DIHBSG chapter 39

A dark and windy night, a perfect night for killing and setting fires.

Song Jian followed closely behind as he flew. However, he flew too fast and couldn’t brake in time, “bang” — he crashed into the man’s back. Afraid that the suspicious target would notice the commotion, he quickly covered his head and lowered himself.

With a serious expression, he whispered, “Your Majesty? What happened?”

Xiao Yinghuai glanced downward. “You stepped on My foot.”

Song Jian looked down. “Oh!” He hurriedly moved away awkwardly. “Sorry, Your Majesty, this subordinate thought it was a rock.”

Xiao Yinghuai: “……”

At this moment, near Yilin Palace, two sneaky figures appeared in a dark corner. From their outlines, one could roughly tell that one was tall and thin, while the other was short and fat.

The two of them chattered away in a language no one else there could understand.

The tall, thin man narrowed his eyes. “It’s here.”

The short, fat man said, “Success or failure depends on this one move. Honor or disgrace depends on this one move.”

The tall, thin man said, “After we sneak in, we’ll capture this one first! Then capture that one! Finally, we’ll fire the signal flare and capture all of them in one fell swoop!”

The short, fat man laughed up at the sky. “After we finish this job, we’ll be able to rise in rank, gain titles, and make a fortune! By then, we’ll retire behind the scenes……”

The tall, thin man slapped the back of his head. “Shut up! You can’t casually say things like that.”

The short, fat man hurriedly covered his mouth. “I understand, I understand. Walls have ears.”

The tall, thin man turned his head. “What do you mean walls have ears? I mean, saying things like that before carrying out a mission makes it easy to die. Did you forget how those people before us disappeared?”

The short, fat man became serious. “Zhang Si, because before going on a mission he said he would come back after finishing this job to marry and have children.”

“And Li San, before leaving for the mission, told his old mother that he would definitely return.”

The tall, thin man said, “Good that you remember.”

The more the short, fat man thought about it, the more terrified he became, so he covered his own mouth.

The two quietly climbed over the wall.

The tall, thin man’s eyes were vicious. “Tonight, it is either they die, or we perish……”

Before he could finish speaking, something suddenly fell out of the short, fat man’s chest.

It was a sachet.

The short, fat man hurriedly picked it up like a treasure. He touched the stitching on the sachet and quickly fell into memories. “This is the only gift she gave me. When I return……”

The tall, thin man almost cried out in shock and hurriedly covered his mouth.

“If you say things like this again, both of us will be finished here……”

“Two brothers, His Majesty has invited you.”

A voice suddenly and eerily sounded from behind them.

Tall, thin man: “!!!”

Short, fat man: “!!!”

“Bang!”

Song Jian kicked out with his foot. “Go down, you two!”

The tall, thin man and the short, fat man let out an “Ah!” and fell from the palace wall. Clutching their buttocks, they cried out in pain. After a while, they tremblingly raised their heads.

In front of them, the Emperor’s gaze was cold as he looked down at them.

Song Jian squatted on the wall and asked on behalf of his boss, “Be honest and explain to His Majesty. Why aren’t you sleeping in the middle of the night and came here? You know the rules, right? Confess and receive leniency; resist and receive punishment!”

Xiao Yinghuai swept his eyes over the people above.

The tall, thin man and the short, fat man said nothing. In the darkness, they exchanged a glance.

They shouted, “Fly!”

However, the two of them had no coordination at all. Perhaps it was because it was too dark and they couldn’t see each other’s expressions clearly, but they fled in completely different directions.

The tall, thin man flew left and was kicked back by Seventeen.

The short, fat man flew right and was frightened back by Long Xiao’s saber.

“Ahhhhhhh!” The two hugged each other and cried. “We know we were wrong!”

Song Jian jumped down from the palace wall, stumbled, and hurried over to the Emperor. “Your Majesty, let us take them back for interrogation.”

Xiao Yinghuai: “Long Xiao.”

Long Xiao leaped up and used the handle of his saber to pin down the two people on the ground.

Xiao Yinghuai said, “Give me a time.”

Long Xiao glanced coldly at the two people on the ground who were about to faint from fear. “Half an hour.”

Song Jian: “??”

He looked at Long Xiao. “Are you sure?”

Long Xiao nodded.

Soon, the tall, thin man and the short, fat man were taken away by the Tiancha Division. Song Jian originally wanted to follow and interrogate them too, but before he could move, he was stopped by the Emperor’s voice.

“Interrogating merely some Yue Rong spies. Long Xiao alone is enough.”

Song Jian could only follow behind the Emperor again. He asked, “Your Majesty, why did you say they were Yue Rong spies?”

Xiao Yinghuai did not answer him.

Song Jian also did not dare ask again and quietly shut his mouth.

However, he soon learned the reason. Half an hour later, Long Xiao came to the bedchamber to report, saying that the tall, thin man and the short, fat man admitted they were both people from the Yue Rong Kingdom. Someone had ordered them to take advantage of the weakened defenses during Great Yan’s winter hunt to capture the Great Yan Emperor and the Tiancha Division’s leader alive.

When Song Jian heard this, he immediately stood straight.

How did this involve him too?

ong Xiao interrogated them for half an hour, then spent another fifteen minutes reporting back. After finishing, he withdrew.

Only Song Jian remained, staring with wide eyes as he asked, “Your Majesty, why do they want to capture me alive?”

Xiao Yinghuai said, “Your meaning is that capturing only me alive would be enough?”

Song Jian: “No, no, no, that’s not what this subordinate means.”

Xiao Yinghuai turned around to change clothes and said indifferently, “Naturally because you have done many dirty tasks for me. As the leader, you know the most, so your value is the greatest. If they don’t capture you, who would they capture?”

Song Jian shivered. He looked around and quickly moved two steps closer toward the man.

He whispered, “Then what if this subordinate really gets captured by them? Would Your Majesty come and save me?”

Xiao Yinghuai frowned. “Are you a shadow guard? Am I a shadow guard?”

Song Jian heard this. “Wu~”

“Your Majesty, have you forgotten our relationship?”

Xiao Yinghuai: “?”

“We have a relationship between a superior and subordinate that can move heaven and earth! If Chang Ying is captured, this subordinate would definitely go save him. By the same logic, if this subordinate is captured, would Your Majesty really bear to not come save this subordinate?”

Xiao Yinghuai: “How noisy.”

“Go to the roof beam.”

Song Jian: “……”

Heh, what a cold and heartless person.

He turned around and left, flying up with a whoosh, then climbed onto the beam with his butt sticking out.

With this kind of company culture lacking human warmth, you still want to cultivate a team of loyal subordinates? Hmph, dream on.

Song Jian decided that tomorrow during the hunt, he would not act as the atmosphere group for him anymore.

He kept his word. The next day, he rode his horse alone and blended into the back of the grup, slacking off.

Xiao Yongning picked out a small bow for him, but Song Jian was not skilled with it. He kept stopping and starting. After a long time, more than half of the arrows were still left in his quiver.

He nocked arrows and gestured around. Either he prepared for a long time but ultimately did not shoot, or he simply shot blindly and hit whatever he happened to hit.

Song Jian: “Hehehe.”

Actually, not hitting prey was pretty fun too.

At this moment, seven or eight people were hiding in ambush in the woods behind Song Jian. They coldly stared at the person swaying leisurely at the end of the group.

The leader spoke in a deep voice, “Song Jian must be captured alive.”

He gestured to the side. “Go.”

After receiving the order, several people slowly crawled forward like snakes, moving toward Song Jian.

Song Jian was taking an arrow from the quiver. “Eh? Eh? Why is it stuck?”

The first person crawling over hid behind a tree, attempting to use a prepared rope to trap him.

“Damn it, what’s going on?”

Song Jian turned around to look at his quiver, perfectly avoiding the rope trap.

When he turned back, Song Jian saw that his horse seemed restless and gently touched it. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, we’ll leave soon.”

The horse shook its head.

The second person crawling over saw the opportunity and prepared to pounce.

Song Jian: “Let’s go, little horse!”

He tugged on the reins and rode off, his horse’s hooves clattering. The person who lunged forward plunged headfirst into the grass.

The leader hiding in the woods was furious. “This Song Jian is truly cunning!”

“Continue following!”

Song Jian knew nothing about this. He was riding his horse while humming a song, leisurely admiring the scenery of the winter hunting grounds.

At this moment, Song Jian suddenly heard movement from the grass on his right. He pulled the reins. “Stop, stop, stop. Seems like there’s prey.”

The horse turned around. Song Jian quickly nocked an arrow and aimed at the source of the sound.

Aim—

The movement in the grass grew louder. After a few seconds, a little wild rabbit poked its head.

Song Jian made a “shua” sound and released the bowstring. The arrow flew past without touching a single hair on the rabbit.

The rabbit twitched its little triangular nose, then hopped away.

Song Jian: “Ah, I missed.”

He had no idea that, at that very moment, the person hiding in the grass had covered his arrow-struck leg and collapsed.

Help.

After walking forward for a while, Song Jian decided to personally get off and catch some prey. He locked his target onto a little squirrel holding a pinecone. After dismounting, he lightly stepped forward.

“Little~ squir~rel~~~”

The squirrel ran a little, then stopped a little.

Song Jian also walked a little, then stopped a little.

He seriously maneuvered around it. Finally, at a certain moment, he suddenly reached out!

He was still one step too slow. The little squirrel was startled, threw down the pinecone, and fled.

Song Jian: “……”

Forget it.

He turned and left.

Yet he did not know that a sharp animal trap was only one step away from him. The next second after he left, the person who rushed over to capture him stepped right into the trap and rolled down the small slope with a muffled groan.

After Song Jian got back onto his horse, he seemed to hear some movement. He turned around to look but found nothing.

“Ha.”

“Seeing things.”

Seeing Xiao Da’s figure ahead, Song Jian waved his hand and called out, “Prince Xian!”

Xiao Da turned around with a miserable expression. “Why is it you again? Stay away from this prince.”

Song Jian: “Giddy up!”

On the other side, the group of assassins had been completely wiped out.

The leader said, “This is absolutely impossible.”

He looked at the people beside him who had been hit by arrows, caught in traps, fallen into pits, and kicked by horses.

“Everyone says Song Jian damaged his brain after the fall and that his skills are much worse than before. But looking at him now, that may not be true. Being able to dodge every attack so precisely—that’s awareness only an expert could possess.”

He sneered. “Hmph, he actually started playing the hidden strength game too.”

“Boss, what do we do?”

“As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood. Let’s go!”¹“留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒” is a Chinese idiom that literally means “as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no fear of running out of firewood.” It means that as long as one survives, there will always be future opportunities.

A group of weakened and injured people prepared to leave. However, coming was easy, but leaving was not that simple.

The moment they turned around, they discovered that their path behind them was already blocked by more than ten shadow guards wearing python-patterned black and gold uniforms.

The Emperor sat on his horse, his brows and eyes cold.

“Kill them.”

Song Jian had taken two wild chickens from Xiao Da today. Xiao Da nagged at him the entire way.

“This prince is not your attendant. Who dares to take prey from this prince? You are truly bold beyond the heavens. This prince will report to Imperial Brother and have you punished for your crimes!”

Song Jian rode his horse closer. “Don’t be like this, Prince Xian. Why don’t I take other people’s prey and only take yours? Isn’t it because our relationship is good?”

Xiao Da turned his head. “Who has a good relationship with you?”

Song Jian: “You and me, and Xiao Ba. Aren’t we friends?”

Xiao Da was speechless.

Song Jian hooked his arm around his shoulder. “Prince Xian, I sincerely want to become friends with you.”

Xiao Da: “Why?”

Song Jian thought for a moment. “Of course because your archery and riding skills are amazing! I was completely impressed by you today. With a ‘shua,’ that wild chicken just fell down. It was amazing.”

The corner of Xiao Da’s mouth twitched upward, then he quickly suppressed it.

“Hmph, no need for you to say it.”

Song Jian: “After the winter hunt ends, teach your good friend here, okay?”

Xiao Da: “Then what benefits can you give me?”

Song Jian: “I can praise you.”

Xiao Da: “Deal. Just make sure your praise is thorough, wide-ranging, and that you do your homework beforehand.”

Song Jian: “?”

Is praising someone really that troublesome?

After returning to Yilin Palace, Song Jian sent one wild chicken to Xiao Yongning and said, “This is from Prince Xian for the two of us. One for each of us!”

Xiao Yongning: “Hehe~”

The two high-fived.

Song Jian was still happy when, not long after leaving Xiao Yongning, he received an imperial decree.

Interrogate someone.

When Song Jian followed Chang Ying over, he discovered there was actually an interrogation prison deep inside Yilin Palace. Someone was being held inside.

He did not recognize him, but the other party seemed to know him.

“Song Jian.”

Song Jian was a little confused.

This was the leader from the forest today. He spoke gloomily, “Only you know.”

“What?”

The man only repeated:

“Only you know… only you know… only you know…”

Song Jian thought, “Are you a broken record, buddy?”

Broken record: “Only you know.”

Song Jian squatted down and said seriously, “I don’t know. It’s not popular nowadays to frame someone the moment you meet.”

“Stop pretending. Only you know. You cannot possibly escape unscathed.”

Song Jian carefully thought about how that phrase went.

“You… tsk… oh right, everything you say now will become evidence presented in court.”

The broken record had a serious expression.

Song Jian stared at him.

After a moment—

No.

No, no, no.

This damn thing… could there really be some hidden plot?

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  “留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒” is a Chinese idiom that literally means “as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no fear of running out of firewood.” It means that as long as one survives, there will always be future opportunities.