BXBX NOVEL Chapter 435: 435. On the way home
Chapter 435: 435. On the way home
Su Liang and Qi Jun took Pu Cheng back to the Su Mansion, entering through the back door, which led to the garden.
As they were about to leave the forest, Qi Jun said, “Master, I won’t tell anyone about those things, not even Ren Dong.”
Su Liang nodded, “Hmm. Knowing such things is not necessarily a good thing. I had no choice but to tell you this time, and I only told you what you needed to know. You did a good job, and what Pu Cheng confessed is what I wanted to know. Gu Ling should be back soon, and we can still make it to your wedding with Ren Dong.”
Qi Jun laughed, “I hope Uncle will have a smooth journey.”
However, Qi Jun didn’t know that the Gu Ling he thought was a transmigrator was actually fake. The real transmigrator was Su Liang.
Su Liang didn’t intend to mislead Qi Jun. She only told him the necessary information to fulfill their current needs. The rest was not necessary for Qi Jun to know at the moment.
By the time the two reached the lakeside, the thick fog had cleared, and the sky was bright.
Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu came running out of Yuanming Pavilion, followed by Cheng Yun. All three of them were dressed in their exercise clothes, ready for morning practice.
“Master’s wife is back!” Ji Xiaoshu rushed over, followed closely by Zhengzheng, and Cheng Yun also ran over.
“How did it go?” Cheng Yun’s gaze turned to Pu Cheng, who was carried by Qi Jun unconscious, his expression much calmer than the day before.
Su Liang smiled, “It worked.”
Ji Xiaoshu gave a thumbs up, “With Master’s wife taking action, there’s no room for failure!”
Su Liang ruffled the heads of the two children, “Go practice your skills.”
Seeing that Su Liang had no intention of sharing the information she had obtained from Pu Cheng, Cheng Yun didn’t ask and went to train with the two children.
Qiao Cong did ask, but Su Liang didn’t say anything for the time being as it involved matters of transmigration. Other than her, only Qi Jun knew and just a rough idea.
Whether to share their biggest secret with the others at home, and who to tell and who not to tell, Su Liang decided to discuss with Gu Ling after his return. The more people who knew, the greater the uncontrollable risk. Some things are better kept secret.
If Gu Ling had been home last night, Su Liang wouldn’t have needed to tell Qi Jun about it, but would have had Gu Ling do it instead. Waiting a few more days might have been fine, but the sooner it was known, the better the precautions could be made, especially against Sheng Yue. Even though Su Liang predicted that he wouldn’t show up easily again, she feared any potential risk. And Gu Ling’s return was also just an estimate by Su Liang, not a guarantee.
After a while, Cheng Yun said he wanted to go back to Huguo Temple as he still had some belongings there and needed to inform Master Pu Hui about his return to secular life. He had lived at the Huguo Temple once, and Master Pu Hui had taken good care of him.
Ji Xiaoshu said he wanted to go with Cheng Yun to Huguo Temple, but was immediately stopped by Zhengzheng, “No, there’s a bad guy who escaped, and he might catch us and threaten Master’s wife!” Zhengzheng had experience with such things.
“Oh, well, then.” Ji Xiaoshu was naughty but never reckless, blinked and said, “Will the bad guy catch my dad as a hostage? Or is my dad no longer important?”
Su Liang smiled, “Not as important as you.”
Ji Xiaoshu was delighted, “When my dad comes back, I need to tell him that I’m the important one!”
Qiao Cong accompanied Cheng Yun to the Huguo Temple, returning near noon with Huguo Temple vegetarian dishes.
“Senior Pu Hui asked if I had made up my mind, and I said yes.” Cheng Yun sighed softly, “I thought he would persuade me not to return to secular life, but surprisingly he didn’t object.”
Su Liang wasn’t surprised. Cheng Yun hadn’t experienced the secular world, and becoming a monk was not his choice. The real monks should have a tolerant heart, not thinking that becoming a monk is the best and returning to secular life the wrong.
“You can grow your hair now.” Su Liang said, “Should I find you a hat? Or a wig?”
“No need to disguise.” Cheng Yun shook his head, “Let nature take its course.”
Su Liang chuckled softly, “True, real beauty doesn’t fear a hairstyle.”
Cheng Yun’s face turned slightly embarrassed, “My appearance is far inferior to Sister Gu’s.”
“Not much difference.” Su Liang teased, “Once your hair grows out, you’ll definitely be a handsome young man.”
Cheng Yun silently drifted away, physically stopping the embarrassing topic.
In the afternoon, while the children were sleeping, Su Liang sat by the window, taking out the papers she had recorded information on when Min Rou had first briefed her on the situation at Xingluo Island. Looking at the “forbidden area” in the City Lord Mansion’s layout, she could now be sure that it was the place where Mo Yan had transmigrated and had guarded for many years as the way back home, or so he thought.
Not only Mo Yan, but it was also discovered from Pu Cheng’s mouth that even his late wife was bent on returning. This brought new ideas to Su Liang: Could it be that only she was a soul transmigrator, while Mo Yan and Pu Cheng’s late wife were both physical transmigrators? Was that possible?
Su Liang pondered and thought, since soul transmigration exists, body transmigration should also be possible. Including Gu Ling’s special ability, these are mysterious phenomena that cannot be explained by science.
If so, Su Liang felt that Mo Yan and Pu Cheng’s deceased wife’s desire to return could also be somewhat understood. However, she still believed that she could not return, as she had settled down here and did not want to return.
Su Liang picked up a pen, wrote the word “road” in the forbidden area of Xingluo Island on the paper, and drew a big question mark. Then she put away everything, put it aside for the time being, and waited for Gu Ling to come back to discuss.
In the afternoon, Su Liang went to the underground secret chamber to see Pu Cheng again.
This time, Pu Cheng lost his calm when he saw Su Liang, because at dawn today, his true face was completely exposed to Su Liang. Putting on a fake mask would not only be meaningless, but would also make him appear even more ridiculous.
“What are you doing here?” Pu Cheng snorted.
Su Liang sat down with a faint expression, “It’s much better like this, there’s no need to pretend, it’s so tiring. Did Yan Shiba really say that Yan Shiba is alive and in Sheng Yue’s hands?”
“False!” Pu Cheng blurted out.
Su Liang nodded, “In that case, when your son uses Yan Shiba as a hostage to threaten me, I will know that the hostage in his hands is just like Nian Ruxue’s substitute, and I don’t need to worry about it.”
Pu Cheng’s face stiffened. Su Liang had got the answer she wanted from his reaction without him saying anything else.
“Where is she?” Su Liang asked, “Nian Ruxue has already confessed a location, whether you say it or not, I’ll send someone to look for her. If you tell me, things will be better for you.”
Pu Cheng sneered, “What, do you still want to torture me?”
Su Liang shook her head, “No, you’re mistaken. As you know, I have few people in my family, and Ajun and Ren Dong are about to start preparing for their wedding. We also need to arrange someone to bring you food and water, which is very troublesome, and no one has time to torture you. If you don’t cooperate, I’ll only be able to meet the minimum standard for your food, which means that I won’t let you starve to death or die of thirst. That’s the easiest way. You can’t be shameless enough to ask me to provide you with good food and drink, can you?”
“You!” Pu Cheng’s face was full of anger.
Su Liang shrugged, “Do you want to say that I’m cunning and not kind-hearted? Please reflect on yourself first. What have you done? And you still expect me to return kindness for evil? I’ve seen a lot of people like you, who have excuses for doing evil things. In the end, you’re just selfish. You’re not as good as Sheng Yue, who is at least open and aboveboard, not as pretentious as you. Alright, let’s stop talking nonsense. Since I know that your son will not come to save you, I have the leisure to talk to you today. Have you thought about how to answer my question?”
“I want to see Yunyun.” Pu Cheng’s face darkened.
Su Liang got up and left, “It seems like you’ve chosen ‘living is enough’.”
Just as Su Liang was about to disappear from Pu Cheng’s sight, he called out to her, “I can tell you where Yan Shiba is.”
Su Liang turned around, her face calm, and saw Pu Cheng looking a little unnatural, as if expecting a new round of ridicule.
But Su Liang had already seen through Pu Cheng’s nature. He was so selfish that he couldn’t even bear to suffer a little bit, and at this moment, he didn’t even care about protecting his son. No wonder he hadn’t taken on the responsibility of being a father in all these years and only cared about himself. Su Liang didn’t bother to comment, and directly asked him, “Where?”
Pu Cheng glanced away, “Liang Country, in Wolong Mountain.”
This was consistent with what Nian Ruxue had confessed. Su Liang believed it to be true. Yan Shiba was still alive and being held captive in Wolong Mountain. Now, the territory of the former Liang Country was a land of ice and snow, and it was a perfect hiding place.
Su Liang suspected that Sheng Yue had his own secret force outside Xingluo Island, and Wolong Mountain might be one of his strongholds. At the very least, Yan Shiba would have to be kept alive and fed to stay alive.
Su Liang didn’t say anything further, but simply left.
Yao City was too far away, and Su Liang didn’t have any manpower available at the moment. She decided to wait for Gu Ling to return before acting.
At this moment, Gu Ling and Cen Man were traveling day and night to return home. According to their speed, they could return to the capital city within three days.
With his heart set on returning, Gu Ling kept an eye on rumors about Su Liang in the capital city while on the road. If Sheng Yue had gone to the capital, he would have acted by now. No news was good news.
That evening, Cen Man said she was a little tired and wanted to rest. Gu Ling found an inn with a restaurant across the street. After booking a room, they went to have dinner.
Although Cen Man was older, her body was still healthy. In fact, she said she was tired to let Gu Ling rest a bit. Since leaving Xingluo Island, Gu Ling had never had a good night’s sleep.
Both of them had disguised themselves, and their dress was ordinary, looking like a mother and son. They ordered dishes and sat in the main hall on the first floor while eating, listening to the conversations around them.
After finishing the meal, Gu Ling was about to call the waiter to pay the bill when he saw an elderly man with white hair enter the restaurant, followed by a young girl carrying a basket. The girl had a large black spot on her face, and even though she had pretty features, Gu Ling heard someone mutter “ugly girl” as soon as he saw her.
The old man and the girl were both dressed plainly, with some mud on their pants and shoes. The girl didn’t seem to care about the disdainful looks people were giving her. They entered and called out, “Order the signature dishes, and a jar of the best wine!”
The waiter promptly responded but soon realized there were no empty tables left.
The restaurant was crowded that day, and there were no vacancies upstairs either. There was space for only two more people at the table where Gu Ling and Cen Man were sitting.
“Let’s go,” Cen Man put down her chopsticks and got up.
“Hmm.” Gu Ling picked up the package, brushed past the old man who followed her, and settled the bill at the counter before leaving the restaurant with Cen Man.
When they returned to the inn, Gu Ling asked Cen Man to rest first, saying that he had something to take care of outside.
“What’s the matter?” Cen Man frowned. She intended to let Gu Ling rest before continuing on their journey.
“The last two people who entered the restaurant earlier, there’s something off about them,” Gu Ling said. He had noticed the black mist on the old man’s forehead.
Cen Man was puzzled, but she knew Gu Ling had a secret, so she offered to go with him. She had accompanied Gu Ling back in case he needed help while alone.
“No need. You rest for a while, Master. I’ll take care of it discreetly,” Gu Ling decided to go alone.
“Alright then. I’ll wait for you here,” Cen Man reluctantly agreed, “Be very careful.”
After leaving the inn, Gu Ling walked a long way around before seeing the old man and the young girl leaving the restaurant and entering the same inn across the street.
So Gu Ling went back to the inn, confirmed the room the old man and young girl were staying in, and booked the room next to them to keep an ear on their movements while leaning against the wall.
Gu Ling’s hearing was excellent, and soon he heard the girl talking.
“Grandpa, is it worth running so far just to gather herbs? We’ve been searching the mountains for two days without finding anything. Let’s just go home tomorrow morning!”
“Why the rush? We’ve only been looking for two days, let’s keep searching,” the old man laughed.
“Grandpa, you’re not a Great Immortal. We’re looking for medicinal materials for an unrelated person. I don’t think it’s worth crossing mountains and rivers at your age. We have only a slight connection with this person through our ancestors, which dates back so many years. Can’t you just refuse him? I’d tell him to go to the capital city to find that Divine Doctor Su instead! I’m even afraid that he’ll spread the word about your residence and we won’t have any peace!”
“When you promise someone something, you have to see it through, even if your abilities are limited, you have to do your best,” the old man said.
“Fine, fine. The way you say it, I sound like a villain. Let’s look for one more day tomorrow, and if we still can’t find it, we’ll go home, alright?” The young girl seemed to be trying to coax the old man.
“Hmm, we’ll see, we’ll see.” The old man laughed, “Go wash up and sleep.”
Gu Ling initially determined that the old man was a doctor and a decent person. The black mist on his forehead was not for killing, but rather someone wanted to harm him.
The neighboring room quieted down; the occupant must have been asleep.
However, Gu Ling dared not sleep and had to keep watch. In fact, he hoped that the “assassin” would come quickly so that after saving the person, he could rest a bit and then continue on his way home.
Unfortunately, Gu Ling waited until dawn, and everything at the inn was calm. He even sneaked into the old man’s room and confirmed that he was alright, but the black mist on the old man’s forehead still remained.
Cen Man packed up the package and relaxed when she saw Gu Ling appear, “Did you handle that matter? Do you want to sleep more? Or do you want us to eat something and leave?” She had already rested, and Gu Ling must have been unwilling to delay their departure due to his own rest.
Gu Ling shook his head, “Not yet, we can’t leave for now.” The black mist lasted for three days, and he had hesitated whether to wait or give up. However, the final answer was not difficult: wait.
All along, Gu Ling and Su Liang believed that Gu Ling’s special ability to see the will of heaven was correct, and Gu Ling had always been conscientious in doing what the will of heaven allowed him to do.
At the moment, they didn’t know the situation in the capital city, if Su Liang was in danger, but if they didn’t save the old man, the consequences would be hard to predict.
Gu Ling wanted to go home immediately, but he knew that if Su Liang found out, she would definitely ask him to save the old man first.
Gu Ling suggested that Cen Man go ahead and report their safety at home, but after considering it, Cen Man decided to wait and accompany Gu Ling. Reporting safety wasn’t so urgent for one or two days, and she was more worried about losing Gu Ling.
So, Gu Ling and Cen Man “accidentally” met the old man and the young girl at the breakfast shop again.
The girl recognized them, and upon seeing Cen Man’s smile, she waved and laughed, “We meet again.”
At this point, Gu Ling had a backpack on his back that he had just found. He had heard that there was a mountain called Medicine King Mountain outside the city. The mountain was tall and said to have many rare medicinal materials. Many people would specifically enter the mountain to gather medicine. However, due to its treacherous topography, accidents often happened to those who ventured in to collect medicine.
“Are you also going to Medicine King Mountain to gather herbs, senior?” Gu Ling asked the old man.
The old man raised an eyebrow, looked at Gu Ling, and then glanced at Cen Man, “Which of you is the doctor?”
“I am,” Gu Ling nodded slightly.
With a mixture of surprise and delight at meeting a fellow professional, the old man laughed and said he was going to look for a rare herb. He might not be able to find it, but he wanted to give it a try while the weather was still nice.
“I’m also going to try my luck,” Gu Ling said.
The old man looked at Cen Man, who smiled, “I am his adoptive mother.”
After breakfast, the old man took the initiative to invite Gu Ling and Cen Man to join them, saying he knew the way.
The young girl furrowed her brow, pulling on the old man’s sleeve and whispering, “Grandpa, be careful, they might be herb robbers.” The Medicine King Mountain produced highly valuable rare medicinal herbs, and there were often bandits intercepting and robbing the herb collectors at the foot of the mountain.
The old man shook his head. “That young man’s eyes are very clean, he must be a good person, I can’t be wrong about that.”
As the young girl tried to persuade him further, the old man shook his head with a smile, “Just wait, let me test him.”
The young girl didn’t say anything else. Since Gu Ling claimed to be a doctor, the test would reveal everything.
On their way out of town, the old man and Gu Ling started discussing medical skills, while the young girl and Cen Man followed behind them. They seemed to get along well. Gu Ling seemed calm, but the old man was very happy. While talking, the old man grabbed Gu Ling’s arm, “Young man, who did you learn your medical skills from?”
The young girl realized that she had been overthinking it. Judging by their interaction, Gu Ling’s medical skills must be very impressive.
Gu Ling shook his head, indicating that it was not convenient to say. The old man smiled and didn’t press further.
If it had been any other time, Gu Ling would have been happy to make friends with this skilled old doctor. He also enjoyed collecting herbs. However, at this moment, he hoped that those who wanted to cause trouble for the old man would hurry up and show themselves so he could kill them and go home. Although he had decided to wait, the three days felt very difficult for him to endure.
The old man introduced himself with the last name Wen, while Gu Ling introduced himself with the last name Gu.
When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, the distant, fog-shrouded peak looked far away as they looked up at it.
However, perhaps the heavens were listening to Gu Ling’s heartfelt wish. As soon as they entered the mountain, trouble arose.
Two masked men descended from the sky, drawing their swords and blocking their way.
One of the men’s gaze swept over Gu Ling and Cen Man, settling on the old Wen man, “I’ve long heard of the great name of the Divine Doctor Wen. Our master invites you over, please come with us!”
Old Wen pulled his granddaughter behind him protectively, his face calm, “I’m not a divine doctor, just an ordinary doctor. If your master is sick, he can go to the capital city to find the famous Divine Doctor Su.”
“Divine Doctor Wen is too modest. You don’t like fame and fortune, and you’ve been living in seclusion for so many years. It’s not easy to find you. If you don’t want your granddaughter to get hurt, please don’t make things difficult for us.”
“These two just happened to be passing by. Please don’t trouble them.” Old Wen looked apologetically at Gu Ling, “This has nothing to do with you. You should get going!”
“I’m in a hurry to get home.” Gu Ling nodded.
The next moment, Old Wen only felt a cold flash in front of his eyes. Gu Ling pulled a hoe from his back and rushed towards the black-clothed men blocking their path.
The two black-clothed men didn’t expect such a change. Their eyes were full of contempt and didn’t take Gu Ling seriously.
One of them had just said, “Looking for death,” when his head fell off before he could finish his sentence.
Old Wen and his granddaughter were both stunned!
Another black-clothed man began fighting with Gu Ling. His strength was much stronger than the one who had just died, but there was still a gap between him and Gu Ling. Moreover, Gu Ling was in a bad mood and showed no mercy towards the person who had prevented him from returning home to reunite with Su Liang>.
It didn’t take long for the black-clothed man to fall to the ground severely injured, but he was still alive.
Still carrying the basket on his back, Gu Ling threw the bloodstained hoe into it, bent down to remove the black cloth covering the man’s face, and asked coldly, “Who sent you?”
The black-clothed man spat out blood, his face pale, and didn’t answer Gu Ling’s question.
“Mo Yan? Did he order you to capture the Divine Doctor and bring him back to Xingluo Island?” Gu Ling asked.
The black-clothed man’s momentary shock did not escape Gu Ling’s eyes.
No need to ask more, Gu Ling reached out and twisted the black-clothed man’s neck, turning around to face Old Wen, his expression indifferent, “The medicinal herbs that Elder Wen is looking for, I have them at home. If it’s convenient, please give me an address, and I’ll have someone send them over after I get back.”
Old Wen was dumbfounded, “Who… who are you exactly?”
“Su Liang’s husband. My medical skills were taught by her.” Gu Ling revealed his identity directly.
The young girl’s eyes widened, “The legendary Gu Ling?”
“I just happened to pass through this area and accidentally learned that a scumbag was leading a group of people to capture skilled doctors and turn them into slaves. I just helped out along the way, no need to pay too much attention to it.” Gu Ling’s expression was indifferent.
“I was originally planning to find an opportunity to visit the capital city and pay my respects to Divine Doctor Su…”
Old Wen still seemed shell-shocked.
“Alright then, I’ll wait for you at home. Goodbye.” Gu Ling bowed his hand.
By the time Old Wen and his granddaughter came to their senses, Gu Ling and Cen Man had already disappeared.