Chapter 228

Early in the morning, fifty thousand soldiers in the Su Family Army camp on the outskirts of the city were fully prepared and awaiting orders. To suppress the pirates this time, Su Ling had also mobilized twenty thousand garrison troops from the south to fight together. With only a few thousand pirates, Su Ling was deploying fifty thousand elite soldiers and generals, showing just how determined he was to eradicate the pirates this time.

Except for Luo Yan, who was severely injured and unable to go, all of the hundred-plus special soldiers Gu Yun had specially trained followed the main army on the expedition, with Yu Shijun leading them at the very front of the formation. Their strange attire drew curious gazes from the other soldiers. Compared to the ordinary soldiers' long spears and broadswords, they carried crossbows and silver arrows at their waists and wore short daggers at their feet; their weapons were clearly far superior, and all the generals were filled with envy.

The commanders of each battalion were taking roll call. Su Ling stood with his hands behind his back at the very front of the formation, his expression gloomy. Gu Yun held the Ice Refinement, half-leaning against the camp's flagstaff, her expression pleasant. Han Shu chuckled to himself; a few days ago it was Qing Mo's cold face, and now it was the General's sullen mood—these two were truly interesting.

Han Shu teased in Gu Yun's direction, "Master Military Advisor, you should be standing beside the General to match your status!" This Miss Qing was truly no ordinary person; she could go into the palace for a prince's full-month banquet and come out with an imperial appointment as a military advisor.

No sooner had Han Shu finished speaking than Su Ling's cold, arrow-like gaze shot toward him. Han Shu rubbed his nose, not daring to provoke the tiger again.

Gu Yun rolled her eyes at Han Shu. He knew the man was holding back a fit of temper and still went to provoke him—he deserved it.

You Yi, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, was also curious about this General's wife. In the Su Family Army camp, whenever she was mentioned, every soldier would talk enthusiastically about her various deeds, and her prestige and reputation among the garrison troops on the outskirts of the city were also excellent. If even half of what they said was true, her accompanying the army on the expedition wasn't a bad thing.

The three elders of the Su family were returning to the Su family's ancestral residence today and stopped by to see them off. Gu Yun was dressed in a dark red, agile, and dashing combat outfit, which, paired with her elegant and firm temperament, was quite dazzling. Su Quan smiled and beckoned to Gu Yun, signaling her to come over. Gu Yun walked over, and just as she stood still, Su Yan laughed and praised, "Girl Qing, this outfit is heroic and spirited; it looks very good."

Gu Yun really wanted to roll her eyes. She dressed like this whenever she was training troops, okay? She had only changed into the dark red combat outfit to better match the Su Family Army's red battle robes. Although she disagreed in her heart, facing the elders' praise, Gu Yun still replied politely, "Thank you, Uncle Yan."

Su Qing stood to the side with a faint smile, stroking his white beard, looking quite like a man of Taoist spirit. Gu Yun's eyes lit up, and she said, "Clan Leader, I have something I would like to ask you."

Su Qing nodded with a smile. Gu Yun leaned in closer and asked in a low voice, "Can you heal a scar like the one on my face?" Last time, Su Qing had channeled what was called True Qi from her palm into her, which was truly miraculous. She had heard Su Ren say that his medical skills were also very powerful; if he could heal Qingfeng's face, that would be wonderful.

Gu Yun spoke in a mysterious, low voice. Su Yan curiously pricked up his ears to hear what she was saying, but as soon as he heard her mention the scar on her face, he immediately became furious and shouted loudly, "That brat Ling thinks you're ugly?! Uncle Yan will go teach him a lesson for you!"

The booming voice drew many gazes toward them. Gu Yun sighed in lament and quickly explained, "No, no! I..."

Not letting others finish their sentences seemed to be a tradition of the Su family. Gu Yun had only just begun to speak when Su Yan continued to shout loudly, "If not, why are you trying to heal your face? If you have any grievances, tell your uncles—don't be afraid!"

Heavens! She could already feel the gazes focusing on her from behind. Gu Yun made a "hush" gesture to Su Yan and said urgently, "I'm not asking for myself, I am..."

"I have never thought you were ugly!" A deep, serious male voice suddenly sounded from behind. Gu Yun's spine chilled—why did he have to join in the fun! Turning around slowly to meet Su Ling's complex gaze, Gu Yun tried her best to explain, "It's not like that, I..." She really wanted to cry.

Gu Yun's helpless expression looked like grievance in Su Yan's eyes. His tiger eyes glared at Su Ling as he scolded, "A woman adorns herself for the one she loves; it must be that you haven't given her confidence."

"No! I just wanted to help..." Gu Yun's explanation was clearly very weak, because no one was listening at all.

A woman adorns herself for the one she loves... It was his oversight. Su Ling stared at the two scars on Gu Yun's face and said with utmost sincerity, "I really don't think the scars on your face are ugly. You are just fine as you are."

"All of you, shut up!" Their back-and-forth had completely annoyed Gu Yun. Glaring at the instigator of this situation, Su Yan, Gu Yun said angrily, "I wanted to help Qingfeng heal her face! Can it be healed or not? Give me an answer!"

This girl really had a temper. Curling his lips, Su Yan replied, "The Su family is decent at treating knife wounds, sword wounds, internal injuries, and external injuries, but for something like healing a young girl's face, we are completely powerless."

Her brows furrowed tighter and tighter. Gu Yun murmured, "Is it really incurable?" The imperial physicians in the palace were at their wits' end, and the Su family couldn't heal it either. Was Qingfeng's face really destined to stay like this?

"There is a way." Su Qing, who had been watching them with a smile, finally spoke. "Legend in the pugilistic world says that the Gui Yi not only has superb medical skills but also unparalleled disguise techniques. People who are excellent at disguise usually have ways to deal with such scars. You could try finding him. However, the Gui Yi has a strange temperament; it is truly not easy to get him to act."

"The Gui Yi?" Was he Ao Tian's master? Next time she had a chance to see him, she would ask him to help with an introduction. As for the so-called hermit expert, it was normal to have some eccentricities. "Thank you, Clan Leader, I understand."

The horn in the distance sounded for the second time, and the soldiers had finished assembling. Gu Yun said to Su Ling beside her, "Let's go." Gu Yun walked toward the main force, but her wrist was suddenly gripped tightly by a familiar large hand. She turned around in surprise. Su Ling's expression was unusually grave, his hawk-like eyes fixed on her, dark and deep. After a long while, he said with utmost seriousness, "I really didn't dislike you!"

Gu Yun was stunned. He was still thinking about this? She had already said she wasn't asking for herself. Although she felt a bit between laughter and tears, she couldn't deny that the tension in Su Ling's eyes as he rushed to explain satisfied her vanity. She held that warm, large hand back and chuckled softly, "I know, let's go."

Watching the backs of the two as they walked away hand-in-hand, the three Su family elders smiled at each other. A happy event for the Su family was near.

The army marched almost day and night. Seven days later, they finally entered Mao Cheng, a border city by the East Sea. In order not to disturb the people in the city, General Su did not enter the city but bypassed the outskirts to head toward the East Sea garrison camp. Along the way, many villagers in rags, dragging their families along, were slowly walking toward Mao Cheng. The high-flying Su Family Army flag reignited a glimmer of hope in their sad, terrified faces, but the army was moving very fast, and the villagers only dared to watch from afar.

These people must have been refugees who had fled from the coastal villages. Many of them were elderly people staggering as they walked. If they hadn't truly been unable to survive, they wouldn't have chosen to leave the homes they had lived in for years.

"Is it the Su Family Army? General Su! General Su—" The sorrowful cries were almost drowned out by the rhythmic sound of footsteps and hoofbeats. A woman in her sixties ran toward Su Ling's warhorse as if her life depended on it, stumbling several times but still refusing to give up.

Hearing the cries, Gu Yun pulled the reins and stopped. Su Ling also pulled the reins and looked back.

The old woman practically crawled to the front of the formation and fell heavily to her knees on the rough gravel road with a thud. "General Su, you must seek justice for us! My daughter died a miserable death! General Su!" The old woman didn't care who was on the horse; she only knew how to kowtow. The thumping sound made one's heart ache unbearably.

Su Ling's brows furrowed slightly. He waved at Han Shu. Han Shu dismounted, ran to the old woman's side, supported her arms, and said urgently, "Old lady! Please, get up!"

With her hands being held, the old woman couldn't continue to kowtow. Bright red blood from her forehead mixed with dirt and sand, flowing down bit by bit. Tears blurred her eyes, and she cried out in a hoarse, heart-wrenching voice, "The old man and my daughter are both dead, all dead! What is the point of me living alone!" The wrinkles, like knife cuts from years of working by the sea, were deeply etched into this tragic face. The shrill, mournful crying was like a barbed dagger stabbing into the heart of every soldier. After many days of marching, the soldiers' already exhausted bodies seemed to be infused with a surge of sorrow and indignation at this moment.

Han Shu was a big, tall man, but he didn't dare to pull the old woman forcefully. He tried to persuade her a few times, but the old woman wasn't listening at all; she remained half-kneeling on the ground, crying and recounting her story over and over again.

Gu Yun flipped off her horse, walked to the old woman's side, held her arms, and used a clever technique to help the old woman up from the ground. The old woman was crying bitterly, her thin, frail body trembling uncontrollably. Gu Yun said in a steady, resonant voice, "Old lady, General Su will definitely eradicate those bandits and return justice and a peaceful life to you all." What they needed now was justice and hope; perhaps these were the motivations that kept them going.

"General Su, save us!" The villagers who had been watching silently by the roadside also knelt in a row. The fear and sorrow of many days erupted at this moment, and the sobbing turned into wailing. Su Ling's expression changed from initial gloom to cold, murderous intent, and even the Red Blood at his waist seemed to sense his rage, flashing with a faint red light.

"Everyone get up, go to Mao Cheng to take shelter first." Gu Yun helped the old woman toward the other villagers, and the army continued to rush toward the camp, their marching pace clearly quickening by several notches.

The East Sea camp was stationed ten miles away from the coastline. There were fewer than twenty thousand long-term garrison troops here. If it weren't for the rampant pirates this time, this border garrison would never have welcomed a big shot like Su Ling. Seeing the Su Family Army flag from afar, the garrison commander Qiao Linfeng had been waiting outside the camp early. As soon as he saw Su Ling, he immediately went up to meet him and knelt on one knee, "General Su."

Su Ling dismounted, showing no intention of making small talk, and said coldly, "We'll talk in the tent."

The group entered the main tent. The only woman among the group of burly men appeared particularly abrupt. Qiao Linfeng whispered in You Yi's ear, "Who is she?"

"The military advisor personally appointed by the Emperor." No sooner had You Yi finished speaking than he saw Qiao Linfeng's expression change, filled with disdain. What time was it now? What was the Emperor playing at? Did he think fighting a war was a game?!

Qiao Linfeng felt dissatisfied, but since even General Su hadn't said anything, he couldn't do much. Automatically ignoring Gu Yun, Qiao Linfeng arranged for her to sit in the position closest to the door. Gu Yun raised her eyebrows slightly. Although she preferred this position, the fact that this garrison commander was so unwelcoming to her, an "imperially appointed military advisor," showed he was a man of character. Gu Yun observed him carefully. The man looked to be under thirty, appearing very young, with dark skin and a lean build. Seeing him whispering to You Yi from time to time, he should be an easygoing general, but she didn't know about his ability to lead troops in battle.

Just after sitting down, Han Shu finally couldn't help but ask angrily, "Just how rampant are the pirates now!" The further the army marched toward the garrison, the more shocked they became. Nearby villages were almost empty, and everywhere there were ruins left after looting, smashing, and burning.

Qiao Linfeng stood in the center of the main tent and replied with a grave expression, "They usually come ashore every three to five days to loot nearby villages. Our army has already dispatched troops to station along the coastline, but they always manage to find the weakest points of the garrison to come ashore, burn, kill, and loot before wandering off. Every warship sent out to pursue them has either suffered heavy casualties or never returned. Our army has already lost four warships." As the commander of the garrison, he was ashamed, but these pirates were truly formidable this time.

(End of chapter)