Book 14: Chapter 38: Cold
Book 14: Chapter 38: Cold
By Rudong City’s southern gate, over a thousand Yunqin soldiers were currently passing through.
Most of them were mutually supporting each other, their bodies wounded. Some whose injuries were more serious were even more so carried on stretchers, unable to even stand up straight.
No matter how elite the Yunqin soldiers, they were still people in the end, not machines. That was why the military naturally had their own considerations, they would move those that were already beaten and tired on the front lines to the back to rest and recover.
This group of wounded individuals were sent back from South Tomb Province’s very front lines. Just from the degree of damage on their black armors, they could imagine just how cruel the battles they experienced were. Towards these soldiers who used their lives to defend Yunqin’s dignity and territories, Yunqin’s people naturally carried the greatest respect.
That was why even if their own livelihoods became difficult because of the war, there were still countless cities’ common people who lined the streets in welcome. From time to time, there were people who stuffed food they normally were even reluctant to eat into their arms.
Those who welcomed back these brave men returning from the front lines naturally included people from the military.
Many high ranking officers and soldiers stood solemnly in formation, showing these brave men who traveled through blood and flames military salutes.
These over a thousand Yunqin soldiers who were transferred back from the front lines were originally filled with excitement and passion. However, when they saw the military uniforms of several officers among the formations, the expressions of many of these wounded individuals became furious and cold. Many people even spat out fiercely onto the ground when they walked past these officials.
The faces of these military central administration officials became snow-white.
They lowered their heads, their bodies even starting to continuously tremble from anger and shame.
They understood why these soldiers who were transferred back from the front lines would produce these types of actions, but they couldn’t direct their anger towards these soldiers, they could only feel shame at their own anger. Several days ago, an official in their central administration already committed suicide to escape punishment. However, forget about others not believing this, even their very own central administration officers didn’t believe that this official who committed suicide sold out that small troop for no special reason at all.
However, regardless, when the truth came to light, their central administration had to shoulder the humiliation. All of them, even if they had to throw away their own lives, wanted to kill the one who did such a sinister thing behind the scenes. However, right now, they could only endure this type of humiliation and anger.
…
As the first snow of the south fell, South Tomb Province’s battles became fewer and fewer. Yunqin and Great Mang’s military all welcomed their respective time to catch their breath.
However, following some issues in the military, following the death of a Green Luan student, all of Yunqin Military’s high ranking officers were shrouded in a layer of shadows that became thicker and thicker.
“You are certain that there is no mistake with this information?”
In Central Continent City, Martial Sector Vice Sector Head Feng Qianhan took a deep breath, doing his best to calm his mood. Even if he knew that there was no way the information that entered his hands could be false, he still couldn’t help but ask this official standing in front of him.
The grizzled hair Martial Sector Military Intelligence Officer swallowed his own saliva. He looked at him and nodded his head, but his voice was still dry. “There are no issues.”
In front of Feng Qianhan’s body was a fire pan.
He threw these secret reports into the fire pan. The fire pan burned even more furiously, but Feng Qianhan’s hand felt even colder.
“That is why according to the current reports, he is heading towards Central Continent City?”
“What does he wish to do in Central Continent City?”
Even though he told himself that he had to remain completely calm, when faced with the mountainous pressure, Feng Qianhan still continuously shouted out these two sentences, losing his cool a bit.
The grizzled haired Martial Sector high ranking officer shook his head in a somewhat difficult manner.
He obviously had no way of knowing what Lin Xi was thinking inside. He obviously didn’t know the answer to these types of questions.
Apart from Green Luan Academy’s people, no one knew that when the emperor and Wen Xuanshu’s conflict ended, Lin Xi already set his resolution to send his parents and sister to Tangcang. For his family, Tangcang was the safest place. At the same time, it was equivalent to giving Tangcang a promise. Moreover, Lin Xi didn’t know when the emperor would suddenly launch an attack, so he was in a rush, carrying out his wedding in a rush, in a rush to send his people out.
However, it was precisely because they didn’t know what Lin Xi was thinking inside that in the eyes of most of Yunqin’s military and influential figures, after there was an issue with that small troop, Lin Xi suddenly sent away all of his family, moreover, Yunqin military was unable to find out where Lin Xi sent his family… Lin Xi actually already set his resolution a while ago, but now, when all of this was revealed before the eyes of Yunqin Military and some of the royal court’s higher ranked officials, it seemed especially terrifying.
Meanwhile, what made people feel even more horror and alarm was that no one knew where Lin Xi sent his family, but Lin Xi’s own whereabouts wasn’t kept a secret at all.
According to some of the indications, the carriage Lin Xi was riding in was currently heading towards Central Continent City in a manner that wasn’t too fast or too slow.
When something happened to that returning small troop in Meteor Lake’s southern shore, when Lin Xi’s good Green Luan Academy friend died in battle, the eyes of all of the truly influential figures under the sky firmly gathered on Lin Xi’s body.
Right now, it wasn’t just Feng Qianhan, many people knew that this carriage currently carrying Lin Xi was calmly heading towards Central Continent City. Following the days Lin Xi left Swallow Descent Town until today, Lin Xi’s performance on the surface was always extremely calm, but this type of calmness that pretended like absolutely nothing happened instead made the great figures in Yunqin Empire feel even more fear.
…
“He sent away all of his family members, now heading towards Central Continent City? What is he planning to do?”
Di Choufei who was dressed in everyday clothes scrubbed his two old horses while speaking towards the advisor who gave him this report with a sneer of mockery. “Could it be that he even dares to come and kill me, or perhaps kill his majesty?”
Xu Ziqing, the number one advisor under him, wasn’t relaxed at all, nervously and coldly thinking that this wasn’t entirely impossible.
“If it was somewhere else, he might still have this type of courage, but this is Central Continent City. Could it be that he wishes to drag many of Green Luan Academy’s men to death with him in this city?” Di Choufei could see through the thinking of his right hand advisor. He shook his head, saying calmly and confidently, “He isn’t that type of person who has the heart to drag down so many people to the death with him. Wenren Cangyue also made his friend die in Jadefall City, but even now, isn’t Wenren Cangyue still fine and well?”
“This is even more so let alone the fact that there is no chance of any clues being discovered from those dead people, no one has any evidence to link Li Kaiyun’s death with me. Apart from his majesty issuing an imperial edict for me to marry Leng Family’s honorable daughter, there isn’t much else that will draw suspicion to me. Even if they suspect me, there wouldn’t be any proof. Without any proof, someone like him, could it be that he will be like those cultivators from Jiang Family, directly unleash a great slaughter in Central Continent City?”
Di Choufei looked at his trusted aide’s expression that was still grave with a bit of mockery, adding, “Do not forget that even Yunqin’s law was established by Green Luan Academy and the late emperor. If Lin Xi wishes to disregard Yunqin law, it is equivalent to overthrowing Green Luan Academy himself. At that time, compared to Jiang Family and the other ruffians, those criminals condemned by the royal court, will there be any difference? Of course, if you are still worried, you can naturally make some preparations. Just prepare things as if you are preparing for an assassination directed at me.”
Only when he heard Di Choufei’s words, did Xu Ziqing’s grave expression ease a bit, nodding and saying, “I will do my best to make preparations.”
Di Choufei lowered the water bucket, using a brush to scrub the back of the horses, slowing saying, “However, I just cannot understand something. Since he is coming to Central Continent City… Green Luan Academy has Divine Wooden Flying Cranes, so why doesn’t he just directly take a Divine Wooden Flying Crane here? Why does he have to waste half a month of time along the way? What is he secretly doing during this period of time, who has he contacted? Also, Jiang Xiaoyi and the others, where did they go? These are the things I wish to know, this is where I feel the most apprehension.”
“His whereabouts aren’t hidden at all.” Xu Ziqing said with a low voice. “I will have someone investigate in more detail.”
…
The carriage that carried Lin Xi slowly moved through Yunqin’s official road, moving through Yunqin’s winter day.
Jiang Xiaoyi, Bian Linghan, Qin Xiyue and Hua Jiyue were currently seated on the back of a Divine Wooden Flying Crane, flying through the extremely cold skies.
The four of them were all silent.
Even though it had already been many days since the information arrived and they went through repeated confirmation, the four of them still couldn’t believe that this hot-blooded bumpkin student was already far from them, that they would never see him again.
“He was always the fella Lin Xi was most worried about.” Jiang Xiaoyi controlled the Divine Wooden Flying Crane, suddenly slowing down, saying this in the cold sky.
Bian Linghan, Qin Xiyue and Hua Jiyue looked at his back that was already covered in frost. They didn’t understand what Jiang Xiaoyi’s intentions in speaking these words right now were.
It was because all of them found this extremely hard to accept. That was why during these days, they all avoided mentioning Li Kaiyun’s name, to the extent where they didn’t talk about Li Kaiyun or Lin Xi even once.
“Lin Xi met him earlier than all of us. He met Li Kaiyun and Meng Bai the very first day he arrived in Spirit Summer Lake and Green Luan’s entrance examination.” Jiang Xiaoyi’s voice instead sounded again. “I can still remember how he gave Li Kaiyun advice back then.”
“Li Kaiyun, in his heart, might not only be a good friend, he might already be viewed like his own little brother.”
“I am just worried, after he received this type of information, what kind of crazy actions will he make? However, he is still calm, acting as if nothing is wrong. He is only doing what he should, as if he didn’t even receive the news.” Jiang Xiaoyi turned around. He looked at the three individuals behind him whose clothes were also covered in frost. “Lin Xi is too calm… in the past, he has always remained an extremely calm person. Back when I was together with him, I’ve always wondered, when someone this easygoing went mad, just what would he be like? Now, I’ve seen it… When he goes mad, he will instead become completely cold and calm.”
“He has already gone crazy.” Jiang Xiaoyi looked at Bian Linghan and the others, nodding his head in a slow and difficult manner, quietly and positively saying, “He can and will do anything.”