CHAPTER 611: CHAPTER 611: ASKING THE ELDEST BROTHER TO OBLIGE

Xia Tingfeng, in his frustration, took half a quarter of an hour to defeat his opponent.

"AH!"

The other party took a heavy palm strike to the chest. After letting out a scream, they collapsed.

Hmm? Xia Tingfeng suddenly felt that the scream sounded familiar. Even... it didn’t quite sound like a man’s. A man’s voice wouldn’t be so delicate, right?

It happened in a flash. Before he knew it, Xia Tingfeng stepped forward and tore off the opponent’s black mask. Then, he froze in place, his eyes wide with shock.

"Ye... Ye... Ye Tang?"

Ye Tang, both stubborn and annoyed, angrily threw a palm strike at him. "You’re a strange one. Do you go around calling everyone ’Grandpa’?"

Xia Tingfeng quickly blocked with his hand, and then with his other hand, he grabbed her fist. "Ye Tang, it’s me!"

As he spoke, he also removed his own mask.

In the dim night light, Ye Tang finally began to make out the face of the person in front of her. She froze, her expression turning from shocked to overjoyed, even a bit bewildered.

"Xia Tingfeng!"

"It’s me!" Xia Tingfeng quickly replied.

Ye Tang examined the person before her closely, seeing that it truly was him. Then, her whole body relaxed with relief.

"I... I was scared to death; I thought it was someone else!"

Xia Tingfeng also breathed a sigh of relief, smiling faintly as he took a couple of steps forward. Just as he intended to help her up, unexpectedly, the person before him fainted.

Ye Tang, who had already taken several palm strikes, fainted from exhaustion and her severe injuries after completely relaxing.

"Ye Tang! Ye Tang!"

Xia Tingfeng hurriedly checked on her. He found that she was bleeding from her chest, shoulders, arms, and other places.

"Ye Tang!"

His expression turned stern, and without further ado, he embraced her. Then, with a flick of his toes, he disappeared into the night.

「...」

Xia Tingfeng brought Ye Tang back to the camp and called for a Military Doctor to treat her wounds. He then stood by her bedside for most of the night, until early the next morning.

When Ye Tang woke up, she found Xia Tingfeng asleep beside her bed.

"Xia Tingfeng?"

She was shocked. She rubbed her eyes groggily and patted her head, then remembered the events of the previous night.

"Hey, wake up, Big Brother..."

"OUCH!" Accidentally raising her arm, she hit her wound and winced in pain.

Xia Tingfeng heard the noise and gradually woke up. Opening his eyes, his cheeks were covered with dark stubble, and his eyes were bloodshot—clear signs that he had watched over her all night.

"Big Brother..." Ye Tang suddenly didn’t know what to say, an unexpected air of awkwardness filling the silence. Even though I’m a woman, it still feels a bit like two men sharing a room. Anyway, I feel quite awkward.

"Uh... Big Brother, why are you here?"

Xia Tingfeng looked around and then at Ye Tang. Seeing her complexion had improved and her spirits were good, he felt relieved. He stood up, unconsciously stepping back a couple of paces. He cleared his throat twice and said, "I’m here, naturally, to reclaim lost territory!"

He looked at Ye Tang, his gaze fixed directly on her face. "What about you? Why were you there last night?"

Ye Tang didn’t avoid his question. "I wanted to find that old fool Fan You to get the Commander’s Seal!"

Xia Tingfeng’s gaze momentarily faltered. "What do you want with the Commander’s Seal?"

Ye Tang scoffed. "That old man is simply a waste! He can’t lead an army and is just occupying a position without doing anything useful! I couldn’t stand it any longer!"

Xia Tingfeng breathed a sigh of relief. Hmm, as long as it’s not rebellion, there might still be hope for her.

And so, Xia Tingfeng proceeded to give Ye Tang a long lecture on the laws of the imperial court. The central idea was this: the Commander’s Seal is only effective with the Emperor’s authorization; it doesn’t work just because a stranger holds it!

Ye Tang listened, bewildered. "So... the court actually has rules like that! Does this mean... those Generals are all working for the Emperor? They don’t actually command any troops themselves?"

Xia Tingfeng chuckled. "All land under heaven belongs to the Emperor. Does Brother Ye harbor other thoughts?"

Ye Tang quickly shook her head. "Hey, hey, don’t talk nonsense! I was just speaking carelessly!" Rebellion or anything like that isn’t my style! And I don’t have such ambitions, do I?

Xia Tingfeng laughed heartily. "HAHA... I know! However, I have another question. How did you find out about the war here, when even the Capital City had no news?"

Ye Tang didn’t hide anything. "Because I want to join the army! And... in my childhood memories, I lived in a place called Yanguan City for a while! So, when I heard about the fighting here, I couldn’t sit still. I just had to come and join the army!"

Subconsciously, I don’t want the people of Yanguan City to be harmed. But... why did Father say he’s never left that forest near the Capital City his entire life? I clearly lived here! I even have memories! So... what’s the reason? Could it be Father hid something? Or... perhaps I was here, but he wasn’t? The more she thought about it, the more confused she became, and a dull ache throbbed in her head. Ye Tang decided not to dwell on it further, shaking her head to cast the thoughts aside.

Xia Tingfeng said, "That’s too reckless! How can a young lady like you join the army? I think it’s more plausible for you to get married! Otherwise... be careful, you might not find a husband!"

Ye Tang looked at him, then suddenly laughed, patting his shoulder briskly. "HAHA! Big Brother! Since you’ve acknowledged me as your brother, then you are my Big Brother! We’re brothers; we can’t be like this!" Women disguising themselves as men? It’s in the history books. I wouldn’t be the first. "My skills, though not as good as yours, Big Brother, mean I won’t easily be at a disadvantage on the battlefield! So... I want to join the army! I want to achieve great things, just like men do! As for me being a woman, Big Brother, just pretend I was born in the wrong body!"

After speaking, Ye Tang got out of bed, knelt on one knee, and saluted with a cupped fist. "I truly want to join the army. I ask you, Big Brother, to grant my wish!"

Xia Tingfeng’s expression was incredibly complex. A young woman disguising herself as a man to become a General and fight on the battlefield... it truly wasn’t unprecedented. But a woman is still a woman. How could she endure hardships that even men find unbearable? No one knew better than him how many thorns lay on this path.

"Are... are you really sure? Have you thought this through?"

Ye Tang nodded firmly. "I, Ye Tang, am willing to follow you, Big Brother, forever! From now on, I will be your trusted confidante, ready to shield you from harm and fight your enemies on the battlefield! I beg you, Big Brother, to grant my wish!"

Silence... then more silence... Xia Tingfeng couldn’t bring himself to speak for a long time. If it were any other man with such ambition, I would have agreed instantly. But she’s a woman!

"Big Brother!" Ye Tang’s eyes were full of fervent hope.

After an intense internal struggle, Xia Tingfeng finally nodded. "Alright!"