The city gates of Ruanhe were very different from those of their own Beimu Kingdom—one glance at this gate made it clear it had been thrown together in a hurry.

It was said that Ruanhe had not moved to this location very long ago. Mainly, over these past years, Ruanhe had been campaigning east and west, never once enjoying a few peaceful days.

On the streets of Ruanhe now, the common people went about their days listless and dispirited, the streets cold and desolate. Compared to the prosperity of Phoenix City, it was simply like comparing heaven to earth.

What’s more, the buildings here in Ruanhe were truly run-down. Despite having seized so many cities over the years, with presumably no small amount of plundered wealth, it looked, if anything, even poorer than one might have expected.

Xing Zizhou’s letter had said that the local customs here were simple and honest, and that the common people lived a rather hard life—it seemed he had still gone easy on the description in his writing.

How could the word “hard” alone possibly describe this?

Qiao Mu glanced at Xiao Yingtao and said in a low voice, “There’s someone watching us from behind. Mind what you say.”

“Behind us?” Xiao Yingtao wanted to turn and look, but forced herself to stop.

Since they already knew someone was following from behind, they obviously couldn’t turn to look, or they’d put the person behind them on guard.

The four of them turned into an alley…

They had originally assumed it was Ruanhe soldiers who didn’t trust them and were tailing them, but it turned out the ones following were merely two young ruffians.

Once the followers turned into the alley, they lost track of Feng Jiu’er and the others. When they realized the pair weren’t Ruanhe soldiers but two men in ragged clothes, Qiao Mu stepped out and subdued them both in one move.

“Why were you following us? Speak!” Qiao Mu threw both men to the ground, her sword pointed straight at their throats.

The man with the sword tip at his throat wore a proud, defiant expression and simply refused to speak!

The other, who appeared to be his younger brother, was terrified at the sight of the blade, and seeing his elder brother about to be killed, cried out in fright, “Don’t kill him!”

“Why exactly were you following us?” Qiao Mu glared at the younger brother, demanding an answer angrily.

“We…”

“Don’t say a word!” the elder brother said sternly. Though this elder brother looked to be no more than twenty-one or twenty-two, his brow carried far more maturity and steadiness than his younger brother’s.

But the younger brother no longer cared—what could matter more than his brother’s life? “We… we were just so hungry, we just wanted… wanted to ask you for some silver. We meant no harm!”

“Robbery, and you call that no harm?” Xiao Yingtao pursed her lips, looking unconvinced.

Feng Jiu’er, however, said calmly, “Where is your home? Take us there.”

“What do you want to do?” The elder brother’s expression darkened, and he glared at his younger brother. “Even if it costs you your life, don’t say a word. Do you want to drag them into this too?”

So it really was for the sake of family. Feng Jiu’er glanced at Qiao Mu, and Qiao Mu’s cold expression finally softened, just slightly. “We only want to see if there’s anything we can do to help.”

…Getting someone like Qiao Mu, who habitually kept a stern face, to make small talk with strangers was nearly impossible—but Xiao Yingtao was different.

In the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Xiao Yingtao and the younger brother, Tasang Dong, had already become quite familiar with each other. As for the elder brother, Tasang Nan, he remained cool and aloof, never one for conversation.

“A’Dong, why do you and your brother look so completely different? He doesn’t look like he’s from Ruanhe at all.” Feng Jiu’er only had to give her a look, and Xiao Yingtao already knew what she wanted to ask, so she came right out and asked it.

Tasang Nan, walking ahead of them, immediately darkened in expression, but since he didn’t like to talk, he didn’t bother to argue either.

Tasang Dong, on the other hand, had no guard up at all and said whatever came to mind: “Our mother was a woman from the Beimu Kingdom, and our father is a man of Ruanhe. My elder brother takes after our mother in looks, while I take after our father.”

So they were of mixed blood—no wonder they were so striking to look at.

Feng Jiu’er couldn’t help glancing once more at Tasang Nan walking ahead, though it wasn’t as if she’d lose her head over a handsome face—after all, she’d seen far more handsome men than this.

Still, she was a little curious. “Now that the great armies of Ruanhe and the Beimu Kingdom are clashing, and your mother is from the Beimu Kingdom…”

“What business is that of yours?” Tasang Nan, walking ahead, stopped in his tracks and turned to glare furiously at Feng Jiu’er, who had just spoken. “We haven’t taken anything of yours. Why must you keep following us? Get lost!”

It seemed that the fact their mother was a woman of the Beimu Kingdom was a sore point for the two brothers. Could it be that their mother had been looked down upon here because of it?

Then again, such a thing was not really surprising—this kind of discrimination existed all the time, all the more so now, with the two armies locked in confrontation.

“Big brother, they’re good people.” The younger brother, Tasang Dong, said with a smile. “Big brother, don’t keep that scowl on your face all the time. Whoever comes through the door is a guest.”

The younger brother’s temperament was truly nothing like his elder brother’s. Tasang Nan turned to glance back at Feng Jiu’er and the others, then gave a scornful snort. “Every one of you clearly skilled fighters—how would you know they’re good people?”

“If they were bad people, the two of us would already be dead by now,” Tasang Dong said with a grin.

“What A’Dong says is true. If we were bad people, would you two still be alive right now?” Xiao Yingtao said with the same grin as Tasang Dong.

Tasang Nan snorted again, unconvinced. “I’m only afraid you’re after something from us.”

“Not likely. You… look so poor. What could we possibly hope to get from you?”

Xiao Yingtao, looking at Tasang Nan, really did just speak whatever came to mind, never imagining her words might wound his pride.

Tasang Nan’s face burned, and he shot her a fierce glare before turning and continuing on ahead, no longer paying them any attention.

What she’d said wasn’t wrong—he really was poor. From someone this poor, what could anyone possibly hope to get?

But these few people were clearly no ordinary travelers, and in his heart he remained guarded.

If not for Tasang Dong’s overly warm nature, insisting on inviting them home once he learned they’d just arrived and had nowhere to stay, he would never have agreed to it.

Anyway, there was nothing at all in their house—bare walls on every side. Once these people went and took a look, they’d realize there was nothing worth their while and leave.

Unless, of course, they really were after something else entirely.

“Haha, I was just talking nonsense. A’Nan, don’t be mad, okay!” Xiao Yingtao hurried to smooth things over with a smile.

Tasang Dong didn’t think anything of it—they were poor, after all, and he was used to it.

As they walked along, they soon reached the entrance of the small village, with home almost in sight.

But before they had even stepped onto the village path, they saw several men dressed as Ruanhe soldiers coming out from within, the last of them still fastening his trouser belt as he walked.

“That damn woman—who would’ve thought, at her age, she’d still have a bit of flavor to her.”

“Exactly, haha. Women from the Beimu Kingdom really are good-looking—even at that age, her skin’s still so smooth and soft.”

“If she hadn’t married such a poor wretch, she’d probably still have quite the charm about her now. Heh, that taste was really something… let’s come back again next time, haha.”

As the men spoke filthy, vulgar words among themselves, Tasang Nan froze for an instant, then suddenly broke into a mad dash toward home…