“This subordinate was just…”

“Just suspecting I have connections with Danzhi?”

“This subordinate…”

Han Ling Qiu was originally a silent man not good with words. Now that Duan Xu had hit upon his thoughts, he didn’t know how to gloss over it, so he simply looked up at Duan Xu and said directly: “Yes.”

Duan Xu laughed heartily. Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, he showed no anger: “I asked Officer Han to investigate spies, but didn’t expect the first investigation to land on me. Are you afraid I’ve colluded with the Huqi people and am putting on an act here?”

Han Ling Qiu’s suspicions weren’t unreasonable; there had been precedent in the previous dynasty. Decades ago, when Huqi people were still harassing the Central Plains border, a general from the Dasheng Dynasty had communicated with the Huqi and coordinated to stage a show of defeating them. That general not only gained countless military merits but could also demand money and grain from the court, which he then shared with the Huqi.

Later, that general tried the same trick again, staging a performance with the Huqi while secretly leaking military intelligence, allowing them to seize the territories of three prefectures. By the time he planned to make his grand entrance and reclaim the lost territories, the Huqi, with their expanding appetite, were no longer satisfied with the money and grain he could provide. They advanced deep into the territory, eventually leading to the true downfall of the Dasheng Dynasty.

“This subordinate… does not know, which is why I seek the General’s explanation,” Han Ling Qiu bowed deeply.

Duan Xu looked at Han Ling Qiu with a warm smile for a while, then said: “Why must I answer your questions?”

After a pause, he continued: “Officer Han has been watching me closely. Could it be you think we’ve met before? I’ve heard Officer Han escaped from Danzhi to Great Liang; I fear your connections with Danzhi are more numerous than mine?”

“Those matters concerning Danzhi, I don’t remember…” Han Ling Qiu hurriedly explained.

“If you don’t remember, why do you feel I’m an acquaintance of yours, perhaps even an acquaintance from Danzhi?”

Duan Xu moved closer to Han Ling Qiu, raising his chin somewhat provocatively as he looked at him: “Officer Han, since you can’t provide answers, why do you come to me for them? If I were to speak words that condemn your heart, saying you came from Danzhi with an unclear background and are likely a spy, how would you refute that?”

Han Ling Qiu fell silent. The long scar on his face appeared even more gloomy and frightening in this silence.

At this tense moment, Duan Xu suddenly burst into inappropriate laughter. In a relaxed manner, he said: “Having the courage to suspect me shows bravery. Officer Han, I’ll pretend I never heard about today’s matter. Rest assured, if Shuozhou Prefecture truly falls, I have no intention of surviving alone.”

He stepped back a few paces, clasped his hands in salute, then turned and walked away, his upturned eyes containing a layer of light, his blue sash fluttering like youthful spirit.

Han Ling Qiu’s gaze shifted slightly. He felt he had seen such a person somewhere before.

This type of person was too distinctive; he couldn’t have mistaken him.

He Simu thought she had uncovered one layer of Duan Xu’s background. Although she still didn’t know exactly who this young man was, at least he wasn’t the real Duan Xu. Continuing to probe like this, who knew how long it would take to find out more. She should find an opportunity to lay her cards on the table and have a good discussion about their five senses borrowing transaction.

Would anyone in this world be indifferent to the power of the Ghost King? Although she found glory, wealth, fame, and fortune extremely boring if Duan Xu wanted these things, she could consider granting them within reason—though she couldn’t agree to everything. For instance, if he wanted to kick the current emperor of Great Liang off the throne and take his place, she wouldn’t help.

But would what Duan Xu wanted to be so ordinary?

Unfortunately, during this period, Duan Xu was as busy as a spinning top—repelling two Danzhi attacks, seizing opportunities to reinforce the city walls, and catching Danzhi troops trying to dig tunnels into the prefecture city, then smoking them to death with fire in those tunnels. It was as if these enemy troops were ground moles that could pop up from anywhere, and he was the Thousand-Armed Guanyin swatting them.

He Simu couldn’t find a good opportunity and could only occasionally wander around him in her ethereal soul state.

By the Laba Festival, the Tabai Army didn’t skimp on the porridge they distributed to the common people, nor on the gifts they presented. Shuozhou Prefecture appeared like a scene of great peace and prosperity.

This joyful atmosphere made He Simu feel as if she were watching condemned prisoners eating their last meal, completely unaware of their impending death.

When the midnight hour came, Duan Xu finally finished his work and returned to his bedchamber, lighting a lamp as he prepared to wash up and rest. He couldn’t see the uninvited guest in the room—He Simu sitting in his sandalwood chair, examining this potential transaction partner with great interest.

Duan Xu, who typically preferred solitude, didn’t call for anyone to help him change his clothes. The dignified Tabai general didn’t even have a proper servant.

In the dim lamplight, Duan Xu removed his armor and outer garments, his thin clothes outlining his tall, sturdy figure. He wasn’t a powerfully built man like Wu Sheng Liu, but rather leaned toward Han Ling Qiu’s agile physique, like a silent snow leopard.

As He Simu watched, she thought about Duan Xu’s previous sparring with Wu Sheng Liu and his performance on the battlefield. His senses must be very keen, his reactions abnormally swift.

—His perception was of the highest caliber among mortals; borrowing it for experience should be quite good.

Before Duan Xu returned, He Simu had already circled his room once, seeing small drawings with his signature tucked among his books, and a xiao flute standing by the shelf.

Feng Yi had mentioned that in the Southern Capital, Duan Xu’s skill in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting was also well-known. This probably wasn’t fabricated; Duan Xu was unlikely to be color-blind or tone-deaf.

He Simu earnestly evaluated Duan Xu’s five senses. However, mortals who could bear forming a pact with her were extremely rare in this world—in three hundred years to meet one such as Duan Xu, even if he truly were color-blind and tone-deaf, she couldn’t exchange him for someone else in this transaction.

As she pondered, Duan Xu in front of her had begun to remove his inner garments. The light-colored inner clothes slipped to his elbows, revealing fair skin and flowing lines of muscle and bone—as well as criss-crossing scars that set against his skin resembled crackled white porcelain.

These scars were in dangerous positions but pale in color, appearing to be old wounds from years past.

He Simu thought, but Duan Xu was only about nineteen years old now, how old could these “years past” be? Six or seven years old?

What exactly was this young general doing as a child?

As the clothes fell to Duan Xu’s waist, He Simu suddenly spotted a scar on his waist, as if something had been branded onto it with a hot iron, then burned smooth again later. Just as she tried to get a closer look, Duan Xu suddenly gathered up his fallen clothes, covering the scar once more.

He raised his eyes to look around the empty room, frowned, and said softly: “Strange.”

He Simu stood less than three feet in front of him, waiting for him to continue undressing.

Her father had been very skilled in human anatomy, and while she was still young, she had inappropriately followed her father and seen countless naked bodies, long since becoming accustomed to such sights.

But Duan Xu slowly put his removed inner garments back on. He checked the doors and windows all around, looking puzzled. He must have felt someone was watching him.

No person was watching—but a ghost was.

He Simu watched as Duan Xu gave up on his bath, wore his inner clothes securely and properly, went to his bed, and lay down to rest—the blanket also wrapped tightly around him, not revealing the slightest glimpse of skin.

This young general was quite vigilant.

He Simu passed through the wall, leaving his bedroom, thinking that the reason he liked to be alone was probably because his senses were too sharp, and having people around made him mentally tense.

In any case, he qualified as her pact partner.

On the night of the Laba Festival, Duan Xu did not sleep soundly. Before sleeping, he had a strange feeling, as if some overpowering force beside him made it hard to breathe. Because his intuition had been extremely accurate for many years, he remained in a state of tension all night, unable to relax.

This tension was something he hadn’t experienced since he was fourteen.

So the next day, Duan Xu wasn’t in good spirits, appearing in the military camp with dark circles under his eyes. Wu Sheng Liu laughed loudly as soon as he saw Duan Xu, walking over to him with his chest puffed out, saying: “The General is indeed young, getting so scared of the impending matter that he couldn’t sleep. Don’t worry, today with me, Wu Sheng Liu, leading the charge, it will be foolproof.”

Wu Sheng Liu, usually suppressed by Duan Xu, finally found an opportunity to show off in front of him. His “Will this work?” from a few days ago had now transformed into today’s “foolproof.”

The day after the Laba Festival was the date they had set to raid the grain supplies via the hidden mountain path.

Duan Xu raised his tired eyes to look at Wu Sheng Liu. Although his sleepless night had nothing to do with today’s grain raid, he still smiled in agreement with Wu Sheng Liu’s assumption: “That’s right, after all, this is a matter of life and death. Without feelings of fear, where would the virtue of courage come from?”

Just as Wu Sheng Liu was about to continue showing off, Duan Xu’s hand fell on his shoulder, speaking rather meaningfully: “Therefore, Commander Wu, you must remain in the city.”

“What do you mean by that? You don’t trust me, Wu Sheng Liu?” Wu Sheng Liu was angry.

“If I don’t return, you will command the overall situation in the city. The Tabai Army will serve you, and I can rest easy. I’ve written to Commander Qin about the situation in the city. If the situation on the Yuzhou battlefield eases, he will find a way to send troops to rescue Tabai.”

Wu Sheng Liu was stunned. He looked at Duan Xu, then at Meng Wan, and said somewhat stiffly: “Then… why don’t you stay in the city and let us go raid the grain?”

Duan Xu was silent for a moment. He patted Wu Sheng Liu’s shoulder and smiled: “If we fail to get the grain and I’m still in the city, will Commander Qin still rescue Tabai?”

“Since we all serve Great Liang, how could Commander Qin not rescue us?” Wu Sheng Liu was puzzled.

“He would naturally rescue your Tabai, but not my Tabai. Commander Wu, listen to me: with your temperament, don’t even think about becoming an official in the capital. The current factional struggles are truly like deep water and raging fire. Going there would be like jumping into a cauldron of oil.”

Duan Xu turned to pick up his helmet. Wu Sheng Liu couldn’t see his expression, only hearing his lamentation: “In this cauldron of oil, your people, even more than the enemies from the northern bank, eagerly await your death.”

His tone made it sound like he was joking, seemingly half-true and half-false.

Commander Wu was dumbfounded, feeling once again overshadowed by this young man. But the words from this young man’s mouth were too profound and sorrowful, leaving him momentarily speechless.

He watched as Duan Xu selected Han Ling Qiu and his eight hundred troops, walking out of the tent with a calm and composed demeanor. He suddenly thought this was still a youth not yet twenty years old, a full decade younger than himself.

Why the hell did he have a feeling of being protected by this young man?