Transmigrated as the Villainess, She Made the General Blush - Chapter 81 - Blood Exchange Brotherhood 2

Chapter 81 – Blood Exchange Brotherhood 2

Tuoba Xin taught them as she vaulted onto her horse, sitting steadily in the saddle and tightening her grip on the reins.

“Look, you have to use your calves to grip the horse’s belly here. Later, when you want it to run forward, use your calves to tap both sides. The harder you tap and the tighter you grip, the faster the horse will run.”

As she spoke, Tuoba Xin gave a direct demonstration for Xiao Wangshu and Fang Qiluo.

Watching her gallop away with her long hair fluttering in the wind, an obvious spark of longing flickered in Fang Qiluo’s eyes.

Tuoba Jihui glanced at her and asked, “Do you two want to try as well?”

Though he said “you two,” his gaze didn’t shift toward Xiao Wangshu for even a second.

Fang Qiluo was about to nod in agreement, but before she could speak, a startled cry rang out from Tuoba Xin.

“Brother!”

Several arrows flew at once as assassins dressed in black closed in from all directions.

“Little sister! Get back here!” Tuoba Yunxiao snatched a saber from a guard and vaulted onto his horse, galloping toward Tuoba Xin.

Meanwhile, Tuoba Jihui dragged the body of a coachman off the carriage and shielded Xiao Wangshu and Fang Qiluo as they boarded. He shouted to the remaining coachman, “Turn back to the city, quickly!”

The coachman’s hands trembled violently as he gripped the reins.

Just as the carriage turned to head back, another group of men in black emerged, blocking their return path.

The coachman was terrified. “It’s… it’s over… the road is blocked!”

Tuoba Jihui frowned deeply, climbed onto the driver’s seat, and took the reins himself.

Xiao Wangshu lifted the carriage curtain and suggested to Tuoba Jihui outside, “We’re too far from the city gates, and the assassins outnumber us. We can’t break through. Go to my manor; it’s closer and has guards.”

She owned three manors in the capital’s outskirts, all of which were well-guarded.

Tuoba Jihui made a snap decision and asked, “Which way?”

Xiao Wangshu pointed in a direction. “That way!”

Tuoba Jihui immediately lashed the whip, driving the carriage toward the direction Xiao Wangshu indicated.

Not far away, after Tuoba Yunxiao rescued Tuoba Xin, he pulled her in front of him. The siblings rode together on one horse, following closely behind Tuoba Jihui’s carriage.

Behind them, arrows fell like rain as the assassins pursued them relentlessly like mad dogs.

Tuoba Jihui and the others galloped at full speed, racing toward Xiao Wangshu’s manor.

–

Meanwhile, inside the Capital.

Lu Xuyang was still leading his troops on patrol today, searching the streets and alleys of the Capital for any sign of spies.

As he passed a small alleyway, a chaotic noise erupted from the adjacent street.

“Someone’s dead!”

“Ah-it’s a murder!”

Sharp screams pierced the air, and Lu Xuyang immediately led his men to the scene.

When he arrived, he saw two men lying in pools of blood. In the distance, another wounded man was fleeing toward the west.

Lu Xuyang’s soldiers immediately gave chase.

By the roadside, several commoners who had stumbled upon the scene were cowering behind a derelict cart, not daring to come out.

“Search the bodies and call for the coroner.” Lu Xuyang glanced at the corpses on the ground before looking at the commoners. He continued his orders, “Take them back for interrogation.”

“Yes, sir!” The soldiers behind him immediately moved to comply.

The commoners by the road cried out in panic, “We were just passing through!”

“We really were just passing by! An acrobat troupe in the north of the city is giving away bamboo baskets. All the neighbors went, so we thought we’d go get one too!”

This road was the only way to the north of the city!

Many neighbors had already passed through today and brought baskets home. They had only wanted to get one for themselves; how could they have known they’d be so unlucky as to run right into this bloody disaster?

“Generals, officers, we’re truly innocent!”

The soldiers seizing them remained unmoved, speaking in a businesslike tone. “We are only asking for your cooperation in the interrogation. Just say what you saw. If you’re innocent, you’ll be released. If you refuse to cooperate, you will be treated as spies!”

Hearing this, although they were still terrified, they didn’t dare cause any more trouble and followed the soldiers obediently.
“General, look at this!” A young officer retrieved two secret letters from the robes of the two corpses on the ground. After reading them, he hurriedly handed them to Lu Xuyang.

Lu Xuyang took them and scanned the contents. His expression shifted instantly.

“Is the Tuoba Envoy at the Official Lodge?!”

“I’ll go check right now!” the young officer replied. He immediately mounted his horse and galloped toward the Official Lodge.

Lu Xuyang’s face was grim as he asked another question. “Where is General Chen Chu?”

A nearby commander answered, “General Chen Chu was invited to the Chancellor’s Mansion by the Young Master around lunchtime. Shortly after leaving the Chancellor’s Mansion, he hurried out of the city. He left the task of searching for spies to Lieutenant Generals Luo Heng and Yang Yumu.”

At that moment, the soldiers who had been chasing the wounded man returned.

The wounded man’s hands were tied tightly behind his back as they forced him to kneel before Lu Xuyang.

The leading officer pulled back the man’s collar, revealing a tattoo on his shoulder.

“General, he’s a spy.”

Lu Xuyang looked back at the two men lying in a pool of blood on the ground. Beside them, another officer crouched down and tore open their collars.

Beneath their collars were identical spy tattoos.

Tattoos were used to mark prisoners, making it easy for officials and soldiers to identify them.

These three were all spies who had been imprisoned and interrogated, which was why they bore such tattoos.

“General, all three are spies. This…?”

Three spies killing each other-the strangeness of the situation was enough to make one’s skin crawl.

“We can’t wait any longer!” Lu Xuyang gripped the secret letters tightly and barked out orders. “You five, take this man to the military camp first. If the Tuoba Envoy is not at the Official Lodge, gather the troops immediately and head out of the city to rescue him! The rest of you, follow me out of the city!”

With the safety of the Tuoba Envoy and the survival of the alliance at stake, it was better to believe the threat was real than to risk ignoring it.

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers shouted in unison.

***

At Brocade Gate, Ruan Fuxin stood by a window on the second floor, gazing toward the city walls.

A pair of Lion-handled Baoding Balls rotated in his palm, tracing smooth, Taiji-like paths.

Just then, a waiter knocked and entered to report, “Manager, the news about the North City Acrobatics Troupe giving away baskets has been spread by our boys as requested.

“Around noon, the boys all took a moment to go get one themselves. They’re quite nice, actually-very convenient for carrying things at home.

“Bamboo is cheap, and giving away a few baskets to drum up business was a clever move by that troupe.

“They’re bound to have a huge crowd today. Since you’ve helped them so much, Manager, they’ll definitely show their gratitude. You’ll likely get a good cut of the referral money!”

The waiter spoke with great excitement.

Their manager really knew how to make a profit. He had the shop hands help the North City Acrobatics Troupe drum up business during their downtime. In the future, if the troupe was ever invited to perform at a wealthy household, they would return the favor by promoting Brocade Gate.

It was a win-win situation for everyone.

Ruan Fuxin continued to rotate the Lion-handled Baoding Balls, a kind and honest smile on his face. He said amiably, “You’ve all worked hard today. Go to the accounts and withdraw two taels of silver. Each of you buy a box of pastries to take home to your children.”

“Oh! Thank you, Manager!”

Having received a tangible reward, the waiter’s smile became even more genuine.

Ruan Fuxin’s smile remained unchanged as he gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment, not saying anything more.

Having gained a real benefit, the waiter only thought of Ruan Fuxin’s kindness. He didn’t mind the lack of further conversation and hurriedly bowed, backing out of the room with a grin.

Left alone in the tea room, the rotation of the Lion-handled Baoding Balls in Ruan Fuxin’s hand slowed slightly. He stared out at the city walls, his gaze somewhat unfocused.

Once the Young Lady left the Capital for the north, the Madam might not be willing to keep him in her service.

Scholars often said that a fine steed meeting a judge of horses was the luck of a lifetime. If the judge went far away, the steed would likely end its days languishing in a stable.

Heaven help us. Young Lady, you must hold your ground.