Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 148
>Chapter Title: Later Shu
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“Brother Li, until we meet again!”
“Safe travels!”
“Take care!!”
Under the enthusiastic send-off from the crowd of escorts, Li Huowang and the others left the Dragon Soaring Escort Bureau.
After watching them gradually fade into the distance, the smile on Wang Chengxing's face slowly receded as he turned to Escort Head Zhao beside him.
“Master, did you notice the sword on that man's back? That sword's no ordinary thing—it feels like it carries a heavy murderous aura.”
Zhao Qin, his brows slightly furrowed, nodded. “Nonsense, do I need you to tell me? Of course I know. I know that sword's origin. It's General Zixiong's saber.”
“What? General Zixiong's saber? Then why haven't you done anything these past half month?”
“Do what? What should I do?” Zhao Qin turned his head to look at Wang Chengxing.
“Should I go steal his sword? Or inquire about its background? Or maybe sneak off to report him?”
Seeing Wang Chengxing fall silent, Zhao Qin continued. “Do you think I'm blind? Can't I see how strange that man is?”
“That red bamboo slip at his waist, all those iron tools dangling from his hem, and that gourd. Not to mention those disabled folks around him. But what does any of that have to do with me?”
“He stepped in and healed Fengxia. I honored my word by helping him find sword techniques and vouching for him. Everyone saves face—that's enough.”
“And I didn't go blabbing to him that we're all former foot soldiers. That's what it means to see through but say nothing.”
“Right, right. Master has thought it through thoroughly. It was this disciple who was reckless.”
The horse that pulled the cart had been cooped up in the stables for half a month and was clearly bored stiff. The moment they passed through the city gate, it excitedly bolted forward.
“Whoa whoa whoa~” Zhao Wu, at the reins, shouted repeatedly before the carriage finally slowed.
He turned his head toward Li Huowang. “Senior Brother Li, which way are we heading now?”
“To the border. We've wrapped up our business in Si Qi, so let's leave Si Qi first. This place is getting chaotic—the sooner we reach Liang Kingdom, the better.” Li Huowang said.
At those words, his expression turned uneasy as he twisted to look at Bai Lingmiao beside him.
“Since there's war here, Liang Kingdom won't be caught up in it too, will it? Then your family—”
Before Bai Lingmiao could respond, Lv Zhuangyuan walked over, pipe in hand.
“Hey~, Daoist Master, you're overthinking it. Liang Kingdom could match five Si Qis. And their emperor? He's formidable—folks respectfully call it Great Liang Kingdom. If there's war to be had, it's them conquering others, not the reverse.”
Only then did Li Huowang realize that, compared to other nations, Liang was both a great power and a strong one.
Clearly, Lv Zhuangyuan had done his homework on their destination.
Li Huowang nodded in understanding. That was for the best—as long as they reached Liang Kingdom, he'd have no more worries.
At that moment, Li Huowang keenly noticed something different about Lv Zhuangyuan. “Escort Leader Lv, looks like you've had some good news?”
Compared to the wrinkled old man from before, he now seemed years younger, his smile impossible to suppress.
“Heh heh, nothing, nothing. Heh heh heh.” Lv Zhuangyuan tried to hold it back, but the grin on his face gave him away.
Beside himself with joy, he turned and clambered onto his own carriage, then returned to Li Huowang cradling a large cloth sack. “Here, here—eat an egg! Eat an egg!”
Two eggs dyed bright red were stuffed into Li Huowang's hands.
It wasn't just Li Huowang—everyone who was there got one. Handing out eggs for no reason was completely unlike Lv Zhuangyuan's stingy ways.
The moment Zhao Wu got his red-shelled egg, he caught on to what it signified.
“Brother Juren? Sister-in-law's expecting? Congratulations! Congratulations! Wishing you a son soon.”
In the face of Zhao Wu's congratulations, Lv Juren's smile looked exceedingly forced.
Lv Zhuangyuan beside him smoothly picked up the thread.
“Did you see my daughter-in-law's belly? What do you think? It's pointy, and she's been craving sour things lately. No doubt about it this time—gotta be a grandson!”
High up on the carriage, Luo Jinhua proudly craned her neck, looking every bit the victorious general returning from battle.
“On the day of the full moon banquet, everyone's invited!” Lv Zhuangyuan beamed wider and wider, his eyes vanishing into slits.
As Li Huowang ate his egg, his gaze flicked between the father and son with their polar-opposite attitudes. Somehow, the egg in his mouth tasted like it was mixed with something else.
But he wasn't one for gossip, so he paid no mind to their family drama. Li Huowang hopped onto the carriage and pulled out the map.
“The name of the next country... next...” Li Huowang stared at the two utterly alien square characters on the map, momentarily stunned.
He'd once thought not knowing how to read wasn't a big deal, but now he saw how it hampered him in every way.
With a soft sigh, Li Huowang stuck his head out the carriage window. “Escort Leader Lv, what's the next country we pass through on the way to Liang Kingdom?”
“Hmm... Think it's called Later Shu Kingdom.”
“Later Shu?” Li Huowang murmured, eyeing the circular emblem on the map in his hand.
“Escort Leader Lv, do you know of any famous sects in Later Shu? Or any dangerous evil beings?”
“Hey, Daoist Master, you're asking the wrong guy. How would I know that stuff? Just knowing Later Shu borders Si Qi is impressive enough for me.”
Fair enough—as an opera trouper, Lv Zhuangyuan wouldn't know the ins and outs of foreign lands.
“Do any of you know anything about Later Shu Kingdom?” Li Huowang asked the other senior brothers and sisters.
It was wise to gather as much intel as possible beforehand on the lands ahead.
To Li Huowang's disappointment, though, he got nothing but shakes of the head.
Evidently, none of them had been captured in Later Shu.
“Senior Brother Li, I remember one Daoist boy was from Later Shu, but he drowned back then.”
Hearing Chun Xiaoman's words, Li Huowang let out a light sigh.
For now, they could only play it by ear—but things were already much improved compared to before.
He no longer faced Danyangzi's threat; since leaving Clear Wind Temple, he'd gained far more means to protect himself.
The moment Li Huowang jumped down from the carriage, Lv Zhuangyuan sidled up with a fawning smile.
“Aiya aiya, would you look at that—my memory! About Later Shu, I nearly forgot. Back when I was a young sprout, my blind second uncle told me a few things.
“My second uncle said the folks in Later Shu don't watch our kind of plays. They go for something else... Right, got it—they fancy Nuo opera.”
“Nuo opera?”
“Yeah, strange name, huh? Nuo opera. Uncle said it doesn't use makeup.
“When they perform, they wrap the actor's whole head in red cloth, then don all sorts of wooden masks to sing.”
Li Huowang cut him off, not letting Lv Zhuangyuan go on.
Whatever plays they enjoyed were their business—it had nothing to do with him. He wasn't Lv Zhuangyuan, out to steal their trade.
(End of chapter)