Chapter 53: Escape
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Among all things that happened that day, the most confusing was Shangguan Ru's words.
She was only twelve, and Supreme King's favorite girl, not to mention she had just made great contributions. She ranked high in her father's mind. How could she think of escaping?
"Is that ironic? Or there's some sort of conspiracy?" But she could kill him with no difficulty. In fact, if not for her pleading at the Giant Rock Cliff, Gu Shenwei could not flee for his life, let alone get the opportunity to be a killer apprentice.
Gu Shenwei was scratching his head, yet his hesitation annoyed Shangguan Ru.
"What? You dare to disobey my order? You're just like her!"
Gu Shenwei knew what "her" meant, hence he made the decision quickly: He would give quite the opposite answer of Shangguan Yushi.
"Your apprentice will always accompany you, my master. I'll go wherever you go, and I'll never leave you, not by one step, but..."
Shangguan Ru smiled. Her smile shined so bright and beautiful under the moonlight.
"That'll be enough, we'll talk about it after we get out of the fort."
Shangguan Ru handed a saber over to Gu Shenwei, and held his hand, walking toward to the foot of the wall. She raised a finger to her lips, asking him to be quiet.
Gu Shenwei held his dagger, following her, confused. This was just a game. Before they walked too far, they would be stopped by the night watchman.
Gu Shenwei had been intercepted by the night watchmen twice before, so he understood that they were everywhere in the fort.
But he was wrong. Shangguan Ru knew the fort much better than him. She reached the foot of the wall, laying her ears on it and listened for a while, and went on after she made sure there was no problem. She would listen through it at certain intervals, and sometimes she made detours, seemingly to avoid the guards.
Gu Shenwei watched her for a while as she listened against the wall, and then he understood the situation.
He had overestimated Golden Roc Fort's guarding level. The night watchmen were not everywhere, and they were moving, searching all the place. But they did not walk inside the alleys, instead, they stopped at the foot of the wall. Once they finished the patrol of an interval, they would knock at the fixed point as a way of reporting to the network of watchmen.
Gu Shenwei could not hear these knocking sounds very well, but Shangguan Ru did. She knew how to avoid the night watchmen who were passing by and the safest path to go.
They went farther and farther, gradually drawing closer to the gate. Gu Shenwei was now facing a choice: following Shangguan Ru to "escape", or calling on someone to stop the game. The former could make the Ninth Young Master happy, while the latter was what a slave should do.
Gu Shenwei chose the former.
Shangguan Ru led him to a high wall and laid her ear on it, listening for a while. She unwrapped the package, and took out a wall-hooking grapnel. She had prepared adequately.
Shangguan Ru threw the grapnel upward, but it dropped down immediately when it reached the head of the wall. She hastened to catch it, yet it had already made a noise.
They remained silent for a moment. No guard was coming, she picked a great time.
Gu Shenwei took over the grapnel from Shangguan Ru. His Yin and Yang Strength had just reached the third level of Yang Strength, promoting his Internal Strength immensely. He threw it and easily made it across the wall, sticking fast to the wall on another side when it dropped.
Shangguan Ru smiled and grabbed the rope to climb the wall.
Gu Shenwei wrapped his arm around the package, wrapped the narrow dagger, and followed her up.
No one was on the wall. Shangguan Ru slipped down from the other side quickly. She did better in Lightness Skill, so she fell to the ground rapidly, while it took him a while to find a suitable foothold.
No one was in the clearing. Half a year ago, Martial Young, who came to challenge, died here, with a lance plug in his skull. No trace could be found now.
They arched their backs and marched quickly, after they ran through the stone bridge, and took the downhill path and heaved a sigh of relief together.
Gu Shenwei thought their escape was unbelievably easy, while Shangguan Ru thought it resulted from her well-planned scheme, about which she felt triumphant. As they rounded some corners and could not see the fort anymore, she became bold, and could not help but to laugh heartily.
"Aha, finally I made it. My father wouldn't allow me to adventure in Jiang Hu, neither would my mother or Master Yu. But now I'm here! Hum, I won't be back until I acquire my reputation. Slave Huan, you're the most loyal one, you can rest assured, we'll be successful. I'll teach you all my Kung Fu."
"Your apprentice will be very glad to adventure in Jiang Hu. It's not that important to learn your Kung Fu. And why should I worry since I have such a formidable master?"
"Well, you're a nice one, and you have good Kung Fu. But you talk like a slave too much. I don't like it."
Gu Shenwei held back his sneer. He was an actual slave in Golden Roc Fort. Once he showed his colors, he would be killed immediately.
"You're my master. Taking a look at any apprentice of a school, they all talk to their master in this way."
"Really? Then I do need to take a look. Anyway, I don't treat my master in this way."
The walked downhill as they continued to talk. Shangguan Ru was so excited that she could not shut her mouth. She was extremely curious about the outside world.
"Slave Huan, you weren't born in the fort, were you?"
"No. This is my second year at the fort."
"Then you must know many things about Jiang Hu."
"Yes."
Gu Shenwei actually had no experience in Jiang Hu. He used to live an extravagant life, with a very limited social circle. When he moved to the Western Region, he was even more isolated than Shangguan Ru. But his training master, Yang Zheng, was an old traveler. Yang Zheng would tell some anecdotes when he was in good humor.
Gu Shenwei polished these anecdotes, and told Shangguan Ru. She listened with keen pleasure, especially the so-called Jiang Hu rules.
"Does this competition have rules? Like how Martial Yang does?"
"Jiang Hu outside is different from Golden Roc Fort. They're restrained. We can do whatever we want, so we're more capable. That's why Martial Yang died."
"But I think the outside rules are better. If people assassinate each other whenever they want, the result is countless stone castles. No one is safe, they cannot even walk out. They're better off knowing nothing about Kung Fu."
"One can hardly do whatever he wants. There was only one Golden Roc Fort in the world. Others can only beg to learn the art of assassination."
This was a strange conversation: Supreme King's daughter envied the Jiang Hu rules, while the foe of the Shangguan family defended Golden Roc Fort.
The downhill path was long, and Shangguan Ru was already tired halfway down. She yawned all the time, saying, "How far? We should have bought two horses along."
"When we reach the mountain foot, we can buy horses."
"Hmm. Slave Huan, take me upon your back."
Gu Shenwei moved the package to his front and took over Shangguan Ru's dagger, putting it in his belt. He got on one knee to let her climb onto is back.
Shangguan Ru was light. Gu Shenwei carried her and went on. They did not talk for even a minute.
"Say something, don't let me fall asleep. Or you can ask me something, your master can answer you."
She sounded light, too. After the nervousness during the first half of the night, she was drowsed.
Gu Shenwei thought for a while, and a question crossed his mind.
"Do you remember when I survived after I had been thrown off of the cliff?"
"Of course. You lied to me, saying you climbed up by yourself, while you rode the Golden Roc to fly up, didn't you? I remember, you naughty apprentice, you dare to hide it from me that you're Golden Roc's friend!"
"Ouch!"
Gu Shenwei shouted out. Shangguan Ru had bitten him on his neck.
"Well, I... eh..."
Gu Shenwei really did not know how to explain, especially how to tell Shangguan Ru that for the sake of those two giant rocs, he had to kill her one day.
"Hee hee, forget about it. You proved your loyalty when you followed me downhill. I forgive you. Father is going to make the specimen of them. I'll take you to watch it."
Shangguan Ru felt no regret. She was Supreme King's daughter, and no matter how she envied the Jiang Hu rules, she stuck to the principles of Golden Roc Fort. In her view, possessing two rocs would be more important than leaving them alive.
Gu Shenwei's could scarcely control his anger. He clenched his teeth, trying his utmost not to kill the girl on his back.
"Go on. I'm falling asleep again."
"Yes, I haven't finished my question. What have you told Master Yu that she wants me dead by any means?"
Gu Shenwei had always been curious about this question. But during these two months, he found no trace of an answer. Both Shangguan Ru and Shangguan Yushi kept it a secret.
Shangguan Ru laughed, and Gu Shenwei could feel her breath. But she did not answer immediately, after a while. She seemed to have fallen asleep, but then she answered indistinctly,
"Master Yu told me that everyone has a chance to trust someone in their lives, regardless of the results. She said she would give this chance to me, and I said I would give this chance to you. Then she was angry, complaining that you were a slave with evil intentions. But don't blame her, she's a good person. She just doesn't know what I mean. Whether or not she believes me, she is always my best friend..."
Shangguan Ru was still murmuring, and Gu Shenwei could not hear her clearly anymore. She failed to resist the drowsiness and went to her dreams.
He carried her down the mountain, regretting asking this question.
One's enemies should be furious and brutal, so there would be no hesitation or sympathy when they were slaughtered. Why would she say that after she turned her back on the Golden Roc?
The path was long, though not long as he expected. Crossing several corners, it would meet the end. The Jade City could be seen indistinctly, with some vague lights shining.
Gu Shenwei sighed, turned around and walked uphill.
The water-like moonlight was shimmering. Shangguan Ru slumbered soundly, not knowing the direction had been changed.
Gu Shenwei could still feel the heavy weight of the girl and the package and dagger, though he was on the third level of Yang Strength.
He returned to Golden Roc Fort, and he would face the stone bridge. What a great opportunity to drop all of his burden and throw himself after her. That way, the girl would never know her "chance" was given to the wrong person.
Gu Shenwei crossed the bridge. He could see a group of people standing in front of the gate from far away, and numerous guard appeared behind him, like ghosts, in case he retreated.
After all, it was just a game, though everyone cooperated with the Ninth Young Master to play it.
Some women ran to him, cautiously taking Shangguan Ru over from his back. And laid her down on another's back to send her into the fort.
Nobody made a sound. Shangguan Ru was still sleeping. She trusted him very much.
Gu Shenwei took out the package and the daggers. A woman walked to him, and said softly,
"The madam tells you, you're doing well."