Chapter 327
In the still of the night, a biting north wind howled, carrying snow that stung my face.
Tao Tao and Leng Qiao, dressed in dark casual clothes, used their lightness skills to reach Yuquan Pass in no time and hid behind a tree some distance from the city gate.
Just then, Leng Chuan returned to their side from Yuquan Pass.
Upon arriving at the city where Wu Lei was located, she had already sent Leng Chuan, who was hiding in the shadows, to Yuquan Pass to gather information.
He said in a low voice, "Madam, there is something strange about Yuquan Pass."
"There were no signs of war within the pass, and the people were sleeping soundly. I even saw soldiers of the Celestial Empire patrolling the city."
“There are indeed people who don’t look like people from the Central Plains, but they also don’t look quite like Turks.”
"Also, I couldn't find the Fourth Master and the guards. I randomly grabbed a soldier, but he wouldn't say anything. Moreover, the city is heavily guarded, as if he's hiding something."
"I was worried about being exposed, so I had to come back and report first."
Tao Tao listened thoughtfully, then said, "It's alright, you've already done very well."
"Fourth Master is most likely no longer at Yuquan Pass. Have you seen Chen Jinghe or Zhang Cheng?"
Leng Chuan shook his head with a grave expression.
"Then I'd like to see who's actually guarding Yuquan Pass right now."
"Walk."
In no time, three dark shadows flashed across the gray sky from a hidden corner, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
City Lord's Mansion, side room.
Zhang Cheng lay on the soft couch, his head resting on his hands, his legs crossed, staring blankly, utterly bored.
Outside, pine needles rustled, and snowflakes weighed down the branches, bending them until they were exhausted, and then a few snowflakes fell to the ground with a clatter.
Suddenly, he stopped yawning, his eyes sharpened, and he squinted slightly, looking through the window at the silent night.
With a light flip, the person landed silently on the ground.
He remained expressionless, his eyes wary, staring at the doorway as he crept stealthily towards the window.
Just then, a blinding flash of cold light appeared. Zhang Cheng dodged swiftly and the next second he was facing off against the newcomer, and they began to fight.
At the same time, the door was easily pushed open, and Tao Tao and Leng Qiao walked in one after the other as if they were in an empty room.
Leng Chuan recognized Zhang Cheng as soon as they started fighting.
Zhang Cheng was at a disadvantage because he had only met Leng Chuan once and couldn't remember who the person in front of him was, but he inexplicably felt that Leng Chuan's martial arts style was familiar.
In the end, Leng Chuan had the upper hand and kicked him flying to Tao Tao's feet.
Zhang Cheng clutched his chest, clenching his fists in anger. Just as he was about to get up, an unexpected face came into view.
He froze for a moment, staring blankly at Tao Tao, who was smiling and waving at him.
Tao Tao! ? ?
His eyes widened, he pointed at her, and his voice was frozen, "You!"
Zhang Cheng jumped up, exclaiming incredulously, "Madam! What are you doing here?!"
Tao Tao's expression changed, and she said coldly, "What do you think?"
"This princess has come to see whether my husband is dead or alive."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng chuckled awkwardly, "Madam, this really has nothing to do with me. It was all ordered by Fourth Master."
She gave a cold laugh and poured herself a cup of tea. "Where is he?"
Zhang Cheng: "We've gone to the Turks' stronghold, and we should have arrived by now."
The Turkic Khaganate.
The Khan, seated on his high seat, let out a hearty laugh. “I never imagined that after just a few years of leisure, I would end up losing my life like this.”
"You can imagine how much he's been living a life of debauchery all these years. Pride comes before a fall! Hahaha!"
He was smug, his laughter growing increasingly unrestrained, as if he had already devoured the fat piece of the Celestial Empire.
Someone chimed in, "Looking at it this way, the so-called invincible war god is nothing more than that."
The Khan's son, Mochuo, said with disdain, "If I had known that General Dingyuan was so easily defeated, Father, you should have let me go and fight him."
"It wouldn't be a loss of a great general from the tribe. Maybe if I went, I could even break into the heart of the Celestial Empire and strike at its heart."
"Let's present that little emperor's head directly to you, Father, and let the people of the Central Plains witness the bravery of us grassland warriors!"
"However, I'm afraid those cowards will be so scared they'll wet themselves when they see us!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter.
The surrounding generals couldn't stop flattering him, one sycophantic word after another.
The father and son were all smiles as they were entertained. The banquet was filled with laughter and joy, and they were surrounded by beautiful women, having a wonderful time.
Alp, sitting to the Khan's right, cautiously glanced out of the corner of his eye at the silent, drunken, bearded man.
This man is Duan Gan in disguise.
He was holding his wine glass when suddenly, a scantily clad dancer, laughing and about to get close to him, was scared away by his sinister glare.
The dancer, pale-faced and shivering, slunk away.
At this moment, the drunken general, holding a wine jug, spoke in a voice as loud as a bell.
"Alp, I never expected that you, who look so thin and weak, would make such a great contribution. It's unbelievable!"
"It seems... uh! It seems... the Creator is blessing us to settle in the Central Plains, we are destined to become... the masters of the world..."
His face was flushed, he reeked of alcohol, and he was stammering as he spoke, yet he still wanted to drink with Alp.
"Come on... uh... drink!"
Arp had never experienced such respect before, nor had he ever shared drinks with those in power. For a moment, he felt a mixture of timidity and secret exhilaration.
His deep-seated inferiority complex made him subconsciously bow and scrape.
"Drink...I'll drink..."
Someone nearby, seeing how such a beautiful dancer had been scared away by Duan Gan, teased, "What's wrong? Not to your liking?"
It's perfectly normal for a warrior who risks his life on the battlefield to be a little picky.
He looks brave and extraordinary, and his aura is extremely imposing. His future achievements will definitely not be inferior to those of Nuhachi.
He even felt that after Nuhaci and Duan Gan died in the battle, it was this man in front of him who led the troops into Yuquan Pass.
Arp's timid and cowardly appearance didn't seem like that of someone who would lead troops into battle.
He tried to get close to Duan Gan by sitting down next to him, acting like they were buddies. He put his arm heavily on Duan Gan's shoulder, held a bottle of liquor, and kept bringing it to Duan Gan's mouth.
Chen Jinghe, standing behind him, frowned, his eyes filled with disgust and annoyance. He gripped the scabbard in his hand tightly, ready to strike if the Fourth Master didn't make a sound.
Duan Gan smiled, but his eyes were cold and indifferent. He reached for the short knife at his waist and plunged it into his soft abdomen without hesitation.
The man stared at him with wide eyes, incredulous.
A soft "uh-uh" sound was emitted. Amidst the surrounding noise and the joy of victory, no one would notice the commotion.
Veins bulged on his forehead as he struggled to resist, but the knife in his abdomen was twisted from side to side, and excruciating pain shot through his flesh.
All I could hear were the splattering sounds of flesh and blood being churned.
The pain caused his facial muscles to spasm, his whole body to tremble, and his mouth to open wide, but he could not utter a word, only hissing sounds.
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