Chapter 152: Many Farewells
On the third day, news came from the city that the dean had woken up.
Zhao Yushu changed his clothes, washed off the blood, tried to make himself look clean and tidy, and followed Wang Buzhi into the government office. Lan Rong did not show up.
"Yushu." The dean was leaning on the bed. He was in good spirits, but he was unable to get out of bed.
"Dean, I lost." Zhao Yushu stood beside the bed, feeling dejected.
"What do you mean by winning or losing? I just didn't expect it. If the assassin hadn't come, I would have gone outside the city to catch these people that day. But there are not so many ifs in this world. Child, you have done your best, that's enough."
Zhao Yushu talked with Dean Wang for a long time and learned that after Dean Wang had a long talk with the old helmsman that day, they both realized that Wang Shaolin's backup plan was most likely in the refugee camp. The old helmsman had made some speculations before, but he was a cultivator after all, and naturally looked down on the martial arts of mortals. But Dean Wang was different. He took into account the new mortals who had joined the sect.
However, all this was known by Master Qin's uncle who had always been hiding in the dark. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to expose himself to block Dean Wang's investigation, because everyone was on guard against the monks under Wang Shaolin. Once those refugees were exposed, he might not be able to succeed.
So when Dean Wang was seriously injured and unconscious, as soon as the grain was stored in the warehouse, Wang Shaolin did not dare to wait a moment and took action immediately that day.
The academy reopened, and Dean Wang declined Lan Rong's invitation and insisted on returning to the academy. Several letters from Dongdu finally reached Zhao Yushu's hands.
It was a rare occasion that the eldest senior brother wrote back personally, explaining that the academy had already begun investigating the matter of the mountain god and the underworld, and had entrusted local officials to look after the elderly, the weak, women and children in Muping Village. However, the world is so big, and there is no telling how many villages like this there are, and the academy can do nothing about the places it cannot see.
In addition, the eldest senior brother suggested that he should not go directly to Jiangning by land after leaving Nanyang, but go all the way south to Xiangfan, and then take the water route into the Yangtze River and go downstream. It would also be a wonderful thing to appreciate the magnificence of the river along the way.
Yun Gu also wrote back a letter. The good news was that clever Ji Leng had safely brought Rulan back to Dongdu and was currently housed in a small house prepared by Yun Gu. Ji Leng, who couldn't sit still, went to the academy to work and study part-time under the guise of Zhao Yushu's servant, which made Rulan unable to sit still. At the end of the letter, she asked Yun Gu to write that she and Mo'er had gone to a school together, and if possible, she would take part in the academy's exam next year.
Zhao Yushu couldn't help but laugh after seeing this, it was obvious that the girl wanted to keep an eye on Old Wang, but if Mo'er got involved, his old friend Wang Yuan would be in trouble, because next year when he sees his wife become a schoolmate, it would be difficult for him to be a playboy again.
The last letter was from Buzhi. As the young monk got older, he spoke more like an old monk. There was nothing important in the letter, except that he complained that he couldn't help but use the incense money given by the pilgrims recently to spend a few meals at Buddha's Nest, and was seen by someone, so his incense money was reduced a lot.
As expected of you, Monk Bujie. Zhao Yushu thought about it and wondered whether he should lend the monk some money to cheer himself up. Finally, after some consideration, he decided to give up and let him worry about it himself. This was his fate.
As per the usual practice, he wrote a letter back to his eldest senior brother, explaining what had happened in Nanyang in the past few days. In the letter, he angrily asked his eldest senior brother to find an opportunity to go to Jiangning and beat the Duke of Yue and his son to death with a pipe to vent his anger.
The letter to Yun Gu was rather complicated. First, he fully expressed his support for Rulan and Mo'er and his gratitude to Yun Gu. In addition, based on the inspiration given to him by Gao Xu, he asked Yun Gu if there were any better financial businesses in Dongdu. He could not just live off his savings and wanted to make more money with the remaining money. After all, although this world had spiritual energy, it did not have spiritual stones, the universal currency in the immortal cultivation novels of his previous life. Inner realm masters also had appetites and needed clothes to eat.
The last letter to Bujie was much more light-hearted and cheerful. It was full of teasing and sarcasm, and did not mention Nanyang at all.
Zhao Yushu wrote the letter first, then A Yao copied it, and finally he signed his name and stamped it with his private seal. It was perfect.
The work outside the city was not finished yet. After staying in the city for less than a day, Zhao Yushu prepared to continue to the south of the city. As soon as he walked out of the gate of the academy, a flatbed carriage stopped outside the gate.
"Mr. Zhao." Zhao Yushu had some impression of the person who came. After exchanging greetings, he remembered that he was Uncle Chen who had followed Lan Ling before and was Lan Rong's family general.
"On the orders of my master, please do me a favor, Mr. Zhao." Uncle Chen lifted the straw mat on the cart, and the old helmsman's body was lying quietly on it.
Zhao Yushu's face shuddered: "How did he die?"
"I killed him personally. If the people from the Red Lotus Cult want to seek revenge, I am at the government office. Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Zhao." Uncle Chen bowed and turned to leave.
The old helmsman's appearance had been simply tidied up, so at least his face was not covered in blood, and his face still looked kind and wise.
Zhao Yushu silently covered the straw mat, took the reins, and slowly walked out of the city.
Fang Sanniang was very calm after seeing the old helmsman's body. She did not burst into tears as Zhao Yushu had imagined, but carefully wiped off the few remaining stains on her face.
"Sanniang, cry if you want to." Lan Ling stood aside, put her arm around Sanniang's shoulders and advised her.
Sanniang shook her head and said, "When we came to Nanyang, we had already anticipated this day. It's just that Master walked faster and I walked slower."
"Send him back to the south?" Zhao Yushu asked softly.
"No need, just go with everyone, it's fine." Fang Sanniang lifted the old helmsman's body, climbed onto a pile of firewood that already had many corpses piled on it, and gently placed it on the top.
The flames lit up, and this master of the sixth heaven, this old man who had given up all his wealth and glory in his life, flew into the sky along with his beliefs and the refugees he had risked his life to protect, in the blooming red lotus.
After five full days, the area outside the city was finally cleared. The Lu family continued to transport additional food, and refugees began to leave Nanyang one after another after getting enough dry food to return home.
More than 10,000 corpses almost exhausted the wood outside the city, and even demolished many shacks and granaries that were no longer of much use.
It seemed that it was finally time to say goodbye.
Miss Lu was very tactful. She did not suggest holding a farewell banquet for Zhao Yushu. Instead, she went to the city to say goodbye in person. Finally, she took away a handwritten thank-you note from Zhao Yushu with great care.
"I hope to see you again in the future, Master Dongdu. Take care."
"treasure."
Wang Bushi was the second one to come, bringing a horse, a donkey and a bag of dried fruits and cakes.
The horse was for Zhao Yushu, and the donkey and cakes were for A Yao who had been helping outside the city these days.
"We met in the north of the city and parted in the south. I thought I could spend a few days playing with you in Nanyang, but I didn't expect this to happen. Brother Zhao, my father has agreed to let me go to Dongdu. If there is a chance next year, I will call you my senior brother."
"Dean Wang, you are the only son left by his side. Can you really bear to let you go?"
"My father said: You are going to the Eastern Capital this time, not for fame, but for you to learn a little from the Jade Book, and be kind to others in the future, so that the ten years of hard study will not be in vain."
Zhao Yushu smiled casually: "Brother Wang, you are you, you don't need to learn from me. Wang Bushi is not inferior to Zhao Yushu. Besides, when you enter the academy, you will know my reputation in the academy. It is really not worth learning."
Wang Buzhi laughed loudly, and the two of them bowed to each other at the same time, just like they had just met.