Chapter 441 - 7: To Give Up or to Persist
Funeral accompaniment!
Remembering Lady Qingyan’s cutting remarks along the way, and her black dress reminiscent of mourning attire, Yue Jinghua was instantly baffled—what was going on?
"General Mo Lin was Lady Qingyan’s husband; the two had been married for eighteen years. Even though Lady Qingyan never had children, the couple shared a deep bond. Lady Qingyan, originally from Five Saints Town, followed her husband’s love for adventure, and together, they decided to return to the town. But as a man of military duty, General Mo Lin was dispatched by the Military Department to establish the East River Sea Route when the Empire suffered from pirate incursions from the outer seas. Despite Lady Qingyan’s strong objections, she bid farewell to her husband. Little did she know, that would be their final separation. Dozens of Imperial Navy ships, for unknown reasons, were all stranded on the East River Sea Route. By the time the Empire received the news and sent support, not even the wreckage of the ships could be found," recounted Chi Xi, who had seen the couple in Five Saints Town in her early years.
The reason Chi Xi didn’t recognize Lady Qingyan was because after General Mo Lin’s death, Lady Qingyan underwent a drastic change in personality, and even her appearance altered significantly.
In her earlier years, Lady Qingyan, despite being middle-aged, had a graceful figure and a generous demeanor, treating others with great politeness, free from any haughtiness associated with being part of the Imperial clan. She and General Mo Lin used to stroll by the hero statues in Five Saints Town, generously distributing gold coins to the struggling mercenaries on the streets.
"Following the maritime disaster, Lady Qingyan filed a petition accusing the Imperial Military Department, demanding the retrieval of General Mo Lin’s remains. However, the Military Department rejected her request, citing the unknown dangers of the sea route, the difficulty of navigating warships, and the lack of sufficient manpower and resources. Ever since then, Lady Qingyan rarely ventured out, almost never appearing in town, and on the rare occasions she did, she acted as arrogantly and domineeringly as she had that time at the White Moon Pavilion. With time, the townspeople started to fear and avoid her," said Chi Xi, feeling a pang of sorrow for Lady Qingyan, a fellow woman, at the thought of her intending to die with her husband.
Weiwei, looking at the tumultuous river water, felt a shiver run down his spine.
Their escort mission, in the end, had not only failed to ensure the safety of their client but had resulted in her death. If word got back, the July Mercenary Team wouldn’t even need to wait until the end of the year; they could disband on the spot upon their return.
"What should we do? The current here is so swift—if someone went down there, forget an ordinary person, even a Cultivator might not make it out alive," Weiwei frantically said, watching the whirlpools forming in the raging waters below the ship’s side.
Lady Qingyan had been missing for a quarter of an hour now; even if they managed to save her at this point, she’d likely be dead already.
"She’s not dead and didn’t go through with the funeral accompaniment," Yue Jinghua stated emphatically. "If she wanted to complete the rite of accompanying in death, she could’ve done it ages ago. Besides, she had plenty of opportunities to seek death during our journey, yet she did not."
She could jump anywhere, but she didn’t; she could have sought death years ago, but she didn’t; there is only one reason—Lady Qingyan couldn’t die.
As the heir to an ancient family with a lineage spanning several centuries, Lady Qingyan had attributes that set her apart.
She could grieve in private, but in public, she had to grit her teeth and persevere.
She might have thought about death, but at the crucial moment, she ultimately capitulated to the mission of her family and renounced her wish for death.
But the death of her beloved, and the years without a trace of his remains, did not linger in her heart.
Time and again, especially in her later years, memory was like a sharp cone that tortured her intermittently, and she could not restrain herself anymore. That’s why she issued the mercenary commission, seeking someone who could lead her into Cloud River.
"She also has a good strategy, predicting that we would neither travel by land nor by water, and also foreseeing that we would have to pass through the river valley fork before taking West River Battle Road. A few days of interaction let her understand our routine, knowing to seize the opportunity when I rest and you take the helm," Yue Jinghua closed her eyes and sighed.
This commission was not just a simple task, but also a showdown between two women who had both stood at the Peak.
Right now, it seemed she had lost the first step.
"Not dead? According to the captain, she must have gone to the East River Sea Route to look for General Mo Lin’s remains. But even setting aside the vast and unpredictable sea route, Lady Qingyan is a regular person. Setting out with us, she had no wave-breaking vessel, and even on that side of the sea route, sea beasts and undersea spiritual wood would be enough to shred her to pieces," Chi Xi couldn’t help but wonder. Based on what Yue Jinghua said, she too believed that Lady Qingyan wouldn’t go to her death willingly, but her current actions, what difference did they have from seeking death?
"Don’t forget, she’s the head of the Qing Family, an ancient family that has controlled Five Saints Town for hundreds of years. They might be unable to cultivate Dark Skill due to physical limitations, they might cast aside their Hidden Guards for their own selfish desires, but they would never be so foolish as to expose themselves to such perilous situations. Without a doubt, she carries extremely powerful ancient treasures," Yue Jinghua finally understood why carrying Lady Qingyan felt like a thousand pounds pressing down— it must be related to the ancient treasure she possessed.
An ancient treasure that could silently annihilate both the Giant Winged Mosquito King and the swarm of mosquitoes was certainly not simple. One could imagine that, at least in the short term, Lady Qingyan’s safety was ensured. But as time went on, the situation would likely become less optimistic.
Destroying the entire Dragon Battle Navy wasn’t work for ordinary sea beasts. No matter how powerful an ancient treasure, the contained Dark Power was limited. Relying solely on Lady Qingyan, she could sustain herself for at most one day.
Having recognized the situation, Yue Jinghua immediately discussed the next steps with Chi Xi and Weiwei.
"Currently, we are faced with a choice. Since we need to detour to the East River Sea Route, this mission’s nature has changed. This Red Shell Level task might have already become Pearl Rank, or even a higher danger level, surpassing our Mercenary Team’s Star Level. According to the Mercenary Branch’s regulations, mercenaries can abandon a commission if the difficulty is unpredictable. As a team assembled temporarily for this mission, you have the right to object to what I’m about to say, and you have the right to quit this mission. I will not hold you responsible," Yue Jinghua already had a decision in her heart, as a mercenary, as well as a female spy, her life’s dictionary never contained the words "give up."
"I will go to the East River Sea Route to search for Lady Qingyan’s whereabouts. Tell me your decision," Yue Jinghua’s voice was cold and determined, her eyes shining with resolute light.
Chi Xi and Weiwei fell silent.
The boat was speeding along in the river water when suddenly, Chi Xi and Weiwei spoke in unison: "July Mercenary Team, doesn’t have cowards who shrink back."
Her heart warmed, Yue Jinghua brushed her long hair beside her ear and laughed out loud: "Good. The target, East River Sea Route."