It would take passing through four prefectures from Sizhou to reach the capital city. North of Sizhou was Huzhou Prefecture.
When they passed through a small town, Jiang Yuqing keenly noticed that there seemed to be many eccentric people carrying swords, sabers, or various makeshift weapons around here.
Doctor Qiu said, these are all Jianghu drifters who have come to Tianzhu Mountain to attend the grand Martial Arts Conference held once every five years.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuqing immediately became interested and pulled Doctor Qiu along, wanting to go see the bustle.
Doctor Qiu told her to restrain her impatience for the time being. The Martial Arts Conference would convene in another two days. Thus, the master and disciple found the best inn in town to stay and wait quietly for the opening of the Martial Arts Conference in two days.
After the two put down their luggage and went downstairs to eat, they suddenly heard someone shouting loudly, "Boss, get us a room upstairs!" The voice was so unforgettable that master and disciple looked towards it at the same time. Sure enough, they saw two extremely familiar figures.
Jiang Yuqing called out in pleasant surprise, "Third martial brother, sister-in-law!" The two people were none other than the Land couple whom they hadn't seen in a long time.
Lu Yi also saw her and Doctor Qiu. He laughed with joy on the spot and pulled his wife over to their table. "Old man, little martial sister, what are you two doing here?"
Jiang Yuqing promptly stood up to greet them while asking the waiter to serve more wine and dishes.
"It's a long story. What about you two? Why did you come here too?"
Lu Yi said, "My wife and I got bored of staying in Su Prefecture, so we wanted to get out and travel around. Little martial sister, you've grown into a young lady in the two years since I last saw you, heh."
Jiang Yuqing said, "Of course, if you don't come see me for a few more years, I'm afraid you won't even recognize me."
Lu Yi gave an awkward cough and said, "That won't happen!"
After the waiter served wine and dishes, the two sides conversed while eating. Jiang Yuqing explained that she had come from the capital to look for Doctor Qiu.
Lu Yi gleefully ridiculed Doctor Qiu, "Old man, you still won't settle down at your age. Meddling in other people's business all the time. If not for little martial sister this time, I'm afraid that I wouldn't even know where to collect your corpse." His nagging as always naturally invited another violent beating from Doctor Qiu.
Although Gongsun Zishu felt distressed for her husband, she didn't dare try to stop it one bit this time.
Jiang Yuqing laughed loudly on the side, even fanning the flames for her master to hit harder.
Thus, the meal ended in such a lively, delightful atmosphere.
Whether it was Doctor Qiu or Lu Yi, both were quite famous in Jianghu. Therefore, many martial artists present recognized them and took the chance to walk up and greet them.
Jiang Yuqing didn't know them and wasn't interested in socializing outside her own circle. So she took Gongsun Zishu upstairs to chat.
Only then did she discover in astonishment that Gongsun Zishu was actually pregnant.
Jiang Yuqing flared up at once, "Has Third Martial Brother lost his mind? You're pregnant, and he still took you traveling far to fight!"
Gongsun Zishu shyly spoke up for her husband, "No, that's not it. We only discovered it on the way here. He has taken very good care of me throughout the journey."
Only then did Jiang Yuqing extinguish some of her anger and say, "Even so, he shouldn't bring you to this kind of occasion. You say it's a Martial Arts Conference, but it's really just a bunch of people with nothing better to do, having eaten their fill, going to pick fights!"
As soon as she said this, she felt that she seemed to have spoken wrongly. Her second sister-in-law's family were also coming this time, it appeared. She awkwardly halted in embarrassment for a moment.
Seeing her clumsy manner, Gongsun Zishu tittered, "Actually, you're not wrong either. Isn't it just a bunch of people with nothing to do, having eaten their fill, coming to fight!"
Thus, after Doctor Qiu returned and found out his disciple was pregnant with a junior disciple, he grabbed Lu Yi and gave him another fierce beating. The reason was the same as Jiang Yuqing's.
Jiang Yuqing was worried Gongsun Zishu would resent Doctor Qiu, "Don't blame Master for always beating him. Actually, among the three martial brothers, Master dotes on and has imparted the most effort into Third Martial Brother."
Gongsun Zishu said, "Junior martial sister doesn't need to explain to me, I already know everything. My husband has also told me a lot in the past. What's more, sometimes he really does deserve a beating."
Jiang Yuqing suddenly remembered that first meeting with Gongsun Zishu at Baoyue Lake many years ago and couldn't help laughing.
Gongsun Zishu also seemed to recall her past embarrassment. Her complexion swiftly took on a somewhat uncomfortable look.
The next day, the people from Wanjian Villa had also arrived. Meeting family, the two sides naturally got together to wine and dine for some feeling exchange.
June 26th.
The grand quinquennial Martial Arts Conference at the peak of Tianzhu Mountain near the small town kicked off.
Only then did Jiang Yuqing discover that the people attending the conference were not only from Da Xia's various major sects, but even some people from surrounding smaller countries like sects of the Southern Borderlands.
Although none from Doctor Qiu's lead Heavenly Doctor Valley group were participating, no one in all of Jianghu dare look down on them. After all, who would be so silly as to offend an entire nest of divine doctors?
The Martial Arts Conference lasted a total of seven days. Jiang Yuqing spectated enthusiastically for seven days of excitement.
After the conference concluded, Doctor Qiu and Jiang Yuqing planned to continue returning to the capital city while Lu Yi, Gongsun Zishu and the group from Wanjian Villa also prepared to journey back to Su Prefecture. The two sides thus parted.
Before leaving, Jiang Yuqing gifted two protective jade charms to Gongsun Zishu and her unborn child. Upon seeing these treasures, Lu Yi laughed, baring all his teeth.
He even brazenly pestered Doctor Qiu, "Old man, learn from little martial sister on being more generous instead of stingy and petty. I won't ask for much either, just give me ten or eight of those thousand-year ginsengs and ten-thousand-year spiritual mushrooms. Consider it a meeting gift for your future junior disciple."
His voice had barely fallen before a shoe sole whipped towards him. Doctor Qiu lashed him while cursing, "I'll beat you unfilial brat to death. You think thousand-year ginsengs and ten-thousand spiritual mushrooms are just cabbages? Ten or eight, my foot. I don't even have one. If you want to be generous, why don't you think more about being filial and offering more to me? I'm old with one foot in the grave already, yet I still have to live off you!"
Jiang Yuqing shook her head speechlessly. Her Third Martial Brother's nagging habits truly seemed incurable for life. He even delighted in provoking their master. Over so many years, it was also thanks to Heavenly Doctor Valley's guardian deities blessing that Doctor Qiu hadn't been nagged to death by this childish lad.
On the third day after master and disciple set off again, Jiang Yuqing received an urgent pigeon message from home, "Japanese pirates have landed and injured He until heavily wounded and unconscious! Come save him quickly!"
Upon seeing this, Jiang Yuqing's complexion instantly changed as she said, "Master, Japanese pirates have invaded and pillaged the southeast coast. My second older brother is heavily injured and comatose. I must go save him!"
Doctor Qiu said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's change our route for the southeast right now!"
Jiang Yuqing said, "To travel to Fuzhou over land is too great a detour. If we take the ordinary route, I'm afraid my second brother can't hold out until we arrive. Let's fly over!"
Only then did Doctor Qiu nod in assent.
Jiang Yuqing took Doctor Qiu's horse then slapped a protective charm and concealment charm onto him before letting Little White Ten carry him. She also slapped a concealment charm onto herself, summoned her spirit sword with a flick upwards, then leapt onto it. She told Doctor Qiu, "Master, let's hurry and go!"
Then she rode her sword and took flight into the air. Little White Ten also carried Doctor Qiu up into the sky.
This was Doctor Qiu's first time experiencing his young disciple's abilities so viscerally.
Controlling a sword to fly through the skies, even immortals probably were no better!
After initial astonishment, Doctor Qiu started appreciating the scenery below. Jiang Yuqing was also relieved that the old fellow didn't have acrophobia, otherwise she would have needed to put in some effort to fly him over.
Thus, two humans astride one artifact spirit flew southeast. Other than landing midway to eat a little and take care of personal business, they finally arrived and halted outside Fuzhou's subordinate Yashan County Navy Headquarters before sunset.
Yashan County Navy Headquarters' Commander Feng Zhan heard subordinates report that outside the camp, there was a master and disciple pair claiming to be doctors from the Heavenly Doctor Valley here to meet him.
Upon hearing the three words "Heavenly Doctor Valley", Feng Zhan's heart stirred. He then asked, "Do the visitors have any aliases?"
The subordinates scratched his head and said, "The old man is surnamed Qiu and brought a young lass." Master doctor surnamed Qiu bringing a young female disciple?
Feng Zhan tapped the table with a fingertip in thought. Strange! Two names suddenly popped into his mind.
Feng Zhan immediately jumped up excitedly and jogged briskly towards the main gate, yelling for subordinates to follow him in welcoming these eminent guests that had arrived at their camp.
Seeing that it really was those two people he wanted to meet upon arriving at the gates, Feng Zhan was overjoyed and quickly stepped forward to salute and pay his respects, "This insignificant officer pays his respects to Doctor Qiu and the Protector of the State Princess!"
Feng Zhan and his disciples hurriedly helped him up: "General, there's no need to be overly courteous." Jiang Yuqing said, "I've come this time regarding the poisoning of my second elder brother, and I'd like to ask the General to do me a favor!"
In his early years, Feng Zhan had also trained under General Qin. Later, he was transferred to Fuzhou, and is now the fourth-rank General Who Pacifies the South and commander of the Yashan Navy Headquarters.
Several years ago, Jiang Yuhe came under Feng Zhan’s command. After a few years of tempering, he has become a seventh-rank officer with the title of Fruit Inspector.
Last year, Jiang Yuhe was sent to Yashan County in Fuzhou to serve as the county magistrate. By a coincidence, the two brothers met each other.
Only then did Feng Zhan realize that his favorite inspector turned out to be the younger brother of the county magistrate of Yashan, the nephew of the current Minister of Revenue, and the second son of the Jiang noble household.
No wonder that over the past few years, whenever he requested supplies from above, things went exceptionally smoothly. Not only was there never any holding back, sometimes he would even get extra.
Previously, he thought that those stingy bastards from the Ministry of Revenue had changed their ways. Turns out the reason lies here!
Feng Zhan was overjoyed at that time. This was equivalent to having an invisible God of Wealth by his side! From then on, Feng Zhan treated Jiang Yuhe even better than before.
And now, the “God of Wealth Inspector” has brought him the most amazing master and disciple duo in Da Xia. Feng Zhan wished he could rush back and give Jiang Yuhe a couple kisses in gratitude.
Ten days ago, seven large treasure ships carrying over five thousand Japanese pirates landed at Qiucheng south of Yashan. They plundered over ten surrounding townships along their way.
Feng Zhan led his troops to pursue and intercept them all the way, killing over two thousand Japanese pirates before the rest of the beasts escaped back to sea.
However, the warships of the Navy Headquarters consisted of only a few medium-sized boats that were no match for the pirate’s treasure ships in either speed or capacity. He could only watch helplessly as they crossed the sea and disappeared into the vast ocean.
Feng Zhan personally led the master and disciple pair to the infirmary for injured soldiers.
Jiang Yuhe was arranged in a small separate room. Although they haven’t seen each other for years, Jiang Yuqing recognized him at a glance.
The former dumb boy had unknowingly grown into a stalwart young man with an iron backbone, fighting and killing enemies on the battlefield to protect his homeland.
What a pity that he was now deep in a coma. If he was awake, he would surely be very happy to see her!
Jiang Yuqing undid his clothes, and as she had guessed, the spot where he used to wear a peace jade talisman was now empty.
The cord that used to tie the jade talisman was woven from a tier three demon spider’s silk, impervious to cutting or damage from fire and water.
Since it has disappeared, her silly second elder brother must have given it to someone else.
After diagnosing him, Jiang Yuqing discovered that his external injuries were largely healed. The reason why he remained deeply unconscious was due to Japanese pirates smearing a mixture of toxin from blowfish and some unknown plant onto their arrows.
Jiang Yuqing first drew a tube of his blood to pass to Doctor Qiu. In the area of poison research, she knew she could hardly compare to Doctor Qiu.
Next, she employed a Return Youth technique to directly probe his body, and guided the toxins out from the small wound on his finger.
After ensuring there was no more poison within him, another Return Youth technique was slapped onto his body, and the scar on his finger instantly disappeared without a trace.
The entire process took barely a minute.
