Chapter 79
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 79:
Before returning to Spring Flowers Tower, Li Chunzhou held onto a faint hope and asked Li Zhexuan, "Can you still sense Fan Nuo’s consciousness?"
Li Zhexuan shook his head, then nodded, pointed towards Qinming River, and Li Chunzhou, looking at the rushing river, closed her eyes tightly, gripped the reins, and said to the martial scout beside her, "It’s okay… let’s keep moving forward."
Keep moving forward, without looking back.
The young martial scout escorted Li Chunzhou to the gates of Spring Flowers Tower and rode off in the direction of his acknowledgment amidst Li Chunzhou’s gratitude.
Li Chunzhou stepped onto the familiar cobblestone path. Everything inside Spring Flowers Tower seemed to have lost its color with the progress of war. There were not many people coming and going. Li Chunzhou pushed open the door to the west courtyard and saw Li Sanchun’s busy figure in the kitchen. An uncontrollable sadness surged within her as she entered the kitchen, embraced Li Sanchun from behind, pressed her face against her back, and softly called out, "Mother."
Mama Li turned around in surprise and joy, embraced Li Chunzhou repeatedly while seeming to have many things to say. In the end, she only held Li Chunzhou’s arms decisively and said, "It’s good that you’re back. Mother will take you with her."
Eight carriages were parked at the back gate of Spring Flowers Tower, with brothel security guards holding sticks and swords for protection, maids and madams moving back and forth loading things onto the carriages – sealed jars, wrapped-up girls inside, passing jars one by one.
Li Chunzhou followed Mama Li to the side of a carriage and asked, "Mother, what’s inside these jars?"
"They ground some cooked beans into flour so they can eat without making a fire on the way, and it also fills their bellies." Mama Li pulled her to the side of a carriage and urged Li Chunzhou to get on quickly.
The middle carriage is safer compared to the front and back, and the girls inside the carriage squeezed together to make space for Li Chunzhou.
Li Chunzhou finally understood what Mama Li had prepared in the kitchen earlier. She looked at Mama Li sweating profusely, took out a handkerchief to wipe her face, and smiled, "Mother, I still have something to take care of, I can’t leave now, you all go ahead."
Li Sanchun looked at her incredulously and took a firm tone with Li Chunzhou, "No! Don’t be silly! Even the emperor is in danger now, you have no choice but to leave with us…"
"Mother," Li Chunzhou interrupted her, "Brother Yan must have told you already, don’t worry about me. I have many things that I can’t explain to you right now, but I promise, I will be safe."
Li Sanchun’s frowned, wanting to push Li Chunzhou onto the carriage, still treating her like the child she once knew.
Li Chunzhou had no choice, she picked up Li Li beside her feet and said quietly, "Li Li, say a few words."
Qi Leyuan was used to her occasional sneak-outs by now, she spoke clearly to Li Sanchun, "Hello, I am Li Li."
Li Sanchun’s worried expression froze briefly, slowly transforming into a puzzled look.
"Where are the red beans? Are they okay?" Li Chunzhou asked again.
Mama Li sighed and pointed to one of the carriages, "They didn’t want to leave, so I had someone put sleeping medicine in their water, and they fainted."
Li Chunzhou smiled helplessly.
"Lady Chun!" Xu Yanqu’s voice came clearly from afar, filled with surprise and excitement.
Xiangru Court had dealings with people from all walks of life. Since leaving Second Prince’s residence yesterday, Xu Yanqu had been looking around to see if there was anyone suitable to help escort the people from Spring Flowers Tower out of the capital.
There happened to be a escort agency that Xu Yanqu was familiar with in the past, so he reached out to them.
Seeing more than twenty robust escorts, Li Chunzhou felt a bit relieved about their journey this time. However, she still quietly asked Mama Li, "Mother, are these people reliable? What if they rob us on the way…"
Li Sanchun understood Li Chunzhou’s concerns and reassured her, "Don’t worry, we have friends in Jiangnan who can accommodate us temporarily. This escort agency also has an outpost there. Someone has already gone south yesterday to inform them; they wouldn’t do something that damages their reputation."
With her suspicions eased, Li Chunzhou watched as the last jar was lifted onto the carriage, and Mama Li boarded after exchanging a hug with her.
More than a hundred people were ready to go, but Xu Yanqu got off his horse and walked up to Li Chunzhou. With a sad look on his face, he asked her softly, "Are you really not going…?"
"I’m not going," Li Chunzhou replied without hesitation. Tears welled up in Xu Yanqu’s loving eyes again, but this time before Li Chunzhou could comfort him, he blinked away the tears.
Li Chunzhou smiled as she looked at him. Xu Yanqu had expressed his affection for her many times before, but his feelings for Li Chunzhou contained a large element of "reliance." Because he had no interest in anything else in the world, he revolved around another person without any sense of self.
However, at the same time, Xu Yanqu’s actions were like putting the burden of his life choices and responsibilities on Li Chunzhou, coercing her to bear two heavy burdens in a subtle form of manipulation.
If Xu Yanqu truly died for Li Chunzhou, she would probably have to live her whole life under the weight of memories.
Everyone shows love in different ways. Some people who like Li Chunzhou must have her, while Xu Yanqu also likes Li Chunzhou but only watches her secretly like a mouse hiding in the shadow.
Before the Turks broke through the northwest border defenses, he had never dared to confess his feelings to Li Chunzhou.
Xu Yanqu wasn’t truly cowardly, just used to wearing a mask of humility. The gentleness and pessimism ingrained in his character deprived him of this courage.
Moreover, there were so many men around Li Chunzhou, each more "qualified" than him.
Many nights, he lay in bed feeling sad and thinking, "Maybe if I were braver…"
But the next day, Xu Yanqu would timidly retreat into his shell, reassuring himself that it’s okay, after all, friends love each other too, and love between friends is still love.
Xu Yanqu had never been passionate about his own life and never wanted to take on the responsibilities of life. However, at this moment, the responsibility of the entire Spring Flowers Tower fell on Xu Yanqu’s shoulders. Along with confusion about the unknown future and a deep sense of reluctance, he let go of the obsession of always staying by Li Chunzhou’s side.
As he held back tears and left Li Chunzhou on horseback, his eyes looked like obsidian stones washed by rain, his soul clear like a tranquil pond.
Li Chunzhou suddenly smiled comfortingly, "Brother Yan, you’ll have a very good life."
Xu Yanqu smiled sadly, "What about you?"
Looking up at him, Li Chunzhou softly said, "I will always remember you."
Xu Yanqu’s eyes were still red, too afraid to meet her gaze. He flicked the horse’s rear with his whip and walked straight ahead.
Every encounter in life, whether it be a success or a lesson from failure, may be a hidden setup by destiny. Therefore, there’s no need to dwell too much on current difficulties, just keep moving forward bravely, without lingering in the past.
At the end of the long street, the sound of horse hooves could be heard. The clear wheels of a carriage left deep marks on the cobblestone road. Li Chunzhou stood there quietly, wearing a light-colored dress and with long flowing hair. The dappled afternoon light cast a gentle shade on her face. Li Chunzhou’s eyes seemed to be a soft ink color, blending in with the colorful surroundings.
Mama Li poked her head out of the carriage, urgently calling out, "There’s still a jar of food in the kitchen, with two pieces of jewelry inside… Please take care of yourself…"
Her voice echoed down the long street. Li Chunzhou smiled, feeling the tension in her heart slowly easing. She waved vigorously and shouted, "I know, Mother, don’t worry…"
***
After everyone left, only the three of them remained in the vast Spring Flowers Tower. Li Chunzhou brought out the jar and fed Li Li a meal.
Then, in the courtyard, Li Chunzhou erected tombs for Gu Lingfan and Chihong. Two wooden boards stood side by side, looking both funny and heartbreaking.
Burning all of Gu Lingfan’s belongings, Li Chunzhou remained calm, staying silent for a long time.
Li Zhexuan helped with the work, holding a hoe. After a while, he looked a bit better, still with a childlike appearance but with some color returning to his cheeks, appearing healthier.
The connection between Dungeon World and the higher dimensional world had been severed. A huge barrier enclosed all information and consciousness within this star system. The consciousness of deceased beings would not scatter to higher-dimensional space. Therefore, the consciousness stripped from Li Zhexuan by Jian Hou could still be gathered, but it would take some time.
Li Chunzhou found a yellow cat under a tree in the yard while dealing with the belongings, and the cat had a big rat in its mouth that was about half the size of its body.
Qi Leyuan asked seriously, "Can we give it away?"
"Who? Small Cake? Why?" Li Chunzhou looked at Li Li in confusion.
Qi Leyuan looked very serious, "Today it can catch a rat, tomorrow it might harm me, I am very scared."
Li Chunzhou, feeling helpless, touched Small Cake’s head as it was eating and said to herself, "If you look for trouble, you’ll be sure to find it, right Small Cake?"
Qi Leyuan stood about three meters away and reminded insistently, "It just had the rat in its mouth, remember to wash your hands after touching it."