Under the cover of night, the two people who had been traveling for some time finally stopped to rest.

“Master, I’m not tired.” Liu Qiao still wanted to carry Liu Zhenqing on his back and continue on the road. Since his master wanted to go back, it must be done immediately.

“Not tired? I’m tired just looking at you.” They had been running for several hours. Liu Zhenqing patted Liu Qiao on the shoulder and said: “It’s fine, your qinggong is so fast. How could ordinary people catch up?”

Liu Qiao naturally listened to Liu Zhenqing’s words. He helped him sit down and said with a smile: “Master, there’s a stream nearby. I’ll catch fish for you.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded with a smile and watched as Liu Qiao bounded over to the stream with brisk steps. In fact, Liu Qiao had a reticent and prudent disposition and rarely smiled, a bit similar to Huo Fenglie. But looking at Liu Qiao like this, only then did Liu Zhenqing feel that he hadn’t done anything wrong. Perhaps some people didn’t need the kind of freedom that he cared about.

When Liu Qiao returned, Liu Zhenqing asked: “What have you been doing these past years?”

Liu Qiao thought it over while grilling fish for Liu Zhenqing, then said: “There was nothing in particular. You know I’m slow-minded, so I usually did whatever Qiao Jin said. He’s very smart.”

This was the strangest thing to Liu Zhenqing. “Why did you stay with him for so long?”

The secret order he’d given Liu Qiao back then was to escort the eight-year-old Qiao Jin away from the capital, choose a place as far away as he could go, find him a good family, and help Qiao Jin conceal his identity and live a stable and happy life.

Liu Qiao explained innocently.

In fact, the order issued by Liu Zhenqing had been very difficult for the one-track Liu Qiao. But Bai Yu had told Liu Qiao before that if he encountered a problem that required some brainpower, to ask him. Liu Qiao was headed south anyway, so he went to find Bai Yu. 

As a result, he heard news of Liu Zhenqing’s death halfway and someone immediately began to pursue them. Once he got rid of the assassins, he placed Qiao Jin at an inn and returned to the capital alone.

Liu Qiao didn’t dare look at Liu Zhenqing while explaining this, because he had disobeyed his master’s orders. But when he heard that something had happened to Liu Zhenqing, how could he still perform any task? Thus, he immediately returned to the capital after getting rid of the assassins. He happened to meet Song Xingmu while viewing Liu Zhenqing’s grave, and after being seriously injured, he had to recuperate for a year.

“A year later, I went back to find Qiao Jin working at that inn.”

Liu Zhenqing said in surprise: “He waited for you?”

Liu Qiao nodded, feeling a little dazed as he thought about it. When he left that year, he had promised Qiao Jin that he would definitely come back. After all, the two of them had been chased by assassins many times and been through thick and thin together. The child was very dependent on him. When he saw that he was going to leave, he grabbed Qiao Jin’s sleeve and told him with tears in his eyes to come back soon. But they didn’t expect that it would be a year later.

The child who was somewhat quiet and reserved when they first met had become bad-tempered a year later. It was said that while waiting for him, he ran out of money and had no adult to look after him, so he suffered a lot. But even so, Qiao Jin insisted on staying and waiting for him.

Because Liu Qiao had been Liu Zhenqing’s greatest confidant, he would naturally be exposed and hunted, so there was no way to arrange a life in seclusion for Qiao Jin, and he could only take him to hide here. Liu Qiao intended to separate from Qiao Jin. After all, the assassins were after him, and almost no one knew of Qiao Jin’s existence. However, Qiao Jin refused to let him go and alleged that he hadn’t completed his master’s order, so they relied on each other for survival. After some time, they discovered a group of rebels left behind by the Three Kings.

Liu Zhenqing immediately asked the question that concerned him the most: “Do they know Yuan Jin’s identity?”

What Liu Zhenqing was most afraid of was that in sparing Yuan Jin’s life, he gave the rebels someone to support, which caused all of these problems.

Liu Qiao shook his head: “Yuan Jin is very smart. He said that his identity must be kept secret to prevent others from taking advantage of him.”

Liu Zhenqing was instantly even more puzzled: “Then why did you two still maintain contact with them?”

Liu Qiao said with some chagrin: “It was Yuan Jin who discovered that those rebels were being used by someone to rebel against the emperor, and he wanted to infiltrate them. By coincidence, people in the capital sent a person to replace Crown Prince Qiao An. Yuan Jin left no stone unturned to kill that man and replaced him. We came directly to Western Shu, then contacted the rebels as comrades.”

Liu Zhenqing said in bewilderment: “And you weren’t discovered?”

Liu Qiao said with a nod: “He has been sending messages and communicating with the people in the capital, and hasn’t been discovered.” Liu Qiao also couldn’t quite understand how, but in any case, Qiao Jin had dealt with it perfectly.

“So you don’t know the identities of the people in the capital?” Liu Zhenqing surmised that because the other party was also concealing their identity, they didn’t find out in time that their subordinate had been replaced.

“I only know that their influence must be enormous.” Liu Qiao lowered his head and said, “I’m sorry, Master. When I saw how Yuan Jin wanted to deal with them at first, I really believed that Yuan Jin had discovered this potential danger and wanted to help Great Zhou’s Yuan clan deal with it. I didn’t expect…..”

“You didn’t expect that he had other intentions and wanted to be the oriole lurking behind?” Liu Zhenqing sighed. He didn’t know whether Qiao Jin had made this kind of choice out of discontentment or revenge. When he first sent the child away, he hadn’t felt that there was any unwillingness or hatred in his eyes. He’d thought that Qiao Jin would choose to live a stable life.

Upon seeing Liu Zhenqing sigh, Liu Qiao nervously said: “Master, I didn’t handle things well. What do you want to do about him? I promise to get it done.”

“Of course I hope he doesn’t…..follow in his father’s footsteps.” Liu Zhenqing smiled helplessly and said: “I hope he lives well. But it’s a pity that he may not be obedient, and then blood will flow again.”

Liu Qiao immediately clenched his fist and said: “Don’t worry, Master. I’ll send you back to General Huo in a while, and when it’s safe, I’ll sneak back in and kidnap him. He can’t beat me. If he’s disobedient and wants to rebel, I’ll just lock him up.”

Liu Zhenqing: ……

This simple, straightforward Liu Qiao was really amusing. Getting Qiao Jin to this point would certainly not be simple, but in Liu Qiao’s opinion, it could be resolved so easily. This proved that to Liu Qiao, Qiao Jin was as easy to deal with as a child. Was Liu Qiao too naive, or had Qiao Jin never given him reason to think he was hard to deal with?

“We need to make Qiao Jin’s identity clear to Fenglie first when we get back, and then discuss what to do,” Liu Zhenqing murmured. 

Liu Qiao glanced at him.

Liu Zhenqing noticed his gaze and said with a smile: “Is there something you want to say?”

Liu Qiao blinked and said: “So Master really is with General Huo.”

Liu Zhenqing choked for a moment and looked at Liu Qiao with discomfort. 

Liu Qiao lamented: “Master mentions General Huo a lot when he speaks. It’s strange, didn’t Master say that he wanted to marry the most beautiful girl in the world? 

Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “Is Fenglie not beautiful?”

Liu Qiao thought to himself, could a man be described as beautiful? If so, he thought his master’s previous appearance was the most beautiful, and then……Qiao Jin would be the second most beautiful, Song Xingmu third, and General Huo just barely made fourth. 

“As long as Master likes him,” Liu Qiao said.

Liu Qiao placed the grilled fish on leaves and was about to remove the bones, but was stopped by Liu Zhenqing. “I’ll eat it like this. It’s too troublesome otherwise.”

Liu Qiao still cautioned him: “Master, be careful with your food.”

Liu Zhenqing seemed to no longer be used to anyone but Huo Fenglie picking out his fish bones. While eating the freshly-grilled fish, he asked: “Has Qiaoqiao met anyone he likes over the years?”

Liu Qiao shook his head without hesitation. Those black and white eyes, as clear as a child’s, seemed to be incapable of possessing that kind of emotion.

Liu Zhenqing said helplessly: “You’re still not enlightened, ah. Finding a wife for you will be a big problem in the future.”

Liu Qiao said at once: “I don’t want to start a family. I want to follow Master forever.”

Liu Zhenqing was instantly moved, but he still felt distressed that this child would never grow up.

Just as he was thinking, there was a sudden pain in his throat. His face reddened and he began to cough.

Liu Qiao also discovered the problem right away. His master had a fish bone stuck in his throat again, and it was all his fault for not handling it well. Seeing that Liu Zhenqing was in great pain, he immediately scooped this person up in his arms and squeezed him. He hit Liu Zhenqing’s back and injected his internal force, one hand supporting Liu Zhenqing’s slender neck.

Instantly, Liu Zhenqing felt much better and felt that internal force helping him swallow the fish bone.

He was just about to say he was fine when Liu Qiao’s expression changed, and he instantly stood up with Liu Zhenqing in his arms.

Liu Zhenqing glimpsed the flash of a figure where they were just sitting, and a person alighted on the ground.

When he took a closer look, Liu Zhenqing was instantly shocked. Before he could speak, he saw that person approach with a dark expression, then reach out to grab him without saying a word.

Although Liu Qiao recognized this person too, he still instinctively protected Liu Zhenqing from him.

At the same time, rapid panting sounded nearby. “You…..what are you doing?!”

This tone sounded as if the person had stumbled upon an adulterer, utterly confusing Liu Zhenqing in the midst of this chaotic situation.

Why?

Why had Huo Fenglie appeared here?

And why had Qiao Jin appeared here too?

When he saw that Huo Fenglie was already encroaching, Liu Qiao instinctively leaped backward with Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing could only shout: “Stop!”

With instinctive obedience, Liu Qiao and Huo Fenglie instantly stopped.

But the fellow panting over there was not so obedient. He rushed up and grabbed Qiao Jin’s arm, eyes fixed on him, and used his greatest internal force to yank him away: “You’re actually hugging him!”

Liu Zhenqing was naturally thrown away, and Huo Fenglie stepped forward to catch him.

Liu Zhenqing tried to push Huo Fenglie away so they could talk, but he was hugged tightly in the next second. Those taut arms turned into shackles, as if to imprison Liu Zhenqing, and the more he struggled, the tighter they grew.

He shouted impatiently: “Er-gou!”

He really wanted to ask why the general who guards the country was here alone. He couldn’t be here to save him, that was completely ridiculous, ah! He was currently in command of a 50,000-strong army, so he should have acted according to the other party’s wishes and slowly arranged a rescue. Why was he here?

Huo Fenglie was in a trance as he held Liu Zhenqing. His pupils quivered in response to Liu Zhenqing’s cry, but this time, he seemed to be rebellious and disobedient. He hugged him even more tightly, burying him firmly in his arms. He lowered his head to bury his face in Liu Zhenqing’s hair, inhaling at once. Only when his nose was full of Liu Zhenqing’s scent did Huo Fenglie finally feel the first breath of life in two days.

On the other side, Qiao Jin wanted to question Liu Qiao, but found that the man’s gaze didn’t fall on him at all. He was currently staring at Liu Zhenqing, and that worried look near instantly made Qiao Jin lose his composure.

“Liu Qiao!” Qiao Jin shouted, then coughed suddenly as if about to hack up blood. He directly fell to his knees, his vision went dark, and he passed out.

Only then did Liu Qiao finally notice him. He immediately supported Qiao Jin and frowned as he investigated his state. It seemed…..he had exceeded his limits using qinggong to get here.

And Liu Zhenqing felt like he was going to be injured by this hug, and couldn’t help but say: “Er-gou, let go, ah, you’re going to suffocate me to death!”

Liu Zhenqing patted Huo Fenglie on the back, and he relaxed somewhat. He lowered his head and stared at Liu Zhenqing’s face intently, still not saying a word. From the looks of it, he appeared to be frightened.

Please, he should be the one who was frightened, ah! Liu Zhenqing said helplessly: “Why are you here? You should know that they kidnapped me to threaten you, so I would have been fine. And you could basically guess that Liu Qiao was the one who took me away. I was prepared to go back, but then you showed up. Wait, since you came here with him, did you go over to the palace first? And then turn around and come back?”

When Liu Zhenqing analyzed this, he felt stupid. Looking at the dust covering Huo Fenglie’s body that he’d had no time to brush away, he could tell how hard he had been running around.

“You…..you…..” Liu Zhenqing was so distressed that he didn’t know what to say.

Huo Fenglie suddenly said in a hoarse, dry voice: “Qing-ge, I lost you again.”

Liu Zhenqing was startled. He looked into Huo Fenglie’s dark eyes that seemed like the bottom of an abyss, an abyss that often contained such an aura of despair. At this moment, Huo Fenglie’s body was trembling slightly.

Liu Zhenqing understood that his disappearance had truly terrified him.

He couldn’t bear to see Huo Fenglie like this, and disregarded the unhappiness and doubts before their separation. Now that things were like this, could Er-gou still say that he didn’t like him?

Liu Zhenqing held Huo Fenglie’s face, stood on tiptoe, and coaxed the puppy dog.

The startled puppy was instantly confused by such an action. When he felt the softness leave his lips and looked at this person so close at hand, Huo Fenglie seemed to be stimulated, and could no longer maintain his reasoning. The arms around Liu Zhenqing’s waist suddenly lifted him with force, and the lips that had just separated pressed together again.

Liu Zhenqing was stunned as Huo Fenglie used his big hand to forcibly hold the back of his head.

A nearly suffocating kiss commenced.

It wasn’t until Liu Zhenqing felt like he couldn’t breathe that he stopped him. Liu Zhenqing’s eyes were misty, and he looked at the person in front of him through blurry vision. The corners of his mouth slowly rose. He hadn’t expected Er-gou to be so bold as to take the initiative, so bold that his own legs were weak.

Now that he was certain that the person before him was at his side, Huo Fenglie sobered up. When he could react, he felt uncomfortable under Liu Zhenqing’s teasing gaze. He keenly sensed someone coming and turned around to look.

Liu Zhenqing followed his line of sight and saw Liu Qiao holding up the unconscious Qiao Jin, looking at them with a pure expression.

Liu Zhenqing: ……

“Ahem, Qiaoqiao should avoid this kind of scene in the future.” Liu Zhenqing educated him with well-meaning words.

Liu Qiao nodded: “Understood.”

Liu Zhenqing glanced at Qiao Jin and asked: “What’s wrong with him?”

“He fainted from exhaustion,” Liu Qiao said.

Right, how could Qiao Jin’s qinggong keep up with Huo Fenglie’s unless he was desperate?

“Say, what’s going on? Why did you act so impulsively?” Liu Zhenqing said, giving Huo Fenglie a serious look. When he realized Liu Zhenqing was missing, he had acted almost without reason, entirely on instinct.

“I just wanted to find you as soon as possible,” Huo Fenglie answered automatically. Seeing that Liu Zhenqing didn’t look happy, he quickly added: “I knew you were taken away by Liu Qiao, but I tortured Qiao An and confirmed your suspicions that they’re working together, so I was a little worried. I also arranged for the army to be on standby. I didn’t neglect them. Then I snuck to the place they were keeping you and apprehended the King of Western Shu. I only heard then that the two of you had gone missing together, so I came here.”

Liu Zhenqing gave a sigh, then asked: “Then why was the King of Western Shu alone….”

Huo Fenglie said: “I was certain you weren’t there, and I couldn’t be bothered to care about him. He could catch up by himself later.”

Dumbfounded, Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “You still have sense. If you directly captured and killed the King of Western Shu, it would be troublesome later on.” After all, they had seen through the opponent’s game. If things broke down at this point, it would cause a chain reaction to their detriment. 

Huo Fenglie was somewhat embarrassed. In fact, he hadn’t had the extra brainpower to think about this issue at the time.

Just as they were talking, Qiao Jin awoke with a start. When he saw that Liu Qiao was still there, he breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed his wrist, asking angrily: “You want to leave me alone again? You don’t want me anymore! You followed Liu Zhenqing before, but who are you following now? Am I so unimportant in your heart? Anyone can take you away from me? Who do you think I am!”

Qiao Jin practically roared. Liu Qiao was yelled stupid, and Liu Zhenqing was also a bit shocked as he witnessed all of this. Looking at Qiao Jin’s reddened eyes, although his expression was fierce, why did he seem like a wolfdog with its tail between its legs? It felt almost as if he was aggrieved and about to cry. Was this still the unruly, arrogant King of Western Shu Liu that Zhenqing had met? 

“Answer me! Why did you betray me! Why do you want to follow him? Do you know nothing? You hugged him and wanted to kiss him!” Qiao Jin roared out again, holding onto Liu Qiao tightly with both hands.

Liu Qiao wore a foolish expression, as if he didn’t understand what the other was saying at all. He didn’t respond, but looked toward Liu Zhenqing instead, as if waiting for orders.

In Qiao Jin’s eyes, this reaction made it seem as if Liu Qiao belonged to someone else’s family, and he was just an outsider. This utterly snapped his last nerve.

Suddenly, Qiao Jin looked at Liu Zhenqing with eyes filled with murderous intent.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes flashed as he instantly guessed something. Perhaps after being together for nine years, the bond between them wasn’t very deep in Liu Qiao’s eyes, but Qiao Jin felt the opposite. After all, he had changed his surname to Qiao.

Maybe things would be easier to handle than he’d thought.

“I’ll kill you!” Qiao Jin’s expression was fierce as he faced Liu Zhenqing with Huo Fenglie beside him. Daring to say such a thing, he must be completely irrational with fury.

But before he could take action, two swords were suddenly placed against his neck.

Huo Fenglie placed the sharp blade against his neck, but Qiao Jin ignored it in order to look at Liu Qiao’s sheathed blade resting on his shoulder.

“You would do this to me for him…..” Qiao Jin glared at Liu Qiao in near disbelief.

Liu Qiao felt a moment’s guilt when he was inexplicably glared at, but after some thought, he still said confidently: “If you hurt him, I will kill you.”

Qiao Jin was stunned.

Liu Zhenqing glimpsed the heartbroken look on Qiao Jin’s face.

Qiao Jin stared at Liu Qiao with aggrieved misery, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe it. But then his eyes suddenly flashed and he turned his head at once to look toward the distant Liu Zhenqing. He looked back at Huo Fenglie, his eyes growing wider and wider.

“You…..you’re…..Liu Zhenqing?”

Liu Zhenqing was astonished.

Huo Fenglie’s expression shifted, and he immediately began to exert strength. Liu Zhenqing’s identity could not be known to untrustworthy people. Regardless of the consequences, Huo Fenglie felt that Qiao Jin must die in order to protect Liu Zhenqing.

And upon noticing Huo Fenglie’s action, Liu Qiao raised his arm and blocked the Chunjun Sword with his scabbard. Huo Fenglie regarded him with a frown.

Liu Qiao glanced at Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Qiao Jin with a frown and asked tentatively: “What did you say?”

Qiao Jin recovered from his shock and said with utmost certainty: “Stop pretending. The only person these two would do such a thing for is Liu Zhenqing !” He abruptly looked at Liu Qiao. “I absolutely don’t believe that there is anyone in this world you would do this to me for other than Liu Zhenqing! Only Liu Zhenqing could cause you to leave me so easily.”

The shock of Liu Qiao’s departure was finally resolved.

That’s right. I could only be Liu Zhenqing, ah.

No matter how unbelievable, it was the only possibility.

Seeing Qiao Jin’s determined expression, Liu Zhenqing sighed in the end and said: “Then…..what should you call me? It’s too disrespectful for you to call me by name.”

Qiao Jin gave a ferocious laugh: “I had a mother, but not one to educate me. I had a father to raise me, but not to control me. What rules can I follow?”

“Oh? I thought it was Liu Qiao who taught you discipline? Was he not very good?” How could Liu Zhenqing be ridiculed by a little brat?

Qiao Jin was instantly stifled. Sure enough, Liu Zhenqing was looking at him with displeasure.

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes and asked again: “What should you call me?”

“I…..I won’t call you anything! What are you pretending for! You even killed my father! You left me homeless. Look at who’s sitting on the throne of the Zhou Dynasty now.”

Liu Zhenqing, who wanted to improve their relationship, wore a stiff expression when these words were spoken.

And Huo Fenglie was taken aback upon hearing this, his gaze shifting uncontrollably as he looked at Qiao Jin.

Noticing the change in Huo Fenglie’s aura, Qiao Jin turned with a mocking smile and pointed at Liu Zhenqing, saying: “You think he’s so loyal and patriotic? Back then, he went behind the backs of your Huo family and the emperor he was loyal to and secretly sent away the remnant of those rebels, me. I am the only son of King Huai, one of the Three Kings at that time, Yuan Jin! And also the only son of Liu Zhenqing’s paternal aunt!”

Huo Fenglie froze, looking at Liu Zhenqing in disbelief.

Liu Zhenqing gave a sigh.

Just as Qiao Jin vented his grievances, Liu Qiao to the side slapped him on the back of the head, saying: “Didn’t I tell you? Since Master’s aunt is your mother, you should call him Cousin!”

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Chapter One Hundred Eighteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Twenty