15. A chance encounter

I laughed. What an overconfident fellow. Although he's several years older than me, he's certainly a bit impetuous. It seems he doesn't actually want to be number one; he's just testing me. In that case, how could I disappoint him?

Zijin's forte is the soft sword, a meter long, made of a unique material as smooth as silk. It's usually concealed at his waist. With a swift draw, the soft sword flies out, a flash of light as it attacks me. I lightly leap away from its reach. The advantage of the soft sword is its ease of control compared to a whip, and its greater maneuverability compared to a real sword. Within its range, if a thrust fails, the soft sword can spin and use its elasticity to counter-thrust. If the reaction isn't quick enough, the enemy often falls on the second strike. Right now, I can't see his moves clearly, so I can only push him away. I retreat as he approaches, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

"Feiwu, why are you hiding so far away?" Zijin smiled. "I can't show weakness. Back then, your master bullied me so badly, I'm going to get my revenge today." With that, he leaped up again, using the moonlight to unleash a chilling light from his soft sword, so dazzling that I couldn't open my eyes for a moment. Just then, Zijin changed his stance, and the sharp sword lightly struck my body, not penetrating deeply, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"You lost," he announced happily.

"Is that so?" I opened my eyes again and saw that he had already sheathed his sword and tucked it into his waistband.

"Are you trying to renege on your promise?" The word "renege" had barely left his lips when he suddenly clutched his chest. Then he glared at me angrily. "You poisoned me?"

"No bloodshed. Zijin, your sword strike just now stirred up a cloud of dust, so I casually added some of my master's ancestral secret techniques. Don't worry, it's not poison, it's definitely pleasing to the eye and good for your health." I laughed heartily and left.

"It must not come into contact with water until noon tomorrow. Otherwise, wherever it comes into contact with water, it will melt."

"You're despicable! You're even more despicable and shameless than Xiang Chang! Bastard! Scoundrel! Pervert!... (The following words violate publishing regulations and are all censored)" Zi Jin yelled like a child behind me, trying to gain my sympathy. Unfortunately, he failed.

"Feiwu, are you alright?" Lianxi opened the door and saw me. He excitedly pulled me along.

“Pity, come with me and run for your life.” I smiled as I looked at him.

"ah?"

We rented a horse-drawn carriage and, under the cover of night, left Jiangnan. Where to go? I hadn't decided yet.

"Hmph!" Zi Jin wrapped himself up tightly. I looked at him with amusement. Actually, I planned to tell him after noon that the medicine wasn't poisonous and wouldn't be corroded by water.

"You were all running for your lives, why did you drag me along?" Zijin continued to complain. He then glared angrily at Lianxi.

"What did you do to the prince?" Lianxi asked, looking at me with pity.

"Nothing much? I reckon from now on, he'll be insatiable, needing pleasure every seven days." Yes, within seven days, if he isn't played with by a man, he'll die from the poison, bleeding from all seven orifices. You'll be bullied and pitied for the rest of your life. Besides, when he wakes up, he'll only take his anger out on that old hag. Anyway, I really dislike that greedy old hag. Not only did she steal two of her top courtesans, but she also left her with a mountain of debt. The prince will definitely make her suffer. She dared to drug me, dared to sell me to the prince—she's asking for death.

I fiddled with the jewelry in my hand. "Wherever Lianxi wants to go, I'll listen to you."

"Brother Zijin, what do you think?" Lianxi is so easy to bully, and has such a good temper.

“West Lake,” Zijin said, pointing to a place.

"What, you want to eat West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce?" I asked, looking at him.

“No, if Yao is there, I’m going to go and get revenge on him,” he said.

"So it's Ruoyao, the fourth of the Four Young Masters," I muttered to myself. "He must be exceptionally handsome."

"None of them are as outstanding as me," Zijin said smugly. Lianxi burst out laughing.

If Yao also runs a brothel, I'm a little confused. The four young masters all come from extraordinary backgrounds, except for myself. They're all incredibly wealthy, so why would they want to run a brothel?

“Because of freedom,” Ruoyao said, making tea for us. “Don’t worry, Hangzhou is my territory, everyone has to give me face. Feiwu, how long are you going to stay this time? Why don’t you stay longer?” Ruoyao and Lianxi felt very similar, both being the type who remained untainted by the mud. We hit it off immediately.

“I don’t care, but what about Lianxi? He doesn’t know martial arts, so you should take good care of him. Don’t let him get bullied by bad people,” I replied, glancing at the absent-minded Lianxi.

"Put it down. Although my martial arts are not as good as Fei Wu's, I still have the power to protect people." Yao smiled. "The noble people in Hangzhou are very easygoing and won't make things difficult for me. However, since Lian Xi is already famous, it's better not to show your face."

“That makes sense. Why not buy Lianxi a villa so he can escape this complicated society?” I nodded.

“What’s so complicated? Lianxi has been at Juxianglou for so long, she must have a lot of tricks up her sleeve.” Zijin looked at me. “But he’s so stubborn. He insists on waiting for that person.”

"That person?" I looked at Lianxi, but he didn't look at me.

"Let's not talk about it." Zi Jin waved his hand. "It's better not to mention the members of the Demonic Sect. Fei Wu, we both recognize your worth now, but you still need to carve out your own place in the martial world."

"Aren't so many lives from the Chu family enough?" I said quietly, sipping my red tea.

"That's not the issue. Everyone thinks the Poison Prince killed the Chu family members, but how many people actually know that Xiang Chang is already dead?"

“That’s right. In a few days, there will be a gathering of two heroes here. I hope you will come and grace us with your presence,” Ruoyao suddenly said.

"Without mist appearing, one can overcome regret. Overcome regret, and you will truly be the top of the Four Young Masters."

"Is remorse that powerful?" Lianxi suddenly walked over and took a piece of pastry.

"Thinking of the advantages of poisons..."

The Sword of Regret roams the four directions.

The purple-gold soft sword could not block it.

"If Yao's hidden weapons are hard to defend against," Yao suddenly said. "Fei Wu should also be very skilled in using medicine."

"It's alright," I replied.

“Actually, the remorse I felt before was quite kind, but unfortunately, things changed later. Now it’s become so cold and ruthless,” Zijin suddenly said.

Everyone fell silent.

Every year at this time, Juying Hall in Hangzhou hosts a unique competition. Young men from prominent families across the land gather here to vie for attention. Juying Hall is essentially a disguised beauty pageant, but instead of young women, the participants are young, talented, and exceptionally handsome boys. Since some find pleasure in it, others find it attractive. In particular, the winning boy might catch the eye of a high-ranking official, thus leaving behind a life of prostitution and a life of wealth and tranquility.

“Not mist.” Ruoyao opened his mouth slightly and elegantly sipped his black tea. Today he was dressed in a snow-white outfit, elegant without being vulgar, and handsome without being seductive. Combined with his peerless appearance and slender waist, he had a unique charm.

"What is it?" I asked lazily. I casually snatched a piece of fragrant cake.

"Feiwu, why aren't you participating?" Ruoyao looked at me, her face full of smiles. "If you participate, would anyone dare to cause trouble?"

"You're joking, Yao. I have neither looks nor temperament, so what right do I have to act so presumptuously?" I yawned and looked at him.

"While your looks aren't absolutely stunning, they're still quite exquisite. Especially your skin, it's simply superb," ​​Ruoyao joked.

"That's all thanks to my master's excellent care," I said resentfully. "They always use me to make medicine. If I told them my skin was made with hundreds of the most potent poisons, I doubt anyone would envy me."

"Was Fei Wu's hair color also caused by poison?" Ruo Yao reached out and stroked the strands of hair under my cloak.

"Yes." When I go out, I have to wear a cloak to cover my flamboyant hair color, which is black with a hint of purplish-red. Anyone who sees it would probably shout that I am a monster.

"Feiwu is also excellent in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. If you participate, it won't be Huixin's turn to shine," Ruoyao said indignantly.

"You two have such a good relationship." I smiled.

"Good relationship? Humph." Ruoyao clenched her fist. "He has a naturally seductive face and knows how to seduce people. It was okay before, but now he's always seducing the men I've set my sights on."

"Yes, yes, how can she compare to Ruo Yao, beautiful as peach blossoms and as aloof as ice?" I quickly flattered her, because my wallet was a bit tight and I didn't earn as much as Ruo Yao. "Anyway, we're here just to watch the show. As long as we're happy."

"Actually, Xiangshang and Huixin's experiences are quite similar. Xiangshang chose to live in seclusion alone and seek revenge. Huixin, on the other hand, willingly fell into depravity. I think they are both people who have been hurt by love and are no longer able to give their hearts away," Ruoyao said softly.

"And you? Does Yao have someone she loves?" I asked.

"Not at the moment. After seeing too many heartbreaking examples, I think I'm incapable of liking anything anymore. What about Fei Wu? You're the youngest among us, so you probably don't have any sad past experiences, right? You're still young."

"Really?" I smiled bitterly, not looking up at him. "I used to have someone I liked."

"Um."

"That was then. Things have changed, and we can't rekindle our past relationship."

"Why?"

"We've always been from two different worlds, with different identities and backgrounds. Now it's even more impossible, given the vast disparity in our identities and backgrounds. Besides..."

"Don't think too much about it. At least you understand now, so you won't repeat Xiang Chang's mistakes."

It's been so long since I've been home. I wonder how Fei Yu is doing. After this gathering of heroes, I'll sneak back to see her, not daring to openly step through the door. Because I'm no longer the Mo Fei I once was. Would Father be ashamed of my past? Wandering the world, I inevitably make enemies; how could I let Fei Yu risk her life? I'll go back as Fei Wu. To see Father, to see my second brother, to see Fei Yu. And then, I want to find my eldest brother. More than ten years have passed; where is he now?

(At this very moment, on the bed of the Ghost King in the Ghost Palace, a naked man sneezed three times in a row.)

"Fei'er misses me."

"Um."

"I want to go home."

"Um."

"I haven't been home for eleven years..."

"Um."

"Hey, I want to go home, do you hear me? I want to go home, I want to see my dad, my second brother, Fei'er, Fei Yu..." Her lips were covered, and she was lost in a daze.

"Who was so careless as to get meth? Do you think you can leave here? If you really want to see them, I'll have my men bring them here."

"Forget it. No need to tie me up anymore. I got poisoned because of your old flame. Humph."