Untouchable Lovers-Chapter 242 - 220 Different Paths Same Destination
Chapter 242: Chapter 220: Different Paths, Same Destination
Chapter 242 -220: Different Paths, Same Destination
Hua Cuo and his group had traveled a considerable distance away in the carriage before Rong Zhi began to move his feet.
Previously, when Chu Yu and Rong Zhi had stepped aside to speak, Moxiang had been instructed not to follow. Eagerly waiting for Rong Zhi’s return, Moxiang promptly approached him, saying, “My lord, what should we do now?”
Rong Zhi’s drifting mind refocused, secretly thinking that although the situation in the Southern Dynasty was messy, it wasn’t heading in the direction he had hoped. At this time, if they still wanted to send troops from this region, they likely couldn’t stand against Jiankang’s military; any battle would be in vain.
Besides, he no longer needed to capitalize on this chaos.
This chess game had been recklessly disturbed by Hua Cuo, who had clumsily knocked over the chess pieces. It was uncertain how many usable pieces were left or if any could be salvaged.
After a moment of reflection, he spoke, “Let’s stay here for a short while. Moxiang, you and Yu Wenxiong take my letter and contact our people around the area to see how many are still available.”
Rong Zhi raised his hand, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of emptiness and weakness, almost falling to the ground. He thought it was due to the excessive energy spent in a recent confrontation with Hua Cuo, but for caution’s sake, he checked his own pulse.
Moxiang, seeing Rong Zhi taking his pulse for no apparent reason, couldn’t help but ask with concern, “My lord, what is wrong?”
Rong Zhi released his hand and shook his head, saying, “It’s nothing.”
He then turned to Yu Wenxiong, “Your deployment of the Black Cavalry out of Jiangling must have drawn the attention of many interested parties, effectively abandoning our stronghold there. That is a mistake, but you came to save me and indeed did save me…” Rong Zhi smiled faintly, “With merits offsetting demerits, and the merits outweighing, how about I reward you with a return to your homeland?” Letting go of a corner of Jiangling, for a good player does not dwell on the loss or gain of one position.
Surprise and delight appeared on Yu Wenxiong’s resolute face as he kneeled on one knee, saying, “Thank you, my lord.”
Rong Zhi turned his head, his calm and distant gaze directed northward, “Once matters in the Southern Dynasty are settled, we will return to Northern Wei.” After being away for over four years, he wondered if all was well with his old acquaintances?
Far away, the snow piled up, resembling the layered clouds at the horizon.
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The winter in Jiangling was also stacked with layers of snow.
He Ji ordered his carriage to stop, stepping out from the warm, fragrant interior to the biting cold air, which invigorated him completely.
Proudly shaking the luxurious fox fur cloak on his shoulders, He Ji stood firm and looked around, spotting the humble bamboo house at the end of the bamboo grove, causing his brow to furrow.
“Are you sure this is the place?”
Turning to his attendant, He Ji questioned the person beside him, who respectfully replied, “I’ve asked around, and the family named Guan living outside Jiangling City is the only one here.”
Upon hearing his attendant’s reply, He Ji skeptically frowned, looking once again at the two adjacent bamboo houses before deciding to walk towards them with a mind to try his luck.
The twin bamboo houses stood side by side, constructed from ordinary Phyllostachys bamboo, but the craftsmanship was not very refined. Clearly, the builder had focused on comfort over aesthetics, resulting in a rather crude exterior, which naturally did not meet He Ji’s refined standards.
He sent someone to knock on the door, and after a while, a languid voice from inside the house asked, “Who is it?”
He Ji hesitated slightly, cleared his throat, and said slowly, “Descendant of the He Family.”
A moment later, a reluctant voice came from inside the room, “The door isn’t locked, just come in yourself.”
He Ji slightly lifted his chin, and the attendant pushed open the door, and then waited outside while He Ji entered with his hands in his sleeves, and the door behind him closed again.
After entering the room, He Ji glanced around and quickly took in the scene. The room wasn’t large, but due to the sparse furniture, it didn’t feel cramped. There were just a few chests and trunks placed in the corner. Near the low bamboo couch directly opposite the door, there was a small red clay stove, warming a pot of wine, and on the ground beside the stove, there were several dishes of appetizing snacks.
The master of the house was lying horizontally on the bamboo couch, holding a wine cup in one hand and picking up food with chopsticks in the other, looking utterly relaxed. Hearing He Ji enter, he didn’t rise to greet him but just kept drinking and eating.
He Ji was surprised by the man’s youth but was quickly distracted by something else, “You can’t see?” The man’s eyes remained closed, not opening them at all, yet his actions were methodical, showing no signs of his blindness just from his movements.
The man laughed and said, “Indeed, I can’t see. What, didn’t you inquire about who I was before coming here, young master of the He family?”
He Ji thought for a moment, took out half a jade pendant from his bosom — it looked like it had been broken off, its edge was not very smooth. Holding the jade pendant between his forefinger and thumb, he said, “An elder in my family once told me that he had helped someone in the past, and if one day I needed to seek help, I should take this half of the jade pendant and find a person surnamed Guan in Jiangling City.”
The man tugged at the corner of his mouth, displaying a strange expression, and casually put down his cup and chopsticks before getting out of bed. He was barefoot, walking on the bamboo floor of the room. Though there was a stove burning, the slight warmth was hardly enough to counter the harsh winter cold seeping into the room as he slowly walked and spoke, “My surname is indeed Guan, and my name is Guan Canghai.”
It was then that He Ji noticed that Guan Canghai was only wearing a single layer of clothing, yet he seemed unaffected by the cold.
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Guan Canghai walked over to the chests, rummaged through them while muttering words like “troublesome,” “dead old man,” “no peace,” which He Ji could hear but not clearly.
After searching for a while, he finally stood up with half a jade pendant in hand, returned, and casually matched it with the piece in He Ji’s hand — the two halves fitted perfectly together.
He Ji was stupefied, Guan Canghai had kept his eyes closed the whole time, yet when aligning the two halves of the jade pendant, his movements were impeccably precise… Could he really not see?
“It’s definitely you.” Guan Canghai said in a low tone, casually taking the half from He Ji’s hand, “The person who was helped should be my father, and now that he has passed away, as his son, I naturally inherit his promise.” Holding the jade pendant in his hand, he pressed the halves together with force. Under He Ji’s shocked gaze, the hard jade turned into tiny granules, falling onto the bamboo flooring with a crisp sound.
While He Ji was still pondering whether Guan Canghai was truly blind and somewhat worried about whether this man could fulfill his entrusted request, he was dazed by his seemingly casual action. Guan Canghai’s hands did not look particularly strong, they were just ordinary looking hands that had just crushed the jade stone!
Taking advantage of He Ji’s shock, Guan Canghai sat back on the bamboo couch. The hand that could shatter rock gently picked up the still warm wine cup and asked unhurriedly, “Now tell me, what do you seek? Since it involves a debt my father owed, I will accomplish it if I can.”
He Ji came back to his senses and gritted his teeth, “I want you to kill someone for me.” Although official records claim that the person is dead, those who know the truth are aware that he is still at large somewhere.
As long as that person is alive, the thorn in his side remains.
“Who?”
“Liu Chuyu.” His wife, the person he hated most.
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The title is wrong; it should be “Different Paths to the Same Goal”… I can’t change the title for VIP chapters, please forgive me.
