A Li came,
A Li left again,
Leaving easily, leaving decisively, without taking away half a shred of guilt, leaving very Fan Li-like;

However,

A Ming didn't grieve over anything,
Even the "gaunt" old man lying on the ground didn't mock him again,

Because,

They didn't have time;

The reason they didn't have time was that the IQ of the Gu worm might indeed be a bit low. When Fan Li opened the lid and then closed it, its aggro seemed to have been perfectly drawn to Fan Li, or perhaps, in its eyes, Fan Li's large size and vigorous qi and blood were what it loved most.

So,

The swordsman whose body was dominated by the Gu worm went up the steps, knocked open the lid, and chased Fan Li out of the cellar.

Finally,

The old man couldn't help but sigh:

"Oh... dear messenger of God... his appearance was really timely... as if he had been squatting in the corner of the next wall..."

"Heh."

A Ming was also a little dumbfounded, but it was undeniable that Fan Li had indeed saved the two of them.

He walked to the cellar steps and put the lid back on.

The old man sat up with some difficulty, looking at A Ming sitting on the steps,

And asked;

"Not leaving?"

"Leaving doesn't mean safety."

"I said... under the bed... there's still a tunnel..."

"That was a lie. If there was, you should have escaped yourself when you sensed me coming."

"Sorry... I thought we were both going to die then... so I wanted to make you happy again before I died..."

"Very good."

"Are you waiting for reinforcements... besides that big fool up there..."

"Yes."

The old man reached out and stroked his throat a few times, seeming to think that speaking like this was too tiring and inconvenient, so he began to crawl towards the water tank.

When he reached the water tank, the old man struggled to get up, picked up the ladle, and drank blood.

"Want some?" the old man asked A Ming.

"I have better fresh blood that I've hoarded," A Ming said. "Ordinary people's blood has a sour and stinky smell."

"You're living a good life," the old man said enviously. "Unlike me, hiding here and there. You have power here, right?"

Being able to wait for rescue here instead of hurriedly running away with himself clearly meant he had a great backing.

"Pingxi Marquisate, ever heard of it?"

"Heard of it, of course I've heard of it. The new Marquisate of Great Yan, east of Wangjiang, he's the one who calls the shots."

"Mm."

"Could it be..."

"Mm."

"Your master is the Pingxi Marquis?"

"..." A Ming.

Although what the old man said was true,

Although he was used to calling Zheng Fan "Master" on weekdays,

But at this moment when he had just released a forbidden spell, with a feeling of "my youth is back,"

To suddenly hear such an address and affirmation,

In his heart,

He really felt a bit uncomfortable.

However,

Uncomfortable as he might be,

A Ming still nodded,

And said:

"Yes."

"Heavens, dear Eastern kin, you actually have such a huge backer. Look into my eyes, have you read the full envy?"

A Ming remained noncommittal.

Before long,

The sound of horses' hooves came from outside.

And at this moment,

The cellar lid was knocked on again, but A Ming didn't open it.

Above,

Fan Li's voice came:

"Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger!"

A Ming didn't answer,

Then,

The swordswoman's voice came from above:

"Are you down there?"

Only then did A Ming open the lid.

Outside, a group of soldiers stood.

A Ming came up, and then had Fan Li lift the old man up as well.

The swordsman's body was smashed to pieces at the door; Fan Li had smashed it.

Perhaps he was chased too relentlessly by the swordsman, Fan Li finally smashed back with his hand, and then smashed the swordsman to pieces.

Only then was it clear,

That this swordsman was no longer the previous swordsman; he was very weak.

After coming out, A Ming looked at the lieutenant who had come to respond, and asked:

"What's your name?"

"Replying to Mister Ming, this humble officer's surname is Xiao, and my name is Xiao Heng."

"Mm."

A Ming didn't bother to ask which "heng" it was; he was just asking casually, and then he would casually forget, giving this young lieutenant a little joy and expectation.

Then,

A Ming gave the order:

"Return to the Marquisate."

………

The Marquisate, everything was as usual.

The various tribes of the Snow Plains were extremely peaceful, busy fighting each other, doing business, and selling slaves;

The Chu Kingdom was also wide open, as long as warhorses could be traded, his brother-in-law had no salt and iron embargo against the Marquisate.

Of course, the Pingxi Marquisate's approach was to some extent funding the enemy, but both sides were actually for development and each getting what they needed.

On this day,

Inside the pavilion of Apricot Blossom Courtyard,

Liu Ruqing was playing the zither,

Sitting opposite her was a bull,

Whose surname was Zheng.

Regarding the quality of the zither music, or the skill level, Marquis Zheng couldn't say he was completely ignorant, but he could only grasp the general idea. He was mainly holding an iced drink, sipping it slowly, while admiring the charming beauty in front of him.

Si Niang was busy on weekdays,

The Princess was also quite busy, sometimes helping Si Niang, sometimes dealing with the delegation from Chu;

When Marquis Zheng had free time, he liked to soak in Liu Ruqing's courtyard.

Because this woman was very docile;

So docile, just like he was in front of Si Niang.

Although he had plucked her many, many times, that shyness had not faded at all, and hidden beneath her moving beautiful eyes was a bewitching allure of reluctant welcome.

That kings no longer held court because of it was a real thing.

Fortunately, Marquis Zheng's mind was very clear, and moreover, he understood even more that a storm was brewing, and the day he would leave the Marquisate to enter the capital was getting closer and closer.

The preparations in various aspects were actually nearing completion.

Liu Ruqing finished playing a tune,

Stood up,

To add tea for Marquis Zheng.

But Marquis Zheng reached out and hugged her, pulling her into his arms.

In broad daylight, in the bright world,

Liu Ruqing was incredibly shy, but she couldn't and didn't dare to struggle free from the Marquis's hand. In the end, she simply threw herself onto the Marquis, her red lips blowing against Marquis Zheng's earlobe,

And softly called out:

"Uncle~~~~"

Marquis Zheng was getting a bit lightheaded.

Liu Ruqing bit Marquis Zheng's earlobe,

And murmured:

"Uncle, spare your niece~~~"

Zheng Fan felt like he was drunk, his bones were all numb.

However, just then, Xiao Yibo's report came from outside:

"Marquis, Mister Ming requests an audience."

In an instant,

His mind cleared.

Zheng Fan released his hand, and Liu Ruqing got off him.

He stood up,

And spread his arms,

Liu Ruqing stepped forward to help Zheng Fan tidy up the details of his clothes.

After tidying up, Liu Ruqing slowly took a few steps back.

Zheng Fan smiled and left the small courtyard.

In the front hall,

A Ming and Fan Li were sitting.

At the very end, there was also a box, the box was open, and as Zheng Fan passed by there, he saw an old man wearing black clothes looking around with a nervous expression.

When he saw Zheng Fan,

The old man immediately spoke:

"Oh, I smell the true aura of nobility, it is the guidance given to me from the depths of my blood. You should be the guardian of Jindong, the master of my Eastern kin, the great and supreme Pingxi Marquis.

Please, Marquis,

Accept my respect and worship,

From your loyal servant, Kasier."

Zheng Fan looked at A Ming,

And said:

"This tone, it's really been a long time."

A Ming didn't answer, Fan Li spoke up first,

"Yeah, I think so too."

Zheng Fan sat down in the main seat, pointed to the box, and asked: "Didn't you go to the Tian Duan Mountains to pick new flowers?"

"Replying to Master, this subordinate encountered A Li and them on the way back..."

A Ming told the whole story, without hiding anything.

Because after thinking about it, there was no need to hide anything.

After listening,

Zheng Fan immediately grasped the key point,

"You said, you relied on him to use a forbidden spell?"

"Yes, Master."

Zheng Fan nodded and said, "Then this old thing is still a treasure."

Regarding the improvement of strength, don't think that Marquis Zheng went to Liu Ruqing to listen to the zither, but he really hadn't slacked off. He practiced his saber every day, and also went out to practice a few times during this period.

But the Sixth Rank realm had not loosened.

In the words of the Sword Saint, the transition from the Sixth Rank to the Fifth Rank is actually the span from master to grandmaster. In addition to martial arts routines and qi and blood cultivation, one must also nurture a completely different temperament.

These words,

Marquis Zheng could understand,

Not only could he understand,

He could also use this theme or central idea to give you more fitting explanations and metaphors, guaranteed to make you feel more impressed than what the Sword Saint said.

But alas,

He couldn't do it.

This damned realm…

As for saying,

A Ming relied on this old man to release a forbidden spell, although it was the smallest of the small, this was undoubtedly a path.

As for whether A Ming relied on this old man to find a way to break away from himself, and whether it would become an opening, allowing the Demon Kings to no longer be completely bound by him, or even ultimately causing a rebellion or something.

Zheng Fan didn't think about it at all;

Because there was no need to think about it, everyone was actually doing what they were interested in, they were all playing, and he, this Master, had always been sitting in a position recognized by them.

Whoever wanted to leave,

Then just leave, no one would really stop them.

Under these circumstances,

Apart from Demon Pill,

The other Demon Kings actually did not have the subjective initiative to commit patricide.

Oh,

There was one more…

Zheng Fan's gaze fell on Fan Li,

Fan Li scratched his head innocently.

"A Ming, settle him down."

"Yes, Master, this subordinate understands."

"Oh, great and supreme Pingxi Marquis, please allow this humble one to once again express my infinite gratitude to you, as…"

Zheng Fan frowned slightly.

Fan Li got up, walked forward,

"Bang!"

And closed the box.

"Does he always like to speak in this tone?" Zheng Fan asked.

A Ming replied: "Actually, when this subordinate was using the forbidden spell, he was dismissive at first, then disbelieving, then shocked, and then constantly gasped;

Hmm,

This feeling,

Is still pretty good."

Zheng Fan pointed his finger at A Ming,

And said:

"Lacks class."

A Ming nodded with a smile and said, "But it's really satisfying."

"Hahahaha."

"Hahahaha."

Zheng Fan and A Ming laughed together.

After laughing,

Zheng Fan opened his mouth and said: "These days, there are many wild people and Chu people fleeing, go over there and let them know, there should be no shortage of fresh blood, you should take good care of yourself, and take good care of him too.

This time, when you enter the capital, bring him along."

"Master, the departure date is not far off, he may not have time to recover."

"Then just get him a separate carriage, raise him in the carriage, I don't believe we won't encounter bandits or bandits on the road, or even righteous men from Jin."

"Yes, Master, this subordinate understands, but does Master think there will be big moves this time when we enter the capital?"

At this moment,

Fan Li next to him suddenly laughed.

"Hahahaha!!!!"

Zheng Fan and A Ming both turned their gazes to Fan Li.

Fan Li laughed and laughed, then stopped laughing, pointed at the box, constantly gasped, and then amused himself again, unable to stop laughing again.

Zheng Fan shook his head and said:

"A Li."

"Ah, Master, I'm here."

"If you could spare some of your energy from playing dumb to do things, maybe you could even get a magic crystal cannon."

"..." Fan Li.

Zheng Fan looked at A Ming again,

And said:

"I always have a feeling that this time when we enter the capital, it won't be peaceful, but it's not convenient to mobilize troops."

First, the troops in the Marquisate were just barely enough.

It didn't matter if you temporarily mobilized one or two thousand cavalry to do something, but if you were to mobilize twenty thousand cavalry to Yan Capital, the situation here would be a bit thin.

Second, even if there were enough troops, what would you want to do with them in Yan Capital at this time?

Want to stage a scene,

Where enfeoffment wasn't his intention, but to sit on the dragon throne?

Marquis Zheng always had a very good habit, like a squirrel stacking pine cones before the arrival of winter;

When there were no experts, he would stack troops;

When there were troops, he would stack experts;

In short, he would do whatever was safest.

Since troops couldn't be brought to Yan Capital this time, then the more experts, the better.

Even Xu Chuang, the saber and sword dual wielder who came down from Wenming Mountain who was still locked in the dungeon, Zheng Fan planned to give him a chance to regain his freedom.

"The situation in Yan Capital must be focused on maintaining stability, no one can mobilize a large army to do anything, but I have a feeling of unease in my heart.

This feeling was simply non-existent the last time I entered Yan Capital."

"This subordinate still believes in Master's sixth sense."

"Well, this time, Blind Liang Cheng and Gou Moli will stay behind to guard the house, and the rest of you will follow me."

"This subordinate obeys!"

"I obey!"

"Mm."

Fan Li helped A Ming carry the box to the ice cellar.

Zheng Fan then sat in the front hall for a while longer, reaching out to gently rub his brow.

From the earliest merchant named Winter in Tiger Head City and the husky under him,

To the old vampire Kasier now;

A Western painting was gradually becoming three-dimensional in front of Marquis Zheng.

At this moment,

Another relatively eager emotion gradually rose in Zheng Fan's heart. Before this, he wanted to go to Jiangnan, Qian Kingdom, to see, and now, there was another one, he wanted to go to the West to see.

Not to see foreign women,

But purely to see the local customs and culture there.

Perhaps it was because he was now in a high position that he understood some of the words from before even more.

Like the saying:

I came, I saw, I conquered.

Conquering was ranked last because it was really just incidental.

"Master."

At this time, Blind came in.

"Mm, Blind, you missed A Ming's true love."

"Hehe, this subordinate has heard some, but this subordinate also has more important things to say to you, Master."

"If it's finance or accounting books, you and Si Niang can just take the lead and take a look, I won't look at them."

"No, it's a letter from Yan Capital."

"Xiao Liuzi's letter?"

"Yes, but not just that."

"Oh? Who else's?"

"There are a total of four letters, Xiao Liuzi's letter went through his own business channel, and the other three went through the post station."

Going through the post station,

It was certainly unsafe, because the Secret Intelligence Division would investigate some letters, no matter how good the sealing wax you used, there would be a counterfeiting expert in the Secret Intelligence Division to restore it for you.

At the same time, even if you found that your letter had been viewed, what could you do?

Go to write a memorial and impeach Wei Zhonghe's Secret Intelligence Division for infringing on your privacy?

Actually,

Not only after the establishment of the Marquisate, but when Xue Haiguan was still a Count’s Manor, there was already a lot of communication between the mansion and the outside world, and after the establishment of the Marquisate, it reached a peak.

Internal information processing, the various resident settlements in Jindong, the various garrisons, from people's livelihood to commerce to military affairs and then to culture, etc., the files could pile up like mountains every day.

Zheng Fan could handle it, and he was taken to Old Tian’s commander's tent in the early days, and he also handled various affairs in an orderly manner, but when he was at home, he completely delegated power to Blind, Si Niang and the others to do it.

In addition to this, there were communications from many tribes in the Snow Plains, as well as secret communications between the Chu court and various forces;

Communications with Jin officials, Yan court officials, and so on…

Therefore, this required a very excellent staff team to help you deal with it. Fortunately, Zheng Fan had one.

"Master, one is Xiao Liuzi, one is Wei Zhonghe's, one is Zhao Jiulang's, and one... is from Lu Bing, who was recently transferred to Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial.

Master,

Which one should we look at first?"

Wei Zhonghe's was not written by Wei Zhonghe himself, but a public document that the Secret Intelligence Division used to contact the Marquisate. Similarly, Zhao Jiulang's was in the name of the Cabinet, and Lu Bing's was in the name of the Court of State Ceremonial.

But the three coming together clearly meant a momentum building before the storm.

"Let's listen to Xiao Liuzi's letter first."

"Master values friendship," Blind complimented.

"I just think this guy's is the least important."

"Hehe, Master is right. The letter is all about family matters, talking about his two upcoming children and his current life. What surprised this subordinate was that there were no hidden meanings this time.

Perhaps,

No hidden meanings are the best hidden meaning, meaning, it's time to put away other thoughts, stop joking around, and prepare... to finally draw the saber."

"What about the other three families?"

"The Cabinet's intention is to consult the Marquisate's opinion on the court's selection of officials to enrich the governance of Jindong; the Secret Intelligence Division requires us to increase the tribute of perfume, especially, wind oil essence. The Court of State Ceremonial slightly accuses us of not meeting with Chu envoys in private, at least, we should give the Court of State Ceremonial face and go through the motions."

Zheng Fan nodded,

And said:

"This is to remind me that they are paying attention to me."

"This subordinate also thinks so."

Zheng Fan chuckled,

And said:

"Coincidentally, this Marquis has never forgotten them either."

……

Yongping Year 4,

July 4th,

End of Heat;

The west gate of Fengxin City was wide open,

With ceremonial guards clearing the way and the people lining the streets to see him off,

The Pingxi Marquis,

Following the Emperor's decree,

Set off for the capital!

——————

There's another chapter tonight, don't panic!