Luzhou-Mond - Kapitel 80
Gan Lin nodded silently, while I looked at the bomb—I didn't know what brand it was—with some annoyance.
After we finished eating and drinking, Yinyan came downstairs with our bags. Seeing where I was sitting, she hurried over, glanced at Ganlin beside her, frowned slightly, but said nothing. After paying the bill, Yinyan and I continued on our way. Seeing Ganlin following beside us, Yinyan finally asked, "Is he coming with us?"
I gave her a helpless look, she pouted, gave the horse's rump a hard slap, and the horse galloped forward. I glanced at Gan Lin beside me and said, "We're not waiting for you." With that, I spurred my horse and chased after them.
After traveling quite a distance, I looked back and saw Gan Lin following leisurely about two meters behind the horse, presumably using his lightness skill to catch up. I mischievously thought, "Let's see how long you can keep up." I urged the horse to go even faster. However, on this snowy ground, even riding a horse at full speed wouldn't get you very fast. If one had strong internal energy, using lightness skill like Gan Lin would be much easier and faster.
We went to a small restaurant for lunch. Yin Yan and I had just entered when Gan Lin followed us in. At first, we weren't too surprised that he could keep up with us, but after doing this for so long without even breaking a sweat, it was quite remarkable. Yin Yan and I exchanged a quick glance and found a table to sit down.
Gan Lin sat down with us without any ceremony, and I poured him a cup of hot tea and handed it to him: "Young Master Gan, you've traveled for half a day, you must be tired."
Gan Lin took the tea, took a sip, and said, "It's not tiring at all. Just think of it as a walk."
I gritted my teeth inwardly. Was this a sarcastic remark about how slow we were moving?
After traveling south for a few more days, the road became much easier, and the horses ran more nimbly. Yin Yan and I were very happy and urged the horses on even faster. Speaking of which, that Gan Lin is really quite capable. A few days ago, when we were traveling slower, he followed us at a comfortable distance. These past two days, even though we've been running faster, he still follows us at the same unhurried pace. Only now do I truly believe in and admire his skills. I didn't expect someone so young to be such a formidable opponent. But if he's truly an enemy, with Yin Yan and me possessing such limited skills, wouldn't we just be helplessly captured?
The thought of it is terrifying. Only now do I secretly pray that he has truly come to repay a debt of gratitude or find a travel companion, and not for some other purpose.
Today is Lunar New Year's Eve. Judging by our journey, it will be another four or five days before we reach the territory of Marquis Qiyun. I wonder if Zinuo and the others have headed this way or stayed behind to recover from their injuries. Those who could go home for the New Year have already gone. The three of us sat in the deserted lobby of the inn, drinking intermittently. The innkeeper and waiter had already gone home. We had already paid, and the innkeeper told us to make ourselves at home, so we became the hosts in this empty inn.
"Another quiet and lonely year, but at least I'm not alone this year," Gan Lin chuckled, taking another sip of wine. Had he always spent every year alone?
For some reason, looking at Gan Lin at this moment, I began to believe him and secretly included him in my list of friends.
Yin Yan got drunk again, but this time she wasn't as well-behaved as last time. She kept calling out, "Master, I'm here!" or "Master, be careful!"
I shook my head helplessly and took Yinyan back to her room so she could lie down properly. Back in the lobby, Ganlin was still drinking, and the crackling of the firewood burning in the fire pit sounded particularly clear in the quiet room.
I walked to the table, sat down, poured myself a glass of hot wine, took a big gulp, and felt warm all the way to my heart.
“You can hold your liquor better than her,” Gan Lin said.
I shook my head and laughed, "It's not that I can really hold my liquor better than her, it's just that she's more worried than me." When I received the news, I already knew that Shen Haoyu was injured, while Zinuo was at least still okay at that time.
Gan Lin suddenly pulled something from his pocket and placed it on the table. I squinted at it in the candlelight and saw that it was a variety of exquisite little iron objects, gleaming with different colors. I asked in surprise, "What's this?"
"Hidden weapons," Gan Lin looked at me with amusement, "the hidden weapons we've intercepted along the way since we started following you."
This shocked me. Did a lot of people want to kill me along the way?
Gan Lin continued, "Many people want to kill you, and many people are secretly protecting you, but very few can get close to you; I've taken them all down."
I looked at Gan Lin in disbelief. So much bloodshed had already taken place in the shadows, unseen by me, and Yin Yan and I hadn't even noticed. If it weren't for those people protecting us in the dark, wouldn't we have been completely unaware of when and how we died? Just thinking about it made me break out in a cold sweat.
But didn't Prince Qing say that the palace didn't have any extra guards for us to bring out? Where did those people protecting us come from? Could they be people sent by Shen Tingxuan? And who wants to kill me? And this Gan Lin, he seems to have been by our side the whole time. He managed to kill so many people without us noticing or making a sound. He's really impressive. I can't help but look at Gan Lin with fervent admiration...
The sound of firecrackers echoed outside; some wealthy families even set off fireworks, their vibrant colors bursting against the dark sky. Gan Lin tugged at my sleeve, and the two of us walked out of the inn.
"It's a new year again," Gan Lin murmured, looking up at the sky.
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 64 of the main text.
Chapter word count: 3680 Update time: 09-08-16 12:33
Today is the first day of the first lunar month in the twenty-first year of Tianxuan. When we came out of the inn, the innkeeper smiled and stuffed a big red apple into each of our hands, which puzzled us a little.
"This is our local custom. If you take a big apple with you when you go out on the first day of the Lunar New Year, you will have a safe and peaceful year. You've been away from home and haven't been able to celebrate the New Year. I hope you can get home soon," the innkeeper said with a smile.
Holding the big apple in my hand, I was filled with mixed emotions. In this unfamiliar southern town, how could I not be moved by the kind and warm-hearted innkeeper who cared about the safety of us strangers on our journey? I gave him a bright smile, thanked him loudly, and rode away on my horse. Behind me, the innkeeper was still saying blessings like "Safe journey, safe year after year."
Having traveled some distance from the inn, I looked back again, but the innkeeper had already gone inside. Turning to look at Yin Yan and Gan Lin, both of them seemed lost in thought. I smiled, spurred my horse, and galloped away.
After traveling for another four days, we finally entered the territory of Marquis Qiyun. The hooves of Yinyan's horse became more urgent. I knew she was anxious, so I followed closely. Ganlin also kept a respectful distance behind us. To be honest, the roads had been difficult and the horses had moved slowly in the past few days, so I hadn't felt too tired. But these past few days, the roads had improved and the horses had run faster, and my whole body felt like it was about to fall apart from the jostling. Occasionally, I would look back at Ganlin's calm and leisurely demeanor and feel genuinely envious. A master is indeed a master.
Sometimes when I was bored, I would tell Ganlin stories about Ximen Chuixue. I embellished the story of Ximen Chuixue's duel with Ye Gucheng, hoping to provoke Ganlin and let me witness his unparalleled swordsmanship as the "Number One Sword." It's a pity that after traveling together for so long, I've never even seen his sword.
To my surprise, Gan Lin had absolutely no chemistry with me. He completely ignored my hints, either chuckling or coldly saying, "That's just a storyteller lying." I bet he understood, but he just wouldn't buy it and wouldn't show me his sword or his swordsmanship.
Unable to hold back any longer, I finally said, "Gan Lin, you don't actually have a sword, do you?"
Gan Lin scoffed and glanced at me: "Huai En, a sword is for killing, not for children to play with. You'd better pray you don't see my sword, otherwise I won't be able to take it back until I've drunk enough blood."
Gan Lin spoke lightly, but the underlying bloodlust in his words still sent a chill down my spine. I couldn't imagine the handsome Gan Lin wielding a bloodthirsty, crimson sword and fighting among the crowd, and I secretly gave up the idea of seeing his sword.
However, I was still unwilling to accept it. "Ximen Chuixue is always dressed in white. Just standing there, he's so handsome and elegant, like a fairy. How many girls would fall in love with him? Why don't you learn from him? I think you're already twenty years old, and you don't even have a girlfriend. What a failure!" I couldn't see his sword, but at least I could see him in white. A young swordsman in white robes is the idol of many girls.
Gan Lin looked at me with some confusion: "What did you learn from him?"
"Wearing white clothes makes you look cool!" I blurted out naturally.
"White clothes? Do you know how easily they get dirty and how hard they are to wash?" Gan Lin said, frowning. I was still complaining about his lack of romance when I heard him say, "If you wash them for me, I'll wear them." I completely gave up on that idea and never mentioned his sword and white clothes again. Ximen Chuixue, my idol, I can't even find a knock-off to impersonate you, so your elegance is something I can only imagine.
Upon arriving at a small post station, Yin Yan went to inquire about any news of Shen Haoyu and the others. The soldier feeding the horses replied, "The wedding procession to Jinque Kingdom? I heard they were attacked on their way back, suffering heavy casualties. They are currently resting at the Marquis's villa." With this information, we hurried on towards Pingcheng.
The casualties were heavy! What kind of casualties would keep them resting in the perilous Qi Yun Hou's villa for over twenty days? However, as long as they remain there openly, Qi Yun Hou can't just stand by and watch them perish, can he? Thinking about it that way, resting and rebuilding their strength there isn't a bad choice. Hopefully, when we do, we'll see them all alive and kicking.
The closer I got to Pingcheng, the stranger my feelings became. I left in a sorry state nine years ago, and I'm coming back in the same sorry state nine years later. Will I see Marquis Qiyun? Will he recognize me? The thought was ironic. But the thought of seeing Zinuo soon filled me with joy.
It was indeed cold this year. Pingcheng, which rarely saw snow in previous years, was covered with a thin layer of snow. The snow on the roads had long since melted into water, making everything muddy. Seeing the towering gray city walls of Pingcheng, I spurred my horse and was the first to enter the city gate. I asked a passerby for directions and headed straight for the Qiyun Marquis's villa.
From afar, they could see that the once elegant villa was surrounded by fluttering banners and heavily guarded, and the guards were none other than the Imperial Guards! Shen Haoyu and his men had suffered heavy casualties; could any of these casualties include the Emperor's Imperial Guards? Judging from this formation, it was less like protection and more like an encirclement and imprisonment.
When Yin Yan and Gan Lin arrived, we led our horses aside and walked together to the gate. We handed the guards our Prince Qing's residence pass and asked to enter. The guard took the pass, glanced at it, and tossed it back to me, coldly saying, "To prevent assassins from disguising themselves and entering the mansion to commit crimes, no one except Marquis Qiyun is allowed to enter."
I stared at the guard in disbelief: "Whose order is this?"
"Naturally, it is the young prince's order."