Duan Zhengchun transmigrates to Yin Zhiping

“No more…”

"When the Mongol cavalry breached the palace, His Majesty the Emperor refused to surrender and eventually hanged himself. Almost all the other members of the royal family were also killed or wounded. Even those who survived probably went into hiding and their whereabouts are unknown."

Nan Yin sighed helplessly and shook her head as she spoke.

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhengchun frowned and fell silent once again.

Unexpectedly, when he was reborn, everything had changed beyond recognition.

"What's done is done, young hero, there's no need to be too sad. It's too late to change anything now."

Nan Yin seemed to sense Duan Zhengchun's struggle and gently offered a word of comfort.

Duan Zhengchun gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and said in a deep voice, "A true man stands in this world with principles of conduct and principles of refraining from action!"

"Although I know the task is difficult, I must go forward with all my might because of the greater good! I will do my best! Although I cannot go against the general trend, I will strive to be true to myself, for I have a responsibility on my shoulders and cannot shirk my duty!"

Although he knew he could not change the outcome of the country's destruction and the loss of his family, the mountains and rivers still stood, and the people still lived. For the rest of his life, he would never sit idly by and watch the Mongol Tartars continue to harm the people as they did today.

He had buried his hatred for Mongolia deep in his heart.

Hearing Duan Zhengchun's words, Nan Yin was moved and couldn't help but glance at him, her face full of satisfaction.

"Has Tenryu-ji Temple been spared any disturbance?"

Duan Zhengchun turned to look at Nan Yin and slowly asked a question.

Nan Yin shook her head and said, "Tianlong Temple is a pure Buddhist place. Even if the Mongol Tartars are ruthless, they would not dare to send troops to attack it. Moreover, for them, a mere Tianlong Temple may not even be a concern."

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhengchun turned and walked away, saying as he went, "I will leave here early tomorrow morning. Thank you for taking me in, Master."

As soon as he finished speaking, he left.

He still had orders from his master to rush to the Western Regions to find out the truth behind the disappearance of his two senior uncles.

...

Two days later.

On his way to the border town of the Western Regions, Duan Zhengchun stopped at a roadside tavern to rest.

Although they had already left Yeyu City, they still witnessed many instances of Mongol Tartars oppressing the people along the way, and each time Duan Zhengchun would choose to step in to help.

That's probably all he can do now.

Having seen so much, he had been feeling rather down all the way, so he ordered a pot of wine and a few side dishes and began to drink alone in the tavern. But trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol only made them worse.

Just then, a sedan chair stopped outside the door, and a brightly dressed middle-aged man stepped out, leading a group of people in.

The waiter greeted them warmly, serving wine and dishes—all the finest delicacies the tavern could offer. It seemed this group was quite generous.

Duan Zhengchun, who was already slightly tipsy, glanced over and noticed that besides the brightly dressed middle-aged man, there was also a beautiful young woman in a green robe, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with fair skin, a pretty face, clear eyes, and a very well-behaved appearance.

Upon seeing the woman, Duan Zhengchun's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but take a second look.

Although this woman was not as beautiful and refined as Little Dragon Girl, she was still quite a beauty.

"Hey brat, what are you looking at?!"

A long-bearded companion sitting next to the woman noticed Duan Zhengchun's gaze and asked him a question with displeasure.

"Hey, when you're out and about, don't cause trouble or delay important business."

The middle-aged man glanced at Duan Zhengchun, who was drinking alone, and gestured to the long-bearded strange man.

Duan Zhengchun smiled wryly, ignored him, and continued drinking his wine.

The young woman noticed that Duan Zhengchun was no longer looking at her. She glanced at him furtively, then sat silently next to the middle-aged man, her chopsticks remaining untouched.

"Master, we traveled all the way from the Valley of Heartbreak to Ye Yu City to buy jewelry, but the person we were supposed to meet suddenly changed his mind and asked us to deliver the goods in Jade City. Could this be a trap?"

The long-bearded monster looked at the middle-aged man with some worry and asked a question in a low voice.

The middle-aged man snorted coldly, his face full of disdain, and said in a cold voice, "If what they say is true, and the jewels in their hands are treasures from the Dali Royal Palace, then this trip has not been in vain!"

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhengchun paused for a moment as he poured wine, and his expression changed slightly.

"Although I, Gongsun Zhi, have not roamed the martial world for many years, I am not someone who can be easily fooled. If they dare to play any tricks, I will absolutely not let them go! Our Heartless Valley is not to be trifled with!"

Then, the middle-aged man continued speaking, confidently reassuring the worried crowd.

“Master, with you personally coming down from the mountain, there will naturally be no mishaps.”

The long-bearded man smiled and nodded, his expression gradually softening.

"Eat quickly, we still have to keep traveling in a while."

The middle-aged man waved his hand, urging everyone on.

Duan Zhengchun remained calm, drinking and eating meat while observing the group, a growing sense of unease settling in his mind.

A gaudily dressed man and a strange man with a beard almost reaching his knees—neither of them looked like respectable people, yet they were accompanied by a well-behaved and lovely young woman.

Moreover, the middle-aged man was not riding in a horse-drawn carriage, but in a sedan chair. Judging from the travel-worn appearance of his attendants, it was clear that they had traveled a long way.

He didn't know what the Valley of Heartbreak was, but it must be very far from here. However, the middle-aged man had come all the way in a sedan chair, which meant that his men had extraordinary footwork and must all be trained martial artists with strong lower body skills.

He was curious about the origins of these people.

After a long while, the group, having eaten and drunk their fill, got up and left the tavern, continuing their journey to Emerald City.

Duan Zhengchun also paid for the wine, filled a gourd with wine, and rode his horse at a distance behind the group.

Since their appearance was related to the treasures that had flowed out of the Dali Palace, Duan Zhengchun had decided to go and find out more.

...

One day later.

Emerald City.

Duan Zhengchun followed Gongsun Zhi and his group into the city, and then, under the cover of night, followed them to a dimly lit market.

Upon entering the market, Duan Zhengchun sensed something was amiss, feeling a sinister atmosphere permeating the streets and alleys.

And for some reason, the entire market was deserted. The lanterns hanging outside the shops along the street were not shining brightly; instead, they exuded a chilling aura.

“Father, we are unfamiliar with this place. Why don’t we leave first? The seller hasn’t shown up. I think something is wrong.”

"This is someone else's territory, what if..."

"Insolence! Shut up! The tribute from the Dali royal family must be priceless! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me! Stop disrupting the morale of the army!"

"I originally wanted to bring you out to see the world, but I shouldn't have brought you this time!"

The young woman tried to persuade her father to be careful, but was instead scolded by Gongsun Zhi.

The young woman was speechless for a moment, then lowered her head nervously, clutching the hem of her clothes in grievance, not daring to say another word.

This entire scene was witnessed by Duan Zhengchun, who was hiding in the shadows.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded, and a group of people slowly appeared on the street, followed by two horse-drawn carriages loaded with goods.

Gongsun Zhi immediately stepped forward to greet him. Since he had never seen the seller's face before, it took him a long time to confirm the seller's identity.

Soon, the two parties began the transaction, exchanging money for goods, and it proceeded very smoothly.

But just as Gongsun Zhi was about to lead his men away in the carriage, the group of people stopped them. Then, dozens of masked men in black suddenly appeared from the surrounding alleys and surrounded Gongsun Zhi and his group!

Black eat black!

The two sides exchanged only a few words before engaging in combat. Their attacks were ruthless and vicious, each aimed at killing the other!

It's clear that neither of these groups are good people!

Ignoring the sudden fight, Duan Zhengchun took advantage of the chaos to sneak up to the carriage, opened the box containing the treasures, and then frowned!

Gongsun Zhi and his group have fallen into a trap. Although the treasures in the box are of good quality, they are definitely not items that came from the Dali Imperial Palace! Those items were probably already seized by the Mongol Tartars, so how could they possibly appear on the black market?

This deal was a scam from the very beginning! It caused Duan Zhengchun to go through so much trouble to follow them to Jade City, delaying his journey to the Western Regions border town...