The moon shines brightly over the empty mountains, and flowers fill the sky

Chapter 11

The wind blows, the clouds drift, and the sun shines on the earth once more.

The surrounding trees and grass bent over again, then stood upright once more.

Xuan Sheng's figure paused the moment he dropped the sword. His eyes were calm, and his shoulders seemed to support the sky and the earth, like a statue.

The sunlight fell, casting golden rays diagonally across his shoulders, arms, and long hair.

After a long while, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped forward to draw his sword.

Suddenly, the sound of wind breaking through the air whistled behind me.

Before Xuan Sheng could turn around, he heard a clear, clanging sound as something knocked away an arrow aimed at him.

He looked up in surprise and saw the assassin, who had just taken a knife blow head-on, clinging to his last breath, looking at him with resentment, his bow and arrow falling limply from his hand.

Turning around, I saw that it was quiet all around and there was no one there.

Who is it?

Before those two words had fully surfaced in his mind, he suddenly felt a suffocating pain in his chest, and his hands and feet turned ice-cold, as if a hand was tightly gripping his heart, making him tense for no reason.

Could it be... a double clean?

He looked down the mountain and saw that the carriage window, riddled with bullet holes like a hedgehog, did not have Shuang Jie's body, and Che Shui, who should have been standing on the roof, was not there either. Feeling uneasy, he quickly leaped down and rushed towards the unrecognizable carriage.

"Xiao Jing! Are you alright?" Inside the car, Che Shui called out Shuang Jing's name anxiously. Seeing her pale face and weak, labored breathing, he panicked and didn't know what to do. He could only let her grip his wrist tightly, while he used his other hand to steady her heart from behind.

He had just seen an arrow come out of the carriage and initially thought that an enemy had broken into the carriage. But when he got out and looked, he saw Shuang Jing covered in cold sweat, holding a bow and panting.

That terrified him even more than seeing a car full of assassins.

The arrow was most likely shot to help Xuan Sheng, but the carriage was at least tens of feet away from the top of the hill where he was. She must have used up a lot of strength and energy to shoot the arrow, and she became panicked and helpless thinking about it.

“Ah Che…” Shuang Jing’s face was ashen, and he forced a smile, pointing at his hand with his finger: “Where… the blue bottle… bring it to me…” After saying that, he looked at the bottles and jars scattered on the ground next to him.

Che Shui hurriedly tried to get up, but then remembered something and called out to Mei Hua, who was standing next to him, "You! Come here and help me stabilize Xiao Jing's pulse!"

"Hmph, what does it have to do with me?" Mei Hua snorted coldly, but still walked forward to help Shuang Jing up, reaching out to stabilize the major acupoints on her back.

"Thank you." The Seven Stones Sect Master smiled slightly at her, then leaned towards her with a pale face.

Plum Blossom pouted: "You guys are really troublesome. These people who want to kill you are making quite a show of themselves." She looked at the carriage with arrows stuck everywhere and shook her head: "Tsk tsk... Look at these arrows, they're so exquisitely made. They must be from Sky Eagle Fortress."

"?" Upon hearing this, Che Shui and Shuang Jing both looked up, staring at her in surprise.

The wind howls, the horn bows sing, the general hunts at Weicheng. The grass is withered, the eagle's eye is sharp, the snow has melted, the horse's hooves are light.

That refers to Eagle Fortress.

Legend has it that this gang was founded by a former general of a fallen kingdom, and its disciples were all chivalrous heroes who helped the poor and needy and fought for justice during the chaotic times, earning them great respect in the martial arts world. However, during the reign of the late emperor, it was discovered that this gang intended to destroy the dynasty and restore the country. He secretly dispatched a large number of people to greatly weaken their power. By the time Shuang Jing and his companions ventured into the martial arts world, Flying Eagle Fortress had already adopted a closed-door policy of indifference to world affairs.

"Flying Eagle Fortress?" Che Shui asked as he handed the teacup to Shuang Jing and carefully helped her feed the medicine. He frowned as he looked at the arrows: "Chongchonglou and Qishimen have never had any enmity with Flying Shadow Fortress. Moreover, we have had a relationship with Lord Su of Flying Eagle Fortress. Although it is not a deep one, we can still be considered friends..." He thought of that bold and burly bearded man and frowned in confusion.

“Then I don’t know…” Plum Blossom shrugged, pulled out an arrow, and played with it in her hand repeatedly. “I’m just telling you what I know. As for what grudges you have…” She chuckled, “Do you think I wouldn’t know?”

Che Shui remained silent. At that moment, the carriage lurched violently. Before the two standing men could draw their weapons, they saw Xuan Sheng holding onto the carriage with one hand and asking anxiously, "Are you both... alright?" He looked at the two standing men while panting. They had clearly rushed down the mountain in one breath. Seeing that Che Shui was unharmed, he turned to look at Shuang Jing on the side, and his expression suddenly became serious.

"Sect Master?" Xuan Sheng's heart tightened, and when he saw the bow at her feet, he immediately understood seven or eight parts of the situation.

Seeing that the woman had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep, her pale and delicate face devoid of any color, a slight ripple stirred in his heart, and his heart furrowed slightly.

Such selflessness!

He remembered that as he scrambled to his feet and prepared to leap onto the roof of the car, a fleeting glance revealed that the woman was blocking the window. Even though there were already arrows flying in front and clear water blocking the way, she still stood in front of the window, using her body as a shield.

Like moths drawn to a flame, willingly so. He suddenly remembered this cliché.

If he had heard of her deeds elsewhere, he would probably have laughed at her for being foolish. But when that person actually appears before you, willing to go through fire and water for you, willing to be shattered to pieces for you, you can't help but sigh and feel pity.

He had initially thought that he was merely an excuse Shuangjing used to leave Qishimen and travel around. But now, her recklessness and his own subconscious or involuntary actions forced him to believe that this woman and his past self truly shared an unforgettable and indelible memory.

A subtle, indistinguishable bitterness began to spread in my heart.

Just as Che Shui, who was standing to the side, was about to say something, he saw Xuan Sheng looking at Shuang Jing with a complicated expression. He sighed inwardly and was about to turn around when the man next to him quietly squatted down.

Xuan Sheng scrutinized Shuang Jing's face intently.

"Um... Xuansheng... don't look at me like that..." Shuangjing struggled to open her eyes, looking at his solemn and worried expression, and couldn't help but smile weakly as she said, then tried to turn her head away: "I'm... very ugly right now..."

Xuan Sheng frowned and involuntarily grasped the hand she was using to cover her face.

With a sigh, he reached out and pressed down on her back to steady her heart; his other hand rested on the back of her head, gently patting it, his tone cold yet tender: "Don't act rashly next time."

Such a gentle tone, tinged with pity, regret, and remorse.

Shuangjing's head was almost resting against his chest. Xuansheng still observed etiquette, maintaining a fist's distance between them, yet he could still feel the warmth emanating from behind the blue robe. There was a smell of dust and sand on his shoulders and arms.

She laughed, couldn't help but yawn, and snuggled into his arms without any regard for etiquette.

The clothes still smelled of sunshine. This man was always like this, untouched by bloodshed, always able to emerge unscathed from the storm with a smile, gently patting or pinching her furrowed brow, saying, "Don't do that again next time."

Her icy limbs slowly warmed up. She wanted to say something, but her head felt too heavy to lift, so she leaned towards the warmer area and breathed a sigh of relief.

So be it, so be it.

Even if he loses all his memories, even if he abandoned her for five years, even if he treats her like a stranger...

He is still by her side.

Who cares about being plagued by serious illness, who cares about the dangers of the martial world, who cares about grudges and hatred...

As long as he is by her side, life will be peaceful and serene, like spring all year round.

"I said..." Just as the atmosphere was getting really sweet and romantic, Lin Meihua, who was sitting next to them with her legs crossed, couldn't help but roll her eyes and interrupt them: "Can you wait a minute before you continue being so mushy? This is a crucial moment! Shouldn't we get off this road? Someone is definitely chasing us soon!"

These words did indeed remind the group of people who were still lamenting the passing of time. Che Shui realized what was happening and immediately jumped up, yelling, "Hey! What do you mean we should leave here? You're not with us, are you? Huh?" He could bet that those people had been following the woman in front of them before they came after him.

"Get lost!" Plum Blossom kicked him angrily, shouting, "I was just trying to warn you! Besides, who else am I supposed to follow? It's safest with you!"

Che Shui had never encountered such a fiery woman in his life, and seeing how confidently she spoke, he stood there dumbfounded: "...You...you...you really want to come with us?"

"What? You're not happy?!" Plum Blossom yelled at him even louder, as if to say, "If you dare refuse, I'll kill you."

"This..." Che Shui looked at Xuan Sheng, at a loss, but saw that he remained calm, silently tidying up the things beside him, and then bent down to gently pick up the sleeping Shuang Jing. He was stunned: "Ah... Ah Che? We really have to bring..." this stinky woman? He naturally didn't say the last three words.

“Let’s go first. This young lady is right, we can’t stay on this road any longer, or someone will be chasing us soon.” Xuan Sheng said calmly, and took out a thin blanket from his bag to wrap Shuang Jing, who was drooling and snoring in an unseemly manner. After thinking for a moment, he decided to cover her face as well, so that he wouldn’t see the drool stuck to her clothes and throw the woman off the ground.

"Ahhh, really...!" Seeing him like this, Che Shui didn't know what to say. He just glared at Mei Hua and pointed at the package that hadn't been poked into a honeycomb, saying, "You can come if you want, but you're not going to help carry things..." He suddenly stopped talking, and the other two also suddenly looked serious. They looked at each other and immediately jumped out of the window and rushed up the hillside.

The sound of horses' hooves came from not far away, carried on the wind. They were rushing towards them swiftly and angrily.

Shuangjing opened her eyes groggily, seeing the scenery rushing past her and the wind whistling past her ears. She looked at Xuansheng with a lazy question mark, only to see the man lower his eyes slightly and smile gently: "Go to sleep, you will wake up in the warm quilt."

“Xuansheng…” Upon hearing this, Shuangjing smiled weakly, rested her head on his chin, and sighed in an almost inaudible voice:

"...I'd rather wake up on your naked chest."

With a sudden jerk of his arm, Xuan Sheng almost dropped her. The person in his arms seemed oblivious, shifted again, yawned lazily, snuggled against his chest like a cat, and then turned over and fell into a deep sleep.

Three figures swiftly passed through the woods and hillside.

On the golden horizon, the boundless grasslands and forests stretched like a long emerald ribbon into the valley to the west.

Pear Blossom Valley - Homes Amidst the White Clouds 1

A sudden, light rain fell as the sun set.

The sound of the wind filled every corner of the 'Riverside Inn'. Looking out the window, the afternoon that was originally bathed in sunlight quickly turned into a gloomy grayness obscured by rain and haze. Every now and then, weary travelers would come in carrying large bags and shouting, either brushing their wind-blown hair from their faces or rubbing their eyes to remove the sand that had entered.

The branches of the trees, battered by the fierce wind, crackled and popped. Large swaths of dark clouds piled up on the horizon, covering the earth. The setting sun, not completely obscured, still burned brightly and beautifully in the grayness, like intoxicating gold blending into the heavy darkness.

Xuan Sheng sat on the chair beside the double-cleaned bed, quietly watching her.

A few remaining rays of sunlight pierced through the darkness, casting a soft, warm golden hue on her peacefully sleeping face.

He suddenly felt a profound sense of peace and tranquility, like when he was a child, running into his mother's room, nestled in a rocking chair wrapped in a thick blanket, and reading. At that time, the air was filled with a golden hue, and dust motes danced in the air, their swirling sounds almost audible.

Having shed the terror of his escape and the grudges and hatred of the martial world, at this moment, only he and this girl remain, waiting for time to slowly pass by.

However……

"Damn it!" Lin Meihua slammed her hand on the table, which immediately shattered into pieces. She stared at it in disbelief for a moment before raising her head and continuing to yell, "I've already told you I don't know why the people from Sky Eagle Fortress are chasing us! How many times do I have to tell you?!"

Che Shui, standing beside him, also shouted back defiantly, but because his cheeks were bulging with food, his voice was just a shout: "What don't you guys at Tianxia Inn know?" He took a sip of tea: "You don't even know such a simple thing? What kind of people are you?" He narrowed his eyes slightly: "You're not in cahoots with them, are you?"

"You bastard!" With a loud bang, Mei Hua was so angry that she overturned the table. Fortunately, all the food in the bowl was eaten, so Che Shui did not jump up to fight her.

She pointed at the head of Chongchonglou's nose and continued to unleash her furious roar: "Are you an idiot? Huh? Are you brain-dead? Did your brain get pierced by an arrow and then eaten?! Research takes time! Don't you understand time?! I just ran to this godforsaken place to take refuge after being chased, and I haven't even had a chance to give any orders yet, how can I possibly figure it out?"

Her eyes blazed with anger, then she seemed to remember something: "And what did you just say? Did you think I was with them? Pshaw!" She actually spat: "Do I have that much time? Am I that bored? Why would I joke around with my precious life? You think I want to sit here arguing with you?! Huh?!"

Che Shui stared at her with his mouth agape. He had never encountered a woman with such a foul tone and such an arrogant and fiery aura. It took him a while to react before he jumped up and shouted, "Hey, hey, hey, I have a reason to be suspicious, right? We've been fine the whole way, so how come we've been shot like hedgehogs as soon as you arrived? Huh?!"

"What do I care about your bad luck?!"

"Of course there's a connection! Who says there isn't?!"

"I said no! Who dares to say yes?!"

"If I say yes, who dares to say no!"

"I said..."

Xuan Sheng silently looked at Shuang Jing, who was using his arm as a pillow and snoring, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "It's really amazing that she can still sleep soundly under such circumstances."

Just as the two behind him were about to fight, he slowly turned around: "You..." The two who were glaring at each other with murderous intent turned around at the same time, staring fiercely at him. Even Xuan Sheng couldn't help but shudder inwardly, but he remained nonchalant on the surface: "Are you trying to make everyone know that we live here? You finally managed to shake off the people behind you, didn't you?"

"..."

"..."

Hearing him say that, the other two stopped their pointless arguing and glared at each other fiercely. At the same time, they turned around, picked up the chairs they had thrown or kicked over, and sat down with livid faces.

Xuan Sheng sighed inwardly. He suddenly realized that if Shuang Jing were awake, the situation wouldn't be so tense. Even though the woman was mostly acting erratically and carefree, she still possessed a calm and composed demeanor that could exert a slight pressure on those present, making them obediently listen to her. Looking at the Seven Stones Sect Master sleeping like a log beside him, he rubbed his temples and asked, "Plum Blossom Hall Master, could you tell us what you know?"

"What do I know?" Plum Blossom said, her anger still simmering. "I don't know much about the origins of that crescent-shaped jade pendant and that mirror..."

"Oh?" Xuan Sheng raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing what she said.

“Really.” Plum Blossom sighed, her brows furrowing more and more, clearly annoyed by the matter. “Why do you think my third sister was murdered? She probably knew less than you do. Actually, she didn’t refuse to answer the questions, but she did tell you that the Half-Moon Luo Ying and the Heart-Locking Bronze Mirror were stolen from Jianrou Manor by you a few years ago, but she knew nothing about their origin or importance.”

"Then..." Che Shui seemed to have thought of something, and looked at Mei Hua with a troubled expression: "This is a very perplexing problem. Tianxia Zhan knows everything, but how can they not know the assassin's bottom line when a hall master is killed? Did he not leave any clues?"

"Do you think I'm that stupid?" Plum Blossom's tone turned sour again. She rolled her eyes at him. "Why would I come here if I had any leads? I could just go directly to them. Anyway..." She waved her hand impatiently. "I only know three things. First, there are at least three groups of people chasing you. Second, judging from today's situation, Sky Eagle Fortress is definitely involved. Third, the origin of these two items... is at least one hundred to two hundred years old..."