NoGift

ARGENT played with the jade seal on her hand. It was oval in shape and had the same size as an adult's palm. A dragon soaring in the clouds was intricately carved on it.

It was almost noon when they got out of the palace. The carriage she was riding was currently parked at the side of the street. They were supposed to be on their way to the army barracks right now. But Lei Feng proposed that they eat lunch at a restaurant first before they went there. Argent refused. She wasn't really in the mood to eat after that conversation she had with the Emperor. After she refused, Lei Feng suddenly made the carriage stop. And here she was, waiting for the guy.

She looked down once again at the seal she was holding. And once again remembered what the Emperor said about the thief he encountered 15 years ago. Argent was still not sure if he was telling the truth or just playing with her. Maybe she should have reigned her impudence a bit. She just couldn't stop herself from talking back. If she did, then that Emperor probably wouldn't play mind games with her. Then again, if he happened to be telling the truth, then annoying him was probably a good choice. Because now, Argent might have obtained a clue to her father's disappearance. Something that might even connect to her mother's abduction.

Of course, that's under the assumption that the Emperor was telling the truth. Then Argent just had to find someone who could be familiar with that incident. But who to ask though?

Just then, the door of the carriage opened and Lei Feng went in with a paper bag in his hand. He handed the bag to her and that's when she saw its content. It was full of hot meat buns. Argent looked confusedly at the young general.

"Eat. It's not good to skip a meal." Lei Feng knocked on the carriage's roof and it started to move again.

Argent looked down at the meat buns. Well, they certainly looked appetizing. And truthfully, she's really starting to feel hungry. She picked one. But instead of eating it immediately, she handed the bun to Lei Feng. "Then you should eat one too."

"But I bought it all for you."

"You're joking, right? I couldn't possibly eat all of these." She didn't wait for him to refuse again so when he was about to speak, she immediately put the meat bun in his mouth. "Eat. It's not good to skip meals, right?"

His ear tips did its usual routine and turned red. Then he looked away and started eating the bun she gave. Argent also started eating one. She was on her second bun when she once again remembered that conversation she had with the Emperor. Then she happened to glance at the young general who was still silently eating his bun like a squirrel. He was doing it with such a serious expression. The gap between his expression and his action was almost kind of... cute?

Argent shook her head and just asked what she wanted to ask when she glanced at him. "Hey, Lei Feng, where was your father stationed 15 years ago?"

Lei Feng finally looked at her. "Father? 15 years ago... if I remember correctly, he just accomplished suppressing rebels in the South and maintaining peace there."

Maintaining peace, huh? If she remembered correctly, the Emperor said that he was out for an inspection when he encountered that thief 15 years ago. It's possible that he went to inspect the place in the South where a rebellion had occured. If that's the case, then the older general might know about that incident.

Looked like Argent had no choice but to ask the older general then.

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The atmosphere at the army barracks was full of vigor and excitement. Because General Zhang just announced that his son would visit the barracks today. They couldn't help their excitement because this was the first time that the younger general would visit the barracks after he's been away for more than three years.

Almost all the soldiers in the barracks were of the same generation as the young general. So almost all of them admired him and considered him as their idol. After all, they're the same age and yet they're still just a part of an infantry while Zhang Lei Feng was already a famed general. Most of them haven't even had their first campaign and yet the young general already fought off the barbarians in the North. And won against them, no less. So what's there not to admire, right?

The older general even told them that they could spar with the younger general. If they could spar with him, then they would surely learn a lot.

"Everyone, I just saw General Zhang enter the gate!" one announced as he came running in.

The excitement of everyone was immediately ignited again when they heard that. When the young general entered the barracks everyone immediately arranged themselves in rows.

"We'll be in your care today, General!" almost everyone said enthusiastically.

Argent raised one of her brows when she saw such a greeting. This was the first time that no one paid attention to her. What a novel feeling. It seemed Lei Feng was really popular with this group of young soldiers.

"At ease," Lei Feng said, making the posture of the soldiers relaxed.

"General, is it true that you're going to spar with us today?" one asked.

"General, please spar with me first," another one courageously said.

"Oh-ho, when did I say that he's the one you're going to spar with?" a booming voice said behind the soldiers. They glanced back and saw the older general standing there. Then General Zhang walked towards his son, no, it's more accurate to say the he walked towards the back of his son. Then he pulled a tall teenager. "He's the one you're going to fight."

The soldiers first gaped at the youth. He had silver hair and a pair of indifferent purple eyes. He was wearing western clothing and looked like a beautiful porcelain doll. The soldiers had never seen such a beautiful boy in their lives!

"Wait- isn't that... Argent Blackbourne?!" one exclaimed, even pointing at Argent.

"No way! You mean the creator of sPhones?"

"He's definitely it! I've seen countless photos of him on [Jiffy]. And they looked exactly the same!"

"But what is he doing here? Is he here on vacation?"

"Then why would he be here in our barracks?"

The older general cleared his throat, making all the soldiers there shut their mouths. "Just as I've said, you're going to spar with this kid today. Aren't you glad you're going to have the chance to exchange blows with the famous maker of esufon?"

Then countless murmurs filled the ground.

"But isn't he a NoGift? Wouldn't it be like we're bullying him if we fight him seriously?"

"And wouldn't his fans be mad at us if we injured that pretty face of his?"

"Maybe the General only wanted us to act like we're seriously sparring with him?"

[Hey, hey, I could hear you, you know?] Argent sighed and walked towards the weapon's rack. She picked one of the training swords and tested its weight. She was satisfied with it so she started swinging it. Then she stretched her arms and legs for a warm-up.

She glanced at the soldiers there. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you guys that much. Or are you perhaps afraid that this NoGift would beat the crap out of all of you?"

Yes, beating them would surely ease the frustration Argent was feeling due to her conversation with the Emperor.

The older general suddenly laughed. "Did you hear that? You don't want our guest to think that the young soldiers of Xing are nothing but scaredy-cats, don't you?"

"Then I'll go first," one said, walking at the center of the barracks' ground. "You can have the first move."

Obviously, this soldier still didn't believe that Argent had the ability to fight him. Argent just grinned and walked towards the center as well. "Then I'll gladly take you up on your offer."

Argent dashed forward. It was so fast, the soldier didn't even have the time to react. Before he knew it, his knees were already hit by the training sword and he found himself already kneeling on the ground, the sword pointed at the side of his neck.

"I- I lost."

"Hey, what are you doing, losing like that?"

"Did you even try?"

[I tried, you know? But I really didn't see his movements just now. Let me see you defend if you were in my place.] - the soldier who fought Argent thought.

Argent turned to the other soldiers. "Who's next?"

"Let me fight next," said another soldier.

This time, the soldier didn't give Argent the chance and attacked first. But it was no use because she easily dodged it. Then she spun around and hit the soldier on his back. Before the soldier could even try to regain his balance, Argent's training sword was already pointed at his nape.

"Next," Argent said.

The third one tried harder than the first two. He first circled around Argent. When he thought that he found an opening, he immediately attacked. But he didn't know that Argent purposedly showed that opening. So she easily dodged it. Then she hit the soldier's stomach. When he doubled-over, she hit his back. Easily winning the match. That winning streak continued for another six more fights. When Argent took her tenth consecutive win, the soldiers there could no longer deny the fact that this tall youth really did have the swordfighting skill to defeat them.

Zhang Qian Yu let out a low whistle. "This kid is definitely as good as any master swordsman out there." His movements were fluid. All his actions were very concise, showing no extra movements. He could even properly control the strength he put in his every swing and thrust. If he's already this good at such a young age, his future as a swordsman would definitely be limitless. "I wonder who his master is. I certainly would love to fight him. Don't you think so as well, Xiao Feng?"

Lei Feng immediately bowed his head before his father could see the expression on his face. Because he was pretty certain his face was filled with excitement and wonder. He knew Argent was good. But he only now understood just how good she really was. Everytime she dodged and swung her sword, Lei Feng couldn't take his eyes away from her. She was so dazzling. It was almost as if she was sparkling.

"Yes," Lei Feng just said, answering his father.

The group of soldiers suddenly surrounded Argent.

"Wow. I didn't expect the founder of Silver Corporation to be this good at fighting."

"Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Maybe you could teach us a move or two?"

Before Argent could even answer, Lei Feng already stepped in front of her, blocking the sights of all the soldiers. "Run a hundred laps around the barracks."

The soldiers groaned but they didn't protest. After all, it's their idol who gave the order. They started running around the barracks.

Argent and Lei Feng walked towards the older general.

"You've shown great swordsmanship back there," the older general commented. "Can you tell me who your master is?"

"I'm sorry, General, but I can't tell you that. He's a pretty private person. He wouldn't want me telling his name to other people."

"I see. Then you should tell him to visit Xing. I'd really love to cross swords with him."

"I will try." But Argent doubt that her master would try to go here. After all, Xing was pretty close to Kano - the country her master was trying to avoid. Then she thought of the thing she wanted to ask the general. "Ah, General, could I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"I had this talk with the Emperor and he mentioned a certain incident that happened 15 years ago. It's about his encounter with a thief during one of his inspection. Are you, perhaps, familiar with that event?"

Qian Yu immediately remembered something when the kid told him those details. But he just didn't understand why the Emperor would tell the kid about that incident. He shrugged and just answered the kid's question. "Yes, I remember that incident. He came to the South to check the state of the towns there affected by the rebellion. But because he did it in disguise, I wasn't aware that he encountered a thief. I just found out about it when the thief already managed to successfuly escape from the Emperor."

So it was true. Argent couldn't help but feel excited. "Was the Emperor with a courtesan back then?"

"Yes, he was indeed with a woman then." Qian Yu still couldn't forget how frustrated he was back then. Because instead of travelling with a group of guards, the Emperor went there with just one courtesan.

"What's the name of the woman, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Her name? Hmm... what was it again? If I remember correctly it was... Ying Ren? No... Mei Hua? Not that. Ah! Ying Hua! Yes, it's Ying Hua."

"Do you know where I can find her?"

The older general shook his head. "I was not really interested with her. It's already a big miracle that I still somehow remember her name."

Before Argent could feel disappointed, Lei Feng suddenly spoke and called one of his dark guards.

"An Er."

A man wearing all black suddenly appeared at Lei Feng's side, immediately kneeling. "Master."

Argent was slightly surprised. She knew there was at least two guards shadowing them. Since Lei Feng was not reacting, she easily assumed that they might be the young general's guards. She just didn't expect for them to move this fast. If she was not paying attention, she might have not saw the guard's movement.

"Do you have any information about this Ying Hua. She's probably quite a well-known courtesan."

Lei Feng asked An Er because he was the dark guard he left here in the capital while he was fighting the barbarians in the North. That way he could still get informations about the things that were happening here in the capital.

"Yes, Master. Ying Hua is the owner of Zhi Qing Hua - currently the most famous brothel in the capital," An Er didn't hesitate to answer.

"You can go." An Er almost instantly disappeared. Lei Feng turned to Argent. "Is that helpful?"

Argent grinned. "Oh, it definitely is."