Three days later.
Today marks the day when Guan Zhiyue and Li Qiji have been kneeling and praying at the temple for three days, but nothing unusual has happened yet; they have simply become physically exhausted.
Furthermore, the food at the temple seems to have become more varied.
"Abbot, I'm saying, since you're vegetarians, can't you come up with something different?"
“Let me tell you, tofu is also a vegetarian food. All you need to do is grind this into a paste, then mix it with lye water, and that’s it.” Guan Zhiyue sat on the stone steps to the side, while the old abbot knelt on a futon beside him.
The old abbot was chanting scriptures in a very slow, rambling voice, while Guan Zhiyue was chattering away about the food.
Although she has been eating vegetarian meals every day for the past few days and has lost a little weight, this is something Guan is happy to see, since she still has 12 pounds of weight to lose!
“Benefactor, the monks in this humble temple do not have such a strong appetite.”
Guan Zhiyue: "..." This is completely irrelevant.
"Abbot, today marks the third day. My husband and I are leaving your temple today. Is there anything you would like to give us?"
Guan Zhiyue was wondering what she could possibly get from this old man, since people usually get powerful things from high-ranking monks.
"What do you desire, benefactor? Shouldn't you have everything?"
"Abbot, I don't understand what you're saying, but do you have any powerful magic treasures you can give me?" Guan Zhiyue looked at the abbot with starry eyes.
The abbot raised his hands and clasped them together. "Amitabha, benefactor's treasure is surely more powerful than mine, so I won't embarrass myself by showing off my own. I wish you a swift victory!"
Upon hearing this, Guan Zhiyue exclaimed, "Good heavens, these are indeed old monks with some skills. No wonder everyone says that abbots in ancient times were powerful; I didn't expect them to be truly formidable!"
"With the abbot's words, our Nan Ding Kingdom is sure to achieve a resounding victory!"
The old abbot said nothing more and left. Guan Zhiyue shrugged indifferently. Since everything had been said, there was no need for so many concerns. She walked towards Li Qiji.
Are you feeling better?
Li Qiji felt his legs were almost numb. He had been kneeling in front of Buddha for the past three days and was so hungry that he had finally started looking for food.
"Husband, shall we go?"
When Li Qiji heard Guan Zhiyue call him "husband," he looked at her with a mixture of surprise and excitement.
"Yue'er, what did you call me?"
"My husband?"
"Hey, let's go, we'll launch warships on the sea tonight."
Guan Zhiyue: "..."
——
In Guantao County, Guan Zhiyue and her group were out of danger, but in the capital, a bloody storm was brewing.
"Mother, it's alright, it's alright, we're safe."
Li Qishang comforted Empress Dowager Xin, saying that it was fortunate that the Imperial Advisor had emerged from seclusion, otherwise they would not have been able to defeat these Japanese pirates.
"Shang'er, give the order that we should not tell your brother about the affairs in the capital for the time being. Your brother is currently at the border, and we do not know what his situation is like. We should deal with the problems that we can ourselves first."
"We mustn't let them worry about our safety while they're at the border," Empress Dowager Xin said slowly, breathing heavily.
"Yes, Mother, I understand."
"Grand Preceptor, thank you for saving my life!" Li Qishang stood up and bowed slightly to Shan Liuxian.
Zenryo swiftly dodged the attack, then waved his feather fan up and down.
"Your Majesty once entrusted me with the military tally of the capital, in order to protect the safety of the people in the capital. Your Highness need not thank me. However, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it or not." Shan Liuxian's white hair and purple Taoist robe swayed in the wind.
Li Qishang respectfully said, "Please give me your wise words, Grand Preceptor."
"Yes, you should practice your martial arts more diligently."
Li Qishang: "Yes, thank you for the reminder, Grand Preceptor."
"Your Majesty, now that the crisis has passed, I shall take my leave. Please rest and recover well."
Empress Dowager Xin rose and nodded slightly to Shan Liuxian, "Thank you for your concern, Imperial Preceptor. Please help me with a divination to see how the Emperor is doing now."
Shan Liuxian then began to count on her fingers, and finally smiled slightly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, His Majesty is blessed with good fortune and has the help of noble people. Everything will turn out well."
"In that case, I'll have to trouble the Imperial Preceptor."
With everyone watching, Shan Liuxian slowly departed using her light-footed skills, truly leaving without a trace.
"Lord Su, are you alright?" Li Qishang asked quickly, looking at Su Xu who was sitting to the side.
"Your Highness, I am unharmed. Are you injured anywhere?" Su Xu coughed lightly and asked weakly.
Li Qishang shook his head and said, "No problem, Lord Su has suffered."
The matter in the capital has been resolved. Tong Chunfang and all the troublemaking ministers have been arrested, and even their entire families have been taken into custody and imprisoned on the spot. As for the issue of beheading, that still needs to be decided by the Emperor.
So their lives can be spared for the time being, until the army returns in triumph, at which point these people will die.
——
night.
The sky was pitch black tonight, without a trace of moon, and there was even a light breeze that was howling throughout Guantao County.
Guan Zhiyue and Li Qiji, both dressed in black bodysuits, quietly slipped out of the tent and headed towards the beach.
"Husband, what do we do now?"
Li Qiji: Why do I feel like Yue'er goes weak all over when she calls me husband now?
"Hey, what are you doing? I'm asking you a question!" Guan Zhiyue was speechless when she saw Li Qiji standing there like he was possessed, staring blankly into the distance without saying a word.
"Li Qiji, I'm asking you a question!"
Li Qiji then realized what was happening. "Yue'er, what did you say? I was a little distracted just now."
"Damn, so you knew I was daydreaming. Where's this warship?"
"Then, do you see it? It's right behind that rock. Can you put it down?" Li Qiji pointed to the pitch-black sea and asked.
Guan Zhiyue: I don't have night vision, how could I see ghosts?
So the two of them sneaked to the side, climbed over a group of rocks, and walked behind the rocks. Guan Zhiyue then waved her hand, and the five warships lined up in a row and stopped steadily on the sea.
This caused quite a stir, but it startled the soldiers on night duty, who quickly banged on the gongs and drums.
Li Qiji, Guan Zhiyue, and the others quickly climbed over to the shore from the other side and ran towards the dense woods nearby.
They even took a roundabout route back to the main gate of the camp, making it appear as if everyone was coming out together, and rushed towards the sea.
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