Chapter 1240: Chapter 1180 Restless Thoughts (3)

The night sky was vast.

In the east, the midnight bell had rung, and Fuzhou entered the early hours of June 1st.

The lights of the night market gradually faded, carriages and the last of the tourists returned home, and even the few nighttime shops closed their doors. Apart from the bright red lanterns still hanging in front of the brothels, there was little light in the darkness.

Sparse and mottled, like scattered dreams on the seashore.

Some dreams were a little more lively.

"...If something like that really happens. You, you... we brothers will find you, including your wives and children. I will cut them up inch by inch in front of you. The process will of course be a little unpleasant, but in the end, you will help us find your boss... Hmph... Wahahahaha..."

With hands on her hips, the paper-cut figure on the window looked like a proud fire-breathing dragon, saying exciting words amidst laughter.

Then she hesitated for a moment.

"What's the next line again?"

The girl's laughter then rang out.

The starlight was sparse.

In the center of the courtyard was a small banyan tree, and through its branches and leaves, beams of starlight fell parallel to the stone table and stone stools beneath it.

"It's your fault for being willful, unable to sleep, telling him those things..."

But in the windless night, everything around seemed empty and lonely. When going out of the room, Yin Ping, who was meditating in the neighboring courtyard, had already come out and followed behind.

Unable to catch up…

"...News from the various departments will probably not be known in detail until tomorrow..."

But of course, it was an illusion.

Always just a little short.

Yin Ping paused slightly before uttering the last few words. Yue Yun, hearing the name, seemed to relax even more under the starlight, and her gaze became severe.

After half a night of contemplation, Yin Ping understood that the assassin who came this time was superior in every aspect, whether in inner strength, agility, or experience in responding to attacks. Especially in agility, the assassin's skill had reached perfection. Even the most skilled and agile soldiers in the army were probably only comparable to him.

"Thinking about the assassin from daytime, thinking about how to respond next time." Yin Ping replied solemnly, then added quietly, "...Your Highness... can't sleep again?"

Under the starlight, Yue Yun's words in the pavilion were low and urgent. Yin Ping, having grown up in the military, was accustomed to seeing life and death, but at that moment, she probably remembered some old acquaintances and remained silent. Yue Yun reached out and ruffled her hair.

Seventy years had passed. The past teachers, like childhood and adolescence memories, like that farewell on a starry night, became harder to recall from a certain moment onwards.

"...There's no age in dreams. I even saw the Imperial Aunt and Zhao Jiajia... Because the old folks were there, everyone was together, having fun, it was clearly a school, but it felt like the wilderness outside Jiangning City. Zhou Pei... I don't know what she was doing, she and... Heh, she and His Majesty ground a good inkstone full of ink together, then the ink spilled, and suddenly a fire started, and Zhou Pei was shouting over there... Zhao Jia, run fast, run fast..."

"Yes... Because nothing has happened yet, our future has endless possibilities, so we're not afraid of anything... But people, they suddenly grow up. Many things you can't imagine suddenly happen. The scariest thing is that you haven't even figured it out clearly, and the thing has already passed... One day, you realize that your dreams are all a mess, and even the feelings of childhood, you can barely remember..."

But it wasn't a matter of strategy.

"Actually, since ancient times, skill fears strength. Although martial artists become more experienced with age, if they want to become one of the top masters in the world, they can only see hope in their seventies or eighties. Your Highness, I have not met the Grandmaster. If in a few years, I can barely compare with Father or General Gao in Fujian, I think in my heart, the best thing would be to go to the southwest to see him, and challenge the number one under Heaven to his face – Ning, the Human Butcher."

The name of the female guard whose thigh was broken in the daytime was Lu Yiniang.

Looking into the distance, she was silent for a moment.

She sat quietly for a while, not saying anything more about the tedious and annoying marriage issue.

"Mm." Yue Yun nodded, "Can't sleep, I'll take a walk."

Yin Ping nodded, "Mm, he's still young, causing trouble in the city, always making a scene."

Of course, there was also the future self…

In the courtyard on the side of the sleeping quarters, Yin Ping was meditating under the eaves. Her back was straight, her long and sturdy legs were crossed properly, her hands rested on her knees, facing upwards, looking like a standard meditative posture for a cultivator.

"...Seeing Yiniang today, and suddenly having a dream from childhood, I inexplicably thought of these things... Yin Ping, you and Yiniang also had carefree childhoods, got married, had children, the Jurchens came, more than a decade of displacement, finally a period of peace in Fuzhou, and suddenly an assassin comes, and a leg is broken, almost dying. In the middle of all that, probably everything was rushed and harried."

"...In recent years, I often dream, and I can remember less and less when I wake up. Tonight's dream was quite clear. I dreamed of reading at the Cheng Princess Mansion in Jiangning when I was a child. It was the family school hosted by the Consort, Mr. Ning. A group of children of nobles were there. To my right was the daughter of the Earl of Yunan, named Cheng Shu, and to my left were Zhou Pei and Huang Annian, both sons of nobles... After so many years, the seating arrangement in my dream hasn't changed at all..."

Like becoming another person.

"...What I'm thinking about is something else... Chen Shuangran... How did that pale-faced one achieve such strength today?"

Behind her was only headache, insomnia, and endless responsibility, whether she wanted to bear it or not, but one figure after another, past and present... all fell one after another before her eyes. The Imperial Aunt and Mr. Ning were dead, the country was in ruins, her younger brother was rushing about in the bloody rain, taking up the long sword that he hated as a child. She habitually did her best, but when she thought about the decisions she made, she still didn't know if they were right or accurate...

As people grew older, even the memories of the past would change color.

Insomnia was an old problem, she had always been a light sleeper, it wasn't purely due to the sweltering weather.

She got out of bed, and the maid sleeping in the side room also got up. After asking carefully, she took a copper kettle and added some warm water to the washbasin, then wrung out a wet towel for her. This was a habit. When Yue Yun woke up at night, she would immediately wipe her face, which would make her clear-headed very quickly. She used warm water when nothing was wrong, and cold water when something was wrong.

"Childish..."

"Devouring Cloud Iron Armor" (Tun Yun Tie Jia).

Yin Ping frowned slightly, "Your Highness, I grew up in the military. Even if I get married, you and His Majesty won't stop me from going to the battlefield, right?"

She couldn't help but think of the battle between Grandmaster and Kang Grandpa back then. At that time, the heart demon had just destroyed Liangshan, and he was not yet known in the Jianghu for his superb martial arts. The Grandmaster, as the number one under heaven, charged over. Later, she heard that a fight had indeed taken place. She didn't know if it was the Grandmaster fighting Kang Grandpa alone, or Kang Grandpa and his wife fighting together.

She said that, and Yin Ping frowned slightly, her eyebrows forming melancholy moons.

"Heh, actually, whenever I see you siblings, I always think of my and His Majesty's childhood..." Yue Yun smiled, "At that time... we were in Jiangning City, always making a ruckus and running around everywhere. What's slightly different from you is that the one who was always unruly at that time was me, the elder sister. His Majesty... was timid, liked to do things according to the rules. I always dragged him to skip class and climb walls..."

Yue Yun smiled.

"Xiao Song wants to be the number one female prime minister under heaven, often saying that Lou Shuwan is nothing more than that, compared to her. The two of them, among women, both have lofty ambitions. If you want to compare to Grandmaster Zhou, Marshal Yue will definitely be pleased." Yue Yun smiled.

Thinking for a moment.

She also didn't know how the unfathomable Kang Grandpa could suppress the agility of that Devouring Cloud Evil Monk. Although she had never seen it with her own eyes, she still felt that perhaps only Kang Grandpa, revealing his profound skill, would not surprise her...

In the Jianghu anecdotes she had heard in the past, only one person's affairs could correspond to it.

The highest martial arts in the Backed Army belonged to her father and General Gao, but even if the two of them could surpass that Devouring Cloud Monk in martial arts, they were probably still inferior in agility alone.

"I'll offer some advice, but I won't forcefully stop you. You're strong, and I can't stop you either." Yue Yun smiled, "Actually... I want to ask, Yin Ping, what is the thing you most, most want to do in the future? For example, if one day, we are no longer fighting, what else do you want to do... Is it martial arts?"

Among the noble children she had come into contact with, Yin Ping was one of the people she was particularly close to, and she even felt at ease entrusting her life to her. This was not only because of Yue Fei's sake, but more because she often saw her past self and Junwu in Yin Ping and He Teng, this pair of siblings.

"...Had a dream last night."

You’d have to get the people above to decide on big matters.”

The feeling of the dream quickly dissipated.

The princess’s insomnia wasn’t new. Leaving from a side door of her bedroom, there was a garden beside, with a slightly higher rockery with a pavilion on top. Getting there, you could feel a light breeze. Yue Yun often came here, so Yin Ping sat down.

Yue Yun paused before saying, “I heard that He Teng often comes to visit you at the mansion?”

"Nowadays… you can't tell.”

After talking about it with Kang Grandpa, her father had said, "I can’t beat him."

The dream was dry and stifling.

She didn’t know what time it was, but even with the windows open, the lamplight from the side room remained motionless. There was no wind and the room was stuffy and hot. She still hadn’t fully adjusted to the weather in Fuzhou.

She had been running in that courtyard countless times in her mind, thinking about different exertion techniques and sparring with the assassin from earlier.

Back then, when Grandmaster Zhou Tong arrived in Shandong, he had also made a move on this person, but when he abandoned his armor and fled with all his might, the Grandmaster had not given chase.

But in the dim light under the eaves, her eyes were still open, staring at the courtyard in front, her gaze clear, her expression unchanging.

"...Woke up and thought carefully, the layout of the school should be when I was four years old... When I was ten years old, Zhao Jia got sick, and two years later, she suddenly died. When His Majesty was young, he got along well with her... I often dream of my childhood when I'm in my seventies, but in recent years, it's been less frequent. I remember the things of my childhood very clearly, but when I think carefully, I always feel like something's wrong. Only today did I dream a little clearer..."

The night was noisy, the pavilion felt only a faint breeze. Yue Yun said it slowly and Yin Ping listened quietly. She was still too young to discuss these things. Therefore, she didn't reply casually. Looking at the princess talking about her dream with a smile, she was a little unfamiliar. Perhaps because of the age difference, in the past, the princess always seemed dignified and confident. Although she was occasionally playful, she rarely seemed like a… young girl reminiscing about the past.

“…There were…”

…

Yue Yun woke up from her dream, the sound of waves still seemed to be ringing in her ears.

"Yin Ping, you're so old, but you're still unwilling to marry. In the future, do you want to become a female general?"

Even if it was seven against one, being able to achieve a superficial draw in a direct confrontation with Grandmaster was extremely difficult.

"Heh, actually I don't have any good stories to tell you… although I also had a proposal, from beginning to end, I never handled it well…”

Yin Ping smiled.

“…It was a good dream…”

“…After the assassination this morning, security has been strengthened at Li Pin's school and the Princess Mansion, and the news has been blocked. However, the school has to open its doors to welcome guests, so people have been dispatched tonight to confirm that Li Pin is fine. It seems the assassination failed, and the assassin wasn't caught… As for the Princess Mansion, the news hasn't been confirmed, but there are rumors that Tie Tianying left the palace this afternoon and came here.”

"How is Your Highness…"

Reluctantly…

But now that I think about it, it may be because the monk’s agility had improved after taking off his armor, so even the Grandmaster was not sure of catching up?

Unlike that “female prime minister” thousands of miles away, even if she calculated myriad things, the most frequent feeling she felt when making decisions was still hesitation.

Yue Yun looked and smiled.

"...Then do we still have merit?"

"She fell asleep at Chou hour, so there shouldn't be any life-threatening danger." Yin Ping said.

She sighed slightly, then gradually changed the subject, listening to Yin Ping talk for a while about the assassin from earlier and his martial arts. She wasn't too worried about the fact that the person who came this time might be a ruthless character with one of the best agility skills in the world, but she only became interested when she saw Yin Ping's clear expression when she spoke about working hard to train her agility next.

There were also serious and troubled dreams.

The attacker was an old man, his hands had calluses and weren’t emaciated, but his palm technique was experienced and profound. As soon as they exchanged blows, she realized that she had misjudged the opponent's strength. A palm that she put all her strength into split apart and her blood qi surged. In the next moment, the opponent flew toward the group of guards to the side.

"...The Princess Mansion has a banquet tomorrow, to entertain those guys who came to send their daughters. They will pay more attention to it outside, it's not surprising..."

“…Mm.” Yin Ping put her legs together, before nodding solemnly, “Your Highness, in fact… My martial arts are good. My father and General Gao, they also said that my talent is good. They also often said to me, that my Grandmaster was Zhou Tong, the number one under Heaven back then. So, I once told Zhao Dasong that I wanted to become the number one master in the world.”

Not to mention that when he was fighting, the assassin seemed to have the tinkling sound of iron plates on his body.

"...Those two, I'm afraid they won't accept our recruitment… But they did agree to help us in the fight…"

Yin Ping thought, “My dad said, ‘Don’t be afraid.’”

Yin Ping finally understood what the other party was referring to. She was already an adult, and had long since experienced the battlefield and seen many births and deaths. In the past, when she was with He Teng, she was the one who made the decisions, but in Yue Yun's presence, she still seemed like a younger sister or niece at many times.

"...Yin Ping, do you know what’s best about being young?"

In the past, her father said that Grandmaster had been ordered by the Grand Commandant's office to intercept Kang Grandpa and his wife, Lu Hongti of the "Rivers and Mountains Iron Sword", who had not yet revealed too many methods, probably because he was responsible, so he didn't kill the escaped monk.

The other party's agility was unparalleled. Yin Ping tried to catch up from behind, but that figure had already knocked two people away while swinging his arms, and then stomped and broke the thigh of a female guard. As blood spurted, that figure actually reversed direction and fled out of the Princess Mansion.

She didn’t know when she woke up from her dream. Jiangning, as it was in her youth, seemed like a deceptive fantasy. When she thought about it carefully, she was even confused as to whether many things had even happened.

Lin Zongwu, who had been elected as the number one in the Jianghu among the common people, was said to be "Piercing the Forest with Northern Kicks" by others, but Yin Ping knew that this was mockery from the southwest. According to her father, Lin Zongwu, the fat man, had unparalleled internal strength because of the special nature of his body, but he was also using his surging internal strength to promote his agility, and the speed could be one of the best in the world. But in the end, it was still difficult to make people believe that if it was purely about agility.

…

"...Well... I'm not sure..."

Princess Mansion.

The night was noisy. From the afternoon until this time, she had tried many methods and practiced the possible responses of the next exchange. At this time, everyone was asleep, and she could only recall what she had learned in the past and conceptualize in her mind.

During her childhood, she strolled carefree with her younger brother, rushing around in Jiangning City, waiting for a monotonous future. Then, suddenly, she became a girl, and left home in a troubled mood. She took a small boat north, and bid farewell to her “teacher” in Bianliang, who was going to Liangshan… After that, everything seemed to speed up, she got married, and gradually watched the marriage become a complete mess. Then, the country fell into ruins. She learned various things from the Imperial Aunt and Mr. Ning. She didn’t have experience in many things, but the Imperial Aunt said that a person’s life was just one “reluctant.”

There were also dreams that seemed strange.

“How is Yiniang?”

“Yes, back then… without worry, the things around me had already been arranged well. When His Majesty came of age, he would be a peaceful prince, living a life of debauchery for a few years, and then no one would be able to restrain him. My biggest worry at that time was having to get married when I reached a certain age… It scared me so much that I even ran away from home, but in the end… I still married Qu Zonghui…”

“No.” Yin Ping shook her head, “...I like to listen to these things, and my dad and the uncles in the army often talk about the past, but… they are all men…”

The assassin appeared near Si hour yesterday. At that time, she was the one leading the patrol when she noticed the clues. That gray figure attacked, sending a palm towards her, aiming for her chest with a low meaning, but in the first meeting, it was a very cunning strategy. She met it with a palm in the first moment.

"Then... you must win at that time."

She overturned it many times. I originally wanted to remove this part of the thoughts, but after thinking about it, I kept it. It should be interesting, and it is necessary for the next plot... In addition, the book "Jing Ming" is also very interesting, and I recommend everyone to read it.