Tuoba Yan instinctively raised his hand to shield himself.
Meng Shaode immediately clutched his arm and squatted down, hopping in pain.
"Xiao Yan, you've gone too far," A Jiu said, knowing he, like Zhao Kun, possessed a physique like an iron wall.
She quickly helped her father up. Rolling up his sleeve, she saw it was bruised. kuAiδugg
"I truly didn't mean to. This is all self-defense, completely beyond my control," Tuoba Yan realized he had upset Jiu'er and quickly stepped forward to help Meng Shaode up.
Unexpectedly, with a *crack*.
"Ah!" Meng Shaode cried out in agony, his soul seemingly departed. "Damn it, you brat..."
Tuoba Yan immediately let go.
Meng Jiu'er slowly turned her head towards Tuoba Yan with a mechanical movement. "You did that on purpose?"
A Jiu stepped forward and shoved him, raising her hand as if to strike.
Suddenly, everyone was dumbfounded. This was getting a bit chaotic, and most people needed to sort things out to understand the situation.
Yes, Meng Shaode was this man's father-in-law.
Meng Jiu'er was his wife.
Ma Peng stared, clearly seeing that Jiu'er had this man completely under her thumb.
Tuoba Yan stood beside A Jiu, bowing his head to lower his height. "Hit me. As long as it makes you happy."
A Jiu found herself unable to strike. What was he made of? Shameless, lacking any bottom line, and able to act as he pleased.
"I'm afraid my hand would hurt if I hit you," A Jiu said, angry. She turned and, with all her might, reset her father's dislocated arm.
"How about this? You wanted firearms, right? I have them," Tuoba Yan said. It was the first time he had angered Jiu'er so much that she almost hit him. He wanted to find a way to make amends and appease Jiu'er.
His words sent a ripple of astonishment through the crowd.
But in an instant, their excitement cooled.
Who could believe someone who had opposed their own brothers? If not for the Nan Ming King's secret guards, they would have succeeded long ago. Must they have lost over a dozen brothers?
"You don't believe me? I'll have someone bring them right away," Tuoba Yan said without hesitation, calling over the skinny man.
"Bring the troops from Prince Qi Ming's side. And the intercepted firearms too."
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but gasp. Their expressions were as foul as if they had eaten something unpleasant.
Whose side was this guy really on?
One moment it was Prince Nan Ming, the next, Prince Qi Ming.
Ma Peng's eyes bulged like a frog's. He stared at this bizarre anomaly, feeling breathless for a moment.
At this moment, A Jiu was using the spiritual spring water to clean her father's wounds, bandaging the deepest gash on his arm first.
A Jiu couldn't remember how she brought her father back to the cave. She wasn't concerned about firearms at all.
Unexpectedly, Tuoba Yan had followed the entire time.
"Shaode, what happened to you?" Cai Lihua asked tenderly.
"I encountered a fierce tiger. Two arrows couldn't kill it... Oh, sorry, my dear. I was thinking of hunting it for its musk and bones to keep you warm."
Meng Shaode was putting on a good performance, his expression quite convincing.
"Why are you talking about that? We're not cold, freezing, or starving now. What tiger bones?" Cai Lihua grumbled, her brows furrowed with concern.
Meng Shaode, however, looked towards the cave entrance, wishing he could tear Tuoba Yan to shreds. After finally escaping him, he was back to abduct his daughter. Little did he know, it was his own men who had chased him all over the mountains.
"Can you be less direct? Do you understand the situation?"
A Jiu felt that after much deep thought, she could only say so much.
Tuoba Yan couldn't laugh today. He glanced at the grass curtain at the cave entrance from outside.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. People in our world are different from yours. When danger approaches, a self-preservation instinct automatically activates, regardless of who it is or what your relationship is."
"Oh, come on. No one was attacking you in Ma Peng's cave earlier." A Jiu turned to leave, but Tuoba Yan grabbed her arm.
"The atmosphere... even the magnetic field counts. Didn't you feel the murderous intent when so many people drew their swords against us?"
A Jiu paused. There had been.
"Jiu'er, the Chieftain wants to see you. There's something to discuss," Gou Bao reported.
A Jiu turned to follow Gou Bao. Gou Bao kept looking back at her occasionally.
The Chieftain hadn't asked for him. Why was he following?
Upon reaching the Chieftain's cave entrance, Gou Bao saw Tuoba Yan intending to follow and finally spoke up. "The Chieftain only said he wished to speak with Jiu'er alone. Please remain here, sir."
"Alright," Tuoba Yan replied calmly and decisively.
But the moment A Jiu entered, Tuoba Yan followed her in. This was a lie. It was quite interesting.