knife

Chapter 401 I Want to Go on a Journey Through the Martial World with You

(Tomorrow is August 1st, Army Day, so naturally we'll have a day off!)
Looking out the window at the dock below.

A carriage trotted over from a distance. The curtain was lifted, and two maids stepped out first. Then, they turned around and helped a finely dressed young man out from inside.

"Are you alright?" Li Dachui pointed to Han Zheng, who was being helped onto the boat. "And he's being treated to good food and drink. This is much better than you looking like a cat digging for the little things that mice hide in the woods."

"It's good that he's alright!" Jiang Ping said with a smile. "I'm relieved."

“You should have gone back to Ruyin with him!” Li Dachui looked at Jiang Ping and said with dissatisfaction, “But you refused. Why do you insist on pestering me?”

"I'm not going!" Jiang Ping pouted, walked back into the house, went to the table, propped her elbows on the table, and cupped her face in her hands. "That Han Zheng is like a piece of chewing gum, shameless and annoying! When we got to Ruyin, his father Han Tan not only didn't stop his son, but he also made things worse from behind, which made me even more annoyed. What would I do in Ruyin?"

Li Dachui laughed: "He likes you. You're so lucky but don't know it. I think Brother Han is pretty good. He comes from a good family, is young, has a good temper, and more importantly, he's not slick. He admits his mistakes and is willing to learn things he doesn't really want to do for you. You'll regret missing out on such a good man."

“If I didn’t have the surname Jiang, and didn’t have an older sister who was the Empress Dowager, would he still care so much?” Jiang Ping retorted.

Li Dachui was taken aback, but he wasn't wrong.

"If you don't like him, then why have you taken such good care of him all this way? He was arrested, and you were so anxious that you dared to risk following him all the way to Huai'an! Aren't you afraid that you'll get arrested too?"

"I'm not as stupid as Han Zheng!" Jiang Ping laughed. "He was injured and I took care of him because we're friends. If you were injured, I would definitely take care of you too!"

"Thank you so much!" Li Dachui sat down opposite Jiang Ping and poured her a glass of water. "Actually, I still think you should go with him."

"What benefits did Han Zhengxu give you to make you speak up for him like this?" Jiang Ping picked up her teacup, took a sip of water, and said with dissatisfaction.

“My mother told me that when I look for a partner in the future, I must find someone who loves me, not someone I love!” Li Dachui said.

"What kind of logic is that? Those who love me are naturally the ones I love!"

"That's not necessarily true!" Li Dachui pointed downwards. "Because someone who loves you will do anything for you. Finding someone who loves you will be easy, because that person will arrange everything for you. But finding someone you love is different, because you have to take care of their feelings, satisfy their hobbies, and be afraid that they might be unhappy or dissatisfied. Would you be happy living like that?"

"I think she'll be happy!" Jiang Ping hesitated.

"She should be happy, but from the perspective of her elders, they naturally hope she finds someone who loves her!" Li Dachui laughed. "Jiang Jiang, it's not too late to go down now!"

Jiang Ping shook her head: "Han Zheng is not what I want. Besides, I finally managed to get out of here. If I followed Han Zheng to Ruyin County, I would have no freedom at all. Han Tan is not a son; he is extremely powerful. Moreover, my cousin is even more powerful than Han Tan. If it weren't for all these unexpected events, I would never have been able to escape their sight. It's fine as it is now. I want to follow you to explore the world!"

"Come with me to roam the world?" Li Dachui pointed to his nose: "Jiang Jiang, these past few days, I think you've experienced the hardships of wandering alone. You've only suffered for a few days, and you've already become like that. If you come with me, you'll be living like this every day!"

“I’m not afraid!” Jiang Ping said.

"You're not afraid, but I am!" Li Dachui said helplessly. "With your important status, if even the slightest thing happens to you, even if you lose a single hair, I'm afraid your cousin will send people to arrest you and tear you to pieces."

"You're a Xuan Yuan Rank 8, a genuine expert! I may be a little less skilled, but I'm still a Qi Control Rank 6! If the two of us join forces, we should be able to protect ourselves while traveling the world!"

"Do you know how unpredictable and treacherous the martial arts world is?" Li Dachui chuckled. "In Danyang, you are a respected princess, and no one dares to offend you. But in the martial arts world, you are just a clueless newbie."

"Isn't there you, a master of the eighth rank of Xuan Yuan with superb swordsmanship? Don't think I don't know anything. I know that a master of the eighth rank of Xuan Yuan can establish a sect anywhere."

"Let me tell you, I'm now a ninth-grade Xuan Yuan!" Li Dachui raised his chin and said smugly, "After I threw you all ashore that day, a group of experts ganged up on me and beat me up. The situation was extremely critical. However, sometimes greater pressure isn't a bad thing. When there was no way to retreat or escape, I actually resorted to desperate measures and broke through!"

Jiang Ping burst out laughing: "This is the first time I've ever heard someone describe themselves as a dog."

“Unlike you kids who have studied a lot since you were young and have a lot of vocabulary, I was just at a loss for words. I just felt that this word was quite suitable for my situation at the time.” Li Dachui laughed: “Don’t laugh at me, I can’t swim. If I could swim, I would have jumped into the river and swam away right then and there.”

Jiang Ping giggled incessantly, pointing at Li Dachui, overjoyed. Li Dachui shrugged, helpless.

"Now that you're already a ninth-rank official, wouldn't it be safer for me to travel the world with you?" Jiang Ping said, "Li Bao, don't even think about getting rid of me!"

"Actually, I'm not afraid of the dangers of the martial world!" Li Dachui said honestly, "I'm afraid of your cousin!"

“My cousin is a very nice person, what’s there to be afraid of?” Jiang Ping said, “She speaks to everyone in a gentle and soft voice.”

Li Dachui forced a smile: "Jiang Jiang, although I come from beyond the Great Wall, it's not as desolate or harsh as you imagine. Our place is very nice, and we're well-informed. As for your cousin, I probably know her better than you do!"
"You're just bragging!" Jiang Ping's eyes flashed. "Then tell me, what kind of person is my cousin?"

“Whether it was personally leading the expedition to Xiangcheng or purging internal affairs, what we saw was a decisive and ruthless ruler with unparalleled strategic skills. Compared to Li Anmin, Linghu Ye is far superior.” Li Dachui shook his head and said, “Perhaps to you, she is simply an older sister, but to us unrelated people, she is the brightest sun in the sky!”

"What do you mean?"

“Even if she didn’t mean it, maybe she just glanced at us nobody and melted our hearts!” Li Dachui said, “Now you understand why I didn’t want to include you, right?”

"Are you so afraid of her?"

"Go outside and ask around, see how many people aren't afraid of her?" Li Dachui pointed outside.

Jiang Ping laughed: "Then you should take me with you to explore the world. Otherwise, I'll run back to Danyang right now and tell my sister that you bullied me! Believe me or not, I'll make sure you have nowhere to go. Don't think you're so great just because you're a ninth-rank Xuan Yuan cultivator. There are countless ninth-rank Xuan Yuan cultivators around my sister."

Li Dachui pouted and said, "That's right. Not only are there many Xuan Yuan Ninth Grade experts, but your sister herself is a Xiantian master!"

"Jiang Jiang, I'm your savior! If it weren't for me on the ship, you would have been killed by those heroes!" Li Dachui said irritably, "How can you repay kindness with enmity!"

"I don't care. If you don't take me with you, I'll tell my sister you bullied me! Even if you run away to the border, I'll catch you and bring you back, you believe me?" Jiang Ping slammed her chopsticks on the table.

"Fine, you've got me figured out!" Li Dachui said helplessly. "Fine, follow me if you want, but once we get to Danyang, we'll go our separate ways."

"You're not going to Danyang right now, are you?"

"Of course not!" Li Dachui shook his head repeatedly: "A major event has happened in your Chu Kingdom these past two days, you don't know about it yet, do you?"

"What's wrong? I've been in the mountains for days, and I finally managed to get out!" Jiang Ping asked in surprise.

"Your amazing cousin is truly remarkable! She's incredibly talented!" Li Dachui said with a smile. "You know the Kou family of Pengcheng in the Great Qin Dynasty, right?"

“Of course I know, it’s Kou Zhong’s family from the Black Ice Guard!” Jiang Ping nodded and said, “But ever since Kou Zhong died, they’ve really fallen from grace. They used to bully others so ruthlessly, but now they’re incredibly fierce when they’re being retaliated against.”

"Everyone is focused on the Qin Linghuye Group's capture of Yongfeng, its pressure on Hedong, its seizure of Tongguan, and its encirclement of Luoyang. But no one is paying attention to the fact that your cousin has secretly turned the Pengcheng Kou family against her. Just three days ago, Lin Yunqi, the Vice Minister of War of Chu, led an army of 20,000 men straight to Pengcheng. Now they have joined forces with the Pengcheng Kou family and are heading straight for Donghai County. The main force of the Donghai Qin family is currently in Luoyang. Now, even our hometown is about to be wiped out!"

"Really? So, our Great Chu is going to gain another large piece of land? Haha, with Qin in such a sorry state, it's definitely no match for us."

Li Dachui nodded: "Pengcheng and Donghai have changed hands, it seems certain now. Now that the Chu army has launched an attack, many experts from Danyang have followed. The Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Blade expert you mentioned before has naturally gone on the expedition as well. I'll wait until they return before I go."

"So where are you planning to go first?"

“Although we can’t go to Danyang, we can visit some of the scenic spots in your Southern Chu first!” Li Dachui said with a smile, “We’re here to broaden our horizons and gain experience anyway.”

“Then I’ll be your tour guide!” Jiang Ping said. “There are so many wonderful places in the Great Chu that I haven’t been to!”

(End of this chapter)