Chapter 962

First Volume_Chapter 962 Battle Temporarily Ceases

Since the Enemy Army began the Military Siege, the womenfolk had remained in the County Yamen's Back Courtyard, never stepping beyond the Door.

Because the County Yamen lay at the center of the City, even the longest-range Bow and Arrow could not threaten this place; thus, the womenfolk stayed inside the inner gates not due to safety concerns, but purely to avoid letting their "noble status" distract the troops.

During this time, Shen Qingci and Li Xiaolan had more than once wished to go to the Front Line to visit Qin Feng, but each time they held back.

This great Battle concerned life and death; the only thing they could do for Qin Feng was to not distract him.

Now that Qin Feng had finally returned to their side, the four women were overjoyed and hurried forward to greet him.

Shen Qingci circled Qin Feng twice, examining him thoroughly from head to toe, and only after confirming he was unharmed did she exhale in relief.

"Feng'er, you're not injured? That's wonderful."

Seeing Shen Qingci's anxious expression, Qin Feng, despite his exhaustion, forced a smile and teased: "Elder Sister, when did you become so concerned about me?"

"I remember when we were in Beijing, you were quite cold toward me."

At these words, Shen Qingci's concern vanished; she immediately scowled and snapped: "You heartless wretch, when have I ever not cared for you?"

"You're my Comrade—who else would I care for?"

To reassure the women, Qin Feng laughed loudly and teased further: "Now you care for me—so when Elder Sister gets married someday, will you stop caring for me?"

"Once you have someone to warm your cold nights and cool your hot days, this Comrade of yours won't matter anymore."

Shen Qingci frowned, her gaze filled with resentment; she didn't understand why Qin Feng, after returning from the Front Line, seemed to have changed—deliberately saying these things to provoke her.

Shen Qingci rolled her eyes and complained: "What exactly are you trying to say!"

Seeing Shen Qingci's tone carry a hint of anger, Qin Feng quickly shifted his tone and grinned: "What I mean is, Elder Sister, you're no longer a little girl—since you're unlikely to find a husband, why not marry me? Then you can care for me without restraint."

Shen Qingci's cheeks flushed crimson; she glared fiercely at Qin Feng: "You… what are you talking about? Who says I can't find a husband!"

Qin Feng spread his hands and spoke with mock seriousness: "Elder Sister, you're the oldest of the four sisters. In Beijing, girls marry by sixteen or seventeen; if still unmarried at twenty, people gossip."

"You're past twenty—no one dares take you. So you might as well marry me."

As he spoke, Qin Feng shamelessly reached out to grab Shen Qingci's small hand.

Shen Qingci's face was already blazing red; she slapped his hand away and spat: "Pah! Shameless! What do you mean 'you'd be lucky'? As if marrying you is some great sacrifice on your part."

"You're asking for a beating!"

Shen Qingci raised her hand and slapped Qin Feng's shoulder—only for him to immediately grimace in pain.

"Ow! That hurts!"

Hearing Qin Feng's cry, Shen Qingci froze; she yanked open his collar, exposing his shoulder—and found an Arrow Wound!

"Feng'er, this… how did this happen!"

"You damned fool, why didn't you say you were hurt? Do you want to drive me mad!"

Shen Qingci's rosy cheeks turned instantly pale; she stamped her foot in anguish.

Li Xiaolan, who had been watching nearby, rushed forward upon seeing Qin Feng's injury; staring at the swollen wound on his shoulder, the usually cold Li Xiaolan's eyes grew moist with concern.

"Feng'er, does it hurt?"

Though Li Xiaolan knew well that wounds were inevitable in battle, as a woman, her heart ached with every pulse at the sight of his wound.

Qin Feng, fearing Shen Qingci and Li Xiaolan's worry, had deliberately changed clothes upon returning, hoping to hide the wound—but it was still found.

What bad luck!

Qin Feng had been clad in Heavy Armor, Armed to the Teeth, with Tianji Camp Guards constantly holding Great Shields to protect him—yet still, a stray Arrow struck him.

The Enemy Army, knowing Qin Feng's Troops were Armed to the Teeth, had switched entirely to Armor-Piercing Arrowheads.

These arrowheads were three-diamond shaped, extremely sharp, and possessed immense penetration power; against Light Armor or unarmored targets, their extreme penetration often pierced clean through the body, causing relatively minor damage. Thus, these high-penetration Three-Diamond Arrowheads were specifically designed to kill targets in Heavy Armor.

The arrowhead had pierced Qin Feng's Shoulder Armor, embedding more than half its length into his shoulder—but fortunately, treatment was prompt, and the battle's intensity left the Enemy Army no time to coat the arrowhead with filth or poison, so the wound had not become infected.

Seeing the two women's tear-streaked faces, Qin Feng quickly comforted them: "Look, the wound is swollen—that means it's healing."

"Don't worry—it's just a minor injury, nothing to me."

"The Enemy Army has already retreated; no large-scale Military Siege will come for now. Perfect time to rest properly."

Hearing this, the two women's hearts eased slightly.

Shen Qingci pulled Qin Feng's clothes back into place, gripped his arm, and pushed him toward the room.

"Stop standing there—go rest inside."

"You—you're the Main General, yet you insist on rushing to the First Line. What if something happens? How are we supposed to live?"

This time, Li Xiaolan stood firmly with Shen Qingci, refusing outright to let Qin Feng work further, and ordered him in near-military tones to return to his room immediately.

Qin Feng had planned to handle some Logistics matters, but seeing their firm resolve, he abandoned the idea.

Back in the room, Qin Feng was shoved onto the bed like a duck forced to swim.

Shen Qingci and Li Xiaolan repeatedly urged him to rest early before reluctantly leaving.

Qin Feng was truly exhausted, but suddenly being idle left him unable to sleep.

Just then, he heard movement outside the Door; he peered through the crack and saw Xiao Xiangxiang and Shu Feng carrying food basins past.

In an instant, Qin Feng flung open the Door; amid the two maids' startled cries, he yanked them inside.

"Sleep! Sleep! No one makes a sound—whoever talks is a puppy!"

Qin Feng shoved the two maids onto the bed, pounced on top, wrapped his arms around their soft bodies, and fell into a deep, snoring sleep.

Qin Feng had indeed entertained some sordid thoughts—but he was simply too exhausted; before he could act, he passed out cold.