Chapter 886
At the Gate of the City Lord's Mansion
Another sharp pain shot through my chest.
He closed his eyes and whispered, "...What were they doing while I was asleep?"
Shen Changyuan walked to the bedside and sat down, speaking very softly, as if afraid of waking something:
"I'll stay by your side."
"On the first day, Zhao Sanhuai knelt at the foot of the bed from midnight to 9 am, his knees bleeding, but he still refused to get up, saying, 'I won't get up until the master wakes up.' On the second day, Guo Tianyou led his men to reinforce the city wall with another layer, and also carved four characters on the north gate—'Eternal Good Fortune.' On the third day, the twelve elders took out all their most treasured elixirs and piled them up at your bedside like a small mountain. They took turns keeping watch at night, and none of them were willing to leave for even a moment."
Zheng Yi opened his eyes.
A very faint glimmer of moisture flashed across his eyes.
His voice was hoarse: "...I owe them."
Shen Changyuan shook his head: "It's not a debt."
"They paid it back willingly."
"You didn't hide behind the scenes and give orders; you always stood at the forefront, taking the heaviest blows, the fiercest formations, and the most dangerous risks yourself. They saw it all and remembered it. Now, in Hongyun City, from cultivators to ordinary peddlers, everyone gives you a thumbs up."
Zheng Yi remained silent.
He simply propped himself up on the edge of the bed and sat up slowly.
The movements were extremely slow, and every movement aggravated the wound, causing cold sweat to quickly seep from his forehead.
Shen Changyuan tried to help, but he raised his hand to stop him.
He sat up straight, his gaze passing through the window and landing on the distant city wall.
On the city wall, the newly carved four characters "永守鸿运" (May good fortune last forever) are particularly eye-catching in the morning light.
The handwriting is vigorous, with sharp, chiseled edges.
Zheng Yi's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself:
"They...did it better than I expected."
Shen Changyuan chuckled: "Of course. During the three days you were unconscious, the city didn't descend into chaos; they managed to hold it together entirely on their own. Even the old man selling pancakes donated all the copper coins he earned in those three days, saying he wanted to brew medicine for you, sir."
Zheng Yi's lips curled slightly.
Extremely pale.
But it's real.
"...I want to see the city."
Shen Changyuan frowned: "You can't even stand up straight now."
Zheng Yi had already lifted the blanket.
Legs dangle down, toes touching the ground.
He braced himself against the edge of the bed and slowly stood up.
My knees felt weak, and my waist and abdomen felt like they were being stabbed.
But he still stopped.
Shen Changyuan remained silent for a moment, but ultimately did not stop him.
He simply walked to the door and pushed it open.
"Let's go."
"They've waited for you for three days; it's time to see you stand up."
Zheng Yi walked out step by step.
Every step felt like walking on a knife's edge.
But he walked very steadily.
Under the ginkgo tree in the backyard, Zhao Sanhuai was the first to see him.
Zhao Sanhuai was stunned.
The cane fell to the ground with a "thud".
He suddenly knelt down with a thud, his knees hitting the ground, his voice choked and incoherent:
"My lord...you...you're awake..."
The sound came out.
The entire backyard fell silent instantly.
Then came an even bigger uproar.
Guo Tianyou rushed in through the side door, his armor not even fully on, his helmet askew.
"gentlemen!"
He lunged forward, but stopped three steps away, knelt down, and kowtowed heavily.
"Sir...you're alright now..."
Master Kulian, Lady Bixiao, Marquis Tiebi, Ghost Shadow Elder... twelve cultivators rushed into the backyard almost simultaneously.
They didn't speak, they just looked at Zheng Yi.
Looking at his pale face.
Looking at his upright figure.
Look at his right hand, which is gripping half of the broken sword.
Some people had red eyes.
Someone's throat bobbed.
Iron-Armed Marquis was the first to speak, his voice rough and hoarse, like rolling sand and gravel:
"Sir...you've stood up...I...I'm fucking idiot..."
He didn't finish speaking before wiping his face heavily.
Lady Bixiao stepped forward, placed her short flute at Zheng Yi's feet, and spoke in a trembling voice:
"Sir...this flute...is yours from now on."
Master Kulian stroked his beard, his voice tinged with laughter:
"As I said before, as long as you wake up, my old bones... can still fight for another ten years."
The Ghost Shadow Elder snorted coldly, but took a step forward:
"I'll keep my Soul-Locking Needles... to protect you."
Zheng Yi looked at them.
Looking at these faces, some old, some ferocious, some beautiful.
Look at the light in their eyes.
He suddenly laughed.
The smile was faint, yet utterly genuine.
"……Thanks."
Two words.
But it brought tears to everyone's eyes.
Zhao Sanhuai knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the bluestone slab, his voice choked with emotion:
"Sir...please don't thank me...we...we were saved by you..."
Zheng Yi bent down.
The movements were extremely slow.
He reached out and helped Zhao Sanhuai up.
Zhao Sanhuai was stunned.
Zheng Yi's voice was very soft:
"stand up."
"From now on... let's walk together."
Zhao Sanhuai's tears welled up instantly.
He gritted his teeth, but Zheng Yi still helped him up.
Everyone watched this scene unfold.
No one spoke.
But they all laughed.
I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face.
Outside the city lord's mansion, a commotion arose on the main street.
Someone shouted:
"The master is awake!"
"The master is awake!!!"
The sound traveled from one street to another.
It spread from the West Market to the East Market.
The message traveled from the cave dwellings to the city walls.
The entire Hongyun City seemed to come alive at that moment.
The doors of every household opened.
People flooded the streets.
Someone is holding up a freshly baked flatbread.
Someone was holding their own child.
Someone was carrying a wine jar.
Someone was carrying newly repaired farm tools.
They flocked to the city lord's mansion.
But they stopped outside the mansion gate.
No one pushed forward.
They just stood there.
Looking at the gate of the mansion.
Looking at that ginkgo tree.
Looking at the figure standing straight under the tree.
Someone suddenly shouted:
"gentlemen!"
"May you be victorious, sir!"
The voice was initially that of a person.
Then there were ten people.
Then there were one hundred people.
Then it's the whole street, the whole city.
"May you be victorious, sir!"
"May you be victorious, sir!!!"
The shouts were deafening.
Yet it was tinged with a deep sob.
Zheng Yi stood under the ginkgo tree.
Hearing those shouts of "Wan Sheng!"
He closed his eyes.
When she opened her eyes again, there was a very faint watery glint in them.
He raised his hand.
He bowed slightly to the crowd.
The voice was not loud.
Yet it penetrates all the noise:
"...Thank you all."
"Hongyun City... is still there."
this sentence.
It made everyone's eyes red with envy.
The shouts grew louder.
But it is more orderly.
Like an army that has been silent for a long time, it has finally found its own banner.
three days later.
The main hall of the city lord's mansion.
A banquet at night.
The hall wasn't furnished with many tables and chairs, except for a long, low table in the center, laden with dishes, but not many delicacies—most were simple, home-cooked meals brought in by city dwellers. There were sesame seed cakes baked by an old man selling them, chicken soup simmered by a woman, wild fruits picked by children, and mutton stewed in a freshly forged iron pot by a craftsman…
The twelve cultivators from the cave dwelling sat at the head of the table.
Zhao Sanhuai, Guo Tianyou, Guo Shouzhen, and Guo Xiong sat at the lower end.
The hall, the courtyard, and the corridor were all packed with people.
There were the Guo family members, young and old, wandering cultivators from the Dongfu District, and ordinary people from the city.
They weren't allowed into the hall, yet they all stood guard outside.
Holding a bowl.
Holding chopsticks.
But no one made the first move.
They are waiting.
Wait for Zheng Yi to come out.
When Zheng Yi came out, he had changed into a clean blue robe.
The injury hasn't fully healed yet, and my waist and abdomen are still stiff when I walk.
But he stood very straight.
The hall fell silent instantly.
Everyone was looking at him.
Zheng Yi walked to the head seat and sat down.
He looked at the table full of dishes.
Looking at everyone.
Suddenly he spoke:
"Today... I am able to sit here and eat."
"It's because of you."
He picked up the wine bowl in front of him.
The bowl contains the most ordinary rice wine in the city.
But he held it in his hands. He looked at the crowd.
The voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it clearly:
"This bowl... is for you."
"A tribute to all those who have protected Hongyun City."
He looked up.
He drank it all in one gulp.
The liquor is very strong.
It choked him and made him cough.
But no one laughed.
Everyone's eyes welled up with tears.
Zhao Sanhuai was the first to pick up his bowl.
His voice choked with emotion:
"My lord... I salute you!"
He downed it in one gulp.
The wine dripped down the scar.
Guo Tianyou stood up.
They hadn't even taken off their armor.
He held the bowl, his voice trembling:
"Sir... without you... there would be no Hongyun City today."
This bowl... is for you!
He drank it.
Tears fell into the wine bowl.
Master Kulian picked up the bowl, his voice aged yet tinged with laughter:
"The most worthwhile thing I've ever done in my life is following you."
"Mr. Jing."
Lady Bixiao, Marquis Tiebi, Ghost Shadow Elder...
The twelve monks raised their bowls at the same time.
"Mr. Jing!"
In the courtyard outside the hall.
The people also raised their bowls.
The voice was not loud.
But they were neat and tidy.
"Mr. Jing!"
This is a salute.
The sound echoed throughout the entire city.
Zheng Yi looked at everyone.
Looking at those faces.
He suddenly laughed.
His laughter was genuine.
"it is good."
"Today... we won't leave until we're drunk."
Cheers erupted instantly.
The wine bowls clinked together.
Laughter, crying, and shouting mingled together.
Someone started singing a vulgar folk song.
Someone started dancing the most clumsy dance.
Someone was hugging a wine jar and weeping bitterly.
Someone hugged his brother and laughed loudly.
The entire city lord's mansion was like a boiling pot.
Steaming hot.
It's full of the lively atmosphere of everyday life.
The banquet lasted from noon until evening.
They ate from evening until late at night.
The moon rises.
Lanterns were hung all over the ginkgo tree.
Red, yellow, and green.
It illuminated the entire backyard as bright as day.
Zheng Yi sat in the main seat.
I didn't drink much.
Just watching.
He watched everyone laugh.
He watched as everyone cried.
I watched them pour the wine on the ground, saying it was to honor their deceased brothers.
Watching them break the sesame seed cakes in half and share them with the people around them.
Looking at this city... it came back to life.
late at night.
The banquet finally came to an end.
The group left, drunk.
Someone was being helped up.
People were helping each other up.
Some people simply lay down in the yard and started snoring.
Zheng Yi was the last to leave the main hall.
He walked to the ginkgo tree.
A night breeze blows.
It carries the chill of autumn.
He looked up.
The moon is very round.
It's very bright.
He looked at the moon.
He suddenly spoke.
The sound was very soft.
But Shen Changyuan, who was guarding not far away, heard it.
"senior."
Shen Changyuan walked over.
The white robe gleamed coldly in the moonlight.
"Are you sober now?"
Zheng Yi shook his head.
"I'm not drunk."
He looked towards the city wall.
Looking towards the cluster of cave dwellings.
Look towards the direction of the Blackwater River in the distance.
The voice was very low:
"This battle... is over."
"But Hongyun City... still has many battles to fight."
Shen Changyuan raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"
Zheng Yi turned around.
My gaze pierced through the night.
It falls into the distance.
"The Li family has fallen."
“But the Li family has never been the only one eyeing this city.”
"The Han family, the Lu family, the Iron Sand Gang... and even more distant forces... are all watching."
"They dare not move now."
"It's because of fear."
"You're afraid of me."
"I'm afraid of Senior Shen."
"I'm afraid this city... might suddenly become stronger."
He paused.
The sound was even lower:
"But I'm afraid... it will pass."
"Wait until they come to their senses."
"They didn't realize my injury hadn't fully healed by then."
"When they discover this city... its foundation is actually quite weak."
"They will come."
"So... I have to be faster."
"Become stronger faster."
"Almost there...they won't dare come again."
Shen Changyuan remained silent for a moment.
Suddenly he laughed.
His smile was very faint.
But I was extremely pleased.
"it is good."
"I'll stay with you."
"But you need to heal your injury first."
Zheng Yi nodded.
He looked up at the night sky.
The moon is still very round.
It's very bright.
His voice was very soft, as if he were making a promise:
"Will do."
"soon."
The wind blows through the ginkgo trees.
The last leaf fell.
It landed on Zheng Yi's shoulder.
He didn't brush it away.
Just look up.
Looking at the moon.
Looking at this city.
The morning mist in Hongyun City always rises from the Blackwater River, first covering the moss at the base of the city walls with a thin layer, then slowly creeping up the bluestone slabs of the main street, casting a damp, grayish-white veil over the newly set-up breakfast stalls. Old Zhang, the tofu pudding vendor, sets up his wooden cart at the street corner as usual, the large copper pot on the cart steaming, the aroma of the brine mingling with the sweetness of the beans filling the air. Across the street, the stall frying dough sticks has already lit its fire; the oil sizzles and crackles, the golden-brown dough sticks being scooped up with bamboo strips and drained on a wire mesh, steaming hot and puffing up white smoke.
When Zheng Yi came out of the side gate of the city lord's mansion, it was just dawn.
He wasn't wearing the blood-stained black robe, but a very ordinary gray-blue cloth shirt, with only a plain cloth belt around his waist, and faded cloth shoes on his feet. The broken sword had been replaced with an ordinary iron sword, and the scabbard wasn't wrapped with cloth strips, making him look no different from any other Qi Refining cultivator on the street. The only conspicuous thing was the sword wound on the web of his right hand, which hadn't fully healed yet; a thin, pale gold line snaked under his skin, like a small snake that might awaken at any moment.
He didn't bring any guards, nor did he let Guo Tianyou come with him.
He was alone, his hands tucked into his sleeves, slowly walking west along the main street.
The first person to recognize him was Aunt Wang, who fries dough sticks.
Aunt Wang was putting fresh dough into the oil pan when she heard footsteps. Looking up, she initially mistook it for an early riser, but when she saw the face clearly, her spoon clattered into the oil, splattering a string of oil droplets. She hurriedly wiped her hands, her voice trembling:
"gentlemen?!"
Zheng Yi paused and turned to look at her.
Aunt Wang's eyes suddenly reddened, she wiped her hands haphazardly on her apron, and was about to kneel down on the ground:
"Sir, you...you've finally come out! My wife was saying the day before yesterday that if you hadn't woken up, all of us neighbors would have gone to burn incense at the city lord's mansion..."
Zheng Yi raised his hand to help her up, preventing her from kneeling down.
"Aunt Wang, get up and speak."
Aunt Wang stood up, wiping away her tears, her hands still trembling, and pointed to the oil pan:
"Sir, would you like to try some? It's freshly fried and crispy... I don't want any money!"
Zheng Yi shook his head, but did not refuse. He picked up the thickest fried dough stick from the wire mesh and took a bite.
The outer layer is crispy, while the inside is still warm and soft, with the aroma of oil mixed with a hint of wheat spreading on the tip of the tongue.
"Delicious." He swallowed and said seriously, "Much better than the hard-crusted flatbread I ate on the city wall a few days ago."
Aunt Wang stopped crying and started laughing, then busied herself stuffing a few more sticks into the paper package:
"Sir, take this and eat it on the way! We fry these every day, so come whenever you want some, and I'll save the biggest one for you!"
Zheng Yi took the package, thanked him, and continued walking. (End of Chapter)