Chapter 5
Zha Nu went to the ancient ruins.
He had been crying and fussing all night, and Alena thought it was because of the heavy rain and he was scared, so she stayed by his side and waited for him to fall asleep. He finally calmed down around midnight, and then Alena left to go work for the Spider Envoy.
Zha Nu hadn't fallen asleep; he was just exhausted from crying and had closed his eyes to rest for a while. No sooner had Alena left than he got up and ran out. To prevent Zha Nu from wandering off alone, Alena had given him tattered clothes adorned with many silver ornaments. That way, if she heard any noise or a disciple saw him, she could find him.
Zha Nu made his way to less crowded areas. When he spotted someone wearing similar clothes, he used his light-footed skill to fly up a tree trunk and waited until the person was far away before coming down.
He dodged the last group of people and was about to jump down from the tree branch. Just as he reached out, he was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled tightly with such force that even a normal person couldn't break free.
He slowly turned around, blinking. Thinking it was Alena coming to grab him, he reverted to his innocent and frightened expression and looked behind him.
"Tang...Tang..."
Tang Feng was standing right there.
Tang Feng gripped the tree trunk tightly with one hand, while gently holding Zha Nu's waist with the other. Seemingly afraid that he would fall, he leaned closer to him.
Zha Nu suddenly stopped blinking, staring intently at the person in blue in front of him. His purplish-red eyes were filled with the person's image. He slowly reached out, trying to touch Tang Feng's face.
The fingertip had barely touched half of the mask when it recoiled as if burned. Tang Feng's exposed half-face remained expressionless, his blue eyes fixed calmly on the man in purple before him. Seeing no reaction, Zha Nu grew bolder and pressed his palm firmly against Tang Feng's face.
Zha Nu's palm was very warm, especially in the humid environment. Tang Feng closed his eyes and rubbed his face against Zha Nu's hand.
It feels so familiar... Just like many years ago, when I was sitting on the stone steps after the rain, and you were wearing so little, yet you still draped a coat over me.
Suddenly, a cool breeze blew by, rustling the dense leaves. As if suddenly remembering something, Zha Nu abruptly pulled his hand back, turned around, and leaped away, his lightness skill helping him disappear from Tang Feng's sight.
A cool breeze rustled through the leaves, making a sound like a waterfall.
Those things... it seems like nobody remembers them.
Fifteen years have passed. What happened during that time? It seems they both chose to forget, as if they were of one mind.
Fifteen years ago. Wuliang Mountain.
Tang Feng glanced at the purse in his hand. A lotus flower was sewn onto the scarlet fabric with gold embroidery. Inside were some medicinal herbs for healing, emitting a faint fragrance.
He glanced at it coldly a few times, then casually tossed it behind his head, discarding the elegant purse like a stone.
He hadn't received any missions that day, so he left Tangjiabao. On his way out, he encountered several groups of junior female disciples, who pushed one of them out in a noisy shove, handed him a purse, and ran off.
He's a man. Of course he understands these little things, but unfortunately, he doesn't want to accept their admiration and affection. So he's always laughed at by his senior brother and junior sister.
Peacock Lake.
It was already evening when we arrived. The sky was gradually losing its blue hue, and the animals by the lake had quietly returned to their burrows. The water was still. Occasionally, a mosquito larva would leap across the surface, creating ripples.
Tang Feng slowly approached the lakeside, his shoes making a very soft sound as they rubbed against the grass. This was probably a habit honed through years of martial arts training. An assassin's first principle is to perfectly conceal their movements. He had always excelled at this.
Therefore, in the martial arts world, this mysterious and elusive person was given the title "Fuyuetian" (meaning "Covering the Moon").
Tang Feng looked around to make sure no one was there before sitting down and lying down by the lake.
He closed his eyes, remained silent, and enjoyed this quiet moment alone.
"Ding-a-ling~~"
A crisp, melodious sound drifted over, carried by a gentle breeze, and a floral fragrance wafted into his nose.
"Did you bring me anything fun today?"
Tang Feng didn't open his eyes, and didn't move at all when he heard the sound.
He knew that Zha Nu had arrived.
"..."
The sound gradually approached from a distance, stopping only when it reached Tang Feng's side. He listened to the rustling of fabric beside him, his eyelids remaining closed.
"Tang Feng, my mother taught me a new Gu poison today, called 'Thousand Threads Bewitching Heart.' What do you think? Does it sound good?"
"Tang Feng, Alena said again today that I'm not doing my job properly and that she stole all the butterflies I was raising! Really... I was saving them for you to collect nectar from."
"Tang Feng, do you know Yangzhou? It's in Jiangnan. A clansman wrote back and told Alena about it. It's strange, we've never heard of it before, but it seems better than where we are. Oh dear, no way. If Ai and Alena hear this, they'll say I'm being indecent again."
...
Tang Feng didn't say a word; the rise and fall of his chest was proof that he was alive. He listened quietly as the person beside him talked incessantly about recent events, without speaking or interrupting.
"...So, all that fighting and killing is exhausting, isn't it? It's so much better to spend your days raising butterflies, collecting nectar, washing your dirty clothes, and playing with Emma and Ai for a while!"
"But this chaotic world is not as simple as you think."
Tang Feng spoke his first words of the night.
He opened his eyes and sat up, looking at the dark, oppressive sky. In the distance, there were some fires on the mountains, a few scattered dots adorning the barren peaks.
"I know... but isn't this kind of life good?"
Tang Feng turned his head and looked directly at the person.
The man was dressed in purple, with silver ornaments around his neck and on his ears. His long hair was styled and hung down his back, simply tied with silver ornaments.
With delicate features and a handsome appearance, his purplish-red eyes shone with a faint light as he looked at Tang Feng, his eyes filled with a gentle tenderness like a lake.
"Okay. But it won't work."
The chariot lowered its head.
Tang Feng slowly reached out his hand, the sharp edges of his glove avoiding direct contact with his skin. He touched Zha Nu's face and looked at him expressionlessly.
Zha Nu suddenly sniffed the air, grabbed Tang Feng's hand, and ripped off his glove. With a "rip," Tang Feng's wound was revealed.
My palm was completely cut open. I hastily tied it with some cloth, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. The dried blood made my hand and glove stick together. When I tore off the glove, the wound was pulled open again, and bright red liquid flowed out.
Zha Nu didn't frown. He immediately took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket, gently removed the cloth from Tang Feng's hand, and sprinkled the medicine on it. The bloodstains slowly dissolved into a liquid, flowing through his fingers. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket, bit his finger, and dripped some blood onto it.
The originally light purple handkerchief was stained very dark, and the bloodstains spread rapidly. Zha Nu immediately wrapped the handkerchief around Tang Feng's hand.
Tang Feng looked at him, but there was no warmth in his eyes.
Zha Nu, head bowed, said while bandaging the wound, "Mother has already started teaching me the Heaven-Mending Technique. I used my own blood to raise a few Gu worms, and the treatment effect is quite good. More later..."
Before he could finish speaking, Tang Feng reached out and hugged him.
The cold and aloof "Fuyuetian" can sometimes do some inexplicable things.
At night, without any bright lights, the lake reflects the darkness of the sky. Only a few shy fireflies emerge from the grass. Having escaped the daytime clamor, they flutter their wings, slowly flying over the grass, circling Tangfeng and Zha Nu.
In the flowing band of light, Zha Nu slowly reached out and embraced that burning body. He pressed his face against her heart, listening quietly to her heartbeat, rising and falling.
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