Chapter 21: Nourishing Flowers with Blood

Outside the Lotus Tower, the sound of horse hooves came from far away like thunder, and then suddenly stopped.

Di Feisheng, dressed in black, leaped from his horse. His aura of violence seemed tangible, scaring the birds in the courtyard away. He pushed the door open and walked in, his gaze like a knife sweeping over Li Lianhua and Su Xiaoyong, who were practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.

"What a leisurely scene." Di Feisheng's voice was chilling. "Divine Doctor Li has quickly found a new 'confidant'."

Li Lianhua's expression was slightly tense, and she protected Su Xiaoyong behind her. "Master Di, you are so honored to be here. What brings you here?"

Di Feisheng's gaze fell on Su Xiaoyong's hand holding Li Lianhua's sleeve, and the coldness in his eyes grew stronger: "It seems that I came at the wrong time and disturbed your elegant mood."

Su Xiaoyong didn't understand why, but he keenly sensed hostility and subconsciously tightened his grip on his sword. "Is this the Flute Alliance Leader? I heard you and Divine Doctor Li are old acquaintances. Why are you being so aggressive?"

"Old acquaintance?" Di Feisheng sneered, "It would be more accurate to say enemy."

He suddenly attacked, sending a fierce palm wind straight towards Su Xiaoyong. Li Lianhua dodged to block, but was knocked back several steps, and her old injury ached slightly.

"Di Feisheng! Just come at me, why bother others?" Li Lianhua said sternly.

The bloodshot in Di Feisheng's eyes grew even darker: "You protect me very well." Before he finished speaking, another palm came at him, this time aiming directly at Su Xiaoyong's heart.

Su Xiaoyong raised his sword to meet the blow, but was shocked so much that his knuckles burst and the sword flew out of his hand. Di Feisheng's moves continued, his fingertips like hooks, and he was about to crush Su Xiaoyong's throat -

"Stop!" Li Lianhua quickly waved her jade fan, forcing Di Feisheng back and completely protecting Su Xiaoyong behind her. "Are you crazy?"

Di Feisheng withdrew his hand and stood up, his face cold: "Why, hurting your new love, are you heartbroken?"

Su Xiaoyong was shocked and angry: "What nonsense are you talking about! Doctor Li and I are just..."

Before he could finish his words, Di Feisheng suddenly slapped out with his palm. This palm seemed light, but it contained a terrifying internal force. Su Xiaoyong was caught off guard and was hit in the chest. He immediately vomited blood and flew backwards.

"Xiao Yong!" Li Lianhua hurriedly caught her and found out from her pulse that her internal energy was disordered, and she was obviously seriously injured.

He looked up at Di Feisheng, and for the first time, real anger appeared in his eyes: "You've gone too far."

Di Feisheng sneered: "Is this too much? There are even more excessive ones..." As he said that, he was about to attack again.

Li Lianhua gently put Su Xiaoyong down and slowly stood up. Her usually gentle eyes were now frozen in coldness. "Alliance Leader Di, enough is enough."

"What if I don't?" Di Feisheng approached, "What are you going to do? Use this Miss Su like you used me?"

Li Lianhua closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was determined: "Draw the sword."

Di Feisheng was stunned, then burst into laughter: "Great! You're finally willing to fight me?" He drew out his long sword, the blade gleaming like snow. "Let me see if you've improved in these days!"

Swords clashed, sparks flew. Li Lianhua's swordsmanship was exquisite, but he was hampered by an old injury; Di Feisheng's moves were fierce, but he seemed to be holding back, always holding back when the target was most fatal.

"Use all your strength!" Di Feisheng forced Li Lianhua back, his tone sarcastic, "Or are you afraid to show your true abilities in front of your new love?"

Pain flashed across Li Lianhua's eyes, and the sword's momentum suddenly became fierce. The two figures crossed each other, so fast that it was difficult to distinguish them with the naked eye. Fang Duobing rushed over after hearing the noise, and was shocked by the scene, but he could not intervene.

Suddenly, the sound of the flute revealed a flaw. Li Lianhua instinctively thrust her sword forward—but abruptly withdrew at the last moment.

But it was too late.

The long sword pierced Di Feisheng's left shoulder, and blood instantly dyed his black clothes red. Both of them were stunned, as if neither of them had expected to actually hurt the other.

Di Feisheng looked down at the sword on his shoulder, then raised his eyes to look at Li Lianhua. Disbelief first filled his eyes, then turned into raging rage: "Good... very good... you actually hurt me for someone else!"

He suddenly stepped back, the sword detached from his body, leaving a trail of blood. The wound was so deep that the bone was visible, but he was completely unaware, staring intently at Li Lianhua.

"I've remembered this strike." Di Feisheng's voice was chilling to the bone. "Li Xiangyi, from today on, we are done with each other."

He turned and strode away, blood from his shoulder dripping all the way, like red plum blossoms blooming on the bluestone slabs.

Li Lianhua stood there in a daze, the longsword in his hand humming incessantly, blood dripping from the tip. He looked at Di Feisheng's resolute back, and suddenly his throat felt sweet, and a mouthful of blood spurted out.

"Li Lianhua!" Fang Duobing hurried forward to support her.

Su Xiaoyong forced himself to stand up and said worriedly, "Doctor Li, you..."

Li Lianhua waved her hand to stop him, her gaze still fixed on the direction where the flute's sound had faded. She said softly, "After all...it has come to this."

Fang Duobing couldn't help but say, "It was obviously him who started the unreasoning trouble! If he hadn't hurt Miss Su, you wouldn't have..."

"I'm sick. Take Miss Su to heal her." Li Lianhua interrupted him, her voice extremely tired. "I want to be alone for a while."

He walked slowly to the stone bench in the yard and sat down, looking at the bloodstain on the ground that belonged to Di Feisheng, and remained silent for a long time.

In the distance, the sound of a flute galloped by, blood splattering from a shoulder. His mind replayed the image of Li Lianhua protecting Su Xiaoyong, and that final, unhesitating strike with the sword.

"Li Xiangyi..." He gritted his teeth and whispered, each word frothing with blood, "You really... never care."

In the Lotus Tower, Li Lianhua gently stroked the blood-stained sword, smiled bitterly and said to herself: "A Fei, if I hadn't struck that blow, would you really have stopped?"

Neither of them knew that this seemingly sudden conflict had already fallen into the eyes of a pair of eyes in the dark.

Jiao Liqiao hid in the distant woods, watching Di Feisheng leave injured, a triumphant sneer appeared on the corner of her lips: "Your Majesty, now you should understand that I am the only one in this world who will not hurt you."

She turned and ordered her men, "Go check Su Xiaoyong's background. Since Li Xiangyi is so protective of her, she might be of great use."

In the courtyard of the Lotus Tower, the bloody smell has not yet dissipated.

Li Lianhua was the only one left in the courtyard. He stumbled to a stone bench and sat down dejectedly, his sword falling to the ground with a clang.

His fingertips trembled as they touched the blood on the sword. The warm touch made his heart ache. He had never thought that one day he would turn his sword against Di Fei - and he had never thought that he would actually hurt him.

"I should have stopped..." Li Lianhua muttered to herself, her eyes full of regret, "I could have stopped..."

Why didn't he control himself then? Was it because the flute's sound had hurt Su Xiaoyong? Or was it because... the word "new love" had stung him?

Li Lianhua closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his surging emotions. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze fell on the Forget River flower in the courtyard.

Under the moonlight, the Forgetful River flower glowed with a faint blue light, and the dew on its petals was as crystal clear as teardrops. Li Lianhua suddenly remembered the record in ancient books: the Forgetful River flower is nourished by blood, which can keep it alive forever.

As if possessed by some mysterious force, he picked up the bloodstained sword and slowly walked over to the flower. Blood from the sword tip dripped onto the petals, where it was instantly absorbed, and the blue glow seemed to intensify.

"With my blood, I will nourish your vitality..." Li Lianhua softly recited the words from the ancient book, her fingertips gently brushing the petals, "Unfortunately... this is not my blood."

It was Di Feisheng's blood. The blood of the person he swore to protect, but ultimately wounded with his own hands.

One drop, two drops... He carefully dripped all the blood from his sword onto the base of the flower. With each drop, his heart ached. It was as if he wasn't nourishing the flower, but watering it with his own guilt.

As the last drop of blood seeped into the soil, the Lethe flower suddenly glowed brightly with a brilliant blue light, illuminating the entire courtyard like a dream. The veins on the petals were clearly visible, and they trembled slightly as if they had come to life.

Li Lianhua stared at this bizarre scene in amazement, then suddenly smiled bitterly: "A Fei, if you knew that your blood was feeding this flower, would you hate me even more?"

He remembered Di Feisheng's words "We are done with each other," the deep wound on his shoulder where the bone was visible, and the eyes filled with anger and pain...

"That's not what I meant." Li Lianhua whispered to the Forgotten Flower, as if explaining to someone far away through it, "It's just that at that time... at that time..."

Seeing Di Feisheng's harsh treatment of Su Xiaoyong, a surge of inexplicable anger shot through my head. Seeing those eyes that once stared intently at me now filled with sarcasm and coldness, hearing those harsh words about "new love, old love"...

Li Lianhua slowly squatted down, her fingertips lightly touching the petals, her voice barely audible: "I just... can't stand you looking at me like that."

The night wind blew, and the flowers in the River of Oblivion swayed gently, as if responding to his whispers. The blue light reflected on his pale face, revealing the regret and worry that were difficult to conceal in his eyes.

Wu Yan, who was secretly observing from a distance, was shocked by this scene. He had originally thought that Li Lianhua was truly cold and heartless, but now he could clearly see the genuine pain in his eyes.

Wu Yan left quietly, anxious to report to the leader - perhaps, things were not as simple as they seemed.

Li Lianhua still stood alone in front of the flower until the moon set and the stars sank.

At dawn, Fang Duobing quietly walked over and saw Li Lianhua still sitting in front of the flowers. He couldn't help but feel distressed: "Li Lianhua, you didn't sleep all night?"

Li Lianhua raised her eyes, bloodshot, but she forced a smile: "This flower is blooming beautifully, isn't it?"

Fang Duobing looked at the Wangchuan flower and was surprised to find that overnight, the flower seemed to be more vivid and lively, with blue light flowing like a living thing.

"Indeed...it's beautiful." Fang Duobing hesitated, "But you should rest, too. Your injury..."

"No problem." Li Lianhua gently stroked the petals and suddenly whispered, "Duobing, do you think he's... seriously injured?"

Fang Duobing was stunned for a moment before realizing that "he" was referring to Di Feisheng. He immediately said angrily, "That kind of person deserves to be hurt! Who made him hurt Miss Su first and then said that about you..."

"I was the one who lied to him first," Li Lianhua interrupted, her tone weary. "He hates me, and rightly so."

Fang Duobing muttered: "But you are..."

"Go out." Li Lianhua waved her hand. "I want to be alone for a while."

Fang Duobing reluctantly withdrew. Li Lianhua returned her gaze to the Wangchuan flower, her fingertips lightly touching the dried blood on the petals.

"A Fei, if one day you knew everything..." he whispered to himself, "will you forgive me for this blow today?"

No one answered, only the Lethe flower quietly bloomed in the morning light, the blue light faint, as if carrying too many unspeakable secrets and regrets.

Meanwhile, within the Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance, Di Feisheng expressionlessly allowed the doctor to bandage his wound. When Wuyan quietly reported what he had seen at the Lotus Tower, the teacup in his hand paused slightly.

"Using blood to nourish flowers?" Di Feisheng sneered, "That's quite elegant."

But Wuyan clearly saw the complex light that flashed across the leader's eyes.

Perhaps this breakup is not irreversible.

It’s just that no one is willing to bow their head first, as proud as Di Feixing and as hurt as Li Lianhua.

The Lethe flower blooms quietly, waiting for the day when it is truly needed.