PFC Chapter 133 Separation
Chapter 133 Separation
Dongfang Su truly deserves to be called a prodigy.
She not only has a photographic memory, but is also extremely skilled in calligraphy and painting. In just half a day, the half-finished treasure map had already taken shape.
Just when everyone thought the situation had calmed down and they could finally get a couple of days of rest.
Unexpectedly, another incident occurred that very night.
At that time, everyone was gathered in the courtyard having dinner.
Suddenly, a familiar flapping sound came from the sky. When everyone looked up, they saw a white figure heading straight towards them from the sky.
That was none other than Chu Ling's long-unseen gyrfalcon.
Chu Ling stood up and stepped forward, catching the gyrfalcon steadily and pulling a letter tube from its leg.
With just one glance, his expression suddenly became serious.
Seeing his appearance, Xuanfeng and the others exchanged glances, a sense of foreboding rising in their hearts. They quickly asked, "Your Highness, what has happened?"
Chu Ling, with a stern face, placed the letter in his hand.
"A night raid by foreign tribes has reignited unrest on the border."
After saying this, before anyone could react, he decisively turned and left, saying, "Pack your things and set off immediately!"
"Your Highness! That treasure map..."
Chu Ling didn't even turn his head.
"This journey is fraught with danger, so let's set aside the treasure map for now. We can retrieve it another time if we have the opportunity."
"Yes!"
Upon hearing this, everyone dared not slack off and hurriedly packed their things to leave the place.
Xie Yan came empty-handed and left empty-handed, with nothing to take with her, so she took advantage of the gap while everyone was packing up to go and bid farewell to Dongfang Su.
Then, when I returned, I found a bundle right by the gate of the courtyard.
When Xuanfeng and the others finished packing and were about to leave, they saw Xie Yan standing there expressionless, holding a bundle, blocking the doorway.
"What are you doing, blocking the way and not moving?"
Xuanfeng frowned and stepped forward, just as he was about to pat him on the shoulder, when he caught a glimpse of what was inside the bundle—
A silver ornament inlaid with a circle of bells, and a blood-stained Fengyunlou token.
In an instant, Xuanfeng's expression changed drastically, because he was all too familiar with this token.
Because he once had one too, an identical one, engraved with "Tianzi No. 2".
"This, this is?!"
He looked up at Xie Yan in disbelief.
But Xie Yan's expression was strangely calm.
With a slight nod, he picked up the silver ornament and said calmly, "This is Uya's anklet."
Xie Yan looked past the worried gazes of the crowd and met Chu Ling's eyes as he approached, saying, "I won't be going with you."
"It's time to take care of some personal matters."
shore--
Xie Yan touched Masala, who had become as thin as a lightning bolt, with a look of heartache.
Just as he was about to mount his horse, he caught a glimpse of Lu Zizhao, whom he hadn't seen for some time, sidling up to him with a hesitant expression.
The boy grew very quickly, and coupled with the fact that he had been being bossed around and doing odd jobs with the disciples of the Martial Arts Alliance, he had become much taller and stronger.
"how?"
Xie Yan hung the bundle beside the saddle and raised an eyebrow at him.
Lu Zizhao looked at him, bit her lip, and hesitated for a while before finally saying, "I...I came to...say something to you!"
Before he could utter the last word, Xie Yan grabbed his face and said sternly, "Don't you know you can't make promises you can't keep?"
Lu Zizhao: Help, help what?
"No, no!"
Lu Zizhao struggled for a long time before finally managing to break free from Xie Yan's grasp. Before Xie Yan could deliver a fatal blow, he closed his eyes, covered his head, and cried out.
"I've already told the prince that I want to join the army on the border!"
"The prince has already agreed to my request, but he also said that he would not give me any preferential treatment and that I should start as a common soldier."
"I'm not coming back! That's why I've come to say goodbye!"
After Lu Zizhao finished shouting, he waited for Xie Yan to make another move for a long time before he dared to slowly open his eyes to look at him.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he put his hand down, Xie Yan immediately gave him a sharp rap on the head, making him see stars and completely stunned.
Then Xie Yan's laughing voice came, "You wish! Do you think you can escape the remaining 651 hits like this?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zizhao trembled all over, then cried out and ran back, fearing that Xie Yan would hit him on the head again.
Xie Yan watched Lu Zizhao's retreating figure, shook her head and smiled, then turned around and met Chu Ling's eyes.
At this moment, Xie Yan had his back to everyone and had put his very distinctive mask back on.
But he did not refuse Chu Ling's outstretched hand that removed his mask.
With their eyes no longer obscured, the exchange between them seemed to say nothing, yet also as if everything had been said.
In silence, Chu Ling took out a white jade dragon pendant from his bosom and placed it in Xie Yan's hand.
The jade pendant looked as if it had been split in two, with the middle section carefully patched up with gold thread.
"The property returns to its original owner."
Looking at the item placed in her hands, Xie Yan's eyes flickered slightly. She was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting to see it again.
He held the jade pendant in his long, slender, fair hands, examined it under the moonlight, and suddenly smiled.
"Why is everyone trying to set a goal for me?"
After chuckling and sighing, he tossed the jade pendant back into Chu Ling's arms.
"Please keep this for me for now, and I'll retrieve it when I get back."
"In exchange, this is mine."
As he spoke, he reached out and hooked a pair of phoenix pendants from Chu Ling's waist.
Before Chu Ling could say anything more, Xie Yan put her mask back on.
He mounted his horse, gave it a flourish, waved to the crowd with his back to them in the moonlight, and galloped away without looking back.
Chu Ling watched Xie Yan's retreating figure, smiled, and reached out to tuck the jade pendant into his robes.
Without further hesitation, he turned and mounted his horse, leading his men, and swiftly disappeared into the night.
Under the moonlight, the two figures gradually disappeared into the distance.
The seventeenth year of the Tianlong reign—
It snowed heavily tonight.
Even though it wasn't curfew yet, there wasn't a single person to be seen on the long streets of the capital.
The people turned off their lights and extinguished their fires, staying indoors.
In the streets and alleys, besides the biting cold wind, there was only the strong smell of blood mixed in with the wind.
At this moment, in this vast capital city, the only place still lit up was the magnificent imperial palace located in the center of the city.
However, what it shone was firelight.
After an unknown amount of time, the blazing fire gradually dimmed and went out in the darkness.
In the dim moonlight, two people stood on a rooftop, taking in everything.
"Chu Wanshan has stormed the capital; he has won."
"Hmph, I didn't expect that after so many rounds of assassination attempts, he still managed to evade them."
"What should we do now?"
"What can we do? The people on the dragon throne are all dead. This deal should be canceled. Let's go."
After saying this, the two men leaped over the rooftops and sped towards the city gate.
"Ok?"
Suddenly, one person stopped in their tracks.
He frowned, walked to the side, and kicked at a clump of snow piled up by the roadside.
Then, with his sudden kick, a ragged, dusty-faced child was kicked out from inside.
The child seemed to have lost all consciousness, collapsing to the ground and remaining motionless.
He closed his eyes tightly, tilted his head to the side, revealing a red mole under the corner of his eye.