"Evil Energy! Someone is after us!"
A moment later they appeared; a lot of horrifying-look people with an extreme murderous desire. Raising their weapons up, they appeared from all directions and besieged Zhu Su and his team. Front, back, left, right... they had besieged all around.
Zhu Su shot a furious glance at the well-built, hefty man whom he had fully recognized. "Huan Shikang?! What do you want this time?!"
Huan Shikang grinned. "Everything happens according to their respective karma, Zhou Wang. You the Ming have been cursed by Heaven. As proof, flood has occurred again. Disasters appear once more. You have brought misery to the people. Hence you must be eliminated!"
The entire armed masses shouted. "Get rid of the fatuous leader! Crush them and make sure there's nothing left!"
Zhu Su automatically grasped Hu Nayin's hand, his instinct to protect her. He could feel the Wang Fei was trembling violently. He then shouted back. "You said I am a fatuous leader only because the flood has happened?! Is it you yourself who has jinxed us and as the result, the flood occurs? So the truth is, this flood is your creation! It is you who must be destroyed!"
"Hng!" Huan Shikang's grin widened. "Think more carefully about it. If Heaven didn't bless us, the flood would not occur. Heaven is more powerful than us, how can we order him?! So the truth is, Heaven has been fed up with you, then brings down this disaster. We are only the mediators of Heaven!"
Once again, the armed masses shouted, "Get rid of the fatuous leader! Crush them and make sure there's nothing left!"
"Finish them!" Huan Shikang's scream sounded like the beating drums signifying that the war had started.
The masses immediately marched forward, ready to attack them.
Chen Xinyi snapped his fingers. In an instant, his subordinates had appeared from all directions.
"Want to fight? All right, we accept the challenge!" Chen Xinyi exclaimed sarcastically. "Your Highness! May you and Wang Fei return to the palace! We'll fight them by ourselves!"
Since the situation was tensed up and moreover Hu Nayin was with them, Zhu Su was forced to agree. He climbed up his horse, and after making sure Hu Nayin was sitting properly behind him, he spurred his horse to leave the area that was beginning to be filled with the scuffles.
***
Zhu Su did not return to the palace. Instead, he went down a silent and isolated path.
"Your Highness, where are we going?" Hu Nayin looked at the path; it was covered in yellow grasses on the left and right and seemed barren. Only the two of them were there. The wind blew hard and made her shiver with cold.
"I want to go to Sir Gao's residence. When I meditated at the Iron Pagoda, I somehow got inspired but didn't understand the concrete form I should do. But before I got an improvement in my search, the Zouyu arrived, and at that time I thought it was the solution to my problem, that's why I stopped my search. But it turns out that zouyu isn't a useful solution for the long term. It is still important for me to continue my search on the concrete form of the idea I've got. This time my intuition leads me to go to Sir Gao's house."
"Oh, Sir Gao Qing! We haven't met him again for a long time, since he chooses to live in the remote area."
"He doesn't like the society since he perceives that it's too chaotic and frenzied, and he refuses when I bestow him a position... He absorbs the teachings of Zhuangzi too much."
"Will such kind of life be comfortable? Just living alone in this desolated place..."
"For you it's uncomfortable, but for Sir Gao, this kind of life is apparently much better than living in a luxurious residence..."
"This place is deserted, also very quiet, no friends to chat with..."
"But only this kind of person who can becomes a great teacher to solve our thorny problems. Well, we have arrived... Gosh, what's the difference with the first one? Nothing has changed!" Zhu Su stared at the small house that did not look well-maintained, the walls had been peeled and its color was faded. He had previously given funds in large amounts for Gao Qing to build a luxurious house, yet it did not seem to give the expected result.
"But it is quite clean and tidy." Getting off the horse, Hu Nayin also stared at that small house. It was shabby and giving a perception of slum, but Hu Nayin was sure that the owner always cleaned this house every day with earnestness.
Zhu Su knocked on the door. "Good afternoon, Sir Gao. We, Su and Nayin, are coming to pay a visit."
Instead of hearing from within, the reply echoed from behind Zhu Su's shoulder.
"Yes, Boy! Long time no see!"
They turned their heads. Gao Qing was smiling at them. His face was still the same as they saw last time, completely unchanged.
"Greeting to you, Sir!" Zhu Su and Hu Nayin paid their respects. "How are you, Sir? Long time no see, you are still the same as before."
"Because I live away from the complexities of the world, I have nothing to worry about and possess no burden in my heart. How about you? Your face has turned paler and more haggard than the last time I saw you. Are you in trouble?"
Finding that Zhu Su was ready to open his mouth and tell his experience, Gao Qing quickly said, "It's very cold here. Let's go inside. I have good tea from Fujian."
Gao Qing's house might look shabby and miserable from the outside, but the inside was cozy and made people feel comfortable. Gao Qing's house had a minimalist nuance, only a few things existed here, it made this house had a lot of empty space. But this condition allowed the air to flow freely and they could breathe more comfortably.
Zhu Su and Hu Nayin sipped the tea. "I agree with you. This tea is delicious, especially in this cold weather," Zhu Su praised.
Gao Qing looked at Hu Nayin's belly. "Well, I have to congratulate you! How many months has it been?"
"Five months," Hu Nayin answered slowly.
"I wish you can bear a healthy baby."
"Thank you very much, Sir," Hu Nayin beamed. "I wish he is a handsome and intelligent boy, just like his father."
"Whether they is a boy or a girl, a baby is the most beautiful gift sent from Heaven. Gender is not important, the important thing is that he or she is healthy, grows up as a smart and kindhearted child, and finally becomes a human who dedicate good things to others and this whole world."
"Yes, you are right, Sir... but society still honors more the status of men and humiliates more the status of women, so having a son is a great gift while giving birth to a girl will only evoke disappointment."
"Ah... that's the bad side of society. Without realizing right and wrong, they set any kind of rules and laws, but strangely they feel that they are very smart even surpass the Heaven, they are sure that they have the right to punish harshly anyone who violates their laws, while in fact, it is their law which violates the kindness," Gao Qing sighed.
"By the way, Sir, why don't you use the funds I've given to adorn your house?" Zhu Su asked.