Chapter 96: Mei Chaofeng Goes Mad and Curses Heaven’s Will
Floating clouds in the sky are like white robes, changing in an instant like grey dogs.
Mei Chaofeng taking on an escort job was beyond Zhou Yan’s expectations. Ouyang Feng appearing in Zhongdu was also unexpected. However, Hong Qigong was in Daxing Prefecture, which should keep the Western Venom occupied.
The battle on the long street during the Lantern Festival, where Changfeng Escort Agency lost many escorts including Shi Xiangui, was a harsh lesson. Their actions in Zhongdu after early spring would not be so aggressive, so overall, Fu’an’s situation could be considered to have brightened. Zhou Yan had initially planned to only monitor the movements around the Yuelai Inn, observe the subsequent actions of the Six Heroes of Jiangnan and the Golden Saber Consort, and then assess the situation. But Mei Chaofeng’s sudden appearance had somewhat affected some of his plans.
Fortunately, the escort mission to Taihu Lake took over twenty days, and the return journey was swift, so it wouldn’t cause too much delay.
With Zhang Wangyue in charge at the escort agency, he could keep Helian Chuncheng in check.
Zhang Wangyue had never truly revealed his strength in front of others. His performance against the young escorts of Dragon Gate Escort Agency in Xiangyang and his encounter with bandits in Jingzhou, where Jinghong made an impressive appearance, did not showcase the true capabilities of Zhang Xian’s descendant. Facing Ouyang Feng and blocking three moves was the true test of his foundation. Although injured, his ability to stabilize his condition and appear at the escort agency the next day suggested his strength might already surpass Sha Tongtian’s.
When Guo Jing and others attempted to assassinate Wanyan Honglie, Zhou Yan did not see the Dragon Gate Ghost King or the Thousand Hand Butcher. They should have already left Zhao Wang Manor, leading to the inference that Ouyang Ke, Wanyan Kang, and others would soon head south to Lin’an Prefecture.
Therefore, there were no unpredictable events in Zhongdu, and the escort agency led by Zhang Wangyue was worry-free.
Time passed as Zhou Yan made some arrangements and deployments, and the sun began to set.
He would not think about Huang Rong returning the horse for now.
He hired two large carriages from the cart shop.
“Fine horses and carved carriages, their fragrance filling the road. Phoenix flutes sound, jade pots gleam, a night of fish and dragons dancing.”
The carved carriages mentioned in the poem were the type Zhou Yan had prepared for Mei Chaofeng.
The carriages were over seven chi long and five chi wide, with soft cushions and seating inside. Sitting in such a carriage caused very little jolting, and one could even rest and sleep on it when tired.
Two horses pulled each carriage.
Mei Chaofeng only requested two large carriages; the other was likely for attendants or cargo. The escort agency’s carriages would be used.
As a precaution, Zhou Yan selected four runners, including a young boy named Liang Xiaowu, who had his escort flag taken in Xiangyang and had been diligently practicing martial arts since then.
Liang Xiaowu was excited, repeatedly polishing the carved carriage and harnessing the horses to pull it. He was preparing his personal equipment, which naturally included lime.
During this time, Zhou Yan returned to his courtyard, closed the doors and windows, and brought dozens of silver ingots, his personal clothing, lime, an iron bow, a qinggang sword, and a fine steel spear to the escort agency.
For the escort mission to Jingzhou, his weapon was a straight saber; now he had a spear and a sword that fit his hand.
If the “Night-Shining Jade Lion” were also present, it would be “a white horse, an iron spear, a long sword on the back, swift as a shooting star.”
Considering Mei Chaofeng’s unpredictable nature and the formidable Nine Yin White Bone Claw, Zhou Yan thought about borrowing a pair of iron wristbands from an escort who practiced palm and finger techniques at the escort agency to wear.
The sunset cast a warm glow, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees. Several plum trees in the escort agency’s courtyard were in full bloom.
Upon reaching the gatehouse, Zhou Yan saw the harnessed carriages.
“Head Escort, everything is ready,” said Liang Xiaowu, leading a qingcong horse.
“And you?”
The young man patted the straight saber slung across his body. “Everything is in order, and I’ve brought lime.”
“Anything else?”
“Three days’ emergency provisions for people and horses, wound medicine, signal flares, iron caltrops, fishing nets, straw mats, raincoats…”
The young man listed over ten items. Zhou Yan looked at him with admiration and replied, “Good. It’s thoughtful to have prepared raincoats for the southern rainy and foggy weather.”
He handed the fine steel spear to Liang Xiaowu. The young man took the spear and ran to place it temporarily on the carriage.
Zhou Yan passed through the gatehouse and entered the escort agency, giving some instructions to Huyan Lei.
“The person wearing the Earth God mask who fought alongside me on the long street during the Lantern Festival was a young master who borrowed the ‘Night-Shining Jade Lion.’ If he returns the horse, please accept it on my behalf.”
“Returning the horse? Tsk tsk, that young master is a man of his word.”
“Not only did he return the horse, but he also repaid the favor by helping me deal with the people from Changfeng Escort Agency.”
“Yes, I saw that too. His lightness skill was truly impressive.”
“Indeed.”
In the dusk, Yang Tiexin and Mu Nianci walked over.
Yang Tiexin said, “The closest route to Taihu Lake is to go south through Jinan Prefecture. However, that road is not secure, with frequent troop movements and banditry. Head Escort, if you take that route, be extra cautious, especially with this carved carriage, which will attract attention. Bandits will likely target it as if it belongs to a wealthy family. With your martial arts, dealing with them should be no problem, but beware of underhanded tactics, like colluding with restaurants and inns to drug the food, which is hard to guard against.”
Zhou Yan knew all this, but he was naturally grateful for Yang Tiexin’s sincere concern.
“Elder Yang, rest assured, we will not enter deserted villages or stay in wild inns.”
“Good, be safe,” Yang Tiexin nodded.
Mu Nianci said, “Head Escort, please take care on your journey.”
“Thank you, Miss Mu.”
Dusk deepened, and the lamps began to light up.
A rather unusual atmosphere enveloped the escort agency. Normally, the profit from this escort mission should be higher than the one to Jingzhou, and the expenses along the way were much lower. According to escort customs, there should be some pine resin and firecrackers, but the merchant had instructed them not to make noise. They would depart the city after nightfall, and Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, and others were somewhat uneasy.
Only Zhou Yan seemed unaffected.
Before the moon climbed into the sapphire blue night sky, a young boy in green clothes arrived at the escort agency’s gatehouse.
“Are you ready?”
Liang Xiaowu asked, “Who are you?”
“My master said we are departing tonight.”
“Please wait a moment.”
Liang Xiaowu moved as fast as a swift runner to the escort agency.
…
“A boy in green clothes?”
Hearing the runner’s report, Zhou Yan was taken aback, wondering if it was a disciple Mei Chaofeng had taken.
Zhang Wangyue, Huyan Lei, Yang Tiexin, and others saw Zhou Yan off. As Zhou Yan left the escort agency, the lamplight under the eaves illuminated a well-featured, seemingly clever boy of thirteen or fourteen years old.
“Are you ready?”
“Ready,” Zhou Yan replied.
“Let’s go.”
Huyan Lei assumed the carriages would pick up people from the manor and said, “Have a smooth journey.”
“Alright!”
Zhou Yan cupped his hands, mounted the yellow spotted horse, and with three runners driving the carriages and Liang Xiaowu riding the qingcong horse, the convoy, following the boy’s instructions, turned towards Zhao Wang Manor.
The carriages rumbled, the horses whinnied. When the convoy was still several streets away from Zhao Wang Manor, the boy shouted for them to stop.
He jumped down from the carriage and said, “Just wait here. You, the runner, come down.”
The boy had a stern demeanor. The runner glanced at Zhou Yan. Seeing his head escort nod, one of the runners driving the carved carriage dismounted. The boy then drove the carriage forward and turned into an alley.
Is he going to the backyard of Zhao Wang Manor to pick up Mei Chaofeng? Zhou Yan pondered.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the carriage returned.
The boy got out of the carriage, lifted the curtain, and said with a look of terror towards the carriage, “Master, we’ve arrived.”
Mei Chaofeng did not get out of the carriage but handed out several large bundles. The boy took the bundles and placed them one by one into the escort agency’s carriages. The night wind swept down the long street, and the scent of medicinal herbs wafted into Zhou Yan’s nostrils.
His pupils contracted slightly as he looked at the frightened expression of the boy in green, and he guessed the situation.
The boy in green was likely Liang Zi Weng’s medicine boy, who had been captured by Mei Chaofeng and controlled by some means to obey her implicitly. The bundles contained medicinal herbs collected by the Ginseng Immortal Old Freak. The boy’s presence meant he would be preparing and boiling medicine.
The person accompanying Mei Chaofeng to Guiyun Manor was unwell.
As he thought this, Mei Chaofeng’s voice came from the carriage: “Who is in charge?”
“Fu’an Head Escort Zhou Yan.”
“Head Escort Zhou, can we leave now?”
“What is the merchant’s name? According to escort regulations, merchants must sign an escort order.”
“Mei, Mei from plum blossoms.”
“Alright, please make yourself comfortable.”
The boy climbed onto the carriage carrying the medicinal herbs. Zhou Yan was behind, Liang Xiaowu in front. The three carriages moved swiftly down the street and out of Zhongdu City, heading directly towards Cangzhou under the night sky.
…
No deserted villages, no wild inns, stars shifted, traveling day and night.
At the end of the first lunar month, the convoy passed Shanghe County, with the Yellow River in sight. Crossing the river would lead to Jinan Prefecture.
Along the way, they naturally encountered several groups of bandits who coveted the carved carriages, but they were easily dealt with by Zhou Yan and Liang Xiaowu. Mei Chaofeng never made a move. During the convoy’s rest stops, the medicine boy would boil medicine, and at such times, Zhou Yan would lead the runners far away.
The escort team was handling a personal safety escort, and it was against the rules to interact with female companions.
Furthermore, Zhou Yan wanted to leave some space for her to resolve some personal matters.
Overall, the journey was uneventful, but as time passed, the boy’s expression became increasingly fearful and uneasy.
Zhou Yan guessed that the boy was likely being reprimanded by Mei Chaofeng, which also meant that the person inside the carriage was deteriorating.
…
Clouds in the sky suddenly change color, wind and snow sweep the ground.
Flurries of snow drifted in the sky.
At midnight, the carriages stopped.
The runners built a campfire a short distance from the carved carriages.
Liang Xiaowu set up a small iron pot to boil water.
Zhou Yan said, “I’ll go hunt some game.”
“Alright!”
The four runners were busy with their tasks. As Zhou Yan walked out with his bow, he glanced back. The medicine boy was also building a campfire and starting to boil medicine.
He withdrew his gaze and headed towards the woods.
“Damn sky, can’t you stand to see me do well?”
A sharp voice suddenly rang out in the night. Zhou Yan was startled and turned back. In the firelight, the boy scrambled out, the wind whipping Mei Chaofeng’s thick black hair like ink. Her expression was ferocious. With a swish, a whip landed on the ground, sending dirt and stones flying.
“You damn man, can’t you stand to see me do well either? I advised you to apologize to your master back then, but you refused. Now I have an opportunity, but my body is failing. Why don’t you bless me?”
The sky was overcast, and snowflakes swirled.
Mei Chaofeng, clad in black, looked like a vengeful spirit, wielding her whip, kicking up dust and stones around her.
“Head Escort Zhou, Merchant Mei has gone mad,” said the runner Liang Xiaowu, his face pale, as he approached Zhou Yan.
At that moment, Zhou Yan also saw Mei Chaofeng put away her whip and turn towards him. In an instant, the woman moved like a phantom, rapidly approaching.
“Can’t you all stand to see me do well?”
The whip came like lightning, lashing towards a runner by the campfire.
She was about to descend into a frenzy. In a flash, Zhou Yan drew his arrow and nocked his bow.
With a “bang.”
The whip was like lightning.
The arrow was like a shooting star.
Killing intent flashed in the night.
