Song of Adolescence

Chapter 246 A Pirate’s Principle

Langya Prince died five years ago. Even though his name was the most exalted on the entire continent, it was gradually being forgotten now. Whenever people talked about Langya Prince, there was always a feeling that things had remained the same, but the people had changed.

The once heroic Prince became a rebel, so even all his heroic achievements became anathema.

And those heroic warriors that followed him also disappeared into the flow of history. The Four Guardians of Heavenly Revelations who were instrumental in the Uprising of the Eight Princes, the silver-robed General Lei Mengsha who was incomparably valiant in the war against Nanjue as well as the three heavenly generals of the Beili Central Army. These names had not been heard for a long time. Only the golden-armored General Ye Xiaoying was still active in the imperial court, and served as a reminder of the past era.

So it was indeed very exciting to meet the three heavenly generals of the past. Mu Chunfeng was eager to go and talk to them, but he couldn’t because the three heavenly generals didn’t seem to be interested in him. Wang Pichuan looked at Sikong Qianluo and the spear in her hand. "The Silver Moon spear. It’s been a long time since I last saw it. Your father once taught me spear techniques."

"I could tell." When Sikong Qianluo and Wang Pichuan exchanged spear moves earlier, she had naturally noticed it. "You were close to my father."

"Can’t really say we were very close. I met your father the first time in Diaolou Mansion in Heavenly Revelations City. We were drinking there that day and having a discussion about spear techniques. Your father was dead drunk and said we were bullsh*tting. Actually, the four of us wanted to gang up and beat him up, but your father brought out his Silver Moon spear, made three spear moves and we accepted our defeat." Wang Pichuan showed a rare smile, probably thinking of the times he himself would be urged to beat up someone just because of a few taunts. "Later, we met again several times through coincidences, and every time we met, I learned a lot from him. It’s just that every time…"

"Every time what?" Sikong Qianluo asked.

The general armed with twin spears, Xiao Zhanjiang, continued, "Every time we met, I wanted to give your father a sound beating."

Sikong Qianluo naturally understood this feeling, and she scratched her head. "I didn\'t realise my father once lived in Heavenly Revelations."

Xiao Zhanjiang and Wang Pichuan exchanged a look and their eyes showed their surprise. "You don\'t know that your father once lived in Heavenly Revelations?"

"I don\'t know, ah." Sikong Qianluo looked innocent.

"Have you never heard the story of chasing the immortal spear for a thousand miles and the immortal spear retreated a thousand miles?" Wang Pichuan asked tentatively.

Sikong Qianluo still looked innocent. "I don\'t know, ah."

Wang Pichuan smiled in a way he’d never smiled before. "How interesting."

"How is it interesting?" Sikong Qianluo was puzzled.

Wang Pichuan did not answer, but said, "When you return to Snow Moon City, you can ask your father."

Sikong Qianluo turned to ask Tang Lian. "Shixiong, do you know?"

Tang Lian looked at Xiao Se and Xiao Lingchen who were standing further away. "I wonder what they’re talking about?"

Mu Chunfeng also looked over. "One of them was once the most famous prince in Beili, and the other is the heir to the most powerful Prince. I’m also really curious about their conversation."

Xiao Se said to Xiao Lingchen. "Earlier, you said something wrong."

Xiao Lingchen stopped waving his folding fan. "What did I say wrong?"

"We haven\'t seen each other in five years, not four years," Xiao Se said slowly.

Xiao Lingchen started, then he sighed. "You’re still so serious about everything."

"Yes, I\'m very serious. So I have a few questions that I’ve always wanted to ask you," Xiao Se said.

Xiao Lingchen nodded. "Go ahead."

"How did you leave back then?" Xiao Se asked.

"On the day of the riot in Heavenly Revelations City, my father took me on a carriage riding towards the west gate, but we were stopped by the Baihu Guardian on the way there. Father stopped the carriage and did not resist, so Baihu Guardian let me leave the city. Later, as I was fleeing, I met the three heavenly generals and managed to escape from the people hunting me down." Xiao Lingchen\'s tone was calm, as if he were talking about someone else’s story.

"Why did wang-shu[10] suddenly want to leave the city that night? Was he really intending to rebel? Could he have deliberately set the great fire?" Xiao Se asked.

"I don\'t know. Everything happened so suddenly." Xiao Lingchen continued to wave his fan gently. "Until I escaped the city and met the three heavenly generals, I didn\'t know why I was being hunted, and why my father would be stopped by the Baihu Guardian."

"According to the Bureau of Punishments, Langya Prince was accused of conspiracy to rebel and deliberately caused the riot in Heavenly Revelations City that day," Xiao Se said slowly.

"That’s ridiculous. If my father really rebelled, then he could have half of Beili destroyed. Such a small riot in Heavenly Revelations City and they called it Langya Prince’s rebellion. That’s an insult to my father. Back then, the entire Nanjue couldn\'t defeat my father, what are those Imperial Insignia Guards of Heavenly Revelations City worth?" Xiao Lingchen sneered.

Xiao Se nodded. "Indeed. But the Emperor didn\'t say anything, and Langya Prince didn’t say anything either."

"Almost as if…" Xiao Lingchen looked at Xiao Se.

The two completed in unison, "They’d already made a pact."

Xiao Se retracted his gaze. "I will return to Heavenly Revelations and expose this secret."

Xiao Lingchen kept his folding fan. "Then I wish you success!"

Xiao Se was stunned for a moment, and said, "You’re not following me back to Heavenly Revelations?"

"Are you kidding? When you return to Heavenly Revelations, you’re following imperial orders to return to the capital. If I return to Heavenly Revelations, I’m like a sheep entering the tiger’s mouth. I’m rather satisfied with being the king of a thousand miles of territorial waters. Why would I go back and get myself killed?" Xiao Lingchen spoke sternly and filled with righteousness.

"Have you really turned into a pirate?" Xiao Se asked this question. Was Xiao Lingchen really the leader of the legendary band of pirates known to commit all sorts of evil deeds?

Xiao Lingchen retorted with a full-hearted "bah". "I am the distinguished Hereditary Grand Protector of Beili and heir of Langya Prince. Would I really get involved in the shady business of murder and arson? I just picked on merchant ships, robbed some of their silver, but I didn’t kill anyone nor set any fires. Although we are pirates, we are pirates with our own principles!"

Xiao Se couldn\'t help but ask, "What principles?"

Xiao Lingchen grinned. "One grand ingot, cut into two. One for you, one for me. Whatever merchant ships come, I rob half from them!"

Xiao Se nodded. "Good principle!"

Xiao Lingchen suddenly stretched out his hand. "You give me half too!"

Xiao Se slapped his hand aside. "Bullsh*t!"

Xiao Lingchen sighed with exasperation. "I knew you’d be stingy and refuse me. I’m very different from you. This king is very generous so this king will tell you a secret."

"What secret?"

"Around that time, a person came to the Langya Prince Residence."

"Who?"

"Grand Eunuch Jin Xuan Gonggong."

Xiao Se took a light breath. "I’ve noted it."

"If you intend to return to Heavenly Revelations and start an investigation, the Grand Eunuch Jin Xuan Gonggong may be a good entry point. Only that person is not easy to deal with. Do you have allies powerful enough in Heavenly Revelations?" Xiao Lingchen asked meaningfully.

"Right now, no. But, that doesn’t mean there won’t be in the future," Xiao Se said slowly.