Chapter 35 I'll Do the Heaven-Destroying and Earth-Shattering Duty of Dragon Riding
This question, seemingly directed at Feng Tan, was actually a question Xiao Yinshi was asking himself. He had repeatedly felt lust towards this body, whether it was when he was a stunningly handsome young man or when he was battered and bruised in battle.
When his examination was over, Feng Tan was drenched in cold sweat. Heaven knows how chilly her back was, and how loose her bra strap had come off. She was terrified that Xiao Yinshi would touch her chest.
The man's rough, calloused skin brushed past Feng Tan's Adam's apple and stopped at Feng Tan's shoulder blade. He said, "He is an eighth-rank martial artist."
Feng Tan was surprised that someone could determine another person's martial arts level simply by feeling the extent of their wounds. She lowered her curiosity and said to Xiao Yinshi, "Martial artists of the seventh rank or above are already extremely rare. If he is an eighth-rank martial artist, then who in the court is the most suspicious?"
Xiao Yinshi's eyes were calm as he met the young man's gaze. "I don't know. Among the powerful and influential people in the court... only the Yu family father and son are of the seventh rank or above among the military officers. As for civil officials, there are none."
Feng Tan denied it, saying, "It couldn't be the Yu family."
Xiao Yinshi said, "There is no definitive conclusion."
Feng Tan didn't want to argue with him. She knew it couldn't possibly be the Yu family. Although the man had deliberately used a voice changer, his martial arts and movements were definitely not those of the Yu family.
The Yu family's kung fu is a unique lineage and is never passed on to outsiders. Feng Tan's knowledge of the Yu family's kung fu stems from her childhood instruction by Yu Ruxi. When Yu Ruxi taught Feng Tan kung fu, she didn't shy away from the topic of passing it on to outsiders; she wanted to teach Feng Tan everything she knew without reservation.
Who exactly is responsible for all this horrific outcome? The Silver-Masked Venerable was overly cautious; the soldiers searched the entire island thoroughly for a whole day but found nothing suspicious. Xiao Yinshi found the stolen silver from the national treasury in the underground vault, but a third of it had already been consumed by the Silver-Masked Venerable.
In addition, Xiao Yinshi also captured the masked nobles on the island and gathered all the girls on the island together. Zhu Qi counted them and there were about two thousand girls.
The masked nobles who were arrested were easy to deal with; they could simply be bound hand and foot with two chains and brought back to the court for trial. However, the fate of these girls was a real headache for Zhu Qi. He wanted to escort them back to their hometowns, but they said that they had no reputation left and would only die if they went back, so they might as well jump into the sea now.
The next day, as the sun rose, shimmering gold sparkled on the sea, and the newly sprouted grass and trees exuded a tender, spring-like fragrance on the sea breeze. Soldiers shuttled back and forth between the islands and warships, their sweat pouring down as they carried the silver.
Feng Tan stood with her hands behind her back on the coastline, her figure outlined sharply and clearly by the faint morning light.
The gyrfalcon swooped down from afar, and Feng Tan caught it with her outstretched arm. A smile appeared in her bright eyes as she said, "You're pretty fast."
Last night, after Meng Henabul re-bandaged her with a gloomy face, Feng Tan dared to ask him where Qing Cang was. Meng Henabul pointed to the sky, meaning that Qing Cang had guided him to Evil Spirit Island.
Feng Tan was relieved. He wrote a secret letter by candlelight, tied it to Qing Cang's leg, and told it that the journey was not far and to go and return quickly.
Qingcang achieved a flight spanning hundreds of miles in just one night. Feng Tan affectionately stroked its head, "You must be exhausted. Take a good rest for a while."
Qingcang squinted, enjoying his master's caresses; his lazy appearance was quite adorable.
The soldiers transporting the silver would need about half a day to move it, and the reinforcements led by Yu Zhenyu also joined the effort. In the thin sunlight, Yu Fangyi squinted at the boy standing on the coastline, then strode over.
"Lord Feng, my younger sister is ignorant and I hope you will not hold it against her."
When the guards brought him to Yu Ruxi yesterday, she was motionless with her acupoints sealed. She glared angrily at Liang Baoquan, who was bound hand and foot. After questioning the little girl standing to the side, he learned the whole story. It turned out that Feng Tan had sealed Yu Ruxi's acupoints.
Feng Tan did not do anything wrong. Yu Ruxi was too kind-hearted. If they had saved those little girls, they would not have had enough time to plan other battles. However, his sister was also kind-hearted and could not bear to see others suffer. He neither criticized her nor comforted her. As a general, one must never abandon the mission because of momentary compassion. This is a great taboo.
Yu Ruxi will understand this principle after going through this experience.
Yu Zhenyu, clad in silver armor and with a leather belt around his waist, had skin tanned dark from years of fighting. He looked quietly at Feng Tan and said, "Lord Feng, I heard that you met with the Japanese pirates. Could you tell me the details of that day?"
Grand Commander Yu Fangyi and Yu Zhenyu had previously dealt with Japanese pirates. The court's fight against the Japanese pirates was a major event. The Japanese pirate problem had not been eradicated even after ten years. Yu Zhenyu was upright and patriotic. Every time he saw the Japanese pirates, he would beat them into a rout. It is said that this time their ship was equipped with a new type of cannon developed in the Western Regions. If this is true, then the difficulty of eliminating them will only increase.
Feng Tan looked back at the upright young man in front of him, recounted the whole story of that day, and said, "I am aware of General Yu's concerns. The cannons they are using are the latest type of Hongyi cannons. These cannons cannot be manufactured domestically at present. They can only be obtained through trade with other countries."
Yu Zhenyu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and the imposing aura of a soldier burst forth. "Does my mighty Great Huang Dynasty not even have a decent weapon? If so, what's the point of keeping that bunch of useless trash in the Divine Machine Battalion!"
Yu Zhenyu's personality hasn't changed much from childhood to adulthood. He's a man of strong emotions, knowledgeable in leading troops into battle, but unaware that the production of many military weapons requires enormous financial and human resources, not to mention innovative research. Dahuang's current combat weapons certainly have significant room for improvement.
Feng Tan changed the subject and asked, "General Yu, is Lord Xiao planning to send these offending officials and merchants from Evil Spirit Island to the capital in prison?"
“Exactly,” Yu Zhenyu said, his handsome face showing anger. “These beasts should be executed on the spot! But the laws of Dahuang are clear. Some of them are deeply involved and even have connections with the capital, so they have to be brought to the Ministry of Justice for trial.”
Last night, he tacitly approved of Yu Ruxi's beating of them one by one. Some of them, unable to withstand the violence, inadvertently revealed the names of one or two people from the capital. Yu Ruxi kept them up all night, and today they are all bruised and battered, being escorted to prison carts, heads bowed and eyes half-closed in dejection.
Feng Tan said, "There is a man named Liang Baoquan among them. Be sure to keep a close eye on him and don't let him die."
Yu Zhenyu asked, "Is he any different?"
Feng Tan's lips twitched slightly: "He's connected to the Giant Tree; he's a key figure."
Footsteps and yawns sounded behind her. Feng Tan turned around and saw Yu Ruxi stretching lazily and walking towards her, ignoring her.
Yu Ruxi looked up at the tall Yu Zhenyu, then yawned and asked, "Brother, when are we setting off back to the capital?"
"today."
"Huh?" Yu Ruxi asked with a surprised look, "But what about the girls on the island? They refuse to leave."
Yu Zhenyu said, "Our mission is to recover the silver from the national treasury; their fate is none of our business."
Yu Ruxi paused for a moment, then called out to Zhu Qi, who was directing the soldiers, and asked, "Has your master said how to arrange for the girls on the island?"
Zhu Qi flashed his white teeth in the sunlight and laughed heartily, "Miss Yu, you're joking. When has my master ever cared about the life or death of irrelevant people!"
"..." Yu Ruxi was taken aback by his inexplicable arrogance, and the flames in her heart flared up again. She glanced at Yu Zhenyu and Zhu Qi and said, "Both of you have such an indifferent attitude. Shouldn't officials love their people like their own children? How come only silver is your subject, but these girls aren't?"
Yu Zhenyu and Zhu Qi were speechless at her words. Yu Zhenyu felt a lump in his throat, while Zhu Qi scratched his head, looking embarrassed, and said, "My master said to send a boat to take them back to their respective homes, but they refused. What else can we do? Miss Yu, do you have any ideas?"
Yu Ruxi glared at him angrily, "You!"
Yu Zhenyu grabbed Yu Ruxi's arm and scolded in a low voice, "Alright, don't cause any more trouble!"
Feng Tan smiled and said, "Miss Yu, don't worry, there's always a way out."
Yu Ruxi turned her face away and ignored Feng Tan.
Feng Tan knew that Yu Ruxi had a bad temper and was still angry with her, so she turned around, took out her telescope, and looked at the boundless sea, saying, "Look, the road is coming."
The three looked in the direction Feng Tan was gazing and saw a giant ship bearing the character "Feng" (Wind) sailing towards them. The ship was divided into three levels, inlaid with jewels, like a dazzling palace floating on the blue waves. A woman in red stood silently before the uppermost sail, her golden hairpin between her brows shimmering, making her appear cold and noble.
As the ship approached the shore, she leaped down, tracing a beautiful arc in the air, and slowly walked up to Feng Tan amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd. "Feng Bingzhu, the battalion commander of the Imperial Dragon Battalion under Feng Youming's command, greets Lord Feng."
Feng Tan quickly returned the greeting, "Seeing is believing, thank you for coming."
Yesterday, Feng Tan sent Qing Cang to Linzhou overnight to invite Feng Bingzhu. Feng Bingzhu was an old friend of Feng Youming when he promoted girls' education in Linzhou. After Feng Youming was arrested, she single-handedly saved the once precarious Imperial Dragon Camp. The Imperial Dragon Camp was initially built to take in homeless and unfortunate women. Later, Feng Youming taught them skills and techniques to survive. Strong and healthy women with a desire to practice martial arts could become soldiers to protect everyone's safety.
The Imperial Dragon Camp was stationed in a place with steep mountains that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Emperor Chongming had repeatedly sent troops to suppress them but had failed each time. Gradually, he found that they were living peacefully in a corner of the world, so he stopped interfering.
Feng Tan looked at the giant ship inlaid with gemstones behind Feng Bingzhu. She hadn’t expected that their wealth had grown so much in just a few years. They must have thoroughly mastered everything the master had taught them.
Feng Bingzhu was a man of few words, and a single pleasantry was his limit. He went straight to the point: "What about the girls? Let them board the ship."
“Miss Yu, this is an old friend of Mr. Feng’s. Her camp only takes in women,” Feng Tan turned to Yu Ruxi and explained simply. “Please ask those girls to come out. If they do not wish to go home, they can go to the Imperial Dragon Camp in Linzhou with Feng Bingzhu.”
Yu Ruxi's eyes widened in shock. She only knew that Mr. Feng had been taken away in Linzhou back then, but she didn't know that he had also privately built a women's camp in Linzhou. So...so amazing!
Although Yu Ruxi was still sulking with Feng Tan, this girl never hesitated when it came to matters of principle. She immediately sent people to invite all the girls on the island over.
First, regardless of past experiences, everyone is equal upon entering the camp;
Second, those who have the ability can enjoy the corresponding rights; this right is an inherent right.
Third, self-reliance and freedom are essential; when one is independent, the world is vast.
"The Imperial Dragon Camp is not bound by worldly ethics. Are you all willing to return to the camp with me?!"
The little girls hesitated, but Xiao Ke spoke first in a soft voice, her eyes sparkling, "I...I do."
She'll be laughed at if she goes back to her grandmother, who is getting old. She wants her grandmother to enjoy her old age in peace.
After Xiao Ke finished speaking, more and more voices rang out, "I do."
"I do."
"I do."
"I'm willing too."
The voices of more than two thousand girls rose and fell, and the repeated "I do" echoed in Feng Tan's ears. Looking at these young, persecuted girls who still possessed an upward vitality, her eyes slowly welled up with tears.
The man's ambition to become a saint struck Feng Tan's heart years later, and she suddenly felt ashamed of her constant escapism.
Feng Bingzhu looked at the girls in the arena, then turned to his subordinate and said, "Take them onto the ship first."
After saying that, Feng Bingzhu looked at Feng Tan and said, "Lord Feng, may I have a word with you in private?"
Feng Tan followed her to the other side of the shore, where it was deserted and the sea breeze gently caressed her hair, with only a huge reef in sight.
Feng Bingzhu's eyes remained emotionless; her aura was as cold as her name. In the presence of just the two of them, she dropped the honorific and said, "Feng Tan, she was imprisoned for eight years. How confident are you?"
Feng Tan said, "Two percent."
“So useless,” Feng Bingzhu said, her voice carrying dissatisfaction but without sarcasm. “She will absolutely not allow the Imperial Dragon Camp to be mobilized, but if I can provide any other assistance, please let me know.”
Feng Tan agreed, then heard Feng Bingzhu ask, "And... what about you? You still refuse to join us?"
Feng Tan looked at the endless sea, where the sky and sea were both blue at the horizon, blending into a single line. "My heart remains unchanged. I only want to rescue Mr. Feng. As for the others, I cannot save them."
Feng Bingzhu nodded, recalling the past, "She once said that only you, and only you, can open the main system she carries. I don't understand what she meant by the system, or what it can do after it's opened... If you're unwilling, go to the prison and ask her if I can do it. I'll do the destructive things."
Feng Tan stared blankly at Feng Bingzhu's resolute and decisive gaze. After a moment of distraction, she slowly said, "Okay."
Before leaving the island, Feng Bingzhu looked back at Feng Tan, a sarcastic smile appearing on her cold face, "Evil Spirit Island, who exactly is the evil spirit?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but the profound meaning in her words was deeply moving.
Feng Bingzhu turned away without looking back, her figure aloof and unyielding, her words as deep as still water. "Feng Tan, we will meet again."
Yu Ruxi withdrew her gaze from the distance, patted Yu Zhenyu's shoulder, and said with a hint of teasing in her eyes, "Brother, you've grown up!"
Yu Zhenyu lightly scolded, "No respect for elders."
Yu Ruxi said, "Usually, whenever you hear that someone is my husband's person, you would categorize them as heretics. But today you didn't say anything and just let them go!"
Yu Zhenyu frowned. Right, why didn't he stop him?
Feng Tan gazed at the departing boat of girls, looking at the huge sail bearing the character "wind" hanging in mid-air, and thought, "The wind is free, and may you be free in the future as well."
Yu Ruxi was still angry from Feng Tan's words and muttered under her breath, "Hmph, even the King of Hell is posting notices!"
She glared fiercely at Feng Tan, "Nonsense!"
As they were talking, Sun Cheng's shouts came from afar, "Where is Menghenabul?!"
Author's Note: The Wind Lord is about to rise in rank and fight off villains, and the map is back in the capital! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2024-07-28 22:08:18 and 2024-07-29 22:33:30!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 71232574 for 20 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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