Chapter 1, An Unexpected Encounter

The two little girls, upon hearing this, cleverly turned their heads, pretending not to see, yet their faces were filled with smiles that they could not hide. Seeing this, Yue Yao felt even more embarrassed, but she was reluctant to blame her husband, so she could only turn around and get into the carriage

As Zhao Ping did not conceal his movements, both parties engaged in the fierce battle became aware of his presence. Among the dozen or so Xianbei warriors besieging the woman, three suddenly broke away, brandishing their curved sabers and charging directly at him, fanning out in a semicircular formation to encircle him.

Due to the occupation of the Northern Lands by the Xianbei, such fine horses are indeed rare in the Central Plains, and even in the military, they are not commonly seen; only the most elite troops are equipped with them. At this time, however, they were used for chariots, and the identity of the individuals inside the chariot was naturally extraordinary! Following closely behind the chariot were more than thirty knights, each armed with a sword and carrying arrows, tightly guarding the chariot in front.

Suddenly, an unexpected turn of events occurred. The Xianbei people, who were engaged in combat, simultaneously halted and turned their gazes towards Zhao Ping. One of the Xianbei warriors, realizing that his group had encountered a formidable opponent, suppressed his inner anger. He exchanged a glance with his companions, signaling them to keep an eye on the woman. He then stepped forward a couple of paces, awkwardly clasped his fists, and spoke in broken Chinese: "Esteemed hero, we are currently in pursuit of a prisoner. We kindly ask for your patience, and we will express our gratitude shortly."

Under the expectant gazes of Xiao Xi and Xiao Rong, a young man in a light blue robe, around eighteen or nineteen years old, approached them with a calm and composed demeanor. With a smile, he glanced at the two young girls, affectionately took their small hands, and returned to the front of the carriage. At that moment, the carriage door opened, and a woman in white, her face veiled with a light gauze, gracefully descended from the carriage. She bowed to the young man and softly said, "I have seen my husband; you have worked hard."

A shimmering sound of carriages and the rhythmic clatter of horse hooves shattered the dead silence of the official road, as a black canopy carriage slowly made its way eastward along the path. The carriage was quite large, with a flat body that gleamed with a dark luster, yet it bore no decorations. The four strong horses pulling the carriage were impressive and extraordinary; any discerning eye would recognize them as fine steeds from the northern regions.

A clanging sound of metal striking metal suddenly echoed from the forest on the left! Zhao Ping furrowed his brow; he had already wasted quite a bit of time hunting for game earlier. If it weren't for the two greedy little girls, he would not have squandered his time.

Zhao Ping let out a cold smile, slightly shifting his body and stepping back half a pace to evade the steel knife that was being swung at him. Seizing the moment when the Xianbei warrior changed his attack, he made a casual circular motion with his left palm. A surge of immense internal energy filled the area within a radius of ten feet. The three warriors felt as if they were caught in a whirlpool, their bodies involuntarily being pulled towards Zhao Ping. Without hesitation, Zhao Ping's right palm lightly struck the chests of the three men. Instantly, they flew out two yards like kites with their strings cut, spitting out a mouthful of blood mid-air before crashing to the ground, lifeless. A surge of immense internal energy filled the area within a radius of ten feet. The three warriors felt as if they were caught in a whirlpool, their bodies involuntarily being pulled towards Zhao Ping. Without hesitation, Zhao Ping's right palm lightly struck the chests of the three men. Instantly, they flew out two yards like kites with their strings cut, spitting out a mouthful of blood mid-air before crashing to the ground, lifeless.

Xiao Xi sighed upon hearing this, "Indeed! The Xianbei people have never given up their attacks on Yanmen. The master has been preoccupied and troubled all day, naturally..." At this point, however, she could not continue.

Zhao Ping had always held a deep disdain for them. Now, seeing their hypocritical demeanor, he felt even more contempt. With a cold laugh, he said, "This place is Bingzhou. You all speak so brazenly; do you think there is no one in Bingzhou to challenge you?"

It has only been a few months since we last met, yet the old master's white hair has increased significantly! Xiao Rong exclaimed, her concern evident as she gazed intently at the official road ahead

The two young girls felt a heaviness in their hearts, remaining silent for a long time. Suddenly, Xiao Xi said softly, "If only the son-in-law could stay in Yanmen!"

The curtain of the carriage suddenly lifted, revealing a delicate face that seemed as if it could be broken by a gentle touch. Amidst the movement of shadows, a girl in a yellow dress emerged from the carriage. She stood up on the carriage and waved to the warrior behind her. One of them immediately spurred his horse forward, showing a smile to the two young girls, and said: "Greetings, Miss Xi and Miss Rong! What instructions do you have, Miss Xi?"

Before the younger sister could steady the carriage, Xiao Xi had already leapt down like a colorful butterfly, waving her small hands and jumping on her feet, calling out: "Young Master, over here, over here!" At this moment, Xiao Rong also brought the carriage to a stop, jumped down, and stood side by side with her sister, joyfully gazing at the approaching young man in the distance; closely following the young man were more than ten knights, their horses laden with game such as deer, rabbits, and pheasants, indicating a bountiful harvest.

Upon hearing herself referred to as a prisoner, the woman frowned and let out an angry huff, yet she did not argue. Instead, she merely glared furiously at the several Xianbei warriors surrounding her

The young man smiled faintly as he watched his wife's silhouette, tied the horse to the cart, called out to the two young girls, and then set off on the journey. The young man's surname was Zhao, his given name was Ping, and he was from Jinyang, accompanying his wife to visit her family.

The setting sun is like blood. The weary birds returning to their nests seem unable to endure the heat of midsummer, flying back to their homes in a listless manner. Although they chatter as always, even their calls faintly reveal a hint of the midsummer heat.

The young man smiled faintly, sending the two little girls to his wife's side, and said, "It is of no concern." As he spoke, he tenderly took his wife's hand and softly said, "I was eager to return, and thus did not rest properly along the way, which has caused some trouble for Yue Yao; fortunately, Jinyang is not far from here, and we should arrive by the hour of You this evening."

The warrior's eyes flashed with a fierce light, yet he refrained from acting rashly out of respect for Zhao Ping's martial skills. He could only force a dry laugh and awkwardly squeeze out a sentence from his throat: "It seems we have overlooked this matter; please do not take offense"

The coachman was actually a young girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old. She wore her hair in two buns, secured with golden rings, and her eyes were exceptionally lively. The pink garment she wore made her appear even more adorable. With her delicate hands, she held a whip in one hand and the reins in the other, displaying remarkable skill and ease, without any sign of awkwardness.

Xiao Xi smiled and said to the warrior, who appeared to be around thirty-five or thirty-six years old: "Brother Zhao, the young lady instructed that someone should return to the residence to inform the master and mistress that the young master will be back by the hour of You." The knight did not dare to delay, responded affirmatively, and then called over several knights to give them instructions. The knights immediately took off like the wind.

The weather in May has already become quite hot, and on the silent official road, there are only their group of people. The rhythmic sound of hooves and the gentle sound of the carriage further enhance the desolate official road, making it seem distant and tranquil

Before the words had left his mouth, the person had already leaped two zhang away. Following a few more jumps, he arrived in the forest. There, he saw a dozen Xianbei warriors surrounding a Xianbei woman, with five or six corpses lying haphazardly on the ground, all having fatal wounds to their throats. Zhao Ping's gaze tightened, and he involuntarily looked at the Xianbei woman, thinking: What a ruthless knife technique!

A sound of hooves suddenly arose from behind, and both Xiao Xi and Xiao Rong were instantly delighted, exclaiming in unison: "The young master has returned"

The sound of clashing metal in the forest grew louder, and faint shouts could be heard. Zhao Ping suddenly furrowed his brow and finally said to his wife in the car: "It seems that there is a fight in the forest. You all should continue on your way; I will go and return shortly."

Xiao Rong also repeatedly exclaimed with excitement: "Exactly! With the abilities of the master and the young master, having the two of them means that dealing with ten Xianbei is not a problem at all! However, there are many matters at home for the young master as well"

Yue Yao's face flushed with embarrassment from her husband's affectionate gesture. She gently withdrew her hand and looked around, only to find that the knights guarding them were quite far away, and a carriage was blocking the view, making it impossible for anyone to notice the situation here. This brought her some relief, and in a state of bashful indignation, she said: "Xiao Xi and Xiao Rong are still here."