Chapter 91: He Finally Left

"This..."

Ji Junhong paused and improvised, "Maybe the matchmaking went poorly, so he’s out wandering the martial world for a while."

Ji Xiaoxiong slumped into his chair, the very picture of listlessness, like a lazy black bear basking in the sun.

"I thought he’d bring me back a wife this time. Never expected him to go out and start a brawl instead."

Well... his father’s sources were rather poor, and these past days he had been tied up dealing with the old emperor’s affairs. By now he probably only knew that Huozi had seized the Imperial Sword and gone on a rampage across the land, and still had no idea that Huozi had been wounded and carried off by the woman in purple...

The words rose to Ji Junhong’s lips, then retreated. Best to let such things take their course.

"Earlier I heard that brat held off quite a few people in Ninefold Ravine and even unleashed my Thunderous Fierce Bear Fist. I always thought it was just some wild tale. Now it seems he really did learn my peerless art."

Ji Xiaoxiong’s face, dark and hairy, was alight with pleasure. He chuckled with a sleazy little heh-heh-heh:

"As expected of my son. He’s got talent. Like father, like son!"

After a moment of silence, Ji Junhong asked, "Father called me here just to ask about this?"

"Just ask? Is that not a big enough matter? You keep everything from me, and now you’re even helping your brother keep secrets from me! I’ve lived with you for over ten years, and your brother’s only been back for how long? And now you’re already covering for him! Damn it, as his father, my heart aches!"

As he spoke, Ji Xiaoxiong wore a face of genuine heartbreak, clutching his chest and groaning over and over in pain.

You really do have quite the dramatic streak... Ji Junhong’s mouth twitched, but he said nothing.

His old man probably felt his dignity and authority as a father had been wounded. Too bad that in Ji Junhong’s eyes, his father had never really had much authority to begin with...

"Also," Ji Xiaoxiong said casually, "I’m going off to war. Leaving this afternoon. I’ve already ordered the Flying Bear Army to assemble."

Ji Junhong was startled. "So soon? Has the new emperor emerged?"

Ji Xiaoxiong paused for two seconds, then sighed. "He has. In only one morning. It came as a complete surprise to everyone."

"The new emperor had only just been confirmed this morning, and by afternoon he was ordering me to gather the troops and depart. This is likely the late emperor’s dying command. It can’t be delayed."

A trace of doubt flashed in Ji Junhong’s eyes. Something felt off, though he could not quite say why.

After a moment, he asked hesitantly, "And the Imperial Sword?"

The emergence of the Imperial Sword was no small matter. Whichever emperor learned of it would surely come surging forward like a man injected with blood, and the new emperor would likely be no exception.

But how would the new emperor deal with the Imperial Sword? If his father was going off to war, would the State Preceptor be sent to seize it?

Ji Xiaoxiong gave an "oh," then laughed. "I heard about it. That brat grabbed the Imperial Sword and is still making a scene on Heaven’s End Mountain. Since he’s learned my Thunderous Fierce Bear Fist, he should be in no danger of losing his life."

Then he grinned again. "Heh, to think the Imperial Sword was snatched away by that kid. Good on him!"

Ji Junhong was silent for two seconds, then reminded him, "What is the court’s stance on the Imperial Sword?"

Ji Xiaoxiong’s expression also turned a little strange. He shook his head.

"The new emperor gave no orders. Even when some ministers suggested sending someone to approach that brat and retrieve the Imperial Sword, the new emperor did not agree."

Ji Junhong frowned. That sense of wrongness became even stronger.

In the afternoon, Ji Xiaoxiong, clad in armor, sat astride a towering warhorse while Ji Junhong stood at the entrance with Little Red Sugar, seeing his father off.

"Waaah, Bear Daddy, I want to go to the battlefield too. I can’t bear to part with you, waaah..."

Little Red Sugar’s eyes were full of tears. Ji Huo had raised her for so many years, and she had always been chubby and plump. Who would have thought that after only half a month at the academy, she had grown thin?

At first, seeing Little Red Sugar so much thinner, Ji Xiaoxiong had intended to cause trouble for the academy. But after asking around, well, the teacher had fainted three students from anger, and two more had fallen into the latrine while relieving themselves at night and had gotten themselves thoroughly fed on filth. They still could not hold proper classes to this day.

So Ji Xiaoxiong did not dare go. When the academy people came looking for him, he even had Ji Junhong take the blame, claiming that he had overworked himself these days and had fallen ill with dizziness, blurred vision, a chill, and a fever.

"Be good, Sugar. The battlefield is no place to be. When Bear Daddy comes back, I’ll take you out to play. These days you must behave, study hard, and don’t make the teacher angry again."

"If you can’t concentrate, then don’t skip class. It’s fine even if you just nap on your desk. Eat more of the cafeteria food too—we already paid for it, so we might as well get our money’s worth."

Ji Xiaoxiong patted his adopted daughter. Compared with his two sons, this little padded jacket was the one who knew how to care for people; obedient, sweet, and adorable.

She just lacked talent for study, but that was no big problem.

Once Ji Xiaoxiong had left with his men, Little Red Sugar immediately turned around and looked at Big Brother with bright, eager eyes.

Ji Junhong could only say indulgently, "Fine, fine. I’ll ask for leave from the academy for you. Go wherever you want to play, just be careful."

"Yay, thank you, Big Brother!" Little Red Sugar said sweetly, then dashed off down the street in high spirits.

Ji Junhong shook his head with a smile and stroked his chin. "Whether it’s me or Huozi, we seem to be a little too mature. A child should be as innocent and carefree as Little Red Sugar—that’s the way it ought to be."

...

Little Red Sugar ran familiarly to a small courtyard, where Qian Thirty was already waiting. Seeing her arrive, he hurriedly took out some prepared snacks and handed them over.

Little Red Sugar sat in the chair, contentedly munching away, and asked, "What is it?"

Qian Thirty said, "There seems to be a problem in a small town in the East Sea. Several of our followers have lost contact."

Little Red Sugar asked, "No news at all?"

"The latest message was from last week. A believer reported that fishermen had found a corpse. The body was rather abnormal. After that, there was no news."

"Who’s in charge of the Earth Fiend group in the East Sea area? Send him with his people to investigate who did it, then wipe out his whole family."

Little Red Sugar waved a hand carelessly, and Qian Thirty nodded, about to leave.

Just then, a red paper umbrella suddenly emerged from the void, slowly circling above Little Red Sugar.

"Wait!" Little Red Sugar called after Qian Thirty, staring at the umbrella overhead and tentatively saying, "Send Kun Fifty with some people?"

The red paper umbrella kept drifting in circles, faintly flashing red as though exchanging something.

"Kun Thirty?"

Still no change in the umbrella.

"Kun Twenty-five?"

Only then did the red paper umbrella flash twice and vanish into nothingness.

Qian Thirty was stunned. What on earth had happened in that remote East Sea town to make even the red paper umbrella come out to warn them?

Only then did Little Red Sugar say, "Have Kun Twenty-five take Kun Thirty-five with him. And for safety’s sake, add five or six more Earth Fiend members to handle it together."

"Yes." Qian Thirty bowed respectfully.

"Damn it," Little Red Sugar puffed out her cheeks and muttered under her breath, "I want to go play in the East Sea too, waaah... it’s so boring without Ji Huo around. And you can’t just kill people in the capital. Little Red Sugar is so bored."

...

Mounted on a tall warhorse, Ji Xiaoxiong had only just reached the city gate when he saw quite a few people waiting ahead for him. Leading them was the new emperor, dressed in plain clothes.

Ji Xiaoxiong dismounted and cupped his fists in salute.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

The new emperor wore a smile on his pale, haggard face.

"This time, Duke of the State is going to war for the nation, and it is also the first battle since my enthronement. Of course I had to come personally to see you off."

Ji Xiaoxiong said respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Bring the wine!"

A eunuch presented two cups of wine. The new emperor picked up one, and Ji Xiaoxiong took the other.

"May the Duke of the State strike a blow for the dignity of Great Zhou and return victorious!" the new emperor said with a smile, drinking first.

Ji Xiaoxiong also drained his cup in one go.

After Ji Xiaoxiong led his troops toward the Flying Bear camp, the new emperor kept watching the departing figure, his smile gradually widening until it stretched nearly to his ears.

"He’s finally gone," the new emperor murmured, and a faint purple hue appeared at the corner of his eyes.

The eunuchs behind him all lifted their heads. Purple also bloomed at the corners of their eyes, and their postures grew awkward as they wore the same paper-thin smiles as the new emperor, their gazes eerily distant.

In that haze, one could almost hear a soft, seductive laugh.