Schatzkammer von Jianghu

Kapitel 102

"Mother handed over military power to Xiaoxue and promised that after this battle, she would gain power and Xiaoxue would get Mr." At this point, Shuxue turned her head slightly and smiled innocently. "Now that you've heard this, Leng Shuangcheng, you must know that Xiaoxue is me and Mr. is Qiu Ye Gongzi's father, Qiu Yinyuan."

Leng Shuangcheng shuddered and gripped Shi Yang tightly. Shu Xue carefully observed the changes in Leng Shuangcheng's expression, then chuckled and said, "Have you ever seen a mother like this? Because she gave birth to a daughter, she beat and scolded her constantly, feeding her a pill from a young age to turn her into a man, trying to control her into a Yin-Yang assassin who roams the night. What that daughter couldn't bear the most was hearing her mother's sarcastic remarks every year on her birthday: 'Today is also Young Master Qiuye's birthday. The young master is highly appreciated by the Song Emperor and has been promoted to heir apparent. His descendants will inherit the title of heir apparent forever. Not only that, the Emperor also appreciates him highly and has abolished the three kowtows and nine prostrations ceremony when he meets the Emperor. And you? My daughter, what can you do? You are nothing but a bastard child that I dare not show your face.'"

Shu Xue's voice was unhurried, like a gentle breeze blowing across the vast night, as if telling a story about someone and something unrelated to her: "Don't move, Leng Shuangcheng, here comes the important part... I secretly practiced my martial arts desperately, and my skills were long enough to escape my mother's control, but I pretended to be weak, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. Moreover, I didn't believe that a woman who had remained chaste for Qiu Yinyuan for twenty years would be willing to give him away to someone else. Power and men, my mother wanted both... Finally, the opportunity came. My mother gave me a poison that she thought was extremely potent, and hurriedly sent me to the Central Plains, hoping that this war would destroy me and remove the stumbling block to her entry into the inner circle."

"My mother will never know that decades of drug control have changed my body, and I will never be poisoned so easily again; my mother will never know that, in the end, I have used this group of 15,000 members of the Japanese Tantric sect as a bargaining chip for revenge!"

"Oh ho ho ho..." Shu Xue covered her mouth with her palace veil and laughed lightly. "I'll first pretend to be loyal to my mother, and have Wei Wuyi and Lin Qingluan stir up trouble in the Central Plains martial arts world. I'll deliberately leak the secrets of the merchant ships and deliberately imitate the young master's methods. I'll do this step by step to show her, so that she gradually believes me, thinking that I'm jealous of the young master's talent, that I'm a coward who obeys her and causes chaos in the Central Plains. When the time is right, she will feel free to send troops to fight a major war against the Central Plains, and I can achieve my goal and completely eliminate her power. As for the border war, that's a matter for the young master and General Yelü. I'm only responsible for taking down the young master and getting Yelü to agree to my mother's request sooner. I don't care about any of the other details..."

Finally, Shu Xue smiled gracefully, her clothes fluttering in the wind as if she were about to ride the wind away. "Burning the white stone, destroying the underground arena, driving wolves to kill people—I can more or less guess these plans. If I hadn't deliberately cooperated and let you do it, do you think you could have succeeded so easily?"

"You madman!" Leng Shuangcheng roared, his hair disheveled as he charged forward, his hand gleaming with a brilliant light that shot into the sky, exploding with a deafening boom in the night!

As Huang Yushuxue recounted her story like an innocent child, Leng Shuangcheng gripped Shi Yang tightly, assuming it was a provocation, a search for a fatal flaw. But by the end, his body trembled uncontrollably, his heart filled with the chill of winter, a vast expanse of white, icy coldness from head to toe!

Wu You's contorted face at the moment of his death, the stark white bones in the Wolf Valley Pit, the corpses floating in the Evil-Repelling Sea, the silver-clad warriors with their heads separated from their bodies, the figures rolling in the raging flames...

All the hellish scenes flashed before her eyes. She struggled to hold onto the tree trunk, her body swaying like a willow in a storm. The more she heard, the more her blood boiled, roaring like a dragon, screaming: Kill this madman! Kill this madman!

The sinking of the evil spirit, the tragic deaths of ten thousand people, the seven stars' hundred diseases, the collapse of Wolf Valley, the devastation of the Central Plains, the drying up of the earth... all of this was caused by the madwoman in front of us, and her purpose was nothing more than to satisfy her desire for revenge!

All living beings are like puppets, manipulated and entertained by others, or like dust, their lives treated like dirt.

Her father had taught her that the Tang Dynasty was full of chivalrous heroes and extraordinary individuals, and whenever the nation faced upheaval, there were always those who stepped forward to fight and shed blood. But her father had never warned her that the beings of Asura, blessed by Heaven but abandoning its virtues, clinging to killing, would fall into an endless cycle of reincarnation!

"Why are you blind, God? Why are you blind?" Leng Shuangcheng felt dizzy and his eyes turned bloodshot. He roared in his heart, "What kind of world is this? What kind of world is this? I have lived two lifetimes and fought bitterly. What have I protected in the end? What was the point of all this fighting?"

Leng Shuangcheng roared and leaped forward, wielding the Eclipse Sun and charging madly forward!

Huang Yushuxue successfully threw Leng Shuangcheng into a state of panic, but she could not have predicted that her sword energy would be as domineering as a tiger's roar and a dragon's cry, and the layer of silvery frost covering the sword would be particularly piercing!

The earth shook violently, the night wind howled, and countless houses were smashed open in the red glow of the sky. Tangled grasses danced in the air, completely obscuring the dim yellow sky.

"You madman!" Leng Shuangcheng's breathing became rapid, and the sword shadows swelled and expanded, with her frantic sword energy slashing from the sky to the ground. "Wu You is dead, the medicine man is dead, so many people are dead, more than 20,000 lives! Are you even human? You're a beast!"

Leng Shuangcheng's cold shout echoed in the wind, loud and painful. Shu Xue laughed repeatedly, dodging left and right through the gaps in the fierce sword energy. After watching Leng Shuangcheng chase her up a big tree, she suddenly turned around and smiled, her palace silk hand striking out with lightning speed!

The white palace veil flew out of her hand, slicing through the night with a hiss, straight as a javelin, piercing towards Leng Shuangcheng's chest.

Leng Shuangcheng quickly flipped on the horizontal branch, dodging the lightning and fire. But just as her toes touched the tree, Shu Xue, who was waiting for her to dodge, swiftly swung out the second palace veil, which wrapped around her ankle.

Everything happens in the blink of an eye; in a battle between masters, not a single move can be taken lightly.

Shuxue giggled, then used her strength to whip the ribbon around, causing Leng Shuangcheng to fall like a scallion. Leng Shuangcheng swung her sword and pounced, the blade flashing as it severed the supple ribbon, sending her flying like a kite towards Shuxue.

Two figures landed one after the other. Shu Xue fluttered lightly like a butterfly flitting among flowers, while Leng Shuangcheng had crimson eyes, disheveled long hair, and tattered clothes that fluttered wildly. Against the backdrop of her red sword light, she looked like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

"I must kill this beast, even if it means dying with her!" The faces of countless innocent victims flashed before her eyes, and her anger surged forth, her momentum rising!

Shu Xue gave a wicked smile, her pupils suddenly darkening and turning into a deep, eerie green.

Leng Shuangcheng's heart pounded as if in a drum, her blood seemed to explode, throbbing and pulsating. Her eyes caught sight of Shu Xue's ambiguous smile, and she suddenly realized with a start: night had fallen, and Shu Xue was beginning to use the Owl Clan's skills, indirectly forcing her to burn her entire body.

The time is of the essence.

Leng Shuangcheng gritted her teeth, and suddenly swung her longsword horizontally. The sword light cascaded like a waterfall, and a dazzling red light rose from her hand, piercing towards Shuxue's face like a dragon. Shuxue was shocked and clasped her hands together. The last bit of silk ribbon stretched straight out and transformed into a sharp sword that pierced back into Leng Shuangcheng's chest.

With a soft "plop," the palace gauze pierced Leng Shuangcheng's chest. Leng Shuangcheng flipped her right wrist and, taking advantage of the moment, channeled all her strength into a fierce, horizontal slash with her sword.

The red sword tip flashed with a cold light, as bright as the moon streaking across the night sky.

Shu Xue screamed repeatedly, beads of blood rolling down her face and seeping from the corners of her eyes: "Leng Shuangcheng! You bitch!" She covered her eyes with her hands, her shrill cries echoing across the surrounding area.

Leng Shuangcheng's face was contorted with rage. Taking advantage of her intense pain, he mustered all his strength and unleashed a powerful sword strike!

Sword energy surged like a bolt of lightning, clouds bloomed in profusion, and a canopy of red light formed a shower of pear blossoms and apricot blossoms, rushing straight toward the desolate jade comb in front.

The brilliance of shadow, a desperate strike.

Shuxue heard the wind and swayed her waist, drifting like a light cloud. However, she was blind and could not see it. Leng Shuangcheng's frost of cold poison grew brighter and brighter. When she struck a fatal blow, it carried an overwhelming and domineering aura!

Just as her body dodged the sword energy, she heard a continuous roar and suddenly felt waves of sharp pain in her chest and back, as if countless small stones and bricks were hitting her acupoints and rushing into her body!

So this was the true meaning of the terrifying sword strike: he calculated her retreat route, used fierce sword energy to cleave the earth, blast away sand and gravel, strike acupoints from a distance, and destroy everything!

Huang Yushu lay on her side on the ground, her disheveled hair stained with blood, forming dirty trickles that streamed down her face. She gasped for breath, her eyes filled with eerie red patches that trembled like blood-red butterflies fluttering their wings to gather nectar.

He was completely lifeless, like a white sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

Leng Shuangcheng coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and struggled to support her body with the power of the Sun-Eroding Technique: "You're still alive after being stabbed seven times, you really are a menace."

Shu Xue hissed as she spat out bloody foam, her lips barely moving: "Leng Shuangcheng, don't be smug. I know you're exhausted and bleeding profusely; you're almost dead."

"I won't die." Leng Shuangcheng smiled coldly, struggled to take out a "reassurance pill" and swallowed it, saying, "I still have unfulfilled wishes, and I don't want to die."

Shu Xue took a deep breath, her body limp and coiled into an arc. She seemed to remember something, and began to hum a song softly, the words indistinct and her voice unclear.

"The gentle spring rain...lazy and languid...the teacher doesn't come...I won't get out of bed...bare-footed...drifting in the stream...the setting sun reflecting off the wisteria..."

Leng Shuangcheng dragged Shi Yang, stumbling along as she moved towards her: "Huang Yu, I know you're not happy about losing... The reason you lost is because you were too greedy, wanting to become a man to increase your power, and I just happen to know your weakness."

Shu Xue forced a cold smile: "Stop talking nonsense! My killer move just now was 'Jade Maiden Throwing the Shuttle,' which I practiced for fourteen years! I calculated every angle of my sword and every change in my opponent's movements. I just didn't expect you, you madman, to use your body to block my attack and then take the opportunity to blind me!"

“Well said. Ultimately, it’s because you don’t understand me.” Leng Shuangcheng kept wiping away the blood and foam with one hand, coughing as he staggered forward. “The Owl Clan imitates the Lone Owl, training their entire bodies to be incredibly flexible, but they can’t master their only weakness—their eyes. You are a member of the Owl Clan. I come from the former Tang Dynasty and already know this secret. If you hadn’t been in a hurry to transform, to be honest, none of the subsequent changes would have happened, and I would have had a very hard time defeating you.”

Leng Shuangcheng moved to Shuxue's side, gripping the hilt of the Shiyang Sword tightly with both hands. His arms trembled, and the tip of the sword gleamed coldly, pointing directly at Shuxue's neck: "I won't explain any other secrets to you. Even if I have to go to hell, I want you to be a fool."

"The clear bamboo grove is bathed in moonlight, the cuckoo's cry is heartbreaking. The once lush green grass is now burned by war..."

A deep, melodious singing voice drifted through the clear night sky, its words clear and distinct.

The lifeless, desolate jade on the ground trembled, shaking like a leaf, and sobbed, "Father... Father... You really are here."

A graceful figure slowly emerged from the vast night, adorned with a tall crown and wide belt, her black sleeves fluttering in the breeze.

Leng Shuangcheng looked at the newcomer. His eyebrows were long and slender, reaching straight into his temples, and his lips were thin as purple silk, indifferent and ruthless. His eyes were dark and bright. He stood quietly under the swirling dust, the purple-red sky and the willow branches swaying in the wind merely serving as a backdrop for the immortal.

His ethereal and otherworldly demeanor shone with brilliance.

Leng Shuangcheng's throat tightened, and she uttered, "Qiuye..." Suddenly realizing something was wrong, she slung the Shiyang Shaking Rope behind her arm, forced herself to stand up straight, and then bowed gently, "Great Master."

"No matter what her fate is, I just want to take her back." Qiu Yinyuan stood quietly and said calmly, "I only found out what happened later. By the time I rushed over to stop her, it was too late, and I didn't do my best to dissuade her."

Leng Shuangcheng silently lowered her eyelids. She remained indifferent to anything she couldn't understand or comprehend.

Qiu Yinyuan bowed slightly to her and said in a calm voice, "Do you want to know why?"

"please."

"This is a very clichéd legend, please listen patiently." Qiu Yinyuan smiled slightly, never glancing at the figure curled up on the ground from beginning to end, and said calmly, "My father-in-law disliked me for being a wandering scholar and had been hindering my marriage with Ye Ying. After Ye Ying had a difficult childbirth, he could no longer bear his anger towards me and banished me from the Central Plains. He also made me swear, with Qiu Ye's future as a guarantee, that I would never enter the Central Plains again and never see Qiu Ye again."

“I drifted overseas with the tide and was rescued by Xiaoxue’s mother. She fell in love with me when she saw my face and made me take a pill to keep me under house arrest for eight years. During those eight years, I never forgot Qiuye. Due to excessive longing, I fell seriously ill and became despondent, and my mind fell into a coma. Madam Xiaoju was very worried and came up with a plan to send me to Xiaoxue’s side to raise her and replace my pain of losing my child with this maternal love.”

"Later, I blindly protected her, which caused her to develop strange feelings. By the time I found out, she had already left Japan and sent a confidant to deliver a letter to me: 'Father, I am willing to do anything to keep you by my side.' I guessed that she wanted to capture Qiuye and bring her back, so I set off for the Central Plains. Even two days ago, I did not know that her purpose was not so simple..."

“Great Master, forgive my impertinence, but since you come and go as you please, can I also deduce that you are a free man?” Leng Shuangcheng looked calmly at Qiu Yinyuan and suddenly interjected.

Qiu Yinyuan smiled gently again and said, "Yes, I have failed Ye Ying and am unable to establish myself in the Central Plains. I just want to avoid Qiu Ye and not let him see that I have such a weak father."

Why did the Grand Master of the Manor remain unmoved despite witnessing the final carnage?

"You wretch, what do you know?" Shu Xue had been silent for a long time, not wanting to interrupt Qiu Yinyuan's words, but she finally burst out after a moment of restraint. "Father has been kept in the dark all along. He always thought that I wanted to defeat the young master out of jealousy, and that I only wanted to get his and Mother's attention!" After a violent cough, she curled up and gave a bitter laugh. "Father always advised me to let things take their natural course and not to force anything, but I've heard it for fourteen years, and I'm tired of it. Besides, I can't be as detached as him and indifferent to everything."

“Even this folk song my father taught me has a subtle flavor.” Shu Xue smiled quietly, then sang softly, “Clear bamboo grove, bright moonlight, the cuckoo’s cry breaks the heart…”

Her robes fluttered like the wind, her feathered garments danced lightly in the breeze, and Qiu Yinyuan stood quietly, her dark eyes calm and undisturbed, like a serene and handsome celestial being from a painting.

Leng Shuangcheng looked at the face that resembled Qiu Yeyijian and smiled indifferently: "When I first heard Steward Wu mention the Grand Master, I had a sense of familiarity - the Grand Master wrote the two characters 'Wu Fang' (meaning 'without direction'), hoping that everything would follow nature, develop freely in peace and without action, which is very similar to the character of an old senior whom I had the honor of visiting... The saying 'the writing reflects the person' is indeed true."

Crimson smoke rose in the air, and the night wind swept by, carrying away Leng Shuangcheng's coughs. She stared into Qiu Yinyuan's dark eyes, raised her longsword, and the blade suddenly sliced through the air, plunging straight down towards Huang Yushuxue's neck like iron: "The human world is a purgatory, where killing is used to stop killing. If I can fall into the cycle of reincarnation as taught in Buddhism, I am willing to be the first to be reborn with my bones removed."

Qiu Yinyuan silently closed his eyes.

With a hiss, the sword tip pierced the snow-white neck, and blood flowed silently, staining the earth red.

Leng Shuangcheng was completely exhausted. She struggled to stand up, coughing incessantly. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth like a stream. She wiped it away with her tattered sleeve, glanced at Qiu Yinyuan's face one last time, and then turned and staggered into the night.

Before leaving, she coldly uttered two sentences: "Great Master, there are two Buddhist sayings that we ordinary mortals probably haven't yet fully comprehended—'Even if we make offerings to countless saints, it's better to steadfastly seek enlightenment...'"

The voice drifted away on the wind, disappearing without a trace. The dark blue figure, as if carrying a heavy load, slowly and laboriously merged into the sandstorm, bearing the burden without ever turning back to look.

Firelight bursts forth in the cold night, burning all night long, and then rain falls from the sky, cleansing the wounded earth.

For the next month, Gu Du Kai Xuan gathered the remaining martial arts practitioners to oversee the affairs of Qinglong Town and allow them to recuperate. Yuwen Xiaobai wandered the world and disappeared without a trace, Yin Guang returned to guard the Qingzhou headquarters to protect Qiu Ye Gongzi's safety, and the rest of the group remained in Qinglong to make proper arrangements.

The common people of the world were like duckweed adrift on the waves. There was once a period of chaotic fighting and killing. After the storm, the bright red clouds finally appeared.

Thus, the war in the Central Plains martial arts world has been completely quelled; thus, news of Leng Shuangcheng has been completely lost in the martial arts world; thus, the world has swept away the name Qiu Yinyuan, as if he had never existed.

11. Shortcomings

The flames of war and the smoke of battle have dissipated from the Central Plains, leaving behind a land scarred and devastated. However, after the rains and sunshine, summer flowers bloom in full glory once again. The Jiangnan region, with its flowing green waters, fragrant lotus blossoms, and white lotus flowers, remains a unique and beautiful landscape, teeming with life.

In the bustling world, a man and a wolf travel together.

On that smoky night, she staggered back to the wolf king, cuddled him, and hid in a house, where she drifted off to sleep. When she opened her eyes, she found the wolf king standing alone, majestically guarding the door for her.

Leng Shuangcheng swallowed a lot of pills, washed up, changed into the clothes he had hidden, and sat on the pit, pondering: what should I do next?

There is only one way for Shiraishi to return, but there is more than one place she wants to go.

The soft, yellow sunlight danced silently through the dilapidated windowpanes. She stared, lost in thought, at the reflection of the snow wolf's curly fur.

Since Qiu Ye was avoiding her, she must have some kind of plan. Considering the current situation, she vaguely guessed that it was related to the war in the northern border region.

Leng Shuangcheng stood up and looked at the detailed map spread out on the kang (a heated brick bed).

The fine lines meandered upwards and to the left like a gentle stream. Her fingers silently traced and followed them. The long-hidden yearning surged like a tide, engulfing her entire body. Her fingers then stopped on a shining name: Jing Xiang.

It is said that the area is surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, with the waters flowing around fertile fields. When the moon is bright and clear, the moonlight is quietly reflected in the jade-green Tanxi River, creating a scene of two worlds, like a fairyland. More importantly, it is the land where Li Tianxiao once lived, making it his second former residence.

But her body was so weak that she didn't have the strength to get there.

“If we can’t travel far, then we must go back to Red Maple Ferry.” Leng Shuangcheng sighed and murmured to the Wolf King, “We can’t go back to the headquarters. If Qiu Ye knew I was in this state, she would definitely worry…” She slowly squatted down, looking directly into the Wolf King’s eyes, “I’ve had a wish for a long time, to bring Wu You back to his hometown. Now he is… dead, and only the two of us are left… Does looking at me like this mean you agree? Then, let’s set off together…”

As she stepped outside, she saw traces of Nan Jingqi's actions in the village, and she responded accordingly; she knew her physical condition better than anyone, and since falling into a coma was inevitable, she would rather find a quiet place and fight with all her might to wake up...

However, she was also afraid that something might go wrong. There were many things that she couldn't control, especially after the catastrophe that had struck the Central Plains. She had witnessed the widespread suffering and the burning of corpses in the wildfires, as if the heavens had closed their eyes and turned all things into straw dogs, echoing the absurdity and greed of Huang Yushuxue. She felt not only deeply indignant about this, but also heartbroken.

All the disasters are caused by one person's obsessive love; even if the conflict is won, what is the point?

Finally, Leng Shuangcheng stroked the wolf king's silver hair and made a silent resolution: if he were to die, he would die at Red Maple Ferry. If he were to live, he would return to Qiu Ye Yijian's side.