Afterwards, Chen Dongyao was busy expanding his territory and waging wars everywhere, but he never forgot the woman who had fought him ten times in a row without being defeated. Privately, he managed to obtain a portrait of Fang Ruoxi, and upon seeing it, he was even more astonished. His initial infatuation turned into constant turmoil whenever he thought of her. He then paid close attention to the movements of this woman beside Song Zixing, and even sent many people secretly to Suzhou, obtaining fragmented news about Fang Ruoxi. However, his men were unable to get close to Fang Ruoxi; some even disappeared without a trace. Chen Dongyao knew Song Zixing's strength in Jiangnan, and understood that women with formidable martial arts skills were not easy to approach, yet he still relentlessly sent people to inquire about her. The more he learned, the more he was drawn to her.
Although Chen Dongyao was brave, he lacked strategy. Fortunately, he had a strategist named Wei Qian by his side. Wei Qian was exceptionally resourceful, but morally flawed and extremely greedy. He helped Chen Dongyao expand his territory solely for financial gain. In this respect, he was somewhat similar to Hua Wuduo, but while Hua Wuduo always acquired wealth ethically, Wei Qian was not like that. To amass wealth, he had harmed countless lives. However, Chen Dongyao was no saint either, and he consistently indulged Wei Qian. Chen Dongyao was lustful, and Wei Qian was greedy; this master and servant pair always got along harmoniously, each getting what they wanted.
This time, Song Zixing and Liu Jin denounced Chen Dongyao at the same time. Chen Dongyao was not afraid at all after learning about it. Instead, he was worried about whether Fang Ruoxi had come with Song Zixing.
Song Zixing led his troops to garrison on the Fujian border. When Chen Dongyao learned that no woman had appeared with Song Zixing, he was somewhat disappointed.
Upon learning this, Wei Qian told him that even if Fang Ruoxi hadn't come, Song Zixing's departure from Suzhou would have inevitably led to lax security at the General's Mansion. This remark was a wake-up call for Chen Dongyao, who immediately sent men to Suzhou. However, several days later, the news returned that Fang Ruoxi wasn't at the General's Mansion in Suzhou. Chen Dongyao then summoned Wei Qian for further discussion. Wei Qian thought for a moment and said, "I've heard that Fang Ruoxi is skilled in disguise. If she disguises herself as a man and comes with Song Zixing, it's not impossible." Chen Dongyao found this reasonable and urged Wei Qian to find a way to lure her out. Wei Qian replied, "There is a way, but..."
On June 20th, Song Zixing led an army of 60,000 towards Dongyang County.
The night before his departure, Song Zixing took some time to visit Hua Wuduo and gave her some instructions on what to pay attention to during the march. He told her that he might have to endure some hardship. She replied, "I'm a good person, I won't hold you back or cause you any trouble."
It had just rained heavily that night; the night sky seemed to have been washed clean, the air was fresh, and there was a slightly sweet smell.
He looked at her. He had been too busy lately and hadn't seen her for two days. Although he couldn't come back to see her, he still sent her some words of advice. He told her not to be too restrictive, otherwise she might leave him. He was afraid, really afraid. He was so afraid that he became hesitant and timid, unlike himself.
His fingers gently caressed her cheek. She paused, but didn't pull away. He stroked her, the warmth of his touch sending a shiver down his spine. His fingers lightly twirled a few stray strands of hair near her temple, lingering until a hint of dazedness appeared in her eyes. He lowered his head, drawing closer little by little. Just as his lips were about to cover hers, she suddenly snapped back to reality and abruptly turned her head to one side. He paused, his gaze darkening. He lowered his hand and said slowly, "Get some rest. We have to get up early tomorrow." With that, he turned and left.
This was Hua Wuduo's first time accompanying an army, and the sound of tens of thousands of soldiers' footsteps filled him with a sense of awe and exhilaration. The 60,000 troops marched in three columns, and Hua Wuduo naturally followed beside Song Zixing, constantly looking back, feeling as if the column stretched endlessly. Seeing such a massive formation for the first time, Hua Wuduo felt a surge of pride in every breath. Riding alongside Song Zixing, he felt increasingly energetic.
Song Zixing naturally noticed her changes. He saw her dressed in military uniform, wearing a mask to disguise herself as a man, and carrying a light, long spear that she had somehow obtained and placed beside her horse. Her dashing and heroic appearance was no less than that of the generals in his army. That night, when they set up camp and rested around the campfire, he said to her, "Your mask is quite well made."
"Really?" Hua Wuduo's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "I modeled it after Zhao Yun, a general from the Three Kingdoms period. I originally wanted to make it for Zhang Fei, but his beard was difficult to work with, so I modeled it after Zhao Yun. But after I finished making it, I was afraid that people would think it looked too similar, so I changed it a bit. What do you think? Don't I look like a jade-faced general? It's not much worse than yours, is it?"
Song Zixing looked up at the night sky and laughed, "He's even better than me by three points."
"Hypocritical." Hua Wuduo curled his lip upon hearing this.
"What's wrong?" Song Zixing asked with a smile.
"I asked Xu Qing, and Xu Qing said that he is very good, but still three points worse than the general." When he mentioned this, Hua Wuduo's expression became even more disdainful.
Song Zixing smiled and said, "Ignore him."
Hua Wuduo said, "I won't pay any attention to him. He's just blindly worshipping. Even if a god descended to earth, he probably couldn't compare to you. At most, you'd be evenly matched."
Song Zixing chuckled and said, "I'll teach him properly another day."
"Don't bother teaching him, it's a waste of time. He's hopeless." Hua Wuduo said dismissively.
Song Zixing laughed and said, "No, I told him there's no need to go through all that trouble of waiting for a god to descend to earth. You're always three points better than me."
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo patted his shoulder and laughed, "Nowadays, apart from a few blind people, everyone with eyes can see that I am the most beautiful woman in the world. Although I disdain this title, it reflects my value from another perspective. In addition to being gratified, I also want to use this to prove that I don't actually care about the three points in Yu Qing's small eyes."
Song Zixing shook his head and smiled, "Then thank you for wanting to give in."
"You're welcome," Hua Wuduo said.
The campfire illuminated their faces, crackling incessantly. Occasionally, they could see moths and mosquitoes hovering and fluttering in the distance. Song Zixing suddenly said, "You've noticed, it's not just tonight. Since spring arrived and mosquitoes appeared, I haven't had a single one around me. They were there every year before, but not this year. But it's a good thing that the mosquitoes don't bother me."
Upon hearing this, Song Zixing's eyes showed a hint of worry, and he asked, "Have you eaten anything unusual? Or are you carrying anything special?"
Hua Wu thought for a moment and said, "No, I've been by your side for half a year, and I haven't eaten anything special or had anything unusual. But when I was injured, Tang Ye gave me something to eat... Could it be... related to that medicine?"
"What medicine did Tang Ye give you?" Song Zixing asked.
"Tang Ye gave me something called Snowfield Heavenly Pill. I heard Qi say that this medicine is a holy medicine for healing injuries and repairing tendons and meridians, and it is also very beneficial for improving internal strength cultivation. Tang Ye gave me five pills, and my injuries healed very quickly. Later, I also felt that my internal strength cultivation had improved to a higher level than before. Could it be that this thing also has the effect of repelling mosquitoes?" Hua Wuduo asked.
Song Zixing asked, "The Snow Region Heavenly Pill?"
Hua Wuduo said, "About the Snowfield Heavenly Pill. Qi said that after eating seven pills, the body will have a faint sweet fragrance. I only ate five pills, but it seems to be faintly present. It's especially strong when I sweat. Perhaps this fragrance repels mosquitoes. It's really good." Hua Wuduo didn't know that she had eaten two more pills while she was unconscious, so she had already eaten a total of seven pills.
Song Zixing moved closer and took a careful sniff. He had always assumed it was the scent of her sachet or the incense on her clothes, never imagining it was her natural body fragrance. However, although the fragrance was faint, it had an eerie quality because it was planted by Tang Ye.
Song Zixing kept his doubts to himself, but his face remained natural. He said to Hua Wuduo, "Perhaps you have benefited from this misfortune. Your skills have improved, and you also have a unique fragrance that can repel mosquitoes."
“Yes, that’s what I think too,” Hua Wuduo said with a smile.
Seeing that she was so open-minded, Song Zixing laughed and said, "Apart from a few blind people, you are already recognized as the most beautiful woman in the world. Now you also have a unique fragrance on your body. Although it repels mosquitoes, I'm afraid it will attract even more bees and butterflies in the future."
Hua Wuduo laughed upon hearing this, "What is there to fear? With you by my side, even the most venomous bees and the most flamboyant butterflies will be swatted away and trampled to death by you. I have nothing to worry about."
Song Zixing chuckled softly.
Hua Wuduo suddenly remembered something and said, "However, if a stray bee named Chen Dongyao comes by chance, don't swat it away on your own. Leave it to me; I want to deal with him myself."
“You seem to be very interested in him,” Song Zixing said.
Hua Wuduo said, "Yes, it's been a long time since I've met a worthy opponent. Just thinking about the fight I had with him last time makes my hands itch. I really want to fight him again."
"No wonder you've been practicing diligently for the past six months," Song Zixing said.
“Yes, I have a feeling that I’m very likely to run into him again. This time, I won’t escape in such a sorry state,” Hua Wuduo said firmly.
"So, you're still planning to run away." Song Zixing coughed, suppressing a laugh.
"He's really amazing, I'm not sure I can even begin to say anything..." Before he could finish, Hua Wuduo chuckled and said easily, "As long as the green hills remain, there's always hope for a future. There's plenty of time."
Song Zixing said, "Yes, there's plenty of time." He looked at her, and she looked at the night sky.
One day, you'll see that I'm still by your side.
Chen Dongyao dispatched General Xu Zhen to confront Liu Jin, while he himself was stationed in Dongyang County to confront Song Zixing. This move clearly showed that he did not take Liu Jin seriously, but was concerned about Song Zixing.
When Liu Jin learned of this news, although he was angry that Chen Dongyao looked down on him, he was secretly delighted.
Chen Dongyao is an extremely difficult person to deal with. If Chen Dongyao faces Song Zixing, Song Zixing will definitely be in a tough battle. He only needs to sit on the sidelines and watch the two tigers fight, focus all his efforts on dealing with Xu Zhen, take Yichun County and Zhunyang County, and then take some benefits to take Guangdong.
To enter Fujian and capture Jian'an, we must first break through the key strategic location of Dongyang County.
Currently, Song Zixing's 60,000 troops are stationed 30 li outside Dongyang County.
Outside Dongyang County, there are mostly dense forests. While Song Zixing and the generals were discussing strategies to attack Chen Dongyao, Hua Wuduo followed Xu Qing into the nearby forest to patrol. Xu Qing was genuinely patrolling, but Hua Wuduo was just there to play around because he couldn't stay idle.
Judging from Hua Wuduo's current attire, it was Song Zixing's close-command captain's uniform. This uniform was essential; it held a special status in the army. Wearing it meant being directly under the general's command, answering only to the general, and no one else could interfere. Sometimes, the general would assign special tasks to these individuals, and others couldn't question them. Therefore, when Hua Wuduo went out with Xu Qing, no one dared to ask questions. Xu Qing naturally knew her identity, and when she jumped out and said she wanted to go with him, his refusal was useless. He could only keep glancing at her with a heavy heart, regretting that he hadn't noticed she was nearby before the operation.
Xu Qing led a small group south to scout out the surrounding terrain and situation. Deep in the forest, various birds and beasts roamed, along with some hunters' traps. Hua Wuduo casually picked one up and played with it. The group deliberately sought out secluded paths, occasionally splitting into two groups at forks in the road, marking the marks before continuing. They traveled south for about five or six miles before stopping. As the sun was setting, Xu Qing planned to return to camp, when he heard Hua Wuduo say, "A group of about fifteen or sixteen people is approaching us, moving extremely fast. What should we do?"
Xu Qing knew that Hua Wuduo's martial arts skills were far superior to his own, and her senses were also extremely sharp. However, he was secretly surprised that she could distinguish how many people were coming from their voices. But he quickly composed himself and ordered, "Ding Lao Er, you take your men back to the military palace by the same route. I will follow shortly." Ding Lao Er agreed, waved his hand, turned his horse around, and led the rest of the group away.
Xu Qing dismounted and, while tying his horse, said to Hua Wuduo, "Wu Duo, you should go back first too." Hua Wuduo was now using the alias Wu Duo. Xu Qing knew her special identity and was naturally very polite to her. He thought to himself, "You should leave quickly," but he still had to say "please" aloud.
Hua Wuduo didn't leave. Instead, he dismounted and said, "I know what you're up to. Let's take a look together. These people are all quite skilled in martial arts. If something really happens, you don't need to worry about me."
Xu Qing was about to say something when Hua Wuduo stopped him, saying, "Quickly tie up the horses, they're getting close."
They quickly tethered their horses in the shadows and lay prone in the bushes.
During this time, Xu Qing took care of her while Song Zixing was away, and the two had become quite familiar with each other. Xu Qing was very shrewd and not easily fooled, but he was also somewhat formal and very strict about the distinction between master and servant. He also had one trait that Hua Wuduo disliked most: he couldn't stand anyone speaking ill of their General Song Zixing, not even Hua Wuduo herself. Yet, Hua Wuduo always seemed to speak ill of Song Zixing, and Xu Qing would sulk and remain silent whenever he heard it. During this time, Xu Qing also got to know Hua Wuduo better. Xu Qing found Hua Wuduo very easy to get along with, with a carefree personality and high martial arts skills. She had none of the airs of a spoiled young lady, which was quite nice. It's just that she often smiles at others without any restraint, because it's not a mistake for a woman to be too beautiful. It's just that she often smiles at others without any restraint, because she has smiled at him three times, and the general has already arranged six blind dates for him... It seems that he won't give up until he gets married. In fact, at his age, people in his hometown would already have children, but he has always followed the general, who is not yet married, and he doesn't want to get married and have children so early and have more burdens.
Lying quietly among the reeds, they waited for a while before a group of people rode by and stopped not far away.
One of them reined in his horse and wiped his face to the north, saying, "Your Majesty, it's another six li north of here to reach their encampment."
One of them said in a deep voice, "In the coming days, you should arrange for more people to patrol this area. If you see anyone, arrest them immediately, and make sure they are alive."
The group consisted of sixteen men on horseback, each carrying weapons on their backs. They were all strong and robust, and their appearances were difficult to discern from the direction from which Hua Wuduo and Xu Qing were located.
In the bushes, Hua Wuduo tried to pry Xu Qing's hand away, but Xu Qing's forehead was sweating profusely. He would rather die than let her hold his hand. Hua Wuduo glanced up and saw that Xu Qing looked as if he were facing certain death. Only then did Hua Wuduo realize that he had misunderstood. He couldn't help but purse his lips and tried to mouth "write."
Xu Qing realized what was happening. Suddenly, the embryo turned red. Hesitantly, she stretched out her palm.
Hua Wuduo grabbed his hand and wrote two words: "Beast."
Xu Qing's face immediately turned a deep purplish-red. He was extremely agitated, and his breathing became heavy.
Hua Wuduo continued writing: "Chen—Dong—Yao." He recognized the person from the voice and silhouette. Hua Wuduo was certain it was him. He had always had a good memory, especially after his battle with Chen Dongyao, which left him with a vivid and clear recollection of Chen Dongyao's voice and appearance. Although they hadn't seen each other for half a year, Hua Wuduo easily recognized him by his voice and silhouette.
The paleness on Xu Qing's face faded.
Hua Wuduo continued writing on his hand, "You go first, I'll follow."
Xu Qing's eyes widened suddenly, and he hurriedly tugged at her sleeve, shaking his head to indicate that he absolutely refused.
Seeing his expression, Hua Wuduo patted his shoulder to calm him down, and continued writing in his palm: "No need to worry."
Seeing that Chen Dongyao and the others had gone far away, Hua Wuduo shook off Xu Qing's pull and leaped towards where she had tied her horse. Xu Qing was not about to let her go so easily, so he chased after her, grabbed her hand as she was about to untie the reins, and whispered, "You can't go. Chen Dongyao is no ordinary person. If anything happens to you, the general will definitely take my head!"
"I'll be right back, nothing will happen. You go first, I'll be back in a bit." Hua Wuduo deftly untied the reins, but Xu Qing snatched them away. "I can't let you go alone..." Before Xu Qing could finish speaking, a person not far behind him said coldly, "Then neither of you should leave."
Hua Wuduo and Xu Qing turned around abruptly upon hearing the sound, and saw three people and three riders emerging from the bushes in the distance. The person in front was none other than Chen Dongyao.
He was tall and had a sinister look in his eyes as he sized up Hua Wuduo and Xu Qing.
The others who had walked away earlier appeared one by one behind them, clearly having just returned.
Hua Wuduo's eyes flickered. He pulled Xu Qing back a few steps and whispered to Xu Qing, "I'm 100% confident that I can escape from them, but if you're here, it's only half that. You run quickly, as fast as you can, don't hold me back."
Xu Qing was taken aback. He had originally planned to protect her even at the cost of his life, but now, upon hearing this, he realized that he was the one who was hindering her. Considering that her martial arts skills were far superior to his own, and that escaping might not be difficult for her, he realized that he might not be able to help her and might even be a hindrance. Although worried, he did not hesitate. He immediately grabbed the reins, mounted his horse, and rode off, thinking that he could lure the others away so that she could escape more easily.
Seeing Xu Qing trying to escape, the people opposite immediately sent out two riders to give chase. However, for some reason, the two horses had only run a short distance past Hua Wuduo when they suddenly neighed and collapsed to their knees. The two riders were skilled in martial arts and managed to roll over on the spot, sustaining only minor injuries. As for the two horses that had fallen and were unable to get up, their front hooves had been cleanly severed, and they were writhing and neighing in pain on the ground.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Before anyone could even see what had severed the horse's leg, they stared at Hua Wuduo in astonishment and uncertainty. They saw her fold her fingers to her side, with a faint glimmer of light appearing at her fingertips, the nature of which remained a mystery.
Hua Wuduo glanced at Xu Qing, who had already run far away, and his expression became even more calm and composed.
The two men who had just fallen from their horses were now staring at Hua Wuduo in terror. They exchanged bewildered glances, realizing that if she had attacked them instead of the horse, they would be dead by now. Despite their fear, they drew their weapons, ready to charge at her, when they heard Chen Dongyao shout, "Back off!"
The two men were startled by the sound and quickly retreated to stand behind Chen Dongyao's horse.
Chen Dongyao looked Hua Wuduo up and down. He saw her calmly take out a gold ring from her waist and put it on one finger. The ring had a delicate gold chain that could be fastened to a gold ring on her wrist. After fastening one, she would take out another and repeat this until all ten fingers were covered with gold rings. Her slender fingers stretched out, and the gold and silver colors were faintly visible on her fingertips, which was very dazzling. Chen Dongyao narrowed his eyes slightly.
He thought of the golden rings on his fingers, the battle in the snow in Suzhou, Yan Ruoxi, and her stunning beauty behind the mask. Seeing her clenching her fists and staring at him with a provocative smile in her eyes, he felt a jolt in his heart.
Chen Dongyao said, "You are Fang Ruoxi?"
Hua Wuduo asked, "You are Chen Dongyao?"
Someone behind Chen Dongyao shouted, "How dare you, brat! You dare to call my king by his name! You're courting death!" The man was about to rush forward when Chen Dongyao raised his hand to stop him.
Chen Dongyao narrowed his eyes and said, "Are you wearing ten gold rings on your fingers?"
Hua Wuduo blinked and said, "Is that the Soul Moon Blade that you're carrying on your back, ranked fourth on the Weapon Ranking?"
He slightly raised the corners of his mouth, and the light in his eyes shone even brighter.
She stood under the dappled shadows of the trees, looking quite different from when he last saw her. Judging from her attire, she seemed to be Song Zixing's close bodyguard. It seemed her disguise skills were indeed superb. Now disguised as a man, if it weren't for the golden rings on her fingers revealing her identity, he wouldn't have recognized her at all.
As the saying goes, "You can search high and low without finding it, but then it comes to you effortlessly." He never expected to encounter her here, alone at that. How could he let such a perfect time and place slip by?
He dismounted and walked towards her step by step. The crowd behind him also dismounted and spread out to form an encirclement, closing in on Hua Wuduo. Hua Wuduo suddenly flew back several steps, then raised his hand sharply to stop the others from approaching, walking towards her alone.
At that moment, he was like a hunter wielding a sharp blade, and she was his prey. He stared at her intently, approaching cautiously, knowing that she was extremely skilled in martial arts and afraid that she would run away in the blink of an eye.
She adopted a balanced stance, standing directly in front of him, her eyes fixed on him without a trace of fear, even a hint of provocation. A faint smile played on her lips as she declared loudly, "Last time we didn't decide a winner; this time, let's settle it with a battle."
Upon hearing this, he slightly curled the corners of his mouth. Her audacity, her provocation, her fearlessness intrigued him.