Chapter 38 October 16
Year after year.
On the day when Jiaoran was finally able to defeat him in ten moves, she hurriedly moved the bluestone slab away and was about to jump down.
Zhu Su stopped her and asked, "Do you know the direction of the undercurrent? Or can you identify the way in the pitch-black water?"
Of course Jiaoran couldn't do it, so she asked him to go down first.
"I'm teaching you how to hold your breath. How well are you doing? If you're halfway through swimming and still need me to rescue you, that's pretty stupid."
Jiao Ran pushed him, "Hurry up, I don't need you to rescue me, I just need to follow you. As long as you are heading in the right direction, I won't be wrong."
Zhu Su jumped up, his body immersed in the water, his head exposed, his wet white hair sticking to his ears, "Remember to follow me closely."
"Okay." Jiao Ran swore, "I will definitely not run around."
He entered the water, and Jiaoran followed.
The two of them swam in the pitch-black water for half an incense stick of time. Jiaoran became a little anxious because they still couldn't get out.
She kicked her legs hard to catch up with him, glaring at him and pointing at the rocks and water plants beside her.
He held her wrist with his backhand and continued to swim forward with her. The water was icy cold. The water in autumn was already too cold. His hand was also cold under the water. Jiaoran didn't know what he meant and could only let him lead her forward.
It was sunrise. Jiaoran swam free from the undercurrent beneath the grotto and reached a body of water. She poked her head out, breathing deeply. The first rays of sunlight greeted her, their golden glow covering the water. Jiaoran had never seen such a spectacular sunrise. Millions of golden rays pierced the water like sharp arrows, seemingly capable of splitting the darkness.
"The night dew is light and radiant purple," Jiaoran muttered. As she spoke, she remembered that this was a poem Mu Jin had recited to her one morning. She couldn't write the word "light" in the poem, so he punished her by making her copy it twenty times.
"What did you say?" Her words were blown away by the river breeze and became very vague.
"I said, it turns out that the truly beautiful sunrise is not seen from courtyards and pavilions, but from the water."
She was looking at the rising sun when the person next to her dived into the water, grabbed her ankle and dragged her under the water.
Jiaoran choked on the water and hurriedly surfaced, "What are you doing? Are you trying to drown me?"
He said no, "Come with me."
She followed him into the water half-believing and half-doubting.
The sunlight penetrated the water surface and spread freely in the water. With the help of this light, some things could be seen clearly at the bottom of the dark water.
Jiaoran and he dived down to a very deep place, and then she discovered that there was an ancient city under the water.
The fish swam through the ruins. In the front was a stone gate. The patterns carved on the stone pillars on both sides were eroded by water and could no longer be seen.
She curiously wandered around the city, keeping company with the fish. The city was huge. After looking at it for a while, Jiaoran couldn't hold her breath anymore and swam up to breathe. She held her breath for too long and felt a little dizzy.
Zhu Su followed and surfaced. "This ancient city is huge. You can't see it all at once. We can continue exploring next time."
Jiaoran said to take another look.
She dived in headfirst, and even if she could come to this island again in the future, let alone next time, that was another matter.
After being immersed in the river for so long, Jiaoran felt cold all over. She wanted to dive further, but Zhu Su pulled her back and said, "We'll wait and see next time. Now we're on shore."
Although she was reluctant to leave, she had not forgotten her business. She left the small town behind and swam all the way back behind him.
Jiaoran didn't recognize this strange path. He only knew that they had just landed on a sandy beach and soon continued walking until they arrived at a forest.
There were towering trees everywhere. She walked behind, stunned by the ancient trees that five people couldn't hug. If they were turned into tables and benches, the inn would have to replace them all.
Jiaoran continued walking forward and saw a steep cliff at the end of the forest. "Why did you bring me here?"
"Why are you talking so much?" he complained.
Jiao Ran covered his mouth and stammered, "Are you going to make me mute?"
"You can keep shouting and try."
She quickly covered her mouth and said nothing.
She stood on the cliff and looked down. In the distance, she saw a strange rock hanging on the cliff. A bamboo house was built on the rock and surrounded by fences. One wall of the building was covered with green plants, and the green spread to the stone wall behind the building.
Zhu Su told her to jump down.
Jiaoran was horrified. "What? It's so high, won't I fall to my death?"
She was afraid that he would push her, so she stayed away from him.
"Didn't you learn Qinggong?"
Jiao then realized, "Yes, I learned it..."
He touched the cliffs with his toes and moved his clothes lightly, as if he was just jumping between ordinary stone steps.
Jiaoran followed his example and put her hands behind her back, but she almost fell down after just two steps. She was so scared that she quickly stretched out her hands to maintain her balance. It seems that being cool and unrestrained also requires skills.
She landed in front of the small building. The courtyard was in the belly of the mountain. The white mist in the early morning was floating in the mountains, and from time to time it passed through the courtyard. It was like a fairyland.
"What did you bring me here for?"
"Today is October 16th." What he said was completely irrelevant.
"Really? I've been in the cave for ages."
"Last year you said October 16th was your birthday."
Jiao Ran remembered after he reminded her, "It's my birthday, that's right!"
"But what does this have to do with you bringing me here?" She paused for a moment, and suddenly realized that he took her to see the sunrise and the underwater city just to make her happy on this day.
She then thought that she was able to withstand ten of his moves, and it happened to be on this day. There was no other reason except that he was letting her off the hook.
Unless he wants to lose the bet himself, perhaps no one can win the bet with him.
There was a small bamboo stool in the yard. Jiaoran sat on it. She looked around and saw only one stool. This person was really strange. He didn't even have an extra stool. He didn't know how to entertain guests. "I know. This is your home."
He nodded.
Jiaoran's clothes were still damp. "Do you have a blanket or quilt or something? Clean clothes would be fine too. I left in such a hurry that I left my clothes in your retreat."
He pushed open the door of the small building, took out a robe from inside and threw it to her. Jiaoran didn't catch it immediately, and the robe fell on her head. "Can't you just hand it to me?" She was stunned for a moment, as if she remembered someone else, so she didn't take off the robe and put it on immediately.
"What's wrong with you? Are you angry?" He was a little impatient. "Why are you so difficult to please?"
"Who do you think is difficult to please?" Jiaoran put on his clothes. "Thank you very much."
Zhu Su walked up to her, looking down at her. "I sense you have no respect for me at all. This is not good. I taught you Qinggong, swordsmanship, and... so much, and not only do you refuse to become my disciple, you also show no gratitude towards me."
Jiaoran apologized, "I must be more respectful to you. It's my fault."
"That's good enough." He was satisfied.
Jiao Ran called out to him, "When will you let me go?"
"Where are you going?" he asked deliberately.
"Go home!"
"Where to go?"
"Of course it's Mianyuan. Haven't I told you many times?"
He said slowly, as if he just realized it, "Oh——"
"Tell me where we can leave quickly." Jiaoran asked hurriedly.
"No!" Zhu Su refused.
"Huh?" she asked in surprise. "What's wrong?"
"Leave here, no."
"You promised me yourself, saying that if I win ten moves, you'll—"
"I said, after ten moves, I'll promise to end your retreat."
Jiaoran was so angry that he kicked over the stool, "You--" She thought about it carefully, and realized that he really said that at that time. He did not agree to let her leave the island and go home.
"Hold the stool." He walked into the small building and boiled a pot of hot water in the house.
Jiaoran refused to listen and kicked the stool further away, "I won't!"
The man's voice came from inside the door, "Pick up the stool."
Reluctantly, she walked over and put the stool back in place.
"Don't smash my things anymore!"
Jiaoran heard him slam the teacup down on the table.
She had no choice but to give in and walked in.
"Are you boiling water?"
"Are you blind?"
"Let me do the burning. Sir, your precious hands are certainly not capable of doing such rough work." Jiaoran said flatteringly.
Jiaoran pushed him down on a stool, "Sir, please sit down and wait for Jiaoran to make tea."
If the hard approach doesn’t work, of course we have to use the soft approach.
Jiaoran tore open the oil-paper wrapping of the tea cake. The tea inside gave off a delicate and elegant fragrance. She couldn't help but sniff a few more times, "What kind of tea is this?"
He said he didn't know, pointing to the cliff outside and said, "It looks like Xiaowu picked tea from the cliff."
"I want that one." He pointed to a book behind Jiaoran.
Jiao Ran hurriedly handed it over with both hands like a lackey, "I respectfully read it."
I saw "Su Wen" written on the cover.
"By the way, your sister and brother, don't you miss them?" he said with a smile.
Jiaoran paused, unable to recall for a moment, "Sister?"
She pursed her lips and said guiltily, "Oh, oh, I thought my brother and sister had gone home!"
He continued flipping through the book without even glancing at her. "No, they've been waiting for you."
His fingers paused on the line where Yin struggled within, Yang disturbed without, the soul sweated unsettled, and the four sides rose up in a slump. He raised his eyes to look at her and said, "It's a good time to reunite."
Jiao Ran asked tentatively, "Let's go together as a family?"
He sneered and shook his head, "Let's get together and go together."
…
The inn is not accepting outside guests today. Only the disciples of Huiyingmen and the phoenix chicks are here.
The proprietress raised the wine in her hand and said, "Today is Young Master Mu Jin's birthday. Everyone, remember to say auspicious words and don't say anything bad."
Suixing and Shunguang looked unhappy and tried not to speak.
Bu Yue sat on the side, cracking melon seeds carelessly, waiting for the meal to be served. Such a sumptuous day was rare, and her mouth was full of oil from chewing the chicken leg.
When it was Suixing's turn, he didn't drink a single drop. "Today is also Jiaoran's birthday."
Mu Jin's eyes darkened and his fingers rubbed around the wine cup.
Is today also her birthday?
The proprietress became angry and looked at the Phoenix Chick. The Phoenix Chick scratched his head and said, "I've told you many times, that girl stole the Gaoshan Shou and ran away with a lover in the mansion."
Shunguang asked, "Do you believe this yourself?"
Phoenix Chick said, "I saw it with my own eyes, so I don't care whether I believe it or not."
The disciples in the sect have always known Jiaoran's character. She would never let anyone betray her. But this phoenix chick actually deceived his master's wife with just a few words.
The disciples were all waiting for their master to come back and give them justice, but the master went to Wanping on business and has not returned yet.
"Brother Bu Yue, do you think Jiao Ran is the kind of person who would betray his master?"
Bu Yue gathered the melon seed shells together and asked, "Why are you asking me?"
Seeing that he didn't interfere, Phoenix Chick felt relieved. "You can only judge a person by his appearance, not his heart. That little girl is very clever. She stole something and ran away during the chaos. I don't know how many times she has sold the secret manual of the master."
Suixing was furious. Jiaoran had grown up with them, and he couldn't tolerate outsiders bullying his junior sister. "Stop spitting blood!"
"You are just a--" Suixing had just said half of his sentence when Fenghuangchu slammed the table, shook up a chopstick, twisted the bamboo chopstick with two fingers, and stabbed it at Suixing like a flying knife.
Bu Yue grabbed the bamboo chopsticks that were stabbing towards Sui Xing's eye socket, sneered, and overturned the table, "Feng Huang Chu, we still call you Senior Brother, you don't think you are still our Senior Brother in Yingmen, do you?"
Everyone looked at the master's wife, hoping that she would do justice.
A wonderful birthday party ended in a quarrel.
She said to Mu Jin, "I'll get you a better one next year, and then we'll go to Chang'an."
Mu Jin raised her eyelids slightly, "No need, I'm full."
He stood up and lowered his head slightly, "I'm going back to my room."
The lady boss called him, "Don't fall asleep. I'll ask someone to make you longevity noodles. Wait and have a few bites."
Suixing was so angry that he was about to go up and argue with his master's wife, but Bu Yue stopped him and whispered, "What are you looking for?"
Bu Yue said, "Didn't you see?"
"ah?"
"What an idiot."
"I asked you to deliver the letter. Did you deliver it?"
"The one for Miss Xumeng Qiu? It's delivered."
"Master's wife, don't you know?"
"I'm hiding it from her, but the person I should be hiding it from is Senior Sister Zhuxing, right?"
"Keep it secret and don't let Zhuxing know."
"Okay, leave it to me. I won't tell anyone."
"She read the letter and said she would write back to me in a few days?"
Suixing shook his head. "She didn't tell me. I went to look for her at the address my senior brother gave me. There was a slightly older woman with her. She seemed to be restraining her, preventing her from escaping."
"Who is it?"
"How would I know that, Senior Brother? I just heard Miss Xumeng Qiu call her the Holy Witch."
"Oh, her master." Bu Yue calculated the time and could not wait any longer. She hoped that Xu Mengchou would come soon.
"Brother, you're not going to enjoy the blessing of having two wives, are you? You already have Senior Sister Zhuxing. Although Miss Xumeng Qiu is also beautiful, there can't be two tigers in one mountain."
Bu Yue gave him a slap on the face and said, "Stop talking nonsense. I have something important to talk to her about."
"So, Senior Brother, do you want me to do something for you? How about writing a letter to Master as well?"
"No need, Master will know what happened here."
"Are you saying that Master's Wife is interfering in other people's affairs now, and that this is Master's permission? Master's Wife is fine, but the more I look at that Phoenix Chick, the more uncomfortable I feel. When are we going to find a way to kill him?"
Bu Yue put her arm around his shoulders and said, "You are no match for him, and neither am I. We are both weak, so let's not seek death."
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