kvmb Chapter 129 Xiangshan
Chapter 129 Xiangshan
Luo An was worried about Yan Zeyi, so he got up at dawn. Yan Zeyi was even earlier than him, and standing by the courtyard, he turned around and said, "Young Master, they've all left."
Luo An asked in confusion, "They're gone?"
Yan Zeyu said, "We led the troops across Hengshan at the crack of dawn... Yesterday, the smoke insects had already disrupted the morale of the Xiling army, and today the main force is pressing in. My lord, they will win..."
Luo An glanced at Yan Zeyu, knowing what he was worried about, and said calmly, "If Nan Yue and Dong Yang are gone, they will be in danger... Pack your things, we'll set off, and I'll take you back."
Yan Zeyu was slightly taken aback: "If you, young master, can trust me..."
Luo An said, "It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust Xue Yunting. He can't be persuaded to back down by a few words from me. As long as you're still within the territory of Nan Yue, you're not out of danger. Once you reach Dongyang and take the official road, you'll be safe."
Yan Zeyu said, "Young master, may I stay with you? As your apprentice or bodyguard..."
"The Crown Prince needs you. If you're interested in medicine, I can recommend you to the Heavenly Palace." Luo An paused, "You killed Liu Lin, and Nian Yao will always have a grudge against you. What will she think if you stay by my side?"
Luo An and Yan Zeyu traveled north to Yuezhou, then down the river to Queyue City. Yan Zeyu returned to Bianjing to report. Luo An, without delay, returned to Yuezhou by water to Xiangshan.
Xiangshan Villa is nestled against the mountain and beside the water, exquisite and serene, somewhat similar to the backyard where he lived in Heaven on Earth. After all, they were designed by the same person.
The villa had been vacant for several years with no visitors. Most of the rooms were locked, and only a few servants were chatting idly in the courtyard, so relaxed and carefree that they didn't even notice the arrival of outsiders.
Luo An strolled around, heading towards the mountaintop, and sat down on the edge of Yunmeng Cliff. Below the cliff lay the legendary eight-hundred-mile-long immortal abode, the misty Yunmeng Marsh.
Looking out into the distance, there are lakes beyond lakes, mountains within lakes, the water and sky merging into one, seagulls and egrets soaring, and fishing boats dotting the horizon...
Luo An imagined the scene of his father jumping off the cliff back then, and felt no sadness. On the contrary, he felt that it was an ideal place for the descendants of the Penglai Goddess to commit suicide.
This idea is outrageous yet true, just like Xu Sheng's words are impolite yet profound:
"Do you know who caused this situation? It's all because of your cowardly father! You're just paying off his debts."
"If it had been me back then, I would have imprisoned her in Heaven and Earth for the rest of her life..."
"Your father thought he was a saint, but he ruined himself, your mother, and your godfather. Who among them has had a good life all these years? He died young and miserable, and he also ruined you and me..."
During the years Luo An remained silent, he observed and remembered everything. Xu Sheng directly and bluntly exposed the hidden thoughts in his heart.
Luo An convinced himself that if he didn't send her back to Nan Yue, she would die in Dong Yang. But Luo An also knew that things weren't entirely like that.
The family of three clearly had the opportunity to live a good life in a brothel, even if they weren't happy and joyful, at least they wouldn't have lived such a miserable life.
Luo An felt sorry for his father, but even more sorry for himself. Ever since he became conscious, Luo An had vaguely known that no one wanted him.
His mother never raised him, and his father probably never thought of him when he decided to commit suicide. They were utterly irresponsible parents!
Hong Hua wasn't wrong; his mother was a liar. Getting pregnant and having a child was just a way to better manipulate his father. It was a conspiracy from the beginning, and his father just couldn't escape it.
If it were Xu Sheng, he would imprison her in the Heavenly Paradise for life. What about him? Luo An couldn't think of a better solution. If he had to choose between his father's and Xu Sheng's actions, he would choose Xu Sheng!
So what if they're imprisoned? At least the family is together! So what if they die? At least the two of them will die together! But the father chose the worst way: it was indeed cowardly, harming the whole family and dragging Xu Sheng down with him.
When Xu Sheng was silent, he possessed an exceptionally refined demeanor, somewhat otherworldly and ethereal. This aloofness and nobility wasn't cultivated later in life; it was an innate, almost otherworldly quality. Luo An occasionally felt that Xu Sheng's features and overall aura bore a resemblance to his father's.
So, where did Xu Sheng come from? The two attendants who accompanied Father haven't appeared since Father jumped off the cliff. But surely Father would have left clues? What are those clues? Where would they be hidden...?
Lost in thought, Luo An recalled Xu Sheng's words: "Do you want to be the ruler of the world...? I wholeheartedly want to support you..."
Xu Sheng usually mixes truth and falsehood, but these words are clearly true. What is Xu Sheng's purpose in making a wedding dress for him?
Xu Sheng's actions and words were unrestrained, his style completely opposite to his own. Why then did he not dislike Xu Sheng?
Luo An took out the sword strapped to his arm. Inside the cylindrical sword tube, a tiny, incredibly sharp arrow could be ejected with the touch of a mechanism. The sword was forged from cold iron from Tianshan Mountain, and the arrow shaft was tied with silkworm threads for easy handling.
When the late emperor of Nanyue fell seriously ill, he ostensibly sent people to the Heavenly Palace to invite a divine physician, but in reality, he was delivering gifts and a letter to him and his father. This sword belonged to the late emperor and was ultimately left to him.
Ultimately, a mother's heart is connected to her child's; even though she never raised him, she has never forgotten him over the years.
Luo An, with the stubbornness and pride of youth, kept the items and letter untouched in the box for years. When he left Heaven and Earth, he took the letter and items with him. He finally became comfortable using the sword.
During the Battle of Xiling in Nanyue, the first emperor of Nanyue almost died at Hengshan. She mentioned this in a letter to her father, and Luo An secretly read that letter and never forgot it.
Regardless of Xu Sheng's motives, he has now helped the late emperor of Nanyue fulfill his long-held wish of unifying the area south of the capital. Luo An felt he should lend Xu Sheng a hand.
Luo An escorted Yan Zeyu to Queyue City, then returned alone to Xiangshan in Yuezhou, and subsequently disappeared without a trace. When this news reached Chongming Island, Nianyao felt that all her longing during this period had been wasted.
Nianyao stared at the glittering Han Guang on the wall, then suddenly took it off and threw it on the ground. She stomped on it a few times, then chopped it into pieces with her sword and kicked it under the bed.
Something was knocked out from under the bed—a gold bar. It was the gold bar Luo An had borrowed from Qin Jiu when he said he'd pay Qin Jiu to take it. He couldn't find it after getting drunk that night, and now it seemed Luo An had thrown it under the bed.
Nianyao picked up the gold bars and went to find Qin Jiu, who was sitting in the tea room staring blankly at the chessboard. Nianyao asked directly, "Guess where he went?"
Qin Jiu was in a complete mess: "Boss, how would I know?"
Nianyao said, "If you don't know, can't you just guess? Hurry up and guess, or you'll be disrespecting the gang leader. Insubordination will result in a year's pay being deducted!"
Qin Jiu solemnly said, "Chief, I request to resign from my positions as council member and accountant of the Great River Gang!"
Nianyao slammed her hand on the table and threatened, "Qin Jiu, I'll shave your beard and let everyone see your true face. Do you think those older people who call you Uncle Jiu will tear you apart..."
Qin Jiu swallowed his anger and said, "Chief, your mother-in-law, the late Emperor of Nan Yue, almost died in Hengshan during the war with Xiling. I guess the young master might have gone back to watch the battle..."