Chapter 783 Even cats and dogs can come and disarm me?
Zhang Shixiu was not used to the scenery of Xunyang.
The surrounding environment is low in humidity.
No wonder the food in Xunyang is so spicy.
This is the experience Zhang Shixiu summarized after staying at this mountain villa for a few days.
As a Taoist priest of the Longhu Mountain lineage, known as the "Nobleman of Yellow and Purple," he lived on the mountain for a long time, and even when he was out traveling, he would try to spend the night in a thatched hut on the mountain.
But this time is different.
Zhang Shixiu only remembered that it was three days ago, in the dead of night, when the boat docked at a wild ferry. It seemed that someone was there to meet him, and he was then taken to this mountain villa by the Great Queen and settled down.
Although it's called a mountain resort, it's actually located in a mountain area, not very high up, and quite humid.
The villa covers a considerable area, but it is located in the middle of nowhere and is quite far from the city. However, the owner must be a local powerful family to be able to occupy such a large house in such a place.
In addition, the people in the manor all spoke with a Xunyang accent, which made Zhang Shixiu realize that he had arrived in Xunyang, Jiangzhou, with the Great Queen.
As for why he was familiar with the Xunyang accent... well, it's because a certain junior brother Lu from Shangqing recently took on a disciple on behalf of his master and brought a junior sister up the mountain, who turned out to be a girl from Xunyang.
Moreover, this junior sister's personality was deeply loved by all the senior uncles and senior brothers and sisters, including Zhang Shixiu...
Zhang Shixiu learned from snippets of conversation by servants that the owner of the manor seemed to be surnamed Fang.
The manor's owner seemed to be a middle-aged man with a square and resolute face. Zhang Shixiu met him next to the Empress Dowager, but every time they met, a melancholy and sorrowful look permeated the man's brows.
This was somewhat different from the warm welcome and respectful attitude of the hosts in the previous places where I stayed.
However, Zhang Shixiu could understand.
With the imperial edict restricting Yue women, harboring rebels from the southern Jianghu led by Yue women was a capital offense, punishable by death and the extermination of the entire clan. Moreover, this was happening near Xunyang City, practically under the noses of the Imperial Observatory and the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
Zhang Shixiu was already somewhat impressed that Yunmeng Jianze could find a place to hide and settle down so close to Xunyang City.
It seems that the head of the Fang family also has some helplessness, but Zhang Shixiu doesn't care about these things.
He only cared about two things:
When will the First Lady make her move, and... what's the situation at the Xunyang Prince's Mansion?
Zhang Shixiu accepted the Yunmeng Order in his personal capacity, and according to the rules of the Tiannan Jianghu, he was to follow Jianze's lead.
However, for some reason, there weren't many people accompanying the Great Queen this time. None of the Yue women who accompanied Yunmeng Sword Swamp were there. Apart from him, there was only Mr. Wei and an ordinary-looking young man surnamed Du.
There were only three people.
Zhang Shixiu was somewhat puzzled.
He remembered that dozens of Yunmeng Tokens had been issued at various levels, so why were there so few people?
Because of the presence of the Empress Dowager, Zhang Shixiu was unable to leave the Fang Family Manor. However, the taciturn and uninteresting Empress Dowager did not restrict his movements within the manor.
Therefore, Zhang Shixiu could only learn about the outside world through some newcomers to the village.
Especially today, new people have been arriving at Fangjia Mountain Villa since this morning.
There were monks, merchants, and even laborers dressed in prison garb.
One of the taciturn middle-aged Zen masters slightly attracted Zhang Shixiu's attention. This monk seemed to be practicing the silent Zen style, and he would point a finger at everything.
Zhang Shixiu dared not underestimate him, because he noticed that this monk also seemed to be carrying a Yunmeng Token, and his rank was the same as Zhang's.
These people seem to have been brought back from outside by the Second Lady.
From their few words, we can infer that Xunyang City is nearby, and the Xunyang Grottoes and Donglin Buddha are not far away.
Zhang Shixiu became somewhat serious.
But some confusion still lingered in my heart.
Even with the addition of the two women, Junyu Nianyuan, and the newcomers including this Zen Buddhist monk, their manpower for "destroying the Donglin Buddha" was still too small.
Are all the others too afraid to come, fearing the imperial court's restrictions?
So how can this trip achieve the domineering boast that the Great Queen made in front of him last time: "to crush the enemy and regain face"?
Surely it's not like I'm contradicting myself.
Regardless of the possibility, Zhang Shixiu was deeply worried.
At the second quarter of noon, Zhang Shixiu, who was sitting restlessly in his secluded room, received a message from the eldest daughter of the Fang family, delivered by a servant of the Fang family.
Let's meet at the library.
Zhang Shixiu immediately got up, slung his sword over his shoulder, and went out.
The library is located at the innermost part of Fang Family Manor, in a secluded location, and these days it has become an absolutely forbidden area within the manor.
Zhang Shixiu arrived at the library and, with the Fang family head seeing him off, went upstairs.
He glanced back and saw that the head of the Fang family looked somewhat melancholy.
Yesterday, Zhang Shixiu saw that the head of the Fang family seemed to be arguing with his wife, and the topic seemed to be their two daughters.
Zhang Shixiu guessed that it might be related to his two daughters becoming Yue women in Jianze... Every family has its own troubles.
Zhang Shixiu withdrew his gaze and went to a warm pavilion on the top floor of the library.
The warm pavilion, which was originally used for reading in winter, has been emptied out. The rows of bookshelves have been removed, and now only a huge sand table remains in the center of the pavilion.
Besides the sand table, two people had already arrived in the warm pavilion.
Mr. Wei and the young man surnamed Du.
Zhang Shixiu looked around but did not see Xue Zhongzhu or Yu Nianyuan.
I didn't see the middle-aged Zen master either.
The long scroll that the young man surnamed Du always kept with him also disappeared.
"Where is the First Lady?"
Zhang Shixiu asked Wei Shaoqi.
The latter smiled, shook his head, and closed his eyes to rest.
Du Shuqing stared straight at the sand table in the middle, ignoring him.
Zhang Shixiu's gaze fell on the sand table.
The sand table was extremely detailed, depicting the terrain of Xunyang City. Even someone like him, a layman in the military, could understand it at a glance, demonstrating the skill of the illustrator.
Zhang Shixiu looked at it for a while and noticed something special. Three locations on the sand table were highlighted.
One is Shuangfengjian, the location of Xunyang Grottoes.
One of them is Xunyang City.
There is another sign that reads "Fang Family in the City," which, if I'm not mistaken, is the Fang Family Manor where they are currently staying.
With the sand table providing a clear view, Zhang Shixiu made a rough estimate of the distance.
The Fang Family Manor where they lived was about sixty li (approximately 30 kilometers) from Xunyang City as the crow flies. And about... a hundred li (approximately 50 kilometers) from Shuangfengjian.
As the three of them waited, each with their own thoughts.
Wei Shaoqi suddenly got up, walked to the window, and opened the window.
This window faces northwest, which seems to be roughly the direction of Xunyang City and Xunyang Grottoes.
Zhang Shixiu was surprised to find beams of light appearing in the sky above, and he had no idea what was happening.
Beside the sand table, Du Shuqing turned her head and saw the scene outside the window, then looked up at the top of her head, which showed no unusual signs.
Du Shuqing and Wei Shaoqi exchanged a glance and nodded to each other.
The former looked at the latter with a hint of admiration.
Wei Shaoqi smiled calmly.
Zhang Shixiu was somewhat puzzled. After a moment, he glanced at the time, then at the still silent stairwell, and asked, perplexed:
"Just us?"
Before Wei and Du could answer, a discreet, tightly closed small door on the east side of the warm pavilion suddenly opened.
A tall, blonde, waist-length oriental woman emerged from among them.
She stepped out, gripping her snow-white longsword tightly, her expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
Before the unassuming, tightly closed door was opened, Zhang Shixiu had no idea that anyone was inside. It wasn't until Xue Zhongzhu slammed the door open that he realized what was happening.
At this moment, the aftershocks of the snow-white sword energy continuously overflowed from inside the door.
Zhang Shixiu couldn't help but glance at the small room, wondering what the Empress had been doing inside. Such a commotion hadn't been revealed at all, clearly indicating some kind of secret matter.
Wei Shaoqi was the first to ask in a gentle voice:
"Your Majesty, how is the matter progressing?"
Xuezhongzhu ignored him, and didn't even bother to look at Zhang Shixiu's figure that had appeared in the warm pavilion.
Her face was tense, as if she had encountered something serious. After leaving the room, she paced around the desk in the warm pavilion several times, seemingly deep in thought.
However, judging from the queen's hurried steps, she must be in a very bad mood, and her mind may even be somewhat... flustered.
It's unclear what happened that could cause this great queen to be so distraught.
Wei Shaoqi and Du Shuqing exchanged a glance, their expressions immediately turning serious.
Perhaps sensing that Wei and Du had misunderstood, Xue Zhongzhu suddenly turned around and waved his hand at them in an annoyed manner:
"It's not related to important matters, but it went relatively smoothly. The Insect Girl has already gone and will be back soon. The plan is proceeding as scheduled."
Du Shuqing breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Wei Shaoqi's expression calmed down; since it didn't concern him, he didn't ask any more questions.
Zhang Shixiu asked, "What difficulties has the Eldest Lady encountered? You can tell us about them."
I assumed that, given Xue Zhongzhu's temperament, she would still ignore me. But to my surprise, this blonde queen suddenly turned around and asked:
"Among the Three Pure Ones, Yuqing Pavilion and Zaoshan are renowned for their unparalleled medical skills?"
Zhang Shixiu pondered for a moment, then modestly replied, "I dare not accept such praise; I am among the best in the world..."
Xuezhongzhu impatiently interrupted, asking, "There's a Taoist priest from Zhongnan Mountain surnamed Sun who claims every day that in terms of medical skills, even your Sanqing Pavilion and Zaoshan are not worthy to carry his shoes. Is that true or false?"
Zhang Shixiu was taken aback: "Surname Sun? A Taoist priest from the Northern School of Zhongnan Mountain? Who is this person?"
Seeing his confused tone, Xue Zhongzhu didn't ask any more questions.
"Wait a moment."
Xuezhongzhu strode out the door and went downstairs.
Zhang Shixiu waited patiently for two incense sticks to burn before he heard some faint noises coming from downstairs.
His ears were quite sharp; he heard what sounded like a group of unfamiliar footsteps approaching the library, hurrying along, though he couldn't tell what their urgent business was. However, most of these footsteps stopped when they reached the bottom of the stairs, leaving only two sets of footsteps going upstairs alone.
Zhang Shixiu recognized both footsteps; one belonged to Xue Zhongzhu, and the other to the two women, Jun Yu Nianyuan.
They were going upstairs, talking as they walked.
Upon discovering that it was Yu Nianyuan who had returned, Zhang Shixiu breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Compared to the fiery and impulsive First Queen, the Second Queen, who was gentle, kind, and well-educated, was much easier to talk to.
Zhang Shizheng sat upright, ready to wait for them to enter the room.
However, they found that the two women stopped their footsteps on the stairs. They did not go up to the warm pavilion on the top floor, but stopped on a certain floor in the middle and then went into the room on that floor.
Along the way, intermittent conversations could be heard.
"Senior Sister, as you ordered, Junior Sister has been brought back. She's still unconscious... We've given her a Soul-Stabilizing Pill... But we still have to hand her over to Old Daoist Sun and head back immediately... Senior Sister, this situation is unheard of... That sword hasn't shown any unusual activity for many years..."
It was Yu Nianyuan's voice, his tone somewhat serious.
"By the way, Senior Sister, there's something else, something very strange and bizarre."
"explain."
Yu Nianyuan's voice seemed to hesitate for a moment.
"It's about Junior Sister's virgin husband... Even Senior Sister might not expect this... That virgin husband asked Junior Sister to relay a message to us..."
"Him? He's delivering a message to us?"
"Yeah, I didn't expect it either, and I certainly didn't expect him to admit to another identity..."
Yu Nianyuan's words came out in fits and starts. As he spoke, the two women seemed to have entered a room downstairs, and their voices were cut off.
Zhang Shixiu regained his composure, picked up his teacup and took a sip. In truth, he hadn't understood what the two women were talking about.
Just when everyone thought there wouldn't be any more sounds coming from downstairs, a loud, cold laugh suddenly erupted from downstairs, slamming a door shut and echoing throughout the entire building:
"What a joke! He's the master of Butterfly Love Flower? Then even a stray cat or dog on the street could disarm me. Are you trying to scare us with the same tactics those corrupt officials use to frighten commoners? If you have the guts, bring him here in person. Why are you running away with the Prince's Mansion? First, scare us, then trick Xiao Qi into leaving with you. Go far away to Luoyang, and you won't need to verify anything."
It was Xue Zhongzhu's voice; her elegant speech was somewhat stiff and unfamiliar, ending with a cold laugh:
"Heh, it's fine if he's spineless. He has the guts to make a statement but not the guts to admit it, huh? Fine, when the Buddha collapses, I'll personally chase after him and catch him, and make him hand over my sword and see what happens."
Immediately afterward, Zhang Shixiu heard Xue Zhongzhu's footsteps as he strode up the stairs below. As for the two women, Jun Yu Nianyuan, they seemed to have only stood there for a moment before going downstairs and leaving. They must have had something urgent to attend to, as they were in a hurry and did not come upstairs to see them.
The commotion downstairs caused the three people in the warm pavilion to exchange glances, all of them curious about what had just made the Empress laugh in anger.
As Xue Zhongzhu walked in, everyone glanced at her and saw that she had regained her calm and composed demeanor, as if nothing had happened.
"Zhang Shixiu, come with me."
Zhang Shixiu stood up in surprise and followed Xue Zhongzhu, who went out again without saying a word, downstairs.
On the stairs, Zhang Shixiu heard her words:
"Whether you stay or leave is up to you."
Zhang Shixiu frowned: "Does the Eldest Lady not believe in my humble ways? Is she afraid I'll trip her up today?"
The tall, blonde oriental woman walking in front spoke coldly and stiffly to herself:
"You have indeed been honest these days, which I have seen. So I will be lenient and you can decide whether to stay or leave."
Before Zhang Shixiu could speak, Xue Zhongzhu continued:
"Also, there's something else. My second junior sister went into the city and brought back some news. A group of fake river pirates attacked the Xunyang Prince's Mansion. The Xunyang Prince's family has already fled and made it clear that they will not participate in the Xunyang Grottoes. Since that's the case, I will keep my promise and will not harm them in the slightest. Therefore, there is no need for you Three Pure Ones to plead for them. Zhang Shixiu, you can leave now and give Taiqing Longhu Mountain an explanation."
Zhang Shixiu asked worriedly, "Fake river pirates? What does that mean?"
Snow Candle sneered:
"Second Junior Sister has confirmed it. Someone impersonated us, pretending to be river pirates, and went to massacre the Xunyang Prince's Mansion."
Zhang Shixiu immediately tensed up: "Was anyone injured in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion? What about the little princess in the manor...?"
The candle in the snow stopped, frowning impatiently:
"Casualties unknown... Stop rambling on and on, are you coming or not?"
Zhang Shixiu hesitated for only three breaths before clasping his hands in a deep fist salute:
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I will remember this kindness."
He paused, then couldn't help but ask, "However, isn't Your Majesty afraid that this humble Taoist priest's information will leak out?"
Xuezhongzhu pursed his lips.
Zhang Shixiu gave her a long look at her retreating figure, then stopped being coy, took out a Yunmeng Token, placed it on the table beside him, and then quickly left.
Fang Yiwu, who was waiting not far outside the building, stepped forward to meet Zhang Shixiu and led him away from the villa.
After following Fang Yiwu a little further away, Zhang Shixiu, who was preoccupied with his thoughts, suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but turn around and glance in the direction of the library.
The matriarch seemed to have returned to the upstairs warm chamber, the door tightly closed, refusing any outsiders any approach.
It's already noon, and I wonder what those three people in the warm pavilion are planning to do to destroy the Buddha statue today...
(End of this chapter)
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