Chapter 232

Pan Yun fell silent; if the pirates had cannons, this would be a serious problem—far beyond what just a few of them could handle.

Pan Yun had dared to enter this situation because she was certain none here could match her, but with such advanced and powerful tools on the other side, she now had to consider the safety of herself and her companions.

Pan Yun turned to Seeing Miao Zhen and asked, "Where's the thing you took from the chest?"

Seeing Miao Zhen pulled out the item.

Two long, straw-wrapped objects appeared before them; Xue Shao's pupils contracted as she swiftly scanned the three of them—Sleeve Universe? How rich were they really?

Pan Yun had already unwrapped the items; the straw removed, inside lay a gleaming, icy Tang crossblade.

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Xue Shao bent down, picked up one blade, examined the guard and edge closely, then lightly tapped the blade with her finger—the sound was crisp and pleasant.

The two exchanged glances; this craftsmanship…

Xue Shao said, "Tang crossblades are only used by government and military forces; as far as I know, ordinary soldiers and government office Runners don't carry blades this fine, this sharp."

Pan Yun sighed: "This is a powerful force."

Xue Shao fell silent.

Pan Yun asked him, "Where's your commander? Can he come to support you? Or do you have other allies protecting you?"

After a long silence, Xue Shao said, "The only solution I can think of is to report this to the authorities."

Pan Yun gave up on him: "Then I'll have to handle it myself."

Pan Yun decided to call her senior brothers and sisters: "My disciples and I can't escape; tomorrow, you two leave and go to Quanzhou City to find someone to rescue us."

She paused, then added, "Of course, you're welcome to report it to the authorities too."

Xue Shao raised an eyebrow: "Aren't you worried the government might be colluding with them?"

Pan Yun instantly felt half-relieved: "Since you mentioned that, you must have precautions—Brother Xue, I trust you still have reliable contacts within the government."

Xue Shao didn't confirm, but he didn't refuse either; Pan Yun knew he had connections.

Scholars always know the bureaucracy well; this man didn't look poor either.

Still, she warned Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He: "Tomorrow, we act according to circumstances—if anything seems off, we run."

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He, familiar with this routine, immediately nodded.

At this point, they had separated; Xue Shao returned, and Pan Yun and the others cautiously came back to the fire. Pan Yun retrieved the three wooden sticks she'd used as decoys and threw them straight into the fire, then packed away the formation disc.

When Hu Jing opened his eyes again and looked over, he saw the two young Daoist Priests had woken up and were adding firewood to the blaze.

He glanced for a moment, then turned away—but immediately looked back, for beside the fire lay a large, fat cat.

Hu Jing knew it was Pan Sanzhu's cat; he'd been watching it. Hadn't it been up in the tree? When had it returned to her side?

The ground was covered in dry leaves—how had it moved without him noticing a single sound?

After thinking it over, he rose and walked to Pan Yun.

As he approached, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple broke apart—he didn't notice, and bowed his head to Pan Yun with a smile: "Master Sanzhu, may I sit down?"

Pan Yun gestured for him to sit.

Hu Jing squatted cross-legged, studied her from head to toe, then said: "Master Sanzhu, your complexion looks much better—have you recovered from your injuries?"

Pan Yun: "The medicine the employer gave me is excellent; the pain has lessened, and with meditation and qi cultivation, I think I'm nearly healed."

Hu Jing turned to Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He: "What about Masters Si Shui and Wu Huo? Why are they awake now?"

Pan Yun pointed to the horizon: "Dawn is coming."

Hu Jing quickly turned eastward and saw the previously dark sky now held a faint glow—it would be fully light in no more than two ke.

Pan Yun said: "We rise early to practice; it's been our habit since childhood—we wake the moment it's time."

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He nodded in agreement, confirming it was true.

Hu Jing found no other flaws, so he nodded: "Master Daoists are truly diligent."

His gaze fell on the cat lying on the ground. "Master Sanzhu, when did your cat return?"

Pan Yun shook her head directly: "I don't know. I was focused on meditation—I didn't notice when it came back. Did my cat cause trouble?"

"No trouble at all—I'm just curious. I didn't see it all night, yet now it's suddenly here…"

Pan Yun waved dismissively: "Cats are free creatures—I never control them. Why, are you thinking of getting a cat too?"

He could barely afford to feed himself—how could he possibly keep a cat?

The thought flashed through him; Hu Jing suddenly looked up, squinted, and said: "I never told you my name—how do you know I'm Hu?"

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He felt uneasy, glancing at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun remained expressionless: "I never told you my name either—how do you know I'm Sanzhu?"

Hu Jing met her gaze for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "I was narrow-minded—I forgot young Daoists can ask the guards for information."

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly: "There's plenty of gossip in the caravan—I even know you use the Shang Ren Dao, and you love taking bounties for the government office."

"In the Jianghu, many heroes live by taking bounties—but very few who've reached your level still do so. So I've always believed you don't do it for money, but out of righteous conviction."

Hu Jing opened his mouth, wanting to say: I do it for the money. Bounties—especially for the most vicious criminals—are worth a fortune.

One job can sustain me for half a year. If I hadn't already captured all the major fugitives in Jiangnan, I'd never have come to Fujian to escort caravans.

Song Bei paid too well, and the escort jobs came frequently—precisely because they were frequent, I planned to quit after this one.

After three trips, I've vaguely guessed Song Bei's business isn't clean—but since I'm not on the wanted list, and the people of Fujian are truly destitute…

The government oppresses the people into rebellion—I decided to pretend I didn't see it.

As a Monk, I ring the bell each day; as a guard, I protect the cargo. Hu Jing had strong professional ethics.

Still, being praised for righteous conviction felt good. He glanced around her, saw nothing unusual, then rose to take his leave.

He must have dozed off earlier—so he didn't see the black cat return.

Dawn was coming; Pan Yun and the others showed no signs of trouble—everything was fine.

Pan Yun smiled as she saw him off.

As soon as he left, the sky began to lighten, and people started waking up; the camp gradually grew noisy and lively.

!. Read

Song Bei stepped down from the carriage, saw Hu Jing, and immediately stepped forward. "Master Hu, did anything unusual happen last night?"

Hu Jing said: "Only a few rats gnawed at the carriage and boxes; everything else was normal."

Song Bei laughed. "Good. Rats are unavoidable. Everything we have is packed in boxes—they can't do any harm."

Hu Jing nodded; he thought the same.

In the wild, snakes, ants, insects, and beasts were unavoidable troubles—they were all used to it.

Song Bei scanned the camp and suddenly saw Pan Yun rising; he was startled. "Master Sanzhu is recovered?"

Hu Jing said: "Not fully, but I think she's nearly well. Young, talented, with deep cultivation—perhaps she even has medicine from her sect. Quick recovery is normal."

Song Bei: … He decided that once back, he'd replace Zhao the Physician—what kind of illness was this man treating?

It had caused him to make a wrong decision.

Song Bei immediately went up to Pan Yun to show concern, then ordered A Xin to move their carriage back behind his own.

Pan Yun watched this, her lips curling slightly; she whispered quietly to Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He: "Stay alert today. Strike the leader first—if anything happens, seize Song Bei first."

Seeing Miao Zhen glanced at the position of their carriage and nodded. "I understand."

Miao He also nodded. "Got it."

This position is perfect—hand's reach away, ready to grab someone.

Song Bei didn't know he was being watched. Since dawn, his right eye had been twitching, making him feel uneasy; his bad premonition grew stronger. After setting out, he couldn't help checking on Zhu Zixun and found he'd recovered most of his strength, only then relaxing.

As they neared the gate of Fucheng, the merchant caravans behind them gradually dispersed—some went to nearby villages to visit relatives, others to do business; only about half followed them into the city.

Xue Shao also took the chance to leave.

Before leaving, he turned back to glance in the direction of Pan Yun and the other three, then walked away without looking back.

Xi Jin hurried after him, whispering: "Master, where are we going?"

Xue Shao: "To visit Mr. Zhou."

He's just a scholar—does he really think he can get the government to intervene?

He must seek outside help—through Mr. Zhou, find someone trustworthy. "First visit Mr. Zhou, then enter the city to deliver the letter, finally head to Citong Port."

"Isn't Second Elder acquainted with the Garrison Captain? Why not go directly to him?"

Xue Shao: "Citong Port is guarded by the garrison. Do you think the pirate raids have nothing to do with them? Master Pan said this cargo is meant for loading at Citong Port. The sea ban has lasted years—Song Bei dares to run this business. Do you think the garrison doesn't know?"

Xi Jin opened his mouth wide.

Pan Yun was also pondering this question—how high-ranking was the garrison officer colluding with Song Bei? Did any officials from Fucheng's local government also participate?

She knew the Quanzhou garrison must be corrupt, but she didn't know whether the local government was involved.

Should she strike decisively to kill Song Bei and earn a quick burst of merit, or spare his life and slowly uncover those behind him, earning merit gradually?

Song Bei's forehead was flushed red as if bleeding—he'd taken countless lives. Kill him, expose his identity, and she'd gain abundant merit.

Pan Yun glanced at her Spirit Realm, weighed the two options, and decided to earn the quick merit first—those behind him could be hunted later.

Song Bei could pretend to be Han and travel freely in Great Ming—his connections run deep. She didn't believe she couldn't find traces.

Having decided, Pan Yun looked at Song Bei as if he were already dead. When he turned to look at her, she smiled at him with particular friendliness.

Song Bei returned the smile. The caravan passed down the street toward the port.

Zhang Weiliang occasionally turned his head and saw the caravan passing beneath the tavern window—immediately recognizing Pan Yun and her two disciples seated in the open carriage.

His pupils shrank; he frowned, muttering under his breath: "Idiot!"

Zhang Weiqin, seated across from him, lowered his gaze, eyes flickering. "This seems to be the Song family's trading house. Didn't our family say they're the ones colluding with pirates? We were ordered to wipe them out and return with merit. Why is Pan Yun with them?"

(End of Chapter)