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"Ah Ning, I love you!"

After dinner, Zichuan Xiu read the letter he had received, then said tenderly to Zichuan Ning, who was drinking tea.

With a clatter, Shirakawa's teacup fell to the floor. Roger broke into a violent coughing fit—the cake he had half eaten was stuck in his throat, and he could barely breathe. Changchuan's mouth hung open wide enough to fit two eggs; he was so dumbfounded that he did not even notice Roger taking the chance to feel around in his wallet...

Zichuan Ning felt her heart race, her breathing turn shallow, and her face burn as if it were on fire—the fire of joy! Had she not spent all these years longing and waiting desperately to hear those words from the man she loved? And today, at last...

"I love you!" Zichuan Xiu said solemnly. "So—lend me some money! Damn the Commanders' Office. Di Lin clearly started that duel, so why did they send me the bill for the damaged furniture? Last month's pay all went toward settling that lousy Tianmeng Restaurant debt—come to think of it, I still haven't settled accounts with you, you brat Shirakawa! Hey, Ah Ning, where are you going? I'm not finished yet! Don't go...!"

"Honestly, young girls these days. She ran off before even hearing the whole confession—no sincerity toward love at all! What is the world coming to?"

Zichuan Xiu sighed, then turned to Shirakawa with deep affection. "Shirakawa, I love you..."

With a sharp smack, countless golden stars appeared before Zichuan Xiu's eyes—each one shaped like a gold coin!

A servant came to announce that Sterling, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, had arrived.

Zichuan Xiu was overjoyed and went out to greet him in the guest room.

Sterling was twenty-three at the time, at the brilliant peak of his youth, radiating vigorous vitality from head to toe. He was of average height, with a neat crew cut, light brown skin, sharp eyes, and a strikingly handsome face. Unlike Zichuan Xiu's pale, idle, playboyish air, or Di Lin's arrogant, iceberg-like chill, Sterling possessed the rugged masculinity and crisp, decisive bearing unique to a soldier. Open and upright in conduct, dignified in manner, straightforward in style, and cheerful in temperament.

Historians of later generations would admiringly call Sterling "the model soldier of the golden age." Zichuan Xiu, his contemporary, had a simpler assessment: "Sterling was born to be a soldier!"

Zichuan Ning had once compared the temperaments of the Family's three outstanding figures: "Sterling is a fierce tiger, with the bearing of a king. Di Lin is like a cobra—cold, cruel, and hard to approach. As for Zichuan Xiu... he is impossible to describe. I can only say he is like a slug..."

To keep their conversation secret, the two spoke in the garden.

"I heard you went to the Commanders' Office today. Who did you meet?"

Zichuan Xiu described everything that had happened that day. Sterling listened closely, then finally let out a long sigh. "Di Lin has had it hard! He is in the most dangerous position. The pressure on him must be immense."

"But the intelligence he provided is indeed valuable. What are you planning to do with those two traitors on your side?"

"It is enough that I know. If I move against them now, wouldn't that be openly telling Yang Minghua that Di Lin is one of us?"

"Second Brother, I have always had a question. Since everyone knows Yang Minghua is no good, why has Chief Zichuan Canxing not recalled the Far East Army to deal with him? Could Chief Canxing really be as..." Zichuan Xiu swallowed the word "stupid."

"No one knows Zichuan Canxing's true nature," Sterling said with a sigh. "Even though I could be considered his most trusted subordinate, I often feel I cannot see through him. But he is definitely no fool. Haven't plenty of people called you an idiot, a wastrel, a playboy, and a simpleton?"

Zichuan Xiu smiled faintly. He thought of Roger, Shirakawa, and Changchuan.

"As for recalling the main army to deal with Yang Minghua, that is unrealistic. To handle the Central Army's 170,000 troops, we would need to draw at least 200,000 men from the Far East Army, 100,000 from the Border Defense Army, and 80,000 from the Black Flag Army. A military movement of that scale could never be hidden from Yang Minghua's spies. It would only force him into rebellion at once. Then we would all be finished."

Zichuan Xiu gave a wry smile. "So everyone has something to fear!"

"Exactly. No one dares tear off the mask and confront the others openly. Right now, everyone is working in the shadows." Sterling said, "Di Lin's warning to you was sincere. Be extra careful—the Imperial Capital has seen many people ambushed in dark alleys lately. Every morning, the garbage collectors have to haul away piles of corpses. Many powerful and prominent figures have ended like that. Last week, my deputy, Vice Banner Captain Shu, got drunk in a tavern and was taken away. Three days later, we found his body by the moat."

"And you..." Zichuan Xiu knew his friend's temperament too well. Sterling would never simply let that go.

"Oh, nothing much. But two days ago, I heard that Lei Xiaoyun, Banner Captain and adopted son of Commander Lei Xun, was found dead in his mistress's home. Zhibu Shao, the Imperial Capital's public security authority, believes it was a home invasion robbery. They are searching for the killer among the unemployed vagrants and street thugs. Truly unfortunate!"

Zichuan Xiu burst into laughter. Sterling was even funnier when someone as serious as him tried to be humorous.

"So, Axu, what are you planning to do?"

"Oh dear, it sounds so dangerous. Honest, obedient, timid Zichuan Xiu had better stay far away. Once you two giants have settled your accounts, I'll come back and shake hands with the winner."

"Honest, obedient, timid—who are you talking about?"

The two exchanged glances and saw endless amusement in each other's eyes.

"Come help me, Axu! Let us serve the Chief together."

"Sterling, I remember that when we were very young, you, Di Lin, and I swore loyalty to Miss Zichuan Ning under the witness of the late Lord Zichuan Yuanxing. Have you forgotten?"

"I remember. But under the current circumstances, only by helping Lord Zichuan Canxing deal with Yang Minghua can we protect Miss Ning, isn't that right?"

Zichuan Xiu still hesitated...

"I know you blame Lord Canxing over what happened six years ago. But at that time, Lord Canxing had only just become Chief, and Yang Minghua controlled the entire political situation. He had no choice but to join Yang Minghua in dealing with you! But afterward, he often told me how deeply he regretted letting a meritorious man like you suffer such humiliation. He sincerely regrets it. Please forgive him."

"Besides, you and he now share a common enemy in Yang Minghua. No matter what, Yang Minghua will not spare you. Your only chance of survival is to join forces with us!"

Zichuan Xiu smiled. "Let me think about it. I heard you are about to marry Banner Captain Li Qing?"

Sterling smiled as well. Zichuan Xiu had one special move: whenever a topic displeased him, he would say, "Let me think about it—oh, look, a mouse is crawling over there. Oh, that bird is so big. Oh, the moon is so round tonight!"

He did not press him further. "Yes. We plan to hold the wedding after the crisis is resolved."

"I brought back a batch of elf-monsters from the Far East. I'll give Li Qing two pairs."

"That would be wonderful! Li Qing has always wanted an elf-monster servant, but they sell for thirty thousand apiece on the market. You people leading armies out in the field really are rich!"

"What are you talking about? Of all the Family's armies, only your Imperial Guard has gold-trimmed uniforms—and you still claim to be poor! It's settled, then. This will be a wedding gift!"

"Forget it! One thing at a time. Don't try to muddle through this—the wedding gift is separate!"

"With things this chaotic on our side, I'm really afraid the Liufeng Family will take the opportunity to interfere."

"You need not worry about that—the Liufengs have no time either! Their patriarch, Liufeng Xishan, is practically at death's door. They are busy with something much like us—fighting for power and profit. None of Liufeng Xishan's three sons is worth much, leaving their father unable to decide whom to pass his position to. Every one of them looks a little stupider than the other two."

"Thank heaven Liufeng Shuang is a woman and has no inheritance rights. Otherwise, we would be in trouble."

"Yes, but I heard Liufeng Xishan has already named Liufeng Shuang 'Lifetime Regent Commander'!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means Liufeng Xishan does not trust any of his sons. No matter which one succeeds him, as long as Liufeng Shuang assists him, the Liufeng Family probably will not perish."

"He truly gave it a lot of thought. I heard you encountered Liufeng Shuang's troops during the second campaign. How was she?"

At that, Sterling let out a long sigh. "Liufeng Shuang... she was truly extraordinary!"

"At the time, we had nearly encircled Liufeng Ming and Liufeng Qing's force of almost two hundred thousand men. They had already begun to collapse. We were only one breath away from launching the annihilation battle. Then Liufeng Shuang's troops appeared: no banners, fewer than eight thousand men, all cavalry."

"At the time, Fang Jin, Ming Hui, Yang Li—who was then commander of the Border Defense Army—and I were the four commanders at the front. None of us took those eight thousand men seriously. Fang Jin merely sent three infantry squares to block them. In theory, there was nothing wrong with that. But in less than ten minutes, those three squares were chopped into saber fragments. Her troops were too fierce! Then they scattered one of Yang Li's infantry divisions and charged straight into the encirclement."

"Only then did we realize something was wrong, and hurriedly moved the main force against them—but it was too late! A huge white banner with red lettering rose high into the air: 'Liufeng Shuang.' The two hundred thousand surrounded Flowing Wind Army soldiers saw that banner and immediately erupted in earth-shaking cries: 'Long live!' 'Lady Shuang is here, we're saved!' 'Kill all those Zichuan dogs!' They had fought for an entire day and were already exhausted and demoralized, but the moment Liufeng Shuang arrived, they became as if they had taken stimulants. Their battle cries made even our side tremble... Liufeng Shuang, a girl, ignored the rain of arrows, stripped to the waist, and stood beneath the great banner where both friend and foe across the battlefield could see her. She raised her saber high and shouted, 'Soldiers of the Liufeng Family, are you less than women? Show some spirit! Charge!' That kind of courage truly... commanded respect. Her guards were madmen too. All of them bared their chests and used their own bodies to shield Liufeng Shuang from arrows. Whenever one fell, another immediately took his place..."

"As a result, the Flowing Wind Army charged at us like mad. The slippery fellow Ming Hui began retreating the instant he saw Liufeng Shuang's banner, and he ran fast. Yang Li did not understand the situation and actually ordered his troops to hold the line. His force immediately suffered terrible losses and collapsed completely. Fortunately, Fang Jin and I joined forces to cover the retreat, fighting as we ran. She pursued us for hundreds of kilometers and still would not let us go. Only after we reached the border defenses and received support from Ming Hui's Border Defense Army did Liufeng Shuang stop the pursuit."

Sterling showed a trace of pride again. "But I dare say my troops were no worse than hers. Under her fierce assaults, every other unit broke at the first charge, but only we maintained order! After a pursuit of nearly a thousand kilometers, she could do nothing to me! Even in our final clash, she came off worse!"

He turned to Zichuan Xiu. "Hey, why are you... why are you... asleep?"

"What nonsense! After listening to so many of your boring old stories, it would be strange if I didn't get sleepy!"

The moment Sterling stepped into the living room, he froze as though struck by lightning.

"An assassin?" Zichuan Xiu, one step behind him, reacted immediately. He rushed into the living room, ready to fight, and looked around...

On the sofa sat the three living treasures, Shirakawa, Roger, and Changchuan, brazenly sharing the food Zichuan Ning had prepared for guests.

"There's no problem!" Following Sterling's fixed stare, Zichuan Xiu spotted a fourth person. Although she too sat on the sofa, she sat with dignified poise, completely unmoved by the lavish food on the table.

Princess Kadan of the Demon Race.