Chapter 38: Parting Clouds, Seeking the Moon

"General Zou, should we take it or not?" Xu Rong asked.

"What are we still taking? Hurry and escort the Young Marshal back to camp; if the Young Marshal loses even half a hair, neither of us can survive the journey."

Xu Rong hurriedly led the soldiers to give chase.

Zou Ying approached Li Bucai and the others and said, "Gentlemen, please don't take offense. The Young Marshal has always had this temperament—quick in both gloom and sunshine. I think he'll forget this whole affair completely by tomorrow, so please don't let a few words of loyalty damage the harmony."

Fortunately, Zou Ying was a sensible man. Li Bucai said, "The commander is reckless, but thanks to you, Sir Zou, acting as deputy commander to oversee the situation, we won't see our entire army wiped out."

"Lord Li, you speak heavily. Such jokes are fine between us, but don't let the Young Marshal hear them, or I'll have a hard time." Zou Ying quickly explained, "Of course, don't misunderstand. The Young Marshal is merely youthful and hot‑tempered, likes to compare himself with others, and is a bit willful; even the Emperor can't control him, but his heart is still good."

Damn, if it were a regular noble's son or daughter, willfulness would be tolerable, but now as the commander of the three armies, the commander is willful? It seems the deadline for bidding farewell to the good days is not far off.

Li Bucai reminded, "It's so late; aren't you, Sir Zou, in a hurry to return to Sand Spring?"

Zou Ying said awkwardly, "The Young Marshal's anger hasn't cooled. If we go back now, he'll likely inquire about you. To appease him, I promised to pick one or two of you as punishable subordinates. Of course, that's just my helpless remark. Your siege on the commander is indeed wrong, but the Young Marshal's poor judgment came first, and you have never met him, so ignorance is no fault. Therefore, it's better for us to return later."

Li Bucai clasped his hands in thanks and said, "General Zou, your magnanimity is immense; if everyone in the world were as broad‑hearted as you, peace would prevail. Your consideration for us is appreciated; on behalf of them, I thank you. However, to be safe, I think it's wiser for you to return early. If those black‑clad rebels are indeed rebels, they're only a few li from Sand Spring; seeing us here, they'll surely send scouts to Sand Spring. Our numbers are thin, and we may be ambushed tonight, so early vigilance is advisable."

Zou Ying suddenly understood; the Emperor had specifically ordered him that this expedition was not for glorious battle merits, only to accompany the Young Marshal behind the various troops for some fun. Safely bringing the Young Marshal back to Sky City would be the greatest achievement. Encountering someone who could display a Red Crow Waist Badge here must be a high‑ranking rebel. If they saw our camp lax and only a pitiful few hundred men, they would surely send a raid; should the Young Marshal be harmed, even ten heads couldn't atone for the sin.

"Lord Li, you are absolutely right. Had you not pointed this out, we might have jeopardized the whole matter. Then let's return now."

As they spoke, a blue‑clad youth descended and called, "General Zou."

Zou Ying turned his head at the voice.

The blue‑clad youth said, "The Young Marshal sent me to greet the General and ask how you intend to deal with them."

"Does the Young Marshal have any other orders?" Zou Ying asked. "I am currently investigating the incident; once I understand the details, I will enforce strict punishment," he replied.

The blue‑clad youth said, "If they haven't been dealt with yet, that's fine. The Young Marshal said this matter can't be entirely blamed on them; as long as they acknowledge their mistake, this will be let off."

Zou Ying was startled; he knew the Young Marshal's habit—he said that hoping to resolve it himself, which meant Lord Li would likely suffer the consequences.

Just as he was about to speak further, the blue‑clad youth suddenly said, "General Zou, may that person step aside for a word? The Young Marshal has a matter to assign."

The Young Marshal has business, Zou Ying dared not object, replying, "Of course."

The blue‑clad youth invited Li Bucai aside and asked in a low voice, "Just now, what did you see?"

Li Bucai realized he was asking about the torn‑clothing incident; even if he had truly seen something, he couldn't answer directly. Moreover, his gaze had been completely drawn to the bellyband that still retained body warmth and emitted a faint fragrance, recalling only a soft, supple, and elastic sensation.

Li Bucai, with a puzzled expression, said, "What did I see? You mean…"

"Ah, it's… that…" the blue‑clad youth blushed, gesturing twice in front of his chest, indicating the moment the clothing was torn.

"Oh, you mean that. I saw it, crystal clear."

The blue‑clad youth exclaimed, "You… saw everything?"

"Yes. When I tried to subdue him with the Dragon‑Capture Hand, he twisted his body and evaded. While he spun in the air, whether his feet touched the ground or his hands used external force—I saw it all clearly. It was indeed a graceful move, likely powered by his waist."

"That's all?"

"Yes, that's all. It's hard to tell; the Young Marshal, though a man, can execute such high‑difficulty moves. His waist's flexibility rivals that of a girl's, truly admirable. Which divine technique does the Young Marshal practice? I was hoping you, little brother, could teach me… Isn't that what you're asking?"

The blue‑clad girl hesitated, then said, "Y‑yes… alright, I've asked my questions, nothing else. By the way, the Young Marshal ordered that everything that happened here today must not be mentioned to anyone, or—" she made a beheading gesture, "you won't be spared."

……

At Sand Spring, numerous tents were erected on the surrounding beach. On the flat ground north of the spring, a massive domed tent with white canvas and gold trim stood at the center, splendidly ornate. Four slightly smaller tents occupied the four corners, linked by wooden chevaux‑de‑frise, shielding the central dome while isolating the dozens of outer tents, forming a high protective wall with a small carriage gate on each side. This domed tent was the commander of the central army's headquarters.

Dozens of tents further separated the lords' tents from the grand dome, each side equipped with a medium carriage gate connecting to the central army's smaller tents.

Li Bucai's tent was set near the carriage gate, directly facing the domed tent; from the doorway, he could see every move of the two blue‑clad guards outside the dome.

It was past eight o'clock at night, and the area within a mile of Sand Spring was brightly lit.

"Where is your lord?" Li Bucai, lying on a white‑cloth hammock with eyes closed, heard a school‑uniform girl's voice from outside the gate.

Xianghong, who had been guarding outside, replied, "The lord is resting inside; Xianghong will report right away."

"No need." A light rustling of a curtain sounded, likely the school‑uniform girl entering; Li Bucai closed his eyes, feigning sleep.

"The weather's so humid, yet you can still sleep soundly." After a while, seeing he hadn't awakened, she prodded him with a blade of grass, gently tickling his nose.

"Get up, you big lazy bug."

Li Bucai couldn't help sneezing, feigning surprise, "Who! What… ah, it's you. You scared me; I thought the camp was under attack. Sit."

The school‑uniform girl sat on the bed beside Rushi, swinging on the hammock, and said, "Where did you all go just now?"

"There's a mountain not far from here, with a cave said to be an ant‑tribe's lair, so I took a look inside." Li Bucai stretched lazily, sat up, turned his body, and leaned against the headboard, meeting her gaze.

"Why didn't you ask me to come along? That's really thoughtless. We set up our tents together, thinking we could look out for each other, yet you ran off by yourself without a single word."

"It's not like it's a good thing; everyone left, who will tend this place? Besides, I was just trying to ask you—do you even have the leisure for that?"

The school‑uniform girl replied irritably, "You didn't even call, how would you know?"

"Aren't you with Wei Zidan? How could you be so bold to disturb?"

Seeing his wry smile, after a moment of silence, the school‑uniform girl said, somewhat happily, "You… do you dislike me being with him?" Her eyes stayed fixed on Li Bucai's face.

It was clear she hoped he would say yes or at least nod, but Li Bucai replied, "No."

Her expression hardened, and Li Bucai dared not meet her gaze again.

Honestly, when she and Wei Zidan walked away side by side, it felt like a massive stone pressed on his heart, and even now his mood remains low. The feeling seemed familiar; back then friends said it was because he'd fallen for someone who made him feel that way. Indeed, Li Bucai liked her a lot, but he wasn't sure if it was love or just simple affection. If any of the girls under his command were to date another commander, his heart would also be displeased, because he liked them equally.

It's like the saying: possessing something beautiful is always a joy, but being abandoned by something beautiful always brings loss. Many who know him say it's because he's sentimental; the absurd thing is that for a long time even he didn't know what love was. Even now he's still a wanderer in the realm of emotions.

He felt his disappointment over the school‑uniform girl dating Wei Zidan was related to this. The sorrow arose because, while they share similarities, they also differ. The similarity: she, like Wu Zhuoran and the others, is very beautiful and outstanding. The difference: Wu Zhuoran and the others are his subordinates; he can dictate what they do, and if they don't obey, they're disloyal and he has the right to discard them, which is considered justified.

The school‑uniform girl, however, is a lord, making her more challenging, so winning her heart feels more rewarding. Sometimes that challenge is intoxicating, but once conquered, might the challenge vanish? If it does, she may no longer be as attractive in his mind, because he can't tell if it's affection or love—that's his biggest worry. Such a good girl, treating her this way is unfair, which is why he has never asked her name.

The school‑uniform girl gave a melancholy smile, turned her face aside, and after a long pause said, "Am I funny?"

"How could I be?"

"It's not surprising; friends always said I'm self‑indulgently sentimental. Ah, the old habit resurfaced, sorry for the laugh. Actually, I'm here to ask your opinion: Wei Zidan wants me to be his girlfriend. We just met, I didn't agree, and he asked me to think it over. So, should I accept him…"

Since no clear answer came earlier, she decided to pierce his heart with words, to see whether his heart truly harbored her.