Chapter 388: Tugging

Pan Yun pulled out a quilt from her space, dismantled the small low table in the vehicle, unfolded the seats on both sides, and assembled a bed about one meter wide inside the carriage.

She laid two layers of bedding on it, then lifted Hu Jing onto the vehicle.

Seeing his lips pale, she covered him with a quilt, "Rest for now; if the bumps hurt your wound, say so."

They dragged the carriage out of the Mountain God Temple; Wang Cong destroyed the traces behind, and only caught up much later.

Since most of the carriage space was given to Hu Jing, Miao He and the others walked outside, while Tao Yan Bai drove.

Once Wang Cong caught up, he took over driving, leaving only Pan Yun inside—the two finally began their first real conversation.

Hu Jing asked: "Master Sanzhu seems to know I'm being hunted."

Pan Yun: "I had bad luck—some Embroidered Uniform Guard stopped me on the road for inspection, and I overheard that Japanese pirates had landed and were chasing you, so the Embroidered Uniform Guard are looking for you too."

Hu Jing: "I knew those two were Japanese—the moment they moved, I knew."

Hu Jing lifted his eyes and stared tightly at Pan Yun: "Master Sanzhu arrived just in time—they had just caught me, hadn't even had time to question me, when you appeared. So why did they capture me?"

"Didn't you hear during yesterday's interrogation?"

"I was unconscious. I heard something about a map, but nothing more—I don't remember."

Pan Yun smiled faintly: "There was a map. They said it was on you—it had island coordinates and shipping routes."

Seeing Hu Jing's thoughtful but unsurprised expression, Pan Yun smiled slightly, "So Master Hu really does have this map—I mentioned it and you immediately knew what I meant."

Hu Jing pursed his lips, about to speak, when Pan Yun hissed, "Master Hu, think carefully before you answer—you pledged yourself to me, signed the contract."

Hu Jing's heart tightened; he felt Pan Yun had deliberately asked this question to force him into signing that thing.

But she had saved his life—thinking of how close he'd come to death yesterday, Hu Jing sighed and struggled to reach for his money pouch.

Pan Yun immediately pulled out his money pouch and placed it in his hands.

Hu Jing couldn't help glancing at her again, then emptied everything from the pouch, turned it inside out, and found an extremely fine thread tucked in a seam—normally, no one would notice.

He pulled the thread, and the pouch split open; with a finger, he felt a folded sheet of paper.

The paper was nearly transparent—even folded, it was thin; when unfolded, it was as delicate as a cicada's wing.

He handed the map to Pan Yun.

Pan Yun took it, glanced, and raised an eyebrow—it was nearly identical to the one she'd copied, only the shipping routes and island coordinates remained; all other defenses and island layouts were gone.

She smiled slightly and asked: "Did Zhu Zixun give you this map?"

Hu Jing grunted: "It's the Islander Farming and Residence Map."

"What map?"

Hu Jing glanced at her, annoyed: "The Islander Farming and Residence Map. The imperial court banned the sea; some fishermen couldn't farm or were denied land, so they risked going to sea."

"They couldn't keep shuttling back and forth to shore—they had to flee to islands and become free people, or sail south to live in foreign lands."

Hu Jing, a swordsman from the lower classes, knew how hard common folk struggled to survive: "Pirates are mostly free people from these islands. Their actions are questionable, but before Song Bei exposed them as Japanese pirates, I knew these islanders mostly fished, hunted pearls, and farmed on the islands—the able-bodied were only selected to join teams to help Song Bei smuggle Private goods."

"Their families on the islands were hostages, but Song Bei promised that if they were harmed, he would care for their families well."

Pan Yun lifted her chin. "Continue."

"Sometimes thick fog rises at sea, and ships lose the islands—or to evade naval patrols checking islands, islanders must flee to nearby isles. So to avoid losing the islands or their people, Zhu Zixun drew this Islander Farming and Residence Map as a precaution."

"He entrusted me with it," Hu Jing said, "because it wasn't used often, and he said it was vital—concerning the lives of hundreds or even thousands of islanders—so I carried it with me."

"After the Battle of Quanzhou, everyone on the islands was seized by the navy; this map became useless, and I forgot about it. So they came for this map?"

Hu Jing narrowed his eyes. "Is this not the Islander Farming and Residence Map?"

Pan Yun folded the map and tucked it away, smiling at Hu Jing: "Just treat it as the Islander Farming and Residence Map. Some things are better not known too clearly."

Hu Jing disagreed, grabbed her sleeve, and said grimly: "Please, Master Sanzhu, tell me what this map really is—I must die knowing the truth."

Pan Yun: "I didn't tell you to die."

Hu Jing: "Now Japanese pirates want me, the Embroidered Uniform Guard want me—you must at least tell me why. Otherwise, when they find me and I know nothing, won't I die for nothing?"

Pan Yun tilted her head, thought, then said: "No. If you know, you'll die even faster."

Hu Jing: "... If they catch me and I can't produce anything, I'll die anyway. I want to die as a ghost who understands the reason."

"Who said you can't produce anything?" Pan Yun pulled out ink, brush, paper, and inkstone, spread the map, and drew a new one right before his eyes—only slightly altering the islands, coordinates, and routes.

Pan Yun carefully blew on the ink to dry it, then handed it to Hu Jing: "Hide it in your money pouch later—pretend it's the real one."

Hu Jing:...

He was stunned by Pan Yun's move. Pan Yun said: "Whoever captures you, repeat exactly what you told me. You won't be lying. If they see you know nothing, they might spare your life."

Hu Jing murmured: "Are you sure?"

"I can't be sure about the Japanese pirates, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard might—probably, maybe, roughly—let you go, though you might suffer some pain. Just don't mention me."

Hu Jing: "Do you think they'll spare me if they sail out based on this map and can't find the islands?"

Pan Yun: "What's that to you? Even if it's wrong, it's Zhu Zixun's fault—the map was drawn by him, given to you. If anyone's to blame, find Zhu Zixun."

Hu Jing suddenly remembered: "Why is everyone chasing me—where's Zhu Zixun?"

He eyed her suspiciously: "You were the one chasing Zhu Zixun—you said you didn't catch him. Could it be you caught him, killed him, and lied to us saying you didn't?"

Pan Yun folded the map, slipped it into his pouch, then shoved the pouch into his chest, smiling: "Don't imagine nonsense. Do I look like someone who kills without a second thought?"

Thinking of the two bodies just buried, Hu Jing fell silent.

Pan Yun turned to get out of the carriage, when Hu Jing murmured: "It's the treasure map, isn't it?"

Pan Yun froze, turned back to look at him.

!. Read

Thinking of Zhu Zixun, Hu Jing suddenly understood: "When they interrogated Song Bei, they wanted to find the treasure's location—but Zhu Zixun escaped, so everyone assumed the treasure map was with him."

Hu Jing looked at Pan Yun: "The treasure map Zhu Zixun had is with you—so you never expected I'd have another copy. I didn't even realize—I foolishly carried it around, unaware of the danger..."

Pan Yun sat back down, no longer pretending: "Master Hu, you're clever—you figured it out at once."

Hu Jing frowned: "That's treasure looted from coastal civilians—it should be handed over to the authorities."

"You followed Song Bei as a pirate, and yet you have such an awakening?"

Hu Jing's face darkened as he said, "I followed Song Bei. I didn't know he was secretly raiding merchant ships and civilians on the side — I thought he was just smuggling."

He worked as a guard, always going inland with Song Bei to pick up goods, then escorting them to the island for distribution. It was smuggling work, not robbery and pillaging.

If he'd known Song Bei was that kind of person — and a Japanese pirate to boot — he never would have worked with him.

Pan Yun thought for a moment, then said, "Don't worry. That money wasn't taken by me alone — I cooperated with the imperial court."

"I don't believe it," Hu Jing wasn't stupid, and asked directly, "Who did you cooperate with? If it was the imperial court, why were the Embroidered Uniform Guard chasing me?"

Pan Yun: "They were officials and soldiers, anyway."

"Someone's planning a rebellion?"

"You think rebellion is like cabbage — anyone with a bit of money and a few people can just start one?" Pan Yun said, "No one wants to rebel. We just took that portion of the treasure on behalf of the government office. Don't worry — taken from the people, used for the people. In our hands, the common folk get far more real benefit than in theirs."

Hu Jing stared at her steadily, then after a moment said, "Swear — if you embezzled the treasure and didn't use it for the people's livelihood, then you… then you…"

Seeing he couldn't bring himself to make her swear, Pan Yun raised her finger and said, "Then may I be struck by lightning from the sky, alone this life, alone the next, alone for three lives…"

"Enough, enough," Hu Jing hurriedly stopped her, "You clearly had the chance to kill me and silence me — bury me in a pit with those two corpses — but you saved me instead, and even made me a fake map. That alone shows you're not a cruel person. I believe you — you don't need to swear such a vicious oath."

Pan Yun cupped her fists. "Hero Hu, you are righteous! Then we've reached an understanding. From now on, just pretend you know nothing about this. If the Embroidered Uniform Guard really come looking for you, give them the map — remember, this is the real map."

Hu Jing: …

"Only when you yourself believe it's real will others believe it too."

Hu Jing: "Your Wu Gong is high, I'll listen to you."

Hu Jing sighed and asked, "What if the Japanese come knocking?"

Pan Yun grinned and said, "Then we'll make sure they come but never leave. On the soil of our Great Ming, are we supposed to fear them?"

"Daoist Priest Sanzhu naturally isn't afraid, but Hu here can't beat them!"

Pan Yun paused. "That is indeed a problem. No rush — your injuries are quite serious anyway. Just come along with us on this journey."

Hu Jing asked, "Where are you headed?"

Pan Yun: "First to Jingcheng to see my senior brother, then home for the exams, then to the Academy to study."

She smiled and said, "Hero Hu, you can travel with us the whole way. I guarantee your safety. Once we reach Long Hushan, you won't have to worry at all."

"At Long Hushan, let alone a Japanese person — even a single fly from Japan flying in would be spotted."

Hu Jing: "…Daoist Priests are that powerful?"

"Extremely powerful."

Good night, one chapter short, will make it up another day

(End of chapter)