Crimson Butterfly Scroll Chapter Twenty-One: To Survive (Part Three)
Updated: 2008-10-24 17:05:31 Word Count: 4158
Third update.
As a result, he stopped eating and drinking. His once skillful hands, which could deftly style his hair, could no longer comb it. He spent his days sitting at the cave entrance, gazing at the slowly greening spring scenery in the distance.
"Tianquan, have some water." Light footsteps came from behind. Xiaoman lightly squatted down beside him. He didn't turn his head or raise his hand. Xiaoman skillfully brought the bowl to his lips, and he drank most of it in one go.
The old man puffed on his pipe in the cave and chuckled, "Hmm, not bad. The little girl will take care of him from now on. The Deathly Venom poison is potent; I wonder when he'll recover."
Zexiu lay on the ground for a while, propping his head up, then suddenly turned his back, buried his head in his sleep, and didn't make a sound.
The old man kicked him: "Stop sleeping all day! Go out for a walk! This isn't how you take care of your health!"
He had no choice but to get up, take his sword and walk out of the cave. Xiao Man immediately felt his murderous gaze burning on her back and was so frightened that she dared not move. Ze Xiu walked down the slope without saying a word and began to wander around the mountain, trying to avoid seeing him.
Xiao Man breathed a sigh of relief, took a comb, and gently combed Tian Quan's hair, saying, "I hope you get better soon, and don't go back to Tian Sha Shi Fang or anything like that. While you're good at doing bad things, it's also frightening. It's much better this way, quiet and peaceful, though you're like a wooden doll. I've already forgiven you, and I believe Tian Sha Shi Fang's pursuit of us this time has nothing to do with you. Once you've recovered, find a place to live quietly, do what you like. Besides, everyone will say you're a good person when they hear the name 'Young Master Tian Quan.' Listen to me, lying is tiring, covering up lies is even more tiring. And you'll definitely regret it later. I used to lie all the time. I felt uncomfortable if I didn't lie, but now I'll never lie again. You should also be an honest and good person."
Tianquan didn't move an inch, showing no reaction whatsoever. The old man behind him chuckled, tapping his pipe, "He can't hear what you're saying. All that nonsense from you little girl is useless. Besides, everyone has their own reasons. How old are you? What have you seen of the world? Why are you trying to persuade him?"
Xiao Man tied his hair up and said, "Whether he listens or not is his business, whether I speak or not is my business. The old man really underestimates people."
The old man chuckled and said, "I don't underestimate you. There aren't many people in the world who can offer four thousand taels for a consultation."
"It wasn't her who stole it, it was him, okay?" Xiaoman sighed helplessly. Oh well, money is just an external thing—let her have her moment of luxury, as long as it saves two lives. What are four thousand taels, or forty thousand taels?
She brought him hot water and wrung out a towel to wipe his face. Tianquan's eyes were half-closed, his long eyelashes trembling slightly in the rosy light. A strand of wet hair clung to his cheek, and Xiaoman unconsciously softened her grip, unable to look away. Suddenly, his eyelashes lifted, staring intently at her, deep and unfathomable. Xiaoman coughed, turning her face away as if to appear natural, her cheeks flushed.
"...Anyway...I know you're very smart, and you'll definitely scoff at what I'm saying. But I don't think you're a bad guy; at least, you're very nice to me."
She looked up at him and smiled slightly, then gazed at the spring scenery in the distance and said softly, "You're very good to me, I know that."
Zexiu had disappeared somewhere and hadn't returned all day. With darkness approaching, Xiaoman grew increasingly anxious, pacing back and forth in front of the cave entrance. The old man finally finished his seemingly endless pipe, tapped it on the ground, and stood up, saying, "Alright, let's eat."
Xiao Man asked anxiously, "Eat now? But Ze Xiu hasn't come back yet."
He glared at him and said, "What do I care if he doesn't come back? Does that mean I can't eat, sleep, or poop?"
Xiaoman was speechless. Standing at the cave entrance, she strained her eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of his black cloak in the last rays of the sunset. Suddenly, her clothes were tugged. Looking down, she saw Tianquan staring at a bowl of rice placed beside him, probably asking her to feed him.
"Wait... okay? Wait..." she said absentmindedly.
Zexiu had just been cured of the poison and was still very weak. What if she encountered wild animals while running out alone? Or what if she ran into the incorrigible Tiansha Shifang? Her mind was in turmoil. The sunset gradually turned black, but he was still nowhere to be seen. The old man inside was happily picking his teeth after finishing his meal, completely oblivious to the situation. She stamped her foot, suddenly turned around, and ran down the slope, disappearing into the woods in the blink of an eye.
Tianquan sat silently at the cave entrance, gazing at the sky that had lost its light, without uttering a word.
The old man was picking his teeth in the back when he suddenly laughed and said, "Shall I feed you?"
Tianquan glanced back at him, flicked his sleeve, and the rice bowl fell to the ground. The old man didn't care at all and burst into laughter.
Xiaoman had been wandering in the woods for a short while when she saw Zexiu's black cloak come into view. She pounced on him and hit him, almost knocking him to the ground.
"I'll teach you to run around like that!"
Zexiu shouted angrily, "Have you had enough?! Is this how you treat a patient?!"
Xiao Man then realized how weak he was. It was the first time she had managed to pin him down and beat him half to death, so she quickly jumped up and reached out to help him. Ze Xiu grabbed her wrist and suddenly pulled her, causing Xiao Man to fall to the ground. Then a heavy body pressed down on her, making her see stars.
Her face was cupped tightly in his hands, his kiss initially fierce, but quickly softened into tenderness and deep affection, all its sharpness disappearing. Before she could lose herself in the moment, Xiaoman quickly pushed him away, lest she make an irreversible mistake. She cleared her throat and said casually, "Where did you go? Why were you gone all day? Don't you know we'd worry?"
Zexiu snorted and slowly stood up: "Give me the place for you two to get intimate." He turned and left.
Xiao Man couldn't help but kick him again. Ze Xiu stumbled, turned around, and grabbed her with a dark face. After grabbing her, he gave her another kiss, then continued to say unpleasant things, and then got kicked again. After all that fuss, the two of them finally got tired. He put his arm around her shoulder, and the two of them returned to the cave, chatting and laughing.
Inside the cave, the old man was feeding Tianquan when he saw them return. Their clothes were covered in mud. He gave a knowing smile: "My disciple, you've just recovered from your serious injuries. There are some things you need to be careful about. If it really comes to it, you can have the cave. Outside… what if you catch a cold from the wind?"
Xiao Man blushed and was about to retort, but then she suddenly remembered something, crossed her arms, and said leisurely, "I won't make meat tomorrow. I see there are plenty of vegetables..."
He immediately beamed like a flower, "Disciple, there's no need to rush your training, right? Rest for a few days first, and start training again when your hands and feet are more agile and strong, understand?"
Xiao Man chuckled and went to the kitchen.
Half a month later, Zexiu gradually recovered and was able to complete a set of sword techniques without breaking a sweat. In contrast, Tianquan remained the same. He spent his days sitting at the cave entrance in a daze, doing nothing.
One morning, Zexiu, feeling hungry, went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He lifted the pot lid, only to find it empty. There was only a tattered piece of cloth with a line of scribbled words on it: "Trouble solved, I'm leaving." He then proceeded to beat up Xiaokong. He vowed that if Xiaokong dared to reveal his father's whereabouts again, he'd rip his head off his neck.
My master just vanished without a trace. He was always elusive, even when teaching martial arts. He would come every few days to check on my progress, and once I had mastered the skills, he would disappear into the vast sea of people. To meet him on Mount Taihua this time was truly the luckiest of luck.
After finishing his meal, he went to practice his martial arts. When Xiaoman got up and came out of the cave, she saw Tianquan's silent back as always. She had gotten used to combing his hair. She took out the comb and slowly styled it, then started nagging again: "How about I find you a doctor to take a look? What will you do if you can't do anything in the future? It's worrying."
She fed him water and then took a towel to wipe his face. The morning sun shone on his face, and Xiaoman didn't know if she was being overly sensitive or something else, but she felt that his expression was different from usual today, and his eyes were unusually bright, as if he were seeing the world for the first time, not missing a single detail.
"Tianquan, you'll get better." She smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. Suddenly, her wrist tightened. Xiaoman looked down in surprise and saw him holding her wrist tightly, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, before gently kissing her fingers.
She almost dropped the towel in her hand. She suddenly stood up, but he stopped moving again, sitting quietly at the entrance of the cave like a wooden figure. No one knew what he was thinking.
It was very late at night, and the forest was quiet. Except for a few animals that liked to hunt at night, most of the animals were fast asleep.
Xiao Man huddled on the ground, clutching her cloak, fast asleep. Ze Xiu held her hand in his arms, her fingers slightly curled, sleeping like a child.
After an unknown amount of time, a dark figure slowly emerged from the cave entrance and silently walked down the slope.
He walked until he reached the halfway point of the mountain, when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. He turned around silently and saw Zexiu with her hair down and no coat, leaning against a tree and looking at him.
"I knew you were faking it all along," he said coldly. "You didn't speak or move because you were concentrating on recovering your internal energy, right? Now that you've recovered, where are you going? To inform your lackeys behind you?"
Tianquan said calmly, "You seem to have many grievances against me. It's not necessarily a good thing for a man to be too jealous."
Zexiu ignored his provocation and said in a low voice, "If you want to go back, please tell him that if anyone comes looking for trouble again, I won't be polite."
Tianquan raised his head slightly: "Tell them that yourself."
Zexiu smiled slightly mockingly: "Really not going back? You're quite determined."
Tianquan turned around and bowed slightly to him: "I will always remember your kindness in saving my life, and I will repay you in the future. If we are destined to meet again, we will naturally meet again. Farewell."
He drifted away, and after a while, he suddenly heard Zexiu say again, "Don't you have anything for me to tell her?"
Tianquan paused for a moment: "...No, I will speak to her myself in the future. Besides, you may not be the one to relay the message."
Zexiu laughed, and he smiled slightly as well. His long hair was lifted by the night breeze, and in the next moment, he disappeared into the night.
(The Crimson Butterfly Chapter Ends)
Volume 5 has ended, and the final volume is about to begin.
Before starting the final volume, I'd like to ask for a break because I'll be going to Xinjiang. I'll be temporarily suspending updates for the next few days. Please don't bother checking back then; I'll resume updates no earlier than October 27th, and no later than November 1st.
Don't worry, I never leave anything unfinished. It's just that I really don't have time this time. Because I usually update three times a week, I don't have any drafts saved up, so I have to stop updating for a few days. I'll continue updating when I come back.
In addition, the article about soy sauce has been signed for publication and is expected to be released next year. It will be divided into two volumes (tentative). I will make some revisions to make the content more concise. Some readers have said that the beginning of this article is a bit rambling, so I will make major revisions to the beginning section.
Then, any details that were not mentioned will be added.
I hope those who like it will give it their support. I will let everyone know when it is officially published.
above.
Wish me a safe journey, hehe, isn't that a bit shameless? *crawls away*
I love you all! (To be continued...) To find out what happens next, please log in to qidiom for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!
The Scroll of Splendor, Chapter One: Love and Jealousy Go Hand in Hand (Part 1)
Updated: 2008-10-27 17:44:21 Word Count: 4116
I'm back. I haven't updated for a few days, so I'm posting four updates today as compensation.
First update.
In the warm spring of March, the wind is gentle and makes one feel drowsy.
Zexiu emerged from the blacksmith's shop, clutching the newly repaired Chunge sword in his hand. Chunge's scabbard was a bit loose, making it uncomfortable to grip. For someone like him who frequently used a sword, even the smallest mistake could be fatal, so attention to detail was paramount.
At the alley entrance, someone was selling fresh peanut cakes, and he instinctively bought a bag. Actually, he didn't like sweets and used to never even glance at these snacks, but now buying a bag of something tasty had become a habit. It was because a girl there really loved eating all sorts of random things.
Willows swayed gently along the moat, their countless soft green strands dancing in the breeze. A girl in a thin, soft spring dress leaned against the railing, looking down. Her dress seemed overly bright, adorned with large clusters of hydrangea flowers—even a newlywed wouldn't dress like that, yet it suited her perfectly. She was very thin, slender and petite; her dress seemed to float beneath her, billowing and rustling in the wind, causing her long, black hair to sway incessantly down her back.
She held a tender willow twig, plucked some leaves, and threw them into the river to feed the fish. Her profile was delicate, with a small nose and long, slightly trembling eyelashes.
In any case, seeing such a clean and pretty girl in spring is a pleasure.
Not only Zexiu, but many men who passed by felt the same way, so soon two men went over to chat him up.
"Little sister, are you lost?" a passerby asked warmly.
She looked up and smiled innocently: "Brother, I'm waiting for someone."
"Who are you waiting for?"
She smiled sweetly: "Wait for my uncle. He's getting old and his memory isn't good. He probably got lost."
Passerby B volunteered: "Come with us, we'll help you find the uncle."
She turned around, looking behind them, and smiled warmly: "It seems he's already here."
The two turned around simultaneously and saw Ze Xiu's cold, alluring eyes and the three long swords slung at his waist. Their faces immediately turned green. Without uttering a word, they touched their noses and obediently left.
"Didn't I tell you not to talk to strangers?" He walked over and tossed the bag of peanut cakes into her hand.
"Ah, help me buy land? Thank you!" Xiao Man's eyes lit up immediately, and she grabbed a piece and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Eat slowly, are you a reincarnated starving ghost?" He was as sarcastic as ever, pulling her wide sleeves forward. "Let's find a place to have some tea, and while we're at it, let's see if any new wanted persons have appeared on the wanted list."
After Tianquan and his master left, they stayed on Mount Hua for a few more days until his injuries were fully healed before returning to Kaifeng Prefecture. They rented a place to stay and seemed to have no intention of leaving anytime soon. Zexiu had expected Xiaoman to be surprised after Tianquan left. However, she only paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's good that he's gone. Now I can rest assured."
He didn't ask what was bothering him; he didn't want to get involved in her and Tianquan's affairs. He just felt very uncomfortable, extremely uncomfortable. He didn't know why. It was a beautiful and warm spring, yet he often felt irritable. There was something he had wanted to say for a long time, but he was afraid of being rejected like last time, which would be terrible.