Chapter 299 - Watching

As soon as the door was closed, the temperature dropped to a chilling degree.

General Hao was sitting still in his place, but it could be seen that his fingers were clenching tightly. The short conversation with Liu Ying just now already put him in so much edge. He could tell that the young strategist was watching him so tightly that even breathing felt hurt.

"The pressure is no joke."

"Yes. I feel as if I'm seeing another mirror of Prince Ji Sheng," General Hao said in slow pace. His body gradually calm down, yet his eyes showed traces of fear. "His action is perfect. He didn't let me know what he's thinking at all. At the same time, he's keeping the demeanor of a young master perfectly as if he has been living as one all this time."

The servant, who was lowering his head before, raised his head and looked at the general. "He's dangerous."

"He even realized your presence. Do you think that he's truly a b*stard son of a noble family?"

"No."

"Then…"

"I know who he is," the servant said unhurriedly. "Whether he actually realized my identity or not is still another question. There's still time for us to know more about him while he's staying here."

General Hao was silent for a moment then sighed. He nodded. "If that's what you wish, I'll comply."

"I'll go now."

"I understand."

General Hao watched as the servant left. He sighed and stood up slowly. He couldn't erase the trace of uneasiness that has been sprouting inside his heart. It was as if they were playing with fire and just a single wrong move, they would be done for. It was terrifying how such a young child could give him the feeling as if he was facing a great adversary.

…

Wei Liuying looked around the area as she walked to the door. There was a faint smile on the corner of her lips, yet her expression remained the same as when she came here. No joy, no fear, no disappointment was apparent in her eyes. Everything was concealed deeply.

"Strategist Liu, Soldier Xie Jing will be waiting for you at the end of the road. He's the one responsible for taking care of you during your stay here."

Wei Liuying looked at the servant, the one who was guarding the door before, and nodded. "Many thanks for your hospitality."

"It's nothing much, Strategist Liu. We wish you enjoyed your stay here and achieved your goal."

Wei Liuying nodded and walked out of the residence. There was nothing but calm on her steps while her gaze was looking to the front. Her eyes didn't reflect her emotion, yet they captured everything around her.

Just like what the servant said, Xie Jing was waiting for him.

"Strategist Liu," Xie Jing greeted. "I'll be taking you to your temporary residence. It's not far from here."

"You don't have to be so polite with me."

"I can't do that. You're a respected strategist with high rank," Xie Jing refused almost immediately. When he got the order, he almost got a heart attack because he knew that Liu Ying's status was extremely high. However, he was one of the few soldiers that Liu Ying recognized almost immediately.

Because of that, General Hao told him that he would be the one to watch over Liu Ying over the next few days. It would be an easy task if only he could guess what Liu Ying was thinking. The strategist was keeping a smile and polite expression, yet there was no clue as to what he might be thinking deep down.

Wei Liuying chuckled. Truth to be told, she didn't have fixed military rank. After all, many strategists didn't follow the ranking for soldiers because they would be deployed just based on their capabilities. There were many other strategists under Prince Ji Sheng, but not a single one of them could come close to Yang Xian and Wei Liuying.

It was for this reason alone that the two of them were dubbed as two of the best strategist in the entire Han Shi Kingdom.

"I'm not a ranked soldier, so you don't have to be so nervous around me," Wei Liuying responded.

"Yes…"

Wei Liuying knew that it was impossible for Xie Jing to not be nervous around him. It was funny to see how this temperamental and brave young man to act so scared and nervous just because of the difference in status. Back when she was dressing up as Wei Hong Zheng, Xie Jing was so insolent and annoying.

"I have a question."

"Replying to Strategist Liu, I'll…"

"Do you always act this stiff in front of your superior?"

"…Pardon?"

Wei Liuying looked at Xie Jing and smiled. "For a hot blooded young man like you to act so submissive. Are you sure you're not lying to yourself?"

This time, Xie Jing was thoroughly stunned. He tried to rack his brain, finding any memory he had with Strategist Liu inside. Did he ever act insolent in front of this capable strategist? He couldn't remember anything.

Wei Liuying chuckled. "I want to know other soldier aside from you here, Soldier Xie Jing."

"Yes?"

"Is the training hard?"

"We have normal training where we have to complete the set designated by the superiors," Xie Jing responded after a while. He tried to act normal, but he felt that the strategist before him was too strange. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had met with this strategist in the past, yet he didn't recognize the latter. 

It was a strange feeling.

"Can you tell me the details?"

"Yes!"

With that, Xie Jing began to tell the story about the training in this area. Even though Wei Liuying would be able to see it with her own eyes tomorrow, she still preferred to have Xie Jing told her some of them because she wanted to know how the soldiers perceived their own training.

It didn't take long for Wei Liuying to arrive by the temporary residence that was prepared for her, so Xie Jing excused himself.