Chapter 106 (1/2)

Chapter 106: Going astray

”Is there anything else troubling you?”

”None of us can predict what will happen,” Qi Yun said. He was still restless. ”Even if you haven't found Mister Ji Bo, remember to put your safety first.”

”We will find Mister Ji Bo,” Jun Huang said in a determined voice. ”I will not give up until we find him. Don't worry about us.”

Nan Xun was getting impatient. Qi Yun's concerns weren't going to help them in any practical way. ”Let's go,” he urged. ”The rain has stopped, but it might start again.”

Qi Yun felt as if a fish bone was stuck in his throat, stopping his words from coming out. He saw that there was no use for him to say anything, and he had important things to attend to. He reluctantly left the tavern.

Nan Xun had been covering his ears. He was glad for the return of silence. He turned back and saw Jun Huang staring at him.

He awkwardly put his hands down. ”He talked a little too much.”

Jun Huang ignored his comment and said, ”Why did you insist on leaving after noon?”

Nan Xun paused. That was an unexpected turn of the conversation. ”This journey may turn out to be dangerous,” he said with a smile. ”Neither of us know what's ahead of us. I decide to bring more people. That way, we'll have some support even if something does happen.”

”I can't let people see me leaving the imperial city. If the emperor hears about a large group of men pa.s.sing through the city gate, he will get suspicious. A few of the guards stationed at the gate are my people, but they are on the afternoon s.h.i.+ft. That's why it's better for us to wait until now.”

Jun Huang nodded without a word. With her rucksack in hand, she followed Nan Xun out. They surveyed their surroundings. There wasn't anyone who seemed like Qi Chen's informant. Nan Xun waved a hand at the dark alley. From the shadow out came a group of men wearing plain clothes and armed with long swords. Their pulsing temples were a clear sign that they had a deep reserve of inner force.

Her expression betrayed none of her surprise. The men followed after her and Nan Xun. They were well-trained. Their movement was so silent it was as if they didn't exist.

Soon they reached the city gate. Nan Xun and Jun Huang stopped before the guards. One of them nodded when he saw Nan Xun. These must have been Nan Xun's men.

”Come on,” Nan Xun whispered at Jun Huang's ear.

Jun Huang nodded and walked out of the city with Nan Xun by her side. No one had stopped them for a routine check.

Nan Xun had made the necessary preparations the day before. A coach and some horses were hidden in a residence not far from the city. They only needed to retrieve it, and they could be on their way.

Nan Xun didn't hesitate to tell Jun Huang that the property was his. Generals like him were not allowed to enter the city without the emperor's decree. It didn't matter if the emperor had summoned them before, or if they were back from a triumphant battle. That was why he had bought a house outside the city. After an arduous fight, he would come here to recuperate.

His tone was casual, but Jun Huang couldn't help judging the emperor in her mind. How typical the emperor was! When the country was at risk, he expected his generals to spill their blood on the battlefield; Once they had triumphed, however, he kept them out of the city for fear of a coup. It was laughable.

Seeing the coach Nan Xun had prepared, Jun Huang chuckled.

Puzzled, Nan Xun asked, ”What's wrong?”

”Mister Ji Bo now lives deep inside a mountain,” she said, curving her lips into a small smile. ”It's difficult to find a path where a coach can travel on. Riding a horse will be the better choice.”

Nan Xun fell silent in embarra.s.sment. Jun Huang didn't have time to make him feel better. She went straight to a black horse and pointed at it. ”I'll take this one.”

Nan Xun didn't care which horse Jun Huang picked as long as she liked it. They mounted their horses and left for Mount Wuming1.

Jun Huang thought back to the time she traveled to Yangzhou with Nan Xun. The two of them had been silent like they were now, but they had been riding faster at that time.

Finally they arrived at the foot of Mount Wuming. Jun Huang tilted her head up. Perhaps only someone like Mister Ji Bo will be able to lead a life of peace in such chaotic time, she lamented. He must have been living like a celestial being.

Many had said that she was as aloof as a celestial being, but they didn't know how much was weighing her down. She could never transcend the mundane life. She had no other choice but to wade through the chaos in this mortal world in order to find her way out.

Seeing the distant look in Jun Huang's eyes, Nan Xun frowned and patted her on the shoulder. ”Is something the matter?”

Jerked out of her trance, Jun Huang shook her head with a smile. She looked at the narrow winding path and the black horse she was riding. She sighed. ”It seems that we will have to walk from this point onward.” She let out a soundless laugh. ”Maybe it's for the best. If we make our way to the top on foot, perhaps Mister Ji Bo will see how earnest we are and decide to help us.”

Nan Xun knew Jun Huang was only trying to lighten the mood. He gestured for his men to dismount. Then he ordered some of them to stay and watch the horses. He would bring only a handful of people with him.

His people had been following him for more than a decade. They trusted Nan Xun to know what he was doing. No one posed any opposition.

Jun Huang got off her horse and looked up at the darkened sky. ”It's going to rain again,” she said with her brows furrowed. ”Let's hurry and try to find Mister Ji Bo before that happens.”