144. Former Heroes in Their Twilight Years

Breeze Courtyard.

After resting for a single day, Lu Jin’s swollen ankle had completely subsided.

The following days were spent either hunting or seeking entertainment within the courtyard. Yet, after waiting three or four days, still no word came from Lu Wei, making Lu Jin somewhat impatient.

Today, Lu Jin and Shen Yanxi were once again mounted on tall, spirited horses. However, instead of hunting, they were simply taking advantage of the fine weather to go out for a leisurely ride.

The two of them, one clad in black and the other in white, strolled forward at a gentle pace, while the rest of the entourage followed at a considerable distance. Ever since crossing over into this world, he had grown accustomed to this lifestyle; in his memories, it seemed he had never once gone out alone.

"My wife, would you care to join your husband, just the two of us and our horses, to take in the autumn scenery of the Lan River?" Lu Jin asked, turning his head.

"Wherever my lord is, there is his concubine!" Shen Yanxi replied with a smile as radiant as a flower.

"Very well, then let us be willful just this once. Hyah!" Today, Lu Jin was completely at ease with the steed Black Mane, and naturally no longer feared the awkwardness of the previous days.

Black Mane surged forward with a leap, the red tassel between its brows fluttering in the wind like a spark in the dead of night.

"Hyah!" Shen Yanxi flicked her riding crop, and the grayish-white mare darted forth like a frightened rabbit. A matching red tassel adorned its forehead, like a single speck of red upon the snow.

Nie Wuqi and Su Nian stared at the galloping black and white horses receding into the distance, dumbfounded for quite some time.

Recovering her wits, Nie Wuqi urged her horse forward to follow, only to be hurriedly intercepted by Shuqing at her side.

"Lady Nie, the master and mistress are purposely shaking us off. There is no need for us to be in such a rush." Shuqing, deeply familiar with her young miss and master, understood the two of them far better.

Left with little choice upon hearing Shuqing's words, Nie Wuqi and Su Nian had to abandon their intent to pursue. Fortunately, this was entirely Shen family territory, so there was no need to worry about safety.

Nie Wuqi had originally thought that staying by his side would naturally afford her plenty of opportunities, never expecting to suffer such daily torment. Watching Lu Jin and Shen Yanxi ride off into the distance only deepened the ache in her heart.

"Does Lady Nie perhaps harbor feelings for our master?" Su Nian asked.

As one of Shen Yanxi's personal bodyguards, Su Nian was not as intimately informed as personal maids like Shuqing, yet a glance into Nie Wuqi's eyes told her that the woman's entire heart was set upon their master.

"I do!" Nie Wuqi answered expressionlessly, crisp and direct.

Such blunt directness left Su Nian utterly at a loss. Could you not at least be a little more tactful?

"But..." Su Nian wanted to offer some persuasion. Which woman could fail to be captivated by a man like her master? Yet his eyes held only his wife; what use was it to yearn so bitterly? Before she could finish, however, Nie Wuqi cut her off.

"There are no 'buts.' To love is to love."

"..." Su Nian was speechless.

While she stood in a daze, she caught sight of Xiao Bai riding up from behind.

"Sister Su, where are the master and the young miss?" Xiao Bai reined in his horse and asked.

"They went elsewhere. Has news arrived?" Su Nian asked with a frown.

"Yes, someone just came. Where did the master and the young miss go?" Xiao Bai asked anxiously.

"Yuanfang, you and Xiao Bai go on back first. We will go find the master," Shuqing interjected.

By now, the master and mistress must have slipped away to some secluded spot. Knowing her master's temperament, there was no telling what mischief he might get up to; dragging these two men along would only cause trouble.

"Ah?" Yuanfang, eager to prove himself, was somewhat confused. If they were looking for people, shouldn't they all go together? Why send him back?

"Ah, what? Can I no longer manage you?" Shuqing's face grew cold. Having long served by Shen Yanxi's side, when she turned serious, she naturally possessed an imposing aura.

Without another word, Yuanfang and Xiao Bai galloped away. None of these people were anyone he dared to provoke. If they said not to go, then he wouldn't go; besides, with several people still around, even if something arose on the master's end, they could handle it.

"Why did you send them back?" Nie Wuqi asked, bewildered.

"Lady Nie, the few of us will suffice," Shuqing casually replied.

Seeing the two men retreat, the small group slowly urged their horses forward.

-----------------

Lu Jin and Shen Yanxi galloped all the way, a fine steed beneath them, a beauty by their side, and a landscape like a painting unfolding before their eyes—this was truly how life ought to be lived!

"Whoa!" The two reined in their horses sharply as they crested a high ridge.

"My wife, how do you find the scenery here?" Lu Jin turned and smiled.

Shen Yanxi looked ahead. Across from them, the mountains were covered in a blanket of crimson, tier upon tier of autumn foliage dyed in vibrant hues. Below the cliffs, sheer precipices dropped thousands of feet, with roaring torrents surging past like rumbling thunder. Yet beneath their feet jutted out a single, prominent ridge. Even as a woman, Shen Yanxi felt a surge of heroic spirit; such a landscape could never be matched by any man-made garden.

"Ranges upon ranges of peaks, sheer precipices standing abruptly—how precipitous and grand. Yet in the past, when we traveled by boat, it seemed we never passed this way," Shen Yanxi mused in wonder.

"The current here flows from north to south, swift and turbulent, yet the volume of water is not so great. This must merely be a tributary of the Lan River." Exactly where it was, Lu Jin did not know.

"Then that should be the Shu River," Shen Yanxi guessed.

Lu Jin had originally intended to hold his wife in his arms upon horseback while they admired the mountain scenery, but after a moment's thought, he abandoned the idea. After all, the creature beneath them had a mind of its own; if it truly went wild, he would be done for.

-----------------

The two leaped down from their saddles and naturally melted into a tight embrace. Under his continuous, unyielding efforts, his wife had already formed a fine habit. Unless their elders were present, separating them was practically impossible.

A stray lock of Shen Yanxi's hair brushed against Lu Jin's cheek, her exquisite form pressed tightly against his chest, and with not a soul within miles, it stirred up a flurry of restless thoughts in Lu Jin.

"With scenery so fine, does my husband have a verse to share?" Shen Yanxi asked softly.

"Huh? Just holding you for a moment is enough, what need is there for poetry?" Lu Jin's mind was filled with entirely different thoughts; how could he care about any poems?

Hearing the unusual tone in her husband's voice, how could Shen Yanxi not realize his mind was wandering again? Her face flushed crimson, yet instead of retreating, she turned and threw her arms around Lu Jin, pressing close against him.

Lu Jin felt as though he had been instantly ignited, and he responded with an even more ferocious passion, like waves crashing against a riverbank, or a gale sweeping across a mountain ridge.

Shen Yanxi felt as though she were suffocating. Her husband's large hands felt like glowing embers plunged into water, causing her naturally cool skin to grow feverish.

She desperately longed to melt entirely into her husband's body in this embrace, yet she knew she could not.

"Hiss!" Lu Jin suddenly felt a slight sting at the corner of his lips and hurriedly stopped. Shen Yanxi seized the opportunity to slip away from his arms.

"Pfft! My husband is not permitted to misbehave. At home, whatever my husband desires, I yield to you, but out here, you must restrain yourself," Shen Yanxi said hurriedly, stepping forward to cup her husband's face in consolation.

As the daughter of a distinguished noble family, Shen Yanxi possessed her own upbringing; she would not be blindly submissive, nor was she lacking in romantic warmth. But such unbridled mischief out in the open wilderness clearly exceeded the boundaries of what she could accept.

"If my husband wishes to be out in the wild again next time, I shall have them make proper arrangements, and I will surely grant your wish," Shen Yanxi said with a flushed face.

"Then your husband shall hold you to that. You've bitten my lip raw." Lu Jin feigned grievance to provoke her.

❤ (ɔˆз(ˆ⌣ˆC) Just as Lu Jin finished speaking, he felt a warm touch at the corner of his mouth.

"And now?" Shen Yanxi wrapped her arms around her husband's neck once more.

"It's better!" Lu Jin said awkwardly, feeling as though he were being coaxed like a child.

"Pfft!" Seeing her husband's foolish, honest expression, Shen Yanxi could not resist teasing him further, her legs intentionally brushing against Lu Jin's body.

"If you keep that up, I won't hold back anymore," Lu Jin threatened. Earlier, carried away in the heat of the moment, he hadn't cared, but upon calming down, he realized he wasn't the type to run wild anywhere he pleased.

"Keep what up? Like this?" Shen Yanxi's eyes were filled with alluring charm, her voice as sweet as honey.

Lu Jin swallowed a mouthful of bitter blood. Could he really keep letting himself be manipulated by this little vixen of his? He could care less now. He reached out to pull Shen Yanxi into his arms, but she was well-prepared and sidestepped, darting far away in a flash.

Lu Jin could only hunch his waist and sigh helplessly at the vast expanse before him.

"Haha~" Watching her husband's awkward plight, Shen Yanxi laughed so hard she could barely straighten up.

"..." Lu Jin was speechless. He wanted to ask: what is a modern man to do when he is constantly being teased by his wife in ancient times? It was truly a matter of utmost urgency!

"Miss! Master!" Seeing the two figures atop the high ridge, Shuqing finally set her mind at ease. Yet considering how delicate and exceptionally neat her young miss was, she surely wouldn't agree to anything improper.

"Miss, Master, someone has come to the estate." Reaching the top of the ridge, Shuqing and the others dismounted.

"Understood," Lu Jin replied indifferently.

"What is wrong with the master? Is he injured somewhere?" Nie Wuqi asked with concern, seeing that Lu Jin was not only facing away from her but also hunched over.

"Pfft! Wuqi, go help your master! Shuqing, let's go." With that, Shen Yanxi walked toward the grayish-white mare.

"Hey, my wife?" Lu Jin cried out in alarm.

"Haha~" With a light chuckle, Shen Yanxi mounted her horse.

(ꐦಠ ಠ) Lu Jin was speechless. Had his wife lost her mind?

"What are you..." Utterly confused, Nie Wuqi walked up to Lu Jin and took one look, only to be dumbfounded.

Having teased Lu Jin herself in the past, how could she not understand now? Her face turned red in an instant. How was she supposed to help? Even the daring Nie Wuqi was completely thrown for a loop.

"Step away at once," Lu Jin said awkwardly, wondering why she had to stick her nose into this. His stubborn brother below was completely uncooperative.

"Pfft, let me take a look." Seeing Lu Jin's state, Nie Wuqi could not resist teasing him.

A wave of sharp, refreshing panic washed over Lu Jin, and he squatted straight down onto the ground.

From behind came the sound of the others galloping forward and laughing heartily.

What kind of absolute monsters were these people?!

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It was already dusk by the time Lu Jin and his party returned to Breeze Courtyard.

"Xiao Bai, who has arrived?"

"It is none other than your eldest brother, Master," Xiao Bai replied.

"My eldest brother?" Lu Jin exclaimed in surprise, thinking he had merely sent someone with a message, never expecting his eldest brother to come in person.

-----------------

"My wife, let us go take a look." Speaking thus, Lu Jin followed Xiao Bai toward the guesthouse courtyard.

"Eldest Brother?" Entering the room, Lu Jin saw Lu Wei seated on a low couch, with Xu Chong beside him and Jiang Shangxing seated to the side.

"Brother! Your elder brother has finally laid eyes on you." Upon seeing Lu Jin enter, Lu Wei almost failed to recognize him. After all, Lu Jin had undergone quite a transformation during this period.

Lu Jin felt much the same upon looking at Lu Wei. How had the former hero of the wilds ended up looking like this? His face was full of desolation and vicissitudes.

"Eldest Brother!" Lu Jin took a few hurried steps forward and grasped Lu Wei's arm.

"Brother!" Without another word, Lu Wei pulled Lu Jin into a loud wail, a man of forty or fifty weeping like a child.

"You've suffered, Eldest Brother." Lu Jin's heart ached as well. It had been such a short time, yet Lu Wei looked as though he had aged ten years. Not only had he failed to ascend the imperial throne, but he had fallen even lower.

"Brother, your elder brother almost didn't get to see you again."

The onlookers were all stunned into numbness, Shen Yanxi included. Never had they imagined that a reunion between these two men could be so emotionally overwhelming.

"Second Chieftain!" the elderly Xu Chong interjected.

"Old Six is here as well?" Lu Jin purposely avoided calling him Sixth Chieftain. Times were different now; trying to appeal to brotherhood with a low-ranking petty official like Xu Chong might not work, so it was better to simply overawe him with status.

"Second Chieftain, I am now Fourth," Xu Chong sighed.

"Ah?" Were the rankings assigned that randomly?

"The others are all dead."

"..." Very well, they had perished before he even had a chance to get to know them.

"Eldest Brother, Fourth, let me introduce you. This is my wife, Shen Yanxi. My wife, this is Eldest Brother Lu Wei, whom I have often spoken of to you, and this is Fourth Chieftain Xu Chong."

Both Lu Wei and Xu Chong had noticed Shen Yanxi earlier, but being too preoccupied with talking to Lu Jin, they hadn't had the chance to look closely.

Now that they did, good heavens! This ethereal beauty was actually their brother's wife? With such vast wealth and a wife so stunning, what on earth could this brother of his possibly be after? Lu Wei was utterly bewildered.

"Greetings, Eldest Brother Lu, Fourth Brother Xu. When my husband fell into distress last time, we owed it entirely to your care. Moreover, you sent word to the family. Such a profound debt, neither my husband nor I, nor the Shen family, will ever forget..."

Shen Yanxi felt a genuine, heartfelt gratitude toward Lu Wei. Had it not been for his kind heart, whether she could have endured was uncertain, but she and her husband would certainly never have been together—an outcome she shuddered to even imagine.

"Aish, Sister-in-law, please don't do this, you mustn't!" Where had Lu Wei ever seen a noble lady of such standing? He had previously suspected his brother might have refused to return because his wife was ugly; never had he imagined she would be such an ethereal beauty.

"Second Sister-in-law, please don't. Among us brothers, rank is determined by ability, not age. Sister-in-law, you may simply call me Old Xu or Fourth; I would never dare to accept the title of Fourth Brother."

Coming from a background as a legal clerk, Xu Chong naturally possessed worldly tact. Regardless of Lu Jin's own abilities, with a family background like his, how could he presume to act as a fourth brother? Had Lu Jin ever called him Sixth Brother or Fourth Brother? At most, he had been addressed as Sixth Chieftain. A man had to know his place. Xu Chong could see it clearly: whether he and his group succeeded or failed would ultimately depend on Lu Jin.

"My wife, just listen to Fourth. Among us brothers, we speak of martial honor and heroic sentiment; titles are of no real consequence." Lu Jin naturally had his own considerations. One elder brother was enough; how was he to maintain control over this faction if he had a whole nest of brothers?

"Right, right, Sister-in-law, what my brother says is true. It's just a form of address, you should just call him Fourth." Lu Wei chimed in as well.

"Very well, then I shall obey rather than refuse. Eldest Brother Lu, Fourth, please sit down and speak." Unflustered in her social dealings, Shen Yanxi carried herself with grace and propriety.

"Indeed, Eldest Brother, please sit," Lu Jin deferred politely.

"Miss! Master!" Jiang Shangxing, standing off to the side, finally found an opportunity to interject.

"You've worked hard, Shangxing." Lu Jin smiled and patted Jiang Shangxing on the shoulder.

"To serve the young miss and the master, I know no hardship. I only feared the master had been waiting too long," Jiang Shangxing said with a smile.

"As long as you've been found, that's what matters. Everyone, sit down and talk."

After a round of polite exchanges, they settled into their seats once more, with Lu Jin and Shen Yanxi occupying the seats of honor while Lu Wei and Xu Chong sat as guests, and Jiang Shangxing accompanied them from the side. It was obvious that Lu Wei and Xu Chong felt thoroughly ill at ease in such an environment.

"Eldest Brother, are the brothers holding up well?"

Lu Jin's single question caused Lu Wei to break down all over again.

"Brother, holding up? How could they be? We used to have four or five hundred men, and now there are barely a hundred left..."

Lu Jin's mouth twitched uncontrollably. The losses were that disastrous?

"Do not fret, Eldest Brother. Third has already been rescued by me and is recovering at home. As long as Eldest Brother is here, the banner of the Lan River Water Alliance will never fall." Lu Jin offered consolation.

"Brother, with only a hundred men left, even with all your brilliant strategies, there is no turning the tide," Lu Wei sighed.

Hm? Lu Jin glanced up at Jiang Shangxing. Had he not explained their plan to Lu Wei?