Chapter 283 - 127: Gu Xiangzhu: Why is Zhu Li Riding on You?

Chapter 283: Chapter 127: Gu Xiangzhu: Why is Zhu Li Riding on You?

Feng Kucha sighed wistfully, "Lao Mo... he’s just too kind!"

Zhao Ci nodded in complete agreement. "Isn’t that the truth?"

Zhang Da Yong: "..."

’Right, right, right!’

’So, so kind!’

Zhao Ci looked at the Child Scholars and the Boatwoman. They were all utterly exhausted. Now that they were back in town, they started wiping away their tears.

He pointed to the execution platform in the distance. "You’re back just in time. The Carp Spirit is being flayed alive right now. If you can still manage, you can go have a look."

At his words, the exhausted crowd suddenly found a new surge of energy, their eyes burning with rage.

"What?"

"The Carp Spirit was caught?"

"That bastard has finally been caught!"

"Let’s go!"

"It nearly killed us! I’m going to get a slice in, too!"

The large group of Child Scholars swarmed over.

The crowd erupted into chaos.

The Child Scholars were fixated on seeing the fish butchered.

But other people were fixated on them.

In the end, before they could even see the fish being butchered, they were surrounded by their families, who had been waiting for so long.

A chorus of wailing broke out.

[Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward: Comprehension Value +100, Peace Talisman x1.

[Prompt]: ...

These were the rewards from their families’ wishes for their safe return.

The Comprehension Value rewards varied in size, but they added up to two or three thousand in total.

He also managed to collect forty or fifty Peace Talismans.

Zhao Ci clapped Xiao Shenke and Zhang Da Yong on the shoulders. "You two have been through a lot. Go get some rest. Old Feng and I will wait for Lao Mo."

"Yeah!"

The two of them were dead tired as well. They cupped their fists in a brief salute and departed.

Zhao Ci glanced at Feng Kucha. "Come on. Let’s go sit at the docks. If they’re coming back, they’ll probably circle around upstream and take a boat from there."

"Alright!"

’I’ve got nothing else to do anyway,’ Feng Kucha mused. ’The Crocodile Lady’s essence can’t take many more extractions, so there’s no need to be in such a rush during the day. Besides, I’m not a man driven by lust.’

’Waiting for Lao Mo with Zhao Ci sounds good.’

’After all, Lao Mo was like a veritable War God this time around.’

The two of them started walking toward the docks outside of town.

But they noticed someone following them.

Zhao Ci turned and saw the Boatwoman. Her face was swollen from crying, and her eyes were filled with anxiety and uncertainty.

He felt a pang of unease. He sighed. "You should get some rest, too. I’ll let you know the moment they get back."

...

Three days had passed since the Carp-Slaying Assembly. After a day of wild celebration, the town held a banquet that lasted a full day and night. All the local officials were invited, and the group from the Tenth Prince’s Mansion was showered with endless thanks, hailed as great saviors.

After that day of revelry, the town’s atmosphere quickly quieted, returning to its former state.

A bleak gloom even began to set in.

Although the Child Scholars had survived, they had missed this year’s county exam.

Moreover, several of their classmates had perished deep in the mountains.

Once the initial relief of surviving the ordeal faded, it was replaced by an inescapable sense of sorrow and loneliness.

Whenever they were awake, they would join Zhao Ci’s group at the docks, waiting for the return of Yang Mo and their classmates—both the living and the dead.

Of course, the Boatwoman was there too.

「Two more days passed.」

A boat drifted down from upstream.

At its bow, they all saw a familiar figure.

"Lao Mo!"

A small flicker of joy ignited in Zhao Ci’s heart. He stood up and waved at the boat.

Statistically, the chance of Yang Mo running into trouble was minuscule. Still, his long absence had left Zhao Ci feeling on edge.

’This is a goddamn SSS-rank card, not to mention a decent guy. If he died in those mountains, it would be a huge loss.’

’If the signal flare hadn’t remained unused, I would’ve definitely gone into the mountains to find him.’

’Thankfully, he’s back.’

’Not only is he back, but judging by the group of officials with him, it looks like his mission went even faster than expected.’

Finally.

The boat reached the shore.

The Boatwoman, who had been sitting as still as a fossil, now looked as if she were about to face her final judgment. Nearly ten days of pent-up fear and hope erupted at once. She staggered forward and clutched Yang Mo’s sleeve. "Lord Yang, my husband..."

Yang Mo lowered his gaze and gestured toward the boat. "I did my best. The mountains are teeming with poisonous insects..."

The Boatwoman froze. The hope in her eyes drained away, bit by bit, until her entire being seemed to lose its last glimmer of light.

Trembling, she walked toward the boat. Amid a tangled pile of corpses, her eyes immediately found her husband.

Her vision went black, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.

A long, long time passed.

Finally, she came to her senses.

She walked up to Yang Mo, knelt, and pressed her forehead to the ground in a deep kowtow.

"Thank you, Lord Yang, for bringing my husband home to rest."

Yang Mo: "..."

He remained silent, simply watching as the town’s officials piled the corpses onto a cart and led the devastated Boatwoman, now too heartbroken to even cry, toward the town cemetery.

’It was strange.’

’He felt no guilt whatsoever.’

’Nor any sympathy.’

’Even receiving the Boatwoman’s heartfelt thanks brought him no sense of accomplishment.’

’It was as if the whole affair had nothing to do with him.’

’That was it.’

’He wanted nothing to do with the weak.’

"Lao Mo."

"Brother Ci!"

Yang Mo snapped out of his thoughts.

Zhao Ci clapped him on the shoulder and sighed. "The dead are at peace. Don’t wear yourself out grieving."

"Right."

Yang Mo nodded.

[Yang Mo’s Current Wish]: To become a strong person as quickly as possible and repay Zhao Ci’s kindness during the Mansion competition. Reward for fulfillment: Comprehension Value +100, Stronger Talisman x1.

Zhao Ci: "..."

’Heh, Lao Mo’s a good man.’

’Always thinking about repaying his debts.’

Yang Mo took a deep breath and asked, "By the way, I heard the Carp Spirit was caught."

"Yep."

Zhao Ci nodded. "I got a bit opportunistic, used a few little tricks."

Yang Mo: "..."

His heart sank, and he shot Zhao Ci a complicated look.