A journey through ancient times, a journey of exquisite divine skills

Chapter 179 Chivalrous Spirit and Tender Feelings

At this moment, Shanzi finally spoke.

He looked at Wang Ming and Zhang An and said, "Lord Zhang, General Wang, we have some things to take care of."

"You two go and have your meal first, don't wait for us. We'll be right back after we've finished our business."

Upon hearing Shanzi say he had important business, Zhang An immediately asked with concern, "Young Master Ziyi, is there any difficulty you are facing? Do you need my assistance?"

His voice was filled with concern and worry.

Shanzi quickly waved his hand and refused, saying, "No, no, no need to trouble you, sir."

It's just a small matter; we'll handle it quickly.

Wang Ming also said, "Yes, Lord Zhang, you don't need to worry. Shanzi and the other two are only dealing with minor matters, so we don't need to wait for them."

His voice carried a hint of ease and relief, as if he had unwavering faith in Shanzi's abilities.

Zhang An nodded upon hearing this, but still said with a concerned expression, "The two young heroes must be careful. If you need any assistance from me, please don't hesitate to ask."

Shanzi clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Zhang. We will take care of it right away."

Shanzi turned to look at Datou and Li Ziling, his eyes revealing determination and resolve.

Da Tou immediately understood what Shan Zi meant.

He gently patted Ling'er and Xiao Honglin on the shoulders and comforted them, "Ling'er, Xiao Honglin, you two go with Lord Zhang and General Wang to have your meal."

Shanzi and I are going to take care of some things, we'll be back to you soon.

A hint of worry and fear flashed in Ling'er's eyes.

Da Tou stepped forward, his expression concerned, and once again gently comforted the girl whose eyes were red.

"Ling'er, just stay here and rest assured. We'll come back to pick you up once we've finished our business."

Da Tou turned around to face Wang Ming and Lord Zhang An, cupped his hands and said, "General Wang, Lord Zhang, please take care of these brother and sister."

"Once we've successfully completed our business, we'll come back immediately to take them away."

Lord Zhang An nodded slightly, his expression calm and composed, his eyes revealing a reassuring certainty.

"You can go and do your work with peace of mind. I will make proper arrangements for the brother and sister and ensure that they are not wronged. You can rest assured."

Da Tou felt a warmth in his heart and quickly cupped his hands in gratitude again.

"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Zhang!"

Big Head then looked at the siblings and said softly, "You two stay with the two adults. If you need anything, just tell them. We'll be back soon."

Then Shanzi and Datou didn't linger any longer, turned around and strode away, their figures gradually disappearing from everyone's sight.

Lord Zhang An saw the two siblings and said, "Alright, you two can come with me now. Let's go have a meal."

Then Li Ziling took Xiao Honglin's hand and followed Zhang An and Wang Ming into the inner courtyard of the yamen.

Shanzi and Datou left the yamen, leaped onto their horses, and galloped off towards the Cai family mansion with the sound of hooves.

The setting sun cast its rays upon their backs, revealing two resolute silhouettes.

Da Tou noticed Shan Zi's furrowed brows and a sense of doubt arose in his heart.

"Brother Shanzi, are you alright?" he asked with concern.

Shanzi shook his head slightly, his voice low: "It's alright, let's go faster."

The two soon arrived at the Cai family residence.

Inside the mansion, soldiers from the Ling Kingdom were busily moving items and corpses, creating a scene of bustling activity.

Upon seeing the two, a soldier quickly came forward and greeted them warmly.

"Brother Shanzi, Brother Datou, what brings you here?"

Shanzi and this soldier were already acquainted and addressed each other as brothers.

"Brother Xing, we're here to see Miss Cai."

Upon hearing this, Brother Xing nodded: "Oh, I didn't expect you to know Miss Cai."

She and her maid are still in the room. Do you know the way? Do you need me to lead the way?

Shanzi waved his hand: "Brother Xing, you don't need to be so polite. We know the way, we can go by ourselves."

The two walked through the winding corridors in the courtyard and arrived at a house in the inner courtyard that was about forty square meters in size.

As soon as Shanzi stepped across the threshold, she saw the two people in the boudoir staring wide-eyed, their faces full of disbelief.

Xiao Die excitedly shouted, "Brother Shanzi!"

Cai Yao'er also called out softly, "Young Master Su...."

Xiaodie snapped out of her daze, grabbed Cai Yao'er's hand, and said happily, "Miss, Miss, it's Brother Shanzi!"

As she spoke, she ignored her sprained ankle and limped to Shanzi, hugging him tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"Brother Shanzi, I thought you weren't coming back."

Seeing Xiaodie so excited, Shanzi comforted her, "Xiaodie, didn't I promise you that I would come to find you after we defeated those Qin traitors?"

How could he not come back? Okay, Shanzi is back, don't cry anymore.

Xiaodie nestled in Shanzi's arms and whispered, "Yes, we were all saved by Brother Shanzi. Brother Shanzi is our savior."

Shanzi smiled slightly: "Alright, Brother Shanzi is here, you can rest assured now."

Xiaodie then realized her lapse in composure, her cheeks flushed instantly, and she shyly left Shanzi's embrace, standing in front of him at a loss.

Upon seeing this, Da Tou burst out laughing. Xiao Die's face turned even redder, as if it were about to bleed.

Shanzi turned to Cai Yao'er, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Miss Cai."

Seeing Shanzi's polite manner, Cai Yao'er quickly stood up from the bed and replied, "Young Master Su."

She stared intently at Shanzi, while Shanzi pretended to avoid her gaze.

An awkward silence fell over the boudoir.

After a while, Da Tou couldn't stand it anymore.

He walked up to Shanzi and joked, "Brother Shanzi, why didn't you introduce me to him?"

Shanzi suddenly realized: "Oh!"

He then introduced Cai Yao'er and Xiao Die to Da Tou.

"This is Miss Cai from the Cai family, named Cai Yao'er."

Then, pointing to Xiaodie, he said, "This is Miss Xiaodie."

Da Tou also bowed to Cai Yao'er and said, "Hello, Miss Cai. I am Shan Zi's brother. We are from the same village."

My name is Cai Zihe, Cai being the "Cai" in "wood." We're really destined to meet; your surname is Cai, and mine is Cai. You can just call me Big Head.

Upon hearing Da Tou's self-introduction, Cai Yao'er snapped out of her daze and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Young Master Cai. My name is Cai Yao'er."

Da Tou responded to her, then cupped his hands to Xiao Die and said, "Hello, Miss Xiao Die."

Xiaodie replied shyly, "Greetings, Young Master Cai."

Big Head waved his hand: "Oh, don't call us Young Master Cai, we can't be called Young Master Cai."

You can just call me Big Head. I'm only thirteen years old, still young.

Cai Yao'er and Xiao Die couldn't help but laugh when they heard Da Tou say that.

Shanzi looked at Cai Yao'er and asked, "Miss Yao'er, Miss Xiaodie, where is Uncle Cai?"

Xiao Die replied, "Uncle Cai just heard that the government officials have arrived and he is talking to them."

Shanzi nodded: "I see. Then let's wait for Uncle Cai to arrive before we talk about it."

Silence fell in the room once again.

Seeing this, Xiaodie, dragging her injured leg, hurriedly poured tea for Shanzi and Datou.

"Brother Shanzi, Young Master Cai, you two should have some tea first."

Shanzi quickly dissuaded him, "Alright, alright, you don't need to go through all this trouble. Didn't I tell you that your foot injury hasn't healed yet? Don't walk around too much."

If you get further injured, it will be even harder to recover. Sit down quickly.

Xiaodie blushed and sat down shyly.

Cai Bo, the old servant of the Cai family, had also reached an agreement with the officials and soldiers and saw them off.

His face was etched with worry, and he thought to himself, "Now that the Cai family has suffered such a fate, what will become of Miss? Alas..."

He walked heavily toward his young mistress.

Upon arriving at the young lady's house, and just as she crossed the threshold, the scene inside came into view—Shanzi.

The man who had left just a few hours earlier was now sitting there unharmed, with an unfamiliar young man beside him.

The young man looked quite young, but he exuded a confidence that seemed beyond his years, as if he had everything under control.

Upon seeing this, Cai Bo was overjoyed and hurriedly went to meet him.

His gaze was urgent and concerned, sweeping over Shanzi's body like a searchlight.

He couldn't wait to bombard him with a series of questions: "Shanzi, you're finally back! How is it?"

Did you encounter any danger in the battle against the Qin army? Were you injured?

Faced with Cai Bo's anxious question, Shanzi simply smiled, revealing a reassuring smile.

He gently shook his head, his bright eyes gleaming with a resolute light unique to those who had weathered countless storms.