Ich bin ein Gott in der Chatgruppe aller Reiche

Kapitel 23

The three looked up and saw that the vines hanging in front of them were now crawling with wriggling insects. These insects were entirely black, making them very difficult to spot in the dark forest; at first glance, they could be mistaken for scars on the leaves. Yue Ruzheng felt an unbearable nausea. Shao Yang swung his sword at the vines, and the insects fell with the leaves into the grass, only to quickly writhe and crawl among the weeds, almost touching their clothes. Seeing this, the four of them drew their swords and cleaved through the vines, rushing forward at lightning speed.

Yue Ruzheng's face was scratched by broken branches, but she couldn't care less. She charged forward with Shao Yang and the others, hearing the rustling of the grass behind them—the insects were still relentlessly chasing them—and dared not stop for a moment. They ran through the forest until they were exhausted, only to find themselves facing a deep cliff, opposite a rocky hill, connected only by a rickety wooden rope bridge. Wei Heng sheathed his longsword and was about to go first when Shao Yang stopped him, saying, "Young Master, you came to help, shouldn't I go first?" With that, he drew his sword and leaped across the rope bridge.

As soon as Shao Yang stepped onto the suspension bridge, he felt a cracking sound beneath his feet. Holding his breath, he leaped halfway across when suddenly a whistling sound rang out, and several arrows shot rapidly from the rocky hillside opposite, aiming straight for his shoulders. Shao Yang swept his sword horizontally, slicing the arrows away, but then another volley of arrows rained down on him like locusts. He slashed with his sword in his right hand, grabbed a rope beside him with his left, and leaped off the suspension bridge, swinging in mid-air before crawling close to the side of the bridge. Wei Heng and the other two, seeing this, rushed onto the suspension bridge, but the bridge was already rotten and dilapidated. They had only taken a few steps when the rope suddenly wobbled, breaking off the planks and plunging into the abyss below.

Shao Yang still had a grip on the rope with his left hand, but by the time Wei Heng reacted, he had already lost his balance. Fortunately, he was agile and, just before falling, he leaned diagonally across the cliff, grabbing onto a protruding rock to regain his footing. At that moment, figures moved and made noise on the opposite rocky hillside, gradually approaching the cliff. Shao Yang looked down and saw Yue Ruzheng, using one hand to support herself with her sword and the other to pull Qi Yun along, struggling to climb up the rocks not far from him. Below the cliff, a babbling brook flowed, its origin and destination unknown.

Wei Heng glanced up at Shao Yang and said in a low voice, "There's nowhere left to go up in the sky, so why not take a gamble and see what the bottom of this valley holds?"

Shao Yang nodded, gave Yue Ruzheng and Qi Yun a wink to his right, and they both began to climb down the cliff face. The four of them finally reached the bottom, where several archers had already reached the bridge. Qi Yun, who had been lying in ambush under the rocks, fired his arrows as soon as they revealed themselves, felling the first few. At this moment, Wei Heng and Shao Yang led Yue Ruzheng away, while Qi Yun retreated while simultaneously blocking the pursuers. The four of them followed the stream westward, watching the cliffs on both sides narrow until only one person could pass at a time. Beyond this narrow passage, several waterfalls cascaded down, and a strange medicinal fragrance wafted in the damp air. Yue Ruzheng looked around and saw a large open area beyond the waterfalls, densely covered with some kind of lush greenery.

"Could this be Dragon Heart Grass?" Yue Ruzheng was suddenly shocked, pointing directly at the verdant land.

Shao Yang and his men had already discovered the location. At that moment, Qi Yun arrived from behind, panting and holding a bow and arrow, saying, "Young Master, hurry! Someone's chasing us!"

Wei Heng was startled. He heard footsteps approaching from the narrow passage not far away. He shouted, "Go find the Dragon Heart Grass!" and drew his sword, rushing towards the rear. Qi Yun hesitated for a moment, then followed. The two of them guarded the pass on either side, desperately trying to intercept the pursuers. Shao Yang and Yue Ruzheng ran towards the green field. As they approached, they saw that the seedlings covering the ground were all slender, with three leaves each, their tendrils twisting like dragon claws. Yue Ruzheng was about to bend down to pick one when she suddenly heard someone shout from a distance, "Don't touch it!"

She quickly withdrew her hand and looked up, only to see a man standing at the edge of the green space. He appeared to be in his early thirties, with a refined appearance, but his face was pale, suggesting he was ill. He was dressed in a plain long robe, the attire of a scholar. Yue Ruzheng couldn't help but grip the hilt of her sword. The man strode over, lightly covering his lips with a white handkerchief, and coughed slightly.

Chapter Sixteen: Inquiring about the whereabouts of Lord Pingyang

The man approached and bowed, saying, "If you want this Dragon Heart Grass, young lady, you mustn't pick it so easily. Otherwise, within ten steps, your hand will be severely festering."

Yue Ruzheng stared intently at him and asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Fushi," the man said in a low voice, glancing quickly at Wei Heng and Qi Yun, who were guarding the checkpoint in the distance. "If you gentlemen desire the Dragon Heart Grass, I can assist you. However, I have a condition in exchange."

Seeing that the pursuers were increasing in number, Shao Yang frowned and asked, "What exactly are the conditions?"

Fu Shi said, "I am the apothecary of this Bliss Valley, in charge of all kinds of poisons and antidotes. However, Mo Li is capricious and unpredictable; the slightest carelessness could lead to my death. Although I wish to escape, I have no way to do so. If you gentlemen can lead me out of Bliss Valley, I will teach you the method to detoxify with the Dragon Heart Grass. What do you say?"

Shao Yang and Yue Ruzheng exchanged a glance. At that moment, Wei Heng forced back the charging man with his sword and shouted urgently, "What are you dawdling for?! Get it and leave!"

Seeing another group of people rapidly approaching from the cliff, Yue Ruzheng said to Fushi, "Alright, I agree to your request. Quickly hand over the Dragon Heart Grass to us!"

Fu Shi's face lit up with joy. He immediately used the silver scissors in his sleeve to cut off several branches of Dragon Heart Grass. He then took out an extremely slender porcelain bottle from his bosom, put the grass leaves into it, pressed the stopper tightly, and said, "Please follow me." After saying that, he strode towards the green area behind the bottle.

Shao Yang and his companions followed Fu Shi through forests and valleys. He traversed seemingly hopeless paths, yet managed to find unexpected turns of fortune in the most desperate situations. Meanwhile, pursuers were relentless along the way. Without their four men's desperate struggle, even though Fu Shi knew the way out, they would indeed not have been able to leave the valley alive, just as he had said.

After crossing the last hill, Qi Yun blew his bamboo whistle, and soon the guards of Tingyu Manor, who had been lying in ambush, galloped over. Wei Heng mounted his horse and led the group out of the valley, heading straight for the mountain road.

The group traveled day and night, leaving southern Jiangxi behind. As they approached Anhui, Fu Shi bid farewell to everyone, writing down the antidote before leaving and handing it to Shao Yang. Seeing his frail and sickly appearance, Yue Ruzheng couldn't help but ask, "Where are you going alone? Aren't you afraid of being captured and taken back by the Valley of Bliss?"

Fu Shi coughed lightly and said, "It's alright, I have my own place to go. Now that I've left the Valley of Bliss, I can't bother you any longer. If fate allows, we will meet again someday."

Seeing that he was unwilling to travel with them, Yue Ruzheng and the others did not insist, and parted ways with him, each going their own way. Having obtained the Dragon Heart Grass, they were naturally overjoyed, only wishing they could sprout wings and fly back to Luzhou. Several days later, they finally returned to Yinxi Cottage, carefully took out the Dragon Heart Grass sealed in the bottle, and prepared the antidote according to the prescription written by Fu Shi. Yu Hezhi, still doubtful after hearing their account of their journey into the valley, took the antidote and, ignoring everyone's advice, tried it himself first. Only after feeling unharmed did he allow them to give it to Jiang Shuying.

In the following days, Yu Hezhi used his internal energy to treat Jiang Shuying again, and indeed, the lingering cold energy in her body gradually subsided. Yue Ruzheng and Shao Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Jiang Shuying had been cured, Wei Heng took his leave with Qi Yun and returned home. Although Yue Ruzheng still harbored some reservations about him after this journey, he was also someone who had risked his life to fight alongside her. Therefore, when Wei Heng left Yinxi Xiaozhu, Yue Ruzheng also went out to see him off.

Before Wei Heng mounted his horse and left, he glanced back at Yue Ruzheng, his face still bearing that proud smile.

"Sister Yue, until we meet again. You're welcome to visit Tingyu Manor when you have time. The sea of clouds and snow at Yuping Peak in our area are truly a magnificent sight." He spoke with a warm smile, which was quite endearing.

Just as Yue Ruzheng was about to say a few polite words, he teased her, "But standing alone in the heavy snow is truly lonely and desolate. I wonder if you'll ever find a husband to accompany you in this lifetime?" With that, ignoring Yue Ruzheng's unpleasant expression, he whipped his horse and rode away.

"He's a man of his nature! That damned Wei Heng, I'll definitely teach him a lesson later!" Yue Ruzheng stomped her feet in anger, wishing she could chase after him and pull him off his horse.

Shao Yang stood beside her, smiled slightly, and said, "Are you still angry with him? Wei Heng is still just a child. Actually, he's had a tough time. Master Wei is seriously ill and has very high expectations of him. He's very respectful and reserved in the manor, only able to revert to his youthful nature when he's outside."

Yue Ruzheng stood blankly at the door, watching Wei Heng lead his men away, only then realizing that this seemingly arrogant and unruly young man also had his own troubles. Perhaps, beneath everyone's outward appearance, there is another self... She thought to herself, a layer of mist gradually shrouding her heart. Seeing her gaze suddenly drift into the distance again, Shao Yang couldn't help but reach out and put his hand on her shoulder, saying, "Ruzheng, you've been too tired these past few days, you should go back and rest."

Yue Ruzheng lowered her eyes and said, "I'll go check on Master's condition first." With that, she turned and headed towards the door, with Shao Yang following closely behind.

The two had just reached the flowerbed in the front yard when He Zhi happened to come from the backyard. Upon seeing Yue Ruzheng, he called out, "Ruzheng, I have something to discuss with you."

Yue Ruzheng was taken aback. Shao Yang glanced at her, then casually made an excuse to leave. Only after Shao Yang had gone some distance did Yu Hezhi approach Yue Ruzheng and say, "Your master's health is much better now. I'll be staying a while longer before returning to Yandang. However, there's one thing that's been on my mind..." He lowered his voice and slowly continued, "It's about that young man who came to see me last time. How much do you really know about him?"

Yue Ruzheng's heart skipped a beat. Looking at Yu Hezhi, she saw that although he didn't appear particularly anxious, his eyes were burning with intensity, a stark contrast to his usual relaxed and serene demeanor. She whispered, "Uncle-Master, I've told you everything I know; I haven't hidden anything. There are some things I really can't ask him, so I don't know him very well yet."

Yu Hezhi led her to a secluded spot in the flowerbed and said seriously, "You may not know this, but Yinxi Xiaozhu and Qixing Island have a history of conflict, which is closely related to Shao Yang's father. However, your master doesn't want to bring up this painful past again, so he forbids you from going to Nan Yandang."

"But even if Xiao Tang really is Lian Haichao's son, he never contacts his family..." Yue Ruzheng was eager to explain, but Yu Hezhi gestured for her to be quiet. Yue Ruzheng didn't know why Yu Hezhi was saying this to her, but then she heard him say, "Don't be anxious. Although your master doesn't want you to have much contact with the people of Seven Star Island, I have other ideas... Ruzheng, I want you to go to Nan Yandang again."

Yue Ruzheng's heart pounded, filled with surprise and joy, yet she still couldn't help but ask, "Why did you allow me to go, Uncle-Master?"

Yu Hezhi simply said, "Go first and then we'll talk. Remember to ask clearly, at least find out whether Tang Yanchu is Lian Haichao's biological son. As for the rest, I'll come find you after I return to Yueqing."

Yue Ruzheng was overjoyed and couldn't think of anything else, unable to hide the smile on her lips. Yu Hezhi also smiled and said, "You really did want to go, but don't let Shao Yang and your master know about this. I'll explain things to you after you leave."

"Thank you, Senior Uncle!" Yue Ruzheng's previous melancholy vanished. After bowing deeply to Yu Hezhi, she returned to the small building like a whirlwind.

Qian'er was cleaning the room when she saw Yue Ruzheng happily packing her bags. She stood there, stunned, and said, "Miss, you just got back, why are you going out again?"

Yue Ruzheng realized what was happening and quickly covered her mouth, saying, "Qian'er, don't make a sound! Be a good girl and wait here for me to come back!"

Qian'er and she had always been as close as sisters, so seeing her so excited, she didn't dare to stop her. Yue Ruzheng quickly packed her things, hugged Qian'er, and left the room in the blink of an eye.

To avoid Shao Yang and the other disciples guarding the courtyard, Yue Ruzheng deliberately went out through a side gate, carefully leaving Yinxi Xiaozhu before mounting her horse and heading straight south.

It was a time of warm spring weather, with a gentle breeze. Yue Ruzheng left Anhui for Zhejiang, switching to waterways. Along this journey, willows swayed gently, kingfishers sang sweetly, countless flowers bloomed in vibrant colors, and the ever-flowing green waters offered endless views. The sails were set, and they sailed downstream, arriving in Wenzhou Prefecture in no time. Stepping onto this land again, Yue Ruzheng's feelings were vastly different from before. Even the dialect, which still puzzled her, reminded her of Tang Yanchu, his indifferent expression, his deep, quiet eyes, and even the occasional awkwardness he would display before quickly lowering his head.

She wandered around Wenzhou city for half a day, wanting to buy something to take with her, but each time she picked something up, she would think about it and then put it down listlessly. For some reason, Yue Ruzheng always felt that no matter what she bought, it wouldn't please him, nor would it suit her own taste. But what exactly she wanted to express, she couldn't even explain to herself. After wandering around for a long time without success, and seeing that it was almost noon, she had no choice but to mount her horse again and head towards Nan Yandang Mountain in Pingyang.

As dusk settled, Yue Ruzheng arrived at the small town at the foot of Nan Yandang Mountain. Leading her white horse along the street, she suddenly smelled a fragrant aroma wafting from ahead. Looking up, she saw a crowd gathered in front of a shop not far away. Unable to resist the sweet scent, Yue Ruzheng squeezed forward, and upon seeing what was being sold, a smile crept onto her lips…

Before long, she remounted her horse, carrying a brocade box. But after a short while, rain began to fall from the clouds, swirling wildly in the wind. Yue Ruzheng had not brought any rain gear, so she had to hide the brocade box in her bundle, tie it to her back, and gallop up the mountain in the rain.

Having finally reached the familiar mountain hollow, completely soaked, Yue Ruzheng quickly dismounted and rushed to the bamboo fence, shouting, "Little Tang, I'm back!"