan has a problem.

Formal names are not commonly used; they are chosen primarily for recording in the family genealogy and are only used upon reaching adulthood. Before reaching adulthood, clan members mostly address each other by their childhood nicknames. The group of Gongxi clan youths that Qi Shan knew were all quite young, and Qi Shan genuinely didn't know their formal names...

Gong Xichou handed the sword back to him: "A-Nian."

Qi Shan's fears that Gongxi Chou would fly into a rage and kill someone did not materialize.

Gong Xichou retorted, "You hesitated just now, were you worried that I would suspect you of being involved in the extermination of your clan? Just you?"

It wasn't that he looked down on Qi Shan and the other person's strength, but rather that both of them had been investigated by the High Priest back then, and only after ensuring they were innocent were they allowed to stay in the clan's territory for a short time. If they were truly spies acting as scouts, he would have snapped their necks and thrown them into the fertile lands long ago.

Qi Shan: "..."

Gong Xichou is quite clever at times like this.

A face with brightly colored makeup instantly flashed into his mind.

Gong Xichou felt the same way, finding it impossible to connect the boy from back then with the person before him. However, he was more curious about something else: "Why don't you use your real name and instead use Shan Qi's name in reverse? Doesn't he have any objections?"

Speaking of this, Gong Xiqiu remembered that Qi Zhongshu didn't have a good reputation and seemed to have a nickname of "evil schemer." He was clearly Qu Tan, yet he used his friend's name—wasn't that unethical?

Qi Shan weakly moved the corners of her mouth.

He wanted to explain that "Qu Tan" was not his real name.

Finally, he only said one sentence: "He won't have any objections."

Gong Xichou scratched the tip of his nose: "That makes sense. I remember he used to spoil you. Using his name isn't a big deal."

In his memory, Qu Tan had a violent temper and would draw his sword without saying a word; it was this guy who tried to set fire to the clan's ancestral graves back then. In comparison, Shan Qi had a much better temper.

Gong Xichou asked again, "Where is he?"

Qi Shan: "He is no longer in this world."

This answer left Gong Xichou speechless, unable to finish his sentence.

He exclaimed in surprise: "No longer alive?"

On second thought, separation and death are the norm these days.

The latter's temperament indeed makes survival impossible.

Gong Xichou disliked being sentimental; he only felt slightly sad for a few seconds before recovering his composure and suggesting they go for a drink to reconnect. More than twenty years later, old friends reunited—let's raise a toast!

Qi Shan's lips twitched slightly: "No."

Gong Xichou was rarely refused: "Why?"

Qi Shan said, "Busy!"

Don't they even know what time it is?

The great battle had just ended, and a mountain of things awaited; who had time to drink and reminisce with Gongxi Chou? He had changed, and so had Gongxi Chou. They had only known each other for a little over a month, and their friendship wasn't particularly deep. Deliberately reminiscing about the past would only seem ridiculous. At least Gongxi Chou wasn't seeking revenge.

If it's truly about seeking revenge, then this matter will be even more difficult to handle.

Qi Shan did not give Gongxi Chou a chance to speak.

"Farewell, I must go and attend to my business."

Watching Qi Shan's departing figure, Gong Xi Chou felt a little wistful: "Sigh, things aren't as interesting as they used to be once you grow up."

Even as an outsider, Yun Ce could see the awkward atmosphere and tried to smooth things over: "After all, it's been too many years since we last met, and it will take time to get back to know each other. General Gongxi and Secretary Qi are both officials in the same court, and there will be many more opportunities to meet in the future, so there's no need to rush."

Gong Xichou didn't dwell on the matter.

"Yes, what you said makes sense."

He reached out and hooked his arm around Yun Ce's shoulder, patting him gently.

"Your breathing is agitated; do you need my help?"

The fastest way for a martial artist to improve their skill level is through combat, where they can break through, hone, and master various skills.

Yun Ce naturally couldn't have gotten what he wanted.

but--

I may be tempted, but that's not the time.

Gong Xichou said unhappily, "If it's okay, it's okay; if it's not okay, it's not okay. What's with all this fussing about, you upright man?"

Yun Ce chuckled: "There are still mundane affairs in the army..."

Gong Xichou: "..."

Okay, okay, everyone's busy, right?

It's good to be busy.

After Yun Ce had disappeared from sight, Gong Xi Chou turned to his silent elder brother and said, "Brother, you're all I have left."

He's now idle and itchy all over, like ants are crawling all over him.

At that moment, a bluebird landed on Ji Moqiu's finger.

He glanced at the message and put it away: "Sixth Brother Fang said that the wounded soldiers' camp is short of military doctors and medicine, and asked if I wanted to help. Anian had nothing to do, so he came to help me."

Gong Xichou: "..."

He followed with small steps, feeling wronged.

He was, after all, a general personally appointed by Mama.

Even if he's just a commander without any troops, and you order him around to be an assistant... humph, doesn't he have any pride?

He complained inwardly, but he was very efficient at his work.

"How can we possibly take care of so many wounded soldiers?" Gong Xiqiu had a sudden inspiration. He came up with a brilliant idea and immediately conjured up hundreds of martial arts soldiers, who worked in pairs to move the wounded soldiers.

If the ground is too congested, then take to the air and transport it by air.

Fang Yan's lips twitched violently.

If this had happened back in Xiaocheng, he would never have imagined such a day would come—Gong Xi Chou, who looked down on everyone, would actually use his trump card, which consumed a lot of martial energy, in this kind of situation.

Other martial artists followed suit after seeing this.

Fang Yan sighed: "It's a good thing after all."

With more manpower, there are more things that can be done.

Many wounded soldiers die because they do not receive timely treatment.

Now that the wounded soldiers' camp has enough manpower, it can free up manpower to triage the wounded. Those with serious conditions will be treated first, while those with minor injuries will wait... As long as their lives can be saved, even if they lose an arm or a leg, the medical professionals can help them regenerate.

The wounded soldiers' camp was so busy that the lights never went out.

The Kang Kingdom's forces were also busy clearing out the remaining troops in the northern desert.

After consolidating their forces, they decided to recapture Shexing Pass on the third day.

The recapture of Shexing Pass was much easier than expected. Firstly, the elite troops defending the city were short of food, and Shexing Pass had been without supplies for three days. Secondly, Shen Tang had also spread the word that Liu Guan had replaced Tudege. As news of Tudege's army's defeat in battle reached them, a mutiny broke out. Shen Tang sent people to instigate a rebellion, and with little effort, he successfully persuaded one faction to defect, agreeing to a coordinated attack from within.

When Tudege stepped onto Shexing Pass as a prisoner, his face was extremely grim, especially after Shen Tang ordered his men to collect all the human bones that had not yet been processed. Piles upon piles of white bones made even a seasoned veteran with extensive battlefield experience frown.

Shen Tang smiled at Tu Dege.

In a sarcastic tone: "Your army has quite a good appetite."

Tudege's face darkened completely. The grain supplies were overseen by his subordinates, and he knew the exact quantities, but he hadn't realized the visual impact of such a stack of numbers on his face. However, no matter how much he wanted to escape, he could only grit his teeth and watch.

Seeing this, Shen Tang felt rather bored.

After a long while, Tudege probed Shen Tang.

"What does the King of Shen desire?"

This was a reminder to Shen Tang that the process of paying tribute, submitting, and sending hostages could now proceed. Several days passed without any movement, leading him to suspect that Shen Tang was preparing to give him a long time to cool off, making it easier to raise the price. Tudege recalled the previous standards and had a rough estimate in mind.

Shen Tang countered, "Guess?"

Tudego began, "In the past, the annual tribute was..."

As is customary, the annual tribute presented by the Northern Desert to the northwestern kingdoms includes, but is not limited to, gold and silver treasures, rare products unique to the Northern Desert, and handsome men and beautiful women. Given that the Northern Desert has not only suffered a defeat but also faces a severe food crisis, the first batch of annual tribute can be increased.

Shen Tang interrupted him.

"Annual tribute? What annual tribute?"

＿|￣|●

I have a fever, and every time I swallow, it feels like my throat is being slashed by a knife.

I'll get out my usual family medicines; if I don't get better by tomorrow, I'll go to the hospital for an appointment.

PS: Gong Xichou and Qi Shan are like old friends who met once more than 20 years ago. They got along well back then, but time has faded their friendship, and there's even a little bit of awkwardness between them.

P.S.: It's not important that my identity was revealed this time; what's important is the identity of Qu Tan.