Jinbao Marries a Wife

**Side Story II: My Great Hero (Part I)…**mQmmEYFBuIwraDsuaefIMepVykdDcr

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He could still remember it clearly—the scene of the first time he met Yue Yinggui. That image was so vivid, as if every detail was shining, glowing, and etched into his mind. Even after more than a decade, it remained bright as ever.boXNoRfQKKsdHkcPTGBcjIJobJNjiD

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That day was his 18th coming-of-age ceremony.mgDrroqiDYTpWJFAqaYoLBAcLPCLmI

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As the youngest prince of the Wubei tribe, it was supposed to be a day of celebration, yet it was filled with gloom.FlKOsptNckhsTfcTPXFIjaVVeQdgKG

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The iron hooves of the Zongzheng Dynasty were only a few miles away. They had a fierce and formidable general who struck terror into the hearts of all. Two envoys sent to negotiate peace had been returned, chopped into two pieces.nDZzSFEdCNBeOvenYkRoWMycWRWdTu

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The thirteen tribes of the Southern Border were in grave danger.LDfSZciFVXCeaCbJsJpHjmPqVJNHVV

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He was dressed in a red ceremonial robe, adorned with traditional ornaments, and his face painted with strange colors. In an atmosphere heavy with despair, he symbolically completed his coming-of-age ritual.TtvqWZcXZnmeyrylBRRWSNaKLEyCZY

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Just as night was falling and he raised his glass to toast his father and brothers, the long and piercing sound of alarm broke through the sky. That sharp, urgent wailing signaled the gravest of threats—an enemy night raid!ZMWDSiokriLnHTCcptiXNHqviLUWWS

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His brothers all grabbed their weapons and rushed out, while he, his father, and several concubines hid in the main hall.zMPlaiJyYKfqLqgtvCjWKRbxFDCuRT

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Outside, the sounds of battle and killing were endless. He coldly watched as the Wubei King cowered in the corner, his face full of fear.qvoANYtVfPlkUWAVzFRWhHRyAMPwhl

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His father no longer had the right to rule over the thirteen tribes of the Southern Border. Years of indulgence in wine and women, along with prolonged complacency, had crushed his will and eroded his ambition.iZuHUdDVwgoalUQJUeChezXZBIqcWk

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The Wubei King who once caused his mother to fiercely compete for favor, ultimately losing her life, no longer existed.rSAqpKrineqCrTEHOflozQJMiPUUgC

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In the Wubei tribe, valor was revered. Only courageous and unyielding warriors could earn respect and were deemed worthy of leading them, whether to survival or death.LfLfLwGMJWrJWRyPpxutYNlfdFQGVF

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The sounds of fighting drew closer, and outside, the flames blazed into the sky. The bloodcurdling screams chilled his spine.xVEZWpMiFYZtxUJYSOPwFOrWMhLvHh

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A blood-soaked figure staggered in, sending everyone into screams of panic. Only he remained calm—it was the head guard.QlVypJoXfrYQOjqFGLMrNdgIyXPSVK

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The head guard shoved the sword in his hand toward him, gripping his wrist with such force it felt like it would crush him. “Young Master, quickly take the King to the inner hall.”WoJGyjuSObvVEeOtZBDaDIzZQpoOHx

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He supported the stumbling Wubei King and they ran, stumbling, toward the inner hall.yqYtpJMfvXUUgvJYYERNdTeRiqqYDJ

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Behind them, the concubines shrieked and wailed. He turned and gave them a cold glance, a sinister smile spreading across his face.IHIYeTfyOnMIxVSaorftsCCLyemPbb

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The Zongzheng’s night raid had come too suddenly, catching them completely off guard. The unrelenting inferno mercilessly devoured the Wubei tribe’s century-old legacy.RURmWQvKGSjVCqQcswxZGlELwfuxDn

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He and the Wubei King hid in the sleeping quarters. He gripped the long sword tightly in his hand, coldly watching his trembling father.kwfmEsRUfsxQBMzCXIBRxzIcMGXJfn

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“Jing’er…”soorsMeyFawsUuUFkAmOxqkRjsLdqY

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He turned his head.aCODLBXfihnzInaaVMnOxWiwezocUq

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The Wubei King was curled up at the table, looking at him pitifully. “You… you still have that fake-death drug your mother left you, right? Is it… on you? Give it to Father. Please… give it to Father.”vlAxMtFFagrMOZREbQfFdAbjyEnEZL

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He turned his head away in silence. “It’s in my sleeping quarters.”FGJgDFrPBgievlFpdDZPCRcXqTjJOS

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“You… go get it! Hurry, they’re coming.”PtklPaARfsvKnhdUFxKMVqXSyHNQIz

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He sneered, “Father, even if you pretend to be dead, Yue Yinggui will still cut off your head and hang it at the city gates as a warning to the rebels in the Southern Border. When that happens, you’ll really be dead.”JTOEDvpgLXFhdNitmvdmSZWzMrGSvW

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The Wubei King was trembling in terror, too scared to scold his youngest son for his disrespect.gGfAfLAdpvvQjGpjzjJmMMitSQjTtc

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The sounds of shouting grew nearer. The entire palace had already been breached—it was only a matter of time before they reached the sleeping quarters.qoadrxPRjMfTubGmYJnDDfrVWFbLNC

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The Wubei King collapsed to the ground, his eyes staring blankly, on the verge of fainting.AobmaYculvDvejYTVswqbSCGWLfCsR

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He still held the sword tightly in his hand, feeling for the various poisons on his body, as well as the gu he could not use unless it was absolutely necessary.gSRpRqlNXOeluadTxbNlMCGteAGGFH

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He narrowed his eyes, waiting for the enemy to arrive. He was only 18 years old, unwilling to die along with the crumbling thirteen tribes of the Southern Border. Yet, with his strength alone, he couldn’t think of a way to escape. For now, all he could do was wait for the right moment.AvjJKaBbIEpxEjAFxvmqiopOTTeyXY

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The door in front of him was kicked open with a resounding thud. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready for a desperate fight, but the person who entered froze him in place.XgBPsSCCBvDLzfeVHnVWJGdWaCfoOr

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Standing before him was a tall, commanding man. He wielded a three-foot-long sword, and his silver-gray armor was soaked with fresh, dark blood. His crimson cloak fluttered wildly in the wind. His expression was calm as water, yet his presence was as imposing as a mountain. Step by step, he walked into the room, exuding the aura of a god of war, or perhaps a demon from the underworld.
The moment their eyes met, he felt his breath stop. He was deeply drawn into that pair of resolute, piercing eyes, reminding him of the legends etched into the rock walls by the Wu Bei tribe. Legends of the brave, muscular, and unshakably steadfast guardian deity.cHxQBweKOvRUFzKGBuUJMHqzKDqLOq

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This man seemed to fulfill every fantasy he had about a hero. He was so handsome, so valiant, so utterly indestructible.OTWAUHUYTpmLnBrMcFQsdaxsZlfzAO

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That intense feeling, as if the blood in his veins had boiled the moment he saw him, set his whole body on fire. He even felt a shameful yet thrilling change in his lower body.bIYsXjSkzTsHKAEhYWAjpXgcEwZRPD

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His eyes couldn’t tear away from that man, but the man merely glanced at him indifferently before turning toward his father, swiftly beheading him before his father could even cry out.JqyMhQsaBdthKFSwMPGVGhhlfoDRUL

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At that moment, his heart felt like it had plummeted off a cliff—not because his father had died, but because that man had completely disregarded him.gCzMgdwDDrjYbSvExJAPCQBwbkYMdr

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But soon, the man picked up the Wu Bei tribe’s heirloom—the Stone of Immortality—from his father’s neck, then, with his father’s head in hand, walked towards him.mjJmroDgzpaGMqhWAXHyQWLXGKxJeL

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As the man’s steps drew closer, he felt not an ounce of fear, but instead trembled with excitement.lVTwwONAQjRexFQxmSneOePgbWmgkc

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The man raised his sword, pointing it at the tip of his nose, and coldly asked, “Who are you?”SryqDnfitaWVhwmHxOrAlFFYHYwmdG

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Trembling with excitement, he couldn’t speak.aJjxKcvqSfvKgMompGFaUSxjpIxHfZ

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“You don’t look like someone from the southern borderlands. Are you from the Central Plains?”XDbakEADOQRBnEVjQwrGVupTrUSaRp

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He was only half from the southern borderlands—his mother was from the Central Plains, and he did indeed look different from the others.hmeqKRYQpsqEEUOOFPUEEmtDMAiNzp

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“You’re…” The man tilted his head slightly when he got no response. “Are you his concubine?”VVUxxvRDdUbgVZgiFDOwxTqYREoxWf

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He froze, then shook with rage.iNpGxrSZfcRukgIbJMReymGngWvwdx

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He thought he was a woman?HMdvrZKtRvacxAkVGqyogFGwnOrCqc

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The man frowned. “I’ve heard that King Wu Bei indulged in wine and women and liked to kidnap decent women. You must’ve been captured by the Wu Bei tribe. I, Yue, never kill women, but whatever happens to you from now on is none of my business.”eSIoyJCJCcMzoVzTCRfJZcBqBLfIfn

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With that, he sheathed his sword, took the wobbling head, and turned to leave without even sparing him a second glance.ZYXVwbtEhpjrxbbumhIrUFVwFlxztE

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He stared at the man’s retreating back, biting his lower lip until it bled.UAhsWMTqoEaoghjmxAcQnuaOGyUjxr

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Yue Yinggui! Yue Yinggui!zAJOFYUBnLZxCkZViEupEKWSlrGiuP

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He wanted him so badly, like He’s never desired anything more in his life. It felt like his heart was about to burst, like he wished the rivers would flood, the mountains crumble, and the heavens lose their light, as long as he could claim this man as his own.wwbsuuShkVethohoaFxndFiwSrhxce

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Yue Yinggui…VLNloqpODlSmBcjrgYHCCerCULeXeE

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That year, he was eighteen, and Yue Yinggui was thirty-two.xihjhiZHmKJplntxAqgfpkohWImrwx

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**Author’s Note:** There will probably be a part one, part two, and part three. I originally planned to finish it all in one go, but… it’s so hard to write. *Twiddles fingers.* Plus, I was afraid you’d grow impatient.NkjYECuJczSXNTWNlPKYLSiveQflHF

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**Part Two of My Hero (Middle)**IseblOeoBwtmHhalBIrxuSQYgZcRpf

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After Yue Yinggui left, no one else came in. Whether it was because he intentionally spared him or just a coincidence, he survived.lwUIezYvzszAgaBfjOmeuZJkBAmRxn

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Because on his coming-of-age ceremony, he was dressed in extravagant clothes and wore unusual makeup, Yue Yinggui mistook him for a woman, and that was why he lived.ziekCfFeICnBrgDFyjTlwsZPTGRkdz

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After escaping from the southern borderlands, he wandered outside for more than half a year, gradually gathering the surviving generals of the Wu clan.eWUuIcvyxYqDunIzhYvgPNKsWItqaY

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He was the only surviving heir of the Wu clan, and for those whose nation and family had been destroyed, he was their only spiritual pillar.AggCaXBummejjZEmUowmevviTxbYCl

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He changed his surname. It took him over a year to locate the treasures left behind by the Wu clan. All the while, he kept a close watch on Yue Yinggui’s situation. He urged the remaining Wu generals to seize the Stone of Immortality and kill Yue Yinggui to avenge their losses.FHVIOCNAPZHeYxlbUyEABCkxsmVVTf

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But only he knew how much he desperately wanted this man, at any cost.MYEKjrozxFukKdUieHBWEqVdTMiXfp

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He started spreading rumors among the imperial court and common folk that Yue Yinggui had secretly kept the Wu Bei tribe’s treasure, which could grant immortality, during his campaign to suppress the southern border rebellions. This news quickly caught the attention of Huang Xiang, the emperor’s uncle.anxhbfLmnaIFNqdqgiiHBQLrpyIifU

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In secret, he colluded with Huang Xiang, offering the Stone of Immortality in exchange for bringing down Yue Yinggui.tHMVXefrBgUCpknoKAtMMYRgrjomGg

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At that time, Yue Yinggui had retired from his powerful position due to the overwhelming burden of being involved in a royal power struggle years earlier, citing illness to resign. Now, he was just an ordinary citizen living in Huai Xi.ZUeHygyWJCRcGNtpOXCebemHStUeVK

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But even so, Yue Yinggui’s reputation still held strong both locally and across the empire. Even the current emperor held him in high regard, so moving against him was no easy task.qLQfThYcsyThhjQIkOfZewWOJlfLqs

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Huang Xiang was greedy for the Stone of Immortality, while he was greedy for the man himself. The two struck a deal, fabricating evidence that Yue Yinggui had committed treason and colluded with enemies of the state.hFfllnIOBdDMyDMxIUXyuGWQvSUPZL

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At the same time, Yue Yinggui’s legitimate wife fell ill, and he used the opportunity to approach the Yue family under the guise of a traveling physician. His remarkable medical skills earned him a place in the Yue household.cWDNXQeMiBTczAQdihnedEAEJerTdM

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Looking back now, that was the happiest time of his life.fQuXLlwqCflZwCcCJBKvupYOxGVAJR

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Yue Yinggui no longer remembered that he was the little prince from the Wu Bei palace whom he had once spared, mistaking him for a woman. Instead, he saw him only as the doctor who could save his wife and treated him with courtesy and respect.hNDgIkCfHiJoOCJREAaPZhRrTWCVVC

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By then, Yue Yinggui’s wife was already gravely ill, beyond saving. Even he couldn’t bring her back. And even if he could, why would he? He longed for the woman occupying Yue Yinggui’s life to die as soon as possible.SWmFiXYxZRYYoiAYWfHLTflPaxCTpP

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Everything unfolded just as he had hoped.ClmvzxiMiaIYDmilvJdZSGgoOHcXkR

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Not long after, Yue Yinggui’s wife passed away, and he stayed at the Yue household to continue caring for Yue Yinggui’s sickly son, Yue Siming.OpLXNnBPQBlKXzDFASInACLlkAjQwt

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Huang Xiang laid the groundwork in secret, and together they set a trap that would gradually drag the Yue family into the abyss.MrXRmGWnqLcbWYZBavnJtUyiUydDje

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After Yue Yinggui’s wife died, he took advantage of the opportunity to shower Yue Yinggui with affection, but Yue Yinggui, drowned in grief, ignored all his attempts.EDOuxvUSSUjaTtomidnEjYJHlDLoWm

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With the man he longed for so desperately right in front of him, yet still unable to get close enough to speak freely, his burning desire for Yue Yinggui slowly turned into a festering anger. The more time passed and his yearning remained unfulfilled, the more his caged desire became a wild beast, growing fiercer and more violent with every moment it was denied release.
He knew he could barely hide it anymore. His gaze toward Yue Yinggui was filled with naked desire and possessiveness, to the point that even Yue Siming, who was only five, noticed something. The way he looked at him was full of hostility, and behind his back, he called him a vixen.FTCXXZnfMJuwnTaACdfwqvjNDJMvEy

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He merely smiled at it. At that time, he had never thought that this frail, sickly little thing—who might lose his life just from catching a fever—would become his greatest enemy in the future.HlKMngwCSdKYfCmURYPdUfwKooKAzS

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During his time at the Yue residence, he had been trying to locate the Longevity Stone that Yue Yinggui had hidden. He had a vague suspicion that it had been with Yue Yinggui’s wife when she was alive, and after her death, it must have been passed down to their only son. But since he didn’t want to alert anyone, he couldn’t search for it outright. Moreover, that little thing was incredibly smart, always on guard against him, leaving him with no opportunity to act.kbeOndZieipJIHfeKVAqcANWQOHhSL

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As the long-conspired plot began to surface, Yue Yinggui was powerless to change his fate. He could only watch helplessly as he fell into a mire of disloyalty, betrayal, and treason. Finally, Yue Yinggui realized that there had been a beast lurking beside him all along, just waiting for the right moment to devour him whole.IslkVoWBLbeJUPuEUUAooWGWfWFLRJ

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He still remembered the scene of Yue Yinggui raising his sword against him.KnSUKzYaaZQghkpNpwSGkVLrxzwJiR

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The way he held the sword—so valiant and extraordinary—was like a god of war descending from the heavens, mesmerizing him completely. He longed to pin him down, to take this man who haunted his dreams, to kiss the resolute curve of his lips, the firmness of his jaw, to rip his clothes apart and touch every inch of his resilient skin, to tear into his body and claim him wildly…epdNhIPsxdGPNFIrVWahRFTLCBWsda

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When all these unspeakable, ugly desires spilled out uncontrollably, laid bare in front of Yue Yinggui with no way to hide, the look of disgust on the man’s face became etched into his bones and blood with every blade and sword stroke. The invisible pain of it was something he would never forget for the rest of his life.DAHpuMUYOUkOxCzBFSWgyboqpJgUUg

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At that time, he was far from being a match for Yue Yinggui. Unable to win, he had no choice but to flee in disgrace, wounded.JazcVLRTZoAAOKYBoKJekvAlXOgeeC

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But despite Yue Yinggui’s personal strength, he couldn’t stand against the imperial court. Just a few days after he left, the court’s enforcers, armed with a warrant, stormed the Yue residence. In a single night, the name of Yue Yinggui, the hero of a lifetime, was utterly destroyed.dNREvDuspJcIHvpWAaQLymaGNGNkSF

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He stood at a distance, watching coldly as cart after cart of prisoners from the Yue family were driven toward an inescapable abyss.bwKDziJQFskNzyanUjisGzAAJRBbbl

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At that moment, he saw a child—a little one he had seen a few times before, one of Yue Siming’s playmates.yupIqrmdGajGRzsuwkpIDQvGsLuhlP

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The child cried and chased after the prison carts, calling out to his young master. He looked pitiful.HCgIUvdCDLJmJdPpLHlxdQJdfaYgta

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He was never a compassionate person, but when he saw the child kicked to the ground by the soldiers, he couldn’t help but pick him up.KsAlYjPNXWNntWDIbqlyaWWrgNSeML

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He told the child something, yes, he said, “The men of the Yue family are not worth holding onto.”feJxzFBhobTxaomyJofUQDbZRnXLtR

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Loving the men of the Yue family would only bring bad luck.
He tampered with the child’s memory just a little. After all, such a young child’s recollection is not fully formed, and when he woke up, there would likely be little he could remember.yYBoQtCLffLdYsELuXCsYxabbALYEN

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He felt like he had done a good deed. It wasn’t so much out of pity for the child, but more out of pity for himself.ZAuUfjhHyRjYogpdGmxuHwCUmWPfnW

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This was good. How wonderful it would be. If he could forget too, he would want to. The pain of longing for someone day and night yet never being able to have them…OhhSsOhoZVplehSVvtYCGmlJLbukyy

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Even though the Yue family had been wiped out, the Longevity Stone mysteriously vanished as well.OuHXbvdKsqgpIFsMkkbXYvtcaHKxDf

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After investigating through various channels, he learned that several months earlier, Yue Yinggui had already sent the stone to an old friend, Que Linpei, the head of Medicine Valley.LLgMdxRnsiNqadqKsYrBUnqAaeExTJ

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Yue Yinggui, already at the end of his strength, was indeed delivered to him by Huang Xiang as promised.HZqXiIrwRtxsTsuvgvsEbErRcDaJIj

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He led a group of men, following closely behind the prison cart carrying Yue Siming, because he knew Que Linpei would come to rescue him.PZngGgzMECeBnCWhNfCIbGeDBLsUrU

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When the two forces met, Que Linpei’s martial prowess exceeded his expectations. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but not only did he fail to capture Que Linpei, he couldn’t even keep Yue Siming.lYDEvFFlsxRfOIfHMZtTtIbyMmSySX

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If the Longevity Stone was in Que Linpei’s possession, the child would be his only bargaining chip. Otherwise, if he wiped out the Yue family but couldn’t deliver the stone as promised, Huang Xiang would inevitably turn against him—something he wasn’t prepared to face yet.hkXeLhXuyGHLIcrgURBGSWxdxcFmUP

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In desperation, he planted a blood parasite in Yue Siming. As long as the blood parasite remained, both the child and Que Linpei would be under his control.SNQNtLnIsaYlvxEsPIHCptaUnuRzLO

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Yue Siming was eventually taken back to Medicine Valley by Que Linpei, leaving him unable to report back to Huang Xiang. He had no choice but to delay again and again.XRVinyqFNUrUtZKCNMZrbrfzZnjhho

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Besides, his thoughts were no longer focused on the Longevity Stone. He had already gained the thing he coveted most in this lifetime: the great general whose heroic stature and noble demeanor had captivated him at first sight.sXhMvCKihMuVinmHYpcOKONtkvcJgI

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