Chapter 767

The fingers in Anbei Taiqin's sleeve curled slightly.

Just now he made hand seals and chanted a spell, intending to draw upon the water vapor to extinguish the harbor flames.

Unexpectedly, the flames not only did not go out, they showed not even a hint of weakening.

Although he was shocked, he did not want Fujiwara Yoshinobu to notice, so he had no choice but to try again, keeping his composure.

But the water vapor over the sea seemed to be nailed down by something, utterly still, leaving him utterly baffled.

Anbei Taiqin turned his head to look at Fujiwara Yoshinobu, his face calm as water: "I underestimated the enemy."

"That Immortal Envoy from the Lie Kingdom really has some skill; indeed, he is more capable than I thought."

"Next time, I won't give her another chance."

Fujiwara Yoshinobu looked at him for a moment, then did not press further.

He never meddles in fields he doesn't understand; matters of Yin-Yang techniques are left to the Yin-Yang masters to handle.

He turned his gaze back to the dark-red sea, fell silent for a moment, then said: "Lu Wu once stayed in the Lie Kingdom for several days and crossed hands with that Lie Kingdom Immortal Envoy; he must know her quite well."

"I want to invite him; please set aside your old grudges for now and join forces against the enemy."

Anbei Taiqin's face instantly darkened.

"Commander Fujiwara," his voice grew colder, "I don't interfere in military matters, and I ask you not to make unilateral decisions regarding Yin-Yang arts."

He stretched out his sleeves and adjusted his clothing.

The platycodon pattern on his robe was especially striking in the firelight.

That pattern has been passed down through generations of the Abe clan, and only the highest-ranking official of the Yin-Yang Bureau may wear it.

He snorted: "What is Lu Wu? Just a country bumpkin. Have him join forces with me?"

He paused: "All the Yin-Yang masters in the Yin-Yang Bureau are of noble birth; if the commander truly does this, where would their dignity be?"

"Moreover, that Liu Guyan, who traveled a thousand miles from the Lie Kingdom, pursuing from Dongying to this very place, is not deeply trusted by you?"

"She has made it perfectly clear: Lu Wu is already a defeated subordinate of the Lie Kingdom Immortal Envoy, having lost all face for the Yin-Yang masters!"

"Lu Wu is ruined; he can't perform any advanced techniques anymore—what help could he possibly be?"

Anbei Taiqin's lips curled slightly, his tone full of mockery: "After returning, he actually tried to conceal it, not uttering a word about this."

"If it weren't for his fear that I would expose his disgraceful deeds in the Lie Kingdom to the world, leaving him no foothold in the Yin-Yang path, he would not have handed the Shadow Blade over to you."

"Commander Fujiwara, I will never stand under the same roof as him!" Anbei Taiqin flicked his sleeve cuff, turned, and walked toward the base of the city wall.

"Although I underestimated them this time, when they come to attack the city, I will surely let you have your revenge."

Fujiwara Yoshinobu silently watched his receding back disappear, then turned his gaze toward the western harbor.

The firelight had gradually dimmed; his warships and navy had been reduced to ashes overnight, and his retreat was cut off.

He fell silent for a moment: "Kuroda Shigenobu."

A stout-built man replied: "Present!"

"Pass the order: at noon tomorrow, beat the drums and sound the gongs!"

Kuroda Shigenobu hesitated not at all: "Yes!"

The next morning, Tuan Tuan rolled over, reached out with her little hand, felt nothing but emptiness, and wondered, "Where's Daddy?"

She sprang up, rubbed her eyes, and morning light seeped through the tent's crack, painting several pale gold stripes on the ground.

It's daylight!

Tuan Tuan quickly put on her small clothes, slipped on her little shoes, and darted out of the big tent.

A pair of big hands reached out; Xiao Er, who had been waiting outside, steadily caught the fleeing Xiao Tuanzi: "Miss, you're awake?"

Tuan Tuan wrapped her arms around his neck: "Second Uncle, did you guys win last night?"

"We won!" Xiao Er lifted her up, his dark face breaking into a smile: "Thanks to you changing the wind, Miss, our five thousand troops didn't suffer a single injury!"

"Those Dongying warships—we burned them all to ashes!"

Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands: "That's great!"

"Second Uncle," she pointed toward the commander's big tent with her hand, kicking her little legs, "I want to go find Father!"

"All right!" Xiao Er carried her through the camp toward the commander's tent.

In the early morning Main Camp, cooking smoke curled lazily as the soldiers gathered around the cauldrons to serve rice.

Upon seeing Tuan Tuan, each one waved at her: "Princess, good morning!"

"Uncles! Eat more!" Tuan Tuan lay on Xiao Er's shoulder, waving her little hands all the way.

Upon reaching the commander's tent entrance, Xiao Er lifted the curtain, and everyone's gaze turned toward them.

"Father!" Tuan Tuan slipped from Xiao Er's embrace, took her short steps, went around the commander's desk, and flung herself forward.

Xiao Yuanhang bent down, scooped her up, and placed her on his lap.

Xiao Ningchen and Xiao Ningxun's faces broke into gentle smiles, while Zhang Wu'an's mouth stretched wide.

Lu Qi winked at his own young lady.

Xiao Yuanhang kissed his daughter's forehead: "Be good, are you hungry?"

Tuan Tuan rubbed her little belly: "Hungry."

Xiao Er turned and walked away: "I'll get it."

"Let's go together." Lu Qi followed behind.

The two lifted the tent flap, and suddenly a gust of wind blew in.

After the tent flap was lifted, it snapped back sharply, causing the map on the table to flutter noisily.

Zhang Wu'an hastily reached out to hold it down.

Not long after, Xiao Er and Lu Qi returned, and everyone ate breakfast together.

Outside the tent, the wind would occasionally roar, carrying the soldiers' voices:

"Why is this wind blowing east one moment and west the next! It's early morning, and I've already had to pick up my hat twice!"

"Exactly! I just washed my clothes, tried to hang them against the wind, but they just wouldn't dry! I moved to a breezier spot, still no luck! It's really uncanny."

"Hey, brother! What's up with your Korean wind? Why does it blow around like a headless fly?"

"We don't know either; it's never happened before."

The others exchanged glances.

Xiao Ningchen shrugged: "They're right; ever since the wind changed last night, it's been blowing erratically today."

Xiao Ningxun smiled and looked at his sister: "Tuan Tuan?"

Tuan Tuan blinked, a look of obviousness on her face: "It's just playing!"

The others were stunned: "Playing?"

Tuan Tuan, seeing they didn't understand, said: "Isn't that great?"

She tilted her head, raised her hand to touch the pearl hairpin on her head: "Just like me—since Xiao Yueyue isn't here, I'll go find Jingning to play."

"The wind wants to play too; what's the point of blowing in just one place? Let it run around!"

The others: "……"

Tuan Tuan drained the porridge from her bowl, stood up: "Father! Brother! I'm going to find Jingning to play!"

Xiao Ningxun instructed: "Go, but run slowly, don't fall."

"Got it!" Xiao Tuanzi said, then ran toward the outside of the tent.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi lifted their feet almost simultaneously, one to the left and one to the right, and followed out.

It was noon, the time for a meal.

A shrill gong clanged from the city wall, followed by booming drums.

The people inside the tent looked at each other in disbelief: "The Japanese have come out of the city to attack?"

Xiao Yuanhang shouted: "Send the order! Form ranks, set the formation!"

"Xun Er, hurry and find Tuan Tuan; have Xiao Er and Lu Qi escort her and Princess Jingning to the National Preceptor's tent, and guard them!"

"Yes!"