After a brief discussion, the group turned around and detained Mu Rufeng and his guards as hostages. They sent the others back to Wuyan Pavilion to report to Tang Yang. After throwing the two into the room where Lu Xiaofeng and the others had been, Yan Liang finally had to face the truth—he turned around and saw the three men with solemn expressions.
Hua Guniang stood aside watching the show, while Bai Yutang had no intention of helping him out of the predicament at all, and casually leaned against the wall to watch.
Yan Liang organized his thoughts and waved his hand, indicating that he should bring it on—but no one pressed him for answers. Hua Manlou said, "If you can't say it, then don't say it... It's good that you're alive."
Lu Xiaofeng stroked his mustache, while Zhan Zhao smiled at Yan Liang; they shared the same thoughts as Hua Manlou.
It is already a very happy thing that a friend who was thought to have passed away is still alive. If you ask the other person questions that they cannot answer when you meet them, it would seem too inhumane.
Yan Liang was deeply moved. He wiped his face with his sleeve, but hesitated when he put his hand down. He wanted to say something but didn't know how to start. Zhan Zhao noticed this and said, "Brother Yan, you should treat your wounds as soon as possible."
Yan Liang and Wang Lianhua were slacking off when he was injured. The others, unaware of the truth, assumed that Yan Liang was too reluctant to hurt his sweetheart and that the worst he could do was kick her in the waist. Yan Liang looked at the small wounds on his body. His gray clothes were tattered and torn, while the flower girl was still dressed in a bright and beautiful yellow dress.
Yan Liang took his bundle from his horse and went into the house to change his clothes. He was not injured on his back, only because Wang Lianhua had intentionally cut off the arrows behind him when they were sparring in the water.
The girl in the flower dress watched Yan Liang's retreating figure, but the young man in gray did not turn around to look at her even when the door closed. The girl in the yellow dress couldn't help but show a hint of sadness.
Seeing this, Lu Xiaofeng comforted him, saying, "Since he didn't harm you, he must care about you."
Hua-guniang lowered her eyes, tears glistening in them. She glanced at Lu Xiaofeng, then turned her face away, unwilling to speak. She no longer possessed the innocent naiveté she had shown when she was with Lu Xiaofeng a few days ago. Since her reunion with Yan Liang, she seemed to have become a completely different person, leaving Lu Xiaofeng somewhat puzzled about the girl's true character.
But in any case, it's true that she was sad because of Yan Liang.
Lu Xiaofeng thought so.
—However, in reality, it was all fake.
Bai Yutang was not one to show mercy to women. Even though the beautiful girl looked very sad, he still asked the question that had puzzled him from the beginning.
Where did you meet Yan Liang?
Bai Yutang asked.
The young woman said unhappily, "What does it matter to you where I met Yan Lang? Even if he has you by his side now, it doesn't mean you can question me at will."
Bai Yutang: "..."
Everyone present simultaneously recalled the information that Miss Hua had revealed during her conversation with Yan Liang, and the summary that Mu Rufeng had made also came to mind.
Homosexuality, homosexuality...
Bai Yutang angrily retorted, "He is my friend! Don't talk nonsense!"
Hua Guniang didn't answer, her face showing a hint of sarcasm, while Bai Yutang was so angry that he temporarily put aside his questions, and Zhan Zhao helplessly comforted him from the side.
Bai Yutang was puzzled by Yan Liang's statement that he had been in this world for more than two years, but Hua Guniang and Yan Liang had obviously spent a long time together to have such a deep relationship. He asked where the two met, intending to test whether Hua Guniang was also from another world like him and Zhan Zhao—but the result was obviously disappointing.
Wang Lianhua guessed the question he was going to ask, and to prevent any miscalculation, she simply didn't answer, waiting for Bai Yutang to ask Yan Liang himself.
Now, only two people remain in the Smokeless Pavilion: Mu Rufeng and his guard. After learning from Bai Yutang that Yan Liang did indeed have a friend named Wang Lianhua, Zhan Zhao asked about the maidservant Wang Lianhua had chosen, Miss Hua.
"Where has Young Master Wang gone?" Zhan Zhao asked gently and sincerely.
Wang Lianhua himself stood before him, saying without blinking, "He had important business to attend to and set off yesterday."
Zhan Zhao felt a little regretful. Now that Yan Liang had arrived, he was hoping that the four of them could discuss matters in this world together.
With too many mysteries, Bai Yutang left Hua Guniang aside and exchanged information with the others from the past few days. Wang Lianhua listened attentively, then rearranged the script, making cuts and deletions, striving not to be exposed before they had had enough fun.
Now, Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou believe that Yan Liang has always been in this world, and that Yan Liang, Hua Guniang, and Dongfang are all people they met in this world. Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao exchanged a glance and decided to lay everything out on the table.
The truth of the matter is not actually that surprising. Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao had indeed shown signs of something being amiss before. Now, connecting their behavior with the truth, Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou suddenly understood. When talking about Wang Lianhua, Zhan Zhao affirmed, "That young master Wang must also be from another world, just like me and Brother Bai."
Young Master Wang was drinking tea with his back to them.
Lu Xiaofeng and the other two told Bai Yutang what Wang Lianhua had said to fool them. Now, the only people who knew that Wang Lianhua was actually Hua Guniang were Mu Rufeng and Yan Liang. Wang Lianhua listened to their conversation with a happy mood, thinking to herself that she would never give Mu Rufeng a chance to speak again. As for Yan Liang... that guy probably wouldn't reveal his identity directly either.
—After all, we've all put on this show together, so we can't just abandon each other after we've served our purpose, can we?
Yan Liang applied ointment to the wound—it's unclear what Mu Rufeng was thinking, but the arrow was not poisoned, although the arrowhead was extremely sharp.
He changed into gray clothes, pushed open the door and went out. He paused when he passed the room where Mu Rufeng had locked the door, but then continued walking forward.
Back then, Mu Rufeng was also taken hostage in the same way. Thinking of this, Yan Liang suddenly became curious about Tang Yang's expression after receiving the news.
He walked through the corridor and came to the main hall, where the young woman was sitting in a chair drinking tea, while the other four sat around her with solemn expressions.
Yan Liang stepped across the threshold and smiled slightly at them: "What are you talking about?"
Zhan Zhao looked up at him, paused, and asked, "Brother Yan... I wonder who this 'Eastern' person you and Miss Hua were talking about is?"
Yan Liang subconsciously looked at Wang Lianhua—he thought this person had already been fooled, but the other party just turned his face away and refused to look at him.
"Dongfang...he is a friend of mine."
As soon as Yan Liang finished speaking, everyone heard the girl in yellow let out a cold snort.
...It seems more likely to cause misunderstandings.
So, where is Dongfang, who has a somewhat ambiguous relationship with both "Young Master Yan" and "Flower Girl"?
"You're going to find someone named Yan Liang—?"
The man in red asked the question with great interest.
This person was the Eastern Cult Leader, revisiting a familiar place, only to find himself in a strange world after passing through a door.
That door was connected to the back door of the inn. Gong Jiu, upstairs, witnessed Dongfang Bubai push open the door from behind the empty door and enter.
That inn belonged to Gong Jiu, and he was the only one staying there that day.
The two are currently heading towards Suzhou.
Seeing that he seemed very interested in Yan Liang, Gong Jiu also became interested, and her eyes lit up.
"You know him?"
Dongfang Bubai smiled and said, "I have a friend who is also named Yan Liang."
Gong Jiu said meaningfully, "Perhaps the person I'm looking for is the same person as your friend."
Dongfang Bubai remained noncommittal, but he had to admit that he was indeed somewhat curious about the person Gong Jiu was looking for.
He once drank wine with Yan Liang under the moon, and the next day Yan Liang passed away in his sleep, leaving him with a lingering regret. In those years, he rarely saw Yan Liang due to the affairs of the Divine Cult, and their reunions were few and far between. And after Wang Lianhua's departure and Yan Liang's death, Dongfang Bubai never again encountered a friend with whom he could get along so easily.
He once felt a sense of loneliness and isolation at the top.
If I could meet my old friends here, then being stranded here might not be such a bad thing.
...Even knowing that he had been blamed by his two friends, the Eastern Cult Leader still felt that being stranded in another world was not such a bad thing.
——
Wanmei Manor was located between Suzhou and Gusu, so Fang Yingkan followed Ye Gucheng to Wanmei Manor. There, he also met Ximen Chuixue, a sword god who was as famous as Ye Gucheng in the martial arts world.
Neither Ye Gucheng nor Ximen Chuixue were talkative, but Ximen Hefeng was quite the chatterbox. Upon hearing the news of Lord Ye's arrival, he dashed off as fast as he could, with Pang Yu helplessly following behind. When they arrived, Ximen Hefeng had just finished greeting Ye Gucheng while clinging to his leg. Turning around, he saw Pang Yu strolling over and hurriedly called out, "Pang Yu! Pang Yu, Pang Yu! Come here quickly! My master is here!"
Ye Gucheng: "..."
Ximen Chuixue's expression froze: ...Master?
Upon seeing the two men in white emanating a chilling aura, Pang Yu slowed his pace, but still managed to correct the little brat's form of address: "You should call me Brother Pang—"
Fang Yingkan was standing aside admiring the flowers when he suddenly heard a voice calling "Pang Yu". His heart stirred, and he turned his head to look. He saw a young man with a childlike face walking towards him.
That young man... bore a striking resemblance to Pang Jin.
Fang Yingkan simply turned around and met Pang Yu's gaze, who was looking at him subconsciously.
Pang Yu felt a sudden tightness in his chest when he saw the smiling face above him. Although the other person's smile was very friendly, Pang Yu still judged from his years of experience in avoiding danger that this person was not someone to be trifled with.
After exchanging a few simple pleasantries with Ximen Chuixue, Ye Gucheng explained his purpose for coming. He said that Ximen Hefeng had told him in a letter that he wanted to become his disciple, but he had some doubts, so he came to visit him.
The father and son, Ximen, stared at each other in silence. Ximen Hefeng felt a little scared under their gazes and shrank back, hiding behind Ye Gucheng and Pang Yu's legs.
Ximen Chuixue had read the letter his son had written, but it did not mention that his son wanted to become Ye Gucheng's apprentice.
"...There are two letters..."
Ximen Hefeng squatted behind the two men and spoke softly. Ximen Chuixue understood. He remained silent for a moment, did not ask any further questions, and turned to walk into the manor, gesturing for them to come into the living room to talk.
Pang Yu was incredibly timid. Seeing Ye Gucheng nod slightly at him, he quickly returned a big smile, bent down and picked up Ximen Hefeng, who was squatting on the ground, and quietly complained about the little brat's lack of loyalty: "Since you dared to write two letters, why didn't you dare to speak up to your father? What kind of man hides behind him?"
"I can't beat them, but I'll dare to say it loudly once I can!" Ximen Hefeng said confidently.
Ye Gucheng and Fang Yingkan walked side by side and heard the conversation behind them. They found it somewhat amusing. Fang Yingkan also found it amusing, not because of Ximen Hefeng's childlike words, but because things were getting more and more interesting.
—Pang Yu.
No wonder... Yan Liang became friends with Pang Jin.
Fang Yingkan recalled their first meeting outside the Divine Marquis's residence, the strange behavior of the gray-clad youth, and his address of "Young Marquis," and suddenly understood.
……I see.
Pang Yu and Ximen Hefeng squatted outside the door, gazing at the sky, while inside, Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng were talking.
Pang Yu was discussing the next steps with Ximen Hefeng. The steward of Wanmei Manor had already told him about Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, but it seemed that Zhan Zhao had been captured by people in the martial arts world. Pang Yu was also saying goodbye to Ximen Hefeng when he mentioned this matter.
"I'm going to Suzhou to find Guard Zhan and Master Bai. See you again sometime." Pang Yu tapped the ground with his stick, a hint of melancholy in his voice. He was only truly close to Ximen Hefeng here; the children were innocent and straightforward, and he enjoyed spending time with them. The thought of leaving Wanmei Manor and parting from the only person he knew well made Pang Yu reluctant to leave.
Ximen Hefeng was even more upset than him, but seeing Pang Yu's expression, he patted him maturely, only managing to pat his leg because his arm was too short, and said with a deep look, "Pang Yu, you don't need to be sad, we will meet again if we are destined to."
Pang Yu corrected the way he addressed him: "I'm older than you, call me Brother Pang."
"Pang Yu".
Ximen and Feng were very persistent.
Pang Yu was even more upset. No matter where he was, no one ever called him Brother Pang; they always addressed him by his given name.
Guard Zhan is still the best; I always call him Young Master.
Pang Yu thought sadly.
Another young marquis quietly stood beside Pang Yu. Seeing that neither the elder nor the younger reacted, he greeted them, "Hello."
Pang Yu was startled and abruptly looked up at Fang Yingkan beside him, his heart pounding—how could this person walk so silently?
Fang Yingkan felt no remorse whatsoever, and bowed to him, saying, "Are you perhaps Young Marquis Pang Yu?"
Pang Yu was both surprised and delighted: "You know me?"
Fang Yingkan gave an irrelevant answer, smiling as he said, "I know a man named Yan Liang."
Pang Yu's expression froze, and he suddenly fell silent. Fang Yingkan continued, "I am now going to Suzhou to find him. Why don't you come with me, Young Marquis Pang?"
Pang Yu was now puzzled. He was unsure whether the Yan Liang mentioned by this person was the one he was thinking of, so he hesitated. But Fang Yingkan immediately dispelled his doubts: "Before Lord Ye and I came to Wanmei Manor, we asked the wise and knowledgeable people in the martial arts world. They said that Bai Yutang and Yan Liang were heading to Suzhou and should have arrived there by now."
The only person Pang Yu could think of who could travel with Master Bai and whose name was "Yan Liang" was Yan Liang.
Pang Yu organized his thoughts for a moment and tentatively asked, "...What is your surname?"
"..." Fang Yingkan was silent for a while before answering the other party's overly direct question, "I am Fang Yingkan. I have heard of the name of Young Master Pang and I am also aware of the names of Guard Zhan and Master Bai."
Ximen and Feng blinked as they listened to their conversation.
Pang Yu was still a bit unsure about this person named Fang Yingkan, and felt uneasy—after all, this person had suddenly appeared in front of him claiming to know him, and he had never even heard of the person's name before…
“It’s better for you to go to Suzhou with me than to go alone. You’ll have someone to look after you on the way,” Fang Yingkan said sincerely. “I have long admired Young Marquis Pang, and it is my honor to meet you here today. Please trust me, Young Marquis.”
His sincerity was evident. Pang Yu had been half-believing him, but now that he spoke, he believed him to be 80% of the time, though he still felt uneasy about it...
And so, the two made a pact to go to Suzhou together. Ye Gucheng was somewhat surprised when he learned of this, but seeing Fang Yingkan smiling happily, he did not ask. That day, Fang Yingkan and Pang Yu set off together.
Pang Yu, carrying the gifts from Ximen Hefeng, climbed onto the carriage and waved to the child through the window. Ximen Hefeng, with tears in his eyes and looking like he was about to cry, still insisted on calling out to him, "Pang Yu! Have a safe journey!"
The child called out in a childish voice, "Call me Big Brother!"
"Pang Yu!"
"Call me Big Brother!"
"Pang Yu—!!"
Ximen Chuixue had mixed feelings—his son seemed to have become more and more lively since he met Pang Yu…or rather, Ximen Hefeng was only very serious in front of Ximen Chuixue.
—How silly.
Seeing that Young Master Fang had condescended to drive for Young Master Pang Yu, Fang Ying listened to the meaningless shouting between the two and made an assessment of Pang Yu in his heart.
Author's Note: #doubleYoungLord#
#Young Marquis?
I'm terrible at ensemble pieces _(:з」∠)_
I hope this doesn't feel confusing... Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2020-05-10 22:52:34 and 2020-05-11 22:08:06!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: one live little angel has been caught;
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: I caught a live little angel with 10 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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