Chapter 175: Generous Help
"Young master, what a coincidence! We meet again!" Just then, a clear voice came on the wind, and the elegant Zhu Zixing stepped forward to greet him.
"Eighth Brother!" Zhu Zishou called out.
"Young Master Zhu!" Xie Yunfeng cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
Zhu Zixing returned the greeting with eager eyes: "Young master, you have returned. I suppose you have accomplished your mission? Would you do me the honor of visiting my estate for a chat? We can have a good talk and become friends!"
Xie Yunfeng's expression suddenly turned serious, and he lowered his head in silence.
Seeing his state, Zhu Zixing's smile faded slightly, a sense of doubt creeping into his heart. His gaze swept over the bowl of porridge in the man's hand, and he was about to ask a question when Zhu Zishou spoke first: "Eighth Brother, this brave man has been separated from his lover and is searching everywhere without success. He is very distressed."
Zhu Zixing looked at Xie Yunfeng: "Is it the female knight who accompanied you that day?"
Xie Yunfeng nodded sadly: "Exactly."
Zhu Zixing pondered for a moment, then said loudly, "Young master, do not worry! If you trust me, you may come back to the manor with me first. I will draw a portrait of your wife from memory and post it all over Baiyun City. With the connections of the Zhu family manor, finding her should not be difficult."
A glimmer of hope suddenly lit up Xie Yunfeng's eyes, as if rain had come after a long drought. He bowed deeply and said, "I am deeply grateful for such a great favor!"
Zhu Zixing quickly stepped forward to help him up, saying, "Young master, you flatter me! It was nothing, please!" He then stepped aside to invite him to join him.
"Please!" Xie Yunfeng returned the greeting, and the two walked side by side.
On the way, Zhu Zixing asked, "I remember you two were traveling together when you left, how did you get separated halfway?"
Xie Yunfeng briefly recounted what had happened that day. Upon hearing the word "poisoning," Zhu Zixing suddenly exclaimed, "What? Poisoning?!" His face was full of astonishment.
Xie Yunfeng asked, puzzled, "Young Master Zhu, is there... something wrong with this?"
Zhu Zixing's face was ashen, and he said through gritted teeth, "Young master, you are unaware of what has happened. The day after we parted, five soup kitchens in my Zhu Family Village were poisoned, and more than three thousand innocent refugees were brutally murdered. The scene was... too horrific to bear." His words were filled with deep sorrow.
"Who are you, villains! How dare you commit such a heinous act!" Xie Yunfeng shouted angrily.
Zhu Zixing closed his eyes and sighed, "Upon investigation, it was found that it was the work of the Hundred Poisons Master, Ku Bai Diao."
"Ku Bai Diao?" Xie Yunfeng's eyes flickered as he pondered, "I've also heard of this person's name. Isn't it rumored that she's already dead?"
Zhu Zixing shook his head: "She was a lackey of Ouyang Longyuan, a remnant of the Yue Kingdom. She was just faking her death to hide in the shadows and wait for an opportunity to cause trouble."
After thinking for a moment, Xie Yunfeng said, "Does the young master mean that the poison we were given that night was also the work of this scoundrel?"
Zhu Zixing nodded: "There is no one else in the world who can concoct such a colorless and odorless 'power-reducing powder' that can transform a person's internal energy, except for Ku Baigui."
Xie Yunfeng clenched his fists tightly, his teeth itching with hatred—if it weren't for this poison, how could he and Chunxiang have been separated! A chill rose from the bottom of his heart, and he said coldly, "Does your manor have any clues about the whereabouts of this fiend?"
Zhu Zixing shook his head: "We have no clue yet. Our manor is doing its best to investigate, and our fellow martial artists are also searching everywhere for him."
...
As they spoke, the two arrived at Zhu Zixing's residence. Without a word, Zhu Zixing went straight to his desk and sketched Chunxiang's outline from memory. With Xie Yunfeng's guidance, he repeatedly refined the sketch, finally bringing Chunxiang's appearance to life. "Young Master Xie, do you think this is appropriate?"
Xie Yunfeng stared at the portrait, his eyes gleaming: "So lifelike! Absolutely so! Eighth Young Master, your brushwork is truly masterful!"
Zhu Zixing humbly replied, "Thank you for your praise, young master. I merely followed your suggestion and made some minor additions!" He then beckoned to his attendant and said, "Quickly find a painter in the city to make a thousand copies of this painting and post them throughout the main streets of Baiyun City! Whoever finds the person depicted in the painting will be rewarded with thirty taels of silver!"
The attendant took the portrait and said, "Yes, sir!" before quickly retreating.
Xie Yunfeng gratefully clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I will remember your great kindness, Eighth Young Master! With your help, we will surely be able to find Chunxiang!"
Zhu Zixing laughed heartily: "Young Master Xie, there's no need to stand on ceremony! We hit it off immediately, it's just a small matter, nothing to worry about! You can thank me again after you've found your beautiful Chunxiang!" With that, he took Xie Yunfeng's arm, "Come, come, I'll have someone prepare some light wine and snacks to help you regain your strength!" The two then headed towards the west wing.
Outside Longyang City in Nanyang, Yi Qingxue, carrying the Xishi Qin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument), walked dejectedly to the cliff. Her eyes were vacant as she gazed at the drifting clouds, murmuring, "Father, eldest brother, second brother... Qingxue is unfilial, unable to avenge you... I have come to find you."
The mournful soliloquy was torn apart and scattered by the biting cliff wind; perhaps someone heard it, perhaps no one knew. Only the little white horse behind him pawed anxiously at the earth beneath its hooves, its mournful cries seeming to desperately try to keep its master.
Another gust of mountain wind howled in, and the graceful figure in the light green dress, clutching her guqin, resolutely leaped off the cliff! Accompanied by a mournful neigh that tore through the sky, Yi Qingxue's tears fell onto the strings of the Xi Shi guqin. She had come into this world, yet it seemed she had left nothing behind and taken nothing away. At this moment, she was utterly free of attachments.
Just as she closed her eyes and fell, the Xi Shi Qin, stained with tears, seemed to be awakened by some ancient power. Its body suddenly emitted a warm yellow light, which abruptly entered her brow! Yi Qingxue had already fainted and was completely unaware of this strange change. Her body became like a withered autumn leaf, her descent suddenly slowing and becoming erratic, finally landing silently in the wild grass at the bottom of the cliff.
Just then, a woodcutter carrying a load of firewood passed by, humming a little tune:
"...The mountain god asked me where I came from! Where did I come from, oh my!"
I'm going back to Peach Blossom Village, the mountain god's village! Peach Blossom Village, hello!
Holding a machete in my right hand and firewood in my left, I chop away, one stroke at a time…
The soaring melody abruptly stopped. "Huh?!" The woodcutter's gaze fell on the figure lying on the ground ahead.
"It's a person!" he muttered to himself, taking a few quick strides forward and unloading the bundle of firewood with a "bang." "It's a girl!" He carefully turned Yi Qingxue over to lay her flat. "Wow! What a lovely face!" His fingertips trembled as he checked her breath. "Great! She's still breathing!!" Without hesitation, he hoisted her onto his shoulder, coldly abandoning the bundle of firewood he had painstakingly chopped, and, as if he had found a rare treasure, ran home like the wind.
Upon hearing the news that Yi Qingxue had left the manor alone, Chen Qingyun, the head of the Longyang City Hall, felt a sudden pang of anxiety, his heart pounding like a cat on a hot tin roof. He immediately ordered a city-wide search, and personally led his trusted men on horseback to search every inch of the city. Like the wind leaving a trace and geese leaving a trail, after a long and arduous journey, they finally found the small white horse pacing and neighing mournfully on the edge of a precipice.
Chen Qingyun dismounted hastily and rushed to the edge of the cliff, looking down into the deep, dark ravine shrouded in mist. He sighed deeply, his face filled with shame: "Old City Lord... Chen Qingyun is so sorry..."
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