Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out and supported her, and a deep male voice sounded above her: "Don't move! Otherwise, one of your arms will be longer than the other, and don't blame anyone."
Xiao Man grabbed him, heartbroken, tears welling in her eyes, and choked out, "My money..."
Before she could finish speaking, the man handed her a small purse, stuffed full. When she opened it, sure enough, two thousand taels of silver notes lay neatly inside, along with the two luminous pearls she had pried off the mirror—not a single coin was missing.
Xiao Man breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly cried out, "Where are my pearls? Where is my gold?"
The man snapped impatiently, "Shut up! You're about to die, what do you need gold for!"
Xiao Man was startled by his shout and realized that there was someone in front of her. She barely suppressed her grief and anger and looked him over. She saw that he had a full beard, messy hair, messy clothes, a tall stature, and fierce eyes. He looked like a fierce and evil man.
She said timidly, "Uncle... thank you for saving me..."
Zexiu's expression changed. "What did you call me?!"
Xiao Man hurriedly said, "Grand...Grandpa!" No, that's not right. Let's try again: "Uncle?" Still not right, "Master?"
Zexiu let out a long breath and said coldly, "Skip these formalities. You suddenly jumped out of the sand and bit the camel's leg, and it kicked your arm and broke it. You need to rest for two days. Money is just an external thing, don't worry about it, just rest well."
That's so arrogant, clearly the tone of a rich person. Money is just an external thing; why don't you show us what you've got? Xiao Man turned away sadly, covering her face and weeping.
Only then did she come to her senses. The sandstorm had passed, and they were now in a small oasis, opposite a pool of clear water and several tall poplar trees. She was covered by a cloak—her own clothes?! She was startled again; when had she been stripped down to only her undergarment?!
This movement aggravated her fractured right hand, causing her to break out in a cold sweat from the pain. It seemed her right hand had offended the heavens; it was always getting scrapes, fractures, and all sorts of bad luck. Xiaoman wiped away her tears of sorrow once more.
Zexiu sat down beside her, took out a flint and lit it, and said, "Your arm is broken, so I had to take off your clothes to set the bone. Don't get agitated. I'm asking you, how did you end up alone in the desert?"
Xiao Man swallowed hard, timidly looking him over. Instinctively, she knew that playing the victim was the best course of action in this situation, so she said in a trembling voice, "I... I was kidnapped by a group of bad people, and I don't know what they're going to do to me. I escaped secretly at night. Uncle, you are a kind person who saved me. I will never forget your kindness. In my next life, I will definitely be your servant to repay you."
She played a cunning trick and swore an oath for the next life. Since no one can say for sure what the next life will bring, it wouldn't matter if she were to serve him like a slave.
Zexiu frowned and said, "Don't call me 'uncle'!"
What should I call him? This guy looks to be in his thirties or forties, with a scruffy beard. Should I call him "handsome guy" instead of "uncle"?
He lit a fire and boiled a pot of water before saying, "My name is Zexiu, you can just call me by my name." He then turned around, his peach blossom eyes sparkling, exuding a captivating charm that left Xiaoman speechless.
Chapter Fifteen of the Horned Scroll: Ze Xiu (Part Three)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:08:56 Word Count: 3299
As expected, Xiaoman developed a fever in the middle of the night.
But when she had a fever, she was different from others; the higher the fever, the more energetic she became, and her eyes shone like lanterns—this was Zexiu's exact words. Although her eyes were bright, she didn't talk much, sitting quietly by the fire.
The desert night was very cold, and perhaps because of her fever, Xiaoman felt extremely cold, chilled to the bone. She stared at the blazing firelight with an almost greedy expression, a strange look that surprised everyone.
Zexiu handed her two dry biscuits: "Eat something and go to bed early. We have to set off again tomorrow."
Xiao Man took it, but didn't eat it. She said softly, "Uncle, where are you taking me?"
Zexiu was too lazy to remind her not to call him "uncle." He tore off a piece of flatbread and soaked it in water, then frowned. He clearly had no interest in such simple food. He forced a bite and couldn't eat anymore. He said, "Go back to Mount No Return. You escaped from there, didn't you?"
Xiao Man's wrist trembled, and the pancake fell to the ground. Her throat tightened, and she whispered, "You..." She wanted to ask how he knew, but then she thought that since this person could say such a thing, he must know everything, so there was no point in asking. Although she had a high fever and her head was throbbing, she hadn't gone mad.
"Are you from Mount No Return?"
Ze Xiu scoffed at her guess, "Don't ask so many questions. Since they have humiliated you, the young mistress of Cangya City, I will naturally seek justice for you."
Xiao Man's lips touched lightly, and after much deliberation, she finally whispered, "Uncle, I don't want to go back."
She didn't know who this man was, but judging from his extremely elegant and efficient manner, and his unwavering commitment to his word, he must be one of those chivalrous heroes that Master Qian had mentioned. If she could persuade him to take her far away and settle her somewhere else, that would be ideal.
Zexiu said, "You don't need to go up. Just wait down here."
Xiao Man had no choice but to use a conciliatory approach, pleading in a pitiful voice: "Uncle, please. I really don't want to go back... Please take me away from here, okay? You can leave me anywhere, just don't go back to No Return Mountain."
Who knew this guy wouldn't budge, raising an eyebrow and saying, "Oh, you stole so much of their jewelry, so you feel guilty?"
Xiao Man was caught off guard by his sudden attack on her weakness, and her face immediately turned green. How did he know that those jewels didn't belong to the mountain?
Zexiu seemed to have guessed her question and coldly laughed: "Those pearls and gems are not perfectly round. They are polished with countless facets. Only the extravagance of Mount Bugui would go to such lengths. You can't see them anywhere else."
Xiaoman felt both ashamed and surprised, and for a moment she couldn't think of a perfect topic to change the subject.
Zexiu added, "Besides, your identity is sensitive, and you can't protect yourself no matter where you go. In the end, Mount No Return is the only place you can go. At least they are under the banner of upholding justice, so they won't dare to do anything to you openly."
Xiao Man was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, not knowing what to do, so she had no choice but to tell the whole truth: "Uncle, I see that you are such a chivalrous and kind person, so I might as well tell you everything. I am not some young master of Cangya City. My home is in Wutong Town, and my name is Xiao Man..."
Before she could finish speaking, her vision blurred, her mind went blank, and she could no longer hold on, falling backward. Zexiu quickly caught her, asking in surprise, "What did you just say?"
Xiaoman felt as if a million bees were buzzing in her head, her vision blurred, and all sounds seemed to be getting further and further away from her. She murmured, "I... I'm called Xiaoman, I'm not... Your Highness." With that, she finally fainted.
Now she was in deep trouble. She couldn't hold back and blurted out the truth. This person would definitely send her back to the Mountain of No Return to be punished. Stealing, impersonating a young mistress—her crimes were truly serious. Her property, her handsome servants—all were meaningless. She was to be tied to a high wooden frame and set on fire. A gust of wind whistled, the flames leaped upwards, and she, all alone and helpless, leaned against the frame, screaming and shouting, while a crowd below clapped and laughed.
Xiaoman struggled with her nightmare for a long time before suddenly screaming and jumping up from the ground. It was already broad daylight, and her fractured right arm throbbed with intense pain. "Ahhh, was she not put on the crematorium to be burned? Is she still alive?" Still shaken, Xiaoman touched her hands, feet, and face. Thankfully, they were all still there, and the fever seemed to have subsided.
Steam rose from the sand, obscuring the distant scenery. Xiaoman pulled off the clothes covering her, only then realizing she was already dressed; the uncle must have helped her. He was such a kind man, even if he had a sharp tongue. Where was he?
A man was squatting by the pool, already dressed in all black, with a thick, long braid trailing down his back to the ground. Xiao Man, both obsequious and grateful, called out, "Uncle!"
This was the sweetest "Uncle" she had ever called him since she was born. The man slowly turned around, and the sunlight shone directly on his face, instantly freezing the fawning smile on Xiaoman's face.
This man had a pair of captivating, alluring eyes, seemingly brimming with deep affection, yet also as if they might subtly mock you at any moment. Such frivolous and seductive eyes on a man's face are terrifying; people would instinctively categorize him as a femme fatale. And indeed, he certainly had the looks to be considered a femme fatale—Xiao Man heard the sound of her jaw dislocating, and she instinctively reached out to steady it.
The young man stroked his smooth chin, stood up, and walked over, a smirk playing on his lips. "I told you, I'm not an old man." His smile carried a captivating yet flirtatious quality, utterly alluring. Xiao Man scrambled to her feet, completely flustered. Ahhhh, a man with such looks actually exists in this world! For some reason, she suddenly thought of Tian Quan. If Tian Quan possessed the refined, noble beauty of a young nobleman, this man was the epitome of a wanton and seductive figure! Like an actor, a male prostitute, or a beauty capable of bringing ruin to a country—that kind of person.
She suddenly realized she had been staring for too long and quickly looked away, her expression one of surprise and uncertainty. "M... Uncle?"
Zexiu walked over, haphazardly gathered up the blankets and cloaks and stuffed them into the baggage on the camel's back, and said, "My name is Zexiu, you can just call me by my name."
When Xiaoman saw him move, she noticed three long swords hanging from his waist. A thought suddenly flashed through her mind—how strange, why did she feel a little familiar with the three swords and the name Zexiu? Had she heard it somewhere before?
Those alluring eyes began to cast their spell on her again, narrowing like a cat's. But the owner of those eyes spoke with a hint of impatience and rudeness: "Stop daydreaming! Get on the camels! We need to get to No Return Mountain before dark."
Xiao Man said "Oh," then suddenly whispered, "You...you shouldn't look at people like that! It's so weird!"
Oblivious to her own embarrassment, her peach blossom eyes narrowed even more sharply. "Stop talking nonsense! Come here now!"
Xiaoman quickly shook her head: "No! I won't go to the Mountain of No Return!"
Zexiu frowned: "You have to go, whether you like it or not!"
"I said I'm not going! How can you be so unreasonable!" Xiaoman was furious. This person was trying to push her into a fire pit. She didn't care about being tactful anymore. It was already a favor that she didn't start cursing.
Zexiu flipped onto the camel's back and gave a soft shout. The camel charged towards her headless. Xiaoman screamed in fright and ran away, shouting, "I don't want to go! You transvestite! Male prostitute! Get away from me! I'm not going!"
Before she could finish speaking, she felt her vest being grabbed, and her legs were instantly lifted into the air, her buttocks slamming hard onto the camel's back, making her grimace in pain. Ze Xiu's sinister voice rang out above her: "What did you just say?"
This time, caught in a trap, she could no longer be defiant. She timidly turned to look at his handsome face, continuing to feign pitifulness, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "I didn't say anything... I mean, kind uncle, please don't take me to the Mountain of No Return. Didn't I tell you the truth yesterday..."
"What did you say yesterday?" She did speak when she fainted, but her voice was too soft for him to hear.
Xiao Man swallowed hard. Could it be that he didn't hear her?
"I...I mean, I secretly took their jewelry. If I go back, they'll definitely beat me and yell at me..."
It's better not to reveal this secret casually; she doesn't want to be put on a wooden rack and roasted like a chicken.
"You don't need to worry about that. Those jewels won't even register on Mount Bugui's radar." Ze Xiu suddenly sneered. "You were quite the insult just now, why don't you continue?"
Xiao Man looked at him with innocent and carefree eyes, a pure gaze that would move even an idiot. But the man she encountered was unyielding, an unyielding, indestructible, and stubborn person who showed absolutely no interest in her innocent face. He coldly retorted, "Pretending! Affected! You've disgraced Cangya City!"
Xiao Man tried her best to suppress the twitching of her facial expression, even attempting to find a crack to squeeze into his impenetrable defenses. "Uncle, you saved my life, how could I possibly curse you? You must have misheard. You've been so kind to me, helping me set my bones, and you even took care of me all night when I had a fever. I'll be grateful to you for the rest of my life, and in my next life I'll be your slave..."
"How did you learn such glib talk, young mistress of Cangya City? Didn't your master teach you how to be a young mistress or a lady? You look like a little hooligan, and your words are utterly tasteless."
Xiao Man took a breath, trying to tell herself: Calm down, stay calm, don't get angry. After all, he was insulting the young master of Cangya City, not her. The one who's embarrassed is the young master, not her…
"Why are you standing so close! Move forward! With a body like yours, how dare you seduce men?"
Xiao Man turned back and smiled gently at him, like a lily quietly blooming, pure, gentle, and innocent, her voice incredibly sweet: "With your looks as a male prostitute, do you really think any woman would come to seduce you?"
Chapter Sixteen of the Horned Scroll: Return to the Mountain of No Return (Part 1)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:08:57 Word Count: 3452
In the sixteen years since Xiaoman was born, she has never viciously cursed anyone. Avoiding conflict with anyone has always been her principle, because you never know when you might need someone's help; acting impulsively now could lead to regret later.
However, this principle could no longer be upheld after meeting Zexiu.
This person's words were so vicious and his attitude so arrogant that they were unprecedented. He was the kind of person who could make even a rock crack with anger.
The consequences of angering Xiaoman are tragic, because she herself doesn't know what vicious words she might utter. Sixteen years of pent-up anger, once it's about to explode, even a god would run away to avoid being verbally abused.
Ze Xiu chuckled twice, and even a fool could hear the chilling anger in his laughter. But Xiao Man pretended not to notice and continued to speak softly, "No wonder you grew a beard and dressed up as an old man. If you walked down the street with a face like that, wouldn't it be a disaster? Men would be unable to walk past your face, and women would faint. When you enter the city, everyone would gather around and shout: 'Come on, come on! Come see the transvestite male prostitute uncle!' How rare, how beautiful! There are actually people in the world who can look like this. We've really seen what a femme fatale looks like today!"
She knew he didn't like being called "uncle," yet he insisted on calling him that several times. Actually, he wasn't old at all; his beard obscured his face, so people called him "uncle." Once he shaved, revealing his true appearance, he looked to be around twenty years old, clearly a young man.
Zexiu stopped smiling this time, staring at her expressionlessly, the cold light in his peach blossom eyes sending chills down one's spine.
Xiao Man instinctively moved further forward, distancing herself from him. They were riding together again, but last time she and Tianquan were all lovey-dovey and ambiguous; this time, however, he was filled with murderous intent, cold and stiff, without a trace of ambiguity.
"What else do you have to say?" he asked coldly.
Xiao Man suddenly felt a little guilty, swallowed hard, and murmured, "No...nothing."
Ze Xiu said, "If it weren't for the fact that you are the young mistress of Cangya City, I would have already cut you down with my sword, you insolent woman."
What's with the arrogance?! Besides, he clearly provoked us first! He's not a real man!