Chapter 0059: Threatening

Chapter 0059: Threatening

Xiao Rong jokingly said he had eyes on the back of his head. After all, this phrase was already included in a collection of common sayings in later times, but he didn't realize that such a saying didn't exist yet. The only people who knew about flounder fish were coastal fishermen. Everyone in the Northern Pacification Army was from inland; they had never even seen a large lake, let alone the sea.

Moreover, after a month of collective living during the relocation, the rumors that had initially spread within a small circle quickly expanded throughout the entire army. Even Song Shuo had heard about Xiao Rong's exploits, not to mention the soldiers closer to him.

Rumors tend to escalate as they spread. Those closest to the truth know the least, while those who don't know Xiao Rong at all embellish his abilities beyond belief. Thus, this absurd statement was not only believed by the guard, but he also filled in the logical gaps in his mind.

Mr. Xiao said he had eyes on the back of his head, so it must be true. Otherwise, how could he have known that he secretly went out to deliver a message? As for why no one could see the eyes on the back of his head, that’s a silly question. Ordinary people couldn't possibly perceive the extraordinary traits of a gifted individual. If they could, wouldn’t they become gifted too?

Ah, right, I've heard that Buddhist scriptures mention something called the Dharma Eye, which is an eye and yet not an eye. Perhaps Mr. Xiao's other pair of eyes is just like that...

But wait, according to Mr. Gao, Mr. Xiao is a disciple of Daojun, sent here specifically to assist The King. How does this relate to Buddhism? And he hasn’t even visited a Taoist temple yet, instead chatting amiably with Buddhist monks and planning to visit the most famous temple in Jinling before leaving...

Xiao Rong had no idea that his single sentence sparked so many thoughts in the guard. He took the letter, and since it was a clear night with bright moonlight illuminating the courtyard, he opened it right there.

As expected, the letter detailed today's events, including what he did, whom he met, whether anyone harbored ill intentions towards him, and surrounding movements.

Being monitored should be infuriating, but Xiao Rong felt surprisingly calm reading the letter.

Perhaps it was because he had been mentally prepared. Ever since crossing the Huai River, he sensed something was off. He always felt Qu Yunmie wouldn't let him go so easily. Qu Yunmie had a particular wariness towards Jinling, likely due to his past experiences. What was actually a six out of ten danger level in Jinling was amplified to a sixty in his mind.

Furthermore, Qu Yunmie had an extremely strong controlling nature and couldn't bear seeing his subordinates in such perilous situations...

The guard's wild speculations finally ended when he remembered Xiao Rong's temper. In recent days, he had witnessed how Xiao Rong treated Zhang Biezhi. Now, discovering that The King hadn't trusted him as promised, he might explode in anger.

The guard in the courtyard was very nervous, and those hiding under the window were equally tense. Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, Xiao Rong suddenly smiled and flicked the edge of the letter with a crisp sound.

He instructed the guard, "Wait here."

After saying that, he returned to his room, closed the door, lit a candle, and did something unknown. Moments later, he emerged with another letter, different from the one the guards had written.

Handing the new letter to the guard, Xiao Rong smiled, "Tell The King this is a blank cipher letter. Only by deciphering it can he read what I wrote. This is his punishment for not trusting me. However, if he solves it before I return, I will give him a gift, a grand one indeed~"

The guard: "…………"

Xiao Rong stuffed the letter into the guard's hand and then went to bed contentedly. The guard stood there, stunned, holding the letter mechanically with both hands pressed against his chest. After a long moment, he swallowed nervously.

Nothing, not even having four eyes or three heads, shocked the guard more than Xiao Rong's words—punishment.

Their King was incredibly brave, always punishing others. When had someone else ever punished him? More frighteningly, Xiao Rong said it so casually, as if he didn't realize how remarkable his words were.

But the most terrifying thing was that he believed Xiao Rong wasn't bluffing. Since their parting in Anding City, The King had changed significantly. They, his brothers-in-arms, had been stationed in the camp and fought on the front lines. They rarely entered cities, only following The King in battle. Therefore, they felt these changes most directly.

Initially, they didn't understand why, but now, assigned to protect Xiao Rong, they understood.

After a long silence, he didn't immediately deliver the letter as instructed. Instead, he silently turned around and returned to the guards' shared quarters.

Seeing him enter, the others gathered around him.

The guard holding the letter: "Since Mr. Xiao personally wrote this blank cipher letter, I should deliver it myself to avoid any mishaps."

Colleague One: "What if the people in Jinling discover it?"

Guard: "If they do, so be it. I won't act unless they do. The North Yangzhou dock is our base, and Mr. Xiao is so important. Why shouldn't we report his safety through letters?"

Colleague Two: "True, it's a blank cipher letter. Others won't notice anything. If you're stopped and searched, just show them the letter."

Colleague Three slapped Colleague Two on the back of the head: "Are you stupid? Sending a blank piece of paper at midnight is suspicious!"

Colleague Four: "I want to see the blank cipher letter."

Guard: "…………"

Honestly, he never thought his colleagues had any issues when they charged into battle together, but since taking this assignment, he realized why The King chose him as the guard leader...*

As dawn approached, he set off, riding out of the city gates as they opened. The guards barely glanced at him.

However, his arrival at Qu Yunmie's temporary camp caused quite a shock. Yu Shaocheng's mind raced with several grim scenarios, such as everyone being wiped out except for this survivor...

Qu Yunmie also assumed something terrible had happened. He hurried over anxiously, only to receive another kind of bad news.

In just three days, Xiao Rong had discovered his surveillance plan.

Qu Yunmie listened to the guard recount Xiao Rong's reaction, his face expressionless. Hearing the guard whisper that Xiao Rong had two pairs of eyes, Qu Yunmie looked at him strangely.

Xiao Rong usually doesn't attribute such supernatural qualities to himself. Perhaps he said something odd again, and the guard misunderstood, leading to this situation.

But he didn't bother correcting it. His heart was heavy, knowing that once discovered, there would be no more letters to receive. How would he survive these few days?

Qu Yunmie stared intently at the guard, making him feel a chill down his spine. The guard hastened his explanation and then produced the blank cipher letter, careful not to repeat Xiao Rong's mention of punishment. He emphasized that if it was deciphered, Mr. Xiao would give him a gift, a grand one.

Hearing the word "gift," Qu Yunmie blinked.

He examined the letter, reading the inscription "For The King" several times.

True to form, his advisor's handwriting was unique. Look at the character "grand"; the stroke is intentionally slanted. ...

Opening the envelope, he unfolded the blank sheet of paper. Indeed, there was nothing on it, just a blank page.

Qu Yunmie scrutinized it from every angle, then straightened it and stared for a while before putting it away. "Understood, you may return."

With that, he returned to his tent, determined to crack the code.

The guard watched the lowered curtain, instinctively turning to Yu Shaocheng, who was also looking at him. "Three letters in three days. These past few days, The King has been worried. Regardless of the content, he would have exploded in anger. Mr. Xiao truly knows how to handle things."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Indeed, even my brother speaks highly of him. My brother's judgment is excellent, isn't it?"

Guard: "……"

He awkwardly tugged at the corner of his mouth, which was his response.

He went and returned quickly; it was only a little past the third hour of the day when he came back to the villa. Xiao Rong was still sitting inside, not having gone anywhere else. Hearing the guard's report, he nodded slowly, "You've worked hard. This piece of paper should keep him busy for a while."

Guard: "…"

Zhang Biezhi clearly knew what had happened last night. He sat on the other side of Xiao Rong and laughed, "You didn't give him a blank piece of paper and tell him it was a secret message without any words, did you?"

Xiao Rong raised the paperweight on the table, ready to hit Zhang Biezhi's hand. Fortunately, before the paperweight could land, Zhang Biezhi recoiled in alarm, "What are you doing!"

Xiao Rong's hand was still on the paperweight as he said irritably, "'He'? That's The King! If I hear you being disrespectful again, I'll break your hand and teach you a lesson!"

Zhang Biezhi: "…"

He cried out in grievance, "But you said it too!"

Xiao Rong sneered, "Can you compare with me? Only those with talent have the right to be arrogant. Those without talent who act arrogantly are just barking dogs that will eventually be kicked into a stinky ditch!"

Zhang Biezhi: "…………"

He wanted to say that no matter how talented one was, they shouldn't be arrogant in front of The King. But Xiao Rong spoke so confidently that Zhang Biezhi momentarily forgot to refute him. By the time he remembered, another eunuch had arrived, saying that Empress Dowager Sun had invited Xiao Rong to the palace for a chat.

Xiao Rong paused slightly, then immediately got up and left, taking the same two people who had accompanied him yesterday. The rest were left behind in the villa.

It had been quite lively just now, but once Xiao Rong left, it became quiet instantly. Ah Shu, Zhang Biezhi, and the guard looked at each other, feeling somewhat awkward.

They weren't familiar with each other.

After holding back for a while, Zhang Biezhi couldn't resist the urge to speak, "Hey."

Ah Shu and the guard looked up at him simultaneously.

Zhang Biezhi seemed a bit guilty but couldn't help himself, "Don't you think Xiao Rong is actually quite unreasonable? Even though everyone praised him in Chenliu, especially my brother-in-law, who almost made him sound like a celestial being, he's actually very fierce! I... I'm a bit scared of him."

Guard: "…" Yes, he agreed.

But he wasn't foolish enough to say it outright, so he remained silent for a second before getting up and saying he needed to go back to sleep.

With him gone, Zhang Biezhi naturally turned to the only other person left in the room, and at this moment, Ah Shu's expression was complex.

After Master's guidance, Ah Shu felt guilty all night, thinking he had been too excessive. But today, Zhang Biezhi kindly reminded him why he had acted that way—it wasn't his fault; it was all Zhang Biezhi's doing.

How stupid must he be to repeatedly speak ill of Master in front of him? Although today's comment was better than before—previously, he had been shooting blindly, but today's had some merit... No, he needed to stay away from Zhang Biezhi. As Master said, stupidity is a disease, and staying with a fool for too long would eventually infect him.

Thinking this, Ah Shu quickly got up, even more abruptly than the guard, without saying a word.

Zhang Biezhi stared blankly at the empty room, unable to understand their reactions. Wasn't...

Was what I said wrong?

Author's note: