Chapter 192: Looking for the Sword by the Marked Boat

Outside Luòchéng, Guǎngjí Temple.

At Zǐ Shí late night, a sound came from the 'Jiè Xū Hall' in the temple. A wooden floorboard was pushed open by someone. Shé Dēngkē first poked his head out from the tunnel, then jumped in surprise.

Inside Jiè Xū Hall, candles were lit. Two temple-guarding monks sat in front of the Shìjiāmóuní Buddha, meditating and visualizing.

Hearing the sound, the two monks opened their eyes simultaneously and looked, then closed their eyes simultaneously, as if all things were empty, completely ignoring Shé Dēngkē.

Shé Dēngkē was initially a little scared of these two monks, but when they closed their eyes, he quickly said into the tunnel, "Hurry up."

Shìzǐ, Liáng Māo carrying Liáng Gǒu on his back, and Shé Dēngkē pulling Chūnhuā, all drilled out from the tunnel.

Shé Dēngkē closed the floorboard tightly, then turned and led the several people past the temple-guarding monks, who didn't spare them another glance.

Shìzǐ followed behind, suddenly feeling low, and asked, "How do we leave the Níng Dynasty?"

Shé Dēngkē explained, "Take the sea route."

Shìzǐ sighed softly, "The sea, ah..."

Shé Dēngkē asked curiously, "Shìzǐ, what happened?"

Shìzǐ lowered his head and said, "We said before in the medical hall that we wanted to go see the sea together."

Shé Dēngkē and Liáng Māo were both startled. That day, old man Yào even joked with them that as long as they were exiled, they could go see the sea together. Although their current situation wasn't exile, it wasn't much better than exile.

Old man Yào's words had become a prophecy.

Just, the group was missing two people: Chén Jī, Bái Lǐ.

They seemed to be forever left on this land, through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Shìzǐ asked in a low voice, "How do we save Bái Lǐ? She's still in the Eunuch Party's hands."

Shé Dēngkē said with difficulty, "Shìzǐ, we probably can't save her. Look at Gǒu Gē, he's already like this..."

Shìzǐ thought for a moment, "I still have a few friends."

Shé Dēngkē shook his head, "Chén Jī said that the moment something happened at Wáng Manor, all your friends hid."

Shìzǐ hummed, "Then how do we go out to sea?"

Shé Dēngkē said as he walked, "Zhāng Èr Jiě explained that there's a small dock right outside Guǎngjí Temple, and a small boat is currently moored there. First go to Jīnlíng, then change boats to go through Zhènjiāng, Jīngjiāng, Nántōng, and exit to sea from Qídōng. Take the sea route around to the Běi Jīng Dynasty and disembark at Lǚshùn."

Shìzǐ's mood sank. He casually asked, "Has this route been traveled before?"

Shé Dēngkē explained, "Zhāng Èr Jiě said that the Xú family has always used this sea route for trade with the Jīng Dynasty, so you can definitely travel it. When you reach Qídōng dock, there will be Zhāng family dead soldiers to meet you."

At the entrance of Guǎngjí Temple, Shìzǐ suddenly stopped. The heavy snow fell on him. "We? You... aren't you going?"

Shé Dēngkē hesitated, and after a long time, finally mustered the courage, "Shìzǐ, I'm sorry, it's too dangerous to follow you. I haven't even left Luòchéng since I was a child. Now you want me to go to the Jīng Dynasty, I'm worried that after I go..."

Shìzǐ asked softly, "What if the Eunuch Party pursues you?"

Shé Dēngkē lowered his head and looked at his toes, "The Eunuch Party probably doesn't know I participated in the jailbreak. At most, they'll just arrest Chūnhuā, but she's not an important figure either. She goes to the farmstead every day with a plain face, the Eunuch Party won't recognize her. I've discussed it with my family, I'll just go and attach myself to the fourth uncle of the Biān family tonight and follow him to work in the fields."

Saying this, Shé Dēngkē pulled Chūnhuā's hand, "When the wind passes, I'll use the cement dividend silver to buy a few *mǔ* of paddy fields and live peacefully with Chūnhuā."

Shìzǐ hummed, "Very good. I just don't know how to repay you."

Shé Dēngkē added, "Shìzǐ, you don't need to thank me. I went to save Chūnhuā... I'm just the son of a laborer family, I'm not the same as you. I can't withstand big winds and waves."

The crowd fell silent.

Shìzǐ forced a smile, "Since you've discussed it with your family, hurry up and go."

Shé Dēngkē retreated step by step towards the door, "Then we'll go. Shìzǐ, Māo Gē, Gǒu Gē, take care."

Saying this, he pulled Chūnhuā and walked out of Guǎngjí Temple.

Just as he stepped out of the threshold, Shìzǐ suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "Shé Dēngkē."

However, Shé Dēngkē was pulling Chūnhuā. When he heard Shìzǐ's voice, his body just paused for a moment and then continued walking forward, without looking back.

Shìzǐ's hand slowly dropped, "...Thank you."

The next moment, he raised his hand again to wipe the corner of his eye, lifted his head to look at the sky, and sniffled.

Liáng Māo looked at Shìzǐ, "Shìzǐ, let's go too."

"Okay."

The remaining three people lifted their feet and walked towards the dock.

Outside the temple gate, from a great distance, they saw a black-awning boat moored at the dock on the river.

However, there was also a person beside the black-awning boat. Tián Mā stood in the snow in white clothes, like a banished immortal. But this immortal-like figure was the most bloodthirsty within the Secret Spy Office.

Shìzǐ subconsciously turned around, wanting to go back to Guǎngjí Temple for help. Turning around, he saw the temple gate of Guǎngjí Temple suddenly close, shutting the three people outside.

Shìzǐ saw Tián Mā making several hand signs from afar, but no one could understand them.

They looked at each other from a distance.

Shìzǐ suddenly said, "Māo Gē, Gǒu Gē, you go. They want to kill me, it has nothing to do with you."

Liáng Gǒu laughed, "After all this time, are you still running? Let's just die. At least the Yellow Springs road won't be lonely. Among the people in Wáng Manor and the medical hall, only you have a bit of drinking capacity. Māo, listen, put me down, you go."

Liáng Māo stubbornly said, "I'm not going."

However, just at this moment, a chuckle came from the heavy snow behind them, "Really touching, ah. If the future hall play doesn't have this scene of you all, I won't watch."

Shìzǐ suddenly turned his head, only to see old man Yào in the heavy snow with his hands behind his back, his back hunched, walking slowly towards them.

"Imperial Doctor Yào!" Shìzǐ was startled.

Old man Yào didn't pay attention to him, only waved his hand at Tián Mā as he walked, "Go back. There's nothing for you here."

Tián Mā hesitated for a moment, then made several hand signs again.

Old man Yào happily replied, "He pretends to be a god and acts like a ghost every day and is full of lies. He still can't control me. An old friend entrusted this to me, no one can touch these several people. Go back to the capital. If the Inner Minister asks, just say I took these several people away."

Tián Mā nodded, clasped his hands and bowed in salute, then turned and left with large strides.

Shìzǐ was stunned.

Old man Yào walked to the edge of the boat and turned to look at them, "Not getting on the boat yet?"

"Coming, coming," Shìzǐ and the three people quickly boarded the boat. Liáng Māo helped Liáng Gǒu sit down inside the black awning, then went to row the oars himself.

The sound of water came, and the small black-awning boat slowly sailed into the distance.

Old man Yào stood at the boat's railing and said to Shìzǐ, who was behind him, without turning his head, "Shìzǐ, the day Wángyé fell ill, he told you something in the medical hall, you haven't forgotten, right?"

Shìzǐ shook his head, "Haven't forgotten."

Old man Yào calmly said, "Wángyé used his life to exchange for us two entering the Jīng Dynasty. This road is difficult, have you thought it through? I'm a bit soft-hearted as I'm getting old. If you really want to regret it, you can still leave now."

Shìzǐ shook his head, "I don't regret it. But what about Bái Lǐ?"

Old man Yào said casually, "Look at their fate."

Shìzǐ said hopefully, "Can't you tell a fortune?"

Old man Yào laughed softly, "That disciple of mine doesn't believe in fate. Fortune-telling is useless, heaven won't take him. Shìzǐ, this road is far, you might not be able to return. Say goodbye to Wángyé."

Saying this, the old man turned and lowered his head to get into the black awning, leaving Shìzǐ alone standing at the boat railing looking at the river.

Shìzǐ suddenly had tears streaming down his face. He knelt at the boat railing, kowtowed three times towards the north, bidding farewell to his birth father and his homeland.

The heavy snow fell on the water, making a *sha sha* sound. In the originally quiet world, the falling snow also had a sound, desolate and profound.

Shìzǐ suddenly picked up a wooden oar and wrote on the water:

Young time is long, splashing wine and flipping red alleys.Power as brick walls, profit as tiles, guests and friends fill the tent.Waking up hating the day is short, a big dream twenty turns.Suddenly realizing that most companions are often eight or nine parts, true heart is not two or three.Ah, sigh, listening to the snow on a lonely boat, sitting and watching the world far away.

Shìzǐ wrote the first poem of his life sloppily, and also the last one. No one saw the poem, the poem then hid in the dark river, following the big river to the east.

He got up to the middle of the boat and knelt towards Liáng Gǒu, "Please, mister, teach me the Liáng family knife method!"

The Jing Wang Shìzǐ, who had a rich and noble first half of his life, was now full of knife intent.

Liáng Gǒu leaned inside the black awning, silent for a long time, and asked dryly, "Why do you want to learn my Liáng family knife method?"

Shìzǐ said in a low voice, "Inherit my father's will, kill immortals."

"Can you endure hardship?"

"Yes."

"Do you dare to kill people?"

"Dare!"

Liáng Gǒu laughed loudly, "Good, good, good. Then I'll pass this Liáng family knife method to you. But my main meridians are already broken, I probably won't see the day you kill immortals. If you one day can really kill immortals, then say to the immortal for me, 'Earth chickens and tile dogs, nothing more than this, still not as good as my master's little finger'."

Shìzǐ said seriously, "Good."

Liáng Gǒu sighed, "Call me master."

Shìzǐ prostrated on the boat, kowtowed nine loud times, and then raised his head again, "Master, pity there is no wine or tea."

Liáng Gǒu smiled, picked up a ladle from the side and threw it to Shìzǐ, "Jianghu children drift on unstable flowing water, taking water as wine is also wine."

Shìzǐ turned and scooped a ladle of water from the river and handed it to him. Liáng Gǒu gulped down a mouthful of the water of mountains and rivers, and shouted, "Painful! You are much more painful than that kid Chén Jī!"

Old man Yào glanced at him, "Don't seek death."

Liáng Gǒu pouted and didn't say anything. He also didn't know what realm old man Yào was in, but someone who could wave his sleeve and make Tián Mā leave was definitely not simple.

Old man Yào took out a small wooden box from his bosom, pinched out a white pill stained with blood from inside, "Shìzǐ, swallow it. This Life Feather Pill can help you cultivate."

Shìzǐ was startled, "Life Feather Pill? Why don't you keep it for yourself, your life essence..."

Old man Yào smiled, "No harm, receiving a good disciple before death, no regrets."

"Chén Jī, he..."

"His path is more difficult than yours."

Mǎo Shí.

The snow stopped, and the sky was about to clear.

Chén Jī rode his horse back to Ānxī Street. The Wáng Manor already had white seals pasted on it, and messy white paper was scattered in front of the door, fluttering in the wind.

Coming to the door of Tàipíng Medical Hall, he pushed open the large door, "Master, I'm back!"

But, the medical hall was already empty inside.

Chén Jī walked inside, "Master?"

"Master, where are you?"

"Master..."

Chén Jī stood blankly in the courtyard, looking around. The small Tàipíng Medical Hall was cold and quiet, with no human presence... everyone was gone.

He came under the apricot tree and took down the red cloth strips on the apricot tree one by one.

The County Princess wrote first, safe, joyful, smooth, no worries.

Chén Jī then unfolded the one written by Liú Qūxīng, "Master, good health and longevity," then it was Shé Dēngkē's, "Master, ten thousand years of boundless longevity." In his ears, the sounds of laughter and play under the moon that day seemed to echo again.

In a trance, he seemed to see Shé Dēngkē and Liú Qūxīng chasing each other around the apricot tree again.

But blinking again, the people of the past were all gone.

Memories are like this, only punishing those who think of the old.

Chén Jī turned around, carried the remaining strong wine from the medical hall out the door, mounted his horse, and galloped towards the Drum Tower.

While galloping, he drank wine and turned his head to look at the distant sky.

By the time he reached the Drum Tower, Chén Jī had given the guard soldiers a silver peanut, and he climbed the wooden stairs step by step up the tall building.

He sat at the edge of the railing with a wine jar, swaying as if about to fall in the cold wind, like he would drop down at any moment.

Chén Jī looked to the side with drunken eyes, "Liú Qūxīng, what do you want to do later?"

Someone said in the wind, "I want to take my master's mantle and become an imperial doctor!"

Chén Jī laughed, "Good, then you'll be the imperial doctor of Wáng Manor later!"

He then asked loudly, "Liáng Māo, what do you want to do later?"

Someone answered in the wind again, "I want to buy several *mǔ* of land."

"Good, I'll send it to you tomorrow!"

Chén Jī asked again, "Shìzǐ, what do you want to do later?"

"I want to be a big hero! Just realizing those classics I read are useless. After the wind blows, I'll read whichever page it lands on, and tear up whichever page is hard to read! Beat the drum!"

Someone said angrily in the wind, "Brother, have you thought it through? If you strike with one hammer, the soldiers guarding the Drum Tower under the building will be exiled troops!"

"Then don't strike."

The sun came out.

Chén Jī lifted his head and looked up, only to see a red sun slowly rising at the end of the world, without a single cloud for ten thousand miles, and the orange-red light gradually shone on his solitary body.

Like a mirror flower, water moon, a human world dream.

In the morning sun, Hei Yun lightly walked along the wooden railing. It drilled into Chén Jī's bosom and lifted its head. Chén Jī stroked its fluffy head, his eyes looking at the distant horizon.

Hei Yun meowed and asked, "Chén Jī, what are you doing here?"

"Carving a boat to seek a sword."

Volume Three, Carving a Boat to Seek a Sword, complete.