Farewell Flower Festival

Chapter 141

After Liu Lei's funeral, Mu Tianling took sick leave and left Beijing secretly with Chao Yan. To avoid arousing suspicion, Eunuch Wu, Feicui and Qianfeng stayed in the mansion, while Amber, Feiyu and two guards followed the two to Jiangzhou.

When it was getting dark, the carriage arrived at the ferry, and then we took a boat down to Jiangzhou.

The two guards chartered a cargo ship to Jiangzhou. After they boarded the ship, the captain ordered his men to drop anchor and set sail. The lights at the ferry gradually shrank into a hazy halo.

Chao Yan leaned against the window and watched the lights gradually fade away. She felt both curious and sentimental. It was her first time traveling far away so everything she saw seemed new to her, and the dim lights in the twilight inevitably made her feel a little sentimental.

When the lights at the ferry shrank to a dim halo the size of a green bean, Chao Yan withdrew her gaze. The next moment, she found that Mu Tianling was looking at her with one hand supporting his head, a slight smile on his lips. His eyes were shining with a strange luster under the light, and his dark pupils were like two black pearls immersed in a deep pool, exuding an incomparable bewitching aura.

Chao Yan fell unconsciously into his gentle and charming gaze, snuggling in his arms like a kitten, closing her eyes contentedly and quietly enjoying the time they were alone.

The sound of slowly flowing water came in through the window, like a soothing lullaby.

……

As the clear morning light shone through the window, the sun slowly rose from the water in the distance. In an instant, ripples appeared on the water, as if it was plated with shining diamonds.

As the clear light illuminated the room, there was a slight movement inside the bed curtains.

Chao Yan gently poked Mu Tianling's chin and whispered in his ear, "Your Highness, get up." He hugged her back in his arms and whispered in her ear in a lazy voice, "Sleep a little longer."

It's a rare opportunity to go out, so there's nothing wrong with sleeping in.

When Chaoyan opened her eyes again, she found that there was no one around her. She pulled aside the bed curtains and found Mu Tianling sitting on a stool beside the table with a book in his hand. Seeing that she was awake, he put the book on the table, stood up and walked over to her and said, "Are you awake?" Chaoyan glanced at the dazzling sunlight coming through the window and asked what time it was. Mu Tianling smiled and replied that it was not yet noon. He asked her if she was hungry. Chaoyan stretched out her hands, and Mu Tianling picked her up from the bed very skillfully, then held her and sat on the stool in front of the dressing table, and skillfully drew her eyebrows.

After dinner, the two of them took a walk on the deck, enjoying the scenery along the way. When the boat arrived at the next ferry, the captain took two of his men to buy supplies, and Mu Tianling also took Chao Yan for a stroll, with Amber and Feiyu following behind them, and two guards stayed on the boat to look after the luggage.

The street is very busy. Although it is not as magnificent as the capital, the things sold are just as good as those in the capital. There are all kinds of flowers, birds, fish, insects, food and toys.

Asako had never seen most of the things sold at the stalls. It was a rare opportunity for her to come out, so she would buy whatever she liked. She didn't know when the next time she would come out would be.

You should try any snacks you have never eaten and watch any street performances you have never seen.

When the group returned to the boat, they had a pile of extra luggage, mostly food and toys bought by Chao Yan, as well as gifts for Eunuch Wu, Feicui and Qianfeng.

The boat sailed on the water for another two days with smooth sailing all the way, and arrived one day earlier than expected.

In the evening, after the boat docked at the ferry, one guard settled the boat fee with the captain, and another guard went to hire a carriage. When it was getting dark, the group stayed at an inn.

Afterwards, the two guards went out and brought back another person, who was also a guard in the palace and one of the people that Eunuch Wu had sent to Jiangzhou to gather information.

The fire Ganoderma grows on a cliff in the valley outside the city, and the rest of the people are left there to guard the Ganoderma.

The next morning, the group left the city and headed for the valley.

The terrain around the valley was rugged and dangerous, and carriages could not pass through, so the group had to walk.

Mu Tianling originally wanted to let Chaoyan stay in the inn in the city and wait, but he was worried about leaving her there. If something unexpected happened, he would regret it too late. After thinking it over, he still felt that it would be better to keep her by his side. If something unexpected really happened, he would protect her even at the cost of his life.

The mountain road was rugged and difficult to walk. Chaoyan was the only one in the group who had never practiced martial arts. In addition, the skirt she wore was not suitable for jumping up and down. She felt like a burden to the whole team. She asked Mu Tianling to take Feiyu and the guard who led the way to go first. Mu Tianling naturally disagreed and asked her if she wanted to rest for a while. Chaoyan said she was not tired, but her skirt was too long and it was a little inconvenient to walk. Mu Tianling squatted down and asked her to get up and carry her over. Chaoyan refused to do so. If she fell, both of them would be injured. It was not worth it.

After Mu Tianling carried Chaoyan down the last steep stone slope, the rugged mountain road was finally finished.

A deep valley appeared in front of us, and it seemed as if there was no end to it.

In addition to the guard who led the way, there were ten guards guarding nearby.

Mu Tianling asked where the fire ganoderma grew. The guard who led the way replied that it was on the left side of the mountain wall. He raised his finger and pointed an approximate height. He waved his hand and another guard brought a telescope.

Mu Tianling used a telescope to look at the mountain wall on the left. Chao Yan also covered her forehead with her hands and looked in that direction. She could not see anything except a few wisps of misty clouds. She opened her eyes wide and looked again, but still could not see anything. She squinted her eyes and looked even more clearly. She clenched her hands into the shape of a telescope and put them in front of her. Mu Tianling happened to see it. He couldn't help laughing. He gave her the telescope and taught her how to look step by step.

After a wisp of mist passed, the view became clear.

Chaoyan saw the fire ganoderma growing on the mountain wall. Its color was like dark red agate. A wisp of mist floated over and blocked the view, and the fire ganoderma disappeared again.

Mu Tianling asked her if she saw it, and Chao Yan nodded. After taking away the telescope, she estimated the height of the fire Ganoderma lucidum from the ground. It was at least dozens of stories high, and the mountain wall was steep. It was not realistic to climb up with bare hands.

The guard who led the way had already thought of a plan. They would first cross the valley and climb the mountain from the other side. After reaching the top of the mountain, they would lower the rope and have one person go down to pick the Ganoderma lucidum.

The gap between the two mountain walls is not big, just enough for two people to pass side by side. The mountain walls are almost perpendicular to the ground, as if they were split in half by a huge axe. The sunlight from the top of the mountain cannot penetrate so deep into the ground. Only a little light coming in from the back of the valley can barely illuminate the ground.

Chaoyan looked at the deep valley and wondered if there was a paradise behind it.