This Shan Yi truly knew how to create trouble.

Gao Ling chuckled. "Lu Wen, what do you want to say to your future boyfriend?"

"Miss Gao!" Shi Lu Wen protested the new title that was bestowed to her. She glanced out of the carriage and pursed her lips. "Fine, you can come along, but there are several rules that you need to follow, Shan Yi."

"Bandits don't follow rules, Miss Lu Wen."

"Shan Yi!"

"Let me listen what you want me to do first. If it's not something interesting, I don't want to do it."

"You…" Shi Lu Wen sighed then started to say what she wanted.

After some time of debating, in the end, Shan Yi and his men followed Shi Lu Wen in the journey. This time, the soldiers were trying their best to restrain themselves because the bandits have higher number compared to them.

They were utterly confused internally as they couldn't understand how did their group grew so much in such a short period of time?

Buy no one dared to speak out loudly because they knew that it would be very bad if they offend the bandits.

"Somehow, it ended without bloodshed," Du Min commented.

Wei Liuying nodded. "The bandits didn't have ill intention. They're only here because Shan Yi heard the song from Miss Lu Wen."

"He's been trying to court her since forever."

"He didn't succeed?"

"Not yet," Du Min replied.

Hearing the answer, Wei Liuying's lips curled up to form a smirk. It seemed that their relationship was actually quite good with each other. And here she thought that it was only Shan Yi trying hard to make sure he was in Shi Lu Wen's good side.

"It's good, then."

Du Min arched his eyebrows. He only uttered one sentence and Wei Liuying could already grasp these two's relationship? By now, he felt that Wei Liuying and Yang Xian truly had brains that far exceeded normal human's ability.

Little did he know that Wei Liuying had already suspected such just from the little events that unfolded before her eyes. As someone who had to continuously observe her surroundings, it was not hard for her to draw conclusion from what she had seen so far.

These two were really funny.

That was her conclusion. After talking with Du Min, Wei Liuying stayed silent and made her presence unknown. There was no need to draw unnecessary attention.

The journey continued.

Shan Yi didn't try to get close to Shi Lu Wen more than necessary. Besides, they only needed around two days' journey to reach the temple. When the sun started to set, they had already reached the mountain where the temple was held.

Their large group, consisting of soldiers and bandits clearly raised alarm to people there. It was truly an odd combination and the soldiers also didn't dare trying to attack the bandits because Gao Ling had ordered them to stay in peaceful situation.

Still, outsiders would be baffled to no end with this weird lineup.

"Hold on!" several soldiers stood guarding the temple.

"Lady Gao, daughter of General Gao from Gao City wished to enter the temple," one of the soldiers reported and gave their identification token so that the soldiers there would allow them to come in.

The soldiers who were guarding looked at each other. They already saw that there were several bandits among the group there, which made it confusing. Why would this odd group want to enter the temple?

"Excuse me, but would you like to explain who they were?" a young man stood forward and asked.

On the back, Wei Liuying nearly fell from her horse. The one who came forward was Xie Jing, the second son of Prime Minister Xie. Even though she had heard that there were some people who didn't like the second son, but she had never heard of him being called over to be the one to guard the temple.

Also… isn't this position was quite low? Based on how prestigious Xie Family was, there was no way that the second son could only get the position as guards in this small temple. There might be other reasons as to why Xie Jing came here in the first place.

Based on his clothing, he was nothing more than a small squad captain, which was pitiful considering his status. After all, most other nobles could become the commander of even a thousand soldiers if they used their connection properly.

"Young Master Xie, this…."

"We're only here to accompany our sister in law."

"Yes!"

Shan Yi snorted. He looked at the young child not far from him and nodded. "I'm accompanying my future wife."

Bletak!

A wood was thrown from inside the carriage. "Who in the world is your future wife? I never accepted your proposal!"

"Lu Wen, don't get angry, ok?"

There were two young ladies' voice from inside the carriage. From the way they talked, Xie Jing could conclude that they must be Gao Ling and someone with the name Lu Wen. Unfortunately, he didn't know any noble with that name even after spending most of his time in the capital city to study.

As for Gao Ling, he had already heard her name a lot. It was hard to not hear her name, one of the few females who managed to make their name in the battlefield. Calculating the time, Xie Jing knew that it was time for Gao Ling to be away from the north as safety measure.

'And they had to pick this temple from any places existed.'

Xie Jing had the feeling that if something were to happen to Gao Ling, his end would be worse than this. He truly didn't wish to create more trouble.

"This…"

"Just give us permission," Shan Yi cut him off. "I'm going to accompany my lady. I won't create any trouble there unless you try to provoke me first."

Xie Jing felt his back was filled with sweat. He turned his head to the leader, who was suffering the same fate. They already heard of the infamous bandits and since they were only a small group, there was nothing that they could actually do.

Besides, their arrangement to be positioned in this place was nothing more than a punishment because Prince Ji Sheng would kill Prince Ji Shao Yang not long from now. This was the only way he could eliminate those who supported Prince Ji Shao Yang, which was by sending his men to push them all away.

"Leader…" Xie Jing called out. He would rather push all the blame to the leader. Since he was at a rank lower, it would be better to leave those at higher rank to give the decision.

The leader glanced at Xie Jing with an expression as if he was ready to cry. Right now, he truly wished that he was not the one chosen to guard the temple. Having to make the decision…..

"You.. can pass."

"Heh, this is better. Let's go men!"

"Yes!"

Xie Jing watched the crowds go up and then resumed his position again. Sitting on top of a rock, he was silently wondering what he was supposed to do. His father couldn't do anything when Prince Ji Shu suggested that he was to be sent away from the Capital City to become a soldier instead of a scholar.

Besides, Xie Jing was known to be of lesser importance and skill compared to his brother. His father didn't have any hesitation to send him away, which was the same as telling him that he would be abandoned.

'An abandoned young master and now there's important guest.'

Xie Jing's fingers clenched into a fist. If his father already knew that Gao Ling would come here, it meant that even his own father was dissatisfied with him and wished for his end. As the young master, this was the first time Xie Jing felt that he was truly alone.

There was no one who would help him.

"Young Master Xie."

"Yes?"

"You should return back inside. It's not safe outside."

"I'm a soldier now," Xie Jing replied with a laugh. "There's no way I can stay on the back and just sit idly. At the very least, I don't need to meet with so many fake people here."

The leader looked at Xie Jing and sighed. He knew that Xie Jing missed the capital city because in that place, Wei Yijun would be able to accompany him and talked about so many things that they have interest in.

Speaking of the Wei Family, they had just come here, right?

…

While the soldiers were talking, the rest walked up the steep path. It became harder to ride the horse and carriage as time passed, but they still could last for some time. In the end, they spent a long time before they could reach a small stopping where it was possible to put their carriages and horses.

"There's already someone else here," Gao Ling commented when she saw the carriages and horses. When she saw their clothes, her brows furrowed. "Wei Family?"