Chapter 49: The Aura of Cunning

  "It won't be long before I, Huangfu Yanran, catch that scoundrel and then... humph!" Huangfu Yanran sneered coldly. She gave her two brothers a white eye, then put on the most charming smile and walked towards her lover with a gentle swaying motion. She wanted to tell her loved one this good news, she wanted to tell him that she would never let him down.

  While Ding Heng was indulging in pleasant daydreams, a soldier hastily approached him and whispered something. "Tell them I'll be right there!" Ding Heng said to the soldier.

  "Yes!" The soldier bowed and retreated.

  "What's wrong, Ding Heng?" After the guards left, Huangfu Yanran hurried to Ding Heng's side and asked softly.

  "Huangfu maiden, do you still remember the young man named Xiao Chen who single-handedly fought against the bandits at Panshan Mountain a few days ago? He's back!" The smile on Ding Heng's face disappeared.

  "Is he back? Just a few days and he's returned again?" Huang Fu Yanran, of course, couldn't forget that young man named Xiao Chen. She was also very clear about how Ding Heng had forcibly driven Xiao Chen away in order to prevent the matter of Gao Yi's death from getting bigger.

  "He probably hasn't forgotten the promise you made to him. You told him to hide out for a while and come back when things had blown over, and then you'd give him some compensation. But who would have thought that after just a few days, he couldn't wait any longer and hurriedly came back to demand his reward? Ding Heng, seeing this greedy little man, it's simply beneath your dignity. I think it's better if I go in your place, I'll bring some extra goods to send him away." Huang Fu Yan laughed coldly.

  This young man named Xiao Chen, although he looks refined and elegant, is still greedy for wealth like those lowly people. To let someone who is blinded by money stay with the one you love for even a moment is a huge insult to your loved one's flawless virtue.

  "No, Yanran, it's human nature to have desires for wealth and fame, and to pursue fame and fortune. There's nothing wrong with that. Moreover, I also agreed to meet him. But from the moment Xiao Chen called that girl named Liu Lan to find me, asking if I had time to see him, and letting me decide on the time and place, it shows he still understands some basic courtesy."

  "Yanran, as long as Xiao Chen doesn't ask for anything too excessive, I'll try my best to satisfy his demands. After all, we owe him one from what happened with Gao Yi!"

  "Then I'll go with you!"

  Ding Heng smiled, he reached out his hand to gently smooth out the stray hair on Huang Fu Yan's forehead that was blown up by the gentle breeze. The softness in his tone couldn't be concealed, "Xiao Chen is waiting for me outside the city, don't worry, I'm not a kid anymore, it's just this short distance, nothing dangerous will happen. And you've been busy all morning, Yan, why don't you stay and rest well?"

  "Hmm!" A sweet smile floated onto Huangfu Yanran's face as she watched Ding Heng leave, her eyes following him until his figure completely disappeared from her line of sight before reluctantly withdrawing her gaze. Just then, a commoner-dressed person hastily rushed over in this direction. Upon seeing Huangfu Yanran, they hurriedly ran towards her.

  "...seen General..." The newcomer spoke in a low voice to Huangfu Yanran.

  "What? That guy has been found?" Huang Fu Yan was overjoyed. He had just released the news this morning, and whoever could tell him the hiding place of the mastermind behind the riot at the official treasury would be heavily rewarded. Although he had said to Ding Heng that "most people will betray, the key is whether you can offer a price that moves their heart; believe it or not", he had never expected to get the news so quickly.

  "Ah, yes, General, it's absolutely certain. I risked my life to get this information, and, General..."

  "Don't worry, you'll get your reward too." With a delighted mood, Huangfu Yanran waved her hand to stop the other party from continuing.

  "Thank you, General." The civilians were also overjoyed.

  "I'll take people to catch that little boy right away, and then... humph." Huang Fu Yanran sneered incessantly. Bastard, dare to make trouble under my, Huang Fu Yanran's, nose? I will make you regret it for the rest of your life, I will make you wish you were dead.

  "General, I think it's best if you don't bring too many people, just three or five will do!" After hesitating for a moment, the commoner continued, "That guy is really too cunning. If General brings too many people, he might get detected by that guy. If he escapes, it'll be harder to find him than climbing to heaven."

  "This is also good!" Huang Fu nodded, "Then it's settled, I won't bring anyone else, just me alone will do. You lead the way quickly, go ahead!"

  "What's with you and the soldier?" The commoner was stunned.

  "Am I not enough for you? Cut the nonsense and lead the way!" Huang Fu Yan's patience was wearing thin.

  "Yes, yes!" The common people nodded repeatedly and rushed forward. However, in the instant he turned around, a sly smile inadvertently appeared at the corner of his mouth. But Huanfu Yanran, who was extremely delighted, didn't notice it at all.

  Although the excited Huangfu Yanran did not notice anything unusual about this guy, this guy who thought he had succeeded in his cunning plan also failed to notice that just a short distance away, three pairs of eyes were watching everything that was happening here clearly.

  "Ah, these two are really one more interesting than the other. Ting Heng only heard that a young man named Xiao Chen had come to find him and hastily threw down his work and ran out, without any awareness of maintaining the dignity and composure of a general. And my sister, as soon as she heard that the hiding place of the mastermind behind the scenes had been found, also rushed out in a hurry, without noticing at all that as a girl, she should have elegance and poise!" The sigh was from Huang Fu Jian.

  If there were strangers present, they would definitely be shocked. To know that from the hiding place of Huangfu Jun and others to Ding Heng, where Huangfu Yan stood was a hundred feet away. And the voices of several people talking were also very low. Such a long distance, such a low conversation, but Huangfu Jun could actually hear it, what kind of terrifying hearing is this?

  "Alright, Huang Fu Jun, stop showing off. I know that the mysterious ability brought by the Yao Stone is your extremely keen sense of hearing, which can detect even the slightest sound within a ten-mile radius, not even a single ant's breathing can escape your ears. This ability is indeed very powerful, but compared to mine, it's far inferior. The mysterious ability brought by the Yao Stone to me is my extremely sharp eyesight, I can clearly see even the number of legs on an ant within a ten-mile radius! Huang Fu Jun's words were filled with undisguised pride, "Do you know what they say, 'hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once'?"

  Looking at the two grandsons who were showing off to each other, Huang Fu Yan's eyes were also filled with pride. Although he had always been suppressing them in front of others, it was only to remind them not to be too arrogant. But honestly speaking, his two grandsons, whether in terms of ability or appearance, were both exceptional. To tell the truth, looking around the world, there were probably very few people who could stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

  But this complacent look still had to be hidden in the heart, and when it was time to suppress them, they had to be suppressed. "Cough, cough!" Huang Fu Yan interrupted the two of them, "Not bad, you two indeed have some ability, but haven't you noticed anything out of place?"

  "What's wrong?" Huang Fu Jun and Huang Fu Jie put away their smiles and thought hard.

  "That's right!" Huang Fu Yan nodded secretly.

  "No," they both said honestly after a moment.

  "You two fools!" Huang Fu Yan burst into anger, "Didn't you notice that the guy who lured away Yan Ran, in the instant he turned around, had a sinister smile at the corner of his mouth?"

  "Grandfather, I understand now." Huang Fu Jie suddenly realized, "Could it be that Grandfather's meaning is to say that the motive of that guy who lured away Little Sister is not as simple as what Huang Fu Jun heard?"

  "Grandfather, it seems that little sister is in danger." Huang Fu also became anxious, "No way, I have to hurry up and follow her, I cannot let my own sister take risks."

  "I must hurry too." Huang Fu Jie also became anxious. Before his words had even faded, the two brothers' figures had already floated dozens of feet away.

  "Two little rabbits, come back here!" Huang Fu Yan roared in anger, and the two brothers' bodies involuntarily flew back.

  "Grandpa, what are you doing?"

  "What am I doing? This question should be asked to you, don't think I don't know what you're planning. Saving your sister, Yanran may be a weak woman, but in terms of strength, she is not inferior to you at all. Those who want to harm the Huangfu clan, hum...” Although Huangfu Yan did not continue speaking, his words revealed an unshakeable confidence.

  "This little thing, your little sister is enough to deal with. You want to show off, wait until later. Now, I need to go back to the camp and rest well!" Huang Pu Yan turned around and went towards the camp, not worried at all about his granddaughter putting herself in danger.

  The two brothers, who had their thoughts seen through, could only smile wryly and follow in the footsteps of their grandfather. Damn it, they rarely had such a good opportunity to show off, but the old man didn't agree.

  …

  Outside the city of Jiayuan, Xiao Chen paced back and forth. At this time, he was very anxious in his heart. Liu Lan had already entered the city to find Ding Heng. But the question is whether Ding Heng is willing to meet himself. Although the man named Ding Heng looked very kind, he was after all a general with a noble status. And Xiao Chen was just an ordinary civilian without any backing.

  "Xiao Chen Gege, I think this matter is quite suspenseful. After all, the difference in your identities is really too great." Xuan Yu's words made Xiao Chen's heart even more chaotic.

  "Sister, can't you say a few less words?" The soft rebuke of Yuexian's voice came from the Húnzhu again. Xiao Chen pretended not to hear the conversation between the two sisters, his eyes fixed on the gate of Jiayuan County. His heart was extremely anxious, he didn't know if Dingheng would see him or not.

  Liu Lan! It's Liu Lan! The sudden appearance of Liu Lan rushing out from the city gate entrance made Xiao Chen's heart even more entangled. But the emergence of the person closely following behind Liu Lan completely relaxed Xiao Chen's heart.

  "Xiao Chen, brother, you're finally back!" Just as he stepped out of the city gate of Jiayuan County, Ding Heng caught sight of Xiao Chen anxiously waiting not far away. He hastily put on a smiling face and rushed over here.

  "Deputy General Ding, it's me, I'm back! I didn't think you'd still remember me!" Xiao Chen also walked up with a smile.