Luzhou Moon - Chapter 63
Yue Ruzheng rested her hands on the stone table, biting her lower lip as she gazed at the distant mountains, her expression sorrowful.
At this moment, Yin Xiurong came out of the manor and stood in front of the pavilion, saying to Wei Heng, "That man went crazy for some reason. Taking advantage of the guards' absence, he rammed his head against the wall. Luckily, he was rescued. Otherwise, when Lian Junqiu arrives, she might use this opportunity to blame us for killing her subordinate!"
As she spoke, she glanced at Yue Ruzheng, who was still lost in thought, and said to herself, "I almost forgot, I heard that Miss Yue used to have connections with Seven Star Island. If Lian Junqiu comes, will Miss Yue side with them?"
"What are you saying? We were already planning to leave the mountain, so why would we help the people from Seven Star Island?" Shao Yang was already dissatisfied with her, and hearing her speak rudely to Yue Ruzheng made him even angrier.
Yin Xiurong snorted: "Everyone knows about her past..."
"Miss Yin!" Wei Heng stepped forward and raised his hand to stop her from speaking. "Let's not talk about the past anymore."
Since Yin Xiurong was in Huangshan, seeing Wei Heng speak, she could only say, "I'm just afraid that I won't be able to distinguish friend from foe and will lose face in front of Lian Junqiu!"
Wei Heng sneered, sat down on a bench in the pavilion, and said, "Miss Yin underestimates my Tingyu Manor. This is Wei's territory; even Lian Junqiu wouldn't dare to act recklessly here!"
As they were talking, Liang Yingxue turned back and overheard his words. Her brows furrowed, and she held her longsword close to her chest, saying, "Master Wei, if Lian Junqiu forcibly takes those people away, should we start a fight?"
Wei Heng leaned back and said, "Of course, our Wei family has never been afraid of those surnamed Lian. Miss Liang, what do you think?"
Liang Yingxue smiled faintly, and Yin Xiurong behind her said, "This whole thing started because of us. Are you afraid we'll desert us? Their men seriously injured my junior sister, and I'm going to settle the score with them right now!"
Wei Heng nodded slightly. Shao Yang kept his eyes on Yue Ruzheng and saw her standing alone to the side, silent, as if she couldn't hear the people around her at all.
He turned to Wei Heng and said, "Brother Wei, I will take my junior sister down the mountain now. I cannot stay here any longer." With that, he tugged at Yue Ruzheng's sleeve and headed down the mountain.
Just then, a guard came rushing down the stone steps and knelt outside the pavilion, saying, "Reporting to the Master, Young Master Lian from Seven Star Island has already gone up the mountain and will arrive shortly!"
These words startled everyone present. Yue Ruzheng felt a chill run through her body and was unable to move. Shao Yang frowned, forcibly pulled her behind him, and held her icy hand tightly.
"Young Master Lian?" Yin Xiurong asked first, "I clearly called for Lian Junqiu!"
Liang Yingxue frowned and said, "Lian Junqiu hasn't shown his face in the martial world for a long time. Could something have happened to him...? I've only heard of this Young Master Lian; I've never actually seen him before..."
Wei Heng had already sent word inside, and soon Qi Yun and the Emei girl arrived with many subordinates from Tingyu Manor. Qi Yun and the others stood outside the pavilion, seemingly casually, but in reality, they protected the Emei girls and blocked the road to the manor.
In an instant, the once quiet mountain pavilion was filled with a somber atmosphere.
"Master, I have made all the arrangements. In case of battle, there are dozens of archers on the opposite cliff ready to fight at any time," Qi Yun whispered to Wei Heng.
Wei Heng nodded slightly, sat facing the mountain path, held a celadon wine cup, and slowly drank without making a sound.
Thick clouds floated in the sky, and the north wind whipped up the snow outside the pavilion, which drifted into Yue Ruzheng's eyes. Ever since she heard the word "Young Master Lian" just now, she had been distraught, letting Shao Yang tightly grab her wrist and drag her to the back of the crowd.
In the silence, as if to break the tension, Yin Xiurong smiled slightly and turned to Liang Yingxue, saying, "Senior Sister, Seven Star Island is famous throughout the world for its Forgetful Twin Swords, but I've heard that this Young Master Lian seems to have no hands. Even if we were to fight today, we wouldn't be at a disadvantage."
"Xiurong, we haven't dealt with this person yet, so don't underestimate him," Liang Yingxue whispered.
Yin Xiurong raised an eyebrow and said, "I think he's only addressed as 'Young Master' because he was born into the Lian family. Otherwise, how could someone like him establish himself in the martial world?"
As Yue Ruzheng listened, she almost couldn't help but speak, but before she could move, Shao Yang gripped her palm tightly. She looked at Shao Yang with sorrow in her eyes, but Shao Yang didn't speak, only staring at her with a heavy gaze.
Feeling the intense gaze upon her, and considering her own predicament, Yue Ruzheng knew that even if she stood up to defend Lian Junchu, what good would it do? She might even be ridiculed again. She gave a self-deprecating laugh, and ultimately turned her face away silently.
At this moment, Qi Yun said, "Miss Yin's words, though direct, are not without reason. This young master Lian lives a secluded life and rarely appears in the martial world; how can he compare to my master, who is young and promising?"
Wei Heng glanced at him, his expression a mixture of anger and smugness. As he poured himself a drink, he addressed the crowd, "None of you have ever seen this Young Master Lian before, have you? Now you'll finally get to see him in person."
As they spoke, fine snowflakes fluttered down as a group of people approached from around the bend in the stone steps. Leading the way was a young man in a dark blue outfit, with handsome features, bright eyes, and a resolute gaze. Two swords were strapped to his back, their white tassels fluttering in the snow. Behind him stood a young woman in plain white robes, her green skirt embroidered with wave patterns. Her face was like porcelain, her features delicate and refined. In her left hand she held a plain scroll, and in her right, she held a white paper umbrella with lotus blossoms, sheltering someone beside her from the snow.
Even though Yue Ruzheng was standing behind the crowd, she could still see the person under the umbrella.
He wore his hair in a pure black brocade bun, a dark cloak trimmed with snow fox fur draped over his shoulders, a pale blue cross-collar robe, a jade belt buckle at his waist, and dark blue boots on his feet. His appearance hadn't changed much compared to three years ago; he was still handsome and refined, only his skin wasn't as pale as before, and his sharp features had gained a touch of maturity. But his eyes were deeper than before. If his eyes used to hide deep sensitivity and inferiority, now they only revealed a detached indifference.
It's as if they've seen through everything, yet they despise everything.
He no longer walked with his head down, but instead looked calmly ahead as he climbed upwards step by step.
Chapter Forty-Four: Twin Swords Fall Like a Thousand Autumn Snows
The people on the mountain watched as the legendary Young Master Lian gradually approached. He had only brought ten subordinates, all of whom were young swordsmen, who lined up in two rows and quietly followed at the back.
Wei Heng held a wine cup, seemingly relaxed and at ease, but in reality, he had been observing him closely, his gaze finally settling on the sleeves hidden under the cloak. Although he was wearing a heavy cloak, one could still vaguely see that the sleeves on both sides of his body were swaying slightly as he walked.
Liang Yingxue and the others were on high alert, and the men of Tingyu Manor also gripped their weapons tightly, ready for battle.
The blue-clad youth who was leading the way stopped a few stone steps away from the pavilion and stepped aside. The girl in plain clothes and a green skirt stepped forward and said sternly to Wei Heng, "Master Wei, my young master has come specifically for this appointment, yet you here exude a murderous aura. What is your intention?"
Wei Heng smiled and said, "Such a beautiful girl, yet so unsmiling, is truly a spoilsport. I happen to have some friends from the martial world here to enjoy the snow and drink wine. Why is it so murderous, as you described? Is it because Seven Star Island is known for its bloodshed that you feel danger everywhere?"
The young girl raised her delicate eyebrows, her expression serious: "Young Master Wei's words are somewhat biased. Seven Star Island never kills innocent people indiscriminately. Every incident of bloodshed has a cause and effect. For example, this matter..."
"Wasn't it your people who injured my Emei disciples this time?" Yin Xiurong stepped forward first, standing on the stone steps, looking down at her, and said, "Don't you dare say that my junior sisters did anything wrong that requires you to act on their behalf!"
The young woman pursed her lips, looked at her, and said, "Our disciples who returned to the island didn't say anything wrong about the Emei Sect. However, those ladies from your sect were truly sharp-tongued. Wandering the martial world, their martial arts are lacking, yet they act arrogantly and boastfully. Is this how a prestigious sect behaves?"
"Young lady, don't take this opportunity to insult my sect!" Liang Yingxue frowned and shouted to stop her.
"Everything I said is true!" The girl glanced at her and said coldly.
"Danfeng, there's no need to dwell on this topic any longer." At this moment, he, who had been quietly watching everyone, suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it had a cold and stern tone.
"Yes, young master." The girl named Danfeng took a step back and stood beside him.
He then stepped forward, looked at Wei Heng, and said, "Master Wei, I am Lian Junchu from Seven Star Island."
"I am Wei Heng from Tingyu Manor." Wei Heng smiled, rose, and clasped his hands in greeting. "Young Master Lian rarely appears in the martial world, so your presence today is truly an honor to my humble abode. It's a pity I was unaware of your arrival and was unable to prepare any special hospitality."
Lian Junchu smiled faintly and said, "It doesn't matter. I am not a pampered scion of a noble family."