Chapter 76
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In Peach Blossom Village, whether people spoke much or little, over the next two or three days, these soldiers went door to door asking questions. Even Pei Yunshu was questioned twice.
Not wanting to add trouble, he used illusions when going out, and a slight spell ensured no one paid attention to him.
As Zhuyou changed day by day, fortunately, since moving to Peach Blossom Village, although he continued to grow, he was no longer as intimidating as before. Pei Yunshu remembered Zhuyou had said he would become smaller and smaller. Pei Yunshu couldn’t help but think that this time, Zhuyou might have reached his full height and could even look like a young man.
A young lad, full of vitality, perhaps not even as tall as Pei Yunshu.
Thinking this way, Pei Yunshu felt a bit amused.
Two more days passed, and the soldiers sent to find the savior stopped searching. Pei Yunshu thought they had given up, but on the second day, rumors spread that the general’s savior had been found. It was the Wang family at the village entrance. Their young son told the soldiers that he was the one who saved the general.
Passing by, Pei Yunshu couldn’t help but look towards the speaker.
Three or four peasants were working, and one of them said curiously, “If he saved the general, why didn’t he say it on the first day?”
“The Wang family’s young son said he was so scared when he first saw those soldiers that he dared not speak. Who would admit to saving a general casually?” another man said. “If it were me, I wouldn’t dare say it either. Who could have thought that saving a general with a random act would bring such luck? But this Wang family’s son is usually arrogant and looks down on others. I never thought he had this trick up his sleeve.”
“Didn’t they send him to the town’s clinic for some time in the past?” another person said. “He probably has some skills. He usually eats and sleeps lazily, but who would have thought he would have this stroke of luck, becoming the general’s savior. The general even wants to take him to the capital to repay the favor. Not only will he not have to work in the fields, but he will also enjoy delicacies from the mountains and seas!”
Listening to these two sentences, Pei Yunshu shook his head with a wry smile.
He walked leisurely through the wilderness, thinking that this scene was somewhat like the stories in “Adventures of a Wild Country Playboy.”
If the “savior” had been found, the general would probably leave soon.
Thinking of this, Pei Yunshu’s face relaxed.
***
Sure enough, the next morning, Pei Yunshu heard that the general had left with his savior. The Wang family at the village entrance was rewarded with many treasures, and they slaughtered many chickens, ducks, and fish. They set up a feast at the village entrance, inviting everyone in the village to join.
The scholar was personally invited by the Wang family and brought his students to the banquet. He specifically invited Pei Yunshu, the only other person in the family.
People always revered those who could read. Pei Yunshu’s demeanor was not like an ordinary person’s, and the scholar had conversed with him once, holding him in high regard.
The adults sat at one table, and the children sat at another.
A chubby teenager at the table said, “Pei Yunjiao, why did you grow taller again? What did your family give you to eat? Why do you look different every day?”
Zhuyou stared at Pei Yunshu with dark eyes, his gaze becoming deeper and more obscure, showing no response to the questions from those around him.
The chubby teenager frowned and approached, tugging at his clothes. “Pei Yunjiao!”
Zhuyou looked back, and just one glance frightened the chubby child, causing him to retreat, nearly falling off the chair.
The surrounding teenagers looked at each other, and with a glance at Zhuyou, a sense of fear arose within them. This fear penetrated to the bone, rendering them unable even to cry. They lowered their heads, staring at their fingers, and their legs trembled with cold.
Zhuyou looked back at Pei Yunshu and suddenly spoke, “Five times.”
His voice was slightly hoarse, typical of adolescence. Compared to before, his voice was lower, giving people a more uneasy feeling.
Others stammered, carefully asking, “Wh-what five times?”
Zhuyou said, “Dad smiled at the person next to him five times.”
Pei Yunshu was still a considerable distance from Zhuyou. Facing each other in the dim shadows, they seemed worlds apart from the local people.
In Zhuyou’s eyes, everyone around him had turned into shadows, leaving only his dad. Consequently, every smile, every strand of hair sliding down his face, and even the faintly blurred lips, resembling the drizzle of March, were all clearly visible.
“That person looks ordinary, speaks crudely, stammers in his speech,” Zhuyou said. “Dad actually smiled at him five times.”
The people around didn’t understand what was wrong. They followed Zhuyou’s gaze and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Ah,” then said, “Pei Yunjiao, your dad looks so handsome.”
Young and fair-skinned, they couldn’t express the feeling but sensed that Pei Yunjiao’s dad was different from theirs, as if he were a celestial being.
Pei Yunshu seemed to have heard their words. He turned his head, smiled at Zhuyou, and, perhaps with a bit of wine on his lips, they appeared translucent. Zhuyou felt a tickle in his throat, smiled back at his dad obediently, then shifted his gaze away, sitting upright like a mountain.
The scholar standing beside Pei Yunshu said, “Yunjiao is exceptionally talented and truly intelligent. But I observe that he doesn’t seem to care much about worldly ethics, as if he were born without an understanding of human affairs.”
Pei Yunshu sighed, “You’ve worked hard, sir.”
The scholar said, “If young Master Pei is willing, I can give him more tasks to help him understand what propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame truly mean.”
Pei Yunshu nodded and used tea instead of wine, saying, “Sir, feel free to teach him.”
Midway through the feast, the Wang family stood at the front, their faces flushed. From what they said, it seemed they would move to the town tomorrow.
Many people congratulated them. Pei Yunshu tasted a few bites of the food but left it aside due to its greasiness. Watching the expressions of the people, he found it monotonous after seeing it so many times.
He was about to leave the seat when his ears moved, catching the distant sound of galloping hooves.
The thunderous sound of horse hooves approached, and in a blink, everyone could see a billowing yellow sand rising from the village entrance.
The ground seemed to tremble slightly, the table’s drinks shook out of the cups, and the rhythmic sound of countless horse hooves approached, surrounding the people at the feast.
Someone shouted, “General!”
It was the general who had returned.
The leader rode at the front on horseback, his countenance as stern as a mountain, with sharp eyebrows blending into his temples. Beside him, someone dismounted and dragged a person from behind. He shouted loudly, “This person is truly audacious, daring to impersonate the savior of our lord. Such greed and audacity deserve punishment. What do you think should be done!”
The person in his grasp was forcefully pushed to the ground, completely surrendering at the feet of the Wang family. The villagers, inexperienced in such matters, turned pale, their faces drained of color, sweating profusely.
There was an uproar among the seated crowd.
The Wang family’s youngest son could no longer stand. His once fair and delicate face was now covered in dust and grime. He crawled behind his parents, trembling, and begged for mercy with a quivering voice.
“How shameless can this person be!” exclaimed someone at the same table. “Claiming credit for others’ deeds and being so smug about it – truly despicable!”
The scholar was furious, his fingers trembling. “Utterly shameless!”
The general’s subordinates continued interrogating the Wang family. A woman among them, in desperation, broke her voice and said, “General, open your eyes. It was our son who saved him! In the entire Peach Blossom Village, only our son has studied medicine!”
The general on the tall horse made a gesture, and the people in his entourage covered the mouths and noses of the Wang family members, dragging them behind the horses. Seeing the terrified faces of the Wang family, the initially indignant crowd fell silent.
The general’s eyes swept through the crowd. Pei Yunshu casually used a small spell, trying to discern the intentions of this general.
The people surrounded by these soldiers were almost the entire Peach Blossom Village. Every anxious and worried face, every rough and dark hand, none of them seemed to be the person who saved him that day.
After the general inspected everyone, he didn’t appear hurried. Instead, he whispered a few words to those beside him. The atmosphere became solemn, and he respectfully took something out from behind.
Bowing to receive it, the general then put it on his hand. Pei Yunshu took a quick glance and found it was a string of beads with the aura of an imperial dragon—not the divine dragon aura like Zhuyou’s but the dragon aura of an emperor.
In the next moment, Pei Yunshu felt a gaze locking onto him.
After wearing the beads, the general could finally see Pei Yunshu. Approaching on horseback, the horse almost stepped on the table, and every step seemed like it could crush a person.
The villagers on both sides trembled in fear, watching the towering figure pass by.
The person riding the horse came to Pei Yunshu’s side, glanced at his hands, then at his face. With a calm and firm voice, he said, “Is it you?”
Pei Yunshu asked, “Who am I?”
The general got off his horse. Sitting next to Pei Yunshu, he said, “These days, I couldn’t find you. As expected, you only appear after I leave.”
Pei Yunshu remained silent.
“You are my savior,” the general, who appeared mysterious and imposing, spoke with a tone that carried a commanding force. “This place has poor mountains and bad waters. It’s better for you to come with me to the capital.”
The soldiers also looked at Pei Yunshu curiously, wondering how he managed to evade their search for these days.
Pei Yunshu shook his head and politely said, “General, there’s no need for that. I rescued you without expecting any repayment.”
The general nodded, surprisingly saying, “I know.”
“If you know, why do you want me to accompany you?” Pei Yunshu chuckled.
The general glanced at him and sighed.
He stood up, casting a large shadow over Pei Yunshu. The general looked deeply at him, clasped his hands together, and bowed to Pei Yunshu.
“The Emperor is seriously ill,” the general said in a solemn tone. “I request the Immortal to come with me to the capital to save my Emperor’s life.”
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