Finest Servant

Chapter 540

Chapter 540 Caught in a SnareAfter deciding on the route of the march, Hu Bugui conveyed the orders down the ranks. The troops were already accustomed to General Lin's unconventional tactics. Whether returning to the Helan Mountain Gorge through a blockade of three hundred thousand Turks or advancing into the great plains while facing encirclement by nomadic tribes, the dangers were equivalent. Either way, it was a life-and-death situation. Instead of meaninglessly being annihilated by sixty thousand Turks, they'd rather plunge into the vast grasslands and fight a glorious battle.

Five thousand cavalry silently changed direction, opting for a route diametrically opposed to their original path. Moving from east to west, they traversed deep into the boundless grasslands under the cover of darkness.

Lin Wanrong looked back from his horse. Amidst the dark sky, there was only the vast emptiness. He could neither see where the grasslands met the desert nor catch a glimpse of the haunting Helan Mountain Gorge. With each step, he was getting farther from his homeland—Qingxuan, Qiaoqiao, Eldest Miss, Ning'er, Fairy Ning, Vixen An… He wasn't sure if he would ever live to see them again. A sense of melancholy surged within him, and his eyes grew moist.

Gao Qiu rode alongside him, sensing his emotional state. "Don't worry, Brother Lin," he comforted. "We will return. Even if it costs me my life, I will ensure your safety."

Lin Wanrong simply nodded, not uttering a word. His eyes caught sight of the lavish carriage in the middle of the formation. After a long silence, he finally spoke, "Brother Gao, keep a close eye on this Yueya’er. She is not someone to be underestimated. I have a strange premonition that our journey is intricately tied to her."

Gao Qiu chuckled. "Even if she's extraordinary, she's still a woman. With your knack for dealing with women, she'll probably be begging for your favor soon. What's there to fear about her?"

Lin Wanrong shook his head, amused. "Brother Gao, you're mistaken. The thoughts of this Turkic woman are far from simple. Do you remember the situation when treating Little Li on the carriage?"

Gao Qiu couldn't forget; Lin Wanrong's exceptional skills were awe-inspiring. "I remember," Gao Qiu smirked lasciviously. "That Turkic girl couldn't handle your teasing and nearly fled. You really know your stuff."

Lin Wanrong sighed, shaking his head. "You're wrong again, Brother Gao. What if I told you, it wasn't me teasing her, but her teasing me? Would you believe it?"

"Teasing you?" Gao Qiu was flabbergasted. "Is there even a woman in this world audacious enough to tease Brother Lin? Just how formidable would she have to be?"

Lin Wanrong nodded, his face deadly serious. "Think about it, Brother Gao. During our banter in the carriage, Yueya’er seemed outwardly enraged, but her eyes were clear, her composure intact. Despite the emotional turbulence, she managed to calmly treat Little Li's injuries without a single mistake. What kind of mental strength does that require? Not to speak of women, but even among men, how many could remain so composed? The irony is that we didn't even realize it. We thought we were amusing ourselves, but psychologically, we were the ones being toyed with by Yueya’er!"

After hearing the analysis, Gao Qiu was enlightened. "Had you not pointed it out, Brother Lin, I would never have realized it. This young woman is indeed excessively reserved. Ah, I see now. Your teasing on the carriage was all intentional, a way to test her, wasn't it? I must admire your superior acting skills; you even fooled me."

"It's of no consequence," Lin Wanrong waved a dismissive hand and sighed. "People only see my uninhibited exterior; how could they understand my passionate and sincere heart? Such 'learned libertinism' is mistaken for debauchery. Alas, I've grown accustomed to the misunderstandings."

Gao Qiu nodded sympathetically. "A learned libertine, indeed. Brother Lin, you are not one to be taken lightly. You courted public scorn by teasing Yueya’er, suffered endless injustice, and yet, you still remain so composed. I truly admire you."

Upon Lin Wanrong's orders, Hu Bugui stationed scouts at a significant distance. From the moment they changed course, the isolated force of 5,000 soldiers was destined to engage in a game of cat and mouse with the nomads. The vast Alxa Plain presented an uncharted journey for everyone; no one knew what awaited them ahead.

They traveled further into the depths of the plains for over two hours before setting up camp. With both visible and hidden scouts stationed, it was already midnight. Hu Bugui pointed at the map and said, "Those twenty thousand elite Turkic soldiers are now about a hundred miles to our northeast. Considering their pace, they should reach Bayanhot by tomorrow morning. My guess is that some will remain there to reinforce the city, while the rest will continue to pursue us, aiming to surround us."

"Correct, the nomads are not slow," Lin Wanrong nodded. "That means, by tomorrow morning, the lame and blind men we released will 'accurately' inform the Turks of our whereabouts."

Hu Bugui laughed heartily, "Only now do I fully understand, General, that your decision to release Yueya’er's tribespeople carries such deep implications. This will only fortify the Turk's determination to encircle us from both sides. The young girl could never have dreamed that her people would end up aiding us."

"Not necessarily," Lin Wanrong solemnly shook his head. "Given Yueya’er's cunning, she would have thought of this. It is only because we separated her from her tribe that she's powerless to act."

Having already learned of Yueya’er's cleverness from Gao Qiu, Hu Bugui grunted, "General, in my opinion, regardless of Yueya’er's identity, she's undoubtedly a thorny issue. To eliminate future troubles, why not—” His voice halted, and he drew his finger across his neck in a slashing motion.

A look of regret washed over Gao Qiu's face. "Old Hu, such a beautiful young woman, the likes of which appear once in centuries among the Turks. What a waste it would be to kill her. Why not let me administer some bewitching medicine instead, so that she remembers only Brother Lin for the rest of her life? Wouldn't everyone be happy then?"

Hu Bugui looked alarmed. "Brother Gao, is there truly such a medicine? That would be excellent."

Gao Qiu nodded solemnly, "Indeed. Once we finish dealing with the Turks this time, I'll devote myself to re

Yueya’er clearly understood his line of questioning but chose to remain silent, offering neither a nod nor a shake of her head.

Seeing that his questions were getting him nowhere and the girl was a tough nut to crack, Lin Wanrong felt a rising sense of irritation. He smirked, "Ah, I get it now. You must have a Great Hua lover and you've been diligently learning our language and medicine to elope with him. Very interesting, indeed!"

Listening to his nonsense, Yueya’er could no longer contain her anger. "Elope with a man from Great Hua? What we, the daughters of the grasslands, yearn for are invincible warriors. Great Hua men are timid and weak, like cotton on the plains—crushable beneath one's foot and utterly spineless!"

Lin Wanrong, visibly indignant, retorted, "That's quite an overgeneralization, Miss Yueya’er. How can you judge an entire forest by one withered tree? Take me, for instance—am I weak? Do I lack spine?"

"You?" The young woman from the Turkic tribes snorted. "You might have a semblance of spine, but it seems to be solely used for unscrupulous matters."

The critique was sharp to the bone, yet Lin Wanrong burst into hearty laughter. "You have quite the keen eye, Miss Yueya’er; you see right through to a person's core. If it weren't for the fact that we've just met, I'd think you had known me before. By the way, have you ever heard my name prior to this?"

"San Ge Shi—Wo Lao Gong," Yueya’er disdainfully replied. "Why would I care about such an ugly name?"

Holding back a laugh, Lin Wanrong responded, "Names grow on you over time. So, you haven't heard of me. What a pity. Given your deep insights into my character, I assumed you must have studied me intensively."

His comment seemed both intentional and unintentional, leaving Yueya’er momentarily stunned. Her pale blue eyes deepened like tranquil waters.

Lin Wanrong, locking eyes with her, continued, "Actually, I have an acquaintance in the Turkic lands, though not exactly a friend. His name is Lu Dongzan; he's quite intelligent. But you, Miss Yueya’er, are even smarter. Do you know Lu Dongzan?"

Yueya’er's expression remained unchanged as she slowly replied, "Lu Dongzan, the famed National Tutor of the steppes? Every Turkic citizen knows of him. How could I not?"

"I see you do know him," Lin Wanrong said with a meaningful smile. "Well, if you ever have the time, please pass along a message to him. Tell him I welcome him back to Great Hua as a guest and promise not to swindle him out of his Nose-piercing Grass this time. What was the place called where those herbs are abundant? Altai Mountains, Khovd—wonderful places, indeed!"

He stared intently at Yueya'er, his face twisted into a wolfish grin, exuding a sense of triumph.

Yujia’er's small hand trembled slightly, and a chill surged through her. She broke into a sudden smile and shook her head. "How clever you think you are, oh man of Great Hua. So you've taken me to be sent by Lu Dongzan?"

Unexpectedly, she was the first to expose his thoughts. Lin Wanrong chuckled coldly, "Aren't you?"

Yueya'er burst into a series of laughter, sharp enough to shatter the night's tranquility, carrying far and wide, attracting the gazes of countless soldiers.

Old Gao and Old Hu peered out from their tent, stealing glances in their direction. Spotting Lin Wanrong standing beside Yueya'er, their eyes lit up. They gave Lin Wanrong an enthusiastic thumbs-up, grinning in a sleazy and ambiguous manner. God knows what they were thinking.

‘Damn it, I haven't done anything wrong! Why the presumption?’ Seeing the self-satisfied look on the Turkic girl's face, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but say, "What are you laughing at? Disrupting people's sleep and causing undue speculation is a serious matter, you know?"

Yujia halted her laughter, looking at him squarely. "Oh, clever man of Great Hua, don't presume to understand others through your narrow mindset. I swear on the god of the plains, I was not sent by Lu Dongzan."

The god of the plains held an incomparable position in the hearts of the Turkic people. Could it be that Yujia really wasn't sent by Lu Dongzan? Lin Wanrong found himself flustered by her words. Despite his extensive experience with women, he felt utterly helpless in front of this Turki girl, as though hacking at cotton with a great sword—effort wasted.

A strong sense of danger overcame him. Lin Wanrong abruptly stood up, his voice filled with anger. "Miss Divine Healer, revive my brother Little Li, and I'll let you and your tribe go—now, immediately!"

Yujia also rose to her full height, meeting his gaze fearlessly. "Wake your brother up now? I'm sorry. With my medical skills, I can't accomplish that. Of course, you can still choose to release me and my tribe. If so, I'd be eternally grateful."

She bent down gracefully to brush off the dust and debris from her long skirt. Her figure was captivatingly alluring.

‘What in the world is going on? She's sticking around and I can't even drive her away?’ Watching Yujia's retreating figure, Lin Wanrong clenched his fists, rage filling him.

“I feel like we've walked into a trap,” Old Gao's words kept ringing in his ears. Lin Wanrong's face turned pale, and he remained speechless for a long time.

Hi, if you like the story, please rate and review this novel on novelupdates. Thanks!

Announcement