After a long moment of contemplation, Yu Luo gently swayed. Shangguan's fingers, which had been tapping the tea table, suddenly stopped. He stood up and took in everyone's expressions. The reason he stayed here was because he was certain that Zigui would return to Tianlong Sect. The expressions of her senior brothers earlier had also confirmed this; they seemed both worried and happy, but not as anxious as they were now.
"Could it be... that Junior Brother has run away from home?" Eleven hesitated, unable to believe it.
"Send someone to bring her back first. Ji Junze is dead, but Lao Yao can't be harmed."
"Seventh Brother is right. Although Youngest Brother is good at kung fu, she is still a girl. In addition, she is now some kind of alliance leader. If no one is looking after her, something bad might happen."
Xun Ba and Lao Qi exchanged glances and were about to go out to look for each other.
"The girl is probably not alone."
They stopped in their tracks, and all eyes turned to Yu Luo.
"Young Master's luggage is also missing. Yu Luo wonders if the two of them planned this together."
"Xiao Kuang?" The group exchanged glances. "They wouldn't be..."
Given Xiao Kuang's feelings for Ji Junze, and the youngest son's impulsive and furious nature, could these two be planning a prison break?
"Won't."
Fu Xian and Shangguan Yi spoke almost simultaneously, exchanging an unpleasant glance, with Fu Xian looking away first. "The youngest wouldn't do something so foolish."
Not only Zigui, but even A-Kuang wouldn't do that, even if he really wanted to. One was a woman he had his eye on, and the other was his nephew whom he had raised; he couldn't possibly be wrong about them.
There was no need to wait any longer, so Shangguan turned and left. The cold, setting sun of winter reflected in his eyes, and his expression was hurried, tinged with contemplation.
The two must have started their journey from Zigui, since Ah Kuang's heart was entirely devoted to one person at that moment. Packing their bags, packing their bags—were they going on a long trip? But Ji Junze was clearly in Zhaoyu Prison; what were her true intentions? And how did she persuade Ah Kuang to abandon everything and travel with her?
Thinking of this, Shangguan couldn't help but slow down his pace.
Zigui, Zigui, what trick have you played that has made him start to look forward to it?
Before dawn the next day, the five riders arrived at Dagu Port, the closest port to the capital.
The dawn light was tinged with shadows, and the colors of the clouds shifted rapidly, much like the political landscape of the Great Wei Dynasty at that moment. On the horizon, the sea was a uniform yellowish-brown, with dozens of enormous ships anchored in the harbor, their oilcloth sails billowing in the wind, ready to break through the waves and sail the vast ocean.
Amidst the fierce sea wind, Yu Zigui and Cong Luan huddled behind a towering, imposing mountain. Not far away, Xiao Kuang, his long robes billowing, was discussing something with the steward of the embankment.
Looking at the rows of ships, Wei Zhuofeng frowned in disapproval. "Even the capital region is openly defying the late Emperor Taizu's dying instructions."
Strictly prohibiting communication with foreign vassal states, and forbidding even a single plank from going to sea, these were the rules set by the founding emperor of the Great Wei Dynasty.
Although many merchants initially faced execution along with their entire families for taking the risk, the enormous profits still lured countless others to risk their lives. By the time of Emperor Jingping, the fourth emperor of the Great Wei Dynasty, the majesty of the founding emperor could no longer withstand the allure of generous bribes, and the maritime ban was gradually relaxed. As a result, the founding precepts of the previous emperor had become mere empty words. Maritime trade flourished across the land, and officials along the coast amassed wealth through bribery and deceitful behavior towards the emperor—a tacitly accepted fact. Now, only His Majesty the Emperor on the throne remained oblivious to this reality.
The sea breeze was damp and cold, its chill penetrating to the bone. Seeing Yu Zigui ignoring the wind and peering out from behind Gao Dashan, Cong Luan leaned on her shoulder, shivering, and asked, "What are you looking at?"
“The sea here is different from that in Lingnan.” Yu Zigui looked at the muddy yellow seawater, which was different from that in Lingnan, her moon-shaped eyes full of surprise.
Luan chuckled: "Of course, the place where the river flows into the sea is yellow."
"Just as the book says, the Great Wei Kingdom is full of wonders."
"A book?" Cong Luan glanced at her. "That copy of 'The Wandering Swordsman'?"
"Um."
“When you visited Hubei at the beginning of the year, you used this book as a guide, and I was a little frustrated at the time.”
"Frustration?" She looked away, puzzled, at Cong Luan.
"I consider myself learned and knowledgeable. There are no books in the world that I haven't read or heard of, but your book, 'The Travels of a Knight-Errant,' has left me dumbfounded. To be honest, I later checked a lot of information, but I couldn't find a single word about your precious travelogue."
"You really are a stubborn person." Yu Zigui was a little embarrassed. She subconsciously touched her bundle. "This book is a family heirloom. It has been passed down from my great-grandfather. Whenever the Yu family descendants go to a place, they record the local customs and traditions. It's a little quirk passed down from generation to generation."
"It sounds similar to our Nanshan Academy, except that Nanshan Academy's records are a responsibility, while yours are a hobby."
“Indeed.” Yu Zigui nodded and smiled. “But interest can never outweigh responsibility. If it weren’t for the Nanshan Academy’s excellent information and knowledge that the land route was blocked, we might have died before we even got started.”
"Hmm, I didn't expect that before the news of Emperor Shengde's serious illness could even spread, the Southern King of the Northern Di had already sealed off the area outside the pass." Cong Luan couldn't help but sigh as she thought of the latest intelligence she received halfway through the journey.
"Crossing the sea from Dagu and taking the route through Korea is currently the fastest and safest route to the Northern Barbarian capital. If all goes smoothly, it should take no more than five days. However, I don't quite understand the connection between killing the Northern Barbarian emperor and rescuing Ji Jun, after all—"
She paused, then looked at Xiao Kuang not far away. "That's what he wanted."
"And what about you?"
"Why?"
Cong Luan turned her head blankly, and Yu Zigui looked at her. "What do you want?"
"I?"
Looking into Cong Luan's thoughtful eyes, Yu Zigui rubbed her cold cheeks. "Don't say it's for Xiao Kuang, think about what you want."
Cong Luan blushed and was about to say something when Xiao Kuang gestured for them to come over.
“In the future…” His eyes darted around, and he immediately concealed the title, pointing only to the manager and saying, “This is Manager Chen from the Shangguan family in Tianjin, in charge of the trading company’s business in Dagu.”
The middle-aged man cupped his hands in greeting, his shrewd eyes scanning each person. "My name is Chen Mo. May I ask how you gentlemen are addressed?"
Thinking to himself that things were going badly, Xiao Kuang was about to interrupt when Yu Zigui stepped forward and introduced the group one by one. "My surname is Yu, and I am the newly appointed leader of the martial arts alliance. This gentleman beside me is the headmaster of Nanshan Academy, and these two are Young Master Zhuofeng of the Shiyingwei family, and his personal bodyguard, the Tongbei Divine Fist Master Gao Dashan."
Hearing her not only arrogantly proclaim herself the leader of the alliance but also provide detailed introductions to everyone's background, Xiao Kuang inwardly cursed his own foolishness and hurriedly interrupted, pointing to the large ship on the shore. "Only the Hailong is going to Korea these days. Once this opportunity is gone, it's gone forever. Everyone, hurry up and get on the ship."
As she spoke, she gave Congluan a wink and forcefully dragged the still-unsatisfied Yu Zigui onto the large ship. Just as the Hailong departed port, Xiao Kuang cried out in anguish, "Future aunt, you've made a grave mistake!"
Seeing that she didn't seem to care, and even thanked Manager Chen from afar, Xiao Kuang almost coughed up blood. "Do you know who that Chen fox is?"
"Chen the Fox?" She was more interested in the nickname than who he was.
"My uncle has nine cunning and shrewd foxes under his command. You've met one of them before; that's Sister Yu Luo from the capital. And then there's Manager Chen from the Three Guards of Tianjin."
Seeing her sudden realization, Xiao Kuang thought she had come to a conclusion, but to his surprise, she said, "Oh, you were talking badly about Sister Yu Luo."
"This isn't a bad thing, no, this isn't the point at all."
"We are traveling in secret." Seeing that Xiao Kuang was about to be driven mad by her, Wei Zhuofeng changed her indifferent attitude and spoke up to remind him.
“That’s it!” Xiao Kuang snapped his fingers. “We’ve gone to great lengths to secretly leave the capital, how can we let our guard down here? Just you’ll see, Uncle will receive Manager Chen’s secret report before evening!”
"I just want him to know."
Four pairs of big eyes stared at it at the same time.
"Didn't they say we were still missing one person? That's him."
A faint smile played on Yu Zigui's lips in the cold wind, her crescent-shaped eyes brimming with the winter sun.
As the afternoon approached, the seawater turned a deep blue, merging with the pale winter sky to create a cool, jade-like glow. Although the men had given her and Cong Luan their best cabins, the Hailong was not a passenger ship. The undulating waves rocked the ship, and the wind and waves outside the windows seemed to be rolling across the sky.
"vomit--"
She had already given up on vomiting, but upon hearing Cong Luan's voice, the acid in her throat was brought up again.
The waves crashed against each other, and the two of them lay lifeless on the beach like salted fish. Their bodies swayed with the tide, and Yu Zigui closed her eyes, feeling drowsy, hoping she would never wake up again before reaching the shore.
"Zigui?"
Half-awake, I felt a gentle push. The force was so weak that I knew who it was without even opening my eyes.
"From the very beginning, did you intend to lure Shangguan out of the capital?"
"Hmm." She muttered, lifting her eyelids slightly. "If he doesn't leave the capital, even if Guanyin Bodhisattva were to appear, Ji Junze would still have a hard time escaping."
“Indeed.” Cong Luan, who was on the bed, came to her senses and looked to her side with bright eyes. “Well done, Zigui. This trick of luring the snake out of its hole is brilliant.”
Pushing her again, the salted fish rolled over, still limp.
"By the way, how did you persuade Wei Zhuofeng to join? He's the kind of person who doesn't care about others' troubles. Did you use your beauty to seduce him?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Zigui coughed until tears streamed down his face. "You...you think too highly of me..."
"Isn't that right? I think he's a bit interested in you."
Yu Zigui glared at her. "Strike the snake at its seven-inch spot. Wei Zhuofeng's Achilles' heel is the Shiying Wei family."
"The Wei family of Shiying?" Cong Luan looked her up and down. "Zigui, it's not that I look down on you, but the Wei family is not someone that ordinary people can deal with. Apart from the current emperor, no one can promise the Wei family anything."
“I understand that, but have you thought about the Jianghu (martial arts world)?”
"Jianghu?"
“Yes, the martial world.” His eyes were filled with determination as Yu Zigui looked up at her. “During my few days in the capital, I kept thinking about what the martial world should be like. A-Luan, at the beginning of the year, I visited you at Dongting Lake. Although you were still as cheerful as ever, the confidence and carefree spirit of two years ago were gone from your eyes. I originally thought it was because you were busy with many things and had to take care of me, so you were inevitably overwhelmed. But a month ago in the county, you sat with officials, and the melancholy in your eyes only increased. Only then did I realize that Nanshan Academy was no longer the Nanshan Academy that was detached from the martial world, and Elder Nanshan was no longer the Elder Nanshan who only recorded historical events.” Yu Zigui looked at her.
Are you willing to accept this?
Cong Luan smiled bitterly. "How could we be willing? But all land under heaven belongs to the emperor, and the court has many ways to control it. As long as the Great Wei exists, no, as long as there is an emperor on the throne, how can the Nanshan Academy remain aloof?"
After silently watching Cong Luan for a while, Yu Zigui spoke softly. "I have also experienced this helplessness. I thought I could change a child's fate with my martial arts skills, but as soon as I let go, misfortune struck." As he spoke, he lowered his eyes to look at his empty palm.
"But I'm so unwilling to accept this."
Hearing this sigh, Cong Luan turned to look at her.
"My senior brother once said that Ziyu only cared about his own pleasure and disregarded the greater good of the world, his words full of disapproval. But I wasn't angry with him at all; on the contrary, I felt envious. In the end, I'm neither as magnanimous as my senior brother nor as carefree as Ziyu. I just want to protect my own people, but I can't help but soften when I see others suffer tragedies. At first, I was confused, but then I thought, are there only two kinds of people in the world, Ziyu and my senior brother? Is there only one path in the martial world: to rely on the imperial court?"
"Perhaps if we are not so pragmatic and not so easily satisfied, we don't have to follow the crowd, and the martial world may not necessarily become an appendage of imperial power."
Yu Zigui suddenly stared intently, his eyes clear and bright, like a boundless sea with shimmering waves. Cong Luan was taken aback at first, then fell into a trance, unconsciously rising and falling with his emotions.
"Force may not end the misfortune, but it can alleviate the immediate crisis at the border. To shoot a man, shoot his horse first; to capture a thief, capture his king first. As long as there is no emperor on the throne, both the Great Wei and the Northern Di will be in chaos. Since the Southern King has the power to plant assassins in the capital, he will certainly not let his own capital go. If the throne of the Northern Di is vacant, do you think the Southern King will still covet the capital of the Great Wei?"
Her moon-like eyes glanced around, making Cong Luan tremble all over.
"Killing one person from a thousand miles away—if this plan succeeds, the martial world can become the stabilizing force that turns the tide. Once the martial world becomes the second most powerful force in the land, why should it depend on a corrupt and incompetent court? I am lazy by nature and a woman, so I can't hold the position of leader for long. Two years from now, who will be able to challenge the Central Plains martial world, and who will be able to take over this second most powerful force that can shake the Great Wei? A different kind of martial world, a vision for the resurgence of the Shiying Wei family—this is the pie I painted for Wei Zhuofeng. It sounds unrealistic, but Wei Zhuofeng believed it."
"A different kind of martial arts world..." Cong Luan stared at her intently.
Yu Zigui smiled in response. "Yes, a world that belongs to more people."
His eyes flickered, and he grasped her hand in his. "Then let's take a gamble."
"Hmm." Yu Zigui gazed into the distance. "We agreed to travel together on this journey. I'm waiting for him to take a chance."
Outside the window, the distant waters churned with clouds; her voice was soft, and her laughter was serene.
When we return
Author: Qingfei
Chapter Nineteen