Chapter 111: Is It Possible to Kill a Second-Rank Warrior?

Night has fallen.

There are no stars in the sky over Beiling tonight. After a fortnight of scorching sun, the region has finally been met with a torrential downpour. Rain lashes against the courtyard, and the air is thick with the pungent scent of damp earth.

Li Yunji was just preparing to bathe and head to bed, his clothes halfway off, when he turned around and saw Gu Xian'er standing by the window. Rainwater dripped from her hair, and her soaked garments clung to her form, leaving Li Yunji unable to look away.

He reached back to close the doors and windows, asking, "Why are you here?"

Gu Xian'er raised the corners of her lips, revealing two dimples. "Is the young master not welcoming?"

Li Yunji glanced at her, then turned to put his clothes back on. "It’s the middle of the night, and there’s thunder and lightning. For a man and a woman to be alone in the same room—isn't that inappropriate?"

Gu Xian'er paced softly, sitting down beside Li Yunji’s wooden bathtub. She chuckled, "Why would it be inappropriate?" She dipped her slender fingers into the water, creating ripples. "To me, tonight is the perfect time."

What is she getting at? Li Yunji’s heart skipped a beat. She isn't bringing that medicine again, is she? Recalling his experience from last time, when his legs had been weak for two days, he felt a lingering sense of dread.

"Look," Li Yunji coughed twice, "I'm not really in the mood these past few days. Why don't you come back in a few days?"

As the words left his lips, he heard a scoff behind him. "I'm just teasing you."

Li Yunji exhaled in relief and slowly turned around.

Good heavens! His heart leaped into his throat.

Gu Xian'er had somehow shed her wet clothes and was now submerged in the bathtub. Beads of water slid down her snowy shoulders, highlighting the delicate, porcelain-like texture of her skin. Li Yunji secretly regretted not turning around sooner.

"Then why did you come to see me today?"

Gu Xian'er picked up a flower petal from the water, acting nonchalant. "To deliver a gift."

"What gift?"

Gu Xian'er grinned and snapped her fingers. A green light flashed, followed by a dark shadow. Suddenly, a soldier clad in black armor, his head covered by a burlap sack, appeared on the floor!

"I stole this from the military camp," Gu Xian'er said, a trace of pride in her tone.

Li Yunji was stunned, staring at the armored soldier on the ground. "What use is there in stealing this fellow?"

"This soldier is at the Sixth Rank," Gu Xian'er frowned. "And in that camp, there are at least three thousand soldiers just like him."

Boom—

A sudden peal of thunder mirrored the state of Li Yunji's mind. Her words were like a bolt of lightning, cutting through the fog in his heart. For a mortal to reach the Sixth Rank is no easy feat. But if backed by vast resources, mass-producing Fifth-Rank experts is not impossible.

This meant the silver the Crown Prince had sent to Beiling was being used to raise a private army!

"Which camp?!" Li Yunji’s voice rose sharply, a fierce glint in his eyes.

Gu Xian'er pointed toward the north. "The Beiling border, Changming Mountain."

Li Yunji took a deep breath, puzzled. "Why would you go there?"

Gu Xian'er let her jade-like feet rise to the surface, tapping the edge of the tub. The water splashed rhythmically. "According to Yun Zhengxin’s divination, the calamity he spoke of occurs in the Northern Territory. I thought I’d go and scout it out. Who would have guessed I’d stumble upon such a massive secret?"

Li Yunji thought rapidly. After another roll of thunder, he asked again, "Three thousand Sixth-Rank soldiers—what is their combat capability?"

Gu Xian'er pondered for a few seconds, her voice deepening. "They can kill a Second-Rank expert."

Li Yunji gasped. Three thousand Sixth-Rankers would not be enough to usurp the throne or shake the foundations of the Great Qian Empire. But if the goal was to surround and kill a single Second-Rank expert, then this entire layout suddenly made sense. This was clearly aimed at a specific target, not an all-out war.

If one considers Yun Zhengxin’s divination, this calamity was likely not a natural disaster, but a man-made one.

Two months from now, the Northern Territory, a calamity, a Second-Rank expert... A series of keywords intertwined in Li Yunji’s mind, forming the clear outline of a conspiracy.

*Is their target Han Jitong, the Sage of Northern Desert?* Li Yunji wondered.

The Northern Desert and the Great Qian have long-standing grievances; a war between them is inevitable. And the greatest obstacle to the Great Qian conquering the Northern Desert is Han Jitong!

But he soon found a flaw in this logic. If they wanted to kill Han Jitong, why steal tax silver and secretly raise a private army? They could have discussed it with the imperial court; there were plenty of powerful officials who supported such a move. Why go to such great lengths?

Even more unreasonable was the involvement of Northern Desert forces. Even if the Northern Desert Shamans were not on good terms with their own royal family, they were still people of the Northern Desert. How could they possibly work against Han Jitong?

That meant these three thousand private soldiers were not aimed at Han Jitong—or at least, not only at him!

A thousand thoughts flooded his mind. Li Yunji sensed that a bloodbath was brewing in the shadows.

"The young master looks even more handsome when he’s being serious," Gu Xian'er’s voice pulled him back to reality.

Li Yunji took a deep breath, the sharpness in his eyes fading. He looked up and his jaw dropped. Gu Xian'er was standing in the tub, radiant.

His mind went blank, his heart rate accelerated, and he muttered to himself, "Do not look at what is improper. Do not look at what is improper..." Yet, his gaze didn't move an inch.

"It’s not as if you haven’t seen it before, young master," Gu Xian'er chuckled. "Between us, why be like this?"

With a gentle wave of her hand, her wet clothes rose from the floor. As if by magic, they shed their moisture and were already dry when she draped them over her shoulders.

"How does the young master plan to deal with this person?" Gu Xian'er rose gracefully, glancing at the unconscious soldier.

Li Yunji regained his focus. "When you captured him, did anyone see?"

"It was pouring rain, and the soldiers had all returned to their camps to sleep. No one should have noticed," she said calmly.

Li Yunji’s brows twitched, his expression resolute. "Send him back exactly as he was."

"You don't want the evidence?" Gu Xian'er looked slightly confused.

"It’s not that I don't want it," Li Yunji sighed. "It’s that we can't afford it. Once the soldier's disappearance is discovered, the border camp will surely be in an uproar. Beiling will be turned upside down."

His heart sank as he continued, "Do you honestly think that, between the two of us, we could withstand three thousand Sixth-Rank experts?"

"You're smart, as always." Gu Xian'er thought it over and agreed. She pressed two fingers together, and a green thread bound the soldier, causing him to float in mid-air. With a snap of her fingers, they both vanished from the room.

"Sorcerers are quite something," Li Yunji murmured, staring at the spot where she had disappeared. "Especially space-based arts."

He lay back down on the bed, but his heart remained restless. As he thought, a fierce look suddenly crept into his eyes. Then, the corners of his mouth curled into a wicked smile.

"Can kill a Second-Rank expert, eh? Interesting..."