Chapter 92 092 "Hey, hey, hey, don't generalize and condemn all paths..."
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The world's number one escort, the Discipline Hall.
Jiang Ling'er and Pei Xuan were quickly taken to the dungeon of the Discipline Hall. Almost as soon as Jiang Ling'er stepped into the damp dungeon, which was filled with the stench of decay, she began to regret it.
"That damned Zhenjun from Dan Cave is clearly a good dog of the Jurchens! What right does he have to accept the hero's invitation! I should have exposed his true colors back then!"
The young Taoist priest tidied up a corner where he could barely sit, and said lazily, "Reveal what?"
"Expose him as a spies and lackeys of the Jurchens!"
Pei Xuanxu pointed to Jiang Ling'er and his own clothes, reminding her:
“They are wearing proper Taoist robes, while we are wearing Hu people’s clothing.”
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
Jiang Ling'er hesitated for a moment, then quickly retorted:
"Many people have seen the true face of that Wenshan Zhenjun, who fawned over the Jin soldiers in the bustling market while mistreating the people of our Great Song Dynasty. Master Ma and Master Lu have also seen it and can testify for me!"
"Testify for you?" Pei Xuan Daoist was truly surprised. He lazily lowered his eyes and stared at her. "Master Ma and Master Lu are both convicted criminals from Qing Shi Town. You, a 'real villain' known throughout the world for exchanging letters with the Jurchens—Jiang Ling'er, the daughter of the old镖头 Jiang Leilong. And the 'Jurchen lackey' you speak of has the endorsement of Danxia Cave, praised by all Taoist temples in the world. Who do you think people will believe?"
Jiang Ling'er paused, opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately bit her lower lip tightly and remained silent.
Even though she really wanted to refute Pei Xuan's words, she knew she couldn't refute even a single word.
Even if she returned home, what difference would it make? The head镖师 (chief镖师) had already changed hands, and even Xiao Zao had gone mad. Her home... was no longer a home.
Nobody believed her.
Jiang Ling'er bit her lip and fell silent. After a long while, she hugged her knees and finally whispered:
"That's unfair."
The young man looked up and glanced at her.
She buried her head in her knees, her hands tightly wrapped around her arms, so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"My father was mistaken by the world as a Jurchen shrew in order to protect the Crown Prince, while the real Jurchen lackey enjoys the world's love and respect under the guise of a stinking Taoist priest. It's unfair...it's so unfair!"
"Hey, hey, hey, don't condemn all Taoists with one blow..." Pei Xuan knew she was upset, and although his tone was comforting, every word he uttered was chillingly honest. "Even if you exposed the true face of True Lord Wenshan, so what? Defeating one True Lord Wenshan is useless; there are thousands more hidden in the shadows. You might save one or two citizens of the Song Dynasty with your bare hands, but you can't save the common people."
Jiang Ling'er fell completely silent.
After a long while, he finally raised his head from between his knees like a small animal, looking at the young Taoist with a rare expression of confusion:
"Then... what should we do?"
The young Taoist priest answered quickly: "I don't know."
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
Pei Xuan looked down at Jiang Ling'er's pale face, which had fallen, and chuckled.
"Didn't you invite me to this prosperous land of Jiangnan to seek the truth? How come you're the one who's lost and confused first?" Seeing Jiang Ling'er's depressed look, the young Taoist, having finished teasing her, finally stretched his lazy bones, stood up, stretched his back, and looked around the dark and damp dungeon. "I once thought that finding the Crown Prince would solve everything... but for now, we should leave here first so we can make further plans."
Jiang Ling'er also stood up, and the shackles on her hands and feet jingled. No one knew better than her that these shackles were made of black iron, and once fastened, they could not be easily opened unless there was a key.
"Hmph, you were just saying it might be a blessing in disguise, I thought you already had a plan to escape..." Jiang Ling'er paused, then suddenly shouted sharply, "Who is it? Come out here!"
The dungeon wasn't particularly large, but it wasn't small either. It could easily hold a dozen or twenty people.
Jiang Ling'er stared into the dim light of the prison cell, narrowing her eyes as she coldly said:
"Don't make me say it twice, get out here!"
A moment later, the sound of chains scraping against the ground rang out, and several monks staggered out from the dark corner.
"No...don't hit this humble monk...this humble monk is innocent, this humble monk knows nothing..."
Jiang Ling'er and Pei Xuan were both taken aback, exchanging bewildered glances. Jiang Ling'er was even more surprised than Pei Xuan. The Discipline Hall was usually used to imprison the most vicious criminals, so why were they imprisoning so many monks here?
Moreover, she had previously sneaked into the Discipline Hall to save a young monk, and at the time she didn't notice anything unusual. Unexpectedly, just one night later, so many monks were arrested and imprisoned.
"Where did you monks come from?"
"Jiming Temple. Young hero, most of them are from Jiming Temple, and the rest are novice monks from unknown Buddhist temples. Almost... almost all the monks in the city have been arrested and brought here."
Jiang Ling'er was genuinely puzzled: "Why did we bring you here?"
"Young hero, I...I don't know."
Jiang Ling'er raised her voice: "You don't know?"
What exactly is Zhao Xiao trying to do?
Some of the younger novice monks were so frightened that they cried.
"It's all his fault...it's all his fault! The abbot kindly took him in, but because he privately mourned the old镖头 (bodyguard), everyone in Jiming Temple was suspected of having connections with the Jurchens, which has implicated us to this point! It's all his fault!"
Jiang Ling'er didn't want these monks being imprisoned here for no reason to be associated with her father. Following the direction the little novice was pointing, Jiang Ling'er looked at another corner of the prison. Only by listening carefully could she hear the faint but continuous chanting coming from there.
That is... the Rebirth Mantra.
Someone is reciting the Rebirth Mantra.
Almost instantly, a picture flashed through Jiang Ling'er's mind: the face of a young monk who had been beaten up and was almost unrecognizable.
Upon hearing the chanting, the young novice monk broke down again, rushed to the corner, dragged the person out, and began to verbally abuse and physically assault him!
"It's all your fault, you jinx! You're the one who brought us to the brink of death, and now you still have the nerve to chant the Rebirth Mantra for that golden-haired Jiang Leilong? Haven't you harmed us enough already!"
Sure enough, the moment the man was dragged out, even though his face was swollen like a pig's head, Jiang Ling'er recognized him at a glance. He was the stubborn little monk she had encountered on the day she stole the hero's invitation from Wenshan Zhenjun.
That day, he was reciting the Rebirth Sutra for the old head镖师 (chief镖师) in front of everyone at the No. 1镖局 (chief镖师) in the world, which offended the new chief镖师 (chief镖师). He was arrested and thrown into the disciplinary hall. He thought that a few days of severe torture would calm him down, but unexpectedly...
"I still miss it."
Jiang Ling'er stared blankly at the little monk, truly astonished by his deep-seated stubbornness.
Pei Xuan noticed Jiang Ling'er's unusual behavior and raised an eyebrow: "You know her?"
"A brief encounter."
Jiang Ling'er pursed her lips and briefly recounted her encounter with the young monk to Pei Xuan. She also mentioned how the young monk refused to leave the dungeon, insisting on performing a ritual for the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) there.
The old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) had once been kind to this young monk, who was probably someone everyone avoided like the plague these days... He was one of the very few who dared to speak out for the old镖头, and still deeply believed in him.
Jiang Ling'er's eyes involuntarily welled up with tears.
Even at his age, Pei Xuan had never heard such a moving and heartwarming story of gratitude before. The protagonist of the story was such a young man, that he couldn't help but glance at the young monk again: "It's admirable that you have such a heart at such a young age. The old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) must have done you a great service. But..." he changed the subject, asking curiously, "Why did you have to chant sutras in prison, right under Zhao Xiao's nose in the Discipline Hall? Aren't you asking for a beating?"
As soon as he finished speaking, for some reason, the little monk's face turned a little pale, and the rhythm of his chanting became slightly off.
This fellow, seemingly oblivious to the expression on the monk's face, even leaned closer to him and asked, appearing genuinely curious:
"What kindness has the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) shown you that makes you risk your life to defend him and recite the Rebirth Mantra for him?"
When people ignored him, he persisted in asking questions:
"Tell me. I'm not very talented, but I have some connections with the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort). I've never heard of him having any connection with the monks of Jiming Temple, especially a lowly monk like you..." He paused, his phoenix eyes narrowing, "Or is there some unspeakable reason..."
"Since you know it's something you can't talk about, why are you asking!"
The young Taoist priest was interrupted by Jiang Ling'er, who had been silent all along, before he could finish speaking.
Pei Xuan: "..."
The young Taoist priest stopped questioning the little monk and instead stared at Jiang Ling'er, raising an eyebrow with a displeased expression, clearly indicating that he wanted an explanation.
Jiang Ling'er initially thought Pei Xuan was just being sarcastic and deliberately touching on her sore spot. But after listening, she understood that Pei Xuan was unwilling to give up any clues related to the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort).
Their daring trip to the "Number One Escort Mission" was fraught with uncertainty; there was no guarantee they would find anything, let alone the Crown Prince. They were more like headless flies, stumbling around aimlessly. Therefore, they should follow Pei Xuan's example and not overlook any clue.
However... Jiang Ling'er prefers to believe that this is the little monk's innocent heart.
This was rare…no, very likely the only one, who still trusted the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort). She didn't want to…
"Heh, I didn't know you'd become so considerate? Or do you treat all young people differently?" Pei Xuan chuckled, delivering a sharp retort. "Are young people really that appealing to you?"
"You..." Caught off guard, a handsome face, so beautiful it seemed otherworldly, flashed by. Jiang Ling'er's long eyelashes fluttered, and she abruptly raised her eyes to glare at Pei Xuan. "Why do you have to bring up such a sore subject!"
The two were locked in a fierce battle, seemingly at odds, when suddenly a very low voice rang out, carrying the unique hoarseness of a young man:
Forty-seven days.
Jiang Ling'er and Pei Xuan both paused and looked in the direction of the sound. They saw the little monk with his head down. The dungeon was dark, and they could only vaguely see the little monk's handsome face covered with bruises. His long, thick eyelashes, like seaweed, drooped slightly, casting shadows on his eyes, making it impossible to see his face clearly.
Only the hand hidden in the sleeve tightly moved the prayer beads wrapped around the wrist.
Pei Xuan had no choice but to lean closer and ask, "What did you say?"
"...Forty-seven days to go."
Jiang Ling'er was startled by the seemingly random sentence and remembered it.
I will recite the Rebirth Sutra for the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) for forty-nine days.
The monks nearby heard this, especially the young novices, and they pounced on him again, beating him.
"I told you not to keep reciting it! Keep reciting it! To recite the Rebirth Mantra for such a beastly father and daughter, who are willing to be lackeys of the Jurchens, I think you've lost your mind!"
Jiang Ling'er paused for a moment, her expression turning somewhat strange.
I never expected that this young monk would also perform the ritual for her...
The young monk didn't fight back; he simply gripped the prayer beads wrapped around his wrist with such force that his knuckles turned white. He repeated this over and over, it was unclear whether he was speaking to others or to himself:
"The old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) isn't a shrew, he's a good man... he's a good man..."
Upon hearing this, the young novice monk became even angrier, and more monks surrounded him.
A tall monk stepped forward and completely enveloped the young monk beneath him, grabbing the boy's ear with his large hand:
"Then tell me, if the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) was a good person, why did he commit suicide? If not because he had a guilty conscience, then what was it? Tell me what it was?!"
Jiang Ling'er could clearly see that the ear was bleeding. Was this monk going to tear his ear off?
Jiang Ling'er frowned, about to step forward to help, when suddenly she heard the young monk, with a thunderous roar, accuse her even as his ear was being torn off, each word sounding like a lamentation of blood:
"I told you, Old Chief Escort Jiang is a good man! A good man! He's a good man!"
Three consecutive "He is a good man"s, spoken in a childlike, choked voice, echoed in the dark dungeon, each word resounding.
Pei Xuan also glanced at it.
Jiang Ling'er's almond-shaped eyes instantly turned red. Ever since the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) committed suicide... no one had ever defended her father like this.
She turned her head away to wipe her eyes, then turned and kicked the tall monk away!
"let go!"
Jiang Ling'er quickly helped the young monk up and was about to say something to him when a voice came from behind her:
"You two come out with me."
Jiang Ling'er and Pei Xuan both turned around and saw a servant and a person wrapped in a large cloak. They both paused, and Jiang Ling'er asked first:
"Who are you……?"
The person wearing the cloak removed their large hat, revealing a pretty, fair face:
"It's me."
The moment Jiang Ling'er saw this face, her eyes lit up: "Xiao Zao! Xiao Zao, you're not crazy... I knew you were faking it!"
Yuan Zao noticed Jiang Ling'er, and her eyes reddened slightly. She handed over a set of keys from outside the cell.
"Let's put everything else aside for now and come out here."
Jiang Ling'er first removed the shackles from Pei Xuan, then her own, and finally the little monk's.
Unexpectedly, the young monk rejected her again.
For the same reason as last time, he was going to recite the Rebirth Mantra for the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) in this prison, even at the cost of his own life.
However, she ignored him last time, but this time… Jiang Ling'er narrowed her almond-shaped eyes and asked him in a conciliatory manner:
"Want to die?"
The young monk paused for a moment, and after a long while, he slowly nodded.
Jiang Ling'er nodded approvingly, but what came out of her mouth was:
"Although I don't know what kindness the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) has shown you... he certainly wouldn't want to see you die in vain for him. Since the old镖头 won't allow you to die, then I won't allow it either."
What domineering words!
The little monk froze, as if his mind had stopped working. Just as he was about to ramble on, Jiang Ling'er swiftly pressed two pressure points on his body, and smiled sweetly at the little monk's shocked expression:
"You have no choice. Take him away!"
The last two words were spoken to Pei Xuan.
Seeing that the young Taoist was still lazily standing still, a vein suddenly bulged on his forehead, and he kicked him:
"What are you doing? Hurry up!"
Pei Xuan gave a bitter smile and resignedly carried the mute and immobile little monk on his back. In the end, Jiang Ling'er threw the key into the cell and left it to the monks to deal with.
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The world's number one dart sniper is behind the artificial hill.
"You all should leave quickly. Everyone here is poisoned and tied up in the martial arts arena. Luckily, I've been pretending to be crazy and haven't touched the food, so no one has suspected me..."
Yuan Zao walked ahead, with Jiang Ling'er and Pei Xuan, who was carrying a little monk on his shoulder, following behind her. Yuan Zao walked quickly and finally stopped behind a rockery. She pushed open a hidden door, and even Jiang Ling'er didn't know that there was a hidden door leading to the outside of the escort agency!
"Remember to always take the side paths, never the main roads! Once you leave here, never come back..."
As Yuan Zao spoke, she hurriedly pushed Jiang Ling'er away, but Jiang Ling'er grabbed her hand, keenly seizing the flaw in Yuan Zao's words:
"Who are 'those people'? Who poisoned them?"
Jiang Ling'er and Pei Xuan exchanged a glance, realizing that instead of being imprisoned in the dungeon, they had escaped a terrible ordeal.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Zao's face turned pale, and she bit her lip, remaining silent.
Jiang Ling'er's brows were so furrowed they could trap a mosquito, and she gripped her hand even tighter:
"Xiao Zao, what are you panicking about? What happened? Why are you acting so crazy? Who are you trying to fool?"
"I...I..."
Yuan Zao murmured, her lower lip almost bleeding from being bitten, but she refused to utter a single word no matter what.
After only a few months apart, the sisters' reunion felt like an eternity. Not only had Jiang Ling'er's childish features faded, but Yuan Zao's had too.
She had even lost a lot of weight and looked even more haggard than Jiang Ling'er, who had traveled all the way south and was weathered by many hardships.
But no matter how things change, the person in front of her is still the same one who always follows behind her: her younger sister, Xiaozao.
Jiang Ling'er stared intently at Yuan Zao: "Xiao Zao, you know you can't fool me. What exactly happened?"
Yuan Zao looked like she was about to cry:
"Sister Ling'er, I'm begging you, please leave quickly!"
Jiang Ling'er couldn't help but retort in a huff: "I won't leave unless you tell me. Besides, I came back this time... for something important. I'm not leaving."
"Sister Ling'er... Sister Ling'er, you..." Yuan Zao looked around frantically, seemingly panicking about something. Finally, as if giving in, she sighed heavily, "Sister Ling'er, I don't know what you're looking for. But almost all the rooms related to you and the old镖头 (镖头 is a nickname for a镖师, a kind of镖师, and a镖师, and a镖师 is ...
Yuan Zao kept pushing Jiang Ling'er toward the hidden door, but for some reason, he couldn't move her.
She paused for a moment before remembering how impressive Jiang Ling'er had been on the field that day. Although she didn't know what had happened to Sister Ling'er in the past few months, seeing how skilled Jiang Ling'er was, even Zhao Xiao was no match for her, she felt a little more at ease.
But Jiang Ling'er didn't think so.
When she saw Yuan Zao looking so haggard, and saw her pretending to be crazy even though she was in her own home, and sitting on a high platform like a puppet, watching the martial arts contest to choose a husband supposedly "for her own good," she realized that... clearly, Xiao Zao was the little sister she cherished.
Jiang Ling'er grabbed Yuan Zao's arm, forcing her to look directly into her eyes:
"Don't worry about me. Just answer my question. You... really want to marry Zhao Xiao? Don't you... hate him the most?"
Yuan Zao froze upon hearing this, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Jiang Ling'er's face immediately darkened, and she tightened her grip on her wrist, speaking through gritted teeth, word by word:
"Was it Zhao Xiao who forced you? Was it?"
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