togophonebook Chapter 59: Zhang Shan? Zhang Liang!
Chapter 59: Zhang Shan? Zhang Liang!
"Zhang Shan..."
Zou Yun's heart sank to the bottom. He turned around abruptly, like a caged beast that had been provoked, ready to rush out at any cost.
However, just as he rushed out of the room, Zou Yun almost bumped into Old Man Li, who was rushing over.
Old Man Li's face was full of worry, and his cloudy eyes were filled with unease.
Clearly, he wanted to find the exceptionally learned Mr. Zi'an to discuss the matter of engraving the inscription on the celestial star.
At that moment, Old Man Li trembled with fear at Zou Yun's terrifying crimson eyes and blurted out a question.
"Zou... Mr. Zou, why are you so flustered?"
He simply couldn't imagine why Mr. Zou, who had always been so composed, would show such an almost ferocious expression.
But Zou Yun had no time to explain at that moment.
He had only one thought in his mind: 'Hurry! I have to be fast!!'
"We can't let that guy get away like that."
Zou Yun grabbed Old Man Li's arm and stared intently at the old man as he asked.
"Father-in-law! What's the most convenient way to leave this flat hill village as quickly as possible? Tell me immediately!!"
Zou Yun's voice was hoarse, and every word he uttered seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
Old Man Li was so frightened by his sudden action and the chilling glint in his eyes that he stammered.
"Then...then it would be best to go...to the Yellow River and take a boat, downstream...downstream, and we can reach Handan in a day...in a day."
As he spoke, Old Man Li, trembling, raised his other hand and pointed eastward.
"Okay, thank you very much, father-in-law! I will apologize to you again later."
Upon hearing this, Zou Yun immediately released his grip without the slightest hesitation.
He didn't even have time to say a word to the others in the courtyard before he dashed out of the gate, mounted his horse, and rode away.
"Snapped!"
The whip cracked in the air with a sharp sound, and the horse, in pain, neighed and galloped away in the direction the old man pointed!
The four people left in the courtyard—Feng Zhixue, Zheng Ze, Meng Xuande, and Wei Shuqing—looked at each other, completely dumbfounded.
All of this happened too fast, too suddenly.
"What...what's going on?!"
Feng Zhixue stared at the dust and smoke where Zou Yun had disappeared, then looked at Zhang Shan's empty room, and suddenly slapped his thigh.
Zheng Ze's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Stop asking! Chase them! Quickly catch up with Master Fang!"
Meng Xuande remained silent, his face so dark it seemed to drip water, but he moved the fastest, already rushing towards his horse.
The three hurriedly untied the reins, not even bothering to pack any luggage, and mounted their horses.
"Giddy up!" "Giddy up!"
Three fine horses followed closely in the direction Zou Yun disappeared, chasing after him with all their might.
The small courtyard was instantly deserted, leaving only the worried old man and Wei Shuqing who had finally come to his senses.
He was so anxious that he jumped up and down, staring at the deserted end of the road.
Wei Shuqing waved his arms in vain and shouted in exasperation.
"No... wait, little brat!!!"
A morning breeze swept by, swirling up a few fallen leaves and adding to the desolation of the courtyard.
-----------------
The dirt road leading to the riverbank was rugged and uneven.
Half-withered wild grass grew on both sides, rustling in the wind.
Moreover, the closer you get to the river, the more humid the air becomes, carrying the earthy smell unique to the river.
Soon, the riverbank in the distance gradually unfolded, with yellow sand stretching out and reeds growing everywhere.
"Great Master! Great Master! Wait for us!"
Feng Zhixue spurred his horse on desperately to catch up with Zou Yun, the wind rushing into his throat, making his shouts intermittent.
"...Even if you're going to run, you should at least bring your luggage with you."
Feng Zhixue was panting heavily, clearly feeling a pang of heartache for all the things he had accumulated.
Behind him, Zheng Ze looked puzzled, wondering why the Grand Master had suddenly come here, while Meng Xuande, riding beside him, had a gloomy expression and his brows were tightly furrowed.
However, Zou Yun ignored the shouts behind him.
He crouched low, pressed close to the horse's back, his eyes fixed on the increasingly wide riverbank ahead, as if chasing something.
A strong premonition drove him, making him dare not pause for even a moment.
The wind howled past Zou Yun's ears, making his robes flutter loudly.
When the group finally reached the Yellow River dock, a breathtaking view opened up before them.
A vast expanse of mudflats unfolds before your eyes, with the turbid Yellow River carrying silt and sand, flowing mightily eastward.
Zou Yun paid no attention to these things. His gaze swept across the area and finally settled on the center of the river.
There, a lone little covered boat had already sailed away from the shore and was floating in the middle of the river, gently bobbing with the waves.
The boat's silhouette appeared exceptionally small and lonely on the vast expanse of water.
On the shore, Zou Yun pulled hard on the reins, and the horse's hooves paused slightly on the soft, wet sand.
He stood alone at the end of the dock, reining in his horse, like a protruding rock on a riverbank, watching the small boat gradually disappear into the distance in the middle of the river.
On both sides of the river, there were endless, desolate reeds, and overhead, a low, oppressive, leaden-gray sky.
At this moment, the vastness of heaven and earth suddenly shrank.
Only he and the shadow of the boat remained, gazing at each other across the surging, turbid current.
Zou Yun suddenly straightened his back, his chest heaving violently, pouring all the pent-up anger and shock into a roar.
"Zhang Shan! Zhang Zi'an!!!"
The sound echoed across the empty riverbank.
Sure enough, as if to confirm his worst suspicion, a figure emerged from the awning of the small boat.
The man was dressed in a blue robe and turban, with a tall and straight figure, and his face still had that gentle and pleasant expression.
It was none other than the gentle and refined Mr. Zi'an—Zhang Shan!
Zhang Shan stood steadily at the stern of the boat, calmly gazing across the wide expanse of water at the furious figure on the shore.
He even calmly raised his hand and waved towards the shore, his voice carried by the wind, each word reaching the ears.
"Master Zou, there's no need to see me off. If we are destined to meet again in the future, we will naturally meet again."
These calm words, like scalding hot oil, suddenly poured into the fire of anger burning in Zou Yun's chest.
"boom!"
An unprecedented rage exploded within Zou Yun!
Since arriving in this chaotic Qin Dynasty and experiencing numerous ups and downs, this was the first time Zou Yun had ever felt such disgust for someone.
This loathing was like a poisonous fire, scorching his internal organs and burning Zou Yun's eyes until they turned bloodshot.
Zou Yun pointed at the figure in the river and roared.
"You brat!! What do you take the people of Pingqiu for?! Have you ever thought about what will become of them?!"
The angry voices echoed along the riverbank, each word like a drop of blood spurting from between teeth.
Immediately afterwards, Zou Yun took a deep breath and shouted sharply.
"Zhang Shan! No, I should address you as...Zhang Liang!"
The name struck like a thunderbolt, instantly exploding in the ears of the people behind Zou Yun!
"Zhang Liang?!!"
Feng Zhixue gasped in shock.
"The traitors of six kingdoms at Bolangsha?!"
Meng Xuande reacted even more violently, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly at his waist, his body instantly stiffening like iron.
"Hahaha......"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shan on the ship was not alarmed at all; instead, he let out a clear laugh.
"The Grand Master is indeed wise; Zhang Liang is in awe!"
Zhang Shan, no... Zhang Liang, readily admitted it.
Zhang Shan, this pseudonym, has now been completely abandoned by him.
Goodness is virtue, and the virtuous seek peace.
A house is a dwelling place, and a dwelling place is a place to seek peace.
Therefore, Zi'an means both peaceful dwelling and temporary forbearance. This pseudonym already subtly reveals Zhang Liang's ambition.
"No wonder...no wonder, there was a hint of hatred and estrangement towards the Qin Dynasty in his words."
Meng Xuande suddenly understood, his eyes sharpening instantly, and all his previous doubts were resolved.