A Wandering Youth

Chapter 21

"Do you know what kind of person Young Master Bixie is? Back then, the Tang Clan only offended his mother, and he wiped out the entire Tang Clan! Who in the world is his match now? Who would dare to face his sword head-on without flinching? If you hadn't been poisoned as you said, wouldn't you be dead for sure today? How dare you gamble your life like this?"

Wu Sanshou coldly questioned Chu Yi, his gaze sharp as a blade, colder than any glint of light.

Chu Yi's eyelids twitched slightly. He struggled to steady himself, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "Whenever I think of that person who treated me kindly without any ulterior motives, I feel like my eyes are blind and my ears are deaf. Day and night are chaotic and without order. Joy and sorrow are unimportant. Master Kumu enlightened me to help me overcome the karmic debts of my past life. I think I should repay them! — I have little left but this body."

Wu Sanshou gazed intently at the boy before him, his eyes gentle and clear, silently and carefully. After a long while, he finally spoke:

"To tell you the truth, there's also a legend in my hometown, please listen to it, Master—"

The Dragon King of the Qiantang River had a young daughter who fell in love with the mortal who saved her life. Upon learning this, the Dragon King was furious and unleashed a monstrous wave that flooded the mortal realm. The pampered princess, however, rode the waves, plucking scale after scale and throwing them into the water to appease her father's wrath. To atone for her father's sins, she also severed her fins and presented them to the Heavenly Emperor. Finally, her father asked her in despair, "Daughter, are you willing to risk your life for that mortal?" The princess, covered in wounds, could not speak, but with her last breath, she extracted the last bit of flesh—dragon tendon.

After a pause, Wu Sanshou looked directly at Chu Yi and calmly asked, "Chu Yi, are you the Dragon Girl?"

Chu Yi's eyes were tightly closed, his lips pressed together, and he couldn't utter a sound. His body trembled slightly, and a gurgling sound came from his throat.

Wu Sanshou sighed deeply: "I don't know who you are, just as you never inquire about my past. But you live more bravely and more strongly than I do. The book says, 'A heart as firm as a rock, a heart that is moved yet patient, a mind that is carefully considered before acting, a mind that is cautious and meticulous, will surely succeed.' So that's you."

Wu San strode away, leaving Chu Yi standing there silently.

Wu Sanshou's sleeves whipped up a gust of cold wind, and his footprints were quickly swallowed by the swirling snowflakes. But the vivid rumors from the outside world lingered like footprints in the hearts of those who, like ants, still clung to life amidst the desolate white snow.

—Legend has it that there was a fearless young man who fought alone and was struck by twelve swords from the most powerful enemy, with a fatal wound to his chest.

—Legend has it that the boy, in the face of the enemy, endured the agony of being pierced by nine poisons, and tore apart the hardest stone street in Ruzhou, dying in agony but refusing to bow his head.

While the world is blanketed in snow and the earth is covered in a vast expanse of white, there is a place far away on the shores of Wuyou Lake in Suzhou and Hangzhou that enjoys a spring-like climate all year round – Feiyun Villa.

The villa sits on the shore of a clear lake. The lake reflects the surrounding scenery, while within the villa, verdant bamboo and weeping willows stand silently, and geese fly without a trace. A gentle lake breeze carries the rich fragrance of flowers, turning the lake a bright crimson hue. The green mountains and red blossoms complement each other, creating a scene of silent, vibrant life.

Nie Wuyou hugged the thick, velvety quilt tightly, her delicate eyebrows unable to relax.

Every winter, Nie Wuyou, the Seven Star One Leaf, would fall ill from the cold and have to recuperate quietly by the warm lakeside of the manor. But all the servants noticed that this year, the young master's face looked even more pale and desolate.

Nie Wuyou's deep eyes were fixed on a corner of the green mountain, his gaze seemingly as long as a thousand threads, as if he wanted to cross the layers of mountains and fly to the heavens.

"Nine poisons pierce my intestines, I swear I will never bow my head..." He closed his eyes tightly, his icy hands gripping the edge of the brocade quilt. Unable to suppress the coughs, he coughed incessantly, feeling a churning pain in his heart. He couldn't help but call out a name, hoping to dispel some of the chill in this warm, spring-like scene.

22. Master and Apprentice

Just as his young master had predicted, the three men were missing from the Four Seas Gambling House.

The young master, with his jade-like face and elegant silver sable robes, stood in the snow with his lips pursed, the silk ribbons wrapped around his hair fluttering gently in the cool air.

"Boss Chai?" Yin Guan asked in a gentle voice, addressing the short, stout man in front of him who was still smiling.

"The arrival of Young Master Yin Guang brings glory to our humble abode!" The tone of the voice conveyed no sense of warm welcome whatsoever.

A group of people crowded into the windowpane and doorway, pushing and shoving each other, shouting, "Who is that young master with such an air of nobility? He's so handsome!"

"Don't you know Young Master Yin Guang? He's Xie Yin Guang, son of Minister Xie of Youzhou! One of the Four Young Masters!"

"Get out of the way!" A sharp, loud female voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone slowly turned around. A striking woman in a fiery red cloak stood coldly in the hallway. She glared at the gossiping crowd and said, "Are you all blind? Xie Yinguang brought a cavalry battalion!"

"Young Miss..."

Soon, everyone fell silent and cooperated by parting the road.

Cheng Xiang walked out of the gambling den with an alluring air. The cold, damp air made her squint slightly. She glanced at the two people exchanging pleasantries without showing any emotion, then her gaze swept across the room outside.

On the snow-covered ground, four neat rows of white-clad knights stood in perfect unison. Their armor was pristine white, their faces as cold as ice, their spears gleaming, and their horses' hooves unwavering. Standing in the icy, bone-chilling snowmelt, Xie Yinguang smiled as before, while the knights behind him remained motionless.

"They've actually mobilized the renowned 'Snow Shadow'..." Cheng Xiang whistled, her eyes sparkling, her face seemingly bathed in the spring breeze of March: "I wonder what kind of act they're putting on this time?"

The silver-haired young master bowed politely: "Miss Cheng."

"I dare not accept such praise." Cheng Xiang stretched out a finger as white as snow, twirling a strand of hair behind her ear, silently gazing at the silver light. Her appearance was like a wisp of smoke after a willow, infinitely delicate and charming, as she stood gracefully before the crowd with her supple waist.

Just as the strangers all thought the woman before them was as beautiful as Xi Shi and as serene as Wang Zhaojun, Cheng Xiang suddenly frowned, her face turning as swift as a cloud sweeping across the sky, and she said coldly, "Xie Yinguang, what brings you here!"

Yin Guang didn't raise his eyebrows, nor did he change his smile. "I've been ordered by Prefect Ding of the State to arrest a wanted criminal."

The venue was completely silent.

"First day of the month." Silver Light seemed to have picked up the young master's manners, uttering the two words gently.

"I don't know him."

"Tang Xiaoshou".

"They're gone."

"Wu Sanshou".

"have no idea."

Young Master Yin Guang still smiled gently, but there was a hint of coldness in his smile. He raised his heavily furrowed brows and calmly said, "Then please come with us, Miss Cheng."

"What, are you going to your Bixie Manor or the Ruzhou Prefecture?" Cheng Xiang asked with a cold smile.

The Silver-Light Young Master looked Cheng Xiang straight in the eye: "If it were my young master who came, things wouldn't have ended like this."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiang suddenly smiled and gracefully took a fiery red diamond-shaped whip from her waist. With a crisp "snap," she flicked it across the snow, creating a beautiful flower, and stared intently at what was in front of her.

"Isn't it just because she fell in love with that devil that Qiu Ye Yijian is forcing Xiao Shou to do this?"

Upon hearing this, Yin Guang's expression changed slightly.

“I can go with you today, but it’s easy to invite a god but hard to send him away. Young master, you should think it through!” Cheng Xiang’s beautiful eyes swept across the crowd before finally settling on Boss Chai’s face.

“Chai Jincai, take this whip. Anyone who dares to step into or out of this place will be killed without exception.”

Boss Chai came running over with a big smile: "The Emperor has bestowed upon the Cheng family a treasure made from the Flying Phoenix Feather Robe, so of course I must take good care of it."

Qiu Ye stood with his sword on the open ground of the camp, looked up at the sky, and whistled softly.

The sound of flapping wings came from the air. A falcon with golden feet and black wings swooped down and landed steadily on Qiu Yeyi's outstretched right arm.

He removed the gold anklet sealed with lacquer and quickly glanced at the words on it.

“No trace of its origin.” Qiu Yeyi’s eyes were deep, a cold glint in them.

—Even the most discerning judges can't see through Chu Yi, and even Mr. Dongge can't find the source of his name. He's getting more and more mysterious.

A figure shrouded in snow and ice approached silently and stood behind the young master.

"Returning empty-handed?" Qiu Yeyi turned around and stared intently at the silver light.

Yin Guang lowered his head slightly: "I only brought the behind-the-scenes boss from all over the world."

"She's got quite a background. It seems like it can only be Cheng Xiang."

Yin Guang looked up at the young master, his expression showing some surprise: "Young master is truly a prophet."

Qiu Yeyi coldly tossed the falcon on her arm into the sky. "When the light approached, its steps were unsteady, clearly indicating it had accomplished nothing. Without drawing blood, it was impossible for the entire world to escape, so it could only be that it was unable to kill."

He turned around and continued to stare at the Silver Light Prince, pausing coldly: "Looking at the world, there is only one person who lives arrogantly without being killed, and that is Cheng Xiang."

A blush crept onto Yin Guangjun's handsome face, and he said, seemingly somewhat embarrassed, "I regret not listening to your advice, young master."

Qiu Yeyi glanced at him: "Not necessarily."

Yin Guang, like a child who had done something wrong, was momentarily at a loss, feeling quite annoyed. Upon hearing the young master's reply, he exclaimed in surprise, "What does the young master mean?"

Qiu Yeyi's face revealed an inscrutable, cold light. "With Cheng Xiang's arrival, Lonely Triumph will inevitably follow."

"What does the young master need from the Lord of Lonely Town at this moment?"

"Find Yang Wan."

"About Young Master Zhao?"

"Remember, you are not allowed to interfere."

Yin Guang sighed slightly. Whenever Zhao Yingcheng's affairs were mentioned, the young master was unwilling to say much. He vaguely felt that these two shrewd young masters were each doing their own thing and did not interfere with each other.

"Then what should we do with Miss Cheng?"

Qiu Yeyi took two steps forward and coldly said to Yin Guang, "Throw her into the men's prison, but keep her in solitary confinement."

Silverlight lowered his head even further, perhaps realizing his current predicament: the young master would never kill her, and he couldn't do anything to her, but her disobeying the young master's orders was infuriating. It seemed he could only wait for Lonely Triumph to arrive.

"Light." Through the slightly cool air, the young master's handsome and flawless face appeared clear and cold from a few steps away.

"Set off for the ancient well battlefield to contact Ma Liancheng."

There was a reason why Wu Sanshou left the first year of junior high school with peace of mind that day.

On the one hand, it was due to the intense resentment churning within him, and on the other hand, it was because Chu Yi had warned him very early on: "Don't follow me, because being by my side means you're destined to wander for several lifetimes. As long as you don't gamble, no one will be able to tell that you are 'God Hand' Wu You. If you want to find me, go to Yangzhou and wait for me for a year. If I don't come for a year, you'll never have to wait again."

Wu Sanshou ultimately felt that his indignation was hard to quell.

The clouds in the sky, the shadows on the ground, the wind that moves, the ice that settles. How vivid all of this is! How can it be silenced forever with just a simple "cannot come"? Memories may fade, legends may cease, but how can an impression that existed with such overwhelming power be so easily forgotten, like a wild goose leaving no trace?

So when Chu Yi left Ruzhou with his long sword on his back and a calm expression, Wu Sanshou rushed out and knelt heavily in front of Chu Yi: Master.

Chu Yi remained silent for a long while, gazing at the figure before him: "With your kneeling, I will have to bear half a lifetime of hardship."

At that time, Wu Sanshou had no idea how excited and overwhelmed he was by the emotions he felt at the beginning of his first year of junior high school. So, in the second half of his life, he carried this responsibility on his shoulders.

Heartbroken over love, Tang Xiaoshou went into exile.

Chu Yi and Wu Sanshou, bound by a promise in their hearts, wandered the world together.

On the first day of the lunar month, Chu Yi and Wu Sanshou continued their journey north. The two endured wind and rain, traveling day and night.

Wu Sanshou watched Chu Yi's back from afar and thought that this master was truly mature beyond his years and unperturbed by honor or disgrace.

—Amidst the heavy snow, disoriented, Chu Yi, like a graceful alder tree, walked straight through the swirling snow, without pain or hesitation.

—In the cold rain, chilling to the bone, Chu Yi walked silently along the torrential road. The pitch-black night could not conceal that figure, distant yet resolute.