Idle flowers and shadows

Chapter 13

"What happened?"

"Just received news that Brother Qin had an accident on his way back!"

"What did you say?" Su Xianhua grabbed Mei Xiasheng by the collar, a sudden panic rising in her heart. "What happened to Qin Shao?" How could something have happened to Qin Shao, who was capable of anything?

"Big...Big sister, please...let me tell you slowly..." Mei Xiaoliu felt like she was suffocating, coughing repeatedly, her already haggard face turning even paler.

The two were so engrossed in their conversation in the middle of the street that they completely ignored the black horse snorting and circling in place. A pair of gracefully slender hands reached out without a word, took the black horse's reins, and gently led it to the shop entrance, tying it to the horse post.

The street, which had been mostly blocked, was finally clear. Miao Ruotan looked at Zhong Zhan, who was half-closing his eyes and deep in thought, stroked the stubble on her chin, and sighed, "You don't seem worried at all, but rather quite happy?"

At midnight, the sound of a flute playing under the stars and moon gradually fills the air (18)

“How do you know I’m not worried?” Zhong Zhan said slowly. “I’m just thinking that this way she won’t be able to go back, and it will save me from having to find another way to trick her into coming down the mountain.”

"Your fickle affections are truly disheartening!"

"You don't have to come along, I won't blame you."

"Come on! I know you'd love for me to be gone, but I'm going to stick with you anyway. You don't need to feel too guilty."

"You mean, he returned from the Western Regions and lost contact after arriving in Yama City?" Su Xianhua frowned deeply after hearing Mei Xiasheng's brief explanation.

"It should be. After my eldest sister went down the mountain, my third brother received a letter from Xiao Luo, who was by my second brother's side. It said that their group had been stuck in Yama City for several days and seemed to have encountered some trouble. Someone was injured. Looking at the date of the letter, it was more than fifteen days ago. Since then, not a single word has come."

As Mei Xiasheng spoke, he secretly glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The scent of rose nectar so close to his face finally brought a suspicious blush to his doughy cheeks: "Big...Big sister, can you let me go?"

Su Xianhua didn't notice the change in his expression. She loosened her grip and pondered to herself, "Yanmo City? We've never had any connection with that place. Could it be that Qin Shao offended someone in the Western Regions? But he never creates trouble for himself, let alone encounter thieves. How could ordinary thieves threaten him?"

Unable to come up with an answer after a while, Su Xianhua casually asked, "Little Six, are there any powerful figures near Yanmo City?"

Mei Xiasheng rubbed his neck, which was sore from Su Xianhua's grip, and stammered, "Well, I'm not too sure either..."

"To the west of Yama City lies the Demon Realm, an eight-hundred-mile stretch of desolate desert, utterly uninhabited," a gentle voice interjected. Su Xianhua was startled and turned to look: "You haven't left yet?"

"Luckily, they haven't left yet." Zhong Zhan smiled slightly, stepped forward and stood naturally beside her, and said, "Let's go inside and talk about it. If we need to talk for a long time, we can ask the shopkeeper to heat up another pot of wine."

Su Xianhua pondered for a moment, then said, "Alright." She patted Mei Xiasheng on the shoulder, "Xiao Liu, come in and tell me slowly."

Zhong Zhan met Mei Xiasheng's puzzled and surprised gaze, nodded, and smiled, "My name is Zhong Zhan, and I am Miss Su's friend."

"I am Miao Ruotan." Miao Ruotan peeked out from behind him, glancing sideways at Mei Xiasheng. "You're the sixth leader of Black Wind Stronghold? You're so young, you're not even fourteen yet, are you?"

…………

Mei followed the three into the restaurant, fuming, secretly planning to teach Miao Ruotan a lesson she wouldn't forget. He had always had a childlike face and hated nothing more than having his age questioned. Even if these two were his older sister's friends, he couldn't let them look down on him!

Su Xianhua was unaware of the turmoil in his heart; she simply asked Zhong Zhan anxiously, "What did you just say? The Demon Realm?"

Zhong Zhan said, "Yam Demon City got its name because sandstorms often rage throughout the year. To its northwest lies the Demon Realm Desert, a place that strikes fear into the hearts of all. You've probably heard of it, right? The Demon Realm Desert isn't just because it's an endless expanse of barren sand, but also because..."

Su Xianhua bit her lip: "Because of the Demonic Sect?"

Zhong Zhan nodded: "Fifty years ago, the Sword Saint became famous throughout the world after a battle with the leader of the Demonic Sect. Afterwards, the leader and the four protectors made a vow never to invade the Central Plains again. The members of the Demonic Sect disappeared overnight, and it is said that they went into seclusion in the depths of the Demonic Desert."

Su Xianhua's brows furrowed even more: "Could it be the Demonic Sect that attacked Qin Shao? That's impossible. They've been silent for a long time. Even if they were to make a comeback, they should have chosen a more famous figure." After a moment of contemplation, she suddenly asked Mei Xiasheng, "Xiao Liu, do you know why Qin Shao went to the Western Regions in the first place?"

Mei Xiasheng shook his head: "I don't know. Everyone knows Second Brother's temper. He's always been elusive, and nobody knows what he's up to."

"Damn Qin Shao! I told him he's not young anymore. Why can't he just settle down, get married, and have kids? Why does he have to run around everywhere?" Su Xianhua gritted her teeth, but she was still worried and couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. She slammed her hand on the table and said, "Looks like I have to go there myself."

At midnight, the sound of a flute playing amidst the stars and moon can be heard. (19)

Mei Xiasheng nodded in agreement and added, "Just now, when this Young Master Zhong mentioned the Demon Realm, I remembered something. My second brother often mentions a place when he goes out, and now that I think about it, it's quite close to Yama City. Just head east along the Sacred Sound Snow Peak and cross the valley of the Jueyun Mountain Range, and you'll arrive. If you're on horseback, it won't take more than two days!"

Su Xianhua had a very vague concept of location and asked blankly, "What place?"

"It's the Capital of Sword and Jade!" Mei Xiasheng exclaimed with excitement and longing. "Big sister, the famous Capital of Sword and Jade lies beneath the Jueyun Mountains! It's the head of the Four Manors, ruling over twelve prefectures in the northwest frontier!"

"The Capital of Sword Yu?" Su Xianhua murmured, then involuntarily looked at Zhong Zhan. "Is that so?"

Zhong Zhan smiled and said, "That's true."

She lowered her head and pondered, "Things seem a bit complicated. I need to get up as soon as possible. Xiao Liu, who's in charge of things in the village now?"

“It’s Fifth Brother,” Mei Xiasheng said. “Originally, Fifth Brother also wanted to come out and look for Eldest Sister, but I saw that he’s been busy with his wedding lately, and his future sister-in-law is pregnant, so it’s more convenient for me to go out. Third Brother and Fourth Brother have already gone ahead to find out more information.”

Su Xianhua nodded and said, "It's good that Qi Xiaowu stays on the mountain. He's more steady and meticulous than Lao San and Lao Si. Xiao Liu, leave Hei Mei with me, and then buy a horse to take back to the mountain. Help Xiaowu keep an eye on things in the village these next few days, and don't let the news of my trip to the Western Regions spread."

Mei Xiasheng was taken aback: "Big sister, you're going alone?"

"I have to go." Su Xianhua's lips curled into a bright and determined smile. "Three years ago, when I almost died, Qin Shao saved me bit by bit. This time, I must repay that favor!"

Seeing her expression, Mei Xiasheng knew that she had made up her mind, so he simply answered "yes" and turned to leave.

"Xiao Liu, wait a minute." Su Xianhua suddenly grabbed his arm, her hands reaching straight for the purse at his waist. "How much money do you have on you right now? Give it all to me."

Mei Xiasheng, being young and easily embarrassed, blushed upon seeing her beautiful face behaving in such a lewd manner. He clutched his purse and tried to hide, saying, "Big sister, how much do you want? I was in a hurry to get down the mountain and didn't bring much money with me..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhong Zhan grabbed Su Xianhua's wandering hand. His tone was somewhat helpless, yet also softly pleading: "Huahua, I still have money. You can use mine."

Su Xianhua was taken aback, lowered her head and thought for a moment, then finally understood: "You plan to come with me?"

He blinked his beautiful eyes: "Is it not allowed?"

"This is my private matter. Besides, the place I'm going is very far away!" It's not like I'm going on a picnic. I'm not related to them, and we're not that close, so there's no need for me to travel with them so intimately.

“I know.” Zhong Zhan nodded. “We also have things to do, it just so happens that we’re on the same path as Hua Hua.”

Su Xianhua shook her head: "This excuse is nothing new and not convincing at all."

"You think I'm lying to you?" Zhong Zhan raised an eyebrow, then sighed, looking quite aggrieved. "Have you forgotten why we came to Fei Hua Xiao Zhu? The most exciting thing in the martial arts world lately..."

"A riddle posed by the Sword Saint?"

Zhong Zhan nodded and said, "Hua Hua, you've heard that poem before, haven't you? Don't you understand what it's about? The person mentioned in the second riddle happens to live on the only road to Yama City!"

Even Miao Ruotan couldn't sit still this time: "Xiao Zhong, what did you say? When did you decipher that poem? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Zhong Zhan smiled and said, "That's what I was thinking about just now."

Su Xianhua immediately became interested, leaned forward, and waited for him to speak.

Zhong Zhan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he asked the shopkeeper for paper and pen and wrote down the four sentences one by one. His handwriting was beautiful, vigorous and flowing, powerful enough to penetrate the paper. It's said that handwriting reflects the person, but this wasn't the kind of strength an ordinary scholar would possess. Unfortunately, Su Xianhua didn't understand these things; she was simply delighted to find that she could recognize every single word on the paper.

At midnight, the sound of a flute playing under the stars and moon can be heard. (20)

"How so?" Her gaze shifted from the paper to his face.

“The first line, ‘A thousand miles cannot be conveyed by the horse’s hooves,’ ‘A thousand miles’ is the key. This is the word ‘key’.” Zhong Zhan picked up his brush and lightly touched the two characters for “a thousand miles.” “‘At midnight, the sound of the flute under the stars and moon is gradually heard,’ the third watch is the time of ‘night,’ so this is the word ‘night.’ These two lines together form the two characters ‘double night’.”

“Chongye…” Miao Ruotan seemed to have thought of something, and looked at Zhong Zhan with a rather complicated expression.

"Chong Ye?" Su Xianhua's heart skipped a beat, and she asked urgently, "Is that a person's name? Why does it sound so familiar?"

Mei Xiasheng, who was standing to the side, was very dissatisfied with her ignorance and nudged her with his elbow: "Big sister, 'Night Swan' is 'Night Swan'!"

"Hmm..." Su Xianhua choked on her wine and coughed repeatedly. Zhong Zhan handed her a cup of tea at the right moment, which she took and drank in one gulp. She urged, "Could it really be the famous Northern Desert Hero 'Night Swan'? What did the last two sentences say?"

Zhong Zhan slowly reached out and wiped the water from the corner of her mouth, saying, "The last two lines are simpler than the first two. 'Holding your hand, we ascend the west tower, gazing afar at the precious light awaiting the dawn.' Take the third character from each line, and you get 'zhi bao' (之宝). Put the four lines together, and you get 'chong ye zhi bao' (重夜之宝)."

Su Xianhua was taken aback: "It's that simple?"

"It's that simple," Zhong Zhan laughed. "This is just the first hurdle in this puzzle. If the first hurdle is this difficult, how will the Sword Saint find a 'suitable' successor? How will he continue to enjoy the spectacle?"

This statement was quite strange, but Su Xianhua didn't take it to heart. Her mind was now completely occupied with the words "Chongye's Treasure." She poked around on the paper with her finger, saying, "'Night Swan' Lin Chongye, known as the Great Hero of the Northern Desert, is naturally bold and unrestrained, with friends all over the world. He certainly fits the description of the 'generous person' the Sword Saint spoke of. However, what is 'something he absolutely refuses to let go of'? That's quite difficult to guess..."

Zhong Zhan said, "So Hua Hua also knows the riddle set by the Sword Saint."

"Hmm...I've heard a little bit about it." She chuckled, covering up Cheng Hongxiao's mistake, and then asked, "I heard there were four questions, what were the other two?"

Zhong Zhan sighed and said, "The Sword Saint only told the whole martial arts world the first three things. I only know that the other one is the rouge on the lips of a virtuous woman."

Su Xianhua choked on her wine again. She had heard that the Sword Saint was a very strange person and his deeds, but she never expected him to be so strange as to be so unbelievable. He was not a great god, but an old demon.

Zhong Zhan reached out and patted her back: "Hua Hua, didn't you say you weren't interested in these things?"

“I’m interested in listening, but not in doing.” She clapped her hands to end the topic and turned back to say, “If, as you say, the poem really refers to Lin Chongye, the great hero of the Northern Desert, then his residence, Biluo Valley, is indeed halfway to Yama City.”

"So, can I go with Hua Hua?"

"That's possible, but we are men and women after all..."

Zhong Zhan glanced at Miao Ruotan, who immediately stepped forward and said with great loyalty, "Don't forget about me! It's inconvenient for one man and one woman to travel together, but two men and one woman... well, that's a little more convenient..."

Su Xianhua grinned sheepishly, "That's not what I meant. This isn't my first time traveling the world. I usually travel around with a few brothers, and I don't care about reputation or anything like that. It's just that if I'm with you guys..." She wasn't afraid of anything except that Zhong Zhan would remember what happened that night.

Miao Ruotan twitched her lips, but Zhong Zhan said gently, "If there's anything inconvenient, Huahua, just say it. We'll discuss it together."

"No need!" Su Xianhua hurriedly shook her head, finally agreeing reluctantly. Actually, it wasn't entirely reluctant; she didn't dislike traveling with Zhong Zhan, and even felt a sense of joy, probably because the journey was long and lonely, and having someone to accompany her made her very happy. This joy overcame her anxiety about reminding him of the past, making her journey for the next few days very pleasant.

B: Where to read books?

A thousand knots in my heart, no one knows (1)

He was simply himself—Zhong Zhan, who would get up early to comb her hair; Zhong Zhan, always smiling and seemingly never angry; a friend she had met by chance. The world was still bright and sunny, and she felt that life would be good just like this.

one

The second person mentioned by the Sword Saint is quite different from the miserly Duan Wenzheng; he is a very famous figure in the martial arts world.

Lin Chongye, the chivalrous hero of the Northern Desert, also known as "Night Swan," rose to prominence in the martial world seven years ago. With his signature "Splitting Palm" technique, he repeatedly and severely injured several bandits and fugitives roaming the northern deserts, accomplishing numerous significant feats. Known for his unparalleled generosity and chivalry, he had friends all over the land. Anyone who needed his help would be willing to go through fire and water for him, as long as it was within his power. He would brave even the most dangerous places to hunt down villains without batting an eye. Over the years, he had squandered countless riches and borne numerous scars, yet he never uttered a word of complaint. Although he had no wife, no children, and possessed little personal wealth, he possessed a fortune that most people could only dream of in a lifetime.

This is a true hero! Even when Su Xianhua was still the young Miss Xiaohua, she had always heard his story told by the passionate youths of the village, and she deeply admired him. There are very few people in this world who can truly be called "heroes."

To be honest, she really couldn't think of anything that such a person would be unwilling to let go of.

Money? It turned out that was truly an external thing to him. A beautiful wife and children? He was already in his thirties and hadn't even heard of a confidante, so where would a wife and children come from?! Houses and land? Wealth and fame? Heirlooms? ...None of those. There are people in the world who would consider weapons and horses more precious than life itself, but clearly not him, because he didn't even have a single weapon he carried with him.

He was willing to go to great lengths for his friends, so even his life wasn't something he absolutely had to risk.

This is a very difficult question.