Flowers Bloom and Fade, Part Five
Deep in a secluded forest, there stands an unassuming wooden cabin.
"Xiao Ye, Xiao Ye." The girl stood in the sunlight outside the house with a man she had never met before.
Inside the room, a girl called "Xiao Ye" sat facing a white-haired young man across an old wooden table. Each of them had a bowl of white porridge in front of them.
The birds chirped and twittered again in the early morning.
Li Youning was the current owner of the Misty Rain Pavilion. It took her eyes a while to adjust to the darkness before she could see the two people inside. "Little Langxian, you're still bothering Xiao Ye!" Li Youning exclaimed dramatically, "I think you don't want to spar with Xiao Ye at all, you've fallen for her."
Liu Langxian frowned and retorted unhappily, "You're the one who's not happy. I thought you were dead after not seeing you for a year."
"Oh dear, you're really showing no mercy. Do you hate me that much?"
Xiao Ye turned her head and looked at Li Youning, who was smiling at the door, and teased, "It's been a year, you didn't go to have a baby, did you?"
“Yes,” Li Youning answered without hesitation.
Xiao Ye and Liu Langxian were both stunned. They both turned their gazes to the man beside Li Youning.
"It wasn't him, it was an accident. Don't mention it." Li Youning waved her hand dismissively. "I picked him up on the road, he's quite handsome, isn't he?" Li Youning reached out and pinched the man's cheek as if showing off, then thought for a moment and asked, "Um, what mountain are you from again?"
"Replying to Master, Shigulin."
"Oh, right. Shigu Forest."
“Shigu Forest is one of the four most prestigious sects in the world. You’ve just tied him up like this. I doubt they’ll let you go easily,” Liu Langxian said slowly, looking at the shackles on the man’s feet.
"What kind of bullshit Four Great Famous Schools are they?" Li Youning pinched the man's cheek and shook it, saying disdainfully, "They're nothing compared to our three great sword sects."
Xiao Ye propped her chin on one hand and asked, "So you came here to show off your new male concubine?"
"No. I came to tell you that I'm going back to Misty Rain Pavilion." Li Youning said with a smile, "My master said that no one from Misty Rain Pavilion can remain in the world until they become the best. Anyway, I can't beat you, so staying outside is just a waste of time."
Li Youning's gaze lingered on Liu Langxian for a moment, then looked at Xiao Ye and said, "It's been over a year since I've been back. The young male concubines in the building must miss me too."
"What about your child? What about the man who had the child with you? Aren't you going to take him back with you?"
"To have accidentally gotten pregnant is the biggest mistake of my life." Li Youning bit her finger and said, "I'm not going to take him back with me. If everyone knows I've made a fool of myself, all my little male lovers will follow suit, and then there will be chaos."
"I think you shouldn't be like this. What kind of girl keeps so many men?" Liu Langxian mocked. "Why don't you take this opportunity to live with that man?"
"Little Langxian, why don't you become my little male concubine too? I'll let you become the boss." Li Youning smiled slyly and teased, "I'll let you experience something more unforgettable than swordsmanship, and I guarantee you'll never want to practice swordsmanship again."
"Shameless!" Liu Langxian's face flushed red.
"As long as you are willing to come, I can also teach you the Misty Rain Song. Although there are many male disciples in my sect, there is really none with your talent."
Liu Langxian snorted coldly and turned his face away.
"Alright, stop teasing him," Xiao Ye said with a smile.
“Oh dear, I’m serious. None of my male concubines have white hair like this.” Li Youning deliberately spoke in a voice that Liu Langxian could hear clearly, “I wonder if it’s just that his hair is white.”
"Are you really going back?"
“I really went back.” Li Youning made a face. “Don’t miss me too much. I’ll challenge you again after I’ve completed Yan Yuci’s dual cultivation method.”
"What if it can't be completed?"
"Then I won't come out. Since I can't be number one, I'll just stay home and enjoy my carefree life." Li Youning blinked and asked, "Do you want to come back with me?"
"No way. I'm not stupid enough to go all the way to your territory to get beaten up." Xiao Ye replied slowly and deliberately, still smiling.
"What a pity," Li Youning pouted and said sullenly.
Liu Langxian stood up abruptly.
Li Youning was also startled. She asked with a grin, "What's wrong, Little Fairy? You can't bear to part with me and have changed your mind?"
"Let's have a fight before you leave," Liu Langxian said earnestly.
Li Youning bent over and burst into laughter, tears still glistening in the corners of her eyes as she stood up. "I won't fight you, it's pointless. You can't beat me."
"Let's have a fight."
Li Youning turned to leave, waving her hand. "Little Langxian, I think you shouldn't waste your time here. You can't even beat me, how can you beat Xiaoye?" Halfway there, she turned back with a smug smile: "If you've figured it out, come to the cypress forest. I won't force you, the Misty Rain Pavilion will always be open to you."
Xiao Ye walked to the doorway, leaned against the doorframe, and said, "You Ning, haven't you always wanted to know why you can't beat me?"
"Hmm?" Li Youning tilted her head. "You're willing to tell me now?"
“Self-control. You lack self-control and are overly indulgent in matters of men and women,” Xiao Ye said. “Have you never considered why Yan Yu Ci’s dual cultivation method is incomplete?”
"Why?"
"Perhaps that's the part that was abandoned."
"You mean I should give up?"
"I think you might try to work in other directions."
Li Youning drew her sword, sparks flying from beneath the man's feet. The shackles were severed. She waved for the man to leave, then looked at Xiao Ye and asked, "Is that true?"
"Absolutely true."
Li Youning stared into Xiao Ye's eyes for a long while before speaking, "I have something else I want to ask you."
"you say."
"What kind of formation is set up in Peach Blossom Spring?"
"Spirit Gathering Cauldron".
"I see." Li Youning nodded and murmured, "I feel a little better now that you say that."
"Is it okay to just tell us like this?" Liu Langxian asked from the side.
“No problem.” Xiao Ye said frankly, “I also want to give you some confidence, otherwise it’s too boring to be alone.”
"Hey! How arrogant you are, Xiao Ye." Li Youning put his hands on his hips. "You reach your limit faster, but I will definitely reach an even higher limit. I will prove it."
"Let's wait and see."
"The formation of the Hall of Longevity is..." Liu Langxian suddenly began to speak, but Xiao Ye pressed his finger to his lips before he could finish.
What are you doing?
“You’ve already told me about the formation in Peach Blossom Village, how can I keep it a secret?” Liu Langxian replied righteously.
Li Youning laughed loudly, saying, "You really are adorable, little rascal."
"It's not too late to talk when you can beat me," Xiao Ye said.
"I'll go back right now and dismiss my group of male concubines," Li Youning said impatiently. After running two steps, he turned around and held up a finger to Liu Langxian, saying, "But little Langxian, what I just said still stands."
*
Watching Li Youning leave.
Liu Langxian asked, "Shouldn't we kill that disciple from Shigulin?"
"Haven't you killed enough people this month?" Xiao Ye glared at him and said.
"This month I only destroyed the Famous Sword Manor and the Yandang Sect. They did have some tricks up their sleeves and took me some time." Liu Langxian became excited instead. "The more they do that, the more I look forward to the day when I will finally face off against the four great sects."
"Is the Yandang Sect the sect that uses the eight-sided double whips?"
"Yes." Liu Langxian picked up a corner of his clothes, revealing bruises on his abdomen. "Double whips are different from our swordsmanship; they're really interesting."
"Do you know that because of your actions, there are now some people in the underworld who imitate you?"
"oh?"
"Steal someone's secret manual, and wipe out their entire family."
"If they're someone with some skill, I'd like to go and meet them. It'll save me the trouble of wiping out my entire family."
Do you feel like you've become stronger?
"That's for sure. I've gotten to where I am today through countless battles. The more blood my sword has shed, the stronger I become."
"Have you ever thought about why the old temple master didn't choose you as his successor?"
"No. But since I killed him and my senior brother, it means they were just ordinary people with mediocre talents." Liu Langxian said contemptuously, "What they thought is not important."
"If you keep killing, will you be able to kill me and Li Youning one day?"
Liu Langxian thought about it cautiously for a moment and replied, "That might be a bit difficult. Although I don't want to admit it, I vaguely sense that I'm approaching my limit using this method."
"Your karate sword techniques from the Hall of Longevity are quite good."
You mean that thing where you throw a sword into the air?
"Have you ever tried using more than one sword?" Xiao Ye said. "Didn't you just say that the Yandang School's double whips are very interesting? If you didn't use one sword, but two, three, or even more, have you thought about what would happen?"
Liu Langxian swallowed.
"I've heard that there are nine malevolent swords scattered throughout the land. Why don't you target those nine swords? Killing people is no longer of much use to you. Go and find these nine swords."
"Those are just myths and legends."
"endure."
"What?"
“Li Youning lacks self-control. And you lack patience.” Xiao Ye walked out of the house, looked around, and said, “You often ask me why I came to live in this place.”
"For the sake of endurance?"
"For the sake of patience and self-control," Xiao Ye pointed at Liu Langxian, "from now on, you will go to find these nine swords. Until you find them, you must be patient, no matter how strong your desire to kill may be."
"Why are you suddenly telling us all this?" Liu Langxian looked at Xiao Ye. "No matter how Li Youning and I asked you before, you wouldn't say anything."
"Because I'm leaving here." Xiao Ye put her hands on her hips and looked reluctantly at the forest that had been her home for so long. "I was just waiting for you to come back and tell you the answer you wanted, but I didn't expect Li Youning to come back too. She's lucky."
"Leave here, where to go?"
"Didn't I tell you?" Xiao Ye looked straight into the depths of Liu Langxian's eyes. "Now there are many people in the martial arts world imitating you. We can't let them continue to make a mess like this."
Are you going to kill them?
Did I kill you?
Despite the blazing sun overhead, Liu Langxian suddenly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He couldn't utter a single word.
Xiao Ye smiled and said, "Just kidding, look how scared you are."
How can I find these nine malevolent swords?
"This is also part of your training: to endure the anxiety caused by ignorance." Xiao Ye patted Liu Langxian on the shoulder and went into the house.
When Xiaoye came out of the wooden house again, she had already put on her bundle and was carrying her old sword.
"This room is for you to use," Xiao Ye said generously. "Before you figure out where to find one, stay here and figure out how to wield the Nine Swords."
Are you really leaving?
"He's really gone." Xiao Ye thought for a moment and said, "But don't worry, you'll soon hear legends about me in various places."
"Let's have a fight."
Xiao Ye couldn't help but laugh and said, "I thought you were just reluctant to part with me. You've lost to me so many times this year."
"Let's have a fight," Liu Langxian repeated.
Looking into Liu Langxian's sincere eyes, Xiao Ye finally nodded and replied, "Okay."
*
At the bottom of the Burial Sword Canyon, Qu You saw the peach grove in the distance.
She tightened her grip on her mother-in-law's arm and said, "Grandma, look, we're almost there."
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