Yang Ge stood expressionlessly at one side of the mourning hall, while Yang Tiansheng and Xiang Wudi knelt before Li Changjiang’s spirit tablet to pay their respects, with Li Jincheng kneeling on the other side to return the gesture.
After the ceremony concluded, Yang Tiansheng and Xiang Wudi stood up, looking puzzledly at Yang Ge.
Yang Tiansheng, "You got the news pretty fast? To have come all this distance!"
Xiang Wudi, "You too, Li. Such a big event, and not even bothering to send someone to inform us? If we brothers hadn’t been so well-informed, we’d have missed this..."
Yang Ge glanced at Li Jincheng, who forced a smile through his swollen eyes, and sighed lightly, "Let’s go outside to talk. Let’s not disturb the old man’s rest."
He led the way, and the four men turned and left the mourning hall.
Yang Ge pulled out the Cold Moon Saber that had been stuck outside the door and hung it at his waist.
Li Jincheng, looking at the Cold Moon Saber and forcing a choked laugh, said, "In the end, I still need your help..."
Seeing him forcing a smile, Yang Ge didn’t feel too well either and, softening his tone, said, "You fight over territories with that whatever Jinfanwu and you don’t tell me; I can understand that. After all, it’s Lianhuan Fort’s domestic affair, and it’s indeed not quite in line with the martial world’s rules for me to intervene. But this matter with Li... What were you thinking?!"
The setback in the conflict between Lianhuan Fort and Jinfanwu, and Li Jincheng not asking for his help, was quite normal.
Buddhists vie for a stick of incense; men vie for breath. Lianhuan Fort, after all, had a name that resonated in the Jianghu, so how could they ask for help at the slightest difficulty and lose face in the future?
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Moreover, with Yang Ge’s status today, if he were to get involved in this level of dispute... the nature of it would change!
But when it came to life’s major events like birth and death, the fact that Li Jincheng hadn’t informed him was a completely different matter!
Li Jincheng forced a smile, "I did send someone to notify you, it’s just that they left two days ago and should still be on the road..."
Upon hearing this, Yang Ge exhaled lightly and sighed, "Why put yourself through this trouble?"
This world was certainly not like another where a message over WeChat meant anyone, no matter how far, seemed like a neighbor.
Lianhuan Fort’s main base near Taihu Lake in Jiangsu and Luting County near Luoyang, the Divine Capital, were far apart. Even if one traveled by land and didn’t spare the horses, it would take at least four to five days to get from Taihu to Luting. If Yang Ge couldn’t fly, even if he left immediately upon receiving the message, it would take him more than ten days round trip, and mourning affairs, unlike weddings, can’t be scheduled ahead of time...
When the old fisherman passed away, Yang Tiansheng and Li Jincheng only found out afterward. The representatives who went to offer condolences were from Ming Sect and Lianhuan Fort, having heard the news and voluntarily representing the Li and Yang families at the fishermen’s village.
"Xiang and I just happened to be on time."
Yang Tiansheng joined in, "We heard that Lianhuan Fort and Jinfanwu were fighting, so Xiang and I went to Jinling to wait for your signal, Li. We planned to come and support you as soon as we saw it, but we waited and waited with no word from you. Just the other night we got the news that Jinfanwu’s men had broken into Taihu Lake and we couldn’t sit still; we had to come over to see..."
Xiang Wudi also said, "Tell me, what kind of decision-making is this? Is saving face more important than your own father?"
The two were also angry.
The conflict between Lianhuan Fort and Jinfanwu was a legitimate martial world dispute. If they wanted to help, they needed Li Jincheng to formally ask. Otherwise, it would be considered imposing and neither reasonable nor appropriate.
Li Jincheng smiled bitterly and shook his head, "You can help temporarily but not forever."
"Alright, enough talk!"
Yang Ge marched down the steps, "Let’s talk about everything else after the old man is buried with peace."
Yang Tiansheng nodded, "Right, we three brothers won’t interfere with Lianhuan Fort’s and Jinfanwu’s conflict. We’re just here to accompany the old man on his last journey."
Xiang Wudi, looking at the silently nodding Li Jincheng, said, "When you can’t hold on any longer, just say the word. We’re all brothers here; no need for so much fuss."
Li Jincheng nodded and said, "When the time comes to speak up, I won’t be polite with you."
As they spoke, Yang Ge had already marched to the training field below the mourning hall and called out loudly, "I am Yang Erlang of Luting. Is there anyone outside who can have a serious talk, come in and have a word!"
His voice, like thunder, rolled impressively through the naval fortress.
Before long, five figures leapt onto the walls of Lianhuan Fort, with the leader being a clean-shaven, fair-faced young man who looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, a face that seemed familiar to Yang Ge.
The five jumped onto the walls of the naval fortress and immediately saw Yang Ge in the center of the field below, hastening to leap down.
"After half a year, Erlang, you’ve grown even more heroic and imposing!"
The young leader strode forward with easy grace, smiling as he approached Yang Ge with a salute.
Yang Ge stared at the man for a long while before finally remembering, "Oh, you’re that protector from the Geng Family at Shanshui Garden who was full of bluster!"
The expression on the young leader’s face darkened, and his natural smile suddenly became somewhat strained, "Erlang has a good memory; I am Zhuang Chu."
"I thought you were quite capable back then!"
Yang Ge chuckled in amazement, "I never imagined that in the blink of an eye, you’d be able to establish such a base in Jiangzhe..."
Zhuang Chu, "I owe it to Erlang’s great fortune and took advantage of Jujing Gang..."
"My great fortune? Not quite,"
Yang Ge scoffed, "Isn’t it thanks to the good graces of the seven great families of Jiangdong?"
He scrutinized the four plainly dressed, unremarkable-looking middle-aged men behind him. If he wasn’t wrong, all four were experts of True Essence... with martial skills even superior to Zhuang Chu’s.