Just then, the sound of galloping hooves came from outside the woods, and Garrick Stonewall's powerful voice rang out.
"Sir, are you here?"
The black light barrier had disappeared, and the forest slowly returned to its original state.
Aurelian Dragon shouted, "Shroud this area! Search it thoroughly!"
At the command, the Fast cavalrymen quickly set up an encirclement outside the woods.
"Now, can you tell me how this all started?" Aurelian Dragon walked up to the one-armed demon ninja who appeared to be the leader. "You're their leader, aren't you?"
"Hahaha!"
The demon ninja suddenly burst into wild laughter, looking extremely strange.
This inevitably made the man standing in front of him wonder, "Has this guy gone crazy because he can't handle failure?"
"Don't expect to get anything from me; you'll lose your life for meddling today!"
The one-armed demon ninja uttered a vicious curse, which sounded more like a prayer to some unseen force.
Aurelian Dragon was furious that someone who had clearly defeated him dared to threaten him.
But his anger soon had nowhere to go. The man in front of him, who had been laughing, suddenly collapsed to the ground and fell silent.
"Sir, are you alright?" Garrick Stonewall strode into the woods and asked anxiously.
When he saw the ground covered with men in black, his expression changed drastically. "Demon Ninja!"
Aurelian Dragon was startled to see that all the fallen demon ninjas had died silently, and some were even disappearing.
Do you know their origins?
"Yes!" Garrick Stonewall sighed softly and said, "Sir, let's leave here! The Oni Ninja won't leave anything behind."
Obsidia Shade suddenly leaped to the side of the man who had fallen under the tree. He had also turned into a puddle of water, leaving only a glittering jade pendant behind.
"It's all because of him that we ended up fighting for no reason. Let's keep this as a memento!"
Obsidia Shade took the jade pendant in her hand and examined it.
Let's go!
Aurelian Dragon and Obsidia Shade took the reins from the two horses that Garrick Stonewall and his men had brought, and ordered the troops to return to camp.
In the forest behind them, all the men in black had vanished, leaving only their weapons gleaming in the moonlight.
On the way, Aurelian Dragon couldn't help but ask Garrick Stonewall.
"Who exactly are they? The Oni Ninja Clan, that sounds so eerie!"
Obsidia Shade, curious, rode closer to them, her bright eyes gazing at the giant who was making his horse stagger. At that moment, she resembled a delicate young girl, a stark contrast to the woman who had displayed such power in the forest just moments before.
"They are ninjas from the East Japan. The blue flame symbol indicates that they are the current ruling Oni ninjas. There is also a type of ninja in their country called Tennin, whose symbol is a blue crescent moon."
Garrick Stonewall carefully explained what he knew to the two men, then said, "They rarely appear on the mainland. I wonder what their purpose is this time? There are many experts among them, and their strength should not be underestimated. It would be best if you were careful, sir!"
Aurelian Dragon nodded, then turned to Obsidia Shade and said, "From now on, I'll leave things to you. This is your specialty, so do a good job protecting her!"
"Leave it to me!" Obsidia Shade readily agreed, then smiled and said, "Young Master, how well have you mastered the Crimson Flame? You seem to have made great progress using it today!"
"That's natural. I'm improving every day, but I still can't fully grasp it."
"Then keep up the good work when you get back. Qin and I will do our best to help you!" Obsidia Shade encouraged.
"No, no, let's have some fun first when we get back! The exercise just now seems to have made me feel a bit unwell!"
Garrick Stonewall, who was slowly falling behind, looked at the two people who were getting further and further away from him with a rather strange look, and heard every word of their conversation.
"What a strange man, but also very interesting!" Garrick Stonewall murmured. "Are you right or wrong?"
"Hey, hurry up!" a lively man called out as he turned around.
Shaking his head, he added another whip and caught up with the two in front of him.
※ ※ ※
Traveling day and night, they finally arrived at Yuzhou, the westernmost fortified city of Fast, at dusk that day. This was their destination, where they would meet the wedding delegation from Wu'an Kingdom.
Now that Fast has acquired the Great Lakes region, Yuzhou is no longer a direct outpost facing other countries, and the military atmosphere is not as intense. However, the aftereffects of years of military buildup are still quite evident; the entire city appears rather deserted, and as dusk falls, there are already very few pedestrians on the streets.
After the group entered the city, they stayed at the largest inn in the city. By the time they had settled their soldiers, it was already dusk. Qiu Xin sent a servant to invite them to a banquet at the city lord's mansion.
The City Lord's Mansion of Yuzhou is actually a city within a city, located on a hill in the east of Yuzhou City. The entire building is built according to the mountain's terrain, and is surrounded by high walls and thick ramparts, making it extremely sturdy. Even if Yuzhou City falls, the City Lord's Mansion can hold out for a period of time.
Along the main avenue of the city, Aurelian Dragon and his party, led by the retainer named Qiu Wei, headed towards Qiu Xin's city lord's mansion.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, one could see a mountain path paved with bluestone slabs, flanked by towering ancient cypress trees. However, the trees abruptly stopped about twenty paces from the gate, leaving an open, flat area without any cover, which was quite strange. At this moment, the area in front of the gate was brightly lit, with huge lanterns hanging on the high walls on both sides, illuminating the surrounding area as if it were daytime.
Noticing the doubt in Aurelian Dragon's eyes, Qiu Wei smiled and said, "My lord, you may not know this, but no trees are left in this area for defensive purposes. This way, anyone who wants to sneak into the mansion will lose their hiding place."
Aurelian Dragon nodded. Indeed, under these circumstances, it was almost impossible to fly twenty zhang without alerting the guards. He was also quite surprised by Qiu Wei's ability to read people's expressions. He hadn't expected this man to be so thoughtful and quick-witted. Judging from his subordinates, he could tell his master was indeed a formidable fellow. It seemed that Qiu Xin, the city lord of Yuzhou City, was quite a capable fellow.
When they arrived at the gate, it was wide open. Qiu Xin, who had received the report, personally led Aurelian Dragon inside. Among the servants who came out to greet Qiu Xin, one man caught Aurelian Dragon's attention. His demeanor and bearing gave the impression of someone who was resourceful and intelligent. After Qiu Xin's introduction, he learned that this man was named Li Qi. Clearly, Li Qi was one of Qiu Xin's strategists.
When Qiu Xin heard that Lynette Quill was not attending due to illness, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes, but he quickly became very friendly and chatted with Aurelian Dragon.
Once the guests and hosts were seated in the hall, beautiful maids served fine wines and delicacies in a continuous stream.
After a few rounds of drinks, Qiu Xin asked with concern, "How is Captain Liu's condition? Perhaps I should send one of the best doctors in the prefecture to take a look?"
Aurelian Dragon smiled and said, "It's just a minor ailment, General, there's no need to worry." In reality, Lynette Quill's illness was just an excuse; the real reason was that she disliked attending such banquets.
Qiu Xin said with delight, "That's good. It's just a pity that my men didn't have the chance to see the renowned Captain Liu of the Golden Phoenix Guard. It's truly a shame!"
At this moment, Li Qi raised his glass to Aurelian Dragon, saying, "I have long admired Captain Liu; please convey my regards with this toast!" He then downed his drink in one gulp. It seemed Li Qi was Qiu Xin's leader; his actions were quickly imitated by the others. In no time, Aurelian Dragon had already downed several glasses and was beginning to feel tipsy.
As the drinking was in full swing, Qiu Xin clapped his hands, attracting everyone's attention, before saying, "I am very pleased that Aurelian has come to Yuzhou this time. I have specially prepared some wonderful songs and dances for this banquet to entertain you."
A pretty maid behind him immediately gave the order, and the sound of silk music floated up from below the hall, and everyone waited with bated breath.
As the drumbeats suddenly sounded, eight women emerged from the two side doors on either side of the hall. Each of them wore colorful skirts, waved colorful ribbons, and danced barefoot to the rhythm of the drums, immediately drawing applause from the crowd.
Aurelian Dragon was even more impressed. It turned out that each of them had a short sword tied to both ends of a ribbon in their hands. As their jade hands danced, the short swords flew, forming a perfect combination of strength and gentleness with the flowing gauze ribbons. And as their colorful skirts opened and closed, their snow-white feet were faintly visible, inspiring reverie.
The person who designed this dance was no ordinary person. It was a ribbon sword dance that subtly incorporated martial arts routines. Aurelian Dragon had only heard of it before and had never seen this kind of skill, which was passed down from the Gongsun family and was only performed among the upper nobility. Moreover, it was no easy feat to be able to perform such a dance. Without years of hard work and agile skills, one could easily injure one's companion.
As the drum music grew increasingly rousing, the dancers moved faster and faster, their colorful skirts swirling in the air, ribbons flying through the air, and the streaks of light drawn by the short swords at the ends of their ribbons creating a dazzling spectacle.
Everyone felt breathless, holding their breath as they stared at the women in the arena. These women, seemingly intent on further arousing their attention, twirled and danced past the seating area, their alluring fragrance mingling with the cold glint of their short swords, causing everyone to widen their eyes in astonishment.
Aurelian Dragon took a deep sniff of the alluring fragrance emanating from the woman who had danced past him. The scent, a blend of orchid and musk, was rich yet not overpowering, leaving one feeling somewhat intoxicated.
"Thump!"
Suddenly, a military drum sounded deafeningly in the hall, startling everyone present.
The women in the arena simultaneously stomped their feet, their rapidly dancing figures abruptly halting, the transition from motion to stillness so swift it was breathtaking. Then, they let out a delicate cry, startling everyone present. Amidst their melodious warbling, colorful ribbons billowed upwards, the short swords at their ends converging in mid-air before scattering like butterflies fluttering among flowers, returning to the women's hands along predetermined trajectories, creating a continuous tinkling sound.
Knowing this meant the dance was about to end, everyone applauded enthusiastically.
Just then, a short sword, after colliding with the dragon, suddenly shot out, deviating from its intended path back to its original owner. Instead, it hurtled towards Aurelian Dragon's brow with lightning speed. The dancers gasped in alarm, and everyone in the audience paled. Suo Chong even stood up straight, his right hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to rush out to save him, but it was too late.
The sword was about to strike the man's forehead, but the unfortunate victim remained seated, perhaps stunned by the sight, staring blankly at the incoming dagger.
The sword tip was only a finger's width away from Aurelian Dragon's brow; even the chill emanating from it was palpable, and the hairs between his brows seemed to stand on end. Suddenly, it stopped abruptly, the short blade trembling violently before him—the ribbon had been taut.
Amidst gasps of amazement, the short sword was returned to the woman's hand, and the dancers gracefully bowed and withdrew.
Amidst laughter, Qiu Xin raised his glass to Aurelian Dragon as a sign of respect, saying, "Aurelian truly is a hero, calm and composed in the face of adversity, displaying the demeanor of a great man, which is truly admirable! Come, let's all toast Aurelian!"
Everyone raised their glasses. Although Aurelian Dragon accepted the toast with a smile, he had already labeled Qiu Xin a bastard in his heart and cursed inwardly: "That bastard actually wanted to see me make a fool of myself! Luckily, I won this gamble. I'm so lucky."
When he saw the short sword flying towards him, he was startled. His first reaction was naturally to get up and dodge, but firstly, the turn of events happened too fast, and by the time he reacted, he was already a beat too late; secondly, he was drunk, and his agility was certainly not as good as usual. Therefore, if he tried to dodge, he would inevitably make a fool of himself and get hurt. More importantly, he noticed that the woman wielding the sword did not seem to show the panic he would have when he missed, which made him guess that it might be intentional. So he bet that it was just a joke.
Now that everything was indeed alright, he felt a lingering fear. Although he couldn't figure out why Qiu Xin wanted to kill him, if there was any real intent to kill, this was both a good opportunity and a good excuse. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
After sitting down again, Suo Chong grunted and couldn't help but say, "The program arranged by the City Lord is indeed wonderful, but it's a pity that there were some minor improprieties in the etiquette!"
Qiu Xin smiled slightly but did not answer, while his subordinates and retainers showed slight displeasure on their faces.
Li Qi replied on Ye's behalf, "My city lord respects Lord Ye as a hero, which is why he arranged such a program. How could a mediocre person be worthy of appreciating such a wonderful performance!"
This man truly lives up to his reputation as a strategist; his eloquence is exceptional. Saying it this way makes it seem like he's only being kind because he thinks highly of me. If I were to pursue this matter further, it would make me appear less of a hero. Aurelian Dragon smiled bitterly to himself, but his face remained smiling as he raised his voice, "Thank you for your high regard, Lord City Lord. To be honest, I was so frightened just now that I couldn't move. Where is my heroic spirit?"
Everyone burst into laughter, admiring his magnanimity. The slight disharmony that had arisen from Suo Chong's words vanished instantly, and the atmosphere returned to lively conversation, with everyone toasting and laughing.
After that, Li Qi made full use of his eloquence, being witty and humorous, and his witty remarks made the atmosphere at the table even more harmonious, and both the host and guests parted in high spirits.
As Qiu Xin took his leave, he held Aurelian Dragon's hand and whispered in his ear, "I originally had some excellent women in my residence that I wanted to send to you, but Aurelian already has the best woman by his side, so I apologize for being impolite. If you don't mind, Aurelian, stay at my residence tonight. I'll have someone make all the arrangements, and I guarantee you'll be so happy you won't want to leave!"
If it weren't for that close call, Aurelian Dragon might have actually stayed to check things out. But now that Qiu Xin has been listed as a dangerous individual, it's only natural to be cautious in everything. He quickly expressed his gratitude, bowing and saying, "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, sir. I will certainly come to accept your offer another day!"
Riding his horse along the deserted streets late at night, Garrick Stonewall, who rarely spoke, suddenly approached Aurelian Dragon and whispered in his ear, "Qiu Xin harbors treacherous intentions towards you, sir!"
Aurelian Dragon was startled and turned to look at Garrick Stonewall, a questioning look in her eyes.
Garrick Stonewall continued, "I noticed that when you weren't looking at him, a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes! He seems honest and kind, but he is actually suspicious and fickle. I hope you will be careful!"
Aurelian Dragon felt a headache coming on. How did she get involved in this kind of thing? She had no grudges or enemies with Qiu Xin in the past or present, so why did he have murderous intent towards her?