Luzhou Moon

Chapter 107

Seeing that it was getting late, Wei Heng hurriedly set off. When he arrived at the outskirts of Huizhou, he visited some old friends there, hoping to inquire about Hai Qiongzi's whereabouts. However, after asking several people, they all only knew that he was a wanderer and did not know where he had gone.

Wei Heng thought to himself: If we really can't find this old man, we'll have to go all the way to Lingnan. I'm afraid the journey is too long. Although Yue Ruzheng's life is not in danger for the time being, her internal injuries have damaged her heart and lungs. If it goes on for too long, it will leave a chronic illness that is difficult to cure.

Thinking about it this way, they pinned their hopes on whether Qi Yun and the others could find out some information.

He was about to head into the city when he heard the sound of horses' hooves behind him. Wei Heng turned around and saw a caravan of horses galloping towards him on the official road. The riders were all agile, and the horses they rode were also extraordinary. There was a coffin among the caravan, and a woman dressed in plain clothes sat on a white horse beside it. When Wei Heng saw this woman, he couldn't help but sneer.

At this moment, the woman in plain clothes also saw Wei Heng below the city wall. After a moment of surprise, she raised her eyebrows, pushed off with both feet, and flew over the cavalry, sending out two swords straight at Wei Heng.

Wei Heng was prepared. He immediately drew his ancient sword, tossing it forward with one hand. The scabbard spun and struck the woman's sword in her right hand, making her hands go numb. In that instant, Wei Heng had already drawn his sword, targeting her weakness and pressing forward relentlessly. The woman had intended to strike first, but he had unexpectedly gained the upper hand, putting her at a disadvantage. However, Wei Heng's swordplay wasn't particularly vicious. After forcing her back several steps, he sheathed his sword, stepped back, and, holding the reins in one hand, said, "Lian Junxin, I don't have time to argue with you right now. You'd better watch yourself and avoid causing trouble!"

Having said that, Wei Heng leaped onto his horse and headed towards Huizhou. Unexpectedly, he had only traveled a short distance when he heard the rapid sound of hooves behind him. Lian Junxin had whipped her horse and caught up, calling out from behind, "You had the guts to fight me last time, why are you running away as soon as you see me today?"

Wei Heng pulled on the reins and turned back, raising his eyebrows and saying, "Do you think the last slap wasn't enough? Do you want another one?"

Lian Junxin's expression changed, and she angrily said, "You are supposed to be the head of a manor, yet you dare to hit a woman like me in public! You have no shame!"

"I don't care about those grand principles. Just because you're a woman doesn't mean I have to let you do whatever you want and can't touch you!" Wei Heng said, gripping his longsword. "You've probably been spoiled rotten for a long time, and nobody's taught you a lesson! Let me make this clear: if you know what's good for you, don't bother me anymore, and we'll have nothing to do with each other from now on. But if you continue to cause trouble, I still won't hold back!"

Lian Junxin had never been so bluntly rebuked before. Just as she was about to argue, several more men on horseback approached from a distance. Wei Heng, seeing them, ignored her and went straight up to them, asking, "How's the investigation going?"

Qi Yun said, "We contacted the escort agencies that regularly travel this route, but they only heard that Hai Qiongzi had been to the Zhejiang and Fujian areas, and they didn't know exactly where she went."

"The Zhejiang-Fujian area?" Wei Heng pondered. "If that's the case, it's still much closer than going to Lingnan..."

As they were discussing their plans, Lian Junxin interrupted with a smug look, "What, are you looking for Hai Qiongzi from Shenxiao Palace?"

Wei Heng was taken aback, then turned around and said with disgust, "We're discussing something, what business is it of yours?"

Lian Junxin snorted, "You think you can find him? Everyone knows that the Zhejiang and Fujian areas are my Lian family's territory. If you want to pass through there, you'll have to get my permission first!"

Wei Heng glanced at her, spurred his horse around, and rode up to her. "Lian Junxin, no one in this world has ever dared to block my way!"

"Then apologize to me first, and I'll let you off the hook," Lian Junxin said, raising an eyebrow.

"A fool's dream!" Wei Heng scoffed, then whispered to Qi Yun, "Take your men and leave Anhui for Zhejiang first, asking around along the way. Hai Qiongzi is a Taoist practitioner; I imagine he travels frequently among famous mountains and rivers. You can keep an eye out for those places."

Just as Qi Yun was about to leave with his men, Lian Junxin, seeing Wei Heng's utter contempt for her, became truly enraged. She spurred her horse to block Qi Yun and his group, and said sternly, "Wei Heng, to tell you the truth, on my way here from Seven Star Island, I heard about Hai Qiongzi's whereabouts."

Qi Yun, unaware of the woman's past conflict with Wei Heng, quickly replied, "Miss, we're on our way to find that senior elder to rescue people. If you know anything about him, please let us know."

"Save someone?" Lian Junxin frowned, glancing at Wei Heng. "Could it be to save Yue Ruzheng?"

Wei Heng didn't want to pay attention to her, but when she mentioned knowing Hai Qiongzi's whereabouts, he could only nod coldly.

Seeing this, Lian Junxin became even more smug. Wei Heng, seeing her confident demeanor, couldn't help but glance in the direction of the group Lian Junxin had led. He saw them still waiting not far away, but Lian Junchu was nowhere to be seen.

"Lian Junxin, since you know we have urgent business, don't keep us in suspense. Otherwise, Lian Junchu might not let you off the hook." Although Wei Heng also wanted to find out Hai Qiongzi's whereabouts, he was unwilling to ask Lian Junxin for help.

Lian Junxin looked at him and sneered, "What a joke! You think I'm afraid of him?"

As they were talking, a man rode up on horseback. He saw Lian Junxin's entourage in the distance, slowed down, and rode to Lian Junxin's side. He then whispered a few words in her ear.

Wei Heng recognized the man; he was Bi Fang, a subordinate of Seven Star Island. Upon hearing this, Lian Junxin disregarded Wei Heng and the others, whipping her horse and urging herself back the way she had come. Her subordinates, who had been waiting nearby, tried to follow, but she dismissed them, vaguely hearing her instructing them to take the coffin to a temple on the outskirts of the city for its final rest. After giving these brief instructions, she rode off swiftly with only Bi Fang and two riders.

Seeing her leave, Qi Yun said to Wei Heng, "Master, doesn't she know Hai Qiongzi's whereabouts? Perhaps we should..."

Wei Heng suppressed his temper and glanced at Lian Junxin's back. After thinking for a moment, he and Qi Yun quietly followed, wanting to see what Lian Junxin was up to.

The sun was already setting in the west, and Wei Heng, fearing to disturb Lian Junxin, followed only at a distance with Qi Yun.

Lian Junxin followed Bi Fang westward, gradually moving away from towns. All around were endless plains, interspersed with occasional mounds of earth. Seeing the road ahead stretching endlessly, she called to Bi Fang and asked, "How much further?"

Bifang whispered, "There's an abandoned village ahead. They were there when I came back."

Lian Junxin frowned and continued on with him. After traveling several miles, they indeed saw a village nestled at the foot of a low hill ahead. Because it was dusk, the sky was dark, and it was difficult to see clearly from a distance. Upon closer inspection, they saw that the walls of the houses were mottled, bearing traces of fire and smoke, and the doors and windows were long since destroyed, leaving the place in a state of utter desolation. This area belonged to the Huainan West Road region, a place where the Song and Jin dynasties frequently clashed. Lian Junxin rarely came to such places, and seeing this scene of ruin, coupled with the fading light of dusk, she couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart.

The tall grass ahead reached a person's waist. Bi Fang dismounted first, followed by Lian Junxin and two attendants who tied their horses to the roadside. A biting wind blew, and Lian Junxin hurried to keep up with Bi Fang, afraid of falling behind. The three moved silently through the grass. Suddenly, Bi Fang, who was in the lead, stopped. Just as Lian Junxin was about to ask a question, she glimpsed through the gaps in the grass that several other people were lying in wait in the shadows not far away.

Among the group, a girl in a green dress heard footsteps behind her and hurriedly turned around. Seeing it was Lian Junxin, her face turned cold, and she stammered, "Second Miss..."

Her voice made everyone else turn around. Lian Junxin saw them and asked, "Danfeng, Chongming, what are you doing here?"

Chongming cautiously glanced at the village opposite and said, "The people from Bliss Valley are in those ruins. Young Master told us to keep an eye on them."

"Why are you looking for people from Bliss Valley now?" Lian Junxin asked, her voice strained, her eyes filled with displeasure. "Mo Li is already dead. Bliss Valley is nothing but a rabble. Do we really need to keep an eye on them?"

"I heard that the young lady was killed when Mo Li fought with the young master..." Danfeng tentatively interjected.

"It's not like Mo Li killed my eldest sister. If we're going to look for someone, we should be investigating Yu Hezhi's whereabouts!" Lian Junxin said with a grim face, glancing around. Seeing that Lian Junchu wasn't there, she sneered, "It seems that Lian Junchu didn't want to be enemies with Yinxi Xiaozhu, so she deliberately let the most suspicious Yu Hezhi go and instead came to cause trouble for Jile Valley."

"That's not how it is." Danfeng was about to explain when a white shadow flashed through the vines to the south; Lian Junchu had already arrived quickly. Seeing Lian Junxin for the first time, he was somewhat surprised and said, "Didn't I tell you to escort my elder sister's coffin back to Seven Star Island as soon as possible? Why did you follow me here?"

"Weren't you the closest to our eldest sister before? Why are you unwilling to escort the coffin back to our hometown now?" Lian Junxin glared at him. "Are you thinking of stalling for time and staying near Luzhou?"

Seeing that she was deliberately provoking her, Lian Jun simply pursed her lips and remained silent.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Lian Junxin looked ahead and leaned to ask Chongming, "Why don't we just go and arrest Su Muchen and interrogate him?"

Chongming glanced at her awkwardly, then Lian Junchu turned around and said calmly, "He's not here. I've already looked for him."

Lian Jun thought for a moment and said, "Could he have been killed too?"

"No." Lian Junchu looked across the room. "Yinglong and the others saw him yesterday, but he disappeared without a trace once they arrived in Huizhou."

Lian Junxin glanced at him, then suddenly smiled mischievously, "Are you trying to find the Divine Pearl to heal Yue Ruzheng's injuries?"

Lian Junchu, who had been indifferent, paused slightly, glanced at her, and remained silent. Seeing his expression, Lian Junxin felt a sense of relief and deliberately said, "Actually, you don't need to worry. Someone has already gone to find a treatment for her."