A Glimpse into the Hundred Faces (16)
After that night, Yun Yanqiu stayed at home for a few more days, chatting with his parents. Zhao Huai Ren, on the other hand, devoted himself entirely to Yun Yuxi, flitting around her like a busy bee, moving wine jars, sweeping the courtyard, and keeping himself very busy.
After watching for a while, Yun's father couldn't help but worry: "Is this kid serious? Will Ayu be fooled by him?"
"What do you mean by lying? A young lady knows what she's doing, so don't worry about it." Yunmu stuffed a segment of orange into his mouth. "Don't blame me for not warning you, if you interfere, be careful your daughter will turn against you later."
Upon hearing this, Yun's father chewed on the orange with a resentful expression, his eyes showing a weak protest. His appearance was rather amusing, causing Yun's mother to chuckle. She turned and shoved the remaining half of the orange into Yun Yanqiu's hand: "Yanqiu, would you like to try some?"
The sweet juice of the orange burst in her mouth, and Yun Yanqiu nodded gently, breaking off a segment to feed the little bird on her shoulder. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the stone table; everything was so peaceful and beautiful.
Yunmu gazed at her son's profile, her eyes etched with reluctance. She always wished these days could last, but alas, Yunyanqiu was returning to Xuanming Mountain.
She couldn't help but sigh, took out a wine gourd and handed it to Yun Yanqiu: "We don't have anything else worth mentioning at home besides wine, so please take this and give it to Immortal Li."
Seeing Yun Yanqiu obediently accept the gourd, she added, "This wine was personally selected by your sister; consider it a thank-you gift from our family to him."
Yun Yanqiu paused slightly as he took the gourd. He tucked it into his waistband and pulled a porcelain bottle from his robes: "Father, Mother, this is medicine Master gave me for my injuries, I..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yunmu suddenly hugged him tightly. The silver strands in her hair stung Yun Yanqiu's eyes, making them burn, and his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, rendering him speechless. He gently hugged her fragile body back, hearing his mother choke out, "Mother doesn't want any of this, Mother just wants you to be alright."
Before leaving, Yun Yanqiu approached Zhao Huai'ren to ask if he wanted to come along, and the answer was predictable. Zhao Huai'ren unsurprisingly refused. Yun Yanqiu naturally understood Zhao Huai'ren's intentions, and he was about to issue a warning when he saw Yun Yuxi pass by, seemingly glancing at them both. But when Yun Yanqiu turned to look at her, Yun Yuxi quickly looked away, leaving only a fleeting glimpse of her departing figure.
“Oh dear, your sister actually cares about you quite a bit. She even asked me about you after you left last night,” Zhao Huai-ren advised.
“She’s not concerned at all,” Yun Yanqiu sneered. “She’s clearly just feeling guilty.”
He couldn't persuade either side of the siblings to stop their awkwardness. Zhao Huai-ren sighed helplessly and watched Yun Yanqiu board the departing carriage. The carriage bumped and jolted as it headed north, and Zhao Huai-ren stood there, gazing at the carriage as it gradually disappeared from sight.
"Why don't you go with him?" A sharp female voice suddenly rang out from behind.
Zhao Huai Ren turned around and couldn't help but grin foolishly when he saw Yun Yu Xi: "With you here, where can I go?"
Yun Yuxi raised an eyebrow and gave him a scrutinizing look: "He hates me so much, yet you still dare to pursue me?"
“Let’s keep things separate.” Zhao Huai-ren chuckled and took a step closer. “Besides, Brother Yan doesn’t really dislike you. He’s just having a little tiff. He’ll be fine in a while.”
Yun Yuxi's gaze darkened slightly, remaining noncommittal. She suddenly turned to return to the winery, but heard Zhao Huai Ren ask her, "Miss Yu, does your silence mean you agree to let me stay here?"
Yun Yuxi lifted her eyelids, glanced at him subtly, then snorted coldly and walked into the house.
This glance made Zhao Huai-ren's heart flutter with joy, and he quickly chased after him, saying, "Just tell me what you need, I can do anything!"
The midday sun blew the bluestone path in front of the distillery white, and the lanterns hanging from the eaves swayed lazily, as if taking a nap. The shouts of the workers came from inside the distillery, and Zhao Huai-ren quickly stepped over the threshold, his hearty laughter immediately blending into the busy sounds.
Meanwhile, Yun Yanqiu arrived at the post station at the border of Lizhou and Beizhou. The station was full of carriages waiting for passengers, and the drivers sat idly in their carriages, some dozing off, some chatting, all looking quite idle. But when Yun Yanqiu went up to ask, they all waved their hands and shook their heads, resolutely refusing to take him to Beizhou.
"Master, the Northern Continent is in chaos lately. There are only those who escaped from there, but I haven't seen anyone rushing back there," a coachman kindly reminded him. "If you don't have anything urgent to do, don't go."
"What happened over there?"
"Sigh, there's been so much thunder over there lately, every single one of them could be deadly!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Yanqiu's heart tightened, worried that this matter was related to his master.
Before he could ask further, the coachman dropped an even more chilling bombshell: "There's some kind of cult that's killing people over there under the guise of revenge. They don't spare anyone who uses a sword. Isn't that terrifying?"
Seeing Yun Yanqiu remain silent, the coachman assumed he was afraid and continued to advise, "I see you're carrying a sword, Immortal Master, it's best not to rush over at this time." He then let out a long sigh, "With natural disasters and man-made calamities all at once, I wonder what will become of the Northern Continent..."
Yun Yanqiu was momentarily stunned. He vaguely sensed that the things the coachman was talking about seemed to be related to him, which made him even more anxious. After asking around, he couldn't find a single carriage willing to go to Beizhou. Helpless, he had no choice but to go to the inn at the post station, order a pot of tea, sit down and rest, and continue to observe the carriages coming and going outside, trying to find a few easy-going faces to try again.
Just as he was engrossed in his gaze, a voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts: "Immortal Master, what are you doing here?"
Yun Yanqiu looked up and followed the direction of the sound, and there stood the coachman who had carried him and Zhao Huai Ren.
The coachman's eyes were full of surprise. Before Yun Yanqiu could react, he sat down next to him and asked bluntly, "Immortal Master, where are you going?"
“…Northern Continent.” Yun Yanqiu answered, but a hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes.
"Northern Continent?!" The coachman was startled. He cautiously looked around, then hunched over and whispered in Yun Yanqiu's ear, "Immortal Master, the person you killed last time was no ordinary person. It's said to be the daughter of a Demonic Sect leader. The leader was furious when he found out his daughter was dead and said he would kill all the swordsmen in Northern Continent!"
Yun Yanqiu's expression darkened: "They've caused you trouble too?"
"No, not at all." The coachman shook his head. "I'm just a mortal, and I've been traveling around lately. I haven't been to the Northern Continent, so this isn't my fault. I only heard this information from my fellow travelers." After saying that, he advised again, "In any case, the Northern Continent is very dangerous right now. Immortal Master, you should stay out of the limelight for a while."
Yun Yanqiu clenched his fists, his brows furrowed: "No, my master and mistress are over there. This matter started because of me, and I'm afraid it has already implicated them."
The coachman was slightly taken aback. Seeing Yun Yanqiu's determination, he hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "I have an old horse that can't pull the cart anymore, but it knows the road to Beizhou very well. I've been worrying about what to do with it lately, so I might as well give you a ride."
Yun Yanqiu was extremely grateful and quickly stood up to bow to the coachman in thanks. The coachman stopped him, signaling him to be careful: "Immortal, this is all I can do for you. Be careful on the road."
Yun Yanqiu mounted his horse and galloped along the forest path, heading towards the Northern Continent. Ye Yingying slipped out of Yun Yanqiu's arms, twirling in the air as she observed the movements in the distance. Dark clouds filled the sky, and rumbling thunder echoed; the closer they got to the Northern Continent, the more terrifying the earth-shattering thunder became.
The thunderclap made Yun Yanqiu's heart tremble violently: Could it be that Master has really left Xuanming Mountain? But why? What reason could he have to leave despite the heavenly thunder? ...Could it be that something happened to Master's wife? One question after another surged into his mind, and the ominous premonition grew stronger. At this moment, Yun Yanqiu wished he could grow wings like Yingying and fly back.
The surrounding scenery began to change, with flowers, grass, and trees adorned with white snow, and the whistling wind adding to the chill. As they ran, the rapid hoofbeats suddenly slowed, the old horse panting heavily, letting out a deep neigh, and then stopped motionless.
Yun Yanqiu dismounted warily, his gaze wary. The discordant silence around him made him instinctively grip the hilt of his sword.
Ye Yingying circled in the air, keeping watch. Suddenly, a strange flute sound came from the sky, and cold light flashed in the woods. Sword light rushed in from all directions, piercing straight towards Yun Yanqiu.
Yun Yanqiu drew his sword to meet the attack, but his pupils contracted the moment he saw the enemy's face clearly—the one who attacked him was not a living person, but a corpse puppet!
These corpse puppets were all ashen-faced with unfocused eyes, yet their swordplay was remarkably precise. They felt no pain; even as their blades pierced his arms, they relentlessly attacked Yun Yanqiu, their dense assault forming a net that forced him into a corner. Although Yun Yanqiu had heard of corpse puppets, this was the first time he had truly witnessed their power, leaving him utterly helpless.
Seeing Yun Yanqiu covered in wounds, Ye Yingying was extremely anxious. She flapped her wings and flew to a higher place, trying to find the demonic cultivator hiding behind and controlling these corpse puppets. But all around was a vast expanse of white, and the flute music, which had sounded the moment the attack was launched, had disappeared without a trace.
Just then, a dark figure flashed through the forest like lightning and landed swiftly in front of Yun Yanqiu. The figure raised its hand and lashed out a sharp nine-section whip, the blades wrapping around several corpse puppets and binding them tightly.
Then, the dark figure tightened the whip, the sharp blades embedding themselves into the flesh of the corpse puppets, allowing poison to seep into their bodies. The corpse puppets, which had been baring their fangs and claws, fell silent in an instant, their swords falling to the ground with a clanging sound.
Ignoring her wounds, Yun Yanqiu stared blankly at the familiar yet unfamiliar back before her, her voice trembling: "Master's wife?"
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