Chapter 85

June 22nd, early morning

The ox cart set off, with only Jiang Zinan accompanying.

It wasn't that he didn't want to bring Qianqian, but over the past six months, Qianqian had changed greatly, her beauty now radiating a captivating light. In such a situation, how could she come out and cause trouble?

Jiang Zinan, though beautiful, was still within reasonable limits and wouldn't cause any trouble.

"This time we're going directly to the prefecture, it will take a month!" Ye Qing put down the curtain and looked at Jiang Zinan, "What, not feeling carsick anymore?"

"How could I always feel carsick!" Jiang Zinan protested softly.

Ye Qing smiled, "It's good that you can adapt. By the way, did you bring everything?"

"I brought everything. The ox cart can't carry too much cargo, so I only brought a thin blanket, food and water for two days, and we can replenish along the way."

"I brought three hundred taels of silver and twenty taels of small silver pieces. I think it should be enough."

Ye Qing listened but didn't speak, his eyes fixed on the distance with a half-smile, "Strange, why do I feel uneasy about this trip?"

He carefully checked and was suddenly startled. The golden seal was broken at one corner, and the grayish-black aura it had been locking in was now leaking out, forming a gray cloud that was opposing his own red and yellow aura.

"Strange, how did the golden seal break this time?"

"Disaster aura usually remains dormant, only manifesting at critical moments in one's destiny. Once it manifests, it can lead to disaster and become a calamity."

"This trip to the prefecture for the exam must bring a calamity. Could it be a backlash from my repeated changes to my destiny?"

"Should I go or not?"

After a moment's thought, Ye Qing smiled coldly, "If I pass the exam this time, I can completely change my fate. It's normal to face such a backlash. How can I be afraid of it?"

Thinking this, Ye Qing touched his sword and a small bag, his eyes cold.

With the Six Yang Diagrams and the Little Martial Canon, his progress had been rapid, but there were still limitations. However, in the seven years of his dream, he had not only honed his literary talent but also mastered the Little Martial Canon, strengthening his body to its peak.

After coming out, though his physical body was still the same, all his experience and martial skills were at their peak. After three months, this shortcoming was greatly compensated for.

This small bag contained a magical tool he had created using the Daoist techniques he had learned. Though still rudimentary, its power was considerable—this was prepared as soon as he sensed the disaster aura.

"With my literary and martial skills, and all these preparations, how can I not overcome this calamity?" Thinking this, Ye Qing ordered, "Let's get going, the sooner the better."

Jiang Zinan responded, and with a "snap," the ox cart sped up. The oxen in this world were specially bred using Daoist techniques, capable of long journeys and obedient, even a young girl could drive them.

Yu Mansion

The next evening, Yu Fan stood on the steps of the courtyard and saw a man enter with a sullen face. Yu Fan asked, "Is the information accurate?"

"Master, it's June 23rd. Ye Qing has already set off in an ox cart for the prefecture city, and he is approaching the county city. This is absolutely true!" the man reported.

After a pause, he added, "Master, this is too dangerous. Killing a scholar will have a bad influence... At least wait for Mr. Kou to return and discuss it."

Yu Fan smiled coldly, "In great matters, there can be no retreat. This is about dealing with the aftermath, not now."

Saying this, he got up, put on his sword, and strode out.

Inside the courtyard, two rows of candles were lit, and thirty people stood in neat formation, silent. Yu Fan stepped forward, and they all bowed in unison, "Greetings, Master!"

"You are all descendants of the Yu family, and I trust you all!" Yu Fan said in a hoarse voice, "I have a task for you tonight."

As he spoke, there was a stir, but it quickly subsided.

Yu Fan waved his hand, and a servant brought a silver platter covered with a red cloth. Yu Fan pulled off the cloth, revealing silver ingots under the candlelight.

There was another stir, but no sound, and the formation did not break.

Yu Fan smiled coldly, satisfied with their reaction, "This is pure silver, your reward upon return!"

He then drew his sword, "Now listen, put on your armor, mount your horses, and kill. I will take responsibility."

"Yes!" the thirty men responded in unison.

At dusk, the last rays of sunlight shone on the Yu Mansion's grand entrance, with seven stone lions squatting on the steps, their pale blue magical patterns exuding a solemn and fierce aura, strengthened over centuries.

Under the direction of an old servant, several servants lit eight lamps and hung them on poles. The red-painted gate creaked open, and thirty riders emerged, all in gray robes and dark armor, their weapons hidden. Yu Fan led them, and they rode silently toward the eastern part of the city.

The servants watched in amazement, and one old servant murmured, "It's been so many years, to see this again... Something big is about to happen..."

On the top of a ten-story wooden tower in the mansion, which seemed to touch the clouds, a few people looked down. The leader was Yu Cheng'en, who nodded slightly, "He's still decisive, not stupid, and knows to take a detour to avoid suspicion."

The others were silent. Such a deed could not remain hidden, the difference was only in the degree of exposure.

"I know what you're worried about. Even in the wilderness, where divine patrols can't reach, this act crosses a line, and the court will secretly record it."

"Our family will not deeply involve itself, but I have investigated clearly. Ye Qing is just a branch of a county gentry family, and has only practiced Daoism for a year. How much Daoist power could he have? These thirty men are the elite soldiers of our mansion, trained according to the martial canon. Killing him will be like killing a dog!"

"In a few days, the prefecture exam will begin. In this short time, our Yu Mansion can still control the situation. If Fan becomes a scholar, this secret record will remain just that, and might even be erased at the imperial exam."

The last ray of dusk disappeared from the window, and a servant came to light the lamps and descend the tower.

At this moment, a middle-aged man hesitated and spoke, "Third Master, with your literary talent and Daoist cultivation, you can certainly become a scholar. However, the path of arms is dangerous, and weapons have no eyes. It's not a time of great upheaval. Is it really necessary for you to personally take such risks? If something happens... the head of the family can still stop it in time."

Yu Cheng'en was silent for a moment, then said, "You should have heard our family's story. During the change of dynasties, our family was a scholarly lineage in the county. When the world was in turmoil, we upheld the righteous path, but were destroyed by rebel forces, with the entire family wiped out except for one infant hidden by a wet nurse in a doghouse."

"He grew up over fifteen years, excelling in both literature and martial arts. When the founding emperor rose to power, he gained a position through his martial skills and became a governor, earning the respect of the region. Learning from the lesson of the family's destruction, he passed down the literary path and used martial skills to protect the lineage, considering the unpredictability of fate... Is it really a peaceful era now?"

The others looked at each other, startled, and bowed deeply. Only the cold wind swept across the tower.

Yu Cheng'en did not elaborate, gazing at the vast mansion, which glowed faintly yellow in the night, and then looked toward the eastern part of the city, where the riders had disappeared from sight. He sighed, "Gentlemen, there's no need to be alarmed. Let him go. He has received much support from the family, and his recent failures have caused much criticism. I find it hard to suppress it."

"If he succeeds in killing Ye Qing, he will still be our heir. If not... so be it!" Yu Cheng'en sighed.

Clouds gathered in the eastern sky, dimly obscuring the moon, and the air was humid, hinting at rain.

A middle-aged man in a gray robe frowned and bowed, "Though so, Master is precious. I will follow to prevent any unexpected changes from the storm, ensuring the task is completed."

"Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Dai." Yu Cheng'en nodded, watching him descend the tower, his gray figure vanishing like a wisp of smoke.

Thirty miles west of the county city

The night was silent, with mist shrouding the sky. They had stopped in a desolate area, far from any village or inn, with only a small shrine. The shrine was covered in moss, though it had no caretaker, it still received some offerings. They dismounted and offered three incense sticks to the shrine, completing the ritual.

Jiang Zinan unloaded the luggage, settled the ox, and served Ye Qing his meal, then carefully closed the temple door.

Ye Qing lay on a makeshift bed, unsheathed his sword, and half-closed his eyes, watching the girl's slender figure move. He admired her caution, recalling the saying that even if one is innocent, they should be killed if they are a threat.

Now, with his mastery of Daoist techniques and the Little Martial Canon, he was not concerned about bandits, but his experience in the chaotic times of his past life had instilled a habit of caution. He preferred to avoid problems, even if it meant more trouble.

After a while, the girl looked back and saw Ye Qing had closed his eyes. She thought for a moment, lit an incense stick, and prayed to the unknown deity behind the red curtain. She then quietly removed her outer clothes and slipped into the thin blanket.

The candle was blown out, leaving only a flickering ember on the altar, and the incense burned quietly. After a while, she fell into a peaceful sleep in the stillness.

The moon was hidden behind thick clouds, and the stars were obscured.

In the middle of the night, the red curtain moved without a breeze, and the room suddenly brightened. The temple door shook, and a distant rumble of thunder echoed in the sky.

Ye Qing immediately woke up, instinctively drawing his sword. The blade glinted on the wall, and he looked through the door crack, seeing a faint light fade.

Jiang Zinan sat up, clutching her chest, dazed in the darkness, "Was that thunder?"

Ye Qing nodded, sheathed his sword, and was about to speak when he instinctively looked at the red curtain. The clay statue trembled slightly, as if hinting at something at this hour, but then it was silent again.

Another thunderclap echoed, and in the light, he saw Jiang Zinan's face glowing with a faint red light, her body enveloped in a dark aura, the red light casting a cold, eerie glow.

"This feeling is so familiar!" Ye Qing was startled, then burst into laughter.

He opened the temple door, and the damp wind rushed in, carrying raindrops, invigorating his spirit. "Thunder and rain? Truly, when calamity comes, the wind fills the tower!"

"This feeling is so familiar, how many times have I experienced it?"

In his past life, due to the abnormal ebb and flow of the world's spiritual energy, an unprecedented typhoon formed over the Black Water Ocean. The Dragon King of the East Sea could only regulate it partially, so he redirected the storm to the river, and the Peaceful Lake could not fully manage it, leading to the thunderstorm.

This resulted in many battles during the great calamity, all taking place in the midst of storms.

Though it wasn't a time of great calamity now, this familiar storm still brought back memories of countless battles from his past life.

Ye Qing's hair was wet, and he turned to bow to the shrine, "Thank you for the warning. I will need to use this sacred place. If I overcome this calamity, I will repay you generously!"

Another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the shrine.