"Father…" Upon returning to Luoyang, Dong Kui couldn't wait to meet Zhang Rang at a teahouse, eagerly reporting his success in a sycophantic manner.
Zhang Rang raised an eyebrow, "Is it all taken care of?"
"Absolutely clean!" Dong Kui grinned malevolently, "That brat was shot off a cliff by my arrow. Even if the arrow didn't kill him, the fall must have shattered him to pieces!"
"Hahaha!" Zhang Rang laughed heartily, satisfied. "Good! Only by completely getting rid of all those in the court who dare oppose me can I comfortably enjoy my tea here."
"You're a fine young man. I knew I wasn't wrong about you," Zhang Rang said with a smile, patting Dong Kui on the shoulder.
"Rest assured, when I return to the palace, I will recommend you to the Emperor! Just wait at home for the imperial decree of your promotion!"
"Thank you, Father! Thank you!" Dong Kui was overwhelmed with excitement, almost kneeling in gratitude. "I will go through fire and water for you, Father, without hesitation!"
"Alright, you may go now. Keep a low profile in the capital from now on, and don't let anyone catch wind of this."
"Father, rest assured. I'm smart and cautious," Dong Kui nodded and bowed, sycophantically expressing his gratitude as he exited the room.
As Dong Kui stepped out of the teahouse, several followers who had been waiting outside rushed to his side. Seeing his joyful expression, they knew there was good news.
"Congratulations, young master, on your promotion! From now on, anyone who dares to oppose you in Luoyang, we'll be the first to fight them! Our lives are in your hands, young master!"
A thin, monkey-faced follower bent over, flattering Dong Kui with all his might, and the other followers echoed his words.
With all this praise, Dong Kui's arrogance was evident as he strolled down the street with his hands behind his back, occasionally laughing aloud. Strangers looked at him with disdain.
"You all are clever. Since I'm rising in rank, I won't forget you. When I become Lieutenant General in a few days, you'll all at least be captains!"
"Thank you in advance, Master Dong… no, General Dong!"
"Hahaha!"
A group of ruffians surrounded Dong Kui, strutting arrogantly through the streets of Luoyang. Dong Kui held his head high, his face filled with pride.
Now that he was about to be promoted, the officials he used to bow to would soon have to address him as "General Dong." What a delight!
"General, look over there. Isn't that the maid from the Cai residence?" A sharp-eyed follower pointed to two girls shopping and enjoying the sights not far away.
Dong Kui squinted and recognized Cai Yan and her maid, Zier. With a lecherous smile, Dong Kui said, "Let's go and make ourselves known!"
"Got it!" The followers grinned mischievously and surrounded Dong Kui as they approached the two girls.
"Miss, I heard that the young master was transferred to a distant post. Why didn't he come to inform you before he left? You've been frowning every day, and it's turning you into a bitter melon face," Zier teased Cai Yan as they browsed a cosmetic stall, trying to lift her spirits.
Cai Yan playfully tapped Zier in mock annoyance. "Sister, don't tease me. Perhaps General Qin didn't want us to worry, so he…"
Before she could finish, an unpleasant whistle interrupted them. They turned around and saw a familiar, detestable face.
"Miss Cai, what a coincidence," Dong Kui approached them with a lascivious smile. Zier quickly stepped in front of Cai Yan, glaring at Dong Kui fearlessly.
"You again! What do you want?" Zier shouted, anger evident in her voice.
Dong Kui frowned, revealing a menacing expression. "You little wench, you've ruined my plans several times. I've been lenient with you, but if you don't back off, don't blame me for hitting a woman!"
"Dong Kui! Don't push us too far!" Cai Yan mustered her courage and shouted sternly. "We're in Luoyang. If you dare to act recklessly under the Emperor's watch, you might bring doom to your family!"
At the mention of the Emperor, Dong Kui felt a chill. Remembering Zhang Rang's repeated warnings to keep a low profile, he restrained his anger, forcing a sinister smile instead.
Seeing his reaction, Cai Yan pressed on, crossing her arms in front of her. "Let me tell you, I've already promised myself to General Qin Longyang. You should know the consequences if you dare harass me again!"
"Pfft…" Dong Kui sneered at the mention of Qin Longyang's name, and his followers exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.
"General Qin Longyang? Hahaha, I'm shaking in my boots!" Dong Kui laughed wildly. "Who would have thought that some people would become widows even before their wedding! Hahaha!"
"You… what do you mean…" Cai Yan was stunned by Dong Kui's words. Though she didn't want to believe him, his smug expression made her uneasy.
"Young master, Cao Cao is coming!" A follower pointed to a finely dressed Cao Cao approaching with a dozen guards. Dong Kui scowled at the sight of him.
"Let's go! Don't mess with him," Dong Kui commanded. He cast a disdainful glance at Cao Cao before leading his men away, leaving Cai Yan standing there, stunned.
"Miss Cai, are you alright?" Cao Cao quickly approached, concern evident in his voice as he saw Cai Yan's dazed expression.
"Uncle Cao…" Cai Yan immediately grabbed his arm, her voice urgent. "Uncle Cao, do you know where General Qin has been transferred?"
"General Qin?" Cao Cao paused for a moment, then smiled reassuringly. "General Qin has been transferred to Langya, Xuzhou. He left some time ago and should be in office by now. There's no need to worry."
"Langya, Xuzhou…" Cai Yan repeated softly, feeling a little relieved by Cao Cao's answer.
Cao Cao glanced around cautiously and advised, "Miss Cai, you should head home soon. Dong Kui is arrogant and might return once I leave."
"Thank you, Uncle Cao. We'll take our leave now." Cai Yan and Zier bowed to Cao Cao and started walking towards the Cai residence.
Cao Cao's smile faded as a grim expression replaced it. "How did Dong Kui know about Qin Longyang's situation? Could he have been involved in an attempt on Qin Longyang's life?"
Cao Cao was aware of the situation with Qin Longyang; a horse he had given Qin Longyang returned to Luoyang with bloodstains on the saddle.
Despite sending men to search, no clues had surfaced. However, Dong Kui's arrogance today had given him a hint.
"General, Dong Kui seems suspicious. Should we send some skilled men to check his house at night?" A burly lieutenant stepped forward and suggested.
Cao Cao shook his head. "If Dong Kui is involved, he must be a pawn in someone else's scheme. Investigating him might alert the true mastermind. Let's act as if we know nothing and wait for the right moment."
Conducting an open investigation might only alert the real culprits, making them more cautious. Cao Cao understood this well, so he decided against targeting Dong Kui directly. Instead, he had a bolder, more strategic plan in mind...
...
Meanwhile, in a dense forest on the border between Qingzhou and Xuzhou, a camp of large tents was hidden. It was the hiding place of the remnants of the Yellow Turban rebels!
Inside a uniquely decorated hut, Qin Longyang lay with his eyes tightly shut, afraid of being discovered.
"This guy sure has a strong life force, surviving such a severe injury," said one of the Yellow Turban soldiers, placing a bowl of medicine beside Qin Longyang's bed and commenting on his pale complexion.
"Our saintess has been taking care of him for a while. This guy must be really lucky."
"Indeed…"
As the two soldiers muttered, they closed the door and left. Qin Longyang cautiously opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.
He had regained consciousness yesterday, realizing that he was in an unfamiliar place and his wounds had been carefully tended to.
For the past few days, a young woman had been feeding him medicine, saving his life.
But the most critical revelation was… Qin Longyang knew he was in the heart of the Yellow Turban stronghold!
If they discovered he was the one who had wiped out over fifty thousand of their brothers in Youzhou, they might very well throw him into a pot to cook!
As this thought crossed his mind, Qin Longyang quickly felt for the prefectural seal at his waist, relieved to find it still there, meaning his identity hadn't been exposed.
Just as he was feeling a small sense of relief, he heard a noise outside. Quickly, he shut his eyes and lay still.
The door opened, and the same young woman entered! She wore a tiger-skin vest that accentuated her athletic figure.
Her youthful ponytail and bright, spirited eyes gave her a unique heroic charm, quite different from the usual gentle and demure women.
"Are you still pretending to be asleep?" she asked without looking at him, going straight to the medicine bowl. "Enjoying being served by me?"
"If you keep pretending, I'll use this knife!" The girl, seeing that Qin Longyang was still feigning unconsciousness, quickly changed her demeanor. She drew a short knife from her waist and pressed it against his neck.
"Please spare me!" Qin Longyang couldn't hold back any longer, grabbing her wrist in panic. The sudden contact made the girl blush, and both of them stood there, momentarily frozen in place...