Canât you even curse properly?
While everyone around her was curious and discussing the Divine Cylinder big loudspeaker, Feng Yunâs gaze collided with those deep eyes, and she smiled slightly.
She said, "Curse as harshly as you can, aim for where it hurts the most. General, just say that Xiao Cheng is a bastard turtle, a bumbling idiot, boasting that he has bedded your wife, yet what is that to brag about? Let Xiao San roll out of Hengqu Pass and come under my gun to die!"
Pei Jue: "..."
A roar of laughter erupted all around.
Most of the lads in the camp were illiterate and had no problem spouting crude and filthy words, but hearing this kind of language from a delicate-sounding woman, all serious-faced, was somehow thrilling.
The city walls echoed with shouts.
Pei Jueâs eyes darkened, and he remained silent, but the words Feng Yun had just spoken through the "big loudspeaker" had travelled far, infuriating the Qi Army outside the city enough to make them jump up and down.
Shamelessness was one thing.
But the one who came out to exchange insults was a woman?
The Qi Army, provoked by Feng Yunâs words, was furious outside the city, shouting insults, all directed at Pei Jue and the Northern Yong Army.
The soldiers on top of the city wall were desperate, all clamoring to try out the Divine Cylinder for cursing.
Amid the dispute, the voices got louder and the insults more enthusiastic. Broadcast through the loudspeaker, every word seemed intent on bringing life to an end, as if determined to reclaim all the grievance they had suffered over the last couple of days.
No one knew the mystery inside the big loudspeaker, but its amplifying effect was incredibly strong, and even the sound quality was charming, giving them an overwhelming advantage in the battle of insults.
The Qi Army raged outside the city.
A few soldiers couldnât bear such humiliation and suddenly stepped out of the ranks, standing in a neat row. They lifted their hems, pulled open their trousers facing the direction of the city wall, and simultaneously urinated while shouting "in protest".
The words were filthy, the act was ugly.
They didnât know that the girl on the city tower was Feng Shi Er Niang, and their form of humiliation was typically used by men against women...
Feng Yun wasnât much affected, after all, it was happening from a distance.
She wasnât particularly concerned with what the Qi Army was doing, nor did she mind their crude behavior as a form of retaliation.
In a confrontation between two armies, there was no room for kindness between enemies...
Pei Jue simply spread his hand, "Bring the bow."
A long arm bow was placed on the city tower, its body several times that of ordinary arrows, with great draw strength and long range, which ordinary people couldnât even draw.
Pei Jue took the bow from Zuo Zhong, nocked an arrow with practiced ease, squinted slightly, raised his chin slightly, and, with a light effort, the bowstring was drawn into a full moon. His movements were agile and graceful, and in the blink of an eye, an arrow shot out swiftly...
Whoosh!
The arrow flew through the air.
The few show-off soldiers were so frightened that they didnât have time to tuck away their privates and turned tail to run. The Qi Army instinctively backed away, confusingly muddled.
The arrow fell and stuck precisely in the leg of one of the men.
"Ahââ"
A scream tore through the sky.
Cheers of victory rang out from the city tower.
"Generalâs divine strength, a hundred paces through a Yang!"
"Mighty!"
"Great General, mighty!"
The bellows were deafening, tearing through the heavens.
Feng Yun was quite surprised as well.
She didnât cheer or scream like the soldiers, nor did she manage to utter a word of praise, but that arrow had truly hit its mark in her heart.
Feng Yun liked the way Pei Jue rode a horse and shot arrows â the sway of his waist, the whistling wind, the taut lines of his body, power evident.
She was reflecting on whether she had been drawn to General Peiâs impressive figure on horseback in her past life, leading to her undoing...
Pei Jue silently laid down the bow and arrow and walked over, grabbing her wrist.
"Letâs go."
The crowd automatically parted down the middle.
Feng Yun was slightly surprised.
She caught Wen Xingsuâs gaze â concerned, frowning slightly with discontent.
Fearing that he would overthink and cause trouble, Feng Yun hooked the corner of her mouth into a light smile.
"Elder brother, go check on the loudspeaker."
Wen Xingsu nodded without saying a word.
His gaze lingered on the two figures walking away before returning to the "Pei" flag on the city wall.
Standing quietly.
-
Pei Jue was silent all the way.
Upon returning to his residence, he didnât let go of Feng Yunâs hand but pulled her into the inner chamber. His figure was severe, his eyes emitting a cold light.
Daman and Xiaoman exchanged glances, carrying tea carefully in, just lifting the curtain when Pei Jue suddenly glanced sideways.
"Get out."
Xiaoman instinctively stepped back two paces.
Damanâs fingers trembled, spilling the tea.
Everyone knew of Pei Jueâs ferocity, his tendency to kill, but they had never really seen what he looked like when he got angry since he was usually just taciturn with a blank expression. Not like now, where he seemed like the god of death itself, emitting a fearsome chill that made people shudder.
Xiaoman looked at Feng Yun, who seemed frail and helpless against the Great Generalâs tall and broad stature, and was on the verge of crying.
"My lady, whatâs happened?"
"Go on down," Feng Yun replied with a slight smile.
Daman and Xiaoman hesitated, then responded, "Yes."
The curtain dropped rather abruptly, letting in a slight breeze that brushed across Feng Yunâs face, tickling the fine hairs and causing goosebumps to rise.
She wasnât as fearful of Pei Jue as Daman and Xiaoman were, but the strength transmitted through her wrist still made her heart flutter a little.
"General?" She stared quietly at Pei Jue, her breathing relaxed.
Pei Jue didnât speak, pulling Feng Yunâs hand to help him remove his armor. His eyes fixed on her like prey he was about to devour.
Feng Yun wasnât skilled in this, and it took her a moment with downcast eyes to help him take it off and place it to the side, then she turned to grab the water jug from the desk, just as she bent over...
Pei Jue embraced her from behind.
"General?" Feng Yun fell into his arms without struggle, turning her head to look at him: "Arenât you thirsty?"
His thick Adamâs apple moved slightly.
He said, "Thirsty."
The wooden couch was behind the screen, with a low table with short legs beside it. Feng Yun was caught off guard when he pulled her, and as her body fell, she hit his sword, cursing him silently in pain. Seeing his cold gaze, she responded with a smile, her voice gentle and warm.
"Is the General angry because I didnât bind my chest to go to the city wall, displeased at heart? Or because I misspoke before the formation?"
Pei Jue bowed his head, the bone line of his sharply defined jaw tensed extremely tight, resembling the bow on the city wall earlierâbeautiful and delicate, containing endless strength, yet ready to take lives at any moment.
"Are you Xiao Chengâs wife, or mine, Pei Jue?"
Their eyes met, Feng Yun gently pursed her lips.
"May I ask the General, at this moment, is the lady before your eyes your subordinate, or a concubine?"
Pei Jue looked at the smile between her brows.
"This is not the Central Military Tent."
"In that case, I understand. Itâs private matters."
After pondering, she said without changing her expression:
"I am not Xiao Chengâs wife. Of course, Iâm not the Generalâs either."
Her tone neither light nor heavy, was a statement that neither tried to please nor showed fear. This was Feng Yunâs measure in front of himâneither advancing nor retreating, a delicate distance.
"Good," Pei Jueâs gaze rested on her snow-white cheek, "then why did you publicly acknowledge on the city tower that you are Xiao Chengâs wife?"
The Great General, who held the power of life and death, was formidable without anger.
In her past life, Feng Yun would probably crawl and admit her fault, begging for his forgiveness.
But she knew it was useless.
Men and women in the world are like the two poles of yin and yang, seeking a balance for beauty. Both fear and affection, once excessive, would be disadvantageous for a lifetime.
Feng Yun suddenly sighed, "My action was to provoke Xiao San and help the General vent, wasnât it?"
Pei Jue asked, "Is what the concubine said true?"
Feng Yun raised her eyebrows, almost laughing out loud.
"Does the General know, when Wang Lang and Zhuge Liang verbally sparred in front of the formation, the former accused the latter of arrogantly comparing himself to Guan Zhong and Le Yi, going against the heavens and human emotions? His arguments seemed impassioned and well-founded, so why was he verbally humiliated to death by Zhuge Liang?"
Pei Jue remained silent.
Feng Yun continued, "General, in a war of words, itâs about striking the heart, not about reasoning, and not even about whether itâs true or not. As long as it can disconcert the enemy before the formation, why not seize the opportunity?"
Pei Jue: "If Xiao San is provoked by this, then he is unworthy of being my enemy."
Feng Yun fell silent.
It was time to admit her mistake.
She admitted her mistake, "This concubine did not consider the Generalâs feelings, causing the General embarrassment, it is my fault."
She bowed deeply with a gesture of respect, hands brought together in salute.
Pei Jue watched her with narrowed eyes.
She verbally admitted her mistake, but her entire body, down to each strand of hair, reeked of rebellion.
He pulled Feng Yunâs hand.
After being exposed to the cold wind on the city wall, her hands were ice cold. That snow-like skin flushed with a faint redness, when held in the palm, felt as soft as boneless.
Their interlocked hands, like two people whispering intimately,
made his lower abdomen inadvertently tighten, his voice deepened.
"Are you not afraid that this will harm your reputation?"
Feng Yun, detecting the subtle change on his face as their fingers intertwined, laughed without any scheming.
"What good reputation do I have left? The whole world sneers, what does it have to do with me?"
Pei Jue frowned, but then she continued, "I thought you, General, had long been unconcerned about any bad name... Moreover, I was indeed betrothed to Xiao San, the wedding date was set, with half of the formalities completed, I never avoided anything, nor did I know you would be so disdainful..."
"Really?" Pei Jue said coldly, and before she could exclaim in surprise, he scooped her up into the air and sat her sideways in his lap.
Feng Yun had only half spoken when she softly exclaimed.
Pei Jue looked at her, "Or is it that the old love is hard to forget?"
He roughly tore off her light armor, trying to strip it away.
This act seemed particularly offensive in Feng Yunâs view.
Unable to resist him, once the light armor was removed, she helplessly slumped onto his lower abdomen, accidentally aligning with him perfectly. Just a slight friction between them made both of them grimace in unison.
"Take it off," Feng Yun said.
Pei Jueâs release was as slow as the friction, her breathing became tight, her earlobes turning red. She tried to get up, using the opportunity, but his hand steadied her lower back and pressed her firmly back down.
Pei Gou!
Feng Yun cursed in her heart, but kept her emotions well in check, her voice tinged with laughter.
"Why is the General so recklessly passionate today?"
Pei Jue pinched her reddened earlobe, his indifferent, handsome face colder than usual. Apart from that one part of him trembling with desire, as if pecking like a chicken, there was hardly a sign of his emotions.
He fixed his gaze on Feng Yun, patting her leg, "Spread them."