Chapter 62: Shock! Could the secret mission that cannot be spoken of have already been seen through by the fairy?

"What's wrong with you?" Ning Jinli froze.

Xiao Qidi hurriedly turned away, covering his nose, "Miss Ning, you… why aren't you wearing clothes while sleeping?!"

He had also been in contact with the modern world for a while, already accustomed to modern attire, especially in summer, where men and women with bare arms and legs could be seen everywhere.

But Ning Jinli lay there completely naked, pulling back the blanket to expose herself before him, and he was shocked.

Just waking up, Ning Jinli finally came to her senses, screamed, turned, and dove into the blanket, "You… you hurry, hurry out! Get out!"

Xiao Qidi bolted out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"Ahhh!" Ning Jinli, buried under the blanket, was so embarrassed her mind went blank.

Yesterday I was so exhausted that after bathing I fell asleep without even putting on pajamas, and upon waking I forgot all about it.

After a while, she calmed down.

It's just that an accidental situation occurred and I was glanced at.

No flesh was missing; what's the big deal?

After giving herself some psychological comfort, she got up, dressed, and walked out of the bedroom as if nothing had happened.

Xiao Qidi was still dazed in the hallway.

Although it was only a brief glance, that exquisite, glowing, luminous figure had already been etched into his mind.

As a king, what kind of peerless beauty have I not seen?

But a naked…

…was truly my first time.

Although he tried to calm himself, the more he avoided the images constantly surfacing in his mind, the more they kept recurring.

"Hey, little brother, let's go!" Ning Jinli came up beside him and patted his shoulder.

Xiao Qidi inexplicably tensed up, turned stiffly, struggled to keep a blank expression, "Yeah, let's go."

"Pfft—" Ning Jinli suddenly burst out laughing.

Xiao Qidi frowned, "Why are you laughing?"

"Hahaha!" Ning Jinli laughed even louder, leaving Xiao Qidi bewildered.

He was utterly puzzled.

Could it be that the earlier incident startled Miss Ning?

After all, it concerns a woman's purity…

In his era, if a young maiden encountered such a thing and the man refused responsibility, it could lead to loss of life.

Well… the fault ultimately lies with me.

Xiao Qidi clenched his teeth, bowed his fists, "Miss Ning, I… I will… to you…"

His teeth were almost grinding to pieces, yet he could not squeeze out the two words "take responsibility".

It wasn't that he refused to bear responsibility, but as the king of Xuan Guo, a lifelong matter cannot be treated lightly.

Moreover, his long-cherished wish to unify the Six Nations remains unfulfilled, and he has no inclination toward romantic affairs…

"Hahaha! Here's a tissue—quickly, wipe yourself!" Ning Jinli laughed till tears streamed, pulling tissues from her pocket as she said, "You look so solemn with two streams of nosebleed… hahaha, it's hilarious!"

Xiao Qidi froze for a moment.

So it's because of this that you're laughing?

Is it really that funny?

"Miss Ning, about what just happened…" Xiao Qidi took the tissue, wiped his nose, and said, "I'm truly sorry."

Ning Jinli said openly, "It's fine, you didn't mean it, let's just call it even."

"Even? What do you mean?"

"Ah… last time I brought you here to bathe, you forgot? I saw you once, you saw me once—doesn't that make us even?"

"…"

Not mentioning it would have been better, but as soon as she said it, Xiao Qidi's mind instantly conjured the image of Ning Jinli soaking wet, crouching beside him tidying up.

Instantly, his nostrils burned again.

Ning Jinli exclaimed, frantically pulling out more tissues and shoving them at Xiao Qidi's nose, "Good heavens! Why is your nosebleed so heavy!"

After a good deal of fuss…

Xiao Qidi's nosebleed finally stopped.

With his high nose bridge, both nostrils stuffed with tissue, paired with his stern, reddish, gloomy handsome face, it oddly had a comic feel.

The two walked side by side toward the warehouse.

Ning Jinli stifled a laugh and said, "Little brother, your inner fire is so strong?"

Xiao Qidi spoke in a muffled voice, "The weather at Xi Tun Guan is dry…"

"By the way, you just said you would… to me—what exactly?" Ning Jinli asked.

Xiao Qidi turned his head elsewhere, "To you… I express my apology."

Ning Jinli said, "Oh, I thought you were going to say you'd take responsibility for me."

Xiao Qidi almost stumbled.

"Hahaha!" Ning Jinli's eyes curved like crescent moons, "I've discovered that teasing you is endlessly amusing."

A hint of gloom flickered in Xiao Qidi's brow, then he silently took a few deep breaths.

Forget it…

A king must be magnanimous; I cannot quarrel with her.

After the little interlude, the two finally passed through the Spacetime Portal and arrived at Lin Xian Village.

As Xiao Qidi had said, the victory feast had already begun.

Looking out, there was a sea of people.

Soldiers and civilians sat in small groups on the ground, surrounding a straw mat, on which lay some boiled or roasted food.

There were canned fruits and vegetables provided by Ning Jinli, as well as dry rations and meat seized from the enemy army.

Although the cooking was simple, for them it was already quite abundant.

But to Ning Jinli, a modern person, it really had no appetite……

But she still ate something together with Xiao Qidi.

Chewing on dry rations that tasted hardly better than gravel, watching everyone happily gobbling down their food, Ning Jinli silently vowed to let the ancient people live a better life.

After eating a little, she asked about the current situation in Lin Xian Village.

The soldiers told her that although they currently lacked the conditions to build more houses to accommodate tens of thousands of civilians, the large amount of enemy tents seized had been distributed, giving the civilians a place to stay, so they no longer had to sleep under the sky and on the ground as before.

Near the underground water, the soldiers were still continuing to clean up the fragmented corpses buried there from those killed in the earlier blasting.

Moreover, they had dug out a large reservoir, regularly adding the disinfectant she provided.

Then they channeled the disinfected water into the canals for everyone's use.

The tens of thousands of chicks and thousands of piglets she sent also grew very well.

In short, everything was developing in a good direction; the people had basically settled down and were full of hope for the future.

Hearing this, Ning Jinli felt both happy and somewhat sad.

Under such harsh conditions, as long as the common folk had something to eat and a little hope to live on, they could be content.

"His Majesty! Fairy!" Suddenly a soldier ran over, reporting with extreme excitement, "Good news! Great news!"

Ning Jinli's face full of surprise, what could make them this happy, even more excited than when the western and southwestern borders were pacified?

Xiao Qidi calmly asked, "What good news?"

The soldier's eyes gleamed, rubbing his mud-covered hands, "Please, His Majesty and Fairy, go see for yourselves!"

Xiao Qidi didn't ask further, got up and left, and Ning Jinli hurriedly followed.

The two followed the soldier, winding around, and arrived at a field.

"His Majesty, Fairy, please look!" The soldier ran to the field, knelt, and said, "It has sprouted… everything has sprouted!"

Only see on the reclaimed yellow earth, dotted with tender green like stars.

Xiao Qidi's pupils trembled; he hurried over, disregarding appearance, knelt on the ground, leaned in close, and stared at the sprouts emerging from the small pits.

"It has sprouted… the crops have finally sprouted!"

"Hahaha!"

His hearty laughter echoed through the sky.

After half a year of drought, the green shoots sprouting from the seeds in this field are the first touch of green in the entire Xi Tun Guan region, also representing the hope of the people's harvest soon.

How could he not be excited!

Watching him kneel on the yellow earth field and burst into loud laughter, Ning Jinli felt a sourness in her nose and couldn't help but shed tears of joy.

"Quick! Tell everyone this good news!"

Xiao Qidi jumped up and loudly said, "Let's hold another victory banquet!"

"Yes, His Majesty!" The soldier happily went to spread the news.

Xiao Qidi immersed in joy, sometimes running back and forth like a child, sometimes stopping to lie on the ground and carefully examine the crop sprouts, never getting enough of looking.

Ning Jinli just stood beside the field, quietly watching him.

At this moment, not far away.

Several patrol guard soldiers, however, had grim expressions, staring at Xiao Qidi's silhouette.

"Big brother, the situation has become like this; if we don't act now, it'll probably be too late." One patrol guard soldier turned and questioned, "How long are you going to wait?"

Standing behind was precisely the patrol guard captain.

The remaining few soldiers also looked at him with solemn expressions, waiting for his answer.

The patrol guard captain's eyes showed a complex expression, "We still have to wait a bit longer; the time hasn't come……"

"Big brother!" The soldier gritted his back teeth and said, "We were ordered to disguise as ordinary civilians and follow Xiao Qidi all the way, enduring much hardship and suffering, isn't it just to complete the task assigned by the marquis?"

"Before, you said he was besieged by bandits, so we didn't need to act, and we didn't.

"As a result, he instead wiped out the bandits and escaped alive!

"Then, Yu Guo suddenly dispatched a 50,000-strong army that broke through Xi Tun Guan and besieged Lin Xian Village; you said he would surely be done for, or that we didn't need to act, but what happened……

"Then, Yu Guo dispatched even more troops! You still said, even if he had immortal aid, he was doomed, and we still didn't need to act, but… alas!

The soldiers spoke excitedly, their eyes turning bloodshot.

Time and again, watching Xiao Qidi seem to have no way to survive, yet each time we saw him perform a miracle.

Opportunities kept being missed like this; now he not only lives well, but besides forming the formidable Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army, he has even pacified the borders and begun building this place for rest and recuperation!

If this continues, what will become of us?

The patrol guard captain's face grew uglier, he pursed his lips and said, "I haven't made a mistake in judgment; it's just that miracles always happen to him."

"Big brother, just tell us when to act!" The patrol guard soldier could wait no longer.

The soldier captain clenched his fist secretly, "With the Jinli Fairy protecting him, I'm afraid……

"What about the Jinli Fairy?" a soldier said, "She indeed has great abilities, sending many immortal items over, but after this period of our covert observation, she herself is no different from us mortals!

"Exactly, big brother! We actually don't need to worry about the fairy at all!

"She has no magic that can protect Xiao Qidi, and right now only Xiao Qidi and she are in the field; this is a great opportunity for us to act!

Several patrol guard soldiers, saying this, had already slowly drawn their knives from their waists.

The patrol guard captain lowly rebuked, "If it weren't for the fairy here, how could those civilians, including you and me, have survived to now? I won't allow you to be rude in front of the fairy!

"Big brother……

"Enough!"

Patrol Guard Captain said firmly, "Hold it for now; wait for the right moment—I'll naturally give you orders! Before then, behave yourselves, don't ruin my plan! Go on patrol!"

Seeing him so confident, the guards couldn't say anything else.

Though unwilling, they sheathed their swords and silently dispersed.

After the brothers left, the Patrol Guard Captain secretly let out a long sigh.

His feelings were very complicated.

Originally, he ought to have followed the marquis's secret order to carry out the mission.

But over this time, he personally witnessed His Majesty's deeds.

This young king, whose power had been sidelined by the court, not only cared for the people but also shouldered the burden, leading soldiers and civilians out of dire straits.

His courage and ability were plain for all to see among the tens of thousands here.

He really couldn't think of anyone in the world who could do better than His Majesty.

The fact that Daxuan could produce such a monarch must be Daxuan's fortune; moreover, this monarch could also receive the Fairy's aid.

That's an Immortal, after all—she helps Xiao Qidi, so she must have her reasons.

"Huh? You're here?" a clear voice interrupted the Patrol Guard Captain's thoughts.

"Ah... Greetings, Jinli Fairy!" the captain immediately dropped to one knee, clasping his fists.

Ning Jinli walked over, laughing, saying: "Get up, get up—I've told you so many times, you don't need to do this when you see me, but you just won't listen."

The captain rose, lowering his head slightly, and said: "You are the Fairy, you have shown us great kindness; we ought to do this. Moreover, if it weren't for the Fairy's plea last time, His Majesty would have executed me; the Fairy's lifesaving grace, I cannot repay."

"It's fine, don't take it to heart—I don't need your repayment," Ning Jinli casually asked, "I still don't know your name."

"I am Qi Zhan."

"Qi Zhan..."

Hearing that name, Ning Jinli's heart jolted, and she quickly looked him up and down.

This will be a famous general of the future Xuan dynasty!

In the official histories, Qi Zhan and Xiao Qidi are about the same age; initially obscure, he not only earned great military merit during Xuan Guo's unification of Zhong Yuan and the other six nations, but after the Xuan dynasty was established, he also reclaimed vast territories occupied by foreign tribes.

"Fairy... what's wrong?" Qi Zhan felt a little guilty under her gaze.

Ning Jinli patted his shoulder, saying, "Follow Xiao Qidi and work hard; you will surely achieve great things in the future!"

Qi Zhan froze.

He had come to kill Xiao Qidi, so how could he follow him and work diligently?

Ning Jinli added, "Oh right, make sure you don't follow the wrong person!"

She could only say this much for now, because she couldn't quickly explain that secret history.

Anyway, such a talented military person must never become the right and left arms of that puppet.

But Ning Jinli didn't know that her simple admonition "Don't follow the wrong person" made Qi Zhan understand something else.

Qi Zhan's pupils trembled, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

Could it be... that his own secret mission, which he dare not speak of, has actually been seen through by the Fairy?

Is the Fairy hinting indirectly, giving a warning?