Xue Rui and his companions left the labyrinthine forest. Once they crossed the river, they were watched. Jing Chen sensed that there were people following them, but he did not make a sound. While Zhao Xiaozhu was not paying attention, he hinted at Xue Rui.
Emperor Zhao Qing had promised not to send anyone to escort them, but there were still people following them in secret. Although this group of people was far away, they could not hide from Jing Chen's sensitive senses. As soon as they entered An Xian, he had discovered their tracks.
He knew that their mission was not only to protect him, but more importantly, to capture the traitors with ill intentions.
Originally, Jing Chen did not care about this group of people, but after seeing Mister Yanye, he had another layer of worry. He hoped that the man was his father, but he was also afraid that it was.
Ever since Yu Shu told him that Yun Hua was not dead, he had thought of many reasons. Why did his father fake his death to hide it from the world? Who knew that his father was not dead?
Uncle the Emperor, the Great Teacher, and the seniors of Dragon Tiger Mountain, did they all know? Everyone knew that Princess Luyue died of illness, Yun Hua died for love, and both husband and wife passed away, but what was the truth?
He had many suspicions, but he was afraid that his father had some connection with the traitors. If that was the case, once his father's whereabouts were exposed, would the Emperor let him go?
Would his father be in danger?
"Jing Chen," Xue Rui called out in a low voice, interrupting Jing Chen's worries. "Did you not sleep well last night? You don't look well."
"I'm fine."
Xue Rui glanced at Zhao Xiaozhu who had run ahead to open up the path. He tugged at the reins and approached Jing Chen. He walked alongside him and spoke in a casual tone.
He said in a casual tone, "I think that the river behind us is a bit strange. If there is no one to lead the way, it doesn't seem easy to cross it. You know formations, did you see any clues?"
Hearing this, Jing Chen thought for a moment and turned to look at Xue Rui. He said, "I didn't pay attention, but I think it's not that simple."
Mr. Yan Ye lived in such a remote place, so he must have some means to protect himself. That river and forest must have some kind of concealment technique, making it difficult for ordinary people to find him.
With this reminder, Jing Chen's solemn expression eased.
Upon seeing this, Xue Rui let out a calm smile and did not speak further.
"Hey! You! " Zhao Xiaozhu turned around and shouted at them, "Ride faster. At this speed, I'm afraid we won't be able to find the place by nightfall!"
The two of them looked at each other, then urged their horses to catch up and quickened their pace.
On the other side, on the river that was the only way back to the forest, several masked men who were trying to cross the river lost their footing and fell into the water. They had obviously crossed the river by stepping on floating rocks, but after walking for a few feet, they missed their footing and fell into the river.
What was even more unexpected was that at the bottom of the clear and clean river, there were actually many green-skinned, flower-coated long worms. They were densely circling at the bottom of the floating rocks, and just one look at them was enough to make one's scalp tingle. Without exception, the people who fell into the water were bitten by the snakes. The snake's venom spread extremely quickly, and with just a slight movement, it made people feel pain all over their body, and they could not help but sink to the bottom of the river.
Therefore, these unlucky people who stayed behind were almost completely annihilated because of this strange river.
Just as Jing Chen and the others rushed to the princess' tomb without stopping, Yu Shu sat in front of Yun Hua and listened to his story.
It was a story about Yun Hua's son, a story that few people knew about.
"Speaking of which, you and I have some fate. Before I changed my name to Changzhou Yun Mufeng, I was from the hinterland of Jiangnan, Yiyang City. When I was ignorant, my family met with an accident, and I was adopted by my master since I was a child. He taught me to become a human, and after my studies were successful, I obeyed my master's orders and married a girl who was my childhood sweetheart. She was my first wife, Madam Han. "
When she heard this, Yu Shu was already 200% sure that Yun Hua was her senior brother, the first disciple that Daoist Qing Zheng had accepted. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence in the world that they both met in Yiyang City?
"My master's kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain, and he is like a second parent. After I got married, he ordered me to go to Anling to do something for him. So I left my new wife behind and went to the capital to take the examination. Who knew that this trip would be the last time I saw him."
Yu Shu did not need to ask around to guess what Qing Zheng had entrusted to him. Unless it was related to the Book of Fantasy Maiden's Six Rens, how could it have led to a fatal disaster?
When Yun Hua recalled these past events, he was not as calm as he appeared to be. Even though twenty years had passed, he had been regretting it day and night, and he had long numbed himself.
He was talented, and his master had taught him meticulously for twenty years, allowing him to look down on everyone at a young age. Once he entered Anling, he was like a fish in water. While others were preparing for the examination, he had already made a name for himself in the capital. He gained royal power and wealth, and he even had a female confidante.
"Before the Grand Examination, I lived in the Fragrant Residence by the Jade Lion Lake. Every day, people came to visit me, and some even came to provoke me. One day, a young girl dressed as a man came and wanted to discuss Yi with me. I talked about Yin and Yang with her in front of the door for three consecutive days, and before I was satisfied, I invited her to be my guest. Later on, I found out that she was the beloved daughter of the late Emperor, Princess Luyue."
Those who studied Yi were naturally free and unrestrained, and Yun Hua was even more outstanding. He did not reveal Princess Luyue's identity. If she did not speak, he would just pretend that he did not know and befriend her.
"To think that I was so conceited, and I was the Yi Zi back then, but I did not foresee this. After I won first place in the Grand Examination, my name spread throughout the world, and what followed was an imperial edict to betroth me and Luyue to me. Overnight, I became the Emperor's son-in-law."
He was the Yi Zi of the Grand Examination, and he became the leader of all the Yi Zi in the world. He did not need the title of Emperor's son-in-law to make it better. He only wanted to become the Celestial Commissioner, so that he could fulfill his master's wish. If he became the Emperor's son-in-law, he would not be able to enter the court, so how could he be willing?
Moreover, he already had a good wife, so how could he marry another?
"At that time, I was appointed by the Celestial Commissioner to go to the palace to meet the Emperor, but I refused the Emperor's favor. The Emperor was furious, and accused me of despising the Emperor's favor, so he sent me to the Heavenly Prison. There was also a villain who accused me of cheating in the Grand Examination, causing me to be in trouble."
He was tortured in the prison and almost lost his life. When his life was hanging by a thread, Luyue came to visit. She felt guilty and knew that she could not force him, but in order to save his life, he agreed to betroth her to him.
"Everyone fears death, and so do I." Yun Hua said this indifferently. Yu Shu felt the same way, and she also felt emotional.
So what if he was the Yi Zi? Under the imperial power, he was still at the mercy of the Emperor.
"The world is unpredictable. After I married Luyue, the former Emperor probably wanted to make it up to me, so he allowed me to enter the Celestial Commissioner to discuss official business. This was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to complete my master's request, so I had to find an item in the Celestial Commissioner."
Therefore, the title of Yi Zi Yun Hua became his weapon to deceive others. It allowed him to enter and leave the Celestial Commissioner freely. The title of Emperor's son-in-law also gave him special privileges that others did not have. He had to admit that if it was not for Luyue, he would have searched for another eight to ten years and still not had the chance to see this item.
"Did you find it in the end?" Yu Shu finally could not help but interrupt. She had been in the Celestial Commissioner for a few months, but she did not even catch a shadow of the Book of Mystery Maiden Liu Ren. If she could find out its whereabouts from Yun Hua, it would be the biggest reward of this trip!
Yun Hua looked up at her, his left hand gently stroking the box of clay figurines. There was a self-deprecating look in his eyes, and he smiled faintly.
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