After a series of exchanges, Yuan Fang took his leave. Song Yanqing sent Xu Yitian to accompany him. In reality, it was just to watch over him and not let Yuan Fang escape. For Song Yanqing, whether Yuan Fang accepted the offer of amnesty or not was another matter. At the very least, he couldn't let Yuan Fang ruin his plans. He had to temporarily control Nanshan Temple.
After Yuan Fang left, Song Yanqing couldn't help but laugh and curse, "This bear demon is a bit interesting."
Chen Guishuo moved in front of him, blinked, and said, "Bear, golden fur, the fur is impervious to swords and spears! Senior brother, do you have any impression of him? "
Song Yanqing's gaze focused slightly, and he nodded slightly. "I recognized him as soon as he took off his clothes and revealed his golden fur. It's the Golden King Bear from the Record of Strange Beasts. The fur weaved armor possesses great defensive power. It's a very rare thing, and we actually encountered it here. Judging from his appearance, he probably doesn't have much contact with the people of the cultivation world. Otherwise, with such a weak cultivation, he wouldn't dare to expose himself so easily. There's no rush, we can talk about future matters in the future. Let's see if he knows what's good for him and finish what he has to do first. "
Chen Guishuo grunted, discovering that this bear demon could be considered lucky. If not for the fact that he hadn't completely transformed and had a body of golden fur to protect him, he might have been slaughtered at the start of the battle.
Afterwards, Chen Guishuo accompanied Song Yanqing as he walked around Nanshan Temple, observing the environment and making preparations.
After the three of them left the Shangqing Sect, they had practically been on their way without stopping, all for the sake of making preparations early. Along the way, thanks to Song Yanqing's background, they could find relay stations along the way to change horses, or else their mounts wouldn't have been able to keep up with this kind of hurried journey …
The bright moon illuminated the great river. There were tents by the riverside, and the surging waves reflected the moon.
There was a somewhat dilapidated pavilion on the riverside. Shang Chaozong leaned against the railing with his hands behind his back, gazing at the moonlight on the river.
Lan Ruoting walked over from nearby, slowly walking into the pavilion. He asked, "Does the Prince have something on his mind towards Jiang Choumian?"
Shang Chaozong sighed softly, "Although I'm full of confidence to boost the morale, we know our own situation very well. We don't have any powerful magicians to protect us, so we don't know if we can reach the fief safely. After Guangyi County, we won't be far from Cangwu County. The closer we get to the end, the more worried I become. "
Lan Ruoting comforted him, "Don't worry, Your Highness. Before we get those 100,000 Crow Generals, there won't be too much danger along the way. We should be able to arrive safely. I'm more worried about the fief. The imperial court has probably made preparations beforehand."
Shang Chaozong turned around and said, "I'm considering whether there's a need for us to go to Cangwu County given the current situation."
Lan Ruoting's expression turned solemn, waving his hands repeatedly. "Prince, we mustn't. The imperial court will definitely have spies along the way. If we obediently go there, we can still guarantee our safety. If we lose control and deviate from the direction, we might immediately be pursued. In addition, this subordinate spent a great deal of effort in the capital to push them to set the Prince's place of exile in Cangwu County. When the previous Prince was alive, Cangwu County had some preparations and resources. This is the Prince's final hope. We no longer have any usable resources on hand, so we can't give up so easily! "
Shang Chaozong nodded silently, saying, "I hope we can give an explanation to these brothers who have sworn to follow us to the death!"
At this moment, one of the five centurions, Guan Tie, walked over with large strides. Behind him was a white-haired old man with a slight limp.
The two of them entered the pavilion one after the other. Guan Tie cupped his fists and reported, "Prince, Uncle Fang has arrived."
The white-haired old man knelt on one knee, his voice trembling as he said, "This humble one, Fang Ping, greets the Little Prince … No, greets the Prince!"
"Uncle Fang, please rise quickly!" Shang Chaozong rushed forward and personally helped the old man up with both hands.
This old man was originally one of King Ning's bodyguards, Shang Jianbo's subordinates. Later on, he was injured on the battlefield and had to retire from the army. He returned to his hometown and lived in this area.
When he stood up, Lan Ruoting asked, "Fang Ping, have you prepared the tools I sent for you to cross the river?"
Fang Ping shook his head in shame. "This humble one is incompetent. So far, I've only prepared a few wooden rafts."
Lan Ruoting frowned. "There are dozens of people, but you've only prepared a few wooden rafts. What's going on?" It wasn't without reason that Shang Jianbo had retired some of his soldiers and specially placed them in this area. It was to prepare for emergencies.
Fang Ping sighed. "Mister Lan, you may not know this, but after Guangyi Prefecture's Governor Feng Lingbo raised his army, he had a few conflicts with the imperial court's army. It was inevitable that the villages nearby would be affected. In addition, he forcibly recruited young and strong soldiers. Half of us died, and the other half were captured by Feng Lingbo's people. We don't know if they're dead or alive. It's only because this humble one is too old and my legs are inconvenient that he didn't want me. That's why I escaped."
Lan Ruoting fell silent.
"I see! Uncle Fang, don't worry. This isn't your fault. " Shang Chaozong comforted him. He turned around and pointed upstream. "If I remember correctly, there's a bridge at the narrow part of the river upstream. If it really doesn't work, we'll take a longer route."
Lan Ruoting smiled bitterly. "Prince, you may not know this, but I've been paying attention to the few conflicts between Feng Lingbo and the imperial court's army. In order to guard against the imperial court's army's sneak attack, not only are all the boats along the river controlled by Feng Lingbo, but all the bridges that can be used to travel on the river have also been destroyed by Feng Lingbo. "If we really want to take a longer route, we'll have to go at least eight hundred li away. I'm afraid we won't be able to go around it in less than a few days. After we go around the river, we'll have to take a longer route. The gains don't make up for the losses. It's better to cut wood and cross the river!"
Shang Chaozong pondered for a while, then said decisively, "If that's the case, we'll cut wood after daybreak!"
The matter was decided like that. Guan Tiegang sent Fang Ping away to rest. Shang Shuqing, who was wearing a gauze hat, carried a zither and walked over. Behind him, a few people carried food boxes.
Shang Chaozong saw her situation and could not help but be amused. "Qing-er, looks like you're in a good mood."
Shang Shuqing shook his head. "Older brother, I'm afraid those two are not willing to open their hearts to us. Such a beautiful scenery, why not invite them over for a few cups. Qing-er is willing to play the zither to liven things up. Maybe it can untie the knot in one's heart."
Shang Chaozong hesitated. "Want you to play the zither to liven things up? For a princess to condescend to such an extent, Qing-er, aren't you thinking too highly of them? "
Shang Shuqing said. "Older brother, there's nothing shameful about being courteous. Even if the other party is not a virtuous person, we have fallen to such a state, so what qualifications do we have to talk about condescend or not. We should just treat them as guests and entertain them passionately. If the other party is really a virtuous person, it would be better if we could get their help. Older brother, in our situation, we are not afraid of making more friends, but afraid of not having any. Taking ten thousand steps back, it would be good to have one less enemy. What do you say? "
Lan Ruoting sighed in his heart. This princess was extremely intelligent and had a heart that was hard to reach for a man. It was a pity that she was a female, otherwise she would have great achievements!
"It is my eyesight that is shallow. I have benefited from the lesson!" Shang Chaozong cupped his hands in greeting sincerely, looking like he had benefited from the lesson, which made Shang Shuqing chuckle.
Shang Chaozong also smiled and nodded towards Lan Ruoting, indicating for him to invite them over.
Who knew that Shang Shuqing said, "It is better for us to invite them together, so that it would appear more sincere."
Shang Chaozong nodded his head. "Alright!"
Thus, Shang Shuqing placed the zither on the table and instructed the soldiers to prepare the dishes and wine. Only then did he leave with Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting.
The three of them found the tent where Niu Youdao was resting. As they approached, Shang Chaozong, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped in his tracks, as if he had tripped on something.
Before they could react to what was happening, a figure had already flipped out from under the tent. Yuan Gang's robust body suddenly appeared and blocked the way. A dagger was held behind his wrist as he stared at the three of them like a tiger watching its prey.
Shang Shuqing and Lan Ruoting both noticed Shang Chaozong's abnormality. Looking at his leg, they realized that Shang Chaozong had tripped on a silk thread.
The three of them couldn't help but look at each other. Someone had secretly set up a warning device in the shallow grass. Once someone approached the tent, they would immediately be discovered by the people inside the tent. Previously, Niu Youdao would not set up such a device around the tent. They had come into contact with it earlier and did not discover it. Needless to say, who was the one who set up the device? The three of them looked at Yuan Gang.
Shang Chaozong's gaze towards Yuan Gang became more and more interested. With so many subordinates watching, no one actually discovered that Yuan Gang had secretly set up the device.
Seeing that it was them, Yuan Gang's voice was as cold as his expression. "What's the matter?"
Shang Chaozong said, "We have been rushing all the way here and the hospitality is not good enough. It is rare for us to have such a beautiful scenery today. There are some dishes prepared by the river. Would Venerable Monk and Brother Yuan please have a drink together!"
Yuan Gang coldly said, "There is no need. Venerable Monk is already asleep!"
The three of them were stunned. Just as they thought that they had been snubbed, Niu Youdao's voice suddenly came from inside the tent. "Is there supper?"
The tent flap was lifted and Niu Youdao came out. He casually flicked his ponytail that was slanted on his shoulder. Looking at the three of them, his eyes suddenly flickered. He happily added, "There's supper?"
"Supper … Supper? Oh, there is supper. It's in the pavilion by the river. Venerable Monk, please do us the honor! "Shang Chaozong extended his hand in invitation.
Niu Youdao stretched his head and looked towards the direction of the pavilion by the river. He then turned back and asked Yuan Gang, "Are you hungry? If you are not, you can go and sleep. "He then returned the greeting to Shang Chaozong," Thank you for your trouble. This way please! "
The few of them turned around and left. In a flash, Yuan Gang returned to the tent.
Shang Chaozong and the rest thought that Yuan Gang had really gone back to sleep. Unexpectedly, Yuan Gang quickly appeared again with a sword in his hand. It was the sword that Niu Youdao always carried with him. He did not mention whether he was hungry or not. He silently followed behind Niu Youdao, his eyes faintly looking around vigilantly.
When they reached the pavilion by the river, Niu Youdao paced back and forth for a while. Finally, he stopped and leaned against the railing. He looked at the bright moon and the ripples on the river. He exclaimed, "It is indeed a beautiful scene!"
"Venerable Monk, please take a seat!" Shang Chaozong stood on a seat and invited him warmly.
Niu Youdao sat down with a smile on his face. Lan Ruoting followed suit and sat down. On the contrary, Yuan Gang did not have the same intention. He held his sword and stood guard behind Niu Youdao.
"Brother Yuan, please!" Shang Chaozong gestured with his hand.
Yuan Gang coldly said, "I am not hungry!" He did not give any face at all. This made Shang Chaozong feel a little awkward.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
