A smile can topple a city

Chapter 53

Mo Yinxue was filled with regret upon hearing this: "I've already thrown away those medicines... what am I going to do now?"

Xiao Xun rolled over in pain again, pulling out a piece of paper from his person: "This is a folk remedy... The medicine is strange, but it's very effective... The method of decocting it is also very special... Buy it and give it to me... It hurts..."

With tears in her eyes, Mo Yinxue handed several large bags of medicine to Xiao Xun. Just as she was checking on his body with heartache, she suddenly felt a numbness in her waist and couldn't move her whole body.

"What... are you doing?" She looked at Xiao Xun in surprise, who had suddenly become energetic and cheerful.

Xiao Xun sighed, "I'm sorry, Miss Mo, but I still want to go and inform the eldest and second eldest brothers. I've already found a way to escape. It's just that the medicine the eldest brother wanted to buy was lost, and it would be difficult to explain when we got back, so I resorted to trickery... You know I'm stupid, and it took me a long time to come up with this stupid method."

"Impossible! You had no chance to escape at all, but I saw that you were very well-behaved the past few days and never even thought of escaping... That's why the guards around you were removed... You can't leave..."

Xiao Xun seemed somewhat surprised: "You haven't even considered it? Didn't I already tell you you were going to leave?"

"..."

"I'm leaving."

"Xiao Xun!" Mo Yinxue roared, "You won't get rid of me! I'll follow you to the ends of the earth, no matter where you go, I won't let you go!"

Xiao Xun stopped and suddenly sighed, "Miss Mo, we are not on the same path. We come from opposing camps and cannot be together..."

Luo Qingcheng's despair

Xiao Xun finally returned to Fallen Leaf Manor, and the first thing he did was find Ye Xiao and happily hand her several large bags of medicine. Ye Xiao, however, was not in high spirits. She casually pushed the medicine aside and pondered heavily how to tell Xiao Xun the fact that she and Luo Qingcheng were going their separate ways.

Xiao Xun then remembered something else: "I need to tell Second Brother right away. According to Mo Yinxue, the Martial Alliance will be attacking this manor soon..."

Ye Xiao sighed, "I already know. Although the price I paid was high." He slowly organized his thoughts and recounted everything that had happened during the past few days while he was away, as well as his conflict with Luo Qingcheng.

Xiao Xun remained silent for a while and then said in a low voice, "Then the murderer who killed Shen Rujun is basically clear."

Ye Xiao was somewhat surprised: "It's Mr. Hua. But Mr. Hua might be an alias, and we don't know who he really is."

Xiao Xun shook his head: "Judging from our experience at Langjing Manor, Mr. Hua must have close ties with the Martial Alliance, and is very likely the head of a secret organization under the Martial Alliance. So Shen Rujun's death is related to the Martial Alliance. Then I can go home and report back."

"What errand are you going to give me, Third Brother?"

Xiao Xun raised his head and smiled dazzlingly: "I am the young city lord of Youming City. Lu Mingfei is not my father. Everyone has always doubted my abilities, saying that I am worlds apart from my father. This is my first time traveling the world alone, investigating the murder of Shen Rujun. Now that the truth has come out, I have to go back. I haven't seen my mother in a long time, she must be very worried. Boss, if you are also planning to leave Luoye Manor, why not come to our Youming City? The scenery there is very different from that of the Central Plains, and it is well worth seeing."

"You are... Lu Mingfei's son? Then I guessed wrong?" Ye Xiao suddenly stood up, looking worried. Xiao Xun is the young master of Youming City, so... what about Qingcheng? Qingcheng... never mind, I've already decided to leave him alone anyway...

“It’s all my fault for not telling you. My mother said that my father had a bad reputation in the martial arts world back then, and told me to try not to mention him when I came out... to avoid trouble.” Xiao Xun looked apologetic.

Ye Xie smiled and said, "Okay... I'll go to the Netherworld City with you..."

Xiao Xun sighed softly, carefully packing his belongings. It had been over a year since he'd left. He wondered how Youming City was doing, and about his mother, his mother who was as beautiful as a celestial being… The door creaked open, and a stench wafted in first. Xiao Xun screamed, rushed to the window, stuck his head out, pinched his nose, and gasped for breath: “Second brother… you stink! Help me…”

Luo Qingcheng sneered: "As the ancients said, once you enter a fish market, you will not smell the stench after a while. Third brother, just bear with it, you'll get used to it soon."

Xiao Xun still exaggeratedly hung most of his body out of the window, sticking out his tongue like a dog.

Luo Qingcheng continued to sneer: "Alright, third brother, stop pretending to be stupid. You're not stupid, I know that. You're going to take Xiaoxiao away? You've been scheming all along, just to one day steal her from me!"

Xiao Xun shook his head: "Of course I'm not stupid. But when have I ever pretended to be stupid? The eldest son's family was harmed, and he couldn't avenge them. He was too ashamed to go home. He was in a bad mood. How was it wrong for me to take him out for a walk? Why don't you think about her, second son?"

Luo Qingcheng slowly walked over and sat down beside him, ignoring his desperate struggle that nearly caused him to fall out of the window again: "How could I not think about her? I've been trying so hard to get closer to her, to leave a deep impression on her, but the harder I try, the further away I get from her..."

Xiao Xun sighed: "Regarding Brother Yang Dui's matter, you seem to be showing some favoritism towards Miss Shen. No wonder the boss is angry. Injustice is very hurtful."

"Xiao Wan is Uncle Shen's only daughter. She grew up with me and I've always considered her my little sister. Although she made a mistake, it was all due to my stupidity and failure to detect the enemy's conspiracy. Xiao Xiao hates her because she got involved in Brother Yang's murder case. Actually, Brother Yang was killed by Mr. Hua. Even if Xiao Wan hadn't spoken up that night, given Mr. Hua's experience in building secret organizations, would he have let Brother Yang go? Third brother... tell me, if you were me, would you have let Xiao Xiao kill Xiao Wan? Would you let a woman you love kill your sister, leaving you with a conscience that will never be at peace for the rest of your life?"

Xiao Xun suddenly stopped struggling, obediently climbed down from the window, and said absentmindedly, "Why didn't you tell the boss all this? The boss is a very reasonable girl, you can still explain things clearly... Unlike me... I've got a spoiled brat on my side... Who can save me from this mess?"

Before the words were even finished, a clear female voice rang out: "Where's Xiao Xun! Tell that brat to come out here! I have something to say. What? You're here to deliver a message? Who do you think you are!"

A soldier cried out in pain as something fell to the ground with a thud. Someone had probably fallen. Footsteps began to clatter, and someone rushed in to report the incident.

Luo Qingcheng paused for a moment, then looked utterly disappointed: "Miss Mo is here? Then her father probably won't be coming... then my Heaven-Destroying Earth-Shattering Array will have been useless..."

Xiao Xun paused for a moment, feeling that the name "Heaven and Earth Annihilation Formation" sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He didn't have time to think about it further; his biggest problem was how to get rid of Mo Yingxue, this jinx.

Xiao Xun knocked on Ye Xiao's door with a troubled expression. The latter was staring blankly at the gauze lamp on the table.

"Boss, I'm in trouble. I'm being pestered by that girl Mo Yingxue... Can you help me get rid of her?"

Ye Xiao looked up, stunned for a moment, then her eyes suddenly became somewhat complicated: "Third brother, tell me, isn't it a painful thing to be pestered by someone you don't like?"

Xiao Xun sighed, "Anyway, being entangled with a girl like Mo Yingxue would definitely be very painful. I was almost tortured to death during the few days I was in her hands..."

Ye Xiao slowly turned her eyes, tears welling up, her voice suddenly becoming unusually low: "Alright... a short pain is worse than a long one. Third brother, I'm helping you, and I'm also helping her, to put an end to this. It's not difficult, just make her give up. As long as you don't regret it later... don't regret missing out on this marriage."

Xiao Xun lowered his head in annoyance: "I don't regret it. I don't like her. Besides, as you know, Youming City and the Martial Alliance are mortal enemies. Although my father acted strangely and had his faults back then, he still died at the hands of the Martial Alliance. How can I explain to the thousands of people in Youming City that I'm marrying the daughter of my enemy?"

Flipping through the almanac, Luo Qingcheng suddenly felt incredibly troubled. The day after tomorrow, Xiaoxiao was going home with Xiao Xun. He suddenly remembered that treacherous rumor circulating in the martial arts world; he always suspected it was a scheme by Xiao Xun? Including bringing Ye Xiao home this time—was it to meet his elders? Xiao Xun's demeanor and speech clearly indicated he was a young master from a prominent family. And he was certainly charming; otherwise, that Miss Mo wouldn't have risked her life to come to the manor of the martial arts alliance's mortal enemy. And she even appeared beside Xiaoxiao before him.

But Xiaoxiao… she's already said some harsh words, that she doesn't like me and doesn't want to stay here any longer. I've already boasted to Feng Sihai that revenge is my top priority. Besides, taking down the Martial Alliance is such a daunting task! My own survival is a question, so I shouldn't even be thinking about these things… But Xiao Xun is right, shouldn't I talk to Xiaoxiao again?

After much hesitation, he decided to talk to Ye Xiao, at least to stop her from grieving over Yang Dui's death, and he was certain he could avenge him. However, no one was at Ye Xiao's residence. He asked the guards around the village, and they said they had seen her go to the woods behind the village.

It was early summer, and the lush greenery flowed like water from the surrounding mountains and forests, creating a refreshing and comfortable atmosphere. Various unknown birds sang merrily. After walking a few steps, Luo Qingcheng heard Ye Xiao's voice coming from afar.

"See your mother? Isn't it...too early?"

Xiao Xun's voice carried a hint of joy: "It's not too early... The rumors have spread like this all over the martial arts world. If I don't take you back soon, my mother will get angry... Your father has also agreed. Xiaoxiao... I'm so happy... that you've agreed to come home with me. I've always liked you, but I was always worried that you wouldn't like me. I'm not as smart as you..."

"How could that be? You're sincere, reliable, and righteous. You're a true man. I like you a lot too. It's just... I'm worried..."

Luo Qingcheng staggered, almost fainting. He slowly steadied himself, climbed a tree, jumped a few times on the branches, found a good spot, and stood still. Not far below the tree, he could clearly see Ye Xiao and Xiao Xun; he wasn't mistaken. He closed his eyes. But their voices were also very clear, piercing his eardrums.

"...I'm worried that I'm not pretty enough, and that your mother might not like me. I'm so nervous..."

“I chose my own wife, not my mother’s. Besides, Xiaoxiao, I’ve seen so many girls, many of them prettier than you, but none of them are as vibrant and lovely as you, every word and action is captivating… You can even do shadow plays, so when we have a child, I can watch them with him/her, and you can even teach me… Xiaoxiao, I’m so happy… Heaven has been so kind to me… Xiaoxiao…”

The sound stopped. Luo Qingcheng opened his eyes. Two people were tightly embracing each other beneath the tree. Luo Qingcheng almost fell off the tree. He slowly slid down, leaning softly against it. So, Xiaoxiao really did like Xiao Xun. That's why she always favored Xiao Xun, always showing bias. Perhaps that's just how it is; human nature is inherently biased… That's why Xiaoxiao was so harsh on herself, because she had never had a chance from the beginning…

He slowly straightened up from the tree, feeling a sudden emptiness in his heart. This was for the best… forcing himself to make a clean break, so he would have no more attachments and could do whatever he needed to do. He walked out of the woods in a daze, so dazed that he didn't notice someone hiding in the bushes.

It was Mo Yinxue and Shan'er. Mo Yinxue had never felt so heartbroken in her life. Tears streamed down her face like a torrential downpour, her heart aching to the point of numbness. She suddenly understood what it felt like to have a dead heart. She had never had a chance. No wonder he had always been so cold to her.

Shan'er added fuel to the fire: "I told you long ago that a beautiful girl like you dating that idiot is like a flower stuck in cow dung. But what's even more tragic is that this pile of cow dung went to find an even stinkier pig. Shame on you! They come here every day to pour out their hearts to each other!"

Mo Yinxue paused for a moment, stood up, and walked out of Fallen Leaf Manor in a daze.

We finally arrived at the City of the Underworld

With a soft thud, something hit Shan'er on the back of the head, followed by Ye Xiao's angry voice: "You're the pig shit! You're dog shit!"

Shan'er smiled lazily: "You asked me to help you with this."

"Just bring her here, that's all. Stop talking about pig manure!"

"I was just using this as an excuse to make her give up even more. Besides, you've made my Qingcheng brother so sad these past few days, you're nothing but a pile of pig manure! No, you're worse than pig manure!" Shan'er stood up angrily, clenching her little fists.

Ye Xiao finally seemed a little flustered: "He's been... really heartbroken these past few days?"

Shan'er sneered, remained proudly silent, raised her head, and hopped away.

Xiao Xun arrived at Luo Qingcheng's room. "Second brother, I'm going home."

Luo Qingcheng was sitting at his desk looking at some blueprints. Hearing the sound, he didn't look up, but just hummed in response.

Xiao Xun chuckled and pinched his nose: "Second brother, you still smell so bad. Eldest brother is really being ridiculous. He's angry with you, but he had to make this stinky bomb. He said he was messing with you, but he was actually torturing others. I think everyone in the manor has been suffering and unable to eat or sleep these past few days."

Luo Qingcheng's cold voice came: "I won't see you off, Third Brother. Consider that package my gift. Some of it is for Xiaoxiao. Although Guyun Fort is the richest in the world, she is still a child and didn't prepare anything. It's her first time visiting your home, so she should bring something."

Xiao Xun opened the package and beamed with joy: "Hehe, Second Brother is so thoughtful. I was thinking of bringing some things for my mother, but I didn't have much money in my pocket. My mother will definitely be very happy now. Youming City is located in the northwest border, with a dry and cold climate. It is not as lively as the Central Plains, and resources are scarce. It is a great sacrifice for a woman. If it weren't for me, she could have lived in the Central Plains."

With a crash, something broke, and Luo Qingcheng's voice suddenly became unsteady: "You...Youming City? You're from Youming City?"

Xiao Xun responded, "Hmm... Actually, I am the young master of Youming City. Qingcheng, when will you come to my house to play? I will definitely treat you well. It's a pity that Youming City has declined and doesn't have the momentum of Luoye Manor. It used to be famous in the martial arts world, but unfortunately... my father did something wrong back then, otherwise... sigh."

Luo Qingcheng looked up, his eyes flashing with a rapidly changing expression, before finally managing a soft "Hmm?": "You're going home already?"

“Yes,” Xiao Xun replied, somewhat surprised.

"Alright... I'll go with you this time. It'll be more lively with more people."

Xiao Xun paused for a moment, then said, "But... you smell really bad right now. If you ride in the same car with us, you'll stink to death."

Luo Qingcheng's voice froze solid: "I'll get into another car. I won't get in your way, don't worry."

As expected, Luo Qingcheng got into another carriage and followed behind. He almost never lingered in front of the two of them, and even his meals were brought to the carriage by the coachman.

Ye Xiao's heart was in turmoil. Why had Luo Qingcheng suddenly followed her again? The truth was almost obvious, yet she couldn't find it. Occasionally, after they stayed at the hotel, she would see Luo Qingcheng's distant figure, standing there forlornly and forlornly for half a day, motionless. A vague unease crept in, and she almost persuaded Xiao Xun to shake off Luo Qingcheng, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

The scenery gradually became desolate and empty; they traveled for days without encountering a single person. Fortunately, the coachman from Fallen Leaves Manor seemed to know the terrain well, knowing exactly where the water sources and villages were. Coupled with their thorough preparations, the group fared relatively well. However, Ye Xiao felt an inexplicable growing unease.

Luo Qingcheng left early in the morning. He always got up very early when staying at a hotel so he wouldn't run into Ye Xiao and Xiao Xun. Once he was out, he didn't want to see them at all; even just seeing their backs from afar made him feel breathless.

He walked straight to the carriage, but stopped abruptly, taking a large step back hesitantly. Ye Xiao, standing by the carriage, turned his head, his voice cold, suspicious, and distant: "Young Master Luo, what ulterior motive do you have for suddenly deciding to follow us?"

Luo Qingcheng lowered his head and remained silent. He heard Ye Xiao say again, "Such a remote Netherworld City, such a sparsely populated road. Your people seem very familiar with it. Don't tell me it's a coincidence."

Luo Qingcheng smiled faintly: "It's a coincidence."

Ye Xiao snorted. Luo Qingcheng continued, "Xiao...Isn't Miss Ye full of clever schemes? If you want to stop me, feel free to do it."

Ye Xiao snorted coldly: "Don't take advantage of Lao San just because he seems honest. I won't let you succeed."

Luo Qingcheng clenched his fists, feeling a chill that seemed to seep into his bones, making it almost impossible for him to stand. He suddenly smiled, a smile filled with endless desolation, just like the gray scenery along the way. "Third Brother isn't a child, he doesn't need you to protect him like this. Fools have their luck. Even if I were to duel him, he might not lose to me. Besides, he has the entire Netherworld City as his backing, while I'm just going alone."

Ye Xiao sneered again: "So you cheated?"

Luo Qingcheng didn't speak again, walked around Ye Xiao, and climbed into the carriage. Once the curtain was drawn and Ye Xiao's face disappeared from sight, he suddenly went limp, as if his backbone had been removed, slowly curling into a ball, then began to tremble uncontrollably, like someone suffering from a severe cold. Calculating the distance, they would reach Youming City in a few days. Suddenly, a fear of the future overwhelmed him…

After crossing the desolate Gobi Desert, a city appeared in the desert oasis. The city was bustling with merchants and people, though most were bearded, blue-eyed Western Region people, their appearance and clothing vastly different from those of the Central Plains. The goods and artifacts sold on the streets were also distinct from those of the Central Plains. Ye Xiao, who had traveled extensively over the years, never imagined that such a magnificent and lively city would exist in this remote border region. True to her girlish nature, she was overjoyed by everything she saw.

Her gaze occasionally drifted to the distance behind her, where she saw Luo Qingcheng peek out of the carriage, his face full of childlike curiosity and joy, seemingly genuine. Had she guessed wrong? Did he really just want to see the customs and culture of the Western Regions?

Ye Xiao turned to Xiao Xun and asked, "Where...is this place?"

"Wudu City. In the local dialect, it means 'city in the sky.' Hehe, chuckle, you know, this is what used to be called the Netherworld City. Later, it was breached by the Martial Alliance, and we had to retreat to the mountains. Because it is located at the intersection of several countries, it became an important port for merchants from all countries to trade. It's a pity, we used to have a lot of influence here, we owned almost half of the shops in the city. Later, the Martial Alliance took over them all."

Ye Xiao gave an "oh," her gaze sweeping over the dense crowd and landing again on the carriage behind them. Luo Qingcheng alighted from the carriage, picked up something from a stall, and stared at it with a fascination, a sudden, unusual melancholy appearing in his eyes. Ye Xiao sighed, and after he had walked away, she quietly went to the stall, which sold all sorts of small toys—wooden birds, wooden chicks, incredibly lifelike. The chicks had strings attached to their ends; tugging on them would make them peck at rice. They were truly delightful. Ye Xiao had seen similar toys in the Central Plains, but the wood carvings here were somewhat different from those in the Central Plains. Although not as refined as those from the Central Plains, they were charmingly simple and endearing. She couldn't help but smile, bought one, and tucked it into her sleeve.

Leaving the city, they indeed entered towering mountains, so steep that even monkeys and apes would struggle to climb them, and birds would find them difficult to fly over. Fortunately, Xiao Xun was familiar with the path and led everyone through the mountains. After several twists and turns, they finally found a way out.

A city appeared on the opposite side of the mountain, magnificent and grand, no less so than Lonely Cloud Fortress. The entire city, built high on the mountain, was shrouded in mist halfway up, with guards seemingly patrolling the walls. Between the city and Ye Xiao's group on the cliff was an extremely narrow iron suspension bridge, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. Below the cliff, swirling clouds drifted down a bottomless ravine.

“Broken Dream Ravine,” Xiao Xun enthusiastically pointed out. “This place is easy to defend and difficult to attack; one man can hold off ten thousand. It is said that when the Martial Alliance pursued the Netherworld City, they reached this place but were blocked by the natural barrier. They wanted to turn back but couldn't find the way. The pursuers were trapped here for months and were almost completely wiped out. That's why this place was named Broken Dream Ravine. The Martial Alliance's dream of unifying the martial world was thus shattered…”