That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

Lu Zhao threw one of the items at Jiang Jingming.

Jiang Jingming caught it instinctively, his fingertips touching a sharp yet familiar coolness.

No blame.

Lu Zhao then tossed the remaining items from the cloth bag to them one by one.

"Ah! It's my sword!"

Xie Yunqi held Fu Shuang in his arms, his face full of excitement.

She was worried that if a fight broke out, the knife she had found would be very unsuitable for her.

Aqing's dagger and Fang Zhiyi's needle scroll were returned to their rightful owners.

Ah Qing concealed the dagger in his sleeve, still intending to use the iron ruler in his hand to avoid hitting too hard.

Fang Zhiyi spread out the needle roll and checked each one with great seriousness, then nodded approvingly, confirming that not a single needle was missing.

These needles were bought at a high price by her during consultations; they weren't easy to come by.

Fang Zhiyi carefully put the silver needle she used to pick the lock back; she had specifically asked Aqing for it back.

Lu Zhao scratched his head, wanting to scream wildly to vent his emotions, but he couldn't now.

Although he did something foolish that he would never have dared to do before, strangely enough, he did not regret it. Instead, he felt that every drop of blood in his veins was burning hot.

"Brother Lu Zhao?"

Jiang Jingming held the knife in a reverse grip, and Wujiu was drawn an inch from its sheath. The chilling aura emanating from it was truly unparalleled.

It was obvious that this was definitely not Chen Sha's intention.

Lu Zhao paced back and forth a few times, suppressing the inexplicable impulse and anxiety in his heart, and stepped forward to grab Jiang Jingming's sleeve.

"Come on! I'll lead you out another way!"

"Another way?"

“Vice Envoy Chen knows that if you want to escape from prison, you will go this way, so he has deployed a large number of people along the way, while the main gate is poorly guarded! I will take you out, and if you are in doubt, I can give you some excuses first!”

Without saying a word, Lu Zhao grabbed him and left.

"Hey! Lu Datou, I didn't expect you to be so loyal!"

Xie Yunqi leaned closer, quite surprised.

“Miss, Lu Zhao is indeed a person who is obsessed with fame and fortune and has no great ambitions, but I would never betray a friend.”

Lu Zhao walked to the corner, looked around cautiously, and answered her question as he walked to the left:

"Besides, I trust Jingming. Since he's doing what he believes is right, as his brother, I should naturally help him."

Jiang Jingming listened to him in silence, his palm slowly stroking the hilt of Wujiu's sword.

“Brother Lu Zhao, if you accompany me on this journey, you will be guilty of the same crime as us, and everything you have worked so hard for will be in vain. You will no longer be the promising young constable Lu Shao, but just a fugitive who has temporarily defected.”

“I had already thought of that.”

Lu Zhao grinned:

"To avoid regret, I simply stole your weapons, so there's no turning back. After all, I can't exactly tell Lord Chen that I took them just to take a look, can I?"

Jiang Jingming remained silent for a long time. When he heard the footsteps above him becoming fewer and fewer, he knew that Lu Zhao was right.

Chen Sha had moved all the defensive personnel to the side gate in advance, making it easier to get out from the main gate.

“Jingming, you don’t need to think too much. I’ve figured it out myself. After seeing so many heartbreaking and strange things along the way, I’ve come to realize that this is what the real world is like. So this time, I don’t want to shrink back into my shell like a snail and live my life in a daze, not thinking about anything.”

Lu Zhao had his back to Jiang Jingming, and without turning around, he muttered to himself:

"I, Lu Zhao, can also draw my sword for the right thing. I will also walk the great path of the world!"

Chapter Eighty-Three: Drawing the Sword

To follow the great path of the world is truly a wake-up call.

Jiang Jingming sensed the burning will within Lu Zhao and sighed softly.

Just like the young lady, he's a complete hot-blooded idiot.

Driven by loyalty to friends and a sudden impulse to act chivalrously, he recklessly plunged into a path of no return where he could lose his head at any moment.

"Jingming, you don't know, I've been thinking about this the whole way."

Lu Zhao walked at the front, speaking each word with great determination.

"I initially learned swordsmanship to enter officialdom, for fame and fortune. But must I be trapped by this initial intention for the rest of my life? No, I've figured it out now. I will draw my sword for myself."

He was nearing the exit when he paused and turned around.

Jiang Jingming saw a pair of young and passionate eyes.

"I will draw my sword for true justice!"

Lu Zhao excitedly grabbed his shoulders with both hands, her gaze burning.

The reason for drawing the sword...

Jiang Jingming suddenly remembered what Gu Tinghan had said before he left.

Sometimes, what martial arts practitioners lack most is not the perfection of a single move or two, but a reason to fight.

But this kind of thing can't be taught or learned.

Only after experiencing it firsthand will one truly understand the pain and grit one's teeth, vowing never to let oneself regret it again.

Thinking of this, Jiang Jingming was momentarily lost in thought when he pictured a wolf flag fluttering in the wind on the grassland.

Lu Zhao was so engrossed in his emotions that he didn't notice, and simply shook his shoulders to express his gratitude.

"Jingming, thank you so much! Thanks to you, I was able to understand such an important thing! I wish I had met you sooner."

"..."

Jiang Jingming snapped out of his daze, smiled slightly, but lowered his eyes.

But if they had met earlier, perhaps he wouldn't have understood back then.

Encouraged by this scene, Xie Yunqi excitedly rushed up and punched Lu Zhao hard in the shoulder.

"After knowing you for so long, you've finally said something sensible!"

Lu Zhao clutched his shoulder, which throbbed as if struck by a hammer, and laughed while coughing:

"So this is what rebellion feels like! It's so addictive!"

Both of these hot-blooded idiots were excited and thrilled about the escape that was about to begin.

Aqing stood to the side and silently closed her eyes.

I guess I'm not in the mood to watch these two idiots making a scene.

Fang Zhiyi smiled gently, but Jiang Jingming felt that her smile was not quite normal.

It looks like watching cats and dogs chasing each other on the street.

Fang Zhiyi smiled and suddenly looked up at him, her gaze revealing something beyond the warmth of the moment.

With just one look, Jiang Jingming knew she had guessed what he was going to do next.

Fang Zhiyi's smile faded slightly, and then she nodded gently.

It probably means approval, right?

Jiang Jingming nodded slightly and turned away.

Lu Zhao was still immersed in excitement when Jiang Jingming suddenly stepped forward and drew the sword from his waist.

"how……"

Before Lu Zhao could react, before the smile on his face had even faded, Jiang Jingming twirled the sword in his hand and held it horizontally in front of his neck.

"Jingming, what are you doing?"

Xie Yunqi didn't react either, staring blankly at him.

Jiang Jingming did not answer. He gripped Lu Zhao's chin with one hand and brought the sword blade half an inch closer with the other.

If you looked from a slightly further distance, it would appear as if the sword had already grazed his throat.

"Jingming?"

Lu Zhao was held firmly in his throat, only able to make a hoarse sound.

Don't you believe me?

"Brother Lu Zhao, I believe you."

Jiang Jingming's voice was calm and composed.

“I’m glad you said those things to me, and I’m equally glad you want to walk your own right path.”

He paused for a moment, then pushed Lu Zhao step by step towards the outside.

"However, I also remember what you once said. You are not a person who covets fame and fortune, but the higher you climb, the better your family lives."

Lu Zhao and Xie Yunqi are different.

Although both Lu Zhao and Xie Yunqi betrayed the Divine Capital Guard, Lu Zhao could never escape punishment like Xie Yunqi, which was a privilege reserved for the young lady.

Unlike other sects, the Divine Capital Guard is known for its strict laws and punishments. The lightest punishment awaiting him is dismissal from office and expulsion from the Divine Capital Guard. In addition, he is very likely to be punished for his crime of betraying the enemy.

Even if Lu Zhao manages to escape the inescapable net of punishment, his family is still waiting for him in the capital.

If Lu Zhaoruo gets into trouble, his family will also be implicated and punished.

Jiang Jingming had thought of this, which is why he changed his mind at the last minute.

He wouldn't rely on Lu Zhao's betrayal and cover to escape, but rather he would hold Lu Zhao hostage and make him play the role of a helpless victim.

……

The faint light of the exit could already be seen, and a cacophony of footsteps sounded overhead.

They all underestimated the adaptability of the Divine Capital Guards. The short delay they had just made was enough time to redeploy some of their forces back to the main gate for defense.

As Lu Zhao listened to him speaking from behind, he gradually understood what he meant and clenched his fists tightly.

The morning sunlight slanted down from the direction of the exit, and some people had already noticed the footsteps in the tunnel, cautiously approaching with their swords drawn.

"So, I'm sorry, I can't let everything you've worked so hard for go to waste."

Jiang Jingming lowered his voice and patted his shoulder lightly at the end.

"Before becoming my companion, I can only trouble Brother Lu Zhao to play the role of my hostage for now."

Lu Zhao gritted his teeth and remained silent for a moment before the person behind him pushed him into the sunlight.

The sudden burst of bright light made the group of people who came out of the tunnel momentarily lose their senses.

"Halt! Put down your sword!"

The guards of the capital city quickly drew their swords and surrounded the group.

Soon someone recognized that the person being held hostage was Lu Zhao, and was immediately shocked.

"You audacious villain! Release our young commander at once!"

When they saw the head peeking out furtively from behind the villain, they nearly fainted.

"Young Miss!!!"

The Divine Capital Guards who came to Fengling City on official business had usually met Xie Yunqi in the capital and had experienced her terrible temper quite a bit.

It's no exaggeration to say that if the situation hadn't been so serious, I would have almost knelt down.

The unfortunate guards of the capital city thought this was the worst possible situation, but little did they know that something even worse was yet to come.

The villain held Lu Shao, the young captain, hostage with a sword in one hand, and with the other hand, he suddenly pulled out a murderous knife and held it to Miss Xie's neck.

"Let go of our young lady!!!"

The guards of the capital were terrified and drew their swords, shouting loudly.

"If you dare to harm the young lady even in the slightest, I will tear you to pieces!"