Chapter 298 - 116: Departure (3)

Chapter 298: Chapter 116: Departure (3)

...

「Three days later.」

In the brilliant golden light of the morning sun, two carriages from the Fang Family left the city, traveling light.

Over the past three days, the Fang Family had sold off their properties in the city, converted them into gold and silver, and placed it all in the Qing Yan Little Child’s Spirit Ring. Only a few belongings remained in the carriages.

Outside the city stood the Farewell Pavilion, where Fang Rui and Ge Changgeng had once seen off Zhou Changfa. Today, Niu Bajin and Xun Buhe were here to see off Fang Rui. It was as if things had come full circle.

"Boss, take care. Come back and visit when you have time."

"Yeah, you’ll always be our boss in our hearts."

"Alright, that’s enough of the sentimental stuff. You two should head back."

Fang Rui waved dismissively, about to board his carriage.

Just then—

"SCREECH!"

A sharp cry tore through the air.

Beneath the crimson morning sun, two Red-Feathered Golden Eagles soared through the sky. And who should be riding them but Zhen Daoji and Zhen Yi?

The two of them didn’t descend right away.

Instead, they circled high in the air on their Red-Feathered Golden Eagles. A silvery-white light, like moonlight, cascaded down from them. For nearly a mile in every direction, the plants and trees were coated in a layer of white frost, as if they were sculptures of ice.

Especially in the light of the morning sun, a hazy mist began to rise and curl, creating a scene straight out of the Immortal Realm.

"Wow, it’s so pretty! That person is so powerful!"

"He’s here to see us off... No, he’s here for Brother Ah Rui. That means Brother Ah Rui is even more powerful!"

"Ling’Er, Nannan, quiet down! Those are very important people!"

...

Such were the voices coming from within the Fang Family’s carriage.

Meanwhile, the area outside the city was bustling with people. The Fang Family wasn’t the only party leaving, and upon seeing such an extraordinary phenomenon, many travelers stopped to watch, their voices buzzing with discussion.

"Look, it’s the Lord Director of the Divine Capture Bureau! He’s here to see off that Fang Yinzheng... wait, he’s not Fang Yinzheng anymore. I heard he resigned a couple of days ago."

"I thought they had a falling out. Why would he come to see him off?"

"Clearly, those were just rumors!"

"Heh, I bet there’s going to be some good drama after this."

...

Fang Rui, Zhen Daoji, and Zhen Yi all heard the chatter, of course, but none of them were the type to be swayed by public opinion. They remained serene.

Zhen Daoji and Zhen Yi approached, walking side by side.

"Lord Si Zheng! Spirit Master Zhen!"

Upon seeing Zhen Daoji and Zhen Yi, Niu Bajin and Xun Buhe couldn’t help but become reserved and anxious.

"There’s no need for that. Today, there is no Director of the Divine Capture Bureau, only Zhen Daoji."

Zhen Daoji stepped before Fang Rui. He opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, all he said was, "Fang Rui, I am the one who has wronged you."

"You speak too gravely, Brother Zhen," Fang Rui said, shaking his head.

"Young friend Fang Rui, you have always possessed a talent for poetry. I wonder, do you have a fine verse for us today?" Zhen Yi asked, sensing the oppressive atmosphere and deftly changing the subject.

"I do."

Fang Rui smiled.

At that moment, everything that had happened in Huaiyin Prefecture flashed before his eyes like mist: the grand Jade Plum Association gathering; fishing by the shores of Mochou Lake with Ge Changgeng; their first meeting outside the Peach Blossom Garden; drinking and singing boisterously at the feast in the Zhen Mansion; looking back from the shore of Mochou Lake, only to find a lonely, melancholy view...

Fang Rui closed his eyes and began to recite slowly, "Power and seclusion are both but a dream; let not the favor or disgrace of the Mortal World cause alarm. It is in idle moments that we meet our destiny."

This verse stirred different feelings in each of his listeners: Zhen Daoji, Zhen Yi, Niu Bajin, and Xun Buhe.

Niu Bajin and Xun Buhe took it as a response to the recent rumors, and their hearts were filled with complex emotions.

Zhen Daoji and Zhen Yi, however, were reminded of their first meeting in the Peach Blossom Garden. The sun had been perfect that day, they had both been at leisure, and a bond had been forged.

It was truly a case of: *It is in idle moments that we meet our destiny!*

"A wine cup sips the autumn dew; a line of verse is carved from ice at night," Fang Rui continued.

These two lines carried a hint of melancholy.

"Remembering moonlit nights of old, sharing wine by lamplight, our hearts full of feeling."

An image surfaced in the minds of Zhen Daoji and Zhen Yi: the banquet they had held for Fang Rui and the Qing Yan Little Child. Before the feast, everything had been harmonious and joyful. Afterward, a rift had already begun to form.

Deep in their hearts, both let out a silent sigh.

"I ask who will journey a thousand li with me? The evening mountains are as green as a painted brow, the autumn water as clear as a mirror."

The poem’s ending suddenly shifted to a tone of open-minded acceptance and ease, a sense of finding solace in the natural world.

"A magnificent verse! We shall be remembered in the annals of history, all thanks to this poem!"

Zhen Yi exclaimed in admiration. With a flick of his wrist, he produced wine cups from his Spirit Ring and distributed them to everyone. Then, with a sweep of his sleeve, he gathered the morning dew, magically transforming it into wine within each cup.

"’A wine cup sips the autumn dew; a line of verse is carved from ice at night.’ Borrowing from young friend Fang Rui’s poem, I have summoned this dew as wine for your farewell toast."

Zhen Yi, Zhen Daoji, Niu Bajin, and Xun Buhe raised their cups in unison. "A safe journey!"

"My thanks."

Fang Rui tilted his head back and drained the cup in one gulp.

...

CREAK...

Under the morning sun, the Fang Family’s carriages slowly receded into the distance, eventually disappearing among the rolling green mountains.

...