Chapter 8

Longmen.

The road is lined with yellow sand, barren and desolate. As far as the eye can see, there are only crescent-shaped sand dunes and bare rocky hills, with orange-yellow sand covering everything in sight.

Hidden in the endless yellow sands, the Yumen Pass is a place where soldiers, with tired eyes, watch people entering and leaving the pass. Their calloused hands grip spears and halberds, and the blades of their swords have been dulled by the wind.

Outside the Yumen Pass, on a high mound, two figures appeared under the blazing sun.

A man and a woman appeared in the scorching air.

Both men were dressed in the style of the Western Regions. The man was tall with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His muscular body was covered by black and white cloth, and a golden tassel hung down from the brim of his white hat. Strands of his hair fluttered from his ears.

"Senior sister, what are we doing here?"

The man gazed at the vast yellow sand, the two curved swords at his waist gleaming with a chilling light.

"The leader said that a guest has come to visit today, and sent the two of us to Yumen Pass to welcome him."

The woman speaking was clad in a black and red fabric that covered her silky body. Large swaths of her alabaster skin were still visible, though her long hair, adorned with gold ornaments, cascaded down her shoulders, a patch of black hair falling across her forehead. As the wind blew, she raised her gloved arm, pulled up a white hood to conceal her face, revealing only her fiery red lips.

The man looked around and stretched.

"Who is so highly regarded that they could actually invite the senior sister who never leaves her room?"

The woman crossed her arms and remained silent.

"Could it be that those Central Plains people are bored again and are trying to find something for you to do, Senior Sister?"

"Ah Lu, you talk too much."

The man waved his hand and sat down on the mound of earth.

After a long while, the man gazed at the yellow sand and uttered another sentence.

"Senior sister, has that Hidden Sword disciple replied yet?"

The woman was silent for a moment, then released her arm and stroked her long hair.

"kindness."

"Aren't you tired of watching over him like this?"

The man asked.

The woman did not answer.

Suddenly, a sandstorm swept through, and a figure appeared faintly at the Jade Gate Pass. The two men drew their twin swords from their waists, observing the figure's movements.

The strong wind gradually subsided, and the black robes drooped down, the hoods turning towards the man and woman. A figure in black appeared before them; both remained silent, waiting for the other's move.

The man in black robes suddenly moved. The woman stared intently at his movements, and a sudden sense of oppression washed over her. She swung her right hand to block the flying object, which then caught on her blade.

A lapis lazuli pendant.

The woman took off her jade pendant, stared at the black-robed man who hadn't approached, and after a long while, finally spoke.

"What are your orders, sir?"

The man in black robes raised his arm, revealing a sleeve sewn with gold thread. Though he spoke softly, his words drifted into the woman's ears on the wind.

"Find her."

The woman turned the jade pendant over; it was inscribed with the two characters "Yang Yuan".

The Five Poisons.

For several days in a row, Alena did not have a good expression.

Ai Yi and Yang Yuan tried their best to cheer her up. Ai Yi collected nectar and Yang Yuan cooked porridge. The two little ones each held a bowl of food and walked to her door. They looked at each other but remained silent.

Just as Ai was about to raise her hand to knock on the door, the crying coming from inside the room stopped her in her tracks.

Just think, someone you've cared for for so long, gone in an instant—it's heartbreaking for anyone who would be in that situation.

At that moment, Xue Hua was tightly holding onto Alena, who was on her way to retrieve the remains, when he received a solid slap across the face. Without saying a word, he pulled the distraught Alena and Yang Yuan away.

Because this matter could not be made public, Xue Hua went to the Tang Clan and, under the pretext of looking for an old friend, found Tang Xiaoye.

After hearing the whole story, the masked woman remained silent, thanked him, and turned to leave.

After Xue Hua returned to the Five Poisons Sect, he met with the sect leader Qu Yun along with Yang Yuan.

The young girl stood at the main altar, head bowed, clutching the hem of her clothes, listening quietly without saying a word.

"If your mother were still alive, she would be pleased."

Yang Yuan was taken aback and looked up.

"Sect Leader Qu Yun, are you saying my mother has already..."

Qu Yun remained silent. A disciple of the Five Poisons Sect walked up to her, holding an object wrapped in cloth. Yang Yuan took it blankly, words stuck in her throat, unable to utter a single syllable.

"Yang Yuan, you must live on."

No further words were said.

Xue Hua watched as the young girl in the green dress slowly knelt down and performed a deep bow. She rose, turned to look at him, nodded, and then left.

It's as if nothing has been left.

Ye Min, who had been injured and unconscious, finally recovered. After listening to Xue Hua's account, he didn't say anything, and the three of them left Wudu that very night.

Nothing delayed them on the journey. When they left, Alena still hadn't appeared, nor had Ai. Only when passing the cliff did Xue Hua see the Tang Clan woman standing there with a sign.

The sign gleamed; upon closer inspection, it was a silver bracelet with lifelike scorpions coiled around it.

The three rode their horses along a forest path leading to Chengdu. Ye Min, unusually, didn't make any jokes, and everyone tacitly kept their breathing quiet. Only occasionally did a breeze blow, brushing against their necks, making Yang Yuan cough a few times.

"Are you alright?" Xue Hua asked.

Yang Yuan coughed a few times, covering her face. She shook her head and tightened her grip on the reins.

“Chengdu is just ahead. You should find a place to rest first, then you can go somewhere else.” Xue Hua turned around and said, “You’ve been walking for most of the day, and you’re not in good health, so you can’t stand the cold.”

Yang Yuan quickly asked, "Where are you going?"

Xue Hua fell silent.

Yang Yuan suddenly pulled the horse to a stop. Her action prompted the two large men to also pull on the reins.

After a long silence, she said, "Tell me. I have nowhere to go now. I ran away secretly. Now that my mother is gone, there's no use for me staying in the Five Poisons Sect. If I stay with you, I might at least know where I can go."

She looked up at Xue Hua, her eyes filled with longing.

"I only promised to take you to the Five Poisons. You have to walk the rest of the way on your own. Even if you come with us, what can you do?"

Yang Yuan hurriedly dismounted and ran to Xue Hua's horse, looking at him stubbornly, "I won't cause you any trouble, really! Back when we went from Qutang Gorge to Wudu, you...you saw it too. I really, really won't cause you any trouble!!"

Ye Min couldn't get a word in edgewise, watching the two of them bickering and arguing anxiously.

However, the general in black armor simply turned his horse around, took the reins, and rode away without looking back.

Yang Yuan was stunned.

Upon seeing this, Ye Min immediately gave chase, telling Yang Yuan to stay in Guangdu Town and not to wander off.

"Yang Yuan, stay there and don't wander off! I'm bringing that bastard back to you right now! Don't wander off!"

In the blink of an eye, the young swordsman in golden robes vanished without a trace.

Yang Yuan stood there, her head drooping. The black horse seemed to sense her sadness, walked over, and nuzzled her tear-streaked face.

"Xue Hua! Xue Hua, stop right there! No...stop right now!"

Ye Min shouted from behind, but he couldn't stop Xue Hua from galloping away on horseback.

"Damn it!"

Ye Min leaped forward, pulled out the Western Heaven Listening Snow sword from behind his back, gathered his inner strength into his hand, and instantly connected it with the heavy sword. The sword revealed its sharpness, and the sword energy crisscrossed, and he slashed down at Xue Hua.

Xue Hua noticed and immediately turned around to block the sword with his shield. Ye Min's injuries had not fully healed, and this move was the Crane Returning to the Lonely Mountain, one of the core techniques taught by the Hidden Sword Manor. Xue Hua's heart skipped a beat from the blow, and a metallic taste rose in his throat, making him extremely uncomfortable.

Xue Hua immediately grabbed the reins. Startled, the horse reared up, throwing both of them off. Xue Hua stumbled to the ground, while Ye Min landed hard on the ground. The heavy sword lay to the side.

He immediately got up and, before Xue Hua could react, punched him in the face.

"You think I can't get you to do anything? Huh? Xue Hua, you've really got some nerve!"

Xue Hua wiped the dust off his face, tilted his head, and remained silent.

Ye Min put his hands on his hips, wiped the blood from his mouth, and shook his head.

"You, Xue Hua, you, cough cough cough..."

He pointed at Xue Hua, held it in for a long time, and then coughed.

"...Yang Yuan must have owed you something in the first half of her life!"

It took him a long time to finally utter this sentence.

Xue Hua remained silent.

Silence speaks louder than words.

Ye Min stared at his face and said angrily:

"You're all making a scene! How old are you? Have you considered the consequences of your actions? Have you thought about what to do? You just leave her with a few words. Fine, fine, fine my foot! I'm telling you, if you don't take Yang Yuan with you, I... I'll take her back to Hidden Sword Manor!"

"Then you can take it with you."

Ye Min stared at him with wide eyes, her finger trembling as she held it a few inches from his nose.

Are you trying to drive me crazy?

"Have you considered what would happen if Yang Yuan came with me? What can we do then?"

Ye Min was speechless for a moment.

"From the very beginning until now, I never thought I would stay with her forever. Although I knew about her background and promised to send her to the Five Poisons Sect, what happened after that?"

I am from the Cangyun Army. Yanmen Pass still needs our protection. An Lushan's wolfish ambitions extend to the Central Plains. Not to mention the martial arts world, the whole country will surely be plunged into chaos.

I cannot be here alone, neglecting my responsibilities for the sake of personal feelings. My brothers are still isolated in the freezing cold, suffering hunger and hardship. If I cannot even defend Yanmen Pass, how can I possibly waste my energy on such matters and remain with Yang Yuan?

After hearing this, Ye Min lowered his hand, looked down at the ground for a long time, then raised his head and calmly said something.

"I don't believe that the Tang Dynasty you're protecting doesn't have her."

Ye Min leaped onto his horse and galloped towards Yang Yuan without looking back.

Xue Hua looked at his palm, the warmth that had once touched the girl in the green dress, but a gust of wind blew and it cooled down.

He had no idea that this parting would be the last time they would ever meet again.

When Ye Min returned, he only saw a horse with its head down grazing and an object wrapped in cloth on its back.

All was quiet, without a sound.

Yang Yuan has disappeared.