Chapter 739: Chapter 738: Is it too late to get off now?
On the fifth day of the second month, Wufu bid farewell to Madam Zhou. Under her reluctant gaze, he left Huayang County and set off for Changan with Ah Jiu.
Seeing the worry in her eyes, Ah Jiu said, "Donât worry, as for Madam, I have arranged for someone to secretly protect her. Nothing will happen."
Wufu glanced at him sidelong and snorted, "Indeed, some peopleâs men lurk around like ghosts; it would be difficult for anything to happen."
A flicker passed through Ah Jiuâs eyes, "You know?"
"You might fool the family, but not me, the Six Officials," Wufu huffed lightly.
What she had done in her previous life, Ah Jiu didnât know, but she was aware. The training she had undergone was beyond his imagination. She had even received specialized training in sensory perception and awareness. So how could she not know about any new addition in the household?
Luckily, that Hidden Guard knew his limits and did not appear where he shouldnât. Otherwise, she would have dealt with him long ago.
"Wufu always surprises me," Ah Jiu said with a smile. "All these secrets of yours, itâs like I can never fully uncover them."
Wufu scoffed, discontinuing the topic and asked, "How do we proceed?"
For this journey, Wufu had only brought Purple Jade and Jadeite, while Ah Jiu had almost everyone on his side, including Bai Xiaobai.
Ah Jiu took out a map from a drawer nearby and spread it out on the small table in front of the two of them.
"Weâll start on land, taking a boat from the Li River in the prefecture city, then by waterway, here, to the southwest part of Hanzhong. From Ba Mountains, weâll land and continue on land to Guanzhong," Ah Jiuâs slender finger moved across the map.
Wufu looked at the detailed map before her, radically superior to the one she had bought from the bookstore.
Undoubtedly, Ah Jiuâs map was more thorough with even the distances between mountain ranges clearly marked. It also indicated some hidden streams, something Wufuâs map lacked completely.
However, Wufu wasnât surprised. With Ah Jiuâs status, possessing such a map wasnât unusual.
If she had capable people under her command, they could traverse these mountains and rivers from north to south and similarly produce such a map.
"This journey truly is like Tang Sengâs quest to the Western Heaven. Itâs quite unordinary!" Wufu stated with a hint of toothache.
Her statement was somewhat exaggerated. Tang Sengâs pilgrimage to the Western Heaven covered a distance of eighty-one thousand miles. The trip from the Shu Region to Guanzhong wasnât nearly as far, but it was not exactly short either.
Despite the journey not being long, Wufu knew that it promised to be as full of challenges as the eighty-one tribulations.
"You should mention which parts of the road are the least safe," Wufu said, propping her chin on her hand.
Although these werenât times of chaos, many places within the Nanyue Region had become quite unsafe after last yearâs drought, especially the Northwestâa word that spelled chaos.
Times of disorder give rise to heroes as well as to bandits and brigands. Wufu didnât believe the journey would go smoothly.
Ah Jiu looked at her and asked, "Are you afraid?"
"Itâs not about fear," she retorted with a glance, "but rather being prepared. One should not simply stroll to their death blindly, right? I quite value my prime years."
Ah Jiu laughed heartily and said, "With Wufu traveling with us, this journey will undoubtedly be extremely interesting."
Wufu rolled her eyes at him and lowered her head to study the map until Ah Jiu handed her a dossier.
"This is information gathered by my people. Take a look at it too."
Wufuâs eyebrow raised as she looked at him. Seeing he wasnât joking, she took the dossier without hesitation and began to read.
However, the further she read, the deeper her brows furrowed, until she turned the last page and looked at Ah Jiu. It took a long while before she said somberly, "So, is it still possible to get off this ride now?"
Damn, if it isnât eighty-one tribulations, itâs certainly forty-nine!