Chapter 9
This Is Rather Awkward
Eight-armed Asura?
Li Chu perked up and wanted to ask.
Yet, the young lady called Rou’er did not allow him to interject.
She looked at the middle-aged literati and said with a trembling voice. “Father, since you know that there will be demons blocking the way, why do you still want to forge ahead? Can we go elsewhere instead? Didn’t you tell me yesterday that the scenery in Jiangnan was beautiful and you’ve not seen it for yourself? How about we don’t go to Yuhang Town, but instead take a boat together to see the scenery of other spots? Or we take a boat into the seas beyond? Haven’t you always yearned to see the lands of the countries beyond the seas?”
“Heh.” The middle-aged literati smiled as he shook his head. “I, Gongsun Zhe is still an officer of the imperial court! Even if I get relegated to this point, where would the imperial court’s dignity be if I were to flee due to the intimidation of a mere demon? In contrast, if I were to die while performing my duty, won’t it be more proof of that old Yang bandit’s insolent and tyrannical ways! Even if I cannot bring him down, I can shake His Imperial Highness’ trust in him. If things like this are to happen in succession, it will surely take down his Yang clan from their high tower someday!”
“There are countless officials in the imperial court, but I only have one father.” The young lady wore a sad look. “Can’t you let go of those unnecessary conflicts of the imperial court for me?”
“I can’t let it go. The imperial court is a quagmire. However, if you want to serve the people sincerely, you will need to enter it and fight with the others. Before I knew it, I was already deep in the mire.” The literati looked past the front hall gate and into the skies afar. “If your mother was still alive, she would understand my choice.”
“Alright.” The lady nodded. “I would not dare to influence your decision, father, but if you want to meet death, then I must walk that path with you!”
“Rou’er!” The literati clasped her hands tightly. “Why are you so foolish? I know you may look weak on the outside, but you are extremely strong on the inside. However, things as it is is all due to my decision. You are still young and have not seen and experienced the world yet. You don’t have to sacrifice your life for this!”
“While I may be young, but I know what’s right. Thanks to you, father, for teaching me to read since young.” The young lady looked up and met the literati in his eyes. “Perhaps father, you look down on me and don’t think I’m worthy enough to die for a just cause?”
Her voice was clear and soft, yet every word was ironclad.
“Aih….” The literati sighed helplessly. “The greatest pride of my life was not when I became the top scholar, or being a high-ranking official, but to have a good daughter like you! I may have countless disciples in Chaoge City, but how many are comparable to you? But—”
“I understand your intentions.” The young lady suddenly let out a smile. “You are also the greatest pride of my life! So, father, you don’t have to say anything else. I have made up my mind!”
“I, Gongsun Zhe, am sure that my service to His Imperial Highness and the people had been worthy, without any regrets! It’s only to you and your mother that I will never be able to repay even with several lifetimes!”
He held his daughter in arms, and the young lady was smiling as the literati was the one tearing up and crying instead.
“Father…”
“Rou’er…”
Seeing that they finally slowed their conversation down, Li Chu found an opening and asked with a light tone. “Is the Eight-armed Asura you had mentioned a demonkin with eight arms?”
‘Hmm?’
The literati lifted his head with a dumbstruck look, and the father and daughter pair looked strangely at the young Daoist.
‘We are having a poignant moment about the deep emotions between us father and daughter, and you suddenly asked us if the Eight-armed Asura had eight arms?’
‘Don’t you think you have a problem somewhere?’
But seeing Li Chu’s serious appearance, the middle-aged literati hesitated. After wiping away his tears, he answered. “Perhaps yes… perhaps no. The Blue Wing Lodge is known to use monsters as assassins, and it won’t be surprising if he really had eight arms. It may also very well… just be a title.”
This was as good as not answering…
Li Chu asked again, “Anything else?”
“I’ve only heard that he was a Bronze-level Assassin of the Blue Wing Lodge, and is best at hunting and pursuing his quarry. If his target does not struggle too much, he will make the work quick. But if the target runs, and once he gets his hands on him, he will cruelly torture his prey, and even refine the target’s soul, and cause the target to never be able to reincarnate.”
The literati replied in detail. After Li Chu’s interruption, he felt that the atmosphere was awkward and could not even cry even if he wanted to, so he might as well just tell him what he knew.
After he said that, he turned around to look at his daughter and recomposed his emotions as he got ready to say more.
He then heard Li Chu say, “This Eight-armed Asura you’re talking about might already be dead.”
“Huh?” The literati was dumbstruck once again.
“When I was on my way back from Yuhang Town earlier, I ran into a monster blocking the way, and I was forced to kill him.” Li Chu said plainly. “Come to think of it, it could be that Eight-armed Asura that was supposed to intercept you.”
The literati was stunned once again.
It was the young lady’s eyes which widened. “Young Daoist Priest, is what you say true?”
“Of course.” Li Chu’s expression remained calm.
But this expression, in their eyes, was telling them that it was just a monster, and he had just casually taken it out while passing by, and it was nothing great about that.
Although the situation was indeed like that.
“Young Daoist, are you a cultivator?” The literati looked at Li Chu in slight disbelief.
“Yes.” Li Chu nodded and continued. “How about you two rest the night here tonight, and I’ll escort you two to Yuhang Town tomorrow morning. There is no need to be afraid that a monster will show up, and if my cultivation is not enough to protect the both of you… My master is here.”
Li Chu pointed to the bedroom on the other side and said, “My Master’s cultivation is extraordinary!”
Both father and daughter had their eyes wide open. They totally did not expect that such a small Daoist monastery in the wilderness to have two masters hidden in it.
Especially for the middle-aged literati, thinking of the drama he had just performed before the young Daoist, he suddenly felt a complicated feeling welling inside him.
While the young Daoist had saved his life, he still wanted to say something…
‘Tell us earlier if you have information like this next time.’
‘Otherwise, it will be just so awkward.’
…
Early next morning, Li Chu prepared some extra porridge and side dishes as he called the father and daughter pair to have breakfast.
Yu Qi’an went out of his room in his usual sage-like demeanor, and the moment he saw the graceful young lady, his eyes lit up, and a gentle smile immediately appeared on his face.
At the dinner table, Yu Qi’an used his true ability. In just a few words, he managed to dig out both of their origins.
It turned out that the literati’s name was Gongsun Zhe, and his daughter’s was Gongsun Rou, both of them hailed from Chaoge City.
Gongsun Zhe was a top scholar of his time, and had entered service into the imperial court for over ten years. He had risen to the rank of the Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicial Review. Although his path up the court official ladder was not considered flourishing, he was still highly regarded.
Sadly, he was a protégé under the former prime minister Meng Youxiong. The current power-wielding minister, Yang Dingtian had defeated Meng Youxiong and taken his place, resulting in demotion of all of the officials under Meng Youxiong’s wing.
Gongsun Zhe was straight up demoted to Jiangnanzhou to become an insignificant Yuhang county magistrate.
However, since he had always been regarded highly by the Emperor, Yang Dingtian was worried that he might return to the court, so he secretly hired a killer from the Blue Wing Lodge to intercept and kill Gongsun Zhe.
The guards that were supposed to escort him had all been bribed by Yang Dingtian. They had run off halfway through. It was one of the guards, who still had some conscience in his heart, who told Gongsun Zhe the news that an assassin was waiting to intercept and kill him.
But even after learning of this, he insisted on coming to Yuhang Town to perform his duty.
Upon hearing that this declining middle-aged literati was the incoming magistrate of Yuhang county, Yu Qi’an’s eyelids trembled.
The imperial court was far away, so no matter how big a storm was kicked up in North West of Chaoge, there would not be any waves in Yuhang Town.
However, despite not being held in any regard by those officials in the capital, a small-time county magistrate was as good as a king here.
Thinking of the fact he was looking at the magistrate’s young daughter with a lecherous look, Yu Qi’an’s eyelids trembled again, and four-fifths of his appetite instantly disappeared.
However, what made him wonder was the father and daughter pair was particularly respectful when talking to him, and the look in their eyes was bizarre.
As their eyes seemed to be full of…
Awe.