[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming":3,"chapter-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-33":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Unorthodox Sword of Ming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2337238,4570,"Chapter 33: Unpleasant Journey","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-33",33,"\u003Cp>Pan Yun gripped the rope with a blank expression, trying to steady herself, when the cart hit a series of small potholes and jolted up and down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a loud thud as it sank into a pit, Pan Yun naturally released her grip—and her whole body was flung outward…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She landed firmly on the ground, stood up, saw silver stars flickering before her eyes, and took a long moment to shake off the dizziness. When she looked ahead, the mule cart had already rumbled far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She saw the black cat bouncing up and down on the cart roof; when it spotted her landing, it let out a series of startled cries, several times trying to leap down after her, only to realize it had no foothold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would’ve thought? It could walk as easily on rafters as on flat ground, climb roofs and leap into ditches—but couldn’t jump off a mere mule cart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji heard the cat’s shrill cries, waved the reins while shouting: “Stop yelling! This stretch’s just rough—once we pass ahead, it’ll be smooth. You won’t sit in my lap, so I don’t even mind you scratching me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji mumbled on, but Xuan Miao’s heart stirred; he suddenly leaned forward to look back—and Pan Yun was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji jumped in shock, yanked the mule to a halt, leapt down, and rushed to the rear, shouting: “She’s run off again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, didn’t you say you’d convinced her? Why’s she run off again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuan Miao: “Shut up. Turn around. Go back and find her!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will we even find her?” Though he muttered this, Tao Ji quickly turned the mule around and hurried back—the already bumpy cart grew bumpier still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the black cat had already jumped down while he stopped and sprinted ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun walked a few steps along the roadside, decided it wasn’t worth enduring such discomfort, and sat down on a patch of clean grass to wait for them to come back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji hurried the cart back, saw Pan Yun sitting quietly by the roadside, and pulled the mule to a stop with a sharp “Whoa—.” The two stared at each other across seven or eight small pits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji sighed in relief and asked gently: “Why did you get off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun’s face was expressionless: “You tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei leapt into Pan Yun’s arms and meowed at Tao Ji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Pan Yun hugged the black cat and squeezed in beside them up front; Tao Ji sat in the middle, squashed into a lump. He said: “When we reach the next post station, I’ll reorganize the cart and make room for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun snorted: “Does Mount Sanqing have nothing for sale? Why buy things from so far away?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji sighed: “You’ll understand after living on the mountain for two years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun felt a bad premonition and turned to Xuan Miao: “At the next stop, I want to send a letter and money to my father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuan Miao thought for a moment and agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had traveled for days and were now far from Beijing and Kaifeng Prefecture; no one should be watching them anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she thought so, before Pan Yun exchanged money, Xuan Miao still cast a divination—and only after confirming it was auspicious did they go to the money shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much silver note do you want to exchange?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun thought, uncertain whether the money would reach them safely, and said: “First, exchange one hundred taels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s one pan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silver converted to silver notes, then entrusted to the money shop for delivery—of course, with a handling fee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Pan Yun’s first time ever sending money. After confirming the five percent handling fee, she handed over all the silver notes and took the receipt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, Pan Yun stayed at the inn, troubled over how to write the letter so it wouldn’t arouse suspicion, yet still make her father know it was her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh. It was her own fault—she’d been too well-behaved for the past eight years and never set any secret code with her father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun could only write: Old Pan, long time no see. When I heard news of you, I learned you’d been exiled to Datong—my heart aches deeply…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the name of an old friend, Pan Yun wrote that she now dwelled in deep mountains cultivating Dao, eating well, living well, and growing healthier day by day; he should rest easy, write often when nothing’s wrong, and write even more urgently when something is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the letter, she told him she had sent money through the Changde Money Shop; he could collect it by presenting the receipt and matching the message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the message, Pan Yun wrote: “The name of my poor, beloved, deceased niece.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When signing, Pan Yun paused, then wrote: “Sanzhu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a child, she was always sick and obsessed with cultivation—unable and unwilling to go out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her two older brothers wanted to take her out to play but dared not; in their torment, the three siblings often talked about how, once she recovered, they’d take her to do all sorts of things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This world imposed heavy restrictions on women, especially daughters of officials; to truly enjoy oneself outside, dressing as a man was best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her second brother not only prepared boy’s clothes, hats, and shoes for her, but gave her many names—all bearing “three,” since she was the third child; all were terribly ugly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh. Too many names were a nuisance, but since they were all written down, if her two brothers weren’t fools, they’d understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun placed the receipt inside the letter, sealed the envelope, and, accompanied by Xuan Miao and Tao Ji, went to the Minxin Bureau to mail it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji walked beside Pan Yun and warned her: “Did you write the address of Mount Sanqing? There’s no Minxin Bureau beneath Mount Sanqing—only emergency relay stations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minxin Bureau was a private postal service, thriving in Jiangnan, with branches nationwide—including Datong. It delivered letters swiftly and conveniently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a Minxin Bureau in Guangxin Prefecture. They chose it over the official relay station as a final test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew if the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Beijing suspected the Pan family; for these past two months, to avoid suspicion, she deliberately avoided contact with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If all went well, her second uncle should have returned to his hometown in Changzhou Prefecture. If not, he might still be stranded in Beijing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun looked at Xuan Miao. Xuan Miao met her gaze calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun grinned and said sweetly: “Immortal Master Xuan Miao, after we leave the Minxin Bureau, may I treat you to a meal? These past two months have been exhausting for you, running back and forth for my safety.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuan Miao calmly looked away and quickened her pace: “Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside them, Tao Ji widened his eyes, hurried ahead of Pan Yun by one step, and kept glancing back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun frowned at him, annoyed by his hesitant, speechless demeanor, and stepped past him: “If you have something to say, say it. If not, shut your face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey,” Tao Ji caught up from behind. “What do you mean, ‘shut your face’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The face is for seeing. The mouth is for speaking. Yet you’re using your face to speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji paused, gathered his breath, and hurried after her again, indignant: “Why do you only invite Sister, not me? I’ve worked just as hard these past two months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun thought, then asked sincerely: “Can you find out about my second uncle’s family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji blinked, then shook his head: “A thousand li from Beijing? How can I find out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.read\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “Then forget it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji realized it at last, fell silent for a long while—he’d thought she was being sweet to Xuan Miao, but she’d only been seeking a favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Sister could indeed find out about Pan Tao’s family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minxin Bureau was busy; one clerk was receiving letters at the counter, while others sorted mail in the back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old woman’s envelope was poorly written; the clerk was rewriting it for her. Seeing Pan Yun’s trio enter, he warmly greeted: “Honored guests, please wait a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the old woman’s envelope and collecting it, he turned to them: “Three honored guests—do you wish to send a letter or an item?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun’s eyes brightened: “You can send items too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk nodded with a smile: “We can send anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji immediately stopped her: “Don’t send anything unusual—it’s expensive. They have money; what can’t they buy over there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun glanced at him: “What if you send a person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk paused, then said: “That’s not hard. Our neighbor runs a security escort agency. Where are you sending them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun now understood: travelers typically joined a security escort agency. She pulled out the letter: “I’m sending a letter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk warmly attended to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her detailed address, he calculated the fee: “To Datong, the delivery fee is fifty-five cash. Would you like to pay for guaranteed delivery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The country bumpkin Pan Yun asked: “What’s guaranteed delivery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk smiled: “It ensures your letter or item reaches the recipient safely. If damaged or lost, the Minxin Bureau compensates.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gazed hopefully at Pan Yun—would she send an item?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun didn’t send an item, but she still paid for guaranteed delivery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fee for one letter was small. After collecting it, the clerk stamped the envelope with a different-colored seal and placed it alone in another box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letters with guaranteed delivery were set apart and given special protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun watched, thoroughly satisfied, and asked: “How many days until it reaches Datong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk smiled: “At most seven days. If fast, five days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun relaxed. After leaving the Minxin Bureau, she began searching for a restaurant to treat Xuan Miao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuan Miao was too lazy to bother. Knowing her intent, she said directly: “Give me the money you’d spend on the meal. Consider it already paid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun looked troubled: “That’s not right—treating someone is to build goodwill…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We still have a way to go before Yushan County. The road ahead is rough. I don’t want to delay. I’ll go find out the news for you right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun immediately pulled out money, her face beaming: “Thank you, Immortal Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shoved a string of coins into Xuan Miao’s hand. Seeing Xuan Miao accept it without complaint, her smile grew even brighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji looked away, unable to bear it. Pan Xiaohei also meowed and turned its head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuan Miao didn’t want to delay. She turned on her heel: “I’ll go find someone. You two eat and shop. Meet back at the mule cart in one hour.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun and Tao Ji exchanged glances. Neither wanted to treat the other, so they turned straight to a steamed bun shop, bought a few buns, and ate their own purchases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun ate while wandering. Tao Ji fed Pan Xiaohei a bite, kept glancing at her: “You’re… a lady of the inner chambers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “My family has no ladies. My father’s just a censor—poor. We rent our house. Only one servant in the whole household. Every month, my second uncle, who teaches, has to support us. Do I look like a rich man’s child?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji nodded: “Indeed, you don’t look like one at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked around: “What are we even shopping for? I’ve bought everything. Let’s just go back to the cart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking all day had tired him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “I need to buy cinnabar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today and tomorrow’s lucky numbers end in 1. Screenshot as proof. Join the group “The Eccentric Ming” and ask Mo Yan for your reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1969,"2026-06-20T22:03:57.478Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8d41425d1ad3b670a122fd72a049e035ff2a095ba144cea81a96e87b5f6de726","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-34","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-32",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-cover.jpg"]