tenderness

Gu Jinning reflected on herself, wondering how she had never noticed before that quiet and timid boy actually had such cunning and courage, and was so ruthless that he wouldn't even spare his own father.

Yang Yu asked, "Has this matter been informed to the new emperor?"

Xiao Heng'an refilled Gu Jinning's tea, saying, "No need. What we can think of, the new emperor will surely guess before us."

Yang Yu didn't ask any more questions, glanced at Gu Jinning, and silently withdrew.

The room suddenly fell silent. Gu Jinning held her teacup and twirled around, considering how to start a conversation in a relaxed manner.

Xiao Heng'an saw through her thoughts, sat down beside her, and asked, "You've come here, is there something you need?"

Gu Jinning held up her knuckles, looking rather embarrassed, and said, "It's just a tiny little thing."

Xiao Heng'an took out a document from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and said, "This is a letter of annulment."

Gu Jinning suddenly looked up and met his earnest eyes. A complex mix of emotions welled up in her heart: surprise, reluctance, guilt, and a sense of indebtedness.

"You really agree to call off the engagement?"

The annulment papers were right in front of her, but Gu Jinning dared not touch them.

Xiao Heng'an pushed the document into her hands and said solemnly, "Go do what you want to do. No one can hold you back, and you don't need anyone to hold you back. You don't need to return the betrothal gifts. Building a sect requires a lot of funds, so take them and use them."

Gu Jinning stroked the still-warm document, guessing that Xiao Heng'an must have kept it on his person for a long time.

She grasped Xiao Heng'an's hand tightly, looking at him with deep gratitude. After thinking for a long time, she spoke, "Then, take care. I don't want you to be unhappy when I see you next time."

Gu Jinning had thought of many things to say and made many excuses before she arrived, but none of them could compete with Xiao Heng'an's unconditional acceptance of her.

Gu Jinning accepted the letter of annulment and got up, wanting to escape as soon as possible, afraid that she would regret it if she left too late. However, her left hand was enveloped by a large hand.

The warmth from her palm instantly spread to her cheeks, making them burn.

She turned around, knelt on Xiao Heng'an's chair with her left leg, pressed her right hand on Xiao Heng'an's shoulder, trapping him in the chair, and leaned down to kiss him.

Xiao Heng'an wrapped his left arm around her waist and grasped Gu Jinning's left hand with his right, their fingers intertwined tightly, using all their strength to silently express their love.

"Xiao Heng'an, I will come back."

"If you are happily married when I find you, I will bless you. If you are alone, I will take you in."

"Xiao Wangshu, look at the sky more often. When the sky is clear and blue, it means I'm thinking of you; when it's cloudy and snowy, it means I'm missing you. If there's a storm, it means I'm angry. But it's okay, you just need to coax me a little, and my little temper will be fine in a few days."

Outside Kyoto, a luxurious carriage was traveling south.

Inside the car, Chu Gan asked Gu Jinning again, "Sister-in-law, are you really leaving like this?"

Gu Jinning gave a muffled "hmm," leaned her head against the car window, and gazed vaguely out the window, but couldn't remember what scenery she was seeing.

Chu Lang said, "Master, it's not too late for you to regret it now."

Gu Jinning glanced at him. "Who regrets it? You, if you don't want to learn from me, then continue preparing for the exam at your Chu family villa. Maybe you can actually pass the exam and get a degree."

Chu Lang quickly shook his head, "I don't want to. I've already made it clear to Lord Quan that I'm not cut out for studying, and it's really boring to pretend to be a scholar every day. If I leave, everyone will be more at ease."

"Really? What do you see behind that?"

Chu Lang leaned out of the window and saw a fine horse galloping towards him from not far behind. The rider on the horse was none other than Quan Zichu.

The carriage slowly came to a stop. Quan Zichu caught up and stopped his horse, saying, "I've been chasing you all this way. How come you ran so fast?"

Gu Jinning asked through the window, "Why are you chasing us? Do you want to wander the world with us?"

Quan Zichu said, "I'd like to, but I don't have time. Here, I've brought people for you."

Quan Zichu dismounted, and Quan Zijin shrank behind him, calling out softly, "Cousin."

She was afraid Gu Jinning would scold her, so she felt somewhat insecure.

Quan Zichu said, "Ever since Chu Lang took her out, this girl's mind has been elsewhere. When she heard you left, she insisted on coming. I couldn't let her leave home alone again, so I reluctantly sent her here."

Gu Jinning said, "Since you're already here, come in."

"Thank you, cousin." Quan Zijing immediately beamed with joy, picked up her bundle, and climbed into the carriage.

Quan Zichu, still worried, reminded her, "Cousin, I'm entrusting Zijing to you. Remember to write a letter to my father when you get there, so he won't worry."

Gu Jinning waved her hand and let Qinglian drive away.

Chu Lang said anxiously, "If Zijing comes with us, won't the Quan family come after us?"

Gu Jinning rolled her eyes and said, "We know each other well, what's there to be afraid of? This is just an elopement at most."

Quan Zijin blushed and explained, "Young Master Chu is my master. I want to learn a craft from you and travel the world."

Gu Jinning replied perfunctorily, "Oh, then you'll have to call me Grandmaster."

Quan Zijin smiled sheepishly and said, "That doesn't seem quite right either."

However, her determination to learn was unwavering. Once she left, she was prepared not to return.

Those eyes, yearning for knowledge, blinked as they stared intently at Gu Jinning.

Unable to resist her enthusiasm, Gu Jinning asked Chu Lang to continue teaching her.

Now is the perfect time to establish Qianmianmen and hire more people; every extra person means more manpower.

Following the example of the Ghost Gate, Gu Jinning chose a location for the Thousand Faces Gate halfway up a mountain, where there was soil, mountains, and a miasma forest as a natural barrier, giving it a mysterious feel.

To support Gu Jinning's establishment of a faction, Chu Gan promised to take on the entire construction project of the houses.

It so happened that Hua Lingchen was taking inventory of the armory ore at the Hua family's mine. Gu Jinning then asked him to design a blueprint for the sect, which she then entrusted to Chu Gan Construction. She herself then wandered around with Chu Lang and Quan Zijin.

As long as Bai Sheng delivers a job order, regardless of whether he's fierce or not, he'll roll up his sleeves and get to work. After completing each job, he'll always leave a note saying "Leave a note from the Thousand Faces Gate".

In a short time, the Thousand Faces Sect went from nothing to something, spreading throughout the martial arts world and gradually gaining widespread acclaim, becoming the most mysterious new sect.

Once the Thousand Faces Sect was built, the number of disciples who came to learn from it was not large, but it was also constant.

The number of masks inside the gate increased dramatically, so Gu Jinning, regardless of the quack doctor's wishes, forcibly ordered Bai Sheng to kidnap him. Quan Zijing volunteered to follow the quack doctor to learn medicine and develop masks.

Accompanying the quack doctor were Aunt Hong, Dan Niang, Xiao Qiu, and Xiao Dong. They all agreed that while the capital city was dazzling and bustling, it couldn't compare to the true spirit of the martial world, and that it would be much more exciting to roam the martial world together.

The brothel was entrusted to Quan Zichu for management, and it thrived.

They brought a message.

The new emperor enfeoffed the princes, and Xiao Heng'an, Xiao Jun, and Xiao Jing soon went to their fiefdoms.

It is said that Xiao Heng'an took the initiative to request the enfeoffment of a prince.

The new emperor considered that Xiao Jun's long-term residence in the capital posed too great a threat, and since he could not openly take action against him, he agreed to Xiao Heng'an's proposal.

Xiao Heng'an and Xiao Jing were to choose their own fiefdoms, while Xiao Jun was assigned to Tiannan, accompanied by the Dowager Consort De.

The place was by the sea and not adjacent to any enemy country, enough for the mother and son to live out their lives in peace and comfort.

Xiao Jing's fiefdom was closest to the capital, while Xiao Heng'an's fiefdom was naturally back in the familiar Beiguan, where his army was still waiting for him.

Gu Jinning could guess that the Prince of Jin's mansion was now an empty shell, and Xiao Heng'an and his brothers were free.

Aunt Hua said, "Master, don't be too sad. His Highness Prince Jin will come back eventually."

Gu Jinning laughed, "What's there to be sad about? I'm overjoyed. Have you forgotten our grand plan? To build the first intelligence network of the Thousand Faces Sect in Kyoto. With Xiao Heng'an gone, won't my underground palace be even easier to excavate?"

Aunt Hua flicked her handkerchief and scolded, "You're so heartless."

Gu Jinning did not argue, and lay on the pile of stones looking up at the sky.

The sky over the border must be just as clear, bright, and colorful. No, it must be even bluer and more transparent.

After a year of wind and snow, spring returns to all things.

The nomadic tribes on the northern grasslands were restless and began to plunder the property of the people in Guanzhong.

Outside the Imperial Gate Pass, Xiao Heng'an led his personal guards to drive away the herdsmen no less than ten times.

The boundless grasslands beyond the Great Wall became the soldiers' riding field. They chased and drove away the herdsmen, using them as moving targets for practice.

The herdsmen dodged and bent over to protect the grain they had stolen from the horses.

Amidst the stampede of horses, a sharp arrow pierced through the herd, past rows of soldiers, and with a "whoosh," struck the back of a herdsman's horse. The bundle burst open instantly, scattering grain all over the ground.

The herdsman's horse was startled and dragged the herdsman away in a hasty and chaotic escape.

The soldiers tightened the reins and turned around. They saw a woman standing on horseback, her horse's tail tied high, dressed in a neat and tidy outfit, and holding a bow in her hand.

Besides soldiers, civilians were not allowed to pass through the area outside the pass. When a woman suddenly appeared, holding a sharp arrow, the soldiers immediately became alert and shouted, "Who are you? How did you get here?"

The woman held her head high, took out a small portrait, and asked, "Have you seen this person before?"

The portrait was yellowed with age, and only a vague outline could be made out. One of the soldiers replied, "Never seen it before."

The woman put away the portrait and said haughtily, "Then, call your prince out."

Another soldier retorted, "Your Highness is not someone you can just see whenever you want."

The woman saw the figure turning back in the distance, nocked an arrow again, raised an eyebrow and aimed, saying, "You all move aside, I'll find it myself."

After saying that, he fired. The soldiers hurriedly dodged to the sides, and the arrow flew straight through the crowd towards Xiao Heng'an.

Yang Yu drew his sword and leaped forward, cleaving the flying arrow in two. The arrowhead embedded itself in the ground, startling the horse so much that it reared up and neighed.

Xiao Heng'an sat firmly on the saddle and looked out, clearly seeing the person waving his hands behind the crowd.

"Hey, how's my archery? Have I improved?" She brandished her bow and arrow, extremely pleased with herself.

Song Hui and Song Ming reined in their horses and stepped forward to protect her. Upon closer inspection, they were both astonished. "That's... the Princess?"

Xiao Heng'an's expression shifted slightly, his eyes brightened, and he gripped the reins, urging his horse to gallop away.

Gu Jinning smiled, turned her horse around, and galloped towards the grassland, prompting Xiao Heng'an to speed up and chase after her.

The soldier was about to give chase, but Song Ming stopped him, saying, "Why chase? Do you think you can catch up?"

The soldier asked in confusion, "How fast can a woman run?"

Song Ming pointed at Song Hui, "Anyway, he didn't catch up."

Song Hui said, "You didn't catch up either. Deputy General Yang even suffered a setback, losing his precious sword."

Mentioning the past, Yang Yu's face darkened, and he deliberately put on a stern face and scolded, "What are you all doing gathered around? Go ride your horses. You are not allowed to return to the city before dark."

The herd of horses scattered in a flash, their powerful hooves echoing across the grassland for a long time.

The setting sun hangs low at the edge of the grassland, casting a warm yellow glow that gently blankets the entire grassland.

Under the setting sun, two brown horses chased each other.

Gu Jinning slowed down, and when Xiao Heng'an caught up, she leaped off her horse and pounced on him. Xiao Heng'an reached out and caught her in his arms.

Gu Jinning wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him off the horse, where they both rolled onto the grass.

She lay on top of Xiao Heng'an, staring intently at him, cupping his face and rubbing it repeatedly, unwilling to look away.

"Hmm, you've gotten a bit darker and thinner. But it's okay, you're still the way I like you."

Surprised?

Gu Jinning winked at Xiao Heng'an, her eyes curving into crescents, reflected in the pupils of the person in front of her.

"Much earlier than I expected." Xiao Heng'an hugged her tightly, his voice as gentle as the wind.

"What should I do? I missed you so much, so I came."

Are you still leaving?

"Of course we're leaving."