Boss

　　"Achoo!" Song Ou irritably wiped his nose using a handkerchief.

　　Owing to the hasty pace, cold weather and prolonged exposure to the elements, a large number of soldiers fell ill. Song Ou was fortunate enough to only sneeze.

　　Song Ou was upset, and a heavy downpour appeared imminent. Out in the open, they felt sticky, didn't eat or sleep well for two weeks. Song Ou detested having to bathe together with the soldiers in a large bath hall.

　　Song Ou eventually lost his patience: "Deputy General, where are you?!"

　　"Present!"

　　"Where are we?"

　　"We are already next to Taihu. We will reach a small town called Canhu Town if we continue south along this course for another half a day. We should arrive before nine at night."

　　"We still have half a day to go?!" exclaimed Song Ou, frowning. "Look. It's cloudy, and the rain has been brewing all afternoon. If it rains, it'll rain all night, at the very least. How long would we have to travel in the rain for to reach the town? Aren't we neglecting the men's lives and wellbeing? Where's my explanation?"

　　The deputy general scratched his head: "If we do not arrive tonight, though, w-"

　　Song Ou pulled his eyebrows together: "So what if we don't? There are five days to go. We only need to make one last delivery to Huzhou. We accomplished our goal ages ago. For what reason do we need to rush today? How many soldiers have fallen ill as a result of marching through the rain? Look at their morale. They're barely able to move their feet. You do realise we're representing the imperial court, don't you? What do you think people would say if we arrived and presented ourselves in an unbecoming state? Are we just going to neglect the imperial court's reputation? Furthermore, we need to be considerate of our men's feelings. I see an estate over there. Let's sojourn there for the night and continue after the rain stops."

　　"Umm… about resting…"

　　"Men. You, go and ask the estate if they will allow us to stay the night. Hurry on."

　　"Who said we're taking a break?" asked Shen Yiren, riding over to join the conversation.

　　Shen Yiren's voice was calm and nonchalant, but Song Ou felt a chill down his spine. His words stopped on their way up to his mouth, and he swallowed the fire he intended to spit.

　　Shen Yiren was dressed in a blue and white martial arts robe; it looked refres.h.i.+ng on her. Her cleavage stretched the front of her robe so much it wasn't a stretch to say one could almost see the white globes. That said, the hostility and stern look in her eyes was just as prominent as her arresting beauty. Her contradicting appearance and demeanour was sure to leave a deep first impression.