Chapter 98: Stealing the Horse and Abandoning the Treasure
At Xiushui Manor, Xiaoyao Lang and Yu Linglong were bidding farewell to Xue Qingrou and the others, preparing to head to Tianji Palace.
Xiaoyao Lang: "Sister Xue, please don't see me off anymore, please go back!"
Xue Qingrou smiled sweetly and said, "Alright! Take care on your journey, Young Master Xiaoyao. If we are fortunate enough to visit Shanshui City again in the future, please do visit my humble abode so that Sister Xue can once again show me hospitality."
Xiaoyao Lang said boldly, "Of course! Take care, Sister Xue, there's always a time to regret it." After saying that, he gestured for Yu Linglong to leave, but Yu Linglong ignored him, so he had no choice but to get into the carriage himself.
Seeing this, Xue Qingrou asked in confusion, "Miss Yu, do you seem to have something to say to me?"
Yu Linglong took Xue Qingrou's hand and said softly, "Sister Xue, if you can't bear to leave, then come with me to the Heavenly Palace!"
Xue Qingrou was taken aback, broke free of her hand, turned around and said, "Miss Yu, I don't know what you mean."
Yu Linglong smiled and said, "You and Yu Lang are destined to be together. If I hadn't fallen into his arms first, how could Yu Lang have remained unmoved by your gentle and considerate nature?"
Xue Qingrou said in a low voice, "What...what are you saying!"
Yu Linglong: "Today, I invite you to the Heavenly Palace, away from the hustle and bustle of the world, to cultivate your mind in peace. In the future, if you and Yu Lang are of one mind and love each other, you can have a long and happy life together without any regrets."
Upon hearing this, Xue Qingrou said slowly, "I... forget it! Miss Yu, I appreciate your kindness. I am already impure and withered, how can I be worthy of the carefree young master? Take care!" After saying that, she turned and left.
Upon hearing this, Yu Linglong wanted to say a few more words, but seeing Xue Qingrou's resolute decision, she refrained from saying anything more.
Yu Linglong boarded the carriage, and Xiaoyao laughed heartily, "Linglong, what did you say to Sister Xue? You two have only known each other for a few days, and now that you've been apart, you're acting like sisters!"
Yu Linglong said softly, "When I see Sister Xue, it's like seeing myself. It's no exaggeration to say that we are sisters!"
Xiaoyao Lang said boldly, "Indeed, you have many similarities: gentle and refined, dignified and virtuous. Being around you makes me feel incredibly warm."
Upon hearing this, Yu Linglong knew that Xiaoyao Lang was just a young man not yet twenty. She and Xue Qingrou were four and six years older than him, respectively. What he loved about her was her gentle, virtuous, mature, and steady nature. Thinking of this, she fell into deep thought.
In Longyang City, Ling Xueyan and the young emperor rode swiftly, chasing after the Ma Qian Gang. After two days, they arrived at the border of Baiyun City, where they saw two abandoned carriages.
Ling Xueyan said, "They abandoned the carriage, so it will be hard to find now!"
Upon hearing this, the young prince said calmly, "As clever as you are, do you know why they abandoned the carriage?"
Ling Xueyan smiled and said, "You overestimate me. As for your judgment, please let the young emperor speak frankly!"
The young emperor immediately said, "The Brahma Emperor instructed me that I am only assisting you; the methods and intentions are up to you."
Upon hearing this, Ling Xueyan said calmly, "I am just a young woman who has only recently entered the martial world. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with the young emperor today, and I ask for his guidance and understanding!"
The young emperor laughed and said, "I don't know if you are truly modest or pretending to be confused, but if we mess up the important matter of the Brahma Emperor, neither of us will benefit. They were traveling in two carriages, and there must have been a weak woman among them. Now that they have abandoned her and fled, there are only two possibilities."
Ling Xueyan: "I'd love to hear your insightful opinions!"
The young prince added, "Firstly, the carriage is just a smokescreen; the woman inside has already been moved elsewhere. Secondly, if they abandon the carriage on the spot, they are not far from here."
Ling Xueyan: "If that's the case, it's very likely that they've split into two groups. How should we catch up?"
The young prince said calmly, "No matter what the situation, we should keep chasing after them. It doesn't matter if we miss a woman."
Ling Xueyan: "Alright, let's gather information along the way and hurry on our way."
Having made up their minds, the two urged their horses onward in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Ling Qichen and Yi Mingzhao had arrived in Baiyun City. After several days of quelling the rebellion in Zhujiazhuang, the once deserted town was now somewhat restored to its former glory.
The two men led their horses through the market, out of the city gate, and hurried north until they reached the territory of Zhu Family Village. Unexpectedly, halfway there, they were ambushed by a group of thugs from Zhu Family Village, each armed with a sharp weapon.
Seeing this, Ling Qichen said, "What do you want to do? In broad daylight, do you intend to rob us?"
The leader said, "We don't rob money, we only rob horses. As long as you leave your horses, we will not cause you any trouble and will let you pass."
Ling Qichen angrily said, "Don't even think about it! If you don't move aside, don't blame me for being merciless with my sword!"
Seeing that Ling Qichen was well-dressed and clearly a wealthy person, the man said, "If you are willing to give me a few coins, I might let you pass!"
Ling Qichen sneered, "Since that's the case, let's see how you do it." As he spoke, Ling Qichen dismounted, drew his sword mid-air, and attacked a dozen or so small-footed men.
Seeing this, the soldiers charged forward. Ling Qichen remained unfazed, sword in hand, using both legs and feet, and in a short time, all of them were injured and fell to the ground.
Ling Qichen declared arrogantly, "Seeing how arrogant you are, and how your methods are nothing special, now that you're lying on the ground, do you still want a horse or money?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a figure rode up from afar, wielding a long halberd, exuding murderous intent, and attacked Ling Qichen.
Seeing this, Ling Qichen channeled his inner energy and focused all his attention on dealing with the situation.
The newcomer was none other than Zhu Ziyi. He galloped in on his horse, and in an instant, his long halberd struck towards Ling Qichen. Ling Qichen blocked with his sword, retreating on the spot. Zhu Ziyi swung his halberd horizontally, the force of the blow fierce. Ling Qichen used his lightness skill to lie down and dodge, and in the blink of an eye, he leaped up and thrust his sword at Zhu Ziyi.
Seeing this, Zhu Ziyi also leaped up, wielding his long halberd with great force, and struck down fiercely, directly pressing down on Ling Qichen.
Ling Qichen raised his sword to parry, but was thrown back by the force. His feet were limited to three inches of ground. After struggling to dissipate the force, he swung his sword to attack again.
A moment later, the two had exchanged dozens of blows, and Ling Qichen was finding it difficult to withstand the force of the blows, gradually falling into a disadvantageous position. Suddenly, without warning, Zhu Ziyi's long halberd subdued Ling Qichen.
Upon seeing this, Yi Mingzhao hurriedly cried out, "Brave warrior, please have mercy and do not harm my brother's life!" He then dismounted and went forward.
Zhu Ziyi said boldly, "That's easy! Leave the horses and you can go."
Yi Mingzhao: "Thank you, brave warrior. We will leave our two fine horses here."
Ling Qichen sighed and said, "Alas! It's all my fault for not being skilled enough."
Yi Mingzhao stepped forward and asked with concern, "Qichen, are you alright? Let's go!"
Having lost their horses, the two had no choice but to walk. They reached Heart Moon Lake and followed it upstream. After a short while, Yi Mingzhao came across a pavilion.
Yi Mingzhao pointed to the pavilion ahead and said to Ling Qichen, "Qichen, look ahead, there's a pavilion. Let's go and ask for a bowl of water!"
During their escape, the two had been traveling non-stop and were already parched. Upon hearing that there was water, Ling Qichen immediately replied, "Great!"
As Ling Qichen walked, she said, "These people robbed our horses, but they didn't ask us for any money before letting us go. Isn't that strange?" After saying that, she waited for Yi Mingzhao's reply.
Upon hearing this, Yi Mingzhao immediately said, "Since they value horses so much, they must be local tyrants who want to build cavalry teams to conquer the land and seize territory."
Upon hearing this, Ling Qichen sighed and said, "Your analysis is probably correct. My younger sister works for Ouyang Longyuan and is also robbing horses everywhere."
Yi Mingzhao comforted her, saying, "Miss Ling was forced into this situation. If she hadn't sought refuge with Ouyang Longyuan, the entire Xiyu Manor would have been doomed."
After walking for a long time, the two arrived at the outer perimeter of the pavilion, where exotic flowers and rare plants bloomed, creating a pleasant scene. The fence separating the pavilion from the outside world revealed the owner's broad and extraordinary mind.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
