Chapter 86
Sheng Ningyu tilted her head slightly to avoid Rong Que's hand.
The sunlight shone down, and the jade-like immortal paused, pulled his hand back into his sleeve, and sighed softly.
"After so many years, my junior sister has become estranged from me."
After speaking, he turned to face the group of cultivators, and the white silk covering his eyes fluttered with his movement, like a tree of jade hairpin flowers falling.
Rong Que said, "Please convey to City Lord Qi that my junior sister will be with me. If there is anything urgent, you may send someone to deliver the visiting card to my residence."
Rong Que smiled, his tone unhurried and calm. Just standing there, without making any movement, he already exuded the air of an ethereal immortal.
Even though he looks gentle now, no one dares to look down on him because of it.
The music fades and the soul departs.
Even though this acting leader of the Sword Pavilion was not as talented in swordsmanship as the others, his unpredictable and divine music, particularly his playing of the zither and flute, was enough to terrify those with malicious intentions.
The cultivators were immediately ashamed and embarrassed when Rong Que revealed their origins, especially since they were in front of the cultivator who appeared to be a Sword Venerable. Coupled with their fear, they were speechless for a moment.
Rong Que frowned slightly and sighed, "Is it really enough to make you so afraid of just a message?" He smiled and pointed to the people beside him, "Don't worry, with the Sword Master here, I won't make things difficult for you, and neither will your city lord."
After he finished speaking, he raised his hand, and the group of people felt a gust of wind, the sound of shattering jade, and a dazzling, dreamlike sensation. Then, their bodies were pushed into the hall on the first floor, outside the beaded curtain.
Clearly, what happened next was beyond their control.
...
Sheng Ningyu watched quietly.
She was too lazy to deal with these trivial matters in the first place, and now she was happy to have someone else take care of everything.
Only now, after Rong Que drove the people away, did he reach out his hand to her in this small world he had temporarily created with his beaded curtain artifact.
“Junior sister, now that your identity has been exposed, it is no longer appropriate for you to stay here. Why don’t you come with me and rest for a while?”
In Rong Que's palm glittered a crystal-clear jade hairpin.
He has always loved the beauty of jade hairpins, so this must be the key to his residence.
Sheng Ningyu did not accept it.
Her expression remained unchanged: "From beginning to end, my second senior brother never gave me a chance to refuse."
Rong Que raised his head slightly and said frankly, "Yes."
He said, "I'm afraid my junior sister will reject me."
The beaded curtain settled crisply behind them.
The undying light of the heavens swept over Rong Que, casting a soft halo around him. The light flowed across the dark patterns on his robes, outlining his tall and sturdy figure.
Its clear skies and bright moonlight are truly captivating.
Sheng Ningyu remained unmoved.
Having seen Rong Que in so many different ways since she was a child, this mere appearance was hardly enough to stir her heart.
"Why can't I refuse?" Sheng Ningyu raised an eyebrow, asking casually. "Is there some rule in this world that says junior sister must obey senior brother?"
Rong Que suddenly raised his head. His hand was still outstretched. After a while, his five fingers slightly clenched together, and his movements were somewhat stiff, making him look pitiful and aggrieved.
“But…” he said softly, “In the past, Mingyue would always listen to me.”
Sheng Ningyu opened her mouth subconsciously, then pursed her lips and remained silent.
She was unruly and unrestrained since childhood, capable of creating things like snow-melting talismans and uttering words that would infuriate the academy teachers to the point of making her kneel in punishment. But right now, standing before her was her second senior brother, Rong Que.
Rongque.
At that time, everyone in the academy knew that the only one who could control Sheng Ningyu, this troublesome devil, was Rong Que, the first young master of the Sword Pavilion, who was skilled in music and gentle in nature.
Sheng Ningyu raised her head.
Before him lay the crystal-clear jade hairpin key in the man's palm, emitting a faint light that blurred his current features but revealed his former outline.
Separated by thousands of miles and years.
He said, "Junior sister refuses to come with me. Could it be that she has doubts about me?"
Sheng Ningyu did not respond immediately. She looked at Rong Que, her gaze sweeping over him from top to bottom.
After looking at it for a long time, I still couldn't bring myself to say a single harsh word.
Sheng Ningyu closed her eyes, gathering all her thoughts.
She was afraid that people would notice her rare vulnerability, so she kept a cold face and an unchanged expression.
"So, this is the purpose of Second Senior Brother's appearance here?"
As fellow disciples, Rong Que understood Sheng Ningyu, and Sheng Ningyu also understood Rong Que.
He is never one to speak without reason.
Sheng Ningyu did not believe that Rong Que's appearance was merely a coincidence, nor did she believe that Rong Que was completely unaware of Ning Jiao's clumsy methods.
Rong Que lowered his eyes, and gentle wrinkles appeared on the white silk. He did not deny that he knew about it, but simply said four words: "Go with the flow."
Sheng Ningyu sneered: "Yes, Senior Brother is clever and knows how to use someone else's strength against them."
Rong Que remained silent for a moment, then turned his head and said softly, "After we parted that day, I heard nothing from my junior sister, and I was very worried. I wanted to send a letter, but I didn't know where to go."
Worried?
Sheng Ningyu looked at Rong Que, a myriad of emotions welling up in her heart, and for a moment she appeared somewhat empty and lost.
She certainly believed that Rong Que wanted to worry about her, and she was willing to believe that Rong Que was only worried about her.
Sheng Ningyu lowered her eyes for a moment, and just as Rong Que seemed about to withdraw his hand, her expression suddenly relaxed.
"Your words sound nice, but you're already unhappy after making me wait a little while?"
She lightly tapped Rong Que's palm, and before he could close his palm, she quickly withdrew it, like a dragonfly skimming the water.
She quickly took the "key" from his palm.
"Just as my second senior brother said, I am now in a miserable state and have nowhere to go. I hope my second senior brother will take me in."
Rong Que let out a soft laugh. The dignified and upright young master of the first family was now showing a bit of the shamelessness of a child who couldn't get candy.
"You're willing to leave with me now? Aren't you afraid I'll ruin you?"
"How was it before?"
“I didn’t want to leave earlier because I was afraid of my second senior brother,” Sheng Ningyu turned around and drew out her words, “because I was afraid that people wouldn’t be able to find me.”
However, she thought again that with the Demon Lord's abilities, there was no place in heaven or on earth that he couldn't find if he wanted to.
As she turned away, her black hair flew in the wind, the ends brushing against the white silk covering Rong Que's eyes, carrying with them a faint, elusive fragrance.
The eyes hidden beneath the white silk suddenly became dark and unfathomable.
...
Rong Que's residence remained as elegant and refined as ever.
As Sheng Ningyu stepped inside, she was momentarily disoriented, as if floating on clouds.
The key to the jade hairpin flower door led not to an ordinary courtyard, but to a terrace suspended above a sea of clouds.
A white jade railing, shrouded in ethereal mist, leads to a pool of crystal-clear spring water, as clear as tourmaline, just a few steps away. No other spiritual herbs or rare flowers grow beside the spring, only a vast expanse of jade hairpin flowers, brimming with spiritual energy, bloom in abundance.
Its leaves are emerald green and shimmering, and its petals are as translucent as ice and jade. They bloom quietly in the misty atmosphere, accompanied by lotus petals in the pond and the graceful shadows of leaping koi. A delicate fragrance wafts through the air, refreshing the soul.
Not far away, the windows were bright and the tables were clean, with the faint scent of sandalwood wafting through the air.
But of all these sights, what surprised Sheng Ningyu the most was something else entirely.
Sheng Ningyu looked up at the moon hanging high in the sky, raised her hand and extended a wisp of spiritual power. The cold moonlight seemed to sense her urgency, and as the moonlight spread out, Sheng Ningyu easily touched its edge.
It is neither fiction nor illusion.
This is the real moon.
Rong Que actually carved out a separate piece of land in the Mountain and Sea Never Sleeps City?
Even though Sheng Ningyu still had reservations, she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Second Senior Brother, what a skillful touch! How did you manage to do that?"
“Not difficult.” Rong Que smiled and said casually, “Just some trivial skills. Once Junior Sister finds her spiritual bone, it will be a piece of cake.”
These words had a distinct flavor of the teachings given at Sword Pavilion. Sheng Ningyu awkwardly withdrew her hand and coughed lightly, "Second Senior Brother..."
Rong Que suddenly interrupted her: "Enough." His gaze seemed to penetrate the white silk and landed on her wrist.
Rong Que lowered his eyes, remained silent for a few moments, and then took the initiative to end the conversation.
"Go and rest first. We can talk about the rest tomorrow."
After saying that, he used the same method he had used in the Sword Pavilion, directly channeling his spiritual power to transform it into threads like zither strings. He avoided her wrists, only wrapping them around her fingertips and waist, and pushed her shoulders to send her into the room.
Does this mean they still consider her a naughty child?
Sheng Ningyu was both amused and exasperated.
But it must be said that this version of Rong Que actually made her feel closer to him.
The sixty-year estrangement seemed to dissipate in an instant, as did the sinister stories told in the words of others.
The floor was covered with a cool gray, smooth mat. Against the wall was a rosewood couch, and on a small table beside it, a jade incense burner was releasing a gentle, calming fragrance.
A gentle breeze swept through the hall, bringing not only mist but also the intermittent yet persistent cool fragrance of the jade hairpin from the corridor. The dome hung high, and long silver curtains hung all around, swaying in the evening breeze, layer upon layer, making the mountains and waters sway.
The layout here is exactly the same as that of the Sword Pavilion back then.
A gentle breeze drifts in through the open window, stirring a string of jade bells under the eaves, their clear, melodious sound soothing the soul.
Sheng Ningyu leaned against the bed, gazing at the night sky.
For a moment, her mind was at peace, and she allowed herself to indulge in the past for a brief time.
It's as if she's still a carefree little disciple of the Sword Pavilion. If the sky falls, her master will hold it up; if her master can't hold it up anymore, her senior brother can step in.
Ultimately, it won't tire her out.
Sheng Ningyu tilted her head back, placed her hands on the back of her head, and closed her eyes.
Nothing happened that night.
The next morning, Sheng Ningyu was not in a hurry to find Rong Que.
She practiced her sword on her own for many days without Rong Que disturbing her. However, one day a visiting card from Qingniao Yiyehua appeared on her table.
The letter of invitation was very brief, consisting of only one sentence.
【Flowers in full bloom, a symbol of deep affection; would you be willing to witness it?】
It was written by Feng Qingli himself.
Sheng Ningyu thought for a moment, then with a flourish of her pen, drew a circle around the character "可" (ke).
Since things have already turned out this way, she doesn't mind making the situation even more muddy.
That night, just as Sheng Ningyu's fingertips left the sword hilt, the sound of a flute rang out from the pond pavilion.
No, to be precise, the music didn't seem to come from the water; rather, it seemed to condense from the water, taking shape and carrying the cool moonlight and the delicate fragrance of the jade hairpin flower. It curled up and permeated the night, drifting and lingering until it reached her ears.
Sheng Ningyu gave a cold laugh.
I finally couldn't hold back anymore.
She pushed aside the exquisitely carved wooden puppet servants along the way and strolled to the edge of the pool. She steadied herself and called out, "Second Senior Brother is finally willing to see me?"
Tonight, the moon is full, and its clear, bright light shines down upon the world.
As Sheng Ningyu walked, the evening breeze suddenly rose, causing the heavy curtains to surge like waves, and the water in the pool below was also disturbed, rippling with sparkling light, reflecting the swaying shadows of the entire courtyard.
Through the curtain, Rong Que's voice came from the wind, almost indistinct.
"I never stopped my junior sister."
Sheng Ningyu remained noncommittal. She lifted the curtain and landed opposite Rong Que.
Rong Que's eyes seemed to be gazing at her through the white silk. He was silent for a moment, then said, "Junior Sister has indeed become estranged from me."
Sheng Ningyu recalled the puppet figures she had encountered on the road earlier, and grew increasingly angry. She said coldly, "Second Senior Brother is no different."
Rong Que put down his long flute: "How do you know?"
Sheng Ningyu picked up a piece of sweet cake from the table, took a bite, and lifted her eyelids to look at Rong Que: "In the past, as long as my senior brother was around, he would always comb my hair. But now, for several days in a row, my second senior brother has not shown up at all. I think he finds me annoying and has become distant from me."
Rong Que listened quietly to this distorted account, and instead of being annoyed, he curled his lips into a smile: "Are you done?"
"Of course not."
Sheng Ningyu endured it for a long time, but finally couldn't help but slam her hand on the table, casually tossing the sugar cake onto the plate, and then stood up.
After doing such a thing, how can he still appear so openly in front of her?
Rong Que stroked the long flute, not answering, but only asking, "Is there anything else?"
"Of course there are more!"
Sheng Ningyu's mouth was dry from talking. She picked up the teacup on the table, gulped down a large mouthful, threw the cup down hard, and then stepped forward to grab the white silk covering Rong Que's eyes.
"Second Senior Brother knows that old man from the Nine Heavens Pavilion is no good, so why do you associate with him so often? Over the years, Junior Sister's behavior has gone astray. Eldest Senior Brother is far away in the Ghost Cang Tower, and Junior Brother is disabled and unable to discipline her. Can't you, Second Senior Brother, do the same? Why do you ignore it and let her make one mistake after another?!"
If it were someone else, Sheng Ningyu wouldn't care, much less get angry.
But he is Rong Que.
It was Rong Que, her second senior brother, who had taken care of her and taught her step by step since she was a child.
"Second Senior Brother," Sheng Ningyu took a deep breath and softened her tone, "what exactly do you want to do?"
Rong Que continued to watch her quietly. A gentle breeze blew by, and he slowly put down his teacup, saying casually, "So you've finally said it?"
Sheng Ningyu paused, then turned her head: "Second Senior Brother isn't surprised?"
"What are you surprised about? Surprised by your honesty?" Rong Que smiled and shook his head, then picked up the pastry she had just thrown back onto the plate and took another bite from the broken edge.
He paused, slowly savoring the pastry in his mouth: "My junior sister has always been the type who can't keep secrets, of course I know that."
The moonlight was originally serene and beautiful, but unfortunately, a breeze began to rise, and some dark clouds appeared, obscuring the moon's radiance.
It might rain.
But it was too late.
A warm force pressed down on her, long, slender fingers, with unwavering determination, gently encircling her slightly cool wrist. The instant their skin touched, it was as if a silent thunderclap exploded within her stagnant pulse.
Sheng Ningyu had already guessed that Rong Que wanted to probe her spiritual veins, so although she was a beat slow to react, she didn't do anything else.
However, at that moment, Rong Que's thoughtful voice rang in my ears.
"Because it's your left hand, you don't resist it?"
"Know what?" Rong Que chuckled softly, his fingers slowly touching her fingertips before gripping them tightly. "Do you know that you've lost your spiritual bones and are tormented by nightmares day and night, afraid to speak to anyone for fear of someone touching your right hand? Or do you know that you've lost all your sense of taste and can't even taste the bitterness of a pastry?"
Sheng Ningyu's pupils constricted, and she suddenly exerted force with her fingers, wrapping them around the silky satin. In a hasty move, she forcefully tore off the white silk covering Rong Que's eyes.
The white silk fluttered down, like a jade hairpin flower that had drifted away from its branch.
Rong Que's eyes were laid bare before her.
Hollow and unfocused, devoid of any life, it was remarkably similar to the glass bead on the puppet's face.
But it wasn't like this before.
Even though she had already guessed it, Sheng Ningyu's brows twitched, and she clenched the white silk in her hand: "I remember that a few years ago, although my second senior brother's eyes were not good, they were never this bad."
Rong Que smiled and touched her wrist: "If Junior Sister had come to find me sooner, I wouldn't be in this situation."
Sheng Ningyu took a step back: "...This should have nothing to do with me."
"How could it be unrelated?"
Rong Que smiled and stood up as well, saying casually, "I've been searching for my junior sister day and night, thinking that perhaps you're waiting for me somewhere, I..."
Rong Que paused, then changed the subject, saying, "I heard him call you Jiuzhong."
His bright moon, however, became what others called "nine layers".
Sheng Ningyu coughed lightly, sensing something was wrong, and took another step back.
Rong Que laughed: "Even now, Junior Sister, are you still deceiving yourself by asking me what I want to do?"
She took a step back, and Rong Que took a step closer with a smile, his demeanor as relaxed as if he were strolling in a garden.
His refined and elegant face still wore an impeccable, gentle smile, but with each step he took, that smile transformed into strands of spiritual energy, severing Sheng Ningyu's escape route.
"What am I going to do?" Rong Que asked with a gentle smile, as soft and gentle as a jade hairpin, but he suddenly exerted force in his hands, and the delicate strings of the zither became extremely clear in an instant, almost illuminating the night sky.
"Of course, I need to find my junior sister."
Sheng Ningyu stared blankly at the person in front of her.
A gentleman is like jade, gentle and refined, possessing a unique elegance and a noble character that is praised by all.
Could a second senior brother like this really have such intense emotions?
Sheng Ningyu was at a loss.
She thought that since her junior sister joined the sect, the affection between her and her second senior brother had long faded, and what could be remembered were just old stories from their adulthood.
But does Second Senior Brother actually care about her so much in his heart?
But before, the second senior brother clearly...
Trapped within the confines of the zither strings, Sheng Ningyu repeatedly searched through her remaining memories. Suddenly, she remembered something, and her heart tightened. However, just as she was about to speak, Rong Que spoke first.
"Unfortunately, it seems my junior sister doesn't want me as her senior brother anymore."
Rong Que suppressed his usual smile, his face expressionless, and announced the names one by one: "She only wants those insignificant people. Feng Xiaosheng, Yuan Bushu, Feng Qingli, Yang Xiuzhu, and even Chu Jiye..."
"They all knew before I did."
In an instant, the wind howled again outside, as if a thunderbolt had struck.
Almost at the same time, Sheng Ningyu tried to comfort him: "Second Senior Brother, I did have something I couldn't say about that day at Qingyi Academy."
A secret that's hard to tell.
Rong Que suddenly raised his head, and the spiritual power that suddenly burst forth was like a zither string being struck, the sound waves spreading out like ripples on water, the surrounding air instantly freezing, every strand permeated with a cold and sharp intent.
He paused for a moment, but then withdrew his gaze again in the blink of an eye, ensuring that they did not harm Sheng Ningyu in the slightest.
He suppressed the almost unbearable emotions he had just revealed and sighed, "Yes, ever since we grew up, there have always been so many unspeakable secrets between you and me, endless unspeakable things."
Bathed in the cool moonlight, a hint of sorrow appeared on the gentleman's jade-like face.
"And what about me?"
Rong Que said in a low voice, "Mingyue, in the days and nights since you awoke, have you ever thought of me even for a moment?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Pigeon]
Believe it or not
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com