The 3 B's- Beauty, Brains and Bravery

Chapter 547  Picking your battles

Logar, Afghanistan;

Rakhatal, 11:05;

"Is it true about him?", one of the men outside Rong Xinghe's tent asked his companion, "Does Kefayat Zahir really scald you to death if you're no longer of use to him? That's barbaric, even for Satan!"

"That's what I've heard.", the other man shrugged, "But what else can you expect from someone sent by our Commander's teacher? Commander Fadhil himself is quite brutal when it comes to killing, so Mr. Zahir is likely no different."

"Don't even mention that, brother.", the first man shivered as he fished a box of cigarettes from his back pocket, "Once, I saw him mark a cross on one of his target's foreheads, and it felt like the blood in my veins froze. He revels in watching them cry, beg, and struggle before sealing their fate for good."

"Hey! Quiet down now. He's coming.", the other man whispered, straightening his back.

Rong Xinghe stepped out of her tent, disguised as her male alias- Kefayat Zahir. Shawn Florence quietly followed behind her. "So, what's the plan for today, Janaab?" he asked.

"The boy who's about to marry one of the locals—who is he?", Zahir inquired, his voice deep as he surveyed the bustling activities around him.

"Just a lad from the same village. Our men recruited him, but he's always had a crush on this girl.", Florence responded, his gaze fixed on the ground, "His name is Haseeb. He's Seventeen."

"Ah, I see.", the 'man' chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips as he glanced at Shawn, "And how old is the girl?"

"Thirteen, Janaab.", the Hybrid replied with a smile.

Rong Xinghe winced internally. As much as she hated witnessing a little girl's life being destroyed in this way, she couldn't afford to play the hero here. Her objectives for this mission were clear: she couldn't get caught up in Rakhatal's freedom struggle while swords hung over the Xanvorian public. Intelligence missions required careful selection of battles, and this one was not theirs. In this situation, she needed to embrace the role of the villain well.

"Smart. Women, wild horses, and Kaafirs—the quicker you tame them, the better", the man laughed, glancing at the mountains surrounding the village. His amusement was laced with disgust at the thought of everything the little girl would endure at such a young age, "Since there are two more days until the wedding, I'd like to check on the lads' training. Where's the Secondary Superintendent? Zayan Mirza, is it?"

"Yes.", Shawn replied, "He'll be joining us shortly. In the meantime, let's grab some breakfast."

________

Aelorion, Xanvoria;

Imperial Multi-Speciality Hospital, 11:30;

Xi Yuan and Xi Fang hurried down the expansive hospital corridor toward the private ward where Li Jungah had been admitted.

"What happened?!", Xi Fang asked, approaching Xi Ying, whose hands were shaking. Moments later, Xi Yuan joined the twins, maintaining a calm demeanor. The ward doors were closed, and Su Rogguang's security team stood firm, preventing anyone from entering.

"I'm so sor—sorry, Brother!", Xi Ying cried, gripping one of Xi Yuan's hands as tears streamed down her face, "I didn't realize she'd opened her eyes. I was just watching the news channels, and they were saying how Sister-in-law wasn't here, and how so many guests claimed she was the only one with Auntie when the att—attack happened. Then she suddenly started breathing heavily… and then she fainted."

Xi Yuan listened to his sister in silence, his expression shifting as a flicker of ire flashed in his eyes.

About half a minute later, he noticed his sister crying ceaselessly, begging him for forgiveness. Instinctively, he pulled her in for a warm hug, his eyes closed, "You didn't do it intentionally.", he said softly, gently stroking her hair, "It's okay. Stop crying. Bro Su is in there with Mom. She will be fine."

"But--"

"I don't blame you. It's okay.", Xi Yuan reassured the girl, wiping her tears away, "Wei, get her a glass of water." He then glanced at his younger brother.

As Xi Wei slipped out of sight, Xi Yuan helped Xi Ying settle onto one of the benches while he and Xi Fang knelt in front of her, calmly comforting her. Once Xi Ying had composed herself, Xi Yuan turned his attention to Xi Chonglin. "Where's Dad?", he asked.

"He's inside the ward.", the older man replied, "That woman's brother wanted him close to Sister-in-law."

That woman...

Xi Yuan glared at him, a coldness washing over him with each passing moment as the darkness in his gaze intensified. He did not appreciate how his wife was being referred to at that moment. No matter how it appeared, no one in this world had the right to speak about her like that. No one.

The man stood up in a flash, closing the distance between them with clenched fists and jaw, "If I were you, I'd watch my tongue, Mr. Xi."

Xi Yuan glared at him, a coldness washing over him with each passing moment as the darkness in his gaze intensified. He did not appreciate how his wife was being referred to at that moment. No matter how it appeared, no one in this world had the right to speak about her like that. No one.

The man stood up in a flash, closing the distance between them with clenched fists and jaw, "If I were you, I'd watch my tongue, Mr. Xi."

"The patient wants to see her son," a nurse suddenly interjected, stepping out of Li Jungah's ward, her gaze fixed on Xi Yuan's back, "Now."

At her words, the intensity in Xi Yuan's stare intensified as he continued to glare at his uncle. Taking a short breath, he spoke in a low yet somewhat commanding voice, "Do not disappoint me, Uncle, for there are consequences to that."

Xi Yuan had never expressed his displeasure towards his elders before—not like this, at least. He had always been the quiet one in the family. And so, his words shocked almost everyone watching them, even Lu Wei and Mo Zixuan. This was a man who had never talked back to his family elders regarding his upbringing, his grandparents' death, or all the recent money laundering incidents within the Xi Corporations. Then why now?

But Xi Fang wasn't the slightest bit surprised by his brother's reaction. Xi Yuan's affection for Rong Xinghe was beyond easy explanation. Besides, what else were they expecting? The one person who could keep his sanity intact was miles away from him, fighting a battle far too treacherous. He knew she was innocent and yet, he had unintentionally made her feel terrible about the entire incident. All he wanted was to lock her in his embrace, breathe in her scent, and reassure her of how much he trusted her. Unfortunately, all he could do was hope for her safe return. It was just awful- how he had to deal with people like Xi Chonglin and Luo Youyou in a situation like this.