Frontier Hero: From Receiving a Convicted Woman to Becoming an Emperor for All Time

After Liu Wenzhao left, Tie Niu came over and muttered, "Boss, do you think that old bastard Liu Wenzhao really gave in, or was he just pretending?"

"Whether he acts like a coward or truly submits, it doesn't matter." Shen Chuxiao didn't stop walking, his gaze sweeping around the barracks of the West Camp. "As long as he doesn't block the way, I won't touch him."

"What if he doesn't know what's good for him?"

"That depends on whether he wants to go and keep Wang Chongyi company."

Lin Shang had to stay at the West Camp to reorganize military affairs, so Shen Chuxiao did not linger. He took a stroll around and left. After finishing his shift, he went straight to his own courtyard.

Wang Yilu was busy at the stove, the pot was bubbling and the room was filled with the aroma of oil and osmanthus. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing half of her white, lotus-root-like forearm, and carefully poured the boiled soap solution into a wooden box.

Hearing the noise, she looked up, her eyes crinkling with joy: "Husband, you're back."

Shen Chuxiao walked over, gently put his arm around her waist from behind, and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I feel like I've been neglecting you lately."

Wang Yilu blushed.

"My husband is a real man. He has important things to do, so I don't have to think too much about it."

"real?"

"Um."

Even so, Shen Chuxiao still detected a hint of loneliness in his voice.

"You're always so stubborn. Just wait and see how I deal with you."

"You bad guy!"

Wang Yilu blushed like an apple, rolled her eyes at him, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

"How about the soap you made last time? Is it ready to use now?"

She asked,

After hearing this, Shen Chuxiao reached out to grab the wooden box in the corner of the stove.

"Hey, don't move!"

Wang Yilu slapped his hand away.

"It's not the right time yet; taking it out now would render it useless."

Shen Chuxiao withdrew his hand and stepped back with a smile.

The woman he married is becoming more and more like the real deal.

Wang Yilu poured out the soap, smoothed the surface with a wooden board, covered it with a cloth, and carefully placed it back in the corner of the stove. Then he wiped his hands, brought over two bowls of soup, one for each person.

"How's it going at the barracks today?"

"good."

Shen Chuxiao took a sip of soup. The bone broth was thick and white, and the warmth spread from her throat to her stomach. "Lu Chenzhou is now in charge of a region, holding great power. As for your husband, I am now a scout captain with five hundred men."

Wang Yilu smiled and didn't press the matter.

This made Shen Chuxiao feel very comfortable.

After finishing the soup, Wang Yilu cleared away the dishes and went to wash them. Shen Chuxiao sat at the table, unfastened the short knife from his waist, and slowly wiped it with a strip of cloth.

He then got up, walked to the door, and glanced outside.

The night was as dark as ink, and the moon was mostly obscured by clouds, casting shadowy figures in the courtyard.

He stood there for a while, then turned and went back into the house.

"My husband, I'm going to sleep."

Wang Yilu had already made the bed and was sitting obediently on the edge of it, watching him.

Shen Chuxiao responded, blew out the candle on the table, and lay down on the bed.

Wang Yilu snuggled under the covers and naturally leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Shen Chuxiao reached out and pulled her close, then closed his eyes.

In the middle of the night,

Wang Yilu's breathing had become even and deep; she was fast asleep.

But Shen Chuxiao did not fall asleep.

He is reviewing what happened during this period.

As I was thinking, I suddenly realized that something was wrong outside.

Although Ling Shuang Pass is bitterly cold, there are always insects chirping in the courtyard.

However, at this moment, there was nothing.

It was eerily quiet.

It’s tricky!

Shen Chuxiao gently withdrew his arm and got out of bed barefoot.

He pulled a short knife from under his pillow and then took out a repeating crossbow from the headboard and tucked it into his waistband, his movements silent, like a cat.

He glanced back at Wang Yilu—she turned over, mumbled something, and fell into a deep sleep again.

Shen Chuxiao did not go through the door.

If the door latch clicks, someone outside will hear it.

He walked to the window, gently pushed it open a crack, and climbed out.

The courtyard was pitch black.

Shen Chuxiao squatted at the base of the wall, not in a hurry to move, but first letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, and then slowly raising his head to scan every inch of the roof.

really.

He saw a figure lying motionless behind the roof ridge.

The man was dressed in black, his face was covered, only his eyes were visible. A long, narrow straight knife was tucked into his waistband, the scabbard of which was wrapped in cloth so that it did not even reflect the moonlight.

Shen Chuxiao did not rush to make a move.

Instead, they observed it first.

The person wasn't lying down, but half-squatting, with their weight on the balls of their feet. This posture allows them to unleash their power at any moment, either to attack or to escape.

Moreover, the man's hand was not on the hilt of the knife.

Shen Chuxiao frowned slightly.

If he were an assassin, he wouldn't act like that.

Shen Chuxiao took a breath, suddenly leaped up from the base of the wall, touched the wall with his toes, and soared into the air. He grabbed the rafters of the eaves with one hand and flipped onto the roof.

The movement was so fast it was like a black shadow, without even breaking a single tile.

The man in black turned his head in an instant.

The moment he saw Shen Chuxiao, he sprang up, drew his sword, and a cold light shot straight toward Shen Chuxiao's face.

Fast and ruthless.

Shen Chuxiao tilted his head to avoid the blade, then reached out with his left hand to grab the wrist of the man holding the knife. The man in black changed his move with lightning speed, abruptly changing the direction of the blade in mid-air, and slashing horizontally at Shen Chuxiao's neck.

This strike was delivered at a tricky angle and with tremendous force.

Ordinary people simply cannot avoid it.

But Shen Chuxiao dodged it.

He leaned back abruptly, the blade grazing his nose, the resulting shock stinging his cheek. At the same time, his right hand reached for the repeating crossbow at his waist.

He didn't shoot.

Because the man in black didn't follow up with his next strike.

When masters clash, they strive for a seamless, continuous execution.

The way to kill is to take a life within three strikes.

Although this person's knife was ruthless, he always held back a bit of force at the last moment—not enough to be fatal, but enough to throw the opponent into a panic.

Shen Chuxiao's heart stirred slightly, but he showed no mercy in his actions.

He drew his short sword and lunged forward.

A short sword versus a straight sword: the shorter the blade, the more dangerous it becomes.

Shen Chuxiao's swordsmanship had no fancy moves; it was all about killing techniques on the battlefield—parrying, counter-slashing, throat stabbing, and spinning—every move aimed at vital points.

The man in black was forced to retreat two steps, his blade forming a net in front of him, blocking all of Shen Chuxiao's attacks. His swordsmanship was exquisite, but he remained purely defensive, as if waiting for something.

Two pieces of the tile broke with a loud crash.

From inside the room came Wang Yilu's groggy voice: "Husband?"

"It's nothing, a little stray kitten just fell down."

Shen Chuxiao called out without turning his head.

In that moment of distraction, the man in black suddenly changed his tactics.

He stopped defending and thrust his straight blade forward, aiming directly for Shen Chuxiao's heart.

This strike was swift and ruthless, completely different from the previous probing.

Shen Chuxiao dodged to the side and was about to counterattack when the man in black used the force of the blow to propel himself backward, landing on the edge of the roof before flipping off.

Shen Chuxiao chased to the edge of the roof, but the man in black had already landed and disappeared into the night with a few leaps.

Ran?

Shen Chuxiao stood on the edge of the roof, watching the direction the man in black had fled.

His expression shifted between light and dark.

Then he looked down at it.

"A jade pendant?"