Chapter 54: Post-Event Arrangements, Already on the Way Home

 

The five thousand iron cavalry had already left with their bags of war spoils, leaving Xuanwu alone on the site.

 

“Mr. Xuanwu! Why did you summon me?” 

 

A fiery red figure fell from the sky. Zhuque blocked his sense of smell and walked over quickly, taking two steps at a time. It was obvious that he hated the fishy smell around him.

 

“Burn the corpses,” Xuanwu replied, mounted on a barbarian warhorse.

 

“Huh? All of them?” Zhuque asked, bewildered as he surveyed the corpses scattered across the landscape.

 

“All of them,” Xuanwu nodded. Being close to Sebei City, it was best to burn the bodies to prevent the spread of plague.

 

“Fine!” Zhuque reluctantly agreed, knowing he’d been called for an unpleasant task.

 

Black smoke obscured the sky, the smell of roasting meat spreading across the grassland, though neither man could smell it with their senses blocked.

 

“Mr. Xuanwu, is the barbarian leader dead?” Zhuque asked, turning back.

 

Xuanwu, who had been gazing into the distance, snapped back to attention.

 

“Yes, dead.”

 

It seemed the internal strife among the barbarians had begun, otherwise, barbarian experts would have pursued them by now.

 

The struggle for the throne that once played out in Great Qing was about to be replicated in the Barbarian Nation.

 

“Was it really that masked fellow who killed him?” Zhuque continued.

 

“Indeed!”

 

“To think such a figure exists in the martial arts world!”

 

Zhuque frowned, recalling the three thousand sword intents that had pierced the sky the night before.

 

Combining the known information, his mind raced, considering which renowned sword experts in the martial arts world it could be.

 

The Four Great Sword Immortals? Or perhaps the Sword Saint?!

 

He quickly dismissed these possibilities. Such a sword cultivator, if revealed in the martial arts world, could easily become the fifth Sword Immortal.

 

“What are you imagining? That’s His Majesty’s man,” Xuanwu interrupted Zhuque’s thoughts.

 

“I was just curious,” Zhuque said, scratching his head in embarrassment.

 

“Ah~ These past few days have exhausted me. I need a good rest,” Xuanwu suddenly sighed.

 

“Huh?”

 

Zhuque suddenly felt uneasy.

 

“Mr. Xuanwu-“

 

“Hya!”

 

Before Zhuque could finish, Xuanwu had already ridden his horse more than ten zhang away.

 

Zhuque: -_-||

 

Sebei City.

 

Northern Commercial Association branch.

 

Song Jinhuan, who was eating lunch, was forced to spit out his food again upon hearing the report from the association’s clerk.

 

Song Jinhuan was helpless; these gentlemen had once again precisely hit his mealtime.

 

After a simple lunch, Yin Hai and the other three gathered in Shen Yian’s room.

 

“Bai Shi, I’m sorry to trouble you to go to Suzhou again. Ghost Face just sent an urgent message; Wolf Head is severely injured and needs you to check on him,” 

 

Shen Yian said, his expression slightly grave.

 

He hadn’t expected the Zhao family in Suzhou to have such a skilled fighter capable of severely injuring Wolf Head.

 

“It’s no trouble, Your Highness. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Ghost Face,” Bai Shi smiled slightly, but his smile seemed somewhat mischievous.

 

“Yin Hai, who else currently has missions?” Shen Yian looked towards Yin Hai.

 

Yin Hai pulled out a palm-sized booklet, examined it carefully, and reported, “Your Highness, Ghost Face, Wolf Head, Qing Yu, Zhu Long, and Chi Ming all currently have missions.”

 

“After returning to Tianwu City, inquire about the progress of Qing Yu, Zhu Long, and Chi Ming’s missions.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

Shen Yian took out a wooden box and handed it to Bai Shi: “This is a minor Restoration Pill. If Wolf Head’s condition worsens, give it to him. If that doesn’t work, give him the Great Rejuvenation Pill. With these two powerful medicines and your medical skills, even if he’s at death’s door, you should be able to bring him back.”

 

“I understand, Your Highness,” Bai Shi accepted the wooden box with both hands.

 

“E Lai, Shen Jun, after you’ve arranged matters below, set out for Tianwu City to find me.”

 

“Also, Bai Shi, once the situation in Suzhou stabilizes, you and Ghost Face should come to Tianwu City to find me as well.”

 

Except for Yin Hai, the other three were startled, not understanding their prince’s intentions.

 

It seemed the prince wanted to gather all of the Hidden Guard.

 

With the entire Hidden Guard assembled, their combat power would be absolutely explosive even in the context of the entire world.

 

Could it be that His Highness wants to… hiss!

 

Besides that matter, they couldn’t think of what else the prince might be planning.

 

“I will have Yin Hai notify them of the subsequent details in twelve hours,” Shen Yian said.

 

“I wonder how Mendu is doing with preparing the invitations,” he muttered to himself after giving his instructions.

 

Invitations?

 

Shen Jun and the other two keenly caught the key word.

 

Shen Yian looked up and noticed the three’s interesting expressions, especially E Lai, whose eyes seemed about to pop out.

 

“Didn’t Yin Hai tell you?” 

 

The three shook their heads in unison; they knew nothing about this.

 

Shen Yian chuckled, “Don’t overthink it. I’m not gathering you for some grand event.”

 

“I’m getting married next month. I’m arranging for you to attend the banquet and share in the joy.”

 

The three’s expressions became even more interesting.

 

His Highness was about to get married, and they were only finding out now!

 

Almost simultaneously, the three turned to stare at Yin Hai.

 

Yin Hai silently turned his head away. You didn’t ask, so what was I supposed to say?

 

“You’ve all worked hard these days. Take a good rest for a while.”

 

After chatting idly with everyone for a bit longer, Shen Yian called for Song Jinhuan.

 

He made it clear that he wasn’t the type of leader who only gave lip service.

 

From the establishment of the Hidden Guard, there had been a system of accumulating task points. Yin Hai and the others could return to the Hidden Guard’s headquarters to spend their accumulated task points, exchanging them for rewards they wanted from the treasury.

 

“Master!”

 

Upon entering, Song Jinhuan’s attitude was primarily one of subservience.

 

This was the big boss. If he served him well, he might be able to climb up the ladder a bit more.

 

“Go prepare more local specialties from the Northern Frontier. I want to take them with me.”

 

Shen Yian said.

 

The Northern Frontier was vast and had many local specialties. Since he had come, he couldn’t return empty-handed. He could send some to the old man and the Duke of State’s mansion.

 

He had also bought some barbarian specialties in Jia Lan, though he wasn’t sure if they would suit everyone’s taste.

 

“Yes! Master! I’ll arrange it right away!”

 

“Mm, you may go.”

 

“Yes, Master!”

 

Song Jinhuan carefully backed out of the room.

 

Not half an incense stick’s time later, Yin Hai appeared to report: “Your Highness, the general’s troops have already left the city.”

 

“They’ve already set out? They’re certainly in a hurry.”

 

“Let’s rest a bit and then set out ourselves,” Shen Yian said with a chuckle.

 

In the afternoon, Song Jinhuan had the association’s clerks arrange the purchased local specialties by type, filling the courtyard.

 

“Master!”

 

Song Jinhuan hurriedly greeted Shen Yian as he came out.

 

“Song Jinhuan, where are you from?”

 

“In response to Master, this small one is from Yan’an.”

 

“How long has it been since you’ve been back?”

 

“In response to Master, it’s been three years since I’ve been back,” Song Jinhuan answered somewhat embarrassedly.

 

“Yan’an, is it?” Shen Yian nodded. “You should go back and visit when you have time.”

 

“This small one will certainly go back to visit!”

 

Song Jinhuan was inwardly delighted, vaguely understanding the implication in the Master’s words.

 

Shen Yian waved his sleeve, and with a gentle breeze, all the local specialties in the courtyard vanished without a trace.

 

Song Jinhuan was so shocked his mouth fell open. What kind of divine skill was this?!

 

Was this elusive Master before him actually a deity?!

 

In the evening, Song Jinhuan looked at the darkening sky with some confusion: “It’s so late, why hasn’t the Master called me to prepare dinner?”

 

When dinner was ready, Song Jinhuan carefully approached Shen Yian’s room door and said softly, “Master, dinner is prepared.”

 

“Master?”

 

After calling out several times with no response, the entire room remained pitch dark.

 

Song Jinhuan pondered for a long while before daring to carefully push open the door.

 

“The Master has… left?”

 

Opening Shen Jun and the others’ rooms, they were also empty. The five seemed to have vanished into thin air.

 

“Phew… they’ve all left…”

 

Song Jinhuan suddenly sighed in relief and smiled, “Now I can finally eat in peace.”