Chapter 614 These days, who isn't a female knight-errant at heart? [5k4, please vote!]
"Stay here and don't move. I'll buy some fruit and wait for me to come back."
"Sis, why are you acting so suspiciously when we're just going home? I could walk across Xunyang Ferry with my eyes closed! By the way, was that greasy little official peeking at us just now? If we didn't have an important mission to carry out, I would have given him a piece of my mind and gouged out his eyes."
"Shut up. Just wait."
"..."
In the morning, the sky was clear and the air was fresh, with blue skies and white clouds.
At Xunyang Ferry Terminal, a large ship was docked at the ferry crossing, disembarking a group of about a hundred passengers who took out their travel documents and passed through the terminal's inspection checkpoint.
After the inspection was completed, the passengers, under the supervision of the rather impatient ship clerk, left Xunyang Ferry and merged into the bustling riverside street of Xingzifang, filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares.
There are countless large boats like this, capable of carrying hundreds of passengers, docking at Xunyang Ferry every day.
Among the passengers landing at that moment, there were two rather handsome and eye-catching young men who stood on the side of the street whispering to each other and then separated temporarily.
One continued to stand on the street and wait, while the other went to a roadside stall to buy something.
Occasionally, passersby would glance at the person.
If the two "young masters" were examined closely, they would realize that they were actually women dressed as men.
This is quite normal among the young ladies and maids of wealthy families in the current Great Zhou Dynasty.
If women can enter the court and serve as officials, clean up the court and punish the officials for the Empress, what's wrong with the girls of the Great Zhou Dynasty changing their clothes and going out on the street?
It's perfectly acceptable to visit brothels.
The two graceful young men are probably sisters; upon closer inspection, they do look somewhat alike.
A young man dressed in a light pink and white brocade robe, his face not particularly handsome but still pleasant, with a slender figure, a white jade belt, and a folding fan in his hand.
The "pink-and-white young master" possesses a gentle and elegant demeanor, as serene as a chrysanthemum.
Another man was dressed in a light green brocade robe and carried a sword with a red tassel pendant.
With a mole on her small nose, her appearance and temperament were slightly inferior to the former, but this "young master in blue" was youthful and beautiful, well-developed, and had a more curvaceous figure, making her quite attractive to men.
Of the two women, the young man in pink and white should be a bit older, with the demeanor of a well-bred lady, gentle and calm, and appearing more composed.
The young man in blue, being younger, was more lively and chattering. He carried a sword and strode out with his long legs, circling around the young man in pink and white.
The young man in pink and white seemed used to it and didn't mind the noise. He picked topics and answered calmly.
From the moment she disembarked and stepped off the Xunyang Ferry, she led the way.
Right now, he instructed the young man in blue to stay where he was, while the young man in pink and white went to a street stall and stopped to buy something.
She seemed to ask the boss a few questions, pondered for a moment, lightly waved her folding fan, and turned back.
Carrying the fruit back to the original spot, they found no trace of the young man in blue.
The young man in pink and white looked around, frowning deeply.
She waited there for a short while, and then saw the young man in blue leisurely return from the street corner ahead. The young man in pink and white immediately stepped forward and gave her a flick on the forehead.
"Where did you go? Didn't I tell you to wait for me?"
Her chest heaved for a moment, and her tone was quite forceful.
"Ouch, sis, be gentle, you're going to knock someone silly."
Fang Shengnan covered her slightly red forehead, blinked, and quickly explained:
"My sister went to gather information, so I can't just do nothing. I remember there's a Yunshui Pavilion around the corner."
"This time we went out to broaden our horizons. I made friends with two female knights, and they told me that Yunshui Pavilion is located in various prefectures and counties of Jiangnan. The store is a mixed bag, with many people from all walks of life going there."
"The person behind the scenes is a formidable figure with a powerful background. Besides running a business selling songstresses, meals, and health-preserving tea, the shop also secretly engages in some underworld business of selling information, which requires code words..."
"Goodness, if I hadn't never noticed before, I would have thought it was just an ordinary restaurant. Sister, this trip was definitely worthwhile; we've truly entered the world of martial arts. You can't hit me on the head again. Anyway, I can't do this in front of others. Do you think this heroine doesn't care about her reputation? As Father would say, in the world of martial arts, the most important thing is your face."
"Are you done?"
Fang Juxiu listened quietly and then asked a question.
Fang Shengnan took a step back, her upper body, which was holding the sword, leaned back slightly, and said calmly, "I...I'm done talking."
Seeing her sister still staring at her expressionlessly, without saying a word, she saw the all-too-familiar death stare.
Fang Shengnan immediately used her ultimate move... to change the subject.
"Sis, when are we going to eat? I'm hungry," Fang Shengnan asked innocently.
Fang raised his sleeves and said in a calm tone:
Do you know how worried I was when I didn't see you just now?
After saying that, without waiting for Fang Shengnan to speak, Fang raised his sleeves and walked past her, heading towards the street ahead without looking back. He also tightly closed the folding fan in his hand and stopped fanning himself.
Fang Shengnan quietly stuck out her tongue and cautiously followed.
"Sis, where are we going now?"
Fang raised his sleeves and ignored them, looking straight ahead.
This time, Fang Shengnan followed her sister closely like a lackey, never leaving her side for a moment, chattering away.
The two walked down the street, one in front of the other.
Speaking of which, Fang Juxiu looks to be in her early twenties, while Fang Shengnan should be under twenty.
However, Fang Juxiu, as the older sister, is actually a little shorter and thinner than Fang Shengnan.
Fang Shengnan, who was taller and had a more voluptuous figure, obediently followed behind Fang Juxiu.
To the average passerby, the contrasting styles of these two sisters are quite striking.
"Sister, you just went shopping, did you find out anything...?"
“Sister, I’ve thought about it carefully, and you’re still the most intelligent and resourceful. We’ve just returned, so we really need to find out the situation in the city first. Asking these vendors and shopkeepers discreetly is the safest and risk-free way. After all, the government is cracking down hard in the city right now, so we can’t just run around like I did. I’ve reflected on this, and I’ll change my ways…”
"But speaking of which, where are we going, sister? How about we go to Yunshui Pavilion? I just paid them some money, and they gave me a small bronze token, telling me to go upstairs to drink some health tea and wait for news. They said they'd give me a reply within an hour."
Fang Juxiu suddenly stopped and turned around.
"What did you ask them to do? They told us everything about us?"
Fang Shengnan noticed that her sister's eyes were fixed on the small bronze pendant she took out of her sleeve, and her tone was somewhat serious when she asked her.
Fang Shengnan chuckled to herself. This was the way to deal with her older sister and get her to talk.
Her older sister, though somewhat artistic and gentle, is a rational person with stable emotions. In the words of her parents, she is too sensible. Whenever she has any negative emotions, she keeps them to herself and digests them alone... commonly known as sulking.
She is completely different from Fang Shengnan, who has a carefree and easygoing personality.
"Speak up, what are you grinning about?" Fang Juxiu asked, frowning.
Fang Shengnan came to her senses.
"How could I possibly reveal the identity of the young mistress I'm looking for? Sister, you don't trust me at all. How could you not have any sense of confidentiality? I'm not an eight-year-old child..."
Holding her sword, head held high, she proudly declared:
"Well, I just asked them to help me find a group of local thugs who are well-informed and active in the city, and I'll reward them with a lot of money."
"Don't we know some of her physical characteristics? We can try to find out more indirectly... What do you think? This is a good idea, isn't it? Maybe we can make a breakthrough on our first day in the city and find that young lady."
Fang Juxiu's expression returned to calm, and he pointed out incisively:
"Do you think she would be easily seen by these shady characters if she were really hiding in the city? You can keep asking them one by one, how long will it take?"
Fang Shengnan pointed to her rather thick lower lip with her index finger and whispered a suggestion:
"Then...then let's have them search for the image we gave us later. It's better to cast a wide net than to search aimlessly like headless flies."
Fang raised his sleeves, his face stern, and walked ahead without stopping.
A calm voice came through:
"I just inquired and found out that the situation in the city is not good. The Censorate and the Jiangzhou government are making a large-scale arrest of accomplices of the rebels. Many suspects' homes have already been searched and sealed off..."
"Do you think it's a safe and feasible approach for us to spread the word about that young master's appearance and characteristics so that the local bullies can help us find him?"
"Do you think those ruthless female officials in the Censorate wouldn't be keeping an eye on the movements of both the legitimate and criminal elements in the city? Wouldn't they notice our suspicious behavior?"
Fang Shengnan's expression suddenly changed after hearing this.
"Then... what should we do?"
Feeling deflated, she scratched her head, looking somewhat troubled.
"Sis, did I do something really stupid?"
What do you think?
“I think it’s incredibly stupid.” She lowered her head, her tone serious: “This isn’t something an excellent, calm, and wise female warrior should do.”
Fang Juxiu nodded: "I really wouldn't do something like that."
Fang Shengnan: ...
"How much silver did it cost?"
Fang raised his sleeves and turned around to ask.
Fang Shengnan took out her purse and tossed it around: "Don't worry, it's only ten taels of gold. At worst, I won't go."
"Huh?" Fang Juxiu took a deep breath, not really wanting to talk to that spendthrift woman.
Fang Shengnan craned her neck to look at the expression on the older sister's face in front of her, and comforted her:
"Hey, it doesn't matter. It's Daddy's private stash anyway. Our little purse is still there, enough for us to use for half a year. We just need to be careful with it... Okay, I'll be in charge of saving, and you can spend it, sister."
Fang raised his sleeve to his forehead.
"Speaking of which, I wonder if Father has noticed that his secret stash of money hidden in the attic study is missing. Hey, sister, why does Father always hide things in that corner on the left side of the attic study, the second to last one?"
"Why doesn't he set up some secret chambers or hidden rooms, filled with divine weapons, martial arts manuals, and the spoils of war left behind by his defeated enemies?"
"Hmm, those cheesy, artsy letters between me and my ex-lover in Yangzhou, they can be framed and hung up, right? It's a kind of nostalgic tale of love, a recollection of those glorious years."
"You tell me, how impressive this is! It perfectly matches Father's legendary reputation for his Iron Palm that cut through rivers and suppressed martial arts, earning him the utmost respect and reverence throughout the entire Tiannan Jianghu."
"Keep your voice down."
Fang, who was walking in front, raised his sleeves and said with a stern face.
Fang Shengnan chuckled and continued muttering in a low voice:
"Well, the main thing is that I know that attic very well now. When I was a kid, I secretly followed my father there for the first time and explored it in the middle of the night. It was really thrilling and exciting... My father was probably afraid that the traps and secret rooms would hurt us. In his old words, this is called the ultimate in martial arts, the simplest and truest, and it's also the place to hide your secret stash of money."
Fang raised his sleeve and ignored him, but Fang Shengnan changed the subject:
"By the way, sister, why don't we go home first when we return to Xunyang City this time? We can go to Father's attic study and replenish some 'supplies'."
Fang Juxiu then spoke, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, he said:
“We can’t go back. The atmosphere in Xunyang City right now…we must proceed with caution. The female officials of the Censorate are searching everywhere; they might just have found clues about that young mistress.”
Just then, the two walked into a deserted alley. She turned around and patted Fang Shengnan on the shoulder.
The latter noticed that her sister's tone was unusually serious and solemn:
"Shengnan, remember this, we came back this time at great risk. It wasn't just for sightseeing and visiting family. To use your favorite saying, once you enter this world, you become a member of the martial arts world. What happens in the martial arts world must be resolved in the martial arts world. We can't bring even the slightest danger back to our original home."
"If we hadn't had any contact with that place before this trip, and were only filled with longing, that would have been fine. But this time we went there with the Yunmeng Token to participate in a secret meeting, and even met the legendary Second Lady..."
"Right now, in the eyes of the imperial court, we're just accomplices of rebels in the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) of the south. If we're caught, we'll be beheaded... But the greater the risk, the greater the opportunity. If we don't seize this chance, our future will be the kind of ordinary life we can see from the beginning: marrying someone we don't love, being a good wife and mother, dealing with the mundane realities of life, and our passion gradually cooling down... just like those cousins in my family? Boredom is more terrifying than death, do you understand?"
"I know, sis!"
Fang Shengnan clenched her fist fiercely:
"Nobody's going to let me breastfeed this brat! I even got pissed on in public by the brat. Only my cousin could put up with that."
"Um."
Fang Juxiu looked thoughtful, then gave a casual reply, as if he was planning something.
After thinking for a moment, Fang Shengnan hummed again:
"However, if some female official from the Censorate is blind, or if that little prefect named Ouyang Lianghan really dares to cause trouble for our family and force Father to come out of seclusion, wouldn't Father kill them with a single palm strike? Hey, at that time, Father's affairs will be impossible to hide. Do you think Mother will regret being so strict with Father before, and feel that she spoke too loudly to him in the past?"
Fang Juxiu couldn't help but glance at Fang Shengnan, whose face was filled with longing. Not knowing how to reply, she simply nodded.
"Yes, yes. But we shouldn't bring the fire into the house unless absolutely necessary."
“I know.” Fang Shengnan nodded, then said with a hint of envy, “Sister, we really broadened our horizons on this trip and met so many important people. By the way, is our Yunmeng Token a little special? I noticed that the people’s attitude towards us seemed a little different from others… We learned a lot this time. I really want to go back now and talk to Father about it. No, I have to hold back for now.”
"It's definitely different. They know the person behind this Yunmeng Token, and they know that we are the nephews and juniors of that senior. After all, we also delivered the secret letter on behalf of that senior, and the secret letter should have mentioned us, which is why Yunmeng Jianze trusts us a little..."
"Sister, Father took you to see that senior. What does he look like? Is he also in Xunyang City?"
Fang shook his head, raising his sleeves, and remained silent.
Fang Shengnan's face lit up with anticipation:
"Father is able to know that senior, which shows that Father is indeed a man of great talent, even if he is rather low-key..."
"By the way, sister, that second lady seems to have a good impression of you. She came over for a while, and there were about ten of us in the hall. She only said one sentence to you, but not a single word to me. Hmm, I guess she thinks I'm unreliable, even though she misjudged me."
"But I still envy you, sister, for being noticed by the Second Lady. I noticed that the other Yue women also glanced at you a few more times. If you were to join Yunmeng Sword Marsh, it shouldn't be too difficult for you."
"Perhaps."
"It's not a possibility, it's a certainty."
Fang Shengnan lowered her head slightly, her tone inexplicably downcast:
"I know that my sister has come back this time with the idea of getting a Yunmeng Token for me, and wants us to enter the Sword Swamp together and become Yue Nu."
"One Yunmeng Token can grant one person a chance to enter, but after careful screening, it's not as simple as just having one Yunmeng Token to get in... Although I'm sure I can do it, I'm just missing a Yunmeng Token, even the most ordinary one would be fine. It's not easy to come across such a good opportunity; in the past, tokens were extremely hard to come by."
Fang raised his sleeves and nodded, then shook his head.
She took a bronze dagger from her sleeve and stared at it.
This bronze short sword seemed somewhat different from the others; the number of claws carved on it was different, and its style appeared more dignified and antique...
"I have to follow the rules too. Relying on the favor of the two ladies is just a case of a fox borrowing the tiger's power. I will be despised even if I go in."
"As for this Yunmeng Token, we cannot use it. The fact that the senior agreed to lend it to us, allowing us to deliver the message and attend this secret meeting in Tiannan Jianghu, is already a great favor. We must return this Yunmeng Token when we return."
"However, we have managed to seize this opportunity, which is a pleasant surprise."
"Shengnan, remember, we have to fight for what we want, honestly and uprightly. That way, even if Father and Mother object in the future, they will at least look at us with a little more respect and know that we are not children anymore."
"If we can find traces of that young mistress when we return to Xunyang City this time, we will be able to obtain our own Yunmeng Token and gain the opportunity to enter Jianze."
"So, Shengnan, this time I'm not just fighting for you, but also for myself."
"I see."
Fang Shengnan nodded vigorously.
Fang Juxiu let out a breath, gazing towards the Shuangfengjian Xunyang Grottoes in the distance, and muttered to himself:
"This is a rare opportunity. We happen to be locals of Xunyang City and are also returning the Yunmeng Token. However, even with that senior's letter, Jianze still tested us for a long time before revealing this matter and telling us about that young master's appearance... This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we cannot miss."
"Okay, okay."
Fang Shengnan clenched her fists, her small face serious as she said:
"Sister, who do you think this young lady is? Could she be a female ruler? But she's both mute and blind, how can someone like that be a female ruler?"
Fang raised his sleeves and lowered his head, then suddenly said, "Yes, and she is... a virgin."
Fang Shengnan was taken aback, then said incredulously:
"How is that possible? Yue Chuzi is the successor of Yuanjun, a mythical figure. How could she be both mute and blind... Sister, you must be joking."
She shook her head as she spoke, giving me a look that said, "Sister, don't make fun of me."
But Fang raised his sleeve and uttered a light, airy sentence that froze her in place, like a spell.
"I've seen this young lady with that Second Lady in white. The Second Lady calls her... Junior Sister. As everyone knows, Yue Chuzi is the youngest among the current generation of female rulers."
Fang Shengnan stared in disbelief: "When did you see them, sister?"
Fang Juxiu narrowed his eyes: "When I went to see that senior with Father... the Second Lady and this blind and mute young lady happened to be there at the time. It was just a brief encounter. At the time, I just felt that they were no ordinary people, but I never expected that they were the legendary Yunmeng Yue Maidens. Aren't you envious that the Second Lady spoke to me alone? Actually, I think it was the Second Lady who recognized me."
"I see!" Fang Shengnan exclaimed in astonishment.
Fang Juxiu calmly analyzed:
"After the collapse of the Buddha statue in Xingzifang, I didn't expect Yue Chuzi to still be in Xunyang City. But it's not surprising, since that senior is alright too... After the senior gave the letter to Yunmeng Jianze, Jianze immediately entrusted us to come back and search for Yue Chuzi's whereabouts... Of course, they probably don't know that I recognized Yue Chuzi... But this also suggests that the senior's letter may have mentioned Yue Chuzi. I wonder if that's why Yunmeng Jianze was certain that Yue Chuzi was in the city, and thus entrusted us to find her..."
Her brows furrowed, and she murmured:
"However, Yunmeng Jianze definitely didn't just entrust us with the task; he will probably arrange for other capable people to come and find us. We are more like an extra."
"The key question is what exactly this senior said in the letter, and whether this senior knew Yue Chuzi's general whereabouts..."
"So I was thinking, should we go find this senior first, return the Yunmeng Token, and then ask about Yue Chuzi? It would be better than being like this, like headless flies."
"Okay, okay! I'll do whatever you say, sister."
Fang Shengnan was excited and full of fighting spirit, hugging the long sword in her arms tightly:
"This is a virgin from Yue! If we find her and bring her back, wouldn't that be incredibly impressive? It would be a great achievement!"
Before Fang could raise his sleeve and speak.
"Gurgle, gurgle..."
A rumbling sound came from a stomach, echoing throughout the alley.
The atmosphere fell silent.
Fang Shengnan blushed deeply.
Fang chuckled and waved his hand.
"Never mind, let's go."
Where are we going?
“You’ve already spent money to go to Yunshui Pavilion. Even if the information there is useless, we still have to have a meal.”
"Alright, alright, let's also have some of that health-preserving tea. I heard those young heroes mention it in secret. I wonder what it tastes like that they can't stop talking about. Could it be some kind of martial arts specialty..."
Fang Shengnan muttered to herself in confusion, following Fang Juxiu out of the alley...
Fifteen minutes later, at the bustling entrance of Yunshui Pavilion.
Two figures, one in light green and the other in light pink and white, blended in.
...
——————
(PS: My good brothers, there's no double bonus at the end of the month, cough cough, no need to save it.)
I'm begging for a bunch of monthly votes, sob sob sob!! (or 2)
(End of this chapter)
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