Chapter 450: Return to the Secluded

【Previous】 added a bit, refreshed.

The Great King thought that upon reaching Wing Province he could march straight home, but fate had other plans.

Seeing Secluded Province in sight, that night they camped outside a village beside the Wing Province highway. Everyone was busy with chores, and the idle Great King spotted what looked like a farmer working in the fields beyond the village; this bold fellow sauntered over to watch. Feeling at ease upon entering his own territory, the Great King relaxed—until six or seven people suddenly sprang up and attacked him as he approached.

"Whoo—"

The Great King nearly dropped the jerky he was showing off in his mouth!

He patted his pockets—only jerky inside. Gluttony had its revenge.

He turned and ran back, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Assassins!"

Fortunately, Lingyin was not far away, and the Great King, out grazing, remained in sight; he immediately spurred forward.

The attackers feared that if the retainers closed in they'd lose their chance; there was already a gap between them and the Great King, who fled with remarkable agility. When the assassins caught up and swung twice at empty air, Lingyin arrived.

Unlike the Great King, the Great Hero Ling never lets go of his sword, day or night.

He lunged forward and dislocated one man's jaw—anti‑suicide work the Great Hero Ling had mastered—then swiftly cut down the rest; it was over before anyone could react.

The Great King squatted before the surviving assassin, bound five‑fold, and said, "Let me guess who sent you. Bai Li Jin or Bai Li Hu? Or perhaps Hanshou or Jiangxia?"

After counting, he realized how many people wanted him dead, and his mood soured instantly.

The assassin was clearly trained—he clenched his jaw and said nothing. The Great King couldn't be bothered to interrogate him himself, so he handed him over to Wei Ke to take back to Secluded Province for leisurely questioning.

His spirits ruined, the Great King had no desire to wander the village and headed straight back to camp—little knowing this was a major operation; yesterday's six assassins had merely been an appetizer.

The next morning the Great King rode in his carriage as usual, with Wei Shen beside him; both were bored and half‑asleep when the galloping carriage jerked to a sudden halt. Inertia threw the Great King's head backward into the wooden side with a clang, making even Wei Shen wince.

The Great King howled, "…Now I'm awake!"

Wei Shen, sitting opposite, was also thrown to the ground by the sudden stop; he scrambled up and rushed to check on the Great King.

"Any bleeding?"

At that moment the carriage driver's guards shouted out, reporting a rolling stone ahead, and the Great King heard the guards around the carriage drawing their swords.

"Hmph! There's more to come!"

The cavalry and their mounts were no pushovers; they dodged the rolling stone, the failed ambush turned into a clash of genuine skill.

With superior numbers, the Great King seized control of the situation in an instant.

After the Great King alighted, clutching the back of his head, his beloved pet Sky‑Covering Great One sauntered in late, having just flown down from Bai Ze's carriage. Curiously eyeing the battlefield, the Great King preferred to stare at Bai Ze rather than keep the creature company, and he complained: "Why are you only now showing up? Other folks' eagles can scout the enemy and stand guard—you just loaf around watching the fun!"

When the Great King's retinue and Dong Fu caught up, they saw blades flashing ahead, limbs flying, and the Great King back there pummeling his bird…

With that unflappable demeanor, anyone would think he's destined for greatness…

Dong Fu thought the same.

Last night they'd kept a live captive, but this time Wei Ke couldn't be bothered and simply cut him down.

Liang Ben muttered behind them, "That Wei family boss really is the spitting image of his patriarch—a real tough guy."

The youngest, Zhou Huang, voiced everyone's thought: "Which faction pulled this lame stunt? With our Great King's strength, sending assassins is like using eggs against stones—just wasting the killers!" The rest of the retinue nodded in agreement.

Dong Fu: …

This was the first time he'd seen the Great King's guards truly go to work— their martial might was terrifying; the white‑horse riders merely circled the perimeter, standing by without moving.

In short, it wasn't their turn.

He finally understood how the Great King, with fewer than five hundred men, could conquer a Qiang tribe on a highland.

What surprised him even more was that, after returning to Secluded Province and exiting Pingkang, the straightened highway's sides filled with spontaneous crowds who came out to greet the king's procession.

Because he looked closely, there wasn't a single soldier in sight. The townspeople stood of their own accord on either side of the road, bowing their heads to the passing carriages, then rising again as the procession went by—faces free of fear, full of delight.

At that point the Snow Cavalry also donned armor, the whole troop marched in perfect order, and the Great King no longer insisted on riding out himself.

After all, he cared about his appearance, and the lump on the back of his head had swollen, seriously marring his looks.

This fellow could have fixed it easily, but he chose to keep the bump, and now, seeing the crowds, he's acquired an idol‑complex.

As they neared Secluded Province, a newly built rest‑stop gallery stood about ten li outside the city gate, where the Chancellor and Xie Yuan, accompanied by officials, awaited to greet them with literary and martial flair—scratch that! —to welcome the Great King, whose martial virtue abounds and who expands the realm.

Dong Fu had been watching those elders, and he finally let out a sigh of relief.

It turned out not all of the Great King's entourage were the spoiled‑capitol officials; the Northern Border still had honest administrators.

Just looking at the bearing of those who led the group, they were impressive.

Xue Lin'an and Xie Yuan, leading officials and tens of thousands of commoners, gave the Great King a solemn salute; he remained seated in his carriage, calling out from behind the gauze curtain.

The victory‑welcoming ceremony was simple: first Xie Yuan spoke on behalf of all, delivering a flattering essay about the Great King, then Zhao Bao loudly proclaimed the Great King's edict.

Having taken Shaodang Qiang and gained Blue Jade Commandery, the Great King wished to share the joy with the people, announcing that every registered resident of Secluded Province would receive a measure of upland rice.

Now the populace erupted in cheers, shouting "Long live the Great King, boundless bliss!" until the ground shook and mountains swayed.

Xie Tu couldn't help recalling the Great King's words, "Mandate of Heaven is mine," and reflecting that it wasn't just heavenly mandate—people's hearts were with him too.

The Great King's way of celebrating victory was not to hold a banquet or stage a festival, but to scatter silver among the lower classes, gradually strengthening his foundation.

The Great King never showed his face from start to finish; if not for the glimpse through the gauze curtain, the ministers would have doubted anyone was inside, and wondered why he was so shy today.

Xie Yuan felt uneasy; the Great King's honesty only made him suspect an even bigger trick lurked ahead.

No one else liked to ask, so he seized his own nephew.

Upon questioning, Xie Tu said the Great King had been disfigured.

Xie Yuan gasped, "Which immortal could pull this off? What are we to do!"

With a blemish on his face, the Great King immediately pictured the design of his future court mask—then heard Xie Tu say the Great King had a lump on the back of his head…

"Could that just be a new excuse for taking leave?"

Xie Tu: …