Chapter 329

The jianghu youths follow their hearts and act as they please.

Qin Zhanhong had practically etched those eight words into his bones.

She pays no heed to societal judgment, doesn't worry about others' opinions, only cares about love and grudges, and acts on her thoughts without any reservation.

Every time Qin Zhanhong displays this demeanor, Chen Wuji can't help but recall their first meeting.

Perhaps it truly is fate; if anyone else had taken his place that day, their relationship would likely have become an eternal enmity rather than what it is now.

Although it is daytime, Qin Zhanhong burns hotter than the fire of night.

She pours all that deep affection into her actions, fervent and obsessive.

Apart from being moved, Chen Wuji had nothing left but to give it his all.

After their lovemaking, Qin Zhanhong tightly embraced Chen Wuji's neck, pulling him into her arms, and said, "You little rascal, today seems even more enjoyable than usual—why is that?"

"When we first met, how did you feel then compared to now?" Chen Wuji took a deep breath, burying his head against her.

Qin Zhanhong gave a soft hum, "Don't even mention it—I just wanted to kill you back then."

"Be honest, speak frankly." Chen Wuji said with a smile.

"Well... okay, the aftermath was indeed quite pleasant." Qin Zhanhong muttered, "It was my first time experiencing something like this—there were some surprises, which I suppose count as pleasant surprises."

"Today is probably about the same as that day; because of the setting, you feel even more pleased." Chen Wuji explained, adding that aside from that reason, he couldn't think of any other explanation.

Qin Zhanhong giggled, "There's such a saying?"

Yes.

"Well... another day we could go back into the mountains, or find a secluded spot to try." Qin Zhanhong's eyes lit up; Chen Wuji's explanation sparked countless thoughts in her.

"Sure, I'll listen to you."

Chen Wuji naturally had no objection; whenever he had free time, he also enjoyed this little amusement.

"Alright, it's settled then—I'll find a place, hehe." Qin Zhanhong gave a mischievous laugh, pulled Chen Wuji closer, and shoved something into his mouth, then said, "Let's talk business—did you suddenly mobilize troops to attack the Cao Family?"

He ate happily, Chen Wuji murmured an affirmative hum.

Before entering the inn to rest, he ordered Chen Wushuang to return to the village, and commanded Chen Luozi, Chen Baojia, and Chen Lang to muster the troops and prepare torches for when night fell to enter the city, while Xiong Paozi stayed behind to keep watch.

"Are the preparations thorough?" Qin Zhanhong asked with some worry.

"It's not exactly thorough, but for this battle, it's better to act early than late. If I wait until my preparations are thorough, they'll only prepare even more thoroughly; we must strike with lightning speed and first take down the Cao family's leader, the head sheep." Chen Wuji let out a breath and said in a low voice.

Actually, after receiving Xiao Zong's intelligence, Chen Wuji's mood was somewhat complicated.

The two superiors of Yunan City are colluding to seek independence; with this tiny county town and only a thousand or so troops, what should they do?

Worse still, from the very beginning, Lu Ping'an never thought of winning over this insignificant figure; instead, he chose to swiftly eliminate him to prevent future trouble.

Chen Wuji does not understand why Lu Ping'an did that.

Although he had some minor disagreements with the Lu family's merchant house before, Lu Ping'an, as a grand commandant of a prefecture, should not bear a grudge over such a trifle.

If that were really the case because of this trifle, then this person would be overly narrow-minded.

The situation now seems to have become a big "trapped" character; Chen Wuji has no better plan, so he can only take things step by step, first seize control of Yunan City, gain a foothold, then consider other matters.

"Is there anything I can do?" Qin Zhanhong asked softly.

Chen Wuji ate again, and it seemed to stir her passion anew; her soft, delicate body entwined him like an octopus.

"I need intelligence." Chen Wuji said.

"In Yunan City, I want any piece of useful information. If I am able, I also want to know the news of the whole Hezhou, and even the entire Nan Jun."

"Already doing it." Qin Zhanhong murmured lazily, "But these people of the Imperial City Department all take pride in their identity; if I act too overtly, they will surely notice."

"I know what you mean; you should additionally select another group of people to handle this." Chen Wuji naturally understood the temperament of those Imperial City Department folks, having dealt with them before.

They are imperial envoys, serving as the emperor's eyes and blade; how could they possibly willingly lower themselves to work for him?

Having them occasionally handle a task or two might be no problem, but if it happens often, disagreements and disputes will arise.

Recent events have made Chen Wuji deeply aware of the importance of intelligence; he must have his own eyes in Nan Jun, or else he will surely be at others' mercy.

Coincidentally, Qin Zhanhong is a true expert in this line of work; letting her take charge of organizing it would be most appropriate.

"Gathering intelligence burns money." Qin Zhanhong's flushed lips exhaled tempting heat as she bit Chen Wuji's ear, speaking in an irresistibly alluring voice.

"This money must be spent; we can't spare it." Chen Wuji said.

Fortunately, the Qiang people enthusiastically gave him a large investment, so there is still money to burn for now.

"Oh, I see, then let's burn it—I'll handle it!" Qin Zhanhong muttered, flipping over and sitting up.

Chen Wuji looked at her actions and was simultaneously amused and exasperated.

What a partner—she even made a double entendre.

……

On the eve of a major battle, Chen Wuji acted as a muddled commander, wholly indulging in pleasure.

After he and Qin Zhanhong went back and forth in this indeed elegant inn, and then washed up thoroughly, they finally left the inn and headed to the provincial troops' main camp.

"Let your arrogant troops and fierce generals make a move today; I need to know some concrete details about the Cao family." Outside the camp, Chen Wuji said to Qin Zhanhong.

"I already gave the orders earlier—see how thoughtful I am?" Qin Zhanhong gave Chen Wuji a cute look and said with a giggle.

The coquettish girl's cute act had destructive power comparable to a missile, making Chen Wuji's mind wobble.

"Thoughtful, simply extremely thoughtful." Chen Wuji said with a smile, walking into the camp's main gate.

The bright smile on his face hadn't lasted two seconds before, upon seeing the situation inside the camp, it instantly collapsed, turning pitch black like the bottom of a pot.

On the drill field facing the camp gate, Qian Fugui had two people tied to a post, flogging them with a whip soaked in water, while cursing their ancestors eighteen generations over.

Looking at their attire, they were not provincial troops from the camp, but rather ordinary civilians.