All lies

At first, Xu Qi'an didn't pay attention, half of his mind was immersed in his own thoughts, and the other half was carefully observing the surrounding situation.

Gradually, he realized that the three men at the next table were acting strangely and were not ordinary people.

First, their strong physiques are unlike those of ordinary people. While one's aura can be concealed, a warrior's physique cannot be hidden.

Secondly, these people had a very purposeful gaze, looking only towards Sanhuang County, ignoring everything around them, as if they were waiting for something.

Finally, these three men showed signs of disguise.

A vendetta? Xu Qian muttered in his heart, these three men paid the same attention as him and waited on the official road outside the city.

Their enemies would pass through this official road.

So the underworld is dangerous; it's either you cut me or I stab you. No gangster ever has a good ending. Xu Qi'an had watched too many gangster movies in his previous life, sighed silently and didn't take it to heart.

This world has its own rules, such as "matters of the martial world are settled within the martial world, and the men and women of the martial world grow old within the martial world."

The government usually does not care about the life and death of Jianghu people, as long as they do not harm civilians and disturb public order.

"Give me a coin," the princess whispered.

"No, ten coins will do," she changed her mind.

Xu Qi'an glanced at her and arranged the coins on the table one by one, like Kong Yiji arranging copper coins.

The princess hurriedly put away the copper coins with her small hand, glancing furtively left and right, glaring at him, and spitting out, "Don't flaunt your wealth."

Then tuck it into the waistband's tie.

Xu Qi'an smiled. Under his influence, the princess began to actively learn and absorb the experience of traveling the world. She was a studious woman, but she was like a canary kept in a cage, completely unaware of the common people and the current state of society.

Inevitably, some who try to imitate others end up with something that looks like a dog but doesn't quite capture the essence.

It's only ten coins; it's far from being enough to sway people's hearts with money.

The princess carefully put away the copper coins, then asked the shopkeeper for two bowls and a pot of tea. She then carefully carried them in her arms and left the pavilion with her bundle.

She walked along the roadside and soon stopped in front of two beggars.

An old beggar, with a little beggar by his side.

Xu Qi'an's gaze followed the most beautiful woman in Great Feng, watching her squat down in front of the two beggars, set out two bowls, and pour them tea.

Then, the plain-looking princess shared her own food rations and the fine pastries that Xu Qi'an had bought out of kindness with the little beggar and the old beggar.

After the two of them had been wolfing down their food for a while, she looked around warily, then took out ten copper coins from her sash and furtively handed them to the old beggar, as if afraid of being seen.

Xu Qi'an watched this scene calmly, his pupils slightly vacant.

After a while, the princess returned with a teapot and teacups in her arms, her steps light and quick.

"In that case, I owe you one qian of silver. And ten wen." The princess said, not knowing how many wen were equal to one qian of silver.

Is it necessary? I've taken care of all your food, clothing, lodging, and transportation along the way. Xu Qi'an nodded, unusually not mocking her, but instead asking:

What did you say to them?

"They fled from the border. Their village was wiped out by barbarians, and their entire family was dead. The old beggar led his grandson and the little beggar all the way here." The princess frowned.

Xu Qi'an hummed in agreement, remained silent for a moment, and then teased, "You look very beautiful today."

The princess scoffed, proudly raising her chin.

That's just nonsense. Is there any woman in the world more beautiful than her?

Suddenly, she cupped her face in distress, rubbed it vigorously, and said with a worried expression, "Even if I look like this now, you will still be seduced by my beauty."

"."

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the direction of Sanhuang County. The leader was dressed in a black robe and wore a hood, with his face covered by a mask that only revealed his chin and lips.

This spy of the Prince of Zhenbei is the same one Xu Qi'an encountered on the street this morning.

"Ha, I thought I'd have to wait by the official road for at least a few days." Xu Qi'an was delighted and quite excited. Learning from his experience this morning, he avoided looking at the other party too much to avoid attracting their attention, and at the same time restrained his malice so as not to trigger the other party's martial arts intuition.

This place is very close to Sanhuang County, and there are many pedestrians, so it's not suitable for taking action.

Clatter, clatter, clatter. The cavalry passed by the gazebo and quickly disappeared into the distance.

Just as Xu Qi'an was about to take the princess and follow them, three men at the next table took the lead. They dropped a piece of silver, grabbed the weapon wrapped in cloth that was leaning against the table, and ran wildly in the direction the cavalry had gone.

Were the three of them also heading towards the Prince of Zhenbei's spies?

Xu Qi'an lowered his head and drank his tea, remaining calm and composed.

After about half an incense stick's time, he stood up and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to see a good show."

The princess immediately stood up, supporting herself on the table, and followed behind him, swaying her hips.

Despite wearing a cloth skirt and a wooden hairpin, her voluptuous and alluring figure still drew the attention of the men in the pavilion, who couldn't help but think, "That woman has a really big ass."

After taking a few steps, Xu Qi'an stopped, turned back to look at the princess, and said, "I'll carry you on my back."

By the time you walk over there, the daylilies will be cold.

The princess subconsciously shook her head; she was firmly opposed to any intimate contact with men.

"No?"

"No!"

Xu Qi'an, always a gentleman who respected women, grabbed the princess by the back of her collar and began to run.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound of his footsteps was like thunder. With each step he took, he leaped dozens of feet away, leaving deep footprints on the official road.

"Pinch your armpit to ease the pain." The princess was under pressure that shouldn't be on someone of her status.

Xu Qi'an turned his head to look, and saw her face contorted in the strong wind, tears streaming down her face. Seeing the Great Feng in such an ugly state, Xu Qi'an found it quite amusing.

Unfortunately, the Great Feng's attire was too conservative, preventing the queen from revealing her cleavage like the erotic goddess Lystande did with her speed.

Fifteen minutes later, Xu Qi'an suddenly stopped and loosened the back of the princess's collar.

Thump. The princess sat down on the ground, her face pale, her pupils unfocused, still unable to recover from the speed and passion she had just experienced.

"Asshole!"

She looked like she was about to cry, lunged at Xu Qi'an, scratching and biting him, as if she wanted to fight him to the death.

The poor princess, so beautiful and grown up, has never been treated like this before, never been so embarrassed.

Xu Qi'an slapped her back to the ground and said in a deep voice, "Don't make a sound, look ahead."

The princess pursed her lips, suppressing her grievances, and looked ahead with tears welling up in her eyes.

Far, far away, a fierce battle was taking place, with three blue-faced, fanged barbarians besieging a man wearing a black robe and a mask.

Dozens of corpses and horse carcasses lay scattered around and in the distance.

The princess felt a chill run down her spine and took small steps closer to Xu Qi'an, seeking a sense of security by his side.

"Those are the Prince of Huai's spies," she said softly.

I knew they were spies of the Prince of Huai. The three barbarians who were besieging him seemed to be members of the Qingyan tribe. Xu Qi'an squinted and watched intently.

According to intelligence, the Qingyan tribe was named for its blue skin.

The three barbarians were not only blue all over, but also had a thick layer of keratin on their cheeks, like natural armor.

This is a common atavism phenomenon among barbarian tribes.

"It's obvious this was a planned ambush. The barbarians are intercepting the spies of the King of Zhenbei," Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice.

The princess pecked her head hard, then leaned back against him. "So, why don't we hurry up and leave?"

Xu Qi'an smiled and asked in return, "Why are you leaving?"

At this moment, the two combatants in the distance noticed the man and woman watching. The man in the black robe shouted, "It's you! Quickly return to Sanhuang County for reinforcements. At your speed, you can return in half an incense stick's time!"

He deliberately feigned surprise, leading the three barbarians to believe that he knew Xu Qi'an.

Sure enough, upon hearing his words, the three barbarians' expressions changed slightly. One of them immediately retreated, ceasing to participate in the attack on the black-robed spy, and instead targeting Xu Qi'an and the princess, intending to kill them to silence them and prevent reinforcements from arriving.

Seeing this, the black-robed spy revealed a smug smile. While dodging the barbarian's long sword slash, he flicked his soft sword, wrapped it around the man's arm, and pulled him sharply.

The barbarian's sleeves were torn into shreds, and his blue arm, covered in a layer of keratin, was scraped off by the soft sword.

He immediately stepped back, shaking his aching arm, and turned to shout in a barbarian tongue, "Quickly deal with those two, the two of us can't kill him!"

The barbarian in charge of killing to silence the witness responded and quickened his pace. Suddenly, he shouted and with a thunderous roar, he leaped more than ten feet into the air, like an eagle pouncing on a rabbit, and his long sword slashed down.

Xu Qi'an, who was the target of the barbarians, remained unmoved, seemingly stunned.

The woman behind him clutched her head, crouched on the ground, and screamed at a high decibel.

"Hmph, foolish barbarians." The black-robed spy sneered inwardly as he watched the barbarian run further and further away.

To fall for his diversionary tactic so easily—what else could it be but stupidity?

After sending one person away, his pressure was greatly reduced, and he was no longer in a situation where escape was impossible. He could run another twenty miles along the main road to reach the military camp, where he would be safe.

As for that unfortunate fellow in the distance, dying for him was a fitting end. At worst, we can lead our troops to wipe out the three Qingyan spies and avenge him.

At this moment, the black-robed spies and two barbarians from the Qingyan tribe heard a crisp cracking sound during the battle. Having been through many battles, they immediately recognized it as the sound of a steel blade breaking.

What happened? Both sides tacitly left each other some room for maneuver, quickly glancing into the distance, where they witnessed a jaw-dropping scene.

The man in the distance had transformed into a gleaming golden statue, remaining perfectly still. The barbarian who had leaped high, brandishing his steel blade, had now landed, staring in astonishment at the blade in his hand.

"Buddhist School warrior monks?" The barbarian from the Qingyan tribe, gripping the broken steel sword, spoke with a slight tremor in his voice.

The princess looked up, and what she saw was a green-haired man—no, a golden-haired man.

He... he has no hair? In that instant, many of the questions I had during my journey were answered: he never took off his fur hat.

Whether it's eating, sleeping, or taking a bath.

One thing he often does is steady his hand (raises his hand to press down on his fur hat).

"Wrong answer, the punishment is death." Xu Qi'an said sternly, reaching out his right arm and grabbing the Qingyan tribe barbarian by the neck.

The barbarian's eyes were filled with terror, his face contorted, and his neck was crushed as he struggled desperately.

All struggles ceased instantly, and limbs drooped limply.

"Buddhist School warrior monks!" The two barbarians who were besieging the black-robed spy witnessed the death of their companion and felt as weak as a blade of grass.

At this moment, they remembered the fear of being dominated by Buddhist School, and the lives of their people who were harvested like straws during the Battle of Shanhai Pass.

Buddhist School martial monk? No, martial monks wouldn't wear such clothes. His words just now carried a strong Central Plains accent. The black-robed spy's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively began to analyze and extract useful information.

"Run!"

The two barbarians turned around in unison, one heading north and the other south, fleeing in different directions.

"Stay here and don't move. I'll come back for you after I've killed everyone."

Xu Qi'an turned around, gave an order, and then he noticed that the princess's eyes were fixed on his head.

I felt offended. He muttered to himself, then transformed into a golden blur and gave chase, killing the two barbarians before carrying their corpses back.

At this moment, the black-robed scout did not leave, but watched from a distance.

Seeing this, Xu Qi'an took advantage of the break while dealing with the corpse to secretly take out a piece of paper from his pocket, ignite it with his qi, and at the moment he activated his Qi-Watching Technique, he closed his eyes to prevent the clear light from spilling out and alerting the black-robed spy.

"Thank you for saving me. May I ask which elder of the Buddhist School sect you are a disciple of?" The black-robed scout approached and probed.

Seeing that Xu Qi'an did not answer, he quickly added, "The situation was tense just now, and I had no choice. Please forgive me, Venerable Monk."

Is it really that easy to gloss over with a simple "I had no choice"? If I were an ordinary person, my head would be split in two by now. Xu Qi'an raised his hand, stating his identity directly:

"I, Xu Qi'an, have been ordered to proceed to the northern border to investigate the massacre that ravaged three thousand miles."

The black-robed scout's face stiffened, and his eyes behind the mask became complicated.

It really is Xu Qi'an?!

He had a fleeting thought just now, because according to intelligence, Xu Qi'an had obtained the Vajra Invincible Divine Skill during the Buddhist School battle.

This person spoke with a Central Plains accent, and his clothing and appearance did not resemble those of Buddhist School monk. He was very likely the organizer, Xu Qi'an, whom they had been secretly searching for.

Amidst a flurry of thoughts, his gaze fell upon a woman of average appearance, and out of his professional instincts as a secret agent, he began to speculate about her identity.

He did indeed travel north alone to investigate the case, but why did he bring a woman with him?

Was she rescued en route? If so, she shouldn't have been carrying the woman with her, as it would hinder the investigation and jeopardize her safety.

Yes, she is the Princess?!

A sudden inspiration flashed through the black-robed spy's mind, and this bold guess came to mind.

According to the intelligence sent back from higher authorities, Chu Xianglong's actions before his escape proved that the princess had disguised herself and carried a magical Law Artifact to shield her aura.

After being attacked, Xu Qi'an left the mission, and what he did afterward remains unknown.

Despite sealing off the border recently, they have still not been able to find the whereabouts of the four barbarian experts.

Lost in thought, he heard Xu Qi'an say, "She is your princess."

The princess opened her beautiful eyes wide, bit her lip, and looked at Xu Qi'an with some disappointment and sadness.

He betrayed himself like that.

To his astonishment, she had actually admitted that she was indeed the princess. The black-robed spy felt an overwhelming surge of excitement.

The princess has been found; he found her, and he will be credited with an immense achievement.

Although it's unknown how he rescued the princess, one thing is certain: he rescued her but chose to go alone, intending to use her to blackmail Prince Huai. The black-robed spy took a deep breath, appropriately expressing surprise and gratitude, and smiled:

"Many thanks to Lord Xu for finding the Princess Consort. His Highness the Prince of Huai will surely reward you handsomely."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony," Xu Qi'an said with a smile. "I'll ask you a few questions. Answer truthfully, and the princess will be yours."

The princess took a few steps back, distancing herself from the two men. She pursed her lips, her eyes filled with sorrow.

The black-robed spy remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Lord Xu, please speak."

What happened during the "massacre of three thousand miles"?

"A bloodbath spanning three thousand miles?" The man in black robes looked surprised and asked blankly.

"I know nothing of any 'bloody massacre across three thousand miles.' How about this, Lord Xu, you come with me to the military camp to settle the Princess first. If you need any assistance later, please just let us know. We will do our utmost to cooperate."

Xu Qi'an looked at him calmly, a half-smile on his face, "Once we return to the military camp, I'll be nothing more than a fish on a chopping board, won't I?"

The black-robed scout's expression changed slightly, and he said in astonishment, "Lord Xu, what makes you say such a thing? You are the official appointed by His Majesty, and I would gladly worship you."

He emphasized Xu Qi'an's identity in an attempt to mislead and create the illusion that "no one in the imperial court dares to harm him."

Xu Qi'an sighed and pointed to his eyes, "But you haven't told a single truth. I saw it all with my Qi-Watching Technique."

The black-robed scout felt a chill run down his spine. A martial artist's instinct for danger made him instinctively retreat, and he swung his soft sword in response.

The next moment, Xu Qi'an grabbed his neck.

PS: Thanks to "Secondhand King Yang Qianhuan" for being the alliance leader. Thanks to "Egg Egg" for being the alliance leader.