Chapter 602: A Taste

Xiao Ningyuan and Xiao Ningxun exchanged a glance upon hearing that, both feeling surprised and doubtful.

Why does this King of Qiuci care so much about our father?

The changes in Zhongyuan do not affect this place either.

Tuan Tuan looked up at Bai Boluo, puzzled: "How do you know my father is in Xibei?"

Bai Boluo didn't answer, staring at the brothers' expressions: "What relation are you to Xiao Yuanhang?"

Both were taken aback; this king, friend or foe is hard to tell!

Tuan Tuan, however, didn't care: "They are my elder brother and Third Brother!"

The two helplessly rubbed their foreheads: "Tuan Tuan!"

"It turns out his children are already this big." Bai Boluo drained the cup in one gulp.

Xiao Ningxun's heart stirred, he clasped his fists: "Your Majesty, do you know my father?"

Bai Boluo replied: "Indeed, that was many years ago."

He picked up the wine jug; the maid beside him was about to reach out, but he waved her off.

"Back then, I was just a restless prince, taking a few guards and wandering eastward, wanting to see what Zhongyuan was like."

Xiao Ningyuan's heart skipped a beat; this was no small matter—a Western Regions prince venturing deep into the border with guards could easily spark a dispute between the two states.

Bai Boluo saw what he was thinking, shook his head: "Back then I was young, felt the world vast, and wanted to go everywhere."

He paused, his gaze gradually becoming distant.

"The result was, as soon as we reached a pass, we were surrounded by a troop."

Xiao Ningxun asked: "Surrounded? By whom?"

Bai Boluo laughed: "The leader was a youth, looking only about ten or so years old, with a knife at his waist, riding a horse, his features clear, quite handsome."

"He took me for a spy."

Xiao Ningxun faintly understood a bit.

Xiao Ningyuan couldn't help but ask: "Then what?"

"Then?" Bai Boluo poured himself a cup of wine, then said: "Then he drew his sword and charged at me."

"Back then I was young and hot-blooded, seeing him as a mere brat, I didn't take him to heart."

"I never expected that after just a few moves, my sword was nearly knocked from my hand."

Xiao Ningyuan and Xiao Ningxun were quite surprised; this king's martial skill we have witnessed today—his swordplay fierce, moves vicious, absolutely a top-notch master.

He nearly got defeated by a youth?

"I said, your kung fu is not bad; let's change location and keep fighting!"

"He said, 'Fine, we'll change, are you afraid?'"

"We fought from horseback to on foot, from swords to fists and legs, battling an entire day and night."

Tuan Tuan loved hearing stories most, hurriedly asking: "Who won?"

"In a hurry? Little girl, then guess."

Tuan Tuan's mouth was full of yogurt, cheeks puffed, she shook her head: "I don't know!"

"No one won." Bai Boluo laughed, drained the cup: "Nobody won."

"We fought until we both had no strength left, sitting on the ground, you glaring at me, I glaring at you, neither willing to admit defeat."

"Back then I was thinking, a youth of Zhongyuan in his teens actually has such ability? Given time, what would he become?"

"Later, I handed him my wineskin; he also sheathed his sword, and then we began to talk slowly."

"I told him I was just a bored Western Regions prince, merely wanting to see what Zhongyuan was like."

"He looked at me for a long while, then asked, 'Why didn't you say so earlier? Had I known, I wouldn't have fought you.'"

Bai Boluo shook his head, his smile tinged with helplessness, and poured another cup.

"I said, I did want to say it, but did you give me a chance to speak? You just attacked!"

Tuan Tuan giggled.

Bai Boluo also laughed: "After that day, we drank together and practiced martial arts every day."

"He even brought me into your army camp; we compared archery, horsemanship, spear techniques—we left nothing untried."

He looked at the three siblings, his gaze gentle.

"Five days later, the guards urged me to return."

"I told him, I am so much older than you, yet I failed to subdue you; if I ever come to Zhongyuan again, I will surely challenge you once more."

"He said, 'If someone like you were my enemy, I couldn't sleep.'"

He drained the cup, let out a soft sigh: "It's a pity; later I returned to Qiuci, became king, and never went to Zhongyuan again."

"But his name, I have always remembered: Xiao Yuanhang."

When he spoke that name, it was as if he were recalling an old friend he hadn't seen in years.

"These years, I have kept an eye on him."

"Watching him step by step, from a youth grow into the war god of Fierce Kingdom."

Tuan Tuan blinked: "King Qiuci, it turns out you are my father's good friend!"

Bai Boluo lowered his head to look at her: "Good friend? I suppose so. Although we only met once, and only spent five days together."

"But those five days were worth more than my decades of association with many others."

He poured another cup, raised it, and toasted the two brothers.

"Come, let's have a drink, to your father, Xiao Yuanhang."

The two hastily raised their cups: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Tuan Tuan also raised her small bowl of yogurt: "King Qiuci, your skills are not small! You weren't even defeated by my father!"

After several people had finished drinking the wine in their cups, the atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed.

Bai Boluo asked, "I know he fought a bitter battle on the border between Fierce Kingdom and Da Xia, but I don't know why he went to Xibei again—what happened?"

Xiao Ningxun sighed, saying that after the border war, the originally victorious army had been smeared as deserters who fled before battle.

Even the mother and elder brother who remained in Jingcheng at the time were captured by the rebels… and so on, he told it all.

Bai Boluo listened silently, then poured a cup of wine, gulped it down in one go, and with a "bang" placed the cup heavily on the table:

"Xiao Yuanhang fought life and death on the battlefield, protecting the people of Fierce Kingdom, yet in the end his own side branded him a traitor?"

He raised his eyes to look at the two brothers, his eyes full of fury:

"If he is a traitor, then that so-called Prince Qing and Prince Chen deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces!"

Tuan Tuan was very happy, holding her little bowl, she stood up and ran with a patter to Bai Boluo's table, imitating his earlier action:

"Gui Da Wang! I didn't help you wrong, come! Have a drink!"

Bai Boluo laughed and cried, filling the wine cup: "Fine, I'll drink wine and you drink milk—let's finish this cup!"

The adult and the child drank everything in their cups.

The two brothers and Xue Tong couldn't help but laugh.

Tuan Tuan pouted: "I want to drink wine too! Third Brother won't let me!"

Bai Boluo glanced at Xiao Ningxun: "Your little sister is no ordinary child; why be so strict with her?"

He waved at Tuan Tuan: "Come, child, come over here."

Tuan Tuan put her bowl on the table, went around it, and flung herself into his arms, climbing up with hands and feet.

Xiao Tuanzi found a comfortable spot on his thick thigh and sat down:

"I'm here! Gui Da Wang!"

A soft, fragrant scent enveloped Bai Boluo's embrace.

Bai Boluo's body stiffened, somewhat at a loss.

He had never been this intimate with any child before.

After a moment, he slowly raised his hand and placed it on Tuan Tuan's back to steady her: "You're called Tuan Tuan, right?"

Tuan Tuan nodded: "Yes! The round, round Tuan Tuan!"

Mentioning round and round Tuan Tuan, her little head drooped: "But now my home has been occupied by bad people; we can only return to Jingcheng after Father wins."

"Who occupied it?"

"It's that bad guy, Prince Qing!"

Bai Boluo gave a cold snort: "Ni Ze!"

He shifted his gaze, took Tuan Tuan's small bowl with his hand, using the objects on the table as cover, and poured a little wine into it.

He brought the bowl to Tuan Tuan's lips and whispered: "Shh, don't let your two brothers see—quick, take a sip."

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up, and she was about to lower her head to drink.

Footsteps sounded from outside the gate; she looked up and saw Xiao Er and Lu Qi bringing Kang An inside.