Chapter 756 The dead are brought back to life, but flesh and bones cannot be healed.

Xunyang City, Xunyang Ancient Ferry.

Inside a carriage, the curtain was slightly ajar, and Li Dalang was tightly covering Wei Anhui's mouth.

Both men held their breath, their eyes filled with shock and fear as they peered through the gap in the carriage curtain at the chaos outside.

Xunyang Ferry, which had been under the control of police and officials from the Municipal Trade Bureau and was being evacuated in an orderly manner, is now in complete chaos.

Li Dalang saw that the wooden building housing the Market Trade Office was engulfed in flames, with a column of black smoke shooting into the sky.

Amidst the glaring flames and acrid smoke, constables and officials from the Municipal Trade Bureau were fleeing in disarray. Passengers, who had initially expressed dissatisfaction with the sudden lockdown, were also scattering and running away. The sudden chaos left everyone in a state of panic.

The reason is the hundreds of unfamiliar figures that have appeared in Xunyang Ferry at this moment.

These unfamiliar figures were dressed uniformly, all wearing tight-fitting back armor on their upper bodies and short shirts and trousers on their lower bodies, carrying large, white swords. There were about three hundred of them, and their style resembled that of some kind of river pirates.

The dock far behind was extremely crowded, with a dozen or so unfamiliar official ships illegally moored haphazardly.

They must have disembarked from those official boats that had boarded the boats during the crossing.

Although three hundred people is not a large number, what is alarming is the strict discipline and unified action they subtly reveal.

At this moment, they advanced in an organized manner, cutting down all the officers and soldiers who dared to resist along the way, as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.

This kind of one-sided crushing was something Li Dalang had only ever seen when the imperial guards dealt with bandits and outlaws.

But now it's happening to these river pirates.

What terrified Li Dalang even more was that there were quite a few Qi cultivators among these river pirates... He knew Master Lu and Miss Xie, and knew the overwhelming power of Qi cultivators against individual soldiers, so he naturally recognized them at a glance... These Qi cultivator river pirates were agile and occasionally made attacks that no non-Qi cultivators could make, numbering no less than twenty.

However, although the entire Xunyang Ferry was in chaos.

However, the noble carriage where Wei Anhui and Li Dalang were located was not affected in the slightest.

Li Dalang saw that the eight tall maids left behind by Wei Wu were now standing guard in front of the carriage shaft, with their backs to them.

All the bandits passing by ignored the carriage shaft, walking past without glancing at it, taking no action to harm it. Some of the bandits even stopped and spontaneously guarded the princess's carriage shaft.

All these actions were perfectly synchronized, as if they had been pre-arranged.

Li Dalang and Wei Anhui, hiding behind the carriage curtain, were overwhelmed by the sights.

In the quiet carriage, Li Dalang couldn't help but turn his head to look at the delicate and frail Wei Anhui.

The latter blushed, speechless, and shook his head vigorously.

It seemed to imply that she was unaware of the situation.

Soon, the entire Xunyang Ferry was occupied and controlled by the river pirates. Smoke billowed from the city trade office building. Soldiers, clerks, and travelers either fled or died, leaving behind more than a dozen corpses, many of which were left from the trampling during the rout.

The three hundred river pirates who suddenly arrived did not seem very enthusiastic about killing government soldiers and civilians. After driving away the constables and occupying Xunyang Ferry, they did not pursue the enemy any further.

They gathered in the open space, lined up, and seemed to be counting heads... there was a hint of a race against time.

Wei Anhui's luxurious carriage was parked conspicuously on the messy, empty dock.

At this moment, two of the eight maids standing in front of the carriage stepped forward.

A tall maid went to meet and speak with several men dressed as pirate leaders. The maid had a cold face and a somewhat dissatisfied expression. She pointed towards the dock as if she were scolding them. The usually ruthless pirate leaders all fell silent and lowered their heads.

Another tall maid led the pirates to a cargo wagon not far away. Pointing at the wagon, she moved her lips and the pirates immediately boarded and began unloading and opening the boxes.

Li Dalang looked at the latter and examined it closely. He found that the cargo wagon seemed to be the one that Wei Wu had brought to the dock not long ago.

I didn't know what was inside before, but now I can see it clearly.

The pirates moved the large boxes from the wagon to the front of the luxurious carriage. When they opened them, they found neatly stacked strips of white cloth inside.

Eight tall maids picked up the white strips of cloth and distributed them to the pirates one by one.

The pirates who received the white cloth strip immediately put it on their foreheads.

Without uttering a word, the group worked in perfect unison. Soon, all three hundred-plus pirates had donned white cloth strips, and looking at them, they resembled a procession of people rushing to a funeral in the desolate wilderness, the white ribbons fluttering, eerie and terrifying.

In addition to covering Wei Anhui's mouth, Li Dalang also raised his remaining hand and covered his own mouth.

Out of the corner of her eye, Wei Anhui noticed that Li Dalang seemed to swallow hard.

Just then, a group of Xianbei guards arrived, each with a white cloth strip on their forehead, led by a man in a green robe.

Li Dalang recognized him as Wei Jin, the head of the guards who had previously tried to forcibly search Wei Anhui's carriage shaft.

Wei Jin approached the carriage shaft, and Li Dalang immediately leaned back, closing the curtain tightly, not daring to leave even a crack.

The eight tall maids, who had their backs to the carriage, couldn't see the gap, but Wei Jin was walking towards them. Out of caution, Li Dalang didn't dare to open it for a long look, and didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

If Wei Jin and these strange river pirates were to discover him, he would truly have no chance of escape. However, at this moment, he was more concerned about Yan Liulang.

He came to Xunyang Ferry with Yan Liulang. There was chaos at Xunyang Ferry just now, and I don't know if Liulang is alright...

Li Dalang's face was pale, and his hands were clenched into fists under his sleeves.

Suddenly, he felt a warmth on the back of his hand. Looking down, he saw Wei Anhui's small hand resting on it, gently stroking and comforting him.

Wei Anhui cast a comforting glance at Li Dalang, who nodded reluctantly.

However, Wei Jin's voice coming from outside immediately rekindled Li Dalang's spirits.

"Pah, what a damn bad luck! That constable chief got away, slipping away like an eel. I wonder if they were on guard beforehand..."

A hoarse voice, belonging to a bandit, rang out from the side:

"Never mind that. Master Wu said to follow the plan and strike at the heart of the enemy. Everything else is secondary. To accomplish great things, speed is key. Don't get distracted and miss the opportunity."

"OK!"

Wei Jin nodded resentfully.

A maid's voice, tinged with displeasure, said, "Wait, where's the princess's boat? It's still blocking the way."

Wei Jin chuckled somewhat sheepishly:

"I'm sorry, I was busy searching for Li Fusu and forgot to let the boat leave. As a result, the brothers' boats blocked the way. Please be patient. I will see the brothers off and then take some men to move the boat. Ladies, please calm down."

"Hurry up, don't disturb the princess."

Yes, yes, yes.

Wei Jin led his team away from the carriage, seemingly heading some distance with the pirate leaders. Li Dalang heard, in the distance, his own hesitant mutterings echoing:

"We haven't caught Li Fusu either. My men clearly saw him come in and head towards the princess. Could it be that he later met up with the head constable and ran away together?"

The bandit leader's hoarse voice rang out again:

"The monk may run away, but the temple will not. Lord Wu will seal off the city later. We'll search for people slowly. Let's go take care of important matters first and not delay any longer, in case someone runs back to report."

“Alright.” Wei Jin’s voice became decisive: “Brothers, please follow me. Fast horses and guides have been arranged outside… An informant reported a quarter of an hour ago that everyone in the Xunyang Prince’s Mansion except for the heir apparent, Li Fusu, is inside the manor. None of the carriages in the stables have been moved…”

Wei Jin and the pirate leaders walked away, and the sound of their conversation behind them could no longer be heard.

Li Dalang, who was eavesdropping, was in his throat.

These pirates must be from Hukou County. What are they up to? Weren't they planning to attack the Xunyang Grottoes and destroy the Donglin Buddha? Why are they making contact with the Wei family guards around Princess Anhui? They even mentioned the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, which means...

In an instant, a thousand thoughts rushed through Li Dalang's mind, and his mouth became dry.

"Oh no," he whispered.

Wei Anhui asked softly, "Are you alright?"

Li Dalang looked up, his eyes red, his expression anxious:

"I must go back immediately and inform my father."

Wei Anhui fell silent; she had heard what was being said outside.

Wei Anhui is not stupid.

Li Dalang couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Have you always known something?"

Wei Anhui shook her head, then nodded.

I grabbed his palm and wrote on it:

I'm scared.

Li Dalang retorted, "Then why did you hide me under your skirt? Weren't you afraid?"

Wei Anhui turned her head and whispered:

"Didn't you also go against the flow to find me and deliver the news for me, even though I didn't need it?"

Li Dalang frowned: "That's different. I'm bold, but you're different. You used to be like a white lotus flower, where did you get the courage?"

Wei Anhui said softly:

“A sister once told me something: “In this life, you will always meet someone who will make you go against the world’s will to protect you. Don’t ask why, there is no why.”

Li Dalang was stunned.

Wei Anhui's hand had been on the back of his hand since the beginning, and now she gripped it tighter.

“It’s too dangerous for you to go back now. You can come with me on the boat and wait until we reach Hukou County, where it will be safe before you leave, okay? As for our matter, I will ask my father when I get back. You should protect yourself first…”

Li Dalang immediately shook his head:

“We can talk about the future later. Right now, I need to go back. I can’t abandon my parents and younger sister. We came from Longcheng together, and we made a promise that no matter how far or how high we go, our family will always be together! And I believe in Tanlang. If things go according to plan, they should be safe for now. I’ll be able to meet them…”

Wei Anhui stared at him blankly.

Just then, the footsteps of a tall maid came from outside.

Wei Anhui immediately pressed down on Li Dalang's head, and the latter, realizing what was happening, crawled back under her skirt.

This time, he was more skilled at getting under the skirt.

Perhaps realizing this, Li Dalang blushed again, but he couldn't care less at the moment. He remembered that Zhu Lingxu, the governor of Hongzhou, had once run away in women's clothing. A real man shouldn't be ashamed. Besides, under such a long dress, women usually wear very modest undergarments, not bras.

"Princess?"

The tall maidservant approached the carriage curtain and tentatively called out.

Wei Anhui did not respond.

The tall maid then asked in a low voice, "Is the princess resting?"

Wei Anhui still did not answer.

He deliberately waited three breaths before lazily stretching and letting out a soft "hmm".

She propped her head up with her hand and asked as if she was still half asleep, "I was a little tired just now, what's wrong? Is the boat ready?"

As she spoke, she took the initiative to lift the carriage curtain.

The tall maid glanced at the little princess in the carriage, her face blank and her dress flowing, and nodded.

"Yes, we're already waiting at the dock, just waiting for you to arrive."

"Then let's go."

"Yes. But there is one more thing, Princess, please wear this."

"Isn't the mourning period over...?"

"It was left by Steward Wu. He asked me to give it to you before you boarded the ship. Steward Wu said that this was the King of Wei's instruction, and all members of the Wei family must wear this today."

"good."

Wei Anhui took the white cloth strip presented to her by the tall maid, glanced at it, and then put it on her forehead.

As the tall maid was about to leave, Wei Anhui suddenly spoke:

"etc."

"Does the princess have any further instructions?"

Wei Anhui covered her abdomen with her small hand, her face slightly flushed, and said:

"I have a stomachache and need to use the restroom before getting back on the boat. You guys drive the car to that grove of trees up ahead and move away. I hate being disturbed."

The tall maid nodded obediently:

"good."

The tall maid went to the back of the carriage to fetch a chamber pot, placed it inside the carriage, and then proactively lowered the carriage curtain.

As a princess, the interior of her carriage was very spacious, with a dedicated toilet area, and she would also carry a chamber pot with her.

Before long, Wei Anhui felt the luxurious carriage start moving again, slowly heading towards a lush forest not far away.

The carriage came to a stop, and the tall maids seemed to leave one after another.

Wei Anhui and Li Dalang under her skirt both heard the footsteps outside gradually fade away and then stop, leaving only the rustling sound of the river wind blowing through the treetops.

Wei Anhui did not immediately lift her skirt, but quietly reached out to take the chamber pot.

Li Dalang roughly guessed Wei Anhui's purpose for coming to the woods to relieve herself, and his face showed gratitude.

However, when he saw her reach for the chamber pot, he froze, too afraid to move.

Wei Anhui couldn't help but pat his head through her skirt, "Silly boy, what are you standing there for? Go on."

"oh oh."

Li Dalang hurriedly lifted the trailing skirt covering his head.

Wei Anhui lowered her head, took a porcelain bowl, poured in seven-tenths water, and handed it to him.

She then removed the white cloth strip from his forehead, gently placed it in his hand, and whispered her instructions:

"I'll use water instead of wine. I can't deliver it any further. Wear this; it might be a token given to you by Uncle Wu. If you encounter danger on the road, you can use it to deceive others..."

Just then, a faint noise came from outside.

Wei Anhui recoiled as if her fingers had been burned by the charcoal fire, sat up straight, and Li Dalang quickly pulled his head back and hid again.

He didn't have time to put down the bowl of water, so half of it spilled, wetting his skirt.

Then, with a "whoosh," the curtain was flung open by someone outside.

She was the tall maidservant from the previous conversation; there were three others standing beside her.

The four tall maids coldly glanced at the young princess sitting elegantly inside the carriage.

Wei Anhui's expression changed slightly. She turned her head and saw four other tall maids standing in the distance, looking in her direction.

Wei Anhui immediately realized that only four maids had left, while four others had stayed behind, deliberately hiding their movements outside!

Wei Anhui put on a stern face, pointed to the wet hem of her skirt, and feigned anger:

"I was using the toilet, what are you doing? You've made my skirt wet, I'm going to tell my father..."

The tall maids ignored her, not even glancing at her wet skirt. When they saw that the young princess was dressed neatly, they confiscated the chamber pot and silently made way for her.

Suddenly, a cold-faced man in a green robe appeared from the woods ahead.

It's Wei Jin.

They left and then returned.

Wei Jin, with one hand on his sword, came to the front of the carriage and stared coldly at Wei Anhui's wide, trailing skirt.

"I'll give you three breaths to get out of the princess's skirt, or you can leave with a whole body, but I'll cut off your eyes and chop off your head, and use you as my chamber pot. You are a noble lady of the Wei family, and your chastity must not be dishonored."

Wei Anhui's face turned deathly pale.

"don't want!"

Four tall maids stepped forward and restrained Wei Anhui, who was struggling and resisting.

"three……"

"two……"

There was no sound beneath Wei Anhui's skirt.

Wei Jin was too lazy to read any further, and with a disdainful sneer, he drew his sword with one hand.

Fiery red spiritual energy flowed from the back of his hand and into the blade, causing it to tremble and hum softly, like a bloodthirsty and gluttonous beast.

“Another useless person with the surname Li. Is this all the offspring of Emperor Taizong? They still need the protection of the noble lady Wei. The Li family deserves to perish... You all hold the princess down and don’t move her.”

Wei Jin raised his sword indifferently, its cold, piercing light shining through the gaps in the trees behind him.

"No, no, waaaaah..."

Wei Anhui was pulled and gagged by four maids. Her eyes reddened, and she resolutely bent down to block the knife.

Just then, a call to action suddenly came from under her skirt, and Li Dalang's voice sounded vaguely helpless:

"May the Heavenly Venerable of Boundless Salvation save all beings! Hey, Your Highness, you must not sneak under a young lady's skirt again next time! Remember, remember!"

The entire room fell silent.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone.

A young man with stubble, wearing a white cloth on his head, emerged from under his skirt, holding a bowl of water in one hand. He looked directly at all the "living beings".

(End of this chapter)