Chapter 129 - Chapter 129. An Inexplicable Sense of Familiarity
Chapter 129. An Inexplicable Sense of Familiarity
Ji Xiaoying saw how badly Qin Feng was beaten up, and tears started flowing down her face. She wanted to stop the citizens and tell them that old Qin would never betray his country and that he was a loyal subject.
“Xiaoying, you won’t be able to save old Qin now. You’ll even be caught as an accomplice.”
Su Qing pulled on Xiaoying and whispered a warning into her ear.
“Xiaoying, don’t be rash.”
Ji Shuisheng also pulled his sister back. Su Qing looked at him in surprise. Her impression of Ji Shuisheng was that he was a reckless and impulsive person, but she did not expect him to be so calm.
However, thinking about it, it made sense. He had only met old Qin once, so there was no need to risk his life for him.
Su Qing looked deeply at Elder Qin. This was the first friend she had that she appreciated despite the age difference. She respected the old man’s character, but she could not do anything at this moment.
The General was satisfied with the commoners’ humiliation of Qin Feng and watched from the side. The soldiers who were escorting the prisoners were expressionless, their sharp eyes scanning the crowd to prevent anyone from robbing the prisoners.
The General watched for a long time and feared the angry citizens would beat Qin Feng to death. He shouted,
“Alright, stop fighting. Everyone can write a letter of ten thousand people to the Imperial court and report to the Imperial court that Qin Feng had allowed the Barbarians into the city and caused them to leave your homes. I am willing to be the messenger for the people.”
Was there anything more vicious than this?
Elder Qin loved the people and tried his best to protect them. Now, he would be reported by the people he was protecting?
As long as the people’s book was written, even if the Emperor wanted to spare his life, he would give up due to the people’s anger. For the sake of the people’s anger, he would even execute his entire family and exterminate his whole clan.
Qin Feng roared toward the sky.
“Wan, you’re a despicable man. I, Qin, have no shame in the heavens and earth. You’ll receive evil retribution.”
“You dare to curse Lord Wanxiang? Old thing, are you looking for death?”
Hearing Qin Feng scolding his master, the General whipped Qin Feng’s face. With a ‘Pa’ sound, a deep gash appeared on Qin Feng’s face. Blood flowed down his face.
Qin Feng looked at him angrily and mocked him without fear.
“Do you dare to kill me?”
The General was so angry that he whipped him a few more times. He wanted to hear Qin Feng cry out for mercy, but the old man just glared at him, gritting his teeth and enduring the intense pain without making a sound.
Qin Feng looked at him and coldly said, word by word,
“As long as I bite my tongue to commit suicide, your master will want your dog life.”
The General was so scared that he did not dare to hit him anymore. He glared at Qin Feng fiercely.
“Old thing, I’ll leave you alive and wait for the Emperor to deal with you.”
Qin Feng looked at him contemptuously. He looked past the General and glanced at Ji Shuisheng, who was by the side of the road. The old man’s gaze was heavy, as if he had a thousand words to say but could not say anything.
The prison cart passed by. Ji Shuisheng clenched his fists as he looked at the old man covered in blood. His unyielding character was worthy of respect.
Su Qing watched as the prison carriage drove away and said in a low voice,
“Let’s go!”
Ji Xiaoying’s eyes were red from crying, and she looked listless. She could not bear to see those people beating up Qin Feng. Those people were so ruthless. How could they do that to an old man?
Su Qing and the rest had just returned to the group when someone came over to call her,
“Su Qing.”
Su Qing raised her head and saw a man with a full beard and a bamboo hat standing in the crowd. He was waving at her, and Su Qing recognized him when he looked up. Wasn’t this Li Wu, who was standing next to old Qin?
Su Qing walked over expressionlessly and saw Li Wu’s bloodshot eyes. The veins on his forehead were bulging, and his hands were trembling.
“This is the thousand-year-old Lingzhi that the old master asked me to bring to you. He said you no longer need to help him treat his illness. He asked you to go far away and never come back.”
Li Wu’s voice was choked with sobs. He was prepared to die to save the old master, and before he left, he had to complete all the tasks the old master had given him.
His home in Su Zhou had already been ransacked, and he had to take out what the old master had instructed him to do before the house was ransacked.
He couldn’t wait for Su Qing and the others in Su Zhou, so he came here along the way. When he saw his master beaten up by the people in the prison carriage, he wanted to save him without caring about his life.
However, he remembered that he had not finished what the old master had asked him to do. This was not the place to start. If he could not save the old master, he would have to pay with his own life. He wanted to finish what the old master had asked him to do before going to save the old man.
Ji Shuisheng was tall and strong, and his features were prominent. Li Wu saw him at a glance; then he saw Su Qing and Ji Xiaoying in men’s clothes. Since they were all here, he didn’t need to bother looking for them. Li Wu just wanted to quickly hand the things over to them so that he could go after his old master.
“Alright.”
Su Qing accepted the thousand-year-old Lingzhi. Li Wu looked at her as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Ultimately, he did not say anything and walked toward Ji Shuisheng.
“My master asked me to give you this box. He asked me to tell you these words: ‘You are not yet fully grown, so hide your sharp edges.'”
Li Wu didn’t know what was in the box. However, it must be very important. Otherwise, the old master would not have hidden it so secretively. Moreover, the words the old master had asked to bring to Ji Shuisheng also had a hidden meaning.
Ji Shuisheng’s heart trembled when he heard Li Wu’s words. He looked at the wooden box and did not take it immediately. He looked up and asked Li Wu,
“For me?”
“Yes.” Li Wu nodded, “The old master told me to pass it to you personally and to give you the eight words.”
After Li Wu finished speaking, he handed the wooden box to Ji Shuisheng. Ji Shuisheng took the wooden box. A pair of qilins were carved on the black wooden box. The two majestic qilins were biting on a golden lock. The lock looked very strange and required a special key to open it.
“Don’t you have the key?”
Ji Shuisheng raised his head and asked Li Wu. Li Wu shook his head,
“No, I don’t,”
Ji Shuisheng nodded and kept the black wooden box. Seeing that Ji Shuisheng had accepted the wooden box, Li Wu cupped his hands towards him and Su Qing as if he had been relieved of a heavy burden,
“You two, I’ve already finished what the old master gave me. We won’t see each other again.”
Su Qing could see the determination in Li Wu’s eyes. He was determined to save him.
“If you go alone, you’re going to die.”
Su Qing said indifferently. Li Wu laughed,
“I’m not afraid of death, but I’m afraid I can’t save him.”
Until now, Li Wu had yet to open his mouth to beg Su Qing and Ji Shuisheng to help save the old master.
He also knew this trip was like hitting an egg with a stone. Those people who escorted the master looked like they were from Li City’s government but were all from the iron armored Army. He was no match for those elite soldiers who had been fighting for years.
However, Li Wu couldn’t just watch his old master suffer without doing anything. He had to do it even if he knew it was a dead end. Even if he died, he had to be by old master’s side!
Su Qing stopped Li Wu,
“How are you going to save him with so many people around? If you provoke those people and they kill your old master, won’t you be harming him?”
Li Wu smiled bitterly and shook his head.
“Even if there’s no one, I won’t be able to save the old master.”
“You know you’ll die but still want to go?”
Su Qing asked again, and Li Wu nodded with a determined look.
“Yes, even if I know I’m going to die, I still want to go.”
“Alright,” she said.
Su Qing nodded. Ji Shuisheng gave her a strange look. He felt that something was wrong with her. “Alright.” and felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
As expected, he saw Su Qing take out a handkerchief.