A Wandering Youth

Chapter 77

The wind swept across the four walls, ruffling his snow-white clothes, but unable to stir his solitary, goose-like figure.

"Yu Xue." A colder voice came from outside the door.

Yu Xue's eyes narrowed like pine needles. He took the last sip of tea, slowly set down the cup, and gripped the rim. Only one person could get close to him without him noticing, only one person's voice was like ancient ice and snow, devoid of any emotion.

The snow-white gate of the Eight-Grid Pavilion opened to the wind, and Qiu Yeyi, dressed in white, stood coldly outside the gate.

"What advice do you have for me, young master?" Yu Xue clenched her fists and said coldly.

Qiu Ye glanced at the two adjacent rooms with a cold, silent expression.

"No one could persuade you, sir, to condescend to visit elsewhere. Since you have come so early, you must have something to offer."

"Well said." Qiu Yeyi stared directly at the equally cold face, as if looking at his shadow. Before she finished speaking, her sleeves fluttered in the wind, and she moved with the speed of a ghost.

Yu Xue was prepared. He flicked his wrist, sending the cup in his hand flying through the air like a meteor, buzzing as it hurtled towards the door. Qiu Yeyi's shadowy figure dodged the attack, his palms hidden in his sleeves, creating a strong gust of wind. While Yu Xue's swordsmanship was superb, his palm techniques lacked the domineering and fierce power of Qiu Yeyi's. His robes billowed like waves, each time they were fully extended, only to be torn apart by Qiu Yeyi's palm wind, drooping listlessly like the withered petals of a night-blooming cereus.

Qiu Ye Yi Jian executed five moves of cleaving and striking, his five fingers outstretched like an eagle's, his movements as light and agile as a falling leaf. In the sixth move, he transformed his palm into a blade, slashing towards Yu Xue's neck. This hand strike carried the force of wind and clouds, its momentum chilling; if Yu Xue were to be even slightly touched by its edge, her blood vessels would surely burst. Yu Xue clearly understood this, stepping back to dodge. Little did he know that Qiu Ye Yi Jian's left palm lock was a feint; his right hand, with its overlapping fingers, thrust out, sealing a major acupoint on his chest.

"What a clever trick to lure the enemy with a single palm strike..." Yu Xue smiled coldly and said, "The young master actually changed his grappling technique to a flowing blade. His thoughts are unpredictable, making it impossible for Yu Xue to defend against him."

The tables and chairs inside had long since turned to dust as the two were bound together. Qiu Yeyi found a clean corner to stand in, and suddenly waved her wide sleeves, which billowed like sails and then fell back down. With a whoosh, the debris on the ground swirled and rushed towards Yu Xue, and countless stars rained down, instantly leaving red plum blossom spots on the Snow Prince's clothes.

"Insolence!" Qiu Yeyi's eyes flashed with a cold light as she spoke icily, "I've tolerated you several times because you're a swordsman. Who allowed you to become increasingly rude?"

Yu Xue looked into those sinister and ruthless eyes and coldly closed her lips. Qiu Yeyi glanced at the inner room and said coldly, "It seems you're smart enough to know that if you say another word, I'll kill Lin Qingyu."

Yu Xue caught a glimpse of light and shadow out of the corner of his eye. Outside the window, beneath the tall buildings, silver-white arrows gleamed in the sunlight. Only then did he realize that Qiu Ye Yijian had summoned men to surround the entire street. At the same time, he understood a principle: Qiu Ye Yijian did not care about the news spreading. He had come here precisely to capture Lin Qingyu, who was recuperating in bed.

21. Ambush

Her skin, tinged with green from the mist, shone with a crimson hue under the sun. The verdant mountains and clear waters gleamed silver in the sunlight, her silhouette radiant, resembling a palace beauty with snow-white skin and jade-like features. Lin Qingluan struggled to pole the raft, clumsily trying to steer it through the water. The raft seemed to have a grudge against him, wobbling and spinning in the water. Often, even after he strained and pushed off twice, the raft would still be spinning in place. After fiddling around for a while, he would cry out, "Ah—Miss Leng, I really can't do it..."

Leng Shuangcheng lay flat on the side of the bamboo raft with her eyes closed, as still and motionless as a slab of marble. Her eyelashes did not tremble at all, and the wind swept over her, only causing the sleeves at her sides to flutter slightly.

"Girl, you're really patient. I've been poling for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and I haven't even gone half a mile yet." Lin Qingluan lifted the bamboo pole and steered it to the other side where it was off balance, muttering to herself.

“You can sit at the bow now; you don’t need the bamboo pole anymore,” Leng Shuangcheng said suddenly, using his sense of direction to navigate the water. Lin Qingluan, who was sweating profusely from her work, felt a great sense of relief upon hearing this. She quickly dropped the pole, picked up her bundle, and sat down cross-legged.

The water murmured softly, the clear blue water was serene, and the bamboo raft, having indeed passed the upstream slope, began to drift downstream. A cool breeze greeted them, making their pores feel relaxed and comfortable. Lin Qingluan gazed quietly at the reflections in the water for a long time, her eyes firmly capturing the picturesque scenery on both banks.

"When you reach the end of the watercourse, sit and watch the clouds rise. The scenery of water and mountains is truly beautiful!" Lin Qingluan murmured to herself, raising her head to look up at the sky. "If one could live a life of such tranquility, what more could one ask for?"

White clouds drift lazily, pristine and untouched, piling up like feathers on the vast sky, possessing a detached and ethereal quality that defies description in landscape paintings. Leng Shuangcheng was moved and smiled slightly, saying, "You are just like me... but you carry the air of an elder in your bones."

Lin Qingluan was greatly surprised and asked, "What do you mean?" Leng Shuangcheng ignored her and closed her eyes to rest. Lin Qingluan felt awkward and pouted as she looked at the scenery again. When she listened carefully to Leng Shuangcheng's breathing, she found that her breathing was steady and she seemed to be fast asleep.

"Even when he's asleep, he doesn't move at all, so reserved." He couldn't help but turn around and glance at him.

After a while, the current slowed, and the smooth, silky surface became rough, as if a hand had pulled the drifting bamboo raft. Lin Qingluan looked down and said, "No, it's so slow..." After a closer look, he exclaimed, "It's water!"

Just as the words "water drink" were about to be uttered, Leng Shuangcheng, who had been fast asleep, suddenly sprang up and thrust the tree spear he had grabbed straight into the water! With a loud bang, the once intact bamboo raft split in two, and several of its trunks flew up, striking the two with a chilling roar.

Lin Qingluan was startled. She leaped up like a wisp of smoke, lightly touching the tree trunk with her toes, and landed gracefully on the side of the bamboo raft. Leng Shuangcheng's attack wounded a silvery-white fish, and with a flick of his spear, he lifted a thick tree trunk, which crashed into the water with a thunderous thud.

A muffled groan came from underwater, and several silver splashes of water rippled over, like koi carp parting the water and about to leap out of the dragon gate.

"Get ashore! We can't let them take advantage of us!" Leng Shuangcheng shouted first, grabbing Lin Qingluan's wrist and leaping into the bushes.

Several silver-white assassins, like fireworks rising into the sky, suddenly leaped out of the water, their bodies dripping wet – this was another water-drinking technique orchestrated by the Tantric sect.

Leng Shuangcheng, concerned that Lin Qingluan's daytime power would be diminished, held his hand and ran. Like an umbrella, the tree canopy blocked out the sunlight, dappling their clothes. After running for a while, they arrived at an open area in the forest. Leng Shuangcheng turned around, released Lin Qingluan, and smiled slightly at the way they had come: "This is the place... I rule the forest, and no one can give way to me."

She held the spear behind her back, her black clothes fluttering in the morning breeze, her body motionless, like a graceful and straight fallen tree, radiating a dazzling light in the faint glow of the rosy dawn.

Just as Leng Shuangcheng was leisurely waiting for the water to approach, Lin Qingluan came back to her senses and murmured, "How did they know it was me?"

Leng Shuangcheng chuckled and said, "As long as they search along the river and see any strangers, they will chase and kill them."

Lin Qingluan shut her mouth, tightened her pack, and prepared to fight.

Dozens of silver-white water spirits scattered and chased after them. Their white color was extremely conspicuous in the gloomy, dense forest. Lin Qingluan suddenly realized and said "Oh," but then she heard Leng Shuangcheng say coldly, "There are thirty in total. Don't fight with me. Let me kill them to my heart's content."

Lin Qingluan glanced at Leng Shuangcheng in surprise. His profile was as firm as stone, and his features were illuminated by the light. For a moment, there was a cold cruelty about him. He couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart and blurted out, "It seems you hold a grudge."

Leng Shuangcheng smiled again, and without a word, she flipped over and leaped out, heading straight for the core of the Water Drinking Formation. With her spear piercing a line and her staff sweeping across a field, she channeled all her anger and inner strength into her spear, creating a fierce and exhilarating battle.

This branch of the Water Drinker was personally brought to the Central Plains by Shu Xue. She was unaware that Leng Shuangcheng had previously fought against her at Hongxiu Tower and understood their formations and routines. Her prolonged attack failed, and she lost the initiative. Leng Shuangcheng's spear and staff techniques were sometimes as steady as Mount Tai, sweeping across the ground. His moves were swift, complex, and diverse, like a hundred flowers blooming, or like the Yellow River surging, transforming from soft to strong, with a relentless, rolling wind.

She couldn't bear to kill, and only wanted to take the opportunity to severely damage the Tantric sect. After repelling the encirclement twice, Shuiyin noticed something was amiss. A strange gurgling sound was heard from one of the people, which sounded very much like the sound of a mountain sparrow. The remaining people pulled open their chests with both hands, revealing their crystal-clear, misty front bodies, and abandoned their moves to pounce on them!

This turn of events was truly bizarre, as if thirty assassins disregarded their own safety and used hand-to-hand combat!

Leng Shuangcheng's eyes changed, his sleeves billowed out, his clothes becoming resilient, shaking off the first wave of enemies. Lin Qingluan, outside the formation, was already pale. He shouted, "Watch out! It's a self-destruction!" and was about to rush out to save Leng Shuangcheng.

At the critical moment, Leng Shuangcheng thrust his spear into the ground, used his wrist to propel himself upwards, and escaped the impact of the second and third layers with a "dry land uprooting" move. Just as his shoes left the ground, all the Water Drink assassins detonated simultaneously, and red and white blood flowers rolled like waves, reflecting a pale green color in the dark grass.

The emerald green turned to inky black, and the red flowers bloomed in full glory, each one bursting forth in a bloody yet alluring display.

Leng Shuangcheng leaped onto a tree branch, stood against the trunk, her expression shifting between light and dark. After glancing at the wreckage on the ground, she coughed and said in a steady voice, "Let's go. If we don't leave now, there will be a third attack. We're like stray dogs now, getting beaten up everywhere."

The esoteric ninjutsu was so brutal, costing lives. Even though Lin Qingluan had heard of it, seeing the bloodstains splattered everywhere still sent a chill down his spine. He carefully avoided the winding river of blood as he followed Leng Shuangcheng.

Twenty li outside Qingzhou City, at Chenshi (7-9 AM).

The market was bustling with people, filled with shouts, bargaining, and even shouts of cursing, exuding the fresh energy of a new day. Leng Shuangcheng, carrying a bundle, weaved through the crowd with great enthusiasm, much like a nimble eel. Lin Qingluan couldn't hold onto her clothes, so she could only frown and struggle to keep up behind her. The two walked one after the other; the former's steps were light and mischievous like a child, while the latter's expression was listless and bitter, like a long-browed monk.

Lin Qingluan's mouth was dry, so he found a shady spot to stand and fan himself. Just as he was thinking about how Leng Shuangcheng had broadened his horizons, she led a chestnut horse slowly towards him. Her face was covered in dust, with two or three black streaks rolling down her white skin, making her look less serious.

Lin Qingluan looked at Leng Shuangcheng's bright, crystal-clear eyes and chuckled. Leng Shuangcheng handed him the reins, showing no curiosity, and calmly led the horse forward. Lin Qingluan held back for a long time before finally asking curiously by the roadside, "Miss Leng, aren't you hot?"

"It's not hot," Leng Shuangcheng replied indifferently.

Lin Qingluan clicked her tongue: "I see you're dressed like a white-collar worker, all covered up so tightly that not a breath of air can get in... And I've noticed you rarely sweat. Can you tell me why?"

Leng Shuangcheng glanced down at the white-collared undergarment with its water-repellent lining, then pursed her lips without answering. The collar was a familiar spot for Qiu Yeyijian to lick; she usually protected it tightly, but her skill wasn't as refined as his. How could she possibly discuss such private matters with outsiders?

Lin Qingluan pressed him repeatedly, and Leng Shuangcheng, annoyed by the questions, snapped, "My constitution is cold and yin. Even without exerting my strength, my body is colder than that of an ordinary person. What's so strange about that!"

Lin Qingluan glanced at her, grinned, and said, "Why are you so fierce? I've never seen you lose your temper before..." As she spoke, she boldly reached out and wiped her cheek, and then sighed, "Indeed, so cold-blooded."

Lin Qingluan was usually very polite to Leng Shuangcheng, but this time her attack was so sudden that Leng Shuangcheng was stunned for a moment. When she came to her senses, she made a move without saying a word. Her sleeve moved with lightning speed, and her palm struck Lin Qingluan's arm solidly.

Lin Qingluan clutched her left arm in pain, frowning as she said, "Your face is dirty, ouch, you hit me so hard..." Leng Shuangcheng raised his sleeve to wipe his cheek, revealing his gleaming white teeth, and sneered, "It's just a small punishment."

Lin Qingluan twitched her eyebrows slightly, pestering her with questions all the way, acting like an ignorant child eager to broaden her horizons. Leng Shuangcheng walked silently, responding with a word or two here and there. She had only walked for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, but she felt that the road was too long.

22. Letters

The sound of birds flapping their wings filled the air, and a black-winged eagle with a golden leg ring circled the riverbank, reluctant to leave. Leng Shuangcheng glanced up unintentionally, then continued on her way. A moment later, she suddenly remembered whose messenger this eagle was.

The glittering anklets were conspicuous in the sunlight. The black eagle soared high, no less than four zhang (approximately 10 meters) high, clearly well-trained and wary of being captured by ordinary people. Qiu Yeyijian had mentioned that the water-repellent garment had a special kind of silk thread that could be seen by birds with sharp eyesight in the light. Leng Shuangcheng thought of this and tried to take out his whistle, pursed his lips and blew it.

The falcon landed abruptly on the horse's back, leaving Lin Qingluan dumbfounded. Leng Shuangcheng was also surprised; she took down the sealed letter, quickly scanned it, and then carefully burned it.

"Who wrote this? What did they write?" Lin Qingluan asked curiously. Leng Shuangcheng looked around, broke off a small twig, burned it to charcoal ash, and said to him, "Tear a piece of your white lining and give it to me; I'll write a reply." Lin Qingluan did as she was told. Leng Shuangcheng lay on the horse's back and began to write neatly in small seal script. After finishing, she looked up at Lin Qingluan and sighed, "I hope he has a conscience, otherwise I called out for nothing." Lin Qingluan was puzzled and looked back with great curiosity. Leng Shuangcheng didn't say much, paused, added two more words, and after handling everything, she threw the falcon into the sky.

"We need to get going." Leng Shuangcheng sighed again as she looked at Lin Qingluan and said, "Don't be nervous... I recognize the handwriting; it's the young master's." Seeing Lin Qingluan's expression change slightly, she quickly added, "The young master's words were cryptic, and there was no address or signature. Fortunately, I roughly understood them... He asked me when the Tantric sect launched its first attack and told me that he had captured Miss Lin and would execute her within ten days."

The letter was brief, and Lin Qingluan glanced at it quickly. He knew that Qiu Yeyi was cautious and afraid of it falling into the wrong hands, so the letter would not reveal too many secrets. When he heard about Lin Qingyu, he was really shocked: "He really captured my sister. He's a ruthless devil who doesn't listen to reason..."

Leng Shuangcheng nodded in agreement and said seriously, "It's alright. Young Master actually gave me ten days to return. If he wanted to kill Miss Lin, he wouldn't have captured her alive. It's obvious that he's trying to blackmail you and me. I will definitely rescue your sister when I get back."

A fragrant mist hung in the air, and short hazelnut trees were scattered along the roadside, their leaves draped in a layer of gray. Leng Shuangcheng recalled the lines, "Floating clouds evoke the wanderer's thoughts, the setting sun evokes the feelings of an old friend," and felt a pang of emotion. This was the very place where she had prepared to bid farewell to Lin Qingluan. Although the setting sun was absent from the desolate and lonely atmosphere, the gray mountain path and dark bushes still added to the sense of bleakness.

"Here is a letter I have prepared. Please deliver it." Leng Shuangcheng took out the letter sealed with wax, smiled slightly, a smile that came from genuine farewell: "Here, I will draw a diagram to show you."

She broke off a branch and bent down to carefully point out the way in the dust: "Keep going west, and you will definitely meet Nan Jingqi. It will be easy to recognize him because he has a spirited steed and a young master named Xiaobai beside him. This letter can be passed on to Senior Medicine King through Yuwen Xiaobai."

Seeing that Xiao Bai had escaped danger several times, Leng Shuangcheng guessed that the Medicine King was protecting him in the shadows, just like before. However, this vague idea was extremely risky, so Leng Shuangcheng kidnapped Lin Qingluan, hoping that he would gamble with fate, since only a highly respected senior like him could cure the seven-day poison.

"Lin Qingluan, listen carefully to what I have to say." Leng Shuangcheng said solemnly, "As long as you don't practice Tantric witchcraft and don't easily show off your lightness skills, your appearance and aura are already very different. No one can recognize you. I hope you will go there and be free and easy, and never come back."

Lin Qingluan's eyes were clouded, and she gave a bitter smile without answering. Leng Shuangcheng stroked the chestnut mane of his horse, his voice tinged with regret: "Let's go. This world is not suitable for someone as gentle as you."

To pity others is to pity oneself. This pity is not out of pity for one's past, but stems from a yearning for freedom. Leng Shuangcheng did not voice the desire in his heart. Now that he had Qiu Yeyijian, he could not let her travel all over the world, nor could she drift freely like a cloud.

The horses neighed, the ancient road stretched far and wide, and a gust of wind carrying them away whispered in their ears. Lin Qingluan paused and then sped off, while Leng Shuangcheng waved goodbye. Only when the two of them were just tiny black dots in the distance did she breathe a sigh of relief and turn north.

With a whoosh, the falcon swooped down and landed on Qiu Yeyi's outstretched right arm. Yin Guang saw the young master coldly pull out a strip of cloth, examining it with a look of forbearance. He told someone to carefully watch over the falcon and followed the young master into the living room.

White cloth with a few small characters finely engraved on it.

Qiu Ye scanned the cloth strip with her sword, turning it over and over to check both ends before finally finding the words "husband" on the back. Her expression softened slightly.