Chapter 209
Chapter 209
Since no one could enter Sorrowful Parting Island, they spied on the Jin Clan from the docks and the sea. Some even went as far as to count the resources being sent to the island. Over the past few days, the Jin Clan had dispatched more than three thousand soldiers and over five thousand laborers to Sorrowful Parting Island. More than a hundred ships, laden with various supplies, had landed on the island.
The expenditure was enormous. Just how much gold had been poured into this? A rough estimate alone pointed to an astronomical sum. Seeing such spending, it seemed certain that they had truly discovered a gold mine on Sorrowful Parting Island. The mine must hold an astonishing amount of high-quality gold. Otherwise, why would the Jin Clan expend so much effort, so much money, manpower, and resources to protect it?
Now, the final contingent of troops was preparing to move out. Count Jin Zhuo himself would lead a thousand elite warriors to Sorrowful Parting Island. From now on, Count Jin Zhuo would be stationed there, bringing the Golden Island play to its climax.
Su Peipei asked Jin Zhuo.
“My lord, why not wait until Lang'er and Mulan have returned before you leave?”
Shen Lang was away, and Mulan had gone to find him. With Count Jin Zhuo heading to Sorrowful Parting Island, only Su Peipei and Jin Mucong would remain at the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. Su Peipei was a formidable woman, no less so than the Count of Xuanwu, but with her husband, the pillar of the estate, about to depart, she couldn't help but feel a little worried. Seeing the lingering reluctance in his wife's eyes, Count Jin Zhuo couldn't resist pulling her into his arms. They had been married for over twenty years, but in Jin Zhuo's eyes, his wife was still as beautiful and innocent as the day they wed.
“Rest assured, there will be no fighting, so I won't be in any danger. Lang'er has arranged everything. As soon as the enemy enters, they will fall into an inescapable net and die without a place for burial.”
Su Peipei pressed her face against her husband's chest. It was still as firm and powerful as ever.
“It's been days since Lang'er left, and I'm so anxious. I hope nothing has happened to him. That delicate boy has never been so far from home on his own. It would break my heart if he got hurt.”
“Don't worry. He's incredibly clever. If anything, he's the one who'll be harming others. The person who could harm him probably hasn't been born yet.”
Su Peipei tapped her husband's chest and said.
“Don't be like that. Don't talk about Lang'er that way. He's the kindest, best boy. He never wanted to hurt anyone in the first place; it's always others who provoke him, leaving him with no choice.”
Jin Zhuo instantly fell silent.
*‘Yes, yes. You're right about everything. Besides, you're so beautiful, whatever you say is right.’*
Receiving his wife's reluctant gaze, Count Jin Zhuo, fully armored, mounted his tall steed. He led the final contingent of one thousand elite warriors and three thousand laborers destined for Sorrowful Parting Island, marching toward the docks with grand momentum before setting sail. The moment Jin Zhuo's ship departed for Sorrowful Parting Island, the Golden Island play reached its climax, and the inescapable net woven by Shen Lang was fully spread. All that remained was for countless greedy souls to leap into the net and die without a grave.
***
At the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, only Su Peipei and Jin Mucong remained. Su Peipei changed into the practical attire she often wore when she was unmarried. In her youth, her martial arts skills were exceptional; Mulan's innate talent for martial arts was inherited from her. But it is often the case that when a woman starts a family and finds happiness, she neglects her martial arts.
After her marriage, she first bore and raised her children. Just as her son and daughter were grown, Shen Lang joined the estate. Thanks to Shen Lang, Su Peipei discovered a new world, and her interests shifted to beauty, skincare, face masks, and perfumes. How could she have found time to practice her martial arts?
Su Peipei recalled her ambitions from her youth and couldn't help but laugh. She had once made a childish vow.
“I will never be bound by the affections between a man and a woman. My ideal is to become a grandmaster of the martial path.”
After marrying Jin Zhuo, she had proudly declared this vow, telling him that even though she was his wife, she was an independent person with her own ideals to realize.
“From now on, I will continue to devote myself to mastering martial arts, so don't bother me too much or expect me to handle many household chores. I, Su Peipei, will become a grandmaster, and I will never be tied down by romance or the trivialities of domestic life.”
Count Jin Zhuo had nodded seriously in agreement, vowing never to stand in the way of her realizing her ideals. He even said that once she became a grandmaster, she could leave home for about three months each year to hone her skills. Even just three months into their marriage, during the honeymoon phase, Count Jin Zhuo had cautiously told her.
“My lady, it's time. Time to practice your swordsmanship.”
“I'm too tired from last night. I'm going to sleep for another quarter-hour today.”
Lazily staying in bed for a quarter-hour turned into half an hour, then an hour. After that, practicing swordsmanship every other day became once every five days, then once every fortnight. Finally, one day, Su Peipei said with a surprised look, "My lord, I can't find my sword. It's gone." Anxiously, Count Jin Zhuo searched everywhere for her sword.
He eventually found his wife's sword under a tree and joyfully returned it to her. He expected her to be thrilled, but to his surprise, she shot him a fierce glare and didn't let him into the bed for three days. After that day, Count Jin Zhuo never again brought up her dream of becoming a grandmaster. Seizing the opportunity, Su Peipei stopped practicing her swordsmanship altogether.
What was the point of practicing swordsmanship? What was the point of honing martial arts? No matter how skilled one became, there might not be a single opportunity to fight in a lifetime. All the female grandmasters in the world only practiced martial arts desperately because they were unhappy in their marriages. They weren't honing their martial arts; they were warding off loneliness.
*‘I'm so happy, so I won't practice martial arts anymore.’*
Su Peipei thought her past reasoning made quite a bit of sense. But now, Su Peipei had donned her practical training attire again, and she had thoroughly cleaned the sword she found in a corner of her room. Once, this sword had been like her life. But now, her life was her children, her husband, and Lang'er. Looking at the sharp sword in her hand, Su Peipei muttered to herself.
“Now, it's my turn to protect the family!”
Meanwhile, Jin Mucong was still scribbling away, copying books. He had become quite something. After his brother-in-law had been gone for several days, the fatty, unable to get the rest of the *Journey to the West*, couldn't wait any longer and began writing the rest of the story himself. He was writing the second half himself, a first for him. He had been copying books for over a decade, but this was the first time he had ever created something of his own. As if a new world had opened up to him, once he got a taste for writing, he couldn't stop.
Just then, a group of black-clad cavalry was galloping toward the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. And a grand eunuch stepped out of a carriage. He was a eunuch of very high rank, a trusted confidant of the king.
“A royal edict from His Majesty the King has arrived! The Count of Xuanwu's Estate, kneel and receive it!”
***
The large sea vessel finally approached the docks of Yangwu Commandery. Having slept for several hours, Shen Lang's complexion had improved, and his body felt a little more comfortable. At least, it felt like his numb manhood had returned to his body. But his back was still incredibly sore. It had been a full four hours. It wasn't that Shen Lang had such stamina; the drug had forced him to overexert his vigor.
*‘I'll be home soon and see Mulan. I must act normal. I can't let her find out. Thank goodness Qiu Yao'er didn't bite my face. If she had, I wouldn't have been able to hide it.’*
Shen Lang tugged at his clothes and took a few deep breaths. He felt like a cheating husband returning home to face his fearsome wife. He absolutely could not reveal any flaws; one wrong move and Mulan might beat him to death. Her affection for him had already reached its peak, and she was only waiting for their first time together. She saw it as a ritual that would perfectly bind their feelings. But now, Shen Lang's first time was gone, and if Mulan found out he had slept with another woman, how would she react? Shen Lang couldn't help but shudder at the thought.
*‘Deep breaths, deep breaths. Don't be nervous. It must look natural. My body can't be stiff. I need to show an expression full of deep affection, but with a hint of exhaustion, as if I've missed her dearly. The feeling of "I'm exhausted, but I missed you" has to come through.’*
Then, Shen Lang practiced that expression in a silver mirror. Some might say such an act was deceiving his wife. But how could this be called deceit? He just couldn't bear to break her heart.
“Huang Feng, does this expression look normal? Can you see any guilt in my eyes? Looking at this face, do you think you can tell I've cheated?”
Shen Lang asked Huang Feng. Huang Feng studied him closely and was inwardly amazed.
*‘Is this the skill of a scumbag husband? He's such a good actor! You can't tell a thing just by looking at his face.’*
At that moment, Shen Lang's performance was flawless. His face, looking tired and pained, was also etched with boundless longing. But there was no trace of guilt or the telltale signs of having done something wrong. One couldn't find any flaws in his expression, nor could one read that he had slept with another woman. Huang Feng's hair stood on end. Now, she would probably never marry in her life, never believe in love again.
“Perfect!”
Satisfied with his performance, Shen Lang was careful to maintain his expression. Mulan must not notice any cracks in his facade. After a few days of recovery, once the bite marks from Qiu Yao'er disappeared from his body, he could continue his happy life with his wife. He would just forget everything that happened in Raging Tide City. Channeling the spirit of a master actor, Shen Lang left his cabin and walked toward the dock.
*‘I am an actor, a god of acting! I will absolutely not let Mulan find out. This isn't deceit. If this is deceit, then all white lies are deceit.’*
As Shen Lang thought this and raised his head, he saw a woman standing on the dock. It was Mulan. His wife, his love, was there. Her eyes were filled with worry, fear, and anxiety. Shen Lang had never seen such a look in Mulan's eyes before. The next moment, Mulan's gaze fell upon Shen Lang, and she was startled.
*‘Why has my husband turned into a woman? But it's alright. As long as he's safe. As long as he isn't hurt.’*
Mulan dashed over like an arrow and hugged Shen Lang tightly. At that, all of Shen Lang's carefully prepared acting crumbled, and his heart melted completely. He couldn't hold back his tears. He didn't want to deceive his wife.
“My love, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I... I slept with another woman.”