Chapter 56: Entering the Valley (Guaranteed First Installment)

The rain had finally stopped!

Above the Luo River, a thin layer of mist drifted like wisps of silk, resembling a beautiful young girl draped in a light veil.

The temperature had also dropped. The post-rain wind carried a refreshing coolness that felt very comfortable against the skin.

This was perhaps the most pleasant and comfortable night since the start of summer, following days of scorching heat.

Husky packed his luggage properly and glanced at the sky; it was already past midnight.

Dora had been out for nearly two hours, and calculating the time, she should be on her way back. As soon as dawn broke, they were to leave Luoyang and go into hiding, according to Zheng Yanqing’s advice. Although Zheng Yanqing had not said much, Husky could sense that this young boy did not view the current political situation favorably. As for the reasons, Husky could not put them into words. It was merely a strange intuition, yet it was precisely this intuition that led Husky to choose to trust Zheng Yanqing.

Likewise, Husky harbored another peculiar thought.

If the little princess were indeed to marry Yanqing in the future, then with this little fellow’s capability, backed by the Zheng clan, perhaps he could restore the great Zhou dynasty? Perhaps! If Aiya had such a helper, it would be of immense benefit to him.

With this thought, Husky stood up and walked into the bedroom.

Yuwen Aiya had fallen asleep on the couch...

Husky gently placed a light cloak over Aiya.

Toward this child whom he had raised single-handedly since infancy, Husky held a nearly grandfatherly affection. Upon careful reflection, he and Zheng Shi'an were quite similar. Both were castrated, both had lost their reproductive functions, and both had raised an infant to childhood. The only difference was that Zheng Shi'an had begun planning for the future, while Husky still had to worry about Yuwen Aiya.

After all, having one monstrous talent like Yanqing in this world was quite enough!

In his dreams, Yuwen Aiya was perhaps imagining something beautiful, as a brilliant smile appeared on his flushed little cheeks.

A surge of tenderness arose in Husky’s heart. He sat down beside Yuwen Aiya and quietly watched the sleeping boy.

"Grand Master, something has happened!"

The door was suddenly shoved open, and a youth of seventeen or eighteen rushed in from outside.

He was tall and thin, appearing quite delicate.

With his black hair scattered across his shoulders, he stood in the doorway shouting in a panic, instantly waking the sleeping Yuwen Aiya.

"Mao Gongsuix, what are you panicking about?"

If Zheng Yanqing had been here, he might have recognized that this youth named Mao Gongsuix was none other than Mao Xiaoba, who had abandoned his home years ago. Compared to five years ago, Mao Xiaoba seemed largely unchanged. He still possessed delicate facial features, with slightly slender eyes.

"Master, Master he..."

Husky furrowed his brows. "What happened to your master? Speak slowly, don't panic."

"Master has taken people, saying he is going to storm the imperial city and take the emperor's head!"

"What did you say?"

"Master has led people to break into the imperial city..."

Husky’s head buzzed, leaving him momentarily stunned.

"Your master was doing well enough; why would he storm the imperial city?"

Mao Gongsuix hesitated for a moment before speaking in a soft voice, "Master said that Grand Master, you live in comfort and have lost your fighting spirit. At the slightest sign of trouble, you plan to retreat from Luoyang, forgetting our past deep-seated hatred. Therefore, therefore... Master said he would rather die in battle than live in ignoble survival. Just now, he gathered five hundred disciples of the sect and headed toward Duanmen."

Husky panicked, completely at a loss for what to do.

"Damn that Bearded Man! Has he lost his mind?"

Husky cursed angrily, "Does he know that doing this will plunge all of us into grave danger? No, I must stop him. Mao Gongsuix, when did your master make his move?"

"He... just when the rain was heaviest, he gathered the sect disciples and assembled at Tongyuan Market. I couldn't stop him, so I had to run back to inform Grand Master. By now, Master should have just set out."

Husky forced himself to calm down and paced back and forth in the room twice.

"Aiya, wait here for your sister to return. If I haven't returned by dawn, do not wait for me. You and your sister must leave Luoyang immediately and return to Xiangyang. Once I am out of danger, I will come looking for you. Mao Gongsuix, stay here and take care of the Holy Son. Once the Holy Lady returns, you will depart with them back to Xiangyang... Remember, under no circumstances should you let the Holy Lady act rashly."

Mao Gongsuix quickly agreed. Without another word, Husky grabbed his horizontal blade and strode swiftly out of the room.

He led a horse out and galloped toward the direction of Duanmen.

If the Bearded Man had only just begun his action, perhaps he could catch him before he reached Duanmen. This fellow was usually quite clever; why was he being so foolish now? It was merely a temporary retreat, not a permanent farewell—why make such a huge fuss? Besides, the emperor was not even in Luoyang currently; what use was it even if he breached Duanmen? If this matter went poorly, it would implicate a wide range of people and might even affect the futures of the young master and the little princess.

The more Husky thought about it, the more burning anxiety consumed him.

Fortunately, there were hardly any pedestrians blocking the road. Normally, at this hour, city patrol guards would be on duty, but tonight's rain was so torrential that presumably those guards had not yet taken to the streets. Thus, Husky met with no obstructions all the way and sped straight toward Duanmen...

***

After Husky left, Mao Gongsuix sat on the threshold, constantly checking the sky.

"What are you looking at?"

"Holy Son, this subordinate is worried that if this operation fails, this hideout will likely be exposed."

"Ah?"

Yuwen Aiya was startled and hastily asked, "What should we do then?"

"Holy Son, I think we should leave this place as soon as possible."

"But my sister hasn't returned yet..."

"Where did the Holy Lady go?"

Yuwen Aiya hesitated. "Sister went to visit a friend; she should be back soon."

Husky had instructed Yuwen Aiya never to tell anyone that Dora and Zheng Yanqing knew each other, not even the closest people.

Although Yuwen Aiya was young, his memory was not too poor.

When Mao Gongsuix questioned him, he only hesitated for a moment and did not reveal the true answer to Mao Gongsuix.

"Holy Son, what worries me most right now is that once this matter breaks out, the city gates will inevitably be placed under martial law. If we want to get out then, I'm afraid it will be difficult... How about this, I happen to know a secluded refuge. I will take you there first, and then I will return here to wait for the Holy Lady. That way, even if something goes wrong, the Holy Son's safety will be guaranteed."

"But Chief Steward Hu said I must wait here for my sister to return."

Mao Gongsuix revealed a benevolent smile and spoke softly, "Holy Son, this situation arose so suddenly; presumably, Grand Master did not consider everything thoroughly. I am a native of Luoyang and am very familiar with the surroundings... Wouldn't it be much safer if I take you to a secure place first and then find Grand Master and the Holy Lady to reunite with you? On the contrary, if you stay here and something unexpected happens, Grand Master will surely worry. If he returns then, it might be even more dangerous... Therefore, we had better leave this place first."

Yuwen Aiya thought about it and felt that what Mao Gongsuix said was not entirely unreasonable.

"Alright then, let's leave this place now."

As they spoke, the two of them came out of the room. Mao Gongsuix picked up the heavy luggage bag and led three horses over.

Placing the luggage on one horse, he helped Yuwen Aiya mount another.

"Xiaoba, the city gates are all closed at this hour; how are we going to get out?"

Mao Gongsuix said, "The Holy Son can rest assured. I have some friends at Tongyuan Market; we can take a boat and travel upstream to leave the city."

"Then where on earth are we going?"

"Bamboo Garden..." Mao Gongsuix said softly, "The Holy Son should know Bamboo Garden; it is the residence of the renowned Cavalry Commandant, Master Zheng Ban-yuan. However, Master Zheng is currently living in the city, so Bamboo Garden is vacant. My parents guard Bamboo Garden for Master Zheng. It is very remote there; even if the imperial court sends people to search, they would not search Bamboo Garden."

"Ah, you know Brother Yanqing?"

Hearing Yuwen Aiya's form of address, Mao Gongsuix was momentarily taken aback.

"Holy Son, what did you just call Master Zheng?"

"Brother Yanqing... He has known my sister for many years, and Chief Steward Hu said Brother Yanqing will one day become my brother-in-law."

Mao Gongsuix's complexion suddenly turned extremely ugly.

"So, the Holy Son has such a connection with Master Zheng after all."

His eyes rolled around quickly as he realized that the friend the Holy Lady had gone to visit was most likely Zheng Yanqing.

In an instant, Mao Gongsuix's thoughts raced through a thousand possibilities.

Born into a tenant-farming family and relying on tilling the land for others to survive, he could hardly achieve any great success before his death. When he had held the stirrups and led the horse for Zheng Yanqing, who was even younger than him, a trace of unwillingness had risen in his heart. Neither of them belonged to the upper class; although he came from a tenant farmer background, he at least possessed an eighth-rank lineage, which was even a tier higher than Zheng Yanqing's background.

Yet, he had to hold the stirrups and lead the horse for Zheng Yanqing.

Consequently, when his brother-in-law found him and asked him to frame Zheng Yanqing, Mao Gongsuix agreed without hesitation.

However, when he saw that Zheng Yanqing also possessed an identical jade belt, Mao Gongsuix developed different ambitions. He wanted to climb higher; he wanted to become a true member of the upper crust. But if he remained in the farming estate, he would have hard chances of making a mark.

Right around that time, the preaching of the White-Clothed Maitreya gave Mao Gongsuix ideas.

He needed to learn a specialized skill to distinguish himself in the future.

And at that very moment, he harbored other intentions... Relying on Zheng Ruji's jade belt, Mao Gongsuix became a disciple under Hu Liyi, began practicing martial arts, and learned to read and write. Over four years, he truly acquired a set of skills. Thus, following Hu Liyi, he returned to the city of Luoyang. No one would have guessed that the slick and sharp-looking Mao Gongsuix was none other than Mao Xiaoba, who had stolen the jade belt and abandoned his family back then. Externally, he was the manager of Dating Restaurant; internally, he was a core disciple of the sect. Compared to his destitute past, Mao Gongsuix was incomparably majestic now.

He had also heard about his parents' situation and felt a slight pang of guilt in his heart.

Yet this guilt vanished in a flash... Who told you to give birth to me in a tenant-farming family? If not for that, how could I be any less than Zheng Yanqing?

He fancied that he was climbing fast.

Little did he expect that Zheng Yanqing was climbing even faster.

Over the past four years, Yanqing was not only no longer a lowly ninth-rank outcast, but he had also become a dazzling pearl within the Zheng clan.

When Yanqing went to Xingyang to quell the disaster of the Anyuan Hall, Mao Gongsuix had secretly met with his parents.

Mao Wang and his wife felt a bone-deep hatred toward him, yet they could not cast off this familial bond... Little did they know that the reason Mao Gongsuix sought to recognize them was simply to secure a hiding place. Especially when Fang Yanqian beat the disciples of the White-Clothed Maitreya to death during the manhunt, Mao Gongsuix felt even greater panic. Bamboo Garden was undoubtedly an excellent hideout for him.

Now, guessing the relationship between Zheng Yanqing and the White-Clothed Maitreya, a sudden sense of reservation arose in his heart.

Could the great backer his master spoke of defeat the Zheng family? Moreover, Zheng Yanqing was no longer what he used to be; his power was far beyond what Mao Gongsuix could imagine. Should he expose Zheng Yanqing's connection with the White-Clothed Maitreya to the authorities, or...

Mao Gongsuix's thoughts were complex as he led Yuwen Aiya to the Tongyuan Market pier.

A small boat was moored at the pier.

After bringing Yuwen Aiya aboard, Mao Gongsuix looked at the boy's thin back, furrowed his brows, and a murderous intent flashed sharply in his eyes.

Perhaps Master, this backer, was still not big enough...

***

Husky rode at a gallop, chasing all the way down Jianguo Gate Avenue.

In the distance, he saw a troop of White-Clothed Maitreya disciples dressed in white and wearing golden rings stepping slowly onto Tianjin Bridge.

"Stop all of you, stop!"

Husky shouted loudly, charging toward the head of Tianjin Bridge.

"Bearded Man, get your ass out here..."

"Ah, it's Lord Chief Steward!"

The Maitreya disciples, who were marching while chanting the Maitreya Sutra, heard Husky's shout, stopped in their tracks, and turned to look. When they clearly saw that the newcomer was Husky, they could not help but cheer loudly.

"Lord Chief Steward has come; this time we are bound to win a complete victory."

Husky rushed up to the Maitreya disciples, dismounted from his horse, and shouted angrily, "Where is the Bearded Man? Where is the Second Chief Steward?"

"The Second Chief Steward... is not here!"

"What?"

Hearing this, Husky was taken aback, a sudden jolt of alarm striking his heart. "Where did the Second Chief Steward go? Didn't he come with you?"

The Maitreya disciples replied, "The Second Chief Steward said he was going to gather other disciples, so he sent us ahead. He also said that with Maitreya protecting us, even tens of thousands of troops would never stop us. He said he would arrive shortly."

Husky shivered with a jolt: Oh no, I've fallen into a trap!

He instantly realized what had happened.

I'm afraid the Bearded Man deliberately lured him here... As for why he lured him here, Husky could vaguely guess the general outline. The Bearded Man was growing impatient with loneliness! He wanted to seize supreme power within the sect and had devised a plot to frame him.

"Everyone run, get away from this place!"

As he spoke, Husky leaped back onto his horse.

Yet the crowd of Maitreya disciples did not understand what was happening. "Grand Chief Steward, Duanmen is right ahead; why leave?"

"Stop talking nonsense! Maitreya has decreed... The Second Chief Steward has betrayed us! We've all been tricked, hurry up and leave this place!"

Husky whipped his horse around, preparing to retreat.

At that moment, a rapid succession of clanging wooden rattles sounded. Immediately following this, from beneath the bridge, within the alley walls on both sides of the road, and atop the Duanmen city gate towers, countless soldiers appeared. Someone shouted sternly in a harsh voice, "Rebellious traitors, since you have walked right into our trap, how can we let you escape... Release the arrows!"

In an instant, from all directions, ten thousand arrows were fired simultaneously.

The White-Clothed Maitreya disciples, already at a loss, faced the torrential rain of incoming arrows and were instantly thrown into complete chaos.

A series of miserable screams rang out, and every single White-Clothed Maitreya disciple was pierced by at least forty or fifty sharp arrows. Like hedgehogs, they collapsed in pools of blood. Husky leaped into the air from his horse, drawing his horizontal blade with a ringing sound and slashing wildly in mid-air.

His warhorse neighed miserably, pierced all over by arrows.

It was evident that the imperial troops recognized him as the ringleader, so half of the arrows were aimed furiously at Husky.

After a round of arrow volleys, Husky landed on the ground, blade in hand.

Not a single White-Clothed Maitreya disciple was left standing around him. With the creaking opening of the alley gates, squads of armored soldiers poured out from the lanes.

Behind him, beneath the Duanmen city gate, squads of troops were similarly lined up.

Bright, glittering spears and pikes were aimed directly at Husky, flashing with an eerie, cold light in the night.

Husky's complexion instantly turned ashen...