Feng She gave Xue Zhi a flirtatious wink and followed Man Feiyue out.
28 29 30
28
At midnight, Xuezhi secretly slipped out of the inn's back door with the bundle from Chonghuo Palace on her back. She stole a horse from the stable in the dark, spurred it, and fled Dengfeng, heading northwest. Meanwhile, Guimu's whereabouts were also unknown, so she had to go to Chang'an to find Situ Xuetian first.
After traveling for several hours, dawn was breaking. Xuezhi, exhausted from the fright she had suffered the previous night, slowed down considerably. As the gates of Chang'an came into view, Xuezhi finally dismounted, rubbing her nearly numb backside, and prepared to lead the horse away.
But then she realized someone was behind her. When she turned around, her heart nearly stopped—Feng She was standing right behind her, smiling at her.
Why are you here?
"Of course I'll take you with me." He seemed much happier than when they first met, as if he was living a comfortable life. "Come back to Our Lady with me."
Xuezhi was both amused and exasperated: "If you still have a conscience, remember the first time I saved you, you shouldn't have done this."
"Of course I remember you saving me. You're still not satisfied with my way of repaying your kindness."
"So, you still owe me, right?"
Feng She beamed and nodded enthusiastically.
"So, you should repay this kindness once again, shouldn't you?"
Feng She nodded vigorously again.
"So, this time, please let me go."
"But letting you into the great Xuan Tian Hong Ling Temple is a way of repaying you, isn't it?"
"No, no, no, that's not it. Think about it, if I go to Hongling Temple, we'll definitely have a conflict as fellow disciples. If you let me go, we can be friends next time we meet and look after each other, right?"
Feng She blinked: "That seems to make sense."
“Alright.” Feng She took a few steps closer, puffing out half of his face.
"What are you doing?" Xuezhi subconsciously took a step back.
"Smell it to me. Then say, 'Brother Feng, you're so handsome and dashing, I'm almost smitten with you, please let me go,' and I'll let you go."
This is probably the easiest thing for many lovely girls to do.
However, Chong Xuezhi was not a cute girl. When she read this sentence, the person she immediately thought of was another brat whose name she didn't even want to mention.
Thus, Fengshe's fragrant food became potstickers.
He covered his face, gritting his teeth, and said, "You're finished! Come back with me! Don't think I won't hit you just because you're pretty!"
Xuezhi turned and ran, but Fengshe grabbed her wrist, and the two began to fight. Fengshe's martial arts skills were naturally inferior to Xuezhi's, and he was at a disadvantage after three moves. Finally, he took a few steps back, put on gloves, and took out a sticky little ball from his pocket.
Xuezhi immediately stopped moving.
"Little girl, you lost."
Xuezhi gritted her teeth: "Despicable."
"Haha, my surname is Bei, my given name is Bi, and my courtesy name is Xialiu." After saying this, Feng She walked over, holding the disgusting little ball in his hand, and kissed Xue Zhi on both cheeks. "Come with Grandpa Feng."
At that moment, someone grabbed Feng She's wrist, took out the sticky ball, and threw it away. Feng She turned around abruptly, and a man in brocade robes was smiling at him: "If this young master doesn't mind, I'll take my sister away."
Feng She raised an eyebrow: "Okay."
Then the man beckoned to Xuezhi with the handle of his fan, and Xuezhi turned and followed him.
Xuezhi whispered, "Young Master Shangguan? What are you doing here?"
"Shouldn't I be here?"
"Oh, right, you live here. Thank you so much earlier."
"You're welcome. When I first saw you standing there, I wondered how you got to Chang'an so quickly. Turns out you were being chased."
Before Xuezhi could reply, Feng She suddenly appeared in front of them. He looked at Shangguan Tou and frowned, saying, "How come you're still alive?"
Shangguan Tou opened his fan and shook it: "Why should I die?"
"You just touched the eggs of a poisonous insect, how could you not be dead?"
"Ah, so you mean you might die soon?" Shangguan Tou laughed. "Zhi'er, let's go. Be careful if I suddenly die."
Feng She opened the gourd lid, shook it, and soon a poisonous scorpion fell out.
He grabbed the scorpion by the tail and threw it at Shangguan Tou.
Shangguan Tou flashed forward, blocking Xue Zhi's path, striking the scorpion with a palm strike, then closing his fan and hitting Feng She in the abdomen. Feng She staggered back several meters, bending over and clutching his stomach: "You... what trick are you playing?"
"You're not that old, yet you're so cruel, forcing women to do things they don't want to do. I can't bring myself to pity or chivalry towards men. If you know what's good for you, don't come along."
Shangguan Tou and Xuezhi left.
Not long after, Manyeyue leaped out of the woods: "Let's go."
"Holy Mother? You're here?" Feng She was first surprised, then annoyed. "You didn't even come to save me!"
"I've said it so many times, you can fight anyone you encounter, but if it's Shangguan Tou, the further away you are from him, the better."
"Him? He's Yi Pin Tou?" Feng She's expression twisted. "My stomach hurts even more."
“I already told you, he’s not afraid of drugs, and his features are easy to spot. All you do is flirt with girls—I’ll deal with you when we get back!”
"Why aren't you afraid of poison?" At this moment, the two had already sat down in the teahouse. Shangguan Tou poured Xuezhi a cup of Longjing tea. "With the cultivation method of Yue Shang Valley and the help of someone to open up the meridians, you become immune to poison."
"So, does that mean the people of Moonrise Valley are all immune to all poisons?"
Shangguan Tou laughed and said, "Unblocking the meridians isn't that easy."
As the mist thickened, Shangguan Tou's previously somewhat arrogant face softened. Xue Zhi gazed at him, lost in thought, "So that's how it is. Thank you so much for today."
"These are all things I should do. Don't worry about them too much."
Xuezhi nodded.
Shangguan Tou had changed so much. The last time she saw him, to put it bluntly, he was like a lion in heat, employing both aggression and seduction. This time, he put on his noble air again, as if what happened last time at the Luoyang inn was all a dream.
29
Before long, a scholar-like man walked over and bowed to them, saying, "Young Master Shangguan."
Shangguan Tou immediately stood up and returned the greeting: "Yang Huiyuan, how have you been lately?"
"Thank you for your kindness, young master. His Majesty has already given his approval. I wonder when you would have time to visit our humble abode for a while, so that my wife and I may have an opportunity to express our gratitude."
"We're all family, no need for thanks. But I'm glad Yang Huiyuan had a son; I'll definitely pay him a visit another day."
"Isn't that just polite talk? It's already a rare occurrence that you spend half a month in the capital each year. By the time I see you again, my son will probably be married by then."
"Oh, not at all. I have some things to take care of recently and can't find the time right now. I'll definitely keep our appointment once I'm done with this."
Yang Huiyuan glanced at Xuezhi and smiled knowingly, "I understand, I understand. Everyone says that once Young Master Shangguan sat on the zither, he devoted himself to it with all his might. It's true."
"Yang Huiyuan has misunderstood. This is my sister. She's been in some trouble lately, how could I not help?"
"Weren't you always told you you were a daughter of some family or a girl from some powerful clan? How come you're a girl this time?"
"This is indeed my younger sister, Chong Xuezhi. When she comes to the capital in the future, I will have to ask Yang Huiyuan to take good care of her."
"No problem!" Yang Huiyuan smiled at Xuezhi. "Miss Chong, if you need anything in the future, just let me know. Come to the Yang residence on West Street and I'll be there anytime."
Xuezhi paused for a moment, then stood up, cupped her hands in thanks, and said, "Okay, thank you."
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Yang Huiyuan left, and Shangguan Tou sat down again.
Xuezhi asked, "Do you know I'm in trouble?"
Shangguan Tou hesitated for a moment: "Perhaps it's a bit impolite to say this, but the news of your departure from Chonghuo Palace spread very quickly. What happened yesterday is known in the Chang'an area today. I estimate that in a few days, the whole world will know."
What will happen then?
"Chonghuo Palace doesn't have many enemies, but Chonglian has quite a few. Now that you've left Chonghuo Palace, your only identity is Chonglian's daughter."
Xuezhi remained silent.
What are your plans next?
"I don't know... Perhaps, I should go back to Dengfeng first."
"Why?"
“Someone in the palace told me we would meet in Dengfeng.” Xuezhi paused. “Although I don’t know if he is still trustworthy.”
“Chonghuo Palace has never had a punishment that is merely expulsion. It either takes your life or leaves you crippled. Yet you came out unharmed, which is quite suspicious. If their invitation to meet in Dengfeng is a trap, then it's best not to go back.”
"That's true. I'll need to make some preparations. I might go and take a look when the Shaolin Weapon Ranking Tournament starts next year."
"That would be perfect! I'm going too, we can go together," Shangguan Tou said with a smile. "I have two friends waiting for me in Suzhou. I'll go meet them after the Spring Festival. Would you like to come with me?"
Xuezhi initially wanted to refuse. But then she remembered that Lingjian Manor was located north of Suzhou, and inexplicably said, "No problem. But where do you plan to spend the New Year?"
"Of course I'll go home."
"That's no problem. Where shall we meet after the New Year?"
"Aren't you going to live with me?"
"I don't know your family, so this isn't appropriate. I have relatives in Chang'an; I can go find them."
"Alright."
The two agreed to meet at Chang'an Chun Restaurant on the seventh day of the first lunar month. Shangguan Tou was about to see Xuezhi off when he heard several people laughing loudly beside him. After they finished laughing, one of them clutched his stomach and gasped for breath, saying, "I was wondering why Chong Xuezhi would suddenly break with Chonghuo Palace. I guessed and guessed, but I never expected this."
"Xia Qingmei has miscalculated. He thought he could control Chonghuo Palace by seducing Chong Xuezhi, but he didn't expect that girl to be so emotional. She actually broke ties with Chonghuo Palace for him. I bet a thousand taels that Xia Qingmei will definitely dump Chong Xuezhi after this!"
"I say that Chonglian's daughter is quite stupid. It's common knowledge that Xia Qingmei is pursuing Lin Fengzi, yet she knowingly walks into danger."
Shangguan Tou patted Xuezhi on the shoulder: "Let's go, don't listen anymore."
Xuezhi remained standing in place.
"So what if she's Chong Lian's daughter? She's still a woman! Look at how ruthless Chong Xuezhi was in the ring, but after being conquered by a man, she's still as soft as a lump of rubber."
"Yipin Tou once said that no matter how strong a woman is, she will definitely become a little bird when she meets the man she loves. It is indeed true."