Tumor Sword Immortal

Chapter 345 Xiuer

Pei Xia's decision not to leave with Jiang Shu immediately was itself a subtle hint of her attitude.

Looking at Zhao Beishi and his group warming themselves by the fire at the foot of the earthen slope, Pei Xia subtly moved closer, leaned against a rock at the edge, and pulled her clothes, as if to seek shelter from the wind.

Their ears were already perked up, listening intently to the conversation of the group of teenagers.

At first, there was nothing of value to them. The children kept complaining about the bad weather, the bad roads, and the bad horses—the warhorses in the army were strong but not docile, and even those who had been taught riding at home since childhood were not easy to handle.

Most of the suggestions were initiated by the boy in black, with the others echoing his sentiments.

The girl who had been hit earlier didn't dare to approach. She bit her lip and stood at a distance from the fire, silently tidying her hair, which had been wet by the rain.

There were also clothes with muddy footprints on their stomachs.

After a while, the boy in black started talking about things that Pei Xia was interested in.

“We should be able to reach Sishui by tomorrow,” Zhao Beishi said, poking the fire in front of him with a tree branch. “That bitch Li Qing, that cheap slut from Qin, dares to look down on us all the time. This time, let’s send her damn elite troops ahead and settle things in Sishui.”

The slightly chubby boy next to him chimed in, "Let's first let that woman know her place, let her know that we are the elite of Beishi City."

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd, followed by someone saying, "We've helped the Great Ling expand its territory; who knows, when we get back, it might be another great achievement!"

Pei Xia narrowed her eyes slightly. When she heard them change the subject again, she crossed her arms and walked back to Jiang Shu's side without saying a word.

He nudged Jiang Shu with his shoulder: "I just heard them talking about Li Qing, do you know this person?"

Jiang Shu opened his eyes wide and looked at Pei Xia with some surprise.

He thought that someone like Li Qing should have been heard of even by people from other states.

Jiang Shu clicked his tongue, pondered for a moment, and said, "A general of Qinzhou, the more powerful kind."

"General Qinzhou?"

"That's right, there are seven warlords who claim to still hold official positions from the previous dynasty, and they are all quite powerful."

Pei Xia nodded in realization. So, these sons of officials from Beishi City were all under Li Qing's command before?
Judging from their tone, the two sides did not get along well.

What could possibly motivate a warlord from Qinzhou to patiently care for these children, even though she clearly disliked them?
Pei Xia had been in Canglu for a long time and didn't know much about what was happening in Beishi City. Not long after he returned, he escaped again because of Pei Xi's death. So, he naturally couldn't say what connection Da Ling had with Qinzhou.

Even so, these few words convinced Pei Xia of some of her judgments.

The war in Qin Prefecture was common knowledge. These teenagers didn't seem to be skilled in martial arts, yet they dared to travel in a group and even claimed they were going to "pacify the matter."

They must have something to rely on.

It's possible that it's some kind of method that can temporarily restore spiritual power. With the help of spiritual power, even someone at the Zhen Gang Realm would be far superior to someone at the Copper Skin Realm in both offense and defense.

That makes sense. If there weren't basic protective measures, which high-ranking official or noble family would send their child to Qin Prefecture?

"I'm afraid they've sent another expert to watch over them, but because they left the team without permission, they haven't caught up yet..." Pei Xia muttered to herself.

After finishing the dried meat, Jiang Shu licked his fingers reluctantly.

This exquisitely pickled delicacy is unparalleled in Qinzhou; this is the first time Jiang Shu has ever tasted it in his life.

Looking up, Jiang Shu saw Pei Xia still staring at Zhao Beishi and his group. Remembering what Pei Xia had asked him earlier, Jiang Shu subconsciously asked, "Are they Li Qing's men?"

Pei Xia nodded, not hiding anything: "It should be from Da Ling, do you know Bei Shi Cheng?"

"I know, Senior Brother Han told me about it."

Jiang Shu also craned his neck to take a look: "Li Qing has a better reputation, but I didn't expect him to be a traitor to Qin as well."

Pei Xia blinked: "What do you mean by 'Qin traitor'?"

"They're helping people from other states fight in Qin Prefecture. There are several generals in Qin Prefecture who are."

Jiang Shu counted on his fingers, telling Pei Xia what he knew: "Hong Zongbi is supported by Admiral Le Yang, and Cheng Xiong is backed by the Northern Barbarians, including Li Xu. Although I haven't heard of any powerful backers, it is said that they have business dealings with the various states of Dongzhou."

Now I know there's another one, Li Qing.

Moreover, judging from the current situation, the power behind Li Qing is probably the greatest. Although the Northern Barbarians and the Great Ling have been locked in a stalemate for many years and the Northern Barbarians even have a slight advantage, they are ultimately nomadic dynasties. In terms of the troops, horses, money, and provisions they can provide to their warlords, they certainly cannot compare with the Great Ling.

"Tsk, no wonder. I knew that even with Qin Prefecture in such a state, the intensity of the war could still be so high..."

Proxy wars are like a bonfire that keeps getting fueled and never goes out.

Looking at it this way, Pei Xia immediately understood the origin of these high-ranking officials' children: they were gilded.

He grinned mockingly: "Heh, Youzhou and the northern front are fighting to the death with the Yi people, so they dare not send them up, and instead dump them in Qinzhou to fool people."

Jiang Shu couldn't understand Pei Xia's mutterings, so he looked up at the sky.

The rain clouds had dispersed, and the sunlight had returned. He asked Pei Xia, "Aren't we leaving yet?"

Pei Xia shook her head at him: "Wait a little longer."

Before long, Zhao Beishi and his group also began to prepare to set off.

Three men and one woman, four elegantly dressed youths, were the first to mount their horses and gallop away.

The remaining petite girl hurriedly tidied up the blankets and brocade bags they had laid out.

Pei Xia stepped out at the right moment and called out, "Miss."

The girl looked up, their eyes met, and both of them were stunned for a moment.

From a distance, it wasn't noticeable, but upon closer inspection of her face, it became clear that the girl was actually quite young. It was only because she had grown so tall that it hadn't been noticed at first.

This made Pei Xia even more curious. Which wealthy family in Beishi City was this little girl from? Why was she just abandoned in Qinzhou like this? Wasn't she afraid something would happen to her?
Furthermore, it's not easy to develop such excellent horsemanship skills at such a young age; could he be from a military family?

Just as Pei Xia was in a daze.

The girl stared at his face, her pupils trembling. She stretched out a finger, her lips trembling for a moment before she finally uttered, "Father?"

This time, not only Pei Xia was stunned, but even Jiang Shu behind her was dumbfounded.

"W-you...what did you call me?"

“Dad… no, no,” the girl seemed to realize she had misspoke, swallowed, and blinked her bright eyes. “Uncle Pei.”

Calling someone "father" could lead to misunderstandings.

That address of "Uncle Pei" confirmed Pei Xia's claim.

Does she really know herself?
Pei Xia frowned, and at this moment he had to take a closer look at the girl.

You know what, there was a faint sense of familiarity in his eyes and brows, as if I'd seen him before.

The girl must have noticed his confusion. She bit her lip, placed her hand on her chest, and cautiously said her name: "Pei Xiu, I am Xiu'er."

His surname is Pei, and he shares the same ancestry as himself.

Which Pei? There's also a foster sister surnamed Pei in Dongzhou... Oh, Beishi City, Beishi City must be Pei Xi's side. Pei Xi only has one son, could it be that adopted daughter's...?

"Wait, Pei what?"

"Pei Xiu".

Pei Xia rubbed his temples; he remembered.

There was a Pei Xiu,

"Xiu" is her given name; she has no surname.

On the way from Canglu to Beishi City that year, Luo Xiaojin rescued a fresh fruit from Qinzhou who had been smuggled to the capital by Guo Han. Pei Xia once suggested that she take Luo Xiaojin's surname, but Luo Xiaojin insisted that she take Pei Xia's surname, Pei.

Because "Luo" is the Luo in Luo Xiaojin, and Luo Xiaojin is a Qin product.

The "Pei" in Pei Xia refers to Pei Xia, whose father was a prime minister.

(End of this chapter)