A Wandering Youth

Chapter 85

Yuwen Xiaobai stared straight ahead and slowly uttered two words: "Exactly."

Yu Xue coldly looked at his hand and said, "In that case, we must have a go." As soon as she finished speaking, the white sword suddenly focused its light.

The silver streak, sharp as thorns, pierced through the falling leaves, aiming precisely for Yuwen Xiaobai's eyes. The rustling leaves sliced through the air with a few hissing sounds, all sliced apart by Yu Xue's chilling and terrifying sword energy, falling to the ground like fine rain.

Yuwen Xiaobai's left toe slipped lightly, as if rippled on the water's surface, and stepped onto the Dui position in the Bagua Palace. His right heel moved extremely quickly, firmly landing on the Li position of the lower trigram. With his lower body stable and his shoulders slightly yielding, he darted across the rainforest like a swallow, avoiding Yu Xue's killing move.

His white sleeves fluttered in the wind, but his hands didn't make a single move.

Yu Xue's pupils focused like needles as she slashed her longsword diagonally, cutting through the air from left to right, coldly aiming for Yuwen Xiaobai's neck.

The sword energy of this move was densely woven like a net, causing fallen leaves and grass within a radius of ten feet to rise up in disarray, constantly swirling towards the corners of Yu Xue's sleeves.

Yuwen Xiaobai's face paled as the intense sword energy shattered the stray hairs on his brows, revealing his crystal-clear, jade-like eyes. He swiftly shifted between two different stances, yet still could not escape the pervasive, blazing sword energy.

With a whoosh, the silk ribbon binding Xiao Bai's hair flew into the dust, and his long, lustrous black hair was scattered in the wind. He stretched out his sleeves, which fluttered in the wind, and coldly shouted, "It's been a long time since I've encountered a swordsman. Today, I'm fortunate to see an ancient sword in short supply, and with you pressing me so firmly, how can I not settle this?" His eyes narrowed, and his two palms clenched up sharply, their gleaming blades reaching for Yu Xue's face.

Her left palm stretched out like a wing, her right hand's five fingers aligned, releasing and pulling back in a bow-like motion, sweeping forward with a "Black Bird Skimming the Sand" technique. Yu Xue drew her sword, piercing through the faint light, and focused intently on slicing her small white palm.

The two figures were intertwined, their white robes fluttering, their swords flashing ominously, and the plants in the courtyard trembled under the sword energy, unable to stand upright.

"Yu Xue, stop!" A booming voice suddenly rang out, echoing through the fallen leaves in the forest.

Yu Xue jumped off the stage and stood there indifferently.

Zhao Yingcheng never addressed him by his name directly, so if he did, something unusual must have happened. Moreover, he had achieved his goal and could give Qiu Yeyi an explanation, so he immediately stopped.

A summer breeze swept through the woods, causing the blue silk robes to rustle and gently rise and fall, gracefully curling up.

Yuwen Xiaobai, dressed in white with black hair, stood handsomely against the wind. Zhao Yingcheng approached slowly, his eyes bloodshot, his outstretched hand trembling as he spoke: "Yang Wan, is that you?"

32. Asked with a smile

The wind blew through the forest, the flowers fluttered silently, and Zhao Yingcheng's dark blue robe billowed against the wind, drifting down in clusters.

His outstretched hand trembled violently, and his voice, sharp and trembling, rose and fell in the wind, as if he had a thorn in his throat: "Yang Wan, is that you? Have you come back?"

As the intense killing intent dissipated, Yuwen Xiaobai relaxed from her natural vigilance in facing the enemy, her white shirt fluttering gently in the wind.

"Young Master Zhao, are you talking about me?" Xiao Bai looked around at the silent crowd, her voice trembling with surprise. "Who is Yang Wan? I am Yuwen Xiao Bai!"

His eyes were as clear as jade, and the deep black pupils were like a still lake, without the slightest ripple.

Zhao Yingcheng stared intently at his face, approaching step by step, leaving deep footprints in the green grass.

He used all his strength.

"I can't be mistaken, your legs are as light as the wind, and I will never forget your footwork."

Sunlight bathed the earth, and when the light pierced through the clouds and fell on Zhao Yingcheng's face, it divided his deep and handsome features into two sides, one side trembling wildly, the other sinking into darkness, just like his long-standing gray and gloomy heart.

But he knew his own feelings. Seeing the white-clad youth turn his head away in silence, he worried that the shock on his face might frighten Yuwen Xiaobai. He couldn't help but raise his hand to his forehead, covering his face with his palm, and lower his head, trembling deeply: "Young Master Xue, please take the guards away. I'm afraid I'll frighten her."

The guards behind him were all Zhao Yingcheng's own relatives. When they noticed the young master's slight change, they hesitated and did not know what to do. However, Zhao Yingcheng was usually strict in supervising the discipline of the army. Upon hearing his order, they all bowed slightly and left in formation.

Yu Xue stood motionless on the side of the forest, her expression indifferent, watching everything that happened in the world with detachment.

Yuwen Xiaobai glanced at the tangled grass, then at Zhao Yingcheng with his deep gaze, a hint of panic in his eyes: "Young Master Zhao, Xiaobai did not mean to offend you. I merely discovered some clues and followed them here in search of a relative..."

"It's alright." Zhao Yingcheng placed his hand inside his sleeve, close to the side of his silk robe, unable to suppress the slight trembling of his fingertips. He said very quickly, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you... I've been looking for you for a long time."

His voice became deep and suppressed, his eyes remained red, and a tense and obscure feeling spread out, like a red flower blooming with its last petals after the rain.

Despite his caution, he still startled Yuwen Xiaobai. Xiaobai suddenly retreated, moving towards the lotus garden, his clothes fluttering wildly: "Don't come any closer, I don't recognize you... I don't know why, but I get very scared when you get near me... Please don't come any closer!"

Zhao Yingcheng saw Yang Wan's movement technique again, and he painfully closed his eyes and indeed stopped.

Yuwen Xiaobai occasionally glanced back and saw Zhao Yingcheng's silent and pained face, and her heart was filled with panic.

This person's face had appeared in my dream, vaguely as if veiled by a layer of mist, his eyes indistinct, as if now carrying a hidden bitterness.

He knew he was a woman; after all, he wasn't so confused as to be ignorant.

Sometimes she would wonder why she remembered some vague images. Was it because they were etched deep in her mind, or because, as her grandfather said, she had "completely forgotten the past"?

Even though this person treated her like someone else and seemed to be in pain, she decided to clarify everything and find her grandfather or Leng Shuangcheng as soon as possible, so that she would have an acquaintance to help her.

Yuwen Xiaobai tightened his collar with one hand and brushed away the stray strands of hair with the other, saying very seriously, "Young master, you must have mistaken me for someone else. I have always lived at the foot of Mount Luofu in Lingnan and have never set foot in the Central Plains... May I ask where your ancestral home is? Have you ever been to Lingnan? Or does your friend also live in Lingnan and look somewhat like me?" He then smiled demurely.

Xiao Bai's smile was as pure as a white lotus, blooming at the top of the Bibi Lotus Garden, instantly bringing the warmth of the sun.

It was a smile without any guile, innocent and naive, unaware of the ways of the world.

Seeing her smile, Zhao Yingcheng felt even more overwhelmed by pain, his body swaying: "I didn't know you'd become like this, forgotten me... Let's pretend this is our first meeting, allow me to introduce myself... My name is Zhao Yingcheng, my ancestral home is Pingzhou... I'm from Yang Wan... Yang Wan's..."

He repeated it incoherently several times, and finally, with his eyes wide open, he said blankly, "Fiancé."

"That's right!" Yuwen Xiaobai smiled, her smile brighter than the clouds in the sky. "Aside from the rumors circulating in the martial arts world, I've never known your name, so we must have never met!"

She was secretly delighted. Since Zhao Yingcheng had not pursued her crime of stealing the Golden Wheel at night, there must have been some mishap on Qiu Yeyi's side.

Yuwen Xiaobai didn't want to dwell on the troublesome issue. Seeing that the two people in the area were still, she quietly walked towards the lotus pond. Zhao Yingcheng, seeing this, became anxious and reached out to grab her without thinking.

With a whoosh of wind, Yuwen Xiaobai, dressed in white, skillfully used his inner technique to dodge Zhao Yingcheng's attack.

The lotus leaves rippled like waves, their green foliage intertwined, resembling countless surging blue seas. Yuwen Xiaobai, her heart filled with anxiety, leaped onto a lotus leaf, standing gracefully and lightly: "Leng Shuangcheng... Leng Shuangcheng... where are you? Come out and see me!"

Her voice drifted away on the wind, scattering in circles, reflecting the panic in her heart.

Zhao Yingcheng had been waiting day and night, and now that Yang Wan was truly before him, he could no longer remain calm and leaped towards the Lotus Garden. Yuwen Xiaobai was shocked, his face paling. After calling for Leng Shuangcheng for a long time without success, he flashed out of the mansion.

Two figures moved with lightning speed, flashing past the eaves of the courtyard and disappearing from Yu Xue's cold, standing gaze.

"How is it?" A cold figure slowly emerged from the depths of the green forest, breaking the silence of the fallen flowers and the lush trees. His white robes shone brightly against the green leaves.

The newcomer was none other than Qiu Yeyijian, who had seized Yu Xue's weakness. Lin Qingyu was still in his hands, and Yu Xue dared not move.

“Your Highness is right, this person is definitely not a descendant of the Yuwen family of Lingnan.” Yu Xue recalled the several moves she had just exchanged with her opponent and said coldly, “I stabbed at his eyes with one move. His footwork of stepping on the Bagua Palace Star was not bad, but the Yuwen family uses qi to control strength, and he cannot combine it with sword moves. He can only dodge, so I was careful to change my moves at that time.”

"After the four sword strikes, I unleashed my full power with a killing move, forcing him to dodge repeatedly. When ordinary people face danger, they usually abandon any deliberate concealment of their movements and their bodies will naturally react with the most familiar routines. I saw that he used a total of twelve moves, mostly offensive and less defensive. Apart from his skillful footwork, there was not a trace of the Yuwen family's style in his moves."

Yu Xue finished speaking in one breath and then shut her mouth. Qiu Yeyi glanced at the corner where the two had left, smiled coldly, and said, "Good luck." She turned and walked into the woods.

Leng Shuangcheng stood upright beneath the lush green leaves, her fists clenched tightly, her face even darker than the leaves themselves.

Qiu Yeyi approached silently, glanced at her expression, first released her speech-impairing pressure point, and said, "Did you see clearly? Did you understand?"

Leng Shuangcheng said coldly, "Let me go."

"Listen to me, and I will release your pressure points." Qiu Yeyi touched her cheek with her sword and brushed the fallen leaves off her body. "A few months ago, Yuwen Xiaobai and you joined forces to fight me alone. His sword moves were strange and awkward, as if they were somewhat unfamiliar and disjointed. However, you were pressing me hard at the time, and I didn't have time to think about it carefully. Afterwards, I asked Wu Suan to check his background. The information showed that he was indeed the third son of Yuwen in Lingnan, Yuwen Xiaobai."

Leng Shuangcheng sneered: "You know everything now, so why don't you let me go!"

"No rush." Qiu Ye stood in front of her with his sword, staring into her pupils as he said, "Yuwen Xiaobai is indeed lucky. He has never encountered a formidable opponent since his debut. He can defeat ordinary opponents with just his footwork, so it is difficult to force out the origin of his martial arts. Today, Yu Xue is here, which is just the right time to test out his identity, Yang Wan."

His eyes lost their coldness and gradually warmed like sunlight.

Qiu Yeyi reached out and stroked her eyebrows, trying to erase the cold look in her eyes. Leng Shuangcheng glanced at her slightly and said, "Are you deliberately testing Yang Wan in front of Zhao Yingcheng?"

“No.” Qiu Yeyijian quickly replied, laughing, “I’m not lying to you. What kind of look was that… I’m keeping you here because I have something to tell you.”

"Speak!" Leng Shuangcheng said urgently, extremely impatiently.

Qiu Yeyijian slowly touched her cheek and then touched the corner of her lips: "I'll only talk if you're not angry with me."

Leng Shuangcheng turned her gaze to the woods, silently watching the green leaves flutter in the air. Her face, illuminated by the light, was smooth and indifferent. After a moment, she suddenly said indifferently, "Qiuye, I mean what I say. If you misbehave again, I really don't want to see you."

Qiu Yeyi's handsome, aloof face softened slightly, like shattered ice floes shimmering in the light. He gazed at Leng Shuangcheng's face for a moment, then wiped it with his fingers: "I remember."

Leng Shuangcheng turned her head to examine his face closely, and couldn't help but scoff lightly, raising her long eyebrows: "It's really rare... that it didn't go in one ear and out the other..." Thinking of Yang Wan, she became worried again and said repeatedly: "Let me go quickly."

"I know you're going to stop Zhao Yingcheng." Qiu Yeyi hugged her and kissed her black hair. "There are many secrets in the Zhao family. I hope you won't interfere in his affairs. If you're going to find Yang Wan, no matter what happens, don't interfere."

Remembering the Medicine King's intentions, Leng Shuangcheng quickly replied, "I know you and he have always been unrelated, but Yang Wan is different. After I go there, I will only follow her wishes and will not concern myself with anything else."

Qiu Yeyi hesitated for a moment, then released her pressure points: "It seems Zhao Yingcheng was right, you really are cruel."

33. Why bother?

Qiu Yeyi walked along the winding corridor with his sword, the pale sunlight filtering through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on him, yet still not diminishing his aloof and self-assured demeanor.

Shui Qianmie stood gracefully in a light-colored dress. Upon seeing a snow-white figure in the distance, she gave a graceful bow and said, "Your Highness."

Qiu Ye approached silently, his white robes billowing slightly, his face emerging from the shadows, his deep features suddenly becoming strikingly defined. His eyes were like icy peaks, shrouded in mist and devoid of emotion, yet his voice was somewhat polite: "Thank you for your trouble."

Shui Qianmie raised her head to answer, but when she saw his cold and handsome face, she was slightly taken aback: "Please, Your Highness."

Qiu Yeyi turned her head to the sky and said coldly, "The Shui family is famous throughout the world for their mastery of the skills of a hundred birds. As long as you continue to use your birds to search, you will surely find Lin Qingluan sooner or later."

Shui Qianmie was surprised, but faced with the cold and indifferent young man in white, she could only suppress her doubts and reply, "Yes."

Qiu Yeyi glanced at her, as if she understood what she was thinking, and said coldly, "Since Lin Qingluan has disappeared without a trace, and his mission in Qingzhou was to assassinate my wife, I am always worried about Leng Shuangcheng's safety... If something unexpected happens, it is better to prepare in advance... Do you have any questions?"

Shui Qianmie was secretly alarmed by the sharpness in his gaze. Recalling how in the past, only Wu Suan from Bixie Manor had asked her for help, but now he was giving her earnest instructions contrary to the rumors, she couldn't help but sigh.

As the sun grows stronger, the ancient city of Qingzhou awakens like a giant, stretching out its limbs and bathing its streets and alleys in warm light.

A slightly fishy breeze blew in his face, and Yuwen Xiaobai leaped into the wind, his white clothes fluttering like butterflies, rustling loudly through the streets he passed.

People came and went, creating a peaceful and tranquil scene. She swept through the crowd like the wind, running further and further away like a startled rabbit. Only two white figures flashed across the long street, gradually disappearing behind the eaves and street corners.

After running frantically for a long time, Yuwen Xiaobai found that people were sparse and scattered like wisps of smoke. Further ahead, a wide-open cliff with open vegetation suddenly appeared before his eyes.

The sea breeze gently caressed my face. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the waves stretched out in a line, as white as broken feathers, rolling and roaring like silver flowers.

She was slightly taken aback, gazing at the sea in a daze. Compared to the elegant beauty of the Xiangjiang River winding around Qingtian, the vastness and grandeur of the sea here played a tragic and masculine symphony. The music rolled and the view was vast and boundless. She was deeply impressed by the sea she was seeing for the first time.

Sunlight illuminated the shadow standing on the cliff's edge, her white robes fluttering and billowing, like a graceful goddess born from the sea. Overwhelmed with unease, she turned away.

In the distance, several rows of guards, their spears and halberds gleaming, stood in a dense formation before the forest, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, completely surrounding Yuwen Xiaobai's retreat. Zhao Yingcheng, dressed in a blue robe, slowly stepped out from behind the ranks, his cold, low voice carried on the sea breeze: "Who sent you? All of you, get out of the way!"

A leader dressed slightly differently knelt down, speaking with a firm and resounding voice: "Reporting to the young master, it was Prince Qiuye who summoned our entire army to ensure your safety."

As Zhao Yingcheng's anger subsided, he finally understood Qiu Yeyi's thoughtfulness.

The current situation is extremely turbulent. If he were to leave the camp or his soldiers at will, he might be kidnapped by Huang Yushuxue, threatening the future of the entire court.