Lanting

"That man beat me half to death back then, and tore my clothes to shreds. Luckily, Lan Wuxie arrived in time, otherwise what Qingling said today would all be true."

As she spoke, she slowly put down her teacup.

I still vaguely remember the scene from that day, but it's not as clear as I'd imagined. The longer time passes, the more I recall the good things about him—his tenderness, his lingering affection, those good days when we completely forgot about the grudges of the martial world—now that I think about it, that period was actually a good time.

63. Bo Hai...

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Hua Chongyang seemed lost in thought. Ye Laoqi and Lancao didn't know what to say. Bailu couldn't bear to hear Hua Chongyang speak well of Lan Wuxie, but she stubbornly refused to speak. After a long while, Lancao finally stroked her chin and nodded.

"So, it seems Qingling knows quite a bit."

Old Seven Ye pressed on with another question:

"How so?"

Orchid raises its eyebrows:

"Of those who tried to kill Hua Chongyang back then, one died on the spot, one was poisoned and left to rot in West Lake, and the other committed suicide when the guards weren't looking. Later, the Pavilion Master interrogated Lanxiang, but she refused to say a word—then the martial arts alliance members boarded the pleasure boat and took her away. So, the matter has never been clarified until now. But Qingling actually knows."

Bai Lu sneered and rolled her eyes:

"Everyone says Lan Wuxie is the best in the world, capable of anything. Who would have thought he couldn't even find the culprit after someone harmed his woman! Maybe, humph, he did it himself!"

Just as the orchid was about to bloom, Hua Chongyang stopped him at the last minute:

"We don't know where the people from Yanzu Valley are going. Our immediate priority is to send someone to follow them."

Just as they finished speaking, there was a knock at the door. The group fell silent. The door opened, and Chu San entered. After looking around, he looked at Hua Chongyang:

"Just now, Bo Feng sent another invitation, saying that he would do you the honor of attending."

"I'm not going." Hua Chongyang turned his face away impatiently. "This Bo Feng is really annoying."

"You might as well go," suggested the second manager, who was following behind Chu San. "Just now, I heard a few people from Yanzu Valley say they were also going to a banquet."

Hua Chongyang looked up, thought for a moment, and nodded:

"Then let's go take a look."

The group left the inn. Bai Lu, though still throwing a tantrum, was much better, following behind Ye Laoqi with a cold face. Just as the three were about to leave, Lan Cao glanced at Bai Lu, then stepped forward and approached Hua Chongyang:

"Hua Chongyang."

Hua Chongyang stopped in his tracks: "What?"

Lan Cao hesitated for a long time, then nodded:

"If you have time, go and visit the Pavilion Master."

Hua Chongyang was taken aback, then looked away, his expression slightly indifferent:

"I thought you were a sensible person, Orchid."

"I don't want to say much more," Lan Cao sighed softly. "This afternoon, after returning to Lan Ying Manor from the martial arts tournament, the Pavilion Master developed a fever. He wouldn't take any medicine or drink any water, and just sat alone by the lake in the backyard, lost in thought."

"His abuse of his body is none of my business."

"He's not wasting his body; he simply doesn't know the joy of living."

"……"

Hua Chongyang was slightly taken aback and immediately looked away.

"I don't want to hear this."

She turned her back on the orchids and walked away.

I wonder what joy there is in living.

Why does he go to such lengths to make a name for himself in the martial arts world?

The banquet at the villa of Nan Chu Mountain Villa appeared lively but was actually rather quiet. Bo Feng seemed solely focused on cultivating relationships with various sects, having invited almost everyone. Hua Chongyang and Bai Lu arrived early and casually sat in a corner, remaining silent. Although the candles were bright, it was still evening, and gradually the banquet hall filled with people. Some oblivious individuals, perhaps not noticing them, began whispering amongst themselves nearby:

"This year's martial arts tournament was really nothing to watch. In the end, Rong Chenfei was the one who fought to the very end."

"The martial arts world is lacking successors!"

"That's not entirely true. Rong Chenfei's martial arts are strange and fierce, and quite impressive. However, his cunning is far inferior to Rong Zaisheng's. Since Rong Zaisheng's death, Lake Moon Manor has declined significantly."

"Rong Chenfei is doing better than before. He's allied himself with Lan Wuxie, and now nobody dares to mess with him."

Hua Chongyang remained hidden behind a sheer curtain in the open pavilion, quietly sipping her tea. Outside, a shallow lake reflected the shimmering lights of candles. She glanced sideways at the scene beyond the corridor, her thick eyelashes gleaming like water, seemingly oblivious to the distant chatter.

"This so-called martial arts tournament sounds more like a drama of Lan Wuxie and Bai Lu vying for Bai Lu's affections!"

"Who knows if it's just jealousy or ulterior motives? There are still rumors that Lan Wuxie hasn't obtained the Azure Heaven Heart Sutra yet. Otherwise, with his martial arts skills and looks, what woman couldn't he have? Why would he be so obsessed with Hua Chongyang?!"

"And Bai Lu too! Her identity is unknown, I wonder what she sees in Hua Chongyang! Isn't she just Lan Wuxie's leftover woman? Sigh! Such youthful frivolity!"

"……"

Seeing

……