Ch.3 An Imperial Decree

For a moment, the temperature seemed to drop as the laziness in her eyes was taken over by a focused glint. She scanned the words carefully and when the next words left her lips, she was no longer the mistress-who-only-knows-to-drink-all-day and instead, the one who had killed tens of thousands without even blinking; The God of War.

"Prepare to leave the Capital."

"Yes, Master." Shen Tian Ping placed his right fist to his left palm as he saluted and addressed her with the term he had not used for a long time ever since Luo Yue had gone into reclusion 5 years ago. It was hard to imagine that this was the same man who had just been speaking to her on equal terms a moment ago. "How many people should I prepare for?"

She stayed silent for a moment. "Three."

"Master, you’re bringing Xiao Liu along?"

"It’s about time I bring him out for some experiences instead of coping in that mountain all the time." She downed the last cup of wine and stood up, that authoritative impression disappearing in a flash as she returned to being the lady-who-loves-wine. "Granny, I'm leaving."

"So early today?" the shopkeeper popped her head out with another newly brewed wine in her hands.

"Mn, it doesn’t seem like you’re welcoming me." Luo Yue pick up the unopened jar on the table.

"Go go go!" she was immediately shooed away.

Luo Yue didn’t get annoyed and merely walked past the granny. She hooked up the newly brewed jar of wine in her hands so quickly that –putting aside the older woman- even Shen Tian Ping would not have been able to react. By the time it was too late, only her cheeky voice could be heard. "And put this on my tab as well."

"Brat!"

~~

The Forbidden Mountain was a place with more corpses than there were living beings. Yet, it has been home to 3 people for a few years now.

The God of War, her personal guard, and Xiao Liu, the boy whom they had picked up when he was on the verge of death.

Because he was the sixth child in his family, he was named ‘Little Six’ and when the God of War found him abandoned on the streets, he was growling at the stray dogs.

*Xiao Liu = Little Six

And even now, as though to show dominance, he was still picking fights with the dogs whenever he saw them.

Even though… he only returned with more wounds each time.

Such, is the stubborn person who did not know ‘retreat’ whom they had picked up that day.

Except for that, he has become a great caregiver to two people who had basically lived their life on the battlefield with no clue as to how they should take care of themselves.

One only knew to drink and the other only knew to train. Really, he sometimes wondered just how the two of them had managed to survive before they had brought him back.

"Lady, you’re back early today!" A chirpy voice greeted them and instantly went into nagging mode. "You left your books in the open while reading in the courtyard again! They would have been a soaking mess in this rain if I hadn’t seen them by chance. And Ping-ge!-"

*ge = brother (Does not have to be blood-related)

Shen Tian Ping took two visible steps back.

"How many times do I have to tell you, if you practice your sword in the morning, you should at least throw your dirty clothes into the basket for me to wash! Why do you always take care of your sword even better than you take care of yourself?"

"I will remember next time." He nodded and then quickly bowed to Luo Yue. "I will go prepare the things that you have ordered."

'That guy… is he escaping again?'

Luo Yue’s mouth fell agape slightly as she watched the person who was supposed to be her personal guard turning tail and leaving her to defend for herself.

"And Lady! Will you stop leaving your fan around? Don’t you know that weapon of yours is too dangerou-!"

"Xiao Liu, let me ask you." It was perhaps only the God of War who could change the topic so effortlessly. "Are we actually really poor right now?"

"My Great Lady!" tears of gratitude clouded Xiao Liu’s eyes. "Thank you for finally realising that! I’ve been trying to tell you for the last few months, we’ve really run out of money this time!"

"That’s impossible." She frowned and waved dismissively. "Do you think I don’t get a salary from fighting wars all those years? Besides, 'he' left me with enough money, didn’t 'he'?"

"Are you seriously asking me that, my Lady?!" Xiao Liu looked like he has been given a chance by the heavens to say all that he has always wanted to say. “In the last 5 years, you've been giving money to the beggars whenever you enter the city and that’s not a bad thing, but Lady, you really do not know the value of gold coins! Do you really have to give away enough fortune such that they can even buy a plot of land in the city each time?”

"It’s just a few gold coins, how much value can they have?" she muttered. 'That person' had basically taken care of all her expenses when he was still alive and she had never been one to care for those monetary things.

"The amount you’ve given away could have lasted you a whole lifetime of wines."

"…" She took the dark blue fan from him, tapped it on her nose as she thought about it, and then looked back at the boy through squinted eyes. "Should I take them back?"

"Stop joking around, Lady!" His eyebrows knitted in frustration. How could she be this unfazed and here he was worrying over how they should pay for their food next month. However, his heart softened when he saw her helpless face. "Why do you need money so suddenly? Did something happen?"

The God of War looked at him; her mouth pursed up a little and then she nodded.

"What happened?!" He saw how she was 'so helpless that a tear could fall at any moment' and he immediately became worried.

"My debts at the granny’s shop have piled up again. She said she won’t give me any more wine until I’ve cleared my tab…"

"…" Xiao Liu shut his eyes as he took a deep breath to calm himself down. He repeated to himself, 'I should not be disrespectful to the Lady. Hold it back. Calm down.' And then his eyes flew open once again. "Stop drinking!"

Pretending as though she has not heard his words, the God of War used 'The Art of Shamelessness' The Red Lion, Gao Peng, had personally taught her and flopped down onto the chair listlessly. "Should I sell my body?"

"You absolutely can't!" Only the naïve Xiao Liu would gasp in horror and take her this seriously. He bit his lips and tried to look tough. "You can’t sell your body for alcohol! If you really can’t give up on wine… then… then… you can sell… sell mine… I should still repay your kindness for all these years."

"Yours?" Luo Yue took a serious examination as he closed his eyes and pretended to ponder. After a while, she let herself fall back down onto the chair. "I’m afraid that won’t work."

"Why… why not?"

"This customer of mine is a little picky." She sighed, "it has to be me."

"H...how dared he-… he…! My Lady, you’re still the God of War after all, who does he think he-…"

He was suddenly interrupted by a sleek black eagle which has flown in. Luo Yue lifted her hand, letting the eagle land and allowing it to rub its head affectionately against her nose.

"Oh? It seems like the messenger my customer sent has arrived." She let the eagle fly off before pulling down a paper screen and staying behind it, muttering humourlessly, "time to sell my body."

"Please don’t be rash, Lady! I-…I’ll call Ping-ge! He’ll know what to do. No matter what his messenger says, you can’t sell yourself to that old man-…!"

"The Emperor, His Majesty has passed down an Imperial decree!" The messenger who walked in held his head high and spoke in such an authoritative voice that it made the Luo Yue who was still having fun teasing Xiao Liu arch an eyebrow. This dimwit… Was he trying to put her down on their first meeting? "God of War, Luo Yue, pay your respects by revealing yourself and kneeling before the Imperial scroll!"

He held the open scroll in his hands, looking down his nose at the shadow behind the paper screen. This, was the God of War? The person his superiors have warned him against? He almost snorted. From the moment he stepped foot into the Forbidden Mountain, he knew that the rumours surrounding this mysterious figure must have all been glorified. After all, what kind of hero would live in this run-down place? Besides, from the size of the shadow on the paper screen, he could easily guess that this God of War might even be smaller than him. Hah, the Emperor must have personally chosen him for this task because he knew that he wouldn't be intimidated by all those rumours.

"His Majesty?!" Xiao Liu turned towards his mistress wide-eyed. Before he could complain about her making fun of him again, he saw that her eyes have turned a few shades colder and instantly shut his mouth.

"I refuse."