Chapter 101 Bed Sparring: I'll Beat You Up for Being Shameless!
Finally, the camel carts drove into the territory of the Tuyu tribe amidst the swirling yellow sand.
The group did not venture too far, but instead found an abandoned mud house at the border to rest and plan their next move.
Zhou Ling summoned Fang Ru to the dilapidated wooden table covered with a map, pointing with his finger to the location in the heart of the Tuyu tribe. "Your task is to induce Alu Heng to contact Qi Yuan."
His voice was steady, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness: "When you see him, tell him that you were betrayed by the Xia Kingdom's court and were heartbroken. When you fled Carle City, you stole confidential documents about the 'Crimson Flame Thunder'."
He raised his eyes: "Tell him that these firearms left over from the Western Rong war are extremely powerful. Now that you urgently need money, you are willing to sell this information to the Northern Di. He will definitely find a way to contact Qi Yuan. Once he has information on Qi Yuan's whereabouts, Li Zuo will deal with him."
Fangru's fingertips tightened suddenly.
It turns out that he had prepared such a substantial surrender gift long ago. This secret "Crimson Flame Thunder," which was enough to shake the various tribes of the Northern Di, was casually used as bait by him.
Throughout the journey, he constantly mocked her with those vulgar words, watching her anxiously try to preserve her innocence and struggling futilely to maintain her dignity.
A surge of heat, a mixture of humiliation and anger, rushed to the top of his head.
She suddenly realized that in Zhou Ling's eyes, she was no different from these forged official documents.
Those frivolous probing attempts were nothing more than his pastime when he had nothing better to do, a cat-and-mouse game.
Thinking of this, her knuckles clenched until they turned white, as if only in this way could she suppress the urge to throw the roll of official documents hard at his face.
As she changed into the tattered clothes of a refugee and was about to leave, Zhou Ling suddenly stood up: "I'll go with you."
Fangru felt a tightness in her chest.
Her original plan was to reveal the truth after meeting Aluheng, use Tuyu's help to rescue Xiyuan, and then turn the tables on Zhou Ling. But if this person went with her, all her plans would be in vain.
"Lord Zhou, do you not trust me?" she asked, trying to remain calm. "My son is still in your hands, how dare I make any rash moves?"
Zhou Ling smiled faintly: "I am accompanying you to protect you." He looked up, his gaze seemingly tangible. "Aluheng is ultimately a barbarian. If he takes advantage of you and then discards you like trash, wouldn't our Great Xia lose a pillar of society?"
Here we go again! These flippant words made Fangru's stomach churn. She would rather be hurt by barbarians than be manipulated by this man again.
"There's no need to trouble Lord Zhou..."
“My mind is made up.” Zhou Ling interrupted her, casually picking up a coarse cloth outer garment and putting it on. “From today onwards, I will be a loyal follower of Lord He Ruo, even unto death.” Although his clothes were simple, his demeanor was undeniable.
Fangru said urgently, "With such a distinguished air, you don't seem like an ordinary attendant at all!"
"Lord He Ruo has been running Carle City for over ten years, so it's perfectly normal for him to have a few devoted followers." Zhou Ling casually tied his belt. "Besides," he suddenly leaned closer, his voice extremely low, "if I weren't nearby, how would I know if you were... going too far with your old friends?"
Fangru laughed in anger and simply put forward three conditions: "Since you want to pretend to be my subordinate, first, you must walk three steps behind me; second, you must bow your head and bend your body when talking to people; third," she deliberately paused, "if I ask you to pour wine or serve tea, you must not hesitate in the slightest."
She had expected Zhou Ling to fly into a rage, but to her surprise, he chuckled softly, "Granted." His peach blossom eyes swept over her cheeks, which were slightly flushed with anger, "However, Lord He Ruo must also remember, no matter how convincing the act may be, never forget who the one wields the sword is."
Their eyes met in the dim light, and Fangru was the first to look away.
She straightened her clothes, pushed open the door, and stepped into the dusty winds of the Tuyu tribe. Three steps behind her was the man she least wanted to see in her life, yet had no choice but to rely on.
The Tuyu warriors guarding the mountain recognized the travel-worn "He Ruo, the security officer," and after carefully examining him and Zhou Ling, they finally opened the heavy gate of the village.
Before long, Chief Aluheng arrived upon hearing the news.
He was tall and wore a wolf-skin cloak. His bronze face was adorned with a hearty smile. Upon meeting Fangru, he warmly shook her hand: "Brother Heruo! I've already heard about the bastards in Carle City! The court is truly blind, daring to wrong a good official like you!"
Standing three steps away, Zhou Ling narrowed his eyes slightly and noticed that A Luheng held Fangru's hand for a long time without letting go, and the concern in his eyes was far beyond ordinary friendship.
Could it be that this Tuyu chieftain truly harbors ulterior motives towards "He Ruo"?
"The imperial court... is truly disheartening." Fangru withdrew her hand at the opportune moment, her tone heavy. "Especially that Emperor Zhou Ling, who is incompetent and corrupt, and who favors treacherous officials..." She glanced at Zhou Ling secretly, and seeing that his expression remained unchanged, she added a few more words of criticism.
Then she turned to the side and introduced, "This is my sworn brother, Xiao Zhou." Then she said to Zhou Ling, "This is Chief Aluheng of the Tuyu tribe."
Aluheng patted Zhou Ling's shoulder heartily: "Since you are Brother He Ruo's brother, you are my brother, Aluheng's brother! I will definitely treat you well tonight!"
The dinner was held in an open space in the center of the village, with a bonfire burning brightly and the aroma of roasted whole lamb filling the air.
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually became lively.
The Tuyu people are good at singing and dancing, and soon young people were dancing enthusiastically around the bonfire.
What made Fangru blush even more was that some men and women made no attempt to hide their intimacy in the shadows, and even openly entangled themselves.
Zhou Ling, however, remained calm and slowly tore at the mutton, seemingly oblivious to the vibrant aromas around him.
Fangru tried to bring up the "Crimson Flame Thunder" several times, but Aluheng was obviously drunk. He would pull her to drink one minute and rush into the dancing crowd the next, and she could never find a suitable opportunity.
Ultimately, the two were put to rest in a tent.
Upon entering the tent, Fangru was stunned; inside was only a bed covered with animal hides.
"I'm the superior, so it's only right that I sleep in the bed." Zhou Ling walked to the bed as if it were his right.
Fangru quickly stopped her: "You are my attendant now! What would it look like if someone found out that an attendant slept in the sheriff's bed?"
Zhou Ling raised an eyebrow: "Who would come in to check in the middle of the night?" As she spoke, she tried to sit on the bed again.
"No!" Fangru grabbed his sleeve tightly. "We agreed to act convincingly! What if someone gets up in the middle of the night and sees a servant sleeping in bed through the gap in the tent flap? What would that look like?"
"Lord He Ruo seems to be getting into the act." Zhou Ling withdrew his sleeve with a half-smile. "Then, in your opinion, what should we do? Make me sleep on the floor?"
“Exactly!” Fangru pointed to the cold ground with a righteous air. “This is how a follower should be.”
Zhou Ling slowly dusted off his clothes: "If I catch a cold, who will deal with A Luheng tomorrow? Does Lord He Ruo intend to capture Qi Yuan single-handedly?"
"You!" Fangru was furious. Seeing that he was about to sit on the bed again, she quickly came up with a clever idea, "Then...then let's divide the bed! The middle is the boundary, and whoever crosses the boundary is a dog!"
Zhou Ling chuckled upon hearing this: "Lord He Ruo's fuss reminds me of those concubines in storybooks who fight over the bed..."
His words abruptly stopped, and the atmosphere inside the tent suddenly became subtle.
Fangru's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm and replied, "Lord Zhou is joking. How could we, uncouth people, be worthy of being compared to noble ladies of the palace?" She quickly pulled a sash from her bag and forcefully slapped it across the center of the bed. "How about we use this as a boundary?"
Zhou Ling stared at her flustered movements, his eyes flickered slightly, and finally he nodded: "Granted."
Thus, that ordinary cloth strip became the boundary between Chu and Han.
Fangru carefully lay down on the innermost side, almost embedding herself into the tent wall. Zhou Ling, on the other hand, calmly occupied the outer side, casually placing his sword within easy reach.
“Lord He Ruo.” Zhou Ling’s voice suddenly rang out in the darkness, “If you retreat any further, you will pass through the wall.”
Fangru then realized that she was almost hanging on the edge of the bed and hurriedly steadied herself.
But then she heard a very soft chuckle beside her, which made her glare fiercely at the blurry figure, even though she knew he couldn't see her.
Not long after, Fangru was still feeling secretly annoyed when she suddenly felt a chill on her body. Zhou Ling had pulled away most of the only animal skin quilt on the bed.
She immediately reached out to grab it, but Zhou Ling pressed the corner of the blanket down with his elbow.
"Is Lord Zhou trying to freeze his subordinate to death?" Fangru gritted her teeth and exerted her strength.
“Heh.” Zhou Ling remained unmoved. “I am prone to feeling cold. Lord He Ruo has lived here for a long time and is strong and healthy. He must not be afraid of the cold.”
The two struggled in the darkness, the blankets rustling as they were pulled.
Fangru suddenly had a flash of inspiration and let go, catching Zhou Ling off guard and causing him to fall backward.
She seized the opportunity and pulled hard, pulling the entire blanket over.
"It seems that Lord Zhou is not only cold-sensitive, but also not very stable in his lower body." She smugly wrapped the quilt around herself like a silkworm cocoon.
Zhou Ling, instead of being angry, laughed: "Lord He Ruo, you have quite the skill." Suddenly, he lowered his voice, "Shh... listen, can you hear footsteps outside the tent?"
Fang instinctively turned her ear to listen, and in that moment of distraction, Zhou Ling stretched out his long arm and pulled her and the person over.
She gasped and bumped into his arms, the crisp scent of ambergris instantly filling her nostrils.
"You cheated!" she said angrily, pinching his arm.
Zhou Ling easily restrained her wrist and slowly rearranged the quilt: "All's fair in war."
Fangru was unwilling to accept defeat, and took advantage of his unpreparedness to raise her knee to retaliate.
To everyone's surprise, Zhou Ling seemed to have anticipated this, and while dodging to the side, he used the corner of the blanket to wrap around her ankle.
She immediately lost her balance and collapsed onto the couch like a silkworm pupa that had been wrapped up.
"Does Lord He Ruo want to spar with me?" Zhou Ling raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.
Fangru angrily broke free from the quilt, snatched the quilt and wrapped herself up tightly, not forgetting to re-mark the line of cloth between the two of them.
She stared at Zhou Ling warily, like a cat guarding its food.
Surprisingly, Zhou Ling actually lay down obediently and didn't make any further movements.
In the darkness, time seemed to slow down. Just when Fangru thought the dispute over the bedding was finally over, a low laugh suddenly came from beside her, tinged with obvious sarcasm:
"I never imagined Lord He Ruo was so charming. The way A Lu Heng looked at you wasn't like he was looking at an ordinary brother."
Fangru, with her back to him, felt a sudden jolt in her heart. She forced herself to respond in a nonchalant tone: "It's his freedom to like whomever he wants. Even if he likes a dog, it's none of your business."
"Judging from that tone..." Zhou Ling's voice was exceptionally clear in the darkness, carrying a hint of amusement, "Does Lord He Ruo truly prefer men? Could it be that he has feelings for me..."
"Get out!" Fangru turned around abruptly, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at him.
Zhou Ling raised his hand and caught the pillow steadily, and the two began to wrestle on the narrow bed.
The animal hide slipped off during the scramble, and Fangru, eager to retrieve it, reached out to pull it back. At that moment, Zhou Ling's arm accidentally bumped into a soft spot.
The two froze simultaneously.
The sensation was fleeting, yet distinctly different from the man's muscular chest.
Zhou Ling's hand hung in mid-air, and the tent fell into an eerie silence, with only the crackling sound of the oil lamp burning.
Fangru's heart was pounding in her chest. She gripped the corner of the blanket tightly, holding her breath as she awaited his questioning.
However, Zhou Ling simply withdrew his hand slowly and stood up with a normal expression.
Just a moment ago, he did have a suspicion. He Ruo's figure was far too slender, and the feeling he had just touched was even more... But he immediately shook his head with a self-deprecating smile.
Aren't there plenty of women disguised as men in this world? Why should he delve into it?
It wasn't her after all.
"This bed... is for Lord He Ruo." His tone was calm and even, revealing nothing unusual.
He nimbly rolled off the bed, straightened his slightly wrinkled robes, and walked out of the tent, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the other person's tense profile.
There was indeed a resemblance, especially in the eyes... but he quickly dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed his mind.
"I'm going out for a walk."
The curtains swayed gently, and Fangru stared blankly at the disappearing figure, only then realizing that her palms were already covered in cold sweat.
Outside the tent, Zhou Ling stood with his hands behind his back in the moonlight, the night wind ruffling his dark robes.
He rubbed his fingertips thoughtfully, but in the end he just smiled faintly.
Even if He Ruozhen was a woman, what did it have to do with him? He had long since lost interest in exploring the secrets of other women.
Inside the tent.
Exhaustion washed over her like a tide, and Fangru finally drifted off to sleep.
In her dream, Zhou Ling approached her step by step, his slender fingers gently stroking her cheek.
“Fangru…” he whispered the name she thought she had long forgotten, his gaze burning as if he wanted to scorch her.
She tried to escape, but he held her firmly in his arms. The familiar scent of ambergris lingered around her nose, and the warm touch felt so real.
"No!" She woke up with a start, only to find that someone was really on top of her!
A strong smell of alcohol hit her face, and heavy breathing brushed against her neck.
"Help!" Fangru screamed, struggling desperately.
The curtain was suddenly lifted, and moonlight poured in, outlining the tall figure of the person in the curtain.
Zhou Ling returned, strode forward, and grabbed the drunken figure, who was indeed A Luheng.
His eyes flashed with a cold light; his meticulously planned probing scheme had been completely disrupted by this absurd situation.
"What a Tuyu chieftain." Zhou Ling's voice was as cold as ice, his fingers gripping Aluheng's arm like iron clamps.
He had originally planned to proceed gradually, using incentives to lure Aluheng into revealing the contact information, but now he had no choice but to tear off the mask and interrogate him in advance: "Tell me, how did you contact Qi Yuan?"
Fangru hurriedly wrapped her disheveled clothes tighter, glaring angrily at the restrained Aluheng. Her chest heaved with rage, and her voice trembled as she recalled the terrifying moment just moments before: "My lord! Please allow me to deal with this frivolous man first!"
Zhou Ling's knuckles turned white as he forcefully suppressed the urge to break A Luheng's arm on the spot.
His original plan was to use the banquet tomorrow as an opportunity to have "He Ruo" feign surrender and induce A Lu Heng to contact Qi Yuan. But now he had no choice but to reveal his hand ahead of time.
This fool has no idea how many carefully planned schemes he has ruined with his audacious lust.
"Business is more important." Zhou Ling frowned, his gaze still fixed on A Luheng.
“He has humiliated me so much!” Fangru’s eyes gleamed with stubborn tears. “If I cannot get justice with my own hands, I would rather die! Please allow me to vent my anger by beating and scolding him first, and then hand him over to you for interrogation.”
Zhou Ling turned and stared at her for a moment before finally giving in: "One incense stick's time." He retreated to the tent flap, stood with his arms crossed, and said, "I will watch from here."
Fangru took a deep breath, picked up a wooden stick from the pile of firewood in the corner, and walked step by step toward the restrained Aluheng.
The stick trembled slightly in her hand. She had to be careful not to actually hurt him, but also to make her performance convincing.
“This time,” she raised her hand, her voice trembling with anger, “I’m beating you for being blind!”
The baton fell heavily with a whooshing sound, striking precisely the side of Aluheng's knee joint.
Accompanied by a tooth-chilling cracking sound, Aluheng let out a bloodcurdling scream that sounded inhuman, and his whole body convulsed violently.
His face contorted instantly, and sweat poured down his forehead like rain.
Fangru suppressed the churning in her stomach and, before he could catch his breath, struck the same spot on his other leg with the stick.
This time, the screams were even more piercing, and Aluheng was in so much pain that he almost broke free of the ropes binding him.
"This time, I'll teach you a lesson for your shamelessness!" Her voice rose eight octaves, trying to mask her inner turmoil with anger.
She then discarded the baton, drew her dagger, and pressed the tip against Aluheng's injured joint, feeling the violent trembling of his muscles.
"Speak!" Her voice was hoarse with excitement, "Where is Qi Yuan's contact person?"
“I…I really don’t know…” Aluheng gritted his teeth, each word mixed with painful groans.
Fangru's eyes turned cold, and with a slight exertion of force in her wrist, the tip of the knife pierced the joint gap without hesitation, making a gentle cut.
Aluheng let out a beast-like howl, his whole body convulsing violently.
“I’ll ask you one more time,” her voice was icy, “where is the contact person?”
"I don't know... just kill me..." Aluheng was already barely breathing, and his eyes were beginning to glaze over.
Fangru pulled out the dagger, and blood immediately gushed from the wound.
Without hesitation, she did the same to another joint on him.
More blood gushed out, pooling into a dark red puddle on the rough ground. Yet, even under such torment, Aluheng remained stubbornly oblivious.
"That's enough." Fangru threw down the blood-stained dagger, turned to Zhou Ling and shook her head, her voice weary. "He won't tell. We've wasted our time."
Zhou Ling remained standing at the entrance of the tent, observing everything with a cold eye.
He slowly stepped forward, looking down at the dying Aluheng with a cold gaze.
Suddenly, he raised his foot and precisely stepped on Aluheng's injured joint, slowly applying pressure.
Aluheng let out a shrill scream, and his whole body convulsed violently.
"Speak," Zhou Ling's voice was as cold as ice, and he continued to apply pressure with his foot. "My patience is limited."
Finally, Aluheng couldn't bear it anymore, "Black Stone Slope... the old camel driver... on the night of the full moon every month, in the cellar behind the camel driver's shop..."
Zhou Ling then slowly withdrew his foot, took out a handkerchief and leisurely wiped the bloodstains from his boots, glancing at Fang Ru: "Your interrogation skills are still far from adequate."
Fangru looked at Aluheng, who was writhing in pain on the ground, and then at Zhou Ling's composed manner as he wiped away the bloodstains. She couldn't help but sneer: "Indeed, when it comes to ruthlessness, who can compare to Lord Zhou? I just wonder how such methods are any different from those of the barbarians?"
She deliberately emphasized the word "barbarians," her gaze sweeping over Zhou Ling's blood-stained boot toe: "Does Lord Zhou think that speaking while stepping on other people's bones makes him seem superior?"
Zhou Ling remained noncommittal and quickly led Fangru and Aluheng away from the Tuyu tribe.
Two hours later, Zhou Ling and his trusted men quietly surrounded the dilapidated camel carpenter's workshop in Black Stone Slope.
A dim light shone from the workshop, and a hunched figure could be vaguely seen working inside.
Zhou Ling made a gesture, and Li Zuo immediately led his men to break down the door. However, at that very moment, a blinding flash of light suddenly erupted from inside the workshop, followed by a deafening explosion.
A deafening roar shook the night sky, and a scorching shockwave violently knocked Zhou Ling to the ground.
He felt a persistent ringing in his ears and his vision blurred. When he struggled to get up, he saw that the workshop had been reduced to a sea of fire, with broken wood chips and stones falling like raindrops.
"Your Majesty!" Li Zuo staggered over, his face covered in scrapes and blood. "We've fallen into a trap!"
Zhou Ling wiped the dust off his face and stared at the raging fire with a gloomy look in his eyes.
In the flickering firelight, he saw several guards lying in pools of blood, their fates unknown.
This time, they not only came up empty-handed, but also paid a heavy price.
Li Zuo knelt on one knee, his voice low and suppressed: "Your Majesty, Wang Meng and Sun Yi... died on the spot. Zhang Yuan is seriously injured and probably won't make it through the night." With each name he mentioned, Zhou Ling's fingers tightened. "They were all exceptional men, following Your Majesty since you took over the Eastern Palace..."
Zhou Ling raised her hand to stop him from continuing.
The firelight danced on his sharply defined profile, reflecting a pair of icy phoenix eyes.
Those three bodyguards were his trusted confidants who had followed him for many years, from the Xia Kingdom's palace to this desolate frontier, never abandoning him. Now, however, they were all reduced to ashes in this explosion in a foreign land.
After the group returned to the temporary camp with the wounded, Zhou Ling looked around and found that Fang Ru, who should have been waiting there, was nowhere to be seen.
He immediately ordered a search of the entire camp, but only found the cut ropes, and Aluheng was nowhere to be found.
Zhou Ling's lips curled into a cold smile, her knuckles turning white as she clenched her fists.
That He Ruo, daring to play such tricks right under his nose.
"Pass on the order," Zhou Ling's voice was as cold as a thousand-year-old ice, "Take a troop and slaughter the entire Tuyu tribe. Leave no one alive."
Li Zuo accepted the order and left, the sound of his horse's hooves fading into the night.
However, less than an hour later, he hurriedly returned, his face grave: "Your Majesty, the Tuyu tribe is deserted. Tents and supplies have all been taken away, and not even a single livestock has been left."
A cold glint flashed in Zhou Ling's eyes: "What a clever escape." He suddenly sneered, "Since A Luheng was willing to risk taking He Ruo away, it's clear their relationship is extraordinary. So..."
He turned to look at Li Zuo, his tone icy: "He Ruo's son couldn't possibly not know where A Luheng is hiding."
Li Zuo immediately understood: "I will have Cai Shan interrogate He Xiyuan."
“Remember,” Zhou Ling’s voice was devoid of warmth, “don’t kill him. His father might come to rescue him; he’ll be useful if kept alive.”
Deep inside the prison cell, Cai Shan frowned slightly after hearing Li Zuo's instructions.
During his days guarding He Xiyuan, he witnessed the boy's stubbornness.
The child was trembling with fear, yet he kept his back straight and never uttered a single plea.
Once, while delivering food, he even saw the boy practicing writing with straw on the ground, his focused expression making it hard to disturb him.
"My lord," Cai Shan asked cautiously, "how far should the interrogation go?"
Li Zuo uttered four words expressionlessly: "As long as they don't kill him."
Cai Shan watched Li Zuo leave, then turned and pushed open the prison door.
The boy, who was curled up on a pile of grass in the corner, immediately sat up straight upon hearing the noise.
Under the dim oil lamp, his peach blossom eyes, which bore a striking resemblance to someone else's, gleamed with a stubborn light.
Cai Shan sighed inwardly, but still took out the torture instruments.
The clanging of chains echoed through the cell, sounding particularly jarring.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
