Schatzkammer von Jianghu

Kapitel 101

Apart from the low howls of the wolves, the forest was exceptionally deep and silent. Nan Jingqi looked up and surveyed the surroundings, sighing, "This place is very secluded; no wonder Huang Yu chose it."

Leng Shuangcheng, estimating that the time was almost up, took out the map Wu You had drawn for her and carefully pointed it out to Nan Jingqi: "The Huangyu Shuxue faction's sentries are hidden in the White Stone Forest. Anyone who intrudes is hunted down and killed, simply to protect the secret of the iron mine beneath Wolf Valley. Wild wolves are ferocious, and no one dares to approach Wolf Valley. This naturally becomes the second barrier to the underground iron sand. She thought this through quite thoroughly, so she opened the sand transport pipeline outlet in the underground area of Wolf Valley, and hollowed out the White Stone Mountain adjacent to Wolf Valley to build a sealed iron weapons manufacturing site, leaving no gaps, obviously to prevent anyone from infiltrating from the outside... But she didn't expect one thing: I am a wolf child raised by the Wolf King. Outsiders avoid Wolf Valley like the plague, yet I have a way to enter..." (See Chapters 96 and 100 for details)

"I'll take you and Xiaotong out first. I'll wait for Shuxue to bring the team over. You stay hidden in the village and don't let her find you. When you see the team coming from afar, send me a signal. I'll use the wolves to blow up the mine in front of Shuxue. That's the first step."

“If the underground arena is blown up, Huang Yu’s years of hard work will be destroyed. I also provoked her before, and she hates me to the bone. She will definitely come to kill me. Today the wind is strong, blowing from south to north. She knows I’m in the mountains. In her anger, she will probably set the mountain on fire. She only needs to block her from the outside. If she doesn’t move, I will also set fire in the mountains to provoke the wolf pack. This is the second step.”

"I've calculated that with the wind at your back, the fire will spread to Wolf Valley in just half an hour. The wolves will be afraid that the fire will weaken in the valley and they won't be able to escape. They'll have to rush out along the narrow cliff edge. At that point, I'll ask your men to send Kongming lanterns and sprinkle gunpowder powder on the Japanese. I will then command the wolves to attack them. This is the third step."

“Don’t rush, Nan Jing,” she said again, interrupting Nan Jingqi’s question. “I know what you’re going to ask: what if Huang Yu enters the mountain but doesn’t set it on fire? Actually, it’s better this way. Once you see them come in, just set a fire behind them, and the plan will proceed as scheduled.”

"Shuangcheng!" Nan Jingqi finally managed to interject, asking loudly, "I'm worried about you in the mountains. What will you do when the fire comes?"

“I have a water-repellent suit,” Leng Shuangcheng said with a smile, patting himself on the back. “Not only does it keep out a drop of water, but it also protects the body. You should know that, right?”

Looking at her smiling face, Nan Jingqi sighed, "Shuangcheng, I always feel that things are not that simple. The sweeter your smile is, the more suffocated I feel."

Leng Shuangcheng's smile gradually faded, and he spoke softly, as if afraid of waking the surrounding trees: "Nan Jing, many things are unpredictable, but I strive to have a clear conscience. Today, in this battle with Huang Yu, I felt somewhat powerless and helpless, and I felt deeply guilty. Because I couldn't rescue the miners and wolves underground, I think I will definitely be punished."

Leng Shuangcheng saw Nan Jingqi and the other person off, then leaped up and sat cross-legged on the canopy of a paulownia tree, gazing at the scenery around Wolf Valley.

Everywhere you look is green.

Countless straight and upright trees, clustered together, resembled swords piercing the azure sky, or dragons soaring through the air—extraordinary plants, each a masterpiece of nature. The sky was dim, yet the clouds on the horizon shone with an unusual brightness. Leng Shuangcheng greedily inhaled the mountain breeze rushing towards him, turning his head to gaze into the distance. White clouds drifted lazily by, solitary and unattached in the vast sky, their movements pristine and untouched. Time seemed to stand still; all was utterly silent.

"For you, I summon snow and plum blossoms to bloom in the sky; a handshake and a smile span three thousand years." She smiled serenely, her heart utterly at peace. "When will I see you again, Qiuye? If there were no worldly troubles, I would like to stay with you. But this wish is pitiful, for it is filled with unknown variables..."

A white kite suddenly rose from a distant mountain corner.

Leng Shuangcheng was greatly shocked. He took a deep breath and jumped off the tree trunk, making a series of whistling sounds.

The wolf king pricked up its ears, raised its head, lowered its fur, and relaxed its fur—a signal indicating that the pack should attack.

A pack of wolves with matted fur filed towards Leng Shuangcheng, snorting oinkly. Leng Shuangcheng knelt down and respectfully kowtowed three times to the wolves before standing up.

The wolf king raised its head and howled, its voice long and drawn out. The wolves, responding to the howl, moved their paws and followed Leng Shuangcheng towards the entrance of the underground pit. Once Leng Shuangcheng had stopped, the wolf king shakily stepped forward, howling softly again, its eyes gleaming like candlelight. A thought struck Leng Shuangcheng; dozens of wolves had already swiftly entered the pipe.

She silently counted to one hundred, glanced at the Snow Wolf King, lit a tinderbox, and tossed it onto the last wolf. The flame leaped up with a whoosh, and the wolf, in pain, flinched and charged angrily towards the pit ahead.

At the same time, Leng Shuangcheng dodged and retreated quickly, using all his strength to lunge towards a distant tung tree. Like a nimble monkey, he leaped and clung tightly to the tree.

The ground seemed to have echoed with muffled thunder; the soft, thread-like soil stretched deep into the cliff face, and the collapse of the earth's veins was clearly visible. She clung tightly to the tree branch, sighed, and waited for the fire to arrive.

At the foot of Baishi Mountain, at the hour of Guiyou (癸酉).

The mountains trembled, and clods of earth and gravel rolled down like a torrent from ancient times. A muffled sound came from the sky, and a locust tree by the official road broke off a branch, leaving a gaping wound the size of a bowl, standing dumbly to the sky.

Old Jin wiped his sweat, staring wide-eyed at the mountain range that seemed to float like a ribbon in front of him, his expression incredulous.

With the help of his water spirits, he barely managed to escape from the shadow of the Lone Triumph Sword. Following his young master's orders, he traveled for two days straight, and upon arriving at Baishi, he witnessed this unbelievable scene.

Behind him stood five rows of black-clad warriors. Though their faces were weary, their eyes remained fierce. Their long journey could not shake their figures; they stood upright as straight as javelins.

The two thousand-strong force completely surrounded the White Stone, leaving no gap for anyone to squeeze through. It looked as if they had built layers of thick black palace walls.

While Lao Jin was still hesitating, he heard a voice as cold as ice and snow: "Set the mountain on fire."

He turned around with a happy expression. On the dusty village path, a small sedan chair floated in the distance, its white tassels shimmering and drawing a faint light in the twilight.

With a gentle touch of her hair, the white palace veil billowed and bloomed behind her, making her appear like a celestial maiden descending to earth on the wind. Old Jin pushed through the crowd, overjoyed, to greet her: "Young Master, what brings you here?"

"I've come to see a good show." Shu Xue smiled and gracefully walked behind the crowd.

Old Jin asked again, but Shu Xue just smiled and didn't answer. Her expression was particularly mysterious, and a mocking smile line always crept up the corner of her mouth. No matter how the twilight changed, that smile was as long as a candle dragon, without a single spark falling.

Like a chilling icy peak or snow pillar, a solitary figure casting a shadow, even though the young master before him was strikingly beautiful, it gave Old Jin the illusion of being cold and heartless.

After the crowd finished their prostrations and prayers, they lit the fire and began to set the mountain ablaze. The fire, carried by the wind, quickly spread across the grassy slopes of the mountain, like flowers blooming all over the hillside. The fire dragons, intertwined and swirling, roared and rolled forward along the many sides of the mountain.

The fire raged, and the scorching heat surged into the sky, illuminating half of it.

The wind picked up and grew stronger, and night gradually fell.

Old Jin had been observing for a long time, but since his young master had not given any further instructions, he could only turn around and bow: "Young Master, what should we do next?"

"Wait a little longer." Shu Xue smiled slightly, her smile calm and composed, exuding a cool and aloof aura.

The wind howled like bells, one note after another. A mournful cry echoed for an hour, and then, lanterns drifted and rose from the orange-red sky.

White shadows flickered, like twinkling stars, swaying gently like tender shoots, instantly filling the night sky covered with red silk. Against the backdrop of the firelight and night, long, fine threads trailed beneath the square Kongming lanterns, their ends slanting and disappearing behind the village houses.

Shuxue's smile widened, and before she could stop, the clues seemed to have eyes, all trembling in the night wind.

The black powder was scattered by the wind, drifting like fine silk and swirling like mist. Most miraculously, the lamps were not placed above the heads of the people, but rather, taking advantage of the north wind, when the powder was scattered, it covered the black-clad people completely.

The crowd, realizing the sudden change, surged forward like a tidal wave to scatter. Shuxue stood gracefully alone, her clear voice ringing out: "Maintain formation!"

Old Jin's eyes flickered uncertainly as he slowly stepped forward: "Young Master, what are you waiting for? Why haven't you made a move yet?"

Shuxue gazed at the night sky, smiled leisurely, and suddenly said, "Coming without a shadow and going without a breeze... With such wrist strength and skill, you truly deserve the title of Shadow Legion."

"Does the young master know that Nan Jingqi is here?" Old Jin's heart skipped a beat, and he whispered urgently.

"Do you remember Empress Kou? She planted spies in the Shadow Guard very early on. If you just think about it, you can guess almost everything Leng Shuangcheng did." Bai Yishu Xue slowly raised the water sleeves of her palace dress, covered her mouth and chuckled. "You all don't understand. All people and things are part of a game of chess. I'm just playing the game."

"Young Master! What are you talking about? Why do you smell so much gunpowder?" Old Jin became more and more alarmed as he listened, and involuntarily reached out with both hands to grab Bai Ying'er.

Shu Xue slightly dodged, her body as graceful as a willow branch, exuding a fresh and elegant charm: "Left Envoy, don't get excited, the time is almost up."

The howls of wolves swept in like raging waves, engulfing everything. Sparks crackled and flickered, their red petals dancing wildly, a blood-red dance more beautiful than azaleas in the wind. The flames surged and churned like tongues, spewing out intense heat. Amidst the raging firelight, countless dark figures darted out, howling as they pounced on the Black Tide.

Thousands upon thousands of wolves, their charred furs billowing out like a primordial flood, densely covering the land.

The coastal formation was thrown into chaos, with people pushing and shoving each other. Before the sudden change, even those as fierce as tigers and as agile as leopards were instantly ignited by sparks, screaming and rolling around. The sound waves drowned out the raging flames and the mournful howls of the wolves.

The man in black used his knife to cleave the wolves carrying fireballs, pushing them backward. However, the wolf pack was overwhelming and fast as lightning. Those who were slow to dodge were still caught in a tangled mass of fire wolves, screaming and falling to the ground.

The air was thick with the smell of burning flesh; some bodies had already collapsed with a thud, sparks still crackling from their skin.

Old Jin wildly swung his knife, yelling, "Even if you kill someone, get out of here! Everyone, get out of here!"

The last remaining group of men in black scattered and fled towards the desolate houses behind them. Just as two or three of them entered, a series of screams were heard again, and the thin stream retreated step by step.

Nan Jingqi stood alone, holding a fire crossbow, the flames on the arrow tips flickering and gleaming as he aimed at the man in black. Behind him, shadows rose like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, each holding a flickering flame, like ghostly figures.

The Shadow Legion.

Old Jin had no time to look back; he was only desperately trying to fend off the emerging fire wolves. If even a tiny spark touched him, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Nan Jingqi drew his bow and shouted, "Fire!"

Rockets rained down, and the crowd scattered in panic, the arrows tracing bright arcs as they accurately pierced the bodies of the men in black.

The official road to Baishi Mountain is only five zhang away from the deserted village, and these five zhang represent the difference between life and death.

10. Showdown

The heat rose like a tide, flowing through the trees and surging across the hillside. The leaping flames, like greedy tongues, gnawed at the bushes along the edge of the white stone. The grass was covered in ash, and in the hazy, misty light, Leng Shuangcheng saw through the silk-like flames a solitary white figure suspended high above, her skirts fluttering and her palace gauze flowing, like a celestial maiden descending on the wind.

It's Shuxue. The final battle has finally arrived.

Leng Shuangcheng suppressed the bloodlust in her eyes, glanced coldly at the figure, and turned to walk towards the scorching hot rocks. She tested the temperature with her hand, found a cool, well-ventilated gap, and placed the unconscious wolf king in her arms inside.

Its silver fur billowed in the night wind, brushing against the deep, patchy wounds. The fire had also left gray marks on its body.

Leng Shuangcheng gently stroked its fur, feeling a gentle, calm tremor in her fingertips, just like her pounding heartbeat.

Just now, the wolf king was at the rear of the pack, and she did her best to protect its safety. When she subdued the alpha wolf, she clearly saw cloudy tears in its eyes.

Her heart felt as if it had been ripped open, and tears slowly streamed down her face. The fire was still raging around them. The two of them, a human and a wolf, stood frozen in the black ash, their shadows reflected in the firelight. In the distance, the night wind whipped up the tattered corners of their clothes, making them look like fluttering leaves.

Before leaving, Nan Jingqi asked her, "Shuangcheng, do you regret burning down Wolf Mountain?"

“I can’t regret it.” Her brows furrowed with worry as she said desolately, “Heaven only gave me one chance to choose. If possible, I would rather sleep forever on Wufang Island than face so much pain later.”

Nan Jingqi looked at her with pity, but she remained unmoved. She spoke slowly, her voice hoarse, as if a dull, rusty knife was scraping against her heart: "Qiuye reminded me that after the battle, the court would know that there was an iron mine buried in Baishi Wolf Valley. At that time, they would inevitably send troops to hunt down the wolves and close off the mountains for mining... Once the wolves are disturbed, they will ferociously hunt down any intruders in order to defend their territory... But I don't have that much time..."

With the onset of the cold poison, she no longer had the extra time to relocate the wolf pack, nor could she guarantee that the wolves would not prey on the villagers along the way during their migration. But looking at Nan Jingqi, she offered no explanation, only saying woodenly, "Heaven has never favored me. I hope that after this choice, it will let me go and relieve me of the torment in my heart."

Leng Shuangcheng gripped the Eclipse Sun tightly, its red light illuminating her resolute brows and eyes. After taking a few steps, remembering the uncertainty of her fate, she turned back, bowed twice to the Wolf King, and finally strode away.

In the distance, flames soared into the sky, and screams echoed. Huang Yushuxue stood alone on the tallest tree trunk by the village, a faint, cold smile playing on her lips. Her skirts fluttered, her palace gauze flowing, her beauty ethereal and otherworldly, like a fairy maiden reciting poetry under the moon.

This height is insurmountable except for those with exceptional lightness skills.

Although it is cold at high places, Shuxue's whole body exudes an aura of ice and snow, like the light of a snow lotus blooming in the night sky.

Thirty feet away, the black corpses lay scattered like foam on the ground, occasionally bursting into sparks; under a hazy halo, she stood tall and cold, watching the ants and creatures on the ground writhing, howling, and barely clinging to life...

Her eyes were so cold and indifferent; she saw everything, yet showed not a trace of pity, as if everything had nothing to do with her.

A long rainbow streak rushed in with a whooshing sound, like a raging storm. The dark green branches swayed wildly, and before the sword energy even arrived, they snapped with a "crack".

The sky was filled with shadows of crimson light, and a man in green robes with disheveled hair viciously slashed the light down at Shuxue!

Shuxue lightly touched the ground with her toes, her soft palace silk fluttering gracefully, a wisp of smoke drifting towards the rooftop of the house. Before she could even stand still, the dazzling sword light shone brightly, slashing down ghostly from the night, relentlessly pursuing her.

Leng Shuangcheng swung his sword, unleashing a powerful sword aura that shot straight through a line. With a deafening boom, the house split in two, resembling two pieces of firewood. The sword's momentum continued, causing several mounds of earth to rise from the ground, bouncing like marbles before being pushed away into the distance.

Her snow-white dress fluttered like snowflakes, swirling lightly in the night sky. The long, flowing palace silk, supple and branchless, entwined like vines around the crimson sword shadows. Leng Shuangcheng, dressed in flowing green, wielded the blazing Yang Blade, each swing of her sword seemingly earth-shattering, leaving a deep trench in the ground.

Amidst the cold glint of the sword, the Eclipse Sun Sword, its blade shimmering with silver frost in the amber night, emanated a misty sword aura like an enraged dragon, soaring across the sky with thunderous roars, shattering the surrounding chilling air.

Shu Xue retreated lightly, her body swirling like a whirlwind, avoiding the chilling sword energy. After landing on a nearby house, she smiled lightly and cleverly: "Oh, Leng Shuangcheng, you've come with quite a bit of force, like a mad dog."

Leng Shuangcheng flew back to the crossbeam, and Shi Yang landed sideways, looking at Shu Xue coldly and said, "Little girl, I see your bald head hasn't fully grown back yet, and your brain isn't working properly. Have you forgotten the pain of having your hair cut off earlier?"

The mention of her proud head of black hair being cut off filled Shu Xue with resentment, but she said with a sweet smile, "Leng Shuangcheng, you are not only shameless and a master at playing dead, but you also seem to have a good tongue. You are a real shrew."

"You flatter me." Leng Shuangcheng smiled coldly, then remained silent, gathering strength in his fingers, waiting for an opportunity to find a weakness in Huang Yushuxue.

Shu Xue taunted her a few more times, but Leng Shuangcheng just stared at her coldly without saying a word, his gaze as if he were looking at a fool. The crimson light of the Eclipse Sun shone brightly, and a point of cold light gathered at the tip of the sword, gleaming and reflecting her motionless figure.

Shu Xuejian remained indifferent to Leng Shuangcheng, her expression cold and unmoved. After a moment's thought, she raised her hand to stroke her temples and suddenly said slowly, "Leng Shuangcheng, I'll tell you a story. I'm sure you'll find it very interesting to hear."

Shu Xue's appearance was graceful and charming, and she was incredibly beautiful standing in the wind, much like an immortal riding the wind. Recalling how she had witnessed the killing but remained indifferent, Leng Shuangcheng felt a sudden doubt in her heart, but replied calmly, "Oh? I would like to hear the details."

“There was a girl named Xiaoxue. When she was two years old, her mother brought home a man and told her that this man would be her private tutor and would teach her to read and write. The man was very handsome and always smiled gently. He would hold Xiaoxue and tell her stories about the island. In the stories, there was a little boy who was very proud and very clever. The little boy grew up day by day in the stories, and Xiaoxue also grew up listening to the stories. Fourteen years passed in the blink of an eye.”

"But the master didn't know that Xiaoxue didn't like listening to him tell other people's stories at all. In order to stay in his arms more, Xiaoxue pretended to listen very obediently and carefully watched the changes in his eyes and brows. Until one day, Xiaoxue's mother, Madam Xiaoju, came and promised to cure the master of the poison on the condition that the two of them must get married."

"At that time, Xiaoxue was very panicked, as if her favorite clothes had been stolen. She begged her mother to rescind the decision. Her mother told Xiaoxue that Yelü Bao, a nobleman of the Liao Kingdom, had approached her and asked her to first create chaos in the Central Plains to help Liao acquire the land of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. If the war was won, Liao would support her to enter the Eastern Kingdom and stabilize her status as the eldest princess of the royal family. This was because Xiaoxue's mother had half Han Chinese blood and had always been ostracized by the royal family."