Chapter 21 I really like you. Our relationship is a life-long friendship...
Although there was no one around, Lou Wanqiao could clearly sense someone above her. Holding her belt, she walked through the darkness, without bumping into walls or encountering any hidden arrows or snipers.
She didn't dare speak, holding her breath to avoid being discovered by the enemy. This was a struggle within their faction, so as an outsider like her, it was best not to act rashly. She should just sit quietly in the background and wait until Li Huanian needed her to act.
Then his waist loosened, Li Huanian patted her shoulder lightly, told her to "hold your breath", and disappeared.
It was as if no one had ever been by her side.
He must have put her in a safe place. Lou Wanqiao simply squatted down and curled up, waiting quietly for the result.
There was no movement in the darkness.
She was getting a little impatient and was just about to take action when she saw a ball of fire lit up not far away.
Li Huanian's voice came from the corner: "Do it——"
Upon receiving the signal, Lou Wanqiao drew his sword, lightly tapped his toes to fly away from his original position, and attacked the nearest person within the visible range.
There was a faint rumbling sound of gravel.
Li Huanian's martial arts skills were not low, but he was not at the upper hand when surrounded by many people. After Lou Wanqiao dealt with two of them, he ran towards him. His body was light and flexible, and he looked like a ghost under the dim firelight.
The cave is not small, but fortunately the firelight is enough to illuminate the surroundings, and there are not many hiding places. It seems that it is still easy to fight.
While these people's fighting style was unpredictable, allowing them to slip silently into blind spots, this "unprecedented" nature was also a kind of rule. Fighting was inherently unsystematic; understanding their opponent's tactics was key. Since they weren't adept at close combat, they could simply employ feints to confuse the viewer.
Then he turned around suddenly and unexpectedly.
The Embroidered Spring Blade, like a nimble venomous snake, swept across the neck in an instant, entwining with the opponent's soft sword. The opponent tried to overcome the opponent's strength with softness, but Lou Wanqiao met his opponent's strength with hardness, and with his other hand, he threw a hidden dart unexpectedly.
Don’t you like to surprise people? Then let’s surprise everyone together.
Blood spread in the cold stone cave, flowing all over the ground and wetting the soles of the boots.
"What are you playing at? Is this your way to becoming an immortal? It doesn't look that great!" She glared at the people around her in a hoarse voice. "You all dream of becoming immortals all day long, yet you kill innocent lives and commit countless evil deeds. And you still want to become immortals? If you stick a knife in someone, doesn't blood just flow out? Ridiculous!"
She showed no mercy and stabbed him through the chest. "Ascend to heaven? Go to hell!"
After all, it is the opponent's nest, and there are too many enemies to deal with. The round-robin battle consumes physical strength, and this is not a solution.
Li Huanian was fighting with some difficulty, and there was a faint stain of blood on his body.
It would not be wise to continue to entangle with him. Lou Wanqiao thought for a moment, pushed one person away, grabbed Li Huanian and ran away.
He seemed a little tired, and his steps were not as brisk as before. Lou Wanqiao thought about it again, picked him up by the waist and ran towards the exit.
That sound must have been the stone gate being broken through. They should run in that direction quickly, reunite with their own people, and then fight back together. Although she was confident in her own martial arts skills, now was clearly not the time to go crazy. If Li Huanian fell, they would all be doomed.
There was no sound or even a breath behind her, but Lou Wanqiao knew many eyes were fixed on her, relentlessly pursuing her. The only sounds were her running and breathing, and she couldn't even hold her breath. Carrying someone and running so fast took a lot of energy, and her breathing was already disordered.
Li Huanian didn't say anything, just staring at her blankly. Lou Wanqiao ran and shouted, "Don't just stand there like an idiot, throw hidden weapons at them! Where are your hands!?"
He realized it later but reacted quickly. He took out a hidden weapon from his arms and threw it behind her. After touching his own arms, he reached into Lou Wanqiao's arms.
"Where are you touching? It's not there, a little lower... Never mind!"
Anyway, I'm almost at the exit.
"Brother Wen! Do it!"
A strong wind blew towards her, making her hair fly.
There was no air or human presence in the dark cave, but a breeze blew through, a breath of fresh air that hadn't been seen for a long time. It immediately dispelled much of the damp, bloody smell. Her spirits lifted, and the light before her eyes grew brighter.
"Brother Wen, take action!"
The corners of Yuebai and Cangqing's clothes brushed against each other. Wen Xuechi went deep into the darkness without looking back, while Lou Wanqiao led the person out of the cave.
Qinse was guarding outside, and when she saw the two of them come out, her eyes lit up: "Are you all okay?"
"Brother Li might have some." Lou Wanqiao put Li Huanian on the ground. He was a little uncomfortable with the bright sunlight. He squinted and turned his head, "I'll go inside to help."
"Okay. I called some helpers, they should be here soon."
Lou Wanqiao re-entered the dark cave.
Her long sword soaked in blood, she quickly found Wen Xuechi. His white clothes were stained with crimson, and his every move was as beautiful as a sword dance, yet each one was able to block the attack and strike directly at the opponent's vital points.
The Embroidered Spring Blade moved at the sound, Lou Wanqiao knocked over a man who rushed out from the shadows, and moved to a place where Wen Xuechi was blind. This way, neither of them had to worry about anything.
Their movements were so coordinated that someone in the dark couldn't help but ask, "Who the hell are you?"
"I'll kick you, those of you who are dreaming of becoming immortals, away!"
It didn't take long for them to receive helpers one after another. The people from the Dengxian Gate here could not hold on any longer and were quickly defeated.
The battle is over.
Qinse smiled and thanked all the knights she had found, while Lou Wanqiao held a candle and explored the cave.
The further I walked, the more frightened I became.
This cave is very large, with many branching paths. Different caves contain different... "tributes".
Lou Wanqiao frowned. Li Huanian was standing silently behind her. She had already noticed it and turned her head away.
"I didn't expect... it would be like this." His tone was unclear, perhaps resentment or helplessness. "This place alone is so sinister, a whole nest of collusion. If you hadn't discovered it, who knows how many innocent people would have been sacrificed."
Lou Wanqiao pursed her lips and walked out. "There's no need to wait another hundred years. Sooner or later, we'll have to eradicate them completely. The Dali Temple won't sit idly by, and neither will I."
Li Huanian was lost in thought. He nodded and suddenly slapped Lou Wanqiao on the back. "Haha, Brother Lou! This is a life-long friendship! You're a man of integrity. I'm really starting to like you."
Lou Wanqiao looked puzzled and took a step back: "It's enough for us to be friends."
"Pfft, of course we're friends. I want to be your best friend in the world!" He came over happily.
A hand passed between their foreheads, and Wen Xuechi stood behind them: "Good friends, won't you add me?"
"Oh, Yan Gui. Thanks to you for today." Lou Wanqiao walked out of the cave. "You broke through the stone wall? That's amazing."
"I rushed here as soon as I received your pigeon. Luckily I didn't miss the opportunity." Wen Xuechi shook out his robe, which was stained with a strong fishy smell. "Now I have to go back and shower."
"Alright, let's get some rest and go back to the inn. I'll have someone come and take care of this...Brother Li, where are you going?"
Li Huanian said, "I'm going to send a letter to the sect to report this matter. So... I'll come find you later, Wanqiao."
Hearing this title, Lou Wanqiao felt a little strange. She touched her nose and said, "Okay."
Wen Xuechi and Qin Se returned to the inn together. They first took a shower and changed clothes to wash off the smell, and then both lay down on the bed.
The room was very quiet, with only the sound of the two people breathing. Lou Wanqiao was very tired. He pulled up the quilt and turned over, but heard Wen Xuechi suddenly speak.
"What are you going to do next?"
Without opening her eyes, she said, "Let's clean up this mess, wait for the martial arts competition to end, and then continue north. There's still a lot to do, one thing at a time."
"Okay, I'll follow you."
"Follow me?" Lou Wanqiao was a little confused, but her eyelids were heavy, and her voice was also vague. "Hmm...? Why did you go north in the first place...?"
"I told you." Wen Xuechi stood up and moved to her bedside. "Hey, Zizhao, I can't sleep."
Lou Wanqiao said nothing.
"Zizhao?"
"...Hmm?" She responded dully and slowly.
He reached out and tugged at the quilt very lightly: "I can't sleep."
Lou Wanqiao forced himself to open his eyes.
The moonlight shines through the window onto this person and flows slowly along his hair. His profile is clearly defined, his eyelashes are very long, and his nose is straight. I have to say... Wen Xuechi is very handsome.
She was still a little sleepy, so she moved to the corner and raised her hand to high-five him: "Aren't you tired? You've used up too much energy today..."
The air was quiet for a moment.
"Zizhao, what do you think of Li Huanian?"
Wen Xuechi's voice suddenly rang out.
“…”
"Zizhao?"
-
The early morning sunlight reflected on the quilt. Lou Wanqiao opened his eyes drowsily and saw Wen Xuechi sleeping soundly on the other bed.
She vaguely remembered that Wen Xuechi seemed to have insomnia last night, and she didn't know how long he stayed awake. If he went to bed late, he would probably be very sleepy today. She didn't wake him, but slowly sat up and looked out the window.
As the year draws to a close, the streets are bustling with people coming and going to shop, and martial artists entering and leaving the inn.
Women were holding children's hands, the children were jumping around, and a group of people gathered in front of the stall making sugar figures and watching.
She suddenly remembered New Year's Eve several years ago.
She and her elder sister would go shopping together, buying beautiful lanterns. The little maid loved sweets, so she would buy several strings of candied haws, and they would gather together to happily eat them. Then, when they returned home, there was a table full of hot food, and their mother and father were waiting for them. Everyone was very happy.
...How long has it been since you thought about that time?
Lou Wanqiao withdrew his gaze and looked down at his hands.
His slender knuckles were covered in calluses, the marks left by years of gripping knives. There was a faint scar on his palm, inscribed long ago...
There is also an arm, the joints are not fully healed, which was caused by the injury when Prince Duan captured him a few days ago and deliberately twisted and struggled to break free.
Does it hurt?
It hurts.
It hurts when you are cut by a knife, it hurts when you are scratched by a hidden weapon, it hurts when a joint is dislocated, and it hurts when you are bumped or touched.
She was a little confused for a moment, but she didn't know what she was confused about.
Lou Wanqiao lowered his head and thought a little dejectedly, perhaps he was afraid of forgetting that time, or perhaps he was afraid of being trapped in memories and unwilling to get out of them.
Until she heard a rustling sound beside her, a hand placed on her quilt, and someone leaned over, speaking in a gentle voice: "...Zizhao?"
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