The letter (7)

Jun Lan had long sensed another presence in her surroundings. She had no abilities, but don't forget her Fluffy! It was the cute fox who relayed to her that there was no malicious aura from that person.

This made Jun Lan relax a bit, but not enough to put down her guard. She didn't fear as she knew that her Fluffy would protect her no matter what happens. But she didn't want to uselessly provoke the other person lest he be an ally.  So, she spoke casually while throwing a glance at the point where fluffy pointed. With all the patience in the world, she waited for the other party's response.

The man who was stealthily hiding in the shadows had the fright of his life as he heard the young girl's words.

He never expected that their general's daughter would have such keen perception. She was able to sense him,  a high level cultivator. Irony is that she had no cultivation what so ever.

He had come here to deliver the young master's letter, but he was curious about the infamous trash daughter of their general. So, he hid in the shadows to observe her. But he made a fool of himself getting caught by a girl who is half his age.

Who said that this little girl is a dumb one?! One must never believe in rumors!

Gritting his teeth, he leaped from the tree onto the ground. Bowing perfunctorily, he apologized " Young lady, I came here to deliver a letter. Not wanting to interrupt your conversation, I stayed in the shadows. Please don't take any offense."

The man was dressed in dark blue robes and there was a Phoenix emblem pinned to his chest. He had a deep scar on his face from his right eye down to his neck. The blood thirsty aura around him made him look terrifying and domineering.

But none of this affected the young lady as her eyes were locked onto the Phoenix emblem which is shining under the sunlight. This was the emblem of the army!

Then, the letter must be from her family!

Burying the over-excitement in her heart, she tilted her head and stared right at the stern soldier. Saluting him, Jun Lan spoke " Soldier brother! Is the letter from my family?"

People have always maintained their distance from him, either due to fear or disgust. He had expected the young girl to scream or to show a similar reaction at the sight of his repulsive face. Not only had she not screamed, but she rendered him speechless by using her large doe like eyes. Unknown to Jun Lan, she had a expectant look in her eyes which managed to form a small crack in the man's heart.

' To show such a defenseless look, she must be really missing her family! Aiya~' The look in his turned gentle by a few degrees as he handed over an envelope and a scroll, and it seemed as if he was coaxing the girl " Young lady, the letter is from your brother. Be at ease, your family will be by your side soon."

' Of course I know that!' Jun Lan wanted to retort, but on seeing the man's awkward face as he was trying to comfort her she swallowed her words. Instead, she flashed a polite smile at the man and hurriedly opened the scroll.

' Zhu-Zhu [1],

The man I sent to deliver this letter is the main confidant of our father. So, make sure to leave a good impression on him. No need to fawn over him, but remember to salute him. Being in his good eyes may prove important in the future.

Ah! Read the letters in the envelope later in your room.'

' Zhu-Zhu!' Jun Lan fumed in anger. How dare he call her piggy?!

Look at her brother acting all high and mighty! She was not a fool and she definitely didn't need his advise as she saluted the man way before she read the letter.

' Humph! I will spank him later for calling me piggy!' though she scolded him in her mind, a warm feeling spread in her heart. Though her brother was irritating in many ways, he was fiercely protective of her. No amount of gold could change that fact. Since he asked her to leave a good impression on the soldier, she would totally give her all. She would definitely leave a 'best' impression on him.

" Soldier brother, thank you for delivering the letter. Please convey to my family that I am safe and that I eagerly awaiting their arrival. I will not be wasting any more of your time." Finishing her words, she cupped her hands and did a perfect ninety degree bow.

It may seem as a simple greeting but it made the man widen his eyes slightly. It was the standard military greeting and not many people respect the military. Shocked cannot be used to describe the man's current state. He returned her greeting and left the place in a daze.

' The girl is humble and far from a waste.' the man thought as he moved forward.

After retreating to a safe distance, the man halted by the side of a lake and fished out a blue stone from his robes. Bringing it to his mouth he spoke in a respectful tone " Young master, I delivered the letter. Your are right, young miss is far from what rumors painted her to be."

Inside the military camp, Jun Ling's lips curved into a mesmerizing smile as he heard the man's words. In his hands, a blue stone similar to the man's was present. He had heard each and every word of the conversation between his little pig and Master Guo.

In an almost proud voice, he spoke " Of course, my sister is the best! Master Guo, she is the one with four attributes and the master of the nine tailed fox. Never look down upon her even in your dreams! She will be your future master, remember that!"

Four attributes! Nine-tailed fox!

" Young master, how can you give your position away!" though he was astonished by the information, the young master is not a weak person. He had personally witnessed the massacre in the battle field. The young master is a single attributed person but he displayed such amazing prowess. He could only imagine what the young girl might be capable in future.

The young miss may turn out to be strong in future, it was not for sure. So, he was not satisfied with Jun Ling's declaration.

As if sensing the man's distress, Jun Ling laughed out loud. " Hahaha! Master Guo,worry not. She will earn your loyalty. She will surely surpass me in no time and when the time comes you will be the first person to kick me out."

" Sigh! Young master, let's not predict future!" the man sighed not knowing that the prediction will turn out into a reality and that he would unceremoniously kick a certain young master's back in the future.

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' Brother, I hope that I satisfied your expectations.' Jun Lan sighed as she stared in the direction which the man had left.

Inside the military tent, Jun Ling seemed to be in deep thoughts as he toyed with the stone in his hand. There was a sense of satisfaction in his heart as he recalled the entire conversation. His little piggy had grown up.

" Zhu-Zhu, you far exceeded my expectations!" he exclaimed cheerfully.

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Zhu-Zhu [1] - This phrase literally means "piggy-piggy".