Chapter 82: Making the Best Use of Everything

Chapter 82: Making the Best Use of Everything

At the end of the twelfth hour of the night.

It was already the third night in the dungeon. Liang Zhen couldn't sleep. He took out the jade pendant from his bosom and held it in his palm, gently rubbing it. This was the only thing left from Zhu Yunxuan. The flowers and sugar in the bamboo tube were lost when he fell into the water, which was truly regrettable.

As midnight approached, faint noises could be heard from outside, accompanied by the smell of suffocating smoke filling the air. Liang Zhen leaned against the straw pile, frowning slightly but not feeling worried.

After two quarters of an hour, someone appeared at the door of the cell, slashing through the iron chains with a saber. In a hoarse voice, they reminded Liang Zhen, "Come on, County Magistrate Liu sent me to pick you up."

Liang Zhen stood up, glanced at the person, and asked nonchalantly, "What's going on outside?"

"Stop asking so many questions," the person replied impatiently, "Hurry up! No tricks!"

Liang Zhen looked up at the small window high on the wall, just big enough for a hand to fit through. Beyond it was an endless night. He smiled and followed the person out.

The further they went, the thicker the smoke grew until they had to cover their noses with their sleeves to keep going. They escaped through a secret tunnel from the dungeon, leading all the way to a pier by the sea.

Upon emerging from the tunnel, they could see the blazing flames behind them. The fire originated from the most prominent mansion in the center of the island. Screams and shouts echoed everywhere, as if hell had descended upon them.

Someone behind Liang Zhen gave him a gentle push. "Stop looking, hurry up and board the ship."

Three boats were docked at the pier, including the one that had brought back the deserter that day. These were likely the last three remaining vessels on the island. This Clerk Liu Gen was a ruthless man. Not only did he set a massive fire, but he also had no intention of leaving any boats for the people on the island, determined to trap them with no escape.

The three ships quickly raised their sails and set off. More and more people rushed to the seashore, helplessly watching as the boats departed, collapsing to the ground in despair, wailing in agony.

Liang Zhen was pushed into the cabin, where Liu Gen and several unfamiliar individuals were present. Liu Gen seemed to hold the highest rank among them and had convinced these people to join him in surrendering to the Great Yan. On the floor nearby, their captured lord lay bound with hemp ropes. His limbs were tied, and he struggled fruitlessly, his muffled cries reduced to whimpers due to the tape over his mouth.

Liang Zhen raised an eyebrow. He had initially intended to persuade them to kill this lord, but they had unexpectedly taken him alive. It appeared they were genuinely resolved to present a grand gift to the Emperor of the Great Yan as a gesture of sincerity.

Liu Gen treated Liang Zhen with a certain degree of politeness, inviting him to sit and enjoy tea. The others, however, were on high alert. One of them bluntly suggested to Liu Gen, "Why do we need to take him along? He's cunning. Who knows if he'll scheme against us again? Why can't we just go and seek refuge with the Great Yan court on our own?"

Looking at Liang Zhen, who remained smiling and unflinching, Liu Gen frowned and shook his head. "No, it's too risky. If we go alone, we might not even make it to shore before the Great Yan naval forces sink our ship with their cannons. With him there, at least he could help mediate."

Liang Zhen chuckled. "Counselor Liu truly is a wise man. Rest assured, with your sincerity, I will do my utmost to assist you in gaining favor with the Great Yan court."

Taking you back to meet your deaths would indeed be the truth.

The lord lying on the ground, overhearing their conversation, struggled even more violently. His face twisted in rage, his eyes glaring fiercely, seemingly ready to bleed. Yet, no one paid him any attention.

The ship gradually sailed away from the island, and Liang Zhen finally learned how these pirates, who had hidden on this haunted land for two hundred years, managed to enter and exit the island. They could only find safe passage by sailing along a specific route at particular times and with favorable winds. Two hundred years ago, they stumbled upon this island by chance and barely survived until now.

The Great Yan court had indeed speculated about this secret, even dispatching experts in tidal and wind patterns to investigate. Unfortunately, the island was too well-concealed, and the chances of aligning all the natural factors were incredibly low. Every expedition sent had never returned, causing the court to abandon further attempts.

Heaven had offered them a path to survival, but they chose the life of outlaws, ultimately leading to their own destruction.

Exiting the island took much longer than entering. It took three days for the ship to leave the haunted area, with another two days' journey to Quanzhou. Liang Zhen was eager to return home, though he concealed his impatience. Most of the time, he stayed in the cabin, occasionally venturing onto the deck, with someone always following him discreetly. He paid no attention to it; whether Liu Gen believed him or not was irrelevant. Once the ship docked at Quanzhou, Liang Zhen wouldn't need to worry about what followed.

On the fourth evening since boarding the ship, Liang Zhen stepped out of the cabin to see someone crawling up from the hold, head bowed, carrying a food box. It was likely a servant delivering meals to their lord, who was imprisoned below. The figure swayed slightly, and as they passed, Liang Zhen suddenly halted, casting a sidelong glance. In the next moment, he reached out and firmly grasped the other's shoulder.

Little did he expect the man to materialize a dagger in his hand and instantly stab at him. Liang Zhen instinctively dodged sideways, releasing his grip on the man's shoulder, allowing him to slip away from Liang Zhen's grasp.

Seeing the man attempting to flee, Liang Zhen swiftly kicked the back of his ankle. The pirate reacted swiftly, tumbling forward without falling. Half-kneeling on the ground, he turned and lunged the dagger back at Liang Zhen, who was closing in behind him.

Liang Zhen evaded once more, narrowing his eyes. He had now recognized the attacker's face – it was the man who should have been locked in the hold. Gasping for breath, the man glared at him with anger, then charged again with the dagger, ready to fight Liang Zhen to the death.

For a moment, the two were locked in a fierce struggle. To Liang Zhen's surprise, despite the pirate captain's seemingly weak appearance, he proved to be quite skilled. Unarmed, Liang Zhen found defending against the dagger more challenging than he'd anticipated.

The spy watching Liang Zhen, sensing the danger, dared not intervene. Instead, he hurried back to the cabin to call for reinforcements.

The man, drained by wine and lust, was no match for Liang Zhen. After a few exchanges, he realized his defeat and attempted to escape again. Liang Zhen had already grabbed him, but the vigorous movement caused the jade pendant in his embrace to fly out, hitting the ship's railing. A huge wave rocked the boat, and seeing his precious jade pendant sliding towards the edge of the barrier, he reluctantly pushed the man away and lunged forward, managing to seize the tassel just as the jade was about to slip.

In the next moment, a sharp pain pierced his back. The deranged lord, laughing maniacally, fiercely pulled out the dagger embedded in Liang Zhen's back and raised it to strike again. But before he could, the crew who had rushed from the cabin pinned him to the ground.

Liang Zhen remained unconscious for two hours before stirring. There were no medical experts on board, so they merely bandaged his wound with a type of seaweed they commonly used, barely stemming the bleeding.

Upon hearing that Liang Zhen had regained consciousness, Liu Gen personally came to apologize, explaining that they had been careless, allowing the lord to conceal a dagger on his person. After killing the food server, the lord disguised himself and tried to flee, only to encounter Liang Zhen.

"Tomorrow, we should reach the waters where the Great Yan Navy is stationed. By dusk, we should arrive at the Quanzhou port. Fortunately, your wound on the back is only three inches away from your heart. You've survived the bleeding, and with time to find a doctor on land, there shouldn't be any issues."

Liang Zhen, barely holding back curses, nodded. He lacked the energy for pretense and drifted back into an unconscious state.

Liu Gen's prediction proved accurate. At dawn the following day, they encountered the Great Yan Navy still searching for Liang Zhen. Instantly, their ship was surrounded.

Awakening from his sleep, Liang Zhen felt much better. Just as the Great Yan soldiers burst through the door, he opened his eyes, looking at the dozen sword-wielding soldiers before him. Helplessly, he waved the dragon-patterned jade pendant and croaked, "This is the Emperor's pendant. Send someone to inform your admiral."

He Huailing, who was also personally searching for Liang Zhen at sea, received the news and promptly arrived, accompanied by a military doctor.

Liang Zhen's injuries were far worse than the pirates had described. It was fortunate that the bleeding had been stopped in time, or he would have lost his life the previous day. After the military doctor examined and re-dressed his wounds, Liang Zhen, now assured of survival, nonchalantly asked He Huailing, whose face was grave, "How is the Emperor?"

He Huailing gave him a glance and said solemnly, "The Emperor will be fine... as long as you return to him."

Liang Zhen felt relieved and curved his lips. "Of course."

He Huailing: "..."

For the first time, he began to question why he had specifically returned to the capital three years ago to lead the troops and save the emperor.

When Zhu Yunxuan received the news, he was convening the court officials for a meeting. Since he had instructed that any news about Liang Zhen should be immediately reported, the messenger dared not delay and informed him in front of everyone. Zhu Yunxuan froze for a moment before rising from his seat under the watchful eyes of the courtiers and rushing out.

The ministers exchanged awkward glances before dispersing separately.

In the afternoon, Zhu Yunxuan's falcon suddenly flew into the window and perched on Liang Zhen's bedside. Liang Zhen sat up in delight. The falcon pecked his hand twice fiercely before lifting one foot proudly.

Liang Zhen chuckled softly. He didn't have anything else on him at the moment. After some thought, he simply cut off a strand of his hair, tying it around the falcon's leg. The bird glanced down at the hair with what seemed like disdain, pecked Liang Zhen again, then flapped its wings and flew out swiftly.

Zhu Yunxuan's imperial carriage remained parked at the harbor from noon until dusk. Originally, he intended to board a ship and set sail to retrieve Liang Zhen. However, after receiving the item sent by the falcon, he changed his mind and decided to wait at the harbor. His fingers continued to twirl the strand of hair, and a smile finally appeared on his gloomy face.

Approaching the harbor, Liang Zhen untied the bandages wrapped around him, deliberately aggravating his wounds to make them appear more gruesome. He even stained his fresh clothes with blood. Satisfied, he rewrapped the bandages and lay back down comfortably.

Given that he's already injured, it would be wise to make the most of it, and evoke even more concern from His Majesty.