This heart is bright

After Su Musong went down the mountain, Ning Zhen was also about to set off to attend the alliance.

Before leaving, Ning Zhen came to bid farewell to Xiao Luochen. Xiao Luochen took out the Xuantie Order, a token of the leader of the alliance, and gave it to him.

"Xiaozhen, you've always been a good steward of things, and I'm very confident in your abilities. However, I'm also worried that they might be taking advantage of your youth and deliberately provoking you. So, remember not to get into arguments on the spur of the moment, and think twice before you act."

Ning Zhen respectfully took the Xuantie Order and did not show any impatience towards Xiao Luochen's nagging. It was just that there was something weighing on his mind these days, and he was about to part with Xiao Luochen, so he had to speak out.

"Will you leave here?"

Xiao Luochen had clearly not expected Ning Zhen to ask this question so suddenly, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. He had never intended to be a bandit in Qingzhu Village for life. Even if he hadn't reunited with Su Musong, he would have left the mountains one day. He had made up his mind long ago: when Xiao Buyi grew up, he would seek revenge on his enemies. If he succeeded, he would find a secluded village in the countryside. If he failed, his head and body would be torn apart, and he wouldn't have to worry about his afterlife.

"Will you leave with him?"

This "he" obviously refers to Su Musong.

"Xiaozhen, why do you suddenly ask this?"

"Answer me."

Ning Zhen's expression was solemn, as if he would not give up until he got the answer.

"I was forced to move to Qingzhu Village back then."

"So you're leaving, right?"

Xiao Luochen didn't understand why Ning Zhen was so entangled in this issue.

"Whether I leave or not, this is your home. Xiaozhen, if I ever leave Qingzhu Village, you will be the one to protect it."

"If you leave, I won't stay here anymore."

Xiao Luochen was quite surprised by Ning Zhen's answer. He had rescued Ning Zhen from the Gobi Desert in Qingning and brought him back to Qingzhu Village, but he had never asked about his background. Ning Zhen had grown up in Qingzhu Village all these years, as if he had been there since birth. Xiao Luochen had assumed he considered this place home, but it hadn't occurred to him that he might not. While Ning Zhen was undoubtedly the best candidate to take over Qingzhu Village, everyone had their own ambitions, and Xiao Luochen was unwilling to force anyone.

"That's good. You're still young, and you should go out and see more. Now that you've grown up and can support yourself, it's up to you whether you want to stay or go."

Xiao Luochen's original intention was not to bind Ning Zhen because of the life-saving grace, but in Ning Zhen's view, it was completely another meaning.

"You should know that if you stay here forever, I will be Ning Zhen of Qingzhu Village and accompany you forever. But now you want to drive me away for someone with unknown origins?"

Ning Zhen's words were full of grievances, which made Xiao Luochen a little confused. It was clearly him who said he wanted to leave, so how did it become

Want to drive him away? Besides, although Su Musong's identity has not been made clear these days, the relationship between the two has never been concealed. No one would think that Su Musong is just an inexplicable person who suddenly appeared, right?

Ning Zhen's eyes lit up, and with an expectation that he had never shown in front of Xiao Luochen, he asked pleadingly:

"Just let me stay with you in Qingzhu Village for the rest of my life, okay?"

Suddenly, Xiao Luochen's distant memories suddenly flooded back. He recalled Mo Xue and the black-clad youth he had met in Zhangcheng over a decade prior. Only then did he realize that Ning Zhen was probably more than just a brother to him. Having witnessed the black-clad youth's morbid possessiveness, Xiao Luochen looked at Ning Zhen, who looked at him with a look of longing, and felt a surge of worry and a hint of inexplicable panic. He hesitated when he needed to make a decision, and he would suffer the consequences. Some things were best clarified as soon as possible.

"He is my best friend and the only person I love in my life. He is not some unknown person. You should live for yourself. Whether you leave or stay, it is based on your own thoughts, not mine. You said you would stay in Qingzhu Village with me forever, but I have never thought about staying in Qingzhu Village for the rest of my life, nor have I ever thought about spending my life with anyone other than Mu Song."

Ning Zhen's lips trembled slightly when he heard this, and his knuckles turned white from gripping the Black Iron Order with too much force. It was obvious that he was trying to control his emotions.

After all, he was his younger brother who had grown up with him day and night. Ning Zhen's dim eyes made Xiao Luochen feel a little bit sorry. At this moment, he actually understood Mo Xue's state of mind back then. But he would never allow Ning Zhen to become like the young man in black, paranoid, morbid, cruel and terrible. Therefore, he could only try his best to persuade him.

"Xiaozhen, you and I have both died once, so there's no need to dwell on certain things. The world is vast, and your life has just begun. You should explore. When you've seen more scenery and met more people, perhaps you'll discover that Qingzhu Village is just an ordinary village in a remote borderland, and the people here are just ordinary people in this world."

What Xiao Luochen said was undoubtedly from the heart, but Ning Zhen couldn't take it to heart at the moment.

"You've met quite a few people, but in the end, you still chose that person. Brother, don't you understand what it means to be in love with someone you don't know? Why are you forcing me to do something you can't do yourself?"

This was the first time in all these years that Ning Zhen refuted Xiao Luochen like this. Everything he said was true. Even if Xiao Luochen had misunderstood that Su Musong had started a family, he had never let go of him in the past ten years. Now he asked Ning Zhen not to be so obsessed, which was really unconvincing.

Seeing Xiao Luochen remained silent, Ning Zhen did not want to say anything more. He calmed down and became the decisive leader of Qingzhu Village again.

"Ning Zhen will lead all the sects to successfully complete this alliance. Please rest assured, leader."

After saying that, he left in big strides, not even paying attention to Xiao Buyi's farewell.

Ning Zhen set off with the rest of the Qingzhu Village's men. Their journey would take at least a month, perhaps two. Xiao Buyi watched Ning Zhen descend the mountain, feeling a bit disappointed. Sure enough, she couldn't go with him after all.

Xiao Buyi was young, so he was curious about the things outside the mountain. Half an hour after Ning Zhen left, Xiao Buyi was reluctantly preparing to go back when he suddenly heard a whistle from the foot of the mountain. It was a visitor. Xiao Buyi immediately became alert and decided to wait here to see who it was.

About two cups of tea later, a group of people appeared in Xiao Buyi's sight, and the one walking in front was Su Musong. Xiao Buyi obviously didn't expect Su Musong to come back so soon, and his mood was quite complicated. He looked at the two people following behind Su Musong. Like Su Musong, they were people who didn't fit in with the village.

Xiao Buyi stepped forward to greet him. Although etiquette was hardly used in Qingzhu Village, Xiao Luochen had taught him a lot, so it was not difficult for him to act polite in front of outsiders.

"Uncle Shi left and came back with his friends. What happened?"

Xiao Buyi was always extra concerned about strangers. Although he believed that Su Musong would not have any intention of harming Xiao Luochen, he still couldn't help but ask more questions.

"Bu Yi, these are my third brother and brother-in-law. They are all family. We have something important to discuss with your father. Please take us to see him."

Although he was well aware of the situation in Qingzhu Village, Su Musong still let Xiao Buyi lead the way. This was his way of fulfilling Xiao Buyi's wish to protect his father.

Su Musong's swift return surprised Xiao Luochen, who was weeding in the fields. But when he saw Su Mufeng and Prince Ding coming with him, he understood. Chixia Mountain was strategically located. Su Mufeng had previously helped the Xiangping army pass through the mountain, outflanking the Hanyun army and rescuing Xizhou. Since Prince Ding had come with him this time, it was likely to be another matter.

Su Mufeng trotted towards Xiao Luochen who was holding a hoe, leaving Prince Ding stunned as he saw the third son of the Su family so lively and excited for the first time.

"Brother Luo Chen, you told me to come to Qingzhu Village to play with you, and you also said you would make delicious food for me. I came to you to fulfill my promise."

This was the third time Su Mufeng had seen Xiao Luochen since he came to Xizhou. Although he had lost his memory due to a serious illness five years ago and had forgotten every detail of his childhood with Xiao Luochen, Xiao Luochen had watched him grow up after all, and that familiar feeling had not dissipated due to the loss of memory.

"Okay, I planted all the crops in this field myself. I'll make whatever you want to eat."

When Su Musong heard that Xiao Luochen was going to cook, he felt that he had to come out to stop him and help his third brother avoid the pit.

"Mu Feng, your brother Luo Chen is busy dealing with important matters in the village, so he doesn't have time to cook. You still need to talk to him about borrowing the road, so leave small matters like cooking to me, your eldest brother."

Su Mufeng didn't know whether weeding in the field was considered an "important matter", so he just thought that his elder brother was considerate of Brother Luo Chen and didn't want him to work too hard, so he didn't insist. Besides, he didn't come here to taste Xiao Luochen's cooking skills.

Prince Ding explained his purpose, and it turned out that he wanted to borrow the passage again and attack Dan City.

Chixia Mountain lies at the junction of the Qingning, Xiangping, and Hanyun kingdoms. For centuries, due to its poverty, sparse population, and rugged terrain, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack, the three kingdoms left it alone, and thus it was never incorporated into any of them. In recent decades, the three kingdoms have maintained their military strength on the border, and Dancheng has changed hands several times, allowing Chixia Mountain to maintain its original independence. If Xiangping captures Dancheng and expands its borders westward, Chixia Mountain will most likely fall to Xiangping.

Although he had never thought of spending the rest of his life in Qingzhu Village, Xiao Luochen had to consider the livelihood of the people in the village, so he did not agree immediately.

Su Musong guessed Xiao Luochen's concerns. Before ascending the mountain, he had already negotiated terms with Prince Ding. He promised that, as long as Qingzhu Village allowed passage, Xiangping would be prohibited from invading Chixia Mountain for a hundred years, regardless of whether the Xiangping army captured Dancheng. The truth behind the Xiao family's treason was gradually becoming clear. Given the current state of affairs at court, the new emperor's influence was growing, and eradicating the Wang family, which had dominated four dynasties, was imperative. Prince Ding and the Grand Empress Dowager had a long-standing grudge, and overturning the case would inevitably require cooperation with Prince Ding. This was why Su Musong didn't mind Prince Ding knowing Xiao Luochen's identity. After Su Musong explained all these details, Xiao Luochen finally reassured himself and agreed to help Xiangping capture Dancheng.

The Chixia Mountains stretch for hundreds of miles, with countless dangerous peaks. Among them is a peak called Tiger Roar Peak, located to the west of Dancheng. From its high vantage point, one can see the entire city. Tiger Roar Peak is carved like a knife or an axe. There are sparse vegetation on it, so there are naturally no tigers. However, the cliffs are a good place for eagles to build nests. Su Mufeng looked at Dancheng from here, and was overjoyed. He took the sleeve of Prince Ding and pulled him to the edge of the cliff, saying happily:

"Your Highness, look, this place is high and steep, and there's a cliff. There's no obstacle to descending from here. As long as there's no northwest wind, the Wings of Wind can land directly in the city."

The commotion startled the eagle in its nest. Su Mufeng, preoccupied with Dancheng, hadn't noticed the eagle swooping down from the side. Northwest eagles often snatch up calves and goats, their claws so sharp they can gut them as easily as chopping melons and vegetables. Xiao Luochen and Su Musong, standing a few feet away, were also horrified by the scene. Unable to bring their bows and arrows, they shouted at Su Mufeng to be careful and picked up fist-sized rocks to hurl at the eagle.

Just as Su Musong threw the stone, Prince Ding, who was standing beside Su Mufeng, pulled Su Mufeng into his arms and protected him tightly under his body. The eagle's claws scratched across his back, but fortunately the eagle was hit by the stone and did not use any strength, so it only scratched Prince Ding's clothes.

Seeing that the two were safe and sound, Xiao Luochen immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Su Mufeng nervously insisting on checking whether Prince Ding was injured, Xiao Luochen felt that the relationship between the two seemed interesting.

"Mu Feng and Prince Ding..."

Su Musong shrugged

"I don't know. Let's see if they can see it clearly themselves."

Xiao Luochen had already heard from Su Musong about the whole story of Su Mufeng disguising himself as a woman and marrying Prince Ding in place of Su Muliu. Although Prince Ding didn't know that the princess he had prayed to heaven and earth with was actually Su Mufeng, and Su Mufeng felt that he had traveled thousands of miles to Xizhou just to get the divorce letter back for Su Muliu so that this ridiculous substitutionary marriage could end sooner, the feelings that developed between the two of them as they spent day and night together could not be faked, whether in the palace in Yongjing City or on the battlefield in Xizhou.

What Xiao Luochen could see naturally could not escape Su Musong's eyes.

"Have you ever thought about ordering Mu Feng?"

"No, maybe I'd rather he couldn't see clearly."

Prince Ding and Su Muliu's marriage was arranged by the Emperor, with Su Mufeng acting as a substitute. The Anguo Mansion was already deceiving the Emperor. If exposed, the entire clan would likely be executed. If the matter could be concealed, and a divorce letter obtained from Prince Ding before the incident, then Su Mufeng, Prince Ding's ex-brother-in-law, would be implicated in the rumors and vicious attacks that would follow. Prince Ding held a high position of power and influence, and was often unpredictable. Su Musong didn't believe someone of such power would give up everything for someone who had deceived him. Therefore, he preferred that Su Mufeng not see clearly. Sometimes, a muddled miss was better than being riddled with wounds.

Su Musong suddenly thought of the thank-you gift he received after helping Prince Ding escape from trouble in the enclosure. Prince Ding's jade ring was finally taken away by Su Mufeng. Perhaps some things are really predestined.

The Xiangping army, passing through Tiger Roar Peak, joined forces with the troops from the Pigeon House in Dan City to capture Dan City. Once the battle was over, Prince Ding and Su Mufeng were about to return to the capital. A few days after the army's departure, the Pigeon House in Xizhou City received news from Yongjing City that the emperor was seriously ill, and the Empress Dowager was in control of the government. She sent an imperial edict and a cage to capture Prince Ding.

Su Musong was caught off guard by this unexpected change. Thinking that Prince Ding and Su Mufeng didn't know the news yet, he went to catch up with the army in person and reminded Prince Ding to think of a countermeasure.