In the mountains, countless soldiers and constables from the Black Yamen were gazing up at the scene on the sheer cliff.
Dongfang Liren stood with her hands behind her back behind the guards holding large shields. The general of the Zezhou troops was eagerly flattering her beside, saying, "If it hadn't been for Your Highness sending Lord Ye to assist with the army on this journey, us rough fellows wouldn't have been able to chase all the way here in just a few days..."
After waiting for a while, there was some movement above the silent mountain ridge.
The desperate King Wu ultimately didn't muster the courage to commit suicide. Also, he was too ashamed to go out and humbly admit his guilt and submit to the law in public. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, his eyes went dark and he fainted directly.
The four personal guards accompanying him had more backbone than King Wu. Knowing that there was no chance of survival and not wanting to be imprisoned and humiliated, they directly drew their swords and committed suicide as soon as Ye Jingtang entered the cave.
Zhang Jinglin, however, reacted much more calmly.
Zhang Jinglin was a complete medicine fanatic. His obsession with medicine had reached a point where he had no sense of good and evil and no scruples. Yet, he was incredibly talented and could do things that others couldn't.
A person like this couldn't be regarded as an ordinary human being anymore. Instead, he was a valuable "resource" that was only useful when alive. Even if the royal family of Northern Liang, who hated him deeply, caught him, they couldn't simply kill him off.
Zhang Jinglin knew that if the Great Wei captured him, they would still let him continue his research. So, he didn't even have the thought of resistance. When he saw Ye Jingtang come in, he picked up his small medicine box and stood up, looking as if he was seeking a better position.
Ye Jingtang called the constables from the Black Yamen from below the ridge, had King Wu carried down, and then escorted Zhang Jinglin down the mountain. On the way, he asked, "Doctor Zhang, what exactly is the origin of the Tianlang Pearl?"
Zhang Jinglin didn't look like a prisoner. He walked alone on the narrow winding path and replied upon hearing the question, "It's a kind of secret medicine from the various tribes in the Western Sea of Northern Liang. They believe in the 'Heavenly Official' there. It's said that when the Heavenly Official descended to the mortal world, he bestowed this elixir upon the lord of all tribes. However, after I went through the historical records of Northern Liang, I speculate that it was developed by the wizard of the Yechi Tribe in the Western Sea about a hundred years ago, roughly around the time before the last blooming of the Snow Lake flowers..."
"The Yechi Tribe..."
Ye Jingtang was certain that only he could use the Tianlang Pearl and felt that this matter must be related to him. So, he asked, "Where is this tribe now?"
True Person Xuanji, walking behind Ye Jingtang, responded, "The Western Sea is Tianlang Lake. There are tens of thousands of li of land around it, and there are no fewer than a hundred tribes of various sizes scattered there. The Yechi Tribe is in the far west, rumored to be the place where the sun sets last.
"A hundred and twenty years ago, the Yechi Tribe suddenly grew powerful and unified the various tribes in the Western Sea, almost making the world situation a tripartite confrontation. However, after the old chief died, the various tribes in the Western Sea quickly fell apart.
"Sixty years ago, the Yechi Tribe submitted to Northern Liang, and it was completely wiped out more than thirty years ago. It no longer exists now."
Ye Jingtang nodded slightly.
Zhang Jinglin continued, "The claim that it's a 'gift from the gods' should be a means for the Yechi Tribe to deceive the people, just like the founding emperor of the Great Wei claimed that 'Nine Dragons Came to Pay Homage' when he was born, to deceive the common folk. The only real miraculous event in history should be the founding emperor of the Great Wu Dynasty ascending to the heavens on a dragon. After all, the Dragon Summoning Picture is indeed not an ordinary thing..."
?
Both Ye Jingtang and True Person Xuanji were taken aback when they heard this. True Person Xuanji asked, "Have you seen the Dragon Summoning Picture?"
Zhang Jinglin smiled and said, "There's one hidden in the imperial palace of Northern Liang. I originally wanted to steal it out for research, but unfortunately, it was too closely guarded, and I didn't succeed."
Ye Jingtang and True Person Xuanji suddenly understood. Whether it was in the hands of the Northern Liang court or the Great Wei court, even if they knew about it, they couldn't possibly steal it. This clue was almost as good as having no clue at all.
The three of them talked for only a short while before arriving at the camp below Huangshi Ridge.
When Dongfang Liren saw that King Wu had been captured and brought down, she arranged for the soldiers to prepare to break camp and return. Seeing Ye Jingtang walking over, she stepped forward and said, "Just now, it was reported from below that Zhang Wenyuan was found in the forest two li away. What case is he involved in?"
Ye Jingtang shook his head and said, "When I first came to Wuzhou, I met a child looking for his father, so I helped to investigate. Your Highness, please wait a moment. I'll go and take a look."
...
The people who had been captured by King Wu as test subjects for the medicine had been locked in iron cages for a long time. They were poorly dressed, underfed, and most of them were still injured, so they couldn't run very far.
The soldiers from Zezhou had been searching around, and the found test subjects were gathered on an open space in the forest. Most of them were lone and weak martial artists from the martial world, and there were also many medicine farmers.
Ye Jingtang came to the forest two li away and saw that the military doctor was treating the injuries of dozens of disheveled test subjects.
A man with a large frame and vertical scars on his face sat among the crowd with his hair in disarray, wolfing down the military rations, with a water bottle placed in front of him.
Ye Jingtang came up to him and looked down. The man, who originally had a large frame, was now as thin as a skeleton, with bloodstains and scars on his body. It was hard to imagine how much suffering he had endured at the hands of King Wu.
After looking at him for a few moments, Ye Jingtang said, "Zhang Wenyuan, your son is waiting for you in Wanshui Town. Follow the army out later, and you'll be reunited soon."
Zhang Wenyuan had been locked in the iron cage for about a month. The time wasn't too long, and he didn't have any major mental issues. Upon hearing the words, a flash of excitement appeared in his eyes. He managed to stand up with difficulty and bowed to express his gratitude, saying, "Your humble servant pays his respects to you, sir. I have no way to repay your kindness for saving my life..."
As he said this, Zhang Wenyuan's eyes were suddenly drawn to the handle of the knife at Ye Jingtang's waist.
Although Zhang Wenyuan's martial arts skills weren't very high, he was, after all, a peer and junior brother of Yao Wenzhong and had quite some experience.
Although there were a large number of Chilong Sabers in the martial world, they were only used by middle and lower-level martial artists who didn't have a systematic saber technique and just casually picked a beautiful knife as a weapon.
However, once a martial artist's skills were systematic, they couldn't just carry any weapon randomly. A person carrying a Junshan Saber must have the Dragon-Slaying Order, and the same was true for a person carrying a Chilong Saber, because these weapons were all designed to match the corresponding martial arts. Their weight, length, and shape were all carefully considered, and other martial arts schools simply couldn't use them to achieve the proper effects.
Zhang Wenyuan looked at the bronze-carved Chilong on the ring at the top of the knife handle and then looked at Ye Jingtang's face, hesitating to speak.
Ye Jingtang remembered that the lad in Wanshui Town had pretty good saber skills. Seeing this, he asked, "Do you also use a saber?"
Zhang Wenyuan said respectfully, "I studied martial arts at Junshan Terrace for a few years when I was young. I was fortunate enough to meet the Three Heroes of Yunze and even had a bout with them. This saber of yours, sir, seems to have an extraordinary origin..."
Ye Jingtang was quite surprised. Since he had already revealed his identity to Xuanyuan Hongzhi, there was no need to hide it anymore. He directly said, "This saber was left by my father. Have you seen it before?"
"..."
When Zhang Wenyuan heard this, he was obviously taken aback. He looked carefully at Ye Jingtang's face again and said, half-believing, "May I ask if your father is Zheng Feng among the Three Heroes of Yunze?"
Ye Jingtang slightly raised his hand to let the weak Zhang Wenyuan sit down and talk, saying, "My father is Pei Yuanfeng. 'Zheng Feng' should be his alias in the martial world. However, he never told me about the things back then, and I don't know the details."
Zhang Wenyuan sat on the ground and thought for a while before saying, "Sir, you should be the adopted son of Hero Zheng, right?"
"Hmm?" Ye Jingtang was puzzled and asked, "How do you know? Do I not look like him?"
"It's not a matter of appearance. I had a bout with Hero Zheng back then. Although Hero Zheng's saber skills were slightly inferior to the other two, his appearance was the most outstanding among the Three Heroes of Yunze. If it weren't for that, Senior Sister wouldn't have..."
When Zhang Wenyuan said this, he felt that this topic might not be well-received, so he changed his words, "It's just a pity that Hero Zheng was later ambushed. I went to ask the doctor who treated Hero Zheng's injuries back then. His vital energy channels were completely shattered, and his kidneys were damaged. Not to mention practicing martial arts, even having children was a luxury. Logically speaking, it was impossible for him to have a son."
Ye Jingtang frowned. Although he had heard about his adoptive father's past from Qiu Tianhe, he wasn't very clear about the details. He asked, "I only know that my father was provoked to go on stage for a bout. What was the specific situation back then?"
Zhang Wenyuan sighed and, after a little recollection, began to talk about the past, "I was only in my early twenties back then. Although my talent and martial arts skills were relatively poor, I could still hang out with my peer saber-wielding martial artists.
"Back then, young saber-wielding martial artists all liked to go to Nanhu City. Senior Brother Xuanyuan Tiangang, Senior Sister Xuanyuan Shuye, as well as Xuanyuan Hongzhi, Yao Wenzhong, and others were all regulars there. I often went there with my fellow disciples to join in the fun.
"Once, Senior Brother and the others were practicing saber techniques in the city. Qiu Tianhe and Zheng Feng had just arrived in Nanhu City and came to join in the fun. Zheng Feng made his first appearance and happened to face off against Xuanyuan Hongzhi. Because he used the Eight-Step Frenzied Saber, Xuanyuan Hongzhi couldn't even raise his saber before Zheng Feng put the blade to his neck, making him lose a lot of face.
"Young people having bouts with each other, winning or losing was a common thing. At that time, many people booed, but no one took it to heart. Senior Brother stepped in to avenge him and knocked Zheng Feng down. Senior Sister even gave him a bottle of medicine for his injuries.
"Everyone thought it was just an ordinary bout, and it would be over after that. I even went to have a drink with Zheng Feng and Qiu Tianhe later. But Xuanyuan Hongzhi was a narrow-minded person with deep schemes. When he found out that Senior Sister was getting close to Zheng Feng, he directly told Xuanyuan Chao about it.
"At that time, the court was holding a consort selection. The Xuanyuan family had already made arrangements with the capital to send their eldest daughter into the palace as a noble concubine. Xuanyuan Chao was extremely angry when he learned about this and ordered Senior Sister not to leave the house.
"Then Xuanyuan Hongzhi turned around and sent someone to find Zheng Feng and told him the truth about the consort selection.
"Zheng Feng had an impatient personality. Afraid that the consort selection would be finalized, he directly went to Junshan Terrace and proposed marriage in public. Many people were there to egg him on at the time. Senior Brother Xuanyuan Tiangang knew Senior Sister's feelings and still helped to say a good word.
"But Xuanyuan Chao had already discussed with the capital about sending his legitimate daughter into the palace. How could he cancel the emperor's marriage contract? He was left with no face in public..."
Ye Jingtang frowned and said, "So Xuanyuan Chao then asked my father to prove himself with a saber?"
Zhang Wenyuan shook his head and said, "Xuanyuan Chao was the Saber Master and the overlord of the martial world in Zezhou. No matter what, he had to care about the seniority in the martial world and just refused the marriage proposal. As a result, at that time, Xuanyuan Hongzhi jumped out and asked Zheng Feng to prove his strength with a saber. Zheng Feng, seeing that Xuanyuan Chao didn't agree to the marriage, agreed to this method and challenged Xuanyuan Chao in public, wanting to withstand one strike.
"Xuanyuan Chao couldn't marry off his daughter. Since the words had been said, he agreed to the challenge. A bout on the stage wasn't a joke. The rule was that one took responsibility for their own life and death. Xuanyuan Hongzhi fanned the flames before the battle, making Xuanyuan Chao go for the kill. After all, if he didn't agree to the marriage, he would become a sworn enemy of Zheng Feng, and leaving him alive would surely become a serious threat in the future.
"Xuanyuan Chao wasn't a kind person. He really wanted to kill Zheng Feng with one strike to avoid future troubles, but if he struck too viciously, it wouldn't sound good if it got out.
"I saw that the situation was wrong at that time. I went to find Qiu Tianhe with my fellow disciples, wanting Qiu Tianhe to come and mediate for Zheng Feng. But by the time Qiu Tianhe rushed over, Zheng Feng had already been beaten into a useless person.
"As for what happened after that, sir, you should know. Senior Brother gave up the saber and retired from the martial world because of this incident, cutting off his relationship with the Xuanyuan family. Zheng Feng couldn't perform normal bodily functions. After waking up from his serious injuries, he disappeared and was never seen again. Qiu Tianhe, in order to help Zheng Feng, single-handedly charged into the marriage envoy team and kidnapped Senior Sister, living a life of wandering for decades. Many disciples of Junshan Terrace, including myself, also left Junshan Terrace because we couldn't stand this matter.
"Xuanyuan Chao didn't become the emperor's father-in-law, and his heir turned against him. Even the title of 'Marquis of Junshan' became 'Old Xuanyuan'. Since then, he has rarely been active in the martial world. It can be said that after this turmoil, no one was a winner..."
Ye Jingtang frowned tightly. After a moment of silence, he sighed softly, "I see."
Zhang Wenyuan glanced at Ye Jingtang and then said softly, "Let me be honest, sir. Please don't mind. Zheng Feng was a good person, but his personality was really a bit reckless. If it were Qiu Tianhe, he could have eloped, kidnapped the bride, or made the situation a fait accompli. Any one of these options would have made Xuanyuan Chao have to accept him as a son-in-law. But he just chose the most inappropriate path. However, this matter isn't entirely Zheng Feng's fault. The main problem lies with Xuanyuan Hongzhi.
"Since then, Xuanyuan Hongzhi has always been afraid that Zheng Feng would come back for revenge and has been trying every means to track down Zheng Feng's whereabouts. I thought that after all these years, Zheng Feng would never come back. Unexpectedly, I would suddenly meet you, sir... Alas, it's good that Zheng Feng has descendants. If Junshan Terrace really gets away with this, then the martial world would be really boring..."
Ye Jingtang secretly sighed and put these old scores aside for now. He looked at Zhang Wenyuan and said, "Senior Zhang, you have chivalry in your heart and can distinguish right from wrong. You truly deserve the word 'chivalrous'. However, you haven't educated your son very well. He is young and impulsive, and if it weren't for meeting me, he would have been hacked to death by the local ruffians in Wanshui Town by now. You need to discipline him well in the future."
Zhang Wenyuan's face changed slightly and he said, "My son is usually fine. Maybe he was just worried about my safety and that's why... Is my son okay?"
Ye Jingtang originally wanted to say that he was fine, but last time he had just established his prestige on the street and then asked the lad to wait in the town. He really didn't know what the situation was now. So he said, "I've greeted them. He should be fine. King Wu has been captured, and there's nothing else going on in the mountains. I'll go and pick up Senior Zhang's son. You can just rest well in the army."
Zhang Wenyuan, having survived the disaster, naturally most wanted to be reunited with his family at present. But after being locked in the iron cage for about a month, he could barely even stand up now. There were no horses in the mountains, and he couldn't very well ask Ye Jingtang to carry him out. So he could only bow his hands in gratitude and say, "Then I'll trouble you, sir."
Seeing this, Ye Jingtang didn't delay. He turned around and returned to the bottom of Huangshi Ridge. After greeting the Clumsy One, he rushed towards the outside of the mountains...
It was just past noon, and the sun was blazing high in the sky, making the weather rather sweltering.
In the small inn of the riverside town, a bird squatted under the eaves, keeping watch over the mountains in the north. It chirped softly, looking bored out of its wits.
In the room on the second floor, the doors and windows were all shut.
Luo Ning was dressed in a cyan long dress, sitting cross-legged on the bed with her eyes tightly closed, practicing the "Dragon-Elephant Face-Sustaining Diagram".
Pei Xiangjun, adorned with a flower-and-bird hairpin and dressed as a charming and mature woman, was also meditating beside her. However, having just had an intimate encounter the previous day, her mind was filled with scenes of Ye Jingtang's intimacy with her, and she simply couldn't calm down.
After sitting there for an unknown length of time, Pei Xiangjun gently bit her lower lip, turned to the stunningly beautiful Luo Ning beside her, and asked, "Jingtang hasn't finished his recuperation yet. What are our plans for today?"
Luo Ning's eyelashes fluttered, and then she opened her eyes and looked at Third Lady Pei, who seemed to be craving more of such experiences. "What do you mean by plans?" she asked.
Seeing that Luo Ning was pretending not to understand, Pei Xiangjun frowned slightly. "Should we continue to help Jingtang with his recuperation together, or..."
Luo Ning took a gentle breath and said seriously, "You still want to do it together? I was going to tell you last night. Don't you feel awkward having two women embracing each other while being intimate with a man?"
Pei Xiangjun had been a virgin just the day before, and in fact, she was quite shy. But since Luo Ning couldn't accept it, she managed to adapt. She replied, "In an emergency, we should act flexibly. What's so awkward about helping Jingtang recuperate?"
"Even if we help him recuperate together, we can take turns properly. Ye Jingtang can't be intimate with both of us at once. But look at you, you even lay on my back and let him do that thing back and forth... You're already quite heavy, and Ye Jingtang is even heavier..."
Pei Xiangjun blinked her eyes. "Then how about I'm on the bottom and you're in the middle next time?"
?
Luo Ning didn't know what to say. She raised her finger and poked Pei Xiangjun on the forehead. "Can't you stop spoiling him? Right after you got married, you listened to him and did it together with me. Do you believe that in a few days, he'll dare to make improper requests and ask you to..."
Luo Ning couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence and just glanced at Pei Xiangjun's plump figure.
Obviously, Pei Xiangjun didn't understand Luo Ning's meaning. She slapped Luo Ning's hand away and admonished her with the demeanor of a senior wife, "Once you're married, you should understand the principle of 'the husband leads and the wife follows'. Since you belong to Jingtang now, what could possibly be considered an improper request?"
"You'll know when you get into trouble later. He's always the type to push his luck..."
"Ahem——"
Just as Luo Ning was scolding the little rascal, two coughs suddenly came from outside the window. Startled, she immediately stopped talking.
But then she thought, she was just telling the truth. What was there to be afraid of? So she turned to look at the window. "Why are you coughing? Did you get a stitch in your side again?"
With a creak, the window opened from the outside.
Ye Jingtang, who had just rushed back from the mountains, landed in the room. He picked up the teapot on the table and took a big gulp. "I ran for so long that my throat is a bit dry. What were you two talking about?"
Pei Xiangjun wasn't shy at all in front of Luo Ning. She replied, "She thinks it's too heavy to be on the bottom and wants to be in the middle."
"Third Lady Pei!"
Luo Ning's eyes turned cold, and she raised her hand to pin Third Lady Pei down, ready to teach her a lesson.
But Pei Xiangjun didn't try to dodge. She leaned against the pillow, raised her hand, and hugged Luo Ning's upper body. Then she turned to Ye Jingtang and said, "Come on, Jingtang, let her try it."
"Are you out of your mind?"
?!
Ye Jingtang originally didn't have any improper thoughts, but when he heard Third Lady Pei's words, he felt a bit unsettled. He put down the teacup, came to the bedside, lay on Luo Ning's back, and gently pecked Pei Xiangjun on the lips. "How is it? Is it too heavy?"
Luo Ning was pressed against Pei Xiangjun's clothes and couldn't move, being trapped in the middle. Her eyes immediately showed anger, and she turned her head aside. "You scoundrel! If you're this excessive again, I'll go back to Nanxiao Mountain. Get off me!"
Ye Jingtang kissed Luo Ning on the lips again. "I'm just trying it out. I have to go to Wanshui Town soon. I'm not going to do it for real."
Pei Xiangjun, being pressed by the two of them, didn't feel the weight due to her high martial arts skills. Lying on the pillow, she asked in confusion, "What are you going to Wanshui Town for?"
"To pick someone up. I just happened to pass by here, so I came back to check on you. You two continue to rest. The matter of King Wu has been settled. I reckon I'll be back tonight."
Luo Ning frowned. "Your body hasn't fully recovered yet, and Wuzhou is so chaotic. Why are you running around alone? I'll go with you."
Pei Xiangjun was also worried about Ye Jingtang. She looked at the blazing sun outside. "Wanshui Town is over a hundred li away from here. It's so hot at noon that both people and horses can hardly bear it. Let's take a rest first before leaving. Taking time to sharpen the axe won't delay the woodcutting. Look at you, you're all sweaty."
Ye Jingtang had rushed back from the mountains on foot under the scorching sun and was indeed feeling hot. Thinking it over, he decided to take the opportunity to rest.
Luo Ning tried to break free from being sandwiched between the two, but she was held down by both of them. Seeing that Ye Jingtang was about to lift her skirt, she said angrily, "You scoundrel! Is this what you meant by not doing it for real?"
"Hehe... I'll rest quickly. In this situation, I'll be done in at most a quarter of an hour..."
"Pfft! When have you not spent about an hour fooling around? You... Sigh~ You can help her recuperate first. It's so hot, and being together like this..."
Pei Xiangjun covered Luo Ning's mouth and snorted softly, "Why are you talking so much to her? She's reluctant now, but she'll be obedient later."
With her mouth covered, Luo Ning's eyebrows shot up in anger. Unable to break free, she could only close her eyes and make a look of indignation as if to say, "If you dare to mess around, I'll go back to my parents' home... No, my husband's home!"
Ye Jingtang didn't use force. He held Third Lady Pei's hand and tenderly kissed Luo Ning for a moment until she no longer resisted. Then he arranged the two of them in a certain position and took the opportunity to rest...