Chapter 113: He Meets an Old Friend in a Foreign Land

Seeing his daughter-in-law had calmed down, Lu Zhuangyuan turned his head to look at his youngest son, who was trailing at the back of the carriage, looking distraught and pale.

“Son, what’s wrong? You weren’t scared, were you?”

Lu Xiucai managed a forced smile, his head bobbing weakly like a sick hen.

“Don’t be afraid. What are those stinky soldiers? They’re just paper tigers. If they were truly capable, why aren’t they fighting on the battlefield?”

Despite Lu Zhuangyuan’s dry attempts at comfort, Lu Xiucai’s face showed no improvement. The looting soldiers seemed to be right in front of him, knives at his throat.

“Father... Father, why are we leaving the pass? Weren’t we going home first?”

Lu Zhuangyuan lit his pipe and puffed on it, the white smoke obscuring his eyes.

“I figured this isn't just ordinary military unrest. The world is about to descend into chaos, so our family needs to go into hiding.”

“Father, our emperor lost the war. Does that mean we’ll become subjects of a conquered nation?”

A swift tap with his pipe sent sparks flying from Lu Xiucai’s head.

“Does it matter to us who becomes emperor? Is that what you should be worrying about?”

Seeing Lu Xiucai cover his head in a huff, Lu Zhuangyuan sighed softly and patiently began to explain.

“With so many defeated soldiers, there’s an eighty percent chance that the dynasty is changing, and great chaos will follow this military disaster. So, it's better for us to go out and avoid trouble.”

“It's fine that our money was stolen; as long as we're safe, as long as we're alive, we can go anywhere.”

“But... but I’ve never been to Siqi, Father... I’m a little scared...”

Seeing his youngest son’s pathetic display, Lu Zhuangyuan was infuriated.

“What’s there to be afraid of? Don’t people in Siqi have two eyes and one nose like us? Can they grow more? Siqi just has a few more rivers and lakes than our hometown, that’s all.”

At this point, Lu Juren, who had been quietly listening nearby, asked, “Father, we’re unfamiliar with this area... I actually think it might be better to stay in our hometown. Perhaps it’s not as bad as you say.”

“Do you think this military disaster is a joke? It’s not that far-fetched. Your father has eaten more salt than you have eaten rice; could I be wrong?”

At this, he immediately explained to his son, “Don’t worry, your father has already thought this through. When the young Daoist priest was looking at the map earlier, I secretly glanced at it a few times. They are going to Liang, and the journey is long. We just need to follow him; it will definitely be safe near him.”

“Wherever he goes, we’ll go. He can travel his path, and we can perform our plays. No one will inconvenience anyone else; it will be very comfortable.”

“Once the emperor is replaced, and there are no more military disasters or locust plagues, we can come back. Don't you think that will be very comfortable?”

“Will he let us follow him? We’re not related,” Lu Juren said, a hint of difficulty on his face.

“Ah, see? Didn’t that jar of salted duck eggs come in handy now?”

At this, a look of triumph appeared on Lu Zhuangyuan’s face. “Remember what the young Daoist priest said when we left the pass earlier? ‘We’ll meet again, if fate allows!’”

“It doesn't matter if he was just being polite. Since he said it, as long as we humble ourselves, and you all plead pitifully, combined with the goodwill from that jar of duck eggs, could he really bring himself to turn us away?”

Seeing the realization dawn on his son’s face, Lu Zhuangyuan wore a look of utter satisfaction. “Hehe, old ginger is spicier than young ginger, you all should learn from this.”

“Father is right. Anyway, we’re opera performers; we can perform anywhere. Perhaps people in other regions will enjoy our opera even more and we can earn extra money.”

As Lu Zhuangyuan completely laid out his plan, the mood among the Lu Family Troupe improved slightly, and they all began to fantasize about their promising future.

As the carriage continued, they suddenly saw several dark figures driving carriages on the road ahead. As they drew closer, Lu Zhuangyuan realized they were a dozen or so plump nuns following the carriages. There were six carriages, their wheel tracks deeply impressed into the road. They seemed to be transporting something very heavy.

“These nuns smell terrible, Father, let’s go faster,” said Luo Juanhua, frowning deeply as she pulled out a handkerchief to cover her daughter’s nose.

“What nonsense are you talking? Don’t you see all these Siqi people following the nuns? They’re following, and so will we,” Lu Zhuangyuan said, looking at the other travelers who were keeping pace with the plump nuns. Lu Zhuangyuan’s vast experience told him that if the people of Siqi could endure the foul smell and still travel with these nuns, there must be a reason.

“But... this is really too smelly...” Luo Juanhua muttered softly, her brows slightly furrowed.

They continued to follow the nuns. After less than an hour, Lu Zhuangyuan saw the nuns stop and begin to eat their dry rations heartily. Seeing others eat, Lu Zhuangyuan and his family also began to eat. In fact, after being around the nuns for a while, the smell wasn't as difficult to bear.

As they ate, Lu Zhuangyuan suddenly stood up and, with a hint of excitement, walked towards the other travelers. The man wearing a black gauze hat appeared to have difficulty walking, leaning on an old horse as he ate.

When Lu Zhuangyuan approached, the man clearly saw him too. “Master Lu, what are you doing here?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Lu Zhuangyuan’s eyes immediately lit up. “Oh, it’s you! You’re the young Daoist priest’s...”

As soon as he spoke, the man removed his black gauze hat, revealing Zhao Wu’s unremarkable face. Meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land, an unexpected familiar face in this place, made both parties feel particularly warm.

After exchanging pleasantries, when Lu Zhuangyuan learned that the other man was looking for Li Huowang, his face immediately broke into a wide smile.

“With your difficulty walking, how dangerous is it to travel alone? I’ll take you to him; it’s on our way.”

If he delivered this man, the young Daoist priest would owe him a favor. If the priest wanted to refuse him then, he surely wouldn't be able to. Moreover, this man was the young Daoist priest’s junior brother; he might possess some supernatural abilities too, meaning they’d have a new bodyguard on the road.

Lu Zhuangyuan enthusiastically helped Zhao Wu over to the Lu Family Troupe, introduced him, and even shooed his daughter-in-law off the carriage to help Zhao Wu sit there instead.

Just as they were conversing warmly, a remark from the side interrupted this harmonious scene.

“Zhao Wulang, didn’t we hear you went home earlier? Why are you out again?”

Lu Xiucai’s single question made the smile on Zhao Wu’s face gradually disappear. A strong emotion seemed to be brewing on his face, but in front of outsiders, he ultimately managed to restrain himself. “Nothing, just... something happened at home.”

Sensing the odd atmosphere, Lu Zhuangyuan immediately raised his pipe and swung it towards his youngest son’s head.

“You talk too much! All these years I’ve taught you, has it all gone to the dogs? What ‘Zhao Wulang’? Is that how you should address him? Show some respect! Call him Young Master Zhao!”

Seeing Lu Xiucai teary-eyed from the pipe strike, Zhao Wu quickly and awkwardly tried to intervene. “Master Lu, there’s no need for this. Zhao Wulang is perfectly fine.”

Just as he reached out to stop them, a gust of wind swept through, blinding everyone’s eyes. When they finally opened their eyes, everyone was instantly stunned. The curtains of the plump nuns’ carriages had been blown open, revealing a glittering mass of white within.

Lu Zhuangyuan’s eyes went wide. “My goodness! So much silver!”