Yu Jin Chang An (With Jin's Chang'An)

Chapter 41

Qin Lan's blade flashed and instantly halted before Jin'an. Jin'an didn't dodge or evade, just looked at Li Shuang, as if he was willingly ready to entrust his life between Qin Lan's blade.

However, he didn't move. Wu Yin and Li Shuang, on the other hand, were not idle. Li Shuang intercepted Qin Lan's hand halfway, skillfully disarming him of the big knife he held, and Wu Yin stepped forward, stopping Qin Lan's movements. With a push to his chest, she pushed Qin Lan back.

Qin Lan stood still, rising from the ground with his feet, ready to strike back. Wu Yin's eyebrows twitched, just as she was about to make a serious move, Li Shuang took the knife she had wrested from Qin Lan and stabbed it into the ground, standing in front of the bed, her expression icy and serious: "Kill me first, then kill him."

Upon hearing this, Qin Lan's figure froze, locking eyes with Li Shuang. The restrained emotions in his eyes finally burst forth uncontrollably: anger, hatred, unwillingness, and... jealousy. A burning jealousy that consumed him to the core.

"General, have you truly thought through your actions?" Qin Lan's anger flared, unable to contain his emotions any longer. "Coming from the northern borders, traversing thousands of miles, enduring hardships along the way, how much sacrifice did it take to obtain the Emperor's permission to borrow fifty thousand troops? Have you forgotten, General? Several years ago, how much danger did you face with the Grand General just to escape from the capital to the northern frontier? And now, for someone who constantly hurts you, endangers you, and puts you in perilous situations, you willingly offer yourself up! By protecting and defending him like this, what kind of outcome do you expect?"

Li Shuang remained silent, while behind her, Jin'an gazed somewhat absentmindedly at the sunlight streaming through her body. In a daze, he heard Qin Lan's angry rebuke, and it seemed as if he also heard a voice from the distant horizon. It was a rugged voice he had never heard before, yet it carried an inexplicable familiarity, as if struggling to emerge from the depths of his soul.

At the same time, numerous images flashed incessantly through his mind, much like yesterday, upon hearing the news Qin Lan brought about the Western Barbarians. Those unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar scenes kept flooding his mind, but compared to yesterday's blur, today's images were much clearer.

Yet, at this moment, no one noticed Jin'an's expression. Both Li Shuang and Wu Yin remained silent, their gazes fixed on Qin Lan.

"Today, you may protect him, but when he returns to the capital, how will you treat him then? Since you are so concerned about him, coming here to borrow troops for him, how could the Emperor allow such a person to remain in this world? Once suspicion arises, as long as he's alive, you, General... it won't just be the Emperor who remembers this! The harem, the former dynasty, everyone will know, the daughter of the Grand General..."

Qin Lan, in such an excited state of emotion, also forcefully suppressed the words that had yet to leave his lips. Because within those words lay another kind of discomfort, concerning Li Shuang's fate.

She would marry the Emperor.

And the entire court, civil and military officials, and the three thousand harem members would know that before Li Shuang married the Emperor, she rushed thousands of miles to save a mysterious man.

And this mysterious man was still alive.

Perhaps now Sima Yang, considering her surrendering of military power, wouldn't pay much attention to this matter, but as soon as the day came when Sima Yang wanted to eliminate a running dog, to weaken the Grand General's mansion, this matter would become a long nail in the Grand General's mansion's body. The Emperor and others would hold a hatchet in their hands, with a light tap, they could firmly nail down the backbone of the Grand General's mansion.

If there was still a way to remedy this situation now, it would be to kill Jin'an, find a pretext, and say Li Shuang pursued him to avenge someone. Only then, in the future, would there be no chance for this matter to change at any time.

But...

"It's precisely because I've invested so much effort that I want him to live." Li Shuang's voice was hoarse, but her gaze and words were crystal clear. So no matter how much anger Qin Lan felt, it became irrelevant at this moment.

She knew her absurdity and stubbornness from the beginning, yet her father indulged her stubbornness. Perhaps in this lifetime, she could only be stubborn once. Despite this leading her to a deep abyss in the future, she wouldn't regret it.

"General..." Qin Lan's voice was extremely hoarse, like someone who had suffered a humiliating defeat in battle, "Have you thought about the future?"

Li Shuang had thought about it. She had worried about Jin'an's future for him, but as for her own future, there seemed to be nothing that could make her afraid anymore. She had made her choice, and when she made that choice, she had already thought it through clearly.

"I have plans."

Qin Lan had nothing more to say. He couldn't stay in this small room any longer. Lowering his eyes, just as he did every time before, he no longer looked directly at Li Shuang's face, lowered his head, clenched his fists, "General... if you have decided... then so be it."

He turned and left.

As Qin Lan departed, the small room fell silent. Only Wu Yin sighed, "When it comes to affairs of noble families, they're always complicated." His eyes shifted, though a hint of his usual smile remained on his lips, his gaze grew deeper, "General, do you really have plans for the future?"

Wu Yin's main concern, however, wasn't Li Shuang, but Jin'an.

As the Master of the Five Spirits Sect, the Jade Silkworm Gu was always considered a secret treasure of the sect. Although he had agreed to let Jin'an accompany Li Shuang and leave Mount Nanchang, he had also mentioned that they would send someone to protect them in the future. If Jin'an were to die, they would reclaim the Jade Silkworm Gu.

Li Shuang fell silent, turning to look at Jin'an, who had been sitting quietly on the bed since this began.

The warm sunlight bathed them, yet Jin'an still hadn't reverted to his childlike form. Li Shuang held his wrist, feeling that his body was no longer as hot as before, like a burning fireball.

Li Shuang's gaze flickered, and she glanced at Wu Yin sideways. "You mentioned earlier that Jin'an has become like the previous Gu people, right?"

Wu Yin nodded. "Yes, quite similar indeed. There are markings on his chest, but otherwise, his appearance doesn't differ much from an ordinary person's. He doesn't change size, nor does he have flames covering his body."

So, does that mean Jin'an's body has completely merged with the Gu?

Li Shuang looked into his pupils, and Jin'an also gazed back at her. His eyes were as clear as ever, but at this moment, while looking at her, there seemed to be a hint of distraction, as if his gaze was seeing something else through her.

Li Shuang was afraid that he might be overthinking Qin Lan's words, so she comforted him, saying, "I came to find you, but it's not as complicated and difficult as Qin Lan said." She paused, "I'm leaving for the capital tomorrow. I intended to tell you yesterday, but didn't get the chance. Come back to the capital with me." Li Shuang glanced at Wu Yin, "You can't stray too far from me for now, but after returning to the capital, I... maybe won't be able to stay by your side like now."

As she said this, some of the fog in Jin'an's eyes seemed to dissipate, as if he had finally focused all his attention on Li Shuang.

"I'll go back, and probably enter the palace in a few months. You will be arranged in the General's mansion by my father and Li Ting. Perhaps..." She began, but was suddenly choked by the words behind. After a while, she looked up at Jin'an, "Anyway, if your body won't change anymore in the future, it's really a good thing." She smiled, "In the future, you can teach Li Ting martial arts every day. If you want to travel around the country, you can do so freely."

"What about you?" Jin'an asked her, "Will you be with me?"