NOVPUB"Oh, don’t send that person to Yizhou just yet; he might be useful for the task at hand, since he has a high combat power after all," Chen Xi pondered and spoke, sending Guan Hai to Yizhou was not urgent at the moment. Now in the eyes of everyone under the heavens, Guan Hai was already dead, and as long as they weren’t too obvious about it, no one would suspect it.
"High combat power?" Taishi Ci and Gan Ning exchanged glances, both guessed that the person’s strength might also involve Inner Qi Manifestation, but unlike Taishi Ci, Gan Ning had already guessed Guan Hai’s identity.
"Yes, which ship is he on? I’ll go meet him," Chen Xi nodded, "It would be good to meet him in person. He is a bit special."
"He’s on this ship. I’ll take you to him in a little while, but Counsellor, if he does not wish to fight again, please do not press him," Gan Ning earnestly looked at Chen Xi and said, admiring the captive held in the ship’s cabin after learning of his identity, regardless of whether he was from the Yellow Turbans or not. Like Guan Yu, Gan Ning, who was a man of high principle, respected his actions and would treat him well regardless of his past deeds.
"Don’t worry, if he’s unwilling, I’ll just send him to Yizhou; if he’s willing, then he can help us out for a while," Chen Xi said with a smile. He wasn’t surprised that Gan Ning could guess who it was. Anyone who took Gan Ning for a fool was long dead; a person fully cultivated by a noble family would have the necessary wits, it’s just that Gan Ning was a bit more straightforward.
"Then that’s settled," Gan Ning nodded and said.
After lunch, before Gan Ning got a chance to take Chen Xi to see Guan Hai, Zhuge Liang came running over with his cipher and tossed the entire manual and additional content to Gan Ning, "Just read through the front part, you’ll get it! Do you understand the I Ching?"
"Not at all?" Gan Ning shook his head like a rattle-drum. When he was at home, the teacher who spoke to him about it, commissioned by his father from the Yang Family of Hongnong, had explained it to him, but he couldn’t understand it at all; it was too complex.
"Well, in that case, just look at the I Ching in order; you don’t need to understand it, just follow the clues," Zhuge Liang glared at Gan Ning, upset that he didn’t know. As a general, how could he not know Yin and Yang, not understand celestial phenomena? Annoyed, Zhuge Liang pulled out a copy of "The Book of Changes" and tossed it to Gan Ning.
Gan Ning was a bit embarrassed, sitting on the ship and opening the cipher written by Zhuge Liang. Regardless of anything else, just looking at the writing, "Kongming, your handwriting is not bad at all! Impressive!"
"Hm," Zhuge Liang was a bit sheepish, being praised, especially after he had just looked down on the man. After a moment of thought, Zhuge Liang squatted down and said to Gan Ning, "General Gan, you should actually read "The Book of Changes" more. You don’t need to master it, just understand the general principles and ideas – that’ll be enough. General Guan often reads a volume of the Spring and Autumn Period, and General Zhao reads all sorts of books. You could also read "The Book of Changes" every day. At least it looks, well, in Zichuan’s words, very cultured..."
"Oh, very cultured?" Gan Ning nodded. Chen Xi had told him what ’cultured’ meant – that others would invariably feel a sort of reverence upon seeing it. Gan Ning very much needed that kind of respect.
After hearing Zhuge Liang’s words, Gan Ning didn’t care whether he understood the book or not; what he needed was refinement. At the very least, seeing someone reading the I Ching demanded some level of respect, and from that point on, Gan Ning kept "The Book of Changes" in his pocket, flipping through it whenever he had a chance. What he strived for was not understanding but refinement, and the refinement of carrying "The Book of Changes" far surpassed that of carrying a mere steamed bun.
Gan Ning wasn’t stupid, and Zhuge Liang’s writing was very meticulous. After reading it just once, Gan Ning had an epiphany; this method of arranging codes was simply unbeatable, at least Gan Ning couldn’t see how anyone could break it! If necessary, the base versions could be continuously exchanged, and even dozens of base versions could be prepared in one go, the codes directly indicating which base version to use.
"Heh heh heh, you’re really impressive. Why not join our Navy? We need talents like you," Gan Ning said with a chuckle, having mastered the operating methods of the codes and crumbling the original encoding techniques into dust. He planned to compile his own book when he got back, ensuring that only he would know how the codes were deciphered.
"No thanks, I haven’t completed my apprenticeship yet. There’s still so much to learn, so I can’t join the Navy," Zhuge Liang replied with a smile, quite satisfied with Gan Ning’s cautiousness. In his view, a general should be exactly like this; the previous ignorance was simply not befitting the image of a general.
Gan Ning narrowed his eyes and then said no more. He had guessed where Zhuge Liang would be placed in the future.
[Another Fa Xiaozhi, can this man not be so clever? I reckon in another five years, he’ll also enter the political system. Hmm, probably just like Xiaozhi—central government, demoted, brought back, knocked down, back and forth, and within two years at most, he’d be firmly in position.]
Gan Ning looked out to where the sea met the sky and thought this, yet without any envy. He was already very satisfied with his current life and had nothing more to ask for. Even if he wanted to be like that, it would require having such a brain, which he clearly did not possess.
"Let’s go, I’ll take you fishing. Combine work and rest! I’ll stew you some fish soup tonight if we catch any," Gan Ning said, clapping Zhuge Liang on the shoulder.
"Sure," Zhuge Liang nodded, feeling a bit excited about going out to sea for the first time and unable to focus on his reading, so he decided to join Gan Ning for a look.
Watching Gan Ning hang a huge hook on a hemp rope and casually skewer a live fish about a foot long onto it, then swing it in several large circles before flinging it out, Zhuge Liang watched in astonishment. Is this fishing?
"What’s the matter, Kongming?" asked Gan Ning with a smile, seeing Zhuge Liang’s wide-eyed expression. Mi Fang had the same look the first time he came.
"Is this fishing?" Zhuge Liang said with a mixture of hand gestures and a wry smile. In his mind, fishing was done with a bamboo rod, a silk line, and a hook bent from a sewing needle. This was fishing?
"Of course, it’s fishing!" Gan Ning laughed heartily, and just as he spoke, he leaned forward abruptly, "Look, we’ve got a bite!"
"…" Zhuge Liang felt his face twitch. What a foolish fish, to swallow such a large hook right into its stomach.
"This one’s got quite the strength!" Gan Ning, being pulled to the edge of the boat, braced his foot against the side, as the thick hemp rope was stretched taut. "Ow wow, this really is a big one, hand me my great sword, I’ll finish him off!" Gan Ning was struggling a bit, as he often wasn’t a match for the strength of the big fish.
Seeing the situation, Zhuge Liang hurried back to help, but before he got far, he heard a "crack". The spot where Gan Ning had been standing just broke apart, and then Gan Ning was dragged down as well. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with your recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
