Chapter 8, The Secrets That Are Subtly Revealed

Xiao Tianjian pretended not to understand the sarcasm in her words and simply asked his son: "What do you plan to do? The name of that minister has not yet been uncovered, but even at the borders of Nuo Jia, he can pursue you through his allies. Now that you are back in the country, it is considered his territory, and he will never allow you to discover his identity."

Anlong, upon hearing this, also grew suspicious: "If that is the case... I had previously reported to him about not having any news from Veronica, yet he has never responded..."

Anlong furrowed his brows: "Regardless, this matter must be reported to the General Administration as soon as possible to ascertain the name and identity of that minister. Otherwise, if he continues to relay messages to Nuo Jia, once Prince Mario ascends to the throne and declares war on us in East, the situation will become perilous"

Xiao Tianjian hurriedly stopped him: "Do not act rashly! If it really is the Heda family, you will alert the enemy. " After saying this, he turned to Veronica and said: "That minister has been selling information for quite some time; a little more time does not matter. Even if Nuo Jia really intends to do something, it is not now. You should focus on recovering from your injuries; wait until you are better before setting out. The physician mentioned that several medicinal herbs are insufficient, so I will make a trip to Xike to find some. Even if Nuo Jia really intends to do something, it is not now. You should focus on recovering from your injuries; wait until you are better before setting out. While I am away, you are not allowed to act recklessly, do you understand?"

Veronica's expression was somewhat unpleasant: "What? Do you think that with you here, I wouldn't get hurt? You really overestimate your abilities, don't you? However, you do have a point; if you had been there at the time, dealing with the pursuers would indeed have been easier for both of us. But in this world, how many 'ifs' are there? What has already happened cannot be changed by mere contemplation."

After sending off his daughter, Anlong awkwardly said to Veronica, "The child is still young and doesn't understand, please don't take it to heart." Veronica turned her head and replied, "It's nothing. However, you should take those clothes back; otherwise, your wife will find out that you took her clothes and will argue with you."

With his father absent, Anlong had no choice but to visit the injured Veronica alone. As he walked, he pondered which minister was secretly colluding with Nuo Jia and whether his superior, Aimon, could be trusted. Perhaps he was too absorbed in his thoughts, as he failed to notice that a small tail had already followed him from behind

"Responsibility? What responsibility?" Veronica suddenly became a bit agitated, "Your responsibility is to stay here and continue supervising the work at the military base! I can go back alone; this is within our own country's territory, and I have traveled this road countless times. Who dares to confront me openly? With my skills, I don't even regard those small players!"

She quietly took a small path to avoid the tailor's gaze, and halfway through, she rejoined her father. Upon seeing him enter the physician's clinic, she tiptoed to the window, stepped onto a large stone, and climbed up to look inside. She vaguely saw her father enter a room and heard him speaking to a woman, but a curtain blocked her view, making it impossible to see who it was. Suddenly, a female nurse lifted the curtain and came out with gauze and medicine. Mina, with her keen eyes, was surprised to find that the woman inside was none other than the consistently disliked Veronica. She was taken aback, lost her footing, and fell off the large stone, attracting the laughter of several nearby boys. The loudest among them was the son of Brie's stepmother. She turned to glare at him, but he just jeered and ran away.

Anlong chuckled and said, "This is not Dora's dress; your figures are different, and you can't wear her clothes. This is what I had the tailor make a few days ago. Your clothes are no longer wearable; you can't always borrow from Auntie Caregiver. I had it made according to your old size, but I'm not sure if it fits. You can try it on when you have some free time."

Veronica coolly remarked, "You truly live up to your reputation, Count Xiao; no scheme or trick can escape your notice"

Veronica hesitated for a moment and said, "Gama once mentioned something that seems to suggest... it was the person from Nomonka who ordered the extermination of everyone. He speculated that it might be related to some news he had received not long ago, it is said..." She lowered her voice: "In our country of East, there is a noble minister who has connections with Prince Mario, and every year he transmits important intelligence from Yidong City in exchange for substantial benefits. Just as Gama was about to uncover the name of that minister, such an incident occurred." She lowered her voice again: "In our country of East, there is a noble minister who has connections with Prince Mario, and every year he transmits important intelligence from Yidong City in exchange for substantial benefits. Just as Gama was about to uncover the name of that minister, such an incident occurred."

Veronica glanced at the bundle of clothes, her emotions complex as she looked at Anlong: "You don't have to be so kind to me. Not only do you come to see me every day, but you also bring me food and clothes. Even when I jokingly said for you to take me back to Ito, you agreed. You really don't have to do this."

Anlong busily helped her lie down again: "You should focus on healing your injuries first, and don't worry about anything else for now." Xiao Tianjian also said: "That's right, with your injuries like this, you can't possibly make it to Yidong City. It's better to heal first before anything else." Veronica shook her head, breathing heavily: "But... this matter must be reported to the General Administration as soon as possible..." Anlong understood that she was right and hesitated, saying: "How about... I go test the waters with Aimon first? Perhaps the Heda family is not involved in this matter."

Therefore, I sincerely hope to make amends for the mistakes I have made. I acknowledge that my failure to accompany you to Maicheng as ordered is indeed a dereliction of duty. Now that I realize my error, I must take responsibility for it

He listed everything he could think of, including: directly exchanging for money and goods; obtaining discounts or benefits in business transactions; hinting at the possibility of Noga sending a small military force to harass the border when political rivals come to power, as a means to use it against them; allowing Noga to "accidentally" leak certain secret letters to frame political rivals for colluding with foreign countries; when his own people take military positions, having Noga pretend to launch a surprise attack only to be repelled, ... to earn merits for his own people ... and so on.

The female caregiver heard a sound and came out to check. Upon seeing her, she asked, "Oh? Aren't you Xiaomingna from Mr. Cardo's house? What are you doing here?" Xiaomingna thought to herself that this was not good and was about to make a run for it when, in a flash, her father appeared in front of her. She had no choice but to smile and flatter him, saying, "Dad, you are really quick..."

Why?

"Because I don't want to argue with your mother," Anlong replied, "Did you forget? Last time when Auntie came to find Dad, you misbehaved and told your mother about it. As a result, your mother argued with Dad for a whole day, and you hid in the woods crying. Don't you remember?"

Anlong smiled wryly: "If I hadn't changed my mind at the last minute, you wouldn't have been so severely injured. The fact that you are lying here today is entirely my responsibility. Helping you with a small matter is truly nothing significant."

Anlong cleared his throat and, with a stern expression, asked his daughter: "How did you come here? Did you come with your father?"

Anlong looked at her with a smile that was not quite a smile, nodded to the female nurse, and then grabbed his daughter's collar, pulling her into the hospital room. When Mina was brought before Veronica, she recalled the threat from the last encounter and instinctively shrank her neck in fear. However, she soon realized that the other party was lying on the hospital bed, her face pale, with bandages wrapped around her hands and neck, appearing quite weak.

Veronica also agreed, saying: "Then we will contact the Director of Northern Intelligence, Aemon, immediately. He is at the Northern Fortress, and through him, we can send a message directly to Ito using carrier pigeons"

This is also a source of concern for Anlong. To speak frankly is impossible, as it involves the confidentiality of the security agency. However, if nothing is said, Dora may misunderstand. What kind of excuse should one find?

"Veronica! Calm down!" Anlong whispered, glancing outside the door before continuing, "Why are you so agitated? My decision is the most reasonable: on one hand, you are my companion, you were injured due to my negligence, and you carry important intelligence. If I let you travel alone and something unexpected happens along the way, how can I face my colleagues at the Security Agency? On the other hand, you are my little sister who grew up with me; you are injured, how can I, as your brother, not take care of you? I have considered this thoroughly before making this decision. As for the matter of the armory, you need not worry; the critical tasks have already been completed, and there will be a period of downtime ahead. Anyway, no one works around here before and after the May Festival, so a trip to Ito will not delay important matters."

Veronica gradually calmed down as she listened. After a long silence, she suddenly blurted out, "So how do you plan to tell your wife? Will she agree?"

What is there to be unclear about? Xiao Tianjian sneered, "There are plenty of nobles who inflate their importance, and besides, money is never too much. Do you think I was so popular in Yidong back in the day just for no reason? It was precisely because I could make money. Moreover, Nuo Jia is not an enemy state; even if there are a few ambitious individuals, it takes more than mere ambition to invade a country. As long as the Nuo Jia army does not reach Yidong City, the interests of the nobles will remain unshaken. Collaborating with foreign powers can yield even greater benefits."

Mina quietly followed her father, carefully trailing behind him as he ascended the steps of the streets and alleys. The thought that even her grandfather had inexplicably left home made her unable to contain her curiosity; she wanted to know what secret her father and grandfather held. Her father seemed unaware of her pursuit, indicating that the lightness she had learned was indeed quite useful, and despite having walked such a long distance, she felt no fatigue at all

Anlong immediately set out with the books, but was stopped by Xiao Tianjian: "Eimon? Are you referring to a bald, overweight man with a large beard?" Seeing the two nod, he continued: "Then you’d better not go looking for him. You young people may not be aware, but this Eimon is said to be the illegitimate son of a prominent noble family, the Heda family, in Yidong City, and has been working for the family since childhood. The head of the Heda family and the eldest son hold important positions, and many family members work in various government departments. Given their way of doing things, it’s possible that he is the target you are looking for. If you go looking for Eimon, wouldn’t that be walking into a trap?"

Veronica gasped, "Who can we trust now? Aemon has been in the Northern Intelligence Department for over twenty years, with the deepest qualifications. Now the entire North is under his jurisdiction, and all personnel from the Security Bureau in the area are under his command. If he is not reliable, we can only report directly back to the headquarters, but on this journey..." She took a few quick breaths, feeling a bit dizzy and unable to hold on.

She saw her father turn and enter the tailor's house from a distance, feeling puzzled. Just as she was about to move closer to take a look, she suddenly saw him come out again. In a hurry, she hid behind a large stone by the roadside, and then saw him continue walking ahead. Just as she was about to follow him, she noticed the tailor's wife peeking out, curiously watching her father's back, which struck her as quite strange

Anlong could hardly believe it: "How is this possible? What kind of interests could lead them to willingly betray their country? I cannot believe such a thing. The nobles who can become ministers are all from families that have been established for over a hundred years, and they certainly possess many estates and jewels. Would such families lack money? Could Nuo Jia offer them greater power? I truly do not understand."

Mina then remembered that she had just been caught by her father and felt a bit embarrassed, lowering her head: "You and Grandpa are always so mysterious every day, and now Grandpa is missing. I want to know what secret you two have." While speaking, she secretly glanced at her father to see if he was angry.

Anlong, however, could only display a look of helplessness. He spoke earnestly to his daughter: "Since you already know, I will no longer hide it from you. Aunt Veronica is ill and needs to be treated here. Her family is not around, so I must take good care of her. Please do not tell your mother about this, alright?"

He shouted sternly, startling both Anlong and Veronica, who exchanged glances and reluctantly nodded at each other.

Anlong was very pleased that his daughter was obedient, and he eagerly inquired about her tracking experience. He greatly praised her skills in lightness martial arts and, as a reward, planned to teach her a few small grappling techniques that Xiao Tianjian had recently taught him, intending to do so in the afternoon. Minna, having been charmed by her father's words, left in high spirits.

Anlong was taken aback, while Xiao Tianjian sneered coldly: "I knew it all along, those nobles only care about their own interests. For the sake of these interests, they would even forsake their country, committing acts of treason."

Xiao Tianjian set off for Xike the next day. It is a small town located at the junction of the three countries of Nuo Jia, Yi Si Te, and Fan A, serving as a significant commercial hub for the three nations. Compared to Water City, where Xiao Tianjian started his journey, it is much smaller in scale and focuses more on the trade of medicinal herbs, magical materials, grains, wines, and animal pelts. Among the various medicinal herbs needed for Veronica's treatment, only Xike, apart from the original source in the Yalod Forest, has them available. In comparison to the Yalod Forest, which is over 500 kilometers away, Xike is much closer to its destination.

Mina suddenly remembered. Recently, she had been having so much fun that she had almost forgotten about this matter. Mina immediately agreed to her father's request and even made a pinky promise with him—this was the way her grandfather had taught her to make agreements. No matter what, she could not go against her father's words and casually disclose the matter to her mother, causing them to argue again.

She was lost in thought when Anlong suddenly tapped her on the head: "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and greet her!" Mina awkwardly called out, "Hello, Aunt Veronica." However, the other party merely glanced at her indifferently before turning away. She pouted, rolled her eyes, and thought to herself, "Do you think I wanted to call you?"

Anlong and Veronica were left speechless. Seeing this, Xiao Tianjian felt a sense of pride in his heart: "Young people, you are still too inexperienced. What I mentioned is merely a few possibilities; it is not a big deal. There is even a possibility that the minister was sent by Nuo Jia, specifically to assist Nuo Jia in conquering East, after which he could become a high-ranking official, such as a chancellor."

Is it possible that this fierce woman is ill? Does that mean she can no longer scare herself with a knife? Mina felt a bit pleased secretly, but then she thought about how someone else's illness made her happy, and she felt that her mother would definitely scold her if she found out. But then she reconsidered, thinking that since it was this woman, perhaps her mother would not blame her after all