Chapter 79: A Great Filial Son

Dusk.

The unwilling sun still refused to leave quietly, continuing to tease the clouds.

The clouds blushed shyly, their cheeks tinged with an enticing crimson.

The Princess swung down from her horse and tossed the reins to a nearby attendant.

At the entrance, she saw Seventh Uncle waiting for her.

Seventh Uncle stepped forward on his own and helped undo her cloak.

Between the two of them, the relationship looked like master and retainer, but in truth, it was far closer to that of grandfather and granddaughter.

Although the Princess had only just returned from outside, there was not the slightest trace of chill on her body.

Taking advantage of Seventh Uncle standing beside her, she immediately complained, “Seventh Uncle, look at Mother.

“When I lead troops out, I’m fooling around.

“But when she leads troops out, doesn’t she cause an even bigger commotion than I do?”

These were words she could say only to the old man who had watched her grow up.

Not only would it be inappropriate to say them to anyone else they would not dare listen.

Seventh Uncle smiled faintly.

“Princess, you are exactly like Madam was when she was young.”

“Heh.

“Don’t ever let Mother hear you say that.

“Otherwise, she’ll start telling me how she used to be such a refined young lady, how well-read and proper she was, and how I’m the one who’s wild, unruly, and impossible.”

“Madam is pleased inside.

“No parent dislikes seeing their child resemble their younger self.”

“Really?

“Then why didn’t Seventh Uncle remarry?

“Or at least find yourself a successor?”

“Oh, right.

“Princess, that brat left.”

“Who?”

The Princess looked confused for a moment.

Then she understood.

“He actually left?”

“Yes.

“He left this afternoon.

“He took the men he brought from Tiger Head City and went back.”

“That brat didn’t come looking for you?”

“No.”

“Interesting.

“When he knelt before you back then, he called you Master so loudly and sweetly.

“And now?

“He actually left without saying a word.”

As she spoke, the Princess’s gaze sharpened slightly.

A cold smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

“Could it be that brat has become like the rest of the world and decided our Marquis’s residence has no future?”

Seventh Uncle shook his head gently.

“No matter how turbulent the Marquis’s residence becomes, to someone like him, it is still an enormous mountain to lean against.”

“Then why?”

“For the past few days, he has been unusually close with the Sixth Prince.”

“He saved Little Six.

“It’s normal for them to become somewhat close.

“But...

Seventh Uncle, you mean that brat has joined Little Six?”

“I do not know.”

“Little Six couldn’t possibly have failed to see what kind of creature that brat really is.

“That is strange.

“Little Six has behaved obediently for so long.

“Has he finally grown tired of pretending?”

“No descendant of the imperial dragon line is simple.”

“Father said the same thing before.

“He said that among the seven princes of this generation, aside from Little Seven, who is still too young, not one of the other six is ordinary.”

“The Marquis has always judged people accurately.”

Sometimes, however, when every imperial prince was too outstanding, that was not necessarily a good thing.

“Forget it.

“Seventh Uncle, that brat simply lacks the fortune.

“Just wait.

“In the future, I’ll find you an even more talented successor.”

“No need.

“That brat entered the grades within two months.

“That proves he truly is a genius.

“But geniuses are not suited to learning swordsmanship from me.

“For more than half my life, I have been an obscure Eighth-Grade swordsman.

“In my entire life, I will have only one true opportunity to draw my sword.

“That kind of loneliness is something a young man, especially a talented one, cannot endure.”

“Seventh Uncle.

“You’ve suffered.”

“There is no suffering.

“Right, Princess.

“Another imperial decree arrived from court.”

“For what?

“Are they urging Little Six to return to the capital?”

“Not this time.

“They merely asked after Madam’s health.”

The Princess shook her head.

“It isn’t that simple.”

“The eunuch who delivered the decree also brought one sentence from His Majesty.”

“What?”

“He said His Majesty asked about the Princess’s birth date.”

“Heh.”

“The Marquis is also in the capital.

“He should have agreed to this matter as well.”

“If he wants to marry someone off, let him marry himself.

“What kind of father throws his own daughter out as a bargaining chip?”

Seventh Uncle replied, “There are countless parents beneath heaven who sell their daughters as bargaining chips.”

“Seventh Uncle.

“Whose side are you actually on?”

“This sword of mine can only be drawn once in this lifetime.”

“I know.”

“I told you long ago.

“That one sword will be used for you.

“If one day your husband treats you badly, you can ask Seventh Uncle to cut him down with one sword.

“Or— if you want Seventh Uncle to leave for the capital today and see whether this sword can kill His Majesty, I will obey you.”

“Seventh Uncle.

“Stop messing around.”

Seventh Uncle shook his head.

He said with complete seriousness, “Seventh Uncle is not joking.”

After a pause, he continued, “However, if the target is His Majesty, this sword of mine may not reach him.

“And if, in the future, your husband sits upon that position, then Seventh Uncle’s sword may not reach him either.

“Seventh Uncle is useless.

“I spent my whole life cultivating one sword, only to forge a useless sword.”

The Princess pouted slightly.

Then she smiled.

“Seventh Uncle, I know you treat me well.

“Father and Mother were always busy.

“You were the one who watched me grow up.

“But to tell you the truth, there is one thing I’ve never understood.

“I truly don’t understand it...”

“Princess.

“That is because you have never become a wife, nor a mother.”

As Seventh Uncle spoke, he looked toward the setting sun in the distance.

Then slowly continued, “In this world, those who can live their whole lives bold, free, and high-spirited are very few indeed.”

“They mean to marry me to Second Brother?”

“Most likely.”

Seventh Uncle nodded.

“How could the Princess of the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei possibly be unworthy of becoming a Crown Princess?”

In truth, the same sentence could be phrased another way:

Whichever prince married the Princess of the Marquis’s residence would become Crown Prince.

If he did not then someone would have to ask the three hundred thousand Zhenbei troops whether they could accept seeing their future son-in-law fail to sit upon the dragon throne.

“Second Brother’s temperament is too honest.”

“No prince is genuinely honest.”

“Pretending to be honest is even less interesting.”

“Princess.

“The weather is cold.

“Go inside and rest.

“I ordered someone to stew porridge in advance.”

“All right.”

...

Night fell.

The setting sun finished teasing the cloud-girl.

After eating its fill and wiping its mouth clean, it slipped away without leaving so much as a shadow.

Only a round moon remained above, staring blankly at the world.

The convoy had already made camp.

It was the same force that had marched out of Tiger Head City, and now, under Zheng Fan’s command, it was heading back.

One Centurion was missing from the ranks.

But too much had happened recently.

Apart from the soldiers directly under that Centurion, no one truly cared.

Zheng Fan sat inside the tent, rubbing his hands together.

Feng Siniang was cooking hotpot.

They had replenished the seasonings in the market outside the Marquis’s residence.

Winter in the desert really did pair well with hotpot.

Liang Cheng sat beside Zheng Fan.

The little wolf cub crouched opposite Siniang, utterly motionless, his eyes fixed rigidly on the bubbling beef-tallow hotpot.

“So Master intends to follow the Sixth Prince’s advice and go south?”

Zheng Fan nodded.

He held his hands before his mouth, blew warm air onto them, then rubbed them again.

“The water has to be muddy for us to fish in troubled waters.

“This pool of muddy water in Beifeng Commandery is about to be dredged clean.

“There won’t be much room left for us to jump around however we please.”

Petty warlords in chaotic times.

That had been Beifeng Commandery’s earlier state.

Military strongmen.

Powerful clans.

Great families.

One after another, like nails hammered into the land of Beifeng Commandery.

Their relationships were deeply entangled.

Annexation and private warfare were everyday occurrences.

Only an environment like that was suitable for a new force to rise.

Zheng Fan did not want to imitate Song Jiang, rebelling only so he could someday accept amnesty.

Nor did he want to imitate some loyal minister or famous general who truly believed that “thunder and rain alike are imperial grace” and would die merely for a good reputation.

What Zheng Fan wanted was to carve out a foundation of his own, one blade and one spear at a time.

And if everything was ready someday, perhaps he could imitate the King of Chu and ask how heavy the Nine Tripod Cauldrons truly were.

A man who had already killed himself once and received another life if he still lived it feeling suffocated, wouldn’t that be far too unfair to himself?

“Whatever Master decides is fine,” Siniang agreed.

“If we go south, the climate should be better.

“The population is denser too.

“Life should be considerably more comfortable.”

“Right.

“Did Shatuo Que Shi reach Mei Clan Fort?”

Zheng Fan cared greatly about this matter.

Only after meeting up with Liang Cheng and Siniang had he learned that they had somehow intercepted Shatuo Que Shi right out from under everyone’s nose.

That had been a genuine case of pulling teeth from a tiger’s mouth.

The risk had been almost unimaginable.

But the delight after succeeding was equally unimaginable.

“The Blind Man and Xue San should be at Mei Clan Fort by now.

“There shouldn’t be any problem, Master,” Siniang replied.

“Mm.”

With the Blind Man there, Zheng Fan believed any problem could be dealt with promptly and effectively.

“Right, Liang Cheng.

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Master, please speak.”

“Shatuo Que Shi right now...”

Zheng Fan pointed at his own head.

“Does he still retain his own thoughts?”

“If he were an ordinary person, then after becoming a zombie, he would essentially count as a new life.

“At most, he might retain somewhat stronger feelings toward relatives from when he was alive.”

That was also why corpses that suddenly reanimated often attacked their own family.

In truth, they wanted to get close to their relatives.

They yearned for that familiar feeling.

But it was like an elephant trying to play affectionately with you jumping on top of you, trying to lift you into the air...

“But someone like him was a genuine powerhouse while alive.

“His will was as hard as iron.

“On top of that, after death he was awakened through the summoning of the barbarian priests.

“This subordinate believes he should retain some memories and some sense of self.”

“You’re impressive too.

“In this world, does every zombie that appears have to call you Ancestor?”

Liang Cheng shook his head.

“Master jests.

“This matter has little to do with this subordinate.

“I only passed along a message.

“This subordinate believes it was the relationship between Master and Shatuo Que Shi that ultimately caused him to reject the Royal Court’s summons and go instead to Mei Clan Fort to wait for us.”

“Stop putting gold on my face.”

“Master is simply too modest.”

“No.

“Enough.

“Can we speak like normal people for once?”

“All right.”

“Right.

“This little brat— he’s the...

Young Lord of that penal tribe?”

“Yes.”

“Where are his parents?”

At that moment, the boy seemed to understand that they were discussing him.

He immediately stood, gripped his dagger in one hand, then dropped to one knee before Zheng Fan.

“Jiligulu-jiligulu-jiligulu-jiligulu...”

Zheng Fan looked toward Liang Cheng.

“Translate?”

“He says his father was already old and ill.

“He could no longer continue leading the tribe to survive.

“So the boy killed his father on the sickbed, took over his father’s responsibility, and went out to find a new future for his tribespeople.”

“Hiss...”

Zheng Fan stared with great interest at this boy who looked only five or six years old.

Then, he shook his head and sighed.

“After we go south, when we pick a new residence, we need the Blind Man to carefully examine the feng shui.

“There must be something wrong with it.

“Otherwise, why do we keep taking in all these great filial sons?”

As he spoke, Zheng Fan could not help taking out the stone containing the Demon Child from his pocket.

With deep emotion, he sighed, “At least my Demon Child isn’t like that.”

(End of Chapter)