384: Dark Night Murder! (asking for monthly ticket)

Lian Nishang sheathed her sword and placed it behind her back. Dressed in red and white, with her high ponytail, she nodded and led the way.

Three Piaoji followed behind. The three men were bulky, forming an inverted triangle, and their heavy armor rubbed against each other with a unique rhythm as they walked in unison.

"I've seen this woman before."

"When the General went to Qingshan County and fought at Tianxiong Pass, I saw her seeing him off."

Liu Qing and Cloud Skyborn walked side by side, with Lu Ming transmitting his voice from behind.

"This person is the Patrolling Mountain Commandant of Qingshan County, and was once a colleague and good friend of the General!"

"Her contribution in escorting hundreds of Heavenly Gate Devil corpses to Jinguan City this time is invaluable."

"But the most important purpose of Commandant Lian this time is to escort an elder to Ninth Mountain! This is something the General specifically instructed!"

"This elder once served by the General's side when he was at his lowest, and has a very close relationship with him. Oh, and the elder is currently unwell, so when we go in, do not mention that the General's whereabouts are unknown!"

Cloud Skyborn looked straight ahead, transmitting his voice into their ears, not forgetting to explain a few things, which was also what Commandant Lian had entrusted to him.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming perked up. No wonder Cloud Skyborn had repeatedly reminded them; it turned out to be an elder close to the General. Naturally, he wouldn't treat him lightly.

The General was a nostalgic person, and precisely because of this, they were willing to risk their lives for him.

Soon, the sound of heavy armor rubbing stopped in front of a room, led by Lian Nishang.

In front of the door, there were armored guards.

Lian Nishang pushed the door open, and a faint scent of medicine wafted through. In the spacious front hall of the room, by the window, a maid in a Tang-style dress was squatting by a charcoal brazier, fanning a small fan and tending to the stove. Others were carrying copper basins, emerging from behind a screen, each busy with their own tasks.

Upon seeing Lian Nishang enter, the maids rose, put down what they were holding, turned to the side, placed their hands on their waists, and bowed respectfully.

"Commandant Lian!"

Lian Nishang nodded and asked the clear-faced maid named Xia He, who had just put down a basin, "How is the elder?"

Xia He placed her hands neatly in front of her abdomen and replied clearly, "The elder just took a nap and feels a bit better. This servant helped him wipe his face, and the other sisters and I are preparing to decoct herbal medicine."

"Good." Lian Nishang stepped directly behind the screen.

At this moment, Cloud Skyborn and the other two also stepped over the threshold and entered. When the maids saw the three Piaoji, they quickly prepared to bow again, but Cloud Skyborn raised his hand to stop them, waving his hand and saying, "Go about your business."

"Yes!"

With that, the three stopped in the front hall and did not follow behind the screen.

It wasn't until a dozen breaths later that Lian Nishang's voice came from behind the screen, "Three Generals, please come in."

The three then walked around the screen and saw an elder semi-reclining on the bed. The elder's face was emaciated, with little color, and he looked very weak.

"Elder Wu, these are three of my brother's trusted generals. They are highly skilled and excel in battle. They came to see you!" Lian Nishang, standing by the bed, explained to the elder on the bed.

This elder was precisely Old Wu, who had almost met with an accident in Qingshan County last time!

Her brother had said he wanted to bring the elder back to Ninth Mountain to live out his old age, evidently worried that Qingshan County was no longer safe. So, after her brother lost contact, Lian Nishang escorted the elder here.

At this time, Old Wu, who had been snatched back from the King of Hell by Chen Yuan, was still very weak. Hearing that his Lord's generals had come to see him, he opened his eyelids, feeling undeserving.

He was just a useless old man, having lived a lifetime of mediocrity. Only Lord Chen was willing to treat him with importance, but he couldn't take this for granted. He struggled to sit up, wanting to get out of bed.

"Elder Wu, you are still weak!" Lian Nishang exclaimed, pressing down on the elder's shoulders.

Seeing this, Cloud Skyborn and the other two quickly said, "Elder, please rest quickly. The three of us just came to see you. Please don't get out of bed, or the General will administer military law if he hears about it."

Old Wu was pressed back down, his mouth twitching. Although weak, his eyes gleamed with a light. He smiled, "No, the Lord is a man of character. Thank you, three Generals, for specially coming to see this old man. Thank you. This old man can brew wine; when I'm better, the Generals can try it."

Such unpretentious words were pleasant to hear and made the three Piaoji feel a sense of familiarity with this elder.

"I didn't expect the elder to have this skill. Then we must try it someday."

Cloud Skyborn's tone was natural as he took over the conversation, then said gently, "The Heavenly Gate Devil on the front lines are starting to stir. The General has already rushed to the front lines to inspect the area and instructed you, Elder, to rest well in Ninth Mountain. Commandant Lian must have told you as well, so feel free to stay here."

"Good, I hope the Lord is safe and sound." Old Wu nodded. As he spoke, his voice grew softer and softer, and his open eyelids began to struggle, slowly drooping. Clearly, conversing now took a lot of effort.

Seeing this, Lu Ming and Liu Qing's eyes moved, wanting to speak but hesitating. Cloud Skyborn then said, "Let the elder rest!"

Then, looking at Lian Nishang, he cupped his hands and said, "Commandant Lian, please come out and speak with us later!"

With that, Cloud Skyborn and the other two left the room first.

After a while, Lian Nishang came out and looked at the three, being the first to speak, "Do the three Generals have news of my brother?"

"Not yet. We are currently trying to find a way. Commandant Lian, are you familiar with someone close to the General named Gongsun Yang?" Cloud Skyborn spoke at the right time. He had originally wanted to ask about the elder close to the General, but seeing how weak he was, he didn't. He opted to ask Lian Nishang instead, as this young lady also had a close relationship with the General.

Upon hearing that name, Lian Nishang immediately thought of the goatee-bearded old man. They had fought side by side when humans and demons attacked Qingshan County, and she knew a little about his background. Her eyes looked strange as she asked, "Don't you know that the "qingshan demon subduing chronicle" was written by him?"

"This person comes from the Novelist lineage among the Hundred Schools; he can borrow characters from books for his own use."

"..."

Soon after Lian Nishang finished speaking, Cloud Skyborn and the other two exchanged glances, feeling that they should try. "We'll send someone to send a message to Chuanzhong Pass later."

As they conversed, dusk gradually fell, and as time passed, night descended.

Not long after, in the military camp at the foot of Ninth Mountain, a green-armored Commandant quickly emerged from the tower behind the Commanding Platform.

He then leaped onto an Ao Tian Falcon waiting below the Commanding Platform!

Then, with a cry of "li," the Ao Tian Falcon spread its wings and soared, transforming into a silver streak, rushing into the sky and speeding towards that direction.

About half an hour later, this silver streak sped to a vast wilderness nearly two hundred li outside Jinguan City.

Suddenly, a thunderclap startled the world!

Below, an arrow of light, incredibly swift, exploded the silver streak in the sky with a boom.

"Who's there?" The green-armored Commandant above was sent flying, his face changed drastically, and he let out a sharp cry.

But the next second, a twisted black hand, hidden invisibly in the darkness, rested on his head, extremely bizarre.

Someone dared to intercept the urgent military dispatch from Ninth Mountain, traveling eight hundred li!

An hour later, deep into the night, the door of a backyard in the Jin Family in the northern city was knocked. (End of this chapter)