Los bandidos de montaña están en movimiento

Capítulo 91

The candlelight flickered, casting light and shadow on Zhan Zhao's face. After a long while, he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his reluctance, and still shook his head.

"It's better for her not to go to such a harsh and cold place, and with an uncertain and dangerous future," he said slowly.

Looking at his expression, Bao Zheng finally understood what Gongsun Ce meant. Zhan Zhao had followed him for many years, and this was the first time he had ever seen the Southern Hero with such an expression.

“Miss Mo is clever and thoughtful. If she goes with you, she might be able to help you,” Bao Zheng couldn’t help but say.

Zhan Zhao forced a smile and said, "I just hope she's safe and sound."

Understanding Zhan Zhao's concerns, Bao Zheng stopped trying to persuade him and said, "There are still some days before the princess goes beyond the Great Wall. The two countries will exchange betrothal gifts, and it will probably be around May or June before the trip takes place. In your spare time these days, you can learn about the customs and etiquette of the Liao Kingdom. Tomorrow I will show you detailed information about the current Liao court, and Mr. Gongsun will also analyze the situation for you."

Zhan Zhao nodded.

"You should also explain things to Miss Mo properly. She is not an unreasonable person, and I believe she will understand you," Bao Zheng added.

Thinking of having to explain this to Mo Yan, Zhan Zhao felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. Nevertheless, he nodded, bid farewell to Bao Zheng, and left the study.

The snow had just stopped, and the night was dark. In the distance, the sound of a clapper could be heard outside, thump! thump! — thump! thump! It was already past midnight. Zhan Zhao was wide awake and had no desire to return to his room. He strolled along, and before he knew it, he had arrived outside the courtyard where Mo Yan lived.

There were no lights in the courtyard, so she must have gone to bed. He leaned wearily against the wall, the chill of the winter night seeping into his body, and the old wound on his back ached like tiny needles, keeping him company.

He suddenly felt a pang of regret. If he had simply nodded when Lord Bao asked him if he was willing to go with Mo Yan, without thinking about anything else, everything would be different now.

How could he explain it to her? Mo Yan's smiling face was still vivid in his mind, and he didn't know how to begin.

Chapter Twenty-Four [VIP]

The next morning, after getting up, Mo Yan wanted to go to the back street for breakfast. When she turned back and closed the courtyard gate, she inadvertently discovered footprints by the wall.

She crouched down and examined the footprints closely. The snow had melted quite a bit where the footprints were, indicating that someone had been standing there for a long time after the snow stopped. Measuring the size of the footprints, a smile involuntarily spread across her lips. It was Brother Zhan.

In the dead of night, Zhan Zhao had been standing outside the courtyard for so long without Mo Yan noticing. Mo Yan scratched his ear, wondering if Lord Bao had summoned him specifically last night to make things difficult for him.

Before she could even figure out a solution, her legs had already moved involuntarily towards Zhan Zhao's residence. Even before she entered the crescent-shaped gate, she could faintly hear the sound of sword energy cutting through the air. She slowed her pace, peeking out cautiously, and saw Zhan Zhao practicing his swordplay. His giant sword gleamed, creating a shower of sword blossoms…

Mo Yan intended to wait quietly for him to finish practicing his sword, but unexpectedly, Zhan Zhao had excellent hearing and noticed her arrival in a moment. He stopped his sword practice and turned to look at her.

"Xiao Qi." Upon seeing her, Zhan Zhao felt both happy and troubled.

"Brother Zhan."

Mo Yan turned around with a smile, took the sword from his hand and examined it carefully, praising, "It really is an ancient sword. It's different from ordinary swords when you wield it. I should find one myself."

"If you like it, I'll give it to you," Zhan Zhao said without hesitation.

"Give it to me?" Mo Yan was slightly surprised. "This is your family heirloom sword."

Zhan Zhao smiled slightly, and instead of answering, asked, "What, you don't want it?"

"There's no reason not to accept such a fine sword," Mo Yan said hastily. But she still felt uneasy. After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, "You're used to the Juque sword. It won't feel right if you don't use it. Why don't I lend it to you again? When you use the sword in the future, just think of it as something I lent you, okay?"

Only she could come up with such a complicated idea. Zhan Zhao smiled and nodded, then sheathed his sword.

Mo Yanfang remembered the important matter: "Brother Zhan, why didn't you sleep last night? What were you doing standing outside in the yard like that?"

Zhan Zhao was slightly taken aback: "You know so much..." Before he could finish speaking, he knew that she must have seen the footprints. With her abilities, making a judgment was an extremely easy thing for her.

"Has Lord Bao encountered some trouble that's making things difficult for you?" she asked with concern.

"No," Zhan Zhao sighed inwardly before slowly saying, "It's just that you can't go to the Liao Kingdom this time."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yan gritted her teeth and said angrily, "Lord Bao won't let me go, right? He specifically summoned you last night, and I knew it wouldn't be anything good!"

After a moment of silence, Zhan Zhao decided to tell the truth and said softly, "Actually, Lord Bao approves of you going with us, but I personally think it's inappropriate."

Mo Yan hadn't expected it to be him. Upon hearing this, she bit her lip and glared at him angrily.

"You are going to Liao, and the day of returning home is far away. You may even have to spend your life in a foreign land. You are still young. You can still make a difference in Kaifeng. You should not be depressed in Liao."

"How do you know I won't be happy in Liao?" she said angrily.

Zhan Zhao sighed softly and explained, "That harsh and desolate place isn't suitable for your temperament. It might be alright for a day or two, but you'll eventually find it unbearable. Besides..." He wanted to say that although the Song and Liao dynasties appeared peaceful on the surface, they were fraught with hidden dangers. Going to Liao would be like entering the jaws of tigers and wolves, with one's life in the hands of others. But fearing she would worry, he swallowed the words back.

"Besides what?" she asked curiously.

Zhan Zhao gritted his teeth inwardly and deliberately said, "Besides, your martial arts are poor and you act rashly. You won't be of any help to me if you go to Liao."

"you……"

Unexpectedly, he viewed her that way. Mo Yan glared at him angrily for a long time, and now she was truly furious. Without saying another word to him, she stomped her foot and walked away. After taking only a few steps, she seemed to remember something, turned back, and snatched the giant sword from his hand.

"I'm not lending it!" she said angrily, and decisively hoisted the giant sword onto her shoulder.

Zhan Zhao watched helplessly as her figure disappeared beyond the crescent-shaped gate, sighing inwardly. He had hesitated for most of the night, only to end up hurting her in the end. A heavy weight pressed down on his heart, as if a boulder were pressing down on him. He reached for his room instinctively, but his hand was empty. He then remembered that she had taken his sword…

Mo Yan happened to be on the early shift today. She was so angry with Zhan Zhao that she couldn't even eat breakfast. She grabbed the Juque sword and went out to patrol the streets.

She didn't look at people or cars along the way; she just focused on examining the sword, looking at it from left to right, stroking the hilt, and touching the tassel. She imagined Zhan Zhao wielding the sword, and before she knew it, her previous annoyance had vanished.

"Girl, girl..."

Someone patted her on the shoulder from behind and called out with a laugh.

Mo Yan turned around, saw the person who had come, and her face immediately darkened. She said in an unfriendly tone, "Why haven't you left yet? Didn't Brother Zhan already reject your family's marriage proposal?"

"You little rascal, you're quite well-informed," Ding Zhaohui laughed, glancing at the sword in her hand, and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "It seems he really likes you, even letting you play with the Giant Sword."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yan was stunned for a moment before looking up in disbelief and asking, "You just said that Brother Zhan likes me?"