Chapter 799 Past Life Ending
When Gu Jiao woke up, there was still a trace of bloodshot in her eyes.
The blood mist that filled the sky in my dream seemed to have spread into this room, even turning the lustrous white pearls on the curtains into blood-red agate.
The air was thick with the nauseating stench of blood, and mutilated corpses lay scattered on the rafters.
Plop, plop.
Thick drops of blood fell onto her expressionless cheek—
"Jiaojiao!"
"Jiaojiao!"
It sounded like someone was calling her.
"Jiaojiao! Jiaojiao!" Xiao Jingkong climbed onto the bed and shook her shoulder vigorously with his little hand. "Jiaojiao, why aren't you talking to me?"
The blood-dripping corpse was hidden by a tender little face. Everything in the dream came to an abrupt end. Gu Jiao blinked and fully woke up from the nightmare.
She looked at Xiao Jingkong, who was staring at her with wide, worried eyes, and replied in a hoarse but calm voice, "Jingkong."
Xiao Jingkong breathed a sigh of relief: "I was so worried about you just now."
Gu Jiao lay flat on the soft bed, raised her hand, and hugged the little one into her arms: "I'm fine."
Xiao Jingkong was suddenly given a loving hug and became extremely shy.
Her little hands covered her reddened face, and her little feet dangled about aimlessly.
Jiaojiao really loves me the most!
"Uh... Jiaojiao... Jiaojiao, you're hugging me a little too tightly..."
He...he...he's about to run out of breath.
Silly boy, why did you come? Why did you come to collect my body when you knew it was a trap?
"Jiaojiao... let's go home... I'll take you home..."
The young man's blood-soaked body tightly protected her in his arms, just as she had held him when he was a child. His eyes were bloodshot, and his back and legs were riddled with gleaming arrows.
His scalding blood stained her path to the underworld.
He put her on a bamboo raft to go home, but he himself collapsed on the war-torn riverbank.
The youngest war god of the Great Yan Dynasty... has fallen!
After breakfast, Gu Jiao went to the Black Wind Camp as usual.
She first inspected the various training grounds, where all the generals were training diligently, and the Black Wind Cavalry were also accepting their missions without complaint.
Even after defeating more than a dozen horse trainers, Little Eleven still didn't stop causing trouble; its boundless energy was so great that it was disliked by all other horses.
Even the explosive training that horses fear most quickly became addictive for it.
The once orderly herd of horses was thrown into chaos by it, turning the training ground into a scene of major car accidents.
In the end, it was Black Wind King who stepped in and used force to suppress Little Eleven, and only then did Little Eleven obediently go to train.
However, it looked docile, but as it brushed past a Black Wind Rider, it suddenly raised its hoof and kicked the horse's rump!
horse:"……"
How could you be so shameless?!
The price of its mischievous behavior was that Little Eleven got another beating from Black Wind King, and in the end, it could only limp to training, which was quite miserable.
"My lord! My lord!"
Master Hu trotted over, looking quite energetic. Today he had learned his lesson and had somehow acquired a feather fan in his hand.
As he fanned Gu Jiao, he said with a smile, "Why did you come so early? It's barely dawn!"
"Let me take a look," Gu Jiao said.
Master Hu laughed and said, "When you issued the transfer order yesterday, it really rectified the corrupt practices of the Black Wind Camp with overwhelming force! The generals you promoted all have great respect for you. How could they not train their troops seriously? You can rest assured!"
The generals she promoted included both former members of the Xuanyuan family and new recruits.
Their rigorous training was not out of respect for her, but rather a reflection of the military discipline and traditions inherited by the Black Wind Battalion.
He was strict with himself and also strict with his subordinates.
She has the title but no real respect for her; people are just following orders because it's their duty.
Seeing that Gu Jiao's expression remained completely unchanged, Master Hu couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't flattered her in the right place.
He said with a smile, "It's so hot, sir, why don't you go and rest in the tent for a while?"
Gu Jiao put her hands behind her back and said, "I'm going to find Wenren Chong."
After saying that, he turned and headed towards the reserve camp.
Master Hu tried to stop him but couldn't: "Hey—Sir! Sir!"
"Oh, go do something for me." Gu Jiao finished her instructions before going to find Wenren Chong.
The weapons and armor that were piled up like mountains in the courtyard when she left yesterday are nowhere to be seen today.
It seems that Wenren Chong repaired them overnight.
He is a person with high execution ability.
Wenren Chong sat in the house repairing the armor that had been delivered that morning.
Gu Jiao walked over.
Wenren Chong looked up at her.
Gu Jiao glanced at her shadow on the ground and said, "I didn't block the light."
Wenren Chong buried himself in repairing the armor.
"Do you need any help?" Gu Jiao asked. "I used to be a doctor, and suturing is one of my specialties."
Wenren Chong frowned, seemingly impatient with the young man, yet unsure how to get rid of him.
He could only say indifferently, "No need."
Gu Jiao sat down on the threshold, resting her elbows on her knees and propping her head up with one hand as she looked at him: "I met with Li Shen and Zhao Dengfeng yesterday."
"What exactly do you want to do?" Wenren Chong frowned.
"We're trying to win over the old guard of the Xuanyuan family," Gu Jiao said without any attempt to hide it.
The Black Wind Camp, which had been under the Han family's control for over a decade, was undeniably powerful. However, the Han family had dismissed too many of their best soldiers, and many of the Xuanyuan family's former subordinates had gradually left.
Wenren Chong, Li Shen, Zhao Dengfeng, and the already deceased Shi Zhongkui were originally the four fierce generals of the Black Wind Camp, and some people privately called them the Four Heavenly Kings.
Now only Wenren Chong remains, and he has become a blacksmith.
If Gu Jiao wants to revitalize the morale of the former Black Wind Camp, she must gather these former members of the Xuanyuan family.
"The Xuanyuan family no longer exists," Wenren Chong said calmly.
Gu Jiao said, "I'll ask you every day: are you going back to the vanguard camp? If not, I'll come again tomorrow."
Wenren Chong said calmly, "How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? Even if you ask for a year, two years, or five years, I still won't agree."
Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow: "You mean you'll stay in the Black Wind Camp for one year, two years, five years... and never leave?"
Wenren Chong stood up abruptly and went to tend the boiler: "You should go!"
Gu Jiao stood up and dusted off her clothes: "See you tomorrow!"
Wenren Chong pulled the bellows without looking back.
Gu Jiao wandered around the camp again before returning to her own tent.
Master Hu has also returned.
"Is it all done?" Gu Jiao asked.
"It's all done." This was the first time that Master Hu had been entrusted with such an important task in all his years in the military. He truly showed his sincerity and his efficiency was top-notch.
Gu Jiao weighed the money pouch that Master Hu handed her, didn't count it, and just clipped it to her waist.
Master Hu was overjoyed! The master trusted him! Hu Yang finally had a chance to make a name for himself!
"My lord! My lord! How did your talk with Wenren Chong go? Has he agreed to return to the vanguard battalion?" he asked with concern.
"Not yet," Gu Jiao said.
Master Hu's face darkened: "How can he be so clueless?"
Gu Jiao got up and walked out.
Master Hu asked in surprise, "Sir, you've just returned, where have you been again?"
Gu Jiao said, "Go find Li Shen and Zhao Dengfeng!"
Thinking of how he almost vomited yesterday, Master Hu swallowed hard and asked, "Then... shall I come along?"
Gu Jiao said casually, "Come if you want."
I don't want to come!
But if you put it that way, how could I dare not come?
She went to see Zhao Dengfeng first today.
She deliberately brought up the two of them in front of Wenren Chong just now, just to see Wenren Chong's reaction.
Wenren Chong's reaction was very calm.
Either he hadn't heard the rumors that Zhao Dengfeng had colluded with the Han family, or he knew the rumors were false.
Based on Gu Jiao's observations of Wenren Chong, the former possibility is unlikely.
"Oh, isn't this the same official from yesterday? What brings you to my Crane Pavilion again?"
In the second-floor room, Zhao Dengfeng, with a beautiful woman in his arms, leaned against the windowsill with an air of nonchalance, gazing at the young man on horseback.
"Again, trying to persuade me to go back to the army? Who wants to go back to that life of licking blood from the blade? How about this, young general, why don't you come and be the second owner of my Crane Tower?"
Master Hu was furious. He pointed at him with his feather fan and scolded, "You, surnamed Zhao! How dare you speak like that! 'Young General'? This is Lord Xiao, the new commander of the Black Wind Camp! I told you about him yesterday!"
Gu Jiao hummed in agreement: "Boss? That's a good idea."
Zhao Dengfeng looked at the young man he was leading with amusement: "Right? As long as you have enough money, I might give you half of the Crane Tower."
Gu Jiao looked up at him and said, "I don't need you to divide it up. I've bought your Crane Tower!"
Zhao Dengfeng was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Do you know what you're saying? My Crane Tower is the number one restaurant in town. Do you own a mine, young general—"
Before he could finish speaking, the boy on horseback casually tossed him a token.
He caught it with his backhand, took a closer look, and was immediately stunned.
Gu Jiao asked earnestly, "Is this enough? If not, I'll have someone go get more."
This was given to her by Steward Zheng by Duke Anguo before she left home this morning. She had never used it before and did not know how much silver she could get.
Zhao Dengfeng choked for a moment, then asked incredulously, "The owner of Minghe Money Exchange...you...who are you to Minghe Money Exchange?"
Gu Jiao thought for a moment and said, "Uh, Young Master?"
—My family doesn't own a mine, but we do own a bank.
Gu Jiao said to Hu Yang, "Master Hu, you stay here to handle the formalities. I'll go find Li Shen."
Hu Shiye was still reeling from the shock of this move. Was this the legendary extravagance?
He: "Ah, this..."
Zhao Dengfeng said coldly, "I won't sell!"
Gu Jiao said, "You told me yourself that you would be the boss, so you can't go back on your word."
Zhao Dengfeng clenched his fist and sneered, "So what if I rebel?"
Gu Jiao said with utmost seriousness, "I'll beat you up."
Zhao Dengfeng: "..."
-
Li Shen is not at the dock today.
Gu Jiao asked the foreman nearby and learned that he had probably gone to buy medicine for his mother.
"Where does he live?" Gu Jiao asked.
"They live over there. Sir, just keep going straight, turn east at the fork in the road, and you'll see their house. Everyone in that alley has moved away, only the mother and daughter are still living there. It's easy to find."
Thank you.
Following the route pointed out by the foreman, Gu Jiao successfully found a dilapidated little courtyard.
The courtyard gate was ajar. Gu Jiao raised her hand and knocked on the door: "Excuse me, is anyone home?"
No one responded.
Gu Jiao thought for a moment, then pushed open the door and went inside.
The things in the yard were very old, but not messy. Water tanks, hoes, chicken coops... were arranged neatly. The clothes on the clothesline were also neatly hung out to dry. They had been washed until they were yellowed, and patched one after another, but they were very clean.
"Niuwazi, you're back?"
An aged voice came from inside the house.
Niuwazi?
What was Li Shen's childhood name?
Gu Jiao entered the main room and walked towards the room on her right.
"Cowboy."
An elderly woman who was blind was sitting on the ground, apparently having fallen and then unable to get up.
She tried to hold onto the chair with both hands, but it was all in vain.
Gu Jiao quickly stepped forward and helped her sit down in a chair.
“You’re not a cowboy,” the old woman said.
She was blind, but she could still smell her son's scent.
"I'm here to see Li Shen," Gu Jiao said, noticing the old woman's wary expression. "I'm his friend."
The old woman touched Gu Jiao's armor, and the wariness in her cloudy eyes dissipated. She smiled and said, "Niuwazi's friend, he went out to get medicine for me. He'll be back soon. Please sit down for a while, and I'll pour you some tea."
Niuwazi was indeed Li Shen's childhood nickname.
Gu Jiao said to Li's mother, "Please sit down, I'll do it myself."
Mother Li smiled kindly and said, "Alright, don't be shy. The tea is on the table in the main room."
Gu Jiao went to pour tea. Even the teacups in their house were cracked, and there were only two stools. Apart from that, there was no other furniture in the main room.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe this household as having nothing but bare walls.
Gu Jiao went to the kitchen again. The cupboard was empty, with no leftovers. There were a few dried corncobs and a half-rotten pumpkin on the ground.
There was only half a bushel of old rice in the rice jar, and it was all infested with insects.
Gu Jiao carried the water to Li's mother's room: "Please have some tea."
"Oh dear, you come to my house and I even have to make you pour me tea. It's all because this blind old woman is useless..."
"That's not true."
-
"With so little money, it's only enough to buy three doses of medicine."
"At the pharmacy," the clerk said impatiently to Li Shen.
"Three doses it is then." Li Shen emptied his pockets, grabbed three doses of medicine, and went home.
He clearly sensed that someone had been in the yard when he entered.
A flicker of wariness flashed in his eagle-like eyes, and he rushed into the house like a whirlwind: "Mother!"
His mother was lying peacefully in bed sleeping when she was startled by his voice.
"Niuwazi, what's wrong?" Li's mother turned her head toward the direction of the voice.
Seeing that his mother was unharmed, Li Shen relaxed and came to the bedside with the medicine bag: "Mother, did someone come to our house...?"
Li's mother laughed and said, "That's right, your friends from the military camp came by. At first, I thought it was those debt collectors again..."
To treat his mother's eyes, Li Shen borrowed money from loan sharks, and debt collectors frequently came to his door.
"He also left you something." Li's mother pulled a bundle from under the blanket on the inside of the bed and handed it to Li Shen.
"Is it silver?" she asked softly.
Li Shen felt the silver as soon as he took it. He opened the bundle and found a pile of gleaming silver ingots, as well as a letter from the Black Wind Camp.
The letter explained the origin of the money: it was his demobilization pay. When the Han family was in power, someone embezzled 90% of his demobilization pay.
This is his due discharge pay, plus the interest that should have been paid to him over the years.
(End of this chapter)
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