Hidden Shadow

"Let them come over," Ling Ziyue had expected the court to send at least a dozen people.

To his surprise, the soldier soon led in only three individuals. The one on the left appeared to be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in youthful attire, clutching a large bundle in her arms. Her almond-shaped eyes, bright and dewy, darted around nervously like a startled fawn, giving the impression that even a slightly raised voice might send her fleeing in panic.

Ling Ziyue immediately recognized her as a girl! The person beside her, however, was unmistakably a man—a man with peach-blossom eyes that exuded charm with every glance. Behind him, a scrawny child with a topknot struggled to carry a large wooden chest while balancing a heavy bamboo basket on their back, swaying unsteadily with each step. The stark contrast between this laboring child and the effortlessly graceful, empty-handed man in front was impossible to miss.

When Ling Ziyue noticed the peach-eyed man smiling at someone behind him, he realized the man must be acquainted with the female shadow unit member stationed there. Having witnessed An Jiu’s extraordinary archery skills firsthand, Ling Ziyue knew better than to underestimate the Crane Control Army based on appearances. Besides, these people were skilled in disguise—their current looks might not reflect their true identities.

However, Ling Ziyue was overthinking it. A man as vain about his looks as Mo Sigui would never smear anything on his face unless absolutely necessary!

Ling Ziyue, still clad in bloodstained armor with his battle aura yet to fade, radiated an intimidating presence. Mo Sigui inwardly sighed in admiration—what a formidable warrior. He cupped his hands in a polite salute. "I am Mo Sigui. Greetings, General."

"Master Mo, you’ve had a long journey," Ling Ziyue returned the gesture. "There’s no time to waste. Let’s discuss matters inside the tent."

He assumed the other two youngsters were mere attendants.

Mo Sigui, realizing the misunderstanding, stepped aside to let Lou Xiaowu take the lead. "This is the weapons expert sent by the court. I am merely a physician."

The moment these words left his mouth, even the soldier who had escorted them widened his eyes in shock.

Lou Xiaowu edged closer to Mo Sigui, casting a wary glance at Ling Ziyue before muttering, "Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t want to come either."

Sensing the awkward tension, Mo Sigui interjected, "This child hasn’t seen much of the world. Please forgive her lack of decorum, General."

During her time living away from home, Lou Xiaowu had been nothing more than a modest young lady. Though her education differed slightly from that of ordinary girls confined to inner chambers, her world had been limited to a small courtyard. After returning to the Lou family, she was surrounded by women, and any outings—mostly conducted under cover of night—involved veiled faces. This was her first time stepping into a camp full of rough men in broad daylight.

Ling Ziyue snapped out of his daze, schooling his expression into seriousness before offering Lou Xiaowu a respectful fist-and-palm salute. Remembering that his own tent was occupied, he gestured toward the supervisor’s tent. "Please, follow me."

Mo Sigui, meanwhile, was busy flirting with An Jiu through playful glances. Lou Xiaowu tugged at his sleeve. "Brother Mo, let’s go!"

The group filed into the supervisor’s tent.

Zhao Ling was listlessly sipping tea when the light dimmed before him. Looking up, he saw Ling Ziyue entering with several civilians. Without bothering to ask questions, he rose to his feet. "Congratulations on your triumphant return, General!"

In front of outsiders, Ling Ziyue made sure to show Zhao Ling some courtesy. "The supervisor has also worked hard on the rear lines."

After a pause, he introduced the newcomers. "This is the weapons expert dispatched by the court, and this is Miracle Doctor Mo."Ling Ziyue had been stationed at the border for years and had never heard of Mo Sigui's reputation. However, since he was a physician dispatched by the imperial court, his medical skills must be commendable, worthy of the title "Miracle Doctor."

Zhao Ling's reaction to Lou Xiaowu was far more exaggerated than Ling Ziyue's. "This... this..."

Lou Xiaowu's face was a picture of displeasure. As the head of the Lou family, she had always lived freely, doing whatever she pleased. She could hole up in her room for days or even weeks, researching weapons without anyone bothering her. Yet now, she had inexplicably been sent here, where everyone looked at her as if she were some kind of spectacle, making her feel utterly uncomfortable.

"Please, everyone, take a seat," Ling Ziyue said.

Zhao Ling snapped out of his daze and finally remembered to yield his seat to Ling Ziyue. "General, please sit."

Everyone took their seats.

"How should I address you all?" Ling Ziyue asked, his gaze settling on Lou Xiaowu.

"My name is—"

Smack!

Before Lou Xiaowu could finish, Mo Sigui flicked her forehead. Pouting, she looked at him with teary eyes.

This girl had been cooped up in her room for so long she'd become naive—she would have blurted out her full name and background without a second thought! Mo Sigui answered for her, "General, you can just call her Xiao Wu."

"Then I shall take the liberty," Ling Ziyue said. Though he was not one for formalities, he still offered a polite remark since she was a woman. He continued, "Xiao Wu, you must already be aware of the Liao Kingdom's Explosive Crossbows."

Lou Xiaowu's almond-shaped eyes brimmed with tears as she nodded. She placed the large bundle she was carrying onto the table and unwrapped it, revealing a jumble of scattered components and tools all mixed together in utter disarray.

Ling Ziyue glanced at her aggrieved little face and then at the chaotic pile, feeling a twinge of concern.

Just as he was thinking this, Lou Xiaowu swiftly picked out some of the scattered parts and assembled them without pause.

Everyone watched as her fair hands fluttered like butterflies. In mere moments, a fully assembled crossbow lay before them. Carefully, she loaded a specially crafted arrow onto it and placed it on the table. "I managed to obtain one before. After taking it apart and studying it for months, I created a new one. However, the materials used for the arrows involve certain medicinal stones, some of which are extremely rare. So, I only managed to make one..."

Ling Ziyue's sharp eyes gleamed as he stood and picked up the Explosive Crossbow. "Does this have the same destructive power as the Liao army's Explosive Crossbows?"

Lou Xiaowu nodded with unwavering certainty. "Of course. In fact, it surpasses them."

Her demeanor and tone were a stark contrast to her earlier timid appearance—this was the absolute confidence of someone in their element.

Ling Ziyue sensed the change in her and quietly set aside his earlier worries, lowering his gaze to examine the crossbow closely.

This crossbow wasn't made of wood but of a material that resembled iron yet wasn't quite iron, like bronze but not quite bronze. It felt cold to the touch. The arrow was made of the same material, its shaft thicker than that of a regular crossbow bolt. The arrowhead wasn't sharp either; instead, it was fashioned into a very pointed needle-like shape.

"Why design it like this?" Ling Ziyue asked.

"This makes it easier for the crossbow mechanism to propel it, and it reduces air resistance during flight," Lou Xiaowu explained. Seeing him about to touch the arrowhead, she quickly stopped him. "This arrow doesn't kill by piercing. Upon hitting its target at high speed, it explodes.""I see." Ling Ziyue examined it carefully before placing the crossbow mechanism back on the table. "The Liao forces have already used over a dozen Explosive Crossbows this time, all of which were destroyed by a single arrow from one of our shadow unit members. However, our investigations reveal that the Liao alone have more than twenty hidden within their Xijin Prefecture, not to mention other locations. The reason I requested weaponsmiths from the imperial court was primarily to dismantle and destroy these Weapons."

From Lou Xiaowu's tone, Ling Ziyue understood that mass-producing Explosive Crossbows would be impossible in the short term. Moreover, for those accustomed to traditional cold weapons, the sudden emergence of such devastating arms was truly hard to accept. If both sides were to employ such weapons, casualties would undoubtedly increase a hundredfold, even a thousandfold. (To be continued...)