Xiaoman hurriedly held up the fan in front of them and said with a smile, "It's finished! Come and see, isn't it beautiful?"
The little fan was quite obedient and nodded, saying, "It looks nice."
The little dumpling came running over, panting, and threw a cloth bag into her arms, saying urgently, "Don't mention the fan! What time is it! The old master told us to come quickly. He said you are some kind of young mistress and have a deep hatred for Tian Sha Shi Fang. That person might cause you trouble. This money is the payment the old master gave you for embroidering the fan. He said that the person is being held back by them for now. Young mistress, quickly take your people out through the back door and don't let him find out."
Xiao Man was taken aback; she hadn't expected the man with the round fan to be so kind. He tossed the cloth bag; it was heavy, probably containing a hundred taels of silver. A master is indeed a master, so generous even in his generosity.
Seeing her sitting there motionless with a strange smile on her face, the little boy said urgently, "What are you laughing at! Hurry up, we'll lead the way for you, let's go out the back door! If we're late, you'll be dead!"
Xiaoman hurriedly packed her bags, woke Lianyi, and the two of them followed them out through the back door.
The back gate led to a desolate forest, where Gengu was already waiting with his broadsword. Yelü Jing was also standing there. When the two of them came out, Gengu said, "You're so slow. The old man already told me. We're heading towards Mount Taibai. That person seems to be after some kind of horn. Anyway, we can't let them find it first. I'll protect you and go ahead. Zexiu and Tianquan will catch up soon, so don't worry."
Lianyi carried Xiaoman on her back and ran a few steps. Xiaoman turned around and saw the two children still standing at the door looking at her worriedly. Her heart warmed, and she waved to them: "Please thank your master for me. Also, thank you. I'll embroider an even better one for you to play with next time."
As soon as she finished speaking, she was already a hundred paces away. Lianyi carried her on her back and ran very fast. Her eyes had been cured by the round fan, so she no longer had to struggle to see while running like before. The scenery around her passed by like a shuttle, and she was even lighter than a swallow.
They ran all night until the sky began to lighten. Xiao Man was almost asleep on Lian Yi's back, and Yelü Jing was already fast asleep on Gen Gu's back. Only then did Lian Yi say, "There's no one around here. Let's rest for a while and wait for Young Master Tianquan and the others to come looking for us."
Gengu threw Yelü Jing hard onto the ground. Yelü Jing cried out but didn't wake up. He just rolled over and continued sleeping soundly. Gengu cursed, "Useless pig!"
Lianyi spread the cloak she had brought out on the ground, helped Xiaoman sit on it, and handed her water and dry food. Xiaoman had no appetite for food; she was more interested in carefully opening the cloth bag to see how much money was inside.
She thought a hundred taels of silver would be generous enough, but when she opened the cloth bag, it was filled with glittering gold—a hundred taels of gold! Xiao Man was overjoyed and couldn't stop smiling.
Good heavens! Embroidering a fan and getting a hundred taels of gold! What a bargain!
She held onto Jinzi tightly, unwilling to let go. Lianyi fed her some water and half a dry biscuit. Before she could even chew it properly, she drifted off to sleep.
Just as he was dreaming of getting rich, he suddenly heard Gengu shout, "Who's there?!"
Xiao Man suddenly woke up with a start, her eyes wide open. She saw a tall figure slowly walking out of the poplar forest, smiling with his hands behind his back. Who else could it be but Yelü Wenjue!
The Scroll of Chaos, Chapter Six: Ladies Picking Flowers (Part Three)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:09:27 Word Count: 4863
Celebrating National Day in advance, two more updates today! This is the first one. I'm the kind and generous Fourteenth!
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Startled, Xiaoman choked on the uneaten piece of biscuit, unable to breathe, and rolled around in agony, clutching her neck. Lianyi rubbed her chest several times to no avail, and seeing Xiaoman's eyes rolling back in her head, Lianyi panicked and became flustered.
Suddenly, Gengu came over, flipped Xiaoman over, and slammed his broadsword against her back, finally knocking out the murderous pancake stuck in her throat.
She's still alive! She's still alive! Xiao Man coughed desperately, looking at Gen Gu with gratitude, tears streaming down her face.
"If you can be trusted, pigs will fly." Gengu looked at her with disdain, flicked his broadsword, pointed it at Yelü Wenjue, and said coldly, "Don't come any closer, or I'll be very impolite."
"So handsome, so handsome, Gengu!" Xiaoman's eyes were filled with tears of admiration as she huddled behind Lianyi, watching him with sparkling eyes. She vowed never to bully him again and that Lianyi would treat him better in return.
Yelü Wenjue took two steps forward, and seeing the broadsword flash with cold light, it was about to slash mercilessly at his face. He smiled lightly and said, "Just a little devil."
The blade flashed and struck his neck, but no blood was drawn. Gengu was taken aback. His hand suddenly felt heavy as several fingers rested on the broadsword—his movements were incredibly fast!
Gengu immediately abandoned his weapon and retreated, but Yelü Wenjue was even faster. He heard the man laugh and say, "Clever, kid, you'll be a great man in the future." The voice came from behind him. Before Gengu could even be alarmed, he felt a light tap on his neck, and his vision went black. He collapsed to the ground unconscious.
Oh no! Xiaoman tried to get up and run, but her legs were as weak as noodles and wouldn't obey her commands.
Lianyi gently pushed her back, stepped forward to block her, and whispered, "Master, you go first."
Xiaoman wanted to cry. Didn't she want to leave first? Her legs were weak with fear. Yelü Jing, who was fast asleep beside her, turned over and mumbled something under his breath. This person is very strong, absolutely very good and powerful. Even if the sky falls, he will continue to sleep. Murder and robbery will not wake him. He will definitely be the King of Sleep in the future!
Yelü Wenjue didn't look at Lianyi; he stared intently at Xiaoman and said in a low voice, "Move aside." He was speaking to Lianyi.
Her face was pale, and her wrists were trembling. She was clearly terrified. Suddenly, she whispered, "My mistress... is very good to me. I... I won't give way. I am her guard."
Yelü Wenjue laughed and said, "He really is an idiot."
Lianyi looked sad and said softly, "I may not be smart, but I know who is good to me."
"Lianyi, why are you wasting your breath talking to him? Go and chop him down!" Xiaoman cursed inwardly, feeling utterly disappointed. She tried to stand up, and although her legs seemed to be able to move, they were still weak and limp. She crouched down and slid forward, but after only a few steps, she heard a whoosh of wind behind her. Terrified, she didn't dare turn around and darted behind a tree.
Yelü Wenjue raised an eyebrow slightly, looking down at the Crimson Cloud Blade that Lianyi was using to shield her hands. The blade remained sheathed; she was still hesitant. Lianyi frowned, her voice trembling, "Please...please don't hurt my master!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a light tap on the back of her neck. Her vision went black, and she collapsed to her knees, feeling weak all over. Above her, she heard him say coldly, "Getting in the way, you really are a piece of trash!"
Her lips twitched slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but before she could utter a word, she collapsed to the ground and fainted, just like Gengu.
Xiaoman could hear her own heartbeat, fast and loud, as if it were about to jump out of her ears. But when this person, bathed in the desolate moonlight, stood three steps away from her, she could no longer hear her own heartbeat.
My heart felt like it had stopped beating.
She looked up at the man, stunned, and suddenly said, "I am not the mistress. You should have known that when you saw me."
Yelü Wenjue was not surprised and nodded, saying, "That's right. Where is your mother now? Is she dead?"
He... he was asking about her mother?
Xiaoman seemed completely dazed. Extreme fear and exhaustion made her mind seem unresponsive. She stammered, "You're asking me if my mother is... the third young lady of the Guo family, or... someone else?"
Yelü Wenjue smiled and said, "You're a fool too. Wasn't your mother the third young lady of the Guo family? After she was kidnapped by bandits, I went to Wutong Town to see her once. You were still asleep in her belly then, no wonder you didn't know anything."
Xiao Man exclaimed urgently, "So you actually like my mother!"
She regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth, hiding behind a tree and watching him expectantly, wondering how he would react.
Yelü Wenjue paused for a moment before saying, "It happened a long time ago. Yes, I did like her. I was young and impetuous back then, and I was completely infatuated with the woman on the fan. I never imagined that there really was someone in the world who looked exactly like the woman in the painting. Unfortunately, your mother was unlucky and had a high opinion of herself. She looked down on me, a poor boy, and was determined to enter the palace to be selected as a princess. After playing me for a while, she was kidnapped by bandits."
Xiao Man asked softly, "Then...the woman in the painting is my mother?"
Yelü Wenjue laughed and said, "The woman in the painting is your maternal grandmother, your maternal grandfather's seventh concubine. She used to be a singing girl, but after marrying your maternal grandfather, she was still restless and had an affair with a servant, giving birth to twin girls, which she insisted were your maternal grandfather's. Your maternal grandfather suffered a serious illness many years ago and became infertile at the age of thirty-five. How could your maternal grandmother have given birth to children? But such a family scandal could not be made public, so she had to put on a brave face and raise them as her own daughters. Your mother was luckier; she was born healthy and stayed in Lianfang City. Her younger sister suffered from many illnesses and hardships from a young age. When she was three years old, your maternal grandfather took her away and gave her away. Poor thing, she always thought she was a rich young lady, showered with love, but she didn't know that she was actually of lowly birth. After being kidnapped by bandits, her father refused to pay even ten thousand taels of gold, and in the end, she went insane."
Xiao Man glared at him for a long time before suddenly saying, "Just because someone comes from a lowly background doesn't mean they shouldn't refuse you. If she were a real rich girl, you'd probably feel honored to have been played by her. Since you liked her and went to see her when she was in trouble, you shouldn't be saying such things today. Demeaning others is actually demeaning yourself."
Yelü Wenjue said coldly, “I went to see her not to save her, but to see her in such a wretched state. She used to be high and mighty, trampling others underfoot. I went to enjoy seeing her being trampled underfoot now. How gratifying! Your mother and your grandmother were both insatiable and greedy women, thinking themselves noble and manipulating people's hearts. In the end, they returned to their true colors and were nothing but lowly things.”
Xiao Man was furious. She leaned against a tree to stand up, took a breath, and said softly, "Everyone is base when they return to their true nature. We all come from the mud. Who is made of jade or gold? Since you liked her, no matter how hateful she is, you shouldn't say such things about her! You feel better now, but in other people's eyes, you're petty and calculating, not like a man at all! You'd better not like her. She doesn't deserve your affection, and you don't need to keep bringing her up and hating her for so many years!"
Before she could finish speaking, she felt a hand grip her neck, and she immediately couldn't breathe. Her mouth gaped open, like a dehydrated fish, her eyes staring blankly at him helplessly.
Yelü Wenjue smiled and said, "You're just like your mother and the others, a greedy little devil. Impersonating the young master of Cangya City? You want to get treasures that don't belong to you, don't you? I heard that Mount Bugui gave you the map of the hiding place of the Five Corners. They may not have had any good intentions. This trick of using someone else to kill is too clumsy. It's hard to believe that you're willing to risk your life for them."
Nonsense, does she want to be the mistress? Xiao Man felt a growing tightness in her chest, unable to breathe, and saw stars jumping around in front of her. She was extremely uncomfortable and kicked, scratched, and clawed wildly, but it had no effect on her at all.
She's really going to die! This time, no one will come to save her!
"Give me the map. You're risking your life for No Return Mountain anyway, so you might as well die a quick death in my hands."
He rummaged around in her bosom for ages, but couldn't get anything out.
"Indecent assault! Ahhh!" Xiao Man kicked her legs wildly, in extreme pain.
Die Tianquan! Die Zexiu! Were all these so-called companions dead? Why didn't anyone come to save her? In the end, she died alone and miserably in this inexplicable place. Not getting the treasure wasn't really a big deal; it wasn't hers to begin with. Perhaps she came here out of spite. You lied to me, so I'll get my revenge. Will we be even or will we owe each other more? Her mind was muddled; she couldn't figure it out.
The glittering treasure eventually turned into a pair of peach blossom eyes. On a sunny afternoon, enveloped in a cool fragrance, her eyelashes were so thick and long that they concealed all her charm and allure. Suddenly, they lifted, breathtaking and stunning.
He said, "Why did you stop drawing? I'm watching."
Should she look at the person or the painting? It was a question she never asked aloud, a question that was both sweet and bittersweet.
Xiao Man grabbed Yelü Wenjue's hand and said with difficulty, "You...you can't kill me, otherwise...I...I won't help you embroider that...round fan."
As soon as he finished speaking, he loosened her collar, and Xiaoman fell heavily to the ground, gasping for breath as if she had just survived. Snot and tears streamed down her face, and she coughed so hard she almost died.
Yelü Wenjue squatted down in front of her, looking at her expressionlessly. After a long while, he said, "How could you... say such a thing?"
He was probably asking her why she didn't beg for mercy, but instead threatened him with a broken fan.
Xiao Man gasped for breath before saying in a hoarse voice, "You've kept that fan with you for so many years, and even after lending it to someone, you still tried your best to get it back... So, I have reason to believe that you still love my mother, and therefore you won't kill me."
He smiled and said softly, "Nonsense."
But he didn't grab her by the neck again, nor did he search her purse for a map. Xiaoman straightened her clothes; thankfully, she hadn't had time to put her purse and map in her pockets, and they were all in the bundle on her back, so he hadn't taken them yet.
"I'll embroider a better round fan for you." She said cautiously, her tone entirely consultative.
Yelü Wenjue paused for a moment, then whispered, "The person in the painting isn't her..."
“I know, I know what my mother looks like, I’ll embroider her.” She quickly gave her assurance.
Yelü Wenjue hesitated for a moment, then took out the round fan from his pocket and slowly handed it to Xiaoman. She took it—but he wouldn't let go, pulling hard—but he still wouldn't let go.
"It's not that I'm still hung up on her; it's just that she's passed away, and I'm leaving her here as a memento," he explained seriously.
Ugh, this was the first time she'd ever seen such a stubborn, prideful, and annoying man who tormented himself and others at the same time. He must have been enraged by her just now, and then mistook her for his mother and wanted to kill her with his own hands.
"I understand, I understand everything. You just want to keep it as a souvenir." Xiaoman snatched the fan from his hand and stuffed it into her bosom, afraid he would take it back. This fan was her life-saving treasure.
Yelü Wenjue nodded and asked, "How long does it take you to embroider a fan?"
Xiao Man hesitated, unsure whether he wanted it faster or slower, and finally said, "It will probably take three or four months to embroider it well... I didn't put my full effort into the round fan, but I'll definitely embroider the best one for you this one..."
Yelü Wenjue squinted and said, "Too long, I can't wait."
"I can rush the work..."
Before Xiaoman could finish speaking, she felt him slap her in the chest. She was stunned, and suddenly it felt like her chest was about to split open. She felt a sweet taste in her throat, and then she vomited a mouthful of blood. Her vision went black, and she felt extremely uncomfortable.
Yelü Wenjue withdrew his palm and said, "You child are too cunning. You can't believe everything you say. I'll give you two months. First, embroider the round fan. Second, find the Five Corners buried in Mount Taibai. If you can complete them, I will naturally save you after two months. Otherwise, if you are hit by my palm, your internal organs will be shattered and you will die."
"That person is so vicious!" Xiao Man wiped the blood from her mouth with a dazed expression, without saying a word.
Yelü Wenjue continued, “Whether you are doing this willingly or forced, until the real young master appears, you are the young master of Cangya City. The entire martial arts world is watching you. You can hide at the ends of the earth and still be hunted down. You might as well come with me and take me to the Five Corners. If I am happy, I will not kill you, and your life will be spared.”
He picked Xiaoman up and strode forward. Xiaoman's chest hurt terribly, and after taking two steps she fell to the ground, unable to move. He dragged her along the ground for a while, and she felt as if her skin was splitting open.
She was likely to die if he didn't kill her with a single blow, or if she was dragged along like this. Xiaoman felt that she really couldn't escape this time. This man looked normal, but he was actually a more perverted guy than Yelü Jing. She would have preferred to be strangled to death by him; at least that would have been a quicker and more painless death.
A wind rose in the forest, fluttering their robes. A bright moon suddenly appeared, illuminating the surrounding snow-covered landscape. Fallen leaves danced wildly, and the wind howled like ghosts in the poplar grove. Yelü Wenjue felt a sense of foreboding and sighed, "Such a chilling atmosphere! If the Five Corners were to emerge, who knows how much bloodshed it would unleash!"
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp gust of wind whistled past his ear. He threw Xiaoman aside and swerved to the side. An iron arrow grazed his ear and swiftly embedded itself in the poplar tree in front of him, resounding loudly. Yelü Wenjue turned around quickly and saw that a hundred paces away, Tianquan had already drawn his Divine Martial Bow, nocked three arrows, and aimed them at him.
That pose, that stance, that wind, that night, those withered leaves… it was undeniably cool and stylish. Xiao Man lay helplessly on the ground, struggling like a dead dog, so pathetic she just wanted to yell: Stop posing now! Just snatch her away first!