Chapter 136 -
Dong Li walked briskly toward the main tent, intending to inform Wenzhe that Yueqing and her guard had just slipped past the perimeter gates toward the nearby village.
However, as he pushed aside the heavy entrance flap, the news died in his throat.
Inside, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense. The head physician was kneeling beside the couch, frantically applying hot needles and herbal poultices to Li Mei’s dark, poisoned wound. Li Mei lay completely unconscious, her face dangerously pale as her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps.
Wenzhe stood right beside the bed, his face grim and tight with unspoken stress, his sharp eyes locked onto the physician’s every move.
Dong Li quietly stepped back, letting the tent flap fall shut.
[The General has enough on his mind right now,] Dong Li thought, shaking his head with a sigh. [The Young Madam only went to the nearby village with Guard Lu. Nothing will happen.]
Unaware that his wife had left the camp entirely, Wenzhe remained inside, tied down by the desperate fight to keep Li Mei alive.
Meanwhile, the nearby mountain village was alive with energy.
Snow covered the wooden rooftops like thick layers of white cotton, but the streets were bustling and warm. People of all ages—couples holding hands, children running around in padded coats, and elderly merchants calling out their goods—filled the marketplace, trading and celebrating despite the cold.
Yueqing’s eyes sparkled with delight as she and Lu Yue wandered from one stall to another. Her arms were already full of treats: hot sesame cakes, crispy fried honey dough, and a bright red, glossy stick of candied hawthorns.
"Mmm! This is ten times better than staying in that boring tent!" Yueqing praised happily, taking a big bite of the sweet hawthorn.
[Forget the block of wood! Food is the only true companion in life!] her inner voice cheered, her internal persona dancing around with two giant skewers.
As they walked further down the main street, a loud burst of laughter drew their attention toward a large crowd gathered near an open wooden stage.
Curious, Yueqing pushed her way through the onlookers to see what the fuss was about.
On the stage, a street performer was putting on a comedy show. He wore a painted mask and a dramatic, oversized version of General Wenzhe’s black armor. The performer was intentionally walking around like a stiff, wooden statue, exaggerating every movement, frowning dramatically, and barking ridiculous commands at a wooden broom.
"Look at me! I am the Great General!" the performer shouted in a hilariously low, theatrical voice, puffing out his chest. "I have no emotions! I only eat snow and brood in the dark!"
The crowd roared with laughter, and Yueqing burst out laughing so hard she almost dropped her snacks.
"Pfft! Hahaha!" Yueqing wheezed, wiping a tear from her eye. "He captured his essence perfectly! A complete block of wood!"
When the performance finally ended, the crowd cheered and threw small copper coins onto the stage. Yueqing, still grinning from ear to ear, stepped closer to the edge of the platform and fished a heavy, shining gold ingot out of her pouch.
"Hey! Great performance!" Yueqing called out cheerfully, tossing the gold coin onto the stage.
The performer caught the heavy gold ingot deftly in one hand. He paused, looking down at the immense fortune in his palm, and then looked up at Yueqing.
"A gold tael for a simple comedy show?" the man’s smooth, rich voice vibrated through the air. "You are quite the generous audience, young lady."
"Well," Yueqing smirked, leaning slightly against the wooden railing, "I just wanted to see who has the bravery to make fun of the Great General. Take off your mask! Let’s see if you look as good as the man you’re cosplaying."
The performer let out a soft, amused chuckle. He slowly raised his hands and unlatched the painted mask, pulling it away to reveal his face.
Yueqing’s smile instantly froze. Her eyes went wide, and her cheeks turned a faint, blushing pink.
[Oh... wow.]
The man was drop-dead gorgeous. He looked to be in his early twenties, with sharp, striking features that looked like they were carved by a master artist. His skin was smooth and fair, contrasting brilliantly with his thick, jet-black hair that fell in a half-up style over his broad shoulders.
Unlike Wenzhe’s dark, deadly, and suffocating aura, this young man possessed a bright, magnetic charm. His lips were naturally curved into a sly, captivating smile, and his deep amber eyes shone with a clever, mischevious light that could make anyone’s heart skip a beat.
He rested one hand on his hip, tilting his head slightly as his amber eyes locked onto Yueqing’s flushed face.
"Well?" the handsome stranger asked softly, his tone full of playful confidence. "Does the performer satisfy the Young Madam’s high standards?"
Yueqing swallowed hard, clutching her sweet hawthorns tightly, her heart suddenly beating a little faster for an entirely different reason.
Back at the main army camp, the physician finally let out a long, exhausted breath. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, stepping back from the couch where Li Mei lay sleeping peacefully, her pale skin slowly regaining its normal color.
"The poison has been drawn out, General," the physician reported, bowing low. "Lady Li is out of danger. She only needs rest now."
Wenzhe’s tense shoulders dropped slightly. The heavy guilt that had been weighing on his chest finally loosened its grip.
"Good. Keep a guard outside her tent," Wenzhe ordered flatly, turning around immediately.
His mind instantly shifted back to the only person he actually wanted to see. He walked briskly out of the secondary tent, heading straight toward his sleeping quarters. He was ready to endure whatever yelling, tea-throwing, or pillow-tossing Yueqing had prepared for him to punish his sudden exit last night.
When he pushed open the tent door, however, the room was completely quiet.
The bed was empty. Her heavy fur cloak was gone from the peg, and the room was cold.
Wenzhe’s eyebrows pulled together in a tight, sharp frown. "Yueqing?"
Receiving no answer, he stepped back outside into the snow and called out in a stern voice, "Dong Li!"
Dong Li hurried over, bowing quickly. "Yes, General?"
"Where is my wife?" Wenzhe asked, his dark eyes sweeping over the quiet camp with growing restlessness.
Dong Li paused, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Ah... General, about an hour ago, the Young Madam and Guard Lu left the camp perimeter. They went to the nearby mountain village."
Wenzhe froze. His jaw locked tight, his dark eyes flashing with a sudden, dangerous light. "She left the camp? Without telling me?"
"Well... you were busy with Lady Li, General," Dong Li said softly, backing up half a step. "And Guard Lu was with her, so—"
"Get my horse," Wenzhe interrupted, his deep voice carrying an icy, suffocating edge that made Dong Li’s spine freeze.
Without waiting for his lieutenant, Wenzhe grabbed his dark riding cloak, threw it over his shoulders, and strode furiously toward the camp gates.
Meanwhile, in a cozy two-story teahouse overlooking the snowy village square, Yueqing was having a delightful time.
The handsome stranger sat across from her, having traded his ridiculous wooden armor for a sleek, dark blue cloak. He poured hot jasmine tea into her cup with practiced, effortless grace, his amber eyes sparkling with a bright, magnetic charm as he told her hilarious stories about his travels.
"And then," the young man chuckled softly, resting his chin on his palm and leaning closer to her, "the local magistrate realized he had been tricked by a fake theater troupe, but he was too embarrassed to say a single word!"
Yueqing burst into a bright, clear laugh, taking a sip of her sweet tea. "No way! That magistrate must have been a total fool!"
[System Nine!] her inner voice sang happily, her internal persona floating on a little cloud. [He is so funny! He listens to me, he buys me tea, and he doesn’t look at me like he wants to give me military orders! Why couldn’t my husband be like this?!]
[System 009: Alert: Host’s enjoyment level is dangerously high. Also... warning. Target Wenzhe’s location is rapidly approaching. Distance: 100 meters. Current anger level: Off the charts.]
[Wait, what?!] Yueqing blinked, her smile freezing mid-sip.
Before she could even ask System Nine to clarify, a loud, heavy CRACK echoed through the teahouse!
The thick wooden doors of the establishment were pushed open so hard they slammed against the walls. The freezing mountain wind rushed inside, carrying with it a dark, terrifying aura that instantly made the noisy teahouse fall dead silent.
Standing in the doorway was General Wenzhe.
His long black hair fluttered in the cold wind, his tall, imposing figure completely blocking the light. His face was carved out of absolute ice, his dark, sharp eyes scanning the room until they locked directly onto Yueqing sitting at the table—and the dangerously handsome young man leaning dangerously close to her.
Yueqing’s breath hitched in her throat, her heart doing a violent backflip.
[OH SHIT!] her mind shrieked in absolute, chaotic panic, her internal persona ducking under a tiny table. [THE BLOCK OF WOOD IS HERE! AND HE LOOKS LIKE HE WANTS TO MURDER THE ENTIRE VILLAGE!]
The handsome stranger didn’t panic at all. Instead, he slowly sat up, a sly, amused smirk playing on his lips as his amber eyes met Wenzhe’s deadly gaze.
"Well, well," the stranger murmured smoothly, taking a slow sip of his tea. "It seems the Great General has finally arrived."