knife

Chapter 84 Born to Do This
Pick up the pure white porcelain cup, take a sip of the crystal-clear wine, then put a slice of thinly sliced, almost transparent braised beef into your mouth and chew slowly, letting every taste bud fully experience the spiciness of the wine and the freshness of the meat. After a while, exhale and feel refreshed.

Wu De had been living like this for more than ten days.

He himself felt that he had developed thigh fat and spent the day feeling lazy and not wanting to do anything.

It is often said that a comfortable life is the easiest way to erode a person's ambition, and the ancients were right!
Having accepted Zhang Qingyun's suggestion, Wu De decided to stay in Tai'an City for a while before leaving, to see what unexpected things might happen outside the pass. As a veteran intelligence worker, his curiosity was far stronger than that of the average person.

However, to his dismay, although he activated the Black Ice Platform's dead ends and got the team back in operation, after such a long period of dormancy, it would be a long time before these people could play a role again!

So he couldn't find out even the slightest bit about this matter.

This kind of thing, which everyone else knows but he is kept in the dark about, makes him incredibly anxious.

No matter how anxious he was, he always appeared calm and collected on the surface.

Every day, I would go to the second floor of the most luxurious restaurant in Tai'an City to indulge in revelry, since I didn't have to pay for any of the extravagant expenses myself.

If I were to pay for it myself, I actually wouldn't be able to afford it.

Zui Deyi Restaurant has an excellent location. Standing here, you can see the city lord's mansion, the city's largest trading market, and overlook the city's main thoroughfare.

"Luo Ying, why don't you have a drink too!" Wu De said with a smile, looking at the spirited young man sitting across from him.

Luo Ying shook her head: "No!"

“How can someone who’s in the underworld not know how to drink?” Wu De shook his head repeatedly: “If you can’t drink, you can’t even make a single friend.”

“The value of true friendship lies in sincerity. As Miss once said, ‘A gentleman’s friendship is as pure as water.’ What you’re talking about are fair-weather friends!” Luo Ying retorted.

Wu De choked and fell headfirst, a glass of wine stuck in his throat, and he coughed repeatedly.

"A perfectly good young man has been corrupted by that little girl!"

"Officer Wu, you can't slander Miss without reason!" Luo Ying's smiling face suddenly hardened, and she looked displeased.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about that little girl anymore!" Wu De said, "Luo Ying, you've never been through the gate before, have you?"

Luo Ying shook his head: "No, I've never even been more than a hundred miles away from Luo Family Fort before."

“A family like yours, the future hope of ours, certainly needs to be well protected!” Wu De said. “In places like the borderlands, one wrong move and you’ll be utterly destroyed! But how can your family feel comfortable letting you come with me to the interior this time?”

Luo Ying said, "Miss said that with your help, there won't be any major problems. Besides, my second uncle will also be going to Chang'an."

“It’s one thing for me to take care of you, but in a place like Chang’an, it’s much harder for you to grow, to accomplish things, and to achieve what Miss Qingyun wants to do!”

"Do it wholeheartedly, and you'll have a clear conscience!" Luo Ying said. "Just keep a calm mind; being impatient for success will only lead to failure."

Wu De looked at the fifteen-year-old boy with some surprise, and after a long while nodded and said, "No wonder you have such martial arts skills at such a young age. Your state of mind is indeed rare! However, the world of Chang'an is not as colorful as this place outside the pass. I hope you can keep your original heart unchanged!"

Luo Ying grinned and said, "Of course."

There is a reopening day, and no one is young.

Basically, when a person lacks something, they will crave that thing deep down.

Wu De lived his whole life in secrecy and furtivity. Although this was his own choice, he still longed for a life that could be lived openly and honestly in the sunlight whenever the night was quiet.

Unfortunately, he began receiving the most rigorous training from a young age, and in his youth, he began his career as a constable by hiding his identity. Even now that his status is high enough, he still cannot do as he pleases.

A mere criminal investigator might not attract attention, but the number four figure in the Black Ice Bureau is enough to make the world take notice.

Even if he were to abandon the identity he has been faking for decades, he himself would be reluctant.

So he really liked the sunny, cheerful boy in front of him.

I'm not too willing to let this child step into a profession that's destined to have no turning back.

"You haven't known Miss Qingyun for very long, have you?" Wu De asked. "Miss Qingyun has only been in Tai'an City for less than two months." "Yes!"

“I don’t quite understand how you could be so devoted to Qingyun in such a short time? A single casual remark from her, and you’re willing to abandon your homeland and work in Chang’an, a place you know nothing about, thousands of miles away?” Wu De patiently persuaded, “I think you’ll have a better future if you stay outside the pass. Whether you find a job in Tai’an or join the army, for example, under the General of Chariots and Cavalry. He would love a young talent like you.”

Luo Ying ran her fingers across the table, a blush creeping onto her face. “Miss Qingyun is a beauty of unparalleled grace and intelligence. I am utterly captivated by her. I would gladly go through fire and water for her, even unto death.”

Wu De stared blankly at Luo Ying for a long while before giving a self-deprecating smile, tilting his head back to drink the wine in his glass in one gulp, and saying, "I was wrong!"

Luo Ying looked at the other party with some confusion: "Wu, where did you go wrong?"

“You and that little girl are both prone to spouting nonsense, talking rubbish without batting an eye, and doing it all with such seriousness and exaggerated expressions. You two are born for this line of work,” Wu De sighed. “I take back what I said. If you and that little girl can make it in this line of work and survive, your future achievements will definitely far surpass mine. When I was your age, I was still being taught how to be a person and how to do things by the whip by my teacher!”

"You're joking!"

"Do I look like someone who likes to tell jokes?" Wu De said, "I escorted that little girl and her father all the way from Chang'an. On that two thousand li journey, I personally witnessed how this little girl went from being flustered and helpless at the beginning to being composed and generous, and now she handles everything with ease. In this world, some people are just blessed by heaven. Like that Li Dachui, who is already at the ninth level of Xuan Yuan at such a young age. Oh, and Xiao Changche is the same. This Xiao Changche also has the ability to command. As for Zhang Qingyun, it seems that she is born for this line of work. You, you look about the same."

Seeing that Wu De looked rather dejected, Luo Ying was at a loss for words.

"You're quite young to have reached the Qi Control stage, which is impressive. However, it seems your martial arts aren't very advanced, and you have some hidden injuries. If you don't treat them soon, they could damage your foundation and limit your future prospects!" Wu De warned.

Luo Ying finally showed some gratitude in his eyes, stood up, and bowed respectfully: "Thank you for reminding me, Wu Tixing. Someone from Zhi Qiu Academy has already informed me of this and provided a solution. My family's cultivation method does indeed have some major flaws. The city lord took it to us to repair it, and Zhi Qiu Academy has also given me a new cultivation method to practice."

"That's good. It seems you've embarked on a path to great success!" Wu De smiled. "But do you know what the big show that Miss Qingyun wanted me to stay and watch is all about?"

Luo Ying hesitated, unsure whether he should reveal something, when suddenly the sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out outside. Both of them looked up at the street below.

A knight galloped up to the busiest spot, directly below the Zui Deyi Restaurant, reined in his horse, put his hands to his mouth, and shouted: "Listen up, everyone! Just the day before yesterday, General Xiao Changche of the Great Qin Dynasty and Li Dachui joined forces to attack Baoping Prefecture, annihilating the Yan family's 20,000-strong army. Yan Sheng, Yan Dong, and more than 300 other members of the Yan family were all executed."

After shouting these words, the knight ignored the countless people on the street who were either dumbfounded or exclaiming in surprise, and rode his horse straight towards the city lord's mansion.

Upstairs in the restaurant, Wu De gripped the windowsill tightly with both hands, his fingers silently digging deep into the wooden frame.

So this was the message Zhang Qingyun had asked him to wait for.

This is indeed earth-shattering news.

The Yan family has controlled Baoping Prefecture for hundreds of years. They are the most deeply entrenched and powerful clan outside the Great Wall, commanding tens of thousands of troops. Their movements are enough to affect the balance of the entire region outside the Great Wall.

Now, it's gone.

If Baoping Prefecture falls into Xiao Changche's hands, his strength will experience a leap forward.

The combined strength of Xiao Changche and Li Dachui is enough to rival Linghu Ye.

If that's the case, then Linghu Ye should think twice before attempting another rebellion.

Wu De was overjoyed.

"Chief Wu, I think we should go see Miss Qingyun now!" Luo Ying reminded him.

In the study, Zhang Qingyun was writing furiously. On his desk were more than a dozen unsealed letters. When he saw Wu De and Luo Ying arrive together, he smiled, put down his pen, and stood up.

"Miss Qingyun, I should go now!" Wu De got straight to the point.

"I have some things to ask of you, Magistrate Wu, on your return to Chang'an this time."

“I also like Luo Ying’s child very much. Don’t worry, I will take the cooperation with Zhi Qiu Yuan seriously,” Wu De said.

“It’s not just that!” Zhang Qingyun said, “Young Master hopes to rightfully control Baoping Prefecture, and I think the imperial court would certainly be happy to see that happen. However, this appointment must be sent to the border region as quickly as possible. We can’t give Linghu Ye too much time, otherwise things will become complicated if he gets involved!”

"The imperial court may agree to hand it over to Xiao Changche, but I'm afraid they won't be willing to hand it over to Li Dachui." Wu De was somewhat troubled.

“Same!” Zhang Qingyun laughed.

(End of this chapter)