A gentleman of modest virtues, as gentle as jade; a peerless young master on the road.
"This humble woman greets Prince An. May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings and peace." Meng Zhelan stepped forward and curtsied.
"No need for formalities, Doctor Meng, you're being too polite." Prince An offered a gesture of support.
"Her Majesty the Empress is alright. She just woke up, but she's asleep now." Meng Zhelan was a little reserved, not expecting him to be of such high status.
"Alright, then I'll come see the Empress Dowager again later. Does Doctor Meng have a moment to say a few words?" Prince An gestured to walk towards the garden.
"Doctor Meng, I was the one who mentioned you to my father last night. I don't know if it caused you any trouble."
Normally, Prince An would never explain this to anyone, but every time he saw Meng Zhelan, it always left him feeling confused.
"Your Highness is too kind. It is my honor to serve the Emperor." Faced with Prince An's politeness, she felt somewhat at a loss.
Just then, a palace maid brought in tea and snacks, breaking the awkward atmosphere between the two.
At noon, snowflakes, like delicate fans, swayed in the air before gently falling to the ground, forming a thick white carpet.
Qin Xiaolin trudged through the deep snow, each step leaving deep footprints, as if announcing his arrival.
Li Xi was practicing swordsmanship in the backyard when she saw him, somewhat surprised, thinking he had just said it casually. Today was, after all, the first day of the new year. "Brother Qin, Happy New Year!"
"Brother Li, I wish you joy and happiness year after year." The two looked at each other and smiled.
"Doctor Meng is currently treating the Empress and will likely return tomorrow."
"You powerful and wealthy people have it pretty tough, having to attend court even during the Lunar New Year." It turns out that civil servants in ancient times didn't have holidays.
"That's not the case. Ministers also take a break during the New Year. It's just that the Emperor calls on his grandfather when he needs something."
"Hehehe, I was being silly. Brother Qin, aren't you going to pay New Year's visits today? If you're free, would you be interested in coming with me to visit Old Master Sun?"
Old Sun wrote to me yesterday saying he had returned to his cabin and asked me to visit him sometime.
Mr. Sun was both her teacher and her friend. Although he often used her as a guinea pig, it was indeed very helpful to her.
Snowflakes fluttered down, and the wind was biting cold, yet the mountains and forests were filled with mystery and tranquility. Every step left a deep footprint, but also the traces of exploration.
For martial arts practitioners, these are no obstacles. With their internal energy boosting them, neither of them is afraid of the bone-chilling cold.
"Brother Qin, I really can't beat your skills. Every time I feel like I've improved, I'm still not good enough against you."
Li Xi was somewhat annoyed; she was very unhappy about not being able to beat others.
The snow was a vast expanse of white, with only the footprints of the two people remaining.
Qin Xiaolin didn't know if he was crazy, climbing a snow mountain on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
The cold wind raged on the mountaintop, as if it wanted to devour everything.
"Grandpa Sun, Grandpa Sun." Li Xi knocked hard on the wooden door, but there was still no answer, and her voice was swallowed by the cold wind.
"That's strange. Grandpa Sun clearly left me a letter asking me to come over. Where could he have gone in this heavy snow?"
Li Xi looked at Qin Xiaolin, puzzled.
"Maybe he'll wander around the neighborhood and look for him." The two searched the area where Old Sun usually frequented.
Snowflakes covered the branches and leaves, forming beautiful frost patterns on the trees, making the entire forest crystal clear.
The chaotic footsteps around were almost completely covered by the heavy snow.
"Brother Li, come and take a look. These footprints only appeared recently and are very messy."
“Indeed,” Li Xi said thoughtfully.
Grandpa Sun was the only one living on the mountaintop. Looking around, there were some bloodstains on the nearby tree trunks.
There seemed to be a dark figure lying on the snow not far away.
"Grandpa Sun," Li Xi couldn't believe it was the old man Sun she had spent several months with.
On the silvery white snow, an old man covered in sword and knife wounds lay on the ground.
His eyes were closed, and the bloodstains on his face blurred his features. Dozens of wounds on his body indicated that his life might be coming to an end.
"Grandpa Sun, Grandpa Sun." Li Xi hugged Grandpa Sun, her eyes red, trying to wake him up.
In the valley, her restrained voice trembled.
"Is...is it Xiaoxi?" Old Sun slowly opened his eyes upon hearing Li Xi's call.
"You've finally come! I thought you weren't coming because of the snow today," the old man said, panting heavily.
“I asked you to spend New Year’s Eve with us yesterday, but you refused and insisted on staying here by yourself.” Li Xi pressed on his bleeding spot helplessly.
“You old man, you just won’t listen to advice…” Li Xi remembered that Lan’er had given her some pills to carry with her.
He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out some pills, then stuffed them directly into his mouth.
"You old man, you're not allowed to sleep. I'll take you to see a doctor right away."
"There are some things I want to tell you." The old man took out a wooden plaque from the insole of his shoe.
"This is the token of the Hidden Sect. Whoever obtains this token is the sect leader of the Hidden Sect. In the past, all sorts of people in the martial arts world wanted to snatch it from me, but I never paid them any attention."
The old man seemed a little tired and paused for a moment.
"Stop talking, let's talk about it when you're better, save your energy," Li Xi stopped him.
"Listen to me. This day was bound to come sooner or later. After spending these few days together, I'm certain you are the most suitable candidate to be the next sect leader."
Old Sun recalled the past with some emotion.
"Go to a shop called 'Buyizhuang' on Jing'an Street near Zhuque Gate, show this item to the shopkeeper, and he will arrange for you..."
Old Sun spoke intermittently about the important matter.
"No, you'll be alright. Trust me, Lan'er will definitely heal you."
Li Xi couldn't accept anyone leaving her arms again. In her past life, she cried and begged the doctor to save her mother, always believing that as long as the doctor came, there would be a way.
However, there are also things that doctors cannot control; birth, aging, illness, and death are the natural cycle that cannot be controlled.
"Silly child, I've lived long enough. Remember, the Hidden Sect must be handed over to the person you trust most in the future."
Li Xi was sobbing uncontrollably, and was about to carry Old Master Sun on her back when they were surrounded by men in black, exuding a murderous aura.
Seeing this, Qin Xiaolin drew his longsword and stood in front of Li Xi.
"See, I told you so. This old man was definitely waiting for someone. I never thought I'd actually wait until he was here to give his last words. If you know what's good for you, hand over the stuff, and I might spare your lives."
The leader of the men in black laughed triumphantly.
"Dream on!" Li Xi took off her cloak and covered Old Sun with it.
With his sword drawn, Li Xi took a deep breath, gripped the sword tightly, and prepared to fight.
Sword flashes and the sound of air being cut was incessant. Li Xi and Qin Xiaolin moved like the wind and wielded their swords like thunder, defeating the black-clad men who came forward one by one.
Upon seeing this, the man in black shouted, and the crowd stepped back, making way for an enemy clad in black. This man held a black longsword, its blade gleaming with an eerie light, clearly no ordinary person.
Li Xi clashed with the man in black, their swords flashing, both evenly matched. Li Xi was secretly astonished; this enemy possessed such superb swordsmanship. She focused all her attention, using every trick in the book to fight the black-clad enemy.
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