Qi Lei: "..."
It was even more terrifying than when Du Hong ordered them to attack Chaoyang Manor.
"Lady Luo, are you serious?"
"Of course!" Luo Xi's smile widened. She whispered something to Qi Lei, then asked, "So? Are you in or not?"
Qi Lei didn't hesitate for a second: "Do it!"
"I'm so tired of being the guerrilla general of Tianqi. Lady Luo, just tell us what to do!"
Luo Xi thought for a moment, then spoke to him in a low voice for a while before saying, "We've searched all the nearby mountains recently, but we still haven't found Chu Zhe and the others."
"So I'm going to leave here and go see other places. Don't come looking for me here anymore. If anything happens, I'll have someone from the Red Mansion send you a message."
Qi Lei nodded, then asked worriedly, "Madam Luo, do you think something might have happened to them?"
Just as Luo Xi was about to speak, a subordinate from Honglou silently appeared: "Madam Luo, news has come that Mr. Chu has returned to Tongning County with General Le Zheng. Mr. Chu is unharmed, but General Le Zheng is unconscious."
"Great!" Luo Xi breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought that with Chu Zhe's abilities, how could he possibly get into trouble so easily? "Okay, I understand."
"Alright, since that's the case, I'll head straight back to Tongning County. You guys proceed according to plan." She said this to Qi Lei.
Qi Lei nodded and cupped his hands, saying, "We'll have to trouble Lady Luo with our general."
Luo Xi smiled and left with Bai Hu.
Qi Lei waited until he could no longer see Luo Xi before turning around and walking towards the city gate.
When the other soldiers saw him coming, they all looked at him with anxious and worried eyes: Is there any news about the general?
Qi Lei smiled slightly and nodded gently.
The other soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and were just about to find an opportunity to ask for clarification when the assembly drums suddenly sounded.
Qi Lei gave them a reassuring look, and then, under the watchful gaze of the unfamiliar general who was monitoring them, he strode quickly toward the source of the drumbeats.
When Qi Lei arrived, he found that only his Crimson Soul Army soldiers were required to stand in the middle, while everyone else stood on the outer perimeter. His heart skipped a beat.
At this moment, Du Hong emerged with his head held high, and even Liu Wei, the new general of the Crimson Soul Army, could only walk behind him, looking quite spirited.
"A petty person who has gotten his way!" Qi Lei muttered under his breath.
Du Hong glanced at him and said, "Alright, the deadline I gave you to consider this matter is over. Now, what is your answer?"
He lowered his head and slowly twirled the jade thumb ring on his finger: "Of course, you don't have to go."
Before he could finish speaking, the soldiers on the perimeter rushed over and surrounded them instantly, each holding a chilling weapon and glaring fiercely at everyone present.
Qi Lei: "..."
This is... it's either go or die, right?
That's really great.
He laughed heartily and stepped forward: "Look at what the Prefect is saying. We are the army of the imperial court. Whoever the imperial court appoints as the general of the Crimson Soul Army, we will naturally listen to them."
"Qi Lei, are you crazy!" The other Crimson Soul Army soldiers stared at him in disbelief.
They were diligently helping others on the outside, and yet they went and destroyed their home base. Are they even human?
Qi Lei turned around and looked at them: "I'm not crazy, I just don't want to die."
He gestured with his chin toward the soldiers holding weapons: "Or do you want to die? What about your families, your newborn children? Do you want them dead too?"
The Crimson Soul Army soldiers looked grim, wondering whether they should fight to the death, when they noticed Qi Lei subtly giving them a signal. Their eyes flickered, and they all fell silent.
Du Hong sneered.
Therefore, loyalty is utterly insignificant in the face of life and death.
He didn't even glance at anyone else present before turning and leaving.
Liu Wei followed: "Prefect Du, aren't you afraid they'll outwardly comply but inwardly defy you?"
He always felt that these people agreed too quickly.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Du Hong said confidently. "As long as we keep their family in check, these people won't be able to get away with anything."
As for the Crimson Soul Army, Du Hong kept a close eye on them and didn't find a suitable opportunity to ask Qi Lei for clarification until the day of departure.
They were thus anxiously forced by Du Hong to head towards Chaoyang Manor.
Sigh, I hope Qi Lei doesn't screw them over, otherwise they'll become the sinners.
At this time, Luo Xi had already entered the territory of Tongning County.
The weather was already quite cold, but as Luo Xi walked further, she noticed that there were more and more pedestrians on the road. Families, convoys, and groups of people were all rushing towards Tongning County.
On both sides of the road, the farmland is covered with fields of yellow-green wheat seedlings, which ripple like waves in the winter wind.
"I heard them say that there's a type of wheat in Tongning County that can grow very well even without water, but I didn't believe it. Turns out it's true!" A young man in front of him couldn't help but stop and stare intently at the wheat field.
"Such a bizarre thing, who would believe it if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes? When I first heard it, I thought they were joking too."
"Now that you've seen it, do you believe it? We made the right bet this time. If we had stayed in our hometown, we might not have survived."
"Alright, that's enough. Let's go. Once we get to the county town, and Lord Wei makes arrangements, we'll have better days ahead. I've heard that Tongning County is quite lively now, with many people going there to do business."
Looking up, Rose saw that there were indeed quite a few caravans ahead, each cart piled high with goods.
"It seems they've done a good job since I left," she said with a smile.
"It's all thanks to Lady Luo's discerning eye." Baihu skillfully offered a flattering compliment.
Luo Xi glanced at Bai Hu and felt that he was becoming less and less like an assassin.
Before long, the tall city gate of Tongning County appeared in front of the two. Moreover, both on the city wall and at the gate, there were many soldiers in armor standing tall, with sharp eyes, already looking quite formidable.
Rose felt a sense of relief.
At this time, a long queue had formed at the city gate, all waiting to enter the city. Although there were many people, it was not chaotic at all. Whether they were civilians or soldiers in charge of inspection, everyone was busy with their own affairs in an orderly manner.
When it was Rosie's turn, the soldier glanced at her repeatedly and muttered to himself, "Honestly, even if you admire our leader, you don't need to change your name, do you?"
Rosie: "..."
This person looks unfamiliar; he must have been recruited later.
Baihu burst out laughing. Just as he was about to reveal Luo Xi's identity, he was glared at and told, "Shut up!"
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