Chapter 536: 408. No one understands the Great Buddha better than me! [Subscribe! Monthly votes in the middle of the month!]

408. No one understands the Great Buddha better than me! 【Subscribe! Monthly votes in the middle of the month!】

"How long has Official Rong been waiting?"

"I was delayed by something for half an hour. Uh, I sent someone to notify you, Official Rong should have received the news, right? Why were you still waiting on the side of the road just now?"

"Official Rong, walk slower..."

Morning, heavy fog.

The hazy water mist from the Yangtze River shrouded the entire Twin Peaks Peak.

On a main road outside Twin Peaks Peak, the defense was strict.

By the side of the road, one could see figures of elite soldiers in

This imperial road leads to the Prince Xunyang Grottoes within the Twin Peaks Point; usually, it is ignored by all, but today it has been blocked by checkpoints, barring all outsiders. Even if government officials or teams need to enter Twin Peaks Point, they must all undergo rigorous inspection.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong, who had arrived from Prince Xunyang City as agreed, had just stepped off his carriage when he saw the familiar figure of a young girl in palace attire ahead.

She was surrounded by a group of female officials from the Censorate and Bai Hu Guard generals, standing by the roadside with her hands tucked into her sleeves.

Mist swirled through the surrounding mountain forest, and Rong Zhen's young, beautiful face seemed to be covered in a layer of frost as she waited coldly.

Seeing Magistrate Ouyang Rong arrive, she turned her head and walked inside.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong had stepped off the carriage clutching a zither case, his movements slightly slow. Seeing this, he turned to give Brother Ali a quick instruction before chasing after her with the zither case in his arms.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong curiously asked a few questions, but Rong Zhen walked quickly ahead without saying a word.

Brother Ali and the carriage remained outside Twin Peaks Point, led by a gentle female official to the stables of a nearby military camp.

Previously, when Rong Zhen had come out early and stood waiting by the imperial road, the several female officials from the Censorate and Bai Hu Guard generals guarding the checkpoint were somewhat puzzled, frequently glancing over, curious as to why this stern and harsh Lady Historian had run out to bask in the sun.

Now, seeing this scene, they immediately kept their eyes straight ahead, looking at nothing but their own noses, not even daring to inspect Magistrate Ouyang Rong in his scarlet official robes, letting him chase right in...

"How is the situation here, Lady Historian Rong?"

Rong Zhen, ahead, did not answer.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong took two quick steps forward to walk side-by-side with her, turning his head somewhat frequently to observe the young girl's profile.

Rong Zhen never looked at him.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's expression was somewhat sheepish:

"Apologies for keeping Lady Historian Rong waiting so long."

She said calmly, "Just arrived, didn't wait."

"Even so, I shouldn't have been late."

"It's fine, you sent someone to notify me, you've given me plenty of face, I am honored."

"Lady Historian Rong, please don't say that, I am ashamed."

"No need to be ashamed, you are Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan after all, a Scholar of the Xiuwen Pavilion, what does being a little late matter? Just laugh it off and it passes. If there's anyone blind enough to keep harping on it, not knowing their place, I'll go teach them a lesson."

"..."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong felt a bit guilty:

"Lady Historian Rong is joking."

Rong Zhen suddenly turned around and looked into his eyes.

"You certainly have many little trinkets on you, no wonder you came so late, you must have been busy bidding fond farewells to your lovers, putting all your heart into them—amulets here, skirt-knives there. Truly, a meeting of hearts, it seems you've coaxed them all well?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong subconsciously touched the skirt-knife and amulet at his waist:

"Is Lady Historian referring to these?"

Rong Zhen didn't even glance at the two items, looking straight ahead, and interrupted:

"Enough, no more nonsense. Board the boat to cross the river; once we reach the north bank, prepare for a body search."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong looked up and discovered that at this moment, the two of them had just passed through a dense forest; river breezes blew against their faces, and the view suddenly opened up.

After a tributary of the Prince Xunyang River was opened through the middle of Twin Peaks Point, it was divided into the Beifeng and South Peak, with a flood-relief tributary flowing between them.

The Prince Xunyang Grottoes were built on the north bank, backed by the rock face of the Beifeng, with the Great Buddha sitting facing north toward the south, looking toward Prince Xunyang City below.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong had left the city through the West Gate and had now traveled all the way to the south bank; he needed to cross the river.

He saw a boat moored at the south bank ferry, with the figures of several female officials guarding the side of the boat.

Looking out, there wasn't a single sail on the river, which was still shrouded in the morning mist.

Ever since Rong Zhen led the Censorate female officials to take over the Prince Xunyang Grottoes, this Twin Peaks Point ferry had been closed, and no outsiders were allowed to dock unless they were carrying materials for the statues.

"Mm."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong followed Rong Zhen onto the small boat.

The female officials guarding nearby did not board; there were only Magistrate Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen on the boat.

Before Magistrate Ouyang Rong could react, the small boat moved without wind, sailing toward the north bank at a slightly brisk speed.

Rong Zhen ignored Magistrate Ouyang Rong, standing at the bow with her hands tucked into her sleeves.

There were neither sails nor oars; he did not know what kind of power was driving the vessel.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong, who had sat down clutching his zither case, glanced at the embroidered shoes Rong Zhen had in contact with the deck.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's attention did not linger there for long.

He looked up at the towering Great Buddha within the grottoes on the north bank.

Through the hazy mist on the river, the headless Great Buddha could be vaguely seen sitting against the north cliff rock face, appearing somewhat desolate. The massive Buddha statue no longer had the laborers who used to swarm over it like ants; it seemed work had stopped.

However, at this moment, Magistrate Ouyang Rong caught a few glimpses of the surrounding river surface from the corner of his eye.

He discovered that there was not only the small boat he and Rong Zhen were on upon the river.

In the vast white mist on the river, there were vaguely a few government ships at uncertain distances.

On the government ships, figures of soldiers in black robes and black armor were vaguely moving about.

They were men of the Black Tortoise Guard, commanded by Wei Mi.

"We're here."

Rong Zhen, ahead, suddenly said.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong shifted his gaze and discovered a piece of land abruptly emerging from the white mist; by the time he reacted, the boat beneath his feet had already bumped against the pier on the shore.

"Lady Historian Rong, why did it take you so long to pick someone up? If you hadn't returned, I would have thought you had encountered rebels."

On the north bank pier, a tall, cold woman in white armor walked out.

Rong Zhen lowered her eyes and did not answer.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong handed the zither case to her, and Rong Zhen took it, holding it in her arms.

The two had been learning the zither recently, so they often carried this item.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong looked at Yi Commandant Yi Qianqiu and cast his gaze behind her.

Densely packed soldiers in white armor stood on the pier, all silent and stern; the white robes and white armor they wore vaguely blended into the vast white mist, as if they had become the background.

However, the white tiger masks on their faces, with tiger mouths baring fangs, had arcs curving downward.

If you didn't look closely, they looked as if they were unhappy.

The entire pier was strictly guarded by the Bai Hu Guard.

"Jiangzhou Cishi Magistrate Ouyang, no offense, but although the grottoes were built by you and your people, they have been fully taken over by us since last night. You also need to be searched before entering the grottoes."

Yi Commandant Yi Qianqiu spoke neither coldly nor warmly, and Bai Hu armored soldiers immediately stepped forward to inspect Magistrate Ouyang Rong.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong waved his hand:

"I'll do it myself."

As he spoke, he took the initiative to draw his skirt-knife, showing the blade, and then untied his amulet to signal to the surrounding female officials conducting the search.

"Open this up and take a look too."

Yi Commandant Yi Qianqiu pointed to the zither case in Rong Zhen's arms.

"It's for my zither practice."

Rong Zhen shook her head, but still handed it over casually.

Yi Commandant Yi Qianqiu took it herself and walked to the side.

"A zither? Why is it so heavy inside?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong did not answer.

Yi Commandant Yi Qianqiu opened the zither case, lowered her head to look, and her expression froze slightly.

The several female officials behind her who were searching also froze.

"What is this?"

Yi Commandant Yi Qianqiu took a jar of chicken soup, two bowls of sesame soup, and four pancakes that were still warm out of the zither case, looking at the two of them with a slightly strange expression:

"You two have quite the appetite for zither practice."

Rong Zhen's pretty face immediately flushed, and she turned back to glare at Magistrate Ouyang Rong.

"Couldn't you have finished eating outside? Why bring it here? Can't you be serious? We're here on official business this time."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong coughed.

A short while later, after Magistrate Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen had each tasted the soup and pancakes, they were cleared to enter.

It was just a routine check, only a bit stricter; these days, even Magistrate Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen had to follow the regulations.

Leaving the north bank pier, Rong Zhen turned back with a huff, her mouth seemingly complaining:

"Don't bring it next time. If you don't mind losing face, I still mind being embarrassed. A dignified Jiangzhou Cishi of Jiangzhou, bringing breakfast while on official business..."

Rong Zhen's words stopped as she discovered Magistrate Ouyang Rong's gaze passing over her head and landing on the Great Buddha in the grottoes not far away.

Seeing this, Rong Zhen's expression was not surprised.

She waited for a while.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze somewhat and said apologetically:

"Lady Historian Rong called me to come last night, but I wasn't prepared and delayed it until this morning. I felt a bit bad, so I had my aunt stew some soup. Besides, before leaving the city this morning, I happened to pass by that breakfast shop I often eat at, so I bought some sesame soup and pancakes without thinking much. Who knew you all would make it so strict that we all have to be searched..."

Rong Zhen pursed her lips without a word, gave a light huff, dropped a "don't let it happen again," and turned back.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's gaze immediately fell back onto the Great Buddha of the Eastern Forest ahead, his eyes observing it somewhat intently.

Rong Zhen, ahead, asked with a light smile:

"How is it?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded:

"Impressive."

Before him, the interior of the Prince Xunyang Grottoes was extremely noisy, with people flowing like a loom, bustling with activity.

The quiet atmosphere from when he crossed the river at the shore was gone; he didn't know how these sounds were kept from leaking out, as they could only be heard once one walked close to the grottoes.

And what was even more astonishing was that when Magistrate Ouyang Rong looked from the river in the distance not long ago, the headless Great Buddha was now covered in densely packed figures, working overtime to carve and build.

Different distances, different sights.

It was completely two different scenes.

Rong Zhen said faintly:

"When it comes to formations, our Yin-Yang School is the ancestor. Those people from the Lady Yunmeng Sword Swamp aren't even fit to tie the shoes of the Bureau of Astronomy.

"However, it is also thanks to the assistance of the Black Tortoise Guard."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong remembered the ships in the mist on the river and asked:

"Can the Black Tortoise Guard also set up formations? Was that white mist their doing? Is this blinding formation from your Bureau of Astronomy, or the Bai Hu Guard? How many formations are there in total? Besides the blinding formation, can it also isolate sound, and what else can it do?"

Rong Zhen gave a cold huff: "I remember someone didn't pass the confidentiality investigation of this Bureau, so, I refuse to comment."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong laughed and cupped his hands.

An incense stick later, Rong Zhen brought Magistrate Ouyang Rong to a bamboo forest.

She stopped in front of a quiet bamboo house:

"It's a bit crude here, but stay here for now and tidy up. I live next door, very close, consider it next door. If you need anything, find me."

"Alright."

Before leaving, Rong Zhen unceremoniously took the chicken soup and sesame soup, saying casually:

"Just happened to be hungry. We'll practice the zither in the afternoon; from now on, it's set for the afternoon. Let's try to finish before the Great Buddha is completed, once every ten days."

"Fine."

Rong Zhen walked a few steps forward, then suddenly said without looking back:

"Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, I won't eat your food for nothing. After it's finished, I'll take you to see something, consider it a gift. You'll like it."

"What gift?"

"Wait until completion... These past few days, I suddenly understand a little why you like these kinds of construction projects that benefit the country and the people. At the moment of completion, it truly makes one yearn for it; the sense of accomplishment is unparalleled."

Rong Zhen murmured a few words and left gracefully.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong remained in the house, tidied up, changed out of his scarlet official robes, and changed into a comfortable, daily green Confucian shirt.

He sat cross-legged in front of the door and looked around the small courtyard.

He patted the dust off his cuffs and slowly closed his eyes.

In the direction of the south bank, near the stables of a military camp outside Twin Peaks Point, inside a carriage, a zither case was "clattering."

There was a faint sound of a sword humming.

Under the eaves, a smile appeared on the corner of Magistrate Ouyang Rong's lips.

The distance was just right, at the edge of the maximum distance where he could recall 【Craftsman】.

This was the expanded sword-control range after a Sword-Wielder of the Daoist lineage promoted to Grade 7, allowing him to recall the Tripod Sword to protect the sword-master.

Besides this, there was one thing Rong Zhen, Yi Commandant Yi Qianqiu, and the others probably didn't know clearly:

This Prince Xunyang Grottoes, and even the entire Twin Peaks Point, were planned and built by Magistrate Ouyang Rong from scratch.

As outsiders, they didn't know to what extent the founder could understand it.

Back then, he didn't know how many times he had inspected the site, and he didn't know how many sleepless nights he had spent drawing various topographic sketches.

These days, Wang Caozhi had been supervising the construction of the Great Buddha in his stead, and under his strict command, there were reports on the details every day...

In short, it could be said that Magistrate Ouyang Rong was as familiar with returning to Twin Peaks Point as he was with returning home.

Except for that golden Buddha head that had never been approachable, no one understood Twin Peaks Point and the Great Buddha of the Eastern Forest better than he did.

This was no joke.

Including the positions of Yi Commandant Yi Qianqiu and the Bai Hu Guard's defensive layout and checkpoint locations he saw with a calm face as he walked along today, Magistrate Ouyang Rong had guessed them almost correctly.

Because there were only so many places in total; where it was suitable to set up defenses and checkpoints, where it was suitable for open and hidden sentries... it was almost a standard answer, generally correct.

Unless Yi Commandant Yi Qianqiu and the other generals were military novices who deployed randomly, then there would be no way, but clearly, they were not.

So, as he walked along this morning, seeing and hearing everything, Magistrate Ouyang Rong was a bit bored. Along the way, he divided his attention to sense and silently calculate the range for recalling 【Craftsman】, roughly covering which locations within the Prince Xunyang Grottoes.

Of course, it wasn't that he wasn't interested at all; for example, the blinding formations set up by Rong Zhen and the Bureau of Astronomy were quite interesting.

But it wasn't unexpected, because a few days ago, the day Rong Zhen met the embroiderer, she had already told him about this special plan.

It was just that Magistrate Ouyang Rong didn't expect Rong Zhen to implement it so quickly; she said she would do it and she did. Lady Historian was decisive and efficient.

Along the way, besides calculating the maximum distance range to summon 【Craftsman】, Magistrate Ouyang Rong also rehearsed two "tactical withdrawal" retreat routes in his heart.

There was no help for it; having been a "sly fox" style Sword-Wielder for too long, he always subconsciously felt there was a trap, that someone wanted to stab him, especially when staying beside a certain Lady Historian who had been persecuted, making him increasingly cautious.

Hmm, didn't you see Magistrate Ouyang Rong always walking behind the cold girl in palace attire, at most walking side-by-side, never exposing his back to her? It was just that he was afraid that one day he would turn his head and see her with a "smiling face"...

Magistrate Ouyang Rong let out a long breath of stale air.

As it stands, everyone and everything is within expectations, but the gift Rong Zhen mentioned just now...

A look of confusion appeared on his face.

"A woman's heart is a needle at the bottom of the sea."

He muttered to himself:

"I hope it's a surprise, not a shock..."

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