Chapter 49

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Protagonist:

Xuan Ge

Ling Sha raised her eyes slightly, her gaze landing on Jing Yuan's face in the projection. This general, honored as the Divine Strategy, had a meticulous mind and was always clear-sighted.

Before him, no thoughts could be hidden; rather than beating around the bush, it was better to speak frankly.

She composed her expression, shedding the gentle smile from moments ago, her gaze locking tightly onto Jing Yuan in the projection, and spoke slowly:

"General, we might as well be candid — the reincarnation of Lord Yin Yue, Dan Heng, carries only the power portion of the Dragon Venerable, correct?"

She did not use a questioning tone; clearly she already had the answer in her heart, this was merely seeking confirmation.

Jing Yuan sat in the Luofu Xian Zhou's conference room, leaning lazily in his seat, fingertips still lightly tapping the desk, rhythm steady.

Hearing Ling Sha's words, the faint smile on his face did not diminish in the slightest. He nodded slowly, tone gentle yet decisive, admitting frankly:

"You are right. Dan Heng indeed carries only the Dragon Venerable's power inheritance."

Receiving Jing Yuan's confirmation, she nodded slightly, then continued along her train of thought:

"In that case, the healing power Dan Feng left behind back then must have been given entirely to that Ming Shi egg."

These words still carried certainty, yet also hid a trace of seeking verification.

Though she had guesses, she ultimately needed Jing Yuan to confirm it; this was also one of the key foundations for her transaction this time.

Jing Yuan did not answer immediately; the motion of his fingertips tapping the desk paused slightly.

He raised his eyes to look at Ling Sha in the projection, his golden pupils holding a hint of inquiry, yet he did not point it out.

Jing Yuan watched her quietly, expression indifferent, clearly continuing to wait, waiting for Ling Sha to state her true purpose.

Ling Sha looked at Jing Yuan waiting with composure, and couldn't help but sigh lightly in her heart. A trace of helplessness flashed in her eyes, yet also carried a few parts of understanding.

These generals in high positions, every one of them has a deep mind, hard to deal with. Compared to Jing Yuan before her, her own General Xuan Ge is much easier to talk to.

Xuan Ge, though usually loves to play rogue, loves to scheme against people, loves to be slippery, loves to slack off......

But towards his own people, he has always been straightforward, never beating around the bush, never hiding things.

The thought flashed past; a gentle smile reappeared on Ling Sha's face, her brows and eyes curved, her tone also softened a few degrees.

Ling Sha slowly stated her purpose:

"General, I am willing to offer all the medical arts I comprehended from Monarch Yan Ting Jun, plus the new pill formula General Xuan Ge had me try to develop. I will compile all of these into a volume and present them with both hands.

What I ask for is merely to exchange with you some matters about Xuan Ge — about his past when he was young."

Jing Yuan listened to Ling Sha's words; the smile on his face paused slightly, a trace of strangeness flashing in his eyes.

He sat up slightly straighter, his expression carrying a few parts of doubt, yet he did not rush to agree.

Exchange for Xuan Ge's matters?

This was something he never, ever expected.

Xuan Ge's files — she, as Chief Strategist, could see Xuan Ge's growth history of growing up bare-bottomed anytime she wanted to check.

If she wants to know Xuan Ge's past, she can just ask Xuan Ge directly. Why go to such great lengths, using medical arts and pill formulas to trade with me?

Jing Yuan looked at Ling Sha's face where the gentle smile remained unchanged; the strangeness in his eyes grew more intense. He couldn't help but let his thoughts run wild in his heart:

Could it be that Xuan Ge did something sorry to Ling Sha, deliberately concealing his own past, so Ling Sha had no choice but to come ask me?

Just as Jing Yuan fell into deep thought, secretly letting his imagination run wild, Ling Sha saw he had not agreed for a long time. A trace of urgency hard to detect flashed in her eyes, and she thought secretly in her heart:

Could it be these conditions are still not enough to move Jing Yuan Jiang Jun?

She did not hesitate, immediately adding, her tone still sincere, yet with a few more parts of a determined bargaining chip:

"Besides, Dan Shu and Yu Fei, these two both have excellent aptitude, promising futures."

"General may choose one from them; this matter, I can decide."

"Good!"

Hearing this added "big gift package," Jing Yuan agreed on the spot with almost no hesitation whatsoever.

His tone carried a few parts of joy difficult to conceal; a flash of brightness also passed through his eyes.

For the previous period, his dreams were all nightmares of Xuan Ge digging away his two promising Dan Ding Si candidates.

He was just worrying about the Dan Ding Si lacking people, and that Ming Shi egg about to hatch having no one to teach it carefully.

Ling Sha's words were undoubtedly sending charcoal in the snow, precisely solving his urgent crisis.

Whether Dan Shu or Yu Fei, either one is fully competent for the teaching responsibility.

Jing Yuan tried hard to suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth, not letting himself appear too eager.

He cleared his throat, his tone returning to the usual gentle laziness, yet with a few more parts of straightforwardness. He spoke to Ling Sha in the projection:

"Hehe~ Since Steward Ling Sha shows such sincerity, Jing Mou naturally has no reason not to agree."

"Whatever you want to ask, just speak directly. Jing Mou will naturally answer each truthfully, absolutely no concealment."

Ling Sha heard Jing Yuan agree; a trace of relief hard to detect flashed in her eyes, but the corner of her mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly.

She also knew she had been too eager just now, instead appearing somewhat unable to stay calm, losing a few parts of composure.

But she quickly adjusted her expression, returning to the gentle and dignified appearance:

"May I ask, General... when General Xuan Ge was young, did he ever have a girl he liked?"

Jing Yuan heard this question; his eyes instantly widened slightly, clearly not expecting Ling Sha to open with such a big one.

But he was ultimately a general; his composure was extremely good. He did not lose his bearing, merely quickly recovering his calm. Yet in his heart he couldn't help but curse silently:

Xuan Ge, you really made a move!

After the surprise, Jing Yuan nodded slowly, answering truthfully: "Yes."

Since the deal had already been struck, he naturally would not conceal anything.

Moreover, this matter was known to all five of the Yun Shang Xiao back then; even Jing Liu herself knew it — it hardly counted as a secret.

Hearing the word "yes," Ling Sha's brows furrowed slightly, a hard-to-detect gravity flashing in her eyes.

Ling Sha's tone turned a few degrees colder as she continued to press:

"Then... is she still alive?"

Hearing this question, Jing Yuan couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth twitch slightly.

He paused, then slowly nodded, answering in a flat tone: "Still alive."

"Still alive...." Ling Sha repeated the words under her breath, the gravity in her eyes growing even denser, and a vague sense of crisis stirring in her heart.

She fell silent for a moment, her mind rapidly flashing through every woman in the Xianzhou Alliance who had ever crossed paths with Xuan Ge.

Finally, a name surfaced in her heart; she took a deep breath, her tone carrying a probing note as she asked:

"It's Sword Chief Jing Liu, isn't it?"

"Mm." Jing Yuan gave a light assent, his tone flat.

He was also one of those who knew Xuan Ge liked the mature type....

Fine, all of the Yun Shang Xiao back then knew Xuan Ge liked the mature type.

Ling Sha's face still wore a gentle smile, but the amusement in her eyes had long since faded; alarm bells were already ringing in her heart, and she quietly placed Jing Liu on the high-risk list.

She couldn't help but muse inwardly: Just how many romantic debts does our General have?

Sword Chief Jing Liu — she's far harder to deal with than Xing Xiao.

Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, Ling Sha still maintained her gentle demeanor, her tone still calm, and continued to ask curiously:

"Hehe~ No wonder General Xuan Ge would be moved — Sword Chief Jing Liu is so clear, cold, and outstanding.

Only, why didn't General Xuan Ge end up together with Sword Chief Jing Liu?"

She had to ask clearly whether there was still any entanglement between them, whether Xuan Ge still harbored lingering feelings for Jing Liu.

"Er...." Hearing this question, Jing Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words, the smile on his face stiffening slightly.

He paused, carefully weighing his wording, afraid of misspeaking; a moment later, he slowly spoke:

"Back then, Xuan Ge truly liked Jing Liu's white hair and red eyes, and that clear, cold, proud temperament of hers. Later, he actively confessed to Jing Liu, only to be rejected by her."

Hearing the four words "confession rejected," Ling Sha's heart eased slightly....

But our General has thrown straight fastballs more than once, and Xing Xiao was only the second!

The Qi around Ling Sha still couldn't help but fall into slight disorder for an instant, but she quickly adjusted her own Qi.

Ling Sha concealed the turmoil in her heart, her tone still urgent as she pressed on: "Then what exactly did General Xuan Ge say at the time?"

Jing Yuan recalled for a moment; the scene from back then instantly surfaced in his mind, a trace of mischief flashing in his eyes.

He simply laid out all of Xuan Ge's old history, his tone carrying the flavor of watching a show, and slowly said:

"Back then, Jing Liu saw Xuan Ge's outstanding talent and wanted to take him as a disciple to properly teach him the sword.

But Xuan Ge refused point-blank to be master and disciple, and bluntly told Jing Liu he didn't want to be her disciple because Jing Liu's looks and temperament kind of hit his kink——

Er..... that is to say, his preference.

After that, Jing Liu grabbed Xuan Ge and forced him to train in the sword for a whole year, tossing Xuan Ge around thoroughly."

Finishing his words, Jing Yuan watched Ling Sha in the projection with great interest, the look of watching a show in his eyes utterly undisguised.

Yet in Jing Yuan's heart there also lay a tiny thread of regret.

It seems my great-nephew is not Xuan Ge and Ling Sha's.

The Ming Clan has never been able to reproduce; they can only rely on scale-shedding reincarnation. Naturally, Xuan Ge and Ling Sha could not have a child either.

Ling Sha's hands folded on her thighs, fingertips already slightly clenched tight, though she concealed it extremely well.

On the surface, she still looked every bit the gentle and dignified figure.

Only she herself knew that the sense of crisis in her heart right now was even more intense than when she heard about Xing Xiao.

She had spent many years in the Dan Ding Si, and had guided the hearts of no few lovelorn officers in the Shen Wu Corps....

She knew very well: a white moonlight plus an unfinished regret — that killing power is too great.

She didn't know what her General's current relationship with Sword Chief Jing Liu was like, nor whether Xuan Ge still held those feelings from back then for Jing Liu.

Even less did she know whether, if Xuan Ge and Jing Liu met again in the future, he might soften because of that past regret.

The moment she thought of these things, the possessiveness and desire for control in Ling Sha's heart grew ever denser.

Ling Sha pressed down all the turmoil in her heart, slowly stood up, and gave a slight bow to Jing Yuan in the projection:

"Many thanks, Jing Yuan Jiang Jun, for answering truthfully and clearing my doubts."

Finishing, she paused, then added, her tone carrying a probing note:

"Regarding the matter of the deal between us, please, General...."

"Rest assured."

Jing Yuan cut off her words, his tone gentle as he slowly said to Ling Sha:

"Today's matter — Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, I know. I absolutely will not tell anyone, including Xuan Ge. You can rest completely easy."

Since he had promised Ling Sha, he would naturally keep his word; moreover, he really wanted to see how Xuan Ge would face Jing Liu when the time came.

Hearing Jing Yuan's promise, Ling Sha slowly nodded, a gentle smile reappearing on her face as she gave a slight nod to Jing Yuan in the projection:

"With the General's word, I'm at ease."

As her words fell, her fingertip lightly tapped the projection device before her; the pale blue light instantly began to disorder and dissipate.

The projection was completely severed, and the side hall returned to quiet.

Ling Sha stood in place, the Qi around her still gentle, but her eyes held a gravity and resolve that could not be dissolved.

She needed to test the General a bit — Jing Yuan's words couldn't cover everything, after all, time can wash away many things.

In the Luofu Xian Zhou's Hui Yi Shi, Jing Yuan sat quietly in his seat, watching the vanished projection, and Slowly shifted his posture.

He Lightly sighed; actually..... he wasn't very certain either whether there was any continuation to Xuan Ge and Jing Liu's matter back then.

After all, back then Xuan Ge's heart held only meritorious service, and he never mentioned Jing Liu again;

while Jing Liu, whenever she saw Xuan Ge, would scold him as Reverse Disciple and lecher....

Whenever the two met, it was always tit for tat.....

PS: If you feel Ling Sha was stabbed by the Zhu Jiao, directly read the author's note.