Chapter 447: I Will Come to Help You
“What? I… I thought you weren’t coming back.”
The usual calm on Yu Luo’s face finally cracked.
She had truly believed that Chi Jinchen had decided to cut his losses, avoid trouble, and never return.
She had already planned to take over the underground stronghold where his private army resided—after all, with Luocheng now caught in the sights of multiple factions, she had to think ahead for the city’s defense.
Seeing the clear surprise in her eyes, Chi Jinchen furrowed his brows slightly.
“Did you really think I would abandon Luocheng… abandon you, and never return?”
Yu Luo…
“Well, I wasn’t exactly counting myself in that equation.”
She mumbled this under her breath, but it was just loud enough for him to hear.
Chi Jinchen let out a soft chuckle.
“So I was just overthinking things.”
Then, his expression grew more serious.
“Though I did come to say goodbye today, I also brought you something.”
Yu Luo glanced at him, puzzled.
She had no idea what he would give her—let alone something that warranted such solemnity.
But when Chi Jinchen placed a command token into her palm, her composed expression instantly shattered.
“A token? What does it do? And why are you giving it to me?”
Her thoughts raced.
She and Chi Jinchen were, at best, battle-tested allies. She still didn’t fully understand his true identity, nor did she know what grand scheme he was involved in.
So why… why would he entrust her with something as crucial as a command token?
Could it be…
Did this token control his private army?
Was he leaving Luocheng and giving her command over those thousands of elite soldiers?
No—impossible!
Yu Luo immediately dismissed the thought.
Chi Jinchen had just said that he might not return. That meant whatever he was about to do was both urgent and dangerous.
If that were the case, shouldn’t he be taking his army with him for protection? Why would he leave them in her hands instead?
As Yu Luo’s mind spun with calculations, her face tensed in concentration, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
Chi Jinchen, amused by her reaction, laughed softly.
“This token commands my private army. With it, you can mobilize them as if I were giving the order myself. They are now at your disposal—to protect you and Luocheng.”
Yu Luo!
What?!
She stared at him in utter disbelief.
“Are you… serious?”
Chi Jinchen chuckled again at her wide-eyed reaction.
“Surprised?”
Yu Luo clutched the token tightly, her voice urgent.
“Of course, I’m surprised! Didn’t you just say you might not return? If what you’re doing is that dangerous, wouldn’t taking your army with you be a safer choice? Why leave them with me?”
She was moments away from blurting out:
“We’re not that close! Why would you do this for me?”
But before she could, Chi Jinchen smiled.
“Silly girl. I’ve watched Luocheng grow into what it is now—I can’t bear to see it fall into enemy hands. And right now, I have an urgent mission to complete. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be leaving at a time like this.”
—Wouldn’t be leaving you.
But those words never left his lips. Instead, he replaced them with Luocheng.
Yu Luo felt the weight of his words settle over her.
But—wasn’t this a great deal for her?
He was offering his entire army voluntarily. She hadn’t manipulated, begged, or forced him to do so.
She wasn’t one to let guilt cloud her judgment—Luocheng needed protection, and she needed an army.
So why hesitate?
“In that case… I’ll accept your generosity.”
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she turned and quickly left the hall.
Chi Jinchen watched her disappear into the courtyard, his gaze following her with curiosity.
Moments later, Yu Luo returned, holding a small porcelain bottle.
She placed it into his hands.
“I have nothing grand to give you in return, so take this instead.”
“What is it?”
“A bottle of antidote pills. Much more effective than the ones Fengcheng auctioned before. Their antidotes could neutralize a hundred poisons—mine can counteract at least three hundred.
There are a hundred pills inside. If any of your men are poisoned, don’t hesitate to use them. My mother made these, and while the ingredients are rare, they’re not impossible to acquire.
We had planned to auction them after the snow melts, and I guarantee they would fetch a higher price than Fengcheng’s. But I’d rather give them to you than let strangers bid for them.
And this—”
Yu Luo pulled out a black iron dagger and handed it to him.
“This was my personal weapon, but I’m giving it to you now.”
Then, she took out a small modified crossbow.
“This is different from regular crossbows. My father redesigned it—it doesn’t fire arrows but fine steel needles. It holds two hundred needles at a time.
I’m also giving you a thousand spare needles. Each one is coated in lethal poison. If an enemy is hit, they won’t survive.
Be extremely careful when reloading. Don’t prick yourself.”
Without hesitation, she shoved all the items into his arms.
Chi Jinchen, the ever-refined and elegant noble, suddenly found himself awkwardly cradling a pile of weapons and poison like some street merchant.
The sight was almost comical.
When Yu Luo finally looked up, her eyes met his warm, amused gaze.
Something about it… felt different.
But she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“These may not seem like much to you, but I had little time to prepare. If you’d given me more notice, I could have found something better—”
Chi Jinchen interrupted her with a gentle smile.
“It’s more than enough. Everything you’ve given me is priceless. I’ll keep them close at all times. Thank you, Xiao Luo.”
His voice was as calm and warm as ever, but something about it made her ears feel uncomfortably warm.
She suddenly felt… like she was the one taking advantage of him.
But for Luocheng, she had to accept it.
Words failed her for a moment, but after a deep breath, she nodded firmly.
“Then… I wish you a safe return.
If you ever run into trouble, send word. Even if my martial arts aren’t as good as yours, I have other skills.
You’ve helped me many times before. You even saved my life. If you need me, I’ll come to help you—no matter what.”
(End of Chapter 447)
