The man spun around and pounced on them.
With extreme agility, he landed at their feet.
Both Meng Fuyao and Zhangsun Wuji did not move. They were both top-notch experts, and they knew that rushing over did not mean that he would kill, and that he would not necessarily rush over. Whether a person would attack or not depended on his murderous aura.
Not only did he not have any murderous aura, but his martial arts were also weak.
He pounced on them, no longer looking at them disdainfully and casually. Instead, he raised his head and called out respectfully, "Please forgive me for my rudeness in front of the Crown Prince and King Meng!"
Meng Fuyao mumbled, "Going from arrogant to respectful … What a waste of effort."
Zhangsun Wuji took a step back. "I don't know who you are, but I dare not accept your courtesy."
Meng Fuyao mumbled again, "One who is unaccountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions."
The man stood up and bowed slightly. "The Fifth Phoenix of Four Stars greets the Crown Prince and King Meng."
Meng Fuyao mumbled again, "Fifth Phoenix? I'm Fifth Liu! "
Zhangsun Wuji pinched her, and she immediately pinched him back. The two of them pinched each other from behind, both smiling. "Ah … Fifth Phoenix Prince … What an honor to meet you."
Both of them were shrewd people. They did not ask why a prince was cooking in a fisherman's house, nor did they ask why he would suddenly reveal his identity after concealing his identity. "Ah … I'm so full today." Zhangsun Wuji said, "Let's go back then. Tiecheng and the boat lady are still waiting for us." The two of them were about to turn around while talking to themselves.
The Fifth Prince smiled bitterly and did not try to persuade them to stay. Suddenly, he said, "There are many dangers ahead. Tigers and wolves are waiting for us. The Xuanji Nation has spread its net and is waiting for the Crown Prince and King Meng. Are you really unaware?"
Meng Fuyao turned around and put her hand on the cabin wall. "If I didn't know, why would I 'disappear' and meet you on this fishing boat?"
"The Crown Prince and King Meng are bold and skilled, so they naturally wouldn't care about the Four Stars." Feng Wu said, "I just happened to hear that someone wanted to harm the two of you, and invited a top-notch expert. The Changtian Faction is just an appetizer, and the road ahead will be filled with traps, which will be the real hot dish."
"It's said that the Eleventh Prince is using his current position to gather all the forces in the North to kill you under the cover of the purge. Once he succeeds, those who are willing will be rewarded handsomely, and those who are willing will be offered amnesty. In addition, the eldest daughter of Imperial Consort Rong, the First Princess, is also an inspector in the Middle Road. She has always been in charge of the Xuanji Kingdom's Purple Cloak Faction, which is similar to the assassination monitoring organization that every country has. These people are very popular in both the legal and legal circles. Once you leave the North and enter the Middle Road, you will enter the Purple Cloak Faction's sphere of influence. After entering the Middle Road, Consort Ning and the Third Prince are in charge of the Ministry of Justice's long-running cases in the Fu Capital. They are currently investigating locally and are in charge of all the military law deacons in the South. These people are a bunch of vicious dogs who kill without a sound, and are as notorious as the Purple Cloak Faction. People who fall into their hands are not afraid of death, but they are afraid of not being able to die properly. They are the most powerful ones, and they are obviously fighting for the throne. As for the palace, there are others … Sigh, it's all mixed up!"
Meng Fuyao glanced at the prince, who couldn't stop talking. "It's nothing. If it really doesn't work out, we won't be afraid of losing face. We'll just return home."
"I'm afraid we won't be able to go back." Feng Wu's tone sounded like an alarmist. Meng Fuyao laughed and pointed at her own nose. "We? Won't be able to go back? "
Zhangsun Wuji suddenly said, "What's the purpose of your visit, Fifth Prince? Just say it."
"It's a last resort." Hope and joy flashed in Feng Wu's eyes. He bowed and said, "Please enter the cabin to talk."
"No." Meng Fuyao frowned. She instinctively didn't like narrow spaces, so she rejected him directly. "Other than the top five of the Ten Strongest, there isn't anyone in the world who can eavesdrop on us without being detected. Feel free to say whatever you want to say."
"Alright." Feng Wu deliberated for a moment and said slowly, "I'll make it short. The battle for the Xuanji throne has always been one of the fiercest known to all countries. Last summer, my father suddenly fell ill with a strange illness and became more and more serious by the day. The succession of a new ruler became the most urgent issue in the imperial court and the harem. The Empress wanted to appoint a legitimate child, Imperial Consort Rong wanted to appoint an elder, and Consort Ning wanted to appoint a virtuous person. The three parties had their own forces and fought endlessly for nearly half a year. During this time, several princes and princesses mysteriously died. Last winter, when His Majesty's illness was at its worst, he finally issued an edict saying that a new ruler had been appointed, but he didn't say who it would be, only that it would be a princess. Naturally, the courtiers had their suspicions, but according to the rules, the new ruler would only officially ascend the throne in April. Now that the situation is grim and there are still a few months to the day of the coronation, His Majesty has kept the identity of the new ruler a secret, perhaps to protect her.
"Who knew that when my wife came home from serving in the palace, she would immediately ask me to pack my belongings and leave Tong City. I didn't know why, but she sounded very anxious, so I insisted on leaving with her. She said that she still had to serve in the palace the next day, so we agreed to wait for her at the Ten Mile Pavilion outside the city gates before we left the capital together."
At this point, a pained expression appeared on Feng Wu's face. Meng Fuyao and Zhangsun Wuji looked at each other, knowing that they probably wouldn't be able to wait for her.
Sure enough, Feng Wu said, "That night, I waited until the moon was high in the sky, until dawn broke, but I still didn't see her. I wanted to continue waiting, but a few of my loyal servants knew that something was wrong, so they knocked me out and took me away. Later on, I tried to secretly contact old friends in the capital to help me find out about my wife, but I couldn't find her."
At this point, he turned his head to wipe the tears from the corner of his eyes and let out a long sigh. He forced a smile and said, "I … I'm really in love with that wife of mine. Everyone in Tong City knows that Feng Wu and his wife are very compatible. My wife is the daughter of a low-ranking official, and the royal family has never been allowed to marry officials below the third rank. I was the one who pestered her and insisted on marrying her. I didn't have the support of my mother's family, and she was only a fifth-rank official in the palace, so she couldn't say anything for me. Because of this, I lost my father's love for her. In the end, the Tang family of Duke Jing took pity on us and took my wife as their adopted daughter. She married out of the Tang family and entered the royal family. My wife had a hard life. After she married into the royal family, she didn't get to enjoy a day of royal wealth with me. Instead, she was often teased by my sisters-in-law. The Empress and Imperial Concubine didn't like her either. The other imperial concubines only came to greet her twice a month and didn't come to the palace to gossip. She had to enter the palace to serve the Empress and do the things that a palace maid or eunuch could do. Often, when sisters-in-law came to greet her, they would eat melon seeds and gossip, but she didn't even have a seat. She had to stand and serve them tea …"
As Feng Wu spoke, his thin face was twisted by the pain in his heart. He choked and said, "I'm useless … I can't give her a good life. Every time she came back from the palace, she would smile and say that the Empress had given her something good to eat and play with. I actually believed it. If not for … if not for seeing it with my own eyes …"
Meng Fuyao sighed softly. Her hatred for the Xuanji Imperial Palace deepened. She hoped that she wouldn't meet the Xuanji Empress. If she did, she would give her a good slap!
"My wife is Jixian." She always advised me not to get involved in the fight for the throne and to just be an idle prince. Although it's good to have endless wealth and glory, it also depends on whether I'm alive to enjoy it. I listened to her and only went to the yamen every day. Most of the time, I just stayed at home to recite poems and cook with her. I like cooking, but I've always been ridiculed and looked down on by my brothers. They thought that as a prince, I was a disgrace to the entire Xuanji royal family by doing such a lowly job. But she said that I'd rather be despised alive than be admired in death. She was right. Most of the brothers who looked down on me are now dead … "
Meng Fuyao was silent. She thought that this woman was indeed perceptive. Some things might seem easy for an outsider to let go, but those involved in the situation would often be easily confused. Moreover, she had been bullied and humiliated. If she were an ordinary person, she would most likely urge her husband to usurp the throne. It was rare for this woman to be so magnanimous and unfazed by honor and disgrace.
Feng Wu really had a good eye. It was no wonder that Feng Wu couldn't forget to test the love between husband and wife even when they were eating.
"What did she hear that led to such a disaster?" Meng Fuyao muttered.
"I don't know. That night, she was in a hurry and only urged me to leave. I asked her again and again, but she only said that some things were better left unknown than to know. She only said one thing when she sent me out …"
"What?"
"She said, why did she do that …"
"Was it him or her?" Meng Fuyao asked.
Feng Wu shook his head. After a while, he slowly raised his hand and covered his face. His voice and tears slowly flowed through the gaps between his fingers. "She should have escaped with me that night, but she insisted on going to the palace the next day. She knew that there was a tiger in the mountain, but she still insisted on going to the mountain. How could I have been so stupid to not realize that she was giving me time to leave the city …"
In the dark cabin, in the narrow passageway, the pale man stood leaning against the wall, crying silently. The air was filled with a salty, wet smell that belonged to longing and tears of pain.
"That's why you're using politics to bait us? How did you know we were coming?" Meng Fuyao asked.
"At first, I didn't have that intention." Feng Wu blew his snot and wiped his nose with a dirty handkerchief. Meng Fuyao could not bear to look at him and heard him say, "At that time, I was so depressed that I wandered all over the place, cooking on the water, in small towns, and in the mountains. It was just a way to vent my frustration. Recently, I received news from the Tang Family, the Tang Family of Duke Jing. They are a loyal family, and the young duke is very talented. All the princes are fighting for the throne, and all the courtiers are taking sides. Only the Tang Family is impartial. He told me that before my wife returned home that night, she had gone to the Duke's Residence to talk to him. He didn't say what they talked about, only that he wanted me to think of a way to stop you and tell you that the road ahead is dangerous and that you must be careful. In the north under the influence of the Eleventh Prince, it's best to take the water route, but it's unavoidable that it's inconvenient. If possible, the Water Channel Gang is not under the Eleventh Prince's control, and we can use their power to bypass at least half of the ambush. The middle route should be through the mountains where the Purple Cape Cavalry would find it difficult to enter. So I came up with this political idea, thinking that you would be attracted …"
"And then?" Meng Fuyao's eyes flickered, and she smiled. "And then, in exchange for our help to find your wife or take revenge, you say?"
Feng Wu, who was not thick-skinned enough, lowered his head in shame and acquiesced.
Meng Fuyao looked at him and sighed. She then turned to Zhangsun Wuji, who was smiling without saying a word. "Look, everyone thinks I'm a sucker, but this guy here gave me some confusing information. That Prince Hua came knocking on my door with nothing."
Zhangsun Wuji patted her head as if he was patting a puppy. "Who asked you to meddle in the royal family's business? You've long been famous."
"Meddle? Meddle? " Meng Fuyao pointed at her own nose and wanted to cry, but no tears came out. What a huge misunderstanding! When had she ever meddled in other people's business? Wasn't it all because of the battle between Zhangsun Wuji and Beiye Zongyue? She just felt that she had to repay his kindness!
She turned to look at the hopeful Feng Wu and asked Zhangsun Wuji with her eyes. Zhangsun Wuji chuckled and whispered into her ear, "Your humble servant will always follow King Meng's lead."
Every time he whispered into her ear, his voice was full of air and teasing, making her feel weak and itchy all over. She quickly jumped to the side and glared at him. Then, she looked at Feng Wu. She thought about how his beloved wife had gone missing, how he was alone, and how he was worried about his wife. He lived on a fishing boat, selling vegetables, and painstakingly talked about food just to ask them for help. For a prince to end up like this, it was really pitiful.
No, it should be said that as a prince and princess of Xuanji, it was really too pitiful …
After a while, Meng Fuyao mumbled, "Anyway, that's what happened …" She turned her head and said, "Your Highness, I'll remember your words. I advise you not to work as a chef here anymore. Hide your identity and look for my subordinates. Follow them back to the capital. Who knows, maybe you'll meet an old acquaintance, Hua Yan, and build up a relationship. His Hua family should have some power."
She handed him a box and said, "This is a mask. Change your clothes and wait at the foot of the city wall of Yonghe County. I'll arrange for someone to pick you up and bring you back to the capital."
Feng Wu thanked her profusely and took out a small bamboo tube. "Young Duke Tang asked me to bring this to King Meng."
Meng Fuyao glanced at him with a faint smile, thinking that it would be nonsense to say that he was a bookworm. Look at this thing. If she didn't make a formal declaration, he wouldn't give it to her, right?
She kept it without opening it. "Where's the third dish?"
Feng Wu was speechless. He didn't expect this woman to not forget to eat at a time like this. How did she manage to flirt so much in the past?
He had no choice but to wash his hands and make soup. This time, there was no need to be mysterious about the first, second, and third dishes. He made a table full of meat and vegetables, effectively comforting Yuan Bao, who had been complaining about the first two dishes for a long time because he did not want to eat meat. Meng Fuyao and Yuan Bao ate happily, but Zhangsun Wuji only tasted each dish lightly before putting down his chopsticks and sighing. "I still think the first two dishes are the best …"
Meng Fuyao looked at him with disdain. 'It's not the best, it's the way you eat it, isn't it?'
She wiped her mouth after eating and pointed to the last dish, which was a colorful dish of ten stir-fried vegetables. She smiled and said, "It's like you Xuanji princes and princesses. You're all tangled up in a mess, but each of you has your own stand. There's only one way to deal with them. "
She picked up the dish and shared it with Lord Ingot without hesitation. When Feng Wu asked what they should do, she laughed and said, "Stew them in one pot!"
She then put down the bowl and pulled Zhangsun Wuji away. Feng Wu suddenly remembered something and asked, "How do you plan to change the route?"
The two turned around, smiled, and answered in unison.
"Continue the tour!"
= = =
"Why not?" Meng Fuyao lay lazily on the boat, burping continuously. "Does Feng Wu really think that the flowers and grass won't know that he's selling vegetables on this boat? If Feng Wu leaves, the flowers and grass of the Xuanji family won't be sure of our whereabouts, but they'll know that he's already talked to us. They'll think that we're going to change our route to a more secluded one … I won't change, I won't go! "
"Yes, yes, you won't go. The Xuanji princes and princesses don't know that our King Meng is a loner who won't turn back until he hits the wall."
Meng Fuyao tilted her head and smiled at the fellow who was sleeping with his eyes closed. "Comrade, you seem to have a problem with me?"
"I wouldn't dare." Zhangsun Wuji smiled. "Anyone who has a problem with you is said to be dead now."
Meng Fuyao laughed heartily and lay flat on the deck, looking up at the blue sky and white clouds. Listening to the flowing water beside her, she said, "Talking about life and death in such a good time really spoils the mood …"
"What did the little duke of the Tang family say to you in the bamboo pipe?"
"It was a very mysterious and strange sentence, just four words," Meng Fuyao said. "It's easy to meet the King of Hell."
Zhangsun Wuji laughed. "How can he be so secretive?"
"I'm afraid it's hard to say," Meng Fuyao said. Meng Fuyao said, "I suspect that the people arranged by the flowers and grass must be very complicated. I have a feeling that it's not only the flowers and grass who have no hope of becoming the emperor who want to kill us to cause a dispute between the three countries, but also the old and new emperors of Xuanji. It seems that the two of us have become the targets of the entire Xuanji royal family, each of them taking turns to stab us. Ahhhh … it's so tiring to think about it."
"Since we've unintentionally been involved, the road ahead and back will be equally dangerous. Let's just move forward." Zhangsun Wuji said indifferently, "It's a tricky political battle. If we don't move forward, we'll fall behind. Avoiding it may not be useful, but we'll be passive."
"I'll only ask you one question." Meng Fuyao moved closer and lay on top of Zhangsun Wuji. "Last time, your junior sister said that she saved Fo Lian. Is that true?"
Zhangsun Wuji opened his eyes and smiled at the fair forehead in front of him. He reached out and pulled Meng Fuyao onto his chest. "I'll tell you after a kiss."
Meng Fuyao scolded, "You pervert who never forgets to take advantage of others!" She tried to climb up, but for some reason, the boat suddenly swayed. Without any support, she immediately fell back down. Zhangsun Wuji immediately smiled and hugged her. With a flick of his finger, a golden leaf silently fell at the boat maiden's feet.
The boat maiden quickly accepted it with a smile. This was a good deal!
Zhangsun Wuji smiled and kissed Meng Fuyao's forehead. He did not intend to push his luck and let go of her in satisfaction. "Taiyan was purposely trying to anger me. When I went back to the sect to ask, although she was there, she did not save Fo Lian."
"So, he's dead?"
"That's the problem," Zhangsun Wuji said. Zhangsun Wuji said, "At that time, Taiyan didn't know what was going on. She saw Fo Lian being 'robbed' and wanted to save him. After sealing the memory of the guard who pretended to be the robbers, she turned around and found Fo Lian gone."
"Gone?" Meng Fuyao was stunned. "How could a living person disappear from under Taiyan's nose?"
"Taiyan was also very angry, so when she figured out what was going on, she turned around to find trouble with me." Zhangsun Wuji frowned and smiled helplessly.
"Sigh …" Meng Fuyao sighed and did not say anything.
Suddenly, she felt a tremor below her. She frowned and straightened her back. When she turned around, she saw that the boat was slightly tilted and slowly sinking.
Someone had cut through the boat underwater.
The boat maiden ran over in a panic and clung to the side of the boat. She slapped her thigh and cried, "Goddamn water devils! Didn't you agree to pay for your hard work? "
At first, Meng Fuyao thought that they were people who were chasing after them. She was wondering how capable these people were to be able to find them so quickly. But when she heard the meaning of the words, she quickly pulled Zhangsun Wuji up to the top of the ship. "What's going on?"
"Do the customers know how to swim? Let's go, now is not the time to talk! " The boat maiden held back her tears and threw away the oars. She quickly packed up the money on the boat and tied it to her waist. Meng Fuyao sighed and said, "We still can't avoid the fate of falling into the water …"
In the blink of an eye, she saw several boats in front of them. They were all black and had red flags. A number of people stood on the bow of the boats, all of them carrying shiny knives and beating drums. The sound of the drums traveled dozens of miles across the water. She could not help but exclaim, "Boatman, let's go to that boat to avoid the cold. It's early spring and it's not fun to freeze."
"We can't go, we can't go." The boat maiden turned her head and saw the boat. Her lips trembled as if she had seen a ghost. "It's the Lishui Gang's boat. They raised the flag to sacrifice to the Water God. No wonder they cut my boat. They were afraid of offending the Water God. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have left the boat today … Customers, please don't go.
If you offend the most important ceremony of the Lishui Gang, we will take your place! "By the time she was done talking, only the roof of the boat was left. The boat maiden stomped her feet and dived into the water. Meng Fuyao shrugged and kicked off the roof of the boat. She stood on the roof with Zhangsun Wuji and Tie Cheng, grabbed a coil of rope from the deck, and threw it at the big boat.
The long rope flew in a straight line and landed firmly on the side of the boat with a swoosh. Meng Fuyao tightened her grip and was about to take off when a knife flashed on the boat. Someone had cut the rope in one move.
Meng Fuyao raised her eyebrows and retrieved the rope with a wave of her hand. The end of the rope was still in the water. She kicked off the roof of the boat and slid a few feet along the water. The rope in her hand suddenly flew up and she swung it with all her might.
"Pa!"
The soaked rope was as heavy as an iron whip. It swept across the calm water, the strong wind stirring up a crystal curtain wall. With a splash of water as high as three feet, it struck the hull of the other boat!
"Crack!"
The sound of the whip breaking could be heard clearly even though it was still several feet away. The thick wood of the ship, which was several feet thick, was forcibly cracked by this fierce whip. The ship tilted, and a large amount of water rushed into the hole. The huge ship immediately began to sink slowly.
The people on the boat cried out in alarm. The drums and music stopped, and the deck was filled with chaotic footsteps. Vaguely, someone shouted, "Go to the boat over there!"
Someone shouted, "We've already prayed to the Water God, we can't stop the ceremony midway!"
"Push it down!"
"Splash!" The sound of water was heard, as if something heavy had been pushed down.
From her angle, Meng Fuyao could not see what they were pushing down. She did not try to save them, but merely stood on the roof of the floating boat with a cold smile. She watched as the boat slowly tilted and sank into the water. She watched as the people on the boat slid into the next boat in a panic. After a while, she frowned slightly.
Suddenly, a splash sounded beside her. Tie Cheng had entered the water and was desperately swimming towards the place where the heavy object had been pushed down.
Meng Fuyao turned to look at Zhangsun Wuji and said, "This kid is too impatient."
They looked at each other and laughed. Previously, the three of them had seen that the sacrificial offering on the boat was a person who had been pushed down when the boat had split open. Fearing that it was a trick, Meng Fuyao deliberately waited a little longer. Seeing that the person did not float up, it seemed that it was real.
Seeing that Tie Cheng had saved the person and was swimming towards the second boat, Meng Fuyao and Zhangsun Wuji flew up and stopped on the first boat. Then, they brought Tie Cheng and the person he had saved to the second boat. This time, no one dared to stop them. They could not afford to offend someone who had destroyed a boat with a whip.
Meng Fuyao stepped onto the deck and smiled at the gleaming knives on the boat. "Good afternoon, everyone."
"Who are you? How dare you disturb our Cao Clan's sacrifice to the Water God! "the leader of the group, a man in a yellow robe with a lion's nose and a wide mouth, bellowed.
"What an uncivilized cannibal. What era are we in? Offering a living sacrifice?" Meng Fuyao frowned and turned to look at the human, who was still unconscious in Tie Cheng's arms. His palm-sized face and hair stuck tightly to his pale forehead made him look as skinny as a match. He was tied up tightly with several cowhide ropes. Tie Cheng was busy untying the ropes. Judging from his figure and age, he was actually still a child.
"That's our business!" the man in the yellow robe shouted. "You're an outsider. Aren't you afraid of getting yourself killed by meddling in other people's business?"
The knives on the boat clapped together in unison. The clear and melodious sound was the secret signal for the entire clan to become enemies. Meng Fuyao only smiled lazily and stretched out her hand. Suddenly, the neck of the man in the yellow robe was in her hand.
The clanging of the swords on the boat stopped abruptly. The men on the water looked frightened and quietly took a step back. The yellow-robed man struggled fiercely. His face was red, but he couldn't say a word no matter what.
Meng Fuyao took her time to strangle the man's neck. She narrowed her eyes and said calmly, "I've taken a liking to this boat of yours. I've decided to use it to go to Lishui. From now on, all three boats will stay on this boat. Leave five cabins for us on the top floor. The rest, except for the helmsman and the cook, will stay in the lower cabins. Make a report every day to go to the toilet and eat. I'll do a headcount every day. If there's anyone missing, I'll kill everyone in the cabin."
She gently, almost tenderly grabbed an iron anchor that weighed over a hundred jin, kneaded it into a ball like plasticine, and then casually hung it around the yellow-robed man's neck. Then, she smiled, asking extremely politely, "Do you need me to kill someone right now to prove it?"
The people on the boat watched as the heavy iron anchor was casually turned into an iron shackle. They watched as their helmsman fell to the ground the moment he let go of the collar. They tried their best to pull it off, but to no avail. Even if they did not die, they would die sooner or later wearing such a heavy thing around their necks. Their eyes were filled with horror. They looked at each other in dismay. Those who had opened their mouths to curse now shrunk their necks. Meng Fuyao clapped her hands and grabbed another iron anchor. She raised her hand and smashed it at the third boat that was trying to escape.
The iron anchor whizzed through the air and smashed into the hull of the boat. The river water gushed in and destroyed another boat in an instant. Meng Fuyao sat on the boat and waved to the other boat. "Come, let's have a meeting."
The ladder was put up, and the people on the other boat had no choice but to board it. The three boats squeezed into one boat, filling it up in an instant. Meng Fuyao let Tie Cheng lead them down to the cabins. Each cabin was cramped like sardines. Meng Fuyao tilted her head to look at the design of the cabins. There were rows of cabins on the left and right, and the cabins were sealed with only one door. She smiled and said, "I'll open a window for you." She grabbed a spear and stood in front of the wooden wall of one of the cabins. She raised her hand and shot.
The spear pierced through the wall like a bolt of lightning, and a series of cracking sounds could be heard. In an instant, a bowl-sized hole appeared in the upper half of the wooden wall, through which everyone could see what was happening in all the cabins.
"I've said it before. If one escapes, I'll kill the whole cabin." Meng Fuyao smiled and pointed at the hole. "You're welcome to report any illegal exits."
She walked out slowly, and when she reached the door, she smiled and said, "You're welcome to escape."
The sardines squeezed in the cans looked at her in silence, as if they were looking at a murderous demon.
Meng Fuyao was very satisfied with the effect. She had to create the image of a butcher without killing anyone. Otherwise, it would be too tiring for her to keep an eye on so many people. If she had to keep an eye on Tie Cheng, she would feel bad for her family's labor. It would be easier to let them keep an eye on each other.
She lazily went up to the top cabin. Tie Cheng was still worried, so he dragged a stool and waited at the door. Meng Fuyao walked past him and sighed. "Idiot, you'll be annoyed to death later."
Tie Cheng was still counting with his fingers. "Crown Prince, you, me, and the one who needs to be rescued. We only need four cabins."
Meng Fuyao smiled wretchedly and walked past him. Lord Yuan Bao crawled out of her arms and lay on her shoulder, pointing at his nose at Tie Cheng.
There's one more, and I'll have it too.
Tie Cheng sighed and looked at the can of sardines below with a sympathetic expression.
Meng Fuyao walked past the cabin where the child was sleeping. She stuck her head out to take a look. The child was unconscious, so she went in to take his pulse. His pulse was erratic, sometimes loose, and sometimes tight. It seemed that he had suffered a great shock, but it was not a big deal. The child's skin was sallow, and his limbs were rough. His palms had thick calluses from fishing nets and ropes. He was probably a fisherman's child, but she did not know how he had become a sacrifice for the Water God.
Meng Fuyao was very sensitive to children. She immediately avoided them after seeing his condition and returned to her cabin. As she opened the door, she saw a certain crown prince lying comfortably on her bed as if it was his own. He waved at her and said, "Come here."
Meng Fuyao felt that the crown prince had been getting more and more out of hand recently. He had taken over the nest of a magpie, and had taken advantage of her. She had to be on high alert at every step, and she had to be on guard at all times. She should be severely condemned. "Hey, why are you sleeping on my bed?"
Zhangsun Wuji blinked and asked innocently, "This is your bed?"
"Of course!" Meng Fuyao replied sternly.
"But I heard that someone has a habit of going to the wrong room." Someone began to bring up the past.
Meng Fuyao's face darkened. "I won't go to the wrong room again today. First, I didn't drink. Second, I asked Tie Cheng to mark my cabin."
All the cabins on the ship were exactly the same. She was afraid that someone would use that as an excuse to go to the wrong room, so she had asked Tie Cheng to mark every cabin. Tie Cheng had already told her that the first cabin was hers, and that there was a salted fish hanging on it. Zhangsun Wuji's cabin had a fishbone.
"Is that so?" Zhangsun Wuji smiled and pointed at the cabin door. "Yes, a mark."
Meng Fuyao looked up and saw a fishbone hanging on the door.
"You shameless bastard, change the mark!" She was indignant.
Zhangsun Wuji smiled and waved. "Meow!" A cat crawled out from under the bed. Zhangsun Wuji gently patted its head and praised, "Good boy, you eat fast."
"Squeak …" Lord Ingot let out a miserable shriek and tried his best to burrow deeper into Meng Fuyao's clothes.
Zhangsun Wuji got up and pulled Fuyao over. "It doesn't matter which cabin is which. Come, let's look at the water together."
The cabin was only so big, and it was difficult to even turn around. She sighed and moved him to the side. The two of them leaned on the bedding and stared at the glittering waves outside the narrow window. The bright moon rose quietly, and they enjoyed the quietness and tranquility of the air with the fishy smell. After a while, Meng Fuyao said, "If you have such thoughts, you might as well think about how to get to Tong City easily."
"Isn't it good now?" Zhangsun Wuji smiled. "Right now, the waterways are the safest. Previously, when the Waterway Gang offered sacrifices to the gods, the surrounding waters were completely cleared out. There wasn't even a single ship. No one in the world knows our whereabouts and location."
"Your secret guard and my bodyguard don't know either." Meng Fuyao sighed. "There are pros and cons."
"When I was up there, I had a chat with the ship's cook." Zhangsun Wuji changed the topic. "He said that these three ships are the elites of the Cao Clan. After the sacrifice, they planned to dock at the next port and participate in the General Assembly of the Greenwood Alliance in Guangcheng County. It's said that the Eleventh Prince's policy of suppressing bandits has disrupted the balance of the Greenwood Alliance and even the martial arts world of Xuanji. Other than those blinded by greed and bribed by Feng Jingrui, most of the powerful sects are actually unwilling to have anything to do with the government. However, they are also unwilling to live under Feng Jingrui's policy of 'submit and prosper, or oppose and perish'. The General Assembly of the Greenwood Alliance is a gathering to elect a leader and to oppose Feng Jingrui to the end."
As Meng Fuyao listened, her eyes slowly lit up with a crafty glint. Zhangsun Wuji's lips curled up and he immediately pecked her on the cheek with a smile. Before she could react, he had already let go of her hand. "I'm going to sleep."
Meng Fuyao was just about to pursue the crime of stealing a kiss, but she was surprised to see him let go so easily. Momentarily, she forgot to reprimand him. She yawned lazily and went to sleep. She could vaguely hear Tie Cheng's continuous report from below the cabin. "Reporting, I need to pee!" "Reporting! I need to relieve! " She laughed and closed her eyes to sleep.
She rolled around on the small bed when she suddenly felt that something was wrong. However, she couldn't figure out what it was. She pressed on the bed and sat up to look around. She didn't feel anything, so she lay back down to sleep. As she slept, she thought, 'What is it? What is it?'
In the middle of the night, she suddenly felt that the wooden wall beside her was empty. The bed moved, and then … a pair of arms reached over. A familiar fragrance assaulted her noiselessly, yet gently, like the sound of water in the middle of the night. Suddenly, she fell into a warm embrace.
That person's eyes shone brightly in the darkness, like a bright pearl that could pierce through the mountains and rivers. He chuckled calmly and powerfully beside her ear, "I've said it before, it really doesn't matter which room is which. This wooden wall … is movable."
Meng Fuyao was speechless.
"Moreover." The damned man continued, "The bed next to yours is my bed. It's basically connected. Once the movable partition is removed, it becomes the same bed. You and I, we've always slept on the same bed."
Meng Fuyao was speechless with tears in her eyes.
"Fuyao, look." Zhangsun Wuji's breath lingered on her forehead, nose, cheeks, and lips like a spring breeze. Inch by inch, he worshipped her and chuckled. "We're really fated to share a bed with each other just by smashing a boat."
'Fated your d * mn head …' Meng Fuyao was in tears … 'If we're fated, why did you still seal my acupoints?'
"There shouldn't be anything that spoils the mood at this time." Zhangsun Wuji explained in her ear. His explanation didn't sound like an explanation, but more like a provocation. He gently pulled her hair and bit it with his teeth. The force was neither light nor heavy. It didn't hurt, but it made her shiver like a jolt of electricity. His laughter was deep, and his voice was distorted because he was so close to her. "Fuyao … it took us ten years to cross on the same boat, and a hundred years to sleep on the same pillow. We've cultivated our fate for thousands of years in our past lives. How can we be rejected by an unromantic person like you again and again?"
Meng Fuyao used her gaze to kill him. 'If I say yes, then yes!'
Zhangsun Wuji ignored her and chuckled. He used his strongest smile to tell her, 'If I say no, then no.'
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