After some discussion, Yuan Fang took his leave. Song Yanqing sent Xu Yitian to accompany him, though in reality it was to keep watch over him and prevent him from running off. As far as Song Yanqing was concerned, whether Yuan Fang accepted the offer of amnesty was another matter, but at the very least, he could not let Yuan Fang ruin his own plans. For now, he had to keep Nanshan Temple under his control.
After Yuan Fang left, Song Yanqing could not help laughing and cursing him. "This Bear Demon is rather interesting."
Chen Guishuo leaned close to him, blinked, and said, "A bear, covered in golden fur, with hair impervious to blades and spears! Senior Brother, does that ring any bells?"
Song Yanqing's gaze narrowed slightly, and he gave a small nod. "The moment he took off his clothes and revealed all that golden fur, I recognized him. The Golden King Bear from the Record of Exotic Beasts. Armor woven from its fur possesses extremely strong defensive power—it's an exceedingly rare thing. Who would have thought we'd encounter one here? Judging by his appearance, he probably hasn't had much contact with people from the cultivation world. Otherwise, with cultivation this weak, how would he dare expose himself so carelessly? There's no hurry. We can discuss what comes later when it comes. Let's see whether he knows how to behave and take care of what's in front of us first."
Chen Guishuo answered with an "Mm," realizing that this Bear Demon had truly been lucky to survive. If he had not yet fully transformed and had not possessed that coat of golden fur to shield him, they probably would have butchered him the moment they attacked.
Afterward, Chen Guishuo accompanied Song Yanqing around Nanshan Temple, inspecting the surroundings and making preparations.
After the three of them left the Shangqing Sect, they had practically raced here without stopping, all so they could arrive early and make arrangements. They had Song Yanqing's background to thank for being able to find relay stations and change horses along the way; otherwise, the mounts of the three men could never have endured such a journey...
The bright moon shone upon the Great River. Tents stood one after another along its banks, while the rolling waves reflected the moonlight.
A pavilion on the rocky bank looked somewhat dilapidated. Shang Chaozong stood with his hands behind his back, gazing over the moonlit river from the railing.
Lan Ruoting approached from not far away and slowly entered the pavilion. "Prince, are you troubled over Jiang Chou Mian?"
Shang Chaozong let out a soft sigh. "Though I put on a confident front and encouraged everyone's morale, I know our circumstances well. We have no powerful mage protecting us, and I don't even know whether we can reach our fief safely. Once we pass Guangyi Commandery, Cangwu County won't be far away. The closer we get to the end, the more worried I become."
Lan Ruoting consoled him. "Prince, rest assured. Before we obtain the hundred thousand Crow Generals, there should not be any major danger along our journey, and we ought to arrive safely. I'm more worried about the fief. The Imperial Court has probably already made preparations in advance."
Shang Chaozong turned back. "I'm considering whether, under the present circumstances, we still need to go to Cangwu County."
Lan Ruoting's expression grew solemn, and he waved his hands repeatedly. "Prince, absolutely not! The Imperial Court must have planted spies along this route. If we proceed there honestly, we may still remain safe, but if we lose control and stray from our path, we may immediately draw pursuit and slaughter. Besides, I went to great lengths in the Capital City to make arrangements and lay the groundwork, pushing them to designate Cangwu County as the place of your exile for a reason. When Prince Ning was still alive, Cangwu County had a bit of a foundation. This is your final hope. We have hardly any usable resources left, so we cannot lightly give it up!"
Shang Chaozong nodded silently. "I only hope we can give an accounting to these brothers who have sworn to follow us to the death!"
Just then, Guan Tie, one of the five centurions, strode over, followed by a white-haired old man with a slight limp.
The two entered the pavilion one after the other. Guan Tie clasped his fists and reported, "Prince, Uncle Fang has arrived."
The white-haired old man dropped to one knee and saluted, his voice trembling. "This humble one, Fang Ping, pays his respects to the Young Prince... No, to the Prince!"
"Uncle Fang, please, get up!" Shang Chaozong hurried forward and personally helped the old man to his feet with both hands.
The old man had once been one of Prince Ning Shang Jianbo's personal guards. Later, after being injured on the battlefield, he had retired because his legs were impaired and returned to his hometown, which was in this area.
Once he was standing, Lan Ruoting asked, "Fang Ping, did you prepare the means of crossing the river that I sent someone to ask you to prepare?"
Fang Ping shook his head with a face full of shame. "This humble one was useless. So far, I've only prepared a few Wood Rafts."
Lan Ruoting frowned. "Dozens of people, and after all these days you've only prepared a few Wood Rafts? What happened?" Back then, Shang Jianbo had arranged for some soldiers to retire in this area for a reason: they were meant to be available in case of emergencies.
Fang Ping sighed. "Mr. Lan, you may not know this, but after the governor of Guangyi Commandery, Feng Lingbo, amassed troops and acted independently, he clashed with the Imperial Court's army several times. The nearby villages inevitably became involved. On top of that, able-bodied men were forcibly conscripted. Half of our dozens of men died, while the other half were captured by Feng Lingbo's people. We don't know whether they're alive or dead. I'm the only one who escaped the calamity because I'm too old and my legs are crippled, so they didn't take an interest in me."
Lan Ruoting fell silent.
"So that's what happened! Uncle Fang, don't worry. You can't be blamed for this." After hearing him, Shang Chaozong offered a word of comfort, then pointed upstream along the Great River. "If I remember correctly, there's a bridge where the river narrows upstream. If all else fails, we'll take a longer route around."
"Prince, you may not know this," Lan Ruoting said with a bitter smile. "I've kept watch on every clash between Feng Lingbo and the Imperial Court's army. To guard against a sneak attack by the Imperial Court's forces, Feng Lingbo has taken control of all the boats along the river. He also destroyed every bridge over the river that could be used to cross. If we truly take the long way around, we'll have to detour at least eight hundred li. It would take us several days just to get around, and after crossing the river we'd still have to take another detour. It would cost more than it's worth. We might as well make Wood Rafts and cross the river!"
Shang Chaozong pondered briefly, then made a decisive choice. "Since that's the case, cut down trees at dawn!"
The matter was settled just like that. Guan Tie had only just escorted Fang Ping away to rest when Shang Shuqing arrived carrying a Guqin. Several people followed behind her, carrying food boxes.
Seeing her, Shang Chaozong could not help smiling. "Qing'er, it seems you're in an elegant mood."
Shang Shuqing shook her head. "Brother, I'm afraid those two are unwilling to open their hearts to us. On such a beautiful night, why not invite them over for a few drinks? Qing'er is willing to play the Guqin for everyone's enjoyment. Once they're in the mood, they might even be able to untie the knot in their hearts."
Shang Chaozong hesitated. "Have you play the Guqin for their entertainment? You're the County Princess, yet you're lowering yourself like this. Qing'er, aren't you placing too much importance on them?"
"Brother, treating worthy people with courtesy is nothing to be ashamed of," Shang Shuqing said. "Even if they aren't worthy men, after falling into our present state, what qualifications do we have to speak of lowering ourselves? We're merely warmly entertaining guests, which is only proper and costs us nothing. If they truly are worthy men, then all the better if we can gain their assistance. Brother, in our circumstances, we need not fear making more friends; what we should fear is having no friends. Even taking the most pessimistic view, parting on good terms and having one fewer enemy is still worthwhile. What do you think?"
Lan Ruoting secretly sighed in admiration. This County Princess was incomparably intelligent and possessed a breadth of heart that few men could match. What a pity she was a woman; otherwise, she would have achieved great things!
"It seems I was too narrow-minded. I've learned my lesson!" Shang Chaozong cupped his fists sincerely, looking every inch the student, which made Shang Shuqing giggle.
Shang Chaozong smiled as well, then turned and nodded at Lan Ruoting, signaling him to go invite them.
Unexpectedly, Shang Shuqing said, "Let's go invite them together. It will appear a little more sincere."
Shang Chaozong nodded. "Very well!"
Thus, Shang Shuqing arranged the Guqin and gave an order for the soldiers to set out the wine and dishes before heading there with Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting.
The three found the tent where Niu Youdao was resting. As they approached, Shang Chaozong, walking in front, suddenly halted. He felt something catch against his foot.
Before he could figure out what was happening, a figure flipped out from beneath the tent flap. Yuan Gang's sturdy body appeared without warning and blocked the entrance. A dagger was held in reverse behind his wrist, and he glared at the three of them like a tiger eyeing its prey.
Shang Shuqing and Lan Ruoting both noticed that something was wrong with Shang Chaozong. Following his gaze down, they discovered that his foot had caught on a thin thread.
The three exchanged glances. It turned out someone had silently laid a warning device in the shallow grass. The instant anyone approached the tent, the people inside would be alerted. Niu Youdao had not set up anything like this around the tent before; they had interacted with him earlier without noticing it. There was no need to say who had arranged this device. All three looked at Yuan Gang.
The interest in Shang Chaozong's eyes grew stronger. With so many subordinates watching, no one had noticed Yuan Gang quietly setting this up.
Seeing who they were, Yuan Gang's voice was as cold as his face. "What is it?"
"After traveling all this way, we haven't treated you as well as we should have," Shang Chaozong said. "It's rare to encounter such a beautiful night. We've prepared some wine and dishes by the river. We invite the mage and Brother Yuan to join us for a few drinks!"
"No need. The mage is already asleep," Yuan Gang said coldly.
The three were stunned. Just as they thought they had been given a cold reception, Niu Youdao's voice suddenly came from inside the tent. "Are there late-night snacks?"
The tent flap lifted, and Niu Youdao ducked out. He casually brushed back the horse-tail hair drooping over his shoulder, glanced at the three of them, his eyes flickering, then cheerfully added, "There really are late-night snacks?"
"Late... night snacks? Oh, yes, there are late-night snacks. They're in the pavilion by the river. We invite the mage to honor us with his presence!" Shang Chaozong extended an inviting hand.
Niu Youdao craned his neck and looked toward the pavilion by the river, then turned back to Yuan Gang. "Are you hungry? If not, go back to sleep." He then returned Shang Chaozong's courtesy. "Sorry for the trouble. Please!"
The group turned and left, while Yuan Gang slipped back into the tent.
Shang Chaozong and the other two thought Yuan Gang had really gone back to sleep. Unexpectedly, Yuan Gang soon flashed out again, now holding a Precious Sword—the sword Niu Youdao carried at his side. He did not say whether he was hungry. Without a word, he followed behind Niu Youdao, his gaze keeping a seemingly casual watch on the surroundings.
Once they reached the pavilion by the river, Niu Youdao wandered back and forth for a while before finally stopping at the railing. Looking at the bright moon and rippling river, he sighed with feeling. "It truly is a beautiful night!"
"Mage, please sit!" Shang Chaozong stood aside and warmly invited him to take a seat.
Niu Youdao sat down with a smile. Lan Ruoting also took a seat as company, while Yuan Gang showed no intention of sitting and instead stood behind Niu Youdao with his sword.
"Brother Yuan, please!" Shang Chaozong gestured with an inviting hand.
"I'm not hungry," Yuan Gang said coldly, showing not the slightest bit of courtesy and leaving Shang Chaozong somewhat awkward.
Niu Youdao helped smooth things over. "He's just like that—a stubborn-minded fellow who doesn't understand human relationships. I don't know how many times I've lectured him, but it's never done any good. Prince, don't trouble yourself over him."
P.S. Finger to finger, Monday—how about tossing me a few recommendation votes?
Before you continue