The Transmigration Routine of Always Being Captured By the ML

Chapter 4: The Wild Dragon Proud Days 1.4

When Li Luo and Qin Yu left Jiangnan, it was still a place with long grass, various flying birds, red flowers and green willows. But along the journey, the closer they got to the north, the colder the weather turned.

By the time they reached the largest city in North—Xirong city, it was snowing.

Qin Yu’s maternal grandfather, Nangong Ao’s mansion was located here.

Li Luo pulled the reins tightly and clamped his horse’s belly, so it stopped its pace.

In front of the city gates, Li Luo looked at two rows of soldiers standing on each side. From among the soldiers came out someone,with laboured breath, and Li Luo stepped down from his horse.

Qin Yu followed suit and pulled his horse’s reins as he walked beside him.

After saying a few words to the city guards, the two entered the Xirong city smoothly.

The sky had darkened, so there were very little pedestrians walking outside, a lot less than usually. Li Luo grabbed a middle-aged man who was hurring past him. “Uncle, do you know in what direction general Nangong’s mansion is?”

The middle-aged man withdrew his shoulders and raised his head to look at Li Luo’s thin face, his mustache moved slightly.

His eyes widened as he looked at Li Luo and Qin Yu’s bodies and then at the shiny and smooth horses beside them whose immediately turn in a circle, his eyes suddenly bright. He put a hand in his sleeve and rubbed his forefinger and thumb in front of him.

“I want to know, if you will give me money first.”

Li Luo immediately choked up, ‘What the hell, I just asked for directions, yet you want we give you money? Uncle, is your character already overdue?’

“What? You look quite the wealthy, don’t tell me you can’t even afford this little money?” Mustached middle-aged man said to Li Luo with contempt.

Li Luo: “……” He really wanted to punch the guy.

Not waiting for Li Luo, Qin Yu extended his hand and threw a piece of silver into the hands of the middle-aged man.

At that the man’s eyes immediately became brighter, he bit the piece of silver with his teeth, and then carefully placed it in his bosom.

“Dear sirs, if you want to find general Nangong’s mansion, just follow this road all the way to the west, then turn left two times.” After he finished speaking, the man immediately turned around happily.

“Qin Yu, how could you really give money to that rogue? If he didn't want to tell us the way, we could have turned around and asked those gatekeepers. What were you thinking, giving him so much?” Li Luo looked helplessly at his companion, the money had been given, and even if he had a knot in his heart, he couldn't get it back from that shameless rogue.

“It's just a little money, Mucheng, let’s go.” Qin Yu pulled the reins and headed towards the direction that mustached middle-aged man  had pointed at.

Li Luo: “……” ‘Every time we booked rooms, didn’t you say we didn't have much money? Are you eating back your words?’

While wallowing in his depressing thoughts Li Luo didn’t notice Qin Yu, turning his head towards the direction that the mustached middle-aged man had left in; his eyes dark to the point of making people feel cold.

……

“He-he, those two rich people were really stupid.” Moustache middle-aged man went to in his usual alley. He looked back and narrowed his eyes, only once Li  Lou and Qin Yu disappeared at the corner of the streets, did the moustache on top of his lips raised up and his little eyes flashed with a trace of pride.

He took out that piece of silver from his bosom, put it in his mouth and took a bite, then turned around humming a small tune, which echoed in the alley.

As his figure entered the deeper into the alley, suddenly two pairs of hands come out and dragged him in towards the shadows.

After that came sounds of intensive kicking and depressed voice asking: “…only this much?”

The mustache man now with a bloody nose and swollen face was lying on the ground and tearily said: “Really…really only this…Aiyo, don’t…please don’t hit again.”

He had thought that today was his lucky day, with only few sentences he had swindled two or three months of wages. Yet who knew he would actually encounter this kind of thing, not only was the silver gone, even the dozen copper coins on his body were taken.

When he thought of coming home to face the questioning and scolding of his wife, the expression on his face became sadder. How was today his lucky day, this was clearly an unexpected calamity falling from the sky!

……

Li Luo and Qin Yu walked according to the instructions they were given; they pulled the horses through a street with lanterns and finally stopped in front of a huge mansion.

The gray walls encircled half the street, and a plaque with black gold characters hung above the tall door. On it two words—Nangong, stood out with an imposing manner. The bold strokes almost pierced the plaque in general.

On both sides of the mansion door stood soldiers wearing armor, it looked far more heavily guarded than the city gates.

Noticing the approach of Li Luo and Qin Yu, the two lines of soldiers immediately went alert.

“This is the mansion of general Nangong, if you don't have business here, please leave!”

Qin Yu said loudly: “I came to visit the old General Nangong.”

The soldiers glanced at each other, then one of them walked in front of Qin Yu and asked: “Do you have a token?”

Qin Yu nodded slightly and said: “Of course.” Then, he handed a brocade purse to the soldier.

“Ok, wait for a moment.” The soldier looked at the brocade purse, took it in his arms, and went inside.

……

In an elegantly decorated hall, sat two men and a woman. In the main seat was an old man with white hair and wrinkled face. However his back was straight and his strict eyes flashed with strength, he looked nothing like a nearly 60-year-old man.

“In the last few years Qin Yan has become more and more over the top, my estimate is that Qin State will be ruined by those traitor hands soon! Unfortunately, my good grandchild…my daughter as well…”

The voice of the old man choked for a moment, his eyes became sharper  and a layer of dense chilliness shrouded his body. He was tightly clutching the armrest with his palm and directly pulled out a small chunk of wood.

“Father, Yue’er meimei…has been gone for so many years, and although she is already gone, she would certainly not want to see you hurting again.”

Liu Ruoyan, who was sitting on the left of the elderly was also immersed in grief; it was difficult to cover-up the sorrow in her eyes, yet she took one deep breath and tried to comfort him. He face was quitr charming, however the girl’s shapely eyebrows were wrinkled and her pair of beautiful almond eyes had  faint  traces of mist.

Even though she was only 14 years old, it could already be seen that in a few years, her face would even alarm celestial beings.

“Yes, Yue ‘Gugu’ certainly will not want to see ‘San shugong’ in such grief.”

• “Gugu” --- paternal aunt; CL:個|个[ge4]
• “San” --- third.
• “Shugong” --- great uncle; grandfather’s younger brother;

Nangong Ao looking at his right side. She and Nangong Yue shared somewhat of a resemblance to  one another, though Liu Ruoyan’s features were even more exquisite.

Nangong Ao couldn’t help but pat her a few times on the back, “If Yu’er was still alive, I would have properly introduced the two of you, Yu’er certainly would’ve been fond of you.”

At this moment, somebody suddenly knocked on the door.

Nangong Ao expression  immediately changed, his grief immediately disappearing. His lips pursed up tightly as his sharp eyes looked toward the door’s direction, “Come in.” He said.

“General, the bodyguards reported that someone wants to see you. This is the token they gave,  and this subordinate has already done the rough inspection, there is no problem with it…but…”

An old man with half-gray hair and blue clothes old came in, somehow his muddy old eyes actually brightened.

……

After looking at the old man, Nangong Ao’s emotions immediately calmed down, “Yifeng, it’s you.” After a pause, he looked at the old man’s slightly excited expression and had no doubt in the old man. “Yifeng, what’s the matter?”

“General…” The old man took a deep breath and turned around to check his surroundings several times, before entering the room. He looked towards Liu Ruoyan, who was sitting beside Nangong Ao, and the  look in his eyes turned a bit hesitant.

Nangong Ao followed the old man’s line of sight and he waved his hand, saying, “Don’t worry, just  say what’s the matter; everyone here is my person.”