Although it was late summer, the weather was still hot and dry, and even the occasional breeze made people more irritable.
Yan Liang gazed at the white clouds in the sky, the sounds of cicadas chirping, leaves rustling, and the slightly hurried neighing of horses filling his ears.
"Hiss—hiss—"
Yan Liang regretted once again why he had chosen such a troublesome horse from that family.
Good looks don't necessarily mean easy to care for.
Yan Liang thought with deep sorrow.
He has now left the Mu family and is traveling around.
After Mu Jiangchuan's resentful departure, Yan Liang had no reason to continue involved in the Mu family's affairs. However, he stayed for two more months because of Jiang Qing. Jiang Qing wasn't completely ignorant; it was simply that Mu Rufeng's acting skills and methods were too superb. Moreover, the girl seemed to have been stimulated after this incident, studying diligently day and night, seemingly learning something. Yan Liang found the old people from the Mu family and hired some servants to manage the Mu family for her before fleeing overnight.
Jiang Qing must have discovered something, because she would occasionally look at Yan Liang with a sad gaze, as if she were looking through him at someone else.
Yan Liang hated that feeling.
His willingness to stay at the Mu residence for two months was already an act of great kindness and consideration.
Yan Liang closed his eyes, turned his head and glared at the horse that kept neighing, and said irritably, "I don't know where the water is either. Just wait and let me rest for a bit."
This is a white horse with a glossy, smooth mane and stunning good looks. Its eyelashes are thick and long, and when it blinks, they flutter like butterfly wings, just like the eyes in a shoujo manga, captivating the heart.
Yan Liang was so tempted that he immediately made the decision to buy it.
But this horse was both delicate and demanding. It couldn't get enough grass and wanted to rest after walking only a few steps, making it even more picky than Yan Liang, who was ill.
Yan Liang thought to himself, "Did he buy an ancestor to worship or a mount? Who raises a horse like this, like a son?"
The young white horse knelt on the ground and neighed pitifully again. Its eyes blinked and sparkled.
"Shut up." Yan Liang patted its head and said earnestly, "Your father has it tough too. Can you show me some compassion once in a while?"
"hiss--"
There was another neighing sound. Yan Liang and the white horse stared at each other, and he realized that the neighing was not from his own horse.
Yan Liang looked towards the road not far away, where a strong white horse was pulling a carriage closer amidst the rising dust. A sudden inspiration struck Yan Liang.
He stopped the carriage. After hearing his request for a ride, the driver lifted a corner of the curtain. Yan Liang caught a glimpse of a white hem peeking out. The driver whispered something to the person inside and seemed to receive a response. He then agreed to let Yan Liang get in the carriage, but not to enter the interior.
Yan Liang readily agreed and even tied the reluctant white horse to the carriage harness, making it work as well. Along the way, he made small talk with the driver. Although Yan Liang could tolerate loneliness, he still wanted to talk to someone to liven things up.
Yan Liang: "Master, where are you going?"
The driver, looking straight ahead, replied expressionlessly, "The capital city is ahead."
Yan Liang scratched the back of his head, smiled, and thanked him.
The driver fell silent, his cold indifference, keeping people at arm's length, was obvious.
Yan Liang knew that some people had strange tempers. This coachman was probably quiet because his master didn't allow it or something else, so Yan Liang didn't pay attention to it. He just drifted along, occasionally coughing up blood, feeling dizzy, and then looking at the things in the system store that he couldn't afford and worrying about them.
When he coughed up blood again, someone inside the carriage lifted the curtain and handed him a handkerchief.
White.
Yan Liang glanced at the white handkerchief, then at the white curtain, then at the man's white sleeves, and then at the white horse, thinking to himself that this guy was probably a white-loving person.
Lost in thought, Yan Liang reached out and took the handkerchief, thanking him with a smile. The owner of the handkerchief withdrew his hand without saying a word. As the other person withdrew their hand, Yan Liang caught a glimpse of another person inside, dressed in a neater blue robe. He realized there were two people in the carriage.
Yan Liang wiped the blood from his lips, gazing at the outline of the town ahead, his heart pounding even harder.
His time was running out, and now he just wanted to go as far as he could, at least to have his fill of fun in his final days.
Yan Liang was eager to try.
The capital city, the most prosperous place in the country, is bustling with people coming and going. Here, there is the emperor, who is high above all others, as well as the poor, as lowly as dust. Even in the most prosperous and thriving places, there is darkness that cannot be hidden by the brilliance.
So there will still be thieves and the like.
Holding three strings of candied hawthorns in one hand and a baked bun in the other, Yan Liang struggled through the crowd under the afternoon sun. A gambling den next to him was packed with people, blocking the street. Occasionally, loud shouts, cheers, and curses would erupt from inside. Yan Liang heard words like "Ximen Chuixue," "Ye Gucheng," and "September 15th," and his head spun. He couldn't immediately match the people and names together.
The tinnitus worsened, and Yan Liang stopped to catch his breath, only to be bumped into by someone who brushed past him, causing him to stumble. The person turned around, bowed, and apologized. Yan Liang blinked hard, waved the hand holding the sesame seed cake, and smiled.
Sikong Zhaixing suddenly felt a pang of pity.
This person looked like a frail, sickly man, but now his face was covered in sweat, and he was smiling pitifully, which was really hard to bear.
Sikong Zhaixing made a quick decision, stuffed the sickly man's money bag into his pocket, smiled at the man, and walked away.
Yan Liang only discovered that his purse was missing after returning to the inn.
So he ate his candied hawthorn while secretly cursing the damned thief for being tricked.
When the waiter brought the food, Yan Liang remembered what he had heard during the day and casually asked about it. To his surprise, the waiter looked at him in shock, as if he didn't know that this was something even stranger than a ghost story.
"Sir, are you really unaware of the matter between Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng? This has been a major event that everyone in the martial arts world knows about these past few months!" The talkative waiter immediately explained. "Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng originally agreed to a duel on the fifteenth of August at Zijin Mountain in Moling, but for some reason they changed the date to the fifteenth of this month!"
Yan Liang knew Ximen Chuixue, who was said to have had his sword forged by the former head of the Mu family, and was also a friend of Ximen Chuixue; while Ye Gucheng was a swordsman of equal skill to Ximen Chuixue.
"A sword god versus a sword immortal? That sounds interesting." Yan Liang became interested. "And what's the gambling den doing there?"
"They're placing bets. Many people are just joining in the fun, after all, both are renowned swordsmen, and the outcome of their duel is hard to predict," the waiter said with a smile. "Sir, would you like to join in the fun and place a bet?"
"...No." Yan Liang had initially thought the man's smile looked somewhat familiar, but after hearing his advice, he scratched the back of his head and sighed, "Sigh. Stay away from drugs, gambling, and prostitution, starting with small things."
Waiter: "..."
He was a little confused.
Composing himself, the waiter bowed and stepped back, smiling as he closed the door. "Please enjoy your meal, sir. I'll be leaving now."
Yan Liang stared at the closed door, lost in thought: This person's smile looks familiar.
He slapped his forehead. The waiter's smile overlapped with the smile of the person who had bumped into him earlier that day. Although their appearances and even heights were different, their smiles were damnably identical.
Yan Liang strode to the door, intending to chase after the waiter, but accidentally stepped on something that hurt his foot. He looked down and saw his money bag lying dead at the door, with clear and conspicuous gray footprints on it.
There was no silver ingot missing, but an extra note.
"I am Sikong Zhaixing, the King of Thieves. I have come to return your body out of pity for your plight."
Yan Liang: "..."
Damn it.
He had heard of Sikong Zhaixing's name, but he never expected to run into this king of thieves in the capital... but this guy was really asking for a beating.
Yan Liang dusted off the money pouch, put it in his pocket, and then, quite nonchalantly, finished his meal before going out to look for the waiter again, without much hope. As expected, the shop didn't have such a waiter at all. The shopkeeper stared at him strangely, wondering why the customer would look for someone who didn't exist.
Yan Liang smiled at him, then went around to the stable to see his own little white horse. The little white horse was lying on the ground, still chewing grass. When it saw him, it lazily snorted as a greeting.
Yan Liang: "..."
This horse really knows how to enjoy life.
He stared at the little white horse, when he heard the clatter of hooves. Yan Liang looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man riding a chestnut horse looking at him. He was dressed in fine clothes and had an air of arrogance in his eyes.
Yan Liang smiled slightly and stepped aside to make way. The young man nodded to him, drove his horse into the stable, frowned in disdain when he saw the white horse lying on the ground, and glanced at Yan Liang with a hint of smugness as his horse stood quietly grazing.
Yan Liang: "..."
Compared to other people's horses, his horse is truly shameful.
The boy struck up a conversation with him. Although his words were inevitably arrogant, he was generally a rather likable young man, and Yan Liang listened to him attentively.
"My name is Tang Tianzong, from the Tang Clan." The young man held his head high and chest out. Yan Liang praised him enthusiastically, "So you are a young hero from the Tang Clan. You are indeed a handsome and heroic man. My name is Yan Liang."
Tang Tianzong: "You came to the capital also for the final battle between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue?"
Yan Liang: "I just happened to come to the capital while traveling around. I didn't know that these two sword masters had agreed to a duel in the capital."
Tang Tianzong looked at him as if he were watching a pig dancing. "I thought everyone in the martial arts world knew about their duel."
"I happen to be one of those people who don't know," Yan Liang said with a smile, remaining silent.
As the two emerged from the backyard, they encountered two young men standing side by side, both radiating youthful vigor and spirit. Tang Tianzong's eyes lit up upon seeing them, his voice brimming with undisguised excitement: "Senior Brother!"
Even though Tang Tianzong was the most skilled and famous martial artist of his generation, he was also the youngest. He would still be happy to see his senior brothers and wouldn't hide his emotions.
Yan Liang watched as Tang Tianzong strode up to the two of them, exchanged a few words in hushed tones, and all three of them couldn't hide their smiles, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
The two introduced themselves to Yan Liang. One was Tang Tianrong, and the other was Tang Tianyi. Both were outstanding members of the younger generation of the Tang Clan. Of course, Yan Liang did not know this, but from their clothes and the confidence in their words, he could guess that they must be quite popular in the sect.
The four exchanged names, then entered the inn together and went up to the same corridor on the second floor.
Surely they're not in the same room?
Yan Liang lagged behind, watching the three figures from behind and jokingly thinking, when he saw them stop at the door opposite his room.
Wow, what a coincidence.
Yan Liangchao and the other two smiled and opened their doors.
"It's fate that we met. If you have time, why don't we go to the capital together?" he invited the three of them with a smile.
The three members of the Tang Clan were also somewhat surprised. They nodded in response to Yan Liang's invitation, and Tang Tianzong gave him a smile: "Okay."
Although they only exchanged a few words, Tang Tianzong felt an inexplicable fondness for Yan Liang. When he was with his senior brothers, he was the youngest and always received care. He always felt like a younger brother when talking to his senior brothers, but he did not feel that way when he was with Yan Liang. It was like... getting along with a friend.
Tang Tianzong had no friends.
People from the Tang Clan are often said to have eccentric temperaments. The arrogance and confidence passed down through generations of the Tang Clan are often misunderstood.
"Then it's settled." Yan Liang smiled slightly.
Yan Liang does not reject making friends, whether they are casual acquaintances or life-and-death friendships. It is through these small exchanges that people are connected.
Humans are social animals and cannot live alone.
Author's Note: Gentlemen
I'm back.
I know that the way Mu Rufeng was portrayed in the previous text was too fast, which made it seem abrupt.
Actually, there was originally a large amount of content about this character.
But later I realized it wasn't necessary, because I wrote the Legend of Lu Xiaofeng to write about the characters within it.
As for Mu Rufeng, a character I created, he has so many eccentric and crazy scenes that even I'm getting annoyed with him...
Next up is a new map, this one is quite difficult.
If it's not well written, please be lenient...
By the way, please leave a comment and add this to your favorites! ww
I'm so shameless.
I'll try my best to reply to everyone's comments, but sometimes I might not be able to.
And for some reason, even though I didn't add ellipses to my comment, it still showed up with a string of ellipses after I posted it...
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