Chapter 87

"Absolutely not, I won't agree!"

Nearly twenty of his agile personal guards worked together, and in just half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they had cleaned up all traces of the battle, the bloodstains, and the bodies of the two Wu Du Sect teachers.

At this moment, the guards stepped back, and Lin Sha immediately expressed his thoughts: the young princess could no longer stay in her original courtyard and should go with him to the city to ensure her safety. However, he did not expect Fang Yi to strongly oppose it.

"What do you think, young princess?"

Lin Sha didn't even bother to acknowledge Fang Yi and directly asked for the young princess Mu Jianping's opinion.

"Well... um..."

Mu Jianping secretly glanced at Fang Yi, whose face was cold, and then quietly looked at Lin Sha, who was smiling gently. Her expression was uncertain and hesitant.

"Lin Sha, I said I won't agree!"

Fang Yi became even more angry at this and started to complain again before the young princess could answer.

"Why do you have so much to say?"

Lin Sha was almost at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He gave the beautiful woman a disapproving look and reminded her coolly, "You have already made enemies with the Wu Du Sect. Who knows if they won't take action against you!"

"Hmph, those two were clearly killed by you!"

Fang Yi's face changed slightly when she heard this. Then, her eyes darted around, and she immediately thought of a response, stubbornly saying.

"Ha ha, let's not even talk about whether the Wu Du Sect knows that I killed them."

Lin Sha laughed and scanned the road in front and behind. His personal guards were diligently blocking the road and directing the passing merchants and travelers to take another route.

Fortunately, the two Wu Du Sect teachers and the three people from the Mu王府 had a fierce battle earlier, which made the passersby too scared to approach, giving his guards the opportunity to block the road. Otherwise, it wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

There were already many people and merchants in the outskirts of Kunming, and who knew if any of them were part of a powerful person's business or family in the city?

Fang Yi's face froze when she heard this, clearly not expecting Lin Sha to say such a thing.

"Even if the Wu Du Sect knows, so what? Do you think they dare to cause trouble for me?"

Lin Sha smiled slightly, revealing a row of neat, dazzling white teeth, but his words were extremely arrogant.

Fang Yi was immediately speechless. She had forgotten Lin Sha's current status as a mid-level powerful general in the Yunnan army, a person of influence known to Old Wu.

For the Wu Du Sect to have a major development, they needed to rely on Old Wu. Otherwise, they would struggle to survive, let alone thrive. From Lin Sha's martial arts training, it was clear how much effort and resources were needed to cultivate an elite disciple.

Moreover, since the previous sect leader, He Tieshou, suddenly retired overseas, the Wu Du Sect's experts suffered heavy losses during the turbulent times at the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing dynasties. Their strength had declined and they could only slowly recover in Yunnan Province.

This was the weakest period for the Wu Du Sect. The sect's experts were few, and if it weren't for their poison techniques, the Wu Du Sect would have long been overthrown by their subordinates and become a stepping stone for others to rise to power.

This was not the world of "The Return of the Condor Heroes," where martial artists completely disregarded the government. As long as they didn't provoke a large-scale manhunt by the imperial court, offending a provincial official was not a big deal. They could just run to another place to continue their lives, and the offended official might not even dare to retaliate.

This was also not the time of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," where martial arts factions were incredibly powerful, each with their own territory. Within their own territory, they were like local emperors, with strong influence and numerous assets, and even the local government had to give them face.

For example, when Liu Zhengfeng retired from the martial world, he donated a position as a general, and the martial artists all looked down on it, considering it a trivial official position, showing their contempt for the government.

But times had changed. The government was now the boss, and all martial arts factions had to be obedient and listen, or they would face severe consequences.

Even a small fourth-rank commander like Lin Sha was not to be provoked by any martial arts faction, unless they were willing to make a mortal enemy. Otherwise, they had to be obedient and humble when necessary.

"On the contrary, most of the Mu王府's people are out right now. You three are like live targets!"

Lin Sha continued to persuade, "It's best to come and stay at my place for a while. Wait until the Wu Du Sect lets up before returning. What do you think, young princess?"

Mu Jianping was quite moved. With her innocent and carefree nature, she was not cut out for the martial world and instead yearned for a peaceful and harmonious life.

To describe her relationship with Lin Sha, it could be compared to the pen pals that were popular in modern society.

Due to their respective statuses, since the Mu王府's skilled people rescued Mu Jianping and Fang Yi from Lin Sha's residence, they had only met a few times in over a year, and their conversations never lasted more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

However, the relationship between Lin Sha and the young princess did not become distant due to the long separation but grew closer, thanks to Lin Sha's careful efforts.

For example, after the victory in the western Yunnan rebellion, when he saw Fang Yi and Mu Jianping in the crowd at the city gate, he immediately sent people to secretly follow and find out where they lived.

Then, he deliberately opened a bookstore in the small town where they lived. The bookstore did not sell classics or examination materials but specialized in historical records, travelogues, myths, ghost stories, and some short jokes and anecdotes written by Lin Sha in his spare time.

When the young princess "accidentally" discovered this bookstore, she found that all the books sold there were things she liked, especially when she saw the jokes compiled by Lin Sha. Her excitement and gratitude were evident.

Thus, the small bookstore in the town became a place Mu Jianping visited every time she went out, either to search for new books or to communicate with Lin Sha through the bookstore as "pen pals." Their relationship naturally grew closer over time.

Of course, Fang Yi, the "third wheel," also played a role.

When Fang Yi discovered that the young princess was corresponding with Lin Sha, the "corrupt official," and that it had been going on for some time, she was furious and insisted that the young princess stop this improper behavior.

The young princess was enjoying her "pen pal" relationship with Lin Sha and was in her rebellious phase. Although she was gentle and innocent, she had grown up in luxury and was used to being the center of attention. She naturally refused to listen, and the more Fang Yi opposed, the closer her relationship with Lin Sha became.

As the saying goes, one black sheep can outweigh ten fans, and this was exactly the case.

At this point, Lin Sha still regarded the young princess as a little sister he got along well with. Seeing the innocent and carefree little sister in potential danger, he subconsciously wanted to help, without any ulterior motives.