chapter 74.2

Murong Yunshu looked at the high wall in front of her for a long time, then suddenly remembered something and instantly brightened up, as she asked, “Do you still remember the secret passage of the Liang Wang[+]king residence that Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman had mentioned?”

Once the four of them heard her question, they suddenly realised, “Could it be that the entrance to the secret passage is here?”

“Other than that, there is no other explanation.” Murong Yunshu raised her eyes to look at the sky, and instructed, “East Guardian, you immediately go to the Gossip House to find Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman.”

“Yes.

As soon as East Guardian turned around, he heard a delicate and extremely charming voice coming from in front of him, “Murong meizi[+][dialect] younger sister, if you want to buy this secret now, the price will be more than five thousand.” When the voice had hardly finished speaking, he saw Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman come at them, while swinging her hips in an extremely lively coloured dress.

Murong Yunshu was overjoyed and smiled as she offered, “How about fifty thousand?”

Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman froze for a moment, then her eyebrows raised with delights, and her eyes laughed[+]Chinese idiom : beaming with joy, “Murong meizi[+][dialect] younger sister, you’re not joking with me, are you?”

“One hundred thousand.” Murong Yunshu said.

Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman’s smile froze, “You…”

Murong Yunshu added, “Two hundred thousand.”

Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman was so shocked that she came back to her senses and shouted, “No, no, no. That Chu Changge may be handsome, but he’s not worth two hundred thousand!”

The four people North, South, East and West all gave Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman a murderous look.

Murong Yunshu’s expression was like the clouds were pale and a light breeze was blowing[+]Chinese idiom : nothing does matter, as she smilingly said, “You think too much. I’m just enjoying the feeling of squandering money like dirt[+]Chinese idiom : wasteful.”

Enjoying… squandering money like dirt…the four people South, East, North and West were instantly petrified. It was no wonder so many people in the world hated these rich people…just look at her tone and wordings. They were really…horrendous!

Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman was flabbergasted for a few more seconds, then she laughed and exclaimed, “Excellent, really excellent! Just because you said that, I’ll give you the information for free, no charge.”

Murong Yunshu responded, “You don’t have to. I rather buy it with money.”

“Why?” You don’t want pies falling from the sky?

Murong Yunshu replied, “I’m afraid that when you ask me for favour in the future, you won’t be able to provide me with two hundred thousand taels of silver.”

Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman’s face was at once covered with black lines, “What kind of person do you think I, Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman, are?”

“People who love money as much as their own life[+]Chinese idiom : greedy.” Murong Yunshu answered truthfully.

Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman was so shocked that her chin was about to fall. How could there be such a peculiar woman in this world? She not only spoke directly, but her words still made sense…

“Yes, I do love money as much as my life[+]Chinese idiom : greedy, so for this information, I won’t give you for free. I will not only collect your money, but you will also owe me a favour.” Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman smiled. She was truly skilled at looting a burning house[+]Chinese idiom : take advantage of sb’s misfortune.

Murong Yunshu sighed lightly and said, “Let us be done with it. Can you just open the secret passage? If there’s anything happening in the future I, Murong Yunshu, will definitely help.”

“Ha ha, that’s my good meizi[+][dialect] younger sister!” Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman laughed like a shaking flower branch[+]used to describe a person [usually a girl] who can’t help laughing as she happily opened the secret passage’s mechanism. The crowd could feel the ground move, and a small hole appeared at the corner of the wall. As long as one was not a fat man who weighed two hundred pounds, one could walk through it.

“This dog hole is the entrance to the secret passage?” North Guardian cried with bewilderment.

Murong Yunshu glanced at North Guardian and pointed out, “Even you yourself can’t find such a secret hole, so how can you expect a dog to be able to find it…”

The corners of North Guardians mouth twitched. Could she not compare him to a dog…

Murong Yunshu added, “You just keep guard outside. No dogs are allowed to go inside.” After she had done speaking, she was about to go through the hole.

“Let me scout ahead.” East Guardian interjected.

“Alright.” Murong Yunshu stepped back to make way for him.

After East Guardian went in, Murong Yunshu and the others all went inside in a single file, leaving behind a sorrowful looking North Guardian, who was constantly digesting the phrase ‘You just keep guard outside, no dogs are allowed to go inside’. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was similar to ‘Gu Beichuan and dogs are not allowed to go inside’…

Murong Yunshu followed behind East Guardian as they walked along the secret road. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, she suddenly stopped, looked at the stone wall on the right, and stated, “There should be an exit here.”

“The exit is up ahead, only a few steps away. The way out is the rockery in the back garden of the Liang Wang[+]king Residence,” said Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman.

The rockery? Murong Yunshu raised her eyebrows with joy. If she remembered correctly, there was a small lake near the rockery, which was connected with Yueming[+]yue=moon, ming=light Lake behind the Liang Wang[+]king Residence. There was also water where Chu Changge was imprisoned.

“There must be an exit here.” Murong Yunshu repeated as she looked at the bare stone wall.

“Madam, stepped back. Let me try.” East Guardian said.

Murong Yunshu stepped back as she was told. East Guardian walked up to the stone wall and struck it with both of his palms. A loud boom was heard and a hole appeared on the stone wall.

“It’s here!” Murong Yunshu saw the situation inside the cave through the hole entrance. She was so overcome with joy that she couldn’t wait to get into the cave first by crossing over the abandoned rocks.

When they saw her enter, they were about to follow suit, but then they saw her just standing still immediately after she passed through the hole. Her back looked stiff, as if she had received a great stimulus.

Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman bent down and called out softly, “Murong meizi[+][dialect] younger sister? What’s going on inside? Why aren’t you moving?”

Murong Yunshu didn’t say a word, as if someone had hit her movement acupoint.

Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman frowned strangely as she bent to cross over. Once she saw the situation inside, she immediately understood why Murong Yunshu did not speak. On top of a three or four square metre stone platform, four chains were bolted to a thick iron pillar at one end and landed on the stone platform at the other, all with very obvious signs of fracture at the end.

Obviously, Chu Changge had escaped a long time ago.

“Ha ha ha ha…” Yun Si Niang[+]form of address for an elderly married woman bent over with laughter, “Chu Changge really didn’t disappoint me. If King Liang Jr wants to compete with him, he will have to go back to his mother’s womb and stay there for at least another 20 or 30 years.”

East, South and West also breathed out a sigh of relief. They said to themselves, ‘How could the master of the Mojiao Sect, who run amuck in the jianghu[+]lit. rivers and lakes—people wandering from place to place and living by their wits, e.g. fortune-tellers, quack doctors, itinerant entertainers, etc. , considered as a social group, and omnipotent Leader, be trapped in a stone cave waiting for death!

Murong Yunshu was the only one with an expressionless face, not knowing whether to be happy or sad.

How did he escape? If he could escape, why didn’t he escape before?

No, this was not the point. The point was, he escaped, which was good.

But if he had escaped, why hadn’t he come to her?

Did he know that she was so anxious about him that she couldn’t sleep at night and eat without tasting the food[+]Chinese idiom : worried or downhearted?

……

……

“Miss Murong, the auspicious time has arrived.” The xiniang[+]woman employed to wait on the bride on her wedding day / matron of honour called from outside the door.

Murong Yunshu returned to her senses and said indifferently, “Come in.”

The auspicious time had arrived and it was time to worship Heaven and Earth.

Although the wedding was a simple affair due to the short notice, it was still a grand affair for the common people. All the landlords, tycoons, high officials and noble lords of Shu Province had came.

The xiniang[+]woman employed to wait on the bride on her wedding day / matron of honour helped Murong Yunshu into the wedding hall. Then she stretched her voice and shouted loudly, “The bride is here—”

Hua Yeli was wearing a big red robe and a big red flower on his chest. Although his face was expressionless, anyone with a clear eye could see that he was very happy.

Xu Hu, on the other hand, was continuously worrying. He could feel that there was something wrong. This wedding was too smooth. It was so smooth that it felt a bit strange. That Murong Yunshu was supposed to marry the Leader of Mojiao Sect, but now, His Highness had forced her to marry him, which was the same as cuckolding Chu Changge. Although Chu Changge was currently imprisoned and could not come to make trouble, how could the thousands members of the Mojiao Sect be willing to give her up?

Hua Yeli was not a foolish person. Of course he had this kind of worry in his heart. However, he had already put masters of martial arts laid in ambush around the Wang[+]king Residence. Therefore, if anyone from the Mojiao Sect appeared, they would be killed without any mercy.

As Hua Yeli looked at his beloved, who had come with a phoenix crown and robe of rank, his eyes shone brightly as he nervously took Murong Yunshu’s hand from the xiniang[+]woman employed to wait on the bride on her wedding day / matron of honour’s hand and carefully led her to the centre of the hall. On top of the hall, sat the King Liang Sr and his wife.

“The first bow to Heaven and Earth!”

“The second bow to parents!”

“Husband…” Before the master of ceremonies could say the words ‘husband and wife bowed to each other’, he saw a long spear flying across the air, heading straight into the surface of Liang Wang Fei[+]wang=king, fei=consort plate.

In his haste, Hua Yeli used his body to block the spear and it stabbed his left shoulder instead!

“Li-er!”

“Your Highness!”

King Liang Sr and his wife were both horrified and anxious.

Xu Hu then ran over to support Hua Yeli and shouted, “Protect the Wang[+]king !”

However, Hua Yeli pushed Xu Hu away and said, “Protect the Wang[+]king……” The word ‘Fei[+]consort’ stuck in his throat and could not come out. It was because, at that moment, when he saw she lifted the red veil covering her head to reveal her beautiful face, behind her, stood four men in black. The four black clothed men were none other than the Mojiao Sect Guardians who had accompanied her into the residence.

Hua Yeli’s face sank slightly as he asked, “What do you mean by this?!”

“You should ask them.” Murong Yunshu raised her hand innocently and pointed to the four people behind her, while smilingly said, “But I guess they should have come to kidnap the bride. Moreover, the person who they’re going to kidnap should be the bride, which is, me.”

“How dare you go back on your word!” Hua Yeli was not a fool and knew very well who had directed this play. He was so angry that his eyes were burned with rage.

Murong Yunshu raised her dark eyebrows and said with an unpleasantly cold face, “Things can be eaten indiscriminately, but words cannot be spoken indiscriminately. I have already kept my promise by putting on my wedding dress. Whether you can actually marry me will depend on your ability. If someone kidnapped me from the wedding today, then you can only blame yourself for your incompetence and you have no one else to blame.” Her implication was, ‘I would love to marry you too, but unfortunately people are trying to kidnap me and you can’t win, so who is to blame?’

“You…” Hua Yeli spat out a mouthful of blood in anger.

“Your Highness!” Xu Hu exclaimed and went over to help, but he was driven back by Hua Yeli.

“Good, let this Wang[+]king see whether your martial arts skills are superior or this Wang[+]king’s army is stronger!” With these words, he shouted, “Where are my personal guards?!”

In an instant, the audience was silent, waiting for the army to rush in. Unfortunately, after they had waited for a long time, they couldn’t see even half of a soldier’s figure.

East Guardian sneered and shouted loudly, “Where are the Mojiao Sect members?!”

In an instant, countless men in red descended from the sky, hand in hand with one of the Liang Wang[+]king Residence’s own soldiers. When they threw those soldiers to the ground, the crowd had the illusion that the ground was shaking.

Hua Yeli’s face became even more ugly, but Murong Yunshu’s expression was just the opposite. She smiled and pointed out, “Chu Changge has given me ten miles of red dowry. If you want me to stay here, you must first let them go.”

Hua Yeli tried not to see Murong Yunshu as much as possible, because under such circumstances, she was the last person he wanted to see. However, she was not only the director of the scene, but also the audience. “Don’t forget, your leader is still in the hands of this Wang[+]king!” Hua Yeli cast his sights on the four guardians.

North Guardian responded with a smile on his face, “Don’t worry, we won’t let you off the hook, so you don’t have to remind yourself again and again what a terrible thing you’ve done.”

Hua Yeli was stunned. His expression grew all the more darker.

West Guardian, on the other hand, brotherly patted the North Guardian’s shoulder and praised, “Lil North, you’re getting better at talking.”

Since it was a rare occasion for him to receive a compliment from his own xiongdi[+]familiar form of address for a man younger than oneself, North Guardian smiled coyly and said, “I’m used to being undermined by Madam, that I slowly get the hang of it. A long illness makes the patient into a doctor[+]Chinese proverb : one will become familiar with medical theory after a long illness.”

West Guardian’s whole face was full of black lines, “That’s not the way to use ‘a long illness makes the patient into a doctor[+]Chinese proverb : one will become familiar with medical theory after a long illness’.”

“Then how do you use it?” North Guardian didn’t feel ashamed to consult his inferiors[+]Chinese idiom : remain humble in order to acquire knowledge.

After thinking about it, West Guardian answered, “I don’t know either.” Then he looked at South Guardian, “Old South, you’re kind of a scholar. How do you think you should use it?”

South Guardian explained in an extremely calm way, “For example, if you pierce King Liang Jr with your spear every now and then, after a long period of time and the more time he is pierced, when he encounters another spear wound again, he will know what medicine to use for this wound.”

West Guardian laughed loudly at his words. While North Guardian was suddenly enlightened, and then he looked at the King Liang Jr with an eager face, as if he was thinking of helping him ‘become a doctor after his prolonged illness[+]Chinese proverb : one will become familiar with medical theory after a long illness’.

At this moment, King Liang Sr snapped, “Enough! Don’t bother with this daughter-in-law. Let’s just go!”

“No!” Hua Yili said, “This Wang[+]king will count to three, and you will all disappear immediately for this Wang[+]king. Otherwise, you can just wait to collect Chu Changge’s corpse!”

Before the words left his mouth, he heard a lazy, elegant, evil, rampant laughter that came from all sides of the room, as if someone was laughing in every corner, making it impossible to tell the its source.

Hua Yeli was about to ask ‘who is pretending to dress up as God, but play the devil [+]Chinese idiom : to mystify oneself’ when he saw the men in red outside the door all knelt down on one knee, followed by a deafening——

“Paying our respects to Leader!”