TNIBFT -Chapter 266 Keep Moving Forward

“What’s wrong with him?”

Ye Yunting looked panicked, his entire body tense.

Ye Tian said, “He’s fine for now!”

“Xiao Jiang is almost at Sifang City. There are still dozens of miles to go, but if it weren’t for the blizzard, they could have entered the city today. In the letter, he said a troop had surrounded them.”

“What?”

Duan Qingshan, who had been sitting in the corner, immediately stood up, his expression serious as he looked at Ye Tian. “Then what are we waiting for? They’re so close. I’ll lead people over now and wipe out these brazen bastards!”

“Yes!”

Fang Shenghu also hurriedly rose. The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense.

Ye Shuangxue’s expression turned serious, as if she were about to go into battle.

Ye Tian said, “This letter was delivered by Xiao Jiang himself. The people surrounding him are very powerful. Xiao Jiang has managed to stabilize them for the moment. They will enter the city tomorrow. Xiao Jiang instructed that Grandfather Sun should go with him to greet them. I suspect this person will be difficult to deal with.”

Everyone exchanged worried glances.

The tension in the room spiked.

Ye Shuangxue said, “Wait here. I’ll go find Master now. We’re going to rescue Xiao Jiang immediately!”

With that, the little powerhouse dashed toward the backyard.

Ye Tian stared at the letter, his expression shifting repeatedly. Ye Yunting, unable to wait, took a few steps forward. “Let me see!”

Everyone perked up, eager to hear what Xiao Jiang had to say next.

Ye Yunting’s voice was childish as he read, “Xiao Jiang brought gifts for everyone. He prepared them for a long time. There wasn’t really anything suitable for Dad, but Xiao Jiang has already found a bride for Dad—absolutely the most beautiful person in the world. Dad will definitely like her, hee hee…”

Everyone looked at each other in surprise.

Fang Shenghu chuckled, “Xiao Jiang is so filial. Such a young age, and he’s already worrying about his father’s marriage.”

“That kid Xiao Jiang… he even knows who the most beautiful person in the world is. Imagine when he grows up!” Duan Qingshan laughed, egging everyone on.

The hall erupted in laughter.

“Cough!” Ye Tian was speechless and cleared his throat.

“Duang Duang Duang…”

His daughter’s distinctive footsteps sounded, and everyone looked toward the back door. Ye Shuangxue appeared panicked. “Master! Master is gone!”

“Master didn’t take anything with him. He said he wouldn’t go out these days. Master wouldn’t lie to me… Dad…”

Ye Shuangxue furrowed her brow, her small face full of worry. “Master is old… what if something happens to him?”

The girl leapt into Ye Tian’s arms.

“Master always likes to tease people. Could he have gotten into trouble outside?” Ye Shuangxue’s voice trembled.

Everyone exchanged glances. Old Yang stepped forward. “Shuangxue, stop crying. Your Master must have gotten distracted by something fun. He’s so capable—what could happen to him?”

“You should be worried about others getting into trouble.”

“Really?”

Ye Shuangxue immediately looked up, her large tear-filled eyes suspiciously staring at Old Yang.

Old Yang crouched beside Ye Tian, holding Ye Shuangxue’s small hand and speaking gently, “Don’t you trust Uncle Yang?”

“Didn’t you say that when I grow up and walk the world, I should take Uncle Yang with me, holding onto your cane?”

“We’re the best of friends!”

Ye Shuangxue couldn’t help herself. She pouted slightly, still worried about her Master. But seeing Old Yang’s concerned gaze, she could only nod and fall silent.

Sun Wuji was not around.

But Xiao Jiang couldn’t be left in danger either.

Although Xiao Jiang had temporarily stabilized the troop, what if the night dragged on and something went wrong, angering them? They couldn’t risk Xiao Jiang’s life!

Ye Tian put down the letter.

He slowly rose from the rocking chair, his expression serious as he scanned the people in the hall. He said, “Old Yang, go check on him. The nights are long and the mornings late. It’s better if you go—I’ll feel more at ease.”

Old Yang nodded and turned, rushing into the backyard to saddle the horse.

Duan Qingshan watched Old Yang’s retreating figure, stepped forward a few paces, and cupped his fists: “Master, I want to come along too. I can’t be at ease with Xiao Jiang out there alone.”

“I’ll come too!”

Fang Shenghu also spoke in a deep voice.

Ye Tian thought for a moment: “The city still needs guards. Let Old Duàn go. Fāng, tonight the city’s security is in your hands.”

“Yes!”

With tasks assigned, everyone became tense and focused.

Ye Shuangxue, who had been chattering earlier, now rested her head on the table, staring blankly, lost in thought.

Her master would never lie to her!

They had agreed to practice a new sword technique tomorrow—could it be that Master would return tomorrow morning?

…

A night of blizzard passed.

The snow on the streets had piled up to adult knees. Many shopkeepers were shoveling and sweeping the snow on their own initiative.

As dawn broke, harsh noises came from the streets.

Ye Tian’s mind was heavy; he hadn’t slept all night and decided to get up.

When he got dressed and went to open the door, he saw his daughter standing at the doorway, hair messy, coat buttons undone, hands clasped together tightly.

“Shuangxue?”

“How long have you been standing here?”

Seeing his daughter’s nose reddened from the cold, Ye Tian felt his heart ache. He scooped her up, wrapped her in his coat, and tried to warm her. Ye Shuangxue tilted her face up, her big eyes brimming with tears, pouting: “Master… Master hasn’t come back yet.”

“His room is empty. Something must have happened to Master!”

“Waa… Dad, can we go find Master?”

Ye Tian frowned.

Go look for Sun Wuji?

Sun Wuji was always elusive and mysterious, never revealing much. Finding him would be like searching for a needle in a haystack!

Ye Tian reached out, gently patting his daughter’s back to comfort her: “Grandpa Sun can take care of himself. Maybe he went on a trip? He often travels far; nothing will happen to him.”

After all, Sun Wuji was the powerhouse of this story. Ye Tian didn’t think he would be in danger.

If he wasn’t home, it was probably just that he found some food somewhere and hadn’t finished yet—so he hadn’t returned.

“It’s not like that!”

Ye Shuangxue wiped her tears with a small hand, sobbing: “Master wouldn’t lie to me. He said he would teach me a new sword technique today.”

“He has never been late with teaching new techniques.”

Even Ye Tian felt something was wrong.

But with no clues and Xiao Jiang’s situation unresolved, Ye Tian said: “Don’t worry. I’ll have someone check where Grandpa Sun went. We have no leads yet, and fretting won’t help. Let’s go to his room and see if he left any clues.”

…

On the wasteland.

The snow was deep, making every step hard.

Iron-armored soldiers rode ahead to clear the way. Their horses’ hooves were wrapped in cloth; each step revealed only a portion of the horse’s legs. The north wind howled, making it hard for the group to keep their eyes open.

Sun Yang pulled the reins. The horse snorted, whinnied, and turned direction.

Looking around near the carriage path, Sun Yang called softly: “Master?”

After a moment…

Qin Fengyi gently drew back the curtain. Sun Yang looked up and saw the young master sleeping soundly on His Majesty’s lap.

Sun Yang shifted his gaze and lowered his voice further: “Master, those people are still nearby, sneaking around. Who knows what they want?”

“Ignore them!”

“Keep moving forward!”