Ich freue mich auf die Frühlingsbrise

Kapitel 34

She stood behind Zhang Weiyi, watching him turn his head. The pale golden sunset shone on his face, and his eyelashes seemed to be adorned with a lingering glow, giving him a touch of gentleness. Her tone softened unconsciously: "Look, the sunset over there is so beautiful."

Zhang Weiyi said indifferently, "The sunset is a common sight day after day, what's so special about it?"

Yin Han said angrily, "If it were Xu Lianning by your side, it would be quite special, wouldn't it?"

Zhang Weiyi smiled and started to walk away: "Miss Yin, even Sect Leader Liu hasn't asked about this, why do you keep bringing it up?"

Yin Han blushed. Seeing him leave the inn, she hesitated for a moment, then followed him reluctantly. She watched as he walked along the long street for a while before turning into a quiet alley. She couldn't help but ask, "Where are you going at this hour?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Weiyi quickened his pace, only to hear the person behind him following closely behind. He turned a corner along the alley and then headed along the street, but Yin Han followed silently behind as well. He found it amusing; he had circled from the east of the city to the west, yet the person behind him remained calm and continued to chase after him.

Just as Yin Han was about to lose her composure, Zhang Weiyi suddenly stopped. Yin Han, caught off guard, nearly bumped into her. Zhang Weiyi squinted at the brothel for a moment, then stepped inside. Yin Han's face changed when she saw the two women outside the brothel, covering their mouths with their hands and laughing, and then looked at the plaque above the entrance that read "Spring Breeze Pavilion": "Zhang Weiyi, stop right there!"

Zhang Weiyi turned around at the entrance of Chunfeng Pavilion and smiled gently, "Miss Yin, is there anything else you would like to say?"

Yin Han's face turned pale with anger, and her voice became somewhat shrill: "You are truly despicable, coming to this brothel to find those improper women!"

He raised an eyebrow slightly: "Why is no one visiting the brothels at Longteng Post Station?"

Yin Han watched him turn and step inside. Ignoring everything else, she was about to enter when she was stopped. She was so anxious she was jumping up and down, but there was nothing she could do.

Chapter Forty-Three

Zhang Weiyi stood by the window, watching the street outside gradually quiet down. The dim yellow lights shining from the houses near and far gave off a warm feeling.

"Young master, it's getting late, shouldn't you rest now?" The woman behind him spoke gently, with a hint of shyness, which was very charming.

Zhang Weiyi turned around and smiled faintly: "Alright."

He slightly raised his hand, and the woman stepped forward to undress him. He looked down at her, then suddenly reached out and pressed her pressure point to put her to sleep, placing her beside the bed.

There were several knocks at the door, and then someone pushed it open and came in. The man was quite tall, carrying a long sword on his back, and had a handsome appearance; it was Mo Yunzhi.

Zhang Weiyi turned and sat down at the table, saying calmly, "Is Liu Junru still worried about me and has sent someone to keep an eye on me?"

Mo Yunzhi walked to the table but did not sit down: "Liu Junru is cautious by nature, and I'm afraid she won't completely trust others."

Zhang Weiyi raised his hand and tapped lightly on the table: "Although we have found out the truth now, I have also lost my right arm. We will have to settle this score properly later."

"Please forgive my bluntness, but Your Highness's price is far too high."

“I originally thought I could handle it, but things still went wrong. I had no choice that day. Rather than being forced into a corner, I had to cut my losses like the ancients said, which led to the situation we have today.” Zhang Weiyi paused, then said calmly, “Miss Xu and the others have gone to Suizhou. Is that news true?”

Mo Yunzhi said, "That's true, but we don't know what they're going to do."

Zhang Weiyi raised her hand to pour a glass of wine, but only held the glass and slowly lowered her eyes: "They're probably going to ask my master to take charge of the overall situation. I don't know if they can get to Wudang smoothly."

Mo Yunzhi remained standing when an old saying suddenly came to mind: "Extreme wisdom is bound to bring misfortune." Zhang Weiyi suddenly looked grave, stood up, and said, "Given Lianning's personality, why would she get involved in this mess because of the Tang Clan? Unless she knows something else... Brother Mo, you should still send someone to keep an eye on them, especially after they arrive in Suizhou."

Xu Lianning pushed open the wooden door of her residence in Suizhou and slowly walked to the poplar tree. Half of the poplar leaves were yellow, rustling in the wind.

She reached under the armrest of the recliner under the tree, took down the letter wrapped in oil paper, and walked straight to Shang Mingjian: "Master Shang, you should keep these letters."

Shang Mingjian took the oil paper package and said calmly, "Don't worry."

Xu Lianning smiled slightly and said, "With this, the burden on my shoulders can finally be lifted."

Shang Mingjian opened the letter, read a few lines, frowned, and remained silent.

Su Ling smiled and said, "With such an important item, you should hurry to Wudang to find Master Tianyan, lest things get complicated."

After leaving Suizhou City, the group headed south, passing through the eastern foothills of the Daba Mountains. The surroundings were so quiet that not even a bird could be heard. As they walked further, the terrain suddenly narrowed, marking the entrance to a mountain path.

Shang Mingjian stopped and said calmly, "I'm afraid we're still blocked by them." As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Lianning lightly landed on the mountain pass with one foot. Before she could even stand still, several cold arrows shot out from the side.

She leaped into the air, twisting her body mid-air, and drew her sword to deflect the iron arrows. The arrows returned too quickly; some bows were struck in vital points before they could react, dying instantly. She spotted a foothold on a cliff face and swung over. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind approached, and she dodged it by clinging to the rock wall, saying calmly, "Yin Han, Lingxuan Palace has treated you well. Today, I will cleanse the palace for my master."

Yin Han landed at the bottom of the mountain path and sneered, "That depends on whether you have the ability."

Xu Lianning, her robes billowing in the wind, descended from the stone wall, her sword clashing with the Emei dagger in her opponent's hand. Yin Han, caught off guard by Xu Lianning's immediate, mutually destructive fighting style, staggered. Xu Lianning, her brow stained crimson with vermilion, slid her short sword upwards, unleashing a burst of sword energy, but her own aura suddenly became chaotic. She quickly focused on suppressing her somewhat out-of-control internal energy. With this pause, Yin Han retreated behind Liu Junru.

Xu Lianning took a moment to adjust his breathing, feeling no further problems. He slowly raised his sword to face Zhang Weiyi.

Zhang Weiyi frowned slightly, and before he could draw his sword, a flash of red light appeared before his eyes, and the sword came hurtling towards him with the force of the wind. He aimed at the direction of the falling sword and dodged to the left. The opponent's short sword grazed his right arm, drawing a string of blood beads. Xu Lianning, surprisingly, smiled calmly and clearly: "That's enough. I'm not playing with you anymore."

Zhang Weiyi's heart skipped a beat. He looked at her eyes, which were slightly curved at the corners, and her gentle smile. The cinnabar mark between her eyebrows was exquisite. When she turned around, her black hair fluttered slightly, revealing a section of her fair neck above her collar. He couldn't help but recall their most intimate moments, and even his body felt a little hot.

He watched her return to Su Ling's group in a moment. Shang Mingjian seemed to say something to her, and she raised her head and smiled faintly, looking completely innocent.

Zhang Weiyi unconsciously squinted, gripping the sword hilt with his left hand and applying slight pressure.

Liu Junru waved his hand: "Archers, stay behind. Don't break formation. The rest of you, go up and surround them. We can't let a single one escape today."

Zhang Weiyi walked last, his mind in turmoil. He had never been one to be sentimental, and though he had felt reluctant along the way, he had not hesitated for a moment when he took action.

He realized he was really in deep trouble this time.

He raised his eyes and watched as Shang Mingjian and the others slowly retreated into the forests of the eastern foothills of the Daba Mountains. His mind raced, recalling how, during his years in Wudang, he had heard many elderly people recount stories of people who had wandered into Shennongping in these mountains, only to be trapped and die there, their remains never recovered.

Zhang Weiyi flicked his sleeve and strode forward. Suddenly, a white mist appeared before his eyes, and he could no longer see anything clearly.

Liu Junru asked anxiously, "What's going on?"

Lin Zihan pushed the local who had led the way forward. The local looked at the gleaming weapons around him and said in a trembling voice, "Beyond here is Shennongping. There are too many forks in the road, and there are many wild beasts and poisonous creatures. Now that fog has rolled in, even the locals who are familiar with this place can only go in and not out."

Liu Junru pondered and said, "It would be best if we could win without bloodshed. But Shang Mingjian was a renowned expert, and it's a real pity that his remains are buried in this desolate wilderness."

Yin Han turned her head to look at Zhang Weiyi, only to see his expression extremely calm. Suddenly, his long eyebrows furrowed, and as if he had made a decision, he strode quickly into the depths of the thick fog. Before she could stop him, she saw a surge of white fog roll in, completely engulfing his figure.

Shang Mingjian sheathed his sword with a backhand motion, looked ahead calmly, and said, "The fog is thick and the road is slippery here. It's best to support each other and not get separated."

Su Ling chuckled softly, "Although it's said that coming here on a foggy day is a one-way trip, we've stumbled in here before, so don't worry." Xu Lianning felt her reach out and took her hand, saying, "I'm very relieved." Su Ling held her left hand, but the palm of her right hand felt rough, like a thin callus.

Xu Lianning gently called out, "Shuoyan?"

Chongxuan responded from the thick white fog, seemingly quite far away.

Xu Lianning pondered that Qingyin's hand couldn't possibly be that big, so the person she was holding could only be someone else. He guessed Shang Mingjian was also quite uncomfortable, only barely touching his fingertips and occasionally letting go. Xu Lianning felt a pang of sympathy, thinking of how he had killed the man's wife and entire family; all he had done along the way was give them a few words of reprimand, nothing more.

They walked slowly along the thick vines, white mist occasionally surging in and obscuring the figures ahead. Shang Mingjian led the way, and after walking for about the time it takes to brew two cups of tea, he suddenly stopped. Xu Lianning, whose vision was obscured by the mist, didn't realize he had stopped and bumped into him, clutching her face as her eyes stung. Shang Mingjian turned his head slightly and suddenly smiled: "We'll be there in a little while."

Xu Lianning noticed that every time he passed a tree, he would make a small, even mark on the trunk with his sword sheath, each mark having roughly the same force and varying depth—perfect as a marker. After taking a couple of steps, a drop of water suddenly fell from above, landing right next to her face. Xu Lianning immediately thought of birds flying in the sky, feeling both disgusted and annoyed. Then another drop of water fell. Su Ling couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh dear, we need to find shelter from the rain quickly!"

Shang Mingjian gave a faint reply, but his pace didn't quicken. The raindrops grew larger, quickly soaking his clothes. Xu Lianning remembered something and hurriedly said, "Those letters..."

Shang Mingjian replied from the front, "It's alright."

Just as his clothes were soaked through, the white mist gradually dissipated, revealing a lush green landscape ahead. Although it was late autumn, it looked as vibrant as spring or summer. Shang Mingjian walked to the side of the mountain wall, used his sword to clear away the thorns and weeds, and stood at the cave entrance behind it: "Let's stand outside for a while and clear our heads."

Chongxuan supported Qingyin, frowning slightly: "What's wrong with you these past few days? You've been listless all the time." Qingyin rubbed her eyes and sat down on the stone: "Qingyin doesn't know either, I just feel sleepy." Su Ling's expression changed slightly, looking like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Shang Mingjian stood at the cave entrance for a while, then bent down and walked inside. The cave was quite deep, with a hidden world inside, connected to a cliff face. He brought back a handful of dry grass and branches, and laid them together: "The dry grass can be laid on the ground, and the branches can be burned to dry our clothes. Who knows how long this rain will last."

Qingyin struggled to crawl over, grabbing the spot closest to the firewood, her eyes sparkling: "Young Master, come here quickly, this is our first time spending the night outdoors."

Shang Mingjian's hand trembled, and he shook his head, thinking that this was the first time in his life he had seen someone so happy even when they were down on their luck and sleeping in the wilderness. Compared to him, he really was getting old.

Zhang Weiyi raised her sleeve to shield her face from the fine rain that was blowing in with the wind. The wound on her right arm was wet and throbbed slightly. Although the fog in front of her had dissipated, the sky was still gloomy and the wind and rain were raging, making every step difficult.

He suddenly stumbled, his footing faltering as he landed. Looking down, he saw his foot sink into the ground, his body continuing to sank. Zhang Weiyi steadied himself and saw a dark blue-green swamp floating beside him, water droplets rising from the mud. He turned to look at the vines about five or six zhang away, flicked his sleeve, and then pulled them around his hands, swinging back down to solid ground.

Zhang Weiyi shook her head and muttered to herself, "She really brought this on herself..."

His clothes were completely soaked, clinging to his body and feeling unexpectedly heavy. It was late autumn, early winter, and being soaked by the rain and then blown in his face by the wind would be unbearable even for the strongest person. Zhang Weiyi carefully stepped along the tree trunk, touching it with each step. The moisture blew into his eyes, blurring his vision for a moment. He closed his eyes and opened them again, the dizziness still lingering, even giving him a feeling of stuffiness and nausea.

He leaned against the tree trunk, catching his breath for a moment, then raised his hand to press his right arm and gritted his teeth as he walked forward.

By the firelight, Xu Lianning reached out and parted Qingyin's eyelids, examined her, and then took her pulse, staring blankly into space. Su Ling squatted down beside her, tilting her head as she pondered, "Lianning, do you think it could be the Gu poison from Miao territory?"

Xu Lianning said, "I don't know, why do you think that way?"

Su Ling smiled slightly and said, "Perhaps I'm overthinking it."

Shang Mingjian poked the fire with a tree branch, his face expressionless: "You two should go to sleep early too. I'm enough to keep watch by myself."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a loud bang came from outside. Su Ling, who was closest to the cave entrance, stood up and walked over. She turned around, her tone serious: "Lian Ning, come here."

Chapter Forty-Four

Xu Lianning walked past Su Ling, looking at the disheveled man lying in the rain, unsure whether to go forward or retreat. Su Ling said casually, "I never thought Zhang Weiyi was a good person; he only knows how to use others. If you don't want to get involved with him, that's fine too."

Xu Lianning remained silent and bent down to look. She saw that he had already fainted, his lips were pale, his jet-black hair clung to his cheeks, and his clothes were soaked with mud and water. Although he was disheveled, he still exuded an air of nobility. She sighed and said, "Sister Ling, why don't you finish him off with a sword? I don't even hate him."

Su Ling did not smile; her expression was somewhat cold.

Shang Mingjian stepped out, paused slightly at the scene before him, and stood beside Xu Lianning: "Brother Zhang has probably been poisoned by the poison of the horse maize tree." Xu Lianning knew that the poison of the horse maize tree was not fatal; it would only cause dizziness in mild cases and temporary unconsciousness in severe cases. Shang Mingjian bent down, hoisted the man onto his shoulder, and said gently, "It's raining heavily outside, let's come inside and talk about everything."

Xu Lianning waited for him to place the man by the fire, then said calmly, "Master Shang, let me take the night watch. I can also keep an eye on Young Master Zhang."

Shang Mingjian nodded slightly, walked to the other end of the cave, leaned against the stone wall, and closed his eyes to rest.

Su Ling squatted to the side watching, and suddenly spoke up: "The Drunken River of Oblivion is in the valley. Every spring and summer, the valley is covered with fiery red wood swirl flowers. Wood swirl is the main ingredient for making flower wine. Drinking flower wine can make people forget their worries. This is a rare delicacy that many people seek but cannot obtain."

Xu Lianning knelt on the ground and turned to look at her: "How could there possibly be something that can make people forget their worries by drinking it?"

Su Ling smiled slightly and said, "It's not about forgetting worries, but about completely forgetting." She paused, then continued, "Wouldn't it be better if Young Master Zhang forgot everything else and only remembered you, treating you with all his heart?"

Xu Lianning reached out and unfastened his outer robe, placing one hand on his chest. Her fingers were slender and pale, but her smile was quite radiant: "If we just cut this open, wouldn't we be able to see his heart clearly?"

Su Ling was startled and fell to the ground, only to see the other person suddenly burst out laughing, their expression lively: "Sister Ling, I was just joking." Su Ling pounced on her and pinched her cheek: "That joke wasn't funny at all! What was that expression you were making just now?!"

Xu Lianning laughed and dodged the question: "Weren't you just teasing me at first? You talked about Flower Intoxication, but if it were really effective, you would have used it yourself long ago."

Su Ling propped her chin up with her hand, her tone half-serious and half-joking: "Quickly take off his clothes and dry them in the sun, so he doesn't catch a cold." She thought for a moment and then added: "I'll also stay to the side and I definitely won't look at you. Do whatever you want, don't be shy."

Xu Lianning didn't understand at first, but when she finally figured it out, she was so choked up that she couldn't speak.

Shang Mingjian remained calm, but a strange thought crossed his mind: was he really getting old? He had no idea that the world had become like this.

Xu Lianning glanced at Su Ling and, sure enough, saw her asleep on the pile of dry grass. She reached out and unbuttoned Zhang Weiyi's clothes, pulling them out from under him. With a soft thud, something fell to the ground. She looked closely and saw it was half a pale red jade flute. She picked up the flute, placed it beside her, wrung out his outer robe, propped it up with a twig, and brought it closer to the fire to dry.

Zhang Weiyi shifted slightly, his long eyebrows furrowing as he clutched his right arm, looking pained. Xu Lianning knelt beside him, reaching out to pry open his left hand, but the other's grip was too tight, so she had to pry it open finger by finger. His eyelashes trembled slightly, he opened his eyes a little, and then released his grip.

Xu Lianning looked down at the wound on his right arm. The wound had turned white from being soaked in rainwater, and she guessed that he hadn't bandaged it properly, and that he had come into contact with the poisonous horse marigold on his way here. The poison from the horse marigold had entered through the wound. She took out a medicine bottle from her pocket, poured out a pill, and brought it to his lips.

Zhang Weiyi didn't open his mouth, remaining silent with his lips pursed. Xu Lianning waited for a while, but there was still no movement. Growing anxious and angry, she frowned and forcefully shoved the pill into his mouth. He choked and coughed, slightly sitting up, his expression vaguely annoyed. He stared intently, but Xu Lianning's face was somewhat blurry, and he couldn't discern her expression.

But she spoke with utmost composure: "Take off your clothes, just leave your undergarments on."

Zhang Weiyi's expression was complicated: "What?"

Xu Lianning paused for a moment, her tone a little harsh: "What are you thinking? You're soaking wet, aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"

He grunted in response, raising his hand to unbutton his undergarment. His right hand was completely useless, so he could only move slowly with his left. Xu Lianning reached out and tore off half of the garment, pressing it against the wound on his right arm, wrapping it loosely but not too tightly. She glanced up and saw that his forehead was covered in fine beads of cold sweat: "What happened to you?"

Zhang Weiyi forced a smile, her voice hoarse: "It's nothing, just a slight throbbing in my right arm."

She understood; the other person's right arm had been reattached. Forget full recovery, he couldn't even lift anything heavy, and it would throb with pain on rainy days. She lowered her eyes and said calmly, "You sacrificed an arm to gain Liu Junru's trust; that's fine too."