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墨書 Inktalez
Having taken someone else's money, Dong Dong had to follow along the way, feeling too embarrassed to drive them away. Fortunately, having him around was beneficial; at least they wouldn't get lost and wander into another country.
On the road, Dong Dong casually brought up Chengyang Jun, noting that he couldn't be found anywhere near the border and wondering where he had gone.
Since her conversation with Jing Ren, she was no longer surprised by others' sudden and inexplicable remarks. She simply listened until someone asked her if she was going to Wei Kingdom, to which she replied, "Why would Hero think I am heading to Wei Kingdom?"
As for the title "Hero," he didn't really see it as a compliment. Rubbing his nose, he said, "I’m not called Hero; just call me Dong Dong."
She didn't care what he was called; it had nothing to do with her.
Dong Dong continued to narrate how he escaped pursuit from Yan Kingdom to here and how he encountered Bandits in the mountains and became their leader. Suddenly, he feigned surprise and touched his face, saying, "You’re not planning to elope with this inexperienced kid, are you?"
It was unclear how he came up with such a statement. Upon hearing this, Jing Ren immediately jumped up to hit him but was blocked by his hand.
"Hey, why are you hitting people?"
Jing Ren found himself unable to move his arms and tried to bite his hand. Dong Dong quickly let him go, shaking his head and sighing repeatedly, probably blaming her poor judgment in choosing such a person.
Yan Dan couldn't help but sigh as well, blaming her for corrupting Jing Ren. He used to be such a lovely child. Now he had a bad temper and would lash out like a mad lion.
"Jing Ren, stop!" she shouted. When she turned to face Dong Dong, her expression turned cold as if she was ready to hit him.
Dong Dong recalled how fierce she had been when she chopped at his horse's leg and felt a shiver run down his spine. For some reason, he felt that she was different now compared to before; although she occasionally had a bad temper, when she wasn't angry, she still looked gentle. But now she resembled a wounded lioness always prepared for revenge.
One lion and one lioness made for a peculiar combination. As he traveled with them, he suddenly began to doubt whether his decision was wrong.
Along the way, they bought a carriage; four legs were faster than two. Within a few days, they arrived at Ying City. From a distance, they could see the walls of the capital of Chu Kingdom. Jing Ren was extremely excited and threw himself against the open gate, tears streaming down his face.
For a moment, many people at the city gate looked at him curiously, while the guards were puzzled about what was happening and secretly speculated that perhaps his relatives had died here.
Jing Ren naturally had no relatives who died here. He was not very literate and only recognized the character for "city" in Ying City. However, he vaguely remembered a large crack on the city gate of Ying City, which was left from when the Wei Kingdom attacked. Unfortunately, after years of warfare, there were many towns with cracked city gates, which was one reason he could not find his way home.
Yan Dan felt embarrassed and stood far away, pretending not to know him. Meanwhile, Dong Dong stood behind him, constantly advising, "Don't cry, don't cry. The deceased has passed; you should express your condolences and accept the changes."
Jing Ren immediately stopped crying and shot him a fierce glare.
They entered the city and had not walked far when they suddenly saw a procession approaching from a distance.
Having spent many years in the State of Chu, he rarely saw such a magnificent entourage. Leading the way were two men dressed as servants, wielding whips to drive away pedestrians. Following them were six dashing young men striding confidently, dressed in Azure Robes, wearing Blue Hats, and trousers made of Silk Satin, adorned with Gold and Silver Embroidery, and sporting Five-Colored Woven Boots, which were quite rare and luxurious. Behind them was a guard of twelve men, also looking imposing. In the center was a Chariot pulled by two horses, draped with black gauze curtains and surrounded by Silk Satin, exuding extraordinary elegance. Especially when viewed through the fluttering black gauze curtains, no figures could be seen inside, adding an air of mystery.
Most people seeing such a spectacle would likely assume that an exceptionally beautiful woman or a valiant young man was inside.
The procession approached quickly and suddenly stopped beside them. A head popped out from the chariot, smiling at Jing Ren, "Young Master has returned; the King has been waiting for you for a long time."
At that moment, upon seeing him, she felt as if something deep within her heart had been stirred, and her eyes were subjected to a strong assault.
That person should be considered human; it was just that she had never seen anyone like him before. His face resembled a persimmon cake, and his physique was truly "magnificent," able to reach under the chariot even on tiptoes. No wonder she couldn't find him earlier.
He jumped down from the chariot and smiled widely; his white teeth were indeed beautiful but looked out of place with his face.
Upon recognizing Yan Ping, Jing Ren couldn't help but show confusion. He remembered that when he left, Yan Ping was merely a retainer at the Fengling Duke's Residence. When did he acquire such luxurious trappings?
He asked, "Is the King in the palace?"
"Yes."
"Then I will first go meet Fourth Brother before visiting the King in the palace."
Yan Ping smiled and said, "Fourth Brother is in the palace; you'll know when you go."
Jing Ren nodded and decided to wait for Yan Dan, following Yan Ping's attendant.
Yan Dan hadn't planned to wait for him and was about to leave with Dong Dong when a short man blocked their path. He stretched out his arms and grinned at them, "What a coincidence! I didn't expect Spring to return to the State of Chu. How about I host a gathering at my residence?"
She secretly measured him; he was about her waist height, yet he wore a heavy golden crown on his head. Didn't he fear breaking his neck?
Though she didn't know him, for some reason, looking at his face gave her an impulse to slap him hard.
Thinking this, she acted on it, raising her hand and delivering a crisp slap. Afterward, she blew on her palm and smiled sweetly, "Sorry, my hand slipped."
Yan Ping was momentarily stunned, then a bitter smile appeared on his face. He had tricked her deeply; it was no wonder he ended up getting hit.
He didn't want to be her enemy and quickly got into the carriage, fearing that if he stayed any longer, he might lose his life.
Once he left, Dong Dong asked, "Why did you hit him?"
"Because he deserved it."
"Do you know him?"
"I don't know him."
"You hit someone you don't know?"
"Some people just deserve to be hit."
He touched his nose, fearing that he might also be among those she intended to hit.
She turned to leave, and Dong Dong hurriedly followed, asking, "Where are you going?"
"To Zhao Kingdom."
"Aren't you supposed to go to Wei Kingdom?"
She retorted, "Why should I go to Wei Kingdom?"
Dong Dong was surprised. "That Wei Kingdom Chengyang Jun, aren't you one of his people? He might be waiting for you in Daliang."
She snorted lightly, "You're the one who's his person." This person really knew how to talk nonsense; what did she have to do with Zhong Xue?
Dong Dong sighed deeply. He was indeed one of his people, with his life in someone else's hands. There was no way to hide for long; it seemed it was time for him to throw himself into the net. He just wondered if he brought her back, would he get a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of that man because of this woman?
Thinking this silently, he coaxed her into the carriage in a good-natured manner, intending to escort her to Zhao Kingdom.
Yan Dan stepped into the carriage and suddenly said, "I want some pastries; go buy some for me."
Dong Dong wanted to please her and eagerly set off. But after just a few steps, he heard the sound of hooves pounding rapidly. When he turned around, he saw Yan Dan driving the carriage away at full speed.
He hurriedly chased after her, only to be splattered with dust. Wiping his mouth, he jumped in anger and cursed under his breath; this damn girl was truly unpredictable, actually running off by herself.
Yan Dan drove away from Ying City and didn't stop until she had traveled several miles. She knew her way around and didn't dare wander off. Cautiously asking people along the way, she retraced her steps whenever she went wrong. After more than a month of travel, she finally reached the border of Chu Kingdom.
She had already asked for directions; west was Wei Kingdom, and east was Zhao Kingdom. After a long time on the road and feeling exhausted, she leaned against the carriage and closed her eyes for a moment. But it was during this brief moment that trouble arose.
The horse was greedy, following a cart loaded with vegetables. By the time she opened her eyes, she had strayed from the main road. Poor thing, she didn't even know whether this path led to the Wei Kingdom or Zhao.
In a hurry, she jumped off the horse and was about to ask someone for directions when she suddenly heard a series of clear bell sounds. Turning around, she saw a dozen horses approaching from behind, each adorned with a bell that chimed melodiously.
Listening to that sound felt like a sudden spring breeze, melting the ice and snow, as mountain springs began to flow, splashing droplets of water that were exceptionally... clear and transparent.
This sound allowed her to experience the rare feeling of "love at first sight." Like a lotus flower blooming just for her. She reined in her horse, waiting for the horse team to come closer. As the bells drew nearer, she could feel that transcendent sensation more intensely; it was not only refreshing but also calming, making her forget both honor and disgrace, dancing in the light of the clear shadows, as if she were in another world!
As they got closer, she could see that it was a small horse team, with several guards protecting a dozen brightly dressed young women. These girls were only about sixteen or seventeen years old, each one stunningly beautiful, sitting gracefully on their horses. Each horse wore a copper bell around its neck. The larger ones resembled goblets, shining with a brass luster, quite lovely.
She sighed softly and suddenly wished to adorn her own horse with a copper bell. However, seeing her horse munching on vegetables with an expression of gluttony made her feel somewhat regretful; it was such a fine accessory for such an unrefined creature.
This seemed to be a dance troupe. She had seen many dance troupes during her time in Chu State, with the Shang Family's Peaceful Group being the most famous. But there were also some very distinctive ones that had their own charm. The girls in this caravan seemed to carry some foreign bloodline; they wore delicate bells around their wrists that jingled beautifully when they lazily waved their arms.
As those women approached and noticed her staring at them dreamily, they couldn't help but giggle and exchanged a few words that she couldn't understand at all.
As the caravan moved on, she hurriedly followed behind them. She wasn't sure if it was to hear those bells or for some other reason, but she ended up trailing them for quite a distance. It wasn't until she realized what she was doing that she found herself several miles away.
The caravan set up camp ahead, and a steward-like figure walked over to ask why she had been following them all this time.
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