Lu Xiaofeng discovered that Hua Manlou always seemed to pick up some very interesting people.
Although he only picked them up twice, there were only three people among those "some".
A year ago, Lu Xiaofeng was tricked into going to the northern frontier. After solving the case with great difficulty, he ran back to Jiangnan from the northern frontier, hoping to find Hua Manlou to comfort his tormented soul, but instead encountered two wounded patients.
The scene was so subtle and so familiar that Lu Xiaofeng almost emptied his chair.
The two men were of unknown origin. Hua Manlou smelled the blood in the air while sweeping tombs in the suburbs and followed the scent to find the two unconscious men in the grass.
Hua Manlou, being kind-hearted, saved the two men. When they woke up, they gave their names—one was Zhan Zhao, and the other was Bai Yutang.
The two were clearly very good friends, and even had nicknames for each other—Bai Yutang would occasionally call Zhan Zhao "Cat," while Zhan Zhao would reciprocate by calling him "White Mouse."
Bai Zhan and his companion were both straightforward and honest people, yet they never spoke of their origins. Since they didn't say anything, Hua Manlou didn't ask. However, after Lu Xiaofeng arrived and spent time with them, he learned the reason behind their story and felt increasingly that it inexplicably overlapped with the situation from back then.
After Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao recovered from their injuries, they left Baihualou and traveled the martial arts world. Lu Xiaofeng always felt that they were looking for something, because they went to places with strange rumors.
Now a year has passed, and Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao have returned to Jiangnan to find Hua Manlou. It was shortly after the Qingming Festival, and Hua Manlou had just returned from paying respects to his ancestors at the Hua family. Lu Xiaofeng arrived shortly after.
Bai Zhan and his companion knew that Hua Manlou had met them in the suburbs to sweep the grave of an old friend, and guessed that the two of them had gathered here for the same friend.
They chatted casually, and Bai Yutang asked about a strange person he and Zhan Zhao had encountered in the martial arts world. Thinking that Lu Xiaofeng had friends all over the world, he might know him, so he asked.
"Does that person wield a sword?" Upon hearing Bai Yutang's description—white-clad and smiling—Lu Xiaofeng's lips twitched, and he began to have a vague guess.
"No," Bai Yutang denied, "He never carried a sword."
“…I reckon the person you two met was the heir of the Prince of Taiping, whose name in the martial arts world is Gong Jiu.” Lu Xiaofeng gave his answer, his brow twitching incessantly. “He has a strange temper, so don’t pay any attention to him next time you meet him.”
Zhan Zhao asked, "Does that person have a grudge against you?"
Lu Xiaofeng was puzzled and frustrated when he brought this up: "No! I had no grudge against him before, and we had never met before, but he has disliked me ever since we first met."
The consequence of disliking someone is that they keep digging traps for him. Lu Xiaofeng almost lost his life several times because of this. The time he was tricked into going to the Northern Frontier was also Gong Jiu's doing.
If Yan Liang hadn't brought Gong Jiu to meet him in that dilapidated temple, Lu Xiaofeng would never have gotten involved with Gong Jiu. Gong Jiu's dislike for him came out of nowhere, and Lu Xiaofeng never understood why. Even when he met Gong Jiu and tried to ask her why, Gong Jiu would only smile meaningfully and mock him, never explaining the reason.
When Lu Xiaofeng spoke of Gong Jiu, he couldn't help but think of the early-deceased Yan Liang, and a hint of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
Bai Yutang looked at him and said, "It must be that you offended him at some point. What kind of hatred is there in this world without a reason?"
“I have never offended him, yet he has an inexplicable aversion to me.” Lu Xiaofeng said firmly, “Although he was not exactly kind to my friend, we had been able to travel together peacefully. But when he saw me, he acted as if I were his mortal enemy—it has been like that since our first meeting.”
Bai Yutang smiled and said, "It seems you're the one who's most annoying."
Zhan Zhao glanced at him helplessly, then looked at Lu Xiaofeng with a hint of apology. Lu Xiaofeng wasn't so narrow-minded; he just found the way the two got along quite interesting.
Bai Yutang said leisurely, "You two have only known each other for a short time, but Gong Jiu is the only one who doesn't like you. Your friend must be a very likable person."
Zhan Zhao coughed lightly, while Lu Xiaofeng thought for a moment and said, "If he's not annoying, then fine, but how could he possibly be likable?"
Zhan Zhao smiled. From Lu Xiaofeng's words, he realized that he indeed had a very good relationship with his friend. Having traveled in this world for a year, he had also interacted with Lu Xiaofeng's friend. He couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Who is your friend? Could it be Brother Sikong?"
Lu Xiaofeng said, "It's not that cunning Sikong, it's a friend that Hua Manlou and I are going to visit this time. His name is Yan Liang."
He had long accepted the fact that Yan Liang had died young, and he didn't feel sad when he said it, but he was surprised by Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang's reaction to his words.
The apology for accidentally touching the wound turned into astonishment when he heard the name "Yan Liang". Zhan Zhao stared blankly at Lu Xiaofeng, while Bai Yutang's expression changed slightly and he stopped moving the flowers in his hand.
While they were preparing items for Lu and Hua to use for tomb sweeping, Hua Manlou was stopped by an old woman at a street stall. As he went upstairs with two sesame cakes, he keenly sensed the subtle atmosphere between the three of them.
"I have a friend of Brother Bai's... also named Yan Liang."
Zhan Zhao's voice was gentle, and his words made Hua Manlou slightly startled.
Lu Xiaofeng saw Hua Manlou's head looming above the stairs, coughed, and said dryly, "What a coincidence."
As astute as Lu Xiaofeng was, he naturally noticed the subtle attitude of the two when they mentioned their friend named "Yan Liang"—that person was probably no longer alive.
Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou left with the items for tomb sweeping, while Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao stayed at Baihualou.
The second floor was empty and silent.
Zhan Zhao watched the two leave, then turned to look at Bai Yutang, who, who was usually so arrogant and unrestrained, now seemed somewhat stunned.
Bai Yutang looked up at Zhan Zhao, and the two locked eyes for a moment before Zhan Zhao smiled at him.
The young man in blue said gently, "Brother Bai, the deceased is gone."
Bai Yutang had been trying to forget, or rather, to let go, but he could never forget that night, that moment, the sight of Yan Liang falling into the trap right in front of him.
If we add the year that Yan Liang spent here after being ambushed by the Western Xia people, Yan Liang has been dead for five years. Bai Yutang was surprised to hear Yan Liang's name here again, and thus lost his composure.
But after hearing Zhan Zhao's words, Bai Yutang composed himself, smiled, and said, "Of course I understand this principle. You should know that I am not someone who dwells on the past."
Zhan Zhao smiled and said, "Of course I know Brother Bai's character."
But ultimately, it's hard to accept.
Whether it's Bai Yutang or Zhan Zhao, their feelings about Yan Liang can only be summed up in three words: "unresolved resentment."
After this brief conversation, the room fell silent again. Zhan Zhao sat down next to Bai Yutang, who then poured him a cup of tea.
A spring breeze whistled past the window, carrying the fragrance of flowers from the balcony into the room. Zhan Zhao sipped tea and admired the flowers, a slight smile on his face, while Bai Yutang gazed absently at the ever-changing white cloud on the horizon, lost in thought.
The sound of rain pattering outside the window made Zhan Zhao pause. Bai Yutang glanced at him and said, "They brought umbrellas."
Zhan Zhao gave him a slightly embarrassed smile.
Even though they never found a way back, time passed peacefully, free from the turmoil of the past, and life was tranquil and harmonious.
Standing in front of Yan Liang's tomb, Lu Xiaofeng held up an oil-paper umbrella for him and Hua Manlou, watching the raindrops slowly flow down from Yan Liang's tombstone; Hua Manlou listened to the raindrops falling and closed his eyes slightly.
————
Meanwhile, Yan Liang himself, whom several people felt a deep sense of unease or longing for, scrambled out of the sea onto the beach in a disheveled state, coughing up water as he leaned against the sand. Wet hair slid down his cheeks as he coughed violently, his mouth and nose filled with the fishy smell of seawater, and he even vomited sand.
—This is bad. I really felt like I was about to die as soon as I came back to life.
After coughing, Yan Liang lay down on his back on the beach, with only one thought in his mind.
He gazed at the azure sky, the occasional waves lapping at his feet, bringing a slight tickling sensation. Yan Liang blinked, finding himself utterly weak, and too lazy to move, he lay sprawled on the beach.
The system chimed in apologetically: [The situation is sudden. There are people in this world who have been caught in a spacetime turbulence. We can only ask you to help find them and send them back once the passage is repaired.]
Yan Liang swung his toes and lazily replied, "I know."
The system hesitated for a moment, but still decided to tell him one thing: [You've been to this world before; it's the world where Hua Manlou rescued you.]
Yan Liang stopped swinging his toes, a hint of anticipation creeping into his heart: [When is it?]
The system calculated the time: "[...five years after you died.]"
Yan Liang's feet started wiggling again, and he couldn't help but smile: "That's good."
The system sensed that he was in a very good mood and thought to itself that its decision was not wrong, so it also became happy.
Someone in the distance spotted a figure on the beach whose fate was unknown. They paused, but upon closer inspection, they found the figure dangling his toes. Their feelings were quite complicated.
Yan Liang was having a good time when a head popped up above him, looking down at him with a cold expression.
He blinked, met the person's gaze, and dredged up distant memories of the other person from his mind.
This person seems to be... Lord Ye Gucheng?
This beach was where Ye Gucheng practiced his swordsmanship, a rule known to all the citizens of Baiyun City, who never disturbed him there. Therefore, Ye Gucheng was initially wary when he saw Yan Liang, but after their eyes met and they gazed at each other deeply for a while, Ye Gucheng subtly ruled out the possibility that this man posed a threat to Baiyun City.
"Oh, Lord Ye, how are you?"
Yan Liang greeted him in a light and cheerful tone.
"My name is Yan Liang. I was shipwrecked and ended up here. I hope you can take me in for a few days."
Ye Gucheng's eyes narrowed slightly—more concerned about the name the person gave than the fact that the other party had directly revealed his identity.
He said, "Get up first."
Yan Liang did as instructed, turned over and got up, stood still, and looked at Ye Gucheng—this time he was a little short, so he had to tilt his head up slightly to meet Ye Gucheng's eyes.
Ye Gucheng could tell that Yan Liang was weak and unsteady on his feet, and was definitely not a martial artist, so he believed Yan Liang's story that he had been stranded here due to a shipwreck to some extent.
Yan Liang followed Ye Gucheng back to the city lord's mansion. The sword immortal was still as otherworldly as Yan Liang remembered, but when he walked with him on the streets of Baiyun City and the citizens greeted them, he noticed that Ye Gucheng's aura had softened a bit.
He was watching Ye Gucheng, and Ye Gucheng was naturally watching him too.
Although Ye Gucheng had only had a few conversations with Yan Liang in the past, he still remembered Yan Liang's unique temperament. Now, seeing Yan Liang again, even though his face and figure were different, Ye Gucheng still felt a subtle sense of familiarity.
The author has something to say: Regarding the subtitle "Mountains and rivers meet again," the original text reads: Mountains and rivers meet again, the spring breeze enters the scroll, I hope you take good care of yourself, the full moon and wine in the cup.
It's also about a reunion, but the main idea is "to be tolerant of others when possible." I love this sentence so much that I've made it my own subheading _(:з」∠)_
This world has more than just Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao; there are others too.
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I've seen some people mentioning Li Ganqing. Li Ganqing and Yan Liang are my personal favorites. This story is not a romantic pairing. If I were to write about Li Ganqing, I would inevitably have to write about his romantic relationships. Also, everyone has different preferences, so to avoid that, he won't be included in this world's stories.
But after this story is finished, I'll probably write a separate side story for him, a tiny, tiny, tiny short story following the aftermath of "Sending to the Long Wind," just to satisfy myself a little bit _(:з」∠)_
Although it's late, I still wish everyone a happy Labor Day! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 23:42:44 on April 30, 2020 and 10:30:24 on May 2, 2020!
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Qingyu and Yanluo (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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