Chapter 967 – Battle in the Northern Frontier (Part Four)
“Not enough strength—do it again—”
Jiang Pengji held a wooden sword in her left hand, a teasing smile plastered on her face as she shamelessly bullied the little boy.
“Oh dear, did you not have enough to eat this morning, or are you not interested in lunch? That weak little push feels more like a tickle than an attack!”
She casually blocked his strike, her wrist flicking with ease as she sent the sweating, straining little rascal flying.
“Wrong, wrong—are you here to defeat your enemies or serve them on a platter? One missed strike and you’ll be on the defensive!”
Jiang Pengji was merciless in her teasing, making the audience feel all the more sympathetic.
【Tiya Tata】: Streamer, you’ve fallen—why not go bully the Northern Frontier instead of picking on these three kids?
【Mo Xingyou】: It’s not really bullying, is it? She’s using a sword with one hand, and her feet haven’t even left the ground!
【Akatrelis】: Haha—let’s not kid ourselves! Even using just one finger would still count as bullying the little boy.
【Shan Tianmiya】: Don’t just feel sorry for them! I think it’s super cute seeing the three little rascals charging at her one after another!
Ignoring the comments in the chat, Jiang Pengji squinted at the three kids bent over and panting.
“Still unwilling to admit defeat?”
“No way!”
She had originally wanted to ask where Wei Ci was, but as soon as she stepped out of the government hall, she spotted the three kids practicing swordplay with wooden swords in the yard.
These kids were no strangers; they were Qi Guanrang’s daughter, Feng Zhen’s son, and Sun Wen’s grandson.
Though they were young, they managed to wield their swords quite impressively, so Jiang Pengji decided to step in and offer guidance.
Well—
It was a one-sided slaughter, sprinkled with some mental torture.
Qi Guanrang’s daughter was gasping for air, her small wooden sword propped against the ground as she slightly bent over, her little face flushed with color.
Sun Wen’s grandson was so worn out that tears were streaming from his eyes, and hearing Jiang Pengji’s “provocation,” he just bit his lip and shook his head.
Feng Yi was performing the best, looking somewhat frail but maintaining his composure, gasping hurriedly without daring to open his mouth to breathe.
“Youngsters these days, all so stubborn! How hard is it to say you’re tired? Why hold it in?”
Sighing, Jiang Pengji placed her wooden sword aside and waved at the three little ones.
“Come over! I’ll take you to find something delicious in the kitchen.”
As the lord of the three little rascals, they dared not disobey and obediently followed her.
When the parents came looking for their kids, they just so happened to see their lord happily directing the three mud-covered children as they barbecued.
Feng Yi was serious, grilling with skill.
Sun Lan was a flustered mess, her face smudged with an unknown sauce.
Qi Guan Jinghui was more relaxed, mainly responsible for gathering firewood, her snowy white face now covered in ash.
“Hey—have you all come to taste their culinary skills?”
Jiang Pengji waved a skewered meat that was nearly charred to a crisp; this was Sun Lan’s masterpiece, and the taste was beyond description.
Sun Wen watched his lord sitting on the ground in such an unceremonious manner, unable to control the twitch in the corner of his mouth.
The majestic image of the lord? Gone!
Seeing the parents arrive, the three kids weren’t quite sure what to do—bowing felt wrong, but ignoring their elders also felt wrong, so they just awkwardly clutched their skewered food.
Sun Wen wanted to call out to his grandson to avoid offending Jiang Pengji with his childish ignorance, but since he had just arrived and Qi Guanrang and Feng Zhen hadn’t spoken up yet, he hesitated. Feng Zhen and Qi Guanrang’s reactions were indeed quite characteristic, embodying their personalities perfectly.
Feng Zhen cheerfully joined in to “exploit child labor,” boldly taking his son’s grilled food while commenting on it.
“Too charred, unevenly coated with sauce, and the flavor is too strong—try to be more careful next time.”
Qi Guanrang kept a stern face but his gaze drifted toward his daughter, silently conveying something.
Qi Guan Jinghui dropped the firewood, pulled out a napkin to wipe her hands, tilted her head back, and tugged at Qi Guanrang’s sleeve.
“Daddy—”
“Fire isn’t kindled like that; it requires skill.”
This father-daughter duo rarely spoke much, giving the impression that—
They communicated through brainwaves!
Sun Wen: “…”
He felt he should do something too, just to not seem out of place.
Barbecuing can’t serve as lunch; Jiang Pengji had already instructed the kitchen to prepare a light meal.
After sending the three little troublemakers off for a nap, Jiang Pengji asked Feng Zhen.
“Zixiao mentioned when he’d be back?”
Feng Zhen thought for a moment, “He said he’d be back in three to five days, so counting the time, it’ll be one or two more days.”
Only then did Sun Wen recall he hadn’t seen Wei Ci since arriving in Chongzhou.
“Is Zixiao out on business?”
Feng Zhen shook his head, saying, “Zixiao said a friend was coming, so he went out to visit.”
A sudden unease washed over Sun Wen.
“Since his friend is coming, why does Zixiao need to be away for three to five days?”
Logically, if a friend was traveling from afar, shouldn’t Wei Ci be at home hosting a feast?
Feng Zhen shot a glance at their lord, smirking, “That’s something I’m not sure of.”
Jiang Pengji didn’t pry into the matter either, so they had no choice but to wait for Wei Ci’s return to clarify.
Feng Zhen uncertainly added, “But… Zixiao did mention that this friend is called Master Liu Ru, supposedly someone from Zhong Zhao?”
Master Liu Ru?
Sun Wen felt the name was quite familiar.
Seeing his reaction, Feng Zhen asked, “Do you know him, Lord?”
Sun Wen remembered who Master Liu Ru was.
“Master Liu Ru was the former director of Baoyuan Temple in Zhong Zhao and has royal blood. Zixiao actually knows such a high-profile person.”
Zhong Zhao practiced Daoism as its state religion, and Master Liu Ru was reputed to have royal lineage; he was the head of the largest Daoist temple in Zhong Zhao.
According to what Sun Wen knew, after turning sixty, Master Liu Ru had stepped down and retreated from the secular world, no longer concerning himself with worldly matters.
What could have led this elderly gentleman to journey from Zhong Zhao to Chongzhou?
Feng Zhen was astonished.
“Master Liu Ru has such a status? How did Zixiao come to know him?”
Wei Ci didn’t know Master Liu Ru in this lifetime, but he did in his previous one.
Master Liaochen had once told Jiang Pengji that there were very few individuals capable of recognizing the resonance of the Imperial Aura at a glance.
And, as luck would have it, Master Liu Ru was one of those few.
Wei Ci donned a green scholar’s robe and an emerald cloak, wearing a cloud cap on his head and wooden clogs on his feet, looking like a leisurely gentleman from another world.
Across from him sat a youthful-looking elder with hair like snow dressed in Daoist robes, holding a whisk in hand.
The two were fiercely battling over a chessboard.
“Your skill in chess is outstanding, Master. I humbly bow down,” said Wei Ci.
Though Wei Ci was decent at chess, he simply couldn’t match up to Master Liu Ru.
Not just now; even in his previous life, he often lost to the old man.
Master Liu Ru smiled lightly and nodded, as if to him, victory or defeat was merely a fleeting moment.
“If it weren’t for the fact that you seem troubled, this match would not have come so easily.”
Master Liu Ru gazed at Wei Ci with a kind expression.
He didn’t know Wei Ci, but upon seeing his face, he immediately realized that Wei Ci recognized him.
Wei Ci sighed, “As long as the calamity of those who steal the national fortune and imperial aura remains, my heart can find no peace.”
