Chapter 2: Picturesque
Amidst the misty rain of Jiangnan, the waters of the Yangtze River drift in the air. A few orchids sway, and overlapping layers of inky clouds resemble delicate daffodils blooming together on rice paper, yet tinged with a subtle melancholy. The air is thick with vapor, shrouding a boat on the shimmering waves, embellished with a hazy dream.
Lu Rongshi had arrived in Jiangnan, China. Half a month earlier, her two mothers had sent her away from this chaotic place out of concern for her safety. She herself had had enough of the smoky and foul imperial palace.
Seventy years ago, under Shirley's rule, the Elf Kingdom reached its peak of power and ushered in a peaceful and prosperous era.
But seventy years later, the descendants of Shirley and Lu Xiaoyun did not focus on governing the country.
This led to the weakening of the country's strength, and the remnants of Xue Hao and the Orc Kingdom made a comeback, repeatedly attacking the border of the Elf Kingdom.
In the palace, people were scheming and scheming every few days for the throne. When Shirley was alive, she designated the crown prince, but her three daughters did not make too much trouble.
Now that Lu Rongshi's mother is nearly sixty years old, it is time to choose the next crown prince. Several elders are vying for their children to sit on the throne.
Surrounded by external enemies and with internal strife still raging, the elves are strong on the outside but weak on the inside and are vulnerable to collapse.
It was precisely because of this bleak environment that the current emperor decided to send Lu Rongshi out until the situation stabilized.
She left in a hurry and didn't bring enough silver. When she arrived in Jiangnan, her purse was empty. She had to go into the mountains to find some fruits to fill her stomach. Unfortunately, she was born with a poor sense of direction and got lost in the mountains.
Today is the fourth day in the mountains. All the wild fruits along the way have been eaten. His body is covered with stains and his stomach is empty. Unable to hold on any longer, Lu Rongshi collapsed on the mountain path.
"Is it going to end?"
Before falling into a coma, I saw a woman in white falling from the sky, with the sunlight shining on her, like a banished immortal.
One day later, in a secret courtyard in Hengshan, Lu Rongshi gradually woke up. He dimly saw the solid wood ceiling, and the scene before he fell into a coma flashed through his mind.
She got out of bed, walked out, and took in the whole courtyard. The two-story yard was full of peach trees. On this spring day with a gentle breeze, the trees were full of peach blossoms, which was so romantic.
At this moment, the courtyard door opened softly. Shangguan Qingxuan came back from shopping. Seeing Lu Rongshi standing in the courtyard, he smiled and said, "You're awake. You're too weak to walk around. Go back to bed and rest. I got you some medicine. Remember to take it later."
Lu Rongshi frowned. She didn't know this person, but she was so considerate to her. The living environment in her childhood cultivated her suspicious character. But the beautiful woman in front of her was her savior, and her beauty was so stunning that it was difficult for her to turn against her. So she decided to see what her intentions were first.
She said nothing, quietly returned to her room, and came out to take the medicine on time. She just pretended to drink the medicine and didn't really drink it.
Shangguan Qingxuan looked a little depressed. The pink-haired woman in front of her looked very much like her sister, but she didn't seem to trust her, which made her a little disappointed. However, after all, she was not Shangguan Mengyao, so she could understand.
In this way, the two of them lived in peace for a while, but Lu Rongshi felt more and more embarrassed. The other person saved her, but she did not seek to repay the favor. She ate the other person's food and lived in the other person's house. At the beginning, she did not eat much, but later she was really hungry, so she let go. She did not show any impatience, nor did she show that she had any ulterior motives. The other person treated her like a family member, but she suspected that he had ulterior motives. It was really inappropriate.
She was confused and asked during dinner.
"Excuse me, young lady, why do you treat a stranger as considerately as your family?" Lu Rongshi asked.
Shangguan Qingxuan glanced at her, then lowered his eyes and said, "You look a lot like an old friend of mine. She also had straight, smooth pink hair. She was a very important person in my life."
Lu Rongshi woke up as if from a dream. He had mistaken her for an old friend. He said softly, "I'm sorry."
Shangguan Qingxuan adjusted his mood and smiled, "It's okay, she died of old age, I just miss her."
Lu Rongshi was puzzled. If she looked like her old friend, then her old friend should be about the same age as her. She was also around twenty years old now. How could her old friend die of old age?
This doubt only lasted for a moment. Shangguan Qingxuan drank some pear blossom wine tonight and was just a little tipsy, but in Lu Rongshi's eyes, it was indeed a huge amount.
There were five empty wine jars on the table, and Lu Rongshi was clearing the dishes. Only by doing something could he feel at ease. In the yard, Shangguan Qingxuan danced with the sword in the moonlight. Seeing her light steps but not disorderly, and her movements smooth but continuous sword power, Lu Rongshi was fascinated and intuitively felt that this sword technique was extremely wonderful.
At midnight, Shangguan Qingxuan sheathed his sword. A flash of white light passed, and the sword vanished without a trace. Lu Rongshi rubbed his eyes, making sure he had seen correctly.
I had only heard from my grandmother that there were people in the world who could perform magical arts, but today I actually saw it with my own eyes and was extremely shocked.
Shangguan Qingxuan turned around and saw Lu Rongshi standing there in a daze. He smiled at her and went back to his bedroom.
Lu Rongshi didn't remember how he returned to the room, he only remembered that graceful figure and the awe-inspiring swordsmanship.
The next day, he became Shangguan Qingxuan's disciple.
Shangguan Qingxuan said calmly, "Think carefully. If you want to learn this sword technique, you must put in a lot of effort."
Lu Rongshi half-knelt on the ground and said firmly, "I have made up my mind. If I can learn this sword technique, I will definitely be able to help my mother."
Shangguan Qingxuan said, "Well, there's no need for all the formalities. Just call me Master. Starting tomorrow, get up early and practice swordplay with me. Have a good rest today."
Lu Rongshi was overjoyed and said respectfully, "Master, please accept my disciple's greetings."
Suddenly, it was midsummer. The noisy chirping of cicadas and the rustling of sword winds brought a touch of life to the entire courtyard.
"Master, I have mastered this sword technique. I will demonstrate it to you."
Lu Rongshi said excitedly that today Shangguan Qingxuan passed on all the Moye sword techniques to Lu Rongshi. Lu Rongshi lived up to everyone's expectations. He was very talented and learned it quickly.
After the dance, Shangguan Qingxuan nodded and said, "Well, I see some of its power. We must learn to be flexible and not just memorize by rote."
Lu Rongshi bowed and said, "Disciple will remember this."
Shangguan Qingxuan looked up at the sky and said, "You've lived here for over three months. It's time to go down the mountain and take a look. I, your master, don't want my disciple to be a swordsman."
Lu Rongshi's eyes widened, his heart filled with panic. He half-knelt on the ground and said, "If there's anything I've done wrong, I can correct it. Master, please don't kick me out!"
Shangguan Qingxuan understood that her words had caused misunderstanding. She stepped forward to help her up and said with a smile, "How could your teacher chase you away? You can always come back to see your teacher later. Your teacher just wants you to come down the mountain and gain some experience."
Lu Rongshi blushed and whispered, "My disciple misunderstood."
Shangguan Qingxuan patted her shoulder and handed her his Moye Sword. Lu Rongshi was surprised again. Before she could say anything, she heard Shangguan Qingxuan say, "I'll lend you this sword. If anyone asks, just say it's Qingxuan's sword. This is an obsession of mine. Please."
Lu Rongshi went down the mountain, looking back every few steps at the courtyard where he had lived for three months. It seemed as if the courtyard would disappear at any time until it was completely out of sight.
Jiang Li'an came to Jiangnan, looking for her disappeared master, but found nothing. She only learned half of the Gan Jiang sword technique. Although she could already roam the world, she was not satisfied. She was eighteen years old this year. Her master asked her to enter the world and experience all kinds of life, but he himself flew away and disappeared.
I wanted to find an inn to rest, but I saw a woman at the bridge looking around, as if she was looking for something. She had a calm face and a well-proportioned figure, and was indeed a wonderful person.
Jiang Li'an turned around, stepped forward, came up behind the woman, and whispered, "Miss, are you looking for something?"
Lu Rongshi turned around and looked at Jiang Li'an, who was in front of him with a high ponytail, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a heroic appearance. He finally lowered his posture and said embarrassedly, "Um, I'm lost. Does the young lady know where Fengluan Pavilion is?"
Jiang Li'an said in confusion: "Miss, that's not a good place. What are you going there for?"
Lu Rongshi said patiently, "I have a few friends there, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it."
Jiang Li'an touched his nose and said, "Okay, whatever you want. I have nothing to do, so I'll take you there."
"Thank you very much, young lady."
On the way, Lu Rongshi discovered that Jiang Li'an was actually a chatterbox.
"Girl, you are not from mainland China, right?"
"Girl, what is your hometown like?"
"Girl, girl, wait for me, what's your name?"
Fengluan Pavilion, located on the shore of Dongting Lake, is a place of debauchery and feasting.
When the two of them arrived at the main entrance, Jiang Li'an asked, "Lu Rongshi, are you really looking for this place?"
Lu Rongshi confirmed, "This is exactly the place. Thank you again, Miss Jiang, for leading the way. Now, goodbye." After saying that, he walked towards the door.
"Alas." Jiang Li'an tried to keep him, but Lu Rongshi didn't even turn his head.
Jiang Li'an withdrew his hand and thought to himself: How could such a wonderful person have friends here? Could he have been deceived?
As she was thinking, her feet unconsciously walked into the gate. Looking around, she saw the magnificent and bustling atmosphere. Jiang Li'an looked around and found the person. However, she found that the person in charge of this pavilion was very respectful to her. His ears were also pointed like hers, which was extremely cute.
It turns out that Fengluan Pavilion was originally owned by the Elven Nation, and has long been established in Jiangnan, China. While the upper echelons are still elves, the majority of the staff is human. Lu Rongshi communicates with the Elven Nation through this place.
Jiang Li'an became more and more confused. Although she had guessed something, she didn't dare to confirm it until she walked out the door.
Sure enough, she got lost again.
Jiang Li'an stepped forward, playfully patted her shoulder, and said, "What's the matter, Miss Lu, are you lost again?"
Lu Rongshi's cheeks suddenly turned red. She has been a person with poor direction since she was a child, but even so, she didn't want to admit it.
He scolded her lightly, "Miss Jiang, you have so much free time, why are you following me?"
Jiang Li'an was slightly stunned, then understood and said with a smile, "I'm afraid you'll be cheated by the people there. They're not good people."
After listening to this, Lu Rongshi turned around, looked directly into Jiang Li'an's eyes, and said coldly, "It's not a bad place at all. The people there are just a bunch of pitiful people. Why are you so prejudiced against them?"
Jiang Li'an choked, speechless. Lu Rongshi turned and walked away. Jiang Li'an's heart trembled, and he quickly caught up with him, apologizing, "Sorry, sorry, I was prejudiced. It's my fault."
Lu Rongshi stared straight ahead and said stiffly, "Miss Jiang, there's no need to apologize. We just met by chance, so I should thank you."
Jiang Li'an saw that this person was really angry, and felt guilty. How could he make such a wonderful person angry?
Along the way, Jiang Li'an bought many things to please Lu Rongshi, but Lu Rongshi declined them one by one.
The two of them walked all the way to dusk unknowingly. Lu Rongshi had no destination at all, and Jiang Li'an followed her. The two of them walked west and came to the Yangtze River.
Lu Rongshi felt that this person did not seem to do it on purpose. He originally wanted to forgive her, but he was unable to let go of his pride.
While in a foreign country, he met a kind-hearted girl who had intended to get to know him, but now things have come to this embarrassing point.
At this moment, Jiang Li'an sat down by the river, one leg bent, the other arm propped behind her. Lu Rongshi just looked at her, but heard her mutter, "My father joined the army until he died bravely, but he never saw the majestic Yangtze River again. The river flows eastward, filled with the endless blood of heroes."
Lu Rongshi was deeply moved after hearing this, and she also thought about the current situation of the elves' external and internal troubles. She sat down next to her, hugged her knees, and asked, "Miss Jiang, what are your plans for the future?"
Jiang Li'an narrowed her eyes and told everything, "I want to find my master and learn the remaining half of the sword moves. When my sword skills are perfected, I will go to the Western Regions to join the army and serve my country." She concealed the fact that she was avenging her parents, thinking that it was not convenient to say more about this matter.
Lu Rongshi turned to look at her, still as heroic as ever, and for some unknown reason he said, "I like you."
Jiang Li'an was stunned, but then he heard Lu Rongshi continue, "I like your free and unrestrained look."
Jiang Li'an's heart moved slightly, and he said, "Let's get to know each other again. My name is Jiang Li'an. Let's be friends?" Then he stretched out his hand.
Lu Rongshi also accepted it with pleasure and said softly, "Lu Rongshi."
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