Early the next morning, Yong Capital.
"Drive--"
Hoofbeats, hoofbeats...
As dawn broke, a herd of fast horses, adorned with yellow flags, galloped through the rain along the official road outside Yong Capital.
The city gates had not yet been opened, but the gate guards, upon seeing the urgent document and the official badge, quickly allowed passage.
Ye Xingge, riding his horse, was quite tired after days of travel, but his spirits were still high. Even as he galloped, he didn't forget to use the Yellow Strip of paper to keep in touch.
"I've gone into town, where are you?"
Hongyu was also on her way, replied:
"I just Linyang. Go back and report as soon as possible. I estimate I'll arrive this afternoon."
"Okay, remember to bring some alcohol, tonight it'll be just the two of us..."
"It's dead!"
"?"
Ye Xingge shook his head and smiled, then said nothing more. He spurred his horse and galloped through the streets of the capital. Although he was dressed in rags like a refugee and looked out of place in the beautiful streets, he still had a sense of "riding high on the spring breeze."
Back in the capital, the assessment is now complete!
Although there was a minor hiccup along the way, we managed to get through it, and it only took two days and three nights, half a day ahead of schedule!
If they go back, wouldn't the Great Beauty Luo be so excited that she'd show him Guagua again?
Ruan Jinyu's face was so swollen from being slapped.
Moreover, once someone obtains the Fate-Robbing Saber," the imperial court will definitely prioritize their development, leading to promotions, salary increases, marriage to their first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth choice of spouse, and even the bestowal of the Nine Bestowments, causing chaos within the palace...
Thinking of this, Ye Xingge almost got fired up!
Therefore, he didn't stop along the way and went straight to Stone Bridge Alley, intending to first inform his future beloved concubine of the good news, but the door was locked with a copper lock, and no one was left to enter...
Ye Xingge, and thought to himself:
Where are they?
They're not going to go fish me out of the Forgetful River Mouth, are they?
What a wonderful girl with such a generous heart...
Ye Xingge was deeply moved, then turned his horse around and went to the Heaven-Observing Pavilion, which was not too far away.
It was already past midnight. The gates of the Heaven-Observing Pavilion were closed, and there were no guards outside. The interior was completely dark.
Ye Xingge had never been to the Heaven-Observing Pavilion before, assuming it was after work, so he walked around the huge street to see if there were any other people on duty or sentries.
Unsurprisingly, all four major government offices—east, west, south, and north—were locked up tight, not a soul in sight.
"Hey?"
Ye Xingge returned to the main gate and found that there wasn't even a sentry post, which made him frown!
What kind of makeshift troupe is this?
Returning home after a great achievement, it's one thing if no one greets you, but what if there's an emergency and you need to report it? Wouldn't that cause a huge mess?
I'm working my butt off outside, and you guys just leave after get off work.
What about the wolf-like spirit?
Ye Xingge stood alone on the street, looking around. Not wanting to climb over the wall into the Heaven-Observing Pavilion, he went up and tried knocking on the door.
The door wasn't locked; it opened as soon as I touched it.
Squeak~
Seeing this, Ye Xingge looked inside, but still found no one. He then picked up his watermelon knife and package and walked inside, checking the surroundings along the way...
at the same time.
The center of the Heaven-Observing Pavilion, the top of a five-story building.
The spacious study was brightly lit, and several people were standing or sitting inside, creating a rather somber atmosphere.
Zhang Zhiqing, the Heaven-Observing Decree, sat beside the chessboard, holding a brief report in his hand, containing news from the Forgetful River Mouth.
Wu Yi paced back and forth beside him, analyzing:
" Chu Hannu wouldn't easily vouch for them. After a whole night, they still couldn't find the man or the knife. That can only mean that the initial group of people, possibly from the Later Zhou dynasty, took the man and the knife with them..."
When An Yurou heard that the Fate-Robbing Saber had appeared and that Ye Xingge had apparently succeeded in getting it, she rushed over to inquire about the situation under the pretext of " Yueyao's concern".
At this moment, An Yurou sat at her desk, holding her heartbroken Baby Bunny in her arms, wondering if the Later Zhou had kidnapped Ye Xingge on a whim.
The Later Zhou dynasty was also searching for Gold-Chasing Gentleman, and had been secretly tracking him in the Jingzhou area for a month or so. They had mobilized all their forces from Black Dragon Island, but had found nothing. Who else could it be but Later Zhou agents?
Surely Black Dragon Island can't be completely useless, right?
But An Yurou couldn't talk about these things in front of Heaven-Observing Decree, so she simply asked softly:
"Taking a knife out is completely different from taking a person out. Even if he's taken to the Later Zhou, it's because they value his talent, so there's still a possibility of him being ransomed..."
Beside her, Shen Yueyao, wearing lantern pants, leaned against An Yurou, her expression clearly showing sadness.
As the daughter of Shen Songnian, the Qingxi County, her father used to tell her how amazing Ye Xingge.
At first, she thought her father was trying to matchmake them, creating an opportunity for her to get married.
To everyone's surprise, Ye Xingge was indeed amazing!
And over the years, Ye Xingge is the only outsider who remembers her name and respects her!
She's been thinking about this, figuring out how to give out "friend cards" in the future without being too hurtful...
But she never expected that after only meeting once and not having had a chance to get to know each other well, Ye Xingge would sacrifice his life for his country!
The only outsider in the world who remembered her ranking had passed away so tragically; how could she not lose her little pearl?
Hearing the adults talking, Shen Yueyao snorted:
"Knowing full well that Ye Xingge is young and not very skilled in martial arts, my father even wrote a letter instructing me to take good care of him. Yet you arranged for him to take the exam for Gold List experts. Isn't this treating human life like dirt...?"
Wu Yi, as the person directly responsible, felt ashamed upon hearing these words.
But he never expected this kid to be so brave. He went to someone else's territory, killed the sect leader, and didn't run away. He even dared to kill Gold-Chasing Gentleman Fate-Robbing Saber Yuan Dao while he was surrounded.
In this situation, even Second Rank Third Rank would have a hard time surviving, let alone a top-tier one.
Seeing the young lady complain, Wu Yi sighed softly and comforted her:
"This child might not necessarily be in trouble. If he's taken away by the Later Zhou, redeeming him will simply mean paying a higher price..."
" Ye Xingge is quite capable; how could the Later Zhou dynasty possibly let such a promising Miaozi return to the mountains..."
An Yurou originally wanted to say a few words of comfort, but she caught sight of the Heaven-Observing Decree out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at the window.
Then a clear voice suddenly came from below the Heaven-Observing Pavilion:
Is anyone there?!
The sound was quite noticeable in the dead of night!
The people who were waiting for news were all taken aback when they heard this.
Zhang Zhiqing accidentally dropped the briefing from his hand, and his eyes showed a rare hint of doubt.
Wu Yi initially thought it was some ill-mannered young man in embroidered clothes and was about to scold him, but then he felt the voice was somewhat familiar, so he quickly walked to the window to check.
Shen Yueyao, like Baby Bunny, jumped up from the couch and ran to the window with An Yurou to peek out.
As a result, the group discovered a refugee in the corridor outside the Heaven-Observing Pavilion.
The refugees wore tattered robes stained with blood, revealing the pattern of standard chainmail underneath.
He was carrying a bag in his left hand, casually draped over his shoulder, while his right hand held a long strip wrapped in rags. He was looking around and peering into the duty room.
"Hey? Where is everyone...?"
?!
The four people upstairs saw this scene and, even though it seemed somewhat familiar, they dared not confirm it.
Wu Yi's eyes widened in horror, thinking to himself—could this kid have died with his eyes wide open and returned to haunt me demanding an explanation?
After carefully examining her, An Yurou couldn't help but speak first:
" Ye Xingge?"
downstairs.
Ye Xingge searched everywhere, assuming that Heaven-Observing Pavilion had moved without informing him. Only when he heard the sound did he look up to check.
As a result, two heads, one large and one small, could be seen peeking out of the window at the top of the five-story building.
She was mature, beautiful, and dignified, like a first lady who had always adhered to etiquette since childhood. Her almond-shaped eyes and red lips exuded restraint, but there was a hint of shock in her eyes.
The little one was full of energy, her big eyes were still red and rosy, with a few tear stains, but her red lips were slightly parted and there was no sadness on her face, only "Oh my god" written all over her face.
Inside the window next to it, there were two old men.
He possessed an extraordinary demeanor and rarely showed his emotions.
The other was Heaven-Observing Assistant Wu Yi, whose expression at this moment was one of disbelief and fear.
"?"
Ye Xingge was a little puzzled by this. Just as he was about to bow, he saw three figures flash across the top floor and land in front of him.
A beautiful young woman in a silver-white dress stood at the front, exuding charm and extraordinary elegance, looking like a queen or princess meeting her subordinates!
However, upon realizing that the Heaven-Observing Decree was behind her, the beautiful young woman quickly stepped back and bowed.
"Please, Duke Zhang, go first."
As the figure stepped aside, the elderly man in the scholar's robe came into view.
Further back was Wu Yi, who was shielding the old man in front of him and carefully observing him.
Hurried footsteps could still be heard inside the building, sounding like springs bouncing around, each step covering half a floor.
Thump thump thump...
Upon hearing " Duke Zhang," Ye Xingge realized that this elder was Zhang Zhiqing Heaven-Observing Decree of Heaven, one of the "One Lü and Two Zhangs"!
This was the first time Ye Xingge had seen the old demon in First Rank, so he quickly cupped his hands in greeting:
"This junior pays respects to Duke Zhang and Duke Wu..."
"Just call me Lord Wu."
Wu Yi carefully examined Ye Xingge, who was covered in a disheveled state:
"Hmm... what are you doing here?"
Ye Xingge was bewildered by this question and turned around to look:
"Uh, I saw the door wasn't locked and no one was on duty, so I just came in. Isn't that against the rules?"
Is this something that should be done according to the rules?
Wu Yi said in disbelief:
"Shouldn't you be at the Forgetful River Mouth?"
"Ah?"
Ye Xingge opened his mouth, but didn't speak; his eyes clearly conveyed the meaning:
Do I look stupid?
Thousands upon thousands of people are trying to kill me over there, and I'm just going to wait there to die?
Based on her performance at the opera house, An Yurou guessed that Ye Xingge wasn't so easy to kill, but she still couldn't understand why Ye Xingge had returned!
It's one thing if Black Dragon Island is incompetent, but is Later Zhou also incompetent?
Would you dare let this person go back so easily?
Could it be that this young man didn't succeed in obtaining the Fate-Robbing Saber...?
Zhang Zhiqing's expression was unreadable, but he was indeed surprised. He glanced back at the incense burner in the hall and saw that the third incense stick was just past the halfway point, then turned his gaze back:
"Not bad. How did you break through the encirclement?"
Ye Xingge picked up the tan-colored package in his hand:
" Dust-Returning Robe and the Water-Repelling Pearl, I rode a cargo boat from Lake Mouth Town out of the Cang River Mouth and rushed back along an urgent route."
Upon closer inspection, the group discovered that the earthen-yellow wrapping was actually a valuable Dust-Returning Robe!
In the short time it took to say those two sentences, Eldest Miss Shen had already come downstairs, rushed over like lightning, took the bundle and examined it. Finding it full of soldiers, she exclaimed in surprise:
"Overwhelmingly powerful! Is this the Dust-Returning Robe of the Gold-Chasing Gentleman? I'll try it on..."
As she spoke, she tried to put on the dirty cloak, but An Yurou pulled her back.
Upon Ye Xingge Eldest Miss Shen was actually the daughter of the Qingxi County, Ye Xingge naturally felt a greater sense of kinship. At this moment, he tore open the tattered cloth in his hand and pulled out a watermelon knife.
"And this includes the Fate-Robbing Saber and the Twelve Divine Weapons. Miss Shen, you haven't seen them before, have you?"
"Huh!"
Shen Yueyao, like a hamster that had fallen into a pile of nuts, didn't even know what to look for. She immediately took the nuts with both hands and examined them carefully.
"The knife is one and a half feet long and weighs three ounces and three mace. What a strange knife!"
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