"Whoever is dirty, you are dirty!"

The game is very obscene, contrary to the expressions of the young man, who is very focused and serious. He looked holy and noble, without any qualities. He gestures "scissors", "rock" and "paper" with his right hand, as if the game is more important than his life.

Several vigorous green-headed flies were trying to land on the oil-stained front of his cotton-padded jacket and were chased away by the young man's fist.

"I won!"

The game of guessing the fingers was so long that it would drain all the air in the lungs of the two combatants and finally come to an end. The brunette boy waved his right arm to declare victory, and with a cute dimple on his left cheek, he laughed happily.

But the opponents of the young will not surrender. He insisted that the youngster changed his gestures in the final match. Therefore, they were arguing, and every soldier in the room stood aside. Just then, a voice rang out out of nowhere. "Follow the old rules. Sangsang has the final say.

Everyone looked into the corner of the room, where an eleven-year-old girl was carrying a bucket. She was short and thin, with dark skin and ordinary eyes. She was dressed in a loose maid's suit, as if stolen from somewhere by her master, and carried a bucket heavier than herself.

The little maid named Sangsang put down the bucket and turned around. The soldiers looked at her nervously, like gamblers waiting for the dealer to reveal the outcome of the dice game. Obviously, this is not the first time this has happened.

The little maid frowned and glanced at the young man. Then she looked at the angry soldier on the other side of the table and said seriously: "In the twenty-third round, you showed a 'scissors' and he showed a 'stone'. But you say, 'He's dirty. So you lose.

The room was filled with laughter and people left the room. The soldier reluctantly paid with swearing. The young man happily took the money, wiped it with oil and dirt on his chest, and then comforted him by touching the soldier's shoulder.

"Take it easy. In the city of Wei... No, in the whole world, no one can defeat Ning Que.

The maid's face became ugly, so the lieutenant's face was also ugly, because he was observing her. He clutched the curtain tightly in his hand and took a deep breath. He was about to cough, but was stopped by the maid.

The maid stopped the lieutenant and followed the young man and the little maid out of the barracks. She watched silently, watched quietly. No one knew what she was going to do, and the lieutenant had to believe that the close supporters of the nobility were full of quirks.

The young man named Ning Que didn't do anything special along the way. He leisurely bought some food and greeted the fat aunt in the tavern. The only strange thing that made the maid strange and angry was that the emaciated little maid tried to drag the bucket, but the young man was reluctant to help.

The Empire is a hierarchical state. But the people here are simple and honest. Even in the glitzy and gloomy capital of Chang'an, the most indifferent nobles could not see a thin girl of eleven or twelve-year-old carrying a bucket so hard and unmoved.

"Can a soldier have a maid?" The pretty maid asked depressedly.

The lieutenant scratched his head and replied: "During the drought years in Hebei Province, countless immigrants flocked to the south and the border. There are dead people everywhere. It is said that Sang Sang was rescued by Ning Que from the corpse, because Ning Que was also an orphan, and the two of them have lived together ever since.

"Then he registered as a soldier, and his only condition was to take the little girl with him. He looked at the maid and explained carefully. "It is well known that this is not allowed in the army, but their situation is peculiar. After all, we can't sentence a little girl to death. So everybody ignores it.

Listening to this explanation, the maid's face improved a little. But when she saw Ning Que walking with half a roast chicken, and the little maid dragged the bucket behind her with difficulty, her mood changed again. She said coldly: "This is not cohabitation, this is killing her."

Wei Cheng is indeed very small. It wasn't long before the four of them came to a hut on the south side, with small stones on the ground outside. The hut is surrounded by a rough fence. The maid and the lieutenant stood outside, looking at the cabin.

The little maid carried the half-height bucket into the bucket, stepped on the stool, and poured the water into the bucket as best she could. Then she started washing the rice and vegetables. Before the rice was steamed, she picked up a dust cloth to wipe the doors and windows of the table, chair, and sometimes her body was enveloped in steam.

It rained last night and left ugly marks on the windows. The little maid cleaned up the traces of the raindrops, and the cottage was soon clean and bright.

Obviously, she does it all every day, and she does it skillfully. However, there is still compassion for her and seeing her work like a sweaty, red-faced ant.

Ning Que didn't feel this way. He lay peacefully on a bamboo chair with an old book in his left hand. He reads and writes on the wet ground. As he reached out in contemplation, a cup of hot tea was placed in his hand.

The soldiers of Wei Cheng were familiar with this scene, so he would not be surprised, but the maid was not. Especially when she saw that the little maid was busy cooking and taking care of the young man, she fell into deep thought.

It doesn't matter if she's your maid, but didn't you find her in the corpse? Didn't you say you were relatives? Even if she is your maid, don't you think she's too young to take on such a heavy chore? How could such a young man be so lazy? Why can't you do things on your own?

Maybe it triggered bad childhood memories, maybe her imagination of some beautiful emotions was ruined by this guy. The maid pushed open the door and entered, glancing at the bamboo chair, or more precisely at the old book that the young man was so engrossed in. She said bitterly, "I foolishly thought you could read a masterpiece so majestic that it would immerse you in it, but what did I see? An article on the response of the Word', a book that anyone can buy anywhere! Do you really think that someone like you would have the privilege of entering the cultivation world?

Sitting up straight, Ning Que looked curiously at this well-dressed girl who shouldn't have appeared in Wei City, and then turned his gaze to the lieutenant who was suffering in an awkward silence. "It's the only book I can find, so I have to live with it. I'm just curious, certainly not that I'm expecting any privilege," he explained.

Of course, the maid didn't expect to agree so casually, and she suddenly didn't know what to say. She turned her head to look at the little maid pouring soot by the door, and her tone was a little annoyed, "Why do you still think that you are from our Tang Empire?"

Ning Que frowned suspiciously, followed her gaze, and saw Sang Sang standing unconscious by the window, still holding a rag in his hand. He suddenly understood the reason for her sharp rebuke. He smiled and clutched his cute dimples and said, "You may be older than me, so...... Why don't you see me as a boy and not a man?

The maid has never met such a cheeky and shameless person in her life. With a cold expression on her face, she slowly clenched her fists, barely able to suppress her anger. But then she saw the handwriting on the branches on the ground, which seemed to leave her speechless.

...

...

In the best barracks in Wei City, the elders in ragged robes sat there resting with their eyes closed, while the border general, Ma Shixiang, reported to the distinguished guests through the curtains with great respect and humility, although he could not hide his surprise.

Confused, he asked, "Are you dissatisfied with the tour guide?" Why?

Sounding extremely disappointed, the nobleman behind the scenes scolded. "I need a capable and clever guide, not a lazy, weak, and useless young man who is immersed in the dream of cultivation! Does he even have the ability to tie up chickens?

Embarrassed, Ma Shixiang tried to explain. "As far as I'm concerned, although Ning Que is still young, he has actually cut off the heads of many steppe barbarians over the years...... I mean, tie up a couple of chickens... Of course, it shouldn't be a problem.

The Tang Dynasty was an empire that highly valued military honor. And when this honor was in jeopardy, Ma Shixiang chose revenge without hesitation, regardless of the high position and prestige of the people behind the scenes. The sarcasm in his response is a testament to his attitude.

"So does a killer equal a good guide?" A cold voice replied from behind the curtain.

Ma Shixiang continued to explain obediently. "Of the 300 soldiers in Wei City, Ning Que is certainly not the one who kills the most enemies, but I bet this lad can survive any battle in the end, no matter how bad the situation.

Then he raised his chin and said with a smile: "Thanks to the accumulation of medals, he has already been recommended by the military department." This kid did a good job, he successfully passed the first exam half a year ago, and as soon as he returned to the capital this time, he was going to report to the academy.

Hearing the news of the Academy, there was a sudden silence behind the scenes, and the nobles stopped talking.

As soon as Ma Shixiang left, the Great Elder slowly opened his eyes. Those old, calm eyes seemed to arouse interest. He looked at the curtain and said softly, "Isn't it surprising that a soldier from such a remote border town can come to the academy?" In any case, this lad has to be top-notch in character and ability, so he should do a good job as our guide.

"I've only been abroad for a year. I never thought that the Holy Academy, though, would accept such vulgar soldiers.

As casual and unappreciative as it sounds, there seems to be a change in her true attitude. The nobleman was no longer adamantly opposed to using Ning Que as a guide. The Academy, the name that made the big guy change his mind so easily, must undoubtedly be something extraordinary.

Then the Great Elder changed the subject, looking a little confused. "I went to see his calligraphy on the ground, which is the third chapter of The Word's Response, which is simple in structure and extremely vivid at the same time. He uses only a twig on the wet earth, but the power of calligraphy conveys a metallic sharpness in the ceramic. This little soldier is definitely on the right path in the art of calligraphy, and I really want to know how he was trained and from whom he learned it.