Shu Ke peut regagner une fortune perdue

Chapitre 30

Liu Junru smiled and said, "Mr. Su, you are too kind. My niece was bewitched by that witch, and her mistake is not her fault."

"Everything is at Master Liu's discretion." Mr. Su's tone was also indifferent.

Su Ling reached out and grabbed Xu Lianning's hand. When she touched him, she felt that his fingers were wet and slippery, and she could hardly hold them.

She wrapped a silver thread around a sharp rock, holding the thread with one hand while struggling to pull on the other. She dared not let go, or even speak; the people above hadn't left yet, and any slightest sound would reveal their hiding place.

Xu Lianning's wound was aggravated, and she could only bite her lip and silently endure the pain. A sticky, warm liquid trickled down her back, and her mind grew increasingly hazy. She just felt incredibly tired and couldn't help but want to fall asleep. Su Ling felt their clasped hands loosening, so she tightened her grip, even pinching several bloody marks on the back of her hand.

Xu Lianning winced in pain, regaining some clarity. She looked up at the other person, but her vision was blurry and she couldn't make out their features. Then, she lost consciousness.

"You don't need to feel guilty. Just consider it as me repaying you for the life I owed you at Wudang. Then, we'll be even." The speaker's expression was indistinct, but his tone was extremely calm. "After tonight, we'll be strangers, and there's no need for us to think about each other anymore."

Xu Lianning wanted to persuade him to stay, but he couldn't speak.

"We are here today, with so many people as witnesses. When you return to this place in the future, someone might ask you, 'Where is the person who was with you back then?' Then you will remember me."

"I want to hear you play the flute once."

We still couldn't keep them.

Fortunately, I have pride, so I can turn around without hesitation.

"You were so resolute that day, you didn't even give me a chance to say a word."

"That sword strike just now was my way of returning the favor to you. What do you think, Pavilion Master Xu?"

Xu Lianning tossed and turned in her nightmare, as if she were in an ice cave, feeling the excruciating cold.

In the dim light, it seemed as if a woman was standing in front of her, her eyes cold and indifferent. Xu Lianning sat up and followed her. She saw the woman turn around a few times, enter an empty room, and then sit down in front of the dressing table, completely unaware that someone was standing nearby.

The woman opened the box, took out an eyebrow pencil, and carefully drew her eyebrows in front of the mirror.

Her lips were delicate and alluring, her eyes sparkled with affection, and her face was lightly powdered.

Xu Lianning stood behind her, watching, feeling that something was missing, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Suddenly, an unknown force pulled me backward, and all I could see was darkness. The place I was heading towards was also endless night.

At the small window, two people were nestled together, their features blurred. Xu Lianning saw the man holding an eyebrow pencil, lifting his beloved woman's face, and meticulously drawing her eyebrows stroke by stroke.

Suddenly, everything went white. She stood far away, looking at a thin coffin. Inside lay the woman who had been dressing alone in front of the mirror, her face unchanged, seemingly at her most beautiful. A girl in mourning clothes clung to the coffin, head bowed, watching intently.

She heard a child's voice asking, "Why is Mother sleeping here? Aren't you cold?"

"No, look, there's a brazier nearby." The handsome man pulled her to his side.

That's a brazier for burning paper money.

An elder behind him shook his head slightly: "What a tragedy, taking one's own life at such a young age, causing the white-haired to bury the black-haired."

"She's supposed to be the head of a sect, yet she insists on competing with others for a husband. When she can't win, she resorts to this trick. How despicable," someone said in a clear voice.

Many members of the Autumn Water Sect had already drawn their swords: "Our sect leader is gone, and the Autumn Water Sect will not tolerate the insolence of outsiders!"

With disdain in her eyes, Yin Han shouted, "You're just like your mother, so despicable!"

It hit a nerve.

Xu Lianning didn't know how long she slept before waking up. She opened her eyes and looked around. It seemed that she was in a farmer's house, with straw hats and raincoats hanging on the walls.

With a creak, Su Ling pushed the door open and came in, carrying a porcelain bowl. Seeing that she was awake, she breathed a sigh of relief: "How are you feeling now? You had a fever before, and I was worried that you wouldn't wake up."

Xu Lianning sat up, which aggravated the wound on her back. She frowned slightly and asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

"It's only been less than two days. You're injured right now, so it's best to focus on recovering. They won't be able to find this place for a while." Su Ling sat on the edge of the bed, scooped up a spoonful of white porridge, blew on it, and brought it to her lips.

Xu Lianning didn't say anything, but obediently drank the porridge from her hand. After a while, she said, "Sister Ling, I had a nightmare."

Su Ling asked gently, "What's wrong?"

Xu Lianning said in a calm tone: "I remember the day my mother was buried, someone said she was cheap, and that day Yin Han said I was just like my mother. Now that I think about it, there is some truth to it."

Su Ling didn't know how to respond: "Why do you think that way?"

Xu Lianning tilted her head slightly, the vermilion mark between her brows as red as blood: "That day, Weiyi came to find me, and I wanted to keep him with myself, so I spent the night with him..."

Su Ling reached out and put her arm around her shoulder, gently comforting her, "Lian Ning, you just don't understand people's hearts. In this world, things don't always go as planned. You've made a promise for a lifetime, but who can give you a lifetime in return?"

It's good to live with pride.

It's easy to part ways when the autumn wind blows.

Xu Lianning rested for another day, and the next three days passed peacefully. Su Ling was very patient, staying by her side to talk and keep her company. They found they got along very well, finding some enjoyment even in their hardship.

As the day drew to a close in the afternoon, they suddenly heard a chaotic sound of horses' hooves in the distance.

Xu Lianning threw off the covers, ignoring the throbbing pain in her back, and got out of bed. Su Ling quickly reached out to help her. The two had just stepped out of the side room of the farmhouse when they heard a voice ask from afar, "Are there two girls here seeking lodging, one of whom is injured?"

Su Ling couldn't help but whisper, "They're really quick. I thought they wouldn't be able to find it within ten days."

The autumn harvest was over, and the rice stalks, not yet burned, were piled into haystacks behind the farmhouses. Xu Lianning pointed to the haystacks and said, "Let's take a gamble and see if we can escape by hiding here." She knew that if Su Ling were alone, she would have a good chance of escaping, as Su Ling was seriously injured and could not use even a fraction of her lightness skill. But Su Ling did not leave first.

Su Ling thought for a moment and said, "Okay, we'll hide here."

Xu Lianning had just hidden herself in the haystack when she heard footsteps approaching. There were about five or six people, whose martial arts skills varied greatly. A strange voice said, "I didn't expect them to escape after all. I refuse to believe that it's so difficult to catch an injured person."

Xu Lianning gripped the sword hilt and silently channeled the power of the Blood Demon's Restriction. If she was doomed, she would drag those people down with her.

“One of them is injured and couldn’t have escaped far. Search this area carefully.” This time, however, it was a woman’s voice. Xu Lianning was quite familiar with this accent and recognized it as Yin Han. He couldn’t help but secretly groan.

"That's not necessarily true. Put yourself in my shoes. If it were me, I certainly wouldn't hide in one place for several days in a row, wouldn't I just be waiting for people to come looking for me?" The voice was quite handsome, it belonged to Zhang Weiyi.

Xu Lianning felt a sense of fear upon hearing his voice.

This person's cunning and ruthlessness are truly chilling.

After a moment, Yin Han said, "Are you saying this to protect her?"

“If that’s how you think, there’s nothing I can do. In that case, hurry up and search the area.” He was still smiling as he spoke. No sooner had he finished speaking than Xu Lianning saw a flash of silver light before her eyes, a startling sight that nearly made her lose her balance. She saw a sword graze her clothes, piercing through the haystack with deadly precision and without the slightest hesitation.

Yin Han said in a low voice, "That's not what I meant."

Zhang Weiyi didn't speak, but in the blink of an eye, he had already stabbed several times at the haystack. Each stab grazed Xu Lianning, yet didn't harm her in the slightest. Seeing this, the others went to other haystacks and stabbed them with their swords.

Xu Lianning held her breath, afraid to move. The wound on her back throbbed with pain, possibly indicating that it had torn open.

After a moment, Yin Han said, "It's really not there. Let's go ahead and check. Father said we can't let one of them get away."

The chaotic footsteps faded into the distance, followed by a few neighs of horses, indicating that the group had ridden away.

Xu Lianning barely managed to emerge from the haystack. The moment she saw Su Ling, they couldn't help but exchange a smile, feeling quite fortunate to have survived such a disaster.

"Should we stay here and rest for a few more days, or go somewhere else?" Su Ling knew that her thoughts were far deeper than her own.

Xu Lianning said, "Let's stay here and wait for them to turn back. It will probably take some time."

Su Ling reached out to help her up, and both of them felt a sudden sense of relief. Although they hadn't mentioned it these past few days, they had both wondered when the people from Longteng Post Station would catch up. Now, they finally felt a huge weight lifted from their hearts.

But before she could breathe a sigh of relief, she suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves and the turning of wheels from ahead. Xu Lianning looked ahead and saw a beautiful young woman with her hair in two buns sitting in front of the carriage. She couldn't help but feel a little surprised and delighted.

The young girl also saw her and immediately told the coachman to stop the carriage, exclaiming joyfully, "Young master, look, it's Miss Xu!"

Chongxuan lifted the carriage curtain and strode in, a warm smile on his face: "Lian Ning, what are you doing here?" As he approached, he frowned slightly: "Are you injured? Why do you look so pale?"

Xu Lianning shook her head: "It's just a minor external injury."

Su Ling couldn't help but say, "Hey, if you're going to be all lovey-dovey, can you please not do it in front of me, a lonely soul?"

Chongxuan blushed, reached out to help Xu Lianning sit in the back of the carriage, and suddenly asked, "Is there anything you want to say to me?"

Before Xu Lianning could speak, a voice suddenly came from afar on the wind: "Lianning is already mine. What would she have to say to you?"

Zhang Weiyi turned around alone, a smile playing on his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. A slightly unfamiliar, sinister look appeared on his face as he glanced at Chongxuan: "Let go of my hand!"

Su Ling smiled slightly, her almond-shaped eyes curving upwards, and said calmly, "Young Master Zhang, I wonder how many people in this world are still yours? So many unrelated people have suddenly become family."

Xu Lianning looked at him indifferently.

That day, my longing for you ended; that sword strike, however, was born of fear.

She smiled slightly and said slowly, "I have never belonged to anyone, and I will never belong to anyone."

Zhang Weiyi stood upwind, a hint of loneliness flashing across his face. He turned back, actually wanting to say something, but suddenly realized that whether he said it or not made no difference.

Even if time could turn back, he would still choose that step.

If he can't even cherish himself, why would he give up everything for someone else?

I'm just a little lonely.

He turned his gaze to Chongxuan again, then paused, and smiled slightly, saying, "Lian Ning, do you remember the story I told you before? This person looks quite similar to your father."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and strode away.

Xu Lianning looked at Chongxuan beside her, feeling helpless and unable to express her grievances.

Chongxuan was actually quite shrewd. Upon hearing Zhang Weiyi's words, his expression immediately changed: "Lianning, what does he mean by that?"

Xu Lianning hesitated for a long time. She had originally planned to keep this secret and never reveal it.

Chongxuan is the palace master of Chongyan Palace, and she shares the surname of the former palace master. For a woman, reputation is of utmost importance, especially since that woman is Chongxuan's mother.

She simply couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Is there anything that's inconvenient to talk about?" Chongxuan couldn't help but ask again.

Xu Lianning suddenly swayed, her face contorted in pain, and she looked as if she was about to fall to the ground. Chongxuan quickly caught her, saying, "Qingyin, let's go to the city quickly and find a doctor."

Qingyin responded and said to the driver, "Make way, I'll drive."

Su Ling lifted the hem of her dress and boarded the carriage, sending a telepathic message to Xu Lianning: "Keep pretending for now. How will you continue pretending once your injuries heal?"

Xu Lianning looked at her, unable to figure out how to deal with her in the future.

The carriage bumped along the way, entering a nearby county town. Chongxuan looked out the window, his lips slightly pursed, and his usually gentle appearance revealed a stiff stubbornness.

Xu Lianning turned her head to look at him. She couldn't remember her father's appearance at all. She couldn't say whether his appearance was similar to hers or not, but Zhang Weiyi had been in Wudang for more than ten years, so he couldn't not recognize him.

That's why she didn't know what to do.

Suddenly the carriage lurched, and Chongxuan straightened up expressionlessly and got off the carriage. Su Ling knew it was their private matter and didn't pry, but simply reached out to help her.

The four had barely stepped into the inn when they sensed something was amiss. Several tables were occupied by disciples dressed in the attire of the Dragon Soaring Inn. At one of these tables sat a distinguished elder in fine robes, a longsword in a leather scabbard resting on its surface. He was none other than Liu Junru, the leader of the Dragon Soaring Inn.

Su Ling's face turned pale. She looked up and saw a slender figure standing on the top of the stairs. It was none other than her master, Su Sheng.

Xu Lianning froze for a moment, then said from afar, "I didn't expect to run into Senior Liu here. What a coincidence."