Chapter 410: Watching the Tide, Meeting Nangong Pushe Again

Guangling River.

The great tide of the eighteenth of the eighth month.

Tourists watching the tide came from all corners of the land, a spectacle unprecedented.

After the Spring and Autumn period was settled, there were no longer the previous divisions of national borders; scholars carrying book boxes to travel and study, and chivalrous warriors carrying swords to roam the Edo, became increasingly unimpeded, and consequently, exploring hidden spots and enjoying the scenery became a growing trend.

The great tide of the Guangling River is ranked alongside the Buddha's light at the Emei Golden Summit and the Wudang Great Summit as the three great wonders of the current age.

As the saying goes, the tide of the eighteenth of the eighth month is the most magnificent in the world.

Among these, Dayanji is the best viewing spot for the "single-line tide," unrivaled under heaven, and there is also the inspection by the Guangling Naval Force, with the Feudatory King Zhao Yi personally present to oversee the formation.

The wealthy of Guangling and the high-ranking officials all brought their families to watch the tide. Compared to the commoners and the poor scholars of the marketplace, although the former were fewer in number, they naturally occupied seven or eight out of ten of the best viewing spots, setting up tables, chairs, and beds, filling them with fine wine, delicacies, and fruits, and inviting famous scholars of pure reputation with whom they had generations of friendship to chat, laugh, and point out the landscape.

The beauty in white robes arrived a little late, and the suitable spots for watching the tide along the riverbank were already packed with tents or filled with tables and chairs.

Her graceful bearing, elegant demeanor, and beauty that could topple cities and states immediately attracted countless gazes upon her appearance.

A few lecherous men who loved to join in the fun and take advantage were just about to make a move, but when they were looked at by the beauty in white robes, they suddenly felt the gaze was like a blade, their whole bodies turned cold, and their momentum instantly withered; they sheepishly withdrew their hands and sought other targets.

"It's them." The beauty in white robes was just planning to find a good spot to watch the tide when she suddenly caught sight of two familiar figures.

Although it was only one meeting, the impression of those two was profound.

Especially that young man in black; his face was like jade, his lips like vermilion, and his eyes like ink dots. His demeanor was so dashing and romantic that it was almost not inferior to her own.

That youth in black also seemed to have noticed the gaze of the beauty in white robes and looked back with a smile. The sunlight shone on this peerlessly handsome face, and he seemed as warm as the sunlight. Yet, a pair of eyes were as deep and tranquil as the starry sky on a midsummer night, with infinite starlight flickering within them.

The beauty in white robes prided herself on having seen many romantic figures, but at this moment, the charm radiating from the other party still made her heartbeat skip a beat.

The youth in black pointed to the empty space beside him and made a gesture of invitation.

The beauty in white robes hesitated for a moment, but finally walked toward the youth in black.

Yu Liancheng cupped his hands and smiled, "I didn't expect to have such fate with you, Miss, to be able to meet again while watching the tide at Guangling River. May I ask your name?"

Murong Wuzhu's beautiful eyes darted between the beauty in white robes and her brother; these were two equally peerless and otherworldly romantic figures.

If there was anyone in the world who could be a match for her brother, perhaps it was only this beauty in white robes before her.

Thinking of this, Murong Wuzhu pouted and gave a light hum.

But when her clever eyes focused on the beauty in white robes' completely flat chest, a smile could not help but spill from the corner of her mouth, and she puffed out her own chest. Although not trembling and magnificent, it was still of a considerable scale, a small achievement.

The beauty in white robes did not know Murong Wuzhu's thoughts; she parted her vermilion lips, and the first sentence she said greatly shocked the latter: "My name is Nangong Pushe. By the way, I am a man."

"Wh-what?" Murong Wuzhu could not help but exclaim in surprise.

"I am a man." The beauty in white robes still had a cold expression, and deep within her pair of peach-blossom eyes, there seemed to be a hint of playfulness; he liked to see the expressions of others after learning this news.

But unexpectedly, Murong Wuzhu looked him up and down again and actually let out a soft breath.

And Yu Liancheng shrugged his shoulders, his expression not fluctuating much: "What a coincidence, I am also a man."

The beauty in white robes, Nangong Pushe, was speechless.

What a strange pair of siblings.

He cast his gaze toward the river surface; a white line from the horizon came surging mightily, and some people praised loudly, even beating time and singing.

It was just that the tide did not feel like much from afar, but when it arrived close, it surged in, covering the sky and earth, and the violent crashing against the dam produced a heaven-shaking roar, which was soul-stirring.

"Speaking of which, I am reminded of an interesting story." Yu Liancheng held a white jade Folding Fan; the fan and his hand were the same color, and with his smiling eyes, he was indescribably dashing and romantic.

"In those years, the Old Sword God Li Chungang looked down upon the world with a single sword, riding the sword and walking on the tide, full of spirit. Afterward, it led countless Edo heroes to successively show their prowess on the Guangling River; there were strong men carrying thousand-catty cauldrons to smash at the tide, sword heroes rowing boats to resist the tide, and archers with astonishing strength firing consecutive divine arrows to collide with the thousand-layered waves of the great tide... It is a pity that one cannot see such scenery now."

Murong Wuzhu asked curiously, "Why is that?"

Yu Liancheng shook his head and said, "After the Feudatory King Zhao Yi took control, the Guangling Naval Force has been coiled like a dragon and crouched like a tiger here. Whether in scale or combat power, it firmly ranks first among the dynasty's naval forces. How could any expert with a long life come here to show off?"

Murong Wuzhu pouted and said, "What an annoying fellow."

"The Guangling Naval Force holds inspections every year, and there are countless tide-riders, which can be considered another kind of scene, so there is no need to worry about it being too boring." Yu Liancheng smiled, "However, Zhao Yi and his son Zhao Biao are both lecherous people; sister, you had better wear a mask."

"I'm not afraid. Sister is now a martial arts expert; if they dare to come, I'll beat them into pig heads." Murong Wuzhu put her hands on her waist, gave a coquettish hum, and then tugged at Yu Liancheng's sleeve, acting like she was spoiled: "Besides, wearing a mask is so stuffy, it's not comfortable at all. Can I not wear it?"

"If you don't want to wear it, then don't. I'll cover for you if anything happens." Yu Liancheng laughed.

Nangong Pushe scanned this pair of siblings with her beautiful eyes for a moment and found that she could not quite see through these two.

When she first met them, she was still a hundred miles away.

And along this journey, there was no lack of mountain bandits, robbers, hooligans, and bullies.

With the appearance of these two, which even she found stunning, it was inevitable that they would encounter some trouble; they could not always meet chivalrous people who would draw their swords to help.

Then, how did they make it through this journey?

Now, these two were even talking about the Guangling King Zhao Yi without restraint, not taking a Feudatory King with real power in their eyes at all; what kind of trump card did they have?

Yu Liancheng turned his head, as if he had seen through Nangong Pushe's thoughts, and smiled, "Because I am truly strong."

Nangong Pushe was noncommittal.

Because Yu Liancheng restrained his Qi, he looked no different from an ordinary person.

Moreover, no matter how high one's martial arts are, as long as one is not a supreme figure like Wang Xianzhi or Deng Taie, how many Edo people can laugh at princes and nobles?

It was just a chance encounter, so Nangong Pushe did not think much more and cast her gaze toward the rolling tide again, unable to help but sigh, "What a great single-line tide, truly mighty and vast, stretching without end."

Her expression dimmed; when she was a child, she had come to the Guangling River with her parents. Now, the world has changed, and only this river water remains the same.

"Tonghuang, do you have any new poems?" Murong Wuzhu's beautiful eyes blinked, looking at Yu Liancheng with anticipation. Listening to her, writing poems was as simple as eating and drinking.

Yu Liancheng said very simply, "No."

Murong Wuzhu said, "You're lying to me, I don't believe you."

Yu Liancheng rolled his eyes: "Whether you believe me or not is none of my business."

Speaking of the tide, there were very few lines in his memory, and they were not famous.

The most profound one was Lu Tixia's, "The tide message comes on the Qiantang River; only today do I know who I am." This sentence had much Zen, but it was clearly not suitable for the present.

Too lazy to pay attention to the pouting Murong Wuzhu, Yu Liancheng looked at Nangong Pushe and smiled, "Is Young Hero Nangong here to watch the tide to practice and comprehend heaven and earth?"

Nangong Pushe shook her head and said, "Watching the tide is just watching the tide; where does the talk of practice come from?"

Yu Liancheng revealed an unfathomable smile and said, "That is where you fall short; your martial arts are still lacking quite a bit."

Nangong Pushe smiled, her lips pursed like a crescent moon: "I am all ears."

"I wonder if you have heard the saying: Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows Nature. By taking people or books as teachers, how can that compare to taking the myriad things of heaven and earth, the natural creation, as one's teacher?"

Yu Liancheng shook his head and said leisurely, "How miraculous is the creation of heaven and earth, and how insignificant is human power before the great force of nature. To take nature as one's teacher, to follow the laws of heaven and earth, to take the natural world as one's teacher—this allows one to leap out of the cages of predecessors and achieve limitless potential. For instance, this tide before us, is it not a set of extremely profound martial arts? Continuous and unending, with Endless Life, and furthermore, it possesses a magnificent and awe-inspiring momentum."

When Nangong Pushe first heard this, she secretly found it amusing. But after pondering it carefully, she felt there was a unique and profound meaning to it, and she could not help but fall into a contemplative state.

"Speaking of which, I am reminded of a young friend named Fang Baoyu. He took the nature of heaven and earth as his teacher and created the Natural Sword." Yu Liancheng changed the subject and smiled slightly: "How about I tell you his story?"

"I want to hear it, I want to hear it." Murong Wuzhu revealed an excited expression, one hand supporting her fragrant cheek, her delicate body leaning slightly forward, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Nangong Pushe also revealed a listening expression.

Yu Liancheng smiled slightly and said: "Once upon a time, there was a man in white, nameless and surname-less, a saint among swordsmen of his generation. He came from a distant region..."

He was a master at storytelling. Using the original *Huanhua Wash Sword Record* as a foundation, he integrated the Nine Grades Martial Dao and some allusions from this world, recounting a soul-stirring and twists-and-turns tale.

Murong Wuzhu was naturally listening with great relish, while Nangong Pushe was also completely immersed in the story, to the point that she neglected to watch the tide.

However, unlike Murong Wuzhu who was purely listening to a story, Nangong Pushe's brow occasionally revealed a look of contemplation, as she was actually considering whether the martial principles in the story could be reflected in her own martial arts.

Rumble!!

Just as Bai Baoyu and the man in white, both First Grade Land Immortals, were about to duel, a burst of untimely hoofbeats suddenly rang out, rumbling like thunder, echoing against the tide.

Nangong Pushe turned her head to look, and could not help but knit her very beautiful brows.

Only to see dozens of light cavalry with bright armor galloping over from not far away, each one fierce in aura and skilled in horsemanship, equipped with sabers and carrying crossbows, charging wildly through the sea of people, completely disregarding the commoners watching the tide.

Many commoners who could not dodge in time were knocked over by the warhorses on the spot, wailing incessantly.

Among these knights, the leader was a robust martial general, tall and large, his physique as imposing as a mountain, holding a pitch-black snake spear in his hand.

His face was ferocious, and the moment he saw the three of Yu Liancheng, a look of excitement immediately erupted in his eyes.

No wonder the Prince had him take action personally; it turned out there were three such beauties here.

That pair of twin lotuses were a pair of stunners; the man was dashing and romantic, the woman was pitiful and lovely. If he could get them both into bed, tsk tsk...

As for the other beauty in white robes, she was also a peerless beauty the likes of which he had never seen in his life, and she possessed a heroic spirit to boot.

He imagined that for the Prince, who was accustomed to fawning little women, such a spirited wild horse was even more worth taming.

It was a pity that he himself would not have the qualifications to ride her.

However, at the thought that he was about to personally capture these three beauties, to use his own hands to feel their warm, soft, and elastic bodies, and that if he used even a little more force, he would be able to hear their moans and screams, a heat could not help but rise in his heart.

A moment later, more than thirty riders had already surrounded the three of Yu Liancheng.

Upon reaching close range, this group of knights felt even more that the three people before them were bright and moving; almost every one of them stared blankly, their eyes shooting out greed, their bodies motionless, as if they had forgotten how to breathe.

"Brother, I'm scared."

Amidst the wolf-like and tiger-like gazes, Murong Wuzhu shrank her delicate body, as if she were a little girl with no strength to truss a chicken, trembling in the face of the bullies who had come to her door.

Though she was trembling with excitement.

Having practiced for such a long time, it was finally time for this heroine to show off her divine might; deep within Murong Wuzhu's beautiful eyes, a desire to try was revealed.

Even if she were not a match, there was still her brother Murong Tonghuang by her side.

As long as Tonghuang was there, even if it were an army of thousands, she would not fear them in the slightest.

Yu Liancheng, on the other hand, shrugged, unconcerned.

"Hmph." Nangong Pushe let out a cold snort, her voice infused with True Qi, instantly exploding like a thunderclap, shaking the group of soldiers until they trembled all over, suddenly waking them up.

They immediately understood that the beauty with the Double Blades hanging at her waist possessed martial arts and was by no means an ordinary person. However, relying on their status and the fact that there were thirty of them, each one agile and fierce, they were not afraid at all.

"May I ask the names of the three beauties? We are under the command of the Guangling Heir; the Prince admires the three of you for your peerless grace and would like to invite you to the Review Platform for a chat." The soldier holding the pitch-black snake spear looked at the three people before him with fiery eyes.

"The Guangling Heir? Is that the fat pig called Zhao Biao? I don't want to go, you guys leave quickly."

Murong Wuzhu poked her little head out from behind Yu Liancheng, looking gentle and cute, but the words she spoke were very lethal, quite in the true tradition of Yu Liancheng.

Nangong Pushe sighed lightly; she had originally wanted to turn a big issue into a small one and a small one into nothing. But after these words were spoken, the matter would not be so easily resolved.

Sure enough, the martial general's face turned black.

Although the Guangling King and his son were as fat as pigs, they were very sensitive about others mentioning this; the light punishment was a caning, the heavy one was death. He immediately waved his hand and said with a cold and stern expression: "Capture that pair of twins."

And he turned his gaze toward Nangong Pushe.

By his intuition, he could be certain that this beautiful woman in white robes was a thorny character.

He waved the pitch-black snake spear in his hand, and a ferocious smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

He really wanted to see what such a beauty would look like when she was being ravished.

The martial general suddenly spurred his horse, and the warhorse immediately charged toward Nangong Pushe.

"Why..." Nangong Pushe lowered her head, her jade hand pressing on the hilt of her blade, the corners of her lips curling into a crescent-moon-like smile: "Why come to die."

The next moment.

The blade light bloomed!