Chapter 1876: Chapter 932: Baby (Part 1)
Young Master Mingyue furrowed his brows, evidently quite conflicted about what he was about to say.
"You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to, but I can’t give you the sword." Xiao Hen extended his hand, gesturing as if to take the sword back.
Young Master Mingyue hurriedly clutched the sword in his arms: "I’ll speak!"
Gu Jiao said fiercely, "Speak quickly, or I’ll beat you!"
Young Master Mingyue suppressed his anger. He was now growing weaker, not a match for this girl. In the current situation, he had no choice but to bow his head.
"Have you heard of Jianlu?" he asked.
The young couple nodded in unison.
When Gu Jiao went to the eastern border pass of Yan Country to attack Liang Country and Jin Country, she repeatedly clashed with people from Jianlu. After the war was over and Jin Country surrendered, there was no further news about the people of Jianlu.
It was uncertain if this Jianlu was the same as that Jianlu.
Young Master Mingyue said, "My master is the owner of Jianlu, that is, the head of Jianlu. This sword, called the Black Moon, is the token of the head. The reason I’m here in Zhan Country is because there’s a traitor in Jianlu who fled with the sword. I’m here to find its whereabouts. But who would have thought, just as I found it, that stinking monk would snatch it away."
Gu Jiao said, "Are you talking about Liao Chen? Liao Chen didn’t steal your sword, he just picked it up."
Young Master Mingyue said, "I don’t believe it."
Gu Jiao chuckled, "Believe it or not, it’s up to you."
Young Master Mingyue hesitated to speak again.
Chasing after that monk’s actions really had no meaning; the important thing was that the Black Moon had been found, and he could finally return to Jianlu.
Gu Jiao asked again, "How many Jianlu are there in the world?"
Young Master Mingyue replied without hesitation, "There’s only one." Connecting it with something, he added, "But it doesn’t rule out some small factions using the name of Jianlu to deceive people."
Gu Jiao touched her delicate little chin, "Is the Jianlu colluding with the Jin Country royal family your Jianlu?"
Young Master Mingyue was slightly taken aback, "Jin Country royal family? Ah, you’re talking about that, well, sort of. That’s a branch of our Jianlu, only two people are from the inner sect."
Gu Jiao: "Shitian and Dark Soul?"
"You know them?" Young Master Mingyue was surprised.
Gu Jiao thought to herself, it’s more than knowing, I’m extremely familiar with them.
I’ve crossed swords with Dark Soul; I’ve snapped pens with Shitian!
No wonder Long Yi and Dark Soul were so formidable, yet those Jianlu experts at the border pass were so weak. It turns out only the two of them were inner sect disciples.
Young Master Mingyue snorted, "The Jianghu doesn’t know there’s a distinction between the inner and outer sects of Jianlu. You just got lucky meeting me, otherwise, you wouldn’t have known in a lifetime that the Jianlu dealing with Jin Country is just a branch."
Gu Jiao was puzzled, "Why would you collude with the Jin Country royal family?"
Young Master Mingyue’s face darkened, "It’s dealings, not collusion! I don’t know the specifics; it’s not my responsibility. But the two people you just mentioned, by seniority... perhaps I should call them senior brothers."
"Who’s older and who’s younger?" Gu Jiao asked.
Young Master Mingyue said, "Dark Soul is the eldest senior brother, Shitian is the youngest... now I’m the youngest. When they went to the branch, I was still young and never met them. I only heard some things about them from my master."
Gu Jiao nodded, "Continue."
Young Master Mingyue looked at her strangely, "Are you asking about the sword, or my senior brothers?"
Gu Jiao said, "Both. Why did they go to the branch?"
Young Master Mingyue thought for a moment, "It seemed they went to kill someone."
To kill Xuanyuan Qi, the second master of the Dark Soul.
Back then, Long Yi came to Zhan Country with such a mission.
It’s just that, for some reason, Long Yi abandoned his mission.
So Dark Soul took over, stayed at the branch, and secretly collaborated with the Jin Country royal family to execute the massacre of Xuanyuan Qi and the Shadow Division.
"Long Yi... I kind of miss him," Gu Jiao said softly.
Xiao Hen held her hand and didn’t speak.
He missed Long Yi too.
Missed him a lot.
Wondering if he has found the answer he seeks now.
"Are the questions over? Can I take the sword now?" Young Master Mingyue asked.
"Not yet." Xiao Hen took the sword over.
He said angrily, "You don’t keep your word!"
Xiao Hen said unhurriedly, "I only said if you answered to our satisfaction, we might consider it."
He gritted his teeth and said, "Then is there anything you’re dissatisfied with? I haven’t concealed anything at all!"
Xiao Hen said calmly, "We are satisfied, so we are now considering whether or not to give you the sword."
Young Master Mingyue felt he had been played and was very angry.
"Have you ever seen this?" Xiao Hen showed Gu Jiao’s sketch paper again.
He turned his face away, "Hmph! Why should I tell you!"
Xiao Hen said, "It seems you don’t want to get back your master’s sword."
Young Master Mingyue glared at him coldly, looked at the fanged mask on the sketch, and said, "I haven’t seen it."
Xiao Hen looked at him seriously, "Are you sure?"
He sighed, "It’s just a mask; if I’ve seen it, I’ve seen it. If not, then not. Why would I lie to you!"
Xiao Hen stared intently into his eyes: "The last question, where is the Sword Lodge?"
...
Two quarters of an hour later, the gray-clad guard found the master leaning against the wall, gasping for breath, in the alley.
He walked over quickly, supporting the other’s arm, and said worriedly: "Young Master! Are you alright? Why did you come here alone without me!"
"It’s nothing." Young Master Mingyue covered his chest, "I ran into the young marquis of Zhaodu and the girl from Bishui Alley."
The gray-clad guard was horrified: "The two of them? Did they bully you?"
Young Master Mingyue shook his head: "No, they just asked me some questions, about the origin of the Black Moon Sword, the two senior brothers, and where the Sword Lodge is."
The gray-clad guard frowned: "Why did they suddenly inquire about this? So, Young Master, did you tell them?"
Young Master Mingyue looked in the direction where the carriage disappeared, and said lightly: "Told them some things."
...
On the carriage.
Gu Jiao played with the long sword in her hand and asked Xiao Hen: "What do you think? Did that Mingyue lie?"
Xiao Hen said: "He didn’t lie, but he didn’t tell the whole truth either. He’s hiding something."
Gu Jiao: "Oh?"
Xiao Hen said: "Not surprising, every sect has its secrets."
Gu Jiao pointed to the paper on the table: "Is the map of the Sword Lodge he drew real or fake?"
Xiao Hen said seriously: "It should be real. Also, he said he hadn’t seen that mask, and he didn’t seem to be lying."
They still didn’t know who the swordsman in Gu Jiao’s dream was, the one who killed her.
Xiao Hen gently brushed the hair at her temple, speaking softly: "Don’t worry, if he’s still alive, we’ll definitely find him."
They were no longer a solitary and helpless party; behind them were two royal families, the National Master Hall, the Xuanping Marquis Residence, and the powerful Hei Fengqi and the Shadow Division.
Gu Jiao shook her head: "I’m not worried."
Xiao Hen held her hand, smiling: "That’s right, it’s hard to get married, so don’t worry about anything else. Just relax and wait to be my assistant’s wife."
Gu Jiao blinked: "Assistant’s wife?"
Xiao Hen’s lips curved slightly: "I forgot to tell you, last year, the chief assistant Yuan suggested the assistant exam to my uncle the emperor. My uncle agreed, but due to some reasons, the exam was postponed for a year. It’ll be next month."
Gu Jiao exclaimed: "You don’t plan to be the prince of Yan Country anymore?"
Xiao Hen smiled: "The prince’s identity was given by my parents, but the assistant’s position is something I will earn through the exam."
Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow: "You talk as if you’ve already passed the exam. What if you don’t?"
Xiao Hen looked at her tenderly: "Then I’ll accept whatever punishment my lady deems fit. But if I pass, you must reward me."
One could tell it wasn’t a serious reward.
Gu Jiao said earnestly: "Today’s accounts aren’t settled yet, and you’re thinking about the future already."
Xiao Hen held her soft hand, leaned close to her ear, and said in a deep, magnetic voice: "My lady means we should return early and settle today’s accounts properly."
Gu Jiao: "I didn’t say that."
Xiao Hen: "You did."
Gu Jiao: "..."
...
The two returned to the Princess Residence, first visiting Princess Xinyang to pay their respects, and played with Little Yiyi for a while.
Little Yiyi was getting stronger, lying in the cradle, kicking her legs energetically.
Princess Xinyang asked about their return trip, and if they visited the Yao Family.
"We did." Xiao Hen said.
They had visited the Duke Residence in the morning, went to Bishui Alley in the afternoon, and only at dusk did they capture Young Master Mingyue.
"Father, I have something to tell you." Xiao Hen said to Marquis Xuanping, "It’s related to the Sword Lodge."
During the border pass conflicts, the person who dealt most with the Sword Lodge was actually Marquis Xuanping; the last few elders of the Sword Lodge all died at his hands.
"Come to the study room." Marquis Xuanping put his hands behind his back and strode out.
Princess Xinyang glared at him, muttering: "That’s my study!"
The father and son went to the study next door.
Yujin brought a bowl of dark medicinal broth and looked at Gu Jiao meaningfully.
Gu Jiao felt a chill under her gaze: "What?"
Princess Xinyang said: "Drink it."
Gu Jiao sniffed it. Being a doctor, it wasn’t hard for her to recognize the herbs: "This is..."
Princess Xinyang openly admitted: "Pregnancy medicine, drink it while it’s hot. The effect diminishes once it cools."
Gu Jiao: "..."
Should I tell you I’ve already used Little Taotao?
Princess Xinyang glanced at her: "Why aren’t you drinking? Afraid of the bitterness?"
Gu Jiao thought, why not, since there’s no baby.
Gu Jiao tilted her head back and drank the pregnancy medicine in one go.