Chapter 74 Marriage is Prohibited
The procession stopped at the riverbank. Bai Hua got out of the carriage where Ning Jue was being held, walked to the riverbank with a normal expression, squatted down, scooped up a handful of water to wash her face, waited for the water to flow, splashed it a couple of times, then scooped up another handful and brought it to her lips, drinking it down to moisten her throat.
At this moment, Rong Linyan approached her from behind and handed her a clean white cotton towel.
Bai Hua looked up and paused for a moment, then hesitated before taking the hand and calling out, "Cousin."
Rong Linyan hummed in agreement and squatted down next to Bai Hua as well.
He led the horse over, holding the reins in one hand to spur it on, and using the other hand to hold a water bag, which he then dipped into the stream to fill it with water.
Bai Hua hesitated, about to leave.
Rong Linyan spoke up: "Hua'er, what did you say to Ning Jue? He was so stubborn before, even going on a hunger strike to protest, but now he's changed his mind so quickly and is much more cooperative. It seems you have more influence than I do."
Bai Hua paused for a moment, then calmly replied, "It's nothing. I was just advising him that as long as he's alive, he can always make a comeback. If he wants to seek revenge on me and my cousin in the future, he should bide his time and wait for an opportunity to avenge the humiliation he suffered today."
“What you’re saying…” Rong Linyan looked at Bai Hua with a half-smile. Seeing that she was completely calm and composed, he sighed and said, “There’s no need to provoke him into making an enemy of us.”
Bai Hua stated bluntly, "My cousin orchestrated this from behind the scenes, and I was the one carrying it out. Our feud with Ning Jue is already deeply entrenched, and it shouldn't change because of a few words from me. Besides, even if Ning Jue has the chance to come back for revenge, I have my cousin protecting me, so what is there to fear?"
Bai Hua's rare compliment pleased Rong Linyan, who naturally accepted it.
A smug look appeared on his face as he continued, following Bai Hua's words, "Of course, with me protecting you, how could those petty villains harm you in the slightest?"
Bai Hua responded with a faint smile.
Rong Linyan looked at her and asked, "After Ning Jue ate, did he say anything else of value to you? You spent quite a while with him in the carriage, so he obviously still has some patience with you. This is a good opportunity. In comparison, he was much colder to me and Fu Wei. He didn't answer my questions, remained silent with his eyes closed, and refused to cooperate."
Bai Hua tried hard not to recall how she had tried so hard to "accompany" Ning Jue in the carriage.
Her face was serious, and her tone earnest as she replied, "Cousin, I am the one who infiltrated Ning Jue's inner circle, and I am also the one who actually committed the betrayal. Ning Jue's hatred for me is probably far greater than yours and that of Deputy Hall Master Fu Wei. If you were to hand me a sharp dagger, it would mean that I would personally stab Ning Jue with the blade. So why would he be willing to reveal anything of value to me? I'm already relieved that he didn't turn on me with murderous intent upon seeing me. Any further contact with him would be a forced attempt to complete the task you assigned me. As for anything else, I truly cannot find out."
Bai Hua's words made Rong Linyan feel ashamed.
He also realized that his cousin, a weak woman with no strength to even kill a chicken, had already done her best to help him get things this far, and he shouldn't ask for more.
Rong Linyan immediately expressed his support, looking at Bai Hua with a sincere expression and saying, "Hua'er, your cousin knows you are doing your best to help me, and I am both grateful and ashamed. Don't worry, once we return to Jiling, I will immediately ask my mother to prepare for our marriage. You are my person, and I will always protect you. After the tournament is over, I will immediately find ways and connections to help Brother Shu'an out of his predicament. You can rest assured."
Upon hearing this, Bai Hua pursed her lips and remained silent.
Once upon a time, marrying her cousin was Bai Hua's greatest wish.
This matter has nothing to do with how much she likes Rong Linyan. Rather, after her parents passed away, she wandered around and had had enough of living as a dependent. All she wanted was to have a stable place to live after marriage.
Now, she has experienced too much, met other people, and gone through even more, and her mindset is no longer the same as before.
Seeing that Rong Linyan was still waiting for her reaction, Bai Hua composed herself and replied, "The competition is about to begin, and cousin needs to devote himself to martial arts training. He must win the championship. As for romance, we can discuss it later."
Rong Linyan said, "Hua'er is considerate of me, but how can I let you suffer? When I sent you to Xianyang Mountain, we agreed that once you returned, we would immediately prepare for the wedding. I have always kept this in mind."
Upon hearing this, Bai Hua calmly looked away, inwardly sighing at the unpredictability of life.
When her cousin made this promise to her, she was uneasy, afraid that she would go through a dangerous situation and be rejected by her cousin when she returned, and that he would go back on his word and refuse to marry her.
At this moment, when her cousin uttered those seemingly affectionate words, Bai Hua felt no relief, but rather felt immense pressure.
She even thought that if her cousin could handle the matter by not mentioning marriage again, she would feel relieved.
Bai Hua sighed inwardly and murmured, "I know my cousin's feelings, but I can't rest easy until my brother is out of prison. I have no parents anymore. If I really want to get married, I only hope that my brother can come and see me off. So... I think the wedding can be postponed a little."
Having said that, Bai Hua's expression turned somewhat sad, and Rong Linyan could not press her any further.
He said gently, "Alright, whatever you say. I will focus on preparing for the competition and try my best to reunite you and Brother Shu'an as siblings as soon as possible."
Bai Hua breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you for your understanding, cousin."
Rong Linyan stood up and handed the water-filled pouch to Bai Hua, instructing her, "Hua'er, take this water pouch to Ning Jue's carriage so he can quench his thirst on the journey. We still have two days' journey to Jiling, and the weather will get colder and the road will be quite bumpy. Although we have captured someone, we believe in the principles of chivalry and righteousness, and we cannot let him suffer too much. Once the arena is over and Ning Jue no longer poses a threat to the Sword Hall, I will let him leave without worry."
Bai Hua: "Does my cousin really intend to let him leave?"
Rong Linyan: "Yes, if doing this can alleviate your guilt to some extent, I am of course willing."
...
When Bai Hua got back into the carriage, Ning Jue had just returned from relieving himself outside.
She approached and placed the water pouch near the back of the iron cage, making it easy for Ning Jue to reach it.
Seeing this, Ning Jue still had the leisure to joke with her: "You should drink less water. Every time you go to the bathroom in a faraway place, you have to trouble Master Fu to follow you closely and keep a close watch on you like a thief. I feel tired just watching him."
Upon hearing this, Bai Hua felt guilty once again, heartbroken for the humiliation and suffering that the young master had endured because of her.
She murmured, "Young master has been wronged."
Ning Jue replied casually, "It's alright, I'm fine. But it was Fu Wei who had to come along with me against his will, enduring a long walk and getting bitten by mosquitoes the whole way, resulting in a whole arm full of welts. Rong Linyan entrusted him with this task, it was truly a thankless and arduous job."
Bai Hua sensed something was amiss and asked, "Is the young master deliberately leading him on a charade?"
Ning Jue snorted: "Isn't that to be expected? Every time we stop, the grass near the camp is already occupied by other members of the team. Whenever I pass by, I cover my mouth and nose with my sleeve, but it doesn't help. How can I make myself suffer? Of course, I have to find a quiet and clean place further away. But if I go far away, those who follow me won't be comfortable either."
Bai Hua asked, puzzled, "Young master, didn't you get bitten by mosquitoes along the way?"
Ning Jue raised an eyebrow: "I know how to use poison. Although the skills I learned from my master's wife are not very good, I can still keep mosquitoes away. The mosquitoes in the mountains are fierce. That day you lingered in my arms for quite a while, and you got the scent of grass ash from my clothes. Therefore, even the fiercest mosquitoes in the bushes dare not bite you anymore."
"That's really true..."
Bai Hua belatedly realized that it seemed that she had stopped feeling the itching from the bites all over her body after feeding Ning Jue mouth-to-mouth.
She initially thought she was lucky to have avoided them, but it turned out to be for some other reason.
Bai Hua: "I didn't know that you, young master, also had the skill of making incense to repel mosquitoes."
Ning Jue smiled and said, "Yes, the climate in the north is cold. We haven't waited for spring yet, let alone for the mosquitoes to revive and cause trouble."
His words were a double entendre, and his smile was bitter.
Bai Hua felt a little uneasy.
They did not live to see spring, nor even until winter was over.
A brief encounter, an inevitable separation, yet the two fell in love, making their parting difficult and excruciatingly painful.
Ning Jue then reached out his hand to her, gesturing for her to come closer.
Bai Hua took half a step forward, pressed her body against the iron railing, and placed her fingers on his palm.
Ning Jue grasped his hand, and the two naturally interlocked their fingers. Then, he exerted force on his wrist and pulled the other person forward.
The two were very close, their breaths mingling and burning.
Ning Jue spoke into her ear, his voice slightly hoarse: "Hua'er, I have to go."
This was the first time he had called her by that name, her real name which she had deliberately disguised and concealed.
At first glance, it sounded a bit unfamiliar, especially since he called her so close to his ear. Bai Hua felt her cheeks flush and felt extremely uncomfortable.
But actually, A Peng is not a fake name; it was the nickname her parents used to call her when she was a child.
In this respect, she didn't lie.
Ning Jue's breath still lingered in her ear, and Bai Hua felt a tingling sensation in her ear, along with countless itchy sensations. This itch was much more intense than the skin-itching sensation caused by countless mosquito bites.
Bai Hua pushed him away slightly and stammered, "Leave? How...how are you going to leave?"
Ning Jue earnestly explained, "Hua'er, you are very important to me, but besides you, there is something else that has been weighing on my mind for a long time. You know what it is. Before leaving Ye City, I obtained a new clue and need to hurry up and track it down, but before I set off, I chose to come to you first, firstly to put your mind at ease and let you know that I have never blamed you, and secondly to get a promise from you. I want you to promise me in person."
His expression was too serious and earnest. Bai Hua looked at him and subconsciously asked, "What promise?" Ning Jue remained serious: "I want you to promise me that after returning to Jiling, you will not marry Rong Linyan immediately. You can delay it for as long as possible. You must wait for me to come back to find you and take you away."
Bai Hua's heart suddenly pounded violently, and she hesitated whether to agree to the promise.
Things are different now than before. She has to think carefully before she says anything. She no longer wants to deceive Ning Jue and must always keep her word.
She hesitated, then, as if remembering something, said hesitantly, "This iron cage is made of the hardest black iron. How could you possibly escape so easily, young master? I don't know where my cousin hid the key, I..."
Ning Jue interrupted her: "The Qingying Sword can cut through, and Rong Linyan took the Qingying Sword, thinking that I was helpless. But in the martial world, who doesn't have a backup plan?"
After saying that, Ning Jue, while looking at Bai Hua's confused gaze, raised his hand and tugged at his collar.
His collar loosened, and he pulled out the chain hanging around his neck, revealing a peace ring pendant engraved with auspicious cloud patterns. The pendant was bluish in color, smooth in surface, and not at all sharp.
It was probably because it seemed useless and threatening that Rong Linyan and Fu Wei overlooked and left the chain when they searched the young master.
Could there be some hidden secret in this safety ring?
Bai Hua stared intently at it.
Ning Jue easily pulled off the rope chain, held it in his hand, and then twisted it forcefully with two fingers. The two semicircles that were originally tightly joined slowly separated under this force, revealing the gear-like spikes hidden in the shadows.
Bai Hua exclaimed in surprise, "This is..."
Ning Jue explained simply: "The ring buckle is made of the same material as the green shadow, and is extremely hard. It can cut through the iron bars and help me escape."
Bai Hua immediately focused her gaze on the iron bars. She guessed that Ning Jue must have already accomplished something, which was why he was saying goodbye to her now.
Sure enough, as she looked around, Ning Jue reached out and counted three strands in front of her in order, telling her frankly, "These three strands can be broken with a wave of my hand; the iron cage cannot hold me."
Bai Hua hesitated for a moment, but quickly understood the meaning of those words.
The young master was willing to endure several days of imprisonment and grievances because he wanted to see her. Otherwise, he would not have been trapped in the cage at all, and his previous capture might even have been intentional.
Bai Hua had no time to delve into the past; she focused on asking the more crucial questions: "When does Young Master plan to leave? Is there anyone waiting for you outside? Rong Linyan's martial arts are not as good as yours, but they are not too bad. There are many disciples outside, and Fu Wei's martial arts are also quite impressive. Are you absolutely certain that Young Master can escape safely?"
Hearing the urgency in her tone, Ning Jue suddenly curved his lips into a smile, quite pleased with a particular detail in Bai Hua's words.
When she spoke, she used the name "Rong Linyan" instead of "my cousin".
Ning Jue found it agreeable. He didn't want Bai Hua to habitually use "I" as a prefix, subconsciously categorizing herself and Rong Linyan as being in the same camp.
Her camp can only have one more person like him.
They cannot tolerate outsiders.
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