Chapter 29 Here, I'll compensate you first! "Goodbye!"...
Bitao and Mingguang didn't look at each other or speak. In the temporary mountain forest where they were settled, she was busy with various tasks and couldn't stay idle for a moment.
However, despite her cunning and resourcefulness, Bitao was definitely not the type to be good at serving others or doing odd jobs. She had previously lived a very rough life with her mother-in-law in the deep mountains.
If Bitao had been a little more diligent and knew how to cook, the two of them wouldn't have had to eat those hard, cold mixed flour pancakes for so many years.
When Bitao got busy, the group faced even more trouble, and Doctor Wu almost tripped over her several times.
He even suspected that Bitao was trying to trip him up and kill him so she could avoid paying five times the consultation fee.
Throughout the day, Mingguang would occasionally appear not far behind Bitao, his eyes sharp and piercing.
Seeing her racking her brains to avoid him, he frequently let out a cold laugh.
The laughter was deafening to Bitao's ears.
Fortunately, Mingguang only asked Bitao once where his private seal was, and did not try to "collect the debt" from her again.
Bitao felt as if a sword was hanging over her head, ready to fall and cut off her head at any moment.
As night fell, the campfire was gradually lit.
Most of the celestial maidens and celestial lords had already received their money, bid farewell to Bitao and the martial arts physician, and left the mountains and forests.
This includes those with big eyes and those with small eyes.
The two women had a relatively close relationship with Bitao. They were reluctant to part with Bitao, but they knew that Bitao had already done more than enough by bringing them all out, giving them money, and letting them find their own way to survive.
All good things must come to an end. The two of them hugged Bitao and cried for a long time before helping each other and stumbling away.
Bitao didn't have time to feel any melancholy, because she soon discovered that a small troop of cavalry was heading towards the mountains!
This group of people numbered about twenty, and they were clearly elite soldiers and fierce generals. They wore soft armor, had long swords at their waists, and rode on tall horses. Each of them was dashing and imposing.
Their horses were clearly well-trained, with lanterns hanging from their heads. The light flickered as they ran, but the horses' steps remained unaffected, orderly and in perfect unison.
This group caused quite a commotion, and the refugees were so frightened that they fled into the depths of the mountains, mistaking the group for an army that was driving them away.
Chongchuan City is near Dayuan Prefecture, the fiefdom of Dai Derong, a king of a different surname. Dayuan Prefecture itself is not large, with only seven cities.
However, Dai Derong has great ambitions. Relying on the fact that his fiefdom is far from the emperor's reach, he has also shown a tendency to absorb and control some towns around Dayuan Prefecture in recent years.
He frequently recommended his confidants to the court. The prefect of Chongchuan City was one of Dai Derong's men. For many years, he appeared to be obedient to the court, but in fact, he had long been secretly colluding with Dai Derong, deceiving his superiors and embezzling a lot of money from the people.
However, De Jong prefers to put on a show and does not allow any disaster victims to appear in his fiefdom.
Therefore, Chongchuan City would occasionally act erratically, sending people to drive away and clear out the parasitic refugees around Chongchuan City.
"What are you standing there for? Run! It's an army driving people away!"
Doctor Wu pulled Bitao along, signaling her to quickly follow the group into the mountains.
The martial arts doctor traveled far and wide and had seen this kind of thing many times. In fact, it wasn't just Dai Derong, this king of a different surname, who felt this way; all officials disliked the presence of displaced people in their jurisdictions.
They would carry out expulsions both openly and covertly to ensure that their territory appeared prosperous and peaceful.
However, when orders are given from above, those below usually only pay lip service to them.
After all, if the refugees found jobs in the city, they would also "pay tribute" to these city patrol guards, who would often just go through the motions and turn a blind eye.
If the refugees' livelihoods are truly cut off, they may band together and become outlaws, or enter the city and cause chaos for food, which would be very troublesome.
Therefore, once these patrol guards appear at night, the refugees will tacitly run into the mountains.
As long as you run fast enough, you won't actually be caught, and you can still go to the city to work tomorrow.
Doctor Wu organized a group of people to run into the mountains, but Bitao quickly stopped him.
"Don't panic. If you have elderly people or children, don't cause any trouble. These aren't city patrol guards."
They were not the scruffy, ugly guards at the city gates.
These people weren't even from Chongchuan City. They looked far too respectable, with leather armor covering even their horse faces. They were so respectable that they were practically synonymous with nobility.
As they got closer, Bitao saw the silver-armored soldier at the head of the group. He had a wasp waist and an ape-like back, with a phoenix-like appearance and a dragon-like posture. His slender neck was held high like that of a crane, and his sharpness was evident. He was clearly no ordinary person.
Moreover, although Bitao had never met these people before, she felt that they looked "familiar".
They quickly stopped their horses at the edge of the forest, dismounted, and galloped towards a tall figure leaning on a sword hilt standing at the edge of the woods.
The silver-armored soldier at the head of the group walked up to the figure, raised his sword between his palms, and touched the ground with the tip of the sword and his left knee at the same time. He spoke in a voice as crisp as ice, and said loudly, "Your subordinate is late!"
Bitao suddenly realized why these people looked "familiar" to her, even though they were complete strangers. It turned out they were in cahoots with that arrogant Mingguang!
"Brother!" A beautiful female voice burst forth from behind Bitao, filled with surprise.
Then, like a whirlwind, it swept directly towards that group of people.
Bitao watched as Bingjing, like a fledgling swallow returning to the forest, plunged straight into the arms of the silver-armored soldier who had just stood up, and hugged him tightly.
The silver-armored soldier was taken aback for a moment, then quickly planted his sword in the ground and hugged the ice mirror back.
He patted her head and laughed, "Great! I couldn't find you anywhere, but you were here!"
"elder brother……"
For the past few days, Bingjing has been treated like a donkey by Bitao, working hard without complaint, its hooves flying, without the slightest bit of affectation.
Upon seeing her brother, she began to whine sweetly, "I was almost harmed by a cult! You almost didn't get to see me again!"
As she spoke, she used two of her fingers to make a small distance in the air, indicating how dangerous her situation was.
The silver-armored soldier chuckled and poked the ice mirror's head, causing those around him to chuckle as well.
Ice Mirror's two subordinates followed, and the group chatted excitedly, clearly having known each other for a long time.
Clearly, these people were Mingguang's men who came to meet him.
A sense of joy gradually welled up in Bitao's heart.
The person who was supposed to pick him up finally arrived.
He should leave now!
"By the way, brother, Mingguang and I owe a lot to Bitao this time; she saved us!"
"Who?" The silver-armored soldier's expression was very strange.
"It's Bitao! Don't you know her too? She's the Bitao Fairy under the giant peach tree in Juntian. Before you came down to the mortal realm, you said you had something to say to her and sent me away... Hmm! Hmm?"
The silver-armored soldier quickly covered his sister's mouth, glancing somewhat guiltily in the direction of Mingguang.
"Don't talk nonsense, I didn't say anything to her."
Bingjing pulled her brother's hand away and said with a smile, "Bitao is different from the rumors. She's a very good person!"
"She saved so many people! She even set fire to the cult and burned it down!"
With just a few words, Bingjing praised Bitao as a benevolent person with a heart for the world.
However, the group of people's expressions became somewhat strange upon hearing this, and Bingjing thought they didn't believe what she was saying.
He turned around and started looking for Bitao.
Bitao overheard her own name being called from behind the wall and wanted to sneak away quietly.
But before they could react, they were spotted by the enthusiastic Ice Mirror and pulled away.
After Bitao left, the atmosphere became even more eerie.
These people, who were just chatting and laughing, have now all become silent, their faces contorted with suppressed anger, unable to utter a single word of thanks to Bitao.
They all knew her.
There is no one in the Nine Heavens who does not know Bitao.
But in the celestial realm, they were adversaries, not people who could naturally express gratitude to each other...
Moreover, Bingjing said that Bitao saved her and Mingguang... How can that be?
Mingguang joined the cult to escape the combined pursuit of multiple groups of assassins, and the fact that Bingjing was also in the cult was all a coincidence.
Even without Bitao, would Mingguang not bring the Ice Mirror with him when he came out?
The silver-armored soldier was none other than the Ice Wheel True Immortal, who had the most irreconcilable conflict with Bitao back in the Heavenly Realm.
Binglun had no idea how her younger sister had gotten together with Bitao, and her expression was anything but grateful; it was downright ugly.
In the end, it was a black-armored guard behind Binglun who stepped forward from the crowd.
He cupped his hands in greeting to Bitao and said, "It's been a long time. I hope you are well, Fairy Bitao."
If you think about it carefully, this person was the one who was most familiar with Bitao when he was in the Heavenly Realm.
After all, every time Bitao was arrested, it was this Jing Sulei who personally led people to send Bitao to the prison palace.
He still owed Bitao a "condition," and as the attendant of Binglun Zhenxian, he had no choice but to step forward to ease the tension.
Bitao didn't recognize this person at all. However, she vaguely sensed that the silver-armored soldier with thick eyebrows and big eyes was looking at her with ill intent.
Bingjing had mentioned her brother to Bitao, and Bitao knew that her brother's name was Binglun.
Moreover, when they were in the "lower realm," Binglun specifically sought out Bitao and even sent Bingjing away, though it's unclear what they discussed.
Just now, I saw him covering Bingjing's mouth with a guilty look on his face, so he definitely wasn't saying anything nice.
Bitao was completely unaware of the situation, but she disliked being led by the nose the most.
She was always good at joking, and she smiled at Jing Sulei, whom she no longer recognized, and said, "It has indeed been a long time, but... Immortal Lord, you have become even more handsome and outstanding."
Bitao's speaking style has always been like this.
When they met any familiar celestial lord or fairy in the celestial realm, they would always praise the other person for their improved cultivation or for becoming more "handsome" or "beautiful".
This is just a polite way of greeting.
However, Bitao would never say such "polite" words to the group of people surrounding Mingguang.
After all, she was already "famous" and had been relentlessly pursuing Mingguang, so saying such things to the people around him was tantamount to flirting.
As expected, Bitao's stroke of genius caused the already strange expressions of the group of people to twitch involuntarily.
Jing Su froze. He was just a minor general in the Thunder Department. Although his cultivation and appearance were considered above average, he could not have been chosen as a servant of the Ice Wheel True Immortal.
But... I don't want to do that.
He still wanted to continue working under the Ice Wheel Immortal.
He subconsciously glanced at the Celestial Immortal Mingguang, wondering why the Fairy Bitao had descended to the mortal realm, as if she had changed her nature.
She was always blessed with divine light, and no one else could see her.
Now he's actually flirting with someone right in front of Mingguang Tianxian...
Jing Su saw Mingguang Tianxian standing there, her brows furrowing deeply because of Bitao's teasing remark.
He quickly lowered his raised hand, spoke again, his face tense, trying to appear serious, and said lightly, "Fairy Bitao is joking."
Bitao's stroke of genius successfully made Binglun, who had always been unable to accept his sister associating with her, unable to maintain his handsome and cold demeanor and roll his eyes fiercely.
Bitao watched as his pupils rolled back, making him look like he was blind for a moment.
Then he sneered, "As expected, wherever he goes, he's a lecherous woman of stunning beauty!"
Bitao: "..."
She was about to ask whether the words were a compliment or an insult.
Moreover, as soon as this Binglun-something opened his mouth, Bitao's palms instinctively started to itch.
They definitely have a past grudge.
However, before Bitao could ask a question, Mingguang spoke up: "Binglun."
His words carried a warning.
Binglun's eyes, which were practically rolling onto the top of her head, immediately returned to their normal positions, and she swallowed back the sarcastic words that were about to come out of her mouth.
Mingguang said, "Take Bingjing and the others and tie up the horses first, then find a place to rest for the time being."
Then he said to Bitao, "My legs hurt, help me find a place to sit for a while."
Bitao: "..."
After a moment of bewilderment, Binglun's expression twisted when he heard Mingguang ask Bitao to "help" him.
But he opened his mouth, met Mingguang's solemn face, and didn't dare to say anything, quickly obeying orders.
He led the group and his sister away quickly.
Bingjing saw Mingguang raise his unsheathed sword and have Bitao "support" it from a distance.
With an air of arrogance, he limped after her to sit down next to a wooden post, putting on a very poised air, thinking to himself, "Is the show about to begin?"
In storybooks, when the "first wife" is about to unleash her fury, she always displays such a powerful and imposing manner.
"What are you looking at?" Binglun grabbed her younger sister, who was trying to crawl back, glanced in Mingguang's direction, and forcibly pulled her away.
"Tell me what's been going on all this time! How did you end up hanging out with her?!"
"Ouch!" Bingjing cried out as a strand of her hair was pulled, then quickly covered her mouth and followed Binglun.
It's a pity we won't get to see the good show!
Upon hearing the sound, Mingguang gave a cold, sharp look.
After waiting a while longer and making sure everyone had left, he looked at the peach tree standing to the side, staring at the sky and the ground, breaking off branches and digging in the soil, but refusing to look at its owner.
"Why are you hiding from me?" Mingguang asked.
Bitao: "What? What are you talking about? Why would I avoid you?"
"I've just been a bit busy lately. You know those kids, well, they don't have any good places to go."
Bitao complained about being poor: "The main problem is, we don't have enough money, so it's difficult to settle things..."
Bitao thought to herself, "Even your horses have masks. I've seen lanterns in the counties I've been to before; they're rare things that hang on the county magistrate's cart. Your horses have a bunch of them on their heads. You're so rich, you might as well forget about the seal."
Seeing her scheming and shifty eyes, Mingguang didn't bring up the matter of the private seal again.
That seal was the one he used at the border, and it was specially made to prove his status as a "grandson of the emperor".
Although the materials used were extremely precious, they were actually of little use once they reached the capital.
It's useless for others to take it; the name engraved on it only has the two characters "Mingguang," and it's not in the font of an official seal.
Mingguang is not the name he will use when he returns to the capital; the emperor will bestow a new name upon him then.
He only watched amusingly as the little peach branch figure paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan all day because of that tiny seal, which is why he didn't say the seal wasn't important.
At this moment, she also pursed her lips, deliberately avoiding the topic.
He only told her, "The one in silver armor is called Binglun, the true immortal Binglun."
"The one in black armor who spoke to you is Binglun's attendant, and also a Thunder General of the Thunder Department, named Jing Su."
"The meritorious immortal position that has always followed you in the Netherworld is called Cangling, which is a divine immortal position."
"You don't need to pay attention to the others; they're just junior officers from the Thunder Division."
Bitao squatted on the ground, poking at the frozen ground with a tree branch in her hand, as if she hadn't heard Mingguang's words.
In fact, she had both ears perked up and was listening very attentively.
Mingguang stared at the back of her head for a moment, then commanded, "Turn around, stand up, and look at me."
Bitao: "..."
Fine, fine, you're the creditor, you're amazing.
Bitao laughed, turned her head, and gave Mingguang a giggle.
Mingguang frowned, his hand pressing down on the top of his sword hilt. His long legs were slightly spread apart, and his bulging thigh muscles stretched the cultist's plain white trousers into a full and fierce curve.
He sat there with an air of authority, making a piece of rotten wood look like a dragon throne.
His words were like an imperial edict: "Don't be frivolous. What I'm telling you is very important; you must remember every single word."
Bitao concealed her exposed teeth.
Mingguang said directly, "You are very clever. Others have not yet noticed that your Heavenly Soul is damaged and you have lost all your memories. But you are not allowed to show off your ease and make flirtatious remarks to everyone you meet. That is really frivolous."
In the past, it was one thing, but Mingguang didn't know she was Xiaotaozhi and just thought she had fallen into depravity and it was none of his business.
Now he doesn't want to see her act frivolously anymore, and he doesn't want to hear others mocking her for it.
Bitao remained silent.
Anyone else would have reacted by now. What does it matter to him what she does?
But alas, one is indebted to those who accept bribes.
She lowered her head, rolled her eyes even bigger than the moon, and listened silently.
"You only have memories of the lower realm for eighteen years, but that's not all."
"We are all celestial beings from the Nine Heavens. We have descended to the mortal realm to compete for celestial positions and to advance in our celestial ranks..."
Mingguang's tone was gentle and friendly like never before, and he succinctly explained the current situation to Xiaotaozhi.
She even outlined a possible path to success for her: "You're good at making friends, so why not befriend some people who can help you and actually build a 'herbal medicine clinic' to take in orphans..."
Mingguang spoke in a gentle, flowing voice, his words logical and well-founded, detailing everything from how he adopted orphans, how he made money from them, to how he raised them.
"When they grow up and walk the world, all the good deeds they do will be counted as your merits, and all the hearts you win will be thanks to your faith."
"With 100,000 faith points, you can ascend to heaven. There's no need to rush. The competition lasts for one lifetime for a mortal. Take your time..."
Mingguang even felt that he was being a little too nervous. Xiao Taozhi was so intelligent that even if it was a little late, she would definitely be able to pass away peacefully.
This was the first time that Bitao had heard so comprehensively about everything she "didn't remember" about "the celestial realm" and "immortals".
If she wasn't crazy, then the person in front of her must be crazy.
However, his reasoning was clear and his words were conclusive and irrefutable. In addition to him, there were also Bingjing and his group as corroborating witnesses.
We can't all go crazy and think we're gods in heaven, can we?
Bitao has always considered herself extraordinary, and she also has a mother-in-law who is inexplicable to ordinary people.
At this moment, she actually believed Mingguang's words to some extent.
That's only two points.
She ignored the solutions Mingguang had devised for her, and was instead curious about other things.
She asked Mingguang, "What is your celestial rank in the Heavenly Realm?"
"Celestial Rank".
"What are the different celestial ranks in total?"
"The ranks of immortals, from highest to lowest, are: Upper Immortal, High Immortal, Grand Immortal, Profound Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, Divine Immortal, Spiritual Immortal, and Supreme Immortal."
"Each immortal position is further divided into three levels: high, middle, and low."
"What is my celestial rank?" Bitao's fingers scratched at the bark of the tree branch she was holding.
Mingguang was annoyed that she wasn't paying attention, but he still patiently said, "The position of the Immortal Spirit."
Oh... she's second to last?
How could her celestial rank be so low?
Bitao turned her head and asked Mingguang with a smile, "So what is our relationship in the Heavenly Realm?"
This time, Mingguang paused for a long time.
It's strange that he acted like a close friend when the two first met in the mortal realm.
Besides, she has no memory now, and Mingguang, judging others by his own standards, felt that the term "closest friend" was better left unsaid now.
As for the bizarre and absurd love stories that Bitao had told him about chasing after him for a hundred years, he didn't want to mention a single word of them.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Mingguang said, "We have no connection in the Heavenly Realm."
Bitao paused in her action of scratching the bark of the tree.
Mingguang felt that this statement was a bit too forced, so he added, "If you return to heaven one day, you will surely ascend to the celestial realm, and perhaps you will become my subordinate."
This is the best "future" that Mingguang imagines for the two of them.
He could then take Xiao Taozhi as his servant and travel with her through countless worlds to handle official duties.
Let's ascend to immortality together, and then catch and eat red spirit crabs together again.
For thousands of years, it has been just like before, day and night, exactly the same.
Mingguang felt happy just thinking about it, and his gaze towards Bitao became even gentler.
Of all the memories he had of his childhood with Xiaotaozhi, those were the only colorful moments in his life.
Later, the prospective servants who gathered around him did many things for Mingguang, but in their eyes, Mingguang was not a friend, but a future lord.
Mingguang was even less able to express any personal emotions or desires in front of them.
He wants to be a role model that people admire and follow at all times and in all places.
Unlike with Xiaotaozhi, where there's no need to hide their true thoughts, they can even argue and fight.
At that time, the gap between Xiao Taozhi and Mingguang was so great that if Mingguang didn't want to, Xiao Taozhi couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.
But more than once, when she was angry, she would wave a peach branch and slap Mingguang's face until it turned red.
Mingguang could also get angry and send her thousands of miles away, making her ride a fish back for ten days or half a month, without caring who was right or wrong.
They won't be judged by others to measure their character or to determine whether their actions are biased or lacking in grace.
Finding those memories, finding Xiao Taozhi, was an overwhelming joy that no one could understand for him.
He was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night just thinking about recognizing her after his death, and how the long road to immortality would no longer be filled with self-discipline and tedious official documents.
However, he did not know that Bitao had initially believed him to some extent because of his measured words.
At this moment, however, all trust has been overturned.
According to Mingguang, they were all celestial beings from the Nine Heavens, and they had come down to the mortal realm to compete.
The competition is for celestial positions and promotions.
If we translate that to the human world, doesn't it mean they're fighting for power and money?
He said that 100,000 people with faith could return to heaven, but he didn't mention whether there was a ranking or not.
He told himself not to rush and even planned and strategized his approach.
But when Bitao asked him what their relationship was in the Heavenly Realm, he replied that they had no relationship whatsoever.
Judging from his tone, he'll at most take her in as a subordinate in the future.
Tsk.
Mingguang's arrogance was ingrained in his bones, and he was unaware that his unwavering demeanor and words sounded like a condescending act of "charity."
At this moment, every bone in Bitao's body was stirred to rebel.
Why should you be the master and I be the subordinate?
Regardless of whether the immortal selection competition is real or fake, it is still unknown who will win or lose!
But the more dissatisfied Bitao was in her heart, the less she showed it on her face.
She smiled gently and politely, showing great anticipation for becoming his subordinate, and even asked him, "If I become your subordinate in the future, will you take special care of me?"
Mingguang felt that with Bitao's intelligence and wit, she would do anything very well.
So he said, "No."
Bitao smiled broadly, but secretly wanted to kick him.
No way? You want her subordinates to treat you with special favor? There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Bitao asked no more questions.
Finally, supporting his "sword," they escorted him back to where his men were gathered.
That night, she angrily checked her gold bars, and then summoned several celestial maidens and celestial officials who were still there to follow her. The next morning, she went to the pawnshop with the gold bars in her pocket.
She couldn't take it anymore. She was in debt and couldn't hold her head high or stand up straight!
If she hadn't sold the seal when Mingguang was helpless, and hadn't been protected by him in the crisis, she would have kicked his good leg hard last night and vowed to be his enemy!
We're all competitors, why pretend it's a "divine favor"?
These two people who claim to be "unrelated" are planning her route? Are they trying to mislead her during the competition?
Bitao was so aggressive that even people passing by the roasted pig's trotters stall in broad daylight couldn't resist the urge to eat.
They arrived at the pawnshop that "Big Brother Cangling" had mentioned. The owner had just opened the door and was still yawning when Bitao barged in with a "bang".
Bitao is playing the "fierce" role today, and she's even brought along several "thugs".
The idea was to intimidate the boss with my presence first, so he wouldn't try to raise the price later.
The boss was indeed "frightened" and managed to suppress his yawn.
Bitao turned around and gestured to the people behind her to close the pawnshop door that had just been opened.
The door slammed shut.
Under the pawnshop owner's gaze that seemed to say, "Are you bandits?", Bitao slammed the gold bars onto the counter and said, "I have a business to discuss with the owner."
Then, after an incense stick had burned, the door opened.
There was no bloodshed, and no table legs were broken.
Not a single gold bar was missing from Bitao's arms.
But when she reappeared, her arrogant and haughty demeanor had vanished without a trace.
Clutching the gold bars on his chest, he was still very wealthy, yet he seemed somewhat deflated.
She dismissed the people who had come with her, stood in front of the pig's trotters stall, bought two, and devoured them with gusto, her mouth dripping with oil.
The ruthlessness in their chewing was as if they wanted to devour someone alive.
Bitao really wanted to act shamelessly and just run away without returning the seal. What could he do to her?
But Bitao isn't a real scoundrel.
Mingguang had covered for her in the cellar before; one should repay kindness with kindness and revenge with revenge. One should not repay kindness with enmity…
Moreover, she hadn't yet divided the money with Doctor Wu and the others, and there were still some celestial maidens and celestial lords who had nowhere to go, plus a bunch of little brats. Bitao was still considering how much to leave them.
She went to a pastry shop and ate two boxes of pastries, stuffing herself until she was full, before returning to the outskirts of the city.
By the time we got back, the sun was already setting.
Bitao sincerely hoped that when she returned, all those people would have already left.
But fate rarely grants our wishes.
Bitao still saw the group of people, and they seemed to be planning to take over the place and stay permanently, as two new snow shelters had been erected nearby.
So you have so much money, why don't you stay in a guesthouse in the city? Do you think living in the mountains shows you can endure hardship?
Bitao returned to her shed and sat blankly beside the newly lit fire that was still emitting black smoke.
How do I do it?
She could see to her side, in the distance, the "young nobleman" surrounded by a crowd, his gaze fixed on her as if it were a physical presence.
The seal was not redeemed.
The seal was sold by the boss.
It is said that on the third day after the "big brother" left, someone bought him for a high price.
Without a "live pawn" contract, redemption is inherently more difficult.
The owner also has the right to freely buy and sell the items that have been pawned.
The issue now isn't about the price increasing from seventy taels to seven hundred taels, but rather, in this vast sea of people, who has bought the private seal? Where can Bitao find a needle in a haystack?
Given that Mingguang is a "noble young master," his private seal must be quite useful...
Bitao thought about it more and more and felt that this matter was not easy to handle.
He even wickedly thought, "If Mingguang had really died from vomiting blood that day, wouldn't things have been much less troublesome?"
"This is your personal seal. Although it is only the seal of a grandson of the emperor, try not to use it casually again."
Some distance from Bitao, Binglun handed Mingguang a white jade seal with a rope attached.
"This time it just so happened to fall into the hands of our own 'spy'. We intercepted it on our way here. If it had fallen into the hands of the imperial city, it would have caused trouble."
Mingguang took it, held it in his palm, and couldn't help but glance at Bitao's direction again while poking at the fire.
She looked very unhappy.
What happened to me when I went into town today?
"The assassins sent from the capital have been mostly eliminated, but the return journey is still dangerous, and I didn't bring enough men."
"Fortunately, Yun Chuan returned in triumph. I have already sent someone to Yun Chuan to confirm his route."
"Yun Chuan will lead his army through the area surrounding Chongchuan and pass through Donglan County."
"We only need to wait two more days, then go to Donglan to meet them, and return to the capital together. The people in the capital won't dare to face the army... Mingguang?"
Binglun was talking when he noticed that Mingguang was lost in thought!
Mingguang was startled by Binglun's roar and quickly regained his composure.
But he didn't show it, skillfully pinching his legs to steady his expression.
He slowly raised his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly, his expression filled with pressure as he looked at Binglun: "What are you yelling about?"
Binglun immediately apologized: "I'm sorry, I... I thought..."
"I understand. Then I'll wait two more days."
Mingguang said, "We just busted a branch of a cult in the city. The headquarters will probably send people over, including some of the Crown Prince's spies. Hide your horses and don't let them enter the city."
"Let's wait two more days in the mountains outside the city."
"Yes," Binglun quickly replied.
He then exclaimed in admiration, "Just as you predicted, the Buddhist sect is using the monks' donations to transport cast iron to the fiefdom of Wu Lingwang in Kangning Dao. Our 'stakes' have already been buried as you instructed."
"The prince is colluding with a king of a different surname. Once this matter is exposed, there's no need to even name a crime."
"When you tricked your way into the cult a few days ago, the Crown Prince's men searched for you in vain and suddenly came out in full force, exposing your location."
Binglun's face turned grim as she said this: "I never imagined that you were right under the 'lamp,' in a cult controlled by your own people."
"I led my men to wipe out several of their exposed 'eagle nests' where their assassins were entrenched. Now, if those people in the capital want to touch you again, they'll have to think twice about how many more they have to kill!"
Binglun became more and more excited as he spoke; he truly admired Mingguang, whose strategies were simply flawless.
After descending to the mortal realm, they were all reborn in different places to suffer, and Mingguang's situation was just as miserable.
But he faced life and death several times on the frontier. He first infiltrated the military camp and rose to the rank of commander of a thousand households through military merit. He then learned from the camp that the imperial city was searching for the grandson of the Empress Dowager who had been left behind on the frontier.
They seized the opportunity to "defy fate" and change their destiny.
After that, he lay low while sending people to search for his subordinates scattered in various places under the pretext of finding their relatives.
Even on the battlefield, they brought back Yun Chuan, who had been reborn in the enemy country, cleaned up his identity, and sent him to the army to make contributions.
He found Binglun in a remote place. Binglun had great strength, but without his spirit, he was no match for a pack of wolves. Because he was born a slave, he was almost sent to work in the coal mines...
When Mingguang gathered everyone together, the time was right. He revealed his identity as the lost grandson of the emperor and fought against the imperial city for several years.
Although its current power cannot compare with that of the royal families and aristocratic clans that occupy the capital, it is still a large and deeply rooted family with extensive and ever-expanding influence.
It is not easily shaken by ordinary winds and waves.
Now, having seized upon the weakness of one of the imperial forces—the Second Prince's collusion with a prince of a different surname—they are just waiting for this opportunity to strike, and another formidable enemy can be eliminated.
Binglun even thought that Mingguang might be able to rise to the position of second only to one person within a year, and then return to the Heavenly Realm after his faith power reaches 100,000.
He looked up to Mingguang with awe, his eyes burning with a intensity as if he himself were the one who would soon depart this world.
At this moment, Mingguang stood up, nodded slightly to him, and said, "You and your men have done a great job this time. Once we have established a firm foothold in the capital, we will reward you according to your merits. Your path to success will be unstoppable."
Binglun was so excited that she tried to stand up, but Mingguang pressed her back down with the hilt of his sword.
He said, "Sit down, my legs are getting numb, I'll go for a walk, you don't need to come with me."
He then took a slow walk, leaning on his sword.
Then, as they wandered around, they ended up near the peach blossoms.
He didn't approach; he just stood a short distance away, watching her deep in thought.
He clutched the private seal tucked in his sleeve, wanting to tell her that it had been found. But they were going to stay for two more days, and he feared that if the seal was found, she would ask him why he hadn't left.
A moment later, Bitao saw Mingguang. Mingguang instinctively took a step forward, but Bitao turned around and walked away.
And Bitao was determined to avoid him, and for the next two days, Mingguang didn't see her at all.
Several celestial maidens and celestial lords tried to bid farewell to Bitao during the day, but couldn't find her. The money was collected from Physician Wu.
On the third night, Mingguang and his group prepared to set off, but there was still no trace of Bitao.
Binglun was speaking to Bingjing in a gentle tone: "The people here have nothing to do with you. Saving them is already sacrificing yourself for the greater good. Everyone has their own destiny... You must come with me."
"And where exactly did you pick up this 'bad habit'? You've only been with her for a few days and you've already started watching all this nonsense!"
Binglun threw the storybooks that were on her younger sister on the ground, and the horse neighed and stomped them to pieces.
Bingjing traveled through countless worlds with General Kunyi and learned a great deal.
She said in a very soft voice, "Brother... please stop using those words from the lower realms! You're using them all wrong!"
"And what does this have to do with Bitao! I found this in a cult... She didn't even look at it, saying it's nothing new."
However, it's really not something you can show to others. This isn't just any ordinary sketchbook; it's the kind with both pictures and text...
"Get on the horse." Binglun's face turned cold. Bingjing was still very scared. She pouted and whimpered as she climbed onto the horse's back.
But he still muttered to himself, "I haven't seen Bitao yet. I was saved by Bitao, so I should at least say goodbye to her!"
"What's there to say goodbye to? Her not showing up means she doesn't want to see you!" Binglun put the footstools on her without further ado.
He turned to look at Mingguang, waiting for him to give orders.
They deliberately chose to set off at night to avoid being watched by spies in the capital.
The sky was dark and gloomy; tonight, dark clouds obscured the moon, and not a single star was visible.
Mingguang's face was as gloomy as the sky.
He really didn't expect that because of a single mark, Bitao could hide from him without a trace!
However, Mingguang was not one to be indecisive or get bogged down in details. He was so frustrated that he forgot about the pain in his legs, and with a powerful kick, he leaped onto his horse.
At a single command, the group sped off—
Bitao wasn't deliberately avoiding people; she'd just been busy these past few days!
Just then, it suddenly appeared from behind some tree. Luckily, I managed to catch up with it and called out, "Mingguang!"
Mingguang reined in his horse and turned around. Bitao tossed something to him from mid-air and shouted, "Here, take this as compensation! I'll return your private seal when we meet again!"
Mingguang loosened the reins and caught precisely what Bitao threw at him.
Seeing that he had received the item, Bitao waved towards the direction of the ice mirror, then turned and went back into the forest.
Bingjing immediately waved and shouted to Bitao's retreating figure, "Goodbye!"
Then I turned to see what Mingguang had received, only to find that Mingguang had already put it away.
He spurred his horse and charged ahead again.
After running a distance, he held the reins in one hand and gripped the cuff with the other, tracing the outline of the small thing inside the cuff, pinching and kneading it.
The starless night, along with the swift evening breeze, concealed his smile.
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