Lave

Chapitre 49

The voice grew softer and softer until it fell silent. Qiu Hengbo listened intently, hearing only the whispers of the wind and the sound of waves. But... her almond-shaped eyes fixed on the man before her, gentle and refined, with an elegant and unrestrained air. He faced everything with a smile, as if the world itself were nothing but tranquility and serenity in his presence. How could one not be moved by such a person? What more could a man ask for than such a gentleman?

But... at this moment, with the wind blowing and the moon shining brightly, why couldn't they exchange even a single warm word? At Changtian Manor, that garment, that poem, should have been a tacit agreement, so why could they only speak politely from these five steps apart? "Mutual respect..." This phrase suddenly flashed into his mind. Mutual respect... many couples in the world strive for nothing more than this, and it's the best testament to a harmonious marriage. So, this should be good enough. Thinking this way, he felt somewhat at peace, yet a vague sense of regret lingered.

"The night breeze is chilly, let's go back," Ming Er said, turning around.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Hengbo smiled and touched her temple, feeling a warmth in her heart. However, she said, "Hengbo is not a delicate person and will not get sick from a little wind."

Ming Er smiled and said, "How could I underestimate the successor of 'Heavenly Needle'? But..." He raised his hand and pointed to Lie Chifeng, who was looking in this direction, "If we stand here for a while longer, he might come to challenge me to a duel with his sword again."

Qiu Hengbo's eyebrows twitched, and she looked at Ming Er with her almond-shaped eyes. "I didn't expect that the Second Young Master could actually see the origin of Hengbo's martial arts."

Ming Eryi simply smiled faintly, "Although Master Tianyi has long since retired from the martial world, the emergence of the 'Tianyi Needle' twenty years ago shocked the martial world. Even if it was just a fleeting moment, it is enough to make people remember it."

Qiu Hengbo stared intently at Ming Er. Her master was long forgotten in the martial world, and her martial arts skills were rarely displayed in public; even Ming Kong hadn't noticed. Yet he had seen through her with a single sentence. Actually, it wasn't unusual for him to know her lineage; there was no secret about her master or martial arts. But… but… at this moment, an uncontrollable chill ran through her! He knew such ancient and secret matters; everything in the world must be laid bare before him. But could anyone in the world truly see into those empty, hazy eyes? People praised his intelligence and wisdom, his otherworldly appearance, and called him a "banished immortal." With his talent and intelligence, it was only natural that he could see through the ways of the world. But… at this moment, she felt a vague fear, unrelated to anything or anyone, just a feeling that arose in this instant.

Immortals can see the entire mortal world from the heavens above, but he... is not a true immortal, so he shouldn't know everything, right?

Qiu Hengbo raised her hand to brush away the stray strands of hair flying in front of her eyes, and also sorted out her thoughts. She naturally shifted her gaze and turned her head, only to meet a pair of cold and bright eyes, like cold stars rising from the surface of a deep sea. She couldn't help but be startled, thinking to herself that this person had a strong aura. "It's a pity that Third Master Lie is so fond of martial arts, it's a pity that Sister Fushu's good intentions have been wasted."

“Everyone has their own destiny,” Ming Er said calmly.

The two walked back while talking.

Hua Fushu sat with Rong Yue, Liu Mo, Shang Pinghan and other female warriors. From afar, she saw Qiu Hengbo walking towards the sea. Seeing her talking quietly with Ming Er alone, she couldn't help but turn her head to look at the lonely figure standing on the reef in the sea. Her heart suddenly ached.

"Miss," Rongyue called softly, "Third Master Lie is over there alone, Miss, you need to go over there..."

Hua Fushu shook her head and looked away. "Yingshan already made it clear. I, Hua Fushu, am not so desperate as to beg for mercy."

“Miss…” Rong Yue looked at her with concern.

"You don't need to worry about me," Hua Fushu smiled slightly.

Unlike Qiu Hengbo's elegant, charming, and captivating beauty, she was delicate and graceful, pleasing to the eye and heart, and even her voice was always soft and gentle.

“Would I, Hua Fushu, be heartbroken for a lifetime for someone who doesn’t care about me at all? If Lie Chifeng wants to spend his life with his sword, then let him be with it. No matter how sharp a sword is, or how superb the swordsmanship is, it’s still an inanimate object. How can it compare to a person? He abandoned me for his sword; that was his foolishness. In this world, he will never find someone as good to him as I am…someone who treats him like this again. He should be the one who is sad.”

“Exactly!” Rong Yue clapped her hands upon hearing this. “What he did was his loss. Miss doesn’t need to pay attention to such a person. With Miss’s talent, even the emperor would be impressed.”

Hua Fushu scoffed upon hearing this, "You're just full of wild ideas."

"That's for sure." Rong Yue smiled, her smile as radiant as a flower in the firelight, her bright and cheerful expression captivating. "Our young lady is the most beautiful woman in the martial world!"

Hua Fushu shook her head, ignoring her. She casually turned her head and saw Mei Hongming and Yuwen Feng practicing their martial arts. She was immediately annoyed: Two more martial arts fanatics! Is martial arts really that important? Hmph, what's so great about martial arts! At this moment, she forgot that she was also a martial artist and had also practiced hard for more than ten years.

Chapter 21: The Storm is Coming (Part 1)

As night deepened, conversations faded, and people gradually fell silent.

The island, which had been bustling for half the night, finally quieted down, but then the sounds of snoring and low conversations began to rise again.

Lan Qi leaned against the tree trunk, gazing up at the sky. Her jade fan opened and closed intermittently, as if she were leisurely or deep in thought.

There were leisurely footsteps approaching, but they ignored them until a voice called "Seventh Young Master" called out. They turned their heads and saw Ming Kong and Ming Er under the tree, which puzzled them.

"How about Seventh Young Master joins us for a sea voyage?" Mingkong asked with a smile.

A stroll on the sea? The sea… Lan Qi smiled, her eyes crinkling, and landed gracefully. “It is my honor to be invited by Senior Ming.”

"Then let's go." Mingkong smiled and nodded, taking the lead towards the seaside, and casually breaking off a branch to carry in his hand.

Lan Qi glanced at Ming Er and saw only a gentle smile on his face. He then waved his jade fan and said, "Please, Second Young Master."

"Seventh Young Master, please." Ming Er waved his hand gracefully.

Finally, the two walked away side by side, each holding a broken branch in their hand.

Reaching the seaside, Ming raised his hand, and the branch landed on the sea. He stepped into the air, floated down onto the branch, and drifted leisurely forward.

Lan Qi and Ming Er followed behind him, throwing branches into the sea as well. They then stepped on the branches and followed closely behind Ming Kong, flying gracefully on the sea.

Some people on the island hadn't gone to sleep yet, and when they glanced at the shore, they were astonished by what they saw.

"What superb lightness skill! This is what 'riding the wind and controlling the water' should be like!"

"What are Sect Leader Ming and the others doing?"

"Could it be that Sect Leader Ming wants to test the Second Young Master and Seventh Young Master's lightness skills?"

The people on the island were speculating, and Lan Qi and Ming Er at sea also had some doubts in their hearts. Could it be that Ming Kong did this in order to test their lightness skills?

Ming Kong stopped about ten feet from the shore, turned around and looked at Lan Qi and Ming Er. Seeing that they were calm and breathing steadily, he couldn't help but secretly praise their skills. He himself did not have such internal strength and lightness skills at their age.

Lan Qi and Ming Er also stopped.

The three of them stood on tree branches, floating on the sea. Their figures were all graceful and elegant, captivating the onlookers on the shore. They exclaimed that even the sea immortals could not compare to them.

"Does Senior Ming have something to say to us?" Lan Qi spoke first.

Mingkong nodded with a smile.

"What are your instructions, senior?" Ming Er asked.

Now far from the island, they could no longer hear the islanders' voices; all they could hear were the sounds of the sea breeze and the waves. Even the islanders could not hear their conversations.

"I wouldn't dare to give orders, but I do have something I need to ask of you two," Mingkong said.

"Oh?" Lan Qi raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Ming Er's brows twitched.

"This is a request from Ming to you two," Ming Kong said again.

These casual words stirred something in Lan Qi and Ming Er, who simultaneously fixed their gazes on Ming Kong.

Mingkong's expression remained calm and serene as he slowly said, "This trip to Dongming is crucial to the survival of the Imperial Dynasty's martial arts world. Perhaps we can return safely, or perhaps we will all perish here. Therefore, I only ask you two for one thing: regardless of the reasons for Dongming Island, and regardless of your views on the martial arts world, please, in the end, protect the Imperial Dynasty's martial arts world. We cannot be defeated by Dongming Island, nor can we all perish there."

Upon hearing this, Lan Qi and Ming Er both had strange expressions. Their gazes toward Ming Kong became complicated, and they secretly sighed in their hearts, thinking, "He truly deserves to be called the number one martial artist. He is insightful and wise!"

"How could Senior Ming entrust me with such a personal matter? I am foolish and should explain the greater good to you." Lan Qi's tone was somewhat teasing.

Mingkong simply smiled, his gaze fixed on Lan Qi with a profound meaning. "Given your temperament, if I were to truly act out a grand act of chivalry, I fear you might actually seize this opportunity to burn down the entire martial world. But if I were to use your brother, Feng Yi, as the subject, then I would rather pour the entire Eastern Sea to drown all living beings."

"Hehe..." Lan Qi chuckled lightly, his bright green eyes shining, "Now I know why Old Man Sui hates you so much. You're so smart, you must have made him suffer a lot."

Ming Kongyi simply smiled, "What are your thoughts, Seventh Young Master?"

Lan Qi clasped her hands together with her jade fan, glanced sideways at Ming Er with her emerald eyes, and replied, "It's a request from the number one martial artist. It makes me very proud, so I accept."

"What about the Second Young Master? Is he willing to accept my offer?" Ming Kong turned to Ming Er.

"This junior agrees," Ming Er replied readily.

"Huh?" Lan Qi was puzzled upon hearing this, looking Ming Er up and down. "Where did all those nice words you had for the Second Young Master go? You just agreed so easily? This is so unlike your usual self!"

Ming Er said with a gentle and sincere expression, "There's no need for empty words in front of Senior Ming." He turned to look at Lan Qi, his smile becoming even more elegant. "Besides, since Young Master Qi is so kind-hearted, and it's rare to have the opportunity to work together with Young Master Qi, how could I miss this chance?"

"Is that so?" Lan Qi said, drawing out the last syllable.

“Of course,” Ming Er said calmly.

Mingkong found the subtle tension between the two men quite intriguing. Would they become lifelong rivals or enemies, or lifelong friends? "I am relieved that you two have agreed."

"Is Senior Ming too trusting of us?" Lan Qi turned around and raised an eyebrow to ask.

“We juniors are young and inexperienced, and we need your guidance, seniors,” Ming Er said. Lan Qi glanced at him, a hint of a smile playing on her lips, as if she were laughing at him for finally falling back into his old habit of spouting nice words.

“I have long witnessed your abilities on Mount Ying. With you two in the Imperial Martial World, it is truly…” Ming Kong suddenly stopped speaking.

Ming Er and Lan Qi both looked at him, their expressions a mixture of anticipation and indifference. What was it? Another round of polite "It's good fortune"?

"It's about to usher in a new legend."

Mingkong's words were completely unexpected to the two of them, and they were both taken aback.

"Whether the future holds dramatic changes or a glorious chapter depends on your actions. But you must also preserve the imperial court and the martial world before you can act. Without people, there is no martial world. Looking at the world, you are nothing but yourselves. Wouldn't that be too boring and uninteresting?" Mingkong said leisurely, looking at the two of them.

At that moment, both of them turned their gazes to Ming Kong. After a long while, they both sighed from the bottom of their hearts, "Senior is indeed the number one martial artist." After saying that, they realized that the other had said the same thing. They both froze. Lan Qi lowered his eyes, and Ming Er pursed his lips.

Mingkong observed their expressions and understood, chuckling inwardly. Whether these two were rivals or friends, it all boiled down to one thing: enemies are destined to meet. "Let's go back. It's late, we should rest."

The three of them immediately turned back.

The next day, early in the morning, the heroes had breakfast and boarded the ship to set sail again. In the vast ocean, apart from the seawater, there were only seabirds. They did not know where Dongming Island was, but since setting sail, no one had questioned or backed down. This was all because Mingkong was there. With him, everyone had a backbone. As long as they followed him, they would definitely reach Dongming Island. He would definitely lead them to reclaim the Holy Decree! No one doubted this!

This is the unique charm of leaders throughout history.

Lan Qi and Ming Er are both outstanding in martial arts and intelligence, and are deeply respected by many heroes. However, for Lan Qi, it is more of awe for the strong, and for Ming Er, it is more of a respect for the benevolent. But when it comes to the prestige that commands respect and the unanimous support of the people, only Ming Kong reigns supreme. That is the trust and respect that people have given him, accumulated little by little over more than twenty years in the martial world through his conduct and actions!

However, Yuwen Lindong did have a slight doubt.

"Brother Ming, why don't you care about anything on this ship? What if the ship sails in the wrong direction?"

Upon hearing this, Mingkong countered with a question: "Brother Yuwen, do you and I know where Dongming Island is?"

This stumped Yuwen Lindong, as he truly did not know where Dongming Island was.

“Yesterday, it was the people from Dongming Island who took the initiative to appear; otherwise, how could we have met them so quickly?” Mingkong shifted his gaze to the large ship on the left, where Ming Er and Lan Qi, unusually, stood together, chatting peacefully. “Perhaps they…”

"What's wrong with them?" Yuwen Lindong also looked over there, and then he saw that his youngest son had run off over there again. He immediately frowned. "Hmph, I'll teach that kid a lesson when I get back!"

Mingkong withdrew his gaze and looked ahead. The rising sun hung high in the sky, its golden rays shining brightly. The sea and sky were both bathed in a golden light, a magnificent sight.

“Brother Yuwen, the ship, the crew, and the management personnel all come from the Lan and Ming families. Since they set sail, have you seen them interfere much in the affairs of the ship? The ship has been sailing without any orders from its master. Yesterday, when the Eastern Sea attacked, everything on the ship was undamaged and there were no casualties. This shows that these people are no ordinary people. So why should we ask? They know how to handle it themselves.”

"But... how could they possibly know where Dongming Island is?" Yuwen Lindong asked.

“I couldn’t be sure before yesterday, but today I’m certain they can find Dongming Island,” Mingkong said.

"Oh?" Yuwen Lindong was still somewhat skeptical.

"Didn't the people from Dongming Island show up yesterday?" Mingkong turned his head and smiled at Yuwen Lindong, his smile carrying a profound meaning.

Yuwen Lindong thought for a moment, then suddenly realized and said, "You mean follow them? But the people from Dongming Island have already left, so how can that be done?"

"We don't need to know the specifics. We just need to know that this ship will take us to Dongming Island." Mingkong put his hands behind his back, looking ahead. The clouds in the sky were rising and falling, and the sea reflected them one by one, as if they were connected into one, which was incredibly beautiful and magnificent.

"They act without leaving a trace; it seems these two are quite capable." Yuwen Lindong nodded in approval.

Upon hearing this, Mingkong turned to look at Yuwen Lindong, noticing the slight admiration the elder held for the younger man. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Brother Yuwen, do not underestimate those two."

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Yuwen Lindong looked at Mingkong and was somewhat surprised to see his solemn expression.

“Brother Yuwen, even the kitchen helper on this ship is a first-rate martial artist.” Mingkong turned his head again to look at the sea and sky. “Don’t underestimate these two just because they are juniors. In their hands, the Ming and Lan families have far surpassed any other family or sect in the martial arts world, including our Fengwu Sect.”