Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 260

Chapter 303 Enjoying the Hot Spring

Construction of the Siyuetang Hot Spring Resort began a long time ago. Lu Wei had initially looked forward to it, but as time went on, he gradually forgot about it.

Mi Lian suddenly brought it up, which rekindled Lu Wei's interest, so he followed her to Shuangjiang Ridge.

Shuangjiang Ridge is a green screen between Gonggong Hall and Siyue Hall. As you approach the manor, the well-arranged trees around it have clearly been carefully cultivated, so that even though you can't see the manor, you are already mentally immersed in it.

Although Lu Wei had specifically instructed Ji Yan not to be extravagant in a relaxing place, after more than three years of meticulous work, the rustic grandeur of the hot spring resort, compared to the consistent farmhouse style of Xiaogeng Mountain Villa, did indeed give Lu Wei a sense of novelty.

Stepping into the main building, which boasts simple yet elegant lines, one finds a sparse number of maids decorating the passageways and main courtyard. The manor has indeed only recently been completed, and preparations are still underway, but it is sufficient for use.

Upon seeing Manager Lian'er enter with a strange man, the quick-witted maids immediately guessed Lu Wei's identity and stopped what they were doing, gently greeting him as "Chief of the Knights."

Their movements were graceful and their outfits were all in a consistent light green color, giving off a refreshing vibe.

Mi Lian then boldly suggested to Lu Wei that she arrange the hot spring bath: "There are some snacks that were prepared in the afternoon in the back hall. Why don't you go and have a rest first? After the hot spring is ready, please come in."

Lu Wei had no objection to this; he could leave all these trivial matters to Mi Lian.

After a full half hour, a maid finally came to invite him to the warm pool.

The heated pool room has fine window lattices that isolate the warmth inside from the outside world. Upon entering, you are immediately greeted by a faint herbal scent and a wave of heat. The entire room is shrouded in mist, and although the humid air here is not entirely natural, it is not unpleasant.

The warm spring water rippled gently. Lu Wei casually took off his clothes and threw them aside, not caring that they were soaked. He then placed his entire body, except for his head, completely enveloped in the warmth.

Lu Wei doesn't usually accumulate much fatigue. Although his muscles are often tense so that he can draw his sword at any time, the stiffness is eliminated every once in a while by circulating and relaxing his internal energy.

However, being proactive and being passive are two different experiences, and today he just wanted to see how the hot spring worked.

The ripples of the water sounded like the whispering chants of a poet. Lu Wei couldn't help but close his eyes to completely relax his body and clear his mind, enjoying the gentle embrace of the water.

Even as the curtain behind him was carefully pulled open and the sound of bare feet clattering on the stone slabs reached his ears, he did not turn around to be on guard.

Until the audacious girl knelt down beside Lu Wei, placed her slightly cool, delicate, and soft hands on his strong shoulders, and began to massage him with agility but still some awkwardness.

Opening her eyes and turning her head, she naturally saw Mi Lian.

The princess's eyes, like the loose hair cascading down her back, were wet.

“Those maids have been busy all day and are very dirty, so I will serve Lord Xia Kui.”

Mi Lian's fair and delicate cheeks glowed with a faint peach-blossom hue, like porcelain. She had changed out of her usual plain attire into a light green uniform matching the maids outside. Her lips were thin and red, as alluring as cherries, and when she parted slightly, they revealed small, pearly white teeth.

Although she had planned a series of actions from Xiaogeng Villa to the warm pool and even rehearsed them twice by herself beforehand, her voice still trembled slightly when she actually faced Lu Wei's aggressive gaze.

It wasn't difficult to see through the girl's thoughts, and Lu wasn't exactly a saint either. However, compared to the final step, the process itself was just as enjoyable. Therefore, a slight smile played on his lips as he nodded and closed his eyes again, savoring the warmth of the spring and the girl's warmth...

What's meant to be yours will always be yours; what's in your grasp can't escape.

Seeing that Lu Wei tacitly agreed, Mi Lian's courage swelled a little after massaging for a while. She stood up, and the ribbon around her waist slid down...

She had already taken a bath beforehand, and now, to make it easier to move her hands, the girl stretched out her straight and slender legs, lightly touching the water with her toes, and used the slightest possible movement to get herself into the hot spring.

While serving, seeing the bouncy muscles of the chivalrous leader, Mi Lian instantly blushed as if intoxicated, her body went limp, and she collapsed completely into Lu Wei's arms.

Upon reaching this point, the gentle spring water inevitably became more vigorous, with waves rhythmically surging and splashing...

...

In the Taihang Mountains, Ji Yan drew his sword and beheaded yet another bandit leader.

There's no need to take the head out to show off in the martial arts world; that would seem too mercenary and would be detrimental to one's cultivated reputation.

Anyway, she had already declared during the day that she would teach this gang of bandits a lesson. When the news of their leader's death spreads tomorrow, people will naturally spread the word for her, which will be even more effective.

The bandits in the Taihang Mountains relied heavily on the continuous Taihang Mountain range. Under the cover of the mountains and forests, it was difficult for the government to mobilize manpower to deal with the bandits.

But for skilled martial arts masters, the mountains and forests also serve as cover.

Three years later, Ji Yan was still using her mother's Jingni sword, but the sword energy she unleashed had changed from the light pink of the Jingni sword itself to her own moon white.

Swordsmanship wasn't her specialty, but over time, Ji Yan's martial arts skills improved very smoothly.

Finding a stream and using the moonlight to quickly wash away the bloodstains on her sword, Xiao Yan'er meditated and estimated the distance she had traveled to determine her location on the map.

The Taihang Mountains in Yan will be cleared by Ji Ran's family. My overall journey is southwest, and I should be able to enter Handan County (formerly Zhao) tomorrow.

"According to Brother Lu, the Empire's Sword Saint Gai Nie will take a child and flee Guanzhong, heading southeast."

Ji Yan calmly pondered: "A lot of attention will be focused on Gai Nie, while the Farmer Clan has been lying low for five years since the founding of the empire. It's time for them to take the initiative."

"The current high-intensity hunt for bandits in the Taihang Mountains is a signal of the expansion of the Farmer's Heroic reputation!"

"When Brother Lu leaves Daze Mountain, I will be able to accompany him. If nothing unexpected happens, when Physician Nian Duan retires, the position of Hall Master Gonggong will be mine."

"As for the Four Peaks Hall at that time... that gluttonous cat should have already made his move."

As if she had thought of something, Xiao Yan'er subconsciously tightened her grip on the Jingni Sword with her slender fingers, glanced at it, and forcefully swung out a sword aura to kill a fish that was passing by in the river.

"I'll use her as a stepping stone for now; the final position will eventually be mine."

------

Tianming noticed that, starting from a certain day, he seemed to be getting hungry more easily for no apparent reason.

This is not a good habit for an orphan, as being prone to hunger means he needs to spend more time and energy searching for food.

Moreover, compared to ordinary food, he needs high-quality food that can provide more nutrition.

This made his life dangerous: if he robbed a steamed bun shop, at most he'd get a beating with a rolling pin, but if he robbed meat, the butcher would throw out a cleaver...

Looking at the cold, sharp blade that could cleave bones, Tianming initially swallowed hard before rationally considering other options.

For example: There are many pheasants in the mountains outside the town.

He used to chase after those beautiful creatures with long, colorful tail feathers, but he never succeeded.

Now, with the pressure of his stomach, Tianming has begun to use his brain, which is rare these days, and try to make tools specifically for hunting pheasants.

As it turns out, people can do anything when they are pushed to the limit. After the first few failures, Tianming gradually mastered the ability to predict the pheasant's movements. With his increased strength, he skillfully threw a wooden spear that could kill a plump pheasant with a single blow.

With meat to nourish him, Tianming's life was much better than before. However, the number of pheasants was limited. After the pheasants outside the town left or were eaten, Tianming had to find new food sources to survive.

However, the results were mediocre, forcing him to return to town to continue stealing and robbing. Finally, driven by extreme hunger, he set his sights on the town's butcher at dawn...

On the very first occasion, Tianming, whose professional skills had become quite rusty, was discovered.

Faced with the butcher's rage, he could only close his eyes in despair, but after waiting for a long time, the pain he had imagined did not come.

Only a warm and strong hand took his hand.

There was no greasy feeling like the butcher... Tianming opened his eyes and looked up. A man as resolute and cold as a stone sculpture stood in front of him. Behind the man was the butcher who had already fallen.

Was I protected?

Her eyes reddened slightly. After the elderly couple who had adopted her died, was someone else here to protect her?

Tianming's lips trembled slightly. Looking into the man's complicated eyes, he subconsciously asked, "Are you... my father?"

"..." Gai Nie looked down at the child's expectant yet fearful eyes, and remained silent for a long time: "No..."

...

"Defection!"

Upon returning to Xianyang and hearing Zhao Gao's report, Ying Zheng felt a burning flame rise in his chest: Had someone betrayed him again?

The Emperor's voice, filled with anger, caused Zhao Gao to bow even more deeply: "Yes, Gai Nie found a child in a small town in the Northwest and took him northwest, presumably intending to follow the border there before turning towards the Central Plains."

“Gai Nie did not make any changes to his assets in Xianyang, only taking away the Yuanhong sword.”

"What kind of child was he?" the First Emperor asked coldly.

"Through investigation, Luo Wang discovered..." Zhao Gao paused, but after being glared at by Ying Zheng, he hurriedly lowered his head: "It is... Li Ji's child."

As Zhao Gao uttered these words, the atmosphere in the hall instantly plummeted to below freezing. Under the bright palace lights, the emperor's shadow seemed to freeze in place.

"So that's how it is." Ying Zheng's face was dark and his eyes were like sharp swords. He said solemnly with an inviolable authority, "So Gai Nie has been looking for this child all along."

"Did he suddenly find this target this year entirely based on his own investigation?"

Turning away with a flick of his sleeve, before Zhao Gao could answer, Ying Zheng continued:

"Summon Li Si."

Chapter 304 Mi Lian's Awakening

Mi Xin was told by her sister that her real surname was Mi, but she was also told that she should never reveal this surname to anyone else at any time.

At a young age, she vaguely remembered her sister's instructions; her official name in the farmhouse was Lianxin.

Lianxin's childhood was carefree. The most vivid memory she had was of a long period of treatment at a clinic. Apart from that, there was nothing else. It seemed that she had been receiving treatment since birth until she recovered and was taken to Siyue Hall by her sister.

The older brothers and sisters in Siyuetang were all very friendly, but Lianxin was closest to her older sister, Lianyi.

For a long time, her older sister had slept with her at night, but she didn't know what had happened yesterday that kept her from appearing at Siyue Hall all afternoon and evening. Lianxin, with her childlike imagination, was lost in her own thoughts and began to feel a little scared.

The next morning, after discovering that her sister still hadn't returned, she hurriedly jumped out of bed, dressed, and ran to the main hall to find the disciples and ask them why. The guards, having been instructed by Manager Lianyi, naturally only gently comforted the girl, saying that Manager Lianyi was out and wouldn't be back until the afternoon.

This was consistent with what her sister had said when she left yesterday morning. Lianxin's anxiety subsided a bit, but the panic in her heart still hadn't subsided. Her worry stemmed purely from her longing for family affection. Without parents, her sister was her only support.

Not wanting to eat breakfast, Lianxin simply played with stones in the open space around the main hall while waiting for her sister to return. Just then, her two uncles, Yingbu and Jibu, came to report something, so she took the initiative to go up to them and explain the situation, trying to get some comfort from them.

Children's troubles are rarely a real concern for adults. Neither of the two Bu brothers seemed worried about the princess's disappearance overnight. In fact, Ying Bu laughed heartily, his rugged face covered in stubble. He took the opportunity to encourage the little princess to live independently, but this only earned him a glare from the girl.

Seeing the bad example, Ji Bu immediately changed to a warm expression, patted her head to comfort her, and said that he would wait with her for her sister to return.

Ying Bu watched his performance, snorted coldly, and turned his head away. His grudge against Ji Bu had gradually lessened during the three years they worked together under Mi Lian. Moreover, on one occasion, at Ji Bu's request, he angrily beat him up, and the two were finally able to work together normally.

However, this does not mean that the two will immediately become as close as brothers. It is just one thing at a time. They are both subordinates of the Princess now, nothing more.

The three of them waited outside the main hall for a long time, and finally, around noon, they saw the Princess return alone.

Today, Mi Lian didn't style her hair in a complicated way as usual; she simply tied her cascading black hair back with a hairpin. She wasn't surprised to see Liang Bu with her younger sister outside the main hall. With a slight upturn of her lips and a calm smile, she crouched down and opened her arms to hug Lian Xin, who was running towards her.

"Sister!" Lianxin rushed into Mi Lian's arms and immediately felt her sister's soft body. The fair skin of her neck was like jade under the moon, with a faint blush that was not there before.

"Good girl, my dear," she soothed her younger sister in a languid tone. Her soft voice teased Lianxin's ears like silk. As soon as she opened her mouth, Mi Lian immediately realized the weakness in her tone and quickly adjusted it to her usual gentle and confident tone.

Lianxin noticed her sister's unusual behavior and wanted to ask her a question, but then Uncle Yingbu and Uncle Jibu came over. Remembering her sister's previous instructions, she decisively shut her mouth.

The two "supervisors" bowed to the princess who had stood up again. In the farmhouse, they all addressed Mi Lian by her status.

"Is it about Licheng?" Lianxin asked, holding her sister's hand and nodding gracefully after composing herself.

"Probably...yes," Yingbu said hesitantly, looking at Lianxin, who was standing next to her sister with a questioning look in her eyes. Jibu was more direct: "It's about the Xiang family."