Chapter 931 News from the West!

Winter got out of the carriage, and Er Ha jumped down with him.

The man and the dog followed Fan Li inside.

The design of the Pingxi Prince's mansion inherited the traditional Zhuxia style but did not deliberately pursue complicated details. Instead, it exuded a sense of simplicity.

Winter carefully admired the surroundings as he walked.

To Westerners, the Yan Empire in the East was an incredibly great existence, because Westerners could not forget the disastrous scenes brought about by the barbarian invasions of the past.

For hundreds of years, no matter how many paeans and stories they used to beautify the great victory of their ancestors, they still could not deny that their victory was a fluke.

Yes, a fluke.

If that barbarian khan had not been careless and rash, leading the direct descendants of the Golden Horde to be surrounded and eventually killed, the final outcome of that great battle would have been hard to say.

And the Yan Empire had been single-handedly confronting the barbarians for hundreds of years without losing ground.

The merchant caravans coming and going between East and West, and some Westernized barbarians who also made a living from this, mostly came into contact with and recognized the iron cavalry of the Yan army guarding the northern borders.

There are two things in this world that can break through the barriers of language, culture, geography, and so on and reach the other's heart:

One is art;

The other is force.

After returning and failing to compete for his father's position as heir as an illegitimate son, Winter had no choice but to pick up his old profession again, half doing business and half "fleeing," and once again came to the East.

This time, the great changes that had taken place in the East shocked him.

The terrifying Yan Empire finally began to show its fangs, no longer facing the desert, but facing other countries in the East.

The Yan Empire annexed the Jin Kingdom and beat the other two great powers into submission.

Along the way, the thing Winter heard the most was how the Yan people praised their invincible Pingxi King.

It wasn't until he made contact with Blind Man that Winter was shocked to realize that this Prince, with his vast fiefdom and countless loyal knights, was actually an old acquaintance from Beifeng County, and had even done business with him.

"We're here, come in."

Fan Li did not report to his lord but planned to take the man and the dog straight in.

He himself had intercepted Blind Man, and didn't want to be intercepted back when he went to report.

And Blind Man should soon realize that he had been deceived and would definitely rush back quickly.

Fan Li pushed open the door, and inside, Zheng Fan was taking a bath.

Fortunately, after practicing his saber today, Zheng Fan didn't let anyone serve him, and was simply enjoying the feeling of being alone. If he had really been caught doing something, even if Fan Li had invited the Jade Emperor himself, he wouldn't have been promoted today.

Even so, Zheng Fan walked out wearing a robe, looking at Fan Li with an unhappy expression.

"My lord, take a look, I've brought you someone."

Fan Li tactfully moved aside, revealing the man and the dog behind him to Zheng Fan.

Winter immediately knelt down:

"After many years of separation, it is truly a blessing from God that I can see the king's face again today!"

Winter knew that he had only had a business relationship with this Prince. Any relationship tainted by business immediately became as thin as paper, so he could not be arrogant in the slightest and had to keep his attitude as low as possible.

The Er Ha at his side also lay prone, fluttering its watery eyes as much as possible.

At first, Zheng Fan didn't really recognize them. Fortunately, in recent years, there were only a few "blond-haired and blue-eyed" people in this world who had a relationship with him. After thinking for a moment, he finally remembered.

"Didn't you go back to compete for the throne?" Zheng Fan asked.

At that time, he and Blind Man had even joked about the "battle of the bastards."

"Answering Your Highness, I was useless and failed to succeed. Not only did I fail to inherit my father's seat, but I almost lost my life there. It was only with great difficulty that I escaped."

"That's a pity."

Zheng Fan pulled out a chair and sat down.

At this moment, Fan Li kept glancing around while watching the movements outside.

Everything was rushed, and there was no time to rehearse the lines.

But Fan Li felt that he could gamble, because judging by the time, Blind Man should be arriving soon.

With a "plop," Fan Li knelt down.

Zheng Fan, who was about to light a cigarette, was startled, and the cigarette fell to the ground.

"My lord, after unifying Zhuxia, I am willing to accompany you to search for the whereabouts of the Jingnan King, he... he has clues!"

Fan Li pointed at Winter.

Zheng Fan's eyes immediately narrowed as he looked at Winter.

Fan Li's ten fingers and ten toes began to curl up on the ground.

Winter was stunned for a moment, but still said:

"I... I do."

"A'Li, well done!"

Zheng Fan breathed a sigh of relief and slapped the table.

The next moment, a powerful aura rose from Fan Li's body, and the Er Ha kneeling beside him looked at the towering man in disbelief!

He had been promoted!

Fan Li scratched his head in a somewhat simple and honest manner, stood up, and said;

"My lord, you ask him, I'll go out and prepare some food for you."

"Okay."

Zheng Fan nodded.

Although Zheng Fan also noticed that A'Li seemed a little too well-behaved today, one reason was that it was normal for people to be well-behaved in pursuit of promotion, and the second was that his mind was occupied by the news brought by Winter from the West. He didn't want to think too much about the rest for the time being.

Fan Li retreated out of the room, thoughtfully pulling the door closed.

Turning around, he saw Blind Man standing at the bottom of the steps.

Blind Man's dark eye sockets gave off a kind of oppressive feeling at this time.

"Tsk."

Blind Man clicked his tongue,

"A'Li, you're really devious."

Fan Li continued to scratch his head in embarrassment.

"Okay, okay, I've been scheming for half my life, and I actually stumbled on you in the end, and you made a wedding dress for yourself."

"Are you angry?" Fan Li asked.

"Do you believe me if I say I'm in a good mood?"

"I believe it."

"Then just pretend I'm very happy."

Fan Li reached out and pointed at his face, saying:

"If you want to be even happier, I can fight you and let you vent your anger."

"..." Blind Man.

The demon kings have different methods and abilities, but they are evenly matched in terms of combat awareness and experience.

This created a situation where whoever was one realm higher would basically not give the other party a chance to counterattack, which meant a sure win.

After intercepting Blind Man, Fan Li went straight to his goal. As for the consequences of being discovered, he really hadn't considered it.

Anyway, you can't beat me now!

Blind Man put his hands behind his back, smiled, and said,

"Okay, well done."

After saying that, Blind Man turned and walked out.

Fan Li had already been promoted, so there was no point in arguing any further. He couldn't win anyway, so what was the point of not leaving?

Seeing Blind Man leave, Fan Li twisted his neck and also walked out.

As he passed a pavilion, a graceful figure flipped down;

Fan Li spread out his big hand very skillfully, and the graceful figure sat directly on his hand, steady and secure.

After Jian Bi sat down, her feet were still dangling in the air. She wiggled her bottom and asked curiously;

"Why aren't you patting me?"

In the past, after she came down, Fan Li would pat her again, and she would use the force to sit on his shoulders.

"Oh."

Fan Li nodded and raised his hand, holding her in front of his chest. Jian Bi was still sitting there.

"This posture is too ugly." Jian Bi's face was a little red.

Jian Bi still took the initiative to sit on Fan Li's shoulders, feeling a little strange being supported underneath by one hand.

This big guy,

how did he suddenly become bad and started taking advantage of her today, without even giving her a heads-up, at least to give her some psychological preparation, it's not like she wouldn't let him.

Jian Bi had a good impression of Fan Li, which was no secret.

From the time her master died and she was taken in here, Jian Bi was very afraid of the others, and the others didn't take her seriously either. At that time, she felt that Fan Li was the most honest and silly one among this group of people, and she liked to bully Fan Li to vent her anger.

Of course,

from a long-term perspective,

it was actually very clear who had really benefited in the end.

Third Master had mocked Fan Li more than once, how could you have the nerve to raise a little girl like that?

But this time,

Jian Bi had wronged Fan Li.

Fan Li really disdained doing such things as secretly taking advantage of her, mainly because he had just been promoted.

After the realm was raised by one level, the increase in strength was actually more terrifying for the demon kings. This led to Fan Li still being unable to adapt to and familiarize himself with his current strength. His bloodline mainly manifested in his physique.

Therefore, Fan Li really didn't dare to use the usual procedure of patting Jian Bi and letting her bounce onto his shoulders. If he didn't control his strength properly and directly smashed Jian Bi's butt,

creating a bloody scene... what would that be?

However, Fan Li rarely liked to explain things to people in his life.

He only felt a little guilty about intercepting Blind Man, so he said a few more words to Blind Man to make him angry.

For other people, he would probably just smile innocently at you from beginning to end.

"Hey, did it work?" Jian Bi asked.

The demon kings had more abundant abilities and methods to hide their auras when their realms were improved. With Jian Bi's current level, she was naturally unable to see through the truth.

"It worked." Fan Li said.

"I'm going to be miserable. You know that among you people, I'm most afraid of that Blind Man. This time I tricked him, and he'll definitely..."

"He won't."

Fan Li said.

"Are you so sure?"

"Yeah."

Among the demon kings, they could still trust this much character and wouldn't do things that would harm their families.

Even if Blind Man wanted to take revenge, he would target himself and wouldn't attack Jian Bi, because everyone had already tacitly agreed that Jian Bi was his "child bride."

"You have to protect me."

"Okay."

"By the way, let's go to my master's place. I haven't greeted my master today."

"Okay."

Fan Li walked, Jian Bi sat, and the two went straight from the Prince's mansion to the Sword Saint's house. It was very close and convenient, and the road was straight through, without even a door.

Pushing open the door, they saw the Sword Saint grabbing the duck and throwing it into the chicken coop. The duck's legs were constantly flapping, but in the end, it couldn't escape its fate tonight.

Turning his head, the Sword Saint first looked at his disciple.

He had always felt that his disciple's habit of sitting on a man's shoulders was really inelegant;

but she liked it and insisted on it, so the Sword Saint was embarrassed to say anything more.

After all, when he took her in, she was already a small girl with her own opinions and experiences, and he was more of a teacher to her.

Unlike Da Niu, because Da Niu was young, he was her real master, both a teacher and a father.

Not only would he teach her swordsmanship, but the master would also take care of things like how to behave in the world.

Of course, the Sword Saint didn't think that Da Niu would be as "crazy" as Jian Bi in the future. If Da Niu sat on any man's shoulders, he wouldn't even need to take action, Zheng would probably dismember that person into eight pieces first.

Jian Bi actually understood this point as well.

Just as in this era, the dross of women's three obediences and four virtues was still regarded as orthodoxy;

among the masters, what was a direct disciple, what was a closed disciple, everything was clearly distinguished, so Jian Bi took the initiative to help the Sword Saint when he was grabbing auspicious times;

she didn't think that having a little junior sister meant that someone was coming to compete with her for favor, but instead felt that the school was growing stronger, which was great;

the path of swordsmanship was different from the small farmers dividing their property, one became smaller and smaller as it was divided, while the other became larger and larger.

However,

soon the Sword Saint's gaze fell on Fan Li.

Fan Li had just been promoted, and although his aura was hidden very well, he couldn't completely conceal it, so the Sword Saint still discovered the clues.

Regarding this, the Sword Saint didn't find it strange.

Because too many times, as soon as Zheng was promoted, the gentlemen who had been following him for a long time would also start to be promoted one after another.

One or two times was a coincidence, what about three or five times?

This, the Sword Saint was not the strangest thing, the strangest thing was that these gentlemen had far more knowledge and accumulation in martial arts and fighting than their current strength levels.

Fan Li also looked at the Sword Saint,

rubbing his hands;

not because he was embarrassed to be caught carrying his female disciple, but because he was really itchy.

The Sword Saint was a fellow traveler, so he could naturally understand this feeling, so he asked with a smile:

"Sparring?"

Only at this time, with his current realm, was Fan Li qualified to "spar" with the Sword Saint.

"You can't use Rank Two."

"I won't."

"You have to be merciful too."

"Of course."

"Then let's pick a place?"

"Outside the city."

"Okay."

The Sword Saint added, "I'll go get Da Niu out."

"Junior sister is still young, Master."

Jian Bi felt that it was too early to let junior sister watch the battle.

"The opportunity is rare." The Sword Saint was embarrassed to show too much of his love for his little disciple in front of his big disciple, "Let's join in the fun?"

"Then I'll go." Jian Bi said.

"I'll go myself."

The Sword Saint insisted, and Jian Bi could only continue to sit on Fan Li's shoulders.

Afterward,

the Sword Saint entered the Prince's mansion;

He first went to the courtyard where Xiong Liqing lived and explained his intentions.

The princess naturally knew how much the Sword Saint loved her daughter and agreed directly, but she still asked the Sword Saint if he wanted to inform Xiao Yibo.

There was actually no need to ask, the little princess of the Prince's mansion would definitely have the protection of the Brocade-Clad Guards when she went out of the city, but asking was also a show of respect.

The Sword Saint of course agreed.

Holding Da Niu, the Sword Saint did not leave directly but went to the courtyard where the Consort of Fu lived.

Si Niang was busy in the signing room during the day and didn't like to keep her son by her side at night, so Zheng Lin mostly stayed with the Consort of Fu.

The Consort of Fu was naturally not qualified to say whether she agreed or not;

Just like that, the Sword Saint held Da Niu in his left arm and Zheng Lin in his right arm.

Just like that, he walked to the gate of the Prince's mansion in a dignified manner.

Standing at the gate was Liu Dahu.

Liu Dahu led the Brocade-Clad Guards to wait here;

Holding two spirit children in his arms, the Sword Saint saw the saber on his son's waist and was not so disgusted, he even had a feeling that he had gotten a great deal.

Zheng had abducted his son to practice the saber,

but in the final analysis, neither his eldest son nor his youngest son could be considered bad in terms of aptitude, but only average, but compared with the two spirit children, oh no, there was no comparison.

Overall, he, Yu Huaping, had made a fortune.

If Zheng could have told him directly in the past that he would give birth to a pair of spirit children in the future, he wouldn't have needed to do all kinds of favors and ask him for help in the past few years.

A group of people left Fengxin City and came to the north of the city, near the Gourd Temple. There were originally plans to expand the temple here, but it had been delayed, so there was a very large martial arts training ground left.

Fan Li put Jian Bi down and reached out, grabbing his neck and twisting it to make a series of crisp sounds. There seemed to be a cloud of blue gas flowing between his nostrils.

The Sword Saint handed the two children to Jian Bi and Liu Dahu to watch, and asked them to stand on the small high platform so they could see everything.

Turning his head, the Sword Saint noticed the luck between Fan Li's nostrils.

This was a small detail, but it showed that Fan Li had already integrated his flesh with the surrounding environment, which was equivalent to adding a layer of shield solidified by aura around him.

"A Rank Four Martial Artist, but able to use the body-protecting Qi of a Rank Three Martial Artist."

The Sword Saint shook his head and said:

"Should I use Rank Two?"

Fan Li immediately waved his hand:

"Then I admit defeat."

"Hahaha." The Sword Saint didn't joke anymore, he condensed a sword Qi in his left hand,

and said:

"Please enlighten me!"

...

The Sword Saint and Fan Li were sparring, their own son and daughter were also watching the battle, and the scene was very lively, but the only one missing was the one who liked to be lively the most and should have appeared.

For no other reason,

he was really busy.

At this time,

in the main house in the backyard of the Prince's mansion,

Zheng Fan asked in a very surprised tone:

"You said that when you came from the West, the news you got was that the barbarian prince was gathering a group of local barbarian tribes in the area bordering the West?

And he is already attacking and looting the nearby small countries?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Actually, I don't know why that barbarian prince, who is like a stray dog, dares to be so arrogant. When I came, I had already heard that a general of the Empire in charge of border defense had sent a messenger to warn him that if he did not restrain himself, the Empire's army would be dispatched to pacify him."

Zheng Fan nodded upon hearing this;

Old Tian's departure was justified by chasing after the escaped barbarian prince, but in Zheng Fan's opinion, this had always been a reason specifically found to justify something else.

The result was that

the barbarian prince was still alive and kicking, and at the same time, he was trying to cause trouble on the western desert border;

How was this possible?

Unless...