The Yasha mask is ferocious and menacing, with round staring eyes. In the dim light, it looks even more sinister, like a grim reaper crawling out from the depths of the earth.
In the middle of the night, suddenly discovering such a person standing by the window would scare even the most timid person half to death.
While Yao Ying remained calm, she accidentally dropped a ceramic bowl, but didn't shout or scream.
Because the moment she saw the Yasha mask, she guessed that the person by the window was most likely Sultan Gu.
This wasn't the first time.
On the way to Gaochang, while staying overnight at an inn, Sultan Gu's room was always close to Yao Ying's.
He never left his room and made no sound. She hardly noticed his presence until one night when she accidentally knocked over the fireplace and made a loud noise. Shortly after, Xie Qing rushed over, and together they cleaned up the mess. She opened the door to let the smell dissipate and unintentionally glanced at the hallway, catching a glimpse of a tall figure in the corner.
Yao Ying didn't show any reaction.
During the rest of the journey, she observed Sultan Gu closely.
Sometimes, they had to camp in the wilderness. She slept by the campfire with her clothes on, and Sultan Gu stayed away from the group, on constant alert. In the dim light, she occasionally woke up from the cold, shivering and not wanting to disturb Xie Qing. Holding her arms tightly to keep warm, listening to the howling wind, she couldn't help but feel sad at the thought of being far away from the Central Plains and not knowing how her brother was doing. But her heart gradually calmed down as her gaze fell upon Sultan Gu, sitting alone in the distance, like a towering mountain.
He shoulder all the difficulties and hardships, and with him around, their group could safely return to the court.
Yao Ying had felt this incredibly stable and reassuring feeling from another person before.
When the snow-white golden-patterned flag fluttered in the wind, when Tumoroga rode a white horse, leading tens of thousands of soldiers in the vast desert of flowing sand.
So Yaoying is not afraid of Sultan Gu.
Although Tumoroga is cold but he is still gentle.
Sultan Gu has a ferocious demeanor, but there is a powerful compassion in his movements, but this compassion is too sharp, and the cold edge covers up the compassion.
Today they stayed in the post house, and Sultan Gu lived next door to Yaoying.
Yaoying just had a nightmare and might have screamed. Sudangu heard the noise and thought something happened to her, so he rushed over to check the situation.
This indicated that he had been awake all night.
Yaoying guessed that the figure was Sultan Gu, and quickly calmed down, but she didn't expect that he would come back again. She got up and wanted to scare him, but he caught her off guard and she awkwardly smiled.
Sultan Gu silently stared at her without uttering a word of explanation.
Yao Ying wasn't deterred by his cold and indifferent gaze. She leaned forward, her long black hair cascading down, her curved brows and eyes like stars, as she quietly asked, "General Su, did the mage assign you to escort us to Gaochang because of me?"
Sultan Gu remained motionless.
Yao Ying looked straight into his azure eyes and continued, "Originally, General Ashina was supposed to accompany me on this mission to Gaochang, but unfortunately, he got injured. Is the mage worried that Haidu Aling might suddenly appear?"
Bisha failed to make a fool of Haidu Aling, and he himself got injured. Tumoroga allowed Sultan Gu, who had previously failed on the mission, to take Ashina's place, probably to guard against Haidu Aling. Haidu Aling had formidable martial arts skills, and these escorts were no match for him.
Yao Ying thought of a possibility: the reason why Tumoroga's goshawk had been following them all along was not mainly to deliver messages as Yuan Jue had mentioned, but rather to seek Haidu Aling's white falcon.
Tumoroga had already made it known to the world, and Haidu Aling dared not take action against her now. However, their identity must not be exposed during this journey. If Haidu Aling were to learn about their itinerary, would he take advantage of the situation to capture them?
The Northern Rong's young Prince Jinbo suddenly appeared in Gaochang, and Haidu Aling might be nearby.
That's why Sultan Gu couldn't afford to be careless.
Yao Ying stared at Sultan Gu without blinking, and asked, "General Su, did HaiDu Aling follow us? Are you hiding it from me because you're afraid it will scare me?"
Sultan Gu's deep emerald eyes finally showed a hint of surprise.
Yao Ying sighed and said, "Just tell me the truth, General. With you here, I'm not afraid."
She leaned against the window, her thick black hair cascading over her shoulders, making her fair skin appear even whiter, and her eyes clear.
The little prince, who had been noisy all day, finally fell asleep. The inn was as quiet as water. Their room was at the far end, and the guards outside were all sound asleep. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Sultan Gu remained silent for a while, then his hoarse voice rang out, "Jin Bo has arrived in Gao Chang, and HaiDu Aling might also appear, but I haven't found any trace of him yet."
Yao Ying smiled and said, "General, you've been through a lot on this journey."
Indeed, he had been secretly protecting her all along.
Sultan Gu shifted his gaze and said, "Princess, go rest now."
Without waiting for Yao Ying to respond, he gently closed the window with his gloved hand.
All that remained before her eyes were the dusty window frames.
Yao Ying shook her head and chuckled. With a swish, she opened the window again.
"General Su," she called out softly, "I want to ask you something."
Sultan Gu looked down at her.
Yao Ying asked with a mischievous smile, "Has General Su ever been to Gao Chang? I assume you're familiar with the various markets in Gao Chang. Tomorrow, I will take Old Qi and the others to sell the goods we brought. Do you know which market's merchants are the most fair?"
Sultan Gu didn't hesitate and said calmly, "There is only one market in Gao Chang where Hu merchants gather. Tomorrow, Yuan Jue will serve as your guide, Princess."
Yao Ying nodded, her gaze lingering on his terrifying mask. From his reaction, it seemed that he had indeed been to Gao Chang...
Sultan Gu closed the window again.
Yao Ying's lips twitched slightly.