An Jiu remained silent until Chu Dingjiang patted her shoulder, signaling she could speak.
"Ahem." An Jiu cleared her throat.
Ling Ziyue stood up and addressed her, "Are you alright, miss?"
"I'm fine," An Jiu replied.
Gao Dazhuang gave a soft snort, thinking to himself, You're fine, and so is the entire Hejian Prefecture.
"Then I can rest easy," Ling Ziyue said, cutting straight to the point. "As a member of the Crane Control Army, do you know what those immensely powerful crossbows are called? And how many the Liao army possesses?"
This matter had robbed him of sleep and appetite for days. If the Liao army had a large stock of such crossbows, even a force of a million men would fare no better than the thirty thousand had this time.
An Jiu understood the gravity of the situation—it was like the sudden emergence of devastating firearms in an era of cold weapons. She answered in detail, "They're called Raging Crossbows. We encountered them not long ago—their power is immense. However, during the purge of Liao spies, we discovered they had very few, no more than ten in total. We don’t know how many the Liao possesses, but given how rare and difficult the materials for crafting them must be, it’s unlikely they have many."
"Even a few dozen would be terrifying enough!" Ling Ziyue sighed.
The Song Dynasty also had its Weaponry Bureau, responsible for the research and production of weapons. The quality of their arms was impeccable, but they had not developed any new weapons in a long time.
"General, order Zhao Jianjun to issue the command," Gao Dazhuang suddenly interjected. "We can infiltrate Liao territory to investigate."
Chu Dingjiang frowned. This would mean An Jiu would also be thrust into danger.
The Liao was not lacking in elite warriors. For the few of them to venture deep into enemy territory would be courting disaster.
"No need to go through Zhao Jianjun. I’ll go myself," Chu Dingjiang’s deep voice resonated in the tent.
Gao Dazhuang grinned, sidling closer to him. "My lord, serving the nation and its people—what a fine official you are."
Hearing their exchange, Ling Ziyue’s grave expression eased slightly. "Today, I realize I am not alone in this path. It gladdens me."
Chu Dingjiang glanced at the unfazed An Jiu. He wasn’t doing this for the nation or its people—but for a certain oblivious fool.
Like a shadow in the night, he vanished. After a brief pause, An Jiu silently followed, trailing him far into the distance.
When they reached the open riverbank, Chu Dingjiang suddenly stopped and turned to her. "Why are you following me? Go back."
The river wind whipped his black mantle violently, the hood casting deep shadows over his face, obscuring his expression. But his tone carried displeasure. An Jiu stood ten zhang away, neither advancing nor retreating.
Seeing she wouldn’t come closer, Chu Dingjiang stepped onto the bridge.
Once across, he sensed her still tailing him. Turning, he saw her slender figure standing on the bridge. Noticing his gaze, she halted and stared back, her eyes reflecting the moonlight, bright and shimmering.
"Go back," Chu Dingjiang said.
An Jiu remained silent.
After he walked another li, the shadow was still there.
"No need to escort me a thousand li. Be good and go back," Chu Dingjiang waved dismissively.
But seeing her unmoving figure, he knew she had made up her mind to follow.
After a stalemate, Chu Dingjiang relented with a sigh. "Come here, then."
An Jiu’s brows lifted, and she dashed over swiftly.Chu Dingjiang noticed her subtle expression and felt an inexplicable joy in his heart. "Have you told Squad Leader Gao about following me to the Liao Kingdom?"
An Jiu shook her head. "He's like someone herding another family's sheep—just bringing us back and forth without much care."
Chu Dingjiang laughed heartily. "A Jiu, are you really a grown woman?"
Not just a grown woman, but an old one at that!
An Jiu looked at him in confusion. "Is there a problem?"
"You act like a child," Chu Dingjiang remarked.
"Your judgment has been off lately," An Jiu said seriously. "Given my achievements in killing, I can prove that my intellect and skills far surpass not just children, but most ordinary people."
Chu Dingjiang chuckled helplessly and patted her head. "Don’t get too proud."
An Jiu brushed his hand away. "I’m only following you because I’ve noticed a decline in your abilities. If you suddenly turn senile, at least someone can bring you back."
"I’m glad you care so much," Chu Dingjiang said, wrapping an arm around her waist and leaping forward, speeding through the moonlit night.
The wind whistled past her ears as An Jiu pressed her cheek against his chest, feeling the warmth through his clothes and listening to the steady heartbeat. A rare tranquility settled in her heart, one she had only ever felt while herding sheep—except now, it was accompanied by a warmth like basking in sunlight.
She looked up and saw his uncovered jaw, rough with stubble. Reaching up, she touched it lightly. "I want to see you."
Chu Dingjiang slowed his pace before coming to a stop.
"My face is scarred. After we return, I’ll have Mo Sigui heal it, and then you can—"
Before he could finish, An Jiu tugged at his hood.
He caught her wrist. "A Jiu."
"Mo Sigui hates you. Would he really treat you?" she asked.
"I have my ways," Chu Dingjiang replied.
"Let me see first," An Jiu insisted.
Knowing her stubbornness, Chu Dingjiang released her hand.
She pulled down his hood.
A sharply defined face was revealed—unsurprisingly, it bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Hua Rongtian. Thick brows arched toward his temples, his nose was straight, and his gaze was deep. His features were striking, but two vicious scars running from his left eye to his cheek marred his appearance. Paired with his unkempt beard, he exuded a rugged authority, a stark contrast to Hua Rongtian’s refined elegance.
No one had seen his face in years. When he had glimpsed it recently, though disfigured, it wasn’t repulsive. Still, it wasn’t whole, and Chu Dingjiang felt a flicker of unease.
An Jiu studied him for a moment. "Are you really in your twenties?"
"Yes," he answered.
"Just judging by your build and voice, I thought you were around thirty," she said.
"..." Chu Dingjiang braced himself for her bluntness but didn’t stop her.
"Hua Rongtian is almost thirty, but you look like his uncle," she continued.
In truth, Chu Dingjiang didn’t have a single wrinkle—he simply neglected his appearance, and the depth of his soul made him seem older.
"Don’t you think it’s ugly?" he asked.
An Jiu shook her head. "Just average ugly."
Chu Dingjiang sighed. "That’s good enough."……………………………………………………………………………………………………………(To be continued...)
Note:
I have a headache and eye pain today, can't continue writing. Will resume tomorrow morning. Apologies(To be continued...)
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