Chapter 152: Storms Rise in Longyang City
The sound of galloping hooves and billowing dust filled the air. When Xie Yunfeng and Ling Xueyan arrived on horseback, Chunxiang had already vanished without a trace. Only a charred fire remained, its ashes swirling in the wind.
"Chunxiang!...Chunxiang!" Xie Yunfeng called out repeatedly into the depths of the dense forest, but only the rustling wind answered him. His heart clenched as if something was gripping it, and he broke out in a sweat.
Ling Xueyan glanced around, muttering to herself: Was that bitch rescued, or did she slip away on her own? "Thank you, Brother!" she said, feigning concern, raising her voice, "Sister Chunxiang... did something more urgent come up and leave without waiting for us?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Yunfeng's eyes lit up: "Qiuxia! She must be anxious to find Qiuxia!" Before he finished speaking, he had already mounted his horse, squeezed the horse's belly with his legs, and spurred the horse out like an arrow.
"Brother Xie! Wait!" Ling Xueyan didn't dare to delay. She immediately mounted her horse, gripped the reins tightly, and followed closely behind. The wind whistled through her ears as she shouted, "Where are we going?"
"Longyang City!" Xie Yunfeng shouted in response, his horse's hooves echoing along the mountain road, his clothes fluttering in the wind. "Chunxiang must have already made her way to Longyang City!" The two riders galloped side by side, raising clouds of yellow dust, and disappeared into the distance at the end of the mountain road in the blink of an eye...
Inside the Yi residence in Longyang City, Yi Qingxue slowly awoke from her unconsciousness. Yi Mingjian, who had been waiting beside her, immediately bent down, his voice filled with anxiety: "Little sister! You're finally awake! The doctor said you fainted due to excessive grief, causing your blood to rush to your brain. You absolutely mustn't experience any more extreme joy or sorrow; if you get angry again, it might damage your mind… You must take good care of yourself!"
Yi Qingxue remained silent, only two lines of tears silently sliding down her cheeks. The massacre of the Ma family in Ma Village, the tragic deaths of the Ma father and son, the beheading of her beloved Yin Xiaosheng—whose head was mercilessly severed by Ouyang Longyuan… each and every event was like a sharp blade ripping into her heart, and the overwhelming grief surged within her, piercing to the very marrow of her bones.
“Little sister.” Yi Mingjian’s throat choked with emotion. “The dead are gone. Even if we are heartbroken, it will be of no use. Father is gone, and there is no news of my second brother. If something happens to you, how will I, your elder brother, face our father in the afterlife?” As he spoke, his own eyes reddened.
Yi Qingxue slowly turned her head to look at him, her gaze filled with icy hatred: "You... why are you aiding and abetting evil? Ouyang Longyuan is the murderer of my father! And you still serve him?!" As she spoke, her breathing became rapid again, and her chest heaved violently.
"Little sister! Calm down!" Yi Mingjian hurriedly helped her sit up, patting her back urgently. "Don't get agitated! Listen to me, I became Ouyang Longyuan's disciple only to endure humiliation and hardship, so that one day I can avenge my father!" His eyes were full of worry, afraid that she would faint again.
A glimmer of hope flashed in Yi Qingxue's eyes: "Is what Big Brother said true?!"
"Yes!" Yi Mingjian nodded heavily. "When did I ever lie to you, brother? It's just... that old scoundrel Ouyang's martial arts are unfathomable. I haven't found a good opportunity yet, so I can only pretend to be cooperative and do things for him. The Ma family father and son... if I don't take action myself, they will take our lives! I... have no other choice!" His words were filled with sorrow, as if he was struggling with a thousand kinds of emotions.
Upon hearing this, Yi Qingxue was speechless, a myriad of emotions choking her throat, only tears streaming down her face. Yi Mingjian pleaded again, "Little sister! You must hold on, until the day your elder brother avenges our enemies! If something happens to you, what... what meaning will my life hold? Promise me, for Father's sake, for this revenge, live on! Okay?"
Yi Qingxue pursed her lips, tears streaming down her face, and nodded in response, "...Yes!"
"Good sister!" Yi Mingjian excitedly pulled her into his arms, and only released her after a moment. He gazed into her eyes and said earnestly, "Our father's revenge is not yet complete, we must pull ourselves together!" He carefully helped his sister lie down, "You are still weak, you should rest well." After saying that, he tucked the blanket around her.
Yi Mingjian got up to leave, but Yi Qingxue suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist, her eyes still filled with worry: "Big brother... please be careful too."
"Hmm!" Yi Mingjian responded, gently placing his sister's hand back under the covers. He turned and sternly addressed the two maids standing on either side: "Take good care of the young lady. If anything goes wrong, you will be held responsible!"
"Yes!" The two maids answered in unison, trembling with fear.
Yi Mingjian gave his sister a deep look, then quickly left. His footsteps faded into the distance, and silence returned to the room. Only then did Yi Qingxue take out the sachet Yin Xiaosheng had given her from her waist. Her fingertips traced the patterns on it, and finally, unable to hold back any longer, she pressed the sachet tightly to her heart, curled up, and began to sob: "...Brother Yin... Waaah..."
After galloping for several days through the towering mountains, Xiaoyao Lang finally entered the territory of Longyang City.
"Stop! Get off, and leave your horse behind!" A burly man with a bare chest and arms blocked the road. His muscles were clearly defined, and he carried a large machete on his shoulder. His tone was extremely arrogant.
Xiaoyao Lang weighed the Black Remnant Sword in his hand and said calmly, "Why is that?"
The man sized up Xiaoyao Lang, then arrogantly shouted, "Why? Heh, you look like a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) wanderer, you should know some rules! At the foot of Longyang City, Emperor Ouyang Fan has ordered that all the good horses be conscripted for military use! Disobey orders!? Do you want to lose your head?"
"Oh?" A cold glint flashed in Xiaoyao Lang's eyes, and a sneer curled at the corner of his mouth. "So, you're also working for Ouyang Longyuan?"
"How dare you!" the man roared, pointing his cleaver straight at Xiaoyao Lang's face. "How dare you, a mere child, address the venerable Emperor Ouyang Fan?!" Before he finished speaking, a dozen soldiers wielding spears had already surrounded Xiaoyao Lang.
"Heh..." Xiaoyao Lang let out a soft snort, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the crowd. "You'd better make way for me, I don't want to kill anyone." His tone carried a chilling pressure.
The man laughed wildly: "Oh ho! You've got quite the nerve! Take him down!" At his command, the soldiers thrust their spears forward!
Xiaoyao Lang's Wu Can Sword had already been silently drawn. Everyone only saw a flash of black light before their eyes, and then a muffled "thud" like cloth being torn apart. The red-tasseled spears in their hands were broken in two! The soldiers, holding the bare spear shafts, were all stunned and stood there dumbfounded.
The man's face paled in horror. Just as he was about to move, the sharp edge of Wu Can's sword was firmly pressed against his neck! He trembled violently, the cleaver clattering to the ground. Terrified, he begged for mercy: "Good...good man, spare my life! Spare my life!"
Xiaoyao Lang sheathed his sword with a swift and elegant movement. Without another glance, he spurred his horse, Blackie, and galloped away with a long neigh. The soldiers behind him exchanged bewildered glances, still shaken, and dared not give chase. They acted as if nothing had happened.
The mountain path leveled out, and after riding for a long time, Xiaoyao Lang arrived at the street leading into the city. Gazing at the familiar scenery, he vaguely recalled his first encounter with Murong Hanchan, and his eyes welled up with tears. The pedestrians on the street gradually blurred, but her tall, graceful figure became increasingly clear—still so lively and adorable! A beautiful and exquisite face, her smile still so incredibly sweet…
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