Chapter 24
Some water was spilled on the table, and moonlight shone through the thatched roof, illuminating the broken table with shimmering light.
The temple, now covered in dust and the passage of time, has lost all traces of its former tranquility. The faces of the statues on the altar have long been scraped away, making it impossible to discern which deity or bodhisattva they once represented. The candlesticks, gnawed clean of wax by rats, stand bare, their bases bent low, bowing towards the Buddha.
A gentle breeze suddenly swept by, and footsteps trod through the scattered licorice leaves as they entered the temple.
Black cloth shoes slowly walked to the table and stopped. A hand with delicate skin emerged from the black robe, holding an object with a tassel tied with red thread in its palm. It gently placed the object on the dusty table, stirred up some powder, and withdrew its hand.
"How have you been lately?"
The man in the black robe paused, then straightened up, slowly removing his hood to reveal a head of long, jet-black hair.
The footsteps behind him drew closer, and the man in black robes slowly turned around, his eyes fixed on the person behind him.
Before she could speak, a pair of large hands pulled her into their arms.
“Amo…Amo…”
He pressed her face against his chest, tightly against the purple fabric. She listened to his heartbeat, closed her eyes, and did not respond.
The purple-clad swordsman pulled her into his arms, pressed her head down, and used so much force that he wanted to embed her into his body.
"Um……"
Suddenly, he heard a muffled reply. He cupped her face in his hands and stared into her lifeless eyes.
"Look at you... how haggard you've become..."
The purple-clad swordsman scrutinized her face, one hand brushing across her cheek, the other reaching into his black robe to grasp her slender waist.
Looking at her pale lips, he slowly approached, his fingers caressing and probing; looking into her eyes, he yearned and hoped; finally, he gently placed a kiss there.
Seeing that she did not resist, he reached out and ran his hand through her hair, drawing closer and pressing his lips against hers. The touch of their lips intensified the heat in his body and mind. The purple-clad swordsman used a little force to make her lift her head, submitting to his will.
Her lips carried the cool touch of Kunlun Mountain, and the fragrance surrounding her was that of lotus blossoms from Xiaoyao Peak. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her so intimately, let alone been so close to her as he was now.
He wanted to get closer to her, his hands moving down to her waist, about to deepen the kiss, but when he turned his head, she turned her face away.
“Brother Yu, you know who my heart belongs to. Even after all these years, the engagement is still in effect, and I am still his betrothed.”
"..." Upon hearing this, the purple-clad swordsman slowly released his grip, looked at her face, and then looked away with pity.
“Amo,” the purple-clad swordsman said softly, “you’ve lost weight.”
Called by her former name, Amo turned her back, staring at the jade pendant she had placed on the table, clenching her hands inside her robe.
"Was it because Changkong didn't take good care of you? I remember he always indulged your whims. When you were little, you wouldn't eat properly, and he had to chase after you, the two of you running around the resort..."
He reached out to stroke her hair, but she moved away.
“Brother Yu, I’ve come to see you not to reminisce about the past.”
The purple-clad swordsman fell silent, withdrew his hand, and stared at her retreating figure.
"It was the gentleman who told me that you were in Kunlun."
Amo paused, then closed her eyes, trying to stop thinking about the images that haunted her mind. Those people had troubled her for over a decade, becoming her nightmares and an obsession she couldn't shake off.
“I went to the Liang residence and gave the jade pendant to the people there. Unfortunately, when I went to retrieve it later, people already knew about it. One of them saw me, and I was unable to get it back, so I had to leave.”
Amo paused for a moment, then said softly, "That girl is the one I'm looking for. She's another disciple of Jiang Lixue. We could have captured her in Longmen, but the people sent by the Ming Cult betrayed us, so I had Achang deal with them."
“Brother Yu,” Amo turned around and looked up at him, “I have waited for eight years, and I really can’t delay any longer. Every night, I dream that he has already crossed the Bridge of Helplessness and is no longer waiting for me.”
She suddenly recalled those bloody scenes. A general in red robes and silver armor, gripping a long spear tightly in his hand, his mangled body lying everywhere.
As the body slowly sank into the soil along with the memories, it embedded itself into the blood-soaked earth, and with the blink of an eye, it was swallowed by darkness.
"He died, and when he died, his body was not even intact. He was torn apart by five horses, and vultures devoured his corpse, which has long since rotted."
"Ye Mo, are you crazy! Maple Valley is full of Red-Clothed Cult members! Going there is just suicide!"
"There are no more alchemists in this world. The last one was left in that world and can never come back. Just give up on that idea."
...
In a daze, she vaguely felt a pair of large hands supporting her as she sank. She struggled to open her eyelids and saw only a pair of gentle eyes. The worry on the person's face was almost palpable in their eyes. Seeing that she was looking at them and had regained consciousness, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's alright now, it's alright now..."
He held her tightly in his arms, gently stroking her dry hair. She had grown up a lot; her brows and eyes had relaxed, but there was no light in her eyes.
"I..." She tried to sit up, but someone picked her up first.
“Kunlun is too cold, don’t stay there anymore. I’ll take you back to the mountain villa, the doctor is there, he can cure your illness.”
Amo shook her head, pushed against his chest, and her firm attitude made him let go.
“Stop wasting time, Brother Yu.” She clutched the clothes at her chest and moved step by step to the door. “I know that the master has always disliked me and even wanted me to die at your hands. But I’m not afraid. I’ve managed to get through all these years. If I cared about other people’s gossip, how could I have achieved what I have today? Fang Lin, A Yue, Sister Qiu, and… and A Yuan. I’m going to bring them back.”
She walked to the door, ignoring her discomfort, summoned the horses, put on her hood, and galloped away.
The purple-clad swordsman watched her departing figure, then took out the sachet from his robes and clenched it tightly in his palm.
"Second Young Master, Second Young Master! You can't just go in like that!"
The young soldiers who were blocking Ye Min's way at the entrance of Tian Ce Mansion could not stop him from carrying a heavy sword. They told their fellow soldiers on guard duty to quickly call their senior brother for help, while they hurried after the young man in yellow who was rushing inside.
"This has nothing to do with you. I want to see Jiang Chengfeng. Since he won't come out, I'll go in and find him!"
Having said that, he picked up his heavy sword and charged into the Tian Ce Mansion.
Ye Min had never been to the Tian Ce Mansion before. Although he had been to Chang'an and Luoyang, he had never been here before. Upon entering, he wandered around aimlessly but still got lost and couldn't find his way around. The Tian Ce soldiers around him looked at this unruly young master with amusement. Feeling frustrated, he headed towards the buildings.
What happened?
"Senior brother! Senior brother! You're finally back!"
Upon seeing the soldiers returning on horseback in the distance, the junior brother grasped at a straw, immediately running over to grab the horse's hoof and refusing to let go.
Jiang Chengfeng had just returned from Chunyang Palace when he was startled by his junior brother's sudden grab. He stroked the horse's mane tenderly, carefully pinched the spearhead, and moved it aside, afraid of scratching the horse's rump.
“Just now, the second young master of Hidden Sword Manor was shouting and yelling at the gate, looking for you. When he found you weren't there, he rushed in with his sword, and we couldn't stop him! Senior brother, this is my first time on duty. If General Xuanwei finds out, we brothers will have to sweep the stables for three months again…”
After hearing the whole story, Jiang Chengfeng was stunned for a moment.
The second young master of Cangjian Manor is here to see him.
"I'll go check right away." He nudged the horse with the barrel of his spear, and the white steed immediately reared up and galloped towards the mansion.
As soon as he arrived at the gate of the mansion, Jiang Chengfeng saw the second young master looking around.
He was anxious to go somewhere, but then sensed something was wrong and turned back. He saw several junior brothers and sisters mocking him, glared at them angrily, and then looked around to see where to go.
Jiang Chengfeng shook his head while riding his horse, spurred the horse's belly, and slowly walked over.
"Such a big Tian Ce Prefecture, why is everyone watching like a Yangzhou pancake vendor watching a show..." Muttering to himself, Ye Min felt a shadow approaching from behind. He instinctively turned around and used Nine Streams of Mist, only to hear the sound of weapons clashing. Looking up, he saw it was the person he had been clamoring for all this time.
"Ye Min?" Jiang Chengfeng was taken aback. How did this kid find his way here?
The young man in yellow remained expressionless. He leaped up and thrust his light sword toward Jiang Chengfeng's neck.
The general, who was used to riding horses and fighting battles all year round, immediately came to his senses, raised his spear to block the attack, dismounted, and landed steadily.
"What are you doing for no reason?" he asked.
Ye Min put away Xitian Lingxue, gripped Ruoshui on his back, and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.
"You...you...bastard!"
Without a word, sword energy condensed on the blade, and the heavy sword emitted a sharp light. He quickly took a few steps and then leaped up, the Weak Water Sword Energy in his hand crisscrossing, determined to smash his opponent to pieces. Jiang Chengfeng knew something was wrong, focused his attention on the spear in his hand, and swung it out with a Xu Rushan strike, preparing to meet the attack.
"Bang!—"
The billowing dust caused onlookers to cover their mouths and noses and scatter in all directions.
Jiang Chengfeng's eyes widened as he gripped his spear and watched Ye Min's heavy sword smash down in front of him. The paving stones of the mansion gate were smashed solidly, leaving a crater the size of a person.
"Ye Min, you..." Before Jiang Chengfeng could finish speaking, Ye Min grabbed his collar, brought him close to his face, and stared at his handsome face.
"..."
Once everything was quiet, the two looked at each other for a while before Ye Min slowly spoke.
"How do I get to Aokiji Ranch?"
Jiang Chengfeng blinked, thinking that the kid had just been murderous and had been beaten to a pulp on his own turf. He immediately whistled and called for his horse.
"Let go of me, and I'll take you there."
Ye Min stared into his eyes, slowly released his grip, and sheathed the heavy sword on his back.
"Hello!"
Just as Jiang Chengfeng turned his back to lead the horse, Ye Min shouted loudly.
He forced a smile and turned to look at Ye Min.
"What's wrong?"
Ye Min awkwardly turned his head, stared at the ground, and whispered:
“I left in a hurry and didn’t bring my steed, so you have to… give me a ride.”
Jiang Chengfeng gripped the saddle and said with a wry smile:
"Yes, Second Young Master!"
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