Бессмертие, Бессмертие - Глава 9
That makes sense, but there's no need to come out at this dangerous time. Old Man Weng suddenly felt a heavy responsibility. Wan Yu and Yue Dan didn't know martial arts, that young master Sheng Xiang was just being mischievous, and Nan Ge was unruly and disobedient. He and Bi Qiuhan had to escort these three to Junshan, a task fraught with danger.
Wan Yuyuedan seemed to know what he was thinking, and explained good-naturedly, "Since you're going to come out, let's make it a proper trip. I'm actually quite bored in the palace."
Does this person also treat the martial world as a game? Old Man Weng's bitter smile was almost turning into a dry laugh. "The Palace Master is still young and doesn't know the dangers of the martial world..."
He was only halfway through his sentence when he saw Wan Yuyue standing by Shengxiang's car, curiously holding a large rabbit. "Can I touch it?"
Within three seconds, Sheng Xiang, who had subdued a big shot with a rabbit, even retracted his head into the car, leaving only his voice outside: "Not bad, Little Grey doesn't bite."
"So this is a rabbit?" Wan Yuyue curiously stroked the plump rabbit's fur. "I didn't know rabbits could be this big..." He looked up and smiled broadly, "Much bigger than I imagined!"
“There are many things in this world that are very different from what you imagine,” Shengxiang said lazily in the car. “People who are always so high and mighty don’t know what common sense is. You are a typical example.”
Wan Yuyue thought about it thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "That makes a lot of sense."
"Of course, what I say is always the most reasonable, even if it is unreasonable, it is reasonable, right is right, wrong is right."
Old Man Weng smiled wryly. He finally understood why Bi Qiuhan got a headache whenever Shengxiang was mentioned. This young master was truly formidable! More formidable than anything else!
"This is the first time I've seen the Palace Master smile so happily." Bi Qiuhan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "We always rely on him too much and always forget that he's only eighteen years old." He murmured to himself.
Nan Ge looked up at the sky, and the sky gradually cleared.
"The ship is here." Suddenly, the three people present said in unison. The ones who spoke were Nan Ge, Sheng Xiang, and Wan Yu Yue Dan.
Old Man Weng looked up sharply and saw the carriage curtain flutter, and a person leap out. In the clear morning light, their skin and features were exquisitely beautiful, like glass, but before anyone could get a clear look, they sped off towards the riverbank, calling out, "The boat—it's here—!"
Wan Yuyue smiled as she held the large rabbit in her arms. Nan Ge and Bi Qiuhan had expressions that said they already knew he would do this. Weng Laoliu sighed; he could already vaguely guess how lively the journey would be.
The group abandoned the cart and boarded the boat, each carrying only a few changes of clothes. Apart from Shengxiang's two incredibly heavy trunks, it wasn't a big problem. However, the weight of those two trunks on the boat made the boatman frown, muttering, "It's not like she's getting married, why is she carrying all this stuff?"
The covered boat sailed down the river, and if things went smoothly for the next couple of days, it would soon reach Junshan and Dongting Lake. But after the boat had traveled more than ten miles, Old Man Weng noticed that someone was following them on the shore.
"Qiuhan," Weng Laoliu, having spent a few days with Bi Qiuhan, no longer stood on ceremony with him and addressed him by his name directly, "There's a bend ahead."
Bi Qiuhan naturally understood what Weng Laoliu meant. He nodded, stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, and said calmly, "There are two groups of fourteen people on the shore. Their martial arts skills are not very high, but they may be good swimmers."
“How many of us can go into the water?” Nan Ge interjected. “I’ll start by saying I know absolutely nothing about water.”
Old Man Weng began to look around the boat, considering how to deal with the possible disaster of the ship being scuttled. "Old Man Weng is a good swimmer, and he can take someone with him. I just don't know how Qiu Han is?"
Bi Qiuhan frowned deeply. "Barely, but they won't drown." Judging from his tone, it was definitely not an option for him to take another person with him after he went into the water.
"Does the Princess of Wanyu know how to swim?" Old Man Weng asked.
Bi Qiuhan smiled wryly, "The Palace Master has been staying in the palace for so long and hasn't practiced martial arts, so she definitely can't go into the water."
"That means abandoning ship is absolutely not an option. We must all save the boat." Old Man Weng sighed. He didn't ask Shengxiang if she could swim. He knew perfectly well that the Prime Minister's son, who never went out, would never be able to swim in the Han River. "Young Master Nan, guard the stern. Qiuhan, guard the bow. Palace Mistress Wanyu and Qiuhan, Shengxiang and Young Master Nan, Old Man Weng, go into the water to save the boat. Everyone be careful."
"Shengxiang doesn't need to go with Brother Nan."
"Saint Incense doesn't need to come with me."
Bi Qiuhan and Nan Ge said it almost in unison, then paused for a moment, and couldn't help but smile at each other.
"What?" Old Man Weng asked in surprise, "None of you are willing to protect that young master?"
Nan Ge laughed heartily, "Old man, have you seen the sacred incense?" He flicked his sleeve and went to the stern, stepping onto the folded sail. The river wind whipped around him, but he remained unmoved. His imposing manner suggested he was unconcerned about the impending crisis, which invigorated everyone around him.
"As long as the young master doesn't harm anyone, that's fine." Bi Qiuhan stood calmly at the bow of the boat. "Old Master Weng, there's no need to worry about him."
"Since you both say so, I'll leave him be. But where is that young master? He's been missing for a while now." Old Man Weng looked around the boat and smiled bitterly.
Bi Qiuhan was slightly taken aback. "What?"
From the dock came Wan Yuyue's good-natured voice, "Shengxiang has gone into the water."
"What?" The three people in the boat were stunned at the same time, and asked in unison, "When did you go into the water?"
Wan Yuyue smiled without any surprise, "When Senior Weng said there was a bend ahead, he said he wanted to catch fish and make fish soup, so he jumped in."
"He jumped in, and you didn't stop him?" Old Man Weng was sweating profusely. The boat had already traveled quite a distance, and he had no idea where it was when he mentioned the bend. There might be an ambush in the water. Could he even swim? How could he jump in so easily? Wan Yuyue was too reckless. Didn't he care about Shengxiang's safety?
"Why do you want to stop him?" Wan Yuyue asked curiously.
Old Man Weng was speechless. "Can he even swim?"
"If he can't swim, why did he jump in?" Wan Yuyue looked at Weng Laoliu strangely, as if he had asked a strange question.
If he can't swim, why did he jump in? Old Man Weng paused, then smiled wryly. That made sense. But seeing Wan Yuyue's completely unconcerned expression, it was clear he wasn't worried about Shengxiang at all. Even if Shengxiang could swim, jumping in like that would be very dangerous, wouldn't it? How could he be so calm? This Palace Master... is quite a strange young man.
"Old Weng, get in the water!" Bi Qiuhan's deep voice rang in his ears. There was no time to think about the sacred incense. The bend in the road was imminent, and the people and horses on both sides of the river were clearly visible on the beach ahead. Just as he shouted, several long arrows with flaming flint were already piercing through the air.
Bi Qiuhan raised the ship's sails to fend off the incoming arrows. The sails were thick and massive; he channeled his inner force into them, creating a powerful gust of wind that sent the arrows flying into the river. However, with his hands busy maneuvering the sails, he couldn't spare any attention for anything else. In a fleeting glance, he spotted shadowy figures in the water—sure enough, there were more than a dozen people swimming and shoving at the ship. How could Weng Laoliu possibly hold off so many people alone? He remained silent, but was already considering how to escape if the ship was lost. Perhaps he would have to chop off some planks for leverage. In any case, his companions were all skilled in martial arts, and with Wan Yuyue Dan by his side, they would be more than capable.
Just as he finished planning, several streaks of blood appeared in the water, but they were far from the boat. Bi Qiuhan's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that Weng Laoliu had been lured away by them, and the boat was doomed to sink.
Rockets were launched from the bow, while Nan Ge was engaged in fierce combat at the stern. As the rockets approached, two figures leaped from the shore in a small boat and seized control of the stern. Both were skilled in martial arts, and Nan Ge was locked in a fierce battle with them; it would likely take another thirty moves to determine a victor. Meanwhile, Wan Yuyuedan, inside the dock, remained calm. Though he couldn't see clearly, a smile played on his lips, as if he were sitting in an elegant and tranquil living room, not in a small boat that was on the verge of sinking or catching fire.
"Wait!" Midway through the fierce battle, Nan Ge suddenly called out a halt. "Who are you...?"
Just as he was about to speak, the other party sneered, "Kill me if you want, no need for words!" As he spoke, his palm struck Nan Ge's face with a chilling force, silencing the words he was about to finish.
With a "whoosh," Old Man Weng emerged from the water, far from the small boat. He had clearly been through a fierce battle and was still catching his breath. But seeing how far away he was from the boat, his expression changed drastically.
With a cry of pain, one of the archers on the beach cried out. It was Bi Qiuhan who caught the arrow and flung it back. The archers were terrified and somewhat confused. At this moment, the boat was already very close to the beach. Arrows should be fired from a distance, not close. If the distance were to close any further, Bi Qiuhan might very well pounce on the shore, which would be extremely dangerous.