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At Yue Fei's angry shout, the two thieves who were carefully dragging the bundle in Qin Zhen's arms were startled and fell on Qin Zhen.

At the same time, Qin Zhen woke up with a start. The sudden pressure on her body made her scream subconsciously. She reflexively kicked out and sent the person in front of her flying!

The two thieves had been watching the two children in the horse market. Seeing how generous the two kids were, with their purses stuffed full, the large sums of silver in the children's hands were like treasure delivered right to their doorsteps, naturally tempting them with wicked schemes.

However, little did they know that this time they had misjudged the situation and made the wrong decision...

The two thieves drew gleaming short knives from their waists, grinning wickedly as they walked toward Yue Fei and Qin Zhen respectively.

"Little sister, be careful!" Yue Fei warned worriedly.

Qin Zhen stood up from the corner, fuming, and dusted himself off, saying, "Brother, don't worry about me. This scoundrel disturbed my sweet dreams. I'll teach him a lesson!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Zhen vanished from under the short knife like a gust of wind. The next moment, the two thieves felt a chill on their heads as their tied-up hair was instantly cut off. The scattered mess of short hair made the two thieves' eyes widen, and then they frantically swung their knives at Qin Zhen.

Before they could even get close to Qin Zhen, they felt a powerful force coming from behind. Yue Fei grabbed the two men by the back of their collars and swept them across, sending them both crashing to the ground. Yue Fei then grabbed their wrists holding their knives with both hands and twisted them forcefully. With the sound of the blades falling, the bandits screamed loudly.

"Young master, spare us! Grandma, spare us! We were blind to your greatness, we will never dare to do it again!"

Qin Zhen twirled the double-bladed knife in his hand, slowly approaching the wailing bandits. The blades spun rapidly, their cold shadows flashing. When the double-bladed knife was broken into two short daggers, each resting against the bandits' necks, they were too frightened to utter a sound.

"Who do you think you are, your great-aunt? You've lost your hair and still don't know how to repent. You only know fear when you're about to lose your life?"

The dagger slowly slid into their skin, drawing out traces of blood. Yue Fei frowned slightly and stopped them, saying, "Their crimes don't warrant death. I've already broken their right hands, so they might not be able to use them for a while. Besides, they've already admitted their mistakes. Let's just send them away. Little sister, don't take lives."

Qin Zhen sheathed his daggers, joined them together to form a long box, and put it back into his bundle, saying, "I was just trying to scare them. Of all the things I have, only these two-leaf daggers can be drawn without drawing blood. If I had used anything else, they would have been dead long ago."

Seeing that his life was no longer in danger, the thief finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly scrambled down the ten-mile slope.

“I heard from Master that you are carrying the Tang Clan’s peerless hidden weapons. Although I am not familiar with the affairs of the martial world, I have heard that the Tang Clan’s hidden weapons are too vicious and will surely kill people. That is why the Tang Clan was besieged and destroyed by various sects in the martial world. Little sister, you…” Yue Fei carefully reminded her, but he was afraid that he would hurt Qin Zhen if he said something inappropriate.

Qin Zhen smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, brother. I will use them carefully. In fact, whether it is a hidden weapon or an open weapon, the key lies in the person using them. Back then, the Tang Clan was just a scapegoat for the bloodshed in the martial arts world. If there were no one to use hidden weapons, no matter how well the Tang Clan's weapons were made, how could they kill people?"

Yes, a sharp weapon, no matter how potent, is still just a tool. It can remove malignant tumors and save the people, or it can pierce its own kind into infighting. Whether it brings benefit or harm depends entirely on the person wielding it.

Yue Fei was stunned by Qin Zhen's casual remark and fell into deep thought. How should he use his tools?

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Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 055 Her Beloved Is Within Reach

Thirty miles south of Daming Prefecture, on a mountain road, there is a temple called Baolian Temple. Although the temple has only a few dozen humble rooms, it is the only place to stay within a ten-mile radius.

Yue Fei and Qin Zhen have been staying here for five days. They are not captivated by the beautiful scenery, but Qin Zhen has been defeated by a sudden illness.

That night, Qin Zhen lay on the bed wrapped tightly in the quilt, staring weakly at the ceiling, humming and groaning through her nose, her lips pursed high, her face full of reluctance.

She never imagined she could be so useless. Yue Fei was fine after eating the same grilled fish from the river, but she had diarrhea for three days straight and her legs were still too weak to get out of bed. Not to mention, she developed a fever again today for some reason.

Yue Fei brought over some medicine from the kitchen and said, "These are medicines prepared by several junior chefs according to your prescription. Drink them quickly, and you will get better."

Qin Zhen was helped up from the bed by Yue Fei, and hummed in a very nasal voice, "Thank you, brother. You must be exhausted these past few days."

"What are you saying? You're my sister, so naturally I'll take care of you when you're sick. Actually, it's my fault; I shouldn't have let you eat those random things!"

"Brother, don't blame yourself. It's my fault for being useless."

Qin Zhen said no more; arguing with Yue Fei about whose fault it was was pointless. She took the medicine from Yue Fei and drank it down in one gulp.

Seeing that she had finished drinking the medicine, Yue Fei put her back on the bed and said, "You've drunk your medicine, so sleep a little longer. I'll take the bowl to the kitchen first."

Leaving the room, Yue Fei jogged towards the kitchen, familiar with the way. Around a corner, a figure suddenly flashed out from the darkness. Before he could stop, he collided heavily with the oncoming young man in brocade robes.

The young man was not as strong as Yue Fei, and was knocked back two steps before barely managing to stand still. He frowned and looked up, revealing a face that was both childish and heroic. Who else could it be but Zhao Gou?

"Young man, I'm so sorry!"

When they collided, the black residue of the medicinal soup splashed onto Zhao Gou's brocade robe, and Yue Fei apologized as he wiped it off for him.

Zhao Gou said, "No need, I'll be changing these clothes today anyway, it doesn't matter."

Yue Fei relaxed. In his mind, young masters dressed in brocade robes were very difficult to deal with, and he really didn't want to get into trouble. Unexpectedly, he was lucky today and the young master he met was quite amiable.

A unique fragrance wafted into Zhao Gou's nose. He pulled up the clothes on his body that had been splashed with the medicine, sniffed them, and asked, "What kind of medicine is this? The smell is really peculiar."

"This is medicine my sister prepared for herself, I don't really know much about it."

"Is your sister sick? Why don't you take her to the city to see a doctor?"

Seeing that the young master was quite concerned, Yue Fei said, "Thank you for your concern, young brother. She is much better now after taking the medicine. She is very confident in her medical skills and said that there is no need to call a doctor."

When Zhao Gou saw Zhao Yong walking from the other end of the corridor, he clasped his hands and said to Yue Fei, "I wish your sister a speedy recovery. I'll go back to my room now."

After the two passed each other, Zhao Yong quickly walked up to Zhao Gou.

"Where has my master gone? I've been looking for him everywhere."

Zhao Gou strode forward, saying as he walked, "I was just going to take a look at the Buddhist temple. I didn't expect that although the temple is small, the incense is quite prosperous."

"This is the only mountain road in and out of Daming Prefecture. Many people have been taken care of by the monks in this temple. I suppose they are grateful and have donated money for lamp oil to make offerings here."

Zhao Gou paused, turned to Zhao Yong, and asked, "Do all those entering and leaving Daming Prefecture have to pass through this place?"

Zhao Yong nodded, and then Zhao Gou smiled. It was a smile he hadn't seen in a long time.

Zhao Gou was in a much better mood today than in the past few days, all because after searching for Qin Zhen for many days, they finally received news of Qin Zhen in Yonghe Township! Although he had not yet seen Qin Zhen in person, they had inquired all the way and found Yue Niang. With her confirmation, Zhao Gou was finally relieved.

“My mother-in-law said they came to Daming Prefecture to find me, so they must have passed through this place. I’ll go ask the abbot,” Zhao Gou said happily.

Zhao Yong followed behind him and said, "Master, there's no need to be in such a hurry. Judging by the journey, Qin Zhen arrived in Daming Prefecture a few days ago. We'll be able to see her after we enter the city tomorrow. Besides, even if they passed through this place during the day, they might not have come to the temple. If you ask the abbot now and get uncertain news, you'll have trouble sleeping tonight."

Zhao Gou stopped and thought about it. Calculating the days, Qin Zhen should already be in Daming Prefecture. Going to find the abbot now would be pointless; the important thing was to get into the city early tomorrow morning. Thus, he suppressed his excitement and followed Zhao Yong back to his room.

As the weather gradually warmed up, the chirping of insects around the temple became sparse, and along with the intermittent calls of birds and insects, Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen drifted into their respective dreams.

One is the east wing, and the other is the west wing.

The next day, as dawn broke, Zhao Gou and his entourage bid farewell to Lotus Temple and headed straight for Daming Prefecture, unaware that what awaited them was a futile joy.

Three more days passed, and Qin Zhen finally recovered completely. She thanked the abbot and all the novices deeply before setting off again with Yue Fei.

"Brother, I've been sick for so long, the mission must have arrived in Liao by now. We need to make other plans before we can enter Liao territory."

Yue Fei and Qin Zhen rode side by side, pondering as Yue Fei said, "A few days ago, I heard from merchants passing by the temple that the Liao border is in great turmoil. Although the Jin army has not yet attacked, there is already unrest within the country, with bandits and 'righteous armies'. We should not get too close and rest temporarily in Daming Prefecture. On the one hand, we can inquire where the envoys have gone, and on the other hand, we can look for any caravans heading to Liao."

Qin Zhen nodded in agreement and said, "That's the only way."

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 056 The True Phoenix Desires to Play the Role of a False Phoenix

In the warm spring of March, even Daming Prefecture, located on the north bank of the Yellow River, could feel the breath of spring.

The bustling street is lined with shops and teeming with people. Vendors weave through the crowds, constantly calling out their wares, adding to the lively atmosphere.

The waiter in front of the Donglai Inn had a towel dangling from his shoulder, his eyes constantly searching through the crowd for anyone who might be looking to stay or eat, and then he would do everything in his power to pull the guests into the inn.

Two large, shiny black horses caught the waiter's attention. Seeing horses meant there was a chance of getting customers, but when the horsemen emerged from the crowd and approached the shop, the waiter hesitated for a moment. The young man and woman, who looked like siblings, were dressed in ordinary coarse clothes and didn't seem to have anything valuable on them. He wondered if they were trying to dine and dash.

"Waiter, are there any rooms available? Give me two superior rooms."

The young girl's clear voice rang out first, and the waiter, as usual, smiled and stepped forward, saying, "Yes, we have rooms, of course, but do you really need two superior rooms? The price..."

Qin Zhen pouted, took the purse from her waist and threw it to the waiter. The waiter opened it and counted it; there were at least ten taels of silver inside!

Xiao Er mentally slapped himself hard. It turned out to be the God of Wealth. How could he have misjudged him?

"Young master, young lady, please come inside." He ordered someone to lead the two horses away and then led Yue Fei and Qin Zhen to the hall on the first floor.

"I'll have someone prepare rooms right away. Would you two like something to eat first?"

Qin Zhen nodded and said, "Bring out a few of your best dishes, and hurry up, I'm so hungry."

The waiter went to deliver the dishes, and Yue Fei then asked Qin Zhen, "Why did you come to such a nice restaurant when you could have just found a place to rest? It's such a waste."

Qin Zhen picked up the tea on the table, poured himself a cup, and said, "Brother, you don't understand. We not only need to stay in a good hotel, but we also need to change into nice clothes later. As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and gold makes the Buddha. If we don't dress up as young masters and misses of officials, where will we find a caravan to risk sending us across the Liao border?"

Yue Fei asked, somewhat puzzled, "Can't we just give them silver directly?"

“Those caravans traveling between the Song and Liao kingdoms don’t care about this little bit of money. They have plenty of ways to make money. Why would they risk taking us to the Liao kingdom? What they care about is how to make connections with powerful people and have more ways to save their lives in times of crisis. Let’s just pretend to give them that opportunity.”

Yue Fei couldn't quite figure out what strange things Qin Zhen was thinking, but the most urgent thing was to find a way to get to Liao. Since Qin Zhen had a solution, he would listen to her.

After lunch, they went out to change their clothes and returned to the inn. The young master and young lady were so different that even the waiter didn't recognize them!

The young master, adorned in fine clothes and carrying a precious sword, appeared to have bright, sparkling eyes and handsome, sword-like eyebrows, exuding an air of dignified elegance yet also displaying a reserved nature. The young lady beside him was even more exquisitely beautiful, her crystal-clear and crimson brocade perfectly complementing the noble aura she radiated from within. The gold, silver, and jade ornaments adorning her head and body were slightly ostentatious yet not vulgar.

Their re-entry into the inn drew whispers from the surrounding crowd, who all wondered which wealthy and powerful family's children they were, truly enviable.

After distancing themselves slightly from the others, they went upstairs to the second floor and ordered dinner. Then they asked the waiter, "Did any envoys to the Liao Kingdom pass through Daming Prefecture a few days ago?"

The waiter had already guessed their identities, and now that Qin Zhen asked about the envoys again, he quickly replied, "Indeed, there were envoys. The current Ninth Prince personally led the team, rested in Daming Prefecture for several days, and only left the day before yesterday."

Qin Zhen felt somewhat dejected. Although she knew that national affairs were of utmost importance, she couldn't help but have her own thoughts. Did her disappearance really have no impact on them at all? They just did what they were supposed to do, and no one even sent anyone to look for her. Did they really think she died so easily?

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Qin Zhen was about to ask the waiter about the various merchant caravans in Daming Prefecture when he heard a familiar voice coming from the first floor.

Looking down from the wooden railing on the second floor, she saw a young man in gray sitting upright by the window near the north door on the first floor, talking to the waiter who was supposed to be with him.