Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 432: Different Roads, Same Journey

On a crisp winter morning, with little sunlight, fine, dense snowflakes fell from the sky, casting a serene and beautiful filter over the entire world.

"The finest Da Hong Pao tea from the Central Plains and Jiangnan region!"

"A precious jade from the Western Regions!"

In the city of Mingdu, rows of round military tents stood, behind which were groups of caravans.

The tent was wide open, revealing decorations such as sheepskin, cow horns, and scimitar specimens hanging inside. Looking down, carpets were laid out on the ground, and merchants from all over the country sat inside, hawking their wares.

Among them were not only merchants from the Central Plains, but also merchants from the Western Regions, Japanese from the Southeast, and other diverse groups from all over the country.

This is the South Market, a special area established by Uudam to facilitate trade and residence for merchants from foreign lands such as the Central Plains, the Western Regions, and Persia. It was located south of the Ming capital only because it was close to the Central Plains to the south.

It is evident how much benefit the private merchants of the Central Plains brought to the grasslands... Of course, in the eyes of the Central Plains merchants, the grasslands were also fools with too much money and a lot of gullibility, otherwise they would not have risked their lives to do this business.

People die for wealth, birds die for food; it's all just like that.

Gollum-

After traveling for several days across the desolate and monotonous snowfield, an ordinary caravan had not yet entered the city when it heard a commotion.

The wheels rolled over the uneven, compacted ground, causing the carriage to sway and shake.

Zhao Wumian yawned, stretched his legs out on the soft blanket in the carriage, and adjusted his position to make Su Qingqi and Shen Xiangge, who were fast asleep with their arms around his shoulder, more comfortable.

The corner heater radiated warmth, making the carriage feel as warm as spring. The lover's shoulder was also very soothing, but the commotion outside the carriage still made their eyelashes flutter and their eyes open.

"Finally arrived... I've been cooped up in the carriage these past few days, feeling restless all over. The capital is so much better; the emperor's carriage is so big it could be used as a small house..."

Shen Xiangge rubbed her beautiful eyes, yawned, and slowly straightened up.

The thin blanket slipped off her body, instantly brightening the carriage. Her skin was fair and smooth, her snow-white back was slender and flawless, and her curves downwards to her pert buttocks created a very attractive arc.

Viewed from the side, the curves of the eastern hemisphere stood out, making Zhao Wumian take a few more glances before raising his hand to support them.

“If you touch her again, Miss Su will get angry… Look, she clearly can’t bring herself to be affectionate with you on the street, but she’s just so jealous…”

Shen Xiangge glanced at Zhao Wumian with her fox-like eyes, took out a jade comb, and began to comb her long, ink-black hair, speaking with a hint of languor as if she had just woken up.

Even the most spacious carriage is only so big. If you really want to have sex, you don't need many positions. Besides sleeping, you can only stack up high.

Not every girl can handle this kind of stimulation, especially when it's with friends she's not very familiar with. Plus, while they're having fun in the car, other girls are listening and drinking tea nearby... Wouldn't that be like making a fool of themselves? They'd be so ashamed.

Therefore, unless Zhao Wumian forces her to want it, no girl would have the audacity to do so... except for Shen Xiangge.

Zhao Wumian also felt that they were coming to the grasslands to kill people. Doing this kind of thing all the time was a bit improper, but since Miss Shen was asking for it, he couldn't refuse.

Upon hearing this, Su Qingqi frowned slightly, slowly stood up, but pulled the blanket in front of her to shield herself, too embarrassed to let Zhao Wumian see.

She wasn't entirely motivated by her dislike for Shen Xiangge and her desire to compete with her. She simply felt there was a high probability of encountering Uudam on this trip, and wanted to share more insights with her beloved and bridge the gap between heaven and earth.

This was a boon for Zhao Wumian, who was able to visit the Zhu Pavilion and enter the brocade chambers during his journey, which was truly delightful and unforgettable.

This was an embarrassing matter, and Su Qingqi, being thin-skinned, simply ignored it and continued to dress and groom herself.

"Here you go." Shen Xiangge casually handed her the hairpin, their interaction quite harmonious.

After all, no matter how much they argue and bicker, they've been arguing for a year, so their relationship is definitely much better than that of the other sisters.

The two women sat up, combing their long hair. Although they looked like young girls, they had experienced many things in life and still had some of the charm of young women.

Zhao Wumian lay lazily against the blanket, propping his face up as he looked at them. The carriage was warm and fragrant, a truly pleasant scene.

Just as the carriage was about to enter the city, the man in purple gently knocked on the door frame. Zhao Wumian then sat up, and Shen Xiangge, dressed in a clean, plain dress, straddled his lap, gently stroking his face with her small hands.

It was a disguise... Zhao Wumian's portraits are now flying everywhere. Although not everyone may recognize him, his appearance is so striking that anyone walking down the street will take a second look.

Being too handsome isn't always a good thing.

They came to Mingdu for three reasons: the Imperial Seal of the State, Tian Xuanchen, and to kill Wudamu. If they could keep a low profile, it would be better than coming here to wreak havoc like reckless brutes.

The other girls had already disguised themselves, leaving only Zhao Wumian... It was purely because Shen Xiangge didn't want her lover to have sex with her under a strange face, but even so, there wasn't much difference between Zhao Wumian before and after the disguise.

He's just a few years older and there are some subtle changes, but upon closer inspection, it's still him. It's just that he doesn't quite match the portrait, so strangers wouldn't easily recognize him.

"My husband is so handsome!" Shen Xiangge gently stroked his face and chuckled.

"I've never heard you mention this before."

"I only think my husband is handsome because I like you, so even if you become a big fatso, I'll still like you."

"Alright, alright, aren't you ashamed of your mushy talk... I'll go out and take a look."

Zhao Wumian lightly patted Shen Xiangge's buttocks, bent down, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped out, causing Shen Xiangge to look at him with resentment, as if she still wanted to tear him apart.

However, when she peeked out of the window and saw the long queue at the south gate of Mingdu, her eyes lit up with curiosity.

The other girls had similar reactions; having spent half their lives in the Jianghu of Dali, they had never really been to the Mingdu Grassland.

Zhao Wumian did not carry a sword or knife. Dressed alone in an ordinary blue robe, he looked like a refined scholar. He sat with Zi Yi and rode into the city in a queue.

"Mingdu's defenses are indeed formidable." Zhao Wumian frowned slightly as he looked at the convoy that stretched for dozens of feet.

"Having just suffered a defeat, how can we not strengthen our defenses?"

Zi Yi, bored, gripped the reins, a Qingxu sword beside her. Dressed in martial arts attire, one leg dangled under the carriage frame, while the other boot rested on the carriage, she looked every bit the skilled female knight-errant.

How can a caravan be without guards?

Then, Ziyi remembered something and her tone became a little nervous, "When we were imprisoned in Yagu, we didn't conceal our identities. Who knows, some gossipy maid might have leaked our information."

"I wish it could really be leaked."

The woman in purple was slightly taken aback. "Why?"

“Uudam is always thinking about killing me… If he knew I lived in Yagu Pass, he would definitely be able to guess that I wanted to take the Imperial Seal of the State. Now, no matter where he is, he will have to come to Mingdu.”

"This will make it easier for me to kill him."

The woman in purple chuckled silently.

Upon entering the city, the Rong soldiers chattered a few words in a foreign language. After examining the identification documents handed to them by Zhao Wumian, they slowly walked towards several wagons behind the carriage, lifted the curtains with their scimitars, looked them over, and then solemnly opened several boxes of goods.

After a brief inspection, he waved them into the city.

Zhao Wumian and Ziyi exchanged a glance.

It wasn't exactly strict, but it was strict in that it didn't check the carriage where Zhao Wumian and the girls were staying, rendering all the things they had prepared in advance, such as the Rong language they had specially learned, useless.

It's more like a show for the higher-ups.

Only after they rode into the city did they hear them chatting quietly behind them.

"Investigating Zhao Wumian and that Alebari, isn't this going to kill us?"

"If they really find out, we'll be the first ones to die. Who's going to be the first to stick their neck out... you're one of them."

"Do you think I'm stupid? How much money do you make a month? Why would I work this hard?"

The girls in the carriage were all speechless upon hearing this, not expecting that the Rong people were so afraid of Zhao Wumian. Guan Yunshu, who knew more, tilted her head and explained:

"Albar is a monster in Rong people's legends, commonly known as the 'Black Shaman,' similar to the King of Hell in our Central Plains... It seems that the Rong people are truly terrified of the Sleepless One."

Mu Li'er asked curiously, "A single sword strike killed tens of thousands of Rong people, and it was Mo Jingxue who did it. Why are they afraid of Wumian?"

Xiao Lengyue raised her head slightly, extremely proudly saying:
"They're not stupid. Everyone in the martial world knows that Mo Jingxue was being hunted down and beaten by Wumian... Even Mo Jingxue, a defeated opponent, could kill tens of thousands of people with a single sword strike, let alone Wumian?"

The martial arts world doesn't actually know how Mo Jingxue died, nor why she was able to unleash that sword strike, which only further highlights Zhao Wumian's extraordinary martial arts skills.

However, the news that Mo Jingxue died at Zhao Wumian's hands was definitely spread intentionally by Xiao Lengyue in order to enhance Zhao Wumian's prestige in the martial arts world.

In any case, being able to enter the city smoothly without causing any trouble is clearly a good thing.

Zhao Wumian rode his horse through the bustling South Market, glancing around at the dazzling array of things, including some quirky gadgets that even he found strange and unusual.

The southern city was still mostly populated by people from the Central Plains and Hu people. Zhao Wumian glanced at these Hu people with deep-set eyes and blue eyes, and couldn't help but think of Meng Po.

There's been no news of her for over half a year. Could it be that she leaked information about their close relationship and was killed by Shen Tu Bu Zui?

After a moment's consideration, Zhao Wumian shook his head slightly. Although Shen Tu Buzui was highly skilled in martial arts, Meng Po was so clever and cunning that it wouldn't be difficult for her to escape.

Soon, Zhao Wumian's gaze was drawn to the towering Nanwang Tower in the center of Mingdu.

So high up, overlooking the Ming capital, it must be the work of the emperor... Could Uudam be there?
Zhao Wumian withdrew his gaze and gradually walked out of the South Market, arriving at the long street where these foreign merchants lived.

The Ming capital was built in imitation of the capital city, with street layouts and courtyard styles all modeled after the architecture of the Central Plains. If it weren't for the occasional sight of military tents, they would have thought they were still in the Central Plains.

If there is any major difference, it is that people occasionally lead herds of cattle and sheep through the streets, leaving behind piles of manure and adding to the stench.

Xiao Yuanmu gently lifted the curtain, glanced at the street, saw this scene, frowned, lowered the curtain, and uttered a single word of disgust.

"To imitate someone else's beauty is futile."

They disguised themselves as smugglers from the Wang family of Shanxi, who were quite well-known in the Ming capital and even had a special courtyard on Changjie Street.

The group drove into the courtyard. As arranged by Prince Yan, the Shanxi merchant Wang family visited Mingdu approximately every two months, so the courtyard was relatively clean. Someone was waiting at the gate; this was naturally a spy planted by Prince Yan.

The man subtly glanced at the numerous women who were filing off the train, and immediately became certain of his decision.

This carefree spirit of traveling the world with beauties and roaming the martial arts world with a sword can only be found by the Marquis; no one else in the martial arts world can match him.

You didn't wait in the wrong place, you didn't wait in the wrong place.

Once inside the courtyard and after confirming that there were no eavesdroppers behind the walls, he slightly bowed, his expression showing a hint of respect and admiration.

"My lord, my subordinate Kong Lingfeng is from Jiangnan and has been living behind enemy lines in Mingdu for two years."

Zhao Wumian stepped down from the carriage, waved lightly, and went straight to the point, "You've worked hard... Is there any news about Uudam?"

Kong Lingfeng gave a wry smile. "My lord thinks too highly of us. Udam is the Grand Preceptor of the grasslands. Not to mention us merchants, even in the Rongren capital, I'm afraid very few people know his exact whereabouts."

Zhao Wumian was not surprised. He stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance of the main hall, gazing at the Rongren imperial city, and said softly:

"It's alright, I can do the research myself. You just need to help out and make sure our identities aren't questioned."

He couldn't help but ask, "Lord Marquis, you fought the Sword Master in Shu, defeated the Spear Master in Jiangxi, cut down the Candle Nine Heavens with Crane Tuo, and killed the Shaman Heaven in Yanyun. Now that you've finally come to the Rongren Mingdu, can you really kill Uudam?!"

"As long as he's there, I can kill him."

"it is good!"

Although his words were plain, Kong Lingfeng couldn't help but feel a little excited upon hearing them. He shouted loudly, and several words of gibberish in the Western Regions language immediately came from the next courtyard, probably telling him to keep his voice down and not disturb the neighbors.

Kong Lingfeng quickly shut his mouth, bowed to Zhao Wumian to apologize, and then whispered an explanation.

"The neighboring courtyard is occupied by merchants from the Western Regions. They only settled here a few days ago. They are numerous and powerful, and they look quite intimidating. They mostly sell things like ores from the Western Regions."

Zhao Wumian nodded slightly, not caring who lived next door. The two chatted briefly for a few more minutes, giving Zhao Wumian a general understanding of Mingdu. Only then did Kong Lingfeng arrange for people to unload and transport the goods, using handcarts to carry them to the South Market to set up a stall.

The fact that the merchants came to Mingdu but didn't set up stalls was clearly suspicious, but we couldn't very well let Zhao Wumian and the group of girls do it... This was the kind of thing Zhao Wumian meant by 'helping out'.

Kong Lingfeng knew that the Marquis and his group of confidantes were going to live in this courtyard, so he took some of the servants with him as well.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, unless there is some particularly important information to share, he will not be returning.

Although the group had traveled by carriage, they had been sitting for several days. Even though their martial arts skills meant they weren't particularly sore, they still felt quite tired. Although it was afternoon and not yet night, they quickly cleaned the courtyard and then began boiling water to prepare for a bath.

Zhao Wumian glanced at the sky. No matter how confident he was in his martial arts skills, he decided to wait until nightfall to sneak into the imperial city, so there was no rush.

He took off his clothes, stepped into the bathtub, and showed a slightly relaxed expression.

In the depths of winter, with snow howling outside, taking a hot bath is truly delightful.

"happy……"

In the courtyard next door, a group of Hu people dressed as bodyguards, with curved swords at their waists, were patrolling the yard.

Some people leaned against the cargo wagons, smoking pipes and chatting with their companions in the Western Regions language.

The backyard seemed to be inhabited by a woman of high status, who did not allow men to set foot there. Only a few women of Central Asian descent dressed in Western Region clothing, carrying fruits, snacks, towels, spices and other items, walked back and forth, making it much quieter.

"Comfortable……"

Accompanied by the splashing sound of water entering the vessel, a clear and melodious female voice rang out.

The room was filled with wisps of steam, and the screen was adorned with elaborate Western Region costumes. Various gold and silver jewelry that had been removed were displayed on the dressing table, and several braziers sat in the corner of the room, radiating warmth.

The woman of Central Asian descent pushed open the door and entered. Not daring to step over the screen, she merely stole a glance at the beautiful figure reflected behind it before quickly averting her gaze. After setting down her plate and towel, she whispered in Central Asian language:
"Lord Ding invites you to a chat."

"Understood, tell him to wait."

"This……"

"Hmm? Back in Jiannan, he was only able to survive Zhao Wumian's blade thanks to me. Don't you all know how terrifying Zhao Wumian is now? He's even called 'Alebar' by the Rong people... So what's the problem with making that old man Ding Jingcheng wait a bit?"

"I wouldn't dare..." The Hu maid couldn't help but show curiosity upon hearing this. "You were able to rescue Lord Ding from that devil Zhao Wumian. You must have been engaged in a fierce battle with him, right?"

After a few seconds of silence behind the screen, he said, for some reason, with a hint of gritted teeth:
"That's natural. If I see Zhao Wumian again, I will not let him off... Go down."

"Yes."

After the maid left, the room returned to calm, followed by the soft sound of splashing water. A moment later, a figure stepped out of the bathtub from behind the screen, revealing a beautiful woman with curvaceous figure.

Tap tap tap————

The woman, wrapped in a towel and barefoot, walked to the dressing table. She raised her hand and wiped the fogged bronze mirror clean, revealing a pair of lively, cat-like green eyes in the mirror.

It is as bright as a dazzling emerald, and as clear as the autumn sky.

Under the towel, water droplets slid across the curves of her chest, dripping from cherry blossoms onto the ground.

Meng Po gathered her long, ink-black hair, a few strands falling over her shoulders, occasionally brushing against the jade bowl and cherry blossoms with her movements, reminding her of that night in Jiannan.

The scoundrel's fingertips were burning hot, his force was neither too light nor too heavy, and I felt my legs go weak from the electric shock I had ever experienced.

Click————

Suddenly, Meng Po shattered the bronze mirror with a single palm strike, then snorted coldly. She changed into elaborate Hu clothing, wrapped herself in a sky-blue cloak to keep herself warm and cozy, and then left the courtyard, arriving at a pre-arranged private room in a restaurant.

It was called a restaurant, but it was actually just a bunch of independent military tents scattered in an open space. It couldn't be called a building; it was just a pile of military tents.

Ding Jingcheng sat at the table, with his long sword and short sword neatly placed at his side. He held a piece of raw meat in his hand, raised his forearm, and fed it to the golden eagle on his arm.

His face was aged, but he was still full of energy, clearly not taking Jiannan's defeat to heart or letting it disturb his Dao heart.

Meng Po, wrapped in a cloak, bent down and entered the military tent. Her beautiful face was expressionless. She glanced at the golden eagle and casually praised it.

"The newly raised eagle is quite good. I hope it doesn't get killed by Zhao Wumian's Snow Owl again and end up as an eagle meat stew."

Ding Jingcheng didn't care about Meng Po's attitude; after all, she was his savior.

He put down the golden eagle, letting it fly out of the tent on its own, before saying:

"The Rong army suffered a great defeat, Shaman Tian died, and Bai Lang disappeared. Mingdu is currently in dire need of military preparations. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Whether we can obtain the Imperial Seal depends on today... But Meng Po seems quite relaxed and at ease."

"Is it any of your business how I act?"

Meng Po sat down at the table, picked up the wine pot, shook it gently, and then sniffed it, showing a look of disgust. "Milk wine... it stinks horribly."

Ding Jingcheng shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of inexplicable respect.

"The leader had us set off for Mingdu a month earlier, as if he had foreseen the death of Shaman Tian. I wonder how he foresaw this."

Meng Po was actually surprised, but then, as if remembering something, she casually said in a listless tone:

“Shamantian has offended Zhao Wumian, and it’s only a matter of time before he dies by his sword. It’s no secret that Uudam wants to send troops to Yanyun, and Zhao Wumian will definitely head north… The sect leader’s calculations are just that—reasonable.”

"That's a bit of hindsight... but you certainly think highly of Zhao Wumian," Ding Jingcheng said, glancing at Meng Po a few times.

"Could it be that the leader underestimated him? The leader sent us here because he was certain that Shamantian was no match for him?"

Mentioning Zhao Wumian made Meng Po wave her hand slightly annoyed.

Ding Jingcheng smiled slightly, "Given Zhao Wumian's current reputation in the martial arts world, to be honest, back in Jiannan, I had a nagging suspicion that you might also be completely infatuated with him..."

"What do you want to say?" Meng Po's eyes turned cold.

Ding Jingcheng drank a cup of milk wine and shook his head again, "But you saved my life from his sword... With this merit, I won't doubt you, and I don't think the sect leader will either."

"Hehe." Meng Po didn't want to say anything more about Zhao Wumian, so after a forced smile, she changed the subject:
"The Imperial Seal of the State may be in the Rongren Imperial City, or it may be on Uudam. We do not know where Uudam is now, but the Rongren Imperial City is very close..."

“There aren’t many Rong people who are martial arts masters, and we don’t know how many are hidden in the capital. We only know of one Canglang Khan… Although he has never made a move, he may be selected as the next national advisor. His martial arts are so high that even if the two of us join forces, we might not be his match.”

"Even if one can successfully break into the imperial city and fight one's way out, it is very difficult to break out of the capital. The only way is to find a way to sneak into the palace under some other identity."

Meng Po sighed softly. She didn't have the jade pendant, so even if she sneaked in, she would definitely be discovered by countless sentries.

After all, no matter how high one's martial arts skills are, one cannot simply vanish into thin air or become invisible. One can only sneak in under the cover of night, through dark corners or hidden spots within the palace walls.

But the reason why sentries are sentries is because they are also hiding in the shadows.

If you want to sneak into the imperial city and suddenly bump into a sentry, do you have to say 'hello'?
Ding Jingcheng stroked his wine glass. "What are your thoughts?"

"Don't worry about it, just stay in the city and provide support. I'll figure it out myself... We're in enemy territory, so don't bother me unless it's absolutely necessary."

As soon as she finished speaking, Meng Po pulled up her cloak, immediately stood up, and quickly left.

Her cold attitude stemmed partly from the fact that she and Ding Jingcheng were merely 'colleagues' and not close at all.

Secondly, the current situation is sensitive. In recent days, for some unknown reason, Canglang Khan has been conducting a thorough investigation of people from all sides in Mingdu.

They were caught in the crossfire and almost gave themselves away on several occasions.

Although Meng Po and Ding Jingcheng are highly skilled in martial arts, they are clearly not as fearless as Zhao Wumian. Once discovered, they will surely face a near-death experience.

Ding Jingcheng watched Meng Po's retreating figure without trying to stop her. He simply shook his head slightly, picked up his sword, and quickly left.

(End of this chapter)