First Encounter
The years are peaceful and serene, and the spring breeze gently caresses the tender buds.
Recently, there has been some unrest in Zhuxun Prefecture. It is said that bandits frequently appear in nearby villages. The emperor has ordered a young general to be appointed to govern the area.
Recently, some more people have entered the village. Two people were squatting by the main gate of the village, watching the sunset paint the clouds in the distance and birds soaring high.
"Will the young general really come, Master?"
"How would I know? Just listen to my mother." The boy in the plain gray clothes seemed a little impatient as he looked at the setting sun on the gentle slope in the distance.
"But..." He looked at his once clear-eyed master with some difficulty, who had suddenly turned into a dark-skinned master.
"..." The gray-clad youth ignored him, only wanting to find his target as soon as possible.
“But Master, you don’t have to make such a big sacrifice. If the old man saw you like this, he would beat me to death.”
The boy in gray turned his head to look at the young man squatting at the same level as him.
"What do you know? My mother said that only in this way can it be amazing."
"Stunning? More like shocking..." he muttered, his voice trailing off.
The boy had a very pleasant voice, like the cheerfulness of a sunny young man, but his appearance was surprisingly hard to describe.
The gray-clad boy had a dark face, with sunken cheeks that looked like they were from hunger, and protruding teeth. His dark circles were even darker than his complexion, and his thick black eyebrows made his eyes appear small. There was also a black mole on his left nostril.
The young man beside him was at a loss for words, and he couldn't understand why they would spend so much money to enter the village and wait for someone, especially their future husband.
As the sun sets, the slope leading to the village rises steeply, and an oxcart carrying hay approaches. Inside sits a young boy, while an old man wields a whip to steer the ox. The boy, dressed in simple white, appears somewhat languid.
Upon seeing the newcomer, the gray-clad youth immediately perked up and stood up abruptly. "I've been waiting for so long, Mo Zhi, let's go."
Mo Zhi also stood up, expecting his master to go forward and greet the oxcart boy, but to his surprise, she turned and went into the village gate. He quickly followed and asked, "Master, aren't you going to talk to him?"
The gray-clad youth stopped and glanced at him: "Don't call me master. Did you eat all the food I told you to eat? Call me Brother Xiao."
"Oh, Brother Xiao, you're not going..."
"Get lost. We'll go say hello tonight."
The two returned to their respective rooms and waited quietly for the evening.
As the silver moon first appears, a silver mist floats over the azure lake, and streams rush towards the sea.
Li Xingxiao finally made it to night. She had already thought of her lines, just as her mother had instructed.
She went outside and asked around for directions to the boy's place. But the village seemed quite large, and she appeared to be a little lost.
After wandering around for a while, I finally found the boy's place, but unfortunately he wasn't there.
She heard heavy thuds coming from the alley, and curiously followed the sound, only to stumble upon a murder scene in the dark of night.
She stared at the four or five people on the ground, covered in blood. She panicked instantly, her hair stood on end, and the temperature around her seemed to drop to zero.
Oh My God……
In the darkness, a tall, slender young man in black brocade robes was wiping his sword, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Without a word, he lunged forward, intending to kill the witness.
She watched as the person rushed forward, and within four seconds her legs buckled and she knelt on the ground. Although the ground was covered in blood, her life was more important!
"General! It's me!" she shouted with her eyes tightly closed, her whole body trembling involuntarily, feeling a chill run through her.
The boy stopped his sword swing and looked at the terrified guy on the ground with a puzzled expression.
"Who are you?" he asked in a cold, authoritative voice.
She slowly raised her head, looking at the boy in the darkness, afraid to breathe too heavily. Sweat dripped down her forehead like beans, and she swallowed hard.
"General, have you forgotten? You once saved me. I'm just an ordinary citizen!" she said nervously. Although she had memorized the lines, it was still a little difficult to say them out loud.
He glanced at the dark-skinned boy and said coldly, "I don't remember." But when he heard her say that she was an ordinary citizen, he still warily sheathed his sword.
"Why are you in this mountain stronghold?" he asked in a cold voice.
It was too dark, and the eaves completely obscured the boy's face, so she couldn't see his expression at all. But she could tell that he had striking features, was very handsome, and his eyes held a chilling intensity.
"I was captured and brought here, General! I did not come to the camp with good intentions."
"Oh." He sheathed his sword and looked around. "What happened tonight must not be mentioned to anyone else, or you will die."
Just as the man was about to leave, she immediately called him back, kowtowed, and knelt before him.
"General! Ever since you saved me, I have been determined to repay you. Please accept me as your subordinate!" she said sincerely, though she had been cursing you hundreds of times in her heart.
He stopped and glanced at the people on the ground. "No need. Saving the people is a general's duty."
Unconvinced, she continued, "General, perhaps I can be of help to you!"
"I do not accept useless students."
After hearing this, she was furious but dared not speak out.
"You don't need to kneel before me anymore, get up."
“General, I’m the accountant! I can access all the accounts in the stronghold!” She still didn’t get up. “General, I only wanted to repay a debt of gratitude, and I’ve admired you for a long time. Knowing that you had entered the stronghold, my first thought was to find you to repay the life-saving grace I owed you back then, and also to become friends with the role model I admire, even if we were just subordinates… I would be willing!”
Blood gradually flowed down her forehead, which was pressed to the ground, and slowly soaked into the hair in front of her forehead. She endured the nausea and continued to maintain the position.
I kept reassuring myself. It's okay, it's okay! It's all for Brother Qin Mohe, it's all worth it if I can endure it!
He sighed softly, his voice no longer so serious. "Get up. Bring the account books to my room tomorrow, and I'll take you in as..." He thought for a moment, realizing he hadn't brought any servants with him.
"The servants who take care of my daily needs..."
She happily stood up quickly, put her hands together in gratitude, and looked at him.
He was a head taller than her. Peng Feizhe looked at the somewhat enigmatic-looking boy and didn't know what to say. Another moment of awkward silence followed. He quietly observed the person before him for a while.
“I knew it, General…” she began.
What's your name?
"Li Xingxiao".
"Um."
He looked at the boy with blood on his face, took out a handkerchief and threw it to her, saying, "Wipe it clean." He sounded somewhat disgusted.
"From now on, in the village, don't call me General, just call me Yi Lin."
Ichirin? What a strange pseudonym, not even as nice as the one I chose myself.
"Oh, oh." She gently wiped her face, not daring to use too much force, afraid of wiping away the makeup.
The young man in black brushed past her, walked into the alley, and cautiously surveyed his surroundings. He took out a jade whistle from his clothes, placed it to his lips, and gently blew it. The melodious whistle unknowingly summoned several shadows.
She looked over and felt that the aura was too strong, and a strange chill came over her. She sighed.
It's good to be young and successful; you can always call on someone.
The boy's figure appeared aloof under the silver moonlight, and his dark eyes glanced at the shadows.
"Clean up the body and investigate this guy's identity." He pointed to Li Xingxiao, who was staring blankly behind him, seemingly unconcerned about her presence.
"...???" She was completely bewildered.
No? You're saying this to my face? Don't you trust me? Why aren't you following the script?
"Yes." The guard accepted the order and began to act.
The boy's wispy hair fluttered in the wind. The boy was gone, and this night was a peaceful one.
Because she didn't die, she was just close, and the corpse lying on the ground wasn't her teammate.
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