056 0 Guarantee

Ouyang Ke's eyes lit up, his mind stirred, no longer paying attention to Tuolei, he laughed and spoke softly, “I, Young Master Ouyang, am a man of my word—once spoken, there is no turning back. However, he may leave; Miss Huazheng, you must stay behind...”

“Very well.”

Cheng Lingsu had anticipated that he wouldn’t easily relent, but this was for the best. She alone could engage Ouyang Ke in a delicate dance, seeking a way to escape. With Tuolei present, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of concern. So, before he could spout more nonsense, she cut him off with a direct acceptance.

Ouyang Ke did not expect her to agree so quickly and laughed heartily, “That’s how it should be. Without a troublesome distraction, we can talk properly.”

Cheng Lingsu ignored him, turned her back, and took out a handkerchief embroidered with blue flowers from her bosom. She lightly shook it in the air, then tied it over the shattered tiger’s mouth on Tuolei’s hand, returning the two blue flowers back to her chest. She then briefly explained the situation to Tuolei and urged him to leave first.

Tuolei’s face darkened like iron. He stepped back two paces, suddenly drawing the single-edged sword planted by his foot. Fixing his gaze on Ouyang Ke, he delivered a fierce slash through the empty air before him: “Your martial skill is superior—I am no match for you. But today, in the name of Temujin’s son, I swear to the Sky God of the steppes that once I have exterminated all who conspired against my father, I will challenge you to a decisive fight! I will avenge my sister and show you what true heroes of the grasslands are!”

As the son of a Mongol tribal leader, Tuolei was humble and loyal, unlike Dushi who was arrogantly dismissive. Yet, his pride was no less. As Temujin’s favored son, he deeply understood his father’s grand vision—to turn every corner of the blue sky into Mongol pastures!

For this goal, he had trained in the army since childhood without a single day’s rest. Yet after years of hard training, he had fallen into enemy hands and now failed to safely bring back his sister who had come to rescue him! Tuolei knew Cheng Lingsu was right—his priority should be his father’s safety. He must quickly return to rally the troops to support his father who had been ambushed. But the thought of his sister being forcibly detained here filled him with such shame that it nearly stopped his breath.

The Mongols valued honor above all, especially when it came to oaths sworn before the steppe’s revered Sky God. Though Tuolei knew he was no match in combat, he resolutely made this vow with solemn reverence, his words brimming with heroic fervor. Though not a master of martial arts, his battle-hardened shoulders bore the same kingly aura as Temujin’s, commanding and unyielding. Even Ouyang Ke, who did not grasp all the details, felt a pang of unease.

Cheng Lingsu’s heart warmed. The fierce blood of Temujin’s daughter within her seemed to respond to Tuolei’s determination and unwillingness to yield, surging like a torrent and bringing a faint heat to her eyes. Without a sound, she shifted sideways, blocking the direction Ouyang Ke might strike from, and said softly, “Go quickly. Return swiftly. I have my own way to escape.”

Tuolei nodded, stepped forward, embraced her once, then without another glance at Ouyang Ke, turned and ran toward the camp gate.

Along the way, several guards tried to stop him as he fled, but he cut each one down with a single stroke, sending them crashing to the ground.

Only after seeing Tuolei seize a horse at the edge of the camp and gallop far away did Cheng Lingsu finally relax, letting out a soft sigh.

In her previous life, her master, the Poison Hand Medicine King, used poisons as medicine to heal but was a firm believer in karma and reincarnation. In his later years, he turned to Buddhism, cultivating his mind to reach a state beyond hatred and joy. Cheng Lingsu was his young disciple in those final years, deeply influenced by his teachings. Now, though she had died in the previous cycle of fate, she had been sent to this place. She had to believe that perhaps some greater purpose lay behind it all.

Originally, she wished to avoid entanglement with the people and affairs of this world, even dreaming of finding an opportunity to escape far away, returning to the shores of Dongting Lake to see what the White Horse Temple looked like centuries later. There, she would open a small clinic to heal the sick, guarding the memories and deep affections she held for someone from her past life.

Moreover, if Temujin were in peril, the Mongol tribe she had lived with for ten years would suffer as well—including her foster mother and brother who had cared for her sincerely, and the tribespeople she saw every day. After ten years together, how could she stand idly by?

Thinking this, Cheng Lingsu sighed quietly once more.

Noticing her lost gaze and frequent sighs as she watched Tuolei disappear, Ouyang Ke raised his chin slightly and sneered coldly, “What’s the matter? So reluctant to let go?”

Sensing the implication behind his words, Cheng Lingsu frowned, pulled herself together, and blurted out, “I’m worried about my brother. Isn’t that natural?”

“Oh? He’s your brother?” Ouyang Ke raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement crossing his eyes before it vanished, “Then... was that other fellow your lover?”

“You’re talking nonsense—” Cheng Lingsu suddenly stopped, realization dawning, “You mean Guo Jing? You knew from the start... as soon as we arrived?”

“It’s not them, it’s you! I knew the moment you came.” Ouyang Ke said proudly, clearly pleased to see her reaction.

Though Cheng Lingsu had dismounted from afar, his profound internal power and keen hearing surpassed those of ordinary Mongol soldiers. He had almost discovered her as she infiltrated the camp, just as Ma Yu intervened and took both her and Guo Jing out.

Back then, his uncle Ouyang Feng had suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Quanzhen Sect, so the Western Poison lineage always bore resentment and wariness toward their Taoist priests. Recognizing Ma Yu’s Taoist robes and recalling his uncle’s warnings, Ouyang Ke decided against revealing himself. Instead, he hid in the shadows, watching their exchanges back and forth.

He had thought Cheng Lingsu would persuade Ma Yu to storm the camp together to rescue someone. He did not know Ma Yu was the Quanzhen Sect’s leader. He only believed that with the camp’s millions of troops and several martial arts experts led by Wanyan Honglie, they could distract Ma Yu and perhaps even eliminate him, depriving the Quanzhen Sect of a commanding master. Yet, he never expected the Taoist not only to avoid the camp but also to leave with Guo Jing, leaving Cheng Lingsu behind.

Gradually, Cheng Lingsu pieced things together: “Wanyan Honglie’s secret arrival here must be intended to sow discord between Sangkun and my father, forcing the Mongol tribes into endless conflict so that the Jin Empire can remain free of northern troubles.”

Ouyang Ke had no interest in such disputes but nodded as she spoke seriously and added, “Your reasoning is sharp.”

Brushing aside the windblown strands of her hair, Cheng Lingsu’s gaze was as clear and cold as the Onan River flowing through the steppes. “You’re Wanyan Honglie’s man, yet you let Guo Jing go to send warnings, and now you let Tuolei return to mobilize troops. Aren’t you afraid this will ruin his grand scheme?”

Ouyang Ke laughed heartily, extending a hand to lightly tap her chin, “Afraid? How does his plan concern me? If I can win a beauty’s smile, what does it matter?”

Cheng Lingsu did not smile. Instead, she furrowed her brow and stepped back half a pace, avoiding the slender folding fan lightly hooked toward her chin. She reached out and with a snap caught the jet-black fan tip in her palm. A chill flooded through her skin to her bones, forcing her to almost drop it. She realized that the fan’s ribs were forged from black iron, cold as ice.

“What’s the matter? Do you like this fan?” Ouyang Ke flicked his wrist casually, brushing her hand aside and reclaiming the fan. With a flourish, he opened it and gently waved it before him. “If you fancy something else, I wouldn’t mind giving you a gift. But this fan...” He paused briefly, then smiled softly, “If you like it, all you have to do is never leave my side, and you’ll see it anytime you want...”

Author’s note: I say, Ke Ke, isn’t it just that Miss Lingsu likes your fan? You’re so stingy not to give it away!

Ouyang Ke: That was a gift from my father... cough cough... my uncle...