Mu Yuchengs Abkommen

Kapitel 41

My mind went blank. Wasn't she just saying she couldn't stand me, this brat? Then why is she doing this now—

“You, you get up quickly. Maybe you’ve all made a mistake, maybe ‘Feng Fei’ made a mistake. I, I’ll take it off, and you can find its real owner.”

She stood up, watching my actions with a faint smile and no words. It was strange; no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it off. It felt like it was embedded in my flesh. I refused to believe it. "Uncle Jiu, come help!" All ten of them rushed over to help, trying to remove the bracelet, but all failed. Even though my wrist was red and almost dislocated, it still wouldn't come off. It seemed to have a life of its own, stubbornly clinging to my wrist, growing on it.

No! I'm so upset I could cry.

“How strange. We’ve lived all these years and never seen anything like this before,” pondered an uncle who considered himself knowledgeable.

That flirtatious woman, nicknamed "Broken Flower," remained sitting there leisurely, watching our struggles with an expression as if she were watching a farce.

"Ah—" I screamed in terror. Oh no, oh no, I was really going to die this time. The bracelet seemed to come alive, suddenly merging into my blood. An eerie red color suddenly climbed up my arm, slowly forming a strange totem. And it appeared through the skin, within my flesh. I stared intently, and this pattern looked so eerie, like the spider lily, a symbol of death. Several lines, like vines, coiled upwards, intertwining and growing, beautiful and alluring, like the solidified blood and tears of a beautiful woman, forged and nourished.

No matter how hard I tried to stop it, it was all in vain.

“It’s no use,” Hua Pozi said softly. “Once ‘Feng Fei’ chooses its master, it will quickly merge with that person, becoming inseparable and never leaving them. There’s another process: it will transform your body, making you stronger and more perfect, and turning you into a rare beauty in the world. A beauty that could topple kingdoms.”

"I don't want to!" I cried out in my heart. But no one paid attention to my cries.

Looking at the bracelet, after a dazzling flash of colorful light, it suddenly turned into a crystal clear, pure white ordinary bracelet, as if the vibrant red life force had merged into me, disappeared into my body, and transformed into that enchanting totem.

I touched the bracelet and easily took it off. The strange men looked at each other, as if our struggle to remove it had been a complete dream.

I lifted the hem of my shirt on my left arm. Grandma's braided hairstyle, though not covering the entire arm, covered a large area above my wrist. Like a tattoo, it was permanent, the kind that even shaving off the skin wouldn't fix, because it was ingrained in my flesh, making my skin as clear and translucent as glass. It seemed to float between my skin and bone. I didn't find these things particularly strange; what surprised me was how my skin looked so unreal, so perfect. Like a mannequin, I didn't like it. But the lecherous old men around me were practically drooling.

"As I said, it will transform your body, making it more perfect. It will also keep you young forever, almost until you die, extending your lifespan. However, it has a fatal weakness: it is afraid of the cold. If it is corroded by ice, even you, its master, will die along with it," Hua Pozi said coldly.

"You mean if it lives, I live; if it dies, I die?" I yelled. SHIRT. Forgive me for swearing.

I feel like I'm not human anymore, I'm like a monster.

She looked at me, dejected, with disbelief. "Over the years, from ordinary people to royalty and even emperors of various countries, no one has ever wanted 'Fengfei'. They have tried every means to possess it. The value of our Mayan people is to protect it until it finds its master. And you, having obtained such a great advantage, are still not satisfied. It means that you will surely become an emperor in the future, above all others, second only to the god."

I said calmly, "You are not me, so how could you understand what I'm thinking?" I had originally planned to live a peaceful life at Junjin Manor after leaving the palace, making clothes, drawing, creating comics, and cooking delicious food. I just wanted that simple, ordinary life. I didn't want to get involved in too much trouble or fulfill too many responsibilities. That would be too exhausting. But now—

All that talk of absolute power, of being an emperor, is fleeting, an illusion. I never covet it, nor will I ever try to seize it by force.

What's mine will always be mine, and what's not mine will never be mine no matter how hard I try to take it.

"Let's go, let's go!" I shouted.

Still absorbed in Hanabiko's strange theory, the ten were startled: "What's wrong? What happened?"

I pouted and said, "It's getting late. We've had a long day of fun, and it's time to head back. Otherwise, your friends will worry that you've gotten into trouble."

I said to the bright, beautiful white chain on the flower-adorned face, "Go and thank your high priest for me. What's his name again? Murong Han, right? Thank him for me. And I hope we never see each other again." I didn't want to see these strange people again. I had a bad feeling that seeing them wouldn't be good.

Hanako stared at the strange woman with a puzzled look. Her male attire was truly handsome, with a flowing, ethereal quality, as if she were not of this world.

In fact, she was not a woman of this world; she was merely a soul wandering here.

I walked away resolutely, not hearing the woman standing there, laughing strangely, softly say, "Master, 'Feng Fei' will bring you to find us. It's destined, you can't escape, you brat." Her tone unconsciously softened with a hint of indulgence at the end.

Sigh, I turned away without looking back, resolutely determined never to have anything to do with these people. Little did I know I'd become entangled with them, especially with that man in the long robe with those beautiful, sapphire-blue eyes. That Mayan High Priest Murong Han.

He was none other than the future White Tiger King, Murong Han. I even affectionately gave him a refined name, "Lian" (Lotus), because his name, Murong Han, was too famous in several countries. However, it was for a bad reason, but that's another story.

The lotus rises from the mud, yet remains unstained. Just like his beautiful, clean eyes, as clear as the azure sky.

Back at the manor, it was already brightly lit, preparing for a celebratory banquet for the martial arts community. I've always disliked banquets, and I try to avoid them whenever possible, hoping to escape back to my room for a good beauty sleep. But the Ten Monsters weren't about to let me off so easily. They carried me there, completely undignified, to our destination. If I weren't dressed as a man, being carried to the banquet like this would have made me want to die.

What made me even more eager to find a place to hide was that someone who had absolutely no chance of appearing here was sitting leisurely not far from the old man, his eyes deep and strange, staring at me almost without blinking, his gaze so intense that it seemed to pierce through my body and reach my soul.

I was hanging upside down on Uncle Jiuguai's shoulders, and I looked back at him with a faint, indifferent gaze.

I don't know why, but the moment I walked in and saw him, the whole world seemed to fall silent, leaving only my rapid breathing and our silent staring at each other. After a long while, I looked away, as if he were a stranger, and never looked at him again. My brother Sima had been gone the moment I decided to enter the palace.

Me and Shi Guai went up to him. I clung to the old man's seat and sat down next to him, without any intimacy.

At this moment, a familiar-looking man laughed gruffly, raised his glass and said, "Let's toast the Alliance Leader. The disciple the Alliance Leader has taken in is truly clever and adorable." It turned out to be the same man that the old man had pulled me forward to introduce earlier that day.

"Yes, yes," the surrounding heroes echoed.

The old man remained silent, only gazing at me with unspoken, doting eyes. I returned his gaze with a sweet smile.

I smiled and said, "Master, the grand ceremony is about to begin today, and heroes from all over the world have gathered here. Everyone has prepared generous gifts. I wonder what gift Master would like me to give you?" Not calling you "old man" or "demon child" is already giving you face in front of the world, isn't it?

However, the intense gaze that kept following me made me extremely uncomfortable.

"Hmm," he hesitated for a moment, seemingly unable to recall.

"Go ahead and say it!" the people around him jeered.

The old man smiled shyly and finally said softly, "I wonder if Ying'er could sing a song just for Master, a song only for Master, is that alright?" His tone was cautious, as if he was afraid of putting me in a difficult position. Originally, I didn't want to sing, but since this was the first time he had asked me for a favor, how could I refuse, and I couldn't bear to disappoint him?

"Okay." I gave him a bright smile and got up to walk to the center of the banquet.

The journey has been arduous, and I know that for every bit of joy I show in my smile, the gaze that has always followed me will grow colder and colder.

Volume 3, Chapter 78: Exposing Lies

Watching the Yangtze River Flow East

The waves have washed away the heroes of a thousand years.

Laughing and pointing out the landscape

Right and wrong, success and failure, all vanish into thin air.

This place is different.

The old friends from the green hills have just left, but to whom can I express my lofty sentiments?

Opportunities are hard to come by

Let the east wind be borrowed for now

Time flows like water, footprints are hard to overlap

Red Cliff is hard to discern

Where the wind and clouds disperse

Only the bright moon of that time remains

In vain, the sea is vast and the sky is boundless.

The old friend never appeared in my dream

Several sunsets and evening bells

What is divided for a long time will unite, and what is united for a long time will divide.

Temporarily residing between heaven and earth, it's difficult to distinguish between friend and foe.

The sentimental should laugh at my Chinese fate.

But for your sake, I have remained silent until now.

A pair of brilliant minds, a pot of wine, and eternity lost to oblivion.

Human nature dictates that after a long period of division, there will be unity, and after a long period of unity, there will be division.

We must part ways eventually.

Autumn moon, spring breeze, lingering snow

...

Returning to the vast and boundless atmosphere that once filled the world long ago, is it some unseen force that has brought me back to this world, back to my past and present lives, to meet you again, to fall in love with you again, and to hate you again?

I sat on the floor in the middle of the banquet, holding my xylophone, and sang softly, my expression indifferent, like a calm, still lake, long and profound, with bottomless whirlpools that gradually drew me in.

The melody of the zither lingered, silencing the entire banquet. It dispelled the world's clamor. As the song drew to a close, I finally stopped my dazed gaze and looked up at the old man sitting in the main seat, smiling gently at me. I smiled back at him, expressing my gratitude. He had taken on the role of patriarch, fulfilling the duties of a father, caring for me as I grew up. Today, he was the host, and so I expressed my gratitude in this way.

Like a soft sigh, I finally sang the last line amidst the gentle, lingering strains of the zither: Though life may separate us, we will share this same bright moon, though separated by vast distances.

For a long time, the entire hall was silent. Having seen so much, I was already as calm as a bell; perhaps I simply didn't care anymore. I didn't know if they'd forgotten to applaud, or if they simply didn't care to applaud me, but seeing the old man's joyful smile made it all worthwhile; my goal had been achieved. Just as I was about to return to my seat, someone suddenly exclaimed as if waking from a dream, "This... isn't this the 'Peerless Young Master,' one of the infamous duo from Yichun Garden back in the day?"

The crowd immediately erupted in commotion. This scene reminded me of when celebrities walk the red carpet and attract so much attention and admiration.

Perhaps it's because this song expresses their true feelings. The world of martial arts is like war; one lives in constant tension and fear, and although they stand at a high position, they grow increasingly lonely and weary.

I stood beside my master and smiled slightly: "It is indeed I, a junior. Esteemed seniors of the martial arts world, I have made a fool of myself."

Seeing my open and unpretentious demeanor, they all burst into hearty laughter. The gang leader, Hong, who was on good terms with the old man, stood up and said with the dignity of a martial arts senior, "As expected of the leader, you have a discerning eye. You have taken on a disciple who is both literate and martial, handsome and extraordinary. He is truly a rare talent."

The old man replied without any modesty, "Yes," he looked at me affectionately, "sometimes even I, as his teacher, am humbled by his own shortcomings."

I lowered my head slightly and smiled shyly at just the right moment: "You seniors are too modest."

Suddenly, a cold and complex voice rang out: "This 'Young Master Juejin' has accomplished far more than just these things." The voice then stared at me intently, its lips stubbornly pressed into a thin line, as if determined to extract some answer from me.

I glanced at him indifferently and said nonchalantly, "You flatter me, brother."

Seeing my cold expression and my feigned ignorance, his eyes darkened further. I knew that anger was probably the root of his rage. But I had to admit that at that moment, I was running away. Perhaps, once I appeared before him as Xie Weiying, once he raped me against my will, once I became an insignificant woman to the emperor, we could never go back to the way things were. At that moment, I couldn't think of any reason to make everything feel like the first time we met. I admit my cowardice, my weakness. I couldn't imagine what crazy things he would do after discovering my deception. Would he love me, hate me, or stay away from me for life, or punish me with death for deceiving the emperor? I dared not know, dared not think, dared not face reality, dared not calmly walk before him, and smile as I told him that I was the woman he loathed, the woman he wished would die in the cold palace—Xie Weiying.

I dare not bear the consequences. I can laugh at my own foolishness and cowardice, but who can understand the pain in my heart?

Instead of being angry, he laughed, but his eyes were extremely cold, so much so that I saw his pupils turn into an eerie purple. He laughed with pleasure, laughed wildly, and after a long while, he smiled softly: "Brother Jin is really too much of a VIP. The friendship we formed at the Friendship Gathering Tower, the camaraderie we shared at Yichun Garden, and the three years of getting to know each other day and night have all vanished in the midst of Brother Jin's laughter."

Everyone was puzzled, but a few people in the know suddenly exclaimed as if they had just realized something: "Could it be, could it be that this is the 'cold-faced nobleman' of the Twin Fiends?"

My face paled, and I bit my lower lip so hard it almost bled. I clenched my fist, then released it, sighed softly, and finally said with relief, "Young master, I think you've misunderstood. I don't know you, nor do I understand what you're talking about. Today, my master, as the leader of the martial arts alliance, is hosting friends from the martial world. Please don't disrupt the event. Otherwise—" My expression was so cold that it almost made people think I didn't recognize him.

However, Sang Qin still noticed that my fingers were unconsciously tugging at the corner of my sleeve. After so many years of nervously lying, I still couldn't get rid of this little habit. He couldn't help but look at the young man who stood up. Although he was only wearing ordinary dark linen clothes, his natural aura, his nobility, and his imperial air were still intact. On the contrary, his aura overwhelmed all the martial arts heroes present as soon as he stood up.

Sang Qin was slightly surprised, but seeing his beloved disciple's unusually indifferent expression, although he didn't know what had happened between them, with so many people watching, their private matter must be resolved privately by them.

Sang Qin smiled slightly at everyone present. That smile was like a gentle breeze, easing the tense atmosphere of the banquet. My heart also relaxed unconsciously. I smiled gratefully at the old man. This smile, which seemed to be like seeing a relative, was even more glaring to Sima Rui. His heart ached even more, and the anger that rose up was about to erupt.

“Young master, you are a guest, and my apprentice was rude just now. After the banquet, I will definitely have my apprentice go to your residence to apologize to you personally. Now, please calm down.”

Sima Rui naturally understood the deeper meaning in his words, and knew that if he continued to pester him, this martial arts alliance leader, whom he admired, would not give up easily. After thinking it over, Sima Rui bowed and said, "I apologize for disturbing you." Sima Rui gazed deeply at the stunningly beautiful face standing there, more captivating than ever before. His Xiao Jin had grown up. He had waited so long; he had finally grown up, but now he was being rejected. How could he bear this!

I glanced at the old man with a mixture of doubt and reproach in his eyes, which almost made me jump up and down. How could I not understand what he meant? Going to his room to apologize was just a way of asking us to meet in private and resolve the issue, wasn't it? But I didn't want to see him again at all.

I secretly stamped my foot and quietly left the venue. The old man knew, but knowing my anger, he turned a blind eye. If I'd known, I wouldn't have come even if those ten weirdos had forced me!

I groped my way back to my room in the dark, but just as I was about to step through the door, a voice stopped me in my tracks: "Are you trying so hard to get away from me, Xiao Jin?"

I turned my head, took a deep breath, and said impatiently, "I already told you you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not the Xiao Jin you're looking for. There are countless people in this world with the same name. Go look for someone else. Aren't you annoying?!"

"Are there many people with the same name and appearance?"

"Maybe he's my lost twin brother or something..." I lied through my teeth, starting to make things up, not caring whether he believed it or not, that wasn't my concern. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that we shared the same appearance, I thought to myself.

He stared at me intently in the darkness, his gaze so intense that it almost overwhelmed my heart, which had been suffocating for so long. He looked at me as if he wanted to etch my face into his mind and into his heart.