Promise!

Chapter 124, Attack

Time quickly came to the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the day Zhuang Jin escorted the wealthy family's tribute team from Linji County back home.

Early that morning, Chen Yun escorted Zhuang Jin to the dock. The sounds of sailors shouting and chanting filled the air, and below, the fleet of ships was in full swing, ready to depart. As the time for departure approached, all her words of advice were reduced to just one sentence: "Husband, please be careful and take good care of yourself while you are away from home."

"I remember."

Seeing that Chen Yun's eyes were slightly red, Zhuang Jin took her hand and comforted her, "My journey will take at most half a month, and as little as ten days... Yunniang, after I leave, if anything happens at home, go find the people I told you about..."

He had made arrangements, informing his subordinates Lin Hong, Bi Kai, Qian Wende, and others, as well as Liu Licheng, the garrison commander of Pingshui Pofang next door, and also instructing Ping Yongfeng and Yue Song of his own unit... If all else fails, he could use Ni Ying's connections to find the Ninth Young Master Shen Xuqing... It was only because Zou Qingfeng also had an escort mission that he could be included in the arrangements.

In some ways, the couple were quite similar. When Zhuang Jin was about to leave for a while, he wanted to entrust all his relationships to him; Chen Yun, on the other hand, wanted to take everything in the house with him.

—Ever since Zhuang Jin returned from the first year of junior high and mentioned the escort, Chen Yun had been thinking about it and started packing early, afraid of forgetting anything. She would pack a little today and add more tomorrow... In the end, the luggage became bigger and bigger, and there were more and more things, so Zhuang Jin had to stop.

"I'm leaving, Yunniang, you can go back now!" Zhuang Jin waved and went to board the boat.

"Yes!" Chen Yun replied, but watched the fleet set sail and disappear into the distance until it vanished on the horizon.

……

Returning from the dock, Chen Yun was lost in thought and subconsciously went to the kitchen to boil water and wash vegetables. Only halfway through did she realize that Zhuang Jin had already left and was no longer needed.

When I'm doing something, like embroidering or reading, and I don't see that familiar figure when I look up, I always feel like something is missing.

A breeze stirred in the courtyard, rustling the banana leaves. Normally, this wouldn't have bothered me, but today it inexplicably irritated me. I got up and closed the window, then went to the living room and stood for a long time in front of the small portrait of the two of them with flowers painted by Chen Honggan.

In the past, she had read in books that a day apart felt like three autumns, and thought it was an exaggeration. Now she understands that this feeling is true; it is indeed true: it is hard to get used to being apart, and as soon as you turn your head, you start to miss them.

When Yu Xiaoxiao came in and saw Chen Yun like this, she covered her mouth and smiled, revealing her little tiger teeth. She looked adorable and said, "Lord Zhuang just left, and Sister Yun is already so distraught, as if a bird has lost its flock and the world has lost its color?"

Yu Xiaoxiao was called a little maid, but Chen Yun actually treated her like a little sister. Hearing this teasing, she wasn't angry. She went over and pinched Yu Xiaoxiao's cheek, saying, "You're so sharp-tongued. Who can stand you? You'll only be able to marry a pockmarked, bearded man in the future!"

Yu Xiaoxiao glared angrily and turned her back to her: "I was trying to comfort Sister Yun, but Sister Yun said this to me. Why are you bullying me to this extent?"

"Alright, alright, I misspoke. Xiaoxiao is going to marry a powerful, three-headed, six-armed demon who rides on auspicious clouds..."

"A three-headed, six-armed, peerless demon hero? What? Another story told by Lord Zhuang? Sister Yun, I want to hear it!"

This petite, delicate-looking little girl, who appears somewhat childlike, is just like that. Although she is a bit sharp-tongued, she has clear likes and dislikes and is easy to coax. A few words of teasing and she will stop crying and start laughing, pestering you to tell her a story!
……

The river flows gently, and boats drift downstream.

Inside the cabin, Zhuang Jin used both movement and stillness techniques to refine some Black Yuan Powder, then subconsciously turned her head: "Yunniang..."

He stopped halfway through his sentence with a laugh, only then realizing that he had already left the city and was now wandering far from home... He sighed softly, shook his head slightly, and went out onto the deck.

On both banks of the river, some shady places still have snow remnants, appearing and disappearing in the morning mist. The grass is covered with frost, the river water is icy cold, and the water in the middle of the river sparkles in the early morning sunlight, with cormorants occasionally swooping down.

Spring breezes caress the willows, ice melts the rivers, and all things grow.

Zhuang Jin's first thought upon seeing these sights was, "Yunniang would surely like them," and a slight sense of regret arose in his heart.

'Now is not the time to think about these things; there will always be opportunities later. Right now, there is a matter of life and death at stake!'

He thought for a moment and went straight to Fei Zecong.

……

Three days later, the fleet of ships carrying tribute from the Fei family, a prominent family in Linji County, had already left the prefectural city.

During this time, at each riverside market they passed, the fleet would unload some of their goods, accompanied by loud gongs and drums, theatrical performances, and the throwing of copper coins onto the shore... It was an extremely lively and grand event for many people.

Fei Zecong also made frequent public appearances, and the names of the "Shen Family" and the "Fei Family of Linji" spread far and wide, enhancing their prestige and reputation—a tradition that continued for many years. On this particular day, as the fleet passed through Sanheji, they once again invited a theatrical troupe.

Amidst the deafening sounds of gongs and drums, many people gathered to watch the spectacle. Among them, a middle-aged man wearing a cloak, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and dressed in hemp clothing, went against the flow and arrived at a nearby place.

"Lord Lu, Young Master Fei has come out, but the target surnamed Zhuang hasn't been found..."

"Hmm, according to the intelligence, Zhuang Jin doesn't like crowds, so he's probably practicing martial arts in the cabin. As long as Young Master Fei is here and Qingyuan Liquid is available, where could Zhuang Jin go?"

The man ordered: "The Fei family fleet from Linji will stay here for an hour. They will pass through Yunshuijian at dusk. Notify our men to prepare for an ambush. We will close the net tonight."

"Yes!"

……

That night, in the hazy darkness, the Fei family fleet passed through Yunshui Ravine. A group of masked figures in black, like shadows, came crashing down, slitting the throats of their key targets, and taking control of the fleet.

About one stick of incense later.

“Lord Lu, the Second Young Master Fei on this ship is an imposter, and we haven’t found the Qingyuan Liquid either… After interrogation, we learned that on the first morning of the fleet’s departure, the Second Young Master Fei and the Zhuang family’s target took the Qingyuan Liquid and left by land.”

"Oh? Interesting! The intelligence indicated that Zhuang Jin was cautious, and it's true, I've been tricked."

The martial artist surnamed Lu revealed a playful expression: "However, you need a cat to catch mice, and your enemies often know you best. I may have missed my target here, but Master Dong and his group may have made a good catch..."

……

In Diannan Prefecture, on an official road below, the creaking sound of two horse-drawn carriages traveling could be heard.

Two horse-drawn carriages, one in front of the other, with people sitting in the front and goods in the back—this is the setup for a small traveling merchant.

In the carriage ahead, one person was sitting cross-legged, meditating, while another was clutching his waist, gazing listlessly out the window. If Chen Yun were here, she would surely recognize the person meditating as Zhuang Jin, despite his disguise, and the other as Fei Zecong.

This situation can be traced back to the day Zhuang Jin hosted a banquet for Fei Zecong.

……

"Zhuang Zhenshou is saying that the Medicine King Gang will attack the returning fleet?! That's impossible, isn't it? Would the Medicine King Gang really be that bold? Also, didn't I hear that the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang are currently fighting, yet they still maintain a certain level of understanding and rules? Would the Medicine King Gang really do that?"

"I can only say maybe..."

Zhuang Jin recounted the Medicine King Gang's repeated attempts to circumvent the law in the north of the city, as well as the current situation: "Given the current circumstances, the Medicine King Gang has been forced into this situation, so they must have the guts... Furthermore, the more impossible and unexpected something is, the greater the chance of its plan succeeding, isn't that right?"

Fei Zecong nodded subconsciously, then asked, "Did Commander Zhuang mention these things to the Shen family?"

"They did say that, but it didn't attract much attention, probably because they thought the Medicine King Gang wouldn't do that."

Fei Zecong had just relaxed when Zhuang Jin continued, "They may make mistakes, and if something goes wrong, at most they'll just get a disciplinary action. But it's different for us, the people involved..."

Zhuang Jin stared into Fei Zecong's eyes: "I believe that we should always consider the worst-case scenario. If we are prepared, we will succeed; if we are not prepared, we will fail. What do you say, Young Master Fei?"

“That makes sense. I understand what Zhuang Zhenshou means. We’ll take Qingyuan Liquid and the fleet separately… However, along the way, my father instructed me to take the lead in selling some of the goods… and also to spread our fame. I can’t just not show my face wherever we go…” Fei Zecong hesitated, feeling troubled.

Zhuang Jin knew that the other party would not let him leave alone with the Qingyuan Liquid and would definitely have to go with it. So he could only earnestly persuade him: "Selling the goods, Young Master Fei can entrust it to his trusted confidants... As for spreading his prestige, he can also find a stand-in to disguise himself and watch from a distance to deceive unfamiliar people. That should be possible and will not expose him... These problems can all be solved and are not trivial matters."

"In comparison, if the Medicine King Gang were to launch a real attack, they would surely be fully prepared. In that case, it would be a great tragedy if we were to lose our lives, and it would be too late for regrets... I urge Young Master Fei to consider which is more important!"

The last sentence made Fei Zecong make up his mind: "Zhuang Zhenshou is right. It's better to be prepared than not. If nothing happens, that's the best outcome. Consider it a waste of effort. But if something does happen... it's a life-saving measure!"

……

(End of this chapter)