Duan Zhengchun transmigrates to Yin Zhiping

"You two stay obediently in the Tomb of the Living Dead and wait patiently for me to return."

Seeing their dejected expressions, Duan Zhengchun felt a pang of pity and gently stroked their lips, offering them soft words of comfort.

He had indeed considered bringing them along, but there would be many disciples accompanying him besides Lin Zhiyuan, and if they were discovered, it would be difficult to explain clearly.

Moreover, he also wanted to take this opportunity to rest properly, otherwise he really couldn't hold on. With such a beautiful woman by his side, he simply couldn't resist.

"Is there any danger?"

Xiaolongnu hesitated for a moment, then asked with concern, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

"Don't worry, who am I? Even the Western Regions Tantric sect couldn't kill me, what's there to fear from mere Mongol Tartars? Nothing will happen."

Duan Zhengchun shook his head and smiled as he comforted the two of them.

"When will you leave?"

Little Dragon Girl continued to ask, her brows still furrowed with worry.

"Tomorrow morning."

Duan Zhengchun answered softly.

"Big brother Master, you must be careful. Master and I will wait for you to come back."

Lu Wushuang grabbed Duan Zhengchun's sleeve, pouted, and whispered her instructions.

Duan Zhengchun smiled and nodded, then pulled the two of them into his arms, and the three of them shared a passionate kiss.

Seeing this, Grandma Sun quickly turned around and awkwardly avoided eye contact.

After a brief moment of tender entanglement, Duan Zhengchun cut his losses, gave the two of them a deep look, and turned to leave.

Xiaolongnu and Lu Wushuang stood hand in hand, watching Duan Zhengchun's figure gradually disappear into the distance, their eyes filled with longing.

...

The next morning.

The Guest-Greeting Pavilion at the foot of the mountain.

Lin Zhiyuan gathered fifty elite disciples of the Quanzhen Sect, prepared carriages and horses, and bid farewell to his master and all his senior uncles and masters.

"The journey to the border is long, so be careful. If there's anything you can't handle, ask your senior brother for advice."

Qiu Chuji patted Lin Zhiyuan on the shoulder and gave him earnest advice.

"Don't worry, Master. I know. Zhiyuan will live up to your expectations and complete this mission successfully."

Lin Zhiyuan nodded heavily and said firmly.

Qiu Chuji smiled with satisfaction and said nothing more.

"Where's Zhiping? We haven't seen him yet. The team is about to set off."

Hao Datong glanced around and muttered something in confusion.

"They should be here soon. This morning, I told them the departure time."

Seeing that all his senior brothers and uncles were looking around, Lin Zhiyuan hurriedly said something.

"coming!"

At this moment, Sun Bu'er suddenly spoke up.

Immediately afterwards, Duan Zhengchun, who had changed into a blue outfit, appeared in everyone's sight, carrying a sword box carved with dragons and phoenixes on his back.

"What is this?"

Qiu Chuji pointed to the sword box on Duan Zhengchun's back and asked a question in confusion.

"Oh, this was made by the blacksmith in town last night when I went down the mountain. What do you think? Doesn't it look impressive?"

Duan Zhengchun smiled and turned around to show it to everyone.

"It's time to set off!"

Qiu Chuji shook his head helplessly and urged him on.

Liu Chuxuan and the others couldn't help but shake their heads, never expecting that Duan Zhengchun would actually go down the mountain overnight to make a sword case.

What they didn't know was that Duan Zhengchun spent fifty taels of silver on this.

"set off!"

At Lin Zhiyuan's command, everyone immediately set off, some mounting horses and others driving carriages.

After bidding farewell to Qiu Chuji, Duan Zhengchun leaped onto his white horse, patted it lightly with a smile, and whispered, "Old friend, we're setting off again! You'll have to work hard again this time!"

With a neigh, Duan Zhengchun rode away on his white horse, leaving everyone else in the dust.

The reason Duan Zhengchun arrived late was because Yang Guo had heard about the border situation and knew that Guo Jing and his wife were also going there, so he asked Duan Zhengchun to take him with him.

However, Duan Zhengchun resolutely rejected Yang Guo. With his current martial arts skills, he had not mastered them at all. Even if he found out later that Guo Jing and his wife were his father's killers, it would be of no use.

Moreover, this trip to the border is for official business, not to settle Yang Guo's personal grudges.

...

Seven days later.

Qingfeng Town.

Under the cover of night, Duan Zhengchun lay lazily on a small earthen slope outside the town, holding a wine gourd in his hand, gazing thoughtfully towards the border.

The white horse leisurely grazes in the grass not far away, its reins casually draped over the saddle, with Duan Zhengchun's sword case also tied to it.

They had been traveling for seven days straight and were less than three days away from Huai'an County, the border town.

Along the way, the further north you go, the more rumors you hear about the border. It is said that the Mongol army is coming in a fierce manner, and wherever it goes, there is no death or destruction.

Occasionally, one could encounter some people who had fled back from the north. Most of them had moved their entire families, fearing that they would be implicated in the border war. From these people, one could not hear a trace of trust in the Song court, which showed that the people had long been utterly disappointed with the court.

Besides these, they also encountered many other martial arts practitioners heading to the border town, all of whom had been called upon by Guo Jing and Huang Rong to provide assistance.

He had also heard many rumors about Guo Jing and Huang Rong, and almost no one spoke ill of the couple. He increasingly felt that there was indeed something fishy about the murder of Yang Guo's father.

Just then, footsteps sounded, and Lin Zhiyuan slowly walked up the earthen slope.

"Senior brother..."

Looking at Duan Zhengchun lying comfortably on the ground, Lin Zhiyuan greeted him softly, but hesitated before speaking further.

"Ah."

Duan Zhengchun casually agreed, tilted his head back, took a sip of wine, and looked up at the dazzling moon in the night sky.

Lin Zhiyuan hesitated and sat down to the side without saying anything more, just like Duan Zhengchun had glanced in the direction of Biancheng.

"Speak your mind, don't bottle it up."

Duan Zhengchun put his hands behind his head and said something in a low voice.

He could tell that Lin Zhiyuan had something on his mind.

Lin Zhiyuan smiled awkwardly and said slowly, "I didn't expect it to be so obvious, but since Senior Brother brought it up, I'll say it."

"Everyone has been asking for my opinion on everything along the way. I hope you don't mind, senior brother?"

Since becoming the chief disciple, his status in the sect has been on par with that of the senior disciple Zhao Zhijing. All the dozens of disciples who followed his lead treated him with the utmost respect, which is why he had such concerns.

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhengchun couldn't help but laugh out loud, and asked in confusion, "Why would you ask that?"

Lin Zhiyuan said solemnly, "In terms of ability and seniority, my senior brother is the more suitable leader for this trip to Huai'an Prefecture. It's not my turn at all..."

Upon hearing Lin Zhiyuan's answer, Duan Zhengchun hesitated for a moment, then slowly stood up and looked at Lin Zhiyuan, saying seriously, "If your senior brother were really so petty, Master wouldn't have sent me to accompany you."

“I know that these disciples must have received their master’s instructions before they went down the mountain. They must respect you in everything. Master is right to do so. I understand and agree with it.”

“You are the future leader of the Quanzhen Sect. They should obey your orders. It doesn’t matter who I was in the past, who I am now, or who I will be in the future.”

"Most importantly, don't disappoint your master, and don't let Zhao Zhijing succeed. He's always been eyeing your position. Spend your time thinking about how to be a good future sect leader, and don't try to please anyone."

"I'm just assisting you on this trip to the border town. Do what you're supposed to do and don't hold back. Even if you cause any trouble, I'll cover for you!"

Upon hearing Duan Zhengchun's words, Lin Zhiyuan's face immediately lit up with gratitude. He nodded heavily, grinned, and said confidently, "Don't worry, Senior Brother, I will never let you and Master down!"

Duan Zhengchun said nothing more, lay down again, took a sip of wine, slowly closed his eyes, and enjoyed the moment of tranquility.

He also hoped that Lin Zhiyuan could gain experience this time and, incidentally, cultivate his prestige among the disciples. To become the leader of a sect, one must have the determination to be ruthless and decisive.

...

Three days later.

The group of fifty-two members of the Quanzhen Sect finally arrived at Huai'an County, a border city of the Song Dynasty, after traversing mountains and rivers.

As soon as they entered the city, everyone's faces turned solemn. Almost all industries in the border town were in a state of depression. Eight or nine out of ten shops on both sides of the street were closed, and there was hardly a single person to be seen on the main street. Everywhere was a mess.

"How could this be? Are we too late?"

Lin Zhiyuan caught up with Duan Zhengchun on horseback and asked with a serious expression...