Finest Servant

‘What kind of gibberish is that?’ It sounded familiar yet strangely unfamiliar. Doubt filled his heart. He quickly concealed himself behind a large boulder and peered toward the valley below.

The valley was filled with oddly shaped rocks, some round and some flat, protruding in strange ways. He couldn't see the individuals speaking from his vantage point. Their voices were soft, and by the time he strained his ears to listen more closely, the valley had fallen silent, all signs of movement undetectable.

This was the back mountain of Grand Prime Minister Temple, a remote place where even rabbits wouldn't leave their droppings. Who would come here? He pondered briefly, recalling the assassination attempt on the old Emperor earlier that day. Instantly on high alert, he took cover behind the boulder, motionless.

The valley remained silent, not a sound to be heard. Lin Wanrong waited impatiently for what felt like an eternity, but no sign of movement reached him. Just as he was about to get up and look around, he heard a faint rustling, suggesting someone was on the move.

Stretching his neck to see, he caught sight of several figures cautiously surveying their surroundings in the valley. They were dressed in black robes, and their waists were adorned with knives and swords. They looked very capable. The leader had a peculiar sword hanging by his waist, different from the typical Great Hua’s two edges sword. It was slim and curved upwards at the tip. With his keen eyesight, Lin Wanrong instantly recognized it as a katana from Dongyin.

Dongyin? Lin Wanrong's heart tightened. Why would they be here? Were they the culprits behind today's assassination attempt? "Soga, modaiwashi." The leader scanned his surroundings with a cunning gleam in his eyes. With a slight wave of his hand, his men began to tread softly, slowly searching the area.

Lin Wanrong rolled his eyes. Damn, these fellows have learned half a tune of the Great Hua language, taking half or even a quarter of the Great Hua words to construct the language of Dongyin. It was a marvel they managed to come up with it.

Unable to understand the Dongyin warriors, he scratched his head in frustration. Recalling the military tally Li Tai had given him, he remembered he had tens of thousands of troops available at the base of the mountain. He hesitated, considering whether he should call them. Just as he was mulling over the decision, a gentle fragrance wafted into his nostrils, accompanied by a soft breeze from behind. Startled, he spun around, exclaiming, "Who's there?!"

A woman in white seemed to have descended from the heavens, standing quietly behind him. The gentle wind ruffled her long dress, making her appear as if she was a celestial being, pure and regal.

Upon recognizing her, joy filled Lin Wanrong's heart. Damn, how could he have forgotten her? With Ning Yuxi by his side, a hundred warriors from Dongyin wouldn’t stand a chance. However, Fairy Ning moved as quietly as a cat. Her sudden appearance would surely have scared him to death had his heart not been so sturdy.

"All of them," Lin Wanrong gestured grandly, full of pride and bravado, "dead, all of them!" Feeling quite charismatic, he readied himself to command Fairy Ning to dispatch the group of Dongyin warriors.

Was that a brief glance? Ning Yuxi looked at him sideways, then turned her head away, acting as if he were nothing more than air. Lin Wanrong felt a bit embarrassed, irritation building up inside. ‘Does she think she can act so high and mighty in front of me?’ he thought. Just as he was about to speak, Ning Yuxi frowned slightly, saying calmly, "Don't push your luck. My duty at the 'Jade Virtue Fairy Hall' is to protect you, not to fight your battles. If you wish to fight, do it yourself."

‘Seriously? Do you think I'm a fool? I have tens of thousands of elite soldiers at my disposal. Just give me the word, and I can wipe out all those Dongyin invaders. Do you really expect me to get my hands dirty?’ He snorted in annoyance and looked down to see the Dongyin leader, along with a group of men, searching the valley. Their whispers grew softer, and they seemed increasingly on edge.

‘Have they discovered something?’ Lin Wanrong felt a rush of anxiety and was about to summon his troops when a sweet scent wafted by. In the blink of an eye, Ning Yuxi appeared beside him, leaning against the other side of the large stone, listening intently.

‘Trying to show off, are you?’ Lin Wanrong chuckled softly. ‘I can't understand their gibberish. Do you think you can do better than me?’ However, as he observed her focused expression, her slightly furrowed brow reminiscent of a delicate portrait, and the gentle breeze tousling the hair by her ears, revealing her immaculate, jade-like skin, he found himself entranced. ‘This Ning Yuxi... she's not just beautiful; she's breathtaking,’ he thought.

"These men are from Dongyin," Ning Yuxi remarked, glancing at him.

Lin Wanrong gave her a thumbs up. "Fairy, you're sharp! Recognizing them as Dongyin people with just one look, I'm truly impressed."

Ning Yuxi detected the sarcasm in his voice, but chose to ignore it. After another moment of listening, she said, "They've spotted you."

‘No kidding! I noticed them first!’ Lin Wanrong chuckled, but then realized something. "Wait... you can understand Dongyin language?"

She replied nonchalantly, "Dongyin lies to the east of the vast ocean. It's said that the descendants of the 500 boys and girls led by Xu Fu during the Qin Dynasty settled there, living on the islands ever since. Their script evolved from ours with minor modifications. My late master traveled far and wide, even crossing the sea to Dongyin, interacting with its people. It's not that surprising for me to understand their language."

"So, your master was a 'returnee from overseas'? No wonder you can understand Dongyin language. Impressive, truly impressive." Lin Wanrong laughed, "But I've no interest in such a derivative language. Not understanding it is completely justified."

"Returnee?" Ning Yuxi's brow furrowed, a flash of anger on her face. "How dare you insult my esteemed master!"

[TL: The term "海归" (Hǎiguī) or Returnee is a Chinese colloquialism that literally translates to "sea turtles". It is used to refer to Chinese individuals who have returned to China after studying abroad.]

"I never insulted her. Isn't 'returnee from overseas' literally translated as 'sea turtle'?" Lin Wanrong laughed, "Fairy Sister, actually, I've also returned from abroad. I once roamed both France and England, shook hands with Napoleon, and had lunch with Elizabeth. Oh, these two, one's the Emperor of France, the other the Queen of England, and both treated me quite well." Knowing Fairy Ning wouldn't understand anyway, Master Lin bluffed and boasted as much as he could, trying to impress whoever he could.

"You're utterly unbelievable," Fairy Ning countered, "The West is so far from our Great Hua, separated by vast mountains and endless seas. It would take several years even by ship. Given your young age, no more than in your twenties, even if you'd started your journey while still in your mother's womb, I doubt you'd have returned by now."

"Sister, there's a thing called an airplane. Ah, even if I told you, you wouldn't understand." Lin Wanrong shook his head and chuckled, "Believe it or not, my reputation for honesty and integrity is renowned. I don't need to boast. I've strolled through Buckingham Palace, flirted on Tulip Street, bungee jumped from the Eiffel Tower, and even have a pleasant English name. Heh, being as learned as you are, you must've heard of it."

"England?" Fairy Ning raised an eyebrow, "I've heard of that place. Can a person really have two names? That's peculiar."

"Why can't someone have two names?" Lin Wanrong persuasively said, "For instance, Fairy Sister, your given name is Ning Yuxi, but your nickname could be Honey or Sweetheart. Both are commonly used terms in the West and sound quite lovely. Let me call you by them: Honey, Sweetheart, Little Honey, Little Sweetheart."

[TL: Honey comes from the pronunciation of (哈尼) Hani; Sweetheart directly comes from the translation of 甜心 Tianxin.)

His shamelessness knew no bounds. Ning Yuxi shivered slightly. She felt uncomfortable hearing him use those names for her. Hastily, she interrupted him, "So, what's your English name?"

"Oh, my English name sounds great: the surname is 'Love,' and the first name is 'Tiger Oil,'" Lin Wanrong said with a lascivious smile.

"Love Tiger Oil (TL: The pronunciation is Ai Laohu i.e., I love You)?!" Ning Yuxi muttered, then frowned, "What sort of name is that? It's bizarre."

"It's not odd; you'll get used to it. In private, Fairy Sister, you can call me ‘I Love You,’ and I'll call you Honey. It makes us seem closer, doesn't it?" Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, his words dripping with audacity. Seeing the contemplative look on Fairy Ning's face, he felt elated.

“‘I Love You,’ such a name... it's truly unpleasant. 'Lin San' suits our Great Hua's character better. I Love You Lin San, a fusion of Chinese and Western names, is an ultimate monstrosity of sounds," Fairy Ning remarked, yet she couldn't help but cover her mouth with a delicate laugh. Her radiant cheeks sparkled, making her irresistibly captivating.

Lin Wanrong's heart surged with joy. ‘She's so clever! Even sharper than me!’ He nodded so eagerly his head resembled a chicken pecking grain. "That's right, that's right! Combine both names and say them aloud, that's what I love to hear. Sister, say it again."

Ning Yuxi glanced at him and was about to speak when a flurry of chattering voices rose from below. Fairy Ning's brow furrowed, "The Dongyin people have come searching."

At the very moment when Master Lin was playfully teasing Sister Ning, he was interrupted by the Dongyin people, which greatly irritated him. He exclaimed angrily, "How dare they interrupt my conversation with the Fairy? Dead men, all of them! Fairy Sister, can you understand Dongyin language? Who are these fellows? Were they behind the assassination of the Emperor today?"

Ning Yuxi shook her head, "They're very cautious in their conversation. I could only make out that they're from Dongyin. Why they came here and what their intentions are, I'm not certain."

Lin Wanrong pondered. Regardless of whether they were involved or not, the appearance of the Dongyin people at such a critical and sensitive time after the Emperor's assassination was highly suspicious. No one would believe they weren't involved. They might still be here because the area around Grand Prime Minister Temple had been tightly surrounded and sealed off by General Li Tai's army and the palace guards. They couldn't escape. But why would the Dongyin people want to assassinate the Emperor? With their capabilities, to venture so deep into Great Hua without internal support, they wouldn't even know of the old Emperor's whereabouts, let alone orchestrate an assassination.

"Fairy Sister, what should we do? Do we capture them, or..." Lin Wanrong's voice trailed off, and he gave a mysterious smile, leaving his sentence unfinished. Fairy Ning merely looked at him impassively, not responding.

This divine sister truly was unpredictable, changing moods as one might flip the pages of a book. Lin Wanrong gave a wry smile. Peering down, he noticed the Dongyin warriors cautiously approaching their location.

Lin Wanrong quickly took out a pen and paper from his pocket, scribbled a few words, and along with a military seal, handed them to Ning Yuxi. "Sister, with this token, go down to the camp and look for someone named Du Xiuyuan. Tell him that General Lin has a task for him. Show him this letter, and he'll understand."

Fairy Ning pushed the seal and the letter back into his hand, saying softly, "I promised to ensure your safety and nothing more. I won't involve myself in other matters."

"But how can you not be involved? You're my 'Honey', and if you won't help, then who will? I understand you're worried about leaving me here alone. But who am I? I'm your 'I Love You', full of tricks from head to toe. No one can lay a finger on me." Lin Wanrong chuckled and shoved the items back into her hand without waiting for a reply.

Ning Yuxi was both amused and exasperated by his overconfidence. As she was about to object, Master Lin's expression turned serious. "Fairy Sister, if you manage to do this, it's as if you've saved my life. If it fails, you needn't trouble yourself to protect me. I'll take my own life. The choice is yours."

Master Lin's demeanor shifted entirely, no longer jesting. He turned to watch the Dongyin warriors scaling the rocks, his gaze sharp and his face solemn.

Ning Yuxi paused momentarily, standing in a daze for a while. Several times she tried to hand back the letter, and several times she withdrew her hand. Lin Wanrong waited for what felt like an eternity without any reaction from her. Suddenly sensing a stillness behind him, he turned around to find emptiness. Ning Yuxi had vanished without a trace at some unknown moment.

"This 'Honey' of mine, she arrives quickly and leaves just as swiftly," Lin Wanrong muttered with a dry chuckle. A realization suddenly struck him, and he slapped his forehead, exclaiming, ‘Ah, how could I have been so foolish? I was having such a delightful conversation with Fairy Sister, why didn't I seize the opportunity to inquire about Qingxuan? Perhaps in her good mood, she might have let something slip. Even if she wasn't willing to reveal information about Qingxuan, I could've asked about something else. An Biru and Fairy Ning are disciples from the same master, having grown up and trained together since childhood. With Sister An gone, Fairy Ning surely would know the location of Sister An's village. It'd be better than me aimlessly searching everywhere like a blind man on a stray horse.’

However, regretting now was too late. Noticing the Dongyin warriors cautiously climbing the rocks and getting closer to his location, he clenched his fist, feigning a punch in the air. With a disdainful snort, he patted his behind and turned away, striding off.

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