Chapter 618

Miao Zhen, Miao He, and Tao Yanbai naturally followed Pan Yun; Wang Cong also wanted to see Japan, so he naturally brought along Hu Jing, who was using the alias Gu Daxia.

Besides their own group, Zhang Weiyi and several of his fellow disciples also decided to go to Japan for cultivation practice.

For this anti-piracy campaign, they split into three routes; this one has succeeded, and the eastern Yang Island side should be fine too—it all depends on Zhang Ziming's Fuzhou route.

After this battle, most of the "Japanese pirates" along the southeast coast were wiped out, avenging the villagers massacred last year and deterring them—none would dare land easily for at least two years.

At this point, they had succeeded.

Returning home now would mean a mountain of trivial duties; better to go to Japan for cultivation practice.

So the moment Pan Yun told Li Wenying she needed a ship to Japan, Zhang Weiyi and his fellow disciples showed up at her door.

They arrived so fast that Pan Yun suspected they'd been ordered by Li Wenying to go to Japan.

Even now, this suspicion had not faded.

Oh, besides Zhang Weiyi and his group, Xue Shao and his servant were also on board.

Behind him were two men who looked anything but ordinary, claiming to be from the Idle Gang of the Jianghu, but Pan Yun always sensed a whiff of Yun Yan about them, leading her to suspect they were Jin Yi Wei.

"By the way, what were your two friends' names again?"

The two young men smiled and bowed: "Pan Sanzhu Daoist, I am Chen Liutao."

"I am Qu Zhixing!"

Pan Yun nodded: "Good names!"

She turned to Song Xuan and Gao Zhiming: "You all move in the Jianghu—don't you know each other?"

The four exchanged glances; Gao Zhiming laughed: "My disciple and I have always stayed around Hengshan; we know little of the Jianghu heroes. Only now, on this journey, have we realized how narrow our view has been—we knew nothing of the world beyond. That's why we decided to follow Pan Sanzhu Daoist to Japan for cultivation practice."

Pan Yun nodded slightly: "Since we've come to this, let me be blunt: going to Japan was my idea, but you all came of your own free will. So once we reach Japan, you bear your own life and death. If you cause minor trouble, we can help each other; if you cause major trouble and happen to cross paths, remember to pretend you don't know each other."

The martial artists stared at her, dumbfounded—could you really say that out loud?

It contradicted everything they'd been taught since childhood.

Pan Yun: "So we don't all get caught in one net and leave no one alive to return home and report."

Everyone instantly understood, looking at Pan Yun with deep emotion: "Pan Sanzhu Daoist really thinks ahead. Indeed, this journey is different—not just abroad, but in a foreign country. What matters most is family back home."

"If we cause a major disaster, calling on everyone won't help—better to preserve one person to carry word home, so our families at least know whether we're alive or dead, why we died, and who killed us."

Pan Yun nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, that's exactly what I meant!"

Absolutely not because of some "let the other sect die first" mentality.

Everyone bid farewell to friends and family on shore and boarded the ship.

The sailors obeyed and set sail; as the people on shore grew smaller and the sails began to rise, Pan Yun stroked Pan Xiaohei and muttered to herself: "Something feels off… like I forgot something…"

Miao He chimed in: "Did you forget to bring something?"

Pan Yun froze: "Did I forget to bring Pan Xiaohei?"

She clenched her hand tightly; Pan Xiaohei winced and screamed angrily: "Meow—!"

Everyone silently looked down at the black cat in her hand.

Pan Yun immediately loosened her grip and patted him: "Sorry, sorry, I completely forgot you were in my hand…"

Pan Xiaohei raged, cursing loudly—then, once satisfied, said: 【Idiot, you forgot Qu Le!】

Pan Yun's hand froze on his fur; she turned to ask Miao Zhen and the others: "When we said goodbye, did any of you see Qu Le?"

They exchanged glances and all shook their heads.

Wang Cong and the others felt a sudden, familiar dread.

Hu Jing remained innocent: "Maybe he didn't come to say goodbye because he was heartbroken you wouldn't take him? When you return, just bring him some gifts to cheer him up—young people are easy to soothe."

Pan Yun looked skeptical: "Really?"

Song Xuan and the others comforted her: "Qu Young Master isn't the petty type—he'll get over it. Besides, this decision came from the Wu Lin Alliance and the Celestial Master's Mansion; he'll understand."

Pan Yun: "He'll understand nothing."

Miao Zhen: "If he understood, he wouldn't have run away from home just to learn Daoist arts."

Wang Cong had already slumped his head and turned around: "Let's look. He's probably hiding in some cabin."

Tao Yanbai and Miao He turned to search.

Zhang Weiyi and the others sighed and scattered to look.

Song Xuan and Gao Zhiming exchanged glances and murmured: "It can't be that serious?"

Of course it was.

The group searched the entire ship for nearly half an hour before Pan Yun, with Pan Xiaohei, found him behind a sack of rice in the kitchen.

Pan Yun pulled aside the rice sack and saw Qu Le curled up, hugging a bag of rice, fast asleep: "You've got a good hiding spot."

Then she slapped his face, waking him up.

Qu Le opened his eyes, saw her, and clutched the rice bag tightly, shouting: "I'm not going back—not ever!"

Pan Yun: "Snap out of it—we've been sailing for half an hour. You're not that important; I'm not turning the whole ship around just to get you."

Qu Le still refused to let go, eyeing her warily: "You can fly—you won't throw me into your pot and send me back, will you?"

"If everyone on this ship were from my sect, I'd do exactly that—but they're not," Pan Yun counted off on her fingers: "There are Jianghu heroes, ordinary sailors, soldiers from the Water Army Command, even Jin Yi Wei and censors in disguise. You're not worth me turning back—or breaking the law to fly you back."

Qu Le suddenly remembered: flying in front of ordinary people was against the law.

Pan Yun snorted and stepped aside: "Come out. Don't tear up my rice sack."

Qu Le crawled out, brushing dust off his clothes.

Pan Yun crossed her arms and leaned against the door, frowning silently.

Qu Le avoided her gaze, brushing dust off himself as he muttered: "Before we left, we agreed we were a team—we were supposed to stick together and protect each other. But the anti-piracy isn't even over, and you're abandoning me…"

Pan Yun: "Our team's mission is done—only cleanup remains. On the other routes, whether we're there or not makes no difference…"

Qu Le: "Then I'm coming with you."

Pan Yun: "Japan isn't like Great Ming—no one there gives a damn about Lin Mengzhu."

Qu Le's face turned serious: "I don't need it—I can protect myself!"

Pan Yun thought for a moment, then nodded: "Fine. Japan is in chaos right now. As long as you don't go looking for trouble, your Wu Gong is more than enough to keep you alive."

(End of Chapter)