Luzhou Moon - Chapter 42
"They will bring the antidote soon. However..." Mo Li said leisurely, "This only temporarily suppresses the poison; it cannot eradicate the effects of the Bewitching Inducement. Only after I truly obtain the Face-Fixing Pearl can I give you the final antidote. Consider carefully what is more important."
"Ruzheng..." Jiang Shuying gradually came to her senses, her brows furrowed as she looked at Yue Ruzheng kneeling on the ground.
Yue Ruzheng slowly raised her head, her eyes glistening with tears, but she said in a very resolute tone, "Master, I will protect Yinxi Xiaozhu."
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating every blade of grass and tree beneath Mount Da Shu once more. The people of Bliss Valley gradually departed, but Yue Ruzheng knew they wouldn't go far. With a mere wave of Mo Li's sleeve, the temporarily dispersed snow mosquitoes would fly back to Yinxi Xiaozhu. She slowly stood up. Not far away, the group, just awakened from the poison, were still gripped by pain.
As Shao Yang followed Jiang Shuying through the main entrance, he hesitated slightly and stopped beside Yue Ruzheng, asking, "Ruzheng, this time, are you truly determined?"
Yue Ruzheng turned around stiffly, saying nothing, but staring at the swaying shadows of the trees on the ground with a downcast look in her eyes.
That same day, Yue Ruzheng left Yinxi Xiaozhu once again. As she walked out of Luzhou City, she suddenly felt that the once familiar roads had become incredibly strange, and the crowds coming and going seemed expressionless. Various noises echoed in her ears, each sound piercing her heart.
Upon reflection, this was her third journey to Nan Yandang Mountain, yet why did she feel completely different each time? The previous two times, regardless of her purpose, she felt there wasn't enough time, wishing she could fly there immediately. But now, although there was no time to lose, her steps were so heavy, and a sense of fear even lingered in her heart.
She still vividly remembered the tired yet warm smile on Tang Yanchu's face when he first saw her outside the gate that day in the drizzling rain, after he had traveled a long way to Luzhou. She also remembered his words as he left, and the look of disappointment and sorrow in his eyes…
Yue Ruzheng led her white horse out of Luzhou City. Gazing at the long road ahead, she thought of Tang Yanchu, who had also walked this path with hope, only to return dejected and heartbroken in the rain. Unable to contain her sorrow any longer, she leaned against the ancient city wall and silently shed tears.
The night in Nan Yandang is quiet and peaceful, with only the clear mountain streams rushing by, perhaps because it has rained in the mountains recently. The whole mountain is shrouded in the pale moonlight, and occasionally a gentle breeze blows, scattering water droplets on the tips of the leaves.
Tang Yanchu walked silently on the deserted path. He had already changed back into his usual attire. There was no sadness on his face, only a melancholy look in his eyes, which, reflected in the cold moonlight, resembled the surface of a deep lake.
When he returned to the small courtyard in the mountain valley, it was already dark. The house, which should have been empty, was lit up. Tang Yanchu was taken aback, but not very surprised. He went straight to his bedroom door, lifted his leg and gently pushed it open. He saw Lian Junqiu, dressed in a dark blue dress, sitting on the edge of his bed.
"Big sister," he called out, head bowed, standing at the door.
Lian Junqiu suddenly stood up, looked at him, and said seriously, "Where have you been these past few days?"
Tang Yanchu slowly walked to the table and sat down, saying, "I didn't go anywhere, I just went down the mountain once."
"Lian Junchu! You've been missing for at least ten days! I almost couldn't help but tell Father!" Lian Junqiu said angrily as she walked up to him. "Tell me, where did you go that took so long!"
Tang Yanchu stared blankly at the flickering candlelight on the table, and said indifferently, "I just felt I'd been staying in the mountains for too long, so I went out for a walk..."
"Do you think I'm a fool?" Lian Junqiu sneered. "Since you moved here, you've never left Pingyang."
Tang Yanchu pursed her lips tightly, said nothing more, and looked resolute.
Lian Junqiu raised her eyebrows, swiftly opened the wardrobe in front of his bed, and pointed inside, saying, "The clothes I sent you two years ago, hoping you'd dress nicely and not be laughed at, have never been worn. You said you weren't used to wearing long gowns, and I understand. But you actually took them out this time, didn't you? Who exactly are you going to see that you're so serious about?"
Tang Yanchu straightened up, staring intently at her for a long time before saying, "Elder sister, please don't ask anymore. It's just a set of clothes; it doesn't have any important meaning."
Lian Junqiu snatched the bundle from his shoulder, untied it, and quickly pulled out the plain satin robe. She stroked the diagonal stripes on the lapel and slowly said, "Junchu, did you go to see Miss Yue?"
Tang Yanchu's shoulders trembled slightly, and she whispered, "No."
Lian Junqiu was rummaging through his package when she suddenly noticed a green brocade sachet at the bottom, and her expression immediately changed.
"Then tell me, what is this?" Lian Junqiu clutched the five-colored ribbon on the sachet tightly, presenting it to Tang Yanchu. "Don't tell me this is something you just bought randomly!"
Tang Yanchu's eyes gradually became misty. He lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly, "Please don't ask anymore, okay? I won't go out again, I won't!"
Lian Junqiu reluctantly placed the sachet on the table, patted his back, and said softly, "I know you're lonely here all alone, but, Junchu, that girl isn't right for you." She paused, then whispered, "You should find someone who can take good care of you for the rest of your life..."
Tang Yanchu raised her head, her dark eyes looking at her, her face full of sorrow.
"Big sister, I don't want to be a useless person who can only be taken care of! I know you mean well, but I really don't want to."
"Then what do you want?" Lian Junqiu hardened her heart and looked at him, saying, "Do you still want to take care of Yue Ruzheng? Junchu, you know your own situation best. It's already difficult enough that you can barely take care of yourself, so what makes you think you can take care of her?"
Tang Yanchu suddenly stood up, her face pale, and said, "Big sister, why do you say that about me too?! Why do you also think I can't do anything right?!"
Lian Junqiu trembled, frowning as she tried to step forward to comfort him, but he abruptly took a step back, leaning tightly against the table, his voice trembling as he shouted, "I've lived here alone for so many years, never troubling anyone! I could have taken care of Ruzheng when she was injured! I could! But she still left, she'll never come back! Is it true that no matter how hard I try, in all of your eyes I'll always be a useless cripple?!"
Lian Junqiu was stunned by his furious appearance. She slowly reached out and placed her hand on Tang Yanchu's shoulder, whispering, "Junchu, Junchu, don't think like that... I just want to tell you, don't dwell on that Miss Yue anymore... Look, she was just recuperating here with you. She ultimately belongs to the martial world, right? She's a disciple of Yinxi Xiaozhu, how could she stay in this deep mountain with you? Since she doesn't want to come back... don't be too sad. Just treat those days as a chance encounter, and you'll gradually forget her..."
Tang Yanchu's eyes glistened. He tilted his head back, took a deep breath, and tried his best to hold back his tears.
Lian Junqiu reached out and gently stroked his cheek. He instinctively recoiled. Lian Junqiu lowered her eyes in disappointment, then noticed the sachet and picked it up, saying, "Don't keep it anymore. I'll throw it away for you."
"No!" Tang Yanchu suddenly came to his senses. This sachet, which he had originally planned to bury forever, now felt like something was blocking his heart as Lian Junqiu held it.
Lian Junqiu was taken aback, then said angrily, "What are you still keeping her for? Didn't you just say she wouldn't come back?" As she spoke, she took the sachet and walked quickly out. Tang Yanchu gritted her teeth and chased after her, blocking the doorway with her body, looking at her with a haggard expression without saying a word.
"What are you trying to do?!" Lian Junqiu's hand, gripping the sachet, trembled slightly as she angrily said, "Keeping it will only bring more sorrow, don't you understand?!"
"Let me handle my own affairs!" Tang Yanchu blurted out, then stood stubbornly in front of her, refusing to back down an inch.
Lian Junqiu looked at him sadly and threw the sachet at him with all her might, but he couldn't catch it and could only watch helplessly as it fell to his feet.
"You'd better watch yourself!" Lian Junqiu said, then walked out without looking back.
Chapter Thirty: Only the Bright Moon Knows My Heart
Tang Yanchu stood alone in the candlelight for a long time before slowly crouching down and picking up the emerald green sachet. He lowered his head and silently walked out of the courtyard, continuing to walk through the vast night until he reached the spot where he had seen Yue Ruzheng fall from the hillside that day. He bent down, released the sachet, and gently placed it beside the grass. Then he sat down on the ground, using his feet to grip sharp stones and dig furiously into the soil…
By the time he covered the sachet with the last handful of soil, a cool night breeze had risen, and he was shivering from the cold despite his thin clothes. Yet, he braved the night wind and sat in the weeds for a long time before finally returning to the courtyard.
Lying in bed, Tang Yanchu felt a chill run through her body and her bones ached. The continuous travel had exhausted her mind and body, and drained all her hope.
He wanted to fall into a deep sleep and forget everything, but waves of sorrow kept washing over him, preventing him from sleeping.
That night, he stayed awake almost until dawn.
In the early hours of the next day, the chill that had gripped him turned into a persistent fever. Exhausted, he gazed at the gradually brightening light outside the window, yet felt as if he were still in darkness. Around noon, he finally managed to get up, but he ate nothing, only drinking some tea that Lian Junqiu had left on the table, before lying back down on the bed.
As dusk approached, a light rain began to fall outside the window. The rain in these mountains was frequent and plentiful. Tang Yanchu lay on the bed, half-asleep, listening to the raindrops outside, a quiet, incessant sound. He forced himself to stop thinking and closed his eyes. The burning sensation throughout his body made him very uncomfortable, but he didn't want to get up. He laboriously used the strength of his legs and waist to turn his body to his side, facing the wall, and fell asleep. At first, he couldn't calm his mind, but later, due to the fever, he drifted into a deep sleep.