Sueño de Jiangshan

Capítulo 30

Shi Yu believed he had found the answer. Suddenly, a pang of conscience struck him, and he wondered if he had made a mistake. He shouldn't have dragged this innocent and ignorant little girl into this endless vortex. However, upon further reflection, he realized she was already entangled with the Green Robe Sect. Even if he didn't tell her about the Green Robe Sect, she still couldn't escape this trouble, could she? He ultimately decided to stick to the original plan and follow her.

So, he carefully explained to Leng Jie:

"The Green Robe Cult is the largest underworld organization, ruling the criminal world for decades. Although they've always been domineering, they haven't reached the point of being universally condemned. But in the last two weeks, they've suddenly gone mad, killing people everywhere. In the last two weeks, they've wiped out more than a dozen powerful families, including those in the legitimate and criminal worlds, as well as government officials. Unfortunately, the official I was working for happened to be one of their targets. And I became one of their stragglers. And you, even more unfortunately, have been dragged into this mess."

"Is it really that simple? Are you sure it was them who dragged you down, and not you who dragged them down?" Leng Jie asked incredulously.

Shi Yu's eyes flickered for a moment, then he said:

"I'm just a child now. No one knows my identity except you. How could I possibly offend the Green Robe Sect?"

Leng Jie glanced at him casually. She only believed one aspect of his story: his claim that he wasn't only six years old, but twenty-six. Although this seemed the least believable, his expression certainly wasn't that of a six-year-old. As for any grudges between him and the Green Robe Sect, Leng Jie didn't want to delve into them.

Before we knew it, the sun's smiling face had slowly emerged from the hazy morning mist. The golden sunlight warmly shone on the earth, making the capital city, which was built around the palace, stand out prominently.

"So, Your Highness, do you wish to continue following me, or do you wish to seek the Emperor's help to break the curse?" Knowing he was no longer a child, Leng Jie felt much more relieved. At least she no longer had to worry about his fragile heart.

“I’ve told you my identity, so of course I’ll follow you. You know, even if I’m not hunted down by the Green Robe Sect, I can’t live on my own in this state, right? As for finding the Emperor, I’ll figure out a way later.” Similarly, Shi Yu no longer needed to pretend to be young, and he felt much more relaxed.

Leng Jie glanced at him and saw that he seemed sincere this time. So she didn't press him further and said helplessly:

"Fine, I'll take my bad luck! I'll just have to be your guardian and free bodyguard for once! Let's go, we can't stay at the inn now, let's find a place to stay. Finding the emperor in the capital isn't something that can be done in a day or two. We need a place to stay, don't we?" With that, Leng Jie was about to fly down the wall.

"Wait, are you just going to leave me here like this?" Shi Yu hurriedly called out to Leng Jie, who was about to fly down.

Leng Jie stopped, turned around, and smiled teasingly:

"Are you kidding me? You want me to hug you again? You're a grown man, I've let you take advantage of me so much, aren't you satisfied?"

Shi Yu's face suddenly turned as red as a ripe apple, flushing from her cheeks to her neck. He didn't deny that he had indeed taken advantage of her; he had not only hugged her but also watched her change clothes. If it were any other girl, she would have fought him to the death, but she hadn't caused him any trouble. He felt like an irresponsible man, so he generously said:

"I'll marry you once my curse is lifted."

"Haha, then I'll come and hug you again when your curse is lifted!" Leng Jie laughed loudly. Seeing a six-year-old boy proposing to her, Leng Jie couldn't help but laugh.

Enraged by Leng Jie's behavior, Shi Yu pouted and roared:

"If the curse is lifted, will I still need you to carry me?" she thought. "At that time, if anyone needs to carry me, it will be me carrying you!"

Seeing that he was truly angry, Leng Jie stopped teasing him. She hung the bundle in front of her, squatted down in front of him, and gestured for him to carry it on his back. Shi Yu was stunned for a moment, then understood, and immediately pounced on her, wrapping his arms tightly around Leng Jie's neck.

Leng Jie was being squeezed so tightly by Shi Yu that she could hardly breathe, and she couldn't pull away no matter how hard she tried. Knowing that he was retaliating, she couldn't help but pinch his little bottom hard twice. The pain made the little guy immediately let go. Leng Jie took the opportunity to catch her breath a few times, then turned her head and threatened:

"You brat, if you dare to misbehave with your sister again, it won't just be a spanking. I'll strip you naked and hang you at the city gate for everyone to see. You try me!"

Shi Yu's face instantly turned from red to purple, then from purple to green. He, the dignified Prince Ying, had not only been spanked by a little girl, but was also threatened with being stripped naked. What was most infuriating was that he suddenly remembered last night, when the knife had indeed stripped two men from the Green Robe Cult of their clothes. Although they hadn't been hung at the city gate, the two naked men tied together in that position, with so many people watching, made him think that even if those two weren't beaten to death by the Green Robe Cult's enemies when they woke up, they would probably want to find a block of tofu and smash their heads against it.

Who exactly is she? How could a young girl come up with such an unbelievable way to play a prank? Shi Yu couldn't find the words to describe her mischief. Just thinking about such a woman sent chills down his spine. But he was a dignified man, the Prince of Ying; how could he allow himself to be threatened by a mere maid? So, in the end, he still asked resentfully:

"You really enjoy pulling off men's clothes? Didn't you get enough yesterday?"

Leng Jie, who was about to leap off the city wall, was taken aback by the little one's words, and then burst into laughter:

"Haha, did I strip any men's clothes last night? I only remember stripping the black fur of two big male dogs. Besides, can you even be called a man now? You're just a little kid. Even if I really stripped you naked and hung you on the city wall, you'd only get a few pitying and sympathetic glances at most." After saying that, she flew down to the city wall like a wild goose with a string of silvery laughter.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Half-Month Life

On a night with a lonely moon and no stars, a cold wind blows and the air is quiet and still.

In the Moon-Viewing Pavilion of Longteng Palace, a tall and slender figure leans alone against the railing, admiring the moon and sighing deeply. He sighs at the coldness of the moonlight! He sighs at the loneliness of being at such a height! He sighs at the helplessness of being the only one awake while everyone else is asleep! He sighs at the impermanence of life!

A chubby figure hurried into the pavilion, carrying a cloak. As he tiptoed to drape the cloak over the tall man's shoulders, he whispered, "Your Majesty, it's late and the fog is heavy. Please go back! You've only just recovered. Young Master Qingfeng said you shouldn't catch a cold."

"Alas! Qingfeng must be at Wuyou Valley by now! He must be living a carefree, idyllic life, like a god, with the sky and sea to roam freely!" The emperor's voice was filled with envy and longing.

"Your Majesty, perhaps Qingfeng isn't as carefree as you think?" A third voice suddenly interrupted. Immediately afterward, a purple figure appeared.

The other two were taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

"Shadow, you've come at the perfect time. Come and have a drink with me." It was rare for someone to have someone to drink with. Xuanyuan strode to the stone table in the pavilion and personally poured a cup of fine wine for the purple shadow who had flashed in front of him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zi Ying clasped her hands in a salute, accepted the wine cup from Xuan Yuan's hand without any hesitation, and drank it all in one gulp.

When Eunuch Fu stepped forward to take the wine pot, Xuanyuan waved his hand, indicating that he did not need to serve him.

Xuanyuan then refilled Ziying's wine jug and gestured for him to sit down before drinking. Then, as if casually asking, he...

"Has something happened to Qingfeng?"

Zi Ying sat down casually before slowly answering:

"According to the report from the people who were following Young Master Qingfeng, after Young Master Qingfeng parted ways with Young Master Wuming, he seemed to have some urgent business to attend to and hurried towards Wuyou Valley on horseback."

The emperor said with some disappointment, "I know all this; you already wrote it in your last letter."

"But Young Master Qingfeng is too fast. He managed to shorten the twenty-day journey to five days. Along the way, he only ate one meal a day and slept for two hours, spending the rest of the time traveling. Doesn't Your Majesty find this strange? Why is he in such a hurry to return to Wuyou Valley?" After a pause, glancing at the Emperor's unchanged face, Ziying took a sip of wine and continued, "Moreover, after arriving at Wuyou Valley, he only rested for two nights. Early on the third day, he took another route back. Although he changed his clothes, the spies from Longmen were still guarding outside Wuyou Valley. So when they saw someone coming out, they followed one of them. It wasn't until they followed him to Yunxi Town that they dared to confirm that the person was indeed Young Master Qingfeng!"

"You mean Qingfeng is back?" Xuanyuan immediately looked at Ziying with bright eyes and asked expectantly.

Zi Ying nodded affirmatively and said, "Yes, after arriving in Yunxi Town at noon today, he stopped traveling and instead secretly investigated Wuming's whereabouts."

"So he came out to find Wuming," Xuanyuan said, suddenly realizing. What was he hoping for? He knew they came out to explore the martial world. How could he abandon Wuming and stay in Wuyou Valley for long? Xuanyuan shook his head and asked again, "Have you found out where Wuming is?"

"No, it's as if the Nameless Young Master truly vanished from this world. Even the Dragon Gate can't find his whereabouts," Zi Ying replied dejectedly. Such a large organization as the Dragon Gate had allowed a living person to simply disappear right under their noses. This had never happened since the Dragon Gate's founding. Zi Ying felt utterly humiliated just thinking about it.

"Forget it, let's withdraw the people who were following Qingfeng as well." Xuanyuan, noticing Ziying's mood, subtly changed the subject, saying, "How's the investigation into the Green Robe Sect going?"

"They haven't made any major moves in the past two weeks. However, they're tracking down a young woman and a young boy." Speaking of the Green Robe Sect, Zi Ying immediately perked up:

"Speaking of that girl and child! Their story has spread throughout the capital! They appeared at the Rongsheng Inn in the capital half a month ago. At first, because their clothes and appearance resembled those of rural refugees, they were ridiculed and insulted by the powerful innkeeper."

Later, the village-girl-like innkeeper casually offered ten taels of gold, and the money-grubbing innkeeper immediately ushered them into the best room as if inviting a deity. Just as everyone was speculating about the girl's identity, two celestial beings suddenly emerged from the room. The girl was breathtakingly beautiful, like a celestial maiden who had mistakenly descended to earth, untouched by worldly concerns. The boy resembled a bodhisattva's attendant…” Zi Ying recounted the story of Rongsheng Inn in detail:

"But when everyone chased away those two Qingyi Sect members, they pulled back the covers and found that it wasn't the fairy siblings at all! It was clearly two naked, lewd men embracing each other. And they were men from the Qingyi Sect. Now it's all over the place, saying that all the people in the Qingyi Sect are beasts who engage in homosexual acts. Haha..." Zi Ying couldn't help but laugh as she said this.

"How old are those boys? Is there any news about them?" Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan immediately thought of Wuming, the person who could do such a shocking thing.

Zi Ying immediately suppressed her laughter and replied, "Your Majesty thought that boy was the Nameless Young Master, right? When I first heard it, I also thought that the only person in the world who could come up with such a quirky way to play a prank must be Nameless. But after inquiring further, I learned that the boy was only five or six years old, while the fairy sister was about the same age as Nameless, around sixteen. Strangely, after they appeared that one time, no one has seen them again. The Green Robe Sect mobilized all its forces, searching the capital and the surrounding two hundred miles, but they still couldn't find them. That's why the common people say that they are immortals who descended to earth to play."

Xuanyuan raised his head and gazed at the shadow, asking, "You also believe they are gods?"

"Of course I don't believe it, but someone who can subdue two Green Robe Sect experts silently, make them look like that, and then disappear without a trace must be a god."

"Do you think a five or six-year-old child could do something like stripping two men naked and tying them together?" Xuanyuan asked again.

Zi Ying thought for a moment and said, "That's true. No matter how naughty a child is, at most they'll try to make someone suffer a little."

Xuanyuan asked again, "Would a young girl of sixteen or seventeen come up with such a prank? Would she have to tie him up herself? A five or six-year-old child probably wouldn't be able to tie two men together."

Zi Ying paused for a moment, then exclaimed in realization, "Oh yeah, how could I not have thought of that? What girl would be so bold!"

"Master Ying, you haven't seen the true face of the Nameless Young Master, have you?" Eunuch Fu, who was eavesdropping, suddenly asked.

"The true face of the nameless one?" Yingzhi asked, puzzled.

Xuanyuan's eyebrows naturally arched upwards, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved upwards, revealing a rare smile. His voice softened involuntarily as he said:

"If he dressed as a woman, he would look just like the fairy sister you described. Do you remember how he subdued you last time?"

The nameless one looks like a woman? He didn't think so; he was practically his teacher, the one who taught him light-body skills. Was the Emperor joking? Zi Ying looked at Eunuch Fu in astonishment, seeking confirmation. To his surprise, Eunuch Fu returned the same affirmative look. Zi Ying, still unconvinced, asked:

"Are you sure you're not mistaken? Wuming's features are indeed regular, but with his sallow and thin appearance, even if he applied three layers of rouge and powder, he still wouldn't become a beauty, would he?"

"You were all stunned by that kid. He deliberately put yellow medicine on his face to make it look like that. If he hadn't been trying to seduce those ladies with his beauty, he probably would have kept up the act!" Xuanyuan said resentfully.

Only Ying stared at them, utterly bewildered. He only knew that Wuming had faked his death to escape the palace, but he didn't know the details of his departure. If he knew what Wuming had done the day before leaving the palace, he would surely believe the Emperor's suspicion that the fairy was actually Wuming in disguise. However, he still couldn't believe it. In his view, women dressing as men was normal. Men dressing as women? What grown man would willingly dress up as a delicate woman? Let alone pretending, just being told he acted like a woman was a tremendous insult to a man.

“Regardless of whether those two are related to Wuming, Longmen must find them before the Qingyi Sect. The fact that the Qingyi Sect is making such a big fuss about finding them shows that they are very important to the Qingyi Sect. Finding them might reveal the Qingyi Sect's purpose.” Xuanyuan Jianying still didn't seem to believe him, and he couldn't tell him about what Wuming had done and said in the palace. Therefore, he had no choice but to use imperial power to resolve the matter.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will immediately arrange for someone to investigate."

"The Green Robe Sect investigated siblings, so you should investigate brothers or sisters. That might be more effective," Xuanyuan advised.

“Yes, Ziying still has questions, but the Emperor's will cannot be disobeyed.” Ying rose to take her leave, but suddenly added, “There is one more matter. As His Majesty predicted, the invitation to elect a martial arts alliance leader and to punish the Green Robe Sect has been issued. The martial arts conference is scheduled for the first day of the twelfth month in Jianzhou, the fiefdom of the Prince of Ying. The Dragon Gate is also among the invited groups. Should we send someone to attend?”

A strange light flashed in his phoenix eyes, and Xuanyuan nodded:

"Yes, of course we must send someone." Not only will we send someone, but I will go myself. He only said the last sentence to himself.

——————————————————————————————————

Although the capital city was built around the imperial palace, its overall shape was not circular, but rather a square city. A wide and deep moat surrounded the city on the east, west, and north sides, with only the south gate, leading to Yunxi, directly connecting to the land. Therefore, all the people traveling to and from the capital daily had to enter and exit through the south gate. While the other three city gates had drawbridges, they were not opened without special circumstances. As for what constituted a special circumstance, that would have to be asked of the emperor. The guards at the gates said that only an imperial edict could open the gates and open the bridges.

Therefore, the east, west, and north sides were inhabited entirely by wealthy and powerful officials with carriages and horses. Only the south side was inhabited entirely by ordinary people. In Leng Jie's words, it was a slum. One major advantage of living in a slum was the ability to fully integrate into society.

Here Leng Jie is, busy preparing today's meal, tending to the three-foot-high earthen stove, burning firewood, washing, chopping, and cooking vegetables. The little one beside her keeps his big, bright eyes fixed on her.

"Knock, knock..." The knocking sounded, and the little one turned around to open the door.

"Little Stone, go open the door," Leng Jie ordered without turning her head.

Just then, the little stone she was calling for arrived at the door. The door opened, and a rough voice came from inside:

"Little Stone, where is your brother? My mother asked me to bring you brothers some vegetables."

A burly young man, carrying a basket of vegetables, walked into the kitchen. Without a word, he put the basket down and left. Leng Jie didn't even have time to thank him before he vanished.

The man who arrived was Zhang Dali, the eldest son of Aunt Zhang, Leng Jie's landlady. Just like his name, he possessed immense strength. Aunt Zhang's family, like the other fishermen in the entire fishing village, made their living by fishing in the moat and selling their catch. The moat connected to the Jingjiang River upstream and flowed downstream to the East China Sea, making the fishing industry quite prosperous and supporting many people who lived by the water. However, since the start of the national mourning period, the entire population had abstained from meat for forty-nine days. While no one ate meat, domesticated animals like pigs, cattle, chickens, and ducks could continue to be raised. Without fish, the fishermen's catches naturally went unsold, and they had nowhere to raise them. Thus, their livelihood was cut off.

Two weeks ago, Leng Jie and Xiao Shitou searched all over half of the capital city but couldn't find a suitable house. Everywhere they went were grand mansions with large gates and courtyards, enough to house hundreds of people. Leng Jie never liked houses that were too big, because they felt too empty and desolate. Most importantly, these places were sparsely populated, and their unusual builds made them too conspicuous. They would easily be found by the Green Robe Sect. Finally, they learned that several families in a fishing village in the south of the city, filled with small houses, were selling their homes.

Leng Jie and Xiao Shiyu went to the fishing village and inquired about houses for sale. They happened to ask Aunt Zhang, who wanted to sell her property and return to her hometown to farm. Aunt Zhang led them home to see the house, where they saw them about to dump large vats of lively, jumping fish into the ditch. Leng Jie immediately stopped them and, after understanding the situation, learned that it was a lingering effect of her leaving the palace, causing these fishermen to lose their livelihood. Leng Jie felt very guilty and decided to make it up to them.

So, he made a decisive move. He bought all the fish they had caught at market price and persuaded them not to sell their houses and leave. The fishermen initially couldn't believe what two children were saying. Only after Leng Jie and her companion paid them for forty-nine days' worth of fish, based on the day's catch, did they believe him and happily agree to stay. In truth, if there were hope, who would want to abandon their family and livelihood to chase an unknown future?

Since they weren't leaving, Leng Jie's plan to buy a house naturally fell through. So, they became tenants at Aunt Zhang's house. To thank the two kind young men, Aunt Zhang and her family gave them their main house. The so-called main house consisted of three mud-brick rooms: a kitchen, a main room, and a bedroom.

After the fishermen happily returned home, Leng Jie looked at the yard full of fish and began to worry. There was no refrigerator or freezer, so she figured she would have to release the fish she bought back into the wild. Just then, Xiao Shiyu, who hadn't spoken up before, gave her a suggestion. She could dry the fish into dried fish and sell them to places like Jianzhou, where water and fish were scarce. She thought this method was indeed feasible; it was winter, and the dry weather was perfect for drying fish. She found Aunt Zhang and asked them why they didn't dry the fish. Aunt Zhang and the others replied in astonishment, "How strong would the sun have to be to dry the fish in a day? The fish would rot before it was even dry!"

It was then that Leng Jie realized people in this era didn't know how to salt meat. Although she hadn't actually done it herself, being as clever as she was, she could easily replicate anything she'd seen or tasted. So, she mobilized all the fishermen to learn the techniques of salting and drying fish. First, they scaled the fish, then removed the intestines. Next, they rubbed salt all over the fish, inside and out, and then used ropes to pull the fish up to dry, instead of laying them directly on the ground like the others. She promised to buy the dried fish at several times the price of fresh fish. The kind-hearted fishermen, already worried that the two young masters would be cheated if they bought their fish, were quite willing to learn the techniques of salting and drying fish even if Leng Jie didn't raise the price.

And so, Leng Jie and Xiao Shiyu became fishmongers from Jianzhou, selling fish in the capital. Within half a month, they had become revered as gods of wealth by fishermen both inside and outside the capital. This was because the two brothers not only solved their immediate livelihood problems but also found them a long-term way to make money. Before, the fish they caught—those that died or weren't sold—were either eaten by themselves, and the rest had to be thrown away. But now they didn't have to worry about that. They could make dried fish, and they didn't have to worry about finding buyers.

Those members of the Green Robe Cult never imagined, no matter how hard they tried. The brother and sister they were looking for, who were incredibly beautiful and could easily spend ten taels of gold, were none other than the fishmongers who were currently famous throughout the south of the city.

Leng Jie started cooking, and Xiao Shiyu, without needing her instructions, skillfully set out the bowls and chopsticks. Soon, a plate of braised fish and a stir-fried vegetable dish were on the table. Leng Jie washed her hands, sat down at the table, and took the chopsticks Xiao Shiyu handed her. She placed a fish head in his bowl and said:

"Eat up! You're still growing, you need to eat more. We can't buy meat right now, so we're lucky to have fish."

Xiao Shiyu glared at her. She sneered:

"Hmph! If you say that again, you can deal with those salted fish yourself."

"No way! Didn't we agree that I'd be in charge of buying and you'd be in charge of selling? Besides, it's a profitable business. You won't be short of money, will you?" Leng Jie quickly reassured him. She could forgo the money, but the fishermen were counting on him.