Li Dian POV

“Wu!!”

Un?

“Big brother!”

“Ah– Oi…”

A painful voice came from where Cao Ren was and we both looked over. I was not able to retract my spear in time and Lu Xiang’s neck was grazed, leaving a shallow wound from which blood flowed out. However, she ignored this.

At the same time, it seems like Lu Kuang has been subdued by Cao Ren much like how I did to Lu Xiang. Lu Kuang looked defeated and his eyebrows were creased as he raised his arms in the air. Looks like he has no intention of resisting any further.

“Lord Cao Ren, is everything alright at your end?” I asked, not neglecting my spear.

“No problem at all. Everything is under control now.” Cao Ren said as she smiled and relaxed.

“Don’t hurt my big brother!”

“Don’t hurt my little sister.”

Just then, this pair of siblings spoke up. The little sister yelled while the older brother was calmer. Though their age is probably similar, their demeanor seems to be quite different.

But leaving that aside, these 2 deserve death for what they just did.

“Lord Li Dian, after we’ve dealt with these 2, please go and track down Shen Pei. I will go back to camp and retrieve the command tallies and a.s.sume command over Yuan Shao’s troops.”

“Alright. I’ll leave that to you then.” I nodded. This move was worthy of 80 points, I thought and turned to Lu Xiang, “Hai, I really don’t know what you both are thinking.”

Ahem… Ahem… Just then, Lu Kuang suddenly gave a few fake coughs. Seems like he was trying to draw Lu Xiang’s attention.

“What are you doing?” Cao Ren asked alarmedly.

“No, calm down.” Lu Kuang said with his hands up. It seemed to tire him as he put them down and stroked his stubble as he slowly said, “Little sister, this much should be enough right?”

This much? How much is this much?

“What are you going to do?” I began to have an ominous premonition and stabbed at Lu Xiang’s head, diverting it upwards at the very last minute before replacing it on her neck.

“A, alright…” Lu Xiang said, “We, we didn’t plan on doing anything at all.”

“If you didn’t plan on doing anything then what is the meaning of all this?” Cao Ren asked. If it were not for how serious things were, what they said was actually rather comical.

I was doubtful at first but I soon understood what they meant, “So what you’re trying to say is that Lord Yuan Shao put you all up to this, that you all never would ahve dared to otherwise.”

“No, no, no, no such thing at all.” Lu Kuang said as he raised his hands once more, “We received instructions from Xuchang to make this show.”

“Hmph,” I was unimpressed at their lie and shook my head, “Show? Quit it. If that’s the case then why did you both use weapons with sharp edges and not practice weapons with blunt edges?”

“The edict instructed us to use sharp edged weapons~” Lu Xiang whined, and looked like she was about to cry. Her wound is probably beginning to hurt. When I look at her like this, I begun to feel like I am the bad one here.

Even though I was going to kill them just moments ago, I cannot believe that I am showing them such bothersome compa.s.sion now. Looks like I still have a long way to go as a warrior. And it looks like my education is a hindrance at times like these.

“Lord Cao Ren.” I shook my head and look

ed at Cao Ren who understood what I meant and nodded as she held her spear.

Alright, let’s get to it then. We still have to track down Shen Pei.

“Well then, do you both have any last–”

“Please wait! Please wait!”

… Un? Just then, an anxious voice came from the side. Because the voice was shaky, terrified and some distance away, I could not hear it quite clearly.

*Tatatata*… Soon after, rapid footsteps that sounded like the call of the hummingbird could be heard.

“Please wait! Do not kill the Lu siblings!”

“This voice is…” Cao Ren said.

“Lord Shen Pei!” Lu Xiang suddenly yelled as I was trying to figure out who it was.

Shen Pei?! She has the guts to return here?!

In the midst of my shock, I hurriedly placed my free hand on the sword at my waist and swung it towards the door. It just so happened that Shen Pei came to the door right as I swung down, the tip of my blade just centimeters in front of her nose, giving a fright and sending her tumbling back in a panic.

“P, please show mercy!” Shen Pei cried out as she curled up and raised her hands, “W, we were just following orders~”

“Orders…”

To think that they are still lying like that.

“Lord Li Dian, please wait.” Just as I was feeling deep irritation from these lies, Cao Ren raised her hand and got me to calm down before turning to Shen Pei, “Lord Shen Pei, what is that in your hand?”

Her hand? Only when Cao Ren said this did zi notice that Shen Pei had a piece of silk in her hands. From the floral pattern and its texture, it seems like rather high grade stuff.

“This is the edict we received~” Shen Pei said immediately as she clumsily got up and leaned against the doorway as she pa.s.sed me the silk shakily.

I frowned and looked suspiciously at her before s.h.i.+fting my gaze to Cao Ren. She nodded and I grabbed the silk over.

“Eee–” It seemed like that action scared her and she withdrew back almost immediately after I took it and grabbed onto the doorway.

I never knew that Shen Pei was this cowardly… I thought as I opened the edict and quickly read it over. I then looked at the seal and nodded.

“How is it, Lord Li Dian?” Cao Ren asked, her expression more relaxed now. Nothing wrong there, as there’s no need to be on guard anymore.

“… Hai.” I gave a long sigh and swung my spear as I withdrew it, “It’s as they said. It was just a show.”

“Really?” Cao Ren seemed surprised and hurriedly withdrew her weapon as well.

“Huu…”

“We’re alive…”

Lu Xiang and Lu Kuang sighed as they sank to the ground.

“Lord Cao Ren, here.” I said as I handed the edict to her.

To put it simply, the letter essentially described what just happened. Lu Kuang would feign illness while Lu Xiang was to ambush us. Everything was written in detail, down to the point where they were to use sharp edged weapons. It was truly complete, with many instructions for each actor.

More importantly, the seal on the letter was a combination of 2 seals. The left half was Yuan Shao’s and the right half was that of our lord. A combined seal cannot be forged, which meant that my lord knew about this. In fact, given the level of completeness and detail, I have a hunch that this was all planned by my lord…

Hai… Testing me is fine but I cannot believe that she even tested her own cousin. Or should I say that this is what I should have expected of my lord?

“Haha…” Just as I was feeling helpless about all this, Cao Ren laughed, “As expected of elder sister.”

Looks like Cao Ren and I are in agreement on this. At the same time, after seeing how easily she accepted all this, I began to feel that Cao Ren really was my lord’s cousin.

“So, that is to say that…” I sighed and put away all my irritation as I took my hat down and began to fan myself like an old farmer, “Everything was just a show? And you all are here to join us on the southern expedition?”

“That’s it.”

“Un, un.”

Lu Kuang and Lu Xiang hurriedly replied.

“We’re all on the same side here.” Shen Pei said as she slowly walked in with the support of the wall, “We seek your understanding, we had our orders after all.”

Naturally, I understood my lord’s intent for doing this. She wants us to get to know each other from this and also hopes for us to maintain our guard against them when we begin our southern expedition.

“I understand.” Cao Ren nodded and went over to Shen Pei as she reached out her hand, “Though I’m not happy at all from what just happened, it’s all just a misunderstanding. I look forward to working with you from here on out.”

“Ah… Un, thanks.” Shen Pei said as she grasped Cao Ren’s hand and smiled stiffly, “This is actually my first time being the sole strategist in a military operation so I might not be too effective. I seek your understanding in those times.” Shen Pei saluted when she finished.

“Hu, looks like we get to keep our lives.” Lu Xiang sighed.

Her brother, on the other hand, admonished her, “Don’t be happy too soon, little sister. A simple accident can cost you your life on the battlefield. You need to be more prudent.”

“Big brother is always such a worrywart~ There won’t be any problem~”

“Nonsense, of course I’m worried about you.” Lu Kuang said as he looked at his sister with kind eyes and reached out to pat her head.

“… Un.” Lu Xiang looked very contented as she enjoyed being patted and closed her eyes while holding her hands in front of her chest and leaning against her brother.

“Eh~”

“Eh.”

Next, they b.u.mped fists lightly and began whispering in each others’ ears. I did not hear what they said but I have no doubt that the content is extremely mushy.

Ah~ So these siblings are like that huh…