Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 72 Aro's Initiative

For Lin Xuan, holding hands between a man and a woman is a very intimate gesture.

But he also understood the principle of adapting to local customs.

He has gradually become more relaxed now that he is being held by Tian Qingluan, instead of being initially restrained by A Luo.

After leaving the alley, Lin Xuan took the initiative to ask, "Miss Qingluan, is there anything you want to ask?"

Tian Qingluan smiled slightly and said, "Actually, it's not about business. In a few days, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival. According to past practice, the Jiuli tribe will come down from the mountains to purchase daily necessities after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Didn't Lin Xiaoqi say last time that he wanted to see them? I'm letting you know in advance."

Lin Xuan's heart stirred, and he nodded slightly, saying, "Thank you, Miss Qingluan."

Tian Qingluan looked at him, her eyebrows and eyes beautiful: "We're so familiar with each other, why does Lin Xiaoqi always have to be so polite?"

Lin Xuan simply smiled and did not respond.

At this moment, his mind was filled with thoughts of the Jiuli tribe.

The arrival of the Jiuli tribe is imminent, and Mandala happens to be absent, presenting him with an excellent opportunity.

However, whether they can cure the Heart-Eating Gu, whether they are willing to help him cure it, and even if they do get rid of the Gu, how should he deal with it when that woman returns...?

These are all issues that Lin Xuan needs to consider in advance.

As long as the Gu worms in his body can be eliminated, that woman is the least of our worries.

By the time she returned, Lin Xuan had already flown far away, to a place she could never find, living in anonymity, never to return to Sizhou again in this lifetime.

Seeing that Lin Xuan had not responded for a long time, Tian Qingluan turned her head to look at him and found that he looked thoughtful, obviously lost in thought.

In a short time, Lin Xuan had considered countless possibilities. After regaining his senses, he looked at Tian Qingluan and said, "The Jingbian Division is just ahead. I'll be going now. Goodbye, Miss Qingluan..."

Watching his departing figure, Tian Qingluan lightly stamped her foot, a hint of distress appearing on her pretty face.

He's great in every way, except he's a bit clueless about romance...

When Lin Xuan stepped into the Jingbian Division, he saw Huang Yue carrying a pile of things as he walked out of the duty room.

Huang Yue looked at Lin Xuan, a complex expression on his face.

He had always wanted to defeat Lin Xuan, but unexpectedly, he ended up losing miserably.

Now, Lin Xuan has become the number one person below the two centurions.

His journey to Nanzhao was fraught with certain death...

He sighed deeply, lowered his head, and walked past Lin Xuan without saying a word.

Lin Xuan's gaze did not linger on Huang Yue for long.

He never considered Huang Yue as an enemy worth dealing with.

His goal remained unchanged: to break free from the curse, escape the control of the mandala, and clear his name as a spy for the Nanzhao Kingdom.

Whether it was Huang Yue or Shen Qingya, they were merely a minor interlude in this process...

After returning to his duty room, Lin Xuan did not meditate as usual.

Commander Lu from the Capital Commandery has been at the Jingbian Division for the past few days in order to find out Jun Zizhu, a secret spy from Nanzhao.

Mandala had told him that this Commander Lu was the Commander's absolute confidant, and his strength had reached the peak of the fifth rank. He should be careful.

After sitting in the duty room for a while, Lin Xuan went to the archives of the Jingbian Division.

On previous occasions, he had seen many records about the Jiuli tribe in the archives.

He needed to make some preparations before dealing with the Jiuli tribe.

Legend has it that in ancient times, after Chi You was defeated by the Yellow Emperor, his surviving people moved to a secluded place isolated by mist and steep mountains to avoid disaster. They lived and multiplied for thousands of years, forming the Jiuli tribe as we know it today.

Although this is not Earth, which Lin Xuan is familiar with, these ancient myths are quite similar to those of another world.

The Jiuli tribe was not a unified tribe, but a loose alliance of nine tribes. They collectively worshipped a shaman god, but each tribe was highly autonomous, somewhat similar to the situation of the chieftains in the southwest.

For a considerable period of time, the southwestern region of Dayong was ruled by the Jiuli tribe.

The ancestors of the local Miao people were subjects under the rule of the Jiuli tribe. They also worshipped the shaman god. With the change of dynasties and the transfer of power, they gradually developed into a local chieftain force.

However, the relationship between the Miao chieftains and the Jiuli people is now very distant.

Historically, the southwestern region experienced numerous wars, and the Jiuli tribe was driven into the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains by the various dynasties on this continent, where they had little contact with the outside world for hundreds of years.

Although the Jiuli tribe is small in number, every member is a born warrior.

In addition, they have inherited many ancient secret techniques, are good at making various powerful weapons, and refine pills with special effects. At the same time, their mental strength is also extraordinary. Almost half of the clan members are skilled in both martial arts and magic. Even the once powerful dynasty overlords did not dare to exterminate the Jiuli clan.

Almost every dynasty formed a subtle cooperative relationship with the Jiuli tribe.

The Great Yong's Thousand-Mile Mirror, Heart-Questioning Mirror, and Mysterious Light Armor all originated from the Jiuli tribe. The Bone-Tempering Liquid was also a product of the Jiuli tribe. The Jiuli tribe used these items to exchange for silver, which they then used to purchase goods to meet the daily needs of their tribe.

Lin Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. What he feared most was that the Jiuli tribe was completely detached from worldly affairs.

It now seems that they also need to make a living and have needs.

As long as they have needs, everything is negotiable.

Lin Xuan continued to examine the classic texts, memorizing all the contents.

Different tribes have different totems, and the taboos to be observed when dealing with each tribe are all recorded in the Jingbian Si's (the border defense command's) classics...

Before she knew it, Lin Xuan had finished reading the last book.

Forcing himself to memorize so much information in such a short time left him feeling dizzy and lightheaded, even with his powerful mental strength.

Lin Xuan walked to the door and found that it had started raining outside.

A cool breeze carrying raindrops swept over him, making him feel much more awake.

Lin Xuan spent the entire afternoon in the archives, and had already been off duty for quite some time.

He returned to the duty room, intending to find an umbrella, but after searching the entire room, he couldn't find one.

The other duty rooms had also been closed long ago.

Lin Xuan was too lazy to look for an umbrella. With his physique, he could be soaked for three days and three nights without any problems. Getting some rain would be good for him to clear his head.

He walked to the entrance of Jingbian Division and was about to step into the rain when he saw a slender figure squatting in the corner of the entrance, shivering in the cold wind, hugging her shoulders.

Lin Xuan paused, surprised, and asked, "A-Luo?"

A Luo turned around, saw Lin Xuan, and smiled. She sniffed, "Brother Lin, are you done with your work?"

Lin Xuan stepped forward, frowning, and asked, "Why are you here? What happened?"

A Luo shook her head, took out an oil-paper umbrella from her bosom and handed it over, saying softly, "It's nothing... it's just raining, and I was afraid you didn't bring an umbrella, so I brought it to you."

Lin Xuan took the umbrella, still warm from her body, paused for a moment, and then said, "You're dressed so lightly, why didn't you go inside and wait for me..."

He left office half an hour later than usual today, which means she stood in the cold wind for an hour.
Aro smiled and said, "I'm fine... Achoo!"

Before she could finish speaking, she couldn't help but sneeze.

Lin Xuan immediately took off his flag officer's cloak and draped it over her shoulders, saying, "It's cold outside, let's go back quickly..."

Aro nodded slightly and said softly, "Mmm..."

The entire city was shrouded in a misty rain, and there were few pedestrians on the streets.

The oil-paper umbrella wasn't very big. Lin Xuan held it with one hand and subconsciously tilted it towards A Luo.

After walking for a while, A Luo noticed that Lin Xuan's outer shoulder was wet from the rain, and she moved closer to him without making a sound.

The two were already very close, and when she moved, their arms pressed tightly together. Even through several layers of clothing, they could still feel each other's warmth.

A faint, delicate fragrance lingered around Lin Xuan's nose.

Sizhou City is built against the mountain, and the roads in the city are not flat. Almost every short distance, you will encounter stone steps that go up or down.

The stone steps were incredibly slippery from the rain. As she descended one step, A'Luo stumbled and nearly fell, but a strong hand caught her shoulder and helped her regain her balance.

Lin Xuan held an umbrella in one hand and put his arm around A Luo's shoulder with the other. A Luo secretly looked up at him and then shrank back into himself.

This time, half of her body was pressed against Lin Xuan's, and her head was resting on his shoulder.

Lin Xuan asked in a low voice, "Are you cold?"

Aro nodded slightly: "A little..."

Lin Xuan tightened his grip on her arm, protecting her even more closely.

Lin Xuan took A Luo's hand off her shoulder after dropping her off at her doorstep.

A Luo brushed her rain-dampened hair from her forehead and said, "Brother Lin, I'll go back and change my clothes, then I'll come back and cook for you."

Lin Xuan nodded and then added, "Remember to wear an extra layer of clothing, be careful not to catch a cold."

"Know it……"

A Luo responded and turned to walk into her house.

Lin Xuan stood at the door, not going home immediately.

He and A-Luo have known each other for some time now.

Today, Lin Xuan felt that something was very wrong with her.

At the alley entrance, another figure holding an umbrella watched this scene from afar, a thoughtful expression on their face...

(End of this chapter)