Chapter 65: Waking Up from a Nightmare

  That sword was swung with such determination, from a young age he had never felt this way before. He had never thought of killing someone with such determination, knowing that blood was just ahead, and he had never considered the consequences, retreat, or his own life.

  The sword that cut his throat was such a taste, the blood flowers that splashed out were so gorgeous, and he was infatuated with the wind until the blood flowers splashed onto his clothes. He didn't close his eyes until then, and the mad knife at his throat was still flowing with fresh blood. The majestic cloud water behind him also closed his eyes forever.

  This was the first time someone had died for him, and also his first experience of what it's like to kill for a firm reason. In front of him, the bloodstain looked like a burning flame, and around him, the silent night sky, the pure sword in his hand trembling slightly, all of this seemed like a nightmare, or an unfathomable abyss.

  The misty water gradually filled the air, and that twinkling gaze, Hua Jiugong's benevolent smile as he stroked his beard after passing on the Tian Gong to him, and a majestic figure looming in the distance - it was his father! These three figures kept swirling in his mind, "No, I won't die!" Su Feng suddenly sat up with a start, his body drenched in cold sweat. Was that just a dream? But why did it feel so real?

  "Are you awake?" Just as Sui Feng was still deep in thought, a sudden voice from beside him interrupted him.

  As he turned his head with the wind, it was a young man dressed in servant attire. Judging from his face alone, he seemed to be only slightly younger than Lin Feng. "Where am I?"

  His luggage and the pure sword were placed at the head of the bed, but the brocade clothes he had worn before had been changed, replaced by a coarse hemp robe. He shook his head in the wind, still feeling a bit dizzy, thinking to himself: I clearly remembered that I jumped into the Qiujiang River to avoid the pursuit of the Blood Hiding Sect, and then lost all consciousness. How did such a big change happen when he woke up?

  The young man smiled foolishly, "You're awake now. This is a ship of the land of Fusang. We were about to set sail when someone found you at the mouth of the Fuchun River. They thought you were dead, but it turned out you still had a breath left in you. So they rescued you and brought you back on board. Who would have thought that you'd wake up so quickly?"

  "Fusang country? Envoy ship?" The wind thought his head hurt even more.

  He hurriedly got out of bed, took a few steps, and his body swayed. Perhaps it was because he had been in bed for too long, and he was already a bit unaccustomed to it. As soon as he went out the door, he saw the ship's side, and indeed it was a large ship, even bigger than the tourist boat he had taken on the canal before.

  "Hey, you're not feeling well, don't run around randomly." The young man was somewhat worried about Sui Feng's body and followed him.

  The boat has set sail, and the sunlight outside the cabin is just right. The azure sky seems to blend with the sea water, making it impossible to distinguish between them. The white clouds are like delicate embellishments, and under the gentle breeze, the light ripples on the water's surface gently lap against the hull, producing a crisp sound of water.

  Everything is fine, but when looking into the distance, the Central Plains only have a faint and almost imperceptible border. As for the Qiantang River's majestic entrance to the sea, that vast harbor, not even a single thread can be seen.

  The bow of the ship is heading east, and it seems that the young man was right, they are indeed sailing towards Japan.

  He had been away from home since he was a child, but today, due to some unexpected twists and turns, he even had to go abroad. This trip didn't know when he could come back again. Thinking of this, the expression on Feng's face became more gloomy, looking at the approaching young man, his voice was also very weak, "What's your name, how long have I been asleep?"

  "I'm Du Aniu, what's your name? You've been lying in bed for three whole days." Upon hearing the casual mention of himself, a hint of spirit flashed across the young man's eyes.

  Three days have passed... The wind whispers a sigh, and at this speed, it will probably take at least another ten days to reach Fusang. He let out a silent sigh, leaving his homeland was not something he wanted to do, but thinking about it carefully, it was also a good choice. That dagger that Liang Touzi threw down, the Nine Dragon Lock has been closed for over a thousand years now, even if it wasn't destroyed, it probably wouldn't be able to open normally anymore. He was there at the time, and the grudge between him and Li Linfu was indeed deep. And he had also killed Xue Yin's disciple, in that situation, if he hadn't quickly jumped into the Qiu Jiang River, he would have been killed by Xue Yin long ago, where would he be able to enjoy the scenery now?

  Maybe this is fate, heaven wants me to stay away from the center of right and wrong.

  A sigh in my heart with the wind.

  Du Ao Niu seemed to have noticed that Suifeng's mood was not quite right, and smiled comfortingly: "Actually, Fusang isn't so bad. Although it's a remote small country far from our homeland, they really admire people from the Central Plains. For someone like me who is mediocre, even if I spent my whole life in the Tang Dynasty, I wouldn't amount to anything. So I'd rather be a lowly servant on the ship and go to Fusang to seek out some opportunities."

  Ah Niu's words reminded Sui Feng of Fujiwara no Koichiro at the foot of Mount Tai, he smiled and said, "I didn't expect that you, who are still young, have such a big ambition."

  Du A Niu felt a bit embarrassed, saying: "Sir Feng, at that time it was Mr. Gao Qiao who saved you, when is the convenient time? Since waking up, it's still good to greet him, and it's said that Mr. Gao Qiao has a low position in Fusang country, if he can get along with him, maybe he can help in the future."

  "Thanks for saving my life, it's only right that I should repay you. It's only proper to go and thank him again." Ah Niu, take me there.

  Mr. Takahashi lives in the attic room upstairs, and you can get there by going up the stairs. On the way, Ah Niu said that Mr. Takahashi seems to be a staff member of a prominent family with some real power, and is a figure to be reckoned with. However, Zui Feng didn't pay much attention to it, he never intended to rely on others for support, since he arrived in Fusang, he would wander around like in Zhongtu, treating it as a kind of training.

  Upstairs, in front of the railing on the ship's side, a middle-aged man dressed in finery was stroking his beard and savoring the view of the sea outside. From his attire, there was nothing out of place, except that underfoot he wore wooden sandals unique to Fusang. He must be the Mr. Takahashi that Ah Niu mentioned.

  "Mr. Gaoqiao." Ah Niu shouted from a distance, his voice somewhat trembling.

  The man in Chinese clothing turned his head, saw the two people with the wind, and smiled slightly, adding a few points of elegance. "It's Ah Niu's little brother, huh? This isn't...". Although this person wasn't from Central Plains, he spoke Mandarin extremely standardly.

  Following the wind, he smiled and said: "I am Following the Wind. I have met Mr. Gao Bridge before. Thank you again for your rescue."

  Mr. Gao's expression changed slightly, and then he smiled brightly again, "Oh no, oh no, there's a saying in the Central Plains that goes 'saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda'. I just happened to be passing by. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have thought that young brother would recover from such a severe injury so quickly. Now that he's recovered, let's chat more. Ah Niu, can you trouble yourself to brew a pot of tea for me?"

  Mr. Takahashi's words came out gentle and soothing, making people feel like a spring breeze without any discomfort. Suddenly, Sui Feng's heart was alerted, and this time it seemed as if he intentionally drove away Du A'niu.

  Having had the previous experience with Fujiwara no Koichiro, Kazehaya still had some reservations about foreigners. However, his face was still full of smiles, "I wonder what you'd like to talk about, sir?"

  Kao Chiao's expression changed slightly, and he put away a few points of elegance, adding a few points of seriousness. "I don't know if you have ever seen a Japanese person?"

  He nodded and replied casually with the wind: "I happened to see a few before, they seemed to be from the Fujiwara family."

  Taka-hashi was taken aback and hastily asked, "The Fujiwara family is the most noble in all of Japan, yet they sent someone to China? Quickly tell me, when and where did you meet him?"

  "It was about half a month ago, when I happened to meet Fujiwara Shizuru on my way down, who was going to visit Mount Tai. Later, through her introduction, I also met Mr. Fujiwara Hakujin."

  Taka-hashi was again surprised, "You actually met Fujiwara Yasutane!"

  "Master?" Ran Feng was taken aback, Jing Liu was clearly a little girl, how did she become a master?

  Takashi nodded, "Yes, if we're talking about Fujiwara's young master, he's a legendary figure in Fusang. As everyone knows, the Fujiwara family has been the hereditary regents of Fusang for generations. This young master is the only son of this generation's regent and at just thirteen years old, he can already take care of all household matters. Especially when it comes to Zhongtu culture, his research is extremely deep. After the Dahuang reform, the whole nation looks up to Tang as a model. The young master plays an indispensable role in this."

  Listening to Gao Qiao's description, Jing Liu is still young, but he has already shown great talent and learning. With a sigh, such a person is rarely seen even in the Central Plains. Is what he said about recognizing Jing Liu the same as the Jing Liu he knew? But he also said that among his contemporaries, Guan Bai had only one son, so what's going on here?

  Although he was puzzled in his heart, he didn't show it on his face. He always felt that Gao Qiao's reaction was a bit strange.

  "Is Mr. Gaoqiao acting as an envoy this time he comes to China?" The wind quietly opened the topic.

  "Hehe" Gao Qiao smiled slightly, with a somewhat self-satisfied expression. "That's right, I also came with my son, but he had to return home due to some unexpected circumstances. I have long admired the culture of the Tang Dynasty, and today I see that it is indeed extraordinary. I am truly fortunate to have this opportunity."

  As he spoke, his face was full of admiration. He turned around with the wind and looked at the already almost invisible outline of the Central Plains, and in his heart, there was another kind of flavor.

  Takashi hadn't even finished speaking when Takahashi seemed to remember something, "Right, since you're coming with us to Japan, can you speak Japanese?"

  A bewildered face blown by the wind.

  Taka-hashi had already guessed the outcome, and smiled as he stroked his beard. "In Fusang, although we hold the culture of Great Tang in high esteem, there are not many people who can speak Chinese apart from the envoys who come to China. We still have about two weeks before we arrive in Fusang. So, after a few more days when your injuries have healed, I will teach you some simple Japanese. That way, you'll be able to adapt better when you arrive in Fusang."

  He said so, and Matsukaze could only nod in agreement. Afterwards, Takahashi also pulled Matsukaze to talk about other Japanese customs and habits, and humbly asked him about some Chinese cultural complexes.

  Below is the gurgling tide, in the distance is the endless horizon. It turns out that the world is so vast, he had never been to the seaside before, how could he have imagined that the world was so vast, the sun, stars and moon all rose and fell in this sea.

  "The sun and moon are like exits from it. The stars shine brightly, as if they were coming out of its village." He mouthed the words, slowly reciting this timeless poem. In the distance, seagulls leaped and flew, the sea breeze gradually swept over his hair, also unknowingly stirring up what thoughts in him.