Lan Yin Bi Yue

Chapter 15

Lan Qi raised her hand, her jade fan half-concealing her face, and looked at Yuwen Luo with her bewitching green eyes, saying in a seductive voice, "Brother Yuwen, would you like me to help you apply the medicine?"

*Snap!* This time, Yuwen Luo blushed and quickly lowered his head, saying, "No need, no need."

"Hehe..." Lan Qi chuckled, her emerald eyes gleaming brightly behind her jade fan.

"Brother, let me apply the medicine for you." Ning Lang pulled open Yuwen Luo's clothes and applied the medicine to the wound.

Over there, Ming Er slowly approached Yuwen Feng, squatted down in front of him, and said gently, "Brother Yuwen, you have lost a lot of blood. If you don't apply medicine soon, I'm afraid your injury will worsen."

"No……"

Just as Yuwen Feng was about to speak, Ming raised his hand and pressed it onto his shoulder, rendering him unable to move an inch. He opened his mouth, but felt a tightness in his throat, and could not utter a sound.

Young Master Ming smiled gently and said, "Brother Yuwen, it would be better not to be reckless. Although people of the martial world are not afraid of bloodshed or pain, our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents and should be cherished."

That smile, that tone, seemed like a gentle spring breeze to others, but to Yuwen Feng it was utterly repulsive. He couldn't resist or refute it, and could only let it do as it pleased. He had nowhere to vent his anger, but Lan Qi wouldn't let him off the hook, adding fuel to the fire.

"How can Young Master Yuwen be more pretentious than that young lady? You need to be coaxed and begged to apply medicine." Lan Qi walked up to Yuwen Feng, waving her jade fan, bent down slightly, and looked down at him. "Do you know how many people in the martial world envy you for being served by the 'Immortal' Second Young Master Ming?"

Yuwen Feng suddenly looked up, his gaze sharper than a knife.

"Alas, it's all thanks to Young Master Ming's kind heart. Look at these bloody wounds, there are so many, it's truly horrible." Lan Qi shook her head as she spoke, her blue eyes revealing undisguised regret, pity, and contempt. "Alas, these followers are truly ruthless, daring to use knives and swords on the eldest son of the Yuwen family, daring to injure him so badly, they are truly despicable."

Yuwen Feng stared intently at Lan Qi, a sweet taste rising in his throat, and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

"Ah?" Lan Qi pretended to be shocked and advised, "Young Master, although the sect leader is despicable, don't get too angry. It's not worth hurting yourself. Next time you run into him, I'll stand up for you."

"Pfft!" Yuwen Feng spat out a mouthful of blood, glared resentfully at Lan Qi, then his vision went black and he fainted on the ground.

"Brother Yuwen!" Ming Er, who was applying the medicine to him, was startled and quickly helped Yuwen Feng up from the ground, placing his hand on his pulse.

"Big brother!"

"Brother Yuwen!"

Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang also rushed over.

"Don't panic, he's just temporarily unconscious," Ming Er comforted him, helping Yuwen Feng lean against a tree.

"Alas, the young master is too weak, and he has lost so much blood." Lan Qi sighed sympathetically.

"Seventh Young Master!" Yuwen Luo suddenly called out.

"Hmm?" Lan Qi turned her head, her green eyes glancing at him sideways with a half-smile.

That one glance sent a chill down Yuwen Luo's spine, and he suddenly found himself speechless. He had clearly heard Lan Qi's words, every sentence of which was sarcastic towards his brother. He felt uncomfortable listening to them, especially since they had even angered his brother to the point of vomiting blood and fainting. Even the best temper couldn't hold back anymore, but the spark of anger in his heart turned to ashes when it met Lan Qi's gaze.

That one look was so cold!

“My elder brother is proud and arrogant, and has offended Seventh Young Master many times. I hope that Seventh Young Master will forgive him for my sake,” Yuwen Luo said to Lan Qi earnestly.

"Oh?" Lan Qi tilted her head, her emerald eyes looking at Yuwen Luo, deep and unfathomable, as if trying to suck away one's soul. "Who is Yuwen Luo that I would look at him differently?"

"Yuwen Luo really wants to be Seventh Young Master's friend." Yuwen Luo met Lan Qi's gaze without flinching.

"Oh?" Lan Qi's lips curled slightly, and he waved his jade fan, saying, "If I had to kill either you or Yuwen Feng, would you rather I kill you or your elder brother?"

"Huh?" Yuwen Luo's eyes widened.

"Hehe...just kidding." Lan Qiyu covered her mouth with her fan and chuckled, then turned and walked away.

VII. The Pleasure of Breaking a Hairpin (Part 1)

"The medicine is ready." After applying the medicine, Ming Er saw Yuwen Feng's eyelids twitch, knowing he was about to wake up. He raised his hand and pressed his sleeping acupoint, "Let him take a nap and rest."

"Thank you, Second Young Master." Yuwen Luo rolled up his sleeves and wiped the blood from his brother's face.

"I applied the Ming family's Golden Wound Medicine to him, but its effects may not be as good as Zifu Powder." Ming Er also sat down under the tree. "I hope he won't blame me for meddling when he wakes up."

“How could that be? Big Brother isn’t ungrateful,” Yuwen Luo quickly said, sitting down beside him.

Ming Er glanced at him and smiled, saying, "I deliberately gave him Ming family medicine so that he would suffer for a few more days."

"Huh?" Yuwen Luo was stunned.

“Hehe…” Ming Er chuckled softly.

"Hehe..." Yuwen Luo laughed, "So the Second Young Master is joking too."

"If you and your elder brother could only be kept, what would you choose?" Leng Buming asked.

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Luo looked up at him. His handsome and refined face showed only a calm smile, without any other expression. He lowered his head and after a long while, he said softly, "Let my elder brother stay."

"Oh." Ming Er's face remained calm, without praise or sarcasm.

"My elder brother is the hope of the Yuwen family. If he dies, many, many people will be heartbroken." Yuwen Luo said softly, his gaze fixed on the grass at his feet. "If I die, not many people will be heartbroken."

Ming Er looked at the boy beside him with his head down. His expression was not visible in the shade of the tree, but he could feel the sadness and loneliness in him.

"You should be the hope of the Yuwen family."

"Huh?" Yuwen Luo suddenly looked up, staring at Ming Er in astonishment. Had he misheard?

“Perhaps you are far less talented than your elder brother in martial arts, but…” Ming Er raised his hand and patted his head, “In my opinion, this place is far superior to your elder brother.”

"Me?" Yuwen Luo couldn't believe it.

“What kind of person is Lan Qishao? The difference between how he treats you and how he treats your elder brother is like heaven and earth.” Ming Er’s hazy eyes looked at Yuwen Luo from afar, making Yuwen Luo’s heart feel wet and soft. “With such wisdom and vision, your achievements in the future will surely surpass those of your elder brother.”

“Brother Ming…” Yuwen Luo’s eyes welled up with tears and his nose tingled.

Since he was born, no one has ever spoken to him like that, and no one has ever looked at him like that.

The Yuwen family was a large and prosperous clan with many outstanding descendants. His eldest brother, Yuwen Feng, was the future of the Yuwen family, entrusted to him by his parents, elders, and relatives. He, on the other hand, was just an insignificant and disappointing youngest son. He was not jealous of his elder brother, nor did he want to compete with others. Over the years, he smiled at the contemptuous, pitying, and disdainful gazes, contentedly being himself.

But at this moment, this almost unfamiliar Second Young Master Ming's short words evoked a feeling of grievance, heartache, and bitterness in him... At this moment, he felt a complex and inexplicable urge to cry.

It turns out that he still hoped someone would take him seriously.

"Heh... you're calling him 'Brother Ming' now?" Ming Er chuckled softly.

Yuwen Luo lowered his head in embarrassment.

“It’s alright,” Ming Er said gently. “The Ming family has many brothers and sisters, one more won’t make a difference.”

Lan Qi strolled along, waving her jade fan, and before she knew it, she had left the woods. Ahead was a slope with jagged rocks below. Looking further down, she saw clusters of trees stretching all the way to the foot of Mount Meng.

We haven't even climbed half of Mount Meng yet, and how far are we from the summit of Jianghu?

Squinting slightly, I looked up, only to see a dazzling white light. Raising my hand, I used a jade fan to cover a corner, and then I could see a clear blue sky.

Hearing soft footsteps behind him, he didn't turn around but asked, "Ning Lang, if only one of us could live in this world, what would you choose?"

There was a brief silence, then a soft but firm voice came from behind: "You live."

"Heh..." Lan Qi chuckled, withdrawing her hand. The sunlight was so bright it made her eyes glaze over. She squinted, her lips curving into a faint smile, and said, "So easy." It was so easy to say.

“I… Lan… Lan…”

Lan Qi turned around, her emerald eyes looking at the flustered Ning Lang, and asked, "You call me 'Lan Lan'?"

“No,” Ning Lang replied immediately, “I am…I am…” His eyes met those eerie blue eyes, and he was speechless. He had simply followed him when he saw him walking alone, wanting to call out to him, but not knowing what to call him.

Lan Canyin? That seems too unfamiliar.

Lan Qi? That's not really appropriate given their status.

A lingering echo? Wasn't that a bit too... intimate?

So they started, but then they didn't know how to continue.

Lan Qi blinked her emerald eyes and said, "There are too many people in the world with the surname 'Lan'. If there were another person with the surname 'Lan' or whose name contains the character 'Lan' here, and they thought you were calling him (her), I wouldn't be happy."

"Then what should I call you...?" Ning Lang looked at him expectantly.

“How about…” Lan Qi shook her jade fan, took two steps closer, and whispered in his ear with a hint of eeriness, “Why don’t you call me ‘Yinyin’? That would make our relationship as unmarried people seem more intimate.”

In an instant, Ning Lang's face turned bright red. He quickly stepped back, staring blankly at Lan Qi, and repeated, "Yinyin?" Calling a man "Yinyin"?

“Yes.” Lan Qi nodded. “I, this young master, grant you the honor of being called ‘Yinyin.’ This is a unique privilege in the world.”

Yinyin? Isn't that more intimate than calling him "Canyin"? Ning Lang's face burned.

"Say something," Lan Qi said, taking a step closer.

Ning Lang took a step back, looking at Lan Qi with embarrassment.

“Call me Ning Lang, we’re the closest ‘fiancés’ in the world.” Lan Qi took another step closer.

Ning Lang quickly took a step back, "That...that..."

Seeing Ning Lang's embarrassed and flustered appearance, Lan Qi couldn't help but laugh: "Haha... Ning Lang, having a fiancé like you is really too interesting. You'd better remember this, I'm still waiting for you to call me that." After saying that, he laughed and walked back, leaving Ning Lang standing there dumbfounded. It took him a long time to realize that he had been tricked by Lan Qi again.

After resting, the five resumed their journey. Yuwen Feng had many injuries; although none were broken, they were all torn and bleeding, making it difficult for him to walk. Ning Lang carried him, but Yuwen Feng refused to be a useless person, so the Second Young Master Ming readily applied pressure points to him. Yuwen Luo's injuries were lighter, so he walked on his own. Lan Qi would sometimes kindly lend a hand, but along the way, he did more often than not, making sarcastic remarks to the eldest young master Yuwen or teasing Ning Lang, turning both of them red-faced—one angry, the other ashamed—making the journey quite lively.

Due to their injuries, their journey was slow. They should have arrived in Qizhou by evening, but the five of them did not arrive until 7 p.m. Fortunately, there was a small town at the foot of the mountain. The five of them found an inn and asked for five rooms. They instructed the waiter to bring food and hot water to their respective rooms. After eating hot food and taking hot baths, they all went to bed and fell asleep.

Even the most skilled martial arts masters are still human, and humans get tired.

The next day, the five of them didn't rush on their way. Considering the injuries of the Yuwen brothers, they decided to rest for two or three days, since they had plenty of time. After having breakfast together, the Yuwen brothers, unable to walk, stayed at the inn to recover. Lan Qi said he wanted to explore the town and asked Ning Lang to come along. Ning Lang then asked Ming Er to come along as well.

The imperial empire was currently enjoying a period of peace and prosperity, so even this small town at the foot of the mountain was quite well-off. The town center was bustling with activity, with long streets lined with houses and shops, and the faces of the people, young and old, were filled with a sense of peace and contentment.

The three of them walked slowly along the street, looking at the crowds and shops, while the people on the street looked at them.

The two people walking side by side ahead were strikingly different. One, dressed in a simple blue robe, was as elegant and pure as a lotus; the other, in a deep purple gown, was as alluring and captivating as a bewitching flower. The one in blue seemed carefree and detached from worldly concerns, while the one in purple appeared lost and disoriented. Neither seemed to belong to this small town. Behind them followed a young man in blue. Though his appearance wasn't as striking as the two ahead, his brows possessed a clear and bright quality that others lacked, making him approachable. How could such a trio walking through this simple town not leave the honest townspeople speechless with astonishment?

After wandering around the town for a while, Lan Qi stopped in front of a restaurant. The restaurant was bustling with activity, indicating that it was doing very well.

"I'm a little hungry, let's have lunch here." He said, glancing back at the two of them.

Ming Er smiled and did not object. Ning Lang nodded repeatedly, so the three of them entered the restaurant. A clever waiter had already come to greet them. The hall was already full of customers, so the three of them went up to the second floor, chose a table by the window, ordered their dishes, and enjoyed the fragrant tea served by the waiter before casually glancing around.

As soon as he looked up, he met several burning gazes—a mixture of infatuation, admiration, resentment, and jealousy.

Compared to the bustling crowd downstairs, there were fewer people upstairs, with only four tables of guests, making it naturally quieter. At the table directly opposite sat four people: two men and two women. The men were handsome, and the women were charming. Both were young, dressed in fine clothes, and it was clear at a glance that they came from wealthy families. Their intense gazes were directed at them from that table.

Ming Er ignored the stares, Ning Lang lowered his head to drink tea, while Lan Qi curled his lips and glanced between Ning Lang and Ming Er. He then opened his jade fan and said, "Second Young Master, look, there are two very beautiful girls across from us."

When Ming Er was called out, he had no choice but to put down his teacup, look up at the person opposite him, and then nod and say, "Seventh Young Master is right. The two young ladies are as graceful as willows and as beautiful as peach blossoms, which is quite rare."

Upon hearing this, the two girls opposite blushed and lowered their heads shyly and happily, while the two men snorted coldly and glared fiercely at Lan Qi and Ming Er.

Ignoring the hostile gazes of the two men, Lan Qi waved her jade fan with an elegant air, "Second Young Master, as the saying goes, 'A fair maiden is sought after by a gentleman.' You and I are both still unmarried, but now we happen to meet these two beautiful young ladies. Isn't this a case of 'a thousand-mile marriage tied by a single thread'? Why don't we each take one home?"