Chapter 41: Thunder and Clouds
Yun Yuan unloaded the carriage and horses in a deserted place deep in the forest, and rode at full speed all the way to the official post station.
It was already dark, and the servant on duty was very impatient to see a nun dare to enter the post station at night and wanted to drive her away. But when he saw the ring and pendant, his expression suddenly changed. He sent her to the official document room in the inner courtyard with polite words all the way. He whispered something to the post clerk in charge of the documents, invited her in, and went to wait outside.
The postman was skeptical, but respectfully asked Yun Yuan to show him the token. Yun Yuan handed over the pendant. The man examined it for a moment, then opened a box and brought a light. After comparing them for a long moment, he nodded slightly and took out a brocade letter from the box. He placed the pendant on top of it and respectfully handed it over with both hands.
When Yun Yuan tried to leave, she was stopped by the postmaster. He smiled respectfully and said, "Our superiors have instructed that this book cannot leave the post station. Besides, there are no lights for 20 or 30 miles here. Why don't you take a closer look here?"
Yun Yuan thought that since Feng Yanyuan hadn't explicitly stated what he wanted the letter for, she naturally had to follow the rules. So, she opened the letter in the candlelight.
This is a picture of the mountains and fields, with no words on it.
She studied it carefully for a long while, turning it over several times before she noticed something odd. The drawings were mostly painted with scattered ink, with both the peaks and the countryside streams laid out in discontinuous layers. Yet, a single, zigzagging, thin line ran the entire length of the painting. The brushstrokes were incredibly even, and even though the lines seemed to vary in thickness visually, a closer look revealed a consistent strength throughout, with no discernible difference in any single stroke.
Yun Yuan looked along the line carefully until he saw the slightly thicker dot at the end of the line. Only then did he roughly understand the intention of the picture. He then looked at the drawing around the line, took careful notes, and then returned the letter.
When the postman saw her off, a new horse was already ready at the door. The postman did not explain much, but just bowed respectfully again and went back.
The night road was dark and difficult to discern, but fortunately the old horse knew the way and galloped along. Though he didn't stop for a moment, it was only as daylight approached that he reached the end of the line on the map. Under the dark blue sky, amidst the misty valley, lay a house, its green bricks and tiles, shaded by verdant trees.
The door was half-closed, then opened with a gentle push. She stepped inside, only to find the yard untended and littered with fallen leaves. It didn't look like there were servants cleaning it daily. She couldn't help but wonder if anyone was inside. She hesitated for a moment, and just as she was about to go deeper, she felt a chill against her neck. A thin sword was pressing against it.
"Who?"
Yun Yuan didn't dare to move. Judging from the voice, it should be a young man. She took the ring and pendant out of her arms.
The man hesitated for a moment, finally put down his sword, walked in front of her, took the ring and examined it carefully.
Yun Yuan looked up. He was about Feng Yanyuan's age, over seven feet tall, and handsome. His attire, though a common knight's, was made of fine material, and the red jade on his scabbard was priceless. Yun Yuan also thought that even if the Feng family were incredibly wealthy, they couldn't possibly have such access to the post station's official documents department. She had a pretty good guess about this man's identity.
"Where is Zi Shang now? Why did you come?"
Yun Yuan was slightly startled. Zi Shang was the name Feng Yanyuan had received when he came of age this year. This was the first time she had heard him addressed that way.
"The young master was invited to the residence of the Yuzhou Governor. He asked me to take the ring and pendant and escape first."
"This bandit Liu Huai!" the man said angrily.
"Shidu, who are you?"
From the depths of the courtyard came the sound of an old man asking questions. His voice sounded like the whisper of someone in front of him, but no one was visible in the distance.
What kind of skill is this? Yun Yuan was so shocked that he broke out in a cold sweat.
"Master, here comes someone from Zishang..." The young man took a closer look at Yun Yuan and suddenly laughed, "Zishang's woman!"
He shouted, and the last few words echoed deafeningly in the valley, making Yun Yuan's ears burn. She hurriedly said, "My servant Yun Yuan is Master Yuan's maid."
"Oh." The young man responded casually, then laughed and shouted, "Zi Shang's woman is called Yun Yuan!"
Yun Yuan was so angry that she wanted to throw a punch.
"This girl must have traveled all night. Her face is pale and her body is weak. Go inside and rest quickly."
Yun Yuan was startled, then looked up to see the old man already standing behind the young man. His hair and beard were gray, and he was wearing a long gray robe that fluttered lightly. Fallen leaves fluttered under his feet. In this lonely mountain courtyard, he looked like an immortal from outer space.
Seeing her hesitation, the old man continued, "I am Yue Nancang, and this is the King of Changshan, who has some connections with the Third Young Master Feng. You don't have to worry. Go inside and rest for a while. Your young master will be fine."
Yun Yuan was surprised and happy when she heard this.
Although Yue Nancang had retired from the martial arts world for many years, he was still the undisputed supreme master of the martial arts world, not to mention the presence of a prince. Feng Yanyuan was sure he would be fine. She felt relieved—unexpectedly, the tension was released, and suddenly her vision went dark and she fainted.
When she woke up again, it was already past noon. She propped herself up and looked around the room where she had slept - there were men's clothes everywhere, and a rusty iron pestle stood by the table.
She stood up and pushed the door open. The courtyard was still quiet. Apart from a few houses and a cobblestone path, the rest of the flowers, plants and rocks were all natural and in harmony with the world.
The midday sun was bright. Yun Yuan spotted Yue Nancang from afar, standing beneath an ancient tree, practicing calligraphy on hemp paper on a low table with a seven-foot iron pestle. The thick shade cast a blanket over the old man, his hair and beard stained a vibrant green, his expression at ease and peaceful. The cicadas' chirping paused and resumed, adding to the tranquility and leisure of the courtyard.
The old man said, "Girl, you're awake now. Do you feel better?"
Yun Yuan replied, "I feel better now. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
"It's not a trouble, but I don't have any female relatives in my yard, so I can't take good care of you." The old man said this without looking back, but just wrote with a flying brush, filling the yellowed hemp paper with those mosquito-like small characters.
"The prince is not here?"
"He went to look for your son."
Yun Yuan looked at the iron pestle in the old man's hand and thought of Feng Yanyuan practicing calligraphy in the Tingyu Pavilion. She said, "Young Master Yuan also likes to practice calligraphy with an iron pestle like this."
The old man smiled slightly and said, "The house you woke up in was also where he lived when he was young."
Yun Yuan was startled. Just as she was about to ask more, she was suddenly alerted. She realized someone had been squatting in the treetops behind her. She looked at Yue Nancang, but saw that he was writing calmly without changing his expression. She didn't say much either, just standing there waiting for something to happen. She felt the scorching sun, and a trace of cold sweat seeped onto her forehead.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and a moment later, a figure descended from the treetops in front of the pavilion, as powerful as the wind and as light as a feather. This figure was a tall, lean man in yellow, his eyes like a cheetah's as he stared at the old man with his back to him, murderous intent like a powerful crossbow, ready to be released at any moment.
The old man did not turn around, and Yun Yuan did not say a word. The two of them were even quieter than the ancient tree next to them.
The man in yellow suddenly smiled and said, "Lei Zhentian and Yue Nancang are indeed worthy of their reputation. Even the maids around them are so calm. It really opens Feibao's eyes." After saying that, he saluted with his fists.
Yue Nancang then turned around and said with a smile: "So it's the Flying Leopard Hero."
"Fei Bao doesn't deserve the title of 'hero' that heroes would call him. He just makes a living by delivering messages with his little martial arts skills."
Yue Nancang smiled and said, "A gentleman loves money but earns it in a proper way. Feibao's lightness skills are among the best in the martial arts world. He can be invisible and go anywhere. Yet he neither steals nor spy on people for money. I admire him. If Feibao doesn't dare to bear the title of 'great hero', then there are few people in the martial arts world who can bear this title. But I don't know what business you have today that requires you to come here."
Feibao was moved when he heard this, but he also felt a little guilty for trespassing into the house. He smiled and said, "The sender said that he would deliver it to you personally, so I entered the house without permission. I hope you won't blame me." After that, he took out the envelope from his arms and presented it to him with both hands.
Yue Nancang looked at the letter, which was dazzled by the sunlight, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Does the hero know who sent this letter?"
"The person who sent the letter is unwilling to disclose it, so I will keep my mouth shut."
Yue Nancang nodded and said, "In that case, could you please open the letter for me?"
Fei Bao was slightly stunned and said, "The person who delivered the letter said that this is a confidential letter and must be opened by you personally..."
Yue Nancang looked at the letter and sighed, "The current situation is volatile, and rumors are everywhere. I have retired for many years and do not want to be involved in this. I believe I have no secrets, and I will not accept confidential letters." He held out a gold cake and said, "If you don't mind, this is a small gift to thank you for reading this letter."
Fei Bao was filled with emotion. He lowered his head to look at the letter, and after a moment, he said, "What a statement! No secrets! Lei Zhentian has always been known for his openness, and today I see that reputation truly lives up to that reputation. I am truly impressed." He sighed respectfully, and without further hesitation, he tore open the envelope with his bare hands. The thin page was completely empty. He turned it over and over, stunned, and suddenly his eyes turned bloodshot. He twitched violently and fell to the ground.
Yue Nancang frowned, looked at Fei Bao who was foaming at the mouth, and asked, "Who is the person who delivered the letter?"
Unfortunately, the flying leopard died before it even opened its mouth.
Yue Nancang shook his head and sighed, "Girl, hide for a while."
Yun Yuan was stunned when she heard this, and then she heard footsteps coming from outside the house. She turned around and hid in the shade of the jungle.
Yue Nancang looked up and saw four figures suddenly appear on the attic. In the blink of an eye, they fell from the air with swords in their hands.
Yun Yuan looked carefully at the four people from the bushes.
The purple-faced man's hilt resembled a leopard's tail, the red-faced man's like fish gills, the white-faced man's like a bird's beak, and finally, the green-faced man held a wasp-shaped dagger in each hand. These were the Ghost Head Gang's Four Dark Lords. Compared to the four evil spirits and robbers encountered at the Forget-Your-Sorrows Inn, the Four Dark Lords were killers, full of evil deeds and even more terrifying.
While Yun Yuan was trying to identify them, the four men had already pressed down, but Yue Nancang pushed up his palms, and thunder roared like thunder. The four men were instantly bounced away, but the five swords flew behind Yue Nancang one after another and stuck steadily into the ground.
The four of them were still breathing heavily.
The white-faced jade-haired man spat out blood, but chuckled and said, "It is said that Lei Zhentian's Thunder Boundless Palm is fatal on sight. It seems that Senior showed mercy."
Yue Nancang's eyes were cold as he said, "I wonder who commissioned the Four Blade Demons to take my life?"
"To die under Wuyin's palm is to have no regrets in this life!"
The purple-faced man roared, leaping to his feet. Simultaneously, the leopard-tailed, ghost-headed knife, stuck in the ground, raced toward Yue Nancang's neck. Yue Nancang tilted slightly, the knife's ghostly howl grazing across his cheek, then the next moment, it thrust back. It turned out the knife itself had a blade. Like a venomous snake's tail, it approached, only to stop an inch from the old man's nose. The old man remained expressionless. At that moment, the remaining four swords suddenly rose, charging towards Yue Nancang from all directions. A murderous look crossed the old man's face. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew, and the sword at his nose leaped out, swirling around him in an instant, blocking the incoming swords. There was a clang, a flash of sword light, and the four supreme swords were broken in two. Only the leopard-tailed, ghostly knife remained, landing safely at the old man's side.
The four men, desperate for their lives, saw the broken blade rise again, whistling towards them like a gust of wind and rain. At that moment, a furious shout rang out, "You are worthy of Master's attack!"
A white shadow rushed down with a deafening roar. In an instant, the grass and trees flew over, long swords were like rainbows, and the sound of swords clashing could be heard. After a few moves, there was a sudden calm. The four evil spirits were seen with their own precious swords stuck in their bodies, their eyes wide open, and they fell into a pool of blood.
Yue Nancang frowned and asked, "Shidu? Why... did you come back?"
"I heard on the way that someone was planning to assassinate Master, so I rode here at full speed."
Yue Nancang looked at the four men, sighed and said, "You shouldn't have been so ruthless. You should have left someone alive."
King Changshan suddenly knelt on one leg and said, "My disciple was reckless and acted in a moment of urgency. I hope Master will forgive me."
“Your Highness, you can’t do that!” Yue Nancang hurriedly stepped forward and leaned over to help him up, saying helplessly: “Forget it, whoever invited the Four Devils of the Ghost Blade Gang must have kept a backup plan…” Before Yue Nancang finished speaking, his arms suddenly shook, and he took three steps back, saying in shock: “You…”
Yun Yuan had already thought of it, but she stood there for a long time, not daring to say a word, and could only take a breath.
Prince Changshan stood up, and his handsome face suddenly became sinister and vicious.
"This poison is bloodthirsty. The more you use your internal energy, the faster your blood will be depleted. The power of this old man's thunder is only two palms away. Now that death is imminent, let's see how you can interfere with the alliance!"
He finished speaking when he suddenly heard an explosion behind him. He looked back in surprise, and then there was another explosion in front of him. Flames flew up and poisonous fog instantly blinded him. He could only close his eyes and hold his breath. When the poison dissipated, Yue Nancang had disappeared.
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