Chapter 748: Haitang Flower

Chapter 741: Begonia

Sun Fuling strolled out of the city gate, and He Lingchuan had no choice but to follow.

Outside lay the battlefield. Tonight's moonlight was dim, but they could still see splotches of blood on the ground and signs of the struggle.

Sun Fuling kicked aside a small stone on the ground. "Not all the invaders were Jinyu people, were they?"

He Lingchuan opened his mouth to answer, only to realize that what she had kicked aside wasn't a stone at all, but someone's molar tooth. "..." He decided it was better not to tell her.

Seeing his silence, Sun Fuling asked again.

"There were Longchuan river bandits, Jinyu and other displaced people, mountain bandits, or hired mercenaries – no actual Jinyu soldiers," He Lingchuan refocused. "The Jinyu ultimately didn't dare to openly invade with an army, so they had to use scattered irregulars. However, their attack tonight was surprisingly well-organized, even if it wasn't a regular army. Hmm, whoever organized them is quite skilled."

"So, we'll have at least a month of peace?"

"I estimate they'll break up into smaller groups and continue their previous tactics, with small scouting parties still harassing the border," He Lingchuan said. "This is just my personal deduction, not definitive, and you shouldn't tell anyone else."

Sun Fuling chuckled, "Commander He, who else would I tell?"

They stood beside several fir trees. On the innermost one, the trunk was indented with a hole, exposing wood shavings inside. Sun Fuling touched the mark, a little curious.

"Hmm, what made this mark?"

At the same time, He Lingchuan, as if possessed, answered, "Teacher Qian?"

Teacher Qian was refined and fair, tall and thin. He Lingchuan had personally witnessed Teacher Qian showing affection towards Sun Fuling at Shuming Academy, his admiration completely undisguised.

Sun Fuling turned her head, surprised. "Teacher Qian? Isn't he at Shuming Academy?"

The words had barely left He Lingchuan's mouth when he realized how foolish he sounded. But remembering Teacher Sun's instruction not to casually admit mistakes, he cleared his throat. "Isn't he about to be transferred here?"

"When?" Sun Fuling blinked. "I haven't heard anything. How are your sources better than mine?" A smile was in her eyes, becoming brighter with each blink.

He Lingchuan knew she was teasing him, so he sobered his expression. "What I just said involves military secrets, concerning the safety of the entire city's residents. You must not leak it!"

Sun Fuling bit her lip but couldn't hold back a laugh. "I know!"

Beneath the dim moon, in the secluded woods, He Lingchuan could still clearly see her red lips, as vibrant and delicate as a begonia in first bloom.

Perhaps it was the evening's pervasive killing aura, or the surge of alcohol, but He Lingchuan took her by the shoulders, pulled her closer, and leaned down, saying, "Let me test whether the teacher's lips are sealed or not."

Sun Fuling instinctively took half a step back, but a fir tree stood right behind her. As her back met the tree trunk, the man's shadow completely enveloped her.

Young Master He finally got his wish and tasted the begonia. It was fragrant, soft, and very sweet. He finally understood why bees loved to linger. He finally understood why Lingguang always enjoyed pear paste. Who could refuse such a taste?

After an unknown amount of time, Sun Fuling gently pushed him away, her gaze more hazy than the moonlight, yet she gently chided:

"What did you eat? It's so spicy." With that, she spat out a clove fruit, placing it in her palm to examine it.

He Lingchuan's finger moved like the wind, snatching it up and quickly throwing it away.

"Why kiss me in a place like this?" She pointed outwards. There were bloodstains and dead bodies only ten to thirteen meters away. Others shared kisses under the moon; they, on the other hand, chose a more unconventional route.

"Uh..." He Lingchuan hadn't thought that far. He just found Teacher Sun particularly captivating in that moment, inspiring both a wicked desire and the boldness to act on it. Moreover, she had responded very well, completely unaffected by the lingering murderous aura and grimness of the battlefield.

Then, his expression turned serious.

Sun Fuling poked his arm with her fingertip. "Hey! Did acting serious mean he didn't have to answer?"

"Shh—" He Lingchuan, however, gazed into the distance and said gravely, "Come with me!"

Just now, as he looked up, he saw several red lights hovering in the low sky not far away, then descending to the ground. The lights seemed familiar; where had he seen them before?

Yet, the logistics soldiers clearing the battlefield came and went, none looking up at the sky, ignoring these red lights even when they were directly in front of them. Could they not see them?

Seeing that he had serious business to attend to, Sun Fuling, who was no ordinary woman, stopped her jesting and followed him.

Both moved silently in the night, advancing like ghosts through the woods.

Soon, a figure seemed to flicker ahead. Several red lights flew down, as if coming for him.

He Lingchuan slid forward, bursting out with a swallow-like flash to appear before the figure.

The person was startled.

Sun Fuling walked out and also saw that it seemed to be a logistics guard, picking up weapons and arrows from the ground. He appeared unremarkable, and she wondered why He Lingchuan had stopped him.

The guard stammered, "S-Sir?"

"Sir?" He Lingchuan frowned slightly. "You call me sir?"

"Ah..." The guard mumbled, "I... I just joined the army, I didn't know..."

"Everyone in Yuheng City knows me," He Lingchuan said boldly, pointing to himself. "Anyone who doesn't is a spy!"

Before the last two words were out, the person raised a hand and fired a sleeve-arrow at him, then turned and fled.

Compared to his attack, his footwork was very nimble and fast. He seemed to be an escape artist. Sun Fuling leaned against a tree, watching the spectacle without moving.

He Lingchuan hadn't finished showing off in front of the beauty when the fellow ran off, making his face darken.

The person bolted three steps, then everything went black, and he violently crashed into something hard. With a loud thud, he was flung a meter away, seeing stars and bleeding profusely from his nose. He had crashed into He Lingchuan.

He Lingchuan had materialized in front of the spy; he didn't even need to make a move. The latter almost knocked himself out, falling to the ground and struggling to get up for a long time. Sun Fuling covered her mouth, stifling a giggle. "Is He Lingchuan's body that hard now?"

"Useless! Is that how you use a sleeve-arrow?" He Lingchuan shook his head. "I certainly didn't teach you that."

He took two steps forward and kicked the spy's calf. With a crisp crack of bone and a miserable cry, the man's leg broke.

He Lingchuan had almost crippled the spy when he remembered the beautiful woman beside him. Would his violence negatively affect her impression of him?

He looked back and saw Sun Fuling leaning against the tree, smiling. There wasn't a hint of discomfort or displeasure.

This was, after all, a battlefield where hundreds of lives had just been taken. A faint scent of blood lingered in the air, likely to persist for several days.

Tonight, she still wore a snow-velvet cloak. Standing in such a grim and terrifying place, she was as clear and beautiful as a white magnolia blooming quietly in the dark night, exquisite yet not out of place.

He Lingchuan lifted the captive, propped him against the large tree, and then began searching his belongings.

Soon, his fingertips touched something cold and metallic.

(End of this chapter)