Chapter 46: Ending and Returning to Beijing
whoosh-
A signal arrow exploded into the sky with a sharp sound.
Wei Liang, Ye Zongyuan and two thousand soldiers at the foot of the mountain all looked towards the thick fog on the top of the mountain.
The next moment, it was as if a giant hand stretched out from the fog and gently fiddled with it. The fog within a radius of hundreds of meters disappeared in an instant, flames burst out, and the screams of the bandits could be heard even at the foot of the mountain.
"Someone's taking the flag! Stop him!"
"The Juyi Hall is on fire!"
"Where is the boss? Where are the boss and the others?"
"The fog has dissipated, the maze has been broken, and the main switch of the mechanism has been unlocked!"
"Oh no! There are torches at the foot of the mountain. The government troops are surrounding us!"
Screams came and went.
Ye Zongyuan smiled: "He did it."
Wei Liang was excited and shouted, "Very good, now the fog has dissipated, the mechanism has been destroyed, and the bastard's shell has finally been broken! Captain Xu, Captain Sun, don't waste this great opportunity, and flatten the mountain stronghold for me!"
"Yes!"
The two captains used their internal energy and shouted loudly: "Brothers, follow me and kill!"
Two thousand government troops rode up the mountain road and the fighting began.
Zhao Wumian was no longer interested in the remaining trivial matters. He put away the [Cloud-Breaking Mist Flag] and floated down the mountain.
Ye Zongyuan and Wei Liang were waiting at the intersection.
Ye Zongyuan threw out the token and said with a smile: "Thanks to you, the 360 people in Zhoujiazhuang can rest in peace."
Zhao Wumian took it and said, "If you hadn't helped me, I wouldn't have been so successful."
Wei Liang dismounted, straightened his official uniform, walked quickly forward, and bowed solemnly.
"Mr. Wei, the Henan Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, please don't do this."
Zhao Wumian dodged and said, "I am Zhao Wumian, a Jinyiwei of the Zhenfu Division. To be honest, I got into a big trouble a few days ago and was demoted two levels. Now I am only a general flag, and I am not worthy of such a great honor from Lord Wei."
Wei Liang shook his head and said, "Not for the sake of my official position, but just for Lord Zhao's bravery in the face of danger tonight and his heroic act of exterminating the bandits, I deserve this gift! I am incompetent. I knew that this group of bandits had been entrenched in the mountains and were doing evil everywhere, but I was unable to do anything. I am really ashamed. Today we are exterminating the bandits and avenging our shame. Wei Liang thanks Lord Zhao very much!"
After saying this, he bowed again.
In this case, Zhao Wumian did not hide, returned the salute, and said: "Wang Xi, Yu Baihe and others have been killed by me, and the rest of the cleanup will be in trouble to you, Lord Wei. I have something important to do, so I have to leave first."
"Master Zhao, please do as you please."
Wei Liang said: "Your Excellency has already done the most dangerous part, and the rest is just to surround and annihilate them. Now that the thick fog has dissipated and the traps have been destroyed, this group of bandits has lost these two major barriers and has become a turtle in a jar. It will take less than half an hour to deal with them. This official will write a memorial tonight to ask for merit for Lord Zhao!"
"Thank you so much."
Zhao Wumian was not polite and said with a smile: "I still like the official uniform of the centurion."
Wei Liang was stunned and laughed.
Ye Zongyuan dismounted, led the horse over, handed over the reins, and said, "I still want to drink with you, but it seems that it will have to be next time. When the emperor's birthday comes and Wudang sends the golden elixir again, I will definitely grab the job of 'offering the elixir' and come to Nanjing to make up for this drink with you."
Zhao Wumian raised his eyebrows: "Can Wudang disciples still drink alcohol?"
Ye Zongyuan smiled: "I am from a secular family."
"it is good."
Zhao Wumian laughed and got on his horse: "I'll treat you when you get to Beijing. Goodbye, both of you."
Ye Zongyuan clasped his fists and said, "Goodbye."
Wei Liang bowed and said, "Go slowly."
Zhao Wumian pulled the reins and rode back to Kaizhou.
Ye Zongyuan looked at his back and said with a smile, "Very decisive!"
……
Midday on the moon.
The bright moonlight shines on the bamboo forest, giving this quiet place a layer of silver glow.
Zhao Wumian rode back to Changyuan County, tied the horse to the carriage, and strode in.
Liu Bowen was drinking tea in the yard. Lu Chang and Liu Lian seemed to be asleep, and steady breathing sounds could be heard from the bamboo house.
Zhao Wumian approached.
While drinking tea, Liu Bowen looked at a bamboo slip on the table, on which was a hexagram.
Zhao Wumian stepped forward and saluted, saying, "Mr. Liu, it is indeed the right time to get rid of the thieves tonight. I admire you!"
"sit down."
Liu Bowen was not surprised that he came back so soon. He pointed to the seat opposite him and asked him to sit down. Then he looked at the hexagram on the table and said, "This is what I told you. Do you know what it is?"
Zhao Wumian was well-read and had some knowledge of the sixty-four hexagrams. He replied, "Gen on top and Xun on bottom. This is the Gu hexagram."
Liu Bowen nodded: "Yes, do you know the hexagram?"
Zhao Wumian recited: "Gu Gua, Yuanheng, it is beneficial to cross a large river, first three days of Jia, then three days of Jia. Mr. Liu, what does this Gua mean? Can I find the Secret of Immortality?"
Liu Bowen said: "The mother of Gan Gu is in the middle of the road. It is good to cross the river. Going there will bring you something. The wind comes from the west, so the main ship is in the west. Going west will definitely bring you something. However, the wind urges the fire. This hexagram is about wood crossing water, so this fire is ominous. It will turn into life when it meets water. First three days of Jia, then three days of Jia. The end will have a beginning. This is the way of heaven. Remember it."
Zhao Wumian was confused by what he heard.
The hexagram says it very clearly. The "Secret of Immortality" is in the West. There will be gains in the future journey to the West, but at the same time you will also encounter "evil fire". You may be safe if you encounter water... Fire and water are both metaphors. It may be Zoroastrianism, the Snow Mountain Sect, or some other special landform. It is difficult to define.
Zhao Wumian smiled and said, "I thought you would just give me an address."
Liu Bowen stroked his beard and said, "I do know where the secret book is, but it will take you too long to get it out after you reach the fifth level. This hexagram indicates the second type, which is the person who has achieved this level of cultivation. The world is vast, and the time and location are uncertain. How can we make a conclusion? However, looking at the hexagram, the general situation is good. Let it go, and maybe you can get away with it..."
Let it be…
Do I have to wait for the right opportunity to travel west?
Zhao Wumian frowned and said, "Master Liu, the Secret of Immortality is the treasure of Yuheng Palace. Only the Palace Master can learn it... The seven Palace Masters have all died tragically, and the secret book requires a fifth level to bring out. How could there be someone who can master this skill?"
Liu Bowen laughed and said, "The strategy of escaping from the shell is not very clever."
Zhao Wumian was stunned: "Sima Quehun is not dead? The Lord of the Seventh Palace is not dead either?!"
Liu Bowen said: "Sima Quehun was a great man of his generation, and he dominated Kunlun for half a century. How could he be so easily possessed and taken advantage of by a traitor? And how could it be so coincidental that he died, but the three major sects returned empty-handed, without gaining anything from the Three Enclosures and Seven Stars?"
"makes sense."
Zhao Wumian suddenly understood: "What about Hua Hanchun... I understand. Hua Hanchun surrendered to Hu Weiyong, and Hu Weiyong quickly broke through. It is obvious that he got the treasure, but because he has the support of the Ming Dynasty, no one dares to attack him, so naturally no one knows how many treasures and secret books he has... He left one or two for the martial arts world to fight for, and the rest were hidden. He is worthy of being the one who can create the seven unique skills. Kunlun Mountain, Yuxu Palace... It seems that this 'west' refers to the northwest, not the southwest."
Liu Bowen nodded first, then said: "There will be a war in the southwest, and you are also involved."
"I?"
Zhao Wumian was stunned: "Conquer Yunnan?"
Liu Bowen pointed at the hexagram on the table and said, "Gu hexagram means Gu. This hexagram is for you. It's obvious."
Yunnan and Miaojiang are the places where Gu Masters and Gu insects are rampant!
Zhao Wumian was a little surprised: "I shouldn't be needed..." Liu Bowen looked at the hexagram: "Gu Gu Gua has Gen on top and Xun on the bottom. It originally belongs to Xun Palace. Xun is wood. Gen Gua is internally connected to Kan Gua. Kan is water. Wood is used to wade through water, so it is beneficial to wade through a large river. Gen is in the southwest, where there are mountains and water, which is the right direction. Wade through a large river means making great achievements. Yuanheng means a good start and is beneficial to major events!"
Liu Bowen waved the bamboo strips and continued, "The Tuan Chuan says: Gu, the strong is on top and the soft is on the bottom, Xun stops, Gu. Gu Gu, the masculine is on top and can make decisions, the soft is on the bottom and can do things, and it stops at its position. This is the image of Gu being defeated and waiting for a new one."
"..."
Zhao Wumian opened his mouth.
He rarely gets confused, but when he's with Liu Bowen, he gets confused a lot.
The first paragraph is understandable, meaning that he might go to Yunnan to make achievements in the future.
The second paragraph made him completely confused. He understood and recognised all the words, but he just didn’t understand what they meant.
Zhao Wumian said directly: "I am a foolish young man, please explain it to me, Mr. Liu."
Liu Bowen said: "Hard on top and soft on the bottom, stop at your position, the poison will be defeated and wait for the new one... There are two meanings. First, the position will change. The emperor will retire temporarily and the prince will supervise the country. Second, the one who asked you to go to Yunnan to make achievements will be the prince."
I rely on!
Zhao Wumian stared at the hexagram on the table with wide eyes. Just this one hexagram could reveal so many things!
——"The Secret of Immortality" In the northwest, encountering fire and water, he wants to go to the southwest. The emperor wants to retire, and the prince wants to supervise the country. The one who ordered him to go to the southwest would be the prince Zhu Biao...
"Mr. Liu, is fortune-telling so magical? Can I learn it?" Zhao Wumian looked longing.
Liu Bowen smiled and said, "The Book of Changes contains everything. The ancients said that the changes are the Book of Changes. The changes from ancient times to the present are the classics. The changes of blessings and disasters in the world have certain opportunities. I only have a little knowledge of this way and can only make a rough estimate, which is better than nothing..."
You are too modest!
Zhao Wumian was full of admiration.
Liu Bowen looked up at the sky and said, "To use the laws of nature to understand human affairs, whether it is accurate or not depends on whether one's mind is in harmony with the will of nature. If one is off by a hair's breadth, one will be a thousand miles off. Only with divine guidance can one succeed. You can learn everything except this... How can a person who is envied by heaven be taught by heaven?"
There are many interpretations for one hexagram, and it takes luck to get the right one.
Zhao Wumian is a person with no luck.
Zhao Wumian was helpless: "Okay."
Liu Bowen waved his sleeves and scattered the bamboo pieces: "Today's opportunities have been exhausted. To take more opportunities would be against the will of heaven. You are tired from the journey and the fighting in the middle of the night. You should have a good rest. The bamboo house to the west has prepared bedding for you."
Zhao Wumian bowed respectfully: "Yes, thank you, Mr. Liu, thank you, Mr. Lu."
Liu Bowen nodded and returned to his room.
Zhao Wumian walked into the west room.
Sure enough, the bedding was made.
"It's time to have a good rest. I haven't had a good night's sleep for more than half a month..."
Zhao Wumian took off his coat, jumped onto the bed, and soon fell asleep.
I slept until three o'clock in the morning.
On the second day, Zhao Wumian set off to say goodbye.
Lu Chang gave the carriage to Zhao Wumian - strictly speaking, Zhao Wumian had won the carriage by playing chess, but it was just a joke at the time, and now it was a serious gift, and Lu Chang also wanted to make him more comfortable when he returned to Beijing.
Zhao Wumian did not refuse. After thanking him, he simply accepted it and slowly returned to Beijing.
By the way, I also took the copy of "The Great Shift of the Universe" from Daming Mansion...
Mission accomplished.
You may be in a hurry when you come here, but you will feel relaxed when you leave.
With nothing to do in the car, Zhao Wumian calculated the gains from this escort trip. The silver alone amounted to more than 31,450 taels!
It was looted from four mountain strongholds and a holy envoy of the White Lotus Sect.
In addition, there are many treasures such as [Bone Mirror], [Ice Jade Bead], [Cloud-scattering Flag], [Black and White Double Swords], [Cicada Wing Sword], [Qian Kun Bag]*3, and many martial arts such as "Qian Kun Great Shift", "Ba Dao", "Ba Wang Armor", "White Wave Magic", "Vortex Hand", plus three [Blue Spring Flowers]...
The biggest gain is extending my life by one year!
This one thing alone proves that the trip was not in vain.
Zhao Wumian was content and became more relaxed. It took him half a month to get here, so he should have gone back even earlier, but it still took him half a month to reach the outskirts of Nanjing.
Wei Liang's victory report had been submitted to the imperial desk for several days, but Zhao Wumian was still dawdling outside... Fortunately, the thing was obtained, and Zhao Wumian slaughtered four groups of bandits during this trip, so Zhu Yuanzhang did not bother with this kid.
A whole month has passed since I left Beijing.
On the evening of March 12, Zhao Wumian re-entered Beijing through Qingliang Gate.
He came back on time, but it was already late and the palace gates were closed. It was not convenient for him to ask for permission to enter the palace, so he went directly to Zuixian Tower.
Shen Quan was waiting for him at the door. She said that they had already moved home and that they were on the same street as the Bailu Clinic, three courtyards away from the clinic. She also said that Shen Weiyang had been keeping an eye on his schedule and guessed that he might come back today or tomorrow. She asked him to go directly to Tao Zhu Fang on the Qinhuai River when he arrived. She would take Bai Liuli to play on the boat these days.
Zhao Wumian was surprised: "She took Liuli with her too?!"
Shen Quan hurriedly said, "Don't worry, my lord. Miss has asked the master for the Tao Zhu Boat for ten days to entertain Miss Liuli. The boat is now heavily guarded. Not even a bird can fly in!"
Zhao Wumian breathed a sigh of relief: "Tao Zhu Fang only entertains dignitaries and nobles, earning tens of thousands of gold a day. It can close the boat for ten days and only entertain Liuli. Shen Weiyang really likes her."
Shen Quan thought: "Love the house and love the dog."
No one knew what happened on the rooftop that night, but from the next day on, the young lady treated Bai Liuli even better. She personally supervised the construction of a new cold pond. Not only was the water quality excellent, but corals, water plants, colorful stones, and a huge giant clam were also placed under the pond, so that Bai Liuli could sleep in the clam shell...
Meticulous and meticulous to the extreme!
Even Lord Zhao's father's face looked strange, and the female doctor from the Zhang family next door looked even paler.
Shen Quan complained in his heart, and said, "Sir, do you want to go to Tao Zhu Fang? I'll take you there."
Zhao Wumian nodded and said, "Lead the way. I have to express my gratitude for troubling your young lady during this period of time."
"Yes."
After not seeing it for a month, the Qinhuai River is still as lively as ever, with soft singing, faint piano sounds, and endless playing and singing.
Under the night sky, people are everywhere, and big red lanterns are lit up one after another under the eaves of each pleasure boat on the river, gradually sticking together into pieces of red.
From afar, the patches of red set off the boundless black of the sky. The eaves of the attics of the pleasure boats seemed to float in mid-air with red below and black above, like a jade palace, magnificent and beautiful.
Tao Zhu Fang is the second most magnificent palace among these magnificent buildings.
At this moment, Shen Weiyang and Bai Liuli were playing Gobang on the boat. The big and the small were having a lot of fun.
Zhao Wumian stood on the grasshopper boat, heading towards the pleasure boat, listening to the two people's exclamations and smiling.
At this moment, he suddenly felt something in his heart. Looking to the west, he saw two dark shadows jumping onto a huge pleasure boat under the cover of the moon. One of them had a cold breath and a strong murderous aura, giving people a creepy feeling!
What a murderous aura!
What a heavy evil spirit!
Liuli is still here...
Zhao Wumian frowned and quickly took out the [Bone Mirror] to look over.
The man seemed to sense something, and his eyes like blades under the black robe pierced over at an angle.
Zhao Wumian covered the bone mirror and confronted him without changing his expression.
The man looked at Zhao Wumian deeply, then flashed into the pleasure boat and disappeared.
Zhao Wumian asked Shen Quan, "Whose is that three-story pleasure boat over there?"
Shen Quan knew nothing about the confrontation just now. He took a look and said, "Oh, that's the fourth painted boat 'Hongxiuzhao', which is also the most famous brothel in the whole Qinhuai... Are you interested, sir?"
"……without."
Zhao Wumian always felt that his tone was a bit strange, but he didn't investigate further. He raised the [Bone Mirror] in his hand and took a closer look. He saw four big words appearing on it: [The Lone Star of Destiny]!
——【Unlucky Star: Strength +15, Bones +15, Perception +15, Spirituality +15, Charm -15, Luck -15, Attack Power increased by 30%, The chance of misfortune for those around you increased by 30%.】
(End of this chapter)
