Orden des Roten Lotus

Kapitel 96

"Don't come any closer!" Lan Qi shouted as she approached, smelling the fishy odor. "Throw that chicken out, I can't stand the smell."

Ming Er looked at the chicken in his hand, then tossed it onto the woodpile. He emptied the water from his water bag, washed his hands, and then approached Lan Qi in the corner: "What happened?"

"I don't know, I just felt like vomiting from the fishy smell." Lan Qi leaned against the stone wall, clutching her chest, her face pale. She herself was baffled by what had just happened.

Seeing her expression, Ming Er suddenly recalled some words he had read in a medical book. A thought struck him, and he took her hand, placing his fingertips on her pulse. A moment later, his face filled with shock, he looked up at Lan Qi, speechless.

"What's wrong?" Lan Qi asked, puzzled. She had never seen Ming Er so bewildered since they met.

“You…” Ming Er’s expression was very strange.

"Hmm?" Lan Qi raised an eyebrow.

“You…are pregnant,” Ming Er stammered.

Lan Qi paused for a moment, seemingly not understanding.

Ming Er looked at her without saying a word.

Then, Lan Qi realized what was happening, and her face flushed red, then turned pale, then red again. Finally, she stared at Ming Er, opened her mouth, but remained silent for a long time, not knowing what she wanted to say.

Both of them understood at that moment, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what they were feeling. They just felt a sense of panic and uncertainty.

Since that time in Mozhou, neither of them were bound by etiquette. They traveled together and stayed together, often spending time together. However, neither of them had ever thought that such a thing would happen, because they never took it to heart or considered it!

"What's wrong?" Ren Qi couldn't help but ask, noticing the strange atmosphere between the two.

Lan Qi turned her head to look at Ren Qi, then lowered her gaze to her own stomach. After a long while, she said in a calm, almost wooden voice, "There is a child inside."

"Huh?" Ren Qi was stunned at first, but when he came to his senses, he exclaimed, "You...you're Junior Brother's fiancée, how...how...are you pregnant with someone else's child?" Based on his understanding of Junior Brother, he naturally knew that the child in Lan Qi's belly wasn't Junior Brother's, and besides, Lan Qi was such a person...

Lan Qi stared at her stomach, still in shock, and ignored Ren Qi's shouts.

Ming Er was also in shock.

A solemn silence fell over the cave.

After a long while, Ren Qi's voice rang out again, this time clear and firm: "Lan... Miss Lan, although I don't know how you view the marriage between the Ning and Lan families, my junior brother is truly sincere towards you. What about him with your actions?" Back when he returned from Dongming Island, he could tell that his junior brother had fallen deeply in love with Lan Qi.

Lan Qi turned to look at him, her expression still blank.

Ren Qi had long forgotten his own situation and was only indignant on behalf of his junior brother: "Miss Lan, my junior brother is a very honest person. If you have someone else in your heart, then you should break off your engagement with him."

Lan Qi remained silent upon hearing this, her emerald eyes deep and unfathomable.

Ren Qi looked at her solemnly, awaiting her answer.

After a long while, Lan Qi took out a palm-sized silver spear from her sleeve, raised it, and inserted it into the cave wall. She glanced at Ren Qi with her green eyes, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she did not say a word and turned to leave.

Ren Qi was taken aback.

Ming Er, who had been silent all along, looked at the silver spear on the cave wall, his lips curving slightly into a faint smile. Seeing Lan Qi's figure disappear into the cave entrance, Ming Er hurriedly went to Ren Qi's side and released his pressure points: "Senior Brother Ren, I'm sorry for my rudeness." After saying this softly, his figure flickered and chased after Lan Qi.

Inside the cave, Ren Qi looked at the empty and quiet stone cave and thought it was a dream. But when he moved his limbs, he felt a stiff pain, which told him that he was not dreaming. When he looked up again, he saw the silver spear stuck in the cave wall.

The gun was the Ning family's heirloom silver spear, so he knew it must be related to his junior brother. He raised his hand, intending to pull it out, but then changed his mind and gave up. He guessed that Lan Qi hadn't given him the gun or left a single word; she had simply stuck it in the cave wall so he would tell his junior brother what she had just done.

Several months later, Ren Qi brought Ning Lang, who had returned to the mountain, to the cave.

When Ning Lang saw the silver spear stuck in the cave wall, his face turned pale, and he stared blankly at it, motionless.

So, Ren Qi wondered, perhaps this meant the engagement was being dissolved? That's why his junior brother was sad?

When Ning Lang finally left, he didn't pull out the silver spear, but left it in the cave. No matter what Ren Qi asked him, he remained silent. In the years that followed, Ren Qi saw his junior brother go to the cave alone several times, staring at the silver spear on the cave wall, sometimes standing there for a long time, sometimes for half a day.

The silver spear stuck in the hole became a knot in Ren Qi's heart.

Many years later, he encountered Lan Qi by chance. By then, he was the composed and capable leader of the Qianbi Sect, and could easily deal with Bi Yao. So he asked her what she meant by leaving the silver spear in the cave. If it was to break off the engagement, why didn't she just say it clearly and openly, so that her junior brother wouldn't have to stay alone with the engagement all these years?

At that moment, Lan Qi, whose emerald eyes remained as alluring as ever, did not immediately answer him, but instead looked stunned. It was because at that moment, she remembered many years ago, when they returned from Dongming Island and were about to part ways, that bright and cheerful young man looked at her with eyes as clear as the sky and said to her, "I will be good to you all my life, and I will never change. Believe me."

Before hearing the answer, Ren Qi first heard a deep, melancholic sigh. It was the first time he had seen sadness on Bi Yao's beautiful face since he had known her.

Lan Qi said, “Brother Ren, by leaving the token in the cave, I am leaving that promise there as well. I have let go. Whether Ning Lang lets go or keeps his word is up to him. If his feelings have faded, he can take the silver spear and marry another woman. If he clings to his promise, and I personally hand him the silver spear, that would be an insult to him, another kind of hurt. So, I simply left the silver spear there, and he understands this perfectly well. If he can let go, I will be glad; if not, then what harm is there in me staying in his heart for the rest of my life? Some people may suffer a lifetime of heartbreak from unfulfilled desires, but for others, there is no need to seek anything; simply keeping it in their hearts is enough for a lifetime.”

Ren Qi was stunned upon hearing this. He recalled his junior brother over the years. The naive and foolish boy from back then was now a respected hero in the martial arts world. Although he had been alone for many years, he never showed any signs of sadness or despondency. He was chivalrous, with clear eyes and a peaceful demeanor.

"I have never regretted who I have met or what I have done in my life. But Ning Lang... is my lifelong regret."

Ren Qi remembered Lan Qi's last words, but he never told Ning Lang them in his entire life. He thought his junior brother didn't need to know.

In this world, some people keep a promise throughout their lives and keep one person in their hearts, and they live a fulfilling and peaceful life.

(End of article)

Extra 5 "Hua Yin"

August has arrived again, but deep in the mountains of Qingzhong, the weather remains as warm as spring, with gentle breezes and pear blossoms like snow.

Lie Chifeng and Yun Wuyai walked through flowers and willows, skimmed over lakes and forests, and finally arrived at Pear Blossom Tomb.

"We haven't heard from them for months. Could they be living in seclusion here?" Lie Chifeng asked, staring ahead.

"This place is quite nice," Yun Wuyai said, looking around. If it weren't for the Lan family's guidance, they would never have known that there was such a secluded paradise in Qingzhong Mountain.

"Pear Blossom Tomb? What a strange name," Lie Chifeng said, looking ahead.

Under the shade of the pear tree in front stands a three-foot-high stone tablet. On the tablet are three large characters in regular script, “Pear Blossom Tomb”, written in bold strokes. Next to it are three large characters in wild cursive script, “Those who enter will die”, written in bright red, as arrogant as a ferocious beast showing its claws.

“Let’s go.” Yun Wuyai stepped forward. “Since the people from the Ming and Lan families say that their patriarchs are here, we will understand when we see them.”

The two walked deeper into the pear blossom grove. After walking for about two miles, they heard the sound of flowing water. After walking for a while longer, their eyes were suddenly opened to a bright and beautiful sight.

In the snow-covered pear blossom forest, verdant mountain walls stand tall, and a mountain stream cascades down, flowing into a small pond at the foot of the wall. A layer of pear petals floats on the surface of the pond, and an arched wooden bridge spans the pond. In front of the pond is a swing, and behind the swing is an exquisite bamboo house.

As the two looked at it, they felt as if they were looking at a painting, with the three colors of emerald green, pale white, and cyan creating a serene and otherworldly atmosphere.

And within this painting are figures as beautiful as those in the painting.

Beneath a pear tree by the pond sat a round table. Lan Qi sat behind the table, her eyes lowered as she gazed at a chessboard, seemingly lost in thought, completely unaware of anyone's arrival. At that moment, her hair was styled in a misty, flowing robe, and her beauty was unparalleled. Beside her, Ming Er, dressed in white, stood by the lake, a soft, faint smile playing on his lips as he gazed intently at her.

Lie Chifeng and Yun Wuyai were stunned when they saw this. Could these two really get along so well?

Just then, Ming Er raised his head, looked at the two of them, and nodded slightly, as if he already knew they had arrived.

"Ah! I've got it!" Lan Qi, who had been deep in thought, suddenly exclaimed, her hand moving swiftly to place a piece. "Look, I can just place it here, can't I?"

Ming Er turned his head to look at the chessboard, then picked up a chess piece with his fingertip and placed it down.

Lan Qi's initial joy vanished the moment she saw the chessboard. She glared angrily at Ming Er and said, "I thought about it for so long, and you wiped them all out in one go! Damn it!" As she spoke, she punched Ming Er.

Ming Er didn't dodge, letting the fist land on him, shaking his head and sighing, "Your chess skills are really too bad." He glanced at her and noticed a pear blossom petal on her temple, so he naturally reached out and took it, while Lan Qi didn't flinch at the hand on her temple.

Lie Chifeng and Yun Wuyai were stunned again. Based on their past understanding, these two were always either sarcastic or openly competing when they got together, but now... the intimacy between them was unusual, which surprised them. However, after the initial surprise, upon reflection, everything seemed to make sense and seemed to follow a natural progression.

Ming Er flicked away the petals, looked up at the stunned Lie Chifeng and Yun Wuyai: "Brother Lie, Brother Yun, please come and sit down."

Upon hearing this, Lan Qi immediately looked up and saw Lie Chifeng and Yun Wuyai staring at them in surprise. Thinking back to what had just happened, she didn't show anything on her face, but felt slightly embarrassed in her heart. She quickly took the initiative and asked, "Why did you two come together?"

As Lie Chifeng walked over, he said, "In the past two years, Brother Yun and I have often traveled together, discussing martial arts and gaining a lot from it."

"Oh?" Lan Qi's green eyes flickered, and a strange look appeared in her eyes as she looked at Lie Chifeng. "You don't want a beauty like Hua Fushu, but you've found a grown man to accompany you."

Hearing this, Yun Wuyai raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lan Qi, then remained calm and offered no comment.

Master Lie, who had always ignored Lan Qi's provocations and teasing, naturally pretended not to hear them this time as well. He turned to Ming Er and said, "You have disappeared from the martial world for the past six months. Why are you here? Do you intend to retire from the martial world and live in seclusion here?"

Ming Er glanced at Lan Qi, raised his hand to his lips and coughed lightly before saying in a nonchalant tone, "This is her master's residence. We are just resting here for a few months."

Rest and recuperation?

Lie Chifeng was suspicious, and Yun Wuyai was surprised.

Rest? Who needs to rest? The two looked at Ming Er and Lan Qi, and saw that neither of them seemed injured or seriously ill, so why should they need to rest?

Under the gazes of Lie Chifeng and Yun Wuyai, Lan Qi lowered his eyes and leisurely played with the chess pieces, while Ming Er coughed lightly again and asked, "I heard from Ming Ying that Brother Lie is looking for us. What is it about?"

Upon hearing Ming Er's question, Lie Chifeng immediately put his doubts aside and stared intently at Ming Er and Lan Qi: "I have mastered the ninth move."

Upon hearing this, Ming Er and Lan Qi felt a bad premonition.

As expected, Lie Chifeng continued, "My swordsmanship is now fully mastered. Looking across the martial world, only you can rival me."

Ming Er and Lan Qi exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and sighed inwardly: This martial arts fanatic!

"You should also fulfill the promise you made at Yingshan back then." Lie Chifeng's gaze was sharp as a knife. At the Yingshan Tournament back then, Ming Er personally promised to settle the score when their martial arts reached their peak.

Under the intense gaze of Third Master Lie, the elegant Second Young Master coughed lightly again, then said tactfully, "Brother Lie, Young Master Yun's martial arts are no less than ours. Why don't you spar with him?"

"The contest has already taken place, and I won," Master Lie replied decisively.

Hmm? Ming Er and Lan Qi immediately looked at Yun Wuyai.

Young Master Yun sat down leisurely at the table and said, "During the competition, you brothers were unharmed, while I had a strand of hair shaved off my temple." Without waiting for the host to invite him, he picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of tea.

Upon hearing this, Ming Er and Lan Qi's eyebrows shot up, and they turned to look at Lie Chifeng. It seemed that this madman's swordsmanship had reached its peak, and fighting him would be a pointless and exhausting affair, regardless of victory or defeat.

Lie Chifeng met the two of them and asked, "When shall we have our match?" Judging from his posture, he seemed eager to have a match right there and then.

Upon hearing his words, Ming Er fell silent, seemingly looking somewhat troubled, while Lan Qi's eyes darted around.

Upon seeing their expressions, Lie Chifeng frowned, but before he could speak, Lan Qi spoke up.

"Brother Lie, your timing is truly unfortunate. We cannot compete with you at this moment." She spoke with a smile, but there was a hint of eeriness in her blue eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Lie Chifeng stared at her. In fact, since they had just met, he felt that her skills and energy seemed too relaxed. She hadn't even noticed their arrival, which was quite different from the Lan Qi Shao who was always on guard against others and always made people tremble with fear. "Could it be that you have suffered a serious internal injury?"

Lan Qi shook her head, her smile unchanged.

Lie Chifeng scrutinized her for a moment, unable to discern anything, and then naturally turned his gaze to Ming Er. Even if Lan Qi didn't say anything, Ming Er should know.

The second young master then coughed lightly for the fourth time today, and then said rather cryptically, "She is currently unwell."

Lie Chifeng glanced at Lan Qi again, still not understanding why she was inconvenienced, but he was too lazy to ask any further. He just stared at Ming Er and said, "You." Although Lan Qi's power was not at its peak at the moment, Ming Er's power had improved since two years ago, something he had noticed long ago.

"This..." Young Master Ming pretended to be helpless. "I am distracted. Even if I were to compete with you, I would surely lose. I suppose you do not wish to win unfairly."

Impatient with their evasive answers, Master Lie frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

Yun Wuyai, who was leisurely sipping tea with an air of indifference, also glanced over curiously at this moment.

Ming Er's expression of helplessness seemed to deepen as he turned to look at Lan Qi.