Chapter 220: The Scenery at the Bottom of the Cliff is Beautiful!
As Master Huirong said, the scenery below the cliff was quite beautiful, and Zhou Mujiao gave it a positive review after seeing it.
As for how much money Lu Caizhu was muttering about how much he had spent to maintain the scenery, Zhou Mujiao had no interest in knowing.
After crossing the cable car and walking on the path paved with trees, Zhou Mujiao had mixed feelings. Half of her feelings were admiration for Zhao Yunjing, who was about to meet her, and the other half was an indescribable sense of oppression. The closer she got to her destination, the stronger this sense of oppression became, almost making her feel suffocated.
The last time she felt this way was when she had just transmigrated and was being chased by a dozen villagers. She never expected that after so many years, this suffocating feeling would come back.
Young Master Chen raised his hand several times before finally reaching out and patting it lightly a few times: "Don't worry, I don't think the other party has any ill intentions towards us. Perhaps he can even profit from us."
Zhou Mujiao nodded and took a deep breath.
At the end of the tree path was a very realistic artificial tree made of stones. The mechanism was underfoot, and the path down was inside the tree. They walked down through this artificial tree for quite a long time in the dim light, winding and turning until they could no longer tell which way to go.
One thing is certain: they are going further and further down, and even people with a terrible sense of direction can feel it from the temperature difference.
Finally, Master Huirong stopped and said, "We've arrived."
A clicking sound rang out, and soon the view opened up before us.
What is a paradise on earth?
That's it.
Flowers bloom in front of me, and in the distance there are fishponds, rice paddies, stilted houses, and ordinary wooden houses. Birds fly overhead, and further up, the sky is shrouded in mist.
“At the foot of Nanshan Mountain, the scenery is indeed beautiful,” Zhou Mujiao said confidently, and even recited a line of poetry, “Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, I quietly see Nanshan Mountain.”
Hui Rong was at a loss for words.
That's right, this is indeed at the foot of Nanshan Mountain, called Nanshan Village. A hundred years ago, this was a relatively lively place. Later, something happened and the village was completely deserted. After a hundred years of sedimentation, Nanshan Village has formed the natural scenery it has today.
They looked like they had walked for a long time, going through tree-lined paths and cable cars, and getting completely disoriented in the tunnels, but in reality they had not left the Nanshan area. Those paths were just meant to mislead others.
There is a thick miasma outside Nanshan Village, which ordinary people cannot enter. If someone with knowledge accidentally wanders in, they will try their best to keep them for their own use. If they are really unwilling, there is nothing that can be done but let them leave on their own. As for whether they can get out, that depends on their luck. However, over the years, no one has been able to leave that miasma forest alive.
Zhou Mujiao looked around, pointed to the rightmost direction where a corner of a white roof was visible, and turned to Master Huirong: "Master, the scenery here is so beautiful, I'm afraid I'll have to stay a few more days. I'll stay in that house. You'll have to prepare a few guest rooms later."
Hui had been patient the whole way, but now that they were almost at their destination, she couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "How did you know it was that house?"
"No problem, they usually show themselves openly and honestly. But that corner of the roof, which is covered up, looks like it was specially used to guide the way."
Hui Rong had nothing to say, but glared at Lu the Rich Man. Lu the Rich Man was silent for a while, then said, "This is what the man surnamed Lin said to do."
“When I suggested doing it this way, you didn’t object at the time, and you were quick to hand over the money.”
"That was my misjudgment. I thought you were a genius, but I didn't expect you to be so. I've become the biggest victim of this."
"How can something that's consensual be called a miscarriage of justice? It's clearly—"
"Alright, stop arguing." Hui Rong was exhausted. "Madam Zhao, please rest assured, that house has enough rooms to accommodate all of you."
"Master, please lead the way."
From the angle they had just seen, they only saw a corner of the pointed roof and assumed the house was small. They thought Master Huirong's claim of having enough rooms was just an exaggeration. But just around the corner, they saw a grand and magnificent mansion. The pointed corner they had seen was only a corner of the gatehouse.
The mansion looks old, with its blue bricks and black tiles giving it a distinctive feel. When you get there, you are immediately struck by its profound sense of history. It doesn't feel oppressive; instead, it makes you feel like it's eager to unveil itself for people to see.
Zhou Mujiao only glanced at her before the gate of the mansion opened, and a woman in her fifties stared at Zhou Mujiao: "You must be Madam Zhao?"
"yes."
"Master and Lord Zhao have been waiting for a long time. Madam Zhao, please come inside with me." The woman paused and looked at Huirong. "Old monk, take the other guests to another room. We will open the main door to welcome them after Master and Lord Zhao have finished their business."
Hui Rong naturally had no objections; he obeyed his master's every command, however...
Young Master Chen and Xie Jiang squeezed into the room, pushing the woman aside. Hui Rong stared in disbelief: "Esteemed benefactors—"
“What kind of benefactor am I? I am an official of the Liang Dynasty, surnamed Chen. You should call me Lord Chen, old monk.”
Xie Jiang put on airs: "I am from the Duke of Dingguo's mansion. Zhao Yunjing, as an official of the court, is colluding with rebels. Since I am paid by the emperor, I will naturally help the emperor. I have come here to capture Zhao Yunjing and bring him back to the capital to report."
Hui Rong's expression was indescribable, while Lu Caizhu mumbled something, cursed the corrupt official, and was kicked by both Young Master Chen and Xie Jiang.
The main gate was wide open, and Xie Jiang and Young Master Chen escorted Zhou Mujiao into the house, one on each side.
In the main hall of the house, an old man with white eyebrows listened to the report from his subordinates and nodded to the young man opposite him: "You win. You and your wife are indeed of one mind."
"It's not that I have a special connection with you, Madam, but rather that my wife is so intelligent that I can't possibly match her. This little trick might fool others, but it won't fool her."
"I originally thought that any woman would be thrown into chaos, crying and helpless, after her husband had fallen into the water and disappeared for several days without any news. But your wife is different from ordinary women. Her ability to calmly deal with the situation and her wisdom are comparable to those of a general on the battlefield. Now that even a woman in Daliang is so capable, their plan has no chance of succeeding," the white-browed old man said objectively.
Zhao Yunjing poured the other party a cup of tea and smiled: "Them? I thought that Master Huirong and the others were acting under your orders."
"I'm already halfway to the grave, so I've long since lost interest in fame and fortune. Now, all I want to do is use my old face to delay as long as I can while I'm still alive. If I really can't delay any longer, then there's nothing I can do. I'll do everything in my power to collect their bodies."
"I've drunk so many cups of tea, but I still haven't asked the old man his name."
"Names and wealth are external things, they're no longer important!"
Zhao Yunjing continued, "My wife often says that there is a connection between people. One way is because of blood ties that they become family, and another way is because of eye contact that they feel close to each other. The old man has a kind face and a gentle appearance, and from certain angles, he does resemble my wife somewhat."
The white-browed old man seemed intrigued: "Oh?"
"My wife's name is Zhou Mujiao, and her mother's name is Li Luo."
The teacup in the white-browed old man's hand clattered to the ground.
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