A Different Kind of Love
Luoyang, the eastern capital and the key location of the second regime of the Great Qi, had a magnificent vermilion city gate that stood tall and imposing. Wushan Yue couldn't help but marvel at it as he stood beneath the gate.
Jiang Yun caught a glimpse of her profile out of the corner of his eye. Her lips parted slightly, like two delicate flower petals, and her eyes sparkled brightly. Her eyes were clear and bright, with distinct black and white. When they turned to look at each other, her eyes narrowed into crescent moons.
Wushan Yue dismounted, her clothes fluttering in the wind. Jiang Yun really did get her a bunch of clothes. How strange. Did he treat her like a younger sister, as he said?
"oops."
Jiang Yun flicked her forehead with his finger, and Wu Shanyue covered her forehead, grinning foolishly and shaking her head. She would never tell Jiang Yun what she was thinking.
As Wushan Yue crossed the arched bridge, she looked down at the Luo River below. The Luo River flowed through the city like a green ribbon, adding a touch of elegance to Luoyang.
Boats shuttled back and forth, laden with goods and people. The locals on the shore were bustling with vendors calling out their wares. In the taverns, Hu women danced gracefully, their movements charming and captivating. Their high noses and deep eyes were quite similar to those she had seen in the Western Regions.
Jiang Yun accompanied her as they played and strolled around. He seemed to be far away from her, so far that Wu Shanyue couldn't notice him. But every time she turned around, Wu Shanyue could always see him not far behind her.
What are we doing in Luoyang?
Wushan Yue skipped and hopped over to him, holding a sweet candied hawthorn in her hand.
"You only think of me now that you've eaten and drunk your fill?"
"Hehe, I didn't expect the food in Luoyang to be so delicious. I've never tried it before and forgot for a moment. I hope A-Yun will forgive me."
Jiang Yun chuckled softly, met Wu Shanyue's wet eyes, and patted her head.
He explained, "There's nothing important about this trip to Luoyang, so you can just relax and have fun."
Wu Shanyue stared wide-eyed at his hand that was touching her head, and stared at him blankly for a few seconds.
In the end, she didn't know exactly what she said to Jiang Yun. He chuckled twice, took her hand, and led her through the crowded throng.
Amidst the bustling crowd, the streets of Luoyang were filled with pedestrians from all over the country. Wu Shanyue's ears were suddenly filled with accents from various regions. Upon hearing a familiar accent, she couldn't help but look around.
"What are you looking at?"
"It's nothing, I just heard a familiar accent, but I think I mistook him for someone else based on his back."
Wu Shanyue waved her hand, her smile still bright and cheerful. A family in the distance walked hurriedly, speaking with a Fujian accent, as if they had something urgent to attend to.
She couldn't clearly remember the voice or the figure, but a voice in her heart told her to turn around and look.
Wu Shanyue didn't care about the little farce. Jiang Yun glanced at her a few more times to make sure she was alright before pulling her along.
"Luoyang has many other famous places. You can check out the Luoyang Night Market in the evening."
Wushan Yue nodded, then took another bite of candied hawthorn, the sweet aroma filling her mouth, her whole being immersed in the sugar jar.
Jiang Yun silently intertwined their hands, tightening their grip step by step until there was no gap left, and there was no room for anything else between them.
Luoyang was bustling at night, with vendors hawking their wares on the streets and alleys, offering everything from snacks and pastries to jewelry, gems, and exotic Persian goods.
"My lord, do you see any bare hair on my wife's head? Would you like to buy her a hairpin?"
Jiang Yun stopped when he heard the shout and went to look at the hairpin in Wu Shanyue's hair. The more he looked, the more he felt that something was missing. Just as he was about to step forward, Wu Shanyue stopped him.
“No, no, you’ve made so many hairpins and waist chains for me that I can’t possibly have any more. Have you forgotten that when we came back from the Western Regions, I specifically had them adorned with gemstones? We really can’t hold any more.”
“You’re right, we should hire a carriage.”
Wushan Yue: "..."
Who told you that?
She was helpless; Jiang Yun wouldn't listen to her at all. Wu Shanyue had no choice but to physically push her away.
"You really are a rich young master from a wealthy family, with money to burn. How come someone like you would venture out into the martial world? Do you have a heart for chivalry? But you are indeed a good person, much better than those Gu Masters. They harvest lives and are utterly devoid of conscience."
Jiang Yun's face darkened, and he turned to look at her. "You... seem to really dislike Gu Masters. Your words about them have been unkind the whole way."
Wushan Yue stopped and met his eyes, answering seriously, "I have been drifting at sea since I was a child. Although I have entered the Jianghu, I have been dealing with Jianghu sects every day. Many people come to the Jianghu, either for justice or out of helplessness, but the Jianghu is a place with chivalry. Relatively speaking, it is outside the government. I left the sea and came here alone. I do not want too many constraints and bureaucratic oppression. After all, in the Jianghu, strength speaks. If I can't beat someone, I can run away."
"Doesn't the rampant behavior of Gu Masters disrupt the balance of the martial world? Martial prowess is no longer the sole measure of success. Gu Masters can take people's lives at will. What if it were me one day? What if I were the innocent one caught in the crossfire?"
"I don't understand Gu worms. I can't see them or touch them. Maybe one sunny morning, or maybe I was just walking down the street as usual, and he suddenly appeared."
"What should I do at that moment? You are a doctor, not a Gu master. All the Gu masters in the world are in Miao territory. Can they save me? Even though I have never been there, I have heard in the martial arts world that Miao villages are xenophobic. If they are unwilling to save me, my life will end here."
"You won't be cursed."
Wushan Yuekong didn't hear clearly, "What?"
“I said I’m here, you won’t be cursed. Even if you are really that unfortunate, I will save you.” Jiang Yun frowned and gripped Wu Shanyue’s arm tightly.
Wushan Yue patted him, her tone light, "Oh, I must be lucky enough. Besides the holy maiden and holy son of Miao Jiang, I believe there are still good people."
Jiang Yun's face was somber. He placed his palm on the side of her face and gently stroked her face with his thumb. Wu Shanyue subconsciously tried to dodge, but he pressed her chin down.
Her voice trembled involuntarily, "Jiang Yun? What's wrong?"
He chuckled, forcing a smile back onto his face. "It's nothing."
Her smile was stiff, and Wu Shanyue felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Let's go, let's keep shopping. Buy whatever you like."
Anyway, since Xu Zhixu was generous, she had paid back the money she had swindled from him before. If all else failed, there was still the gold bestowed by the King of the Western Regions, which would be enough for her to spend.
"Oh, okay."
The two returned to their former state, with Wu Shanyue in front and Jiang Yun silently following behind.
As Wu Shanyue looked at the unusual trinkets at the stall, Jiang Yun turned around and gave her a cold, indifferent look back at the peeping gaze. His gaze was as gloomy as a dead object, causing the person in the shadows to involuntarily step back.
A silver butterfly appeared beside his ear, "I remember you, the voyeur."
The next second, a silver butterfly slithered into his ear. He suddenly stood at attention, his pupils dilated, and the next second his black eyes turned silver-white. He didn't even have time to call for help or shout.
Jiang Yun manipulated him to leave the crowd and find a secluded place to end his own life.
The people sent from the Western Regions are really unsettling. They are a group of people who are as cowardly as ants, yet they do the most foolish and daring things. What are they planning to do next?
Kill him?
Recalling the fear in his eyes just now, Jiang Yun couldn't help but smile, revealing a faint sense of pleasure.
A young woman's silvery laughter rang in his ears, "Jiang Yun, do you think this is pretty?"
A silver butterfly hairpin adorned her head, its tassels swaying gently and making a crisp sound.
"nice."
"Do you want to...?"
Jiang Yun stopped abruptly. Wu Shanyue looked at him in confusion, but he smiled faintly and did not continue.
He suddenly thought of Jiang Li. What a nuisance! If it weren't for his blood father causing a bunch of messy things for no reason, his aunt wouldn't have focused her attention on him.
Jiang Li's heart is only for Lu Kou. Forcing him to marry her is truly annoying.
Thinking of Jiang Li, Jiang Yun realized that he hadn't sensed her symbiotic Gu for a long time. They came from the same lineage. In the past, when he was in the village and Jiang Li was away, he could still sense her powerful snake Gu.
I haven't sensed it for a long time now.
Even as he left the border, he could still sense that her presence seemed to be growing weaker and weaker as they traveled.
Shouldn't Jiang Li return to Miao territory at this time?
Back at the inn, Jiang Yun wrote a letter to Sui Zhixu that very night. She was now suffering from amnesia and harbored deep hatred for Jiang Li. He wondered what kind of trouble the mother and daughter had caused, but he wrote the letter anyway.
A silver butterfly was sent to Chang'an.
Xu Ai's indifferent attitude made him feel confused. Thinking back to the days when she tormented him, he realized that only Jiang Li could tolerate her.
Jiang Yun sighed, realizing he still needed to return to Miao territory. He gently guided Wu Shanyue step by step, and when he received her definite reply, he felt she was too kind, and his eyes involuntarily turned to pity.
What a poor child, but she can't escape now.
Lying on the couch, listening to the rain, Sui Zhixu lazily said, "Pretend to be his sweetheart?"
Under the dim candlelight, Wu Shanyue's earlobes turned slightly red, and she spoke faster, "I didn't think that much at the time. A-Yun helped me a lot, and I hoped that I could repay him in some way. I was penniless and not that smart, otherwise I wouldn't have been cheated by the old woman selling flowers at the foot of Zao Village."
"Perhaps I had some feelings for him back then. But he became too scary later on."
As Xu became interested, he sensed another breath becoming rapid in the darkness.
"Oh? What did he do?"
"He took me all the way back to Miao territory. He only told me that his hometown was below Jingzhou, but he didn't tell me it was Miao territory!"
At this point, Wu Shanyue became very emotional, "When I was in Qianzhou town, I still had a glimmer of hope. He settled me in his house and let me rest well. At first, he didn't restrict my movements..."
Until she met a handsome young man.
He was a Miao person, belonging to the Miao region, and he enjoyed interacting with people from the Central Plains.
With fair skin and a clear, crisp voice, she was clearly raised at home. Her parents must have been well-off, as the child she raised was innocent, kind, cute, and generous.
"Tell your sister, how much do you know about the Miao region? Do you know any connections between the Miao people and the mountains? Are the legendary Miao holy maidens and holy sons supposed to look terrifying?"
“I’ve heard of most of them! Sister, let me tell you, most of the skilled Miao people in Miao areas live in towns and have close ties with the outside world. Most of them don’t have any companion Gu (a type of Gu poison), although some are occasionally taken to the mountains for training.”
"The Miao people on the mountain are quite xenophobic and are divided into three tribes. The Holy Maiden comes from the most powerful Jiang tribe, and the next Holy Son also comes from the Jiang tribe. They are not only not scary, but also very good-looking. It is said that when the Holy Maiden was in charge of the three tribes, many familiar Miao people heard that the Holy Maiden was as beautiful as a fairy and secretly went to see her. The Holy Son is the Holy Maiden's nephew, and he should be good-looking as well."
Wu Shanyue recalled how the villagers of Zao Village had gone mad and thrown her into the lake.
She would never forget the feeling of suffocating as the icy lake water rushed into her throat. If it weren't for the people at the bottom of the lake and Jiang Yun saving her, she, a nobody new to the martial arts world, wouldn't even have had anyone to collect her body.
"Terrible, absolutely terrifying."
It's hard to imagine that someone who looks like an angel could be so ruthless.
"Yueyue, who are you talking to?"
Wu Shanyue and her young master were sitting in a teahouse, drinking tea and chatting, when Jiang Yun appeared silently behind her, speaking softly and gently.
Wu Shanyue was startled. "Why is A-Yun here?"
"You seem to be having a great time?"
"It's alright, it still sounds quite interesting."
"Really? But it's getting late, we should go home for dinner." Jiang Yun took Wu Shanyue's hand in front of the young man.
The fair-skinned young man caught Jiang Yun's gaze, his throat tightened, and seeing Wu Shanyue about to leave, he felt worried, "Please wait a moment, my lady!"
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Wu Shanyue turned to look at him, but he stammered for a long time without saying a word.
Jiang Yun grasped Wu Shanyue's arm this time, her voice gentle, "Yueyue, we should go."
Wu Shanyue recalled lying on the table, "I really thought he wanted me to go back for dinner, but after I went back, he wouldn't let me come out. I didn't realize it at first, but every time I said I wanted to go out, he would always come up with a bunch of reasons, saying something happened outside, saying the weather was bad today, and so on, even though it was sunny and clear."
Wu Shanyue muttered something, and Sui Zhixu couldn't help but laugh out loud. As the breathing behind her gradually subsided, she laughed even more heartily.
Considering it was late at night and that Xiao Furong was still asleep inside, Xu tried his best not to make a sound and expressed his emotions through his body language, waving his hands involuntarily.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
