Luzhou Moon - Chapter 69
When the young lady first brought her into the Forget-Love Pavilion and asked her to help inventory the treasures, Liuli caught Danfeng's eye. She sincerely felt that this was a true reflection of the young master.
Yinglong drove the carriage slowly through Luzhou City. Danfeng leaned against the window, looking out. Seeing the lights of houses gradually appearing along the streets and alleys, she rested her chin on her hand and said worriedly, "I wonder how Chongming is... Young Master, do you mean the people from Yinxi Xiaozhu kidnapped him?"
Lian Junchu said calmly, "It's not certain yet."
"Then how do you know it's related to Yinxi Xiaozhu?"
His eyes narrowed, and after a long silence, he said, "I saw the sword marks on the tree."
"I've never had any dealings with anyone from this sect, I've only heard that their Lonely Fragrance Sword Technique is unique..." Seeing that he didn't seem to mind the term, Danfeng continued on her own.
Lian Junchu sat quietly, as always, as still as a deep pool.
As Danfeng was speaking, the carriage paused slightly. The curtain moved, and Yinglong leaned in, saying, "Young Master, should we let the brothers following behind dismount and rest? It's dinnertime."
Lian Junchu nodded. Ying Long stopped the carriage and gestured for the swordsmen behind to dismount and enter the roadside tavern. Danfeng hesitated for a moment, then said, "Young Master, aren't you going to get off?"
"Go eat." Lian Junchu didn't look at her, but turned her head to look at the pedestrians passing by outside the window.
Danfeng picked up a package from beside the seat with a somewhat dejected expression, untied it, and placed it on his lap. Inside were the dried rations he had prepared earlier.
Then she gently lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down from the carriage.
Lian Junchu sat motionless in the gradually darkening twilight.
The tavern was bustling with activity, and the streets were also crowded with people hurrying home to have dinner with their families.
The familiar street scene, the flickering lights, and the heavy local accents lingered all around, making one feel as if in a dream.
When Danfeng returned to the car, she was shocked to find that he hadn't touched the food he had left behind.
She said hesitantly, "Young master, don't you want to eat these anymore? I'll go buy you some food and bring it over."
He didn't say anything, he just shook his head.
Throughout the journey, he never got out of the carriage to eat with anyone. Every time they entered a restaurant or tavern, Lian Junchu would stay alone in the carriage and eat only a little dry food.
While on the island, he always ate in his room and never let anyone see him.
Danfeng squatted down, reached out and gathered the cloth bundle, her brows furrowed, her face full of sorrow. After hesitating several times, she handed the dry rations to Lian Junchu, whispering, "Young master, please eat."
Lian Junchu looked down at her cautious demeanor, and for some reason, her originally cold eyes gradually dimmed.
"Don't worry about me." After he finished speaking, he pursed his lips tightly, a resolute look flashing across his brows, leaving no trace of warmth.
Yinglong had never been to Luzhou before, and only after asking for directions did he find the road leading to Dashu Mountain. The evening wind was chilly, and after driving his carriage along the forest path for a while, seeing that it was getting dark, he couldn't help but turn back and call to Danfeng, asking her to go ahead and inquire about the direction of Yinxi Xiaozhu in the village ahead.
Just as Danfeng was about to ask for directions, she heard Lian Junchu's voice coming from inside the carriage.
"Walk along the stream at the edge of the woods."
Danfeng was taken aback, then turned around and asked, "Young Master, do you know the way?"
Lian Junchu sat upright, her eyes lowered, and said, "Just go."
"Yes." Danfeng responded hesitantly, lowered the curtain, and instructed Yinglong to follow the route Lian Junchu had given him.
The carriage moved quickly, and Lian Junchu sat inside, staring at the curtain the whole time, never once looking out.
Behind Mount Dashu, plum blossoms exude fragrance, the moonlight is cold and serene, and from the depths of the silent forest, the sound of a zither drifts in, like a waterfall leaping lightly, clear and melodious.
Yinglong cracked his whip while listening curiously, when Lian Junchu, inside the carriage, suddenly spoke up: "Stop here."
Yinglong paused, stopped the carriage, turned around, and lifted the curtain, saying, "Young master, there are no houses here."
Lian Junchu didn't speak, but lowered her head and jumped down from the carriage. The clear moonlight shone among the pink and white plum blossoms, their graceful shadows swaying gently, and the sound of the zither continued.
He gazed at the deep, secluded forest and walked slowly towards it. Danfeng and the others followed closely behind. They saw plum blossoms in full bloom on both sides, each with its own unique shape and color, some delicate and vibrant, others subtle and understated. A winding path led into the depths of the forest.
The zither music gradually faded, but didn't stop, drifting gently on the wind. Lian Junchu passed through a grove of pink plum trees, and not far away was an open space where white plum blossoms stood proudly, their branches gnarled and twisted, and beneath their shadows lay a jade zither stand. At this moment, the clouds shifted slightly, and the bright moonlight shone directly on the face of the woman playing the zither. She wore a long white dress with plum blossom patterns, a snow-white shawl draped over her shoulders, and her black hair was styled high. Though not young, she possessed a unique charm.
Behind this woman stood a young girl in pink, her skin slightly plump, with shallow dimples. The girl had already heard someone approaching from the woods and was looking over curiously. She saw that Lian Junchu was dressed in a blue robe, with a gentle and refined demeanor, and was followed by many attendants. She wondered which noble family he was from, but he seemed vaguely familiar. She couldn't help but lean down to ask the zither-playing woman a question.
The woman then touched the strings with her slender fingers, looked up at Lian Junchu, and asked, "Did this young master stumble upon Merlin by accident, or has he come specifically to find someone?"
Lian Junchu stood before the crowd and bowed slightly to her, saying, "I have come to pay my respects to Madam Jiang of Yinxi Xiaozhu."
"Oh? You know who I am..." Jiang Shuying stood up, but did not step forward. "But may I ask your honorable name, sir?"
Lian Junchu said calmly, "Who I am is not important, but there is something I would like to ask Madam Jiang."
Jiang Shuying kept staring at the young man in front of her. He had handsome features and spoke at a slow and steady pace, seemingly gentle and calm, but in reality, he had an icy coldness about him.
"As expected, they're up to no good." She raised an eyebrow.
Danfeng, unable to contain herself any longer, retorted, "What do you mean, 'they're here with ill intentions'? Did Yinxi Xiaozhu secretly ambush our people? My young master has already noticed the traces left there!"
Jiang Shuying hadn't expected the young maid following behind to be so bold. A sharp glint appeared in her eyes as she rebuked, "Who are you? When did it become a maid's place to question me?!"
Danfeng was embarrassed and was about to retaliate when Lian Junchu turned around and gave her a heavy look, so she could only bite her lip and lower her head.
Jiang Shuying sneered, flicked her sleeves, and walked to the zither platform, saying, "Our Yinxi Xiaozhu has always been upright and honorable, how could we do such a shameful thing as a sneak attack? It is you who are of unknown origin, visiting at night, showing no manners whatsoever! And you dare to slander our sect with such baseless accusations?"
A hint of sarcasm flickered between Lian Junchu's brows as she smiled slightly and said, "Whether I am upright or not, I dare not say. It's just that my subordinates mysteriously disappeared near Huangshan, and there were sword marks from your Yinxi Xiaozhu on the surrounding trees, which is why I came to inquire. How is that slander?"
"Young master, who are you from, and why do you know so much about our sect's swordsmanship?!" Jiang Shuying asked, glancing at the group behind Lian Junchu. Seeing that each of the young men carried two swords on their shoulders, she suddenly realized something, suppressing her shock, and slowly said, "The Lian family's Forget-Me-Not Twin Swords? Are you from Seven Star Island?"
Lian Junchu's eyes were deep and thoughtful as she said in a low voice, "Exactly."