White snow, black snow. The excessively sweet and unctuous smell together with the foul stench, made Gao Yanan ‘see’ Wenren Cangyue’s ruthlessness.

She tightly pursed her pretty lips, turning around to look at Lin Xi. She squeezed out some words between her pure white teeth, warning Lin Xi, “These poisons from Gongsun Quan are just to make us remain here for a bit of time. He will definitely use a lot more, as well as different types of poisons to deal with us… because he doesn’t care how many people are killed in Chaste and Undefiled Inn, he wouldn’t care how many people will die as a result at all.”

“He will go all out to kill everyone here.”

Lin Xi nodded. He released a light sigh.

Even if Gao Yanan didn’t warn him, he already thought through everything Gao Yanan thought about.

In reality, from the very start, when he heard how Wenren Cangyue, in order to reach his iron throne of west defending great general, killed many frontier inhabitants to claim more military contributions, he already didn’t like this extremely famous great general. When he heard that Wenren Cangyue wanted to rebel, he instead developed a bit of sympathy.

It was because he heard that from the very start, Wenren Cangyue merely wanted one of the nine seats behind the layers of curtains. However, because of his stains and strength, Yunqin Emperor and those nine elders all instead wanted him to back down. In this situation, someone like this who quelled the chaos in the west with his own strength, would obviously find this hard to accept. It was hard for Lin Xi to say whether Wenren Cangyue was fair or unfair.

However, when Gongsun Quan used this type of poison to attack, it erased the last trace of sympathy he felt towards Wenren Cangyue.

“A great general whose achievements were created through endless bones, why would a valiant figure like him need the sympathy of a small fish like me?”

The corners of Lin Xi’s lips produced a trace of a self-mocking smile.

With just a single military order from someone like Wenren Cangyue, he could already make who knew how many people’s blood flow across Yunqin’s earth. Meanwhile, someone like him only wished to ensure the safety of a few dozen people, yet he might not necessarily be able to do so.

Suddenly, Lin Xi began to understand why Vice Principal Xia insisted on having him head to the border army and command an army, why he had to serve as the commander in this mission even though An Keyi and others with much more military experience were present.

Other than cultivation matters and ‘Divine General’ talent… Since he was the leader, all of these people relying on his commands, all of their lives were completely in his hands. This was a type of formless weight and pressure. Sometimes, he had to make extremely difficult decisions… Lin Xi also knew that as he himself, this small fish, slowly grew bigger, in the future, there would definitely be even more lives placed in his hands. Vice Principal Xia, who firmly believed that he was the only one with ‘Divine General’ talent after Principal Zhang, wanted him to adapt to this, to come into contact with more cruel pressure and choices than normal people, deal with these things earlier.

…

“You should immediately give the order to break out.” An Keyi turned around to look at Lin Xi, directly saying this.

She knew that there was almost no chance of finding Gongsun Quan today, that she would definitely face one of her life’s defeats today. Only, she was a bit confused, Lin Xi clearly already understood that there would be many more poison attacks, so why didn’t he give out more orders? If they remained here, many people were bound to die and those under his command w ho weren’t cultivators might all perish, so why was Lin Xi’s expression still so relaxed and calm?

“I am the commander, so teacher, your respected self also needs to trust me.”

Lin Xi understood that An Keyi obeyed Vice Principal Xia’s orders with absolute loyalty, that all authority of giving orders was faithfully handed into his hands. However, he still seriously looked into An Keyi’s eyes, first saying this.

Then, he still didn’t give the orders, instead raising his head to look into the direction the green lamps flew over from. He asked seriously, “Teacher, it is difficult to determine where those pigeons have flown over from, there are too many possibilities, but the flames in the lamps have to be lit by someone… according to my judgment over the wind and time, the other party should have released them five li from the east of this city. Teacher, your respected self’s cultivation is much higher than mine, can you verify if my deduction is accurate?”

An Keyi’s brows furrowed deeply, but she chose to cooperate. She nodded and said, “A bit over five li, there isn’t too much deviation.”

In the wine shop street behind Chaste and Undefiled Inn, the cries of alarm became louder and louder. Moreover, in the distant deep alley, continuous strange barking sounds could be heard. Gao Yanan’s figure also began to tremble slightly.

However, what immediately made her body go rigid was that Lin Xi actually held her hand at this time!

Lin Xi held her hand right in front of An Keyi, in front of Bian Linghan, Jiang Xiaoyi and Meng Bai’s faces!

Right now, her hands were extremely cold, her mind also subconsciously longing for the warmth of Lin Xi’s hand. However, she just never would have expected him to actually do something this daring at this time.

When she felt the warmth of Lin Xi’s hands, this tall and slender beautiful young lady’s brain immediately released a ringing noise, completely at her wits’ end.

“What a soft and comfortable small hand… I can finally hold your hand again. I’ve thought about it for a long time already and this is also the happiest moment… If Gongsun Quan wasn’t here, it should feel even better, I would be even happier…” However, what left her in disbelief was that Lin Xi actually spoke such ‘shameless’ words.

Jiang Xiaoyi, Bian Linghan and Meng Bai were all completely stupefied.

At this type of time, in front of An Keyi, he could still speak such sickening words… just how thick skinned and how bold did one have to be to do so?

Under their stupefied looks, Lin Xi’s face instead became serious, inwardly quietly saying the word ‘return’. Then, he pushed that ‘green roulette’ in his head.

Time returned to when Lin Xi had just entered the courtyard, when he first saw An Keyi who was waiting for them under the eaves.

Because they were all people who he was closest to and trusted, Lin Xi didn’t bother looking for any clues. Before An Keyi spoke out, he first gave An Keyi a bow of respect, quietly saying, “Teacher, I need your respected self to come with me and help me with some matters.”

An Keyi raised her head in confusion. She gathered her hair and calmly asked, “What matters?”

“Matters that have to do with the lives and deaths of many people. Teacher, please trust me. When the time comes, you will understand.” After saying this, Lin Xi directly turned around. He nodded towards Gao Yanan and Jiang Xiaoyi, quietly saying, “Trust my intuition.”

The moment Lin Xi mysteriously and directly said this first line, Gao Yanan, Jiang Xiaoyi and the others already felt like the atmosphere wasn’t quite right. Now that Lin Xi said to trust his intuition, Gao Yanan immediately recalled what happened on Ten Fingers Ridge.

Bian Linghan and Jiang Xiaoyi also thought about the many instances of Lin Xi’s ‘intuition’ that he couldn’t explain.

Meng Bai thought about the incomprehensible crazy cultivation they went through these past few days.

“What now?” Meng Bai couldn’t help but shiver all over, his face sullen as he said this. After these recent days of cultivation, his body even became a bit skinnier.

An Keyi didn’t ask too much, only nodding, agreeing to Lin Xi’s request.

“I am not sure if anyone is targeting us, so when we leave, we can’t let others easily discover our traces. Do not let those outside know that we are heading out either.” Lin Xi removed an ordinary arrow from Bian Linghan’s quiver, quietly saying, “Several breaths later, with this arrow sound as the signal, as soon as you all hear my arrow sound, immediately give the orders for everyone to break out towards the city’s east. Me and Teacher An will be in that direction.”

After remaining silent for a moment, Lin Xi looked at Gao Yanan, Jiang Xiaoyi and the others, “If there is a chance… when you hear my arrow sounds, help me do some things. Do your best to force everyone in this inn to leave… it is because all of the guests who remain might be in danger.”

“Just what exactly did he notice?”

Jiang Xiaoyi and Bian Linghan couldn’t help but exchange a look, unable to understand Lin Xi’s current words. However, because of their absolute trust in Lin Xi, their faces became incredibly serious, only nodding without saying any nonsense.

…

A tipsy atmosphere surrounded Sparrow Lord City’s flourishing night scene.

The white silk handkerchief descended from the Star Seizing Restaurant, , fluttering about in the wind.

“Let’s celebrate this night!”

In front of the nine-floored restaurant’s window, the middle-aged meager scholar sprinkled a cup of wine into the air.

“We will surely win!”

He faced the western sky, looking in Wenren Cangyue’s direction, bowing slightly towards this individual he vowed loyalty and devotion to.

He already made ample preparations and he didn’t care about the lives and deaths of the people here at all. For the sake of this battle’s victory, he didn’t mind letting countless people here be buried together with the troop heading towards Jadefall City. He and the Great General he was absolutely loyal to were currently challenging the entire world, so the expression on his face was both solemn and fanatical.

…

The middle-aged, slow-speeched peddler who sold bamboo utensils walked into his own house in the city’s east.

This was a street adjacent to a small river. Single-story houses were connected one after another, there were more than ten continuous poor, low houses in a single passageway.

His house was the fifth one.

He quickly produced a piece of bamboo from underneath the bed, and then with a light pinch of his hand, many small green porcelain bottles were produced.

Then, with the quickest speed possible, he opened up many oil paper frames, many sky lanterns taking shape in his hands, just like magic.

Using a single candle, he easily and quickly lit these sky lanterns that had an unknown flammable substance inside of them. Then, he scattered the green-colored poison within the small green porcelain bottles onto the sky lanterns.

Just like dandelions blown by a breath of air, green sky lanterns rose from this house’s window.

However, when the first green-colored lantern had just exceeded this house’s height, he heard an extremely fierce arrow noise, as if countless children were screaming through the air.

Moreover, this scalp numbing arrow noise sounded not far from where he was.

Then, the pupils of this slow-speeched middle-aged man who had also just crazily shouted ‘we will surely win’ inside contracted fiercely. He saw that the green sky lantern that had just reached above the house’s height suddenly went out.

Then, the other lanterns were also completely extinguished.

A beautiful woman with a rather bookish feel appeared in front of these sky lanterns, standing on the roof of a house, currently facing this window.