Idle flowers and shadows

Chapter 15

She cursed under her breath, twisting her waist to dodge several silver needles. The moment she landed, a cold wind rushed towards her. A person shrouded in a black robe wielded a gleaming steel blade and slashed at her. Her face was obscured, but she sensed that the person was not tall, yet wielded the blade skillfully, their strikes precise and methodical. Although they deliberately concealed their martial arts style, they were clearly no ordinary scoundrel from the martial world.

Su Xianhua thought of the people who had been secretly following them these past two days, and her heart skipped a beat—they had indeed made their move!

She couldn't determine why this person had come, but his martial arts skills were impressive, and his swordsmanship was superb, which immediately ignited her competitive spirit. She let out a soft moan, her five fingers forming a claw, as she reached for the steel knife in his hand.

"If you want to deal with me, come at me squarely, don't hide!"

The man ignored her, pulling his elbows back to protect his chest, while simultaneously sweeping his right foot across. A gleaming, thin blade on the toe of his night boots slashed straight towards Su Xianhua's abdomen.

"How vicious." Su Xianhua snorted coldly, and was about to draw her protective dagger to block when suddenly a bright sword light flashed, blocking the thin blade on the man's boot tip in a flash. With a slight twist, the steel blade tip was twisted off and fell to the ground with a clang.

"The Returning Wind Sword?" The man in black seemed quite surprised. Seeing the white-clad man standing beside Su Xianhua with his sword, his eyes behind the black hood shifted uncertainly. Finally, with a wave of his hand, a thick cloud of smoke rose instantly, and when he looked again, the man had vanished.

Su Xianhua took a few steps forward, but the attacker hadn't left a trace. She turned back and glared at Bai Nianchen: "I can handle him; I don't need your help."

Bai Nianchen kept a straight face, slowly sheathing his sword without responding to her words, only saying sarcastically, "It's been a few months since I last saw you, and you've not only not improved, you've actually regressed."

"Nonsense!"

A thousand knots in my heart, no one knows (6)

"It seems quite a few people dislike you," he said, looking at her coldly. "What's the point of you constantly trying to distance yourself?"

"That's my business, none of your concern!"

His eyes widened, and he sneered several times: "You're overthinking it, aren't you? Even if the person who was just slashed was just a passerby, I would still have intervened. It's my duty as a person of my generation. Don't misunderstand."

How could this person be so wicked? Su Xianhua panted for a few breaths, but she couldn't bring herself to fight with the person who had just helped her, so she decided to turn a blind eye and continue walking.

The moonlight cast Bai Nianchen's long shadow on the uneven blue brick ground, sometimes overlapping with her own. Su Xianhua stomped on the ground a few times, but then suddenly stopped.

"Don't follow me!"

"Did you open this road?" he sneered from behind. "Just because you want to go back to the inn doesn't mean I can't."

"I don't live with you."

"There's only one road here. If you don't like it, you can go back via the roof."

Why didn't you go back via the roof?

"I don't find you an eyesore. You're the one who's being picky, and if anyone should change course, it's you."

How come I never noticed before that he was so sharp-tongued? The cool and elegant Bai Nianchen she used to like isn't the same person as this gossipy and vicious man behind her back, is he?

She suddenly turned around, targeting his weakness, and sneered, "Young Master Bai, aren't you afraid that Miss Situ will doubt your loyalty if she finds out you were with me in the middle of the night?"

Bai Nianchen paused, scoffing, "None of your business..." Before he could finish speaking, his gaze swept behind her, and he stopped abruptly, a strange and malicious smile appearing on his lips.

Su Xianhua was puzzled and followed his gaze. She saw a person standing under the lantern at the entrance of the inn not far away. He was dressed in plain clothes, with long hair that fell to his shoulders. He had a beautiful face and a gentle smile. Just by standing quietly, his figure was as elegant as a fairy under the moon.

That person is Zhong Zhan.

Su Xianhua stared blankly at that elegant figure, and for some reason, she suddenly felt a little guilty.

Bai Nianchen stepped forward from behind and stood beside her, slowly saying, "Little Flower, may I ask this young master's name?"

His voice was calm, but Su Xianhua sensed a malicious intent in it. Just as she was wondering how to begin, Zhong Zhan politely said, "My name is Zhong Zhan. Thank you, Young Master Bai, for bringing the flowers back."

His gentle voice was as warm as ever, but Su Xianhua felt a little flustered and couldn't help but wave her hand: "He didn't see me off, it was just a coincidence."

"As far as I know, Young Master Bai and the other young heroes are staying at an inn on the other side of the river, yet you went to such lengths to escort her. Thank you for your trouble." Zhong Zhan didn't look at Su Xianhua, but instead stared at Bai Nianchen's face. His clear eyes seemed to be glistening with tears, making Bai Nianchen's originally indifferent expression increasingly awkward.

Bai Nianchen turned his head slightly and said, "I was just taking a walk, it wasn't intentional..."

Su Xianhua was stunned, then felt incredulous and furious: "Bai Nianchen, you're such a despicable person! How many times have I told you that I have nothing to do with the Sword Saint, yet you still want to spy on me!"

Bai Nianchen was taken aback by her retort. Zhong Zhan sighed softly, reached out and pulled Su Xianhua inside, saying softly, "It's late. If you don't sleep now, you won't have the energy to travel tomorrow."

After speaking, she didn't forget to bid farewell to Bai Nianchen, her demeanor humble and courteous. Throughout it all, only he remained unmoved.

Only after passing through the shop and reaching the warehouse at the back did Su Xianhua cautiously say, "Zhong Zhan..."

"What?" He turned his head slightly.

"I didn't go out to see him."

"I know." He smiled slightly, "It's just that it's so late, and it's not safe outside. These are turbulent times in the martial world, so it's best not to wander around."

Su Xianhua finally let out a long sigh of relief and laughed, "I was afraid you would think I'm useless."

"How could that be?" Zhong Zhan answered somewhat absentmindedly, taking two steps forward. Finally, he stopped, turned to face her, and said, "Hua Hua."

A thousand knots in my heart, no one knows (7)

"ah?"

“It shouldn’t be like this. You,” he paused, unusually, before asking, “are you afraid of me?”

She was taken aback. How could he take things out of context like that? But she had never heard him ask such a serious question before. His smiling face was hidden in the darkness under the eaves, leaving only a pair of bright eyes, his gaze no longer gentle and warm.

"Why would I be afraid of you? You don't have three heads and six arms, and you haven't harmed me..." She spoke softer and softer. Was the distance between them that had always been there because they hadn't spent much time together, or because she felt an inexplicable aversion and resistance to his unknown identity?

One cannot give someone their heart unless they know them inside and out. This was the first lesson Qin Shao taught her after she became sensible.

Zhong Zhan saw hesitation in her eyes and couldn't help but smile, a smile tinged with helplessness: "You and Young Master Bai can argue and fight without any restraint, but you can't let loose in front of me."

Su Xianhua felt that this was a bit awkward, and forced a smile: "That's because I hate him. I don't hate you. You're so good to me, why would I argue with you?"

"I'm good to you?" He paused, lost in thought, and slowly moved closer, staring intently into her eyes. His beautiful face was bathed in a porcelain-white moonlight, giving him a suffocatingly oppressive aura.

He gently curved the corners of his mouth into a smile and whispered, "Do you really think I'm good to you?"

She couldn't help but step back, her heart pounding faster and faster. The sweet scent of osmanthus filled the air, making her dizzy. He seemed different tonight—his expression? His aura? She couldn't quite put her finger on it. She almost couldn't bear the pressure and turned to run away. Her eyes darted around, but ultimately, they were drawn back to the face before her. He was truly handsome, unlike Bai Nianchen's cold arrogance, unlike Qin Shao's refined elegance, and even unlike the alluring beauty of Cheng Hongxiao. This usually gentle and refined man now possessed an imposing nobility, a superior, disdainful air.

Her gaze finally settled on his lips—thin, beautifully shaped, slightly cool, soft… What was she thinking! She slapped her face hard, quickly closed her eyes, and placed her hand on his shoulder: “You…you stay away! I have nowhere to retreat!”

Her back was pressed tightly against the cool, damp stone wall, and before she knew it, there was no way out in any direction.

He stared intently at the blush that involuntarily rose on her face, and after a long while, he couldn't help but lower his eyelashes and chuckle softly. With that chuckle, the aura of a dark emperor vanished, and a small dimple appeared at the corner of his mouth, making him look gentle, kind, and even a little doting: "You still say you're not afraid of me? I haven't even said anything, and you're already this scared."

"Then...then please speak..." She secretly exhaled, feeling her clothes soaked with sweat, truly pathetic.

He didn't back away, but continued to trap her in the corner. After a while, he asked, "Is there anything you want to ask me?"

She shook her head without hesitation: "No." Driven by instinct, she knew this kind of person was not to be trifled with. She shouldn't have met him in the first place, and since she had, she couldn't become close to him. Otherwise, she might get herself into trouble later; this was the fundamental principle of self-preservation.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Zhong Zhan's eyes, but his smile remained unchanged as he continued to patiently coax her: "Then do you want to know why I'm so good to you?"

She readily replied, "Why?"

"Why..." He turned his head slightly, as if about to kiss her, "Hua Hua, don't you understand my feelings?"

"Bang!"

She felt as if fireworks had exploded in her mind, a riot of colors, a dazzling display of beauty, like pear blossoms blooming on thousands of trees... She couldn't think straight, she could only stand there, stunned.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Zhong Zhan sighed softly, not moving any closer. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, saying, "It's cold, don't lean against me, the dew will get your clothes dirty." (S eBook Sharing Website)

A thousand knots in my heart, no one knows (8)

"oh……"

"It's almost midnight, go back to sleep."

"good."

Su Xianhua stayed awake almost all night, watching the window paper gradually turn white, and then watching the sunlight shine through the window frame.

She didn't want to go out; going out meant meeting Zhong Zhan. The more she thought about their conversation last night, the more troubled she became. She understood some things, but not quite… He said, "Don't you understand my feelings?"… That sentence was so subtle. A month ago, she would have shyly assumed it was a roundabout way of expressing his love. But now, she dared not jump to conclusions. She was afraid of misinterpreting his feelings; once bitten, twice shy. "No matter what, the first mistake is ignorance, the second is stupidity"—this cautionary tale was something Qin Shao had forced her to memorize word for word with a ruler.

She felt she should go find him and ask him what the meaning behind that "feeling" was, and ask him not to be so subtle in his speech in the future. But she had a feeling that she probably wouldn't even be able to speak properly if she saw him today, so she could only hide like a coward until she was so hungry that she couldn't stand it anymore, and then she opened the door and sneaked out.

But she soon discovered that Zhong Zhan was not there, and even Miao Ruotan was not there!

Zhong Zhan asked the innkeeper to leave her a note, saying that he had something to take care of and would probably be back in two days, and that she should travel with Miao Ruotan first. He would return to say goodbye when they reached the fork in the road at Biluo Valley.

After reading the note, Su Xianhua breathed a sigh of relief, but a strange sense of loss lingered in her heart, like throwing a punch with all her might only to miss. She hadn't asked anything, or she knew nothing at all… Could she even bring herself to ask again when they met?

Even more tragically, although Zhong Zhan told her to go with Miao Ruotan, she couldn't find any trace of Young Master Miao at the moment.

The shopkeeper said that Zhong Zhan didn't stay long after he left, and it seemed that he had run into some acquaintance and chased after him all the way out.

Well, since you've met a friend, you'll probably be back soon.

But this "soon" was much slower than Su Xianhua had imagined. The sun began to slowly set, and Young Master Miao still hadn't returned. The day had passed in vain, and she was starting to get impatient.

After waiting a while longer, when the waiter poured her tea for the tenth time, she finally decided not to wait any longer.

She wasn't there to accompany the two young masters on a sightseeing trip, nor was she going to Biluo Valley to find Lin Chongye; her time was very limited. She didn't even know where Qin Shao was!

Following Zhong Zhan's example, she also wrote a note and left it with the shopkeeper. It contained only a simple sentence: Don't wait for me, I'm going to Yama's City. She didn't specify who it was for; anyone who saw it could take it as a farewell.

They'd spent six days together, yet parting was so simple and easy. It truly lived up to the old saying, "In the world of martial arts, one is often not in control of one's own destiny." Today they were dining at the same table, tomorrow they might be worlds apart. She felt a little melancholy, but in this vast world, people come and go; isn't every encounter like this? He wasn't Qin Shao, they didn't have any deep connection, and he wasn't Bai Nianchen… ugh, he was far better than Bai Nianchen!

No matter what, we will eventually part ways. Is it any different whether it's sooner or later?

So, let's leave that line, "Don't you know how I feel?"... as an eternal mystery!

She comforted herself as she went to fetch the horse. In the drab stable, only Black Demon stood out from the crowd, tall and imposing, with short, glossy black fur, long and lithe limbs, and a single white glint between its brows. As Qin Shao left, he said, "Hua Hua, Black Demon is in your care. If it's thin when I return, I'll punish you by making you copy the Tao Te Ching a hundred times."

Hei Mei was his precious treasure, and he rarely allowed anyone to get close to her. The only time was three years ago when she first became the leader of the stronghold. At that time, the most powerful stronghold in the martial arts world, Dulong Stronghold, wanted to take advantage of the situation and annex her. As the leader of the stronghold, she fought against ten people single-handedly, won the bet, and saved Heifeng Stronghold. However, she was injured by dozens of sword and knife wounds and could not even crawl. Qin Shao then took pity on her and allowed Hei Mei to carry her back to the mountain. She recuperated for three months before she could walk again.

Will Black Charm lead her to him this time?

She gently stroked the black horse's mane, murmuring something unintelligible. The black horse let out a long neigh, its bright eyes sparkling. Su Xianhua pulled the reins and leaped onto the horse. With a gentle squeeze of her legs, the black horse rushed out of the stable and galloped towards the edge of the town.

Goodbye, Zhong Zhan!

Nine Netherworlds and Seven Hells Chasing the Sun and Moon (1)