Finest Servant

Chapter 581 Sudden Change

"Yes, a wind is rising," she murmured, staring at the sky, her eyes deep and mysterious. The cold wind of the Alxa Grassland howled past her ears, causing her delicate frame to shiver slightly.

Yujia has only a few months to live! Lin Wanrong's mind grew heavy as he recalled the words of the Fairy. This young lady was a skilled healer; he wondered if she was aware of her own condition.

After some thought, feeling rather dispirited, Lin Wanrong sighed softly. "Miss Yujia, take care. Brother Gao, let's go."

Having said that, he didn't bother to check whether Yueya’er understood the deeper meaning behind his words. He stood up and walked down the slope, not looking back. Both men strode away hurriedly, their expressions resolute.

She has always been the one avoiding him since descending from the Tianshan Mountains. When has he ever avoided her? Yujia gazed silently at his retreating figure. The rising cold wind rustled through her loose robe.

Having left Yujia behind, Lin Wanrong didn't return to camp. Instead, he skirted the hillside, heading toward the boundless tobacco fields in the distance. The faint aroma of tobacco mingled with the earthy scent of soil greeted him. The lush green leaves seemed endless, stretching to the horizon. Gao Qiu, however, quickly covered his nose. "Brother Lin, what is this pungent tobacco for? It smells so weird! Why do you and Yujia treasure it so much?"

Plucking a leaf that resembled a banana leaf, Lin Wanrong took a deep sniff. The familiar scent was comforting and addictive. "You haven't tasted it, so of course you wouldn't appreciate its value." Lin Wanrong grinned, slapping the tobacco leaf lightly against his palm. "Once this tobacco matures and is cut into shreds, try a few puffs. I guarantee you'll grow fond of it, even knowing it's a poison. It has ensnared countless people."

"Poison?!" Gao Qiu leaped away from the tobacco, horrified. "Brother Lin, don't scare me like that. You can actually taste this poison? Isn't that harming our Great Hua people?"

"So, it's meant to 'poison' the Westerners!" Gao breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, "Doing business with Westerners, we should be careful. I heard they're quite treacherous and specialize in swindling Great Hua's money."

Lin Wanrong's eyes sparkled, and he chuckled. "Brother Gao, don't overestimate the Westerners. As long as we Great Hua people don't cheat ourselves, no one in the world can deceive us."

Sound reasoning! With cunning businessmen like Brother Lin around, how could any Westerner ever cheat them? If they didn't cheat them, that was already a blessing for their ancestors. Feeling reassured, Gao Qiu then expressed some regret, "Is this tobacco really that amazing? It's a pity it only grows in the Turkic lands. Why not just take over this land? After all, we haven't seized any nomad territories yet. Wouldn't it be unsatisfying if we never tried?"

Old Gao sure had the audacity, Lin Wanrong thought, breaking into a hearty laugh. "That's a good suggestion. Worth considering, indeed!"

The joke was just that—a joke. Khovd was located at the northern foot of the Altai Mountains, far from the heartland of Great Hua and merely less than two hundred miles away from the Royal Court of the Turks. To truly seize this land, they might as well take over Kyzil too, and wipe out the Turks completely.

But considering Lin Wanrong's character, now that he'd found a large quantity of tobacco in Khovd, how could he resist taking advantage of the Turks?

As for how to gain the most advantage, he pondered for a long while. A nebulous plan formed in his mind, but its execution would have to wait until they had defeated the Turks.

He pulled up a tobacco plant and bundled its leaves and branches, stuffing them into his knapsack. If he was lucky enough to return to Great Hua, he could have it studied.

Due to being deep in enemy territory, they couldn't set up camp or build fires; all the soldiers had to rest on the spot. Lin Wanrong's own makeshift camp was nothing more than some dry straw strewn about on a small slope. Still, compared to the hellish journeys across deserts and mountains, he was quite content.

With the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed, he had just relaxed when a fragrant breeze wafted by, and a beautiful figure appeared beside him.

"Sister, where did you go? I've missed you terribly!" He embraced the Fairy Sister, her skin smooth and soft like cream. A heavenly pleasure. He buried his face in her chest and didn't need to prepare any sweet nothings; they flowed naturally from his lips.

Her cheeks turned slightly red. "Stop taking advantage of me," she gently said, pushing him back a few inches. "I have something serious to discuss with you."

"Is missing you not serious?" Lin Wanrong grinned and took a light sniff of her hair. "You smell wonderful. Are you using our Xiao family's soap? Congratulations, you won't need to spend money on baths anymore!"

She sighed softly, clearly unamused. "Listen to me first. If you can still joke around after that, I'll be impressed."

Lin Wanrong blinked, intrigued. "What is it?"

She let out a small sigh. "It's not good news. Do you know where I've been these past few days?"

Ever since they had crossed the Altai Mountains, she had disappeared. He was used to her elusive, mysterious nature, so he wasn't particularly surprised. But her words made him anxious. "Where did you go?"

She smiled gently, whispering, "The—Turkic—Court."

"What?!" Lin Wanrong's face paled, and he nearly leaped up. "You went to Kyzil? Don't scare me like that!"

"Why would I scare you?" She grabbed his hand and smiled softly. "Aren't you aware of my capabilities? In this world, there's only one person who can harm me. The rest are far from being a threat."

"Who dares to harm you? This is outrageous; I'll kill him!" Lin Wanrong drew a musket from his bosom with a whoosh, his face red with fury.

The Fairy's lips curved in a soft laugh. She didn't speak, but her gaze was tender and full of love.

Lin Wanrong paused, suddenly grasping her meaning. Given the Fairy's abilities, not even Vixen An would be a match for her. In the entire world, probably only he, Lin Wanrong, could ever harm her. Feeling both proud and touched, he tightly held her delicate hand. "Dearest Fairy, stop toying with me. Hurting you would be like hurting myself!"

"You always know what to say, don't you?" Ning Yuxi's heart warmed, and her cheeks flushed. "I merely circled the outskirts of Kyzil and then returned!"

"Good that you returned," Lin Wanrong said, not blinking an eye. He continued solemnly, "That was never a place you should have gone to."

Ning Yuxi shook her head. "Let me finish. I initially intended to sneak in under cover of darkness, but as soon as I reached the outskirts, I was stopped."

Lin Wanrong frowned. "Stopped? Why?"

Ning Yuxi gently held his hand and looked into his eyes. She whispered, "Don't panic when I tell you this—the outskirts of Kyzil are filled with well-stocked supplies and a formidable army, easily more than a hundred thousand strong!"

Lin Wanrong leaped to his feet, his face draining of color. "A hundred thousand soldiers?!"

The Fairy nodded silently, and Lin Wanrong stood there, stunned. No wonder she had said he couldn't be as carefree as before. This shocking news was like a bolt of lightning, striking at his very core.

Why would the Turks gather such a large army at Kyzil? Had they figured out his plans? Or did they have some other scheme in mind?

If the Turks had indeed figured out his intentions, then not only would the surprise attack be ruined, but these five thousand soldiers would also be surrounded by the enemy. A retreat back to the Sea of Death was impossible, and a headlong charge into Kyzil would be like striking a stone with an egg. Blocked in front and cut off from behind, was he doomed to die before even achieving anything?

He paced back and forth, his eyebrows tightly knitted, his good mood vanished without a trace.

Ning Yuxi looked at his tense face, sensing his anxiety. A feeling of deep connection and mutual concern washed over her; it felt as if even their breaths had merged into one.

"Don't worry," her gentle voice broke the silence, "from what I observed, these Turks have only recently gathered their supplies and horses. It may not necessarily be against us."

Lin Wanrong hummed in acknowledgment, abruptly stopping his pacing. He gripped her hand tightly. "Thanks to you, Fairy Sister. Otherwise, I would have blindly plunged into a trap set by a hundred thousand Turks!"

Ning Yuxi shook her head and smiled. "You're not that foolish! Sooner or later, a scout would have reported this to you. I simply told you a few days earlier."

"Don't underestimate the importance of these few days," Lin Wanrong said seriously. "Having this extra time to assess the situation could very well determine the outcome of a war! This matter is of great significance; I must discuss it with Brother Hu and the others."

A hundred thousand Turkic cavalrymen, enough to shred Lin Wanrong's army of five thousand to pieces—the weight of his emotions was palpable. "Then go, quickly. I'll wait for you here," the Fairy softly said.

Hearing her words, warmth filled Lin Wanrong's heart. He nodded hastily and turned to leave, but had only taken a few steps when he heard a gentle call from behind. "Thief."

The voice was so tender it melted his bones. Lin Wanrong quickly spun around. "Fairy Sister, did you call me?"

Before he could react, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and the warm, soft lips of Ning Yuxi lightly brushed against his cheek.

"Don't be afraid," a small, warm hand tightly gripped his palm. Ning Yuxi's face blushed as she looked at him, her lips barely parted. "I'll always be by your side, for better or worse, till death do us part."

"Sister—" Warmth spread through Lin Wanrong's heart. He felt a slight stinging sensation in his nose and abruptly pulled her into his arms, snuggling against her. "Rest assured, I'm not afraid. I'm quite resilient; they even call me the indestructible cockroach. Besides, we haven't even had our wedding night yet—"

"Tch," Ning Yuxi chided softly, her cheeks flaming as she hastily pushed him away. The thief chuckled, reverting to his usual playful demeanor. Yet for her, the warmth was beyond words.

—---

"A hundred thousand?!" Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief, mouths agape, unable to utter a word. With the Turkic Khan commanding a hundred thousand Turkic cavalry, what was the point of even fighting? Not being devoured by the Turkic forces would be a miracle in itself.

This sudden turn of events silenced everyone. The excitement over nearing Kyzil had plummeted to freezing point.

"Brother Lin, where did you get this news?" Gao Qiu inquired skeptically. "Our scouts were only about thirty miles away. How did news about Kyzil suddenly emerge?"

"Let's not discuss the source. I assure you, this information is absolutely true," Lin Wanrong declared with unwavering certainty. No one questioned him further. Hu Bugui sighed, "If Kyzil truly has a hundred thousand Turkic cavalry, the question is no longer about fighting, but about the survival of our five thousand brothers."

"Damn it, worst case, we fight the Turks to the bitter end," Gao Qiu cursed, earning nods of approval from Xu Zhen and Li Wuling.

Lin Wanrong frowned. Leading five thousand soldiers through the Silk Road, enduring countless hardships to reach the foot of the Altai Mountains, was not meant to be a suicide mission.

"General Lin, what are your thoughts on these hundred thousand Turks?" Hu Bugui asked with a somber tone. He was the most seasoned among them, his nature cautious and collected, not hastily agreeing with Gao Qiu's sentiments.

Lin Wanrong paced slowly and nodded faintly, "In this world, outcomes are of two kinds—either good or bad. A hundred thousand Turks gathering around Kyzil can't escape this basic truth."

Gao Qiu was confused. "What do you mean by bad, and how do you define good?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "If it's the worst-case scenario, then it means that the hundred thousand Turkic warriors are coming for us. Even if we didn't plan to raid Kyzil, they'd still want to annihilate us!"

Indeed, this was the grimmest of possibilities. Li Wuling looked puzzled, "But how could the Turkic people know that their royal court is our target?"

Little Li's question encapsulated the confusion of everyone present. Lin Wanrong nodded, "If the Turkic people were to discover our intentions, there could only be two possibilities. Either they guessed it themselves—that the moment we entered Yiwu, Lu Dongzan had already figured out our plans—"

Hu Bugui pondered for a moment and then shook his head, "That's impossible! The Silk Road leads to the Altai Mountains—Who else in the world could know this aside from General Lin? Is Lu Dongzan a reincarnation of a deity? How could he have guessed that we would cross the Sea of Death to raid Kyzil, and even amass a hundred thousand soldiers outside the royal court?"

Old Hu's analysis was sound. Lu Dongzan was smart, but he was no fortune-telling immortal. Lin Wanrong hummed in agreement, "What Brother Hu said is right. For the Turkic people to guess this would be like plucking stars from the sky—practically impossible. That leaves us with only one other possibility—perhaps someone among us has informed them!"

"What?" Old Gao was taken aback, "Are you saying there's a traitor among our brothers?"

Lin Wanrong shook his head, "These are all brothers who we trust with our lives. There can't be a traitor. Old Gao, you're overthinking it."

Li Wuling suddenly widened his eyes, "Could it be—Yujia?"

As these words were spoken, everyone was stunned. Among the entire army, if anyone was likely to communicate with the enemy, Yujia was the most probable suspect.

"It shouldn't be her," Old Hu said calmly, "From the moment we entered Yiwu, crossed the Lop Nur, and traversed the snowy mountains, Yujia had no knowledge of our objective. Even if she did, there was no way she could have communicated it across the desert and snowy mountains. And even assuming she did get a message out, it would take at least a day to reach Kyzil. How could the Turkic people have assembled a hundred thousand troops so quickly?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Yujia, who seemed the most suspicious, was actually the least likely to have done it.

"Could it be from Aunt Xu's side?" Little Li furrowed his brows, "But that doesn't make sense! For such a critical matter, Aunt Xu would never tell anyone. At most, she would report to Grandfather. Outsiders wouldn't know."

Pooling their wisdom certainly helped. Within a few exchanges, the group had ruled out various possibilities. Lin Wanrong nodded and chuckled, "Listening to all of you, I really can't find a reason how we could have been discovered by the enemy."

Picking up on Lin Wanrong's subtext, Xu Zhen had a sudden flash of inspiration, "General, you said earlier that things could either be bad or good. We've ruled out the bad, but how could a hundred thousand Turkic troops amassing be good for us?"

"Who says there's no good?" Lin Wanrong responded casually, "Perhaps there's been some change at the Helan Mountains!"

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