“Thankfully, I didn’t delay you.”
Yu Qing smiled bitterly and sighed. Looking back, he felt his conditions back then were quite good.
He also wished he had such good conditions, but unfortunately they were all illusions that would burst at the slightest poke. When the Censorate and Sinan Mansion made him write poems and fu, and made him participate in some six-hundred-year grand celebration, it scared him away directly.
Ye Diandian smiled and said nothing.
The two walked out of the cargo yard. Just after crossing the bridge, they were blocked by several people.
Walking toward them were none other than Long Xingyun and Cui You. The group forcibly blocked their path.
Yu Qing didn’t believe they dared to cause trouble here, but he still frowned. He wondered if this fellow was ill, why was he still guarding Youjiao Port? Even if there was a grudge, there was no need to be so eager, right?
Ye Diandian also sensed something was wrong and asked, “Who?”
Yu Qing: “Who else could it be?”
Ye Diandian immediately understood, and her gaze sized up the other party.
Long Xingyun’s eyes also fixed on her. After a brief scrutiny, he grinned. “Not bad looking. For this fellow to personally accompany you to the cargo yard to inspect goods, it seems a major client has arrived. I wonder how much you intend to buy?”
The reason he came in person was roughly this: he wanted to ruin Yu Qing’s good fortune. He didn’t want Yu Qing to obtain a large sum of payment. If Yu Qing had enough money to hide in Youjiao Port and not come out, what then?
Yu Qing’s frown deepened further. He felt the other party had already fixed their eyes firmly on him.
Ye Diandian asked, “You are Long Xingyun?”
The tone of her calling him by name startled Long Xingyun. He asked, “And who are you?”
Ye Diandian didn’t speak. Her gaze slowly turned to behind these people.
Yu Qing’s eyes moved slightly, and he also suddenly looked behind these people.
Long Xingyun and the others thus turned to look back one after another.
A man and a woman walked over. One was tall and robust, the other petite and delicate. Both wore strange clothing: animal-skin garments and trousers, with bare arms and animal-skin hats. If the two were walking about on the street, perhaps no one would pay too much attention, since there were many odd people coming and going at Youjiao Port, and unusual attire was nothing strange.
The animal-skin-clad man and woman were expressionless as they stopped behind Long Xingyun and the others.
Long Xingyun swept his gaze over their attire and immediately recognized they were from the Great Wilderness. What made his gaze freeze was the phoenix tattoo revealed on the man’s half-exposed chest.
He subconsciously glanced at the woman’s chest. If he wasn’t mistaken, the woman’s back should also bear one.
This was the totem of a certain tribe in the Great Wilderness. Men tattooed the phoenix on their chests, women on their backs.
That tribe was called the Phoenix Clan, one of the powerful tribes in the Great Wilderness.
Long Xingyun didn’t know why they were blocking his way, but he quickly reacted. He swiftly turned back to look at Ye Diandian. Seeing her calm and unruffled expression, he immediately realized something.
Ye Diandian finally spoke. “Get lost!”
Long Xingyun’s cheeks instantly tightened, his expression rather unpleasant, but he still turned around and called out, “Let’s go!”
Cui You and the others weren’t stupid. They knew they had encountered people they couldn’t afford to offend, and hurriedly slunk away after him.
The animal-skin-clad man and woman bowed slightly to Ye Diandian, then swiftly turned and left, keeping watch at a distance that was neither too far nor too near.
It was obvious that the two had appeared precisely because they saw Ye Diandian being blocked.
Yu Qing was astonished. “This is the family you are marrying into?”
“Who else?”
“They look quite formidable.”
“If they didn’t have some strength, why would I marry into such a place?”
“Which tribe is this?”
“The Phoenix Clan!”
“The Phoenix Clan?” Yu Qing was slightly startled. “You are marrying the son of the Phoenix Clan chieftain?”
He had also heard of the Phoenix Clan of the Great Wilderness. It was one of the most powerful tribes in the Great Wilderness, and also one of the tribes said to be connected to the gods in legend. It was said that the ancestors of this tribe were servants of the gods, and their heritage was no trivial matter. Their strength was formidable.
Ye Diandian smiled. “Very surprising?”
Yu Qing: “Of course it’s surprising. Truly too surprising.”
Ye Diandian: “I should still thank you. If not for borrowing your fame, my fiance wouldn’t have come to Little Fresh Tower, and I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet him. Actually, it’s not as grand as you imagine. The chieftain has several sons, and my fiance is only one of them. Still, he isn’t someone just anyone can bully. Without this confidence, I wouldn’t have dared to take on the matter of the peach trees.”
Yu Qing clicked his tongue. “This is already quite something. This counts as reaching the heavens in a single step for you.”
Ye Diandian: “It’s not as exaggerated as you say, but it’s enough to make me marry decisively, and enough to make those people from Quhe Mountain live in fear from now on. Before, I was afraid they would cause me trouble. Now, it should be them who fear me. After all, my mother died at their hands. With this marriage, at least I feel greatly relieved inside.”
Yu Qing said nothing.
Before long, the two arrived at Blue Sea Shipping and found the local manager, discussing the transport of over two hundred immortal peach trees.
Transport was no problem. Easy to say, as long as money was paid. The shipping line quoted four hundred million.
Yu Qing cried out in alarm. He knew shipping to the Great Wilderness would certainly be more expensive, since the distance was greater, but he hadn’t expected it to cost so much. It had directly doubled. This time, there weren’t that many immortal peaches.
The shipping line explained that the long distance was one thing. Land transport in the Great Wilderness was rather troublesome, or rather, the Great Wilderness was rather dangerous. The transport risks were great. They would need to mobilize considerably powerful escort forces, and the advance party expenses would also be very high.
No matter how they negotiated, the price wouldn’t drop. In the end, Ye Diandian found another way. If the shipping line was only responsible for sea transport, and she took charge of the land transport?
The price was immediately halved. They didn’t ask for more, didn’t ask for less. Still two hundred million!
Yu Qing again indicated he wanted to owe the money.
The shipping line also indicated owing was no problem, as long as there was a guarantor. Again, Ye Diandian stated she would provide a strong guarantee.
As for how long to repay the debt, the shipping line was also quite generous. If you were willing to pay interest, you could owe for however long you wished.
They said they wouldn’t ask for much from you. Just ten million in interest per year would suffice.
Yu Qing’s teeth ached from hearing this. He had to give Ye Diandian ten million per year for the great formation maintenance fees, and also ten million in interest to the shipping line. Had his spending habits truly reached such a realm?
He discovered that after emerging from a trip to the immortal’s cave dwelling, he barely recognized himself.
If not for the fact that he had a way to make that batch of immortal peach trees return to normal, he wouldn’t have dared agree to these conditions even if beaten to death.
After everything was settled, the two came out of the shipping office. They didn’t sign any contracts or such, only discussed things first. Ye Diandian’s meaning was that she would only be able to handle this matter after her marriage. The specifics weren’t spoken of in front of outsiders.
Once outside on the street, Ye Diandian then informed him, “On the Phoenix Clan side, I haven’t yet found a place for planting. Based on what I understand, there shouldn’t be any problems, but I still need to confirm before formally carrying out this matter with you. If an accident occurs and it doesn’t work out, then it can only be abandoned. This is what I must declare beforehand. I cannot give you absolute assurance right now.”
Yu Qing asked, “How long?”
Ye Diandian thought for a moment. “About a month.”
Yu Qing sighed. “That means I still need to spend another six or seven million at the cargo yard.”
Ye Diandian: “If the goods in your hands find a better destination, you don’t need to bother with my side. I’m serious. You may handle it yourself.”
Yu Qing nodded silently, then suddenly smiled. “It seems I must take a trip to the Great Wilderness.”
“What are you running there for?”
“Don’t I have to attend your wedding feast?”
“Hey, there’s absolutely no need. It’s troublesome for you, and troublesome for me. You’re already being targeted by Long Xingyun. With your meager abilities going back and forth, I wouldn’t feel at ease if I didn’t find people to escort you. If something happened, it wouldn’t be worth it. Really, there’s no need.”
Speaking of which, they had also reached an intersection. Ye Diandian stopped. “Alright, I won’t accompany you back. Let’s part ways here. I’m returning to the capital first.”
Yu Qing was surprised. “You just arrived, and you’re going back. Isn’t that too rushed?”
Ye Diandian: “The length of time doesn’t matter. As long as the matter is settled. My wedding day isn’t far off. Without parents to help me worry about the marriage, I’m marrying myself off, so I must worry about it myself. After returning to the capital, there are still many things to prepare. I don’t want to wrong myself too much. At the very least, I should prepare some dowry for myself. I also need to hurry to the Great Wilderness. My time is actually quite tight. I really shouldn’t linger too long.”
“This…” Yu Qing sighed. “Alright, since you’ve brought out such a big reason, I won’t keep you. It’s just that I haven’t had time to prepare a wedding gift for you. But it doesn’t matter. I’ll find a Thousand-Li Messenger to send it to you later. I’ve already spent big money, so I won’t miss this small amount.”
Ye Diandian: “If you truly want to give a gift, it must be something I like. All women have dreams of being cultured and refined. I’m actually no exception. Unfortunately, you’ve abandoned literature for martial arts, so I can’t force you. If you truly have the intention, if you could write a poem or ci specifically for me later, that would be the best gift.”
“…”
Yu Qing was speechless, even somewhat dumbfounded. He didn’t know how to refuse.
“Alright, I was joking with you. I won’t make you break your rule. Whatever you want to give is heartfelt.”
Ye Diandian giggled and waved her hand. After laughing, she suddenly leaned close to him and whispered in his ear, “I’ll give you one last chance to save me. As long as you’re willing to marry me, I won’t marry over there. I’ll do my best to be your good wife and help you find ways to solve the trouble before your eyes. I have the manpower for this, and I have the ability. I can still help you plant these peach trees well in another place. You also wouldn’t have to bear so much debt. I’ll spend however much money I have for you.”
“…”
Yu Qing’s eyes widened. He stared at her blankly, feeling this joke had gone too far. Yet from the eyes looking back at him, he couldn’t detect any trace of jest. Instead, it felt very serious. This truly startled him somewhat.
Silence. The two looked at each other, ignoring all the comings and goings on the street.
After a long while, Ye Diandian suddenly let out a puff of laughter. She raised a hand and hit Yu Qing’s shoulder. “I was joking. Look how scared you got. With your ugly little moustache, I really don’t fancy you. Alright, let’s part ways here. No need to see me off!”
She turned and left, her steps light and brisk. She quickly mounted the arch bridge over there, waved her hand with her back turned, and then that purple-dressed graceful figure disappeared beyond the bridge.
Yu Qing watched her leave, his expression calm and unruffled. He kept staring in that direction, standing in place motionless for a long time…