Chapter 760: Advance!

That night, Xue San eventually found Master and told him everything he had come to say.

Third Master had gone in full of anticipation, hoping to feel his aura suddenly shoot upward in a glorious rush.

Instead, all he received was Master's calm three-word reply:

"I know."

There was not much disappointment.

Certainly no great sense of loss.

Third Master was still Third Master.

Even an iron pestle could not take as much grinding as his cock, much less his will.

He bid Master farewell.

With a flick of his sleeves...

Xue San mounted his horse and rode out of Fengxin City.

What the Demon Kings now had to prepare for and face... was the "fated showdown" waiting in the farthest north of the snowfields.

For lack of a better term.

...

Marquis Zheng slept for a while.

Not long.

When he woke, his head felt heavy and his throat hurt.

His body had never completely recovered in the first place. Last night he had run outside and stood in the cold wind, and his emotions had gone through another round of shocks and fluctuations.

For one reason and another...

Great Yan's Marquis Pingxi, a Fifth Grade minor grandmaster... had caught another cold.

At that moment, Marquis Zheng actually found himself missing the battlefield.

In the atmosphere of war, his energy, blood, and spirit naturally rose to their absolute peak.

A little cold like this would barely count as anything.

But the moment he stayed at home... his bones seemed to soften on their own.

Every trivial ache and illness immediately came knocking at the door to torment him.

After washing up, Zheng Fan headed toward Tian Tian's courtyard.

Whenever he was home, he ate breakfast with his adopted son.

Back in Yanjing, Zheng Fan had repeatedly complained about missing the boy.

That had not been an act.

The child was obedient.

Well-behaved.

Sensible.

And adorable besides.

How could anyone not treasure him?

When Zheng Fan entered, Tian Tian was organizing his books.

Because his godfather habitually slept late, Tian Tian had to finish his morning lessons before breakfast.

By now... he had apparently just finished.

He Chunlai had already set up a pot in the courtyard and was preparing breakfast.

He had actually been assigned elsewhere long ago and no longer worked as a cook.

But since he would soon be following Marquis Zheng on campaign into the snowfields, he might as well set aside the work currently in his hands and pick up his old trade again for a few days to warm up.

There was one other person here.

Princess Xiong Liqing.

She sat on a small stool, tearing flatbread into pieces.

Every so often, she looked up at Tian Tian with a smile and asked whether this or that item had already been prepared.

Compared with the devastated woman of last night... she seemed like a completely different person.

Still, Zheng Fan was not surprised to find her here.

He would have been surprised if she were not.

A woman raised inside an imperial palace would never allow herself to nurse anger overnight for long.

An Emperor who loved beauty more than his realm was not entirely mythical... but he was far too rare.

Before deciding to play the part of Lin Daiyu, one first had to check whether the man beside her was actually Jia Baoyu.

Marquis Zheng was no Emperor.

But in eastern Jin... he was not much different from a local Emperor.

And far more obviously... there was very little about Marquis Zheng that resembled Jia Baoyu.

Xiong Liqing noticed Zheng Fan and turned toward him with a sweet smile.

This man... had not come comfort her last night.

He was the man she herself had chosen.

On the day of their wedding, she had chosen to follow him away from Chu.

Yet he was also a heartless man.

At home he was always gentle.

Always easy to speak with.

But that was merely a decorative hide thrown over the selfishness and ruthlessness buried in his bones.

Still... look at it from another angle.

Hadn't Qu Peiluo been far more steady and reliable than this man?

So what?

She had looked down on him.

Whether it was the Qu Peiluo of the past or the man before her now... even if both were placed in front of her again... she would still choose the one before her.

She had chosen this road herself.

She understood perfectly.

If she dared sulk... if she deliberately locked herself inside her courtyard and refused to come out... then this man could spend tomorrow afternoon in Ruqing's courtyard listening to music.

The day after that, Siniang would return.

And the day after that, he would simply take his adopted son and leave on campaign.

Given Siniang's methods and prestige within the rear residence... if Xiong Liqing kept acting foolishly and shut herself away... she could prepare to spend the rest of her life keeping company with a blue lamp and an ancient Buddha.

Clearly... the Princess had no such intention.

If she wanted to devote herself to Buddhism, could she not have done that in Chu?

Why come all the way to Jin?

Was enlightenment somehow easier here?

"Husband."

"Mm."

Zheng Fan sat down on another small stool nearby.

"Father."

Tian Tian saluted Zheng Fan, then sat down as well.

"Here. Just eat the bowl I'm tearing for you," the Princess said with a smile when she saw Tian Tian begin tearing flatbread too.

Tian Tian answered:

"I'm tearing it for Father."

"Don't bother. You two eat paomo. I'll have noodles. Chunlai, cook me a bowl later."

"Yes, Marquis."

Marquis Zheng loved roujiamo.

Paomo... he had never acquired the taste for.

Marquis Zheng sniffed.

The Princess immediately noticed.

"Did you catch a chill?"

"A little."

"Then shouldn't you recover properly before going out?"

In this age, a cold was not some trivial illness.

"We can't delay," Zheng Fan said.

"I'll brew some medicine for Husband later."

Marquis Zheng smiled and nodded.

The paomo was soon ready.

Tian Tian ate happily.

He was at the age when his body was growing.

Anything tasted good.

The Princess ate with far more refinement.

When Zheng Fan's noodles arrived, he drank two mouthfuls of broth with chili oil.

His nose cleared immediately.

He dug in with obvious satisfaction.

After breakfast, Tian Tian said:

"Father, Brother Hu said he's taking me to drill today."

"Drill?"

"Run around the Residence."

Tian Tian asked cautiously:

"Didn't Father say... you were taking me on campaign?"

"Fine. You can go find him now. But you just ate, so wait a while before you start running."

"Yes, Father. Mr. Bei taught me that too. And Brother Hu will teach me how to meditate."

Liu Dahu had distinguished himself at the school because the Sword Saint had personally trained him and laid his foundation.

"Go."

"This child takes his leave."

He Chunlai finished clearing the dishes and left as well.

Only Zheng Fan and the Princess remained in the room.

Tian Tian's courtyard had no live-in servants.

People came every day to clean.

But no maidservants or household slaves were permanently stationed there.

The Princess fetched a basin of hot water.

She wrung out a towel.

First she wiped Zheng Fan's mouth.

Then folded the towel and wiped his hands.

Zheng Fan looked at her.

"Don't take some things too much to heart."

"This concubine won't."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really really?"

Zheng Fan asked with a smile.

The Princess suddenly hurled the towel onto the floor.

Then threw herself directly onto Zheng Fan.

Marquis Zheng was sitting on a low stool.

He had a cold.

Possibly even a slight fever.

And he had been caught entirely by surprise.

Who the hell ate breakfast while circulating blood and qi to protect himself?

So... both of them crashed to the floor.

Fortunately, Marquis Zheng had plenty of battlefield experience.

As he fell backward, he instinctively lifted and twisted his neck so the back of his skull did not smash directly into the blue bricks.

The Princess began pounding his chest.

"You bastard Zheng! You're a bastard! You're heartless! All I wanted was a child! All I wanted was the hope of having one! It's not like I wanted to bear someone else's child. I wanted to bear yours! The child would carry the surname Zheng! What right do you have to treat me like this? Fine! Before the wedding, you lied to me, touched me, whispered sweet things to coax me, and tricked me into following you back to Jin. Now you've slept with me. You've played with me. You've used me. So I don't matter anymore, is that it?"

Marquis Zheng grabbed the Princess's wrists.

"That pill had a problem. It really could help you conceive, but the price would be your body being squeezed completely dry."

Silence.

Silence...

The Princess sat up.

Marquis Zheng sat up as well.

He sat on the floor.

The Princess sat on his thighs.

"Really?" she murmured.

"Would I need to invent a reason just to lie to you?"

"Then it's probably true," the Princess said.

Because... her brother was capable of doing something like that.

She had not thought of it before because her mind had never gone in that direction.

Now that she started from the result and worked backward... yes.

It was exactly the kind of thing her brother could do.

The Princess did not keep crying.

Nor did she erupt again after learning the truth.

She simply sat there quietly.

"My legs are numb."

The Princess shifted slightly.

"Uncomfortable?"

"Maybe all that jolting back and forth to Chu made you lose weight."

The Princess glared at Zheng Fan.

Then stood and helped Marquis Zheng to his feet.

After a moment... she asked softly:

"So... that pill really could still produce a child?"

"In my eyes, a child isn't more important than its mother."

"I'm willing. Truly. You can't be without an heir."

The Princess rested her head against Marquis Zheng's chest.

"I'm willing."

Marquis Zheng knew that was a lie.

In fact... the Princess knew Marquis Zheng knew it was a lie.

But she still said it.

And Zheng Fan still raised one hand and gently stroked her hair.

A household needed harmony.

The Princess's tantrum had been deliberate.

Marquis Zheng had actually been waiting for it too.

Let her make a fuss.

Let them argue.

Then the matter could be considered finished.

No need to leave a hard knot buried there forever.

Even the things she had cursed him with earlier had never truly reached the point of reckless abuse.

To a man's ears... those words were not merely painless.

They sounded almost like sweet talk.

Two veterans of troubled waters both understood the routine.

Both cooperated in giving the other a way down.

That was not some scheme played between family members.

It was called... maintaining a relationship.

"I'll soak in the bath. Sweat the chill out."

"All right. I'll draw the water for you."

Marquis Zheng did not practice the saber that morning.

It was only in the afternoon that he finally walked into the training yard looking refreshed.

The cold that had entered his body last night seemed to have been forced out.

Only... his body felt somewhat more hollow than before.

The Princess had grown tired from "drawing the water" too and gone back for an afternoon nap.

Fortunately, Marquis Zheng had never practiced the saber with much showmanship.

He never deliberately sprayed blood and qi around just to create light or spectacle.

His movements were plain.

Simple.

Practical.

After practice, he had a servant bring a hot towel and wiped himself down.

Then he went to the office and handled a few matters.

By the time dusk approached...

Siniang and the Blind Man returned.

They had arrived more than a day earlier than expected.

Clearly, they had rushed home without wasting a moment.

That night... the household ate another reunion dinner.

At dawn the next morning... the column departed.

There truly was no delay at all.

Their departure from the city was quiet.

There was no need for grand spectacle.

The later outsiders learned that Great Yan's Marquis Pingxi had inexplicably launched a distant expedition into the snowfields... the better.

As usual, the Blind Man remained behind to hold the household together.

A foundation this large simply could not be left without someone watching, managing, and putting everything in order.

Every other Demon King... departed with Zheng Fan.

Household matters had been settled quickly.

What remained ahead... was iron and blood.

This would be a simple campaign.

The enemy's strength could not possibly be that formidable.

Yet it was also a campaign in which they absolutely did not want any unexpected mistake.

...

The second day after Marquis Zheng's party left Fengxin City... the Blind Man entered Marquis Pingxi Residence.

Xiong Liqing received him.

"Mr. Bei, why have you come to see me?"

Marquis Pingxi Residence was unlike Marquis Zhenbei Residence.

When the man was away... the woman did not take control.

Strictly speaking, even when Marquis Pingxi himself was present... he hardly handled daily affairs.

Much less when he was gone.

So Xiong Liqing understood that the Blind Man had definitely not come to consult her on some governmental matter.

"Madam, you already know about that pill, I assume?"

"I know."

"Madam is intelligent. You have always understood how to distinguish one matter from another. Still, this subordinate must say one thing. The imperial palace is the imperial palace. Marquis Pingxi Residence... is Marquis Pingxi Residence."

"Mr. Bei, whatever you wish to say, speak plainly."

The Princess was not being sarcastic.

Before the Blind Man... she genuinely lacked the confidence to treat him like an ordinary subordinate.

"In an imperial palace, anything can be sacrificed. But here in the Residence..."

The Blind Man smiled.

Paused.

Then continued:

"So long as you regard yourself as one of Marquis Pingxi Residence's people... we will never abandon one of our own."

The Princess lifted her head slightly and looked at the Blind Man.

Then she nodded.

"I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Bei. But did you come to see me today only to say these things?"

The Blind Man shook his head.

"No. Everything before this was merely opening remarks and groundwork."

"Oh? Then what exactly do you wish to tell me?"

The Blind Man said:

"The probability is not high. But for safety's sake, starting today you need to..."

"What must I do?"

"Watch what you eat."

...

At last...

Marquis Zheng's column reached Snow Sea Pass.

They needed three days of necessary rest here.

At the same time, they had to wait for the Hailan Tribe and other Savage tribes near Snow Sea Pass to assemble their warriors.

Xue San had entered the snowfields early with his people, scouting ahead.

Siniang went to inspect the medicinal herbs stored for use.

A'Ming checked the provisions.

Liang Cheng took responsibility for organizing and grouping the Savage warriors as they arrived.

Fan Li took Sword Maid outside the city to look for the young trees the two of them had planted together years ago.

Marquis Zheng brought Gou Moli and the Sword Saint up onto the city wall to enjoy the scenery and "reminisce about the past."

Tian Tian, bundled up like a tiny rice dumpling, struggled up the steps one by one behind them.

The child's clothes were simply too thick.

Even lifting his legs had become difficult.

Liu Dahu walked close beside him.

A saber hung from his waist.

On this expedition, he was one of Marquis Zheng's personal guards.

His most important duty, however... was protecting Tian Tian.

"Hup... hup... hup..."

At last, Tian Tian reached the top of the wall.

He bent at the waist and panted twice.

The problem was not only his thick clothing.

Underneath, he also wore a child-sized suit of golden-thread soft hedgehog armor woven by Siniang.

The red stone containing the Demon Child had been placed inside a large pouch and hung around Tian Tian's neck.

Marquis Zheng's care for this adopted son genuinely knew no bounds.

Many of the protective measures he normally used for himself... had now been strapped onto Tian Tian.

Tian Tian saw the three adults standing farther away but did not go over to disturb them.

Instead, he walked toward a crenellation and tried jumping a few times.

He could not get high enough.

Liu Dahu laughed.

Then crouched.

"Your Highness, climb on."

Tian Tian hesitated.

"Little Brother. Get on Big Brother's shoulders."

Tian Tian climbed onto Liu Dahu's back.

Liu Dahu stood.

At last...

Tian Tian could see the vast world north of Snow Sea Pass.

"Wow..."

The child let out a gasp.

It was a landscape of endless winter, snow stretching without limit beneath the sky.

Incomparably vast.

Anyone seeing it for the first time would be shaken.

Within sight, groups of Savage warriors summoned by Marquis Pingxi Residence could be seen gathering toward the camps beneath the city wall.

Liu Dahu held Tian Tian's legs with both hands.

"Back then, these Savages were the ones who fought their way in through here. Granny said they killed a lot of people."

Then...

Liu Dahu added:

"But the Marquis still drove them back out."

...

"We're back again."

Marquis Zheng sighed.

Beside him, Gou Moli and the Sword Saint said nothing.

Both men had once left memories of themselves at Snow Sea Pass... no.

They had left memories upon this world.

Before Snow Sea Pass, the Sword Saint had broken a thousand cavalry alone and carved out a place in the world for swordsmen of the jianghu.

Gou Moli had led a Savage army through Snow Sea Pass and nearly realized the Sacred Race's eight-hundred-year dream of revival.

The problem was... their memories directly conflicted with one another.

Marquis Zheng brushed snow from the crenellation with one hand.

"Frozen earth and bitter cold. Winter really isn't a good time to campaign across the snowfields."

Gou Moli bowed slightly.

"Master speaks truly."

Fortunately... the troops mobilized this time were Savage forces.

First, Marquis Pingxi Residence could use the opportunity to strip some fat from these wild dogs it had fed well.

Second... it could reduce its own losses as much as possible.

But even for Savage troops... a winter expedition into the far north remained brutally difficult.

Zheng Fan smiled.

"Now I think I understand a little why the First Emperor did something as absurd in later eyes as searching for an elixir of immortality."

Gou Moli did not understand the reference.

He simply assumed Zheng Fan meant some Emperor from the distant past.

He was a Savage.

His knowledge of the history of all Xia was incomplete.

That was natural enough.

The Sword Saint frowned faintly.

The First Emperor?

Which dynasty's Emperor was that?

Some people's ambitions were destined to be incomprehensible even to many of those standing beside them.

This expedition was no different.

Even the Sword Saint, who knew part of the truth, still felt Zheng Fan's suspicions were too severe.

The whole thing seemed mystical and paranoid enough to suit a Qi Refiner.

Gou Moli, meanwhile, wore an expression that essentially said:

As long as Master is happy.

Whatever you want done... we'll help you do it.

Who made you Master?

Marquis Zheng spread both arms.

Facing that boundless expanse ahead... he closed his eyes.

He said nothing more.

Two days later... the north gate of Snow Sea Pass opened.

Three thousand cavalry personally led by Liang Cheng escorted their Marquis out through the pass.

Marquis Zheng wore black armor and rode his Pixiu.

Tian Tian sat in front of him.

When the surrounding Savage auxiliary troops saw Marquis Pingxi Residence's Double-Headed Eagle Banner... saw that Pixiu... and the figure seated atop it... they all dropped to their knees.

They prostrated themselves before Great Yan's Marquis Pingxi.

Surrounded by such a spectacle...

Tian Tian's little face flushed bright red with excitement.

Marquis Zheng lowered his head and looked at his adopted son.

Then he threw back his head and laughed.

Wuya came free of its sheath.

Marquis Zheng gave the order:

"Advance!"

[End of Chapter 760]