Chapter 4 I follow my own path. I had a dream in the mortal world, and after so many years...
"Oh?" Lou Wanqiao suppressed his suspicions and looked up at him with interest. "Brother Wen, please feel free to speak."
"Come to think of it, I haven't yet told you why we're heading north." Wen Xuechi poured a glass of water and pushed it towards her. "I heard things are not going well in Youzhou lately."
Lou Wanqiao had an idea.
Youzhou is one of the cities close to Mobei. She pried out a lot of information from Prince Duan, including information about Youzhou.
Besides... the message she received from Youzhou was the same. If this incident had not happened, she would probably have arranged people in the mansion to go to Youzhou.
Wen Xuechi continued, "There's a martial arts competition going on in Jiangbei. It's going to be held soon, and it's going to be quite large..."
"What does this have to do with Youzhou?" Lou Wanqiao asked doubtfully.
"The world is vast." He took a sip of water, his tone darkening. "There are also some who seek to stir up trouble, doing unscrupulous things under the guise of cover. Suspicious cases are frequent in Youzhou, and among those who have fallen victim are those from Feiying Manor. I have some connections with the manor owner, and he asked me to investigate... Naturally, even if he didn't ask, I would have gone to take a look."
Lou Wanqiao nodded in support.
Anyway, you can go through Youzhou to go to Mobei, so you might as well go and take a look.
But the matter of Youzhou was actually related to the martial arts world, which was something she had never imagined.
Martial Arts Sword Contest...
"Brother Wen, please continue to talk about the martial arts sword fight. I have never seen it before."
"It's a place where people from the Jianghu gather together to test their skills," Wen Xuechi explained succinctly. "Speaking of which, many Jianghu legends will appear, the kind that are hard to find... Their names alone are enough to attract many people."
"Oh—" Lou Wanqiao suddenly realized, "Then... Brother Wen, what kind of figure are you in the martial arts world?"
"Haha, I'm just a nobody, not worth mentioning." Wen Xuechi waved his hand. Seeing that her water glass was empty, he filled it again. "I'm just going to join in the fun."
"I think you have great potential, Brother Wen." Lou Wanqiao finished his drink, stood up, and patted him on the shoulder. "Let's go without further delay."
Wen Xuechi nodded, then hesitated: "Don't you need to rest and recuperate?"
"Rest while walking, so as not to delay things."
In the end, Wen Xuechi insisted on buying a horse. Lou Wanqiao sat in the carriage, leaning against the window, dozing off. It had to be said that this really saved her a lot of energy. Moreover, with Wen Xuechi's presence, she didn't have to show her face, greatly reducing the risk of being exposed.
It would take about twenty days to drive from the imperial city to Youzhou by carriage unless one galloped, and that was without stopping in any of the cities along the way.
The next stop is Yan Ge City.
As she was looking at the map and thinking, the carriage suddenly stopped.
Lou Wanqiao subconsciously placed his palm on the hilt of the knife: "What's wrong?"
Wen Xuechi's voice came from outside the carriage: "Brother Liu, come and see, it's snowing!"
She lifted half of the curtain and looked out. Sure enough, there was light snow falling from the sky, light and silent, like thin feathers covering the branches, the ground, and the shoulders of the person in front of her.
Wen Xuechi was driving. Lou Wanqiao looked at his background, moved forward, and simply walked out of the car and sat down.
Hearing the noise behind him, Wen Xuechi turned around in surprise: "Brother Liu, why are you out? You are still sick."
"It's okay. I'm well dressed, so I won't be cold. Besides, it's bound to be lonely for Brother Wen to travel alone." Lou Wanqiao thought for a moment, "Why would Brother Wen want to venture into the martial arts world?"
Wen Xuechi looked at the road ahead, raised his hand and gestured a few times: "I had a dream of the mortal world, and the journey has been years and years, and the road is heartbreaking. There are three thousand ways to go, but it is better to take up the sword and go to the underworld!"
Lou Wanqiao nodded blankly.
I didn't understand.
Brother Wen is a cultured person.
"The question you asked me earlier," he said slowly, his hands resting behind his head, "is something I've thought about before. I'm upset by the injustice of the world, but what can I do? I've traveled the world, searched far and wide, and yet to find anything. Brother Liu, my sword can kill any evildoer I encounter, but what about that invisible, man-eating demon?"
Lou Wanqiao was stunned. She turned her head to look at Wen Xuechi and found that he was still driving with his eyes fixed on the car, his expression unchanged, as if he had never said what he had just said.
She thought about it.
Evildoers can never be eradicated, and the court is no exception, filled with those filled with evil. Countless bones lie buried beneath the imperial city and within the walls of the palace. Everything she once possessed, the more than ten members of the Liu family, were swallowed up in this way.
Lou Wanqiao fell back, gazing at the hazy sky. She let the tiny snowflakes drift down her cheeks and slowly melt, the cool feeling spreading. She whispered, "So what? I follow my own path, slaying the evil before me. If I can't eradicate it today, I'll do it tomorrow. As long as I live, I won't lay down my sword. The evil others inflict on others will sooner or later fall into my hands, hehe..."
She changed the subject and chuckled twice: "But I'm not a good person either. The standards of good and evil are not so clear-cut. Maybe I'm also a vicious person in someone's eyes. I just did what I thought was right, but at this moment... even right and wrong can be easily confused!" Wen Xuechi didn't respond for a long time. Lou Wanqiao scratched his head, wondering if he had said something wrong, but then he heard his low laugh.
"Brother Liu is a wonderful person!"
Hearing his praise, Lou Wanqiao felt a little embarrassed. He sat up, wiped the snow off his face, and patted him on the shoulder before getting into the carriage: "When we get to Yan Ge City tonight, I'll treat Brother Wen to a good meal."
"Then I will refuse it disrespectfully."
They hadn't stopped on the way, and finally arrived at Yange City in the evening. They found an inn to feed their horses, and then walked along the street.
This place is neither too close nor too far from the imperial city, situated in an economic fortress, a prosperous city. The rich aroma of fireworks permeates the surrounding area, the aroma of restaurants and bars along the street is wafting, and the shouts of the evening market are endless.
Lou Wanqiao had been to this place before while working a case. Things were different now, so she couldn't show off. She found a hat to cover her face, and as she walked beside Wen Xuechi, she looked like some mysterious figure in the underworld.
She and Wen Xuechi entered the tavern one after the other and found a private room. As the saying goes, money should be saved and spent, and she still had to thank her lifesaver. She had brought a lot of silver with her when she left earlier, and now she had enough money, so she didn't have to worry about spending money.
"Hey, Brother Liu is treating us, so I'll respectfully obey."
Sake was poured into the cup, and the waiter brought out the dishes, which filled half the table. The braised pork trotters were soft, fragrant and tender, the stir-fried diced chicken was crispy and spicy, the shredded pork with fish sauce was sweet and sour, and the beef soup was smooth and rich...
The two of them enjoyed the fragrant rice very much, and paired it with wine, it was so delicious.
After a satisfying meal and a few drinks, the dishes on the table were almost cleared away. Wen Xuechi leaned back in his chair and sighed contentedly, "Life is short..."
"Enjoy life while you can?" Lou Wanqiao blinked, watching him fill his wine bag, call the waiter to settle the bill, and walk to the door with him.
So far, she'd found the man in front of her quite understandable, easy to get along with, and incredibly righteous. It was only their second day together, and he didn't seem defensive... Was this what the Jianghu people called "heroism"?
She doesn't quite understand it yet.
Lou Wanqiao lowered the brim of her hat and let her veil hang down to cover her face. As soon as she stepped over the threshold, someone patted her shoulder gently.
She paused, then turned sideways and looked back. A man in blue stood behind her, his other hand extended.
Lou Wanqiao took a step back and saw his palm spread out before his eyes, with a bright red color on the palm.
"Sir, something fell down."
Lou Wanqiao raised her hand and took it. It was a sword tassel. She lowered her voice and said solemnly, "Thank you."
Then he clasped his fists, bowed, and turned to leave.
She walked quickly and without making a sound, and Wen Xuechi followed quietly beside her. After passing a few streets, she seemed to glance back casually before slowing down.
Wen Xuechi came closer and asked in a low voice, "Do you know him?"
Lou Wanqiao was silent for a few seconds. Just as he was about to answer, he heard Wen Xuechi say the second half of the sentence to himself: "Forget it if it's not convenient to say."
"I know him." Lou Wanqiao blurted out those two words and then nothing more. She did know that person.
I didn't expect to see it in Yan Ge City.
He was once a great general, later the Grand Historian, and now...
"You seem a little nervous, Brother Liu." He put his hands behind his head, looking nonchalant. "Why, do you owe him money?"
The young man in front of him was stunned again, and then nodded sadly.
Oh, no wonder. It was not easy for Brother Liu. He ran away to avoid the limelight and met the debtor.
Wen Xuechi secretly imagined it and sighed unconsciously.
Lou Wanqiao, hiding behind her veil, had a strange expression on her face. Hearing the noise nearby, she knew he must have been causing trouble. However, as this matter involved royal secrets and her identity, the less she said, the better.
She glanced down again and clenched the red tassel in her hand.
Logically speaking, she put on a veil before leaving the private room and did not do anything eye-catching, so she should not have been recognized.
However, we must always be on guard against others. This place is not far from Beijing, so it is better to be careful.
"Oh, Brother Liu, you're having such a hard time, yet you still insist on treating me to a meal... I don't know how to repay you!" Wen Xuechi sighed heavily.
Lou Wanqiao:?
She laughed dryly twice: "That's not necessary... I hope Brother Wen will take good care of me in the future."
"Of course, leave it to me." Wen Xuechi agreed readily. Before he took two steps, he took out the wine bag from his waist and drank from it in big gulps.
As the night deepened, there were fewer and fewer people on the street. Lou Wanqiao had intentionally taken a detour when leaving the restaurant just now, so now he would have to spend more time walking back.
At the end of the street, a figure stood there.
The man in green looked at them expressionlessly.
Lou Wanqiao stopped, his face darkening. He raised his arms slightly, keeping them close to his waist.
Although I don't know what he wants to do, it's obvious that he is waiting for them. Unexpectedly, he still can't get rid of him.
Wen Xuechi, who was standing beside him, put his hands behind his head and looked very relaxed. He said, "Hey, brother, nice to see you again."
"What a coincidence, isn't it?" The man raised his lips as he spoke, his eyes shifting to the right with a hint of a smile, "I didn't expect to see you here..."
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