Chapter 48

"Nice to meet you. My name is Xue Miaojin."

Xue Miaojin sat in the chair, smiling, as she spoke. The man with the rat-like face maintained his stern expression, while the man with the rat face opened his mouth.

"Hmm. Nice to meet you, Miss Xue. What brings you here?"

"From what I heard just now, this gentleman here is the famous Swordsman Gan Junshang, right? Wow, Swordsman Gan! Do you know how many times I've read the 'Chronicles of Gale Sword'? And now to meet you in person!"

At that moment, a very soft voice underlaid Xue Miaojin's spoken words.

-Did you intentionally make your face look like that? If you can change it at will, why not make it more handsome?

"Hehe. Miss, you've read the chronicles of Swordsman Gan. So, do you want an autograph or something?"

-Using the art of disguise doesn't mean you can change your face however you want. You can't deviate too far from your original appearance. I am No. 24 of the Dark Dragon Corps. It's an honor to meet you, Princess.

The man with the rat face also had a small voice underlaid in his speech, as if the word "double talk" was literally being realized.

Xue Miaojin laughed and continued.

"No, not necessarily. I just wanted to talk to the person I've read about in the book. Isn't it a wonderful coincidence? To meet the protagonist and the reader in the vast wilderness of the New Continent?"

-Ah, you're No. 24. Which number is the person in Hawaii?

"Heh. A wonderful coincidence indeed. Swordsman Gan will be pleased with this connection."

-He is the leader. He rarely comes to the scene himself.

Gan Junshang, who had been maintaining a stern expression, nodded lightly at the rat-faced man's words.

"Oh, what an honor? I made Swordsman Gan happy?"

-Anyway, what is the Dark Dragon Corps doing here? And how did you find me?

"Hehe. This gentleman doesn't express it well, but he really likes people who have read his book..."

-If you ask what we're doing here, we are moving to find the Princess. We knew the Princess would come if we made a commotion with this friend around here. The Governor of Yan is worried about you, Princess. You should return.

In this way, the two seemed to be having a conversation like an author and a devoted reader, but they were secretly having a private conversation in a mosquito-like voice.

-From the fact that Governor Yan is worried, it seems you haven't reported to the Central Plains yet. Even if you did, it would take some time for a reply to come.

-...We haven't reported yet. If the Princess returns before then, it will be as if nothing happened.

Xue Miaojin laughed out loud.

-Governor Yan has a lot of nerve, doesn't he? If the report is late and gets caught, it could cost him his head.

-If you know that, why did you run away?

-Oh, what kind of speech habit does an imperial princess have? Let me give you a taste of the power of bloodline.

-...The Dark Dragon Corps operates under the imperial edict of His Majesty the Emperor. No matter who the Princess is, you can't treat the agents who follow that edict as you please. And I'm worried about the Princess.

The man with the rat face also laughed in response to her smile. The atmosphere seemed warm and friendly.

-That old edict from over a hundred years ago? I've heard that the Dark Dragon Corps uses it like an invincible shield. But if His Majesty the Emperor takes an interest in this continent and issues a new edict, it will all be over.

-...Princess, what's important now is not such power relations. The Princess must return to Hawaii.

-I will return, don't worry. Being a wanderer and staying at inns isn't as comfortable as it is in books.

The man with the rat face's expression brightened.

-Ah, that's a relief. Are you leaving now?

-What are you talking about? Can't you see my companions? I'm going with them. It's on the way to Shenshanchuan, so don't worry too much. Tell Governor Yan not to worry. Since I'm in the New Continent, I should meet some martial artists, right? Oh, and tell this actor to do something other than just maintaining a stern expression. His acting is terrible.

"Ah, really. I enjoyed talking to you. Swordsman Gan? Even though I said I didn't need it, would it be too much to ask for an autograph?"

After a long conversation, Xue Miaojin took out a small ink bottle and a fine brush from her sleeve and handed them to Gan Junshang. Gan Junshang, with a slightly stiff expression, signed the book and returned it to her.

"Thank you. It was nice meeting you."

Xue Miaojin smiled, took back the book, and was about to stand up when the man with the rat face spoke again.

"Since we've met, would you like to have dinner together? If you've already eaten, how about a drink? You can also invite your companions."

-Princess, this is not an actor. This is the real protagonist of the 'Chronicles of Gale Sword,' Gan Junshang. We've gone to great lengths to bring him here for you. He doesn't speak because he was recently injured and his breathing is rough. You didn't recognize the real Gan Junshang while examining the Dark Dragon Corps' disguise techniques.

Gan Junshang subtly lifted his hand and opened his collar, revealing a bandaged chest. Xue Miaojin froze, her eyes fixed on Gan Junshang. Gan Junshang lifted his chin arrogantly, met her gaze, and smiled slyly.

"…Miss Xue?"

She was staring blankly at his face when the man with the rat face called her, and she snapped out of it, forcing a smile.

"Ah, that would be a bit difficult. My companions prefer to eat quietly among themselves. It would be hard to join them without their permission."

-...I apologize for teasing you. Thank you for the autograph.

"That's a shame. Swordsman Gan would also be disappointed, wouldn't he?"

Gan Junshang nodded, and the man with the rat face's low voice came through again.

-Princess, when I say you must return, it's not just empty words. Someone is following your companions. If things go wrong, you might get entangled in some strange grudges. Many martial artists in this New Continent act first and think later, so your status alone won't protect you. How can I report this situation to the higher-ups?

-Don't worry. I can protect myself. Tell the higher-ups that I was being stubborn. That's the truth, isn't it?

Xue Miaojin turned to face her companions, who were looking at her, and slowly walked down the stairs. She saw Jin Ha with a worried look, Jin Jian staring at her silently, Xue Xia shoveling food into her mouth, and Zhang Jian drinking tea indifferently.

Suddenly, someone was following their group. She and Jin Ha had taken a carriage straight to Yanhu City as soon as they arrived in the New Continent. There was no time to get entangled with anyone. The same went for Jin Jian. The Jianlong Gate, which had suffered at his hands, was more afraid of the name Shaolin than willing to seek revenge. Those who could have done so were already dead.

And Xue Xia was just a sickly child. Now, she was healthy and ate more than adults, but before, she had been bedridden. There seemed to be no reason for anyone to chase her. So, the only one left was Zhang Jian.

A wanderer who avoided talking about his past. A martial artist with medical skills that could cure Jin Xue Xia's illness and respected by Shaolin monk Jin Jian. Xue Miaojin couldn't help but smile. He was more interesting than the overly dramatic Gan Junshang. Originally, her favorite historical novel was "The Nameless Hero." She didn't dislike the "Chronicles of Gale Sword," but it was more exaggerated compared to other historical novels, so she read it more like an old tale.

Most importantly, she came to the New Continent to write her own book. Meeting the protagonists of historical novels she read in the Central Plains was nice, but she didn't forget her original purpose.

When she returned, Jin Jian asked her,

"The atmosphere seemed good. Did they treat you rudely?"

"Not at all. They were incredibly kind and even gave me an autograph."

Jin Jian nodded, relieved, and muttered a small prayer. But Jin Ha looked at her silently with a stern expression. Xue Miaojin smiled at his expression and said,

"Ah, sorry, Jin Ha. Did I act too rashly?"

"…I understand."

Jin Ha answered curtly, turned away from her, and started taking care of Xue Xia again. He put side dishes on her chopsticks and poured her tea, clearly showing that he was upset with Xue Miaojin.

Xue Miaojin watched him, laughed awkwardly, and then suddenly turned her head. Zhang Jian was sitting in a chair, leaning back, sipping tea, and looking at her. His deep, calm eyes captivated her without her realizing it.

"…Why?"

Zhang Jian slowly put down his teacup in response to her question.

"How does it feel to meet someone you've only seen in books?"

"Well… it's nice to see them in person. But it's not as impressive as I thought. Isn't that mustache too strange? It's not like that in the book."

"Is that so?"

He smiled faintly in response to her jest, but it didn't seem like he was expecting an answer. Xue Miaojin tilted her head slightly at his expression.

Surely, he couldn't have overheard her conversation with the Dark Dragon Corps member. The distance between this place and the second floor where Gan Junshang was was too far to hear a normal conversation. Moreover, the double voice technique (二重音) wasn't something that could be understood just by having good hearing. The underlying voice was masked and scattered by the surface conversation, so without special skills, it would just sound like faint noise.

So, she dismissed her doubts and turned her attention back to Jin Xue Xia, who was still eating.

"Wow! Did you eat all that? How does it all fit in that little stomach?"

Jin Xue Xia looked up at her with wide eyes, her hands and mouth busy. She was on her third bowl of rice, and the side dishes were almost gone. Everyone was surprised by how much she was eating, even more than when they were camping, and they ordered more food for her. As a result, the conversation quickly shifted from Xue Miaojin to Jin Xue Xia.

Zhang Jian, however, just sipped his tea and watched Xue Miaojin playfully teasing Xue Xia.

* * *

The inn where the group was staying had a long awning outside the door, and a few chairs were placed under it, allowing one to sit and enjoy some quiet time if desired. After finishing his meal, Zhang Jian moved his luggage to the third-floor room and came out to sit, watching the setting sun and smoking a cigarette. The winter weather was a bit chilly, but Zhang Jian found the cold air refreshing and invigorating.

He rolled the cigarette in his mouth and muttered,

"…Really."

The Thousand Mile Listening Technique he had created not only amplified small sounds but also allowed him to focus on a specific sound. Of course, this required a lot of internal energy and left his ears sore for a few days, but it was quite useful, especially in the recent situation.

Zhang Jian had heard the entire conversation between Xue Miaojin and No. 24 of the Dark Dragon Corps, both the surface conversation and the underlying one. He was curious about what she would say, approaching so confidently, and ended up learning about the reality of the imperial intelligence organization and her secret, which he had only guessed at. Moreover, he learned about the unknown pursuer.

There were rumors about the Emperor's spies secretly gathering information in various parts of the New Continent. Considering the size and growing population of the New Continent, Zhang Jian thought it was natural for the Han imperial court to do so. The Dark Dragon Corps wasn't surprising, but the name was a bit off-putting.

However, Xue Miaojin's identity was surprising. Her childish behavior of crossing the New Continent after reading a novel and her oddly confident demeanor made him think she came from a high-ranking family. But a princess? Not just any noble, but a princess?

Zhang Jian exhaled a puff of smoke.

When they arrived in Shenshanchuan, he should probably part ways with her. He didn't dislike her, but continuing together would inevitably entangle him with the imperial army. If they recognized him and took an interest in his martial arts, it would become quite troublesome.

Zhang Jian was confident in his martial arts, but he didn't want to fight tens of thousands of imperial army experts.

At that moment, a small shadow emerged from the inn door. Zhang Jian, lost in thought, recognized the shadow's owner and subtly flicked the cigarette to extinguish it. It was Jin Xue Xia.

"Why are you out here?"

Jin Xue Xia didn't answer Zhang Jian's question. She walked briskly to the chair next to him, brushed off the dust, and sat down. She leaned back in the chair like he did and turned her head to look up at him.

Zhang Jian felt her gaze was like a challenge, as if their fight wasn't over and she was warning him not to leave without her. He chuckled and turned his eyes to the distant sunset. The girl also turned her head to look at the sunset. It was a pleasant evening.

Then, people riding horses appeared under the sunset. A large cart and mounted warriors, who seemed to be merchants and their guards, approached the inn. They stopped their horses, dismounted, and started chatting and organizing the cart and luggage. The inn's waiter, Wang Ba, also came out to help, adding to the commotion.

Jin Xue Xia subtly moved closer to Zhang Jian due to the noise. Zhang Jian naturally put his arm around her shoulders. She lightly gripped his arm and watched the people.

The warriors, busy chatting among themselves, glanced at the two of them indifferently and entered the inn. The only one who spoke to them was a middle-aged man with a thick beard and a padded coat, who was organizing the cart at the back. He was about to follow the warriors inside when he noticed Zhang Jian and Jin Xue Xia, stopped, and nodded slightly.

"Quite noisy, wasn't it? Sorry. It's been two days since we last saw an inn, so the staff are excited."

"Are you a merchant?"

Zhang Jian asked, and the man laughed.

"Yes, a merchant. I'm buying leather in Gaoyuan City and selling it in Shenshanchuan. Have you been to Gaoyuan City?"

"No. I've only heard that it's the easternmost of the frontier cities."

The merchant nodded at Zhang Jian's words.

"It's the easternmost of the Central Plains cities. Beyond that, the native tribes are stronger, which is probably why no new cities have been established. But you should definitely visit. It's a very pleasant place to live."

Zhang Jian nodded in response, and the merchant chuckled again, then met Jin Xue Xia's eyes.

"What a cute child."

He reached out to pat Jin Xue Xia's head, but she quickly hugged Zhang Jian to avoid his touch. The merchant looked surprised and embarrassed.

"…Hehe. The child is shy."

"It's natural. She's a stranger."

The merchant smiled strangely at Zhang Jian's blunt response.

"Hmm. That's true. We've only just met. Hehe."

He said this and went inside the inn. Jin Xue Xia, who had hidden her head in Zhang Jian's side, peeked out to watch the merchant's back and then turned to look up at Zhang Jian. Zhang Jian, who had been watching the merchant's back with a serious expression, met her gaze and smiled slightly.

In his mind, the merchant's hand reaching out to Jin Xue Xia flashed by. The hand was more well-trained than the other warriors. While there was no law against a merchant practicing martial arts, the palm of that hand was one Zhang Jian had seen before.

It wasn't something easily forgotten. They had even clashed palms. Zhang Jian turned his head to the sunset and muttered,

"…Maybe I should really do some divination. Now they're coming directly."

He thought of the burning hands of Xue Weiliang as he gazed at the red sunset. It seemed they wouldn't be able to stay comfortably at this inn for a few days.