Путешествие безумки по династии Сун

Глава 37

Qingfeng knew she disliked being looked down upon as a woman. He dared not utter his master's exact words, "A girl only needs a little martial arts for self-defense," and quickly explained, "Master isn't the old-fashioned person you think he is. He said many martial arts are unsuitable for women's bodies. However, medicine transcends gender. He's thinking of having you inherit his mantle!"

Leng Jie thought that an old man who could teach Qingfeng shouldn't be too rigid, so she smiled and said, "Haha, then I must go and meet him. Anyway, doesn't Longmen have branches all over the place? Let's discuss with Ying when there's a mission near Wuyou Valley, and I can go."

"The Green Robe Sect suffered such heavy losses this time, they might not know that the Imperial Guards came to rescue you. But those who escaped clearly saw that you kidnapped their hall master and protector. They will definitely seek revenge. So, you can't go out now. That's why I agreed to let you return to Longmen with Xuanyuan." Qingfeng immediately poured cold water on her hopes. Then, he offered a glimmer of hope: "Fortunately, the martial arts invitation has been issued, and the Green Robe Sect won't be able to cause trouble for much longer. Even if the righteous sects of the martial arts world can't deal with them, the imperial court won't let them get away with it this time."

Upon hearing about the martial arts tournament, Leng Jie immediately asked, "Isn't the Dragon Gate considered a martial arts sect?"

Although she wasn't one to get involved in trouble, she had already incurred the wrath of the Green Robe Sect. Besides, to avoid revealing her identity, she had tried her best to keep a low profile and avoid conflict. But they were still determined to cause her trouble, so how could she let them down? Anyway, she had nothing to do at the moment.

Qingfeng was already used to her unconventional way of thinking. She replied without any surprise, "Yes, they should also send people to Jianzhou to participate in the martial arts tournament."

"Then we'll probably be part of this excitement too." Knowing Qingfeng wouldn't let her go, Leng Jie continued, "Think about it, the Green Robe Sect is massacring martial arts practitioners and government officials in search of their secret agents, but the martial arts world is currently unaware of this. That's why they want to attack the Green Robe Sect. But what if they reveal this secret? If everyone knows it's related to the royal family, do you think this conference can continue? I'm afraid those ambitious guys might even turn against the court!"

“You’re right, but what use would it be for us to go?” Qingfeng stared at Leng Jie, frowning. “Perhaps Xuanyuan will go? I wonder when that Shi Yu will recover? This happened in his fiefdom; with his support, it shouldn’t be a big problem, right?”

A glint of light flashed in his eyes, revealing that he wouldn't completely ignore Xuanyuan's situation. He said matter-of-factly, "You're worried about him going alone, aren't you? Then we'll go protect him! As for Xiaoshiyu, don't worry, we'll find a way."

"With your pathetic skills, you're lucky if he doesn't end up protecting you instead. Protecting him, my foot!" Qingfeng scoffed, then adopted the air of a senior brother and ordered, "You stay in Longmen and don't even think about going anywhere else. If Xuanyuan really wants to go to Jianzhou, Ying and I will go with him."

"If you don't let me go, I won't go!" Leng Jie rolled her eyes at him, then lowered her head to draw the picture in her hand, not arguing with Qingfeng. Because she felt that actions speak louder than words.

Seeing her suddenly fall silent, Qingfeng didn't take it as a tacit agreement. On the contrary, he knew she had already made up her mind to go to Jianzhou. He said helplessly, "Even if I don't let you go, you'll still sneak off on your own! I think you'll just have to come with us."

"Haha, Qingfeng, I've noticed you understand me better and better." Leng Jie immediately smiled, stopped writing, looked up at Qingfeng and laughed, "Indeed, with you all gone, I, the third sect leader, am the most powerful person in this Dragon Gate. Who would dare to stop me?"

Who can stop you? Qingfeng thought to himself.

"By the way, how far is it from Jianzhou to Wuyou Valley?" Leng Jie suddenly asked.

"Is she really willing to go to Wuyou Valley?" A hint of joy flashed in Qingfeng's eyes. He quickly replied, "It's not far; the carriage will take three days."

Leng Jie suddenly thought of a question and couldn't help but chuckle, "Hehe, senior brother, did you really see Master? Does Master really know that I have such a disciple? Don't let him kick me out when I get there. How will you come back to the garden to tell this lie then?"

Qingfeng stared in astonishment at Leng Jie's strange, forced smile. He had merely altered his master's words; how could she know? Could she be that perceptive? Nevertheless, he feigned ignorance and asked, "What are you saying? Of course I saw Master! And Master really wanted to see you. How could she have kicked you out?"

Leng Jie narrowed her eyes and asked with a smile, "Is that so? I remember you said it would take half a month to travel from the capital to Wuyou Valley, but only half a month has passed. Shouldn't you have just returned to Wuyou Valley? Yet you are standing in front of me now. Doesn't this mean you haven't returned to Wuyou Valley at all? Then what you said about seeing Master just now was just a lie?"

So that's why. Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief. He explained, "To get rid of those tails, I only took five days to reach Wuyou Valley. Then I only rested for one night before changing clothes and returning via another route. I think those tails should still be guarding outside Wuyou Valley!" Suddenly, he remembered that she had gotten involved with two men and the number one sect in the world in just half a month, and couldn't help but get annoyed, saying, "Since you secretly left, why did you come back to the capital?"

"If I had known that heading to the capital would lead to so much trouble, I would have preferred to go to Wuyou Valley with you." Leng Jie never regretted her decisions, but now she truly regretted them. She said with resentment, "I thought the most dangerous place was the safest place. Besides, I was a country girl at the time, so I thought no one would suspect Wuming was a country girl! But things are so unfortunate; not only did I run into Xiao Shiyu, but I also stumbled upon the Qingyi Sect. It was truly as unlucky as it gets."

"You mean running into me is bad luck?" A gloomy child's voice came from outside the door.

Leng Jie paused for a moment, then looked at Qingfeng. Her eyes seemed to ask him, "How come you couldn't hear him coming?"

"I know! Did you ask me to remind you?" Qingfeng looked back at her with a smile.

Leng Jie could only blame herself for her lack of skill. Although she possessed powerful internal energy, she couldn't utilize it in various organs like Qingfeng could, such as enhancing her hearing and vision. She turned to face Xiao Shiyu, who was entering through the door with an angry expression, and smiled slyly. She deliberately glanced outside and asked, "Have you finished discussing your national affairs? Where is that Young Master Huang? Didn't he come with you?"

Xiao Shiyu ignored her question, giving her a sidelong glance without even looking at her directly. She smiled at Qingfeng and said, "I've long heard of Young Master Qingfeng's dashing and handsome appearance. Seeing you today, it's truly a case of seeing is believing!"

Qingfeng smiled in return, intending to offer a few words of flattery. However, seeing Shi Yu's current state, he swallowed the words back. An awkward silence ensued. Then, a burst of silvery laughter erupted...

"Haha... Senior brother, why didn't you say what you were about to say? I bet you wanted to say, 'I've long heard that Prince Ying is handsome and imposing!' Haha, but looking at this little guy, you couldn't bring yourself to say it, could you?" Leng Jie deliberately revealed with a smile.

After speaking, she was very satisfied to see Qingfeng's embarrassed expression and Xiaoshiyu's pursed lips, glaring eyes, and expressions that made her wish she could devour her.

Leng Jie glared back at him and said coldly, "What are you glaring at me for? Do you think that now that you've found the emperor as your backer, you can disown me as your brother? If I had known you were this kind of ungrateful person, I should have dumped you the moment I found out you weren't really a child. I was kind enough to sympathize with you once, and look at the trouble you've caused me! Not only are you ungrateful, but you've also turned your back on me..."

His already black face now flushed, alternating between blue, white, red, and purple. His teeth clenched so tightly they made a grinding sound, his fists were clenched, and his small body trembled uncontrollably. Leng Jie's reprimand infuriated Xiao Shiyu to the point of rage. Finally, his eyes turned bloodshot, and he roared, "Have you said enough? When did I ever turn my back on you?"

"No? Didn't you ignore my question just now? I felt guilty for leaving you alone when I heard you were carried back covered in blood by Ying. And you, you yelled at me to 'Get out!' I don't need to tell you your expression after that, everyone saw it." If she hadn't run into him, hadn't felt sorry for him, hadn't been pestered by him, she wouldn't be in any trouble now. Was she wrong to say that running into him was bad luck? Leng Jie became angrier the more she thought about it. "Think about it yourself, if you hadn't seen the Emperor, would you have ignored me like this? Or would you have dared to ignore me like this? I don't expect you to be grateful while I'm sick. But at least you can't be ungrateful, right? If you were a child, and I was the one who wanted to take you with me, I wouldn't hold it against you. But you're not, you're the Prince Ying!"

"I, I..." Shi Yu wanted to explain, but he couldn't find the words. She was right; he himself had relied on her even more, seeking her protection. This had also brought her a lot of trouble. To help him escape the Qingyi Sect's pursuit, she had even lowered herself to take him to the fishing village and mingled with the fishermen. At first, he thought she was really a village girl and didn't think much of it. But now that he knew she wasn't, that feeling had changed. At the Qunying Tower, she had always risked her life to protect him. She had even said goodbye when she left. And he was indeed out of danger then. He should be grateful to her! But why was he so angry when he saw her leave with Duanmu? It was as if he had been betrayed by the person closest to him, the person he trusted most.

When Leng Jie saw Xiao Shiyu, who hadn't come out for a long time, she knew she had completely blocked him. Instead of chasing after him, she decided to give him a taste of his own medicine and simply ignored him, walking past him as she left.

Qingfeng patted Shi Yu's small shoulder and comforted him, "My junior brother has always been straightforward and outspoken. He meant no harm. Your Highness, please don't take it to heart."

"Is she really hiding from the Emperor?" Shi Yu suddenly looked up and asked.

“Yes! A month ago, he came to the capital to find me on his master's orders. Later, by chance, he saved me and the Emperor. That's how the Emperor got to know him. The Emperor saw that he was clever and wanted him to stay and help. But he prefers a free and easy life. He found an opportunity to stay. When we got to Yunxi Town, he noticed that someone was following us. So, we parted ways. He disguised himself as a woman and went back to the capital, thinking he could avoid the Emperor's notice. That's how it happened. He's really upset about it now! Don't take it to heart,” Qingfeng explained to him.

"So that's how it is! It seems I really was ungrateful and petty." Shi Yu finally uttered these words, bowing her head. Unfortunately, Leng Jie had already left and didn't hear them.

Chapter Seventy-Four: Unraveling Hidden Worries

"Water's coming out! Water's coming out!"

"Third Master, it really happened!"

"Wow, that's amazing! Water can even flow uphill!"

...

Seeing the delighted expressions on the faces of the craftsmen gathered around the water pipes, Leng Jie couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. Beneath her thick, arched eyebrows, a hint of smugness flickered in her eyes.

These past two days, she's been working with the craftsmen to renovate the room. It's taken a lot of effort. A water diversion project that even a middle school student could do in modern times is no easy feat in ancient times, where there are no tools or equipment. Even if she knew the principle of adsorption, what could she do? She couldn't even find the most basic water pipes here.

But giving up was never part of her cold-hearted nature. If it started as a whim—wanting to build a flush toilet—she later realized the craftsmen thought it was a pipe dream. One older craftsman told her on the spot that it was a pipe dream, saying he had built houses his whole life and had never seen a place where water could be used without carrying it. Besides, if water could flow uphill, farmers wouldn't need to carry water from their fields.

From this point on, her thoughts became less simple. If she simply wanted a flush toilet, she could have placed a large water vat outside the room, drawn water from the lake into the vat, and then connected a bamboo pipe directly from the vat into the room. But now she felt that this principle of water diversion should be applied to agriculture. That would be an absolutely beneficial thing for the people. To prove this principle, she devised one method after another to replace modern facilities, and then personally tested each one. She personally cut bamboo to use as water pipes, personally removed the nodes from the bamboo, and personally installed them… Now, finally, her hard work paid off, and she completed the task.

She took out a drawing of a windmill and handed it to a carpenter, asking him to make one based on the design. She also explained its purpose and usage to them…

Although they had witnessed the Third Master's abilities, those were methods he devised for his own convenience. This irrigation project had nothing to do with him, the dignified Third Master. It was clearly designed specifically for them, the farmers! The craftsmen looked at Leng Jie expectantly, hoping for a more definitive answer.

"Haha, why don't you all go and make one and see if I'm lying or not?" Leng Jie understood their surprise, but she felt that explaining principles to them was not as practical as letting the facts speak for themselves.

"Was the Third Master designed specifically for us farmers?"

She remained silent, only smiling.

The craftsmen were immediately filled with gratitude and thanked him, saying, "Thank you so much, Third Master! We have no way to repay you, so please accept our three great gifts!" After saying this, they were about to kneel down.

Leng Jie quickly stopped her, saying, "Wait, don't bow. I don't want these empty gestures of gratitude. Who said you have nothing to repay me with? If you really want to thank me, then do something practical."

The craftsmen exchanged bewildered glances. Really? Could it be that they want money?

The members of Longmen stared at Leng Jie in astonishment. They simply couldn't believe that their Third Master would ask these farmers and craftsmen for money. But his words clearly implied that.

Only Qingfeng and Xiaoshiyu remained unfazed as they watched the spectacle unfold.

Qingfeng knew that she was saying this on purpose because she didn't want them to kneel.

Xiao Shiyu thought that it would be fine if she didn't rush to give money to others. He had experienced her compassionate heart, which couldn't bear to see others suffer, back in the fishing village.

The craftsmen exchanged glances. Finally, the eldest craftsman frowned, gritted his teeth, and said, "Third Master, name your price! As long as it's within our capabilities, we'll do our best to put together the money. But we'll have to wait until it's made and tested before it counts."

"What are you counting?" Having already seen through their cold-heartedness, she didn't expose them. She pretended to be confused and said, "If you think it's really useful, then spread it so that everyone can benefit. Don't keep it to yourself or sell it to others at a high price for profit. That would be the best way to repay me for the trouble I went through to design this human-powered waterwheel for you."

"That's it!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The craftsmen immediately agreed, promising to do as they were told. They assured anyone who needed their services would only pay the cost of materials. Leng Jie smiled and nodded in agreement. Then, she instructed Yuan Zheng to take them to collect their wages for the next few days and then send them out. The onlookers also dispersed.

The courtyard immediately fell silent. The three temporary residents of the courtyard remained, exchanging speechless glances.

"Could you give me a picture of that waterwheel?" Shi Yu broke the silence and asked Leng Jie.

Leng Jie got up and walked into the courtyard, still ignoring Shi Yu.

Two days had passed, and Shi Yu had apologized to him countless times, but she still ignored him. Shi Yu looked helplessly at Qing Feng. Qing Feng returned the same helpless expression. Although Qing Feng also couldn't understand why she was still ignoring Shi Yu, he knew she wasn't petty and could tell she wasn't truly angry with him. He figured she must have her reasons.

Shi Yu couldn't hold back any longer and chased after Leng Jie, grabbing her sleeve and saying, "Let's talk!"

Leng Jie didn't even look at him, flicked her sleeve away from his small hand, and said coldly, "I don't know you."

Xiao Shiyu got anxious: "I've already apologized, why are you still like this! What can I do to make you stop being angry?!"

A sudden glint of light flashed in Leng Jie's eyes, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously twitched to the sides. She stopped in her tracks, her back to Xiao Shiyu, and said in a cold voice, "I never get angry for no reason."

"Yes, you're not being unreasonable at all; it's me who's ungrateful and betrayed you. Now I want to change, don't I? Can't you be magnanimous and give me a chance?" Shi Yu unleashed all the skills he'd never possessed in his life—the ability to beg for help. He was practically dying of frustration from her ignoring him these past two days. He himself didn't understand why he cared so much about her attitude. Even if he felt guilty, he had already apologized, hadn't he?

Leng Jie slowly turned around, her brows furrowed, her eyes half-closed, and she gazed down at Xiao Shiyu, her lips pressed together in silence. Her two sharp gazes seemed to pierce through his very soul.

Shi Yu, who was forcing a smile, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine under her gaze. She involuntarily shivered. Then, she said hesitantly, "I mean it, I truly apologize to you from the bottom of my heart!"

"Really?" The tone was clearly one of disbelief. Then, in a sarcastic tone, he asked, "You see, even those migrant workers knew to repay kindness. So how do you plan to repay that kindness?"

His eyes lit up; it seemed like things were going well! Shi Yu quickly replied, "How do you want me to repay this kindness? Just tell me, and I'll do anything, even go through fire and water."

Leng Jie looked around to make sure no one else was nearby before lowering her voice and saying, "I don't want you to go through fire or water. Just tell me how you read the secret letter the late emperor gave you."

Xiao Shiyu and Qingfeng were both taken aback!

Shi Yu suddenly raised her head, her astonished eyes filled with vigilance and defensiveness. Her previously humble tone immediately turned into an interrogation: "How do you know that the secret letter the late emperor gave me was invisible to others? Even the emperor didn't know that."

Qingfeng suddenly realized that her purpose was to know this? What exactly did she want to do? She looked at her with suspicion, waiting for her explanation.

She knew this would happen, which was why she had spent so much time and effort dealing with him for two days. Now that she had finally gotten close to him, Leng Jie was naturally unwilling to give up. Ignoring Xiao Shiyu's questioning, she continued to press, "So my guess was right. The secret letter the late emperor gave you was all processed."

"Guess?" Shi Yu was stunned! He almost fainted. How could he, the dignified Prince of Ying, be so easily fooled by such a little girl?

Qingfeng gazed at Leng Jie with tender eyes. She was still so unpredictable, still so quirky! No matter how badly she ruined her appearance, just a blink of her eyes could stir his heart.

"Tell me! How exactly did you do it?" Leng Jie pressed on, noticing Xiao Shiyu's wary expression. She gave him another dose of tranquilizer, saying, "You don't need to worry about me having any ill intentions. You've already met with the Emperor, right? I'm sure you two have agreed on a new communication code. Think about it, if I had any ulterior motives, it would be to get your new code, wouldn't it?"

Shi Yu lowered his head and thought for a moment. What she said made sense. It seemed he had been overthinking things again. He raised his head and gritted his teeth, replying, "Since you insist on knowing, to repay you, I'll risk my life to tell you."

“You two go inside to talk, I’ll keep watch outside,” Qingfeng cleverly replied.

Leng Jie nodded and smiled at Qingfeng, then turned and walked back. Xiao Shiyu followed her into the house with her head drooping.

Once inside, Xiao Shiyu still asked with unease, "What do you want to do with this? Don't tell me it's just for fun."

Leng Jie glanced at him indifferently and said unhappily, "Why are you so suspicious? Think about it, given the Emperor's level of trust in me and my senior brother, how could we be bad people? Besides, we've known each other for more than just a day or two. We've spent half a month together day and night. Even if you're slow-witted, you should have figured out what kind of person I am by now, right?"

"Looks like I'm really slow on the uptake?" Xiao Shiyu thought to himself. "If I could tell who you really are, I wouldn't have asked. Besides, wasn't the Emperor fooled by you too? You're clearly a woman, yet you claim to be a man in disguise." But he dared not say that aloud. He'd had enough of being ignored these past two days. On second thought, considering her attitude towards the fishermen and her special design of waterwheels for the craftsmen, especially how she knew bringing him along would be troublesome but didn't abandon him, she didn't seem like a bad person at all.

Xiao Shiyu took out a small wooden box from his pocket and took out a packet of medicine powder. He poured a glass of water and sprinkled a little bit of the powder into it. Then, he casually picked up a piece of paper with writing on it from Leng Jie's desk, soaked it in the water, and then took it out to show Leng Jie.

“The words on the paper are completely gone,” Leng Jie exclaimed in surprise. “What’s next? How do we restore them?” This was what she wanted to know most.

Xiao Shiyu glanced at her, noticing her anxious expression, and said, "Use your internal energy to dry the paper first."

How to dry it? This stumped Leng Jie. Leng Jie stammered, "I can't yet use my internal energy to the point of being able to control it with ease." Leng Jie was afraid that if she used her power, she would turn the paper to ashes. But Xiao Shiyu didn't think so.

"You don't know how to use internal energy? Then how did you subdue those people from the Green Robe Cult? I was there all four times, but I never saw how you made a move." Xiao Shiyu asked, clearly disbelieving, "Don't tell me you really know some kind of sorcery."

"That's because I'm fast, for example..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Shiyu felt a cold thorn pressed against her vital point. Startled, she cried out, "Hey, what are you doing?"

Leng Jie withdrew the silver needles from her hand, shrugged at Xiao Shiyu, and said, "I was just demonstrating for you. Now do you see how I made my move? I can say with certainty that I absolutely did not use any internal force just now."