Finest Servant

Chapter 250 Duped

“No, I didn’t kill her, it was the cannon—” Lin Wanrong hastily defended himself, inwardly cursing his misfortune. Alas, the beautiful martial arts expert was really Xian’er’s master. He had aimed his cannons too accurately, satisfying as it was, it was immensely regrettable for Xian’er. He blamed the female master, her training seemed so fragile, having been taken down by just a couple of shots.

He feigned seriousness, saying, “Xian’er, we are one and the same, your master is also mine. How could I possibly attack her with a cannon? Something must have gone awry in between!”

Qin Xian’er was dazed and tearful, uncertain if she understood his words as she cried relentlessly.

Lin Wanrong took a few steps forward, held her small hand, and Xian’er collapsed into his arms, sobbing, “Young Master, what should I do, my master is no more, what should I do…?”

Lin Wanrong declared righteously, “Of course, I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life, Xian’er. You know I love you the most. By the way, your master was the Holy Mother of the White Lotus Sect, right?”

Qin Xian’er nodded, “Yes, she was. Since I was a child, I’ve depended on my master. She cared for me like my birth parents would, teaching me to read and write, and also trained me in martial arts. Without her care in the White Lotus Sect, I fear I would have suffered much humiliation.”

Lin Wanrong recalled Lu Zhongping, who harbored lustful intentions towards Xian’er, and felt gratified. ‘Dammit, he dared to have designs on my Xian’er, his fate is deserved.’

Lin Wanrong nodded, “Mmm, Xian’er, rest assured. Lu Zhongping has already been dealt with by me. No one will dare to bother you again. But wasn’t Lu Zhongping your master’s son? Didn’t your master see him falling for you and decide to help her own son?”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but glance at the female master lying on the ground. Her mature, curvaceous body was hidden beneath her long skirt. Her cheeks were pale, but her oval face was stunningly beautiful. Her smooth skin was fair and rosy, and her relaxed body lying on the ground was like an enchanting curve, like a sultry woman asleep, unconsciously revealing a languid, seductive charm.

Damn, the Holy Mother must be of considerable age, yet she looked so young, even in death, she looked stunning. Lin Wanrong’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly averted his gaze from her body.

“Young Master, don’t talk nonsense. Who said Brother Lu is my master’s son?” Qin Xian’er pouted.

“He’s not your master’s son?” Lin Wanrong asked in surprise, “Lu Kanli is the Holy King of the White Lotus Sect, Lu Zhongping is his son, your master is the Holy Mother of the White Lotus Sect. Isn’t she Lu Zhongping’s mother? The Holy King and the Holy Mother are supposed to be a couple, aren’t they?”

Qin Xian’er’s face flushed as she said, “What do you mean ‘couple’? Why are you saying it so distastefully? My master, although known as the Holy Mother of the White Lotus, has never married or had a child. She intended to use Lu Kanli’s power for the growth of the White Lotus Sect and hence pretended to be his wife, but they never lived together. Brother Lu is the son of the Holy King’s concubine. To stabilize the Holy King, my master took Brother Lu as a disciple.”

Once Qin Xian’er had finished speaking in one breath, Lin Wanrong finally understood the full picture. So it appeared that Xian’er’s master was truly the head of the White Lotus Sect. The gods above and below must be thanked – his cannons had struck their target with precision, bringing down the head of the White Lotus Sect.

While they spoke, Lin Wanrong’s army had already charged into the city, fully seizing Jining. The passing soldiers were all amazed as they saw their commanding general cradling a beautiful woman. Qin Xian’er’s face blushed red, she softly said, “Young Master, please let me go.”

“Why should I let you go? My Xian’er is precious, I can hold you whenever I wish,” Lin Wanrong pulled her closer, shamelessly insisting.

“Brother Lin, I will enter the city with the army first,” Gao Qiu called from a distance with an exaggerated wave and smile. Gao Qiu and Li Sheng were preparing to enter the city with their camp, the last batch of troops from the right wing. The battles on the other three sides were still fierce, but with the fall of Jining, it was just a matter of time before the remaining White Lotus Sect members would be dealt with.

Lin Wanrong laughed, “Brother Gao, you all go ahead, I can handle things here.”

Gao Qiu and Li Sheng chuckled heartily a few times, leading their troops into the city.

Qin Xian’er looked at the army entering the city and let out a soft sigh, “I’ve lived in Jining for many years. I didn’t expect that the city would fall today, even my master…”

Her voice broke into soft sobs. Lin Wanrong could understand her feelings. She had been an orphan since childhood, growing up under her master’s care. Now the city had fallen, her home was lost, her master was gone. The heartache was unimaginable.

“Xian’er, do you know, I’ve been worrying about you these past few days. I didn’t want to meet you on the battlefield, that’s why I was slow in leading my troops. Today, we only surrounded Jining without attacking, because I was worried about you. The fire of our cannons is fierce and extremely dangerous. If you were to get hurt, I would feel guilty for the rest of my life,” Lin Wanrong spoke sweetly.

“I know you care for me—” Qin Xian’er cried even harder, “Today, the west gate was surrounded, but there was no attack on the city. My master said it was your trick, claiming that the leader of the army was cunning and vile, trying to disrupt our morale. But only I knew, you cared about me, and you didn’t want me to get hurt.”

Damn, Xian’er’s master was too wicked, how could she attribute the actions of a gentleman to such sinister intentions. If only everyone saw him the way Xian’er did.

“What happened afterward? How did you break out?” Lin Wanrong asked again.

“After being surrounded on all sides, my master insisted on defending the city, while the Holy King wanted to break out. They disagreed greatly. But the White Lotus Sect’s troops were loyal to the Holy King, and my master had no way to control them,” Xian’er explained.

At this point, Lin Wanrong suddenly interjected, “Right, where did the White Lotus Sect get so many well-trained troops?”

Qin Xian’er sighed, “Our White Lotus Sect has been accumulating resources for decades, and we’ve always had people helping us train troops. If it wasn’t for the government forces bypassing Jiangsu and launching a surprise attack from Anhui and Shandong, surrounding us, the White Lotus wouldn’t have fallen so easily.”

Someone was assisting the White Lotus Sect in training their soldiers? The realization dawned on Lin Wanrong in an instant. Damn, no wonder the White Lotus Sect’s military prowess was exceptional, it almost cost him his life. As for the identity of the one assisting them, even Lin Wanrong could venture a guess – Xu Wei and Luo Min, those two old foxes, must undoubtedly be well aware.

“So, in the end, the so-called White Lotus Holy King decided to break out?” Lin Wanrong continued.

Qin Xian’er nodded: “Despite my master’s earnest dissuasions, the Holy King was determined to break out. Left with no choice, my master agreed. However, they disagreed again about the route for the breakout. My master suggested choosing any one direction from the other three to break out. She said, even though the battles on those sides were fierce, it actually indicated that the government forces had no reserve forces left, making a breakout worth attempting. The problem was the military general at the west gate, whose tactics were strategic and psychological, choosing to surround without attacking and always ready to strike. Therefore, she deemed breaking out from the west gate the worst option.”

Lin Wanrong nodded. This master of Xian’er seemed to have a clear understanding of him, quite the female Zhuge. It was a pity, though. She, who was as beautiful as a flower, had been bombarded by his cannons. His skills at ruining beauty would probably become world-renowned.

[TL: Zhuge here referred to Zhuge Liang, the renowned strategist from the story Three Kingdoms.]

“So, what did the White Lotus ‘great king’ think?” Lin Wanrong asked.

Upon hearing him refer to the Holy King as the ‘great king’, Qin Xian’er found it odd. She wanted to laugh but felt it was inappropriate. “The Holy King’s thoughts were completely opposite. He said that you surrounded but did not attack out of cowardice. He also speculated that you might be at odds with the other government forces, deliberately wanting them to suffer more casualties. Therefore, he chose to break out from the west gate, thinking he could catch you off guard and achieve a great victory.”

‘Creative and bold,’ Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. ‘This Holy King must have received some secret intelligence, knowing about my dispute with the commander of the central army, Tong Cheng, and so he made this diagnosis. He unknowingly gave me the advantage, not only did I capture the thief’s head, but I also took Jining.’

“So, your master knew the west gate was not feasible, and seeing the Holy King captured by me, why did she still choose to break out from the west gate?” Lin Wanrong was puzzled, sensing that something was amiss.

“I don’t know either,” Qin Xian’er said, “I told my master that you, Young Master, would never harm her or me. I had barely finished speaking when she rushed out. I didn’t know what had happened, but I followed her out. But as soon as I stepped out, I saw my master—” Qin Xian’er choked and could not continue.

Lin Wanrong quickly embraced her shoulder, “Xian’er, don’t cry, it was purely an accident. I will investigate immediately to find out which damn person fired that cannon. I clearly told them not to fire at any women.”

At this point, Qin Xian’er, who had nothing else to hold on to, saw his loving care for her, which made her eyes well up with grateful tears. She threw herself into his arms, “Young Master, your great kindness to Xian’er, even if my bones are crushed and my ashes scattered, I could not repay you.”

Lin Wanrong playfully lifted her chin and said with a lecherous smile, “Why talk of crushing bones and scattering ashes? Just keep me company every day, eating, drinking, and sleeping with me.”

Qin Xian’er felt both shy and happy, initially wanting to throw herself into his arms and act spoiled. But remembering her master’s body was still nearby, she dared not overdo the frivolous behavior with her beloved, “Young Master, my master— she—”

Seeing Qin Xian’er’s mournful expression, General Lin slapped his chest and declared righteously, “Xian’er, we have a long time ahead of us. Let’s put aside our feelings for now and give your master a proper burial today.”

Qin Xian’er nodded tearfully. Lin Wanrong stepped forward to support the body of the beautiful female master. The moment he touched her, he found her skin to be delicately smooth and still slightly warm, which was delightfully pleasant. He couldn’t help but wish to feel her more.

Even in death, she was still so attractive, it was outrageous! He chuckled to himself, ready to lift her up, when he suddenly remembered the mysterious manner in which the female master had rushed out. A thought flashed through his mind, “Not good, it’s a trap—”

His reaction was swift, reaching for the musket pistol in his embrace. However, he felt a chill on his chest, where a sharp dagger was now pointed.