Chapter 77

Chapter 77: The True Purpose of the Departure

Lou Yun looked at the tightly closed city gate, obviously finding it a bit hard to accept this fact.

Since Han Tianxiao and the others were not in the city, they must have left.

And from this city heading to Cang Lan Nation, there was only one necessary road, where Lou Yun now stood.

Lou Yun had kept watch on the road all night.

They absolutely could not have passed along the road without Lou Yun noticing.

That meant only one possibility.

They went out another city gate, probably the one in the direction they had come from!

No, there was another possibility.

They were captured by people from Sanhe Nation, and quickly taken away from the city overnight.

However, that might not be right either.

Even if they were taken, they would surely head straight for the capital of Sanhe Nation.

That would also require passing along this necessary road.

They could not have just been sent back directly!

Lou Yun shook his head.

He felt that if he kept analyzing like this, his mind might explode soon.

To find out what really happened now, the best way was to enter the city and ask!

Lou Yun went to the place where Wan Huier was hiding and explained his discovery and thoughts.

Wan Huier immediately became anxious and said, "No, the city is full of soldiers now. Brother Lou, if you go in, you will absolutely be discovered!"

Lou Yun smiled and said, "Don’t worry, I’m not that easy to catch. Besides, I won’t enter openly and proudly. I’ll definitely disguise myself a bit."

By disguise, Lou Yun meant smudging some dirt on his face, crumpling his clothes to make them look worn, rolling up his pant legs, and having Chang Xiang help mask his cultivation level.

This way, he looked like a completely ordinary farm boy.

Finally, Lou Yun took off the Stone Sword he was carrying and handed it to Wan Huier, saying, "Huier, I’ll take advantage of the darkness to enter now. As soon as I get the information, I’ll come out immediately. Wait right here for me. Unless I show up myself, even if you hear any noises or notice any movements, do not come out! Understood?"

Wan Huier nodded vigorously and said, "Brother Lou, you don’t need to worry about me. You must be careful yourself. Huier will wait here for you to return!"

Lou Yun smiled gently and used his finger to lightly poke Wan Huier’s forehead.

He said, "Don’t worry, wait for me to come back."

After speaking, he turned and left.

With the cover of night, Lou Yun easily entered the city.

Then, like a wild cat, he moved swiftly under the shadows of various buildings.

Sure enough, the city was heavily guarded, with many soldiers patrolling.

Almost no ordinary people could be seen on the streets.

However, with Chang Xiang’s warnings, Lou Yun easily avoided those soldiers.

He then arrived at the inn where Han Tianxiao and the others had stayed.

Not far away was the place where he fought Huo Yong yesterday.

By now, Huo Yong and that execution man’s bodies were naturally gone.

Some dried bloodstains were still on the ground.

Lou Yun glanced around and entered the inn.

Though it was not very late, due to the tense atmosphere in the city, the inn had almost no patrons.

Only one clerk was dozing off leaning on the counter.

Hearing someone enter, the young clerk opened his sleepy eyes and said, "Customer, are you staying the night?"

Lou Yun walked over, pulled out a gold coin, and said, "Not staying, I just want to ask you some questions!"

The young clerk had never seen a real gold coin in his life until now.

His eyes widened, and he nodded repeatedly.

He said, "Customer, whatever you want to know, ask away!"

"Last night, was there a group of people staying at this inn?"

"Yes, there was, about fifty or sixty people, including men and women. They stayed at our inn!"

The young clerk suddenly lowered his voice.

He said, "Customer, were those people not good?"

Lou Yun didn’t bother answering that question.

He asked, "When did they leave? Where did they go?"

"As for them, they left in the dead of night, sneaking away quietly like thieves.

Where they went, I don’t know.

But I helped them with their horses.

I saw them heading out through that city gate over there."

The direction the clerk pointed was indeed the way Lou Yun and the others had entered yesterday.

That meant they really left from the route they had come.

The young clerk continued his story.

He said, "Not long after they left, a group of soldiers came to the city and sealed off the entire place!"

Lou Yun nodded and said, "I see. All right, I’m leaving now. Remember, don’t tell anyone that I was here. If you do, it might cost you your life to spend that money!"

After saying that, Lou Yun left.

By now, he was filled with confusion.

Han Tianxiao and the others had actually left late last night.

Clearly, they had not been taken away by Sanhe Nation.

But why did they leave from their original route?

Could they have retraced their path back to Gu Feng Nation?

That wouldn’t make sense.

The mission wasn’t finished yet, and Huier wasn’t with the group.

If they returned to Gu Feng Nation like that, it wouldn’t bring them any benefit at all!

Chang Xiang suddenly said coldly, "Kid, I think they deliberately abandoned you!"

"Why?"

Chang Xiang did not answer Lou Yun.

But to himself, he thought:

"Hmph, Old Man Feng, Xia Guanqiu, you are all dumb. Among the nine clans, there’s the Han family. Isn’t Han Tianxiao surnamed Han? How come none of you thought of him? He might be from the Han family, noticed Lou Yun a while ago, but never found a chance to harm Lou Yun. This time, he took the opportunity to make a move!"

Chang Xiang knew these thoughts.

Since he wasn’t entirely sure, he definitely could not say them to Lou Yun.

Because Lou Yun valued friendship highly and was loyal.

In Lou Yun’s mind, Han Tianxiao was both his teacher and his friend.

Lou Yun didn’t get an answer from Chang Xiang, nor did he press further. With his intelligence, he naturally knew Chang Xiang’s words were indeed a possibility. But since there was no reason for that possibility, he didn’t believe it.

When Lou Yun appeared before Wan Huier, even though they had only been separated for a little over an hour, Wan Huier threw herself excitedly into his arms. Before she could even speak, tears were already streaming down her face.

Despite Wan Huier’s tomboyish personality, she was only sixteen years old. Moreover, no matter how fallen her father might be, she was still royalty, raised in luxury and cosseted since childhood. She had never experienced anything like today—hiding alone in a desolate wilderness, nervously terrified of encountering bad people while simultaneously worrying about whether something might have happened to Lou Yun.

Seeing Lou Yun return safely now, Wan Huier’s tightly wound nerves finally relaxed, and her aggrieved tears naturally spilled over uncontrollably.

Wan Huier’s reaction startled Lou Yun, making him think she had encountered some danger. But sweeping his spiritual sense around, he found not a single soul nearby. Looking at the surrounding environment, he immediately understood. Feeling apologetic, he patted Wan Huier’s shoulder gently. "Don’t cry," he said. "It’s your brother’s fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone here. I promise it won’t happen again next time!"

His words only made Wan Huier cry even more bitterly. Lou Yun was utterly flustered and could only manage to comfort her after much coaxing.

Once she stopped crying, Wan Huier immediately began asking Lou Yun about his experiences in the city. Initially, Lou Yun didn’t want to tell her, but considering the matter was directly related to her, he explained everything.

Wan Huier’s first reaction upon hearing this was to clap her hands and jump up, shouting excitedly, "That’s wonderful! So now I’m completely free!"

Lou Yun looked at her helplessly, feeling a sense of irritation. He didn’t know what to do next. Should he continue taking Wan Huier to Cang Lan Nation, or should he take her back to Gu Feng Nation?

Going to Cang Lan Nation meant completely sacrificing Wan Huier’s future freedom. Returning to Gu Feng Nation, however, would inevitably mean someone else would be sent to escort Wan Huier to Cang Lan Nation eventually. Honestly, Lou Yun was deeply concerned about the future of this newly adopted sister of his.

Seeing Lou Yun silent, Wan Huier quieted down too and asked softly, "Brother Lou, what are you thinking about?"

Lou Yun sighed and shared his thoughts. After hearing him out, Wan Huier also fell silent. After a long while, she lifted her head, took a deep breath, seemingly making some kind of decision, and said to Lou Yun, "Brother Lou, my father only has me, one daughter. Since I was little, I’ve longed for an elder brother to take care of me, to protect me. Now that I’ve met you, I truly see you as my brother. So… I don’t want to deceive you anymore."

Lou Yun looked at Wan Huier, confused. "Deceive me about what?"

"Well… This trip to Cang Lan Nation wasn’t ordered by the King. It was my father’s suggestion!"

"The Sixth Prince wants you to marry into Cang Lan Nation?"

"Yes. My father proposed to the King that marrying me off to Cang Lan Nation could foster relations between our two nations. They could join forces to eliminate Sanhe Nation and other minor kingdoms, thereby expanding Gu Feng Nation’s territory and strength."

Lou Yun frowned, finding it hard to imagine why Wan Huier’s father would do such a thing.

"Actually, that’s just the reason my father gave the King. His true motive wasn’t consideration for Gu Feng Nation at all. He was solely thinking about his own future."

Lou Yun didn’t ask. He was already starting to vaguely guess the truth.

"My father’s real aim is to use Cang Lan Nation’s power to help him become the King of Gu Feng Nation. Once successful, he would ally with Cang Lan Nation and send troops to attack Sanhe Nation and other minor kingdoms. After victory, he would give all the spoils—those entire kingdoms—to Cang Lan Nation. He intends to take nothing for himself!"

"And I’m not going to marry some prince. I’m to marry the King of Cang Lan Nation as a hostage—part of the bargain for their help in my father’s plot!"

Wan Huier let out a long sigh. These words had burdened her heart for a long time, but she’d had no one to confide in. Saying them to Lou Yun now brought her an immense sense of relief.

Lou Yun looked at Wan Huier with deep pity. He truly hadn’t expected this girl, seeming like such a tomboy on the surface, to be carrying such a heavy burden. Not only had she not been crushed by it, but she had also managed to laugh, chat, and pretend nothing was wrong. Such a capacity—what average person could achieve that!

After a thoughtful pause, Lou Yun spoke. "Huier, I just have one question for you now. Deep down, do you want to marry the King of Cang Lan Nation?"

Wan Huier smiled bitterly and shook her head. "Brother Lou, what do you think? Of course I don’t! But… I also don’t want to disobey my father. I don’t want to disappoint him. So… I just wish to enjoy a period of true freedom, a taste of real life before I become a hostage."

Her words filled Lou Yun with a surge of emotion, but they also solidified a decision within him. "Huier," he said resolutely, "then we will continue to Cang Lan Nation. I will grant your wish. I will accompany you until we step into Cang Lan Nation. You will enjoy this time as true life. Alright?"

Wan Huier vigorously wiped the tear streaks from her face and nodded excitedly. "Alright!"

Even as he saw her happiness, Lou Yun couldn’t miss the inevitable trace of resignation that flickered across Wan Huier’s face. Quietly, he thought to himself, ‘Little one, when we reach Cang Lan Nation, get ready for a surprise. A massive surprise…’ Lou Yun, committed to helping Wan Huier, had no intention of letting her simply have a brief respite before returning to her fate. He was determined to help her gain a completely new life!

"Well then," he announced, "let’s set off. The road ahead is still long!"

"Yes! Alright!"

So Lou Yun and Wan Huier continued their journey towards Cang Lan Nation.

Because of Wan Huier, Lou Yun temporarily set aside thoughts of Han Tianxiao and the others’ departure. A stone, however, still weighed heavily on his heart, uncertain when it might lift.