Two days might not be enough for an ordinary person to recover from their injuries, and this was certainly true for Zheng Fan.
However, after two additional days of rest, he could barely put on his armor. Even then, it was mostly for show; drawing his sword to fight was practically impossible.
"It shouldn’t be a big problem. After all, Lord Jingnan will be under heavy guard on his journey back to the capital; it’s impossible for anything unexpec—"
Blind Bei interrupted Liang Cheng mid-sentence.
"Since when have you become so superstitious?" Liang Cheng asked.
"I don’t care what nonsense others spout, but don’t you, of all people, have some awareness of your own damn status? Even a gypsy witch with a crystal ball would have to call you grandmaster by seniority."
"I want to go with you," Liang Cheng said.
"Don’t even think about it. If you go, who will manage the barbarian soldiers in this fortress?" Blind Bei shot Liang Cheng down again.
"What about me?" asked Fanli, pointing at his own face.
"Someone needs to stay home and chop firewood; otherwise, we won’t even have enough to heat water for baths." Blind Bei refused Fanli as well.
"Oh, okay." Fanli nodded, thinking Blind Bei made a good point.
Actually, it was because Fanli, that lovable oaf, was manageable with supervision. But if left unwatched, he could easily cause trouble. His antics at home were enough to make the other ’Demon Kings’ eyebrows twitch in alarm. If he were to go to the capital and stir up some disaster, cleaning up the mess would be a real nightmare.
A Ming, standing to the side, wore a subtle and elegant smile.
He and Siniang would accompany My lord to the capital. Truthfully, there wasn’t much for him and Siniang to do. Since My lord had been assigned to Lord Jingnan’s personal guard unit, they would most likely not eat or lodge together. Their going along was merely to have people available to call upon in case something happened.
Of course, the biggest advantage was that if something unexpected truly happened, he and Siniang could still take action in the capital. At the very least, they could be mentally prepared.
This was unlike the four remaining at Green Willow Fortress, who had to constantly wonder whether they would die suddenly while eating, sleeping, or even using the latrine.
After several dangerous encounters, the ’Demon Kings’ had developed a lingering fear, a psychological shadow, concerning sudden death. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽
"So, you still haven’t told My lord about our strength recovery being linked to his own?"
Blind Bei shook his head. "Let’s wait a bit longer. Wait until My lord returns from the capital. This matter should be very important; it’s best not to let My lord get distracted."
A Ming chuckled softly and said,
"You told A Cheng not to set up bad omens, but you’ve already done it twice yourself. In a movie, that’s like saying, ’I’ll confess to her when he gets back.’ That character basically never returns."
"Two negatives make a positive," Blind Bei shamelessly retorted.
You’re the blind one; whatever you say is right.
"Alright, Siniang and My lord are out. You should go with them now."
Hearing this, A Ming gave Blind Bei and the others a very gentlemanly Western-style bow,
"Well then, farewell, everyone."
The last time he went to Nanwang City, it was by carriage; this time, they were on horseback. Although the winter morning sun was bright, the temperature remained very low. By the time they reached the gates of Nanwang City, Zheng Fan was already drenched in a cold sweat. His body was still so weak.
At the city gate, Zheng Fan separated from Siniang and A Ming. He entered the city alone and headed towards the residence of Lord Jingnan.
Not long after announcing his arrival, Zheng Fan saw Dujuan approaching, followed by two maids carrying a set of standard Jingnan Army armor.
The Yan State favored black, but each regional army’s military equipment had its own characteristics. Setting aside the finer details, in terms of impression, the armor of the Zhenbei Army appeared somewhat duller, as if given a matte finish by desert sands.
The Jingnan Army’s armor, on the other hand, appeared brighter, more vibrant, and more aesthetically pleasing. Because of this, however, it lacked a certain settled, murderous aura from true battle.
"Lord Zheng, you should bathe and change your clothes first."
Zheng Fan was taken aback for a moment. Changing into a military uniform is one thing, that’s understandable, but a bath too? Is the Jingnan Army really this particular about cleanliness? But, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Besides, I quite enjoy bathing. It’s just that at home, Siniang would attend to my baths, occasionally preparing a bubble bath to help soothe my muscles and bones. Here in the Lord’s manor, the servants only bring the hot water; I’ll have to do the scrubbing myself.
After his bath, having changed into the armor, Zheng Fan noticed the armored soldiers in the Lord’s manor lining up in neat formations and exiting. Clearly, it was time to depart.
Zheng Fan had intended to grab someone and ask where the Lord’s personal guard unit was, as he needed to report for duty. But just as he was about to do so, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning his head, he saw it was Dujuan again.
"Lord Zheng, please get into the Lord’s carriage."
Zheng Fan was speechless.
A bath, a change of clothes, and now getting into the Lord’s carriage... Even though Zheng Fan considered himself normal, and believed the Lord to be perfectly normal too, he couldn’t shake a peculiar feeling about it all.
But in the end, Zheng Fan still boarded the carriage. If there’s a carriage available, I might as well take it. My body, in its current state, definitely can’t endure several days of being jolted on horseback.
It was the same carriage as before. This time, however, there was no brazier inside; instead, there was a writing desk laden with numerous memoranda.
After Zheng Fan boarded the carriage, Lord Jingnan didn’t look up, remaining focused on the task at hand.