Chapter 462: 462. Feng Ming agrees, Cheng Yun goes home

Translator: 549690339

The day after the Lantern Festival.

It was still chilly in early spring, and the snow houses and snowmen outside Yuanming Pavilion had not melted yet.

Feng Ming and Zhu Zan were staying in a courtyard with Qi Yan. They got up early and heard some movement outside. Feng Ming opened the door, already dressed neatly.

Qi Yan looked at Feng Ming, “I’ll go ask our Master for instructions to see what arrangements there are for you.”

Feng Ming thanked him hurriedly, “I appreciate your effort, Brother Qi.”

After Qi Yan left, Zhu Zan came out and looked around, “It feels like a dream. Can we really settle down here?”

Feng Ming nodded, “It’s up to us. Last night was a not bad start.”

They didn’t wait long before Qi Yan came back, bringing breakfast and water.

After breakfast, the sun came up and they cleaned up the tableware. They did not dare to leave the courtyard casually, so they sat there and chatted.

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate, and Feng Ming looked over immediately. His face changed as he stood up, “Divine Doctor Su.” He didn’t dare to call him Master outright.

They hadn’t expected Su Liang to come in person. Su Liang looked gentle, “No need to be nervous, please sit down. I have something to discuss with you.”

Only after Su Liang sat down did the two of them sit back down. Zhu Zan kept his eyes on his nose, and Feng Ming looked very respectful.

“Actually, Sheng Yue had been here before the New Year.” As Su Liang said this, he observed Feng Ming and Zhu Zan’s expressions.

Both of them were visibly surprised, especially Zhu Zan. Feng Ming was relatively calm, but he also looked a little uneasy, “Divine Doctor Su means…”

“He didn’t die, and it wasn’t us who captured him and killed him.” Su Liang said, “He failed in his previous confrontation with Gu Ling and escaped alone. Subsequently, he tried several times to capture people but was unsuccessful. After disappearing for a while, he came to us voluntarily, wanting to cooperate with us in dealing with Mo Yan.”

Zhu Zan widened his eyes in disbelief, “Young Master Sheng actually…”

“No, he is not like you. He did not surrender to us, nor was he forced to go there like you. He originally went to Xingluo Island with ulterior motives, harboring his own selfish interests. Pretending to be loyal to Mo Yan was a ruse. After his right arm was severed by Gu Ling along with his forearm, his strength was diminished, and he had few capable men left, so he came to discuss cooperation.” Su Liang said.

Judging from their expressions, they should not be spies sent by Sheng Yue. For one, their activity times outside the island had no overlap with Sheng Yue’s activity in the months before; and secondly, Sheng Yue himself had tried his best to gain Gu Ling and Su Liang’s trust, and would not think that sending two subordinates could deceive both of them. He was not such an arrogant person, and there was no benefit for him if they were found out.

Feng Ming and Zhu Zan exchanged glances, not knowing what kind of cooperation Sheng Yue had talked about with Su Liang, and dared not ask rashly. They just waited for Su Liang to continue speaking.

“At that time, Sheng Yue stayed at my house for a while, and then we let him go. Regarding the matter of Xingluo Island you mentioned last night, and that he has a younger brother, we already knew about it before.” Su Liang said.

Feng Ming was a little ashamed, “It seems that we have not been able to provide any useful information.”

Su Liang continued, “Our cooperation with Sheng Yue is currently very simple, just letting him return to Xingluo Island and inform Mo Yan that we will meet on the sea outside Jiaye City on the first day of the third month. If everything goes as planned, Sheng Yue should have returned to the island before the New Year. As for you two, do you dare to go back?”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zan looked at Feng Ming, who pondered for a moment before asking Su Liang, “Divine Doctor Su, do you mean for us to return to the island as insiders?”

Su Liang nodded, “Yes. Although we have learned quite a bit about the people and environment on Xingluo Island, it remains a closed place. Sheng Yue is not a trustworthy person, and you should also be unsure of his intentions, right?”

Feng Ming and Zhu Zan nodded subconsciously. They had never been able to see through Sheng Yue, and their allegiance to him was merely because they had to take sides on Xingluo Island, and they could not get along with the He Family’s atmosphere, leaving them with no choice.

“Of course, it would be risky for you to return after several months, so it’s up to you. There’s no problem if you don’t want to go, but if you do and can help, you can ask for anything in return,” Su Liang said indifferently.

Feng Ming and Zhu Zan knew what Su Liang meant. Xingluo Island was just a small place, and Su Liang and Gu Ling were the real power holders in the world today. The possibility of Xingluo Island seizing the throne was slim. By contributing to the destruction of Xingluo Island, they would have boundless opportunities and endless wealth and glory. Moreover, they could trust Gu Ling and Su Liang’s character ── simply put, they knew they were good people, unlike the people on Xingluo Island.

Feng Ming recalled what his father had said before he passed away: To deal with truly righteous people, one simply needs to do the right thing. But when dealing with evil people, if you cannot be more wicked than them, stay far away, or else there will never be a good outcome.

Feng Ming spoke up, “I’m willing to go back to the island as an inside agent.”

Zhu Zan hesitated, and Feng Ming said, “I can go back alone. I’ll just say that I got separated from you halfway.”

Zhu Zan sighed, “Master Su, Ming, I’m a simple-minded person and can’t deal with scheming people. Life on Xingluo Island has always been exhausting, especially in front of Sheng Yue. Whenever he looks at me, I break into a cold sweat… If I return, I’m afraid I’ll not only be unable to help but may even mess things up.”

Su Liang nodded, “I understand. In that case, Feng Ming will go back alone, and Zhu Zan will stay here for now, working with Qi Yan. Actually, I do need someone in my house.”

Zhu Zan’s face lit up, “If I can be of use, that would be great!” He had considered leaving but didn’t know where to go.

“Please instruct me how to act when I return to the island, Master,” Feng Ming said respectfully.

“Take a break for a couple of days first. We’ll discuss the specifics of how you should act and let you know later.” Su Liang stood and left after finishing her sentence.

As they watched her figure disappear at the door, Zhu Zan patted Feng Ming’s arm, “You’re really brave. I dare not go back.”

Feng Ming smiled, “As long as you stay here and work hard without any crooked thoughts, the Master won’t mistreat you.”

Zhu Zan hit Feng Ming again, “Don’t you know me? If I were such a cunning person, I would have joined He Peng long ago. My martial arts are not inferior to yours.”

“I know, I just wanted to remind you.” Feng Ming smiled, “Actually, this is a good opportunity. In today’s peaceful world, it’s not easy to achieve great things. This is what I’ve been waiting for.”

“I’m just riding on your coattails. The Master values your intelligence the most and is keeping me here as an afterthought,” Zhu Zan noticed this.

Feng Ming laughed, “Don’t say that. We’re brothers after all. But this shows that Master is a kind and generous person.”

“That’s for sure, she looks so gentle! It’s a pity that my parents died of illness when the Master was still young. If we could have met during a good time like now, perhaps they could have lived a long life,” Zhu Zan sighed, “Having a Divine Doctor as our Master, it suddenly feels like I have an extra life!”

Qi Yan, who had been hiding in the shadows, overheard their conversation and went to report to Su Liang.

“I seem to have a good eye for people,” Su Liang said with a smile, “Feng Ming will leave soon, and Zhu Zan will stay here as your little brother. He must be quite skilled to be chosen to go to Xingluo Island at such a young age. You are getting married this year, so you should take him under your wing, and when needed, you can give him tasks to do.”

Qi Yan said that it was no problem. Now that he had become the head housekeeper of Su Mansion, and his younger brother Qi Jun had previously held the position, he had changed a lot since following Su Liang, having been just as simple-minded as Zhu Zan before.

After a while, Su Liang went to see Yan Shiba. Upon entering the room, she saw Yan Shiba’s resentful face, “Were the lanterns last night beautiful?”

Su Liang nodded, “They were beautiful.” Yan Shiba was recuperating and couldn’t go out due to the cold. She lacked the strength to walk freely since her legs weren’t strong enough yet. Su Liang had been researching the truth-telling drug and would often forget about Yan Shiba when she got busy. Weng Ran was mainly taking care of her.

Weng Ran did ask Yan Shiba if she wanted to go out and have fun last night, but at the time, Yan Shiba asked if Su Liang had suggested it. Weng Ran honestly said that Su Liang hadn’t. In a huff, Yan Shiba said that she wouldn’t go so as not to cause trouble for everyone.

Weng Ran didn’t want to make a fuss as she needed protection from others with her average martial arts skills. Since Yan Shiba said she wouldn’t go, Weng Ran let her drink medicine and go to sleep early. However, when Weng Ran returned, she brought back a lantern in the shape of a swallow that she had chosen for Yan Shiba.

When Yan Shiba saw it in the morning, she didn’t particularly like the lantern’s shape. She didn’t choose her surname Yan and preferred eagles to little swallows… However, she liked the straightforward and kind Weng Ran, who treated her well, and was more gentle with Weng Ran than Su Liang.

At the moment, a blown out “Little Yan” lantern still hung in Yan Shiba’s room. Seeing this, Su Liang laughed, “It suits you well.”

Yan Shiba glared at her, “You still laugh? Even Xiaoran thought of bringing me a lantern, but I am not in your heart at all!”

Su Liang shrugged, “Busy, sorry.” She then took Yan Shiba’s pulse, “Your main task now is to recuperate as soon as possible. When you’re able to jump around again, you can do whatever you want.”

“I’ll elope with Nuannuan then, hiding her away where you won’t find her,” huffed Yan Shiba lightly.

Su Liang shook her head, “I advise you to be sober. If you do that, you’ll be hunted down by Gu Ling and my masters, and I won’t stop them. What if your ugly death scares Nuannuan?”

Yan Shiba raised her hand and punched Su Liang lightly, “You heartless girl! Did Xiaoyun send any letters?”

Su Liang shook her head, “You’re also heartless. I’m the one who saved and took care of you, but you still long to be with Cheng Yun. Cheng Yun didn’t send any letters, and even if he did, it wouldn’t be for you. As I said before, since you’ve decided to start anew, you should also treat your relationship with Cheng Yun with a normal mindset. You can’t force matters of the heart.”

“How do you know he won’t like me?” Yan Shiba instantly softened her demeanor, trying hard to smile.

Su Liang rejected the idea with a straight face, “You better act normal. This scares me a bit, you’re smiling like you want to eat someone.”

Yan Shiba: …

Su Liang inspected Yan Shiba’s body and concluded that her recovery was going well. In a few days, once she could move around, her recovery would speed up. After chatting with her for a while and promising to cook her favorite dish at noon, Su Liang left.

Jiaye City.

Qiao Cong, who had come to the south to celebrate the New Year with Qiao Jing, was not in a great mood. The longer he stayed away, the more he missed his home in the capital city and the lovely children there.

Although he always complained about Qiao Jing, deep down, Qiao Cong truly hated the people of Xingluo Island. If those bastards were dealt with, they could rest easy.

Old Mu stayed behind to help. He didn’t even go home for the New Year because he was afraid that if he left, Qiao Cong’s heart agitation would worsen. After all, the two were of the same generation, both Su Liang’s masters and considered brothers, so they had more in common.

Su Liang had said that among all of her masters, Old Mu was the kindest and most empathetic.

Cheng Yun, who had already returned to lay life, touched his hair every day. He also missed the children at home, but being a former monk, he always had a good mindset and got along well with Qiao Jing and the two seniors.

One day, Qiao Jing was practicing martial arts with Cheng Yun, when a subordinate rushed over, “General! There are ships approaching the southern shore!”

Qiao Jing immediately sheathed his sword and strode out, “How many people have come? They didn’t throw explosives on the shore, did they?” Qiao Jing instinctively thought that the people of Xingluo Island had come to attack during the daytime.

“Answering the General, the ship is not big, there are only two people, both not young. One of them shouted that they were here on the orders of the Island Master of Xingluo Island to deliver gifts, specifically asking the General to receive them,” the soldier replied.

“Deliver gifts? For me to receive?” Qiao Jing frowned.

Cheng Yun thought for a moment and said, “It’s probably because you are in charge here. I think the gift is for Su Liang.” If Mo Yan really intended to send a gift, it must be for his granddaughter. However, since Su Liang was not here and they couldn’t pass the checkpoints at Jiaye City, Qiao Jing had to receive them.

Qiao Jing understood, but still suspected a trick. He quickly fetched Qiao Cong and Old Mu, and they all went to the shore to check the situation.

Cheng Yun put on a mask. Su Liang had instructed him not to expose his face to the people of Xingluo Island. Some of the old people on the island might recognize his appearance and associate it with his mother who had been captured by Xingluo Island in the past.

Upon reaching the shore of Jiaye City, they saw guards on the shore holding bows and arrows. A boat floated about a hundred meters from the shore, with two people and several chests on it.

Qiao Jing climbed up the lookout tower, followed closely by Qiao Cong, who vigilantly stared at the boat.

“I am Qiao Jing,” Qiao Jing called out loudly. “You are here to deliver gifts? Whose gifts are these?”

One of the old men answered, “These are gifts for the Divine Doctor Su family from the Island Master.” He did not openly point out that Su Liang was the granddaughter of the Island Master, which also demonstrated goodwill.

“Alright, come over.” Qiao Jing did not order the soldiers to put down their arrows. But given the current situation, there was no one hiding in the sea, so the two men could not do anything and must be genuinely here to deliver gifts.

Qiao Cong still instinctively shielded Qiao Jing behind him, as always.

Old Mu and Cheng Yun stood on the shore, watching the boat approach. Then the two old men lifted the chests from the boat one by one and threw them over.

As the last large chest was thrown onto the shore and the boat pushed away to drift in the opposite direction, the two men quickly sailed away, shouting their last words, “Many thanks! Please be sure to pass these on to the Divine Doctor Su!”

Qiao Jing did not order the soldiers to shoot and detain the men, as they were just running errands.

“Could it be explosives?” Old Mu said as he opened a chest. Of course, he didn’t really think it was explosives; it was just a casual remark.

As it turned out, the square wooden chest contained He Wei’s severed head. The sight was quite horrifying, startling Old Mu greatly, while Cheng Yun instinctively clasped his hands together and chanted “Amitabha Buddha.” If Su Liang were here, she would surely comment that this was his former “occupational disease”.

He Wei’s head?” Qiao Cong cursed, “As expected, Xiaoliang is right. As long as Sheng Yue goes back, the He family’s days are numbered.” They had been in touch with the capital city and knew that Sheng Yue had come and gone.

The other chests were opened one by one, each containing normal treasures. The largest chest contained ancient books and some extraordinary-looking weapons. Another chest was filled with glittering precious stones, crystals, and jade, obviously intended for Gu Xiaonuan.

Old Mu checked and confirmed that there were no traps, hidden compartments, poison, or hidden weapons in the chests, so he ordered them to be taken back.

“We need to send someone to deliver these,” Old Mu looked at the weapons and played with them one by one, finding one of them engraved with the Mu family’s name.

“Grandpa…” Qiao Jing looked at Qiao Cong.

Qiao Cong shook his head, “The New Year has passed, and Xiaoliang will be coming in a while. I won’t go back for such a small matter!” In fact, he still couldn’t let go of Qiao Jing, as he had been worrying about Gu Xiaonuan earlier, and Nuannuan might not come to Jiaye City when the time came.

Old Mu waved the ancient sword in his hand, “I’ll stay too.”

Qiao Jing patted Cheng Yun on the shoulder, “Then it’s up to you to go back.”

Cheng Yun blinked, not knowing how to disguise himself, and his face revealed a hint of joy. “If that’s the case, I’ll go back.” He wanted to go home, and it was also a proper task.

Old Mu left the ancient sword engraved with the Mu family’s name behind, saying that he would polish it up and present it to Gu Xiaonuan. The other items were resealed, along with He Wei’s head, and loaded onto the carriage.

Mo Yan’s letter was for Su Liang, and they didn’t open it. They let Cheng Yun carry it with him to give to Su Liang when he returned.

As it was unplanned, Qiao Jing also hastily wrote a letter to Min Rou and asked Cheng Yun to help deliver it back to the capital city.

Cheng Yun, unchanged from his arrival, donned a disguise, wore a wig, and led a group of people, setting out that same day.