Chapter 30

Dawn broke.

After killing An Huaijin, I jumped into the river.

By the time I swam to the shore, I had exhausted all my strength.

Ever since I learned of Wei Donghe’s death, I hadn’t eaten a thing.

Now, my stomach was rumbling with hunger, the pain almost unbearable.

I looked like a destitute refugee fleeing disaster, not even needing to disguise myself-my face smeared with mud, clothes clinging to my body, hair a tangled mess, filthy beyond measure.

I had to return to the Capital.

Loyal and Brave Marquis Jiang Wenlu-he must die.

I was starving and needed food. When I entered the outskirts of the Capital, I snatched a freshly steamed bun from a vendor’s stall.

The vendor, furious, chased after me, trying to beat me.

I ran fast, panting, and hid in a corner. I took a bite, and the scalding heat brought tears to my eyes.

For some reason, there were many more people in the suburbs of the Capital, and plenty of guards at the city gates.

Before long, a large army entered the city, the procession grand and imposing.

The onlookers said they were from Kaizhou.

Kaizhou, the crossroads of four provinces, was notorious for rampant, ruthless bandits who killed without batting an eye.

They took advantage of the terrain, cunning and bold, even daring to ambush the Imperial Court’s official couriers.

But in the past two years, those bandit leaders had quieted down.

The Son of Heaven had changed, and so had the bandit chief.

That man was called Chao Jianan, known as Third Master.

After securing his position, he united all the bandits of Heiling, then accomplished a major feat-he surrendered to the Imperial Court.

When the Emperor heard of this, he was so pleased he stood up, praising him repeatedly. Before the man even reached the Capital, an imperial edict had already granted him the title of Colonel Chao.

Four years later, when I first saw Chao Jianan, he was astride a tall horse, banners fluttering, his face resolute, with a great number of men and horses behind him.

And I was curled up at the base of the city wall, the piping hot bun still in my mouth, forgetting to swallow.

He was rougher than before.

In my memory, his face was always lazy, but his features were undeniably sharp-thick, dark brows, a high nose bridge, thin lips pressed together, eyes cold as starlight… He didn’t seem to have changed much, yet he looked so weathered.

Of course, he was eight years older than me, had fought his way through countless hardships. At this age, wasn’t he already an old man?

Strangely, before he arrived, I was like a drowning person on the verge of death, one foot already in hell, reckless, my throat about to be strangled.

But at this moment, I choked up and stood, using all my strength to walk toward him.

Chao Jianan, why did you only come now?

You’re too late. Wei Donghe is dead.

If you had been here, you would have found a way to save him, wouldn’t you?

Back in Qingshi Town, even the County Magistrate had to show you respect.

I know-you’ve always been formidable.

I can’t be wrong, nor could my father, and Sun Dagui always said you were loyal and righteous.

…

He didn’t see me, nor did he hear my shouts.

Just as I was about to push through the crowd, I was suddenly knocked out.

When I woke up, I was already in the Censor’s Mansion.

Second Young Master Zhang Yunhuai looked at me quietly and smiled, “Xiao Chun, if you don’t behave, I’ll really get angry.”

He locked me up again, saying he would choose an auspicious day to take me as his concubine.