Chapter 126: Lady Jade's Plumbing and Illuminating the Night (End)
There have been many people from the underworld in the city recently, most of whom have some connection with the Tianji Pavilion. The chaos on the streets was quickly taken over.
The fire was put out, the injured were carried away, and the dead were collected.
The noisy crowd gradually dispersed after calming down, leaving behind only the mess on the ground and the lingering smell of blood and burnt things in the air.
Qing Guiyu's crying gradually stopped, but she was still lying in Shen Juansheng's arms, her body twitching, obviously exhausted and without strength.
Lu Guiyan stepped forward silently, took off a relatively clean robe, and draped it over her. Shen Jiansheng looked up at him, but said nothing, simply hugging the person in his arms tighter.
"Let's rest nearby first." The young man in white said in a hoarse voice, "Leave this to them."
The three of them found an inn and it was already late at night when they got to their beds.
Qing Guiyu was so exhausted that he fell asleep immediately without even having a dream.
When I woke up again, it was already dusk the next day. The setting sun was just right outside the window, casting the entire Yuzhou city in a brilliant, carved image of jade and gold.
The hustle and bustle of the streets, far from being abated by the events of last night, has instead added a touch of excitement to the atmosphere after surviving a disaster.
She opened the window and heard the faint sound of opera singing coming from afar, the humming and humming of a newly-adapted play.
The story goes that a fire that burned several boats enraged the river god, who threatened to bring disaster to Yuzhou. At this critical moment, a "Jade Lady" descended from heaven, taking pity on the people. She instructed the people to light grass lamps everywhere, using medicinal incense to dispel the disaster, ultimately restoring peace to the city.
The story was well-made, and in line with the saying of "lighting lanterns to ward off disasters", it added a bit of fairy tale color, which was exactly what people liked to hear.
I think that some time ago, the story of "Lady Jade hanging the pot to illuminate the night" has been sung.
Qing Guiyu was in a state of confusion, yet she knew in her heart that this was probably another work of Master Jin Sheng. He had used a fairy tale to lightly gloss over the disaster that had nearly toppled the entire city.
It not only appeased people's hearts, but also hid the merits of the Cao Gang and various factions under the legend of "Jade Lady", thus avoiding the suspicion of the court.
She was lost in thought when the door was gently pushed open.
Chen Juansheng walked in carrying a bowl of porridge. He had changed into a clean black robe, his hair was neatly tied up, and his face, illuminated by the setting sun, had a gentle, jade-like luster.
When he saw she woke up, his eyes lit up and he quickly walked to her bedside, put down the bowl of porridge, and reached out to touch her forehead.
"Awake?" he asked softly, gently and calmly, "Are you still feeling unwell?"
Qing Guiyu felt a little uncomfortable with his appearance and turned her head away to avoid his hand.
"I'm fine." She pointed out the window. "Did you write that play outside?"
Shen Juansheng was stunned for a moment, then his face flushed. "The people of Yuzhou need an explanation. Gods and ghosts are always easier to accept than the unpredictable human heart."
He paused, lowered his head and continued,
"That Lady Yu, with her bright eyes and gentle demeanor, is a master of medicine, and has a good temper... just like you."
Qing Guiyu held his forehead with his hand.
"...I asked them to make it based on your image."
She just knew it.
"Let's go," she got off the bed and put on her robe, "go out and take a look."
The two walked out of the inn, one in front and one behind.
Lu Guiyan was already waiting at the door. His injuries had not healed yet and his face was still pale, but there was something more in his eyes than before, as if the clarity of someone had unloaded a heavy burden.
The three of them walked side by side on the long street of Yuzhou City, surrounded by bustling crowds, bright lights, and the often-sung "The Jade Lady Hanging the Pot to Illuminate the Night".
When I reached the stone bridge, half of which had burned yesterday, I saw a new stage had been erected at the bridgehead. Several actors, intricately made-up, faced the packed audience, singing a newly composed verse: "...Fortunately, a goddess has descended to earth, lighting lanterns everywhere to illuminate the night. A wisp of medicinal fragrance wards off evil spirits. Ah, ah, in exchange for eternal spring for my kingdom."
The whole room cheered and applauded loudly.
She was so embarrassed that she almost fainted.
But Lu Guiyan stopped and listened for a moment, then suddenly turned his head and looked at Chen Juansheng.
Shen Juansheng seemed to know what he was going to say and reached out his hand first.
She was caught off guard and was completely embraced in his arms.
Young Master Jin Sheng leaned down slightly, his eyebrows tilted to her ear, their breaths intertwined, and the clear bitter fragrance enveloped her everywhere.
"Look," he glanced over and pointed to the fairy on the stage.
"That's their Jade Lady."
"And I," Young Master Jinsheng lowered his head, "am the only mortal you rescued from the Cold Pond Hell...
The voice was soft and lingering, yet clear enough for the white-clad swordsman beside him to hear.
“…This is my young lady.”
Lu Guiyan stared at him, looked at the outer robe that belonged to him draped over her shoulders, and then looked at Chen Juansheng's hand around her waist.
After all, no words were spoken, but in those clear and cold eyes, something was silently melting like ice and snow.
After a long time, he sighed softly, took off the Wuwang Sword from his waist, and handed it to Qing Guiyu along with the warm jade on the sword tassel, which was engraved with the secret of Bingxi meridian cleansing.
"Junior Brother?"
She was shocked.
"Here."
Lu Guiyan said gently, "My whole life has been imprisoned by blood feuds, and this hatred has hampered me until now. Now that Chen Yan is dead, the grudges of the Snow Mountain Sect should also be put to rest."
He looked at her and continued in a low voice,
"These two techniques were originally one, but due to a conflict within the Dao, they destroyed two generations and countless lives. Such extremely cold and dangerous martial arts should never have existed in this world."
He held the sword closer to her. "Junior Sister, I have something to ask of you."
The young man in white looked at her solemnly, "Take this sword and this jade back to the Cold Pond of Tianji Pavilion for me."
"Sink it to the bottom of the pond, and seal it forever together with the black ice jade disk engraved with the Cold Marrow Technique."
He turned around,
"I hope that from now on, there will be no more people like me in the martial arts world, wasting their entire lives for a set of martial arts and a blood feud."
Qing Guiyu stared at him in amazement, seeing the clearness in his eyes that seemed to have been washed clean, and was speechless for a moment.
He reached out his hand, his fingertips trembling as he took the heavy Wuwang sword and the warm jade pendant. The sword was cold, the jade pendant warm.
A blood feud that lasted for decades and two sets of peerless magical skills that were enough to drive the martial arts world crazy were handed over to her in such a casual manner.
From now on, Lu Guiyan of the Snow Mountain Sect may just be Lu Guiyan.
After Lu Guiyan finished speaking, he loosened his hands, as if he had taken off the heaviest shackles of his life.
He took one last look at her, his eyes gentle, just like the little brother who would ruffle her hair with a smile under the warm sunshine of Medicine King Valley many years ago.
Then, he turned around, dressed in white and with white hair, alone, without looking back, and walked step by step into the bright and noisy lights of Yuzhou City. His figure gradually blurred and finally disappeared.
The white dress, whiter than snow, gradually moved farther and farther away, and finally disappeared. Only she and Shen Juansheng were left standing on the charred stone bridge, looking at each other from afar under the lights of the city.
Until that bit of snow was completely integrated into the lights of thousands of homes and could no longer be found.
Then she felt a heaviness on her head. When she looked up, she found that it was Chen Juansheng who had rested his chin on the whorl of her hair.
"No."
She was feeling sour because of what her junior brother said, and was stunned by his sudden two words.
"What's wrong?"
This beautiful venomous snake that just coiled up next to him was obviously not so easy to get rid of.
"marriage."
Young Master Jin Sheng hugged her tighter, glared at her, and said through gritted teeth, "We must get married now."
The atmosphere that had been relatively stable just now began to become dangerous again.
When did I get it? The sorrow of a person who has been looking up at the lonely moon for a long time; the loyalty of a person who has no trust and betrayal.
She was also confused. Half of the bridge was burned last night and the bodies were still warm. Now you tell me you want to get married?
He had no choice but to use the hilt of the Wuwang sword that had just stabbed his father to poke him in the chin.
Seeing that she didn't say anything and just stared at him as if he were a madman, Shen Juansheng seemed to be getting more and more flustered and weird.
Xuan Yi moved, and saw him take out a cold iron order from his waist and forcefully stuff it into her hand holding the Wuwang Sword.
It was the personal order from the head of Chiwen Tower in Tianji Pavilion.
"You won this from the bet," the handsome young man said, staring at her fiercely with his beautiful eyes. "You can't deny your debt."
It's really laughable.
She looked down at the token in her hand, then looked up at him. In that ridiculous bet at Tongchifang, she had bet on "don't fight," and he had bet on "engraving the sound to win."
In this situation, Shen Yan is dead, and the two of them didn't fight to the death. Isn't that why she won? Why does the bet have to be forced?
This mastermind of the destiny, who has put himself in the game and calculated everything for everyone, can even turn winning and losing into something else by twisting right and wrong?
I really can’t afford to lose.
"Shen Yansheng," she sighed, feeling that her life would probably be ruined by this beautiful face and this delicate mind.
"Have some sense."
"No need to talk about it." He answered confidently and hugged her tighter. "Miss Qing, it's the truth."
He still looked at her like this, his eyes and eyebrows were full of waves.
"Miss Qing...you, you want to leave me again..."
The anger in Qing Guiyu's heart was quickly dispelled by this whisper that sounded like a sob.
She held up the heavy iron order and shone it in the moonlight.
Whatever.
She thought.
She had set the gamble, and he had set the stakes. She had won peace, and he had lost himself. After all the calculations, it didn't seem like a bad deal.
She personally fished this bright red poisonous snake out of the cold pond and brought it back to life.
Whether to coil it or wrap it around her from now on is probably up to her.
She sighed, holding the token in her backhand and also holding his cold fingers.
"I see." She smoothed her hair. "We'll get married. But not now, and not here."
"...You said it." He immediately raised his head.
"I said so." She nodded, looking at the bright lights all over the city, and then looking at the Wuwang sword in her hand that had caused countless bloody storms. The confusion in her heart gradually became clear.
*
Over the years that followed, that thrilling night of lights in Yuzhou City, and the "Lady Jade" whose name was only left in the opera, gradually became a topic of conversation among storytellers.
Some people say that they once saw an inconspicuous little boat going upstream against the river. On the boat were two figures, one blue and one black. They did not look like a couple who came to enjoy the mountains and rivers, but more like a pair of chivalrous lovers rushing home.
It was indeed a journey home.
Qing Guiyu kept his promise and brought the Wuwang Sword and the warm jade back to the cold pond in Tianji Pavilion.
Shen Juansheng accompanied her.
Returning to this place, he was no longer the young man trapped in the icy prison, filled with despair. He held her hand, passing through the formation and walking along the corridor leading to the bottom of the pool. He had never felt so calm before.
The cold pond is still bottomless, and the water is still icy cold. The huge black ice wall that used to be an ice coffin is glowing faintly underwater, as if it has never changed.
Qing Guiyu sank the sword and jade to the bottom of the pool.
The Wuwang Sword fell into the water and sank slowly and quietly, finally landing in front of the black ice wall, facing the Han Sui Gong engraved on it from a distance across a pool of cold water.
A blood feud that lasted for two generations, and two sets of extremely cold and sinister martial arts, were sealed here forever.
"Alright." Qing Guiyu clapped his hands, turned around, and looked at the young man in black clothes beside him, "Your family affairs and my troubles are all settled."
Chen Juansheng didn't say anything, just looked at the deep pool of water for a long time, then turned around and took her into his arms.
"Miss Qing," he rested his chin on her hair, "from now on, this will be my grave."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" She struggled in his arms.
"Chen Juansheng has died three times," he said softly, "once in the medicine house, once in the cold pond, and once on the river in Baidi City."
Young Master Jinsheng lifted her face and looked at her seriously with his eyes like phoenix feathers.
"You've saved me so many times. From now on, this life, along with this Tianji Pavilion, will be yours."
"I don't want it." She refused without a second thought, "Whoever wants to take care of this mess in Tianji Pavilion can do so."
"Then don't want it, just me." He answered even faster, with a smile, "Let's burn down the Tianji Pavilion and find a beautiful place with clear water and mountains to open a medicine house. I'll grind medicine for you, test poisons for you, whatever you want to do, it's all good."
Qing Guiyu frowned and just looked at him.
The young man in black lowered his head, pulled out a strand of golden thread from his wrist, pursed his lips, and in front of her astonished gaze, deftly tied a knot and re-woven it into a pair of small, heart-shaped knots.
"This... is for you." He said softly, his face burning. "Anyway, I am yours."
*
Of course, she was reluctant to burn down the martial arts sect that had been established for so many years.
Since then, the management of Tianji Pavilion was mostly handed over to Li Chengjin. Young Master Jin Sheng rarely cared about worldly affairs in the world, and few people saw the girl in green holding the bamboo flute again.
Over time, the story of the love poison was considered boring and gradually forgotten, but new rumors began to spread in the world.
Some people say that when malaria first emerged, there was a "Jade Lady" with superb medical skills who used golden needles to save countless lives. However, after the task was over, she passed away without asking for anything in return.
Some people also say that when the fighting on the northern border was at its fiercest, there was a strategist in black clothes who, amidst thousands of troops, with just a few words, broke up a mutiny that was enough to overthrow the dynasty. He then disappeared quietly, leaving behind only an unfathomable legend.
This is a person of great talent and intelligence, and he has almost reached the level of divine enlightenment in his own path.
So much so that a hundred years later, whenever there is a good doctor to save the world and wars are frequent, there are still rumors in the martial arts world that it was Yu Niangzi who gave the acupuncture and Shen Tianji who repelled the enemy.
It was so bizarre that there was a rumor that the two of them had come down to earth and become immortals, saving people from suffering.
But what is true and false, right and wrong in this world?
Later generations searched through old papers and only found a volume of wild stories written by an unknown author. There were two lines of sad poetry inscribed on the last page, which served as a comment.
As the saying goes,
The sound of gold and jade makes the mountains and rivers calm, and the clear tea comes out from the fog after the rain stops.
(End of full text)
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