Her Celestial Masters and Handsome Men League - Vol. 1 Chapter 12

Three days had passed, and the magpies happily chattered.

In Wei Chi Feng’s courtyard, twelve people had gathered. Apart from Guo De, there was his brother Guo Gang leading a squad of ten soldiers.

However, today, these elite soldiers gathered in the courtyard without the usual aura of valor they displayed during battles. They were laughing and joking, carrying food packages in their hands. Moreover, they created a relaxed atmosphere that resembled a social gathering with young ladies.

Seeing everyone laughing and joking, Wei Chi Feng’s stern voice cut through, “What are you all doing?! What’s that stuff you’re holding in your hands?!”

“Reporting, General! It’s beef!”

“What is this nonsense?!” Wei Chi Feng opened one of the packages to find actual beef inside.

The soldiers chuckled discreetly.

“Sir,” Guo De still held two jugs of wine in his hands, “there are no monsters in the mountains. It’s the common folk scaring themselves with rustling leaves and the sound of the wind. Since discipline is strict on normal days, and the brothers rarely get a chance to relax outdoors, this business trip is a rare opportunity for everyone to unwind in the mountains.”

It seemed like a rather unconventional task.

“You think I’m taking you on an outing?!” Wei Chi Feng’s voice grew harsh, “Put those things down!”

“Yes!” The soldiers reluctantly placed the beef on the ground. Standing at attention once more, their faces devoid of the earlier smiles, and showing only military seriousness.

Wei Chi Feng gave them a stern look, “Even if there are no monsters, we still have to investigate this ‘Falling Fire from the Sky.’ If there are any remaining Sky Stones, we must bring them back. We can’t let the common folk take them away privately. These things are of immeasurable value, practically national treasures, and must belong to the court. Do you all understand?! A bunch of uncultured folks, don’t you have ears to listen even after being told to read more on normal days?!”

Upon hearing that the Sky Stones were of immense value and considered national treasures, the soldiers showed respect.

Wei Chi Feng glared at everyone in frustration, then turned around and shouted, “Hey! You’ve been lying on my rooftop all night, and Lord Wang sends a skilled person to spy on me for such a trivial matter?!”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions tightened immediately, and completely losing their previous leisurely demeanor. They all became alert, staring intently in the direction of Wei Chi Feng’s shouting.

Suddenly, from the densely-packed rooftop, a dark figure emerged.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!” Bright gleaming blades flashed, resembling sharp fangs of fierce beasts.

Lin Tingjun shook his head, and annoyed, as if he hadn’t slept enough.

He stood up, leaped down gracefully. His black clothing billowed, and when he landed, sunlight fell upon him which revealed the hidden black dragon pattern on his sleeve.

“Imperial Guard!” Wei Chi Feng exclaimed in surprise.

Instantly, both Guo De and Guo Gang also looked astonished. Immediately instructing the soldiers to sheath their blades.

Dress colors in the Qian Dynasty carried significance, with patterns denoting hierarchy.

For instance, the dragon pattern was off-limits to commoners, even for someone like Wei Chi Feng, a high-ranking city defense general. However, there was a department that could embroider a matching color dragon pattern on their sleeves, albeit with clouds covering the claws.

This department was the Imperial Guard. Only high-ranking spies from the Imperial Guard were allowed to wear this covert dragon-patterned military uniform.

“You’re not sent by Wang Fatty?!” Wei Chi Feng blurted out unintentionally. After saying it, he felt a pang of regret and blamed himself for always speaking without thinking.

Lin Tingjun remained expressionless, gazing wearily at the group before turning away and dropping a token in front of Wei Chi Feng.

Wei Chi Feng looked closely at the exquisitely crafted token. The texture seemed like black sandalwood, adorned with a circle of dragon patterns. The Imperial Guard was allowed to use dragon patterns, signifying their importance within the court. In the center of the dragon pattern were two bold black characters: “Nine Gates.”

Wei Chi Feng was taken aback, clasping his hands in a salute, “May I ask for your esteemed name, sir?”

Lin Tingjun put the token back at his waist, his gaze devoid of emotion, “I can’t be bothered.”

“What’s your attitude? So what if you’re from the Imperial Guard?!” Guo Gang, being hot-tempered, blurted out.

Wei Chi Feng quickly gestured for his brother to stop speaking, and smiled at Lin Tingjun, “Very well, then. Could you tell us why you were on my rooftop all night, Brother?”

Although Wei Chi Feng had a fiery temper, he was not without courage and strategy. He understood that unless one touched their limits, no one in the court wished to offend the Imperial Guard.

Lin Tingjun’s gaze lingered on Wei Chi Feng for a moment before turning away, “Let’s move out!” With that, he took the lead and left.

“Pfft .” Guo De chuckled, “This Imperial Guard is quite interesting. Oh well… General, the capital only has eight gates. When did this ‘Ninth Gate’ pop up?”

Wei Chi Feng squinted, “You’re unaware, it seems. The Ninth Gate is mysterious and little is known about it. They specialize in investigating… unusual and supernatural cases!”

“What?” Both Guo De and Guo Gang asked in astonishment.

Wei Chi Feng’s expression turned solemn, “Complicated and perplexing cases, supernatural forces… chaos and deities!”

The Guo brothers were surprised by this revelation.

Wei Chi Feng looked ahead with a solemn gaze. Lin Tingjun’s appearance was likely connected to the eruption of the Sky Stones, and the swiftness of the Ninth Gate’s intervention impressed him.

Beyond the camp gates, horses were ready.

Wei Chi Feng and his men mounted their horses, exuding a dignified air.

Lin Tingjun leapt onto his horse, but in a unique manner. He sat backward on the horse, with one foot in the stirrup and the other resting on the horse’s back, a relaxed posture.

Observing Lin Tingjun’s unconventional riding style, Guo De couldn’t help but chuckle, “The Imperial Guard doesn’t know how to ride a horse? This is new.”

Guo Gang laughed at Lin Tingjun’s unusual posture, “Hey, lazy one, aren’t you afraid of falling off the horse like that?”

Lin Tingjun reclined on his horse, hands resting behind his head, and his lips uttered just three words, “Lead the way.”

“Peep,” Guo Gang found it difficult to acclimate to Lin Tingjun’s act. Wei Chi Feng shot a brief glance, then spurred the horses into motion, issuing a command, “Proceed!”

The sun shone brightly over the villages at the base of the Pingshan Mountain.

In the southern village, the villagers had gathered to witness Lian Youyou’s departure and soon dispersed, taking the news of the “foolish girl” with them.

In the fields and by the village entrance, at the teahouse, talk of Lian Youyou, the “foolish girl,” became the hot topic of the day.

“What do you think? What curse has the He Clan brought upon themselves? Their son is a fool, and now they’ve taken in a foolish girl.”

“Hey, I think it’s a blessing. Which village girl would marry their fool of a son? Now they’ve gained a daughter-in-law for free.”

“Exactly, God is fair. A foolish girl for a foolish son, it’s a match made in heaven.”

“Ha, ha, ha, ha…”

“Stop laughing. Everyone, stop laughing. I heard Liu the Hunter from the northern village died on the mountain!”

“What? Liu the Hunter? The tyrant from the northern village, Liu Qiang?”

The crowd gathered, their hushed conversations adding an eerie atmosphere.