Chapter 345: The True Blade Edge

Early the next morning.

Tie He brought breakfast for the group, placed his hand on his chest and bowed, "Did you all sleep well? Want to stroll around the Royal City?"

Tuan Tuan brightened at the sound, "I want to! Third Brother, shall we go out for a walk?"

"Fine." Xiao Ningxun gladly agreed, glancing at Ha Ri Cha Gai.

Ha Ri Cha Gai understood and said, "Alright, after we finish eating we'll leave; I'll take you all on a proper tour."

Tie He smiled, "The Great Prince instructed me to stay by your side at all times and protect you."

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Ran exchanged a glance, nodded, and said, "Then we shall trouble you."

Tie He stepped back outside.

When the tent curtain fell, Xiao Ran hummed, "Protect what? Clearly they're just watching us."

Xiao Ningxun said, "No problem; we can't stay cooped up in this big tent all day."

Xiao Er nodded, "Indeed, if he wants to follow, let him. We'll wander as we wish."

After the meal, the party walked onto the Royal City's streets, with Tie He silently trailing the two of them.

Tuan Tuan pointed at a round object displayed on a stall, woven from colorful wool, and asked, "Ha Ri, what is that round thing?"

The stall owner was a woman with flushed cheeks, hurriedly asking, "Little girl, which one do you like?"

Before Ha Ri Cha Gai could speak, Tie He stepped forward, took out a few copper coins and placed them on the stall, then picked up a colored ball and handed it to Tuan Tuan, "Little Princess likes it? Take it."

Xiao Ningxun raised a hand to intervene, "Why should the iron guard spend money?"

"Count Wenhui, you're being modest!" Tie He shouted loudly, "The Great Prince gave orders early; you all are honored guests of my West Lu, how could I let guests spend money?"

"Just a few trinkets; if they can bring a smile to Princess Jiayou, that's their blessing!"

At those words, the other herders at the stall instantly looked up at them.

Passersby nearby also stopped in their tracks.

"These Central Plains people seem to have quite a background!"

"Indeed, and there's a Princess too!"

"Are they guests invited by the Great Khan?"

Tie He kept his smile, raising his voice further, "You all are close friends of the Second Prince from the Fiery Nation."

"Although the Second Prince is currently indisposed, the Great Prince, mindful of brotherly ties, has specifically ordered me to give you a warm reception; we must not be negligent!"

The surrounding herders immediately began to gossip.

"Not guests of the Great Khan! Friends of the Second Prince?"

"No wonder they say the Second Prince colludes with the Fiery Nation!"

"Exactly, they came all the way here and knocked on the door."

Ha Ri Cha Gai's complexion darkened, and he whispered the meaning of their words to the crowd.

The few of them glanced at each other, all slightly furrowing their brows.

Tie He's expression remained unchanged, and he continued leading the group forward.

Passing a stall selling milk tofu, Tuan Tuan only glanced at it a couple more times.

"Two pieces, please!" Tie He quickly paid, handed the milk tofu to Tuan Tuan, "Our steppe milk tofu uses fresh sheep's milk each day, Little Princess, give it a try!"

The stall owner was a young man, noticing the Central Plains attire on them, "Are you guests who just arrived in the Royal City?"

Tie He beamed, "Exactly! We arrived only the day before, the journey was hard; the Great Prince specially gave us a two‑day rest, and today we finally go out for a stroll."

"The day before?" the man seemed to recall something, "Wasn't it the night before when a white deer's cry echoed throughout the Royal City?"

The others at the stall exchanged glances.

"Yes! That very day!"

"The white deer's cry was truly tragic, it scared me!"

"Indeed! I've never heard a deer howl like that in the middle of the night!"

Murmurs spread like a tide; the surrounding people's gazes shifted from curiosity to scrutiny, suspicion, even a faint hostility.

Ha Ri Cha Gai grew anxious, quietly explaining their words to Xiao Ningxun.

Tie He still wore a smile, as if oblivious to everything, "The leather goods stall ahead uses only premium sheepskin; shall we go take a look?"

Xiao Ningxun bent down, cradling Tuan Tuan, "Iron Guard, we've toured enough today; the steppe scenery is indeed wonderful, but my sister is tired, let's return."

Tuan Tuan blinked wide eyes at him, her pupils shifting, "Yes, I'm tired! I want to go back to see Fan Fan!"

Tie He did not object, "If so, I'll escort you all back."

The party turned and returned to the big tent.

As soon as the curtain fell, Xiao Ran couldn't help punching the low table.

"Good for you, Tie He! I told you why he wanted to follow us!"

He gritted his teeth, "Outwardly enthusiastic and attentive, but every word is a trap!"

"Friends of the Second Prince! He's afraid others won't know our connection with Jifeng!"

Xiao Ningxun sat on the blanket, pondered briefly, then slowly said, "The white deer's mournful cry."

"Tie He deliberately told others that we arrived the day before."

"That night, the holy mountain's white deer wailed, known throughout the Royal City. If now another disaster linked to the white deer were to occur?"

Xiao Ran inhaled sharply, "You mean they plan to create a disaster and then frame us?"

"Not framing." Qing Qing shook her head slowly, eyes flickering, "But confirming."

"Confirming us, the Second Prince's Fiery Nation friends, would bring disaster, the ones who wreak havoc on the steppe."

"By then, not even rescuing Jifeng; we ourselves would be hard to protect."

Tuan Tuan was still playing with the colored ball, and upon hearing this, suddenly looked up, "But the deer isn't angry."

Xiao Ningxun stared: "Tuan Tuan, what are you saying?"

Tuan Tuan replied: "That night, Lu Lu wasn't angry, it was sad."

"Their companion is missing; they're searching for it."

Several people glanced at each other.

"Lu Lu is missing? Where did it go?"

Xiao Ran said: "Harichagai, go check the holy mountain."

Harichagai shook their head: "The white deer is a divine beast of the grasslands; their nest is deep in the holy mountain, we cannot approach."

Qing Qing nodded: "Exactly; the holy mountain isn't forbidden, but we only stay on the outskirts and lowlands; going deeper would disturb the gods."

Xiao Er, anxious: "If we can't even look, then we wouldn't know what they're up to!"

Xiao Ningxun snorted: "Looks like, whatever happens next, Bateer will put this tab on us."

At the same time, inside an inconspicuous gray tent.

Tie He flashed inside, lowering their voice: "Sir, word has already spread throughout the Royal City."

"Everyone knows they are friends of the Second Prince of Lie State, and they happened to arrive in the Royal City on the day the white deer wailed."

Jiang Heng didn't lift their head, playing with the object in their hand, uttering a soft 'ng'.

Tie He hesitated for a moment: "Sir, do you have any other orders?"

"Tie He, do you know what the sharpest blade in the world is?"

Tie He lowered their eyes to their waist saber: "Is… the freshly sharpened blade?"

Jiang Heng laughed: "A freshly sharpened blade is sharp, but it can only take a life."

"And some people, even after death, remain famous throughout the world, becoming exemplars for later generations."

"This is what the Central Plains people call 'name etched in history.'"

"Such a person, though dead, is more useful than when alive."

"Therefore, the true blade is to slay people's yearnings, not their lives."

"It is the many-tongued slander that melts gold—this is the sharpest blade in the world, Commander Tie."