Safety

Chapter 16

Wen De took me to the mountain. Wen De was not the leader of the alliance for nothing. His lightness skill was terrifying. He leaped up the straight and steep mountain wall. Qingcheng Mountain was not a lonely mountain. The mountain range was continuous and seemed to stretch to the horizon. He must have taken me to the highest peak. It took a long time to reach the top of the mountain. Then he flicked his finger and released my restraints, allowing me to move freely.

Although Cheng Wei had already cleared my blood vessels and relieved the cold stagnation in my body using his methods, the mountaintop was bone-chillingly cold. I instinctively hugged myself, while Wen De, still dressed in a thin white robe with his sleeves fluttering in the wind, enjoyed a blissful moment of the gust of wind before speaking.

"This is where you will stay for quiet cultivation from now on. You have a congenital deficiency and a complicated mind. Cultivating here will be of great benefit to you."

I looked around and saw only a simple hut. Then, thinking about what he meant, I was immediately alarmed. I shook my head and ran back to where we had jumped up. When I reached the edge of the cliff, a strong force suddenly blocked my way. I couldn't stop in time, and half of my body was already tumbling down. The clouds and mist were swirling around me, and I couldn't see any houses below. A mountain wind blew, making me dizzy.

That cold, emotionless voice still echoed in my mind.

"You are quite stubborn, not uttering a single word until now. Very well, there is no one to talk to in this secluded place. From today onwards, concentrate your mind and spirit on this mountain, and with the help of our sect's internal energy cultivation method, you will soon achieve some success. I know you are eager to go down the mountain and do what you want. As long as you can go down the mountain on your own, no one on Qingcheng Mountain will stop you from leaving."

Wen De was cold-hearted and even colder than Cheng Ping. After speaking, he turned and left, leaving me standing alone on the mountain, bewildered in the wind, my whole body stiff, unable to move an inch for a long time. Finally, I felt a pain in my chest and looked down to find that my own hands were tightly covering my heart, my fingers were so hard that they were almost digging into it.

I was left to live alone on the mountain. At first, I thought about how to get down from this cage every day, but the mountain walls were as steep as a mirror and not a blade of grass grew. There wasn't even a foothold. I didn't want to die, so no matter how hard I racked my brains, I couldn't find a way to leave.

Wende would go up the mountain for two hours every day to supervise my progress in cultivation and bring me food. I hated that he kept me confined and never spoke a word to him. Sometimes when Wende left Qingcheng Mountain, my eldest brother would come up instead. My eldest brother was very old, with gray hair, and looked old enough to be Wende's father; calling him "elder brother" would be more appropriate. I didn't say anything, but I always felt something was off. In short, there wasn't a single person on Qingcheng Mountain that I liked.

I always remembered what Wende said. All my thoughts were focused on how to improve my lightness skill. Wende and my senior brother also took me to other mountains to practice, but each time they would send me back to the summit. Occasionally, when I met other senior brothers and sisters on the way, they would point at me with the eyes of someone looking at a rare object and call out to others.

"Junior Sister! Everyone, come and see the legendary Junior Sister!"

They're a heartless bunch of people; they're infuriating.

I had thought about sneaking away while they were taking me down the mountain, but I was the last disciple personally announced by Wende, and I was the center of attention on the mountain. Every time I tried to escape, I was immediately discovered. When I was sent back, my senior brother was happy and patted my head, saying, "Ping'an, it's good that you want to use the method of chasing and escaping to practice your lightness skill. Just say it, or even if you don't say it, you can write it down. We can all read."

I was speechless, and felt like I was about to vomit blood again.

And so winter came and spring came, spring came and winter came, and three years passed before I was finally able to come down from that godforsaken mountain.

...

My luck has been on fire these past two days, I've been writing a lot of posts about peace. If there are lots of encouraging comments, hehe, I'll update twice today! The man will appear in the next update, hehe.

Chapter 44

On the day I came down the mountain, neither Wende nor my senior brother were by my side. I had been practicing my lightness skill diligently for the past three years and had finally made some progress. However, Wende also said that I had a congenital deficiency. Flat land and hills were fine; I could just gather my breath and get over them. If all else failed, I could use my hands to grab the trees on either side. But this mountaintop, which was as vertical as a mirror, had no foothold at all. It was really too harsh on me.

But I really couldn't wait any longer. I gritted my teeth, determined that the worst that could happen was that I'd have to roll down the mountain and lie in bed for another three months, and then I jumped off.

The clouds and mist were swirling, and I finally understood where Wende’s ethereal and otherworldly demeanor came from. But I was the complete opposite of him. When I landed, I was covered in scrapes and abrasions. My fingers, which I used to grip the cracks in the rocks, and the places where I had scraped against the rock face were bleeding. When my feet touched solid ground, I collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.

But all I felt was joy, so joyful that I lay on the ground and cried. My hands instinctively reached to cover my chest, but suddenly a white corner of clothing appeared beside my face. Someone stood silently a foot away and said something with perfect calmness.

"They're down?"

It was Wende who spoke.

This so-called master must have watched me tumble down the mountain, not only standing by and doing nothing, but also adding a sarcastic remark at the end. However, I was in a good mood at the time, so I immediately forgave this despicable man. I struggled to get up and was about to remind him to keep his promise when, unexpectedly, he flicked his sleeve and lifted me up again.

I was afraid he was going to take me to some random place again, so I immediately struggled. But I have a congenital deficiency, and even after focusing on lightness skills for three years, I'm still only at a mediocre level. Compared to him, I have no chance to fight back. In my desperation, I even had the urge to bite him.

He walked with effortless grace, even having the leisure to look down at me. "Something's happened at Jin Chao Tang. They've sent out notices throughout the martial arts world. I need to go down the mountain once. Come with me."

As I struggled, the words "down the mountain" suddenly entered my ears, and I immediately fell silent, my whole body going limp.

Jin Chao Tang is located in Dinghai, a wealthy area in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Its name is also auspicious. In short, as the name suggests, it is the richest gang in the martial arts world.

Jin Chaotang specializes in canal transport, also runs a security escort agency, and owns a money exchange. The head of the company must be a very shrewd businessman, as he has made great strides in everything he does.

It's a pity that this shrewd businessman can only lie in his coffin and do his abacus now.

When my fellow disciples and I arrived at Dinghai Jinchao Hall with our master, we saw white flowers everywhere and mourning banners hanging in the air from afar. Almost half of the shops in the city were in mourning. My junior disciple clicked his tongue in amazement, repeatedly saying how rich they were. I scoffed inwardly, thinking he was just ignorant.

How can this spectacle compare to the royal funerals I've personally witnessed? I remember when I was ten, Consort Hui's funeral was held. The funeral bells tolled, and the entire capital was in mourning. That was truly a time of universal mourning, with everyone grieving. Unfortunately, when my father died, the whole city was bathed in gold, as everyone celebrated the new emperor. I didn't even have time to burn any paper money for him.

I hadn't thought about these past events for a long time. Lost in thought for a moment, I suddenly felt a chill run through my body. When I looked up, I saw Wen De's cold, moon-like gaze sweep across my face in an instant.

I immediately snapped out of it, focused my mind, and followed my fellow students into the main hall with my sleeves tucked in.

Master is indeed Master; he often kills with his eyes. I sighed.

The hall was already packed with people. Several people in the center, dressed in mourning clothes, were clearly family members of the deceased. They rushed out to greet us when they saw us from afar. One of the young ladies, who wore a white flower in her hair, almost threw herself at Wende while crying.

"Alliance Leader Wen, my father was killed by a cult! You must seek justice for us!"

I know that Wende is a clean freak. When he taught me light-body skills, he sometimes had to roll up his sleeves to take me up and down. When I saw the way that young lady was pouncing on me, I knew that something was wrong. Sure enough, the next second she was inexplicably tripped by a small bump on the ground and rolled on the ground, falling without making a sound for a long time.

Actually, the young lady was quite good-looking, and a talented young man immediately went to help her up and offered her words of comfort.

"Miss Jin is deeply saddened. Please take care of yourself and come to sit down and rest."

Other sect leaders and gang leaders who had already arrived also rushed up and started chattering. Wen De became the focus of attention. I stood to the side and stole glances at him. I saw that he still had that unmoving, dead face, and he didn't seem to care about the poor Miss Jin at all.

I remember the tragic scene when Wende struck me with a wisp of wind when I became his disciple. I couldn't believe that Miss Jin had fallen on her own. But when I saw my master's expression, I was filled with admiration.

It's one thing to play pranks, but to maintain a saintly demeanor afterward—that takes real skill.

The main hall was bustling with activity, but I couldn't be bothered to listen to these江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) stories. I looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to me, a mere disciple of Qingcheng. I moved slowly towards the side door, and finally, when I found an opening, I turned around and slipped out.

I have urgent business to attend to; I don't have time to waste here.

Outside the side gate was a small garden, guarded by a man dressed in mourning clothes. He was clearly one of Jin Chaotang's men. He looked at me with surprise and asked a question.

"Where are you going, young master?"

The men and women under Qingcheng were all dressed in blue robes, with no distinction between them, which was not aesthetically pleasing at all. I was too lazy to argue with him, so I made a gesture, the meaning of which was clear, and he immediately understood.

"Oh, the outhouse is at the end of the corridor. Please make yourself at home, young master."

I responded and strode forward. The corridor was quiet, and there was indeed a latrine at the end, but that was not my real destination. What I was looking at was the wall.

Jin Chaotang truly lives up to its reputation as a wealthy place, with towering walls and anti-theft bells on top. But those three years of grueling light-body training weren't for nothing. I planted my toes on the ground, leaped up, and was about to jump over the wall in the blink of an eye.

But then everything went black, followed by a muffled thud. I was suddenly struck by someone in mid-air. The person was coming at me with great force, and I was caught off guard. I was knocked backward by the impact, and the two of us fell back into the garden together.

The noise was so loud that someone immediately shouted, "Who's there? Go check it out!" Then came the sound of hurried footsteps.

I gritted my teeth in hatred and shoved the person who was still on top of me. When our eyes met, it was a child's face, with delicate features, but now it was looking at me with a distorted expression, as if it were a monster. After glancing at my clothes, its eyes immediately turned fierce, and it grabbed my neck with both hands.

How could I, a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, let him succeed? The two of them wrestled together, and the chaotic footsteps in the garden grew closer and closer. I could also vaguely hear the voice of my senior brother.

"Where's our junior sister? Has anyone seen her?"

I felt a sense of relief, thinking that I would have help now that they were here. Unexpectedly, a black light suddenly shot in from outside the wall, and my waist tightened—it was a long whip. The boy and I were both pulled up at the same time, and a strong force came from the whip, making it hard for me to breathe, and then I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in a room full of flowers, with pink and red everywhere, and the faint sounds of music and soft voices.

I had never been to a place like this before. I could move my hands and feet freely. Just as I was about to get out of bed, the door opened. Not knowing what was going on, I instinctively closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep again.

But after waiting for a long time, there was no sound from inside the room except for the sound of the door opening. There was not even a sound of breathing, let alone footsteps. I finally couldn't hold back anymore and secretly opened my eyes a crack again.

The first thing that appeared before my eyes was a crimson glow, like a sunset, dazzling my eyes. The person appeared like a ghost in an instant in front of my bed, startling me so much that I jumped up. In my haste to look up, I finally saw his face.

That face shone brightly in the dimly lit room, just as when I first saw him, the Imperial Garden in June seemed to have become dull and lifeless.

In an instant, everything in the world became nothingness. Three years seemed to melt away like snow in spring. I finally realized how good God had been to me. I wanted to speak, but my chest ached terribly, and my face was numb, itchy, and wet. When I reached out to wipe it, all I found was a face full of tears.

...

Hai: I went to see a movie yesterday.

Narrator: ...Is that so strange?

Hai: After watching *Empire of Silver*... this is the epitome of cheesy, melodramatic, and brutal... Even someone like me, who's easily swayed by any movie, covered my face... Sitting in my chair, head down, face hidden. And yet, I have such a fondness for Shanxi films! Waaah, what a waste of people's feelings and money! Ugh!

Chapter 45

I wanted to call his name, but I hadn't uttered a single word in three years. When I opened my mouth, I couldn't make a sound. So I had to take matters into my own hands, jump off the bed, and reach out to him, trying to make sure he was really there.

But the crimson hue suddenly vanished, the door creaked open again, and someone rushed in and blocked my way. As they spoke, they bared their teeth; it was the same little brat who had knocked me from mid-air to the ground earlier.

"How dare you! Don't touch His Majesty with your filthy hands, or I'll break your fingers."

I couldn't be bothered with him and turned to look at Jifeng again. I was so shocked before that I didn't even call out to him. Now, those two words slid through my heart, and my chest was still aching. But it wasn't pain; it was my long-lost joy, like bamboo shoots buried under frozen soil for many years, finally bursting forth in the spring sunshine with a crackling sound.

The purple-clad child was still shouting, but I ignored him. I gathered my strength, twisted my body, and flashed past him in an instant. I floated in front of Ji Feng and grabbed him before he could flash away again. My movements were as fast as a fleeting shadow.

He wore a scarlet robe, its crimson hue shimmering in the light and shadow. After I grabbed him, he didn't say a word, only glancing down at the sleeve of his robe, which was wrinkled from my grip on his fingers. When I looked up and met his eyes, I finally saw his gaze clearly.

He looked at me with a completely unfamiliar gaze. The eyebrows and eyes were familiar, but his eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth, and even somewhat disgusted.

That gaze stopped me from making any further moves. In fact, I couldn't make any more moves, because in the next instant, my body was wrapped up by a black whip like a serpent, and I was thrown back onto the bed. All the acupoints on my body were sealed, and I was so badly injured that I couldn't even make a sound.

The crimson light slowly approached, and the purple-clad child, who always looked at me fiercely, suddenly became obsequious, eagerly carrying a chair and placing it by the bed. After I sat down, the child stood behind me, continuing to glare at me fiercely.

I couldn't move a single finger; I could only watch him with a mixture of greedy longing and utter terror.

This is Ji Feng's face, his eyes, his eyebrows. For three years, I have been thinking about this face day and night, and I would never mistake it for anything. But he seems to no longer recognize me.

What on earth happened? I looked at him in despair, trying my best to express the thousand unspoken words I couldn't utter with my eyes. I wanted to ask him where he had been for the past three years. I wanted to ask him why he didn't recognize me anymore. I wanted to ask him what had happened. But he looked at me silently with an utterly unfamiliar gaze, a gaze that chilled me to the bone.

Since Cheng Wei operated on me three years ago before I became his apprentice, I haven't felt this coldness for a long time. The coldness surged from every part of my body, gradually spreading until even my hair was icy and stiff, as if it would break off at the slightest touch.

"How dare you stare straight at His Majesty like that? How shameless!" The noisy little brat jumped over again and spoke up, his finger almost pointing at my nose.

"Qingfeng, put your hand down." He spoke, his voice hoarse and lifeless, just as unfamiliar to me.

"Your Excellency, this woman has been staring at you ever since she woke up. How could she be someone from Qingcheng Sect? I think she's just a petty thief pretending to be someone else. She stole something from the Jin family and was trying to escape when we happened to run into her." Qingfeng was extremely long-winded and couldn't stop talking once he started.

He snorted coldly, "The movement technique she used just now was Qingcheng's unique Zongyun. Did you stop her? Instead of wasting time talking nonsense, why don't you go and reflect on your actions?"

The boy's face turned red and then black after being spoken to. He wanted to speak but didn't dare. He glared at me resentfully, then moved his feet and, surprisingly, became very obedient, walking straight to the corner of the wall and squatting down.

This scene was truly hilarious, but unfortunately, I felt no mirth at the moment. He didn't look at me, and I couldn't look away either, just staring straight at him. After he finished speaking, his gaze returned to my face, met my eyes, he frowned, and without saying anything more, went straight to asking a question.

"You're looking at me like that, is there something you want to say?"

I wanted to nod, but my acupoints were sealed, and I couldn't move at all. I could only express my agreement with my eyes, which were so excited that my eyeballs almost popped out.

He nodded. "Alright, I have something to ask you. Answer me after you finish listening, so as not to waste time." He stood up and flicked his finger. I felt a sharp wind pass by, a chill on my chest, and I hurriedly lowered my eyes, almost vomiting blood.

It was the Qingcheng blue robe I was wearing. When the wind blew, the front of the robe tore open, revealing the plain-colored undergarment I was wearing underneath. He glanced at it, raised his eyebrows slightly, and then covered my chest with one hand.

I, I, I...

This time I finally couldn't hold it in anymore, and a mouthful of blood welled up and I spat it out.

...

Hai: Ugh, how could you treat my poor Ping An like this?