Chapter 24 Climbing the Tower

It was quite late when the two returned to the inn. Lin Chengye smelled the fragrance of flowers all over the city, and Yi gently patted her back beside him, again and again. Although Lin Chengye wanted to say that he was already seventeen and not seven years old, and that his mother had never coaxed him to sleep like this.

But the soft moonlight fell on my eyelids, and the spring breeze brought warmth, dragging my consciousness into a gradual blur.

I slept well all night.

When he opened his eyes again, the warm sun was already high in the sky. It was quite lively outside the window. Lin Chengye was awakened by the bustling noise outside the window, but he was not annoyed. Instead, he stretched and stood in front of the window quietly watching for a while.

"Today, the flower appreciation party begins at sunset, where all people rejoice together. First, we are intoxicated by the rich dew; second, we admire the myriad red blossoms; third, we listen to elegant music; and fourth, we present you with a comb..."

"Oh dear, young master, aren't you going to buy your wife a flower...?"

"Miss, would you like to buy your husband a purse?"

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Bian Yi rushed in. Her hair was still unkempt, and it was unclear where she had wandered off to; a crimson petal was still twirling between her fingers, and she was carrying a bunch of fresh peonies on the table. She leaned close to Lin Chengye and asked with a smile.

"Awake? Are you tired? Thirsty?"

"Slept very well."

Lin Chengye shook her head. Suddenly, a few gray-white feathers fell in front of her. She raised her arm, and a sturdy bird unceremoniously dropped down. After taking the letter from her leg, it begged her for a handful of millet. After eating and drinking its fill, it slowly flew away.

"Stop feeding the Vietnamese birds, they can barely fly anymore. Hey, what does it say up there?"

Bian Yi watched it fly away speechlessly, then looked at the note and read it aloud softly.

"...Penghua Lake and Mantao Pavilion".

Lin Chengye clapped his hands in high spirits, grabbed a peony branch covered in dew from the table with his left hand and tapped it repeatedly on his right palm, then slowly walked toward the half-closed wooden door.

"It must have been Senior Guan who told us to meet there..."

Before he could even utter the word "face," Lin Chengye suddenly saw a pair of light brown eyes and furrowed brows outside the half-closed wooden door. His initial intention to push the door open instantly turned into closing it. The person outside reacted swiftly, slipping a red jade flute through the door just as it was about to shut completely.

Helpless, Lin Chengye pinched the bridge of his nose, opened the door, and said with a forced smile.

"...What brings Your Highness here so early in the morning?"

"What do you think? Why was I kicked out by that doctor this morning?"

Outside the door, Wei Jingchen's face was as gloomy as an impending storm. Today, she had replaced her jade crown with a hairpin in the shape of an intricately carved red bamboo, and her hair was neatly tied up. Although she was still wearing red, it was not the same outfit as yesterday.

The old man with the four silk ribbons didn't come today; instead, he was followed by an unfamiliar guard with a sword, who was also staring at her with an unfriendly expression.

As expected of a princess, even her clothes are exquisite when she goes out, and she even carries a useless flute. Lin Chengye didn't expect this person to come to her door today to demand an explanation. Helpless, she stepped aside to let her in. There were many people coming and going in the corridor, and if someone heard her say "Your Highness," it would be terrible.

"Your Highness wouldn't be so petty, would you? After all, you lied to us first."

"How dare you speak to me like that... um!"

The guard suddenly raised an eyebrow, suppressing her anger, and gripped the hilt of her sword. But before she could move, a sharp pain shot through her wrist, and she couldn't muster any strength. Looking down, she saw a silver needle precisely sealing the meridians in her wrist.

But in this room… the guard looked up in disbelief at the figure lounging lazily on the couch. The person smiled at her, his eyes crinkling.

"Alright, Jiang Heng."

Wei Jingchen suddenly waved to the guard, who was called Jiang Heng. Jiang Heng gritted his teeth, pulled out the silver needle, and glanced at Bian Yi warily before speaking.

"Your Highness will use the alias Chen Chen when you are away, so don't let it slip. However, Miss will be staying here with you for the next few days, so you two should go and book another room."

"It's not that I'm unwilling, it's just that I don't have the funds..."

Lin Chengye lowered his head and sighed in a mocking manner.

"I'll pay."

Wei Jingchen couldn't help but roll his eyes, clenching his fists under his wide sleeves.

How does this person look like they're short of money?

“Ms. Chen, you’re very kind. Please stay here. We’re leaving now.”

Lin Chengye beckoned to Bian Yi, calling her to his side before preparing to leave. Suddenly, Wei Jingchen raised the red jade flute in his arms again, unreasonably blocking her path.

"What are they trying to do now?"

This third princess is a bit too clingy. Lin Chengye finally clicked his tongue in impatience, his fake smile almost crumbling.

Wei Jingchen crossed her arms, her eyes darting between the black and white figures, and suddenly found it amusing. She pointed at Lin Chengye's chest with her red jade flute and said bluntly.

"Wherever you go, I'll go too."

...

Penghua Lake is a vast, shimmering lake in the very center of Penghua City, almost half the size of the city itself. The Mantao Tower stands in the heart of Penghua Lake, with a total of ten stories.

On the top floor of Mantao Tower, a beauty of exceptional quality, dressed in red brocade, throws out bright red petals day and night for seven days and nights during the flower viewing festival. At first glance, it looks like a sky full of surging red waves, and an endless, enchanting spring scene.

Several long red ribbons cascaded down from the top floor, with the other end wrapped around the treetops on the lake shore. Under the sunlight, they resembled a shimmering river suspended in the air. Below hung lanterns that had not yet been lit, waiting for someone to ignite them when the banquet began. The entire Penghua Lake would surely outshine the moon in the sky, and be as intoxicating as a dream on earth.

Even Wei Jingchen, who had seen all the beautiful scenery of Lin Su City, couldn't help but sigh that this flower viewing party was too ostentatious. Walking through the streets and alleys, time seemed strange and dreamlike, a rare sight in the world.

"How do I get to Mantao Tower? I haven't seen any small boats."

Lin Chengye gazed at the mirror-like surface of the lake, feeling a sense of unattainability for the beautiful Mantao Pavilion. Many people stood on the shore, but all could only look on from afar.

Upon closer inspection, there are a few pillars protruding from the lake, but the distance between them is too great for people to walk on.

"Where are you from, young lady? What is your name? Is this your first time in Penghua City? This Mantao Tower is not a place that just anyone can go to, except for high-ranking officials."

Suddenly, someone beside him burst into laughter. Lin Chengye looked at the woman and saw that she was a scholar, dressed simply, carrying a bag on her back, and holding a scroll in her hand.

"My surname is Lin, and I am a man of the martial arts world. This is indeed my first time here. This flower viewing party is truly breathtaking."

Before the scholar could finish speaking, a sudden gust of wind arose, and the fallen petals, which had been fluttering and scattering freely, were suddenly suspended in mid-air. Someone yanked them up and used them as skirts, the light blue fabric of the skirts fluttering against the vibrant red, creating an indescribable richness. Two figures rose into the air from the shore, a woman and a man, their fingers intertwined, both wearing veils. At the same time, their toes touched the lake surface, instantly creating ripples on the calm water.

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Some whispered, asking which sect or school of martial arts master this was.

"Look! Someone else went by!"

The scholar's eyes lit up, and he became so excited that his face turned red. He grabbed Lin Chengye's sleeve and shook it, almost causing Lin Chengye to fall over.

Suddenly, the woman reached out and pulled off her light blue veil, her eyes brimming with spring-like beauty. She turned back with a smile and glanced towards the shore, as if searching for something. The wind, understanding her intentions, lifted the man's veil, revealing his handsome face, still bearing wrinkles despite its appearance.

The scholar covered his mouth as if he was about to faint. Lin Chengye gave a few perfunctory "hmm"s. Actually, she was also momentarily stunned when she saw the woman's face. She was indeed stunningly beautiful.

"Beside her is... the Sword God! Guan Yue!"

Then onlookers shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Truly deserving of the title of the most beautiful woman. What was that saying again... 'The sun and moon cannot compare, yet she surpasses spring by three parts'..."

The scholar seemed stunned, his strength waning as he murmured.

Lin Chengye quickly seized the opportunity to take back his sleeve and smooth out the wrinkles.

"Seeing you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved. Master Fang is truly beautiful; even the gods in heaven could not surpass you."

"She even once climbed the Cloud Cliff Yitian Ranking. If it weren't for the fact that she was once poisoned by cold, losing half of her martial arts skills... what a pity..."

"Could the sword at Master Guan's waist be the Sui Quan Sword? I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to see it drawn in this lifetime..."

The surrounding crowd exclaimed in admiration, and some were eager to try their luck at climbing the Peach Blossom Pavilion.

Lin Chengye realized that the flower viewing party also had this purpose. It was likely that many martial arts masters from the Southern Qi region had gathered here, making it a grand event in the martial arts world.

Fang Yanzhou and Guan Yue were both skilled in light-footed martial arts. With just a tap on the last pillar, they ascended directly to the ninth floor of Mantao Tower, parted the light smoke curtains on the window, and jumped into the room.

Suddenly, Lin Chengye felt her other sleeve move. She looked down and saw Bian Yi crouching down and crawling under her sleeve to stand in front of her.

Lin Chengye also stepped in to protect Bian Yi, who was not tall and easily jostled by the crowd.

Bian Yi watched the two figures disappear into the building, but unlike usual, she didn't talk much. She just quietly pursed her lips.

"Oh dear, I see you're both new to the world of martial arts, don't you know? These two are childhood sweethearts, inseparable since they were young, they roamed the world together, and now they're traveling around enjoying themselves..."

Seeing that the scholar was about to immerse himself in his own world, Lin Chengye quickly patted Bian Yi's ear and whispered something.

"Walk."

While everyone was still reeling from the two figures, two nameless men, one in black and one in white, suddenly burst into the red rain, yet they did not disturb the falling petals. Neither of them carried any weapons, as if they were old men who had heard that the weather was nice today but had mistakenly entered a martial arts tournament. After walking around in the air for a while, they slipped into the ninth floor of the Mantao Tower to drink.

The once boisterous crowd had fallen silent, exchanging bewildered glances, unsure of what expression to make.

"It seems... none of them stepped on the pillars in the lake..."

After an unknown amount of time, someone finally spoke in a trembling voice.

...

Today the sky was clear and the clouds were gently rolling in the wind.

Lin Chengye was standing inside the building in the blink of an eye, very close to the sky. Looking out, Wei Jingchen and Jiang Heng, both wearing silver masks, followed closely behind, passing over the lake, but they couldn't climb the nine floors in a short time, entering the building around the third or fourth floor.

but……

"Didn't you arrive in Penghua City yesterday? Why didn't you come to see us? Are you dragging your feet and making me have to invite you like this?"

Guan Yue took a swig of cold tea, then crushed the porcelain cup with a crash, shards scattering across the floor. Looking at his old friend, whose appearance remained unchanged but who now acted timidly and hesitantly, a far cry from the willful and reckless youth he once was, the anger simmering within him grew ever stronger.

What can't be said? We promised to conquer the world together and uphold justice back then. Does that mean we can break our promise just because we were young?

As a result, Ah Sui left without saying goodbye one day, and this person threw a huge tantrum. Unexpectedly, this person also vanished into thin air, disappearing for twenty years. He and Fang Yanzhou used the connections of the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect and Fengquan Manor to search for a long time, but they still couldn't find him.

He couldn't help but question it.

"Tell me, why are you hiding from us?"

Bian Yi awkwardly hid behind Lin Chengye, touched the tip of her nose, and finally managed to utter four pale words.

"haven't seen you for a long time……"

Standing beside her, Fang Yanzhou pursed her lips, staring at Bian Yi without moving, but her eyes slowly reddened. She took a step forward and asked in a trembling voice.

"If it weren't for the need to grow a two-headed serpent, would you really never see us again?"

Lin Chengye noticed his sleeve being shaken, as if pleading for help. Before the atmosphere turned sour, he quickly cupped his hands in greeting to the two people inside the room and said something.

"Senior Fang, Senior Guan."

Fang Yanzhou realized she had lost her composure. She pursed her lips to calm herself and quickly stepped forward to pull Lin Chengye's hand to sit down. The boy's hand was icy cold, completely unlike the vitality one would expect from someone his age. Her eyes filled with pity as she spoke softly.

"You're the kid who needs the two-headed serpent to grow bones, aren't you?"

Author's Note: The non-parallel, flowing poems inside were all made up by me, please forgive me... [Good Luck Lotus]