Chapter 195
Chapter 195
The next morning.
Shen Lang finally arrived at the docks of Yangwu Commandery. From here, he could depart for Raging Tide City without attracting attention. To avoid being recognized, he wore a veil over his face. Yet, even so, he was incredibly conspicuous. The feeling of being watched by so many men was deeply unpleasant and repulsive.
After boarding the sea vessel, Shen Lang paid a hefty sum for a private cabin. Huang Feng stood guard outside the door, not to adhere to the rules of a bodyguard, but simply because he didn't want to be in a cramped cabin with Shen Lang. Just then, a young master dressed in luxurious silks approached and bowed.
"My name is Bai Yulang. Pardon my intrusion, but may I ask where the young lady hails from? Raging Tide City is not the safest of places, and I happen to know some martial arts. I would be honored to protect you… Agh!"
Before he could finish, he let out a wretched scream. Huang Feng had sent him flying with a single kick. Shen Lang thought he heard the sound of the man's family jewels cracking. A series of agonized cries followed from outside. Bai Yulang's attendants had all rushed forward to avenge him, but Huang Feng, without even using his hands, sent them all flying with one kick per person. Then, silence fell outside the cabin.
The other passengers on the ship acted as if nothing had happened. Going to Raging Tide City was like entering a lawless land; fights on the ships heading there were perfectly normal. Shen Lang found a mask in his box, applied it to his face, and fell into a sweet slumber. He had rushed through the night and needed to catch up on sleep during the day. He absolutely could not afford to look haggard from exhaustion.
However, the cabin's wooden planks were so thin that he could clearly hear the sounds from the neighboring rooms. In the cabin to his left, something indecent was taking place. One man and two women. The morals of society were truly in decline! The cabin to his right housed four men, an even more frightening situation. But upon listening closely, nothing alarming was happening; they were, thankfully, just chatting idly.
Shen Lang could hear every sound from all directions. He hadn't intended to keep listening, but when he inadvertently heard his own name, his ears perked up.
Everyone on the ship was talking about the same thing: the discovery of a massive gold mine on Forsaken Isle and the impending prosperity of the Jin Clan. The topic had set the entire State of Yue abuzz.
"Actually, it's not surprising at all that a gold mine was found on Forsaken Isle, is it?"
"Why wouldn't it be surprising?"
"What's the Jin Clan's surname? 'Jin,' right? And 'Jin' means gold. What's so strange about the Jin Clan finding a gold mine?"
Everyone marveled, and so did Shen Lang.
*That's quite a persuasive argument.*
"Do you all know why the Jin Clan recruited a live-in son-in-law, and why Jin Mulan married Shen Lang?" the genius spoke again.
"Why?"
"In the name Jin Mulan, the three characters contain the five elements of Metal, Wood, Earth, and Fire, but Water is missing. Shen Lang's name, however, is all Water. That's why the Jin Clan brought him in as a son-in-law."
Someone asked doubtfully, "The three characters for 'Jin Mulan' only have Metal and Wood. Where do Earth and Fire come from?"
The genius replied, "Look at the character for 'Lan.' Orchids are planted in the earth, so isn't that Earth? And if you strike wood with metal, you can start a fire. Thus, her name contains Metal, Wood, Fire, and Earth."
Everyone marveled again, and Shen Lang was even more impressed.
*A master of the five elements was hiding among the common folk.*
The genius spoke again. "Did you know that Qiu Yao'er doesn't have much time left to live?"
Everyone lowered their voices and whispered, "Why is that?"
Shen Lang could practically see them craning their necks as they asked. The infamous reputation of the demoness Qiu Yao'er, who had killed countless men, made them tremble at the mere mention of her name.
The genius answered, "If you break down the characters in Qiu Yao'er's name, you get 'woman, person, child, nine, and die young.' It means she might die an early death at the age of twenty-nine. And after the Spring Festival, she'll be exactly twenty-nine."
No one dared to respond. Then, someone quietly said, "I think you're the one who doesn't have much time left. People can't praise Qiu Yao'er enough, calling her a goddess, yet you dare curse her to die."
Instantly, everyone drew a clear line between themselves and the genius, as if Qiu Yao'er could hear them from hundreds of miles away. The name Qiu Yao'er immediately silenced the entire ship. Even the man and two women in the room to the left stopped their activities. One of the women complained, "Are we stopping just like that? I wasn't finished having fun yet."
The man said, trembling, "Hearing her name... it's over. I'm too scared. It won't stand up anymore."
"What's so scary about Qiu Yao'er? I think she's a good person. She treats us women well."
"I bought you two. If she found out, I'd be skinned alive."
Only then did Shen Lang truly grasp the weight of Qiu Yao'er's authority. The mere mention of her name could make a child stop crying and a man's hardness wilt in an instant. With no one left to gossip, no more stories reached his ears, and Shen Lang soon fell fast asleep. In the evening, a clamor arose from outside.
"We've arrived at Raging Tide City! We're here!"
"Everyone, remember! Never hit a woman in Raging Tide City. You'll be killed for it."
"Everyone, remember! Men, do not go near the white fortress on the east side. That's the elder Miss Qiu's fortress. Just passing by could get you killed. Most importantly, if you see a woman on the street with her face veiled, do not, under any circumstances, bother her. She's likely a handmaiden from Miss Qiu's fortress. If you mess with one of them, you'll wish you were dead."
***
Upon entering Raging Tide City, Shen Lang was struck by its incredible prosperity. It was far more developed and bustling than Nujiang City; you could smell money everywhere. Countless shops, taverns, and inns lined the streets, but there was a curious absence of brothels. It was truly strange. A pirate city without brothels.
But after a moment's thought, he understood why. Who would dare open a brothel under Qiu Yao'er's nose? It would be suicide. As a result, most of the wealthy merchants and nobles who visited Raging Tide City brought their own female companions. However, Shen Lang soon discovered that Raging Tide City did have brothels, of a sort. Only, they were filled not with women, but with male courtesans. And business was booming.
Sigh, it wasn't easy being a man in Raging Tide City. They all lived in submission under Qiu Yao'er's authority. Shen Lang paid particular attention to the city's defenses. As a city without walls, it seemed to have no defensive structures at all. But because the city was isolated at sea, walls were unnecessary. As long as a powerful navy guarded the waters, even a formidable enemy would find it extremely difficult to land on its shores.
Shen Lang felt a little suffocated. Qiu Tianwei's City Lord's manor looked more fortified than a tortoise shell. It was an impregnable fortress, which made it all the more terrifying. The manor's walls were high and incredibly thick. The Count of Xuanwu's estate was also built to be easy to defend and hard to attack, but it was nothing compared to the pirate king's fortress before him.
Shen Lang did a quick calculation. This fortress could be defended by a mere one or two thousand men and would not fall even if attacked by ten thousand. Moreover, the entire structure was built of massive stones, making it impervious to fire. Raging Tide City had a total of three such fortresses. The one on the left likely belonged to Qiu Xiao, the one on the right to Qiu Yao'er, and the large one in the middle was used by Qiu Tianwei and his son. The three fortresses were positioned like the points of a horn, encircling and protecting one another. Unless one could capture all three simultaneously, taking Raging Tide City would be impossible.
Conquering the three fortresses through conventional means was harder than ascending to the heavens. Twenty years ago, the Earl of Jinyu had led a grand army of ten thousand and a fleet to attack Qiu Tianwei, only to have his entire force annihilated. And back then, Raging Tide City didn't even have these three fortresses. Taking the city now was several times more difficult than it had been two decades ago. A direct assault was out of the question; it had to be taken through strategy. Shen Lang would have to create a trap that would astound the world.
Shen Lang and Huang Feng arrived at a spice shop in Raging Tide City. This was one of the contact points for the Count of Xuanwu's spies. The Jin Clan had less than ten secret bases in the city, each having been in operation for over a decade, leaving no trace of their true purpose. For the last ten years, these secret bases had rarely been used, and the nearly two hundred warriors who had infiltrated Raging Tide City had never been mobilized. This showed that while his father-in-law was conservative and stubborn, he was also a brilliant ruler who employed masterful methods.
As promised, Xu Qianqian would come to this shop in the evening to buy incense. Of course, strictly speaking, incense was not a spice. But since this shop also sold rose oil, it wasn't out of place for it to sell incense as well. Shen Lang entered the shop's secret underground chamber to wait for Xu Qianqian to make contact. A dozen warriors were monitoring all the streets around the shop, ensuring his safety.
***
After dismissing another group of physicians, Qiu Yao'er lay on a narrow couch with her eyes closed. If she opened them, the world would spin, and she couldn't even stand. She had already coughed up blood three times today. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her lips had turned a deathly pale. Dozens of physicians had examined her, but none could find the cause.
Yet even in this state, she ordered Xu Qianqian to continue telling the story of *Journey to the West*. She regretted the thought of dying but did not fear it. A phrase she often said was, "If there is no joy in living, why should death be feared?" The latest chapter of *Journey to the West* had just ended, and Qiu Yao'er was once again savoring the afterglow of the tale. The story and the world within it were so beautiful. She had now heard up to the twenty-ninth chapter and felt a pang of regret that she might not hear the end.
Qiu Yao'er said to Xu Qianqian, "Wake me just before the Hour of the Ox ends."
"Yes, General. Do you have an engagement?"
"A duel."
Xu Qianqian was stunned.
*A duel, at a time like this? Her head is splitting, she's coughed up blood multiple times, and the world spins the moment she opens her eyes, making it impossible to even stand. How can she possibly fight a duel?*
Her heart ached for her. "With whom are you dueling?"
"Zhu Hongxue. It was an agreement made years ago."
*Zhu Hongxue?*
Of course, Xu Qianqian had heard the name before. All she knew was that he was a prodigy of his generation, the queen's own nephew, and the son of Grand Admiral Zhu Rong. She was unaware that Zhu Hongxue was a disciple of the Zuo Ci Pavilion Master and the strongest among the younger generation of martial artists in the State of Yue.
Xu Qianqian hesitated, unsure of what to say. Her status was no higher than that of a handmaiden serving Qiu Yao'er; there were some things she had no right to say. In all of Raging Tide City, the only person qualified to find a physician for Qiu Yao'er was Qiu Tianwei himself. Even her brother, Qiu Xiao, lacked that authority, let alone a mere handmaiden like Xu Qianqian.
"General."
After a moment of hesitation, Xu Qianqian spoke.
"Mm."
"I know someone... he is very, very clever. He might be able to cure your illness. At the very least, he might know why you are suffering from these symptoms. Could I bring him here to examine you?"
Qiu Yao'er was silent. After a long moment, she nodded.
"Alright!"
"Yes!"
Xu Qianqian rushed out, overjoyed. In truth, Qiu Yao'er held no expectations. The physicians her father, Qiu Tianwei, had found for her were already the best of the best. If even they could not diagnose her illness, the person Xu Qianqian found would surely fail as well. She had only agreed because Xu Qianqian's voice had sounded so sincere, so earnest.