Lan Yin Bi Yue Extra Chapters

Chapter 88

"No." Ye Kongying shook her head, her eyes fixed on Lan Qi's emerald eyes, her heart itching more and more as she looked, but she couldn't have them at the moment. "Even if I marry you, your eyes won't be mine. Only when I collect your eyes into my treasure trove will they truly be mine."

"Oh?" Lan Qi's emerald eyes flickered, a half-smile playing on her lips. "So, you intend to possess him, young lady." She then turned to Ming Er. "So, you stole the Second Young Master to hide him in your treasure vault?"

"Of course." Ye Kongying's answer was as crisp and clear as before. "I have met many men when I went down the mountain. Although some of them are handsome and outstanding, none of them have the charm of the Second Young Master. He truly deserves the title of 'banished immortal'. So I will take him back to my treasure vault and seal him in thousand-year-old ice, so that he can live forever."

"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Lan Qi was also stunned. He looked at Ye Kongying, who had a serious expression, and then at Ming Er, who had a calm expression, and then laughed. "Hahaha... Good, good, good! This method is not bad. The young lady's hobby is also very interesting. I am very much looking forward to it. May I go and see it sometime?" As he said this, the corners of Lan Qi's lips curved up particularly high, and his pair of blue eyes were particularly bright. You know... the frozen young master Ming Er, just thinking about it is exciting.

“Okay.” Ye Kongying readily agreed, “I’ll take you there.” But in his heart he was thinking: Right now, the girl can’t beat you and can’t get your eyes, but once we get to the girl’s territory, I will definitely take you down and then seal those unique green eyes in ice!

"Then I'll be watching." Lan Qi glanced at the elegantly seated Ming Er with her emerald eyes. "I'll take my leave now." Without waiting for a reply, she turned and left.

"Huh? So he didn't come to save you?" Ye Kongying looked at Lan Qi's dashing figure as he walked away, and couldn't help but turn back to look at Ming Er in confusion. "I thought he came to save you."

"Seventh Young Master's actions are always unpredictable," the Second Young Master Ming replied vaguely with a smile. Seventh Young Master Lan's purpose in coming here was nothing more than two things: first, to investigate the truth of the matter; and second, to see him make a fool of himself or to laugh at him. Of course, the Second Young Master wouldn't tell Ye Kongying these things.

"Anyway, we're full, let's get going." Ye Kongying didn't care what Lan Qishao was here for. She only cared whether the one and only treasure in the world was in her treasure trove and whether it belonged to her. Besides, she was very confident in her unique acupoint striking technique and wasn't afraid that the Second Young Master Ming wouldn't obediently follow her.

So the two continued on their journey, and along the way, Young Master Ming gained some unique insights.

For example, when they passed through Xu Nanshan, they encountered a group of bandits who robbed them on the road.

The bandits, hiding in the dense forest, saw a man and a woman approaching on the mountain path. Both were very beautiful and appeared to be weak and helpless. They assumed robbing them would be a piece of cake. However, their simple clothing and belongings seemed too plain, suggesting they weren't well-off, and they were initially disappointed. But then they thought, "The woman is young and pretty; taking her back to be our chief's concubine wouldn't be bad. The man seems educated; he could be used for bookkeeping or something." They jumped out, blocked their path, and shouted, "Pay up! You can either leave us or leave us dead!"

When Ye Kongying and Ming Er saw the bandits who suddenly jumped out, they sized them up. Ming Er stood quietly to the side with a faint smile, while Ye Kongying asked curiously, "Do you have any treasures in your mountain stronghold?"

The bandits burst into laughter upon hearing this, and one of them replied, "The stronghold has all kinds of treasures; the young lady can enjoy them as long as she goes there."

Upon hearing this, Ye Kongying agreed to go to the mountain stronghold with them.

The bandits were somewhat surprised to hear this. Usually, when they robbed people, they would cry and scream, threatening to die. They had never been so relaxed and easy as they were today. They hesitated for a moment. Then they saw that the pretty girl had a short knife hanging at her waist and wondered if she was a spy sent by the government or someone from another mountain stronghold.

Seeing that they didn't move, Ye Kongying urged them to lead the way quickly, as she was eager to see the treasures. However, this only made the bandits more suspicious. Glancing at the calm Ming Er beside them, they were even more convinced that these two were no ordinary people and had a significant background. They exchanged knowing glances. Then the leader agreed, letting the two walk ahead while they followed behind to prevent their escape.

Ye Kongying readily agreed and immediately walked ahead, with Ming Er following naturally, and the bandits trailing behind. After walking for about three miles, Ye Kongying glanced back and discovered that the bandits who had been following her were all gone. However, the young lady Ye wasn't angry; she simply muttered, "A bunch of petty thieves actually dared to rob me! Don't they know I'm the ancestor of all bandits?"

Meanwhile, the bandits, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, quietly slipped away from the two men and returned to their stronghold before finally breathing a sigh of relief. They then went to report to their chief. The chief, who had been expecting a great haul, was furious to hear that they had returned empty-handed. Although he calmed down somewhat after hearing their explanation, he still shouted, "The man is one thing, but what could that girl possibly be capable of? At least she should be brought back to me, the chief!"

No sooner had these words been spoken than a sweet, clear voice rang out: "I've arrived. So this is your mountain stronghold. It's quite a nice place."

Everyone was startled and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see two people standing on the rooftop, the pretty girl and the man they had just seen.

A mountain breeze swept by, causing the robes of the two figures on the roof to flutter, making them appear as if mountain gods had appeared. The onlookers below were both astonished and amazed by the sight, though they couldn't help but notice the fragrance carried by the breeze. It smelled wonderful, though. The bandits sniffed intently, some even harboring lewd thoughts as to whether it was the scent of a beautiful young woman.

"Oh no! This fragrance..."

Suddenly someone cried out in alarm, but before they could finish speaking, they collapsed. Then the other bandits also collapsed to the ground, their bodies limp, but they were still conscious, watching as the pretty girl cheerfully dragged the man off the roof.

Several bandits were still holding on, but when they saw them coming down, they staggered forward, only to be easily kicked down by the pretty girl.

After everyone had collapsed to the ground, Ye Kongying clapped his hands, looked around, and said, "I wonder what treasures your stronghold has." Then he began to search the stronghold.

Miss Ye went treasure hunting, leaving Young Master Ming behind. The young master glanced at the bandits on the ground, their eyes wide with a mixture of shock, fear, and anger as they stared at him. A slight smile played on his lips as he walked over to the chieftain's large chair covered with a tiger skin and sat down. He rested his chin on his hand, closed his eyes, and relaxed, looking utterly carefree and elegant. The poor bandits on the ground, unable to move or shout, could only watch him helplessly.

Although the mountain stronghold wasn't large, it was still a stronghold, not just a place with three thatched huts and an acre of land. Therefore, Miss Ye couldn't search it all in a short time. Moreover, there were quite a few people in the stronghold. Upon seeing her barge in, the men naturally clenched their fists and brandished their knives, ready to attack. Fortunately, Miss Ye was skilled in martial arts, and she had plenty of incense. Those men were either kicked to the ground by her kick or fell unconscious from the scent. The women and children, seeing Miss Ye's incredible strength, either screamed and ran away or were too frightened to move. Miss Ye was busy searching for treasure and had no time to pay attention to the women and children. However… after searching for most of the hour, and having searched most of the stronghold, apart from some gold, silver, and ordinary pearls and jade ornaments, Miss Ye hadn't found a single trace of the "world's only treasure." She was quite disappointed, but unwilling to give up, so she persevered.

The second young master spent half a day resting on the tiger-skin chair, but Miss Ye didn't return. He wondered if either she had too many treasures or they had vanished without a trace. Bored, Ming Er got up and wandered around—he had only been temporarily rendered powerless and his life threatened by Miss Ye's unique methods, otherwise he was no different from an ordinary person. There were many houses in the front village, and the second young master went through several without finding anyone. Finally, in a house decorated in a rather lavish yet utterly vulgar manner, he saw a young and beautiful woman. As soon as she saw someone enter, she hurriedly hid under the bed, trembling. But after trembling for a while without any movement, she couldn't help but peek up. And what she saw made her forget to breathe.

The room was filled with lavish decorations, seemingly only to accentuate the young master's serene and unassuming demeanor. He strolled around the room, yet his movements were as elegant and leisurely as if he were taking a leisurely walk.

Ming Er looked around the room and saw a zither on a table on the left, which was quite clean. He moved over and suddenly felt a gaze on him. He turned his head and saw the woman staring at him blankly. He smiled slightly and said, "I'll borrow your zither for a moment, Madam." With that, he took it and left, leaving the woman there, captivated and mesmerized.

Ming Er returned to his original spot, where the bandits were still lying. He sat down again on the tiger-skin chair, placed the zither on his lap, and plucked the strings. The tone was quite accurate, indicating it was frequently used. Judging from the lavish decorations inside, the room was probably occupied by a woman favored by the chieftain. Judging from her appearance, she was likely a young lady from some noble family who had been abducted to be the chieftain's wife.

Ming Er glanced at the bandits on the ground and said, "I apologize for disturbing you all with a piece of music."

His fingertips lightly traced the strings, and the music began, melodious and gentle like a mountain stream flowing, like the flourishing of vegetation. Suddenly, a high note rose, becoming tense like the clash of swords and the swirling yellow sand. Then it fell low, like a sob, as if impending danger. Suddenly, it became light and bright, like a hundred flowers blooming in the intoxicating spring breeze... The music rose and fell, fast and slow, sometimes flowing, sometimes hesitant. The faces and eyes of the bandits on the ground changed with the music, sometimes calm and joyful, sometimes flushed and bulging, sometimes infatuated and intoxicated, and sometimes filled with pain and sorrow...

Miss Ye is still searching for treasure.

The second young master continued playing the zither.

"Second Young Master, what excellent musical skills and refined taste!" A soft laugh suddenly interrupted the music.

Ming Er stopped and said, "Seventh Young Master seems to be in even better spirits."

"How can it compare to the Second Young Master playing the zither to entertain the bandits in their den?" Lan Qi swaggered over, waving his jade fan. He glanced at the bandits on the ground, shook his head, and sighed, "The Second Young Master's zither music is truly divine. How can these mortals, with their meager fortune, possibly enjoy it? It seems they're going to shorten their lives."

"Seventh Young Master is joking. These people are just temporarily unconscious because they were bewitched by Miss Ye's incense." Ming Er glanced at the people on the ground.

Lan Qi turned his head and glanced at him, "Is the Second Young Master joking with me?"

Upon hearing this, Ming Er looked up at Lan Qi, plucked a string from his zither, and then casually said, "I once heard that a senior master could 'control people with sound,' which I found very intriguing. Now that I have some free time, I've taken the time to practice a bit."

"Hmph." Lan Qi wrinkled her nose in disdain, walked over and pushed the Second Young Master aside, then sat down herself. "The Second Young Master is clearly disregarding human life, yet he insists on saying he'll play the zither to atone for it. When will you stop wearing that fake immortal's skin!"

Although the stronghold was small, the chieftain's tiger-skin chair was large enough for two people to sit comfortably, so the second young master generously gave half of it to Lan Qishao.

Ming Er Gongzi always ignored Lan Qishao's veiled sarcasm. He pushed Yaoqin aside and said, "Recently, I have been reading some internal energy cultivation methods written by predecessors and discovered some interesting methods of circulating qi. So I want to try to see what effect it would have if I channeled qi into the zither."

"And so these people had the good fortune to hear the song of the banished immortal." Lan Qi's gaze swept over the bandits on the ground, showing no pity whatsoever.

Ming Er answered with a smile.

Lan Qi leaned back comfortably in the soft chair and said, "Tell me, what tricks are you playing? Don't tell me that Miss Ye's bewitching incense is powerful and her methods are skillful. Even if you were truly under her control at first, I don't believe that you haven't found a solution after seven or eight days. Besides, I've already come looking for you, it's impossible that the Ming family can't find you."

“I didn’t play any tricks,” Ming Er smiled faintly. “It’s just…” He turned to look at Lan Qi.

"Just what?" Lan Qi looked up at him.

The two were now very close, and knew each other very well. Their eyes met, and they instantly saw into the depths of each other's eyes.

boring!

At that moment, only these two words were on their minds.

Lan Qi chuckled, while the Second Young Master Ming let out a rare sigh.

After returning from Dongming Island, the two had agreed to remain neutral in the martial arts world for five years. Thanks to their respective deliberate arrangements, the surprise attack by the Dongming people before the new year had caused little damage to the Ming and Lan families; in fact, it had removed some of the rotten flesh and malignant growths. For the past few months, both families and the martial arts world had been peaceful, leaving the two feeling quite bored.

"The theater is no longer as lively and exciting as it used to be, so it's no longer interesting." The second young master's tone was full of regret. "That night, I saw that the little girl's lightness skill was very good. She was able to walk all the way to Duanhua Tower without disturbing a single member of the Ming family. I couldn't help but be a little curious."

"So this little girl's lightness skill is no less than Ai Wuying's." Lan Qi sat up straight. "But what are you curious about?"

"I have never been a prisoner before, so I would like to try it out and see what it's like," the second young master replied.

"Just this reason?" Lan Qi's green eyes widened, then she curled her lip. "Your idea is boring."

“However, this Miss Ye is quite interesting along the way,” Ming Er said with a smile, looking at her.

Lan Qi snorted through her nostrils.

Ming Er's smile deepened slightly. "You've come all this way, Seventh Young Master. How did you get here from Yunzhou?"

"Now that the news of 'Second Young Master being robbed' has spread, how could I not come and see what's going on?" Lan Qi glanced at him sideways. "Now, I'm even more interested in seeing the Second Young Master sealed in ice. I wonder if he'll still have that celestial appearance and aura then?"

"Is that so?" Ming Er's gaze sharpened, then he raised his head and looked ahead. "I thought..." He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, a hint of melancholy in his faint tone.

"You think..." Lan Qi's heart skipped a beat. She raised an eyebrow, her emerald eyes fixed on him, and pressed, "Think what?"

Ming Er did not answer, but simply looked quietly at the front of the stronghold. The mountain was surrounded by towering peaks and verdant pines and cypresses, a very pleasant sight. After a long while, he suddenly said, "Since I disappeared, my father has summoned all the branch heads of the Ming family from various prefectures and cities back to the Ming family under the pretext of searching for me."

Lan Qi remained silent, her emerald eyes also skipping over the village and landing in the distance.

The Ming family patriarch summoned all the branch patriarchs back to the Ming family at this time, and his intentions were self-evident.

Over the years, although Ming Er was nominally the young master of the Ming family, he was in fact the one who truly held power in the Ming family.

Ming's father is ostensibly searching for his son, but in reality, he is seizing power.

For them, it was commonplace for fathers and sons to be suspicious of each other, and for relatives to scheme against each other.

"Seventh Young Master, have you ever thought about why you and I were born into this world?" Ming Er asked calmly. "If our parents had a choice, they would definitely choose not to have us."

Upon hearing this, Lan Qi was startled, but remained outwardly calm, only tightening her grip on the fan slightly.

“I already know how to survive in the Ming family, how to survive in this world.” Ming Er’s voice was as ethereal and distant as his gaze. “I also know that those who are heartless and emotionless are immortals, and those who are cold-blooded and ruthless are demons. Only by being like that can one be invincible, free and unrestrained, and true to oneself. But… there are moments when I am powerless to turn back into a human, and then I have emotions and desires again, and I feel disappointment and sadness.” A faint smile appeared on Ming Er’s lips. “If… it were possible to never have a human heart again, that would be good.”

If anyone else had said that, Lan Qi would have laughed out loud, but when Ming Er said it, she couldn't laugh. She deeply understood what was hidden beneath those light words.

Lan Qi remained silent for a long time before saying in a very soft and indifferent tone, "No matter what, you and I are always the same."

No matter what your parents or relatives are like, no matter how the world sees you as a demon, a monster, a ghost, or a monster... there is a you and a me in this world, and we are the same in life and in death, so we are never alone.

Upon hearing this, Ming Er turned around and looked at her.

Lan Qi turned her head and looked back at him.

Their eyes met, their gazes calm and unwavering for a long time.

Then Ming Er smiled slightly, a smile that seemed to blow away the light mist that had long lingered over the river, finally revealing the other side: a pair of clear and bright eyes, and a calm and serene smile.

Lan Qi looked at him, her blue eyes like water, clear and serene, a moment that seemed to last a thousand years, a hundred lifetimes had passed.

When Miss Ye returned to the front village empty-handed, she saw Young Master Ming sitting on a tiger-skin chair playing the zither, the bandits on the ground fast asleep, and Young Master Lan standing among the bandits, slightly bent over as if looking at something.

Upon seeing her return, Ming Er stopped playing the zither, while Lan Qi straightened up and asked, "Miss Ye, did you find any 'one-of-a-kind treasure' this time?"

Ye Kongying, who had been dejected, perked up when she saw those bright green eyes and said, "These swindlers! They tricked me into believing I had plenty of treasures here, but not a single one is worth looking at!"

Upon hearing this, Lan Qi's emerald eyes flickered, and she smiled knowingly, saying, "He can't really be considered a swindler. Although this mountain stronghold is small, it does possess a treasure."

"Oh? What is it? Where is it?" Miss Ye immediately asked.

Lan Qi looked at the anxious Miss Ye, a wicked glint in his emerald eyes. He looked down at the chieftain lying on the ground, then bent down and took a thumb-sized bead from his hat with his left hand, saying, "This 'Rhinoceros Moon Bead' may not be as dazzling as a pearl, but it is water-repellent. When placed in deep water, it emits a light like moonlight, making it more precious than a pearl. It's a pity that no one recognizes its value and it was set in the chieftain's hat as an ordinary bead. However, it's fortunate that it met me, otherwise it would have been a waste of its potential."

Upon hearing this, Ye Kongying's eyes widened as she watched Lan Qi take the bead from the chieftain's hat. A mix of emotions welled up inside her: regret, jealousy, anger, and heartache.

Lan Qi took off the bead and opened her hand. The Rhinoceros Moon Bead lay peacefully in her palm. It was almost noon, and the sunlight was exceptionally bright. Under the sunlight, the hand holding the bead was as translucent as white jade, and the originally unremarkable bead suddenly appeared to shine brightly.

Miss Ye looked at the beads, her eyes darting around a few times, then she pouted and said, "I came here first, so these beads should belong to me."

Lan Qi raised an eyebrow, turned to look at Ye Kongying, smiled again, and did not refute, but slowly said, "Miss Ye, do you want to take the bead from my palm?" As she spoke, she stood there, stretched out her hand and opened her palm, the bead lying quietly in her palm, as if waiting for Ye Kongying to take it.

Upon hearing this, Ye Kongying's heart stirred, and she even moved her feet. But in that instant, she suddenly shuddered for no apparent reason, and froze. Her eyes lingered on the bead, then turned to Lan Qi, who stood there smiling at her. After a long while, she sighed in frustration and gave up. She knew she couldn't get the bead; she knew that her reaction just now was fear!

Lan Qi's smile deepened upon seeing Ye Kongying's reaction.

Seeing Lan Qi's smile made Ye Kongying even more uncomfortable. She called out to the Second Young Master Ming, who was sitting quietly watching, "This shabby mountain stronghold has nothing. Let's go." You see, she had spent half a day searching for a single treasure that caught her eye, while a treasure that was clearly within her grasp had been snatched away by someone else. How could she not feel regret?

Lan Qi glanced at Ming Er, who had gotten up to follow her. It seemed he hadn't had enough of the 'captive' game yet. So he put away the bead and prepared to leave. But when he looked at the bandits scattered on the ground, an amused smile appeared on his lips. He suddenly called out to Ye Kongying, "Miss Ye, aren't you going to deal with this bunch of bandits?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Kongying immediately stopped, turned around, and said with some indignation, "Yes, these swindlers made me waste all my efforts, how can they not be punished!"

As she spoke, she walked up to the bandits, drew her dagger, and swung it across the forehead of one of them, not to kill him, but to carve the words "bandit" into his forehead. Blood gushed out, but the bandit remained unconscious in his sleep. She finished carving one and moved on to the next, and soon all the bandits on the ground had the two words carved on their foreheads.

After finishing carving, Miss Ye clapped her hands and said, "From now on, wherever you go, everyone will know you're bandits! Humph, this is what happens when you try to fool me!" With that, she turned and left.

Lan Qi called her again, her face filled with curiosity and her eyes brimming with teasing, and asked, "What about those women who were abducted to the mountain stronghold? Aren't you going to rescue them, Miss Ye?"