Tuoba Yan couldn't help but smile at Jiu'er's wide-eyed, adorable expression:
"Originally, I saw Prince Qi Ming trapped in the city and felt he was quite pitiful, so I wanted to defect to him and help him conquer the land. But later, I realized there was a more direct way to get a house and a carriage – by becoming the son of the Southern Prince."
"..." Ah Jiu was astonished. This idiot.
She could tell from his words that he wasn't going to achieve great deeds and conquer empires. He was clearly just trying to fulfill the requirements set by her father.
"Isn't this too reckless?" Ah Jiu felt he wasn't just a little bit off, but significantly so.
"Not reckless at all. I was aiming for that goal. I helped Prince Qi Ming's subordinates relay information and request reinforcements. Later, I thought it would be easier to join the Southern Prince instead."
"..." Ah Jiu understood. He had sided with Prince Qi Ming against the Southern Prince, and on a whim, he had gone over to the Southern Prince's side.
No, Ah Jiu needed a moment to recover. Most of the time, she simply couldn't comprehend Tuoba Yan's thoughts.
So casual, yes, too casual.
Tuoba Yan had no such concerns, nor was he ever bound by morality. With a chuckle, he grabbed Jiu'er's hand and placed it in his own large palm:
"In time, when Prince Qi Ming's subordinates in the city have all surrendered their weapons, that Southern Prince's mansion will be given to me."
As soon as he said this, Ah Jiu's mouth twitched, and she quickly withdrew her hand:
"Weren't you here to be an inside informant?"
"Yes, I'm not planning to be an inside informant anymore." Tuoba Yan.
"Why?" Ah Jiu's eyes widened.
"Because you're here, how could I bear for you to get hurt?" Tuoba Yan said frankly.
"You mean, the Southern Prince knows about our existence, and having you as an inside informant is for what?" Ah Jiu feared the Southern Prince would take action to suppress them.
But when talking to Tuoba Yan, one had to learn to focus on the main points, otherwise, they'd be led astray by him.
"To ascertain their movements, conquer if possible, and if not, eliminate them all." Tuoba Yan said with a nonchalant air.
Ah Jiu became uneasy and quickly looked around to see if there were any eavesdroppers:
"Does your mother know you're this honest? Aren't you afraid I'll tell the chieftain?"
"I don't have a mother."
"..." Ah Jiu let out a long sigh. Who had made him this way?
"Jiu'er sister, don't be upset. Since I've come, I plan to stay with you. Anyway, I've led away one of Prince Qi Ming's armies, and he's so angry he wants to kill me. He's sending people everywhere to find me. Isn't it good for me to hide here?"
Tuoba Yan asked for her consent with a playful grin.
How could Ah Jiu believe him? "You're afraid of dying? Even if they find you, they can't do anything to you. Is there a need to hide?"
Tuoba Yan shook Ah Jiu's arm, acting like a spoiled big boy:
"You've seen through this too, Jiu'er sister is so smart. I just want to be with you. As for that army, it wasn't really me who led them away; they willingly followed me."
If Prince Qi Ming heard this, wouldn't he vomit a large basin of old blood overnight?
"Leader..." someone ran from the direction of the cave. As he approached, Tuoba Yan's expression immediately became serious: "What is it?"
The person was the胖子 (fat man) who had come with Tuoba Yan.
He glanced at Meng Jiu'er and then at the unreserved Tuoba Yan before speaking:
"The chieftain said their goal is to fight Prince Qi Ming, so they are on our side."
"Then go back and report," Tuoba Yan said. As soon as he finished speaking, the fat man turned to leave, then suddenly felt something was wrong and hesitated, looking back:
"What about you, leader?"
"I'm not leaving for now. I'll observe the situation further." Tuoba Yan's gaze never left Meng Jiu'er as he said these words.
The fat man gave him a thumbs-up: "Leader, you're still so steady and thoughtful. What if the chieftain is lying? Alright, your subordinate will go back and report now."
Tuoba Yan waved his hand and said nothing.
After the fat man left, Tuoba Yan smiled and said, "Do I look like a great general galloping across the battlefield?"
Ah Jiu's mouth twitched a few times: "You look like a toddler in a crotch-open pants."
"Jiu'er sister, I'm the 250th Executive General of the Interstellar era. Even if I'm not as good as my predecessors, I shouldn't look like a toddler in crotch-open pants." Tuoba Yan was displeased. His image in the eyes of the girl he loved was so poor.
Ah Jiu didn't understand what he was saying. She suddenly remembered "stars" and the magnificent meteor shower. As her mother's words connected with this, Ah Jiu's gaze suddenly froze:
"Tuoba Yan, look at this kind of stone. My mother said it fell from the collision of stars in the sky."