69: Huang Rong's stockings are being given to me too? Is this some kind of museum project?

In Xiangyang City, when the first light of dawn quietly washed over the fences of the Drill Grounds, those strands of light, like soft silk, slowly spread out. Just then, Xie Hui was awakened from his sleep by a subtle "rustling" sound. The sound was like tender grass breaking through the soil in spring, faint yet clearly audible. He slowly rubbed his bleary eyes and sat up from his bed.

Huang Rong was seen quietly squatting in the corner of the tent, holding a plain cloth bundle in her hands. Her fingertips gently pinched the delicate lace trim at the top of the stockings, and the blush on the tips of her ears was like the brilliant clouds thoroughly dyed by the morning sun. Even her tone of voice carried a bit of a lack of confidence: "Don't just stay there staring blankly at the tent roof. Here's something for you. If you don't hurry up and use it, all the hard work I put into staying up late last night will be for nothing."

Xie Hui reached out and took the bundle. In an instant, a soft sensation came from his palm; the bundle still carried a slight warmth. At the same time, a familiar scent of soapberry drifted into his nose. He opened the bundle to see a pair of nude-colored silk stockings lying quietly inside. These socks had fine anti-slip patterns sewn into the toes, and the cuffs were meticulously embroidered with a ring of silver thread—exactly the pair Huang Rong had worn yesterday. Looking closely, there were still faint creases left at the ankles from when she was riding her horse, each crease seemingly telling a small story.

"Is this... giving me socks again?" Xie Hui deliberately held up the silk stockings and shook them gently, teasing, "Last time it was cotton socks, and this time it's silk stockings. If you keep giving them to me like this, I'm afraid my inner universe will be completely transformed into a sock warehouse. In the future, I won't need to bring any other luggage when I go out; I can just pull from this sock warehouse and put together a whole outfit."

"Who wants to be a warehouse for you!" Huang Rong was so annoyed that she reached out and gently pinched his arm, but her eyes couldn't help but glance toward his feet. "Yesterday when I saw you practicing the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, you kept rubbing your ankles. I thought silk stockings would be smoother than cotton ones, so you'd suffer less. If you dare say these socks don't look good, I'll take that Incomplete Scroll of the Nine Yin Manual and throw it to the old cattle in Xiangyang City to chew on!"

"Don't!" Xie Hui hurriedly tucked the silk stockings carefully into his chest and grabbed a braised pork knuckle from the table, handing it to Huang Rong. This braised pork knuckle was specially sent by General Li yesterday, and he had thoughtfully left a piece with the skin on. "These silk stockings are extremely beautiful, even more exquisite than Hua Zheng's wolf-pattern riding boots. It's just that my ankles are a bit thick, and I'm afraid I might accidentally snap these beautiful silver threads."

Just as he finished speaking, there was a "clatter" as the tent flap was suddenly thrown open. Hua Zheng rushed in energetically, brandishing a horsewhip, and shouted loudly, "What are you talking about? Whose riding boots are exquisite? Xie Hui, are you secretly hiding some delicious food again?" Immediately after, Mu Nianci also walked into the tent, leading Yang Xiang by the hand. The little girl was tightly clutching a rag doll in her arms, her eyes fixed intently on the braised pork knuckle in Xie Hui's hand. She looked as if the braised pork knuckle was the most tempting delicacy in the world, with her saliva almost flowing uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Xie Hui quickly handed over a piece of braised pork knuckle. Yang Xiang took it and couldn't wait to stuff it into her mouth, her mouth instantly becoming stained with grease. Her adorable appearance made everyone present unable to help but laugh. Just then, Seventh Hero Hong suddenly appeared from nowhere, snatched the horsewhip from Hua Zheng's hand, and also helped himself to the rest of Xie Hui's braised pork knuckle, muttering, "The girl Hua Zheng really understands me! Just now outside the tent, the Old Beggar could smell this fragrance, and my saliva was about to flow into a great river. By the way, I saw a group of Jianghu people coming outside the city just now, saying they wanted to challenge you to a martial arts duel. They even claimed you stole Ouyang Feng's Secret Manual and want to act on behalf of heaven!"

The laughter of the group vanished instantly, as if a pause button had been pressed. Xie Hui frowned and was about to get up to investigate, but Huang Rong pulled him back. "Don't be impulsive. These people might be the remaining followers of Wanyan Honglie, deliberately coming to sow discord. We need to go find out the situation first; we absolutely must not fall into their trap."

The group didn't dare delay and hurried to the city gate. Below the city tower, a dozen or so Jianghu people were gathered. Leading them was an old man with a goatee, holding a fly-whisk, shouting loudly toward the city tower: "Xie Hui! If you're a real man, come down and have a spar with this old man! What kind of hero hides in the city?"

Hua Zheng's face turned red with anger, and she was about to rush down with her blade, but Xie Hui stopped her. "Don't be in a hurry; let's see what their background is first." Saying that, he leaned out and shouted down, "Senior, I believe I have no grudges or grievances with you. Why must you insist on challenging me to a martial arts duel?"

The goateed old man sneered, his face full of disdain. "No grudges? You defeated Ouyang Feng with underhanded Moves and stole his Nine Yin Manual. This matter has already spread far and wide in the Jianghu. Who doesn't know you're a despicable and shameless villain! Today, this old man is here to act on behalf of heaven. If you know what's good for you, hand over that Incomplete Manual immediately!"

Xie Hui understood that these people must have been deceived and used by Ouyang Feng's remaining followers. Since Ouyang Feng was captured, his subordinates had been spreading rumors everywhere, slandering Xie Hui by saying he only won by stealing martial arts, attempting to incite Jianghu figures to deal with him. Just as he was about to explain, Mu Nianci suddenly stepped forward and said loudly, "Seniors, Young Master Xie has never stolen any martial arts. His defeat of Ouyang Feng last time was entirely due to his own genuine skill. If you don't believe it, I can testify for him!"

"You're his person, of course you'd speak for him!" a thin and tall Jianghu man said in a sarcastic tone. "Who knows if you're all in it together, conspiring to deceive us! Today, either hand over the Incomplete Manual or don't blame us for being impolite!"

Seventh Hero Hong could no longer restrain himself. He picked up his dog beating staff and rushed toward the city tower with a fierce Aura, cursing loudly, "What ungrateful things! The Old Beggar personally saw the kid Xie diligently practicing martial arts; he's much better than you lot who only know how to wag your tongues! Today, the Old Beggar will play with you properly and let you know what real skill is!"

Xie Hui hurriedly followed him down, and Huang Rong, Hua Zheng, and Mu Nianci followed closely without hesitation. Seeing them come down, the goateed old man raised his fly-whisk and struck hard toward Xie Hui: "Kid, take this!" Xie Hui, however, was calm and unhurried. He stepped aside and lightly dodged the blow. At the same time, he suddenly pushed out a palm, which was the powerful "Arrogant Dragon Regrets" from the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. The wind from the palm whistled past like a sweeping gale. The goateed old man was shaken by this palm force and retreated three steps, the fly-whisk in his hand almost falling to the ground.

"This... this is actually the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms?" The thin and tall Jianghu man couldn't help but cry out in surprise, his face instantly turning pale. "How do you know the unique martial arts of the Beggars Sect?"

Seventh Hero Hong said triumphantly, "The Old Beggar taught it to him! What? Not convinced? Since when is it your turn to lecture the Old Beggar's disciple?"

Those Jianghu people were suddenly flustered. Although they had been deceived, they were well aware of Seventh Hero Hong's prowess. If it really came to a fight, they were by no means his match. But since they had already spoken, they were too embarrassed to back down now, so they could only steel themselves and charge forward. Xie Hui did not want to harm them, so he only used thirty percent of his power. While exchanging blows with them, he patiently explained, "Seniors, Ouyang Feng committed many crimes and did all sorts of evil things. I captured him to act on behalf of heaven. I do indeed possess the Incomplete Scroll of the Nine Yin Manual, but I will absolutely never use it for anything bad. If you don't believe me, I can demonstrate the martial arts from the Incomplete Manual in public to show you whether I stole them or not!"

Mu Nianci also spoke up for Xie Hui from the side: "I was previously harmed by Yang Kang, and it was Young Master Xie who saved me and Xianger. He is a kind-hearted person and would never do something as despicable as sneaking around to steal!"

Hearing this, the Jianghu people gradually began to hesitate, and their movements slowed down unconsciously. The Goateed Old Man still wanted to persist and raised his Fly-whisk to charge forward, but he was ensnared by Xie Hui's exquisite Move, "Flying Dragon in the Sky." He felt a sudden numbness in his wrist, and with a "clatter," the Fly-whisk in his hand fell to the ground. Xie Hui took the opportunity to say, "Everyone, if you still don't believe me, why not follow me to the Drill Grounds of Xiangyang. Once there, I will let you see the specific contents of the Incomplete Manual and demonstrate a few Moves for you. If you think I'm practicing it incorrectly or have any issues, it won't be too late to settle the score with me then!"

The Jianghu people looked at one another, and the Thin and Tall Man was the first to lower his weapon: "Fine! We'll believe you just this once! But if you dare to deceive us, we will definitely not let you off easily!"

The crowd followed Xie Hui toward the Drill Grounds. On the way, Seventh Hero Hong was still muttering in a low voice, "These people are truly muddle-headed to actually believe Ouyang Feng's lies! In a moment, let them witness the prowess of Kid Xie, and see if they still dare to talk nonsense in the future!"

Upon arriving at the Drill Grounds, Xie Hui took out the Incomplete Scroll of the Nine Yin Manual from his inner universe and carefully spread it out on a stone table: "Everyone, please look. This is the content of the Incomplete Manual. I can demonstrate the Moves recorded on it one by one for you." The Jianghu people gathered around to inspect it closely. They saw that the handwriting on the Incomplete Manual was neat and clear, and the Move diagrams were depicted in meticulous detail; it truly did not look like something stolen.

Xie Hui picked up a wooden stick and began to demonstrate the "Muscle-Changing and Bone-Forging Chapter" from the Incomplete Manual. His movements were fluid and natural, and his Internal Energy flowed perfectly. Every single Move displayed his profound cultivation. The Goateed Old Man couldn't help but nod as he watched: "This... this is indeed genuine skill. It seems we really misunderstood you."

The Thin and Tall Man also said with a face full of shame, "Young Master Xie, we are truly sorry. We were deceived by Ouyang Feng's subordinates and said so many things we shouldn't have. Please don't take it to heart."

Xie Hui smiled and waved his hand: "It's fine. You were just misled and used by villains. I won't blame you. In the future, if you encounter such a thing again, I hope you will investigate the truth first and not be so easily manipulated by bad people."

The Jianghu people nodded in agreement. After apologizing one after another, they left. Watching their departing figures, Hua Zheng couldn't help but say, "These people are far too gullible to actually believe Ouyang Feng's words."

Mu Nianci, however, frowned slightly: "The fact that Ouyang Feng's remnants can incite so many Jianghu people shows that their influence is still not to be underestimated. We must be even more cautious in the future."

Huang Rong nodded in agreement: "Exactly. We must quickly inform General Li of this and have him strengthen the city's defenses. We cannot let Ouyang Feng's remnants seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang."

Just as they were about to head to General Li's residence, Yang Kang suddenly ran over with several guards, looking panicked: "Young Master Xie, something terrible has happened! Wanyan Honglie's remnants have gathered a large force outside the city. It looks like they intend to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang. General Li wants you to come over immediately to discuss a countermeasure!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed drastically, and they rushed toward General Li's residence. On the way, Xie Hui subconsciously touched the silk stockings in his robe that Huang Rong had given him, a wave of warmth rising in his heart. From Hua Zheng's riding boots to Mu Nianci's cotton socks and then to Huang Rong's silk stockings, every gift was filled with their deep affection and gave him the courage and strength to face danger.

After arriving at General Li's residence, General Li was staring at a map with his brow furrowed so tightly it could crush a mosquito: "According to the report just brought back by the Scout, Wanyan Honglie's remnants have brought two thousand Jin Soldiers this time, along with several Jianghu outcasts. They plan to attack Xiangyang tomorrow morning. Our current garrison only has a little over a thousand men. We must come up with a thorough plan; we cannot face them head-on."

Huang Rong stepped forward and pointed at the Black Pine Forest on the map: "We can set an ambush in the Black Pine Forest. First, use a fire attack to burn their provisions, then use rolling stones to block their retreat. When they are in chaos, we can take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack!"

Xie Hui nodded in approval and added: "I'll also plant some dynamite in the Black Pine Forest. Once the Jin Soldiers enter the forest, a single press of a switch will catch them off guard and blow them to pieces. Additionally, we can have Yang Kang take a few guards and pretend to surrender to infiltrate the Jin Soldiers' camp and steal their deployment map. That way, we'll know ourselves and our enemy, increasing our chances of victory."

Yang Kang nodded immediately without hesitation: "I'm willing to go! This time, I must contribute to Xiangyang and make up for my past mistakes!"

Everyone felt the plan was feasible and began to prepare separately. Xie Hui and Hua Zheng went to the Black Pine Forest to plant the dynamite, while Huang Rong stayed at the residence to draw a detailed ambush map. Mu Nianci and Yang Kang went to prepare supplies like fire oil and rolling stones, while Seventh Hero Hong and Guo Jing took charge of training the garrison to ensure they were fully prepared for battle.

By evening, all preparations were finally complete. Xie Hui and Hua Zheng returned to the residence. As soon as they entered, they saw Huang Rong holding a pair of brand-new silk stockings, examining them closely under the lamplight. "Are you... making another pair of silk stockings?" Xie Hui stepped forward with a smile and teased, "Why? Are you afraid I wore out the previous pair, so you specifically made a large-sized one?"

Huang Rong's cheeks turned slightly red as she handed the silk stockings toward Xie Hui: "Who's making a large-sized one for you! These are for Xianger. They're pink and even have little rabbits embroidered on them. Xianger will definitely love them."

Xie Hui took the silk stockings and saw a snowy-white, adorable little rabbit embroidered on them. The stitching was fine and exquisite, looking very cute. He smiled and said, "You're very thoughtful. If Xianger sees these socks, she'll definitely jump for joy."

Just then, Yang Xiang came hopping over, clutching a rag doll. Seeing the silk stockings, her eyes instantly lit up: "Sister Huang Rong, are these for me? They're so beautiful!"

Huang Rong nodded with a smile: "Yes, do you like them, Xianger? If you do, I'll make you other beautiful styles in the future."

Yang Xiang clapped her hands happily, hugged the silk stockings, and ran off joyfully to find Mu Nianci. Xie Hui watched her back, his heart full of warmth. He knew well that although they would face a fierce attack from the Jin Soldiers tomorrow, as long as these important people were by his side and as long as these heartfelt little gifts supported him, there was no difficulty that could not be overcome.

Late at night, everyone prepared to return to their tents to rest. Huang Rong walked to Xie Hui's side and whispered a reminder: "When you fight tomorrow, you must be extra careful. If you find the silk stockings I gave you inconvenient to wear, put them away first. It won't be too late to wear them after the battle is over."

Xie Hui replied with a smile: "Don't worry, I'll be careful. But I have to bring these silk stockings along. Who knows, they might even come in handy at a critical moment — like using them to tie up a captive or something. That would be making full use of them."

Huang Rong burst out laughing: "Who told you to use them to tie up captives! If you dare do that, I'll never make you socks again!"

Xie Hui quickly raised his hands in surrender: "I was wrong. I won't tie up captives. I'll definitely wear them properly, alright?"

The two looked at each other and smiled, then followed the others as they slowly walked toward the tents. Moonlight like water spilled over the streets of Xiangyang, gentle and bright, as if draping a layer of tranquil gauze over the city that was about to face battle.