Chapter 1978: Side Story: The God of Wealth and the Penniless Ghost (Part 2)
Chapter 1978: Side Story: The God of Wealth and the Penniless Ghost (Part 2)
Lei Laomeng’s voice of reflection fell, and Nangong Wumeng’s movements froze.
Then, on her face, even though she was wearing the disguise mask personally made by the Gongsun Family, a blush spread rapidly, her eyes widened, her gaze shifted, she stammered, “What, what are you saying?!”
“Who, who wants to marry him?”
“I, I just…”
Lei Laomeng chuckled and said, “Otherwise, how could your lazy nature actually travel across these vast rivers and mountains to rebuild the Yin Yang Reincarnation Sect, and with your unbelievable luck, explore so many places?!”
Nangong Wumeng chuckled.
She raised her tea.
“Really?!”
Lei Laomeng saw Nangong Wumeng’s calm and composed face, yet her trembling hand was almost creating a shadow, causing the tea in the cup to ripple, hitting the cup walls and splashing, wetting her sleeve.
Lei Laomeng shook his head but didn’t expose her, just put the scroll away, and did not hand it to his personal soldiers but took it himself, saying, “I know your nature, we have been following Your Majesty since he was fourteen, and over these ten years, we are almost like brothers.”
“Nangong, you’ve often been outside all these years, hardly staying long in the Capital City before leaving, I don’t know if it’s because you’re really busy or if there’s something else on your mind, but if there’s anything, you can tell us.”
“Or directly ask Your Majesty.”
“You keep it in your belly, neither telling nor saying.”
Nangong Wumeng bowed her head, murmuring, then placed her teacup down and feigned ignorance with a silly smile: “Eh, eh, eh? Boss Lei, what are you talking about? I don’t understand at all. What, is it time to return to the Beast Taming Manor and put your memorial plaque up?!”
She wanted to divert the topic with the same playful jokes she used before.
But Lei Laomeng didn’t respond.
One hand holding the three-foot-long scroll, the other hand behind his back, his belt adorned with jade, his dark blue robe intricately embroidered with clouds, his previously messy hair now neatly groomed, crowned, temple hair whitened, and his facial wrinkles more pronounced.
He just stood there, carrying a serene and peaceful gaze looking at Nangong Wumeng.
Nangong Wumeng’s usual feigned ignorant smile slowly faded away.
Lei Laomeng slightly smiled, sighed, “Nangong, your sect is no longer there, you’re now using your salary and military merits to rebuild this Taoist Temple, practicing the True Inheritance of the Taoist Sect. But, is your current Taoist Temple still that sect your teacher picked you up from the river all those years ago?”
“Everything is changing, the people or things from the past, even if they still exist, they won’t be the same as before.”
“Master Tianxian died on the battlefield, Yuwen Hua is gone, Mr. Zhangsun also died in the battle… We’ve been through so much together on this journey.”
“Sometimes, I envy you, we all have changed in some way.”
In Lei Laomeng’s smile, there was something carefree and almost as if a Taoist Heart was forming, which Nangong Wumeng couldn’t understand.
She slightly averted her gaze, guilty, yet confidently said:
“But you all are still you.”
“I am still me, what has changed?!”
Lei Laomeng laughed heartily, he was genuinely happy that one of his best friends was still like this, but his laughter gradually took on a touch of melancholy, with a smile suggesting, “it’s time for you to grow up,” he said:
“We are us, yet not the same as we initially were.”
“Fan Qing hasn’t touched alcohol since his arm was severed, but on each anniversary of that last great battle day, he carries wine to the battlefield where Master Yuwen Tianxian and Yuwen Hua are buried, and gets thoroughly drunk.”
“Qibi Li has become more steady, and the Right Minister has taken on a scholarly manner.”
“Looking back at ourselves now, are we truly still the same person from the past?”
“Sometimes, I envy you, it always seems like you haven’t changed, carefree, and other things can’t leave any traces in your heart, but, dear Nangong.”
“People change, everything moves forward.”
Lei Laomeng said:
“Should your relationship with Your Majesty always remain the same as back then?”
Nangong Wumeng felt slightly stiff.
Lei Laomeng didn’t push aggressively, touched on the topic briefly before shifting away.
He knew his good friend too well, understanding if he continued speaking, this one would pack up and leave overnight, vanishing for months.
Laughing heartily, “I’ve said enough, General Nangong, I will first return to the Capital City to report, the empire’s strategy for the next three hundred years will be based on your scroll, Lei Laomeng, on behalf of the billions of people of Great Qin, thank General Nangong.”
He folded his hands in respect: “Thank you, General, six years of spring and autumn.”
Nangong Wumeng hurriedly returned the gesture clumsily: “You’re too polite.”
Then waved her hand in a carefree manner, saying: “Oh, Boss Lei, don’t be so overly formal, not like that brat Yan Daiqing.”
Lei Laomeng smiled gently, “Right Minister is now thirty-five, has a four-year-old child, is gentle and composed, displays a scholarly air, long past the time of getting so angry his face turns red.”
Nangong Wumeng was stunned.
Lei Laomeng, in a gentle yet brutal way, drew out before her the passage of time, and marked the changes in people.
He turned, waving his hand, said: “The world says the principle of everything is in change, so they all mock the one who carves a mark on the boat to locate a sword, but if you think carefully, whether me or you, we who cherish past experiences, aren’t we all carving marks on boats for swords?”
“I’m leaving, Nangong.”
“Think about it more, I’ll prepare the wine in the Capital City, waiting for you.”
Lei Laomeng walked away, laughing and chatting to the young disciples in the Taoist Temple, he pulled out many snacks, then called the scouts he brought along to leave. These scouts were between seven to eight feet tall, with long legs, rarely speaking.
But after leaving the Taoist Temple for just over a mile, they couldn’t resist.
“Lord Lei, is that the legendary first core member of our Qilin Army, who participated in the thousands of miles expedition, followed the Emperor, fought across entire battlefields, yet never got a scratch, General Nangong?!”
“The legendary No-dream Vanguard General who established Great Qin’s first special scout troop.”
“The genius who could break through by jumping off a cliff!”
“Great Qin’s God of Wealth!”
“The martial world myth of never being short of money?!”
This group of reconnoitre army nearly surrounded Lei Laomeng, who laughed heartily and said, “Yes, yes, that’s all her. But, you know, what you hear is just the spread of rumors, quite different from the true her.”
“Hmm, but at least there’s one point that cannot be wrong.”
Lei Laomeng smiled, “This guy has never been poor, haha.”
He led the cavalry scouts away.
Inside the Taoist Temple, Nangong Wumeng, simple and clean in appearance, watched them depart from afar, muttering, “What’s with Great Qin Reconnoitre Army? Surely it’s that Wen Qingyu talking nonsense again.”
“What does it mean, to carve a sword mark on a boat and seek it later.”
Nangong Wumeng mumbled.
The expressionless little girl behind said, “Master is just running away.”
Nangong Wumeng grew angry, picked up the little girl, and squeezed her still slightly chubby face, saying, “Little Daoist Child, what do you understand?”
The little Daoist child looked at the teacher who picked her up with unwavering eyes.
She said, “Then who is teacher hiding here and waiting for?”
Nangong Wumeng decisively said, “No one!”
The little Daoist child rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Waiting for His Majesty?”
Nangong Wumeng squatted there, propping her chin with one hand, saying, “No, besides, he is the Emperor, sweeping across the world and unifying the Nine Provinces, Emperor Qin, while I am just a martial artist without parents.”
“How could there be any reason for me to wait for him?”
The little Daoist child looked at her master.
Even through the disguise mask, she could see her master’s eyes carrying a feeling she couldn’t yet identify. Was it sadness, or peace? Or perhaps a hint of inferiority?
She never thought her carefree master would have such an expression.
Since Nangong Wumeng picked her up, the master has always been carefree.
Nangong Wumeng was the first person she saw.
She had no parents either. Now that she thinks about it, she must have been abandoned. A Jade Pendant hangs at her waist, with the word “Xie” inscribed on it. She was supposed to freeze to death, but a White Tiger carried her off the mountain.
So she grew up drinking the White Tiger’s milk.
She had a brother and a younger brother.
The brother was a Black Tiger, and the younger brother was a White Tiger.
Anyway, she was just a weak little girl, whatever happened, let her not competent brothers handle it.
Her intelligence matured at three years old. She was supposed to become a wild child, but that day, while kicking her younger brother, she suddenly heard the sound of crashing and looked up.
An old tree from the cliff fell, and there were two red fruits on it.
Then her master, like a chaos-causing character, fell from the sky.
The little girl widened her eyes back then.
She saw a god-like beautiful person with a huge, shining object behind her, then saw her mother, brother, and younger brother being stroked like pets by the master.
Finally, she was carried away, her master, with a troubled face, everywhere he thought, gave her the name “Xie Ziran,” which means “Tao,” but over the years, it was unclear whether the master took care of her, or she took care of the master.
She really didn’t understand why her master found her inexplicably?
Xie Ziran unemotionally sighed, patted her master, and said:
“Then Master, you are not waiting for the Emperor.”
“Are you waiting for Li Guanyi?”
“Hmm.”
Nangong Wumeng replied, Xie Ziran originally thought the master wouldn’t answer, but hearing the answer, she was surprised, instinctively raised her head, seeing the master still wearing the disguise mask.
But the disguise mask couldn’t completely cover it; beneath the woman’s black hair, her ears were flushed red like fire.
“Will he come?”
“I don’t know…”
………
And that day, an old man pierced through layers of barriers, crossed Central Plains, East Sea, Western Regions, and successfully reached the mountains.
Tu Shengyuan raised his hand, letting the sleeve slip down, wiped the sweat off his forehead, then wiped the fruit found on his clothes, took a big bite without disdain, the juices flowed.
The old storyteller yelled to the sky, sighed audibly.
“Finally, finally!”
“I am safe!”