txolops Chapter 152 The End of Hanzhong
Chapter 152 The End of Hanzhong
Yue Feng returned to the Beggars' Sect branch and handed the manual for the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms to Xie Feng. Xie Feng was so excited that he couldn't even speak, not expecting Yue Feng to find the original so quickly.
Yue Feng took Xie Feng's pulse and, after confirming that the old man was alright, left the Beggars' Sect branch and returned to the White Horse Escort Agency.
Outside the security agency's gate, four men in purple robes surrounded a chair. The chair faced west, and the sun rose above it.
A young official, around thirty years old, sat in a chair, resting with his eyes closed. Lin Pingzhi, Xie Tianqing, Ma Liangcai, and others gathered at the doorway, watching the group warily.
When Yue Feng returned to the White Horse Escort Agency, this was the scene he saw. He walked from west to east, and when he was still quite a distance from the chair, the young official immediately stood up and gave him a respectful bow.
"Your humble servant, Chu Tianzong, greets Young Hero Yue. I have just assumed the post of Governor-General of the Eastern Depot in Hanzhong. I have come on the orders of my master to deliver a few items to you, Young Hero."
Yue Feng asked, "Who is your master?"
Chu Tianzong laughed and said, "My master is Lord Yan, you should know him."
Yue Feng hummed in agreement, and Chu Tianzong beckoned. Two men in purple robes stood before Yue Feng, each carrying a tray. One tray held a wooden box, and the other held a letter.
Chu Tianzong said, "The wooden box on the left contains the head of Xue Yu, the former governor of Hanzhong. My master knows that if this man is not dead, Young Hero Yue will not be able to get over it, so he specially asked me to bring it here for Young Hero Yue to see."
Yue Feng said coldly, "No need. Continue."
Chu Tianzong nodded and said, "Okay. The letter on the right contains some intelligence that Young Hero Yue might need for his trip to Shu."
"My master said that although he and Young Hero Yue have different stances, they share the same goal; even if they cannot help each other, they might as well try to share what they have. This is not to do Young Hero Yue a favor, but I hope Young Hero Yue will accept it with a smile."
Yue Feng beckoned with his finger, and the letter slowly flew towards him. He tucked the letter into his pocket and asked, "Any more?"
"That's all. I wish Young Hero Yue every success. If you ever visit Hanzhong again, feel free to come and have tea with me. I'll be waiting for you there."
After Chu Tianzong finished speaking, he bowed deeply to Yue Feng again, then turned and left. Four men in purple robes followed behind him, carrying the empty chair. The group moved extremely quickly, turning the corner in the blink of an eye.
Lin Pingzhi and the others welcomed Yue Feng into the escort agency. Seeing his exhausted appearance, Ma Liangcai asked him to rest after only a few words. Yue Feng was truly exhausted that night, and went back to his room to sleep immediately. When he woke up, the sun was already setting.
Ma Liangcai had already instructed the kitchen to prepare the ingredients, waiting for him to wake up. At his command, various side dishes were brought into Yue Feng's room one after another. Yue Feng felt that eating alone was too boring, so he invited Lin Pingzhi and the others to sit down together.
The celebration banquet wasn't large, but it was extremely lively. During the banquet, Yue Feng recounted the events of the previous night, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats. The guests introduced themselves and quickly became acquainted.
Halfway through the drinking session, Luo Yonghuai arrived. It turned out he had received Luo Jing's letter confirming his safety and rushed over immediately. The reunion of master and disciple felt like an eternity. Even the resolute Luo Jing couldn't help but shed tears, kneeling and kowtowing to Luo Yonghuai, saying:
"Master, you... look old."
Luo Yonghuai helped Luo Jing up, looked at his crippled body, and felt both grief and pride.
He patted Luo Jing on the shoulder and nodded repeatedly: "Good, good, you're a real man! It wasn't for nothing that I raised you and taught you!" As he spoke, his voice trembled uncontrollably, and tears had already soaked his wrinkled old face.
Yue Feng hurriedly invited Luo Yonghuai to take his seat, placing him in the place of honor. Ma Liangcai directed the servants to rearrange the dishes and set up the banquet again. The group drank from afternoon until nightfall, enjoying themselves immensely before dispersing. Luo Yonghuai, on behalf of Luo Jing, repeatedly thanked Yue Feng before bidding farewell to everyone and returning to the Six Doors.
Yue Feng, Lin Pingzhi, Xie Tianqing, and Ma Liangcai returned to their room and sat down. Servants brought tea, and they chatted idly for a while while drinking. Ma Liangcai said:
"Brother Yue, Young Master Lin, Brother Xie, it is my great honor to be friends with you three. I hope you will stay in Hanzhong for a while longer so that I can fully express my friendship."
Yue Feng smiled and said, "Brother Ma, I appreciate your kindness. I have urgent business to attend to in Shu, and I've already been delayed long enough here. Thank you, Brother Xie. Pingzhi, are you heading back to Qingcheng next?"
Xie Tianqing and Lin Pingzhi exchanged a glance. Xie Tianqing nodded. Lin Pingzhi said, "Yes, boss. Something has happened at the Qingcheng Sect, and they urgently need Senior Brother Xie to return and take charge. I originally came to Hanzhong to meet him, but I didn't expect you to come too, boss."
Yue Feng nodded, not asking any further questions about what had happened at the Qingcheng Sect. Since Lin Pingzhi had joined the Qingcheng Sect, he naturally had an obligation to keep the sect's secrets. But then Lin Pingzhi said:
"Brother Xie, where in Sichuan are you going? Is Qingcheng Mountain on your way? If so, why not stop by for a visit? Master really wants to see you. What do you say, Brother Xie?"
Xie Tianqing didn't think much of it and said, "That would be perfect. I've actually had this idea for a while, but I didn't know if it would be convenient for Brother Yue."
Yue Feng was taken aback, thinking, "Your Qingcheng Sect is in trouble, why are you sending me to Qingcheng Mountain? Once I get there, what secrets can you keep from me?" He glanced sideways at Lin Pingzhi, only to see the boy blink twice. Yue Feng immediately understood and said:
"I don't know if it's on the way or not. Jade Dragon Mountain Villa, has any of you heard of it? Do you know where it is?"
Xie Tianqing and the other two looked at each other and shook their heads. Xie Tianqing said, "I've heard of Jade Dragon Manor, but I've never known its exact location or seen any of its disciples." Lin Pingzhi and Ma Liangcai felt the same way.
Yue Feng was fretting when he suddenly remembered the letter Yan Chengyu had sent to him by Chu Tianzong. He took out the letter, opened it, and found a simple map of Sichuan with several circles drawn on it in vermilion ink, and a note next to it:
"Suspected location of Yulong Mountain Villa"
Yue Feng snorted and spread the map out on the table. Everyone gathered around to look, and Lin Pingzhi pointed to one of the circles and exclaimed, "Hey, isn't this near Qingcheng Mountain? Boss, looks like we're in luck!"
Ma Liangcai frowned and said, "The second-in-command of the Eastern Depot gave Brother Yue this map, hoping he could find the location of Jade Dragon Manor, right? What exactly does this Lord Yan want?"
Yue Feng put the map away and tucked it back into his pocket, saying calmly, "Whatever he wants to do, I just need to do my own thing."
"That's fine. I'll go to Qingcheng with Brother Xie and Pingzhi first, and experience the scenery of 'Qingcheng, the most secluded place under heaven.' There are many things to do in the martial world, so such an opportunity is rare."
Seeing that Yue Feng and the other two were determined to leave, Ma Liangcai did not try to persuade them to stay any longer. The group chatted about some interesting things in the martial arts world until the rooster crowed at dawn, and then they went back to their rooms to sleep.