Chapter 16: Good Baby Zhong Ling

Liu Yan stood dazed at the entrance to the Imperial Garden, as if in a dream.

The Deputy Commander had actually told her that the Blood Cloud Tower's branch within the Great Yan Dynasty had been destroyed?

In the past, the Blood Cloud Tower's branch in the Great Yan Dynasty had always been a thorn in Her Majesty the Empress's side.

Her Majesty had made many attempts but had never been able to locate the branch.

The only thing she could do was forcefully suppress them, forcing the Blood Cloud Tower branch assassins to not dare show themselves openly and to act with extreme caution.

Even so, it had been unbearably difficult.

Her own husband had even died tragically under the siege of Blood Cloud Tower assassins while protecting the common people.

Her great revenge had been inexplicably avenged just like that, so Liu Yan was naturally happy.

But...

"Is the news reliable?" Liu Yan restrained the smile on her face, her expression turning grave.

The Deputy Commander nodded. "Absolutely certain. It's urgent intelligence. Someone personally witnessed the branch shatter and fall from the sky, crashing into Luoyang Mountain."

Following that, the Deputy Commander explained the specific details of the intelligence one by one.

"A small island resembling a spirit artifact, a pavilion in the sky, fell down?" Hearing the specific intelligence, Liu Yan suddenly understood. "No wonder Her Majesty could never find the Blood Cloud Tower headquarters."

Floating in the air meant it could move at any time, constantly changing positions—naturally such a headquarters would be difficult to find.

"Commander, what you said casually back then actually came true." The Female Imperial Guard at the entrance suddenly spoke up.

"Hm?" Liu Yan looked at her, completely puzzled.

"Commander, have you forgotten? On Qingyan Mountain, didn't you say it would be great if one day the Blood Cloud Tower offended a powerful enemy and got destroyed?" The Female Imperial Guard who had once accompanied them to guard Xiao Tian on Qingyan Mountain spoke up.

Liu Yan's expression froze, gradually becoming strange. "I just said that casually, who knew it would be so accurate?"

"What's going on?" At this moment, the curious Zhong Ling also walked over.

Seeing Zhong Ling approach, the Deputy Commander cupped his fists. "Young General, the Blood Cloud Tower branch has been destroyed!"

"Mm, and then?" Zhong Ling looked completely calm and nodded.

All at once, even the air seemed to fall silent.

Liu Yan looked at Zhong Ling. "Young... General, aren't you surprised at all?"

"..." Zhong Ling's expression stiffened. The next moment she immediately reacted, crying out in surprise, "The Blood Cloud Tower branch was destroyed? This is tremendous good news! I just didn't react for a moment."

By the lake, spectator Xiao Tian twitched the corner of his mouth and muttered, "This little brat is way too fake."

Xiao Tian was very worried. With Zhong Ling's terrible acting skills, wouldn't she be exposed in minutes?

Zhong Ling's clumsy acting didn't make Liu Yan and the others suspicious.

At this moment, Liu Yan was worried about other problems. "If it were normal times, this would indeed be good news, but right now it's hard to say."

Now Zhong Ling didn't understand. "Why? Sister Liu, hasn't your husband's revenge been avenged? Why isn't it good news?"

Liu Yan's expression turned serious as she looked at Zhong Ling. "Young General, although we don't know who destroyed the Blood Cloud Tower branch, it still happened on Great Yan Dynasty territory."

"What if the Blood Cloud Tower headquarters behind them retaliates against the Great Yan Dynasty?"

"Her Majesty is currently leading the campaign personally. The Great Yan Dynasty cannot withstand retaliation from the Blood Cloud Tower headquarters."

"And the worst case scenario—if that King of Assassins from the Southern Wildlands personally goes to the Northern Frontier battlefield to cause trouble..."

As she spoke, Liu Yan discovered that the Young General before her was actually smiling?

Based on her understanding, Zhong Ling should be deeply worried, wishing she could go to the Northern Frontier immediately to find Grand General Zhong Lishuang to report the situation and discuss countermeasures.

Now, she was smiling?

"Young General, what are you smiling about?" Liu Yan couldn't understand and couldn't help but ask aloud, her tone even somewhat disappointed.

At this critical moment for the Great Yan Dynasty's survival, how could Zhong Ling smile?

Had Zhong Ling already fallen for Xiao Tian's masculine charms and become corrupted ahead of schedule?

"Ah?" Only then did Zhong Ling react. Seeing Liu Yan's expression, then looking at the strange gazes of the Deputy Commander and the two Female Imperial Guards at the gate, she finally woke up as if from a dream.

She knew the Blood Cloud Tower headquarters had already been destroyed, and the King of Assassins had been dragged out from under the bed by Xiao Tian and killed.

But the others didn't know!

"Actually, the Blood..." Zhong Ling had just opened her mouth when Xiao Tian, whose expression had already changed, jumped out from the side.

He raised his hand and delivered a slap to Zhong Ling's head.

Smack!

The slap was loud.

It left Liu Yan and the others stunned.

Zhong Ling was even more slow to react, staring blankly at Xiao Tian. Only when the sharp pain hit did she cover the back of her head with both hands, looking aggrieved with tears welling up in her eyes.

"I heard everything clearly from the side. At this time of national crisis, you're still grinning foolishly—what kind of behavior is this?" Xiao Tian spoke righteously, pointing at Zhong Ling and scolding her. "When you make a mistake and get hit, you should stand straight. How dare you cry?"

"Hold it back!"

Zhong Ling was frightened by Xiao Tian's fierce appearance and shuddered. Her crystal-clear little nose twitched, and she actually managed to hold back her tears.

Only then did she realize she had almost let something slip.

"Commander Liu, she's just a child who doesn't know better. Don't hold it against her—she's not bad by nature." Only then did Xiao Tian turn around and speak apologetically to the nearly petrified Liu Yan.

"I... this..." Liu Yan's mind went blank, unable to speak.

"Commander Liu, the Great Yan Dynasty's fortune is prosperous. No matter what difficulties arise, it will surely turn danger into safety. Don't worry too much." Xiao Tian took over the conversation again, comforting her.

"Your Highness, it's just..." Liu Yan glanced at Zhong Ling and was about to say something when Xiao Tian interrupted her again.

Xiao Tian's face was serious as he assured Liu Yan, "Commander Liu, I'll properly educate this child Zhong Ling in a moment. If you have other matters to attend to, you can go ahead. It's fine."

After speaking, Xiao Tian nodded to Liu Yan in acknowledgment, then barked at Zhong Ling without any courtesy, "Follow me!"

"Oh..." Zhong Ling covered her head and obediently followed behind Xiao Tian's rear, walking along the ornamental lake of the Imperial Garden toward the other side.

Even after the two had walked far away, Liu Yan still hadn't recovered.

"Commander, if this subordinate remembers correctly, you watched the Young General grow up, right?" The Deputy Commander beside her, his expression equally strange, slowly spoke.

Liu Yan nodded in a daze. "I did watch the Young General grow up..."

"Just now, how did it seem like the Prince was the Young General's father, and we became outsiders?" The Deputy Commander's tone was strange, feeling that something was off everywhere. "The Young General has only known the Prince for less than two days, right?"

The Female Imperial Guard beside them also spoke in amazement, "Moreover, the Young General is way too obedient in front of the Prince, isn't she?"

For a moment, they all looked ahead together.

In the distance, they could vaguely see Xiao Tian and Zhong Ling standing face to face.

Prince Xiao Tian seemed to be scolding her about something.

And Zhong Ling, like a good baby, kept her head lowered and silently endured it.

"The problem... is more serious than I imagined." Liu Yan's tone was extremely panicked as she said to the Deputy Commander beside her, "Quickly write a letter to the Grand General, and also inform Minister Zhong."

"...Understood."