Luzhou-Mond

Kapitel 60

The man in blue nodded, his face pale. I then asked, with a gossipy air, "Did you fall from the sky?"

The man in blue blushed slightly and said softly, "I was injured, and before I could catch my breath, I..."

Seeing his embarrassment, I found it amusing and took out the medicine Lin Zhao had given me before, saying, "This medicine can only treat external injuries. If you have internal injuries, then I can't help you."

The man in blue reached out and took it, saying, "Thank you for saving me, young lady. May I ask your name so I can repay you in the future?"

I shook my head and laughed, "Forget it, if you can still move, I advise you to leave immediately, lest they come back. My master will be coming out of there soon, and if he sees you, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it." I pointed to the meditation room.

Upon hearing this, the man in blue barely managed to stand up, took off his cloak and returned it to me, then bowed deeply to me before gritting his teeth and leaping out of the courtyard.

Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 45 of the main text.

Chapter word count: 4318 Update time: 09-08-07 14:06

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the princess was finally helped out of the meditation room by the green-clad monk. Behind her was an old monk in a gray robe with a flowing white beard, who had a kind and benevolent appearance. That must be Liao Wu.

As the princess stepped out of the meditation room, the old monk clasped his hands together and said, "Please take care, benefactor." The princess turned and returned the greeting.

As we approached the courtyard gate, we heard the old monk's voice again, saying, "Young benefactor, please wait." We turned around and saw the old monk smiling innocently at me. The princess glanced at me with slight surprise, nodded slightly, indicating that I should stay, and then left with the green-clad woman.

Helpless, I turned and walked towards the old monk, not knowing what he was up to. I bowed and said, "What are your instructions, Master?"

The old monk smiled and said, "Young benefactor, you have done a good deed today, and you will surely be blessed in the future."

I was surprised. I spoke in hushed tones with the man in blue, thinking that no one inside could hear us. But they still heard us. What about the princess?

"So the master knew all along. I hope the princess won't blame me for taking matters into my own hands." I said softly, "I don't care about the blessings. I'm just glad I saved someone who wasn't a troublemaker."

The old monk chuckled, his old face appearing even more benevolent: "Don't worry, young benefactor. The princess's eyes and ears are certainly not as numerous as mine, and even if the princess finds out, she won't make things difficult for you."

So that's how it is. This old monk is quite a master after all. No wonder the princess felt safe enough to bring only the two of us in. But did the old monk keep me here just to talk about this?

Then the old monk said, "I feel very compatible with you today. If you don't mind, you can come and have tea with me when you have time. I heard that you created this way of drinking tea. It has really broadened my horizons."

He even knows about this? Who in the Prince Qing's mansion told him? The Princess Consort? Probably not.

"Mr. Qi often comes to drink tea and play chess with this old monk, and he sometimes mentions the young benefactor," the old monk added. So it was Mr. Qi.

I chuckled and said, "Master, you are of noble character, but I am of a stubborn and unruly nature. I am afraid I will not be able to meet your standards."

The old monk, with a stern face, waved his sleeve and said, "Young benefactor, please go back quickly, lest you keep the princess waiting. If you are in the mood to visit this old monk someday, please don't forget to come and see me." With that, he turned and went into the meditation room.

I was stunned. The monk was so angry? He was the one who wanted me to stay, and he was the one who chased me away. The old man really knows how to treat people. I was just being modest and polite. Did he really think I didn't want to befriend him?

Shaking my head, I walked to the outer hall, which was empty except for a young monk who was waiting. He said that the princess had taken Yunruo and the others to the kitchen for a vegetarian meal. The young monk led me to the kitchen, where the princess, Yunruo, Yunshang, and Yunyue were sitting cross-legged on the floor eating their vegetarian meal, with several maids serving them. I had no choice but to stand to the side. When the princess saw me, she looked at an empty seat and said, "Huai'en, sit down and eat too. The vegetarian meal at Qingxin Temple is also excellent."

I was taken aback again, somewhat bewildered by this sudden honor. Seeing this, the princess smiled gracefully and said, "When you're out and about, there's no need to stand on ceremony." I glanced at the maids in green serving me and sat down nervously. My initial unease subsided after tasting the delicious vegetarian meal.

After we finished our vegetarian meal, a young monk led us to a side hall to rest. On the way, Yunshang quietly took my hand and slipped something soft into it. Just as I was about to open my hand to look, Yunshang held it tightly. She blushed and whispered in my ear, "Please give this to Guard Song."

Guard Song? Song Zhixuan? I looked up and examined Yunshang closely. Her pretty face was so red it looked like it was about to bleed. It seemed that Brother Zhixuan was having a lucky streak with women.

"Don't worry, I will definitely hand it over to Brother Song." I winked mischievously at Yunshang, who blushed even more, stomped her foot, turned around and left, leaving me alone to chuckle. Yunruo in front of me looked at me with a puzzled expression, then at Yunshang.

At the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), the princess rose to prepare to descend the mountain. She refused to be carried in a sedan chair, saying the autumn air was pleasant and a walk would be better. Yun Ruo and Yun Shang, along with the others, also declined the sedan chair. I had met Yun Ruo and Yun Shang before and were relatively familiar with them. They occasionally exchanged a few words with me during their conversation, but Yun Yue remained remarkably silent, not even participating in Yun Ruo and Yun Shang's chatter. She simply listened quietly, a faint smile on her face, her eyes closed, making her almost imperceptible—even more so than Yun Shang before. Perhaps sensing my frequent glances at her, she turned and smiled faintly at me. That smile, like a snow lotus blooming in the icy snow, added radiance to her otherwise unremarkable face. Feeling ashamed of my appearance, I smiled awkwardly and turned my face away.

As we hurried up the mountainside, the path made a sharp turn, with forest on one side and a steep slope, or rather a cliff, on the other. Fortunately, the slope was covered with grass, so it didn't look very high. A clear whistle came from overhead, and many dark figures fell from the trees, dividing the attendants and guards into several sections. The princess and I were right in the middle, with only seven or eight guards on either side of us.

"Kill them all!" At the command, the men in black drew their weapons and charged at us, the coldness of their metal piercing my skin. I truly couldn't understand why we always encountered this kind of thing whenever I accompanied them out. Even if I were slow to react, I could sense that these assassins were on a completely different level compared to the ones in Yaoshan. Every move they made was filled with murderous intent; this time, the odds were really against us.

There was no time to think. Three swords came thrusting at me simultaneously, which I barely dodged. Then four or five more swords were aimed at the princess and her entourage. Just as I was getting anxious, two guards leaped forward with their swords to block the dangerous blades. I took the opportunity to slip to the princess's side and saw that Green Robe and Green Water had somehow drawn short swords and were protecting their mistresses. Yun Ruo and the other maids were trembling with fear. I also drew the short sword that Shen Haoyu had given me and stood in front of them.

The guards in the distance were intercepted and couldn't get over for a while. The battle here was extremely fierce. Several guards had rushed over, but they were knocked down the steep slope and never climbed back up. Only five guards remained by her side. Swords and blades were getting closer and closer to the princess. The princess was clearly terrified, but she was still trying her best not to tremble and maintain her composure. Yun Ruo bit her lip, staring angrily at the men in black. Yun Shang's eyes were red, but she was looking at the wounded guards. Only Yun Yue watched everything calmly, her eyes seemingly deep in thought.

Fortunately, apart from those few little girls, everyone did quite well.

I gripped my short sword tightly, unsure whether to stay put or launch an attack. Looking at the skills of those men in black, and then at my own, I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh. With my lightness skill, I should be able to escape, but how could I possibly abandon my master like that?

It seems there are still quite a few people at Qingxin Temple who haven't come down the mountain yet. If anyone comes down and encounters this situation, it would be great if they could help us. Even if they can't help us, going back to ask for help would be good too. I just don't know if we can hold out until then.

Only three guards remained. Several assassins, or rather killers, had also fallen, but their strength was clearly far superior to ours. Green-clad Green Water, sword in hand, leaped into the fray, reminding me to protect our masters. The responsibility is indeed heavy.

I didn't have that ability, so I shook my head and smiled, pulling Green Robe down and saying, "Sister Green Robe, your kung fu is better than mine, stay and protect the masters." Before Green Robe could respond, I tossed her in front of the princess and thrust my sword at a man in black. The man in black easily dodged, then swung his sword back at my chest and abdomen. I twisted my waist to avoid it, but the blade still grazed my clothes, sending a chill down my spine.

In that life-or-death moment, I suppressed my fear and instinctively thrust my most effective sword at the man in black. A strange sound rang out—my sword had pierced his chest; the sound was the friction of the blade against flesh and bone. The man in black fell heavily to the ground, and my short sword was pulled from his chest. Drops of blood dripped down, instantly soaking his chest. Fortunately, they were dressed in black, so I only saw the wet patches on their clothes, not the shocking red. But soon, the ground beneath the man in black was completely soaked in red.

I gripped the sword hilt tightly, biting my lip until it ached. Between killing and being killed, I so easily chose to kill; the man before me lay dead by my blade. Though I knew perfectly well that if I hadn't killed him, I would have been the one to die, I couldn't help but feel a lingering panic at having actually killed someone. Lost in thought, I was pushed, and I fell to the ground, landing squarely on top of the man in black I had just killed. Turning around, I saw a cold sword thrusting straight towards where I had been standing. A guard was fighting the sword's owner; presumably, that guard had pushed me aside.

In this perilous situation, how could I be so weak? It would be one thing if I were killed, but then my strength to protect the Queen and the others would be weakened, and even more people would die. I gritted my teeth, joined forces with the guard, and thrust my sword at the owner of the cold blade. The owner of the cold blade was far more skilled than the black-clad man from before, and even the two of us were struggling. I withdrew, using my lightness skill to circle around the man, constantly searching for openings in his exchange with the guard, then launching surprise attacks, forcing him into a frantic state. For a moment, we slowly gained the upper hand. However, the two of us could barely handle him alone; the remaining two guards were struggling even more against four black-clad men. Looking into the distance, the guards of the Prince's residence were also being routed, and the black-clad men clearly had the upper hand.

My heart skipped a beat. Was the heavens truly going to kill me today?

Just as I was feeling the strain, I heard another voice: "Someone's coming! Finish this quickly!" The black-clad man's attacks became even more ferocious. The guard who was fighting alongside me was wounded by a sword and fell to the ground. The black-clad man raised his sword to deliver another blow, but I quickly chased after him and blocked it with my own. The black-clad man sneered and slid his sword towards me instead. I kicked his wrist, and the sword deflected. I took the opportunity to pull back my own sword, my clothes already soaked with cold sweat.

A sharp pain shot through my shoulder. I glanced up and saw a bloodied sword tip piercing my shoulder. A sudden surge of fear nearly made me faint. Even a careless cut from a kitchen knife used to hurt for days. I wasn't particularly afraid of pain, just the feeling of a cold blade cutting my skin. Now, it had not only cut my skin but also pierced my bone. My legs went weak, and I collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down my face. Another sharp pain shot through me as the sword was pulled away from my shoulder. I cried out. The man in black I had kicked paused for a moment, then thrust his sword again. A chill ran down my spine. I gritted my teeth and managed to dodge. I turned to look at the man in black who had attacked me. Despite being masked, I could still see a pair of eyes as bright as stars.

I wiped away my tears, pointed at the man in black who had ambushed me, and roared, "Don't you know how painful it is to be stabbed by a sword? Couldn't you have aimed a little closer and killed me? Now you're neither dead nor alive, and the pain feels like you're about to die!" I admired myself for still being able to say such things at a time like this, but I also successfully saw the look of surprise flash across his eyes. Seizing the opportunity, I quickly thrust my sword at him. Just as I was about to reach him, he suddenly realized what was happening and swung his sword to block. I followed his momentum and slashed at the man in black, the short sword leaving a long gash on his arm. The man in black glared at me angrily and lunged at me, a chilling aura spreading around us. I deftly slid back, not forgetting to say, "I didn't mean to cut you; he pushed me towards you. Why don't you go after him?" I blocked his sword with my right hand and pointed at the bright-eyed man in black with my left.

The man in black grew even angrier. I frantically tried to defend myself and quickly dodged to the side, but I saw two figures, one in red and one in purple, rushing towards me from not far away. Behind them were a group of brightly dressed guards. My heart leaped with joy, as if I had regained my strength.

The man in black had clearly seen me too, and swiftly thrust out several swords. I managed to dodge them, but ultimately couldn't avoid the final strike. Another sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and as I pulled the cold sword out, I felt a warm current gushing out. Another sword was thrust towards my chest, and I instinctively dodged, but my feet slipped into the air. I realized I had unknowingly retreated to the edge of a steep slope, my body falling uncontrollably. I heard a cry of alarm: "Huai'en!" Then a red shadow flashed by, grabbing my hand, but still not stopping my descent.

I crashed heavily to the ground, and before I could even catch my breath, I was pinned down by something heavy, making me cry out in pain: "Ouch!"

The heavy object scrambled to its feet and asked repeatedly, "Huai'en, how are you?"