Fengcheng Flying General

Chapter 13

Chapter 22: A Man More Beautiful Than a Peerless Beauty (Part 2)

The Demon of Love was usually arrogant about her unparalleled beauty, and twenty years ago, when she was at the height of her beauty, she had thousands of suitors. However, now a strange young man walked past her without even glancing at her. To the Demon of Love, this was a truly bizarre thing.

Her eyes lit up, and she called out to the young man. He was walking very fast when he suddenly heard someone calling his name repeatedly. He turned around hastily, almost tripping: "Young lady, are you calling me?"

The young man's disheveled appearance almost made the Demon of Love laugh out loud, but at that moment, she also saw the young man's face clearly, and her heart skipped a beat. Over the years, she had seen countless handsome men, whether they were dashing, heroic, romantic, strong, or mature... but all of them combined were far inferior to the man in front of her, dressed in hunter's attire and looking travel-worn.

The Demon of Love, who was always proud of her unparalleled beauty, felt a strange sense of inferiority at this moment. It was an indescribable feeling that a woman who was proud of her unparalleled beauty suddenly felt that her appearance was far inferior to that of a strange man.

Although the man looked anxious, the pure and honest nature in his eyes and brows made even a seasoned lover like himself, who had seen countless people in his life, feel his heart pounding.

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, the man bowed and turned to leave. Until then, he didn't look at her much, and didn't even care whether she was a man or a woman.

Seeing that the man had walked two or three zhang away, the Demon of Love suddenly came to his senses and leaped up. Although the man was swift, he was obviously not very skilled in martial arts, so the Demon of Love quickly reached him.

The man didn't seem surprised; he simply bowed again and asked, "Is there anything you need, young lady?"

The Demon of Love had already sensed that something was on the young man's mind. She used what she thought was her most alluring smile before speaking: "Young man, are you in such a hurry to get going? Is there something important?"

The young man, who was clearly not used to pretense, said, "I'm going to find Sister Lan."

When he said this, there was a deep sense of sorrow in his eyes.

A thought struck the Demon of Love, and he chuckled, "Sister Lan? Are you going to find Lan Xisi?"

There are many people in the world with the surname Lan, but back then, if any martial artist were asked about a woman with the surname "Lan," the first person they would probably think of would be "Lan Xisi." The man, however, was clearly not a member of the martial arts world. Hearing the Demon of Love mention "Sister Lan," he had no doubt whatsoever. He was so happy he almost jumped for joy, bowing deeply to the Demon of Love: "That's wonderful, young lady! You know Sister Lan? Can you tell me her whereabouts?"

The Demon of Love, seeing the man's expression shift from sorrow to joy, immediately realized he harbored unusual feelings for Lancia. So, she smiled and said, "Young man, are you rushing off to a wedding?"

The man was stunned for a moment, his voice trembling slightly: "What...you said something about a wedding banquet?..."

"Lanxi is getting married on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. Didn't your sister Lan tell you?"

The man, his face flushed and his expression agitated, suddenly raised his voice: "Sister Lan is getting married? How can she get married?"

The Demon of Love was further convinced of his judgment: this handsome young man who had traveled a long way was clearly in love with Lanxisi. The sudden marriage of the object of his affections was naturally the greatest blow to the one who had a crush on him.

The man's expression was filled with bewilderment, anger, helplessness, and doubt. He stared at the demon of love for a long time before suddenly saying, "I don't believe you. You must be lying."

The more pained the man's expression, the brighter the demon's smile became: "Young man, why would I lie to you? Do you recognize this?"

The demon of love handed him a jade-green hairpin. The man took the hairpin, glanced at it, and, unable to control himself, burst into tears.

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Chapter 23: She's Fallen for Her Best Friend's Fiancé (1)

This hairpin is from the great battle atop the Himalayas, where Shi Daming suddenly retreated, and Lanxisi fought alone against the eight major sects. After being seriously injured, she fell to the ground.

The Demon of Passion followed Lancia all the way before finding this item. The hairpin was carved from a very rare type of green bamboo, exhibiting a warm, jade-like color, and was inlaid with two small pearls at the end. The hairpin was not a valuable item, but it was very exquisite, and the Demon of Passion was so fond of it that he always carried it with him.

Generally speaking, a person who has a crush on someone will naturally observe the appearance and behavior of the person they have a crush on closely. When the Demon of Love thought of this hairpin, he immediately took it out.

After a long while, the man, still choked with emotion, said, "This hairpin was a gift from me to Sister Lan. Sister Lan... Sister Lan..." He repeated "Sister Lan" several times before he could no longer continue.

"Does Lancia know you're looking for her?"

"Sister Lan doesn't know. She told me not to go to her, because I'm afraid she... she'll be angry if she sees me."

"If you're afraid of making her angry, then why are you even looking for her?"

"I just want to see her from afar and then leave."

"How long have you been looking for her?"

"It's been almost a year and a half."

The man's accent was mixed with many local dialects from the southwestern border region. One wonders how long it would take him to find the person he was searching for, having traveled thousands of miles through countless people. Even more strangely, he dared not let the other person know that he was looking for someone.

At that time, half a year had passed since Lanxisi and Shi Daming broke up, so naturally the two would not get married on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. The man had no idea that the Demon of Love was talking nonsense, and thought that Lanxisi had given the hairpin to the Demon of Love. He was angry and bitter, but could not say anything.

Seeing the indifferent looks on everyone's faces, the Demon of Love shouted, "You all think I'm lying to him, right? Let me tell you, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month that year was indeed the wedding date that Lanxisi and Shi Daming had set beforehand, and a wedding was indeed held on that day... However, at the wedding, the bride became another woman, a slut..."

Everyone understood who the "bitch" she was referring to was. Meng Yuanjing angrily said, "You...you mustn't talk nonsense."

"Hehe, you brat, the most despicable woman in the world, that's right, is your aunt Fang Gege, who is known as the number one beauty in the martial arts world."

The Demon of Love's smile suddenly turned into an indescribable contempt and indifference. It seemed she had a deep-seated grudge against Lan Xisi, yet she spoke of Lan Xisi without a single insult, even with a hint of respect. However, when she mentioned Fang Gege, she unleashed the kind of merciless insults typical of street women. One wonders what deep-seated hatred she harbored against Fang Gege to warrant such treatment.

Meng Yuanjing was raised by his uncle since childhood. Although he was not close to his aunt, he always respected her very much. Now, hearing the Demon of Love calling her a "bitch" repeatedly, he couldn't help but feel very embarrassed.

Junyu sighed softly: "Demon of Love, let's not dwell on those old stories. Your story ends here."

Before the Demon of Love could speak, Zhu Yu sneered twice: "Those so-called heroes are often just seeking fame and fortune. There are plenty of shameful stories behind them. Since some people are afraid of touching the wounds of certain hypocrites, then, beautiful lady, you'd better not tell them."

The Demon of Love laughed three times and glared at Zhu Yu: "You little rascal, you're not bad, but you can just call me 'beauty,' you can skip the 'old' part."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuanjing's face was filled with anger, but he was unable to retaliate due to Zhu Yu's provocation. He pointed at the Demon of Love and shouted, "Tell me, you... I want to hear what kind of grudge you have against my aunt..."

The Demon of Love sneered and continued, "Princess Fang, what kind of woman is she? She comes from the illustrious 'Lotus Manor,' and was renowned for her beauty from a young age. When the current emperor was still the crown prince, he once traveled incognito to Jiangnan and visited 'Lotus Manor,' bestowing upon them a couplet: 'Lotus beauties, graceful and elegant,' 'Manor's charming young lady, Princess,' with the horizontal inscription 'Two peerless beauties.' Because of this couplet, those shameless sycophants immediately hailed her as 'the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world.' Hmph, does she even deserve that title? There are countless women in the martial arts world more beautiful than her..."

Fang Gege came from a noble family. Those with her background didn't have her looks, and those with her looks didn't have her background. The Demon of Love always claimed to be the "Number One Beauty in the Martial Arts World," but she had a bad reputation in the martial arts world. As a result, Fang Gege took the title of "Number One" for nothing. Although she was very dissatisfied, she had no choice but to accept it.

Seeing that she, at her age and in her current state, was still so obsessed with the title of "most beautiful woman," everyone couldn't help but chuckle. A woman who valued her appearance to such an extent.

"This woman's most formidable tactic lies in her unique weapon—feigning pitifulness. She's older and taller than Lancia, yet she calls Lancia 'sister.' And poor Lancia, of course, is duty-bound to risk her life for her. When her eyes gaze at a man, they're always watery, both melancholic and hazy, like a frightened little rabbit, waiting for a man's care and pity..." The Demon of Love suddenly winked, "Of course, she wouldn't put on that act for me."

"Lancey met Fang Gege not long after she debuted. At that time, Fang Gege's family was facing a major calamity, and Lancyy managed to help her resolve it. From then on, the two became friends. A few years later, Fang Gege's sister, Fang Pianpian, got into a huge mess. The enemy's background was too powerful, so Fang Gege went to Lancyy for help again. Ladies and gentlemen, by then Lancyy's reputation was already at its peak, and her fiancé's reputation was no less than hers, nor was his martial arts skill inferior to hers. Of course, you've all guessed it; it was none other than the great swordsman Shi Daming."

"It was during that time that Shi Daming met Fang Gege. Lan Xisi and Shi Daming joined forces, and naturally, the Fang family's crisis was quickly resolved. This caused a sensation in the martial arts world, and I naturally knew all about it… Three months later, Fang Gege suddenly and secretly came to the Love Demon Palace, asking me to do something for her. Although I considered myself quite skilled, I absolutely did not want to provoke Lan Xisi, and besides, I generally disliked this woman, so I refused outright. However, after hearing what she wanted me to do, I immediately agreed. Haha, such a universally acknowledged pure and innocent lady from a prestigious family actually wanted me to deal with her best friend, Lan Xisi, because she had taken a liking to her best friend's fiancé…"

The Demon of Love turned his gaze to Junyu, smiling smugly, "Lanxi is arrogant about her superb martial arts skills and unparalleled intelligence, but her taste in men and friends is really not very good."

Junyu didn't speak, but thought of Mei Mei, who was promoting martial arts at the "Qiansi Academy," and was her mother's close friend.

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Chapter 24: She's Fallen for Her Best Friend's Fiancé (2)

Meng Yuanjing's face grew increasingly grim. After learning about Fang Gege's attitude after Junyu visited Shi Lanni at "Love Lotus Manor," he guessed that there must be an unusual relationship between his aunt and Lan Xisi. However, he did not expect things to turn out so badly.

He glanced at Junyu furtively, and seeing that Junyu's eyes were slightly closed, he quickly looked away.

Zhu Yu glanced at him and burst out laughing, "Hehe, old beauty, Lan Xisi may lack taste, but you've kept that handsome young man's portrait hidden for over twenty years."

This time, the Demon of Love surprisingly stopped glaring at him. She nodded, a blush creeping across her face. "This news thrills me. Just think, the beauty in everyone's eyes, as gentle as a dove and as pure as snow, actually came to beg me, a woman with a terrible reputation, to plot against her best friend—I'll never forget the look in Fang Gege's eyes when she said those words. At that moment, I suddenly felt that my Demon of Love Palace had become a sacred place, and the infamous Demon of Love had become a saint, hahaha..."

That time, the Demon of Love naturally won a great victory. In the battle of the Himalayas, although Lanxisi did not die in the Himalayas as Fang Gege wished, she broke off her relationship with Shi Daming and went their separate ways.

"That great battle...that great battle..." The Demon of Passion paused, then suddenly sighed and closed his eyes. "It was truly the most brutal battle I had ever witnessed in my life. Betrayed Lancisi was covered in blood, whether her own or someone else's...The air and the snow reeked of blood. Lancisi staggered so much that she couldn't even lift her sword anymore. Every step she took left a long trail of blood. Yet, despite all this, she still managed to leave the summit of the Himalayas, because by then, no one else could stand up to stop her... The invincible Lancisi, only she was truly the greatest martial artist in the world..."

The Demon of Love kept his eyes closed, not opening them for a long time. "I know this might be the only time I've ever 'defeated' Lancia, and I consider it the proudest moment of my life. But soon, I discovered that this victory was actually one of the two biggest mistakes I've ever made..."

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Chapter 25: The object of the love demon's love at first sight

The crescent moon grew dimmer and dimmer, as did the lanterns around the Demon of Love, until even the dagger in the maid's hand seemed to have lost its luster.

But the Demon of Love's originally hoarse voice gradually became clearer, seemingly possessing an indescribable, captivating magic.

Everyone remained silent. After a fierce battle that lasted most of the night, and having heard such a long story, they were either tired or waiting for the next part to be told. Some of them even squinted their eyes.

Fate is a wondrous thing. The womanizer, a womanizer with a notorious reputation, always regarded men as playthings and tools to be used. However, she felt a sense of "love at first sight" for this young man she met by chance.

At that time, the man had already arrived in Henan Province, and soon after, the once-every-twenty-years martial arts tournament would be held at the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song. During these days, there were many martial arts practitioners coming and going in Henan Province, and the man could easily find out about the tournament by asking around. Once he got to Mount Song, meeting Lan Xisi would be a piece of cake.

The Demon of Love had always regarded the battle in the Himalayas as the greatest victory of her life, but now she was filled with regret. She thought that if Lan and Shi had not broken up, the wedding on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month would have naturally made the man back down.

Lanxisi had already broken ties with Shi Daming, so there would naturally be no more weddings. If this man found Lanxisi, it would be "as difficult as climbing to heaven" for her to see him again.

The Demon of Love knew that her demonic arts were not very effective against women. Although she was confident in her other skills, she felt that it would be like an ant trying to shake a tree if she tried to compete with Lan Xisi with only these.

Therefore, she immediately made a decision—to do everything possible to prevent this man from seeing Lancia.

The young man had no idea that her thoughts had shifted so rapidly in an instant. Holding the hairpin, he stared at it blankly for a long time, then suddenly pulled out all the things he had on him, including some loose silver coins. He gathered all the silver coins and handed them to the womanizer: "Miss, I beg you, please give me this hairpin, okay?"

To the Demon of Love, these loose silver coins were practically trash, but her gaze was quickly drawn to a small, folded piece of drawing paper among the pile of items.

She grabbed it, unfolded it, and discovered that the painting was life-size. The paper was a very special thin paper made by the natives of the southwestern border region from a special type of leaf. It was very flexible and not easily worn.

The man in the painting was indeed the same man. The Demon of Passion looked at the painting, then at the man before her. The Demon of Passion, so shrewd and calculating, was now utterly blank, her mouth agape, unable to utter a word. The man in the painting smiled serenely, while the man before her looked anxious. Though their expressions were extreme, both conveyed a beauty that surpassed all expectations.

The Demon of Love lowered her hands and covered her face with them. The feeling of shame and inferiority in her heart grew stronger and stronger. She sighed inwardly, "There is such a talent in the world." In a daze, she not only sighed inwardly, but also murmured to herself.

The man stared at the hairpin in his hand for a long while, then suddenly looked up, his voice trembling slightly: "Where did you get this hairpin?"

The Demon of Love was startled. Just now, she had lied to the man, saying that Lan Xisi had given it to her, and the man seemed to have completely believed her. Now, she didn't know where she had gone wrong, causing the man to suddenly become like this.

"Sister Lan... Sister Lan is injured, where is she?" The man's voice trembled violently, even more sorrowful and anxious than when he heard that Lan Xisi was getting married. He almost shouted the last word.

Even the Demon of Passion, usually so eloquent, was speechless for a long while before finally saying, "Young brother, why... do you say such a thing?"

The man pointed to a red dot on the hairpin and said, "There's blood on this hairpin, so it must be because Sister Lan was injured... If Sister Lan hadn't been injured, how would this hairpin have ended up in your hands?"

The Demon of Love took the hairpin. The faint, tiny dark red dot was below a small bead. It was barely noticeable unless you looked closely. The Demon of Love thought it was the pattern of the green bamboo itself, but he did not expect that it was a drop of blood that Lanxi Si had accidentally dripped onto it after she was injured. It had stained the green bamboo and thus blended into the green color of the hairpin.

"Quickly tell me, where is Sister Lan?" The man swiftly grabbed the Demon of Love.

The man had always been polite, and this was the first time the Demon of Love had been so unguarded in front of a stranger. Caught red-handed, he didn't panic, but made a couple of feints and got away.

Although the man was quick and strong, he only knew a little bit of rudimentary martial arts. The moves he used were from Lanxisi's school of martial arts, which he had obviously learned from Lanxisi.

After seeing the bloodstains on the hairpin, the man realized that the Demon of Love had been deceiving him all along. He knew he was no match for the Demon of Love, but he remained calm. His previously trembling voice regained its composure as he stared at her and said calmly, "You said you're Sister Lan's friend?"

The Demon of Love wanted to shake his head, but somehow he nodded involuntarily.

The man suddenly laughed, his laughter filled with resentment and sorrow. "Sister Lan has a good friend, a very smart and beautiful friend. Is that you?"