"Your Majesty." Yijing, the guard of the Emperor, saluted Chushi Youtian.

Chushi Youtian replied without looking up, "What's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, we've found the fake soldiers that assaulted the victims at the gate." Yijing said.

Chushi Youtian looked up this time, "You've found them. Go and take them here. I'd like to ask who gave them the gut to run amuck in Jing City."

Chushi Youtian put down the book and sat straight.

"They are dead." Yijing answered with his head lowered.

Chushi Youtian was shocked, "What? Dead?"

"We took the portraits of the two dead men and asked people in Jing City one by one. Finally, some people recognized that they belonged to street gangs. We tracked down them and reached their residence, but only to found that they had all died in the room."

Chushi Youtian looked bad, "What's the cause of the death?"

"Your Majesty, we didn't find any traces of fighting at the scene. It seems that they committed suicide for fear of punishment as they knew we were looking for them, however..." Yijing stopped.

Chushi Youtian asked, "However?"

"To look into details, the traces are left too deliberately. It's a man-made scene, I suppose." Yijing continued.

Chushi Youtian looked sullen, "Carry it on. I want to know who did away with them and why."

"Yes." Yijing answered and left the Imperial Study.

...

After two day's journey, Shuo Ling and others were going to reach Jiandu.

Yang Zijin's ankle was almost healed.

"My Lord, there's a town in the front. Shall we stay there tonight?" Xiao Mu, who went to scout, came to report it to Shuo Ling.

Shuo Ling nodded, "Fine."

"Come on, bros. We are going to reach a town and take a rest." Xiao Mu spoke aloud at the soldiers that escorting the grains.

They soon arrived at the town.

The town was small but lively.

Xiao Mu hired a whole inn in good condition.

Then he came up to Shuo Ling, "My Lord, everything is done."

Shuo Ling unmounted the horse and came up to Yang Zijin's carriage.

Yang Zijin, who had been shut in the carriage for days, lifted the curtain and prepared to get out of the carriage when she saw Shuo Ling staring at her.

Shuo Ling gave his hands to her, "Come here."

"Well, Marquis Shuo, I think my ankle is much better now." Yang Zijin looked down at Shuo Ling.

Shuo Ling acted as if he didn't hear, "Come here."

Yang Zijin had to compromise and she climbed onto Shuo Ling's back.

During the days she couldn't walk, and Shuo Ling took care of her as if she was a vegetable.

Shuo Ling entered the inn with Yang Zijin on his back. When he passed by Runyu, he stopped, "Ghost Immortal, please."

Runyu revealed a faint smile and nodded.

Shuo Ling carried Yang Zijin to her room and let her sit on the bed.

He looked over his shoulder to Yang Zijin, "Just sit there. I'll let them send your things here later."

Shuo Ling stood up and was going to leave when Yang Zijin seized him.

"What's the matter?" Shuo Ling looked behind and asked.

Yang Zijin blinked her eyes to him, "Marquis Shuo, can you promise me one thing?"

"What is it about?" Shuo Ling slightly frowned.

Yang Zijin smiled, "Well, I'd like to go out."

"No way." Shuo Ling opposed as soon as she finished speaking.

Yang Zijin found his resolute attitude and asked, "Why?"

"Your ankle is not fully recovered." Shuo Ling gave a glance at her ankle.

Yang Zijin secretly complained: That's enough. Shuo Ling restricted her personal freedom like in prison just because she sprained her ankle. Well, for his care in these days, she tolerated him.

Yang Zijin smiled, "My ankle is almost cured. You see."

Then she rose to her feet and began to walk. Before Shuo Ling could stop her, he heard an "ouch" and Yang Zijin squatted, kneading her ankle.

Shuo Ling hurriedly held Yang Zijin and put her onto the bed, asking, "How do you feel? Are you alright?"

Before Yang Zijin spoke he began to check Yang Zijin's ankle.

"I'm kidding. I'm surprised you fell for it." Looking at his nervous face, Yang Zijin withdrew her feet from his hand and laughed.

Shuo Ling didn't look good. Yang Zijin ceased to laugh and gently shaking Shuo Ling's sleeve, "Don't be angry, Marquis Shuo. I just want to go out for a while. I won't hang out too long. Can I?"

"I don't agree. No means no." Shuo Ling said coldly.

Seeing Shuo Ling still unmoved, Yang Zijin looked at him with puppy eyes, "Marquis Shuo, please, please."

"No way." Shuo Ling was firm.

Yang Zijin bent down to look at him, "Marquis Shuo..."

Shuo Ling turned his head away from Yang Zijin.

Yang Zijin sharpened her wits and came up with an idea. A cunning smile emerged on the corner of her lips. She paced to face Shuo Ling and smiled, "I heard that Marquis Shuo is a knowledgeable man, and I have some doubts. Can I ask you?"

"Speak." Shuo Ling answered coldly.

Yang Zijin continued as Shuo Ling took the bait, "If you can give me the answers, I'll stay in the room and go nowhere. If you can't, then go out with me. What do you think?"

"Fine" Shuo Ling gave her a glance. He wondered what she would do.

Yang Zijin cleared her throat and smiled, "You have promised me. You can't go back on your word."

"I won't." Shuo Ling smiled, fixing his eyes on her.

Yang Zijin stood straight, pacing, and asked, "Fine, listen. How many heads does a fox have?"

"One." Shuo Ling answered.

Yang Zijin went on, "And how many legs?"

"Four." Shuo Ling looked at Yang Zijin who was pacing around.

Yang Zijin nodded and came up to him, smiling, "And the number of the hair?"

"You..." Shuo Ling turned his face aside.

Yang Zijin smiled, "What do you think? If you don't know the answer, you have to go out with me."

Confronting Yang Zijin's tricks, Shuo Ling compromised.

As Shuo Ling nodded, Yang Zijin ran outside.

Xiao Mu who was standing outside saw Yang Zijin coming out, "Your Highness."

Shuo Ling came out, too. He said to Xiao Mu, "You are in charge of the matters here. I'll come back soon."

"Yes, My Lord." Xiao Mu answered.

Shuo Ling speeded up to catch up with Yang Zijin.

Xiao Mu watched him catching up with Yang Zijin and shook his head with a smile. Even heroes would fall for beauties. If he weren't on this business trip, he wouldn't believe in Mo Li's description.

The inn was located in a busy fair. Outside the inn, there was a lively scene with crowds of people.

"I've never thought such a small town has this prosperity." Yang Zijin mingled with the crowd.

Not having walked for days, she went to the roadside stalls and looked about.

She stopped at a sugar figure stall.

"I'll take this, this and this one." Yang Zijin asked the old man who made sugar figures.

She hadn't eaten this for a long time.

The old man wrapped the sugar figures that Yang Zijin wanted.

Yang Zijin took it over and looked at Shuo Ling, "Marquis Shuo, I was too hurried to take my purse, would you please pay for me?"

Then she left this stall, taking her sugar figures.

"Young Master, would you...?" The old man saw Yang Zijin left and turned to Shuo Ling.

Shuo Ling could do nothing but to give the old man some silver ingots. Then he went after Yang Zijin.

The old man took the silver and called when he saw Shuo Ling was leaving, "Young Master, it's too much."

He only saw a retreating figure of Shuo Ling's back.

Yang Zijin was walking along when she saw an uncle selling sugarcoated haws coming up to her and called, "Sugarcoated haws, big and sweet sugarcoated haws, three cents a stick."

"Two sticks, please." Yang Zijin walked to the man selling sugarcoated haws and smiled.

The man stopped and pulled out two sticks for Yang Zijin, "My sugarcoated haws are big and sweet and I'm sure you want to eat more after having a taste."

Yang Zijin took over the sticks and asked Shuo Ling behind her, "Pay for it."

She bit on a haw and went on walking.

Shuo Ling gave some silver ingots to the sugarcoat haws seller, "Keep the change."

Then he went after Yang Zijin.

"Thank you, thank you, Young Master." The seller smiled at Shuo Ling.

It was his lucky day that those ingots could buy all his sugarcoated haws.

Then he trotted up to Yang Zijin and smiled, "Lady, you can take some more if you like it."

"No need." Yang Zijin answered without turning her head.

The town was small but people here were honest and kind. No wonder it was so prosperous.

Yang Zijin went away, pulling Shuo Ling's sleeves.

She passed a stick of sugarcoated haws to Shuo Ling, "Marquis Shuo, have a try. It's delicious."

"No." Shuo Ling answered stonily.

Yang Zijin sent the haw to his mouth, "Just have a try."

Shuo Ling opened his mouth and took a bite.

Yang Zijin immediately asked, "Is it tasty?"

Shuo Ling nodded and Yang Zijin was contented. She gave the whole stick of haws to Shuo Ling, "Here you are."

Shuo Ling was lost for words. He never thought scary Marquis Shuo would eat sugarcoated haws with Yang Zijin.