Chapter 110: Galloping Past the Flowers

"Lord, as per your orders, they've been placed on the west side of the fishing village." At night, Li Bucai returned from the South Bank's schoolgirl territory, sent off Qian Feng at Sanshui Pass, and Wan'er and Yan Qiu reported.

"Nothing went wrong, right?" Li Bucai asked.

"No, everything is exactly as the Lord pre‑set; after they arrived they only focused on building the camp and haven't had time for anything else," Wan'er said.

Yan Qiu placed the gold coins she obtained today from the Young Marshal before Li Bucai: "These are the money they used this afternoon to pay villagers for labor and for timber, a total of 20 gold coins."

"Oh? They also charged them for timber?"

"We only said they couldn't decide on their own, so they paid."

The Young Marshal is only temporarily staying here; the buildings they use will eventually become theirs. But in the original world, wherever one temporarily resides, building a house requires buying materials with money—that's natural. Moreover, the Young Marshal was only the Young Marshal back in Luo Ping Hai; now she is at most an expatriate residing here. The state has its laws; even descendants of the Emperor are considered outsiders and must accept local authority. Providing her with two carts of goods already fulfills the landlord's propriety; other matters should be treated equally.

Li Bucai nodded and had Yan Qiu deposit the gold coins into the treasury.

……

One mile west of the fishing village lies the Young Marshal's camp; at this time the camp is not yet finished, its perimeter is simply protected by wooden palisades, and a gate opens on each east and west side, with the lintel boldly bearing the three characters "Zhuowang Hall."

A total of 100 wooden houses have been built here; at the center stands a massive two‑story structure, the Young Marshal's palace. In an afternoon the other houses have only had their frames erected, but this one was built with full effort, and by sunset even the beds and other furnishings were in place.

Night has fallen, and a full moon rises from the mountain ridge, casting a glittering sheen over the Shalanjiang.

Jian Yu, holding tea, floats up to the loft on the second floor, where the Young Marshal is sitting on the railing, hands braced on it, idly leaning there.

"Young Marshal, it's time for tea."

The Young Marshal sighs softly and says, "It's too bitter, I don't want to drink any more." She looks exhausted, seemingly sleep‑deprived, barely able to open her eyes.

"If we don't drink, we'll lack spirit tomorrow; I just heard voices from the fishing village, it seems Li Bucai has already returned. Didn't the Young Marshal say she still wants to settle accounts with him?"

Upon hearing Li Bucai's return, the Young Marshal perks up: "He's back?"

"Yes, Jing Yi just fetched lamp oil from the fishing village and mentioned it. Li Bucai is so bold, returning without reporting to the Young Marshal."

The Young Marshal, hearing Li Bucai's name, grits her teeth in hatred and rages, "That bastard finally shows his face; it's all his fault that since I returned from Luo Ping Hai I haven't had a single peaceful night, relying on this death‑ly bitter sleep tea just to force myself to sleep. Come, summon Jing Yi and the others; we'll go after him with me."

She hurriedly descends the stairs, leading twelve blue‑clad guards straight toward the fishing village.

"Middle of the night, where is the Young Marshal going?" As the Young Marshal and companions just stepped out of the gate, a person approached from ahead, his voice unmistakably Li Bucai's.

Just as they were about to go find him, he walked right up to them; the group halted, and Jian Yu spurred her horse forward, pointing at Li Bucai and demanding, "You have some nerve—knowing the Young Marshal would come today, you could have ignored the escort, so why only now show yourself?"

Li Bucai, bowing on the back of a wolf, said, "Li Bucai only knows that when we were in Luo Ping Hai the Young Marshal was our Young Marshal; now I've returned from Luo Ping Hai, it seems I'm no longer bound by the Young Marshal's authority. Of course, we worked together for a time, and although the superior‑subordinate relationship has ended, we are now friends; otherwise, you aren't my subject, and if you were plotting something, how could Li Bucai easily let others train troops in my territory? That would be like inviting a wolf into the house, wouldn't it? As a friend, my failure to receive my friend promptly—whatever the reason—is my fault, and I apologize to you all here. So, how do you find the scenery? Is the lodging to your liking?"

Indeed, having returned from Luo Ping Hai, there is no longer any distinction between commander and subordinate between them. Jian Yu was about to say something, but the Young Marshal stopped her, spurred her horse forward, and glanced sideways at Li Bucai, saying, "No need to apologize; the scenery here is indeed nice, but the locals are unfamiliar, and Lord Li's servants are all so busy that there's not even a single guide."

Li Bucai laughed, "With so many civilians at once, everything has to start from scratch, so the servants are naturally overwhelmed. Since the Young Marshal is so interested, my official duties are a bit lighter tomorrow; it's already this late, so how about tomorrow I personally accompany the Young Marshal to tour around?"

The Young Marshal wanted exactly that. Newly arrived in unfamiliar land, tonight it seems even the bitter tea won't let her sleep; since she can't sleep anyway, she'll let you taste this feeling too. In the coming days she'll wear you down, and we'll settle the accounts one by one, step by step, so you can fully experience the taste.

She said, "Leaving such beautiful moonlight unappreciated would be a pity; wouldn't it be a shame to wait until tomorrow?"

From her gaze one can see that her words are not merely about simply admiring the moon.

Li Bucai said, "If the Young Marshal doesn't feel weary, I'd gladly risk my life to accompany her. Since you want to view the moon, there's no better spot than the beacon tower, only the mountain path there is difficult and the horses can't reach it; to watch the moon you must go on foot."

The Young Marshal gave a cold smile, "That's just because your pet lacks stamina; is there any mountain path even my Wind‑Chasing Beast can't traverse?"

Li Bucai laughed loudly, "In that case, you must keep up." With that, he urged his mount and galloped up the slope.

This stretch is part of the same vein as the Wolong Shanmai, the northern foothills of Longfin Mountain, all steep slopes at a 45‑degree angle. The Qingwolf Beast is born to roam these mountains, and such terrain is commonplace to it—like flat ground, a few long strides cover a great distance.

As a descendant of the Emperor, the Young Marshal's mount is naturally extraordinary—a rare Sky City creature, the unicorn. Unicorns are already adept at leaping, a single bound can reach great height and distance, and her mount, the Wind‑Chasing Beast, is a supreme specimen among unicorns, staying right behind the Head Wolf without missing a step, and in a flash arrives at the cliff‑side outpost.

Jian Yu and the others ride ordinary warhorses; when faced with such steep slopes, they struggle to lift their hooves and fall far behind.

"Is this it? It's not that hard to walk. If we admire the moon here, the moonlight is blocked by the cliff; why not find a path up the cliff and see? Can your pet manage?"

Li Bucai, of course not referring to the outpost, laughed, "To enjoy the moon you must go to the highest spot, but that path is treacherous; Young Marshal, be careful not to fall off the cliff."

"You're only worried about yourself."

Li Bucai smiled without replying and headed straight toward the "Z"‑shaped path.

This path winds along the cliff face, only a foot wide; even on foot one must grip the protruding stones on the wall to avoid slipping, and the steps are nearly a 60‑degree stone stair.