Sueño de Jiangshan

Capítulo 38

She really moved that fast! Xiao Shiyu stared in astonishment at the thin silver needles in Leng Jie's hand. She didn't even know internal energy! He had thought her martial arts were formidable! Turns out it was all just for show, only good for intimidating people. Now, thinking back to the scene at Qunying Tower... Luckily, she was quick-witted and didn't fight the hall master and protector head-on. If that hall master's palm had landed on her... he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

"How about I give it a try?"

Seeing that Shi Yu didn't say anything, Leng Jie simply took another piece of paper, soaked it in water, and tried to channel her inner energy into her palm. Then she placed her palm against the wet paper, and as she watched a cloud of smoke rise, Leng Jie excitedly exclaimed, "Hey, it really works! Look, water vapor is coming out!" In her excitement, she put in a little more effort.

She could finally use her internal energy as fire. It seemed that with a little more practice, she could use it as air conditioning, just like Qingfeng. She couldn't help but look at Xiao Shiyu with pride, only to see Shiyu staring at her hands in disbelief, as if she'd seen a ghost. She asked curiously, "You must do this all the time, right? Why are you so surprised?"

"Didn't you say you didn't know internal energy?" Shi Yu pointed to Leng Jie's palm and exclaimed in surprise, "Look at the paper in your palm!"

"Is there something wrong with the paper?" Leng Jie wondered. She turned her palm over to pick up the paper to examine it, but as soon as she did, a cloud of dust rose in the wind. Leng Jie paused for a moment, then muttered, "It really did turn to ash!" Then she looked at Xiao Shiyu, who was still looking surprised, and explained, "I never said I knew internal energy. On the contrary, I not only do, but I'm quite good at it. It's just that I haven't mastered it yet."

After speaking, she picked up the piece of paper soaked in medicine from the table and placed it in her palm, this time using only a third of the force she had used before. She stared intently at it, watching it dry. Then she handed the paper back to Shi Yu, asking eagerly, "Now? How do we make the words on the paper reappear?"

Shi Yu didn't say anything, but instead put the paper back into the medicine. When she picked it up again, the original words were clearly visible again.

So the whole secret was this packet of powder. Leng Jie finally understood. She immediately said excitedly, "Could you give me some of that powder so I can test its ingredients? That way, I'll have repaid your kindness completely."

Leng Jie thought she would have to explain herself again. Unexpectedly, Xiao Shiyu said nothing and simply gave her some of the powder. As soon as she got the powder, Leng Jie impatiently pushed Shiyu out, telling her she needed to do the experiment immediately and that no one should disturb her. Then she slammed the door shut.

She immediately took out her bundle and retrieved the book detailing the affairs of the Dark Guard. She then turned to the page that matched the image on Shi Yu's body. Carefully, she sprinkled the remaining medicine Shi Yu had used on it onto the page. Her eyes widened as she waited for a miracle to occur.

Watching the paper gradually soak in, the images on it slowly faded, and then rows of neat characters appeared. Just as she expected, it truly contained the method to break the curse and how to contact the Dark Army. Leng Jie was initially overjoyed, but after reading the method to break the curse, her smile vanished.

It clearly stated that the curse required the blood of a dragon and a phoenix to be broken. If she wasn't mistaken, the dragon blood should refer to the emperor's blood! And the phoenix blood? The empress! Could it be her blood? Was this body truly a phoenix body? Could this be the real reason the late emperor wanted his son to make the fool his empress? Thinking of the edict that the empress would never be deposed, Leng Jie suddenly felt that this matter was too bizarre! She couldn't help but shiver.

Leng Jie poured herself a cup of hot tea, took a few sips, and calmed herself. She began to consider: if this body truly possessed the innate Phoenix Body, then what about her? Was her arrival in this space accidental or inevitable? Was it fate or human intervention? She had thought about this question before, but each time she comforted herself by saying, "Her transmigration must be an accidental event that cannot be explained by science." But could she still bury her head in the sand like that now?

As Leng Jie was deep in thought, there was a knock on the door, followed by Qingfeng's urgent voice: "Xiao Jie, what are you doing? Come out quickly, Xuanyuan wants us to go to the council hall."

Leng Jie hurriedly gathered the things on the table and put them back in the wardrobe.

Knock knock, a second knock sounded at the door.

"Coming, coming," Leng Jie replied hastily.

Then, after straightening her clothes, she opened the door and saw Qingfeng and Xiaoshiyu blocking the entrance with serious expressions. Yuan Zheng stood anxiously behind them. Leng Jie asked Yuan Zheng, "Yuan Zheng, what happened?"

"Reporting to the Third Sect Master, we just received a message from Jianzhou via carrier pigeon." Yuan Zheng said, while observing the Prince of Ying's reaction. Seeing that he didn't react much, he continued, "The Qingyi Sect occupied the Prince of Ying's residence last night. The specific situation inside the residence is currently unknown. The Sect Master and the Second Sect Master are waiting for you to discuss a solution."

Xiao Shiyu's face suddenly turned deathly pale, her eyes filled with a sinister and cold light. Her lips were tightly pressed together, her teeth grinding together. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her fingers dug into her flesh.

Seeing this, Leng Jie quickly placed her hands on his shoulders and comforted him, "Don't worry, as long as they don't achieve their goal, the people in the Prince's mansion shouldn't be in any immediate danger. Let's go and hear what Ying and the others have to say about the situation before we make any further plans."

After saying that, he turned to Qingfeng and said, "Senior brother, let's go quickly and use our lightness skills. You take Shiyu with you."

Chapter Seventy-Five: Trip to Jianzhou

"No, you are the Emperor, how can you leave the capital without permission?"

"The matter of Jianzhou is of utmost urgency; my mind is made up!"

As soon as Leng Jie and the other two entered the council hall, they heard Xuan Yuan and Ying arguing about who should go to Jianzhou. Leng Jie and Qing Feng exchanged a smile, realizing that they were right; Xuan Yuan really was going to Jianzhou in person.

The two who were arguing immediately fell silent upon seeing the three enter. They both looked at Xiao Shiyu, whose face was still deathly pale, with eyes filled with guilt and pity. Xuanyuan stepped forward, bent down, and patted Xiao Shiyu's shoulder, comforting her:

"Yuan Zheng has told you the situation, right? Don't worry, I will definitely rescue your family."

Shi Yu's body trembled, and then he knelt down with a "plop," sincerely saying:

"Lord Ying is right, Your Majesty cannot leave the capital. Please grant me permission to return to Jianzhou to save my family."

"What are you doing, Minister Shi? Get up quickly!" Xuanyuan bent down to help Shi Yu up, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I have searched through all the books in the library these past two days, but I still haven't found a single word about breaking the curse. You are not feeling well right now, so you should go back to Jianzhou."

"It's not suitable for the Emperor to go either, so leave this matter to me and Longmen," Ying said, taking over the Emperor's words.

Seeing that they were about to start arguing again, Leng Jie quickly spoke up and asked:

"What exactly is going on? Did the Green Robe Sect simply occupy the Prince of Ying's Mansion, or have they taken control of all the government offices in Jianzhou? Can they mobilize the troops in Jianzhou?"

Shi Yu said angrily, "Even if they also besieged the government office, they couldn't mobilize troops. Because mobilizing troops requires my Qilin Order or the Emperor's decree."

"They stormed into the Prince's mansion at night, acting covertly. They didn't alert the local officials, nor did they massacre the officials and martial arts families they had done before," Ying explained. "I think they wanted to find out information about the Dark Guard while the Prince was away."

So, they don't seem to intend to rebel at the moment! If that's the case, things might not be as serious as they seem. Leng Jie glanced at Xuan Yuan and realized he seemed only worried about the safety of Xiao Shiyu's family, not about the Qingyi Sect's rebellion.

"In what capacity does Your Majesty wish to visit Jianzhou?"

"Of course, it's the Dragon Gate Master. The imperial court is currently unaware of the Jianzhou Prince's Mansion affair." Xuanyuan immediately warned, "You also oppose my going?"

"No, my senior brother and I will go with you." Leng Jie thought to herself: If you don't go, Qingfeng won't go either, and then I won't be able to go either. Besides, the curse on the Dragon Blood Jade can't be broken without your help.

The unexpected answer surprised the three people except Qingfeng. Xuanyuan looked at Leng Jie with admiration because he didn't object to her going; Shiyu looked at Leng Jie with a sense of sympathy because she wanted to go with them.

Zi Ying looked at Qing Feng, whose expression remained unchanged, with disbelief, hoping he would speak up to stop it. Qing Feng shrugged helplessly; he was powerless to do anything about it. Zi Ying persisted, unwilling to give up:

"The court has just returned to calm. How can His Majesty leave the capital without permission? If those meddlesome ministers find out, who knows what trouble they will cause?"

"You don't need to worry about that. I've already arranged things in the court. I've announced to all my ministers that I will be in seclusion at Longteng Palace for a month, and no one is to disturb me during that time. When that happens, all Eunuch Fu needs to do is stand at the entrance with the Imperial Sword, and everyone will know that the palace is empty. Furthermore, you will stay behind to command Longmen and keep a close eye on the actions of the deities. We won't have to worry about them causing any trouble." After explaining, Xuanyuan exuded imperial authority, his voice commanding without anger, and said, "In short, I'm definitely going to Jianzhou this time."

"They've already adopted the airs of an emperor, what else can he say?" Zi Ying asked helplessly.

When do you plan to set off?

Even at full speed, it would take seven days to reach Jianzhou, and almost half a month to travel round trip. He only had a month. Xuanyuan decisively gave the order:

"Qingfeng, hurry up and pack your luggage. Ying, go and prepare a few fast horses. We'll set off immediately."

Before Xuanyuan could finish speaking, he was left alone in the hall.

——————

Jianzhou is located to the north of Jinghe. It has long winters and short summers, a dry climate, and little rainfall throughout the year. It is sparsely populated and considered a wild and undeveloped land.

However, since the King of England took up residence in Jianzhou, this situation has completely changed. The King's policies of encouraging land reclamation, mining, and trade have attracted many people to settle here. Now, Jianzhou is a place where there is a village every three miles and a stockade every five miles. Except for the climate, which remains unchanged, the words "sparsely populated" and "wild and untamed" are no longer associated with it.

On the wide bluestone avenue, pedestrians came and went in an endless stream. In previous years, at this time of year, the road was mostly filled with caravans and merchant caravans transporting coal and ore to Jianzhou. However, recently, because the martial arts tournament that would shake the martial arts world was to be held in Jianzhou, the road was now mostly filled with martial arts practitioners. Although these groups of martial arts practitioners were strangers to each other, they were all heading towards the Green Robe Sect. They could be considered like-minded people. They would nod and greet each other when they met, and occasionally they would exchange a few interesting stories from the martial arts world.

Suddenly, five fast horses galloped up from behind, rushing past in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a cloud of dust and the astonishment of passersby!

"My goodness! What a magnificent horse that was! It was so fine!" exclaimed Passerby A, watching the horse disappear into the distance.

“That must be the Akhal-Teke horse from the Western Regions, right? I’ve heard that this horse can not only travel a thousand miles a day, but it is also spiritually intelligent!” Passerby B chimed in.

"Who do you think were those people from that sect? They're so wealthy and powerful, bringing out five rare and precious horses all at once!"

"Yes! It's a pity the horse was running too fast; I didn't see the person on its back clearly."...

As the sun set and the moon began to peek over the horizon, the five riders on horseback entered the territory of Jianzhou Prefecture.

They were Leng Jie and her group. Because they were in a hurry to rescue people, Zi Ying had prepared scenery and their only few Akhal-Teke horses for them. What took Xiao Shiyu a month to travel by carriage, they arrived in just six days.

"Whoa!" Several horses stopped simultaneously at a three-way intersection. Yuan Zheng pointed to the village on the left and said to Xuanyuan:

"Sect Leader, there's one of our branch altars inside. Should we check out the situation in the city first before entering?"

Xuanyuan Fengyan swept his eyes over the crowd, and seeing that no one objected, he nodded in agreement:

"Then let's rest for the night and go into town at dawn tomorrow."

Before leaving, the Second Master instructed that not only should he serve his masters well on the journey, but he should also take good care of his prized horses. Otherwise, he could expect to be treated like slaves when he returned! Yang Pu, upon hearing that he could finally rest for a night, happily muttered:

"That's great. We haven't had a rest for several days in a row. People can take it, but the horse can't take it anymore."

Hearing his mutterings, Leng Jie frowned and said, "Wouldn't it be too conspicuous for us to ride these horses into the city?"

“Indeed, you can’t find a steed like this in Jianzhou,” Xiao Shiyu, sitting next to Qingfeng, added.

Yuan Zheng glanced at his masters and said with a sneer, "It's not just these horses that are eye-catching; just the sight of you gentlemen standing in that crowd is enough to draw everyone's attention."

“Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to bring glory to our Longmen?” Leng Jie replied to Yuan Zheng.

As they spoke, a group of five riders, totaling six people, entered the village. They ran into the villagers who had returned from a day's work. The villagers stared in astonishment at the five magnificent horses and the six young men dressed in flowing white robes who had suddenly appeared. The oldest was no more than twenty years old, and the youngest no more than five or six. In terms of appearance and demeanor, each one was exceptionally handsome and otherworldly. At first glance, they truly seemed as if a group of gods had descended to earth.

"Are you gods?" A child who looked about the same age as Xiao Shiyu looked up with bright eyes, rubbing his muddy little hands together, and asked Xiao Shiyu on horseback with surprise.

From the moment Xiao Shiyu heard about Jianzhou, he hadn't smiled once. Naturally, we couldn't expect him to answer the child's question now. As for Xuanyuan and Qingfeng, both looked like they belonged to another world, so we shouldn't count on them either. Leng Jie developed a fear of children the moment she met Xiao Shiyu. Yang Pu and Yuan Zheng remained; one ignored the child's question, while the other looked at the Third Master, his eyes saying, "See! I knew this would happen."

The villagers and children on the ground waited expectantly for their answer.

Leng Jie glanced at them sideways. To avoid startling the villagers, she dismounted and went to the child's side. She knelt down, looked the child in the eye, and smiled as she replied:

"What's your name, little one? We're not gods, we're just visiting relatives."

Seeing this, the others also dismounted.

"My mom calls me Little Sanzi," the little boy blinked his big eyes, looking at Leng Jie and then at Shi Yu, and innocently asked, "Aren't you really not a fairy sister?"

Then they heard the snickers of Yuan Zheng and Yang Pu, and the low sighs of the villagers.

Leng Jie awkwardly patted Xiao Sanzi's head and said to him:

"Little Sanzi, do you know where the Dragon Mansion is? Can you take your brother there?"

Upon hearing that these ethereal young men were guests of the Long family, the villagers immediately surrounded them, all vying to lead the way.

Little Sanzi was puzzled. Why was she calling his older sister "brother"? But the little boy's mind worked quickly; his attention immediately went to leading the way. He was as if afraid someone would steal his task. His dirty little hand grabbed her smooth, jade-like hand, and he ran excitedly towards the village.

Leng Jie let Xiao Sanzi hold her hand and followed him.

A collective gasp rose from behind them once more. The group involuntarily followed them.

Longfu, located at the east end of the village, was a rather inconspicuous brick and tile house. Yet, everyone in the village knew of Longfu, and everyone spoke highly of it; a large portion of the village was Longfu's tenant farmer. Renting land from Longfu was different from renting from other landlords. Their rent was based on a percentage of the year's harvest. Most importantly, in years of famine, they not only didn't collect rent but also helped the villagers pay their taxes. This undoubtedly relieved the farmers, who depended on the weather for their livelihood, of their worries. Therefore, many farmers sold their land to Longfu and then rented land from them to cultivate.

The owner of the Long family mansion is extremely low-key and mysterious; everyone only knows the mansion's steward. So, the sudden appearance of this group of seemingly divine figures claiming to be relatives of the Long family is bound to pique the villagers' curiosity.

The Dragon Mansion's steward, Wu Yun, happened to be running some errands in the front yard. Upon hearing a knock at the door, he went to open it himself. He had barely opened a crack when he heard Xiao Sanzi calling him.

"Butler Wu, we have guests!"

Guests? Wu Yun looked up and saw Xiao Sanzi standing at the door, leading a handsome young man. Behind them were several equally dashing young men leading fine horses. He was initially taken aback, but then noticed the jade pendant at the young man's waist. Immediately, he put on a beaming smile and opened the door to welcome them:

"Distinguished guests, please come in! Please come in!"

Seeing that the villagers had followed them all the way to the gate and showed no sign of dispersing, Leng Jie smiled at the steward and said:

"Butler Wu, do you have any snacks at home? Please give some to Xiao Sanzi and the villagers for me. If they hadn't shown us the way, we would have been searching everywhere!"

"Yes, yes, yes," Steward Wu was very familiar with the villagers. While welcoming the distinguished guests into the house, he said to the villagers, "Fellow villagers, please wait here for a moment. I will have someone fetch some snacks from our manor for you to enjoy."

"No need, no need! We should go home." Before Butler Wu finished speaking, the villagers scattered. Xiao Sanzi glanced at Leng Jie and Xiao Shiyu, then reluctantly let his mother carry him away.

Leng Jie waved to Xiao Sanzi, then turned and followed Butler Wu into the Long Mansion.

After six days of travel, everyone was exhausted. Upon entering the hall, Xuanyuan naturally took the seat of honor. The others found their own seats.