novelraw Chapter 785 - 763: Doom is Certain
Chapter 785 - 763: Doom is Certain
Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin never expected that their simple plan to soak in a wild spring would end with them getting pinned down and beaten by the Prince’s Shadow Guards, only to be dragged back to camp afterward.
Unfortunately, the General happened to be making his rounds. When he saw them with bruised faces, disheveled appearances, and mismatched clothing, his brows furrowed slightly. The General had always been a disciplined and upright individual, even in his youth. He held his soldiers to incredibly high standards. In his camp, generals of status were expected to set a good example for the troops—no careless laughter, and absolutely no sloppy appearances.
His standards were the polar opposite of Marquis Zhenbei’s. As a result, the generals from the Ningzhou faction were notoriously unrestrained and daring, while most of the Jiangnan faction’s generals were cultured and elegant, careful in both words and deeds.
"What’s happened to you two? This is a military camp—pay attention to your comportment."
When Zhang Boxin saw the General, much like Zhang Boju, he cowered like a mouse before a cat, utterly terrified. He was just about to tell the truth when Lin Xiao stopped him. "General, Zhang Boxin and I were sparring by the creek, and I accidentally slipped up. I apologize for showing such disgraceful appearances before you."
Zhang Boxin, bewildered, nodded along, "Yes, yes, that’s right..."
The General frowned but responded mildly, "As generals accompanying the diplomatic envoy to Sannan, you must exercise caution when you arrive. Avoid any such inappropriate behavior, lest you become the subject of ridicule."
Their battered faces looked far more like the result of a brawl than a practice spar.
Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin listened attentively to the admonishment. Since they really had been beaten, they were relieved the General didn’t press them for details or expose their lie—it was far kinder than they expected.
"Understood!"
Once the General left, Zhang Boxin asked, "Why didn’t you just tell him the truth—that we were beaten by the Prince’s Shadow Guards?"
"Though the Jiangnan Army and the diplomatic envoy departed together, we’re still technically two separate entities. Matters involving the envoy aren’t the General’s concern. If you recklessly reveal that we were attacked by the Prince’s Shadow Guards, what will you say when the General inevitably asks why?"
"I’d just tell him the truth."
"This is a trivial matter. Why bother explaining it in detail to the General? It’s an internal issue within our envoy and not something to make a fuss about," Lin Xiao said with more foresight than Zhang Boxin. For some reason, he instinctively felt this wasn’t something the General needed to know. After all, they didn’t report to the Jiangnan Army anyway.
"Fine!" Zhang Boxin, used to deferring to Lin Xiao, nodded in agreement but then pressed, "Still, why on earth did we get beaten up?"
Lin Xiao, "..."
It was a good question. Why exactly had they been beaten?
Later that night, Zhang Boxin and Lin Xiao hid themselves in a tree deep in the forest, scratching at their mosquito-bitten arms and legs, itching miserably. This was the outskirts, close to a creek, and the woods were teeming with mosquitos. Their bites stung and itched relentlessly. Lin Xiao repeatedly questioned his own sanity—why had he let Zhang Boxin drag him into perching on a tree like this? Was he out of his mind?
"We should head back. It’s already past the third period of night," Lin Xiao muttered, swatting at the mosquitos buzzing around his ears, having already killed several. He was thoroughly miserable.
The whole mess had started with Zhang Boxin’s frustration. He couldn’t accept not knowing why they’d been beaten and insisted on investigating. The Prince had bathed alone in a wild spring—there was no reason for blocking them. They were all men, weren’t they? Even if the Prince didn’t want to share the same spring, there were multiple pools nearby. Zhang Boxin’s analysis convinced him that there was something fishy going on. Determined to uncover the reason, he dragged Lin Xiao into this, arguing that they had to figure out what happened to avoid repeating the mistake in the future.
Lin Xiao had initially wanted to just sleep the whole thing off but ended up getting dragged out by Zhang Boxin. This path was on their way back to camp, and hiding in the trees gave them a clear vantage point.
"Let’s wait a bit longer—just another hour. Why is the Prince taking so long?"
"How would I know!" Lin Xiao snapped, on edge.
"The water in that spring is scalding hot. Even accounting for scrubbing and soaking, he’s been there plenty long enough. This is strange," Zhang Boxin said, puzzled. "Could it be... the Prince smuggled a woman into his tent? I’ve got it—that has to be it!"
"Stop with your nonsense! The Prince has no interest in women. He’s as untouchable and pure as ice and snow. Don’t spew such filthy talk—it’s disrespectful," Lin Xiao retorted irritably. "I’m going back now if you’re not coming."
After all this time in the tree without seeing anyone, they decided to give up. "Fine, let’s go!"
They were just about to climb down when they noticed shadows moving in the distance. Zhang Boxin, suddenly excited, exclaimed, "They’re back. Wait..."
Zhang Boxin’s words made Lin Xiao freeze. Neither dared move. If they were discovered hiding in the tree, they’d have no way to explain themselves. Their only option was to stay quiet until everyone had returned to camp.
Half of Xie Jue’s Shadow Guards led the way while the rest brought up the rear. Zhang Boxin and Lin Xiao hardly dared to breathe, thankful for the strong nighttime winds masking any potential noises they might make. As long as they stayed perfectly still, no one would notice.
Lin Xiao caught sight of Xie Jue and Fang Chuning. Fang Chuning wore a fitted green robe with narrow sleeves, a matching sash at his waist, and a black flask hanging at his side, the very picture of carefree elegance. Xie Jue, in contrast, was dressed in a flowing white robe with wide sleeves, looking refined and dignified. His cold demeanor shone like moonlight. His hair was tied neatly and pinned with a jade hairpin styled like auspicious clouds. His waist was adorned with a pair of emerald-colored concentric jade rings. Though Zhang Boxin and Lin Xiao were too far to see his expression clearly, the icy fury emanating from him was unmistakable. Meanwhile, Fang Chuning, seemingly unfazed, tried coaxing him, even taking a few slaps to the face with remarkable nonchalance.
Both Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin were stunned. Fang Chuning was taking direct slaps to the face with no resistance, as if it were a regular occurrence. To them, it was utterly bizarre.
The two of them had grown up as brothers-in-arms, risking their lives for each other on the battlefield without hesitation. They’d had countless arguments that ended in full-blown fistfights, yet neither had ever slapped the other like this. Fights between them were always mutual; there was never such a one-sided beating, let alone one paired with the other groveling to make peace.
"Stay away from me!" Xie Jue’s frosty voice carried over on the wind as he and Fang Chuning drew closer. "From here to Jiangnan, do not appear in front of me again!"
"Ting Feng, that’s far too harsh," Fang Chuning replied, his tone light and teasing, with a faint undercurrent of challenge. "What if I can’t resist?"
"If you overstep your boundaries, I’ll have you forcibly stationed in Jiangnan by royal decree."
Fang Chuning sighed, "...Fine, you win!"
The two walked on, deliberately keeping their distance as they headed back to camp, Fang Chuning trailing behind Xie Jue. Only after the Shadow Guards had passed did Zhang Boxin and Lin Xiao climb down from the tree, utterly dumbfounded.
They stared blankly in the direction of the camp, their minds buzzing. Neither had ever imagined that Xie Jue and Fang Chuning’s private interactions could be so... peculiar. After all, in public, one was cold and aloof while the other was practically invisible, quietly standing watch over Xie Jue without the slightest impropriety.
"Lin Xiao, I’m going to slap you..." Zhang Boxin announced suddenly.
"Then you’d better prepare to die!" Lin Xiao shot back.