Chapter 131 Bodhisattva Lowers His Eyebrows, Vajra Gazes Wrathfully (1) A Feast of Sound and Color...
Chapter 131
Heading north along the ancient road beside Dengquan Cliff, one can re-enter the territory of Huachao. The narrow post road is lined with towering mountains, and rocks occasionally roll down from the Cangshan Mountains on both sides of the ancient road. The caravan needs to be extremely careful when traveling, otherwise, one might accidentally be hit on the head by a falling rock.
Zhu Qi was a good rider, but he hadn't dismounted since last night, and his buttocks and thighs were sore. He gritted his teeth and moved his hips, glancing back at the sturdy wooden carriage, which remained silent.
There has been no movement since Feng Tan got into the carriage last night, which shouldn't be the case.
Zhu Qi looked puzzled. Sun Cheng gave him a silent warning look, and Zhu Qi then looked away, rubbing his nose sheepishly, and muttered under his breath, "Old man Sun, don't you find it strange?"
If we were to go to Dahua, the fastest route would be along Huoan Road, but our master chose this detour. Going this way would actually bring us closer to the border of Dahua.
The border regions of Dahuang... are currently engulfed in flames of war.
The King of Dahuangchu rebelled, gathering an army of 100,000 and heading straight for the capital. Emperor Chongming sent General Yu to defend the city, and the two sides were locked in fierce fighting.
The battle was at a stalemate, but since the King of Chu had launched a coup, he was well-prepared. He had been biding his time in Dahuang for so many years, and now that he had launched his attack, his momentum was extremely fierce, and he seemed poised to take the capital city directly.
Sun Cheng ignored him and continued on his way with a blank expression.
Zhu Qi felt awkward, but he still felt that something was wrong with his master. After going to so much trouble to bring Feng Tan back, given his master's vengeful nature, he shouldn't have let Feng Tan and Arslan off so easily. But he only threatened them and then actually allowed Boriged to leave with Arslan.
What's going on here?
But why did he see that his master's methods were not becoming more violent, but rather more gentle?
Zhu Qi sensed something was wrong, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. He turned back to look at the carriage; the brocade curtains shimmered in the gentle sunlight, obscuring the view inside.
Hanging from the center of the carriage ceiling was a magnificent palace lantern made of dozens of luminous pearls strung together. The pearls were crystal clear, emitting a soft yet bright light. Around the lantern, layers of sheer curtains, made of the finest silk, were draped, their light and flowing texture embroidered with exquisite patterns of phoenixes singing in harmony.
The walls were all meticulously crafted from rare sandalwood, with the wood grain flowing naturally like clouds and water. A Persian carpet woven from pure wool, a tribute from the Western Regions, was laid on the floor. Its texture was soft and thick, and Feng Tan lay quietly on its side, sleeping peacefully with a serene expression and even breathing.
Xiao Yinshi looked down at her sleeping soundly, completely unguarded. He dipped his fingertips in medicine and gently applied it to the open wound on her back from the previous night. The skin and flesh at the edges of the wound were turned outwards, revealing a shocking pale white color.
She fell asleep as soon as she got into the carriage last night. She must have been traveling for several days without sleep, and her mind and body were under a lot of stress. After accumulating to a certain point, her energy suddenly dissipated, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Perhaps the ointment was a little irritating, Feng Tan frowned slightly, her eyelashes trembled a few times, and then she slowly opened her eyes.
The wound on her back began to sting and burn, but applying ointment relieved the pain to some extent. Compared to the injuries Feng Tan had suffered in the past, this level of pain was nothing; she had always been able to tolerate pain.
Xiao Yinshi glanced at her sideways, then took a white towel from the edge of the basin and washed his hands after applying the ointment.
On one side of the carriage, there was a small and exquisite rosewood tea table. On the tea table was a set of celadon tea set made in Ru kiln. The tea set had a simple and elegant shape, and the glaze was warm and jade-like, exuding a faint luster.
After lying on her side all night, her body felt like it was falling apart. Feng Tan sat up, propped up on the plush carpet. The man in front of her poured tea with his well-defined fingers and handed it to her. He spoke in a deep voice: "The water is made with the first lotus flowers from the Kunlun Snow Vein. It will help the wound heal."
Feng Tan wouldn't risk her health for nothing. After taking the teacup, she drank the lotus water in one gulp, which soothed her sore throat and made her feel much better.
She lifted the curtain of the sedan chair to look outside, surveyed the terrain, lowered the curtain, and looked at Xiao Yinshi, asking, "Where are you taking me?"
Xiao Yinshi said, "Naturally, it's Dahua."
Feng Tan frowned and said, "This is not the way to Dahua."
"How many years of reading have you cultivated such a keen mind as Lord Feng? You can even judge the terrain and mountains so clearly." Xiao Yinshi's angular profile looked somewhat imposing under the light of the pearl. "This is not the road to Dahua, but the road to take you back to Dahuang."
Feng Tan's eyelashes trembled, and her eyes showed a hint of disbelief. Xiao Yinshi said with a half-smile, "What, you actually believed it?"
Feng Tan didn't show much emotion after being tricked. She looked at the gilded incense burner, which was emitting wisps of smoke, and stretched out her finger to entwine it like a child.
As Xiao Yinshi watched her childish movements, his gaze deepened. Normally, the emotions in his eyes were hidden deep within, revealing no trace of them. But now, an undeniable deep affection was revealed in his gaze, and he lowered his eyelashes without leaving a trace.
Teasing Feng Tan, her usually calm expression showing a hint of speechlessness, she couldn't help but ask, "Are you sick?"
Xiao Yinshi smiled silently.
Feng Tan had seen Xiao Yinshi's various smiles—cold smiles, mocking smiles, joyful smiles—but she had never seen him smile like this before. His eyebrows and the corners of his eyes were curved with laughter, but it also revealed a hint of...sorrow.
desolate?
Feng Tan was surprised to think of this word.
However, he quickly reverted to his wicked nature and said, "There's a pleasure house on the border between the Huanghua and Liang dynasties, perfect for taking revenge on you."
Feng Tan didn't reply; things were already terrible, and she didn't care anymore.
The gilded incense burner emitted a delicate and elegant fragrance, reminiscent of orchids and musk. The mist blurred Xiao Yinshi's facial features, but he suddenly leaned closer to Feng Tan, breaking through the fog. His handsome face became clear again in front of Feng Tan, and he began to recount what he hadn't finished saying the night before, "Feng Tan, the system was set up for us to meet, but you went against the grain. Have you ever thought about the consequences?"
Feng Tan took Xiao Yinshi's wrist, revealing the new and old wounds on his wrist, and said, "Going against the grain didn't make me win, and it didn't make things any easier for you either."
“This means a lose-lose situation,” Xiao Yinshi said, indifferent to whether his tendons were severed or he was still alive. “It also means that you are just a spoiled brat, not the new leader.”
Faced with his sharp criticism, Feng Tan's eyes turned fierce. She grabbed his wrist and leaned closer, their eyes meeting. "Everything has its order. The system binding you and me is its disorder."
"Avoid fate, evade cause and effect..." Xiao Yinshi's eyes held an unfathomable calm. "Cause and effect will naturally cycle again."
Feng Tan couldn't understand what he was saying. Ever since she saw Xiao Yinshi again, she could sense some subtle changes in him. She didn't have any desire to investigate, but she just found it strange.
What exactly is he up to?
It felt like a thug suddenly made a brilliant move.
However, he wasn't much kinder.
Feng Tan's gaze unconsciously fell on Xiao Yinshi's wrist. Whenever he died, he would be reborn at the same time, endlessly experiencing the same life. Wasn't this a kind of karmic retribution? If he died again, would he return to the same point again?
“Life is full of opportunities,” Xiao Yinshi guessed what Feng Tan was thinking. He raised his wrist, the scars on it looking ferocious and terrifying in the candlelight. He looked at Feng Tan with cold, deep eyes. “Now that you understand the key, how can you let it control you?”
Changing fate is easier said than done. Feng Tan sensed a madness about to break free of its shackles beneath his calm exterior. However, Xiao Yinshi always played by the rules, and she couldn't guess what he was going to do. Whether he was warning or comforting himself by saying these nonsensical things, she was too lazy to guess.
However, still full of pride, Feng Tan spoke with sarcasm, "Xiao Yinshi, you really are... self-contradictory."
On one hand, he said that Feng Tan's violation of the system's agreement was defying fate, and that cause and effect would eventually cycle again; on the other hand, he said that he had seen through the secrets of heaven, so he had to do the opposite.
The logic between the beginning and the end is flawed, and it is even difficult to reconcile with itself.
“I opened my heavenly eye to glimpse the mortal world, and pitifully, I am the one seen by it all…” Xiao Yinshi looked deeply into her eyes, from a height that gave him a superior perspective, but this time his gaze was not manipulative, but rather revealed an unconscious tenderness. His focus was not on Feng Tan’s sarcastic words, and he suddenly reached out and pulled Feng Tan close, their breaths mingling. “Feng Tan, you should cherish me.”
Xiao Yinshi always had a way of saying things that left Feng Tan speechless to the point of laughing. For example, he once said:
Feng Tan, you should come and love me.
Feng Tan, you should come and save me.
Feng Tan, you should come and cherish me...
No matter how you try to unravel the entanglement between the two, Feng Tan owes him nothing. His words were full of courtship, so how could Feng Tan not see that he had lost completely in the game of love, and that the one in power was actually the one in a subordinate position?
Even without internal force, the large hand on her back was still powerful. However, this made it easy for Feng Tan to break free of the restraints. She pushed Xiao Yinshi away with force, and after creating some distance, her eyes were disdainful and unruly. "Give me the Rakshasa Army, and maybe I can treat you a little better."
After her ambitions were awakened, Feng Tan's behavior became somewhat flirtatious. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yinshi chuckled softly, as if watching a rose he had personally nurtured bloom more and more beautifully. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Feng Tan's chin, quickly pressing her acupoint, and biting her earlobe with his thin lips. "This isn't how you fight your way back to Dahuang."
This man was capricious. Feng Tan's body was under his control, and all she could see in her vision was Xiao Yinshi's jawline and prominent Adam's apple, clearly outlined in the light and shadow. He put the pill into her mouth in front of her, saying, "I have something to do, but you're too naughty, Feng Tan."
Given Feng Tan's escape after Xiao Yinshi left last time, this time he directly fed Feng Tan a pill that would keep her asleep for ten hours. Looking at her angry eyes, Xiao Yinshi said, "Those who see the fish in the abyss are unlucky, and those who cleverly foresee the hidden danger will suffer. Sleep."
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