Chapter 41 The Broken Strings: My Cleverness Has Ruined My Life
Uncle Mei is Mei Zhiying's younger brother. He is the third child in the family, hence the title "Uncle Mei".
When Mei Zhiying was still unknown, Uncle Mei had already begun learning how to forge weapons.
Unfortunately, Uncle Mei was only mediocre in the art of forging and before he could achieve anything remarkable, his sister Mei Zhiying stole all the attention with a peerless divine weapon called "Wu Hook".
He was a dim star, hidden beneath the dazzling moonlight, destined to be nothing more than a foil.
Uncle Mei should have been jealous and resentful, but he knew his own strength, and Mei Zhiying had never suppressed him. Moreover, after Mei Zhiying took power, she gave him a lot of support.
Therefore, Uncle Mei is actually a crazy "sister-complex".
After Mei Zhiying's death, it was Uncle Mei who took on the responsibility of providing funds for Plum Blossom Manor on his own.
“My elder brother doesn’t like forging; his heart isn’t in it. He prefers traveling and enjoying nature. After my sister died, it should have been my responsibility.” Uncle Mei and Zhou Ziheng sat facing each other in the courtyard. When talking about the past, he didn’t seem to be in great pain; instead, he was filled with nostalgia.
“My sister is a craftswoman, I’m not. I’m just a businessman,” Uncle Mei winked at Zhou Ziheng and said with a smile.
Madam Mei, standing to the side, said calmly, "Of all the weapons in the world, there has never been a superior or inferior one."
Uncle Mei changed the subject: "I came back early today because there's an order that needs to be completed urgently; it won't be ready by the 13th."
Zhou Ziheng's expression shifted. He knew that Uncle Mei was in the business of mass production, but he was very interested in the "boss" behind the orders and was now considering how to get involved.
Before Zhou Ziheng could speak, Uncle Mei downed his hot tea in one gulp and hurried off to the forging furnace.
Zhou Ziheng kept the words stuck in his throat, silently watching the copper coins clink and disappear from sight.
Madam Mei glanced at Zhou Ziheng's arm and suddenly asked, "Have you been settling in well these past few days? Are you feeling unwell at all?"
"Thank you for your concern, Madam. I am quite comfortable here."
"That's good."
Madam Mei lowered her eyes, seemingly lost in thought, and went back to her room alone.
Just as Zhou Ziheng was wondering how to start the conversation, he saw Uncle Mei return. His eyes lit up when he saw Zhou Ziheng, and he grabbed him and ran towards the forge, excitedly saying, "I was in such a hurry to come back this time that I forgot to bring the foreman! Little brother, could you please fill in for me?"
Zhou Ziheng stumbled as he was grabbed, and asked in confusion, "But, Third Uncle, I don't know how to supervise the work either."
"Oh dear," Uncle Mei waved his hand, "It's very simple."
The two walked for about two miles before arriving at the forging furnace.
I had only ever seen forging furnaces from afar before, but it wasn't until I saw one in person that I realized how limited my imagination of forging furnaces had been.
In the dead of winter, even getting close to the forging furnace can cause you to be thrown over by the heat wave. Beneath the massive, mountain-like forging furnace, humans are as insignificant as a speck of dust.
The fuel consumed in stopping and starting the forging furnace is far greater than the fuel consumed in keeping it running continuously, so the forging furnace maintains a suitable temperature all year round, making it look more like a dormant behemoth.
"Forging is nothing more than the process of mold making, mixing, smelting, casting, and processing. Here, we have standard templates for mold making and mixing, so you don't have to worry about it. This time, we came to the forging furnace to complete the subsequent steps."
Perhaps realizing that Zhou Ziheng knew nothing about forging, Uncle Mei kindly offered a brief explanation.
"The task I'm giving you is to check whether the weapons that have been cast meet the standards, so that I can process them." Uncle Mei patted Zhou Ziheng on the shoulder, entrusting him with an important task.
Zhou Ziheng nodded in agreement and stepped aside to watch Uncle Mei carry out the smelting.
Uncle Mei put the materials he had prepared into the forging furnace. Zhou Ziheng secretly glanced at them and saw that they were ordinary copper, tin and lead metals. He guessed that Uncle Mei was going to forge a weapon like a dagger.
Forging gold into curves, kneading wood into straight lines. The scorching furnace, like a steel behemoth, spews out hot liquid, reflecting Uncle Mei's earnest and stubborn face.
Before long, Uncle Mei was drenched in sweat. He had already taken off his cotton-padded coat, revealing his lean upper body.
Uncle Mei poured each portion of the molten bronze into the mold, carefully controlling the amount and time before casting.
Soon, a cast, semi-finished dagger was delivered to Zhou Ziheng. Uncle Mei, without turning his head, said, "Look carefully, this kind is considered standard."
After saying that, Uncle Mei hurriedly went to process the next batch of molten liquid, pouring and cooling it. Soon, another dagger was delivered to Zhou Ziheng.
Zhou Ziheng found some patterns and began to take on the job of "supervisor" very seriously.
He worked for quite a while, until the moon was high in the sky and night fell, before he belatedly realized that his eyes were sore from exhaustion.
Inside the forging furnace, the blazing fire shone brightly, like a lighthouse in the night. Beneath the furnace, Uncle Mei tirelessly continued his handcrafted work.
Zhou Ziheng couldn't help but think that if it really was a large, urgent order that was taken on at the last minute, then Uncle Mei's early arrival at Plum Blossom Manor was undoubtedly the right thing to do.
Even though the two of them worked for half a day without eating or drinking, and there were at least a hundred daggers in front of them, Uncle Mei still didn't call for a stop.
However, even with such a reasonable motive, Uncle Mei's trip was still strange in many ways.
Huo Qingang had just obtained a throwing knife from Plum Blossom Manor from the Zhang family, and the three of them had just arrived at Plum Blossom Manor when Uncle Mei San appeared at just the right moment.
It's almost like they're eagerly handing over clues!
Are you inviting me into this trap?
Zhou Ziheng stared at the dagger, lost in thought.
Who exactly needs so many weapons?
The imperial court has a dedicated forging bureau, so it's impossible for them to place orders with martial arts factions. So who else could they place orders with?
Could the person who bought these daggers be the one who invited him into this scheme?
Zhou Ziheng had no answer, so he could only resign himself to closing his eyes to ease the soreness, sigh, and resume "supervising the work."
The sky was just beginning to lighten, a dull gray-blue. Zhou Ziheng blinked his sore eyes; a night of supervising had left him exhausted, and he was starting to feel like he couldn't go on any longer.
Fortunately, Uncle Mei has already reduced the temperature of the forging furnace, and it seems he doesn't intend to continue working on it.
Uncle Mei said, "Thank you for your hard work today. I really don't know what I would have done without you."
Zhou Ziheng let out a long sigh of relief. Perhaps because he hadn't slept all night, fatigue washed over him like a tide. He forced himself to stay awake and said, "It's good that I can help Uncle San."
Uncle Mei tidied up briefly and said with a smile, "You should go back and rest. I'm enough for you here."
Zhou Ziheng actually wanted to delve deeper, since his goal was to find out who Uncle Mei's clients were, and he didn't want to give up this excellent opportunity.
But Uncle Mei seemed to see through his thoughts and added, "There are still things I need to ask you for help with later."
Zhou Ziheng nodded and turned to leave.
Under the gray-blue sky, Uncle Mei watched Zhou Ziheng's departing figure with a smile. Behind him, the forging furnace lay prostrate and oppressive, like a giant beast that had just closed its eyes.
After tossing the blank template into the giant beast's mouth, Uncle Mei's smile faded, and he left.
His forearm twitched slightly, but Zhou Ziheng was too tired to notice. His consciousness was a little blurred, and he instinctively returned to the front of the room. It was only when he saw Huo Qin that he regained a bit of clarity.
Zhou Ziheng asked in confusion, "What are you doing here?"
Huo Qin stared straight into Zhou Ziheng's eyes, but only saw the other's somewhat unfocused pupils.
Of course, he couldn't say that he came to "feed blood" tonight, and when he found that Zhou Ziheng was not in the room, he thought something had happened to him.
He thought for a moment and then came up with an excuse: "I'll buy you a drink."
Zhou Ziheng gave him a strange look: "You waited all night just to buy me a drink?"
Suddenly realizing something, he turned pale with shock: "You wouldn't be thinking of killing me to cover your tracks and solidify your reputation as the leader of the Three Heroes, would you?!"
Huo Qin was so angry he almost fainted. Hearing this, he didn't want to say a word and turned away.
Zhou Ziheng laughed wildly, tears welling up in his eyes.
Huo Qin had just left when he saw Xi Bingyi, with dark circles under her eyes, walking towards him carrying a stack of books.
Xi Bingyi yawned: "Is Zhou Ziheng still not awake?"
Huo Qin was filled with resentment: "Heh, awake? I don't think he's awake at all."
His words were incoherent and nonsensical, but Xi Bingyi understood all too well how infuriated she felt by Zhou Ziheng's sharp tongue.
She sighed, "You'll get used to it, you'll get used to it."
"He probably didn't sleep all night and was going crazy."
After a while, she belatedly realized what was happening and asked, "You didn't sleep all night either?"
Huo Qin nodded.
Xi Bingyi suddenly felt that fate was a wonderful thing; the three of them actually stayed up all night on the same day!
Unable to persuade Zhou Ziheng, she had no choice but to rely on Huo Qin for chores: "Let's take a look at this book. I feel that my mother found a way to break the curse in these books."
Huo Qin felt a bit overwhelmed, looking at the rows of books: "Sword Practice and Forging," "Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Regions," "Plant Cultivation and Maintenance," "Selected Ancient Books," and so on...
He even wondered if Mei Zhiying's hobbies were too wide-ranging, since she had all sorts of books.
I don't know what criteria Xi Bingyi used to "screen" the clues, but I hope it's reliable.
Huo Qin picked up the "Encyclopedia of Regions" and saw Mei Zhiying's note on the first page: "Follow your lot and fate in this world, and your heart and the land will never grow old. It's a pity that most of the places in this book are made up by me."
His face was pale and his eyes were dark; he suddenly felt hopeless about the future.
...
"The world is full of wonders. There are even places like the far north. People should really go out and explore more, instead of being narrow-minded."
Unfortunately, one cannot be free forever, so I can only let my mind be free for a while and imagine the vast world.
Leaving aside the places I've already been, let me just make up some places I'd like to go but haven't been to yet!
—From the Encyclopedia of Regions
Huo Qin closed the book with a puzzled expression, witnessing Mei Zhiying's absurdity once again.
He turned his head and saw Xi Bingyi holding a book titled "Practicing Sword and Forging Swords" with great interest. He leaned over and glanced at it, and saw that it read:
"My swordsmanship is mediocre, but my sword-making skills are exceptional. So I have to write this collection of notes to let future generations see my unparalleled talent."
Huo Qin: "..."
Xi Bingyi was actually watching with great interest!
"They really are family," he sighed, rubbing his forehead.
While Zhou Ziheng was fast asleep in his room, Huo Xi and his companion were engrossed in a book that seemed to have no meaning, searching for some incomprehensible solution.
When the sun was high in the sky, Huo Qin looked up from a pile of books and bumped into Zhou Ziheng yawning as he pushed open the door.
The three men looked at each other in bewilderment. Zhou Ziheng looked at Huo Xi and his companion, who were both pale and bruised, and asked strangely, "So you two love studying this much?"
Zhou Ziheng was awakened by hunger, but the comical scene before him made him temporarily forget his hunger and even gave him a burst of energy.
He clapped his hands exaggeratedly: "In ancient times, there were sages who forgot to eat and sleep, and Che Yin who studied by the light of fireflies and snow. Now, you two are so engrossed in your studies that you refuse to close your eyes. I admire you greatly."
Huo Qin and Xi Bingyi were so tired that they were dizzy and had no energy to control Zhou Ziheng's mouth, so they had no choice but to let him drag them to the canteen.
The three of them sat around the table, but before the food arrived, Uncle Mei had already arrived.
Uncle Mei's eyes were also dark and swollen. He yawned and slumped on the stool, looking as if all his energy had been drained.
Xi Bingyi asked curiously, "Third Uncle, why are you so sleepy too?"
Uncle Mei's eyes were almost closed, but upon hearing this, he forced himself to stay awake and said, "What do you mean 'also'? What did you do last night? How can a child grow if he doesn't sleep!"
"Third Uncle!" Xi Bingyi said angrily, "You're doing a double standard! And I'm asking you a question, how did you change the subject!"
Uncle Mei sighed, "I stayed up all night last night and finally finished that batch of goods. If the big boss hadn't been urging me, I wouldn't have been in such a rush."
As he spoke, Uncle Mei turned his gaze to Zhou Ziheng and chuckled, "I have to thank your senior brother. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to eat a single bite of food today."
Zhou Ziheng looked into Uncle Mei's eyes. Although his words were slightly smiling, there was no emotion in the other man's eyes. They were dark and deep, like a well.
He heard Uncle Mei say, "I need to escort this shipment over in a while. If you're going to help me out completely, could you do me a favor one more time?"
Zhou Ziheng chuckled, accepting this challenge that seemed designed to lure him into a trap: "Of course."
Xi Bingyi was displeased when she heard this: "Third Uncle, you're not paying them, how can you treat them like this?"
"There will be a reward." Uncle Mei stared at Zhou Ziheng, ignoring Xi Bingyi, and said earnestly to Zhou Ziheng, "You will be satisfied."
When do we leave?
"Thirteen."
The atmosphere on the field instantly became tense. Zhou Ziheng narrowed his eyes and remained silent.
Xi Bingyi glanced at her third uncle warily, frowned and said, "Since it's about escorting goods, why don't you take me with you? More people means more protection."
Uncle Mei said irritably, "You're out playing all day long, haven't you had enough fun yet?"
"Stay at the mountain villa and spend more time with your grandmother."
Seeing that Xi Bingyi was rejected by Uncle Mei, Huo Qin immediately said, "Then why don't I go along too?"
Uncle Mei glanced at him, his gaze lingering for a moment on the bud pattern between Huo Qin's eyebrows.
He initially intended to refuse, but then, for some reason, he agreed.
Xi Bingyi was even angrier. She shouted, "Isolation! This is isolation!"
However, no matter what she said, Uncle Mei wouldn't allow her to go with him.
After finishing his meal, he quickly slipped away to avoid Xi Bingyi's coquettish behavior.
He spent more time at Plum Blossom Manor in the past few days than he had ever worried in his entire life.
Huo Qin sighed inwardly, intending to go to Madam Mei as soon as possible to hear the rest of the story, hoping there might still be a chance for a turnaround.
Zhou Ziheng was arrogant about his superb swordsmanship and did not take such an obvious scheme seriously.
Seeing his confidence, Xi Bingyi thought of starting with her senior brother and asking him to secretly slip her into the team. But then she thought that she hadn't finished reading the notes left by Mei Zhiying yet, so she decided not to force it.
After finishing his meal, Zhou Ziheng went back to his room to pack his things.
He gently wiped away the dust, and three fiery red seeds rolled out of his sleeve.
Drawn to his gaze, Zhou Ziheng picked up the slightly warm seed, and his memories were awakened.
This appears to have been found during Zhang's time.
Zhou Ziheng suddenly remembered Xi Bingyi's words: "This seed can temporarily widen the meridians and improve martial arts skills."
He clenched the seed in his palm; the hot shell felt like a beating heart.
...
As the 13th drew closer, even without Zhou Ziheng saying anything, Huo Qin vaguely sensed that his condition was not optimistic.
That morning, when Huo Qin went to look for Zhou Ziheng as usual, he knocked on the door for a long time, but there was no response.
Finally, he couldn't bear it any longer and pushed open the door, only to see Zhou Ziheng sitting silently on the edge of the bed, already fully awake.
Huo Qin, thinking Zhou Ziheng was plotting something bad again, finally lost his temper and demanded, "What are you doing? Why won't you open the door?"
As a result, Zhou Ziheng stared at him for a long time before finally blinking and saying, "This is just a test for you."
Huo Qin frowned, sensing that something was amiss.
He observed Zhou Ziheng's expression and continued, "Let's go, Xi Bingyi is waiting for us outside."
In the dead silence, Zhou Ziheng calmly watched Huo Qin's mouth open and close, observing his inquisitive expression, as if watching a silent play.
He felt as if he were inside a box, narrow, silent, and empty, all his emotions drained away, calmly watching himself walk toward the end.
This time, Zhou Ziheng recognized it quickly, and he nodded decisively: "Let's go."
With that, he got up and walked straight outside.
As he passed by Huo Qin, the other man grabbed his arm.
Zhou Ziheng turned around and looked back, feigning annoyance, and said, "What's wrong? Are you trying to starve me to death?"
Huo Qin loosened his grip, and his eyelids drooped.
His voice was deep and suppressed: "Zhou Ziheng is thirteen today."
Without any response, Zhou Ziheng has already gone far away.
Huo Qin looked down and saw his palms covered in scars.
He tried to emulate Ning Hanshuang, attempting to save Zhou Ziheng's life using the same method, but like her, he watched the other wither away before his eyes.
So fast, so unreasonable!
Huo Qin clenched his fist tightly, but still couldn't hold onto this life that was too light, too fragile.
He let his hands fall limply to his sides.
Outside the window, the world was a stagnant gray.
Lead-colored clouds hung low, heavily pressing down on the rooftops and the outlines of the forges, extinguishing all light.
As Huo Qin followed Zhou Ziheng to find Uncle Mei, a cold drop of water landed on his forehead.
Before he could speak, Zhou Ziheng had already spoken:
It's raining.
Huo Qin looked up, and more raindrops began to fall.
The approaching rain will stain the gray tiles, yellow soil, and brown branches with a melancholy dampness.
Rainwater streamed down the eaves, like streaks of tears.
...
When Uncle Mei came over with a raincoat and bamboo hat, he saw the two people silently watching the rain.
He was a little puzzled: "Why are we waiting here? We should be leaving."
"There's too much to do, we really can't wait any longer. I brought some sesame seed cakes, let's eat them on the way."
Neither Zhou Ziheng nor Huo Qin spoke. Uncle Mei had already gone ahead to arrange the carriage, his figure disappearing into the misty rain.
At this moment, Xi Bingyi silently watched the bitter rain from inside the house, letting the window be wide open and the raindrops wet her eyes and brows.
Beside her, the book "Plant Cultivation and Maintenance" had already been turned to a page.
"I've never even heard of the curse of 'winning the laurel' before, and there's absolutely no way to find a solution... Xi Ling consulted ancient books and brought me this book, 'Plant Cultivation and Maintenance,' which might be of some use."
Although I don't want to say it, I still feel the hope is slim. The curse of winning the laurel wreath is like a maggot clinging to a bone, impossible to shake off. What turning point can this book bring?
Ning Hanshuang told me that her blood could only suppress the effects five times at most, and would completely lose its effectiveness over time... What other options did I have?
We have to try, we have to try.
...
Zhou Ziheng and two others carried the goods, box by box, onto the horse-drawn cart.
Huo Qin had never witnessed Uncle Mei forging weapons before, and was somewhat surprised to see these cold, gleaming short weapons for the first time.
There were five boxes in total. Huo Qin secretly counted them and found that each box contained at least fifty items.
Given such a large quantity, who exactly needs so much?
Huo Qin gently touched the weapon; it was slightly cool to the touch and had a very simple design. He frowned and carefully examined one of the short weapons, but found no markings related to Plum Blossom Manor.
"Are you ready? We're about to leave." Uncle Mei's voice suddenly rang out from behind. Huo Qin calmly put down the suitcase, closed it again, and said with a smile, "Coming."
As soon as he boarded the carriage, he saw Zhou Ziheng sitting inside. Zhou Ziheng showed no particular emotion upon seeing him and continued to caress the world.
Uncle Mei did not hire a driver; he personally rode the horse forward, and the five boxes of goods were placed directly opposite Huo Qinzhou Ziheng.
"Third Uncle, where is this shipment being delivered?" Huo Qin asked.
Uncle Mei: “Go east from Qi’an, there’s a post station in the suburbs. That’s where the manor stores its goods. We just need to deliver them there, and someone will come to pick them up later.”
Huo Qin didn't know much about Plum Blossom Manor, and Zhou Ziheng, having lost his hearing, was lost in thought.
He sighed, feeling as if they were puppets under Uncle Mei's control, their future uncertain and at his mercy.
Although it was called escorting goods, the journey to the post station was actually quite peaceful.
Everyone recognized the Plum Blossom Manor's carriage, so naturally no one would be foolish enough to rob it. The group arrived at the post station without incident.
Uncle Mei directed Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin to deliver the goods to the warehouse of the post station.
This wasn't an official post station, and there weren't many staff members; the only person in the entire post station was a lazy, idle child.
"Father." The child rushed to greet Uncle Mei when he saw him return, his innocent face beaming with joy.
Uncle Mei: "I'm sorry to have made you two brothers laugh. My youngest son likes to follow me around. I really had no choice but to have him come to the post station to wait for me."
Zhou Ziheng couldn't hear, but fortunately, Uncle Mei spoke very slowly. After listening for a while, he politely praised, "Like father, like son."
Uncle Mei smiled and said, "It's getting late, you should go upstairs and rest first, I'll go and take stock again."
As Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin walked upstairs, they looked back and saw Uncle Mei watching their backs.
The sudden eye contact caused him to smile at Zhou Ziheng, but there was no real smile in his eyes.
Zhou Ziheng smiled smugly, silently looked away, and walked towards the room without turning back.
The storm has arrived, and the gale is relentless.
The two of them each chose a room to rest. It was only morning, but the sky was pouring rain, the dark sky like an insurmountable chasm.
The whole world was filled with and shaken by the sounds of wind and rain, like a lone boat tossed about in a raging sea, heading towards an unknown, hazy depth.
Zhou Ziheng opened the window and looked down.
The room directly faces the stable, which is currently empty.
Further on, there was a bamboo forest with sparse leaves, bare in winter, swaying in the rain like shadowy figures.
Zhou Ziheng looked towards Huo Qin's room and happened to see the other person peeking out.
The two looked at each other through the heavy rain. The rain was raging, and the large raindrops were carried by the wind, turning into rain whips that lashed the eaves, window frames and the ground.
At that moment, Zhou Ziheng actually felt fortunate: thankfully, the rain was so heavy that he couldn't hear anything other than the sound of the rain. Even if Huo Qin said something, he would have a good excuse to say that he really couldn't hear clearly.
Only now did the once arrogant and high-spirited Zhou Ziheng taste the bitterness of fate amidst his utter helplessness.
Huo Qin couldn't see Zhou Ziheng's face clearly, so he naturally understood that the other party wouldn't be able to see his lip movements.
So he said nothing, only vaguely guessing what was going on—
Something terrible is bound to happen tonight!
If Uncle Mei doesn't make a move tonight, they will return to Plum Blossom Manor the next day, and it will be too late to act then, and he will have "no legitimate reason to act."
Tonight, we have the goods, the people, and the perfect timing and location.
As long as Uncle Mei makes a move, as long as he makes a move...
Huo Qin closed the window first, keeping the chaos outside.
It was late at night, and the rain had stopped. The wind filled the air, carrying the scent of damp earth and lush vegetation.
Huo Qin was awakened by a snort.
He suddenly woke up with a start, his back covered in a dense layer of cold sweat.
How could I be sleeping so soundly?
I was careless!
Did he inhale something? He actually fell asleep without even realizing it!
If it weren't for the nearby stables where I heard the horses snorting...
Wait, a horse?
Huo Qin opened the window and saw a strong, black horse in the stable!
Hearing the noise, the black horse flicked its tail and looked at him.
In the darkness, those two bright yellow eyes looked like two lanterns.
Someone's here?
Huo Qin's heart clenched, almost leaping into his throat. He rushed to Zhou Ziheng's room and shoved him aside forcefully—
A cold, damp night wind suddenly rushed out, hitting his head and face, wildly whipping his bangs.
The windows were wide open, and the space was empty; there was nothing there!
Zhou Ziheng has disappeared!
Just then, a whooshing sound suddenly rang out!
Not behind you, but in front of you.
A dark shadow flashed past in the bamboo forest in front of him, followed by an arrow piercing the air.
Despite the raging winds, the arrow rode the wind and waves, and in the blink of an eye, it was almost at Huo Qin's brow!
His burning anger, at this moment, transformed into a silent irony—
Showing off his archery skills in front of Huo Qin, the Moon-Inviting Bow Master?
That's incredibly overestimating themselves!
At the critical moment, Huo Qin finally made a move.
He didn't even need to take out the Moon-Inviting Bow; he simply turned his head calmly and indifferently, and the arrow grazed his hair and shot into the wall behind him.
The arrow, carried by a strong wind, severed several strands of hair that had been lifted up. The arrow's fletching trembled violently due to the lingering force, emitting a reluctant hum.
Huo Qin was too lazy to deal with the villains lurking in the shadows; he had more important things to do now.
Zhou Ziheng, Zhou Ziheng...
Where exactly did Zhou Ziheng go?
Where is Zhou Ziheng?
He was now at the entrance to the bamboo forest, in the shadows, his eyes fixed on the man who had shot the arrow at Hochin earlier.
He hadn't slept all night. Long before Huo Qin closed the window and turned away, he jumped down and stood here alone.
The night was deep and cold. Zhou Ziheng, holding Hongchen, used the remaining rainwater in the wind to wipe the blood-red sword blade again and again.
Only now, until the person behind the scenes could no longer restrain himself and made their move, did he slowly close the mortal world, take out a seed from his sleeve, examine it for a moment, and swallow it in one gulp—
In that instant, everything in the world suddenly came to life with a sound!
The rustling of the wind through the bamboo leaves, the dripping of puddles underfoot, the pounding of my own heart...
Countless voices that had been deprived of their rightful place surged into his senses like a flood bursting its banks.
This seed reawakened his five senses!
Another arrow flew in, Zhou Ziheng lightly touched the ground, and flew up like the wind, drawing his sword and deflecting it with a single stroke!
The arrow flew past due to inertia, grazing Hochin's skin and almost causing a burning pain.
Zhou Ziheng sighed softly in the night, but it was enough to attract Huo Qin's attention.
Huo Qin looked in the direction of the sound and finally found Zhou Ziheng standing quietly in the darkness.
He jumped out of the window and came to Zhou Ziheng's side.
When did you wake up?
Zhou Ziheng didn't need to read lip movements to hear Huo Qin's words, so he didn't turn around. His eyes were cold as he gripped Hongchen tightly, like a snow leopard ready to pounce.
"I'm not asleep."
Huo Qin naturally noticed that Zhou Ziheng had inexplicably regained his hearing and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, applause came from inside the room. The two turned around and saw Uncle Mei clapping, his smile cold.
"As expected of Huo Qin, the Moon-Inviting Bow, he was able to block this arrow."
Huo Qin scoffed: "A trivial skill."
Uncle Mei was not surprised and continued, "Tonight is a beautiful moonlit night. Would you two like to come with me to the bamboo grove to admire the moon?"
The wind howled, rattling the windows and doors as if playing a mournful requiem.
Amidst the chaos, Zhou Ziheng looked up at the dark clouds but couldn't find a sliver of moonlight.
Sometimes he admired Uncle Mei's ability to talk nonsense.
Seeing Zhou Ziheng react, Uncle Mei asked in surprise, "Your hearing has actually recovered?"
Huo Qin and Zhou Ziheng exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing. Uncle Mei really did know something!
"Looks like we're in for a tough fight." Uncle Mei tilted his head. "Xijun, Yaoguang, receive the guests."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Xijun emerged from the shadows and gave Huo Qinzhou Ziheng a radiant smile: "Oh, we meet again."
Further into the bamboo forest, Yao Guang, dressed in black, stood atop the bamboo stalks, looking down at Zhou Ziheng like a falcon.
It was the same archer from before!
She twitched her lips slightly and raised the bow at Huo Qin once more.
Even in the darkness, this bow was exceptionally dazzling, rivaling even the radiant Moon-Inviting Bow.
She gestured threateningly at Huo Qin, and then turned to Zhou Ziheng.
Yao Guang chuckled softly:
"Xiao Zhou, you must keep this gift safe."
The voice reached Zhou Ziheng's ears, and he looked up in surprise, only to find that the person was the woman from Wangyue Cliff!
In their hasty exchange, Zhou Ziheng assumed that the person who could break the "Return" technique must also be a master swordsman. Who would have thought that she would be a master of "arrows"?!
“Yaoguang, stop reminiscing,” Uncle Mei said. “Don’t forget ‘his’ request.”
With that, Uncle Mei withdrew, leaving the stage to Yu Xijun, Yao Guang, Zhou Ziheng, and Huo Qin.
Yu Xijun chuckled and took out a dagger from her bosom, playing with it incessantly: "What a pity, I wanted to chat with Xiao Zhou a little longer, but unfortunately there's no time."
Zhou Ziheng noticed the dagger dancing between his fingertips, a faint, shimmering yellow light flashing by.
Yu Xijun continued, "I remember you. Back in the Zhang family, you stood by and watched, refusing to take action."
"Why are you now willing to accompany Xiao Zhou to this meeting?"
Huo Qin refused to reply, sneered, nocked an arrow, and shot it at Yu Xijun without any regard for Xi Bingyi's feelings!
At the same time, Zhou Ziheng stepped in to help him block the hidden weapon thrown by Yu Xijun. The two clashed and produced a clanging sound.
Zhou Ziheng said sarcastically, "If you only attack and don't defend, and you want to die, I might as well stab you to death with my sword and earn some reputation in the process."
Yu Xijun easily dodged the arrow, burst into laughter, and praised Zhou Ziheng for being adorable.
The two sides are locked in a three-way standoff, eyeing each other warily, a classic case of trapping a turtle in a jar.
This was destined to be an eventful night.
Far away at Plum Blossom Villa, Xi Bingyi looked up from her pile of books in a daze and gazed at the dark night outside the window. As if possessed, she pushed open the door to the room where Zhou Ziheng was temporarily staying.
Inside the room, a specially made letter from the Holy Mountain lay open on the table.
A gust of wind swept away the "final farewell" letter, revealing Qi Bingyi's incredulous face.
...
With a pincer attack from both sides, luring the enemy into a trap, Huo Qin and Zhou Ziheng had a brief discussion.
Zhou Ziheng succinctly said, "Pay attention to Yao Guang."
Huo Qin had no objections, and Yao Guang used a bow, but his archery skills were inferior to Huo Qin's, so he couldn't pose a threat to the two of them.
However, the situation is not so optimistic for Zhou Ziheng.
Yu Xijun had coated the daggers with some kind of poison, and Zhou Ziheng dared not gamble, nor did he dare let the daggers get close to him.
Moreover, the bamboo forest at night was like a haunting ghost, and since Yao Guang couldn't do anything to Huo Qin, he used stray arrows to bother him.
Zhou Ziheng, at his wit's end, shouted: "Huo Qin! Can't you be serious for once?!"
After shouting, Yu Xijun was still laughing, thinking that Zhou Ziheng had finally given up. But unexpectedly, the two of them flew into the depths of the bamboo forest in perfect unison!
"What?!" She was shocked and lost her aim when throwing the dagger. She could only watch helplessly as the two of them flew into the darkness like swallows returning to their nests!
When did they agree on this?
Yu Xijun had no answer.
Zhou Ziheng smiled faintly, swung his sword to block the piercing hidden weapon, dodged a shimmering flying knife to the side, and charged directly towards Yao Guang!
Meanwhile, Huo Qin, standing beside him, simultaneously cut off the arrow shot by Yao Guang, delivering a fatal blow in the midst of extreme danger.
However, Yao Guang reacted too quickly. Almost instantly, she escaped and rushed to a more distant place!
In the darkness, the two exchanged a glance, neither speaking, but both resolutely leaped into the depths of the bamboo forest!
Reaching the depths of the bamboo forest was much easier than Zhou Ziheng had imagined.
Yu Xijun only stopped him once, and Yao Guang disappeared without a trace.
It's very strange.
Zhou Ziheng wondered if this was another trap to lure him in.
The moonlight shone on the bare bamboo forest, casting dappled vertical shadows.
Huo Qin stayed close to Zhou Ziheng, and instead of taking out the Inviting Moon Bow, he took out the Report to the Emperor.
The sentiments I convey to you in this mortal world are like two ripples of water spreading out before the bamboo shadows.
Moonlit night, bamboo forest, in complete silence.
Just then, half a bamboo tube suddenly flew over. Huo Qinben wanted to stop it, but Zhou Ziheng stopped him and let the bamboo tube stick out diagonally into the ground in front of the two of them.
Zhou Ziheng picked up the bamboo tube and saw that it was written on it:
Why not meet?
Before he could make any move, another half of the bamboo tube flew over and stuck into the ground once again, in exactly the same spot!
Such precise control!
Zhou Ziheng was greatly alarmed and tried to find the source of the bamboo tube's flight, but to no avail.
The bamboo tube is inscribed with:
"The answer you seek is within it."
He pursed his lips, holding two bamboo tubes, seemingly lost in thought.
Huo Qin could tell from his expression that Zhou Ziheng was already very tempted.
He knew perfectly well that this was an open conspiracy, but he was still willing to take the risk for the slightest hope.
The desire to achieve great things with minimal investment is a rebellious spirit ingrained in Zhou Ziheng's blood.
Huo Qin had marveled at Zhou Ziheng's confidence, even his arrogance, more than once, but this time he was still so angry that he almost fainted.
He gritted his teeth: "Don't go."
Zhou Ziheng insisted, "You stay here, I'll be right back."
Huo Qin was dizzy and disoriented. He had lost count of how many times he had said "no" and "don't go" during this period of time, but he could never persuade Zhou Ziheng otherwise.
Huo Qin had no choice but to accompany Zhou Ziheng as he insisted on going into the bamboo forest, as Zhou insisted on going.
Under the dim moonlight, the crunching sound of footsteps on the withered branches was particularly loud in the silent night.
Yao Guang was so adept at hiding, and with so many chaotic sounds, it was impossible to pinpoint its location.
This is the true meaning of "luring the enemy into a trap".
However, Zhou Ziheng was too eager to know the answer.
Why does Yu Xijun appear before me again and again? Why does Yao Guang try so hard to slow me down when we enter the mountains? Why does Uncle Mei know all about the Zhegui Curse?
Why is there such a divided attitude at Plum Blossom Manor?
Is the curse I bear related to them?
He desperately wanted to unravel the mysteries surrounding him one by one at the end of his life!
The search for the truth has become like a carrot dangling in front of Zhou Ziheng, with the other party tightening the noose around his neck with the promise of "truth" time and time again.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin finally stopped when the third flying bamboo tube came flying into view.
Both of them were completely focused on the bamboo tube. Zhou Ziheng bent down to pick it up, but neither of them noticed the arrow that was shot from behind!
Just as Zhou Ziheng was able to see the words on the bamboo tube clearly in the moonlight, the arrow finally pierced Huo Qin's chest.
Hot blood splattered onto the bamboo tube, blurring the writing.
Zhou Ziheng seemed stunned. He was somewhat dazed, watching helplessly as Huo Qin's blood flowed uncontrollably from his wound, and as he collapsed to the ground.
There was no sound at all.
There was absolutely no sound!
Huo Qin suddenly fell to the ground without a sound, the arrows flew without a sound, the wind blew through the bamboo forest without a sound, everything, everything, everything was silent!
Zhou Ziheng has lost his hearing once again!
He numbly caught Huo Qin's body as it collapsed to the ground. In the absolute, suffocating silence, Zhou Ziheng's gaze was fixed on Huo Qin's pale face, a profound sense of bewilderment engulfing him.
What is Hochin saying?
Why couldn't Hochin dodge it?
What happened?
When did I lose my hearing?
His mind was in complete chaos.
One moment she's blaming herself for being arrogant and refusing to listen to advice, causing Huo Qin to collapse;
One moment he's furious and tyrannical, wanting to tear Yao Guang apart completely;
One moment, he was in unbearable pain, and the other moment, he felt the restless desire to win the laurel wreath eroding his emotions.
One moment I feel empty and lost, wondering if the effects of the medicine have worn off.
Blood, mortal world, laurel wreath, red as a blood moon.
Zhou Ziheng took out the remaining two seeds from his pocket and swallowed them all at once, only then did he feel his mind clear up a bit.
He helped Huo Qin up, pressed hard on his still-bleeding wound, cut off the arrow's fletching, and did a simple bandage to barely stop the bleeding.
With warm hands, Zhou Ziheng settled the other person in, then picked up Hongchen and coldly looked at Yaoguang, who had finally appeared.
Yao Guang was still dressed in his night clothes, carrying a simple bow and arrow, and was now smiling as he watched Zhou Ziheng's anger.
In a daze, Zhou Ziheng felt that the seed was about to take root and sprout in his heart, to burst through his mouth, and to vent his long-standing pain and love-hate.
He didn't speak, clutching the mortal world, and charged towards Yao Guang like a cheetah.
Yao Guang retreated unhurriedly, using the flexible bamboo to leap into the air. He darted and weaved in the air, even having time to draw his bow and shoot three more arrows at Zhou Ziheng.
Zhou Ziheng knocked down the arrow, took a light step, and soared up the bamboo, chasing after Yao Guang.
He raised the Red Dust sword, and in the moonlight, the blade reflected Zhou Ziheng's cold face.
When hearing is taken away, the world falls into deathly silence, and the five senses converge on the single sword.
He slightly turned his wrist, the sword blade slicing through the night, and his entire aura followed.
The sword intent arises, severing the mortal world.
This is the "meaning" that points directly to one's true nature, the essence and spirit of the mortal world!
Yao Guang was not surprised that Zhou Ziheng used a killing move right away, so she quickly nocked an arrow and focused all her attention on it.
Nine arrows in total, each one striking the same spot in the Red Dust Sword Intent, nine stars aligned, a white rainbow piercing the sun!
The power of the mortals had been greatly diminished, so they did not cause much damage to Yao Guang. She was far less disheveled than when she first met the mortals. At this moment, only her left arm was limp, and it seemed that she could not exert any strength for the time being.
Zhou Ziheng was not discouraged. Injuring Yao Guang's left arm was an unexpected bonus. After all, using a bow requires the coordination of both arms. He pressed his advantage and wanted to finish the battle quickly.
Despite her apparent disadvantage, Yao Guang remained calm. She stood atop the bamboo grove, quietly watching Zhou Ziheng approach with his sword. As Hong Chen drew near, she let herself fall from the top!
"Haha! Xiao Zhou! Your opponent is about to change!"
Yao Guang didn't care whether Zhou Ziheng could hear her or not. After landing, she covered her left arm and smiled as she looked at Zhou Ziheng, who was perched on the top of the bamboo. Opposite him, another man had taken Yao Guang's place at some point.
Zhou Ziheng narrowed his eyes, burning with rage!
He gritted his teeth and said, "Jie Fenglian, how dare you show your face in front of me!"
"I haven't even settled accounts with you for seriously injuring my master's wife and stealing the treasures of the sacred mountain back then. Now you've colluded with thieves again. You truly deserve to die!"
Zhou Ziheng's emotions surged. The laurel wreath on his skin felt incredibly hot, almost burning away all his reason.
Xie Fenglian didn't care whether Zhou Ziheng could hear her or not. She only stared with satisfaction at the bright red laurel wreath that even her cotton-padded coat couldn't conceal, and said with a slight smile, "Once you die and your cultivation dissipates, I will naturally apologize to your master and mistress. But before that..."
"I will still need you to achieve my great cause!!"
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