Chapter 82: Teasing Jiu Mo Zhi

After Yu Xian, Jiu Mo Zhi, and Duan Yu had eaten their fill, the three of them headed toward the Taihu Lake ferry crossing together.

To reach Swallow Inn, one must travel by boat, which was the very reason Yu Xian needed to hitch a ride with Jiu Mo Zhi.

If they were within Suzhou City, he could just sign in at the gate, but Canhe Village was out on Taihu Lake, making travel inconvenient both ways.

Appearing rashly on the lake would also lead to discovery; it was better to go openly.

Upon reaching the ferry crossing, they could hear the faint, cheerful melody of a young woman singing from afar. Soon, they spotted a small boat on the lake, carrying a young girl in a green dress, whose demeanor exuded the delicate and refined temperament of the Jiangnan region, as she played the zither and sang.

Yu Xian knew immediately who it was without needing to think: A Bi, the maidservant of the Murong Family.

“Are you Miss A Bi?” Yu Xian called out to the girl in green.

The girl who had been playing the zither heard someone call her name, looked up, and saw three people standing on the shore: two young men with extraordinary bearing, and one foreign monk. A Bi was certain she had never met any of them before, yet someone among the three recognized her. How strange!

Nevertheless, A Bi rowed the boat to the shore.

“This humble girl is indeed A Bi. May I ask who you gentlemen are and where you wish to go?” A Bi inquired very politely.

“Miss A Bi, this gentleman is the State Preceptor of Tubo, the Great Wheel Bright King. He was an old friend of the late Mr. Murong and wishes to pay respects at Mr. Murong’s grave, and take the opportunity to visit Young Master Murong. Therefore, we hope Miss A Bi can take us to Canhe Village,” Yu Xian said with a smile.

He introduced neither himself nor Duan Yu, focusing only on Jiu Mo Zhi, subtly implying that the main purpose of the trip was for Jiu Mo Zhi to pay respects to Murong Bo.

A Bi discerned from the voice that the one who called her name was the black-clothed youth; he was indeed handsome, perhaps even more so than her Young Master. The young man in white beside him was also very good-looking.

“Oh, I see. It’s just bad timing; my Young Master is currently away from the estate.” Although they claimed this, A Bi remained vigilant, fearing these people had come to the Murong Family seeking revenge.

“Then that is truly unfortunate. The Great Master has traveled thousands of miles just to fulfill a wish from long ago. Could the young lady grant us this favor?” Yu Xian continued speaking, effectively acting as Jiu Mo Zhi’s mouthpiece.

“Then please come aboard. I will take you across, and we can report your arrival then.” Seeing Yu Xian’s politeness, A Bi formed a plan in her mind.

“Then we shall trouble the young lady.” Yu Xian gave A Bi a slight bow with clasped hands.

“Young Master is too kind.” A Bi was pleasantly surprised by Yu Xian’s courtesy and immediately felt goodwill toward him.

Yu Xian gestured for the Great Master to board first: “Great Master, please, you first.”

Jiu Mo Zhi was extremely satisfied with Yu Xian’s attitude. Not only did he proactively explain things for him, but he also positioned Jiu Mo Zhi as the principal figure, granting him sufficient respect and preserving his noble status. Thus, his impression of Yu Xian grew increasingly positive.

After Jiu Mo Zhi boarded, Yu Xian brought Duan Yu onto the boat as well. Duan Yu’s pressure points were still sealed.

Propelled by A Bi’s oars, the small boat swayed gently as it moved toward the center of the lake.

A gentle breeze brushed against his face, and the lake surface rippled like wrinkled green silk. Yu Xian couldn’t help but feel refreshed. The environment here was excellent; he considered whether he should settle near Taihu Lake in the future, or… Yu Xian thought of another place: Manduo Manor.

Yu Xian secretly set his sights on Manduo Manor.

Meanwhile, A Bi, rowing at the stern, began singing that lovely little tune again.

Yu Xian listened contentedly, appearing to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Duan Yu was the same. Although his pressure points were sealed, he could move and his hearing was fine. Furthermore, knowing escape was hopeless, his easygoing nature allowed him to listen with gusto.

As for Jiu Mo Zhi, his face was filled with anguish. Yu Xian knew he suffered from seasickness and was afraid of water.

Yu Xian tapped a rhythm with his foot, following A Bi’s singing, but in reality, he was secretly using internal energy to increase the amplitude of the boat’s rocking.

A Bi, who was steering the boat, naturally noticed the boat’s movements. But just as she was surprised, she met Yu Xian’s meaningful gaze.

Yu Xian signaled with his eyes for her to cooperate in teasing the foreign monk. A Bi instantly understood and also began controlling the boat to sway more violently.

“Ah! Ah! Why is it rocking so much?” Jiu Mo Zhi could no longer hold back and cried out.

He felt like vomiting but forced himself to endure it; he could not lose face in front of others—he was an enlightened high monk.

“Great Master, have you never been on a boat? Small boats are like this. The wider the water, the more hidden currents there are, so it rocks more. Does the Great Master want to stop and rest for a while?” Yu Xian asked with a smile.

Jiu Mo Zhi looked at Yu Xian, then at Duan Yu, and finally at A Bi. Seeing that none of them showed any abnormality, and sensing contempt and mockery in their eyes, Jiu Mo Zhi gritted his teeth. “No need, keep going.”

Then, A Bi’s singing continued, and Yu Xian sat with his eyes closed, though the movement of his feet did not cease.

Swaying and swaying, Yu Xian wasn’t sure how long had passed—it felt quite long—before he heard A Bi say that Canhe Village was not far ahead.

Yu Xian opened his eyes and saw that the distance wasn’t very far, but it wasn’t close either. Suddenly, the corner of his mouth curled up, and with a forceful stomp of his toe, the small boat lurched violently, and a crack appeared in the hull, piercing through it.

Immediately, he flashed over, lifted Duan Yu with one hand, rushed to the stern, and kicked the oar out of A Bi’s hand, sending it flying onto the lake surface.

Yu Xian then wrapped an arm around A Bi’s slender waist, used his Lightness Skill to borrow force from the oar floating on the lake, and easily carried the two of them across the lake surface, landing on the distant shore.

How could Jiu Mo Zhi have anticipated such a sudden move from Yu Xian?

When the boat started rocking violently, the already uncomfortable Jiu Mo Zhi nearly fell into the lake, so he focused entirely on gripping the gunwale to maintain his balance. By the time he recovered, only he remained on the boat, and worse, water was actively seeping into the hull!

“Ah! Yu Xian, what are you doing? Save this humble monk! I can’t swim!” Jiu Mo Zhi panicked on the boat, unsure what to do.

Looking up, on the distant shore, the three people who had just been on the boat were now watching him with smiling faces!

Jiu Mo Zhi was furious but utterly helpless. He knew the boat would quickly fill with water, and he would end up sinking to the bottom of the lake!

He who always hunted geese ended up having his eye pecked by an eagle! He hadn’t expected that everything Yu Xian had shown him was an act! It was highly likely that Yu Xian’s initial appearance was solely to rescue Duan Yu!

Detestable!

“Hahaha, that foreign monk is hilarious. But, will this cause someone’s death?” A Bi found Jiu Mo Zhi’s helplessness quite amusing but was also a little worried that lives might be at risk.

“It’s fine. Have someone watch him, and if he looks like he’s about to drown, have them pull him up,” Yu Xian said with a smile.

“Duan Yu thanks Young Master Yu for saving my life.”

Yu Xian had already released Duan Yu’s pressure points, and Duan Yu understood that everything Yu Xian had done before was merely to confuse Jiu Mo Zhi. Therefore, he solemnly bowed deeply to Yu Xian in thanks.