118 is in the next chapter
Ji Yuluo tilted her neck, enduring Huo Xian’s stormy kisses. In no time, her tongue felt a fiery numbness. She swallowed the saliva—whose it was, she couldn’t tell—as her breathing became rapid and heavy.
Her hand, propping up the lid of the chest, grew somewhat weak, and with a “thud,” the lid closed, hitting Ji Yuluo’s back.
Huo Xian’s kiss slowed. He lifted the lid entirely, gently soothing Ji Yuluo’s bruised back. The rhythm of his lips and tongue matched the pace of his palm, and slowly, he stopped.
They clung to each other, panting.
So close, he could see the fine hairs on her face, and she could see the scars on his.
Huo Xian kissed her lips again, faintly hearing the sound of armored soldiers approaching outside the tent.
Only then did he regain his senses, worrying about another issue.
The flaw with this tent was that whether it was day or night, if a lamp was lit inside, those outside could see the shadows of the people inside.
This was precisely because Xiao Cheng wanted to monitor him. When he returned to the tent, the guards in the watchtower opposite would become more vigilant. Those eyes must be watching him from afar now.
Ji Yuluo had managed to enter undetected because he wasn’t here earlier.
Huo Xian gestured for her to be silent, holding his breath and glancing outside the tent. Only when he heard the sentries walk past the tent did he relax and whisper, “Wait a moment.”
Ji Yuluo watched as he opened the tent flap and requested a bucket of water from the old woman outside. She immediately understood.
From inside the tent, she could see the soldiers walking outside, and they could see her too. Only the corner with the bath bucket was screened off, making it the best place for a conversation.
As soon as the old woman agreed, Ji Yuluo instinctively closed the chest and hid inside.
After the old woman prepared the water, Ji Yuluo opened the chest and heard a soldier outside ask, “What’s he doing again?”
The old woman said something, but Ji Yuluo couldn’t make it out.
Huo Xian walked over, supporting her under her armpits, and lifted her out, carrying her to the screened-off area before putting her down. He cautiously asked, “Did you come alone?”
Ji Yuluo nodded, briefly recounting the night’s events to him, and added, “I found the mountain path those women use to deliver food, but I couldn’t locate Zhao Yong and Xiao Cheng’s quarters.”
Huo Xian said, “They’re not here. This place has the most watchtowers and is likely the outermost layer of the camp. Those two cautious people would have set up their tents in the heavily guarded northern area.”
Earlier, he had explored during the fight. Although he didn’t see Zhao Yong and Xiao Cheng’s tents, the way the sentries were on high alert indicated their location.
Huo Xian asked again, “Is this Shudi?”
Ji Yuluo nodded, “Dongxiang County.”
Indeed, it was Shudi. Huo Xian wasn’t very surprised; observing the climate here had given him some clues. But now, none of that mattered. The most pressing issue was, “There are no women here. When dawn breaks, you won’t be able to hide. Later tonight, you must return the way you came.”
Huo Xian didn’t want her to leave, but he was right—there really were no women here. The soldiers underwent rigorous training, and women would only cause trouble. Even the attendants were all elderly women in their fifties and sixties.
The girls who delivered food came only every three days. If she were seen here tomorrow in these clothes, it would certainly attract attention.
There was simply nowhere for her to hide.
Ji Yuluo didn’t speak; her gaze was fixed in one spot, her brows slightly furrowed in thought.
She hadn’t expected Xiao Cheng to have such a stronghold in Dongxiang County. Before coming in, she hadn’t anticipated that the defenses here would be even more stringent than those of the Ministry of Justice’s prison. The most crucial aspect was the terrain, which provided a natural advantage. Even if Shen Qingli led a force to attack, it wouldn’t be easy to capture everyone quickly. The time lost would give Xiao Cheng the opportunity to harm Huo Xian.
What could he do?
Ji Yuluo looked at Huo Xian with questioning eyes, certain he must have a plan for such an obvious flaw.
Huo Xian smiled, then sat cross-legged on the ground. There was no hiding anything from her. He stirred the water in the bath bucket with one hand, creating the sound of bathing, and said, “I told Xiao Cheng that the new emperor was gravely ill and that Prince Ning would ultimately be the victor, hoping to lure him into attacking Prince Ning’s residence and seizing Tongzhou. Tongzhou is not far from Shudi, and it is vast and wealthy, much better than this remote, poor place. Now that he is trapped here, he desperately needs land and silver to grow his power. Although he didn’t respond immediately, it doesn’t mean he isn’t tempted.”
Ji Yuluo understood. Although Prince Ning had a reputation for being wise, being confined to his fiefdom for so many years made him seem like a mere scholar with no real power. Moreover, the defense forces in Tongzhou were internal, not external, consisting of private troops that couldn’t be easily scouted.
If Xiao Cheng underestimated Tongzhou’s forces, he would find himself trapped.
At that time, the forces here would be significantly weakened, making it much easier for outsiders to launch an attack.
Even without external assistance, Huo Xian’s chances of confronting Zhao and Xiao alone would greatly improve.
It was a good strategy, but what if Xiao Cheng remained patient and refused to attack Tongzhou?
Huo Xian laughed helplessly. “There’s no such thing as a foolproof plan. When you once ventured into the palace alone, could you guarantee you’d come out unscathed?”
Ji Yuluo frowned again, pressing her lips together, unable to argue. He was right—she had become increasingly cautious and timid…
After pondering for a while, she said, “Can you get me a soldier’s armor?”
She quickly added, “You’re not in a position to move around, but I can scout the area and draw a map for you.”
But that was too dangerous.
Huo Xian looked into her eyes, silent for a long time, but he didn’t refuse.
He only cupped her side neck with his palm, his thumb brushing her cheek near her jawline.
Ji Yuluo didn’t know what he was thinking and felt a bit anxious. “Just tell me if you can—”
Huo Xian suddenly kissed her heavily on the lips. “I can.”
The strict military camp, devoid of personal feelings, had one major advantage: the soldiers did not know each other well. They were subjected to the most rigorous regulations, and unless necessary, they did not exchange even a single word.
Moreover, Xiao Cheng had been frantically recruiting soldiers recently, leading to an influx of many new faces. This made it less dangerous for Ji Yuluo to blend in.
Within a few days, Ji Yuluo had figured out the patrol routes of the outer camp. There were only three exits in and out of the camp, all of which were heavily guarded by soldiers.
This place was one of no return. Once you entered, there was no chance of leaving until it was time to fight and shed blood. However, if there was an enemy attack, this place would be the checkpoint for deploying troops.
Now, only the inner camp to the north remained.
That was not a place ordinary soldiers could access.
Soldiers were ranked in a strict hierarchy. Those patrolling the inner camp had undergone more rigorous training and were more vigilant. Even a single person more or less would raise their suspicion. Entry and exit required inspection of waist tags; mere armor would not suffice to gain entry.
To avoid alerting anyone, Ji Yuluo had no intention of going in.
At night, Ji Yuluo returned to the soldiers’ tent after her patrol. She did not remove her armor and lay down on the cot, contemplating her next move. The brothers beside her were used to it, assuming she was saving the time it took to dress in the morning for extra sleep. One of them, passing by, laughed, “Hey.”
This was a burly man in his thirties, a new face who had only been there for two days. He appeared more relaxed than the other newcomers.
It was evident he was not captured but had joined voluntarily.
With a clatter, he too did not remove his armor, falling heavily onto the cot. The adjacent cot shook, and only Ji Yuluo turned her head to look at him.
The others, following military regulations, did not dare speak. They hurried to the bath barrel, clothes in hand, before lights-out.
To save time, several of them bathed together.
The burly man looked at her, “Why don’t you go?”
Ji Yuluo turned her head back and closed her eyes, saying, “It’s cold.”
The man laughed foolishly, seemingly oblivious to her distant demeanor, and moved closer. “Me too. What’s the point of washing in this cold weather? You’ll just sweat again tomorrow. Brother, I can tell you’re different from the others. Where are you from?”
A stench of sweat wafted over. Ji Yuluo endured it and sat up, leaning against the wall. “Different how?”
The burly man said, “You dare talk to me. When I talk to those others, hey, not one of them responds! And there’s something different in your eyes. They’re all nervous, but you seem unafraid, steady!”
As he spoke, he even gave a thumbs-up.
“…”
Ji Yuluo smirked slightly. “Aren’t you the same?”
“That’s different. I have connections here. You know the inner camp, right? My elder brother is stationed there. Unlike regular soldiers, he can come and go as he pleases, specifically to gather intelligence for those people.” The burly man sat cross-legged, raising his chin. When he mentioned “those people,” he pointed upwards. “Just like the Jinyiwei. You know about the Jinyiwei, right? They’re formidable. There’s no information in this world they can’t uncover.”
Ji Yuluo was taken aback, suddenly looking at him more intently.
Seeing he had an audience, the burly man talked even more. “You wouldn’t believe it. The new emperor is in terrible health, taking medicine every day like it’s food. He won’t last much longer, just barely holding on. We’ll have a new emperor soon. My brother says the Duke is planning to attack Prince Ning’s residence. Once they take it, we won’t have to hide in the mountains anymore. Then, we can drink and feast as we please.”
Ji Yuluo rubbed her thumb, narrowing her eyes.
Tongzhou was a deadly temptation for Xiao Cheng, who was now like a beaten dog. He desperately needed a territory to expand his power, but he hadn’t lost his cautious habit. He hadn’t made a move after Huo Xian’s leak, not trusting the information. Instead, he had his people confirm it first.
Only after verifying Xie Subai’s illness and Tongzhou’s military strength did he dare consider attacking Tongzhou.
Ji Yuluo looked at the burly man with skepticism. “Are you making this up? If it’s true, when are they setting off?”
The burly man said, “Why would I lie to you? My brother said it could be any day now. To prevent leaks, they haven’t announced it widely. It could be as soon as tomorrow. That’s why I’m not taking off my armor, in case I don’t have time to put it back on.”
People came out from the bath, and the burly man quickly shut his mouth and lay down.
Before long, the sound of snoring filled the tent, accompanied by the stench of sweat. Ji Yuluo stared at the ceiling, just as she had for the past few days, unable to fall asleep easily. If what this man said was true, she needed to notify Shen Qingli quickly. It was time for reinforcements from the capital to set out.
That also meant she had to leave.
After a moment, Ji Yuluo sat up and frowned, kicking the burly man far away.
—
In the middle of the night, while some couldn’t sleep over there, others were also sleepless.
Huo Xian knew Ji Yuluo was very adaptable. The lack of news for several days indicated everything was going well. However, the camp and training grounds…
Tsk.
He suddenly felt a bit regretful.
He turned over and then heard very light footsteps.
Huo Xian paused, got out of bed barefoot, quickly walked over, and opened the door, pulling Ji Yuluo, who was still fumbling with the door outside, inside.
Caught off guard, Ji Yuluo fell forward. Her helmet hit Huo Xian’s chest with a thud, almost falling off.
She barely managed to steady it.
Huo Xian removed her helmet and asked, “What happened?”
Ji Yuluo didn’t speak. She shook her head, not very pleased, and leaned against Huo Xian’s shoulder, sniffing his neck.
Huo Xian was startled for a moment but then felt relieved. It seemed nothing had gone wrong on her end. Relaxing, he felt like teasing her a bit. He grabbed her by the back of her neck, pulling her away, and looked into her eyes. “What are you sniffing?”
Ji Yuluo looked back at him, unabashed. “Smelling your fragrance.”
