Chapter 19
The snow at Chunyang Palace was incredibly beautiful.
When Jiang Chengfeng arrived at the Sword Debate Platform, it was already noon. Snowflakes fell like feathers, sparsely scattered in clumps, their shapes indistinct. The sun wasn't strong, but it made the snow-covered landscape gleam, melting away the biting cold.
He arrived not late, but the person he was supposed to meet was already waiting there.
"Wu Shuang, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Jiang Chengfeng dismounted, his silver armor now covered in frost. He led his steed, which was emitting shivers of cold air, to the tree whose branches were laden with snow.
Wu Shuang held his sword, his clothes thick enough that he didn't feel cold. His face was almost calm, without a trace of emotion. He had been there for a while; the snow had been falling heavily, and the wind was strong. He moved to the foot of a tree, but the snow weighed down the branches, making a rustling sound. Thinking someone was approaching, he instinctively channeled his inner energy, causing his sword energy to radiate outwards, shaking off half of the snow.
When I turned my head, I saw only a red-crowned crane flying by and landing to rest.
He's old. He knows it very well.
I'm no longer the young man I used to be who would pet it and give it a piece of meat when I saw it.
Jiang Chengfeng rubbed his hands together and breathed a warm breath into his palms. Standing next to Wu Shuang, he also watched the snowflakes dancing in the sky.
"How have you been lately?" Jiang Chengfeng asked softly.
"So-so," Wu Shuang replied.
"Have your injuries healed? I suppose you often come to visit me, so I'm not worried about that." Cheng Feng turned to look at his pristine white clothes, which were spotless.
Wu Shuang lowered her eyes, which were covered with frost and snow, and looked at the snow scene again.
"Amo," Wu Shuang said, "Are you going to ask her?"
Jiang Chengfeng blinked and revealed a charming smile.
"You found out too?"
Wu Shuang remained silent.
Jiang Chengfeng glanced at the horse that was parting the snow and munching on grass roots, and pursed his lips.
“Recently, the Tian Ce Prefecture has received nearly ten cases from various local government offices. The content is roughly the same: either women have mysteriously disappeared or able-bodied men have died under mysterious circumstances. My senior brother and I are secretly suppressing them, but they all involve rural families, and the imperial court has not yet come to inquire about them.”
“However, this really can’t go on.” He crossed his arms and looked at Wu Shuang. “If we don’t stop her, do you know how many more innocent people will be dragged into this?”
Wu Shuang closed her eyes, indicating that she did not want to listen any further.
Jiang Chengfeng looked at him, lowered his head and thought for a moment, then turned around to calm himself down.
"I was too impatient; I shouldn't have pressured you," Cheng Feng said.
"However, someone is already investigating this matter. You know better than I what the consequences will be if they find out."
Wu Shuang remained silent. Even if she spoke, there would still be doubts in the end, so what she said would just be a burden.
The two watched the swirling snow for a while without exchanging another word. Cheng Feng remembered that there were still some trivial matters to attend to at home, so he said goodbye and rode away.
Wu Shuang didn't try to stop her. She stayed there silently, watching the snowflakes drifting in the sky. She subconsciously reached out her hand, and the coolness of her fingertips touched the snow, but it instantly melted into a drop of water.
"What's the use of that?"
Wu Shuang whispered.
"In the end, she was also let down."
Perhaps in response, the enormous pine tree on the dueling platform, its branches already covered in frost and snow, bent gracefully. A red-crowned crane, which had been foraging nearby, suddenly raised its head, its pearly eyes scanning the surroundings, then spread its wings and flew towards the horizon.
Yangzhou, the residence of the Minister of the Imperial Treasury.
For two days in a row, Ye Min stayed at the Taifuqing residence, and he felt uncomfortable all over.
It wasn't that he felt it was impolite. He was originally from Jiangnan, and the villa wasn't far from Yangzhou; it was just a short boat ride away. He could naturally have taken A-Lu and Yang Yuan to stay for a few days, but their cold expressions showed they weren't giving him any face.
Ye Min thought she was just still upset about Xue Hua and didn't want to talk to him, but he never expected that her original reason was also unfathomable.
Early the next morning, Ye Min yawned as he crawled out of the comfortable quilt, looked around in a daze, and then sat down to meditate and regulate his breathing on the bedding, fully clothed.
His pillow was made of Suzhou embroidery, a specialty of the Jiangnan region, and he slept on a large bed carved from Hainan rosewood. For a moment, he didn't even want to get out of bed. However, studying and practicing martial arts was a daily routine, and even without a master's guidance, he should always keep that in mind.
Ye Min learned his lesson in this regard. He displayed the composure expected of a disciple. Normally, he would have been a couple of hours late, then hurriedly put on his clothes and long johns and ran out to practice horse stance.
He washed his face, changed his clothes, and had just straightened his hair ribbon when he suddenly heard fighting outside the door. Without thinking, he quickly got up, slung his sword over his shoulder, and ran to open the door. To his surprise, he saw a girl in a green dress and a man in white with two swords wielding weapons, sparring.
Yang Yuan revealed the Cave Immortal Guide on her back. She gently plucked the blood-red strings, and suddenly the melody flowed and converged into a sword, stabbing straight at A Lu.
Alu drew his weapons, holding two swords in his hands. He dodged the flying sword to the side, the sword's aura sharp and fierce. He leaped up and suddenly merged into the air.
Ye Min glanced at A Lu, who had disappeared without a trace, and pouted unhappily.
This guy is definitely around, always hiding and watching others make fools of themselves.
That's really bad!
Yang Yuan wasn't in a hurry. The melody she played was melodious and smooth, surrounded by a pale green piano sound. As she lowered her eyes and played, two figures suddenly appeared beside her and in front of her.
Ye Min blinked, rubbed his eyes, and then looked again.
Good heavens, how did two Yang Yuans suddenly appear out of nowhere?!
Upon closer inspection, the other two "Yang Yuan" figures were suspended in mid-air, holding zithers and playing instruments with remarkable grace.
The true form remained rooted to the spot, not even raising an eyebrow. Its gaze was fixed on the Immortal's Guide in its hand. The emerald phoenix glowed with blood-red light, its strings plucked, producing a soft melody. It was the resonance between the person and the instrument, a result of the infusion of inner energy.
A gentle breeze brushed past Yang Yuan's ear, stirring her hair. She glanced sideways, her fingernails tracing the strings of a zither, and a melodious note rang out before she vanished from the spot.
"Buzz—"
A-Lu revealed her true form in a flash, unleashing a Soul Lock disarming attack on Yang Yuan's shadow. Yang Yuan, who had already moved away, flipped to the side, leaping over the corridor in the courtyard. With one hand on her zither, she played a lively tune. The zither music gradually materialized, swiftly stabbing towards A-Lu, who was wielding twin swords.
Alu swiftly turned and leaped, hurtling towards Yang Yuan by the edge of the ribbon formed by the zither's sound. Ming Wang's blade was a step faster, grazing Yang Yuan's garment and slicing off a piece.
Suddenly, the twin blades glowed with spiritual light, and A-Lu immediately swung the next blade towards Yang Yuan's head. Just as he met her face, those calm and unwavering eyes swept past him. Yang Yuan, holding her zither, took a step forward and continued playing the music with one hand. The zither music transformed into a sharp blade, piercing straight through A-Lu's internal organs.
Ye Min stood aside watching the two sparring, cold sweat pouring down his face and soaking his thin shirt. He looked down and saw that his hairband was completely soaked with sweat from his palms, and a sense of panic welled up inside him.
Was Yang Yuan angry because A Lu had just torn her clothes, or was she already wary of him?
Those moves just now were all carrying a murderous intent...
A-Lu stopped what she was doing and sheathed her twin swords. She looked at Yang Yuan gently and said, "How was it?"
"We have only made some progress and have not yet been able to truly fight the enemy."
Yang Yuan took back the Dongxian Yin zither, stroked its body, and whispered to herself while staring at the piece of fabric that had been cut off from her clothes.
“You’re using internal energy cultivation techniques, so you can’t hurt people immediately. Besides, you haven’t been playing this zither for very long, so it’s understandable that you’re not familiar with it.”
He picked up the piece of cloth from the ground and walked up to Yang Yuan.
"Take your time. Don't you always say, 'Haste makes waste'?"
Yang Yuan raised her eyebrows and glanced at him, then lowered her head for a moment before turning and going back into the house.
Ah Lu looked at that figure from behind and lowered her hand.
Ye Min blinked, coughed twice to ease the atmosphere, and walked to A Lu's side, but a sudden gust of wind entered his throat, causing his face to turn red and him to cough violently with his big eyes wide open.
A-Lu turned to look at him, patted him on the shoulder, and went back into the house.
"I said... cough cough! cough!... after the fight... cough cough cough... aren't you going to eat?!... cough cough cough cough..."
The figure who had been standing on the roof for a long time, arms crossed, watched Ye Min enter the house before flying away.
After a while, having eaten breakfast prepared by the private chef of the Grand Minister of the Imperial Household Department, Ye Min patted his bulging belly and sighed that he never wanted to go back to the manor to eat those steamed buns, pickled vegetables, and braised tofu again.
Liang Siqing glanced at Ye Min's satisfied expression, covered her face and chuckled. As she casually lowered her hand, she brushed her face, and strands of hair fell down from her ear and landed on her face.
She reached behind her ear, revealing her fingertips hidden under her sleeve, covered with a thin layer of calluses that were barely noticeable.
A-Lu watched her movements and smiled knowingly.
"Miss Liang, thank you for taking care of me at your home these past two days."
Ye Min stood up to express his gratitude, and A Lu also stood up and bowed to Liang Siqing.
Ye Min was taken aback. A Lu had been nitpicking at the beginning, but today he suddenly knew how to be friendly. He guessed that Yang Yuan must have said something to him that made him realize the truth.
“Young master, you are too kind. Now that you have come to my residence, you are my honored guests, and I should naturally treat you well. You are all disciples of famous sects in the martial arts world, so why shouldn’t I treat you well?”
Yang Yuan put down her chopsticks and bowl, picked up the teacup handed to her by a maid, blew on the warm tea, and sipped her lips.
"However, why didn't you try any of the breakfast prepared by the cook in your household today, Miss Liang?"
A-Lu walked to the door, leaned against the door frame, crossed her arms, and looked at Liang Siqing.
"Could it be that after tasting so much human blood, even ordinary food has become tasteless?"
Ye Min suddenly froze. Just as he was about to turn around and tell A Lu not to talk nonsense, Liang Siqing interrupted him with her raised hand.
"You may all leave," she said. "Unless I call you, you are not to come into the hall."
Several maids bowed and walked out with light, quick steps.
"The servants in this manor have been serving you for at least ten years. Even they can't listen to you..." A-Lu tilted her head and smiled, revealing her crescent-shaped eyebrows and eyes, "It seems you know quite a few things that 'Liang Siqing' doesn't!"
"Ah Lu!" Ye Min called out to him. Suddenly, he froze, mentally considering what he had just said.
Ah Lu was calling out to Liang Siqing. But isn't this person Liang Siqing?
Ah Lu shrugged, not intending to defend herself for her outspokenness.
Ye Min quickly turned his gaze to Yang Yuan, who was drinking tea. She simply held her teacup without saying a word.
Ye Min was so anxious that he didn't know what to do.
Liang Siqing gazed at Alu for a long time, then suddenly lowered her eyes and chuckled.
"When did you find out?"
She held onto her sleeve with one hand, sitting upright and looking at him.
“Before coming to Yangzhou, I asked my fellow disciples in the Central Plains. They said that girls from ordinary wealthy families usually stay in their boudoirs and never leave the house. But your father is an official of the court. Even if he went to Sichuan for recuperation, how could he not take you with him and let a girl of fifteen or sixteen manage such a large family business?”
Ye Min followed Liang Siqing's gaze to A Lu. A Lu took a golden bell from behind her waist, and suddenly crushed the hard outer shell. The golden fragments exploded, revealing a piece of jade with uneven edges inside.
A-Lu shook off the remnants of the bell on the jade piece, placed it in her palm, and Ye Min leaned forward to examine it against the light. Three characters were imprinted inside the jade piece using a technique similar to pouring steel.
"As far as I know, Liang Siqing did indeed go to Bashu with her father, but they were robbed by a group of bandits on the way. It is not advisable for the Minister of the Treasury to make a big fuss when he goes out, so he only took five or six guards with him. But this group of people obviously planned it and completely figured out their route. In this desolate mountain wilderness of Nanzhao, where could they seek help? Her father handed her over to a guard and they escaped from the mountains on horseback. In the end, the guard died, of course, and Liang Siqing fell down the mountain and was never heard from again."
Ye Min slowly walked to A Lu's side, looking at the girl in blue sitting gracefully in the chair, her smile as beautiful as a flower, her eyes as gentle as water. A chill inexplicably rose in his heart.
"Although she fell off the cliff, she did not die. Liang Siqing, who survived by sheer luck, did not know what to do. Chengdu Prefecture was there, and further ahead was the territory of the Tang Clan in Sichuan. Of course, she had to be alive to seek help."
"However, she did not call for help, nor was she killed."
Ah Lu looked at her and slowly uttered a sentence:
"Because a disciple of the Five Poisons Sect saved her, not only saving her life but also promising to protect her family's business."
"Am I right, Ai?"
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