Finest Servant

Chapter 348 Returning the Goods

After leaving the camp of the Turkic people, Lin Wanrong spurred his horse into a wild gallop, quickly leaving behind the tents of the nomads. It was only after he had put some distance between them that he slowed his pace, and the tall Turkic horse leisurely trotted along.

Seeing that there was no one around, Lin Wanrong took out the “Nose-piercing Grass” that he had snatched from Ashile and began to carefully observe it. This "Nose-piercing Grass" that grew in the Turkic lands had rough leaves, far from the delicate tobacco leaves he had seen in his previous life. The cutting was also quite arbitrary, as the Turkic people rarely used paper, let alone rolled cigarettes. They would simply inhale the "Nose-piercing Grass" through their noses. If this thing were introduced to Great Hua, it would likely have become popular already.

He brought the leaf to his nose and took a deep sniff. Although the tobacco leaf was rough and came with a choking smell, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but sigh with satisfaction. This stuff was a real treasure. If it could be grown in large quantities in Great Hua and then sold to Goryeo, Dongying, or even Europe, Great Hua would make a fortune. He wondered if the people of Great Hua had started growing tobacco yet. If not, he would have to go to the Turks to get it. Lu Dongzan had said that this tobacco leaf grew north of the Altai Mountains. He would have to study the map with Old Xu sometime and send some people to take control of it.

He daydreamed for a while and then made his way to the old training ground where he had once fought against Su Mubai. The sound of drums and gongs filled the air, and the shouts of battle rang out as tens of thousands of warhorses galloped forth, apparently practicing a cavalry battle. Hu Bugui and others had already been incorporated into the army, and before the great army set out, Li Tai's elite troops would practice here every day. Focusing on the nomads' expertise in cavalry warfare, Li Tai had placed special emphasis on cavalry confrontations. Hu Bugui, Du Xiuyuan, Xu Zhen, and others had been highly regarded for this.

"General Lin, what brings you here?" Seeing Lin Wanrong riding his tall horse, leisurely approaching the camp, Li Sheng and Hu Bugui, who had already been informed, hurriedly came out to greet him.

Lin Wanrong dismounted, patting the back of the large Turkic horse, and smiled, saying, "Brother Hu, do you recognize what kind of horse this is?"

Hu Bugui disdainfully snorted, "A Turkic horse, large and powerful, excels in sprinting and thrusting. Its weakness is endurance. I saw countless Turkic horses when I was on the northern front line. It's not anything special. General Lin, where did you get this?"

Lin Wanrong gave a mysterious smile, "These mixed-breed Turkic horses are of course nothing special. But what about purebred blood-sweat treasure horses, Brother Hu, Brother Li? You both are well-traveled; have you ever seen one?"

"Blood-sweat treasure horses?" Hu Bugui was astonished, "The blood-sweat treasure horses is a Turkic specialty. Legend has it as a descendant of the heavenly horse, tall and majestic, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day. Even in the Turkic lands, they are extremely rare. I saw one when I fought with the barbarians on the grasslands. General Lin, why do you mention the blood-sweat treasure horses? Could it be that you have seen one?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "A blood-sweat treasure horse is quite ordinary indeed. Eats grass and defecates just like any other. Just yesterday, I imported two of them into my home. Perhaps I'll let you brothers take them for a stroll sometime."

"Two?" Hu Bugui's eyes widened in disbelief, his face filled with incredulity. "General Lin, you must be joking. A single one of these blood-sweat horses is worth a fortune; how did you manage to acquire two? Where did you import them from?"

"They were bribed gifts given to me," General Lin mysteriously said.

Hu Bugui and Li Sheng were both stunned. General Lin was indeed extraordinary, even discussing bribery so openly.

"Cough, cough," Hu Bugui forced a laugh: "So they were gifts from friends, General Lin. I, Hu Bugui, have never even touched a blood-sweat horse in my life. When can I visit your mansion to see them?"

"No problem," Lin Wanrong gave a sly smile. "Brother Hu is truly an expert. Those blood-sweat horses have soft golden manes, even more comfortable to touch than a woman's thigh. Once we finish this matter, you can call up your brothers to my house. We'll have a horse meeting, strip those blood-sweat horses bare, touch them, and work up a sweat. Hahaha!"

‘What a lecherous man, but I like it!’ Hu Bugui and Li Sheng joined General Lin in raucous laughter. After exchanging a few words, Hu Bugui said, "General Lin, what brings you here today? Is there something you want us to do?"

Having spent considerable time with Lin Wanrong, Hu Bugui had a clear understanding of his personality. General Lin never visited the military camp without reason; if he showed up, it usually meant trouble.

Lin Wanrong saluted Li Sheng and chuckled, "For this, I need to trouble Brother Li. Brother Li, how is the improvement of our Divine Machine Unit's cannon coming along?"

Li Sheng glanced around and whispered, "We just tested it a few days ago. The improved cannon can shoot up to a mile without losing much power. At the same time, Xu Zhiqing came up with a way to add a base, making it more flexible and lighter."

‘Xu Zhiqing, that girl is interested in everything, be it astronomy, mathematics, or even bows and cannons.’ Lin Wanrong nodded, "Brother Li, do me a favor. Find the heaviest and oldest cannon, carefully adjust it, repaint it, and make it look like our new cannon. Write some characters on it, attach it to a carriage, and send it to me; I have a use for it."

Li Sheng looked puzzled, "General Lin, what do you need this for? We've already discarded the old and cumbersome cannons. If you want to play with cannons, I can get you the latest one that two horses can pull and can be adjusted in any direction."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "Brother Li, I want the old cannon. Remember, the exterior must look brand new, just like the new ones, but the inside must be filled with scrap metal, utterly unshootable! Then paint some foreign text on it that they won't understand. The more foreign and trendy it looks, the better."

Li Sheng, baffled but trusting General Lin's crafty wisdom, said, "General Lin, according to your idea, there will be no problem. But what is this foreign text you want on the cannon? I'm rather uneducated, what is foreign text, and what kind should we paint?"

Lin Wanrong took out paper and a brush from his bosom, quickly wrote down a few strokes, and handed it to Li Sheng, saying, "Write these characters. Remember, the color must be bright and eye-catching!"

Li Sheng stared at the twisted letters, dumbfounded, and Hu Bugui's eyes were also wide open, "General, is this foreign writing? You are truly skilled! How do you pronounce this? What does it mean?"

Lin Wanrong took the paper, pointed at the letters, and said, "Everyone, follow me. F—U—C—K, 'f*ck,' 'f*ck,' it must be 'f*ck.'"

"F*ck, f*ck, it must be f*ck," Li Sheng and Hu Bugui, humble and eager to learn, repeated after General Lin. Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "F*ck, it's refreshing! Remember this. Paint these characters on the cannon, I shall name it the 'F*ck Cannon!'"

"General, what does 'F*ck' really mean? I feel like you really enjoy 'F*cking'?" Li Sheng asked curiously, with Hu Bugui nodding in agreement, equally puzzled.

General Lin rolled his eyes, "Ah, my brothers, I am a civilized man and did not want to use vulgar language, but you insist. The meaning of 'F*ck' is, well, Brother Hu, I heard you have a lover in the Eight Great Alleys, what's the scholarly term for what you two do at night?"

Hu Bugui's face turned red, too embarrassed to speak. Li Sheng quickly answered with a smile, "Brother Hu, that's called making love, isn't it?!"

Master Lin shook his head, "The word 'making love' is too civilized, but it's rare for you to be so cultured, so let it be. The meaning of 'F*ck' is making love, making love vigorously!"

"F*ck Cannon? Making Love Cannon?" Hu Bugui and Li Sheng looked at each other, struggling to suppress their laughter. Truly, General Lin was an extraordinary genius, and the name he had chosen for this cannon was incredible!

With the "Making Love Cannon" matter settled, Lin Wanrong humbly began to consult Hu Bugui about geographical knowledge, most concerned with the Khovd where tobacco grew. According to his thoughts, resources were dead, people were alive. If the Turks had not realized how much change tobacco would bring to society, then Master Lin would reluctantly help them out, invading the Turks, seizing their women, their treasured horses, and their tobacco. Since ancient times, it was the Turks who had plundered Great Hua, so why couldn't Great Hua plunder the Turks? As the saying goes, a step back reveals a boundless sky and ocean, a step forward brings endless joy!

Hu Bugui listened to Master Lin's endless chatter about places like Ulan Ude, Irkutsk, the Selenga River, Tsetserleg, Ust-Kut, and even knew in detail which land the Turks had seized from whom. Hu Bugui became excited, tightly grasping General Lin's hand and said, "General, you truly are a divine being. I have been fighting the Turks for years, and only knew the area around Barkol [TL: A County west of Yiwu]. You have never been to the battlefield, yet you understand their history and Khanates so clearly. Heaven blesses our great Great Hua by sending us General Lin. When we are on the battlefield, with the General's strategical acumen, victory can be planned from within the tent and won from a thousand miles away."

Old Hu's ability to flatter had indeed greatly improved. Lin Wanrong shyly said, "Brother Hu, you flatter me. I merely enjoy studying and have read but a million scrolls."

Li Sheng and Hu Bugui had grown accustomed to Lin Wanrong's shamelessness; it would have been abnormal if he hadn't bragged. At that moment, Lin Wanrong sketched out a rough map according to what he had learned from Lu Dongzan, and Hu Bugui supplemented it, marking out the specific location of Khovd. Although they did not know why General Lin was so interested in Khovd, seeing his attitude now greatly different from before—shifting from "they want me to fight" to "I want to fight"—Hu Bugui was naturally thrilled. He held nothing back from him, sharing everything he knew.

When they returned to the city from the drill ground, it was already evening. Lin Wanrong remembered that there were banquets with Goryeo and Prince Cheng. For a moment, he was hesitant and unsure whether or not to go. The banquet with Goryeo was one thing, but since he had always been at odds with Prince Cheng, Lin Wanrong was curious about the old fellow's sudden invitation and what he was up to.

Walking around the city for a while, he reached a quiet spot and suddenly stopped, sneakily looking around before softly calling out, "Fairy, Fairy—"

He called out a few times, but all around was silent, with no response. Lin Wanrong was puzzled; according to their agreement, the fairy was supposed to follow him and protect him at all times. He wondered where she had been hiding when he was in the Turkic camp that day.

"Fairy Ning—Yuxi, Yuxi—" Lin Wanrong shouted twice, then felt a gentle breeze and a faint fragrance passing by. Turning his head, he saw Ning Yuxi standing beside him, her face as calm as water.

"Eh, Fairy Sister, where did you fly in from?" Lin Wanrong curiously eyed her. "I looked for you for quite a while and didn't see your shadow!"

Ning Yuxi's face showed no emotion as she flatly asked, "What did you call me just now?"

"Fairy Ning!" Lin Wanrong answered immediately.

"What did you call after that?"

"Yuxi—"

With a soft "snap," a sword scabbard flew out, its force formidable, and embedded itself three inches into a nearby tree. Ning Yuxi looked at him, her face like still water, but the corners of her eyes betrayed a hint of anger.

"Yuxi, what's the matter with you? The scabbard and the sword are a pair; how could you bear to separate them?" Lin Wanrong chuckled, showing no shame.

"The name 'Yuxi' is not for you to call." Ning Yuxi composed herself and calmly said, "You can call me Daoist Ning. I promised to guard your life, but I didn't promise not to maim you. If something were to be missing from your body but your life was spared, I wouldn't have violated our agreement. Think it over."

"Yuxi, have you become a nun? I can't tell! Alas, what a waste of good food!" Lin Wanrong shook his head in regret, his face full of pity.

With a swish, Ning Yuxi's long sword flew out and passed by his ear. Lin Wanrong felt a chill by his ear, and a few strands of protruding hair fell silently.

‘Damn it, threatening me with a flying sword? I'm not easily scared,’ he thought, wiping a bead of cold sweat from his forehead. He sighed lightly and said, "That was a really precise throw. Yuxi, when will you teach me? I've always been interested in throwing knives!"

Ning Yuxi's composure was indeed well-practiced. She calmly said, "This time is only a warning. You may not be so lucky next time—what do you really want to say?"

Lin Wanrong sighed, "I just want to talk to you for a while. Why is it so difficult? Were you following me all day today?"

Ning Yuxi's eyes slightly closed in response, and Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Fairy Sister, your skin is really nice, and your figure is even better—oh, oh, never mind, can you please move the sword away? I'm a person who likes to joke a lot!"

Ning Yuxi pressed the long sword against his neck and slowly said, "You should cherish the opportunity to speak now. You might not be able to talk very soon."

"Fairy Sister, what do you think about the Turks wanting to borrow the cannon?" Feeling the icy sword blade against his neck, Lin Wanrong dared not take advantage anymore and earnestly asked.

"I don't know!" Ning Yuxi answered succinctly. "I never ask about things that are not my concern."

"What about Prince Cheng? Is his matter something you would care about?" Lin Wanrong seized the opportunity to ask, "He invited me to a banquet tonight. Should I go? What should I wear? Fairy Sister, will you help me decide?"

"You want to ask about Prince Cheng?" A glimmer of amusement flashed in the fairy's eyes. "You should not be asking me. There's someone who knows better."

"Who?" Lin Wanrong asked, confused.

"Have you forgotten? That night, she even came to kill you," Ning Yuxi said, smiling like a peony blooming in the cold winter, extraordinarily enchanting. Lin Wanrong felt a chill in his heart but forced himself to say, "Sister, who are you talking about? I've been studying so hard lately; I've broken my brain. Can you be more specific?"

"You haven't broken your brain; your mind is thoroughly corrupted." Ning Yuxi's beautiful smile gradually faded, and her slender finger pressed on the sword hilt.

"Ah, I remember now." Lin Wanrong's face lit up with joy. "Sister, you're talking about the black-clad woman who came to kill me that night, your junior sister, right? Ah, my brain is not broken after all."

"Do you know her?" Ning Yuxi asked indifferently.

"I don't know her. How could I know her? She's an assassin, and I'm the target; we're complete opposites. Fairy Sister, you saw it that day too, didn't you? Speaking of which, I haven't thanked you for saving my life yet." Lin Wanrong grinned and bowed three times, secretly chanting thanks for heaven, earth, and parents.

"Really? You really don't know her?" Ning Yuxi's eyes flashed with a teasing look as she gazed at him.

Only a very few people knew about his relationship with An Biru. The old Emperor was suspicious of Ning Yuxi and would never tell her about An Biru and himself. Lin Wanrong laughed, "I really don't know her, but since she's your junior sister, why don't you introduce us sometime? We can all get along and make a fortune together. That would be great!"

"What do you think this is?" Ning Yuxi asked, holding a bee needle in her hand, speaking softly.

"Eh, isn't this our keepsake of acquaintance? I didn't expect that Fairy Sister has been keeping it all this time, such deep affection and loyalty indeed," Lin Wanrong said with a quick smile.

"The bee sting, Five Poisons! Only one person in this world can concoct it." Ning Yuxi shook her head and chuckled lightly, "To say you don't know her, do you even believe that yourself? You two really put on a fine show of assassination!"

Lin Wanrong's heart broke into a cold sweat. This Fairy Ning was indeed profound. She had already realized that he knew Sister An, but she never exposed it. What could be her intention? Could she have taken a liking to him? Being handsome was indeed troublesome!

"Fairy Sister, I just asked about your opinion on Prince Cheng; how did it lead to all these complaints? Could it be that you usually have no one to talk to, feeling empty and lonely?" Lin Wanrong said with an embarrassed smile.

Ning Yuxi let out a soft snort, "There are more than just you who are clever in this world. Don't think everyone else is a fool. How Junior Sister An got involved with you is not my concern, but when you're in front of me, it's best not to play any tricks, otherwise—"

"Otherwise, my head will fall, right?" Master Lin snorted, pointing to his head and loudly declaring, "Go ahead and chop it off, if you dare! Let's see if your treasured sword is sharp, or my neck is harder? Calling you 'Fairy,' do you think you're really a fairy? If it weren't for the fact that you and Qingxuan are relatives, I would have shot you long ago. Shot you, do you understand?" Lin Wanrong made a gun gesture at his temple, looking so ferocious as if Fairy Ning owed him five hundred taels of silver.

Seeing him all puffed up, Ning Yuxi found it amusing, saying calmly, "Have you finished?"

Lin Wanrong abruptly turned to face her, staring intently, "Give me that gold medal!"

"What gold medal?" Fairy Ning was momentarily stunned but quickly understood, shaking her head, "What do you want with that gold medal?"

Lord Lin, looking ferocious, replied, "I, your Master, bought something and am not satisfied, so now I want to return it! What, no warranty?! What kind of service attitude is this! Give the gold medal back to me, and go back to play in your Fairy Hall."

Ning Yuxi, both angry and amused, wondered how this man could have all sorts of ideas. She shook her head and replied, "What I've promised to do, I will certainly accomplish. The gold medal will never be returned."

Lin Wanrong, furious, retorted, "Have you gone mad? Who is the Master, and who is the servant? Do you have it clear? No professionalism, unprofessional, unskilled! Is that the talent your fish-selling Fairy Hall cultivates? Give the gold medal back to me, and you, go play somewhere else!"

[TL: In Jade Virtue Fairy Hall, Yu means Jade, but also means Fish; Different characters with similar pronunciation.]

Ning Yuxi's name was known throughout the land, and her status was incredibly noble. Who had ever dared to shout at her in such a manner? Even with her outstanding self-restraint, she couldn't help but become angered at the sight of Lin San's arrogant and overbearing demeanor, as though he considered no one else to be of any importance. The long sword in her hand quivered slightly, and she couldn't help but wish she could stab a few holes in him.

"You want to kill me, don't you?" Master Lin puffed out his chest and sneered coldly, "Well then, come on! If you don't dare to kill me, you'll be my wife! If I get killed by you, then I won't be your husband! Heh heh, your fish-selling Fairy Hall has such a good reputation, always ready to kill their employer. I, your Master, cannot afford to employ you. You might as well take my life; then everyone will be at peace!"

Fairy Ning, in her daily interactions, had always dealt with courteous and virtuous individuals. Never before had she encountered such a ruffian and rogue. She was so angry that her fair face turned red. Her long sword rose and fell a few times, but in the end, she set it down.

"I have never broken a promise in my 'Jade Virtue Fairy Hall.' What would you like me to do?" Fairy Ning suppressed her inner rage and spoke calmly.

"What to do? Haven't you ever served anyone before? I, your master, am tired from walking, so go and call for a carriage! And also, stop wearing that bitter melon face; smile more!" Master Lin snorted, giving his orders.

"You—" Fairy Ning was so angry that she trembled all over. After a long silence, she finally stamped her small foot and turned to leave.

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