Chapter 680
Chapter 680
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 680
>Chapter Title: Leaving
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“Big Sis, can you come out for a moment? I have a few things I want to ask you.” Standing on the platform erected on the sea’s surface, Yang Xiaohai shouted toward the wooden boat tied there.
When Yang Xiaohai saw Big Sis walk out from inside, he led her a bit farther away. After pretending to hesitate for a moment, he spoke up. “Big Sis, are you still short on hands right now?”
“What’s this? You’re at odds with Dad and want to come with me? You’re not a kid anymore—don’t act like one.”
Yang Xiaohai stayed silent, watching as the monkeys hugged a few stones and darted into the boat’s canopy to swap them for silver.
It was clear they were experts at this sort of thing—nimble and swift, without making a single sound.
After lecturing Yang Xiaohai in her big-sister tone for a bit, Big Sis continued. “If you want to come along, fine. But kowtow and apologize to your dad first. I know you’re upset, but no matter how harsh his words are, he’s still your father.”
“As long as Dad calms down, I’ll take you with me. You’re my little brother—even if you can’t take an official post right away, I can find you some other job to start with.”
“Don’t turn your nose up at it, either. We’re at war with Later Shu in the Li Kingdom right now, but anyone can see that Later Shu is done for. Once we claim a big victory, you’ll have a share of the credit.”
Once he saw Monkey Kid leave hugging the silver, Yang Xiaohai pretended to obediently nod and headed toward his own boat.
Once inside the cabin, upon seeing the silver cradled in Monkey Kid’s arms, Yang Xiaohai let out a huge sigh of relief. “Good! Pack up quick! We’re leaving right now!”
There wasn’t much to pack, really. Chi Bai Shui had sold off everything else.
Under cover of night, Yang Xiaohai led the other four, each carrying some silver, as they sneaked toward the shore. Things didn’t go entirely smoothly along the way.
But whenever anyone woke up, that rotten wood ruyi always managed to quiet them down. By the time they turned back around, Yang Xiaohai was long gone—they chalked it up to an illusion or a dream.
Finally escaping those wooden houses built on the sea without major incident, Yang Xiaohai and the others followed a small path, jogging all the way inland.
Though he was exhausted and the night air was cold, Yang Xiaohai felt like he’d come back to life. He was going home! Back to his real home!
“Head of the house! Let’s rest a bit. Monkey Kid can’t keep up.” Hearing the voice from behind, Yang Xiaohai turned and saw Monkey Kid panting hard, clutching the silver.
No carriage, and the silver was heavy—running was naturally exhausting. Glancing at the deserted dirt road, Yang Xiaohai stacked Monkey Kid’s silver atop his own. “Alright, let’s rest then. But we can’t sleep. Ba-Shu is at war with that Li Kingdom—we need to hurry back to Qingqiu.”
As Yang Xiaohai and the others sat by the roadside, gasping for breath, he suddenly spotted torches lighting up along the seaside road—like a long fire dragon.
“Not good! They woke up!” Yang Xiaohai scooped up the silver and prepared to run again, but torches had appeared on the road ahead too. He was surrounded!
With nowhere to flee, Yang Xiaohai soon spotted the faces holding those torches—they were his Dan folk relatives, led by his own father.
That wasn’t so bad in itself. But when Yang Xiaohai saw his own mother standing there beside him, her eyes evasively darting away, it hit him like a hammer to the head.
Getting caught trying to run wasn’t the end of the world, but he never imagined it would be his mother who’d snitched—his own mother, who’d always been so good to him!!
“Good! That’s real good! Trying to run, huh!? And taking the silver with you!!” Chi Bai Shui looked unusually furious, his face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead.
Big Sis in the crowd had a face of steel too—she realized now that Yang Xiaohai had called her out earlier just to trick her into getting the silver back.
“Damn it, beat him hard!! Don’t hold back—if he dies, it’s on me!” As Chi Bai Shui spoke, Yang Xiaohai saw his big brother and second brother rolling up their sleeves, leading a bunch of young men toward him.
“Get lost!” In a rage, Yang Xiaohai swung the rotten wood ruyi hard. That group instantly stood there dumbfounded, faces blank with confusion.
The sight made the Dan folk all around retreat several steps in fright, staring warily at the thing in his hand.
“What’s that? What the hell is that?”
“Something that steals souls? Fifth Kid of the Chi family can steal souls!”
Amid the murmurs, his big sister’s face lit up with delight. “That’s a magic artifact! One that steals souls! It’s a good thing!”
“The county magistrate said handing something like that over would get you at least an eighth-rank official post! And the better the item, the higher the rank you can trade it for!!”
At those words, everyone’s eyes burned with greed, and the murmurs grew louder.
Seeing that they weren’t scared off but instead even more excited, Yang Xiaohai knew he was in trouble.
“Everyone, stick with me for a bit! We’ll charge into the woods! Once we’re in, scatter and run! Whoever makes it, good for them!!” After shouting that, Yang Xiaohai swung the ruyi hard at the crowd to his left. Their eyes glazed over in confusion. “Go!”
Yang Xiaohai led the others dashing quickly through the dazed crowd, shoving toward the front.
As Yang Xiaohai kept swinging the ruyi, group after group of Dan folk fell into a stupor. But just as they were about to break through the encirclement, a glint of cold light flashed from the left.
A barbed fish spear shot over in an instant, stabbing straight into the back of Yang Xiaohai’s hand holding the rotten wood ruyi.
Amid the searing pain, the ruyi slipped from his grasp and fell nearby.
Gritting his teeth through the pain, Yang Xiaohai reached for it—only for another fish spear to fly over, pinning his left foot to the ground.
Chi Bai Shui smugly picked up the rotten wood ruyi and strode over to Yang Xiaohai. Seeing him glaring furiously, he slapped him hard across the face. “Got something this good and you hid it from us!”
“Head of the house!” Zhao Xiumei threw herself in front of Yang Xiaohai, looking desperately at Chi Bai Shui. “Dad, we’re all family. No need to make it this bad.”
“Family? Who’s family with you!?” Chi Bai Shui slapped Zhao Xiumei across the face.
Seeing Yang Xiaohai endure the pain to shield Zhao Xiumei behind him, Chi Bai Shui sneered. “Fifth Kid, your little wife’s a fine one. Probably fetch a good price. Way easier to sell than a kid.”
“What are you going to do!!” Yang Xiaohai glared at him with murderous eyes.
“Hey now! Acting like you’re the one wronged here. Look at what you’ve done—tricked your mom! Tricked your dad! Stole the family silver! Hid a treasure and didn’t tell us! Are you even human!?”
“Little kid?” An unfamiliar voice interrupted their argument.
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a Daoist in a red robe, carrying three swords on his back, pushing through from outside.
Li Huowang walked up to Yang Xiaohai’s side and took in his bleeding hand and foot, the rotten wood ruyi in Chi Bai Shui’s grasp, and the black cloth on Big Sis’s shoulder. He understood in an instant.
“You his friend?” Chi Bai Shui asked scornfully before roughly shoving Li Huowang aside.
“Grown man hanging around with kids—what a disgrace. Get lost! This is our business. What’s an outsider like you butting in for?”
Li Huowang sized him up and down, his right hand reaching back to grip the Zisui Sword’s hilt. He enunciated each word. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Shing!” With a flash of cold steel, Chi Bai Shui’s stunned head flew into the sky.
(End of chapter)