Next morning, Mo Junyang took Shi Qingxue out of the hotel as he said before.
However, Wei Zichao was nowhere to be seen.
In the eyes of the people in the hotel, two of them and three meant the same, and nobody cared about what a servant did.
Only that worker specially reminded the two again as he saw them walk out. “When you hang out, don’t go to that valley.”
Shi Qingxue said okay.
As soon as they went out, the worker’s face with a gallant smile fell, and he ignored the duster cloth in his hand, turning to the backyard.
“They went out, and it seems that they headed to the north.”
Then somebody asked in a low and hoarse voice, “What about the third one?”
The young man answered, “Since he came into the room, the door is always closed and has never been opened. Perhaps he still stays in it.”
“Send this message to the entrance of the town now. Ignore anything else.”
“Yes.”
Shi Qingxue followed Mo Junyang and walked to the north for a long time. Then she finally realized it and asked, “Where are we going?”
Mo Junyang didn’t know whether he should be amused or helpless.
This silly girl finally asked him. She had been taken away by him. No matter what she asked, she couldn’t escape.
Shi Qingxue answered seriously after hearing that, “I won’t escape. I just want to know where we are going next.”
Mo Junyang couldn’t restrain his smile. “You really won’t escape? What if I sell you?”
Shi Qingxue squinted at him with provocation seemingly, as if asking, “Are you willing to?”
Mo Junyang was unwilling to.
However, Shi Qingxue almost walked all over him, so he couldn’t answer her frankly.
The man coughed twice with affected airs and stated in a deep voice, “I am going to sell you now. Why don’t you follow me?”
Shi Qingxue had a smile on her lips and really put her hand in Mo Junyang’s palm. She couldn’t stop laughing. “You have to sell me at a high price.”
They talked and laughed, and this trip was much more relaxing than the long journey they had earlier.
Perhaps Mo Junyang’s calmness gave Shi Qingxue confidence. She wasn’t as distraught as before but believed more that they could surely find Shi Junhe.
Mo Junyang led Shi Qingxue to the entrance of a valley.
When they were about to enter, Shi Qingxue finally realized that this was the valley mentioned by the worker that they couldn’t enter. Otherwise, they wouldn’t keep alive.
Shi Qingxue’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Are we really going into it?”
They knew that there was a tiger on the mountain, yet they still went there, which was dangerous.
But for her father…
Shi Qingxue took a deep breath and prepared to adventure, while the man said suddenly, “No, we won’t go in.”
Shi Qingxue was speechless and almost gasped.
Could he fool her in this way?
When Shi Qingxue couldn’t help but goggle, Mo Junyang grabbed her hand and took her to a big stone at the entrance of the valley to have a seat, saying in a low voice, “No hurry. Wait a moment. I am still guessing something, and I need to prove it first.”
“What?” Shi Qingxue looked at Mo Junyang curiously.
“Aren’t you curious about why that worker stressed that we couldn’t enter the valley but he didn’t mention the danger in it?
“It doesn’t seem that he advised us not to enter the valley, yet he wishes that we will enter it.”
If he sincerely advised them not to, at least he would tell them what was dangerous in the valley, so he could frighten the curious guys.
Shi Qingxue pondered about it and believed that it was true.
“So he said that in order to lure us here?” Shi Qingxue couldn’t help but tremble, with a hesitant expression.
It was bad that there was nobody in Huwenbei Town, and even the only person who showed up and explained their puzzles had evil intentions, so she was scared when she thought about it.
However, Mo Junyang smiled at the moment. “Don’t worry. I am here. I won’t let you have an accident.”
“I know.” Shi Qingxue also smiled and continued to ask, “Why did we come here alone? Will we court death?”
It was not their style to risk their lives.
“Now I still can’t figure out why Huwenbei became an empty town overnight, so I need to prove it. If I can solve this problem, we can solve anything else.”
Mo Junyang’s blueprint was too beautiful, and Shi Qingxue almost forgot that they were only two people and couldn’t do anything if there was a problem.
Shi Qingxue squinted at Mo Junyang, while the latter remained unmoved. He just grabbed her hand and sat straight, seeming to wait for something.
After one hour, Shi Qingxue finally understood what he was waiting for.
It was because Mo Junhao showed up.
When Shi Qingxue saw Mo Junhao again, she was distracted involuntarily.
She was clear that her reaction wasn’t love, but she looked at Mo Junhao in a daze, which meant something else in the eyes of the two men.
Mo Junyang’s face fell again, and he stared at Shi Qingxue, as if she would run away with the other man when he didn’t keep an eye on her.
Meanwhile, Mo Junhao gazed at Shi Qingxue with interest and expressed gracefully, “Dear Qingxue, you are finally here.”
Shi Qingxue frowned deeply and pursed her lips slightly, snorting coldly. “Don’t call me like this. It’s disgusting.”
After she said that, the two men’s expressions changed again.
Mo Junhao’s happy and contented expression stiffened, and he could hardly keep calm on his face, while Mo Junyang turned to Shi Qingxue in disbelief and looked as if she said something awesome.
However, Shi Qingxue wasn’t aware of this. She just stared at Mo Junhao and continued to question, “Where is my father?”
Mo Junhao took deep breaths before he looked calm again, but when he spoke again, he gritted his teeth inevitably. “General Shi is in the valley behind you. Since you came from afar, why not go in and see him?”
For sure!
Shi Qingxue wasn’t surprised at Mo Junhao’s answer, yet she still subconsciously turned to Mo Junyang. She didn’t know if this man was satisfied with such an answer.
Mo Junyang was staring at her in confusion, with a complicated and gloomy expression.
Shi Qingxue was astonished and asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”
Mo Junyang gazed at Shi Qingxue all the time. Till she shifted her position awkwardly as she almost couldn’t stand it, the man seemed to suddenly wake up.
He answered in a deep voice, “It’s a trap inside.”
Shi Qingxue wasn’t surprised, while Mo Junhao snorted impatiently. “What if it’s a trap? Do you think that you have another choice? You have already come here.”
Mo Junhao raised his hands in front of him and gently clapped twice. Dozens of soldiers in armor rushed out of the grove behind him at once. All of them raised bows, prepared to attack.
Mo Junyang didn’t panic but pulled Shi Qingxue to hide her behind him. Then he asked, “You have so few lowly soldiers. What do you think you can do to me?”
It was not that Mo Junyang was complacent. There were so few people, and if he pretended to be frightened, nobody would believe it.
Mo Junhao looked terrible at once and seemed to be challenged. He snorted at Mo Junyang coldly. “Mo Junyang, don’t be complacent. Since I knew that you would come, I am certainly prepared to ‘entertain’ you.”
He specially stressed the word “entertain”, and his envy and hate for Mo Junyang couldn’t be concealed in his tone.
It was the truth. Mo Junhao was conceited and favored by Mo Xiangbin. He thought that he could take the throne easily, but everything was ruined by this man.
If Mo Junyang were not around, the weak crown prince Mo Junyu couldn’t make it, and it might be difficult for him to keep alive, not to mention fighting for the throne with him.
Mo Junyang even stole the woman he loved.
How would Mo Junhao not hate Mo Junyang?
“Mo Junyang, you can’t be complacent for long. Perhaps you still don’t know that Huwenbei Town has become my territory, and my people lurk everywhere in the town. Since you enter the town, it means that you are dying.”
Mo Junyang remained unmoved and looked at Mo Junhao coldly. He just continued to ask, “Huwenbei Town is always under the control of Mo Country and Liang Country. Why is it under your control? Do you cheat us?”
As somebody questioned Mo Junhao’s capabilities to his face, he looked terrible, but soon he calmed down and smiled at Mo Junyang, asking with certainty, “Do you want to sound me out?”
Soon he laughed loudly and continued ambitiously, “It doesn’t matter. Anyway, you will die today. Since you want to know, I will let you know it before dying.
“Five years ago, when I represented Mo Country and visited Liang Country, I allied with the king Yelü Beichen. After I take the throne, I will give him the control power of the commercial towns at the border and pay tribute to him every year, while he will help me take the throne in secret.”
“You are rebellious,” Shi Qingxue couldn’t help but rebuke him with righteous indignation.
Five years ago, the two countries battled frequently, and the Shi Army almost had to guard at the northern border, in case that the soldiers from Liang Country harassed the common people.
Unexpectedly, it was difficult to guard against the people at home no matter how alert they were. The people from Mo Country colluded with the enemies secretly and discussed how to share profit.
What was the point of the Shi Army’s fight till death?
Mo Junhao glanced at Shi Qingxue with disdain and seemed to ask, “Even so, what can you do to me?”
Shi Qingxue understood Mo Junhao’s hidden meaning. She stared at him and responded in a serious tone, “I will take your life.”
Mo Junhao was stunned first and then seemed to have heard a joke, laughing loudly. “You, only you?”
Shi Qingxue’s eyes were not evasive. Before Mo Junhao reacted, she took a bow and shot arrows at him.
She did it quickly and didn’t say anything, while the sharp arrow rushed to Mo Junhao, like a fierce beast.
Mo Junhao had never expected that Shi Qingxue would take actions without demur. He was in a daze for a while and then wanted to dodge in a hurry.