La cúspide del mundo de las artes marciales

Capítulo 61

"Oh?" I looked at her with feigned surprise. "Are there still good people in the Central Plains? How come I don't know? What's his name?"

“I don’t know,” Hongyao blurted out. “He never told me. I just call him ‘Beautiful Young Master,’ and my master calls him ‘Young Master’ too, and something about Ruan…”

"Red Medicine!" Qinglian covered her mouth with her hand, frowned and glared at me, saying to her, "What nonsense are you talking about? Master will definitely punish you if he finds out!" She dragged her out, not forgetting to glare at me.

I smiled at him shamelessly, and he slammed the door shut and left, making my liver tremble.

Before long, Miao Shou knocked on the door and came in, smiling at me, "Miss Su, are you ready? We're about to set off."

"Alright." I got off the bed, put on my shoes, wrapped myself in my cloak, and said, "Let's go now."

I went out with Miaoshou. A carriage had already been prepared outside the medicine hut, and Qinglian was arranging the luggage. I looked around and asked in surprise, "Where is Xiaohongyao?"

"Oh." Miao Shou handed the package to the car and said with a helpless smile, "This kid is throwing a tantrum and wants to break off our friendship. I wish him a safe journey and that he dies outside the valley."

That's so poisonous...

"Does Miss Su want to say goodbye to her?" Qinglian asked me expectantly.

But Miao Shou opened the curtain for me and said, "No need, there's plenty of time in the future, Miss Su, come again next time."

There is ample time.

I smiled and said, "There's really no need. I'm just an insignificant passerby. Besides, Hongyao is still young; it's better for her not to experience so many partings." I climbed into the carriage and sat down on the soft couch.

The skilled hand gave some instructions, and half a day later, he also boarded the carriage with a blue curtain. As the wheels rolled over, I lifted the curtain and looked out. The dark mountains were covered with magnolias, white and purple, their cold beauty and fragrance wafting through the air.

They came without knowing where they came from, and they left without knowing where they were going.

This place is never a place where I can rest. I can tell that Miaoshou doesn't really like me associating with Xiaohongyao. Well, she's so young, and she's always around such a terrible person like me. She won't learn anything from me.

"Miss." Qinglian tugged at my sleeve. I turned to look at him, and he secretly glanced at me as he slipped something into my hand, muttering, "This is from Hongyao."

A small string of red agate beads lay in her palm, each bead sparkling, damp and warm from being squeezed by Qinglian.

Miao Shou glanced at it and muttered to himself, "He didn't even send his master anything. How unfilial."

For some reason, looking at that string of red agate beads suddenly reminded me of someone. She was like a child, bright and beautiful, with a terrible temper, but she treated me very well, extremely well.

No matter how much time has passed, I can never bear to recall the day Jinglian died in my arms, her hot blood and her icy cold fingers. I can never remember it, never forget it, for the rest of my life.

"Miss?" Qinglian looked at me in surprise, touched my wrist with her small fingers, and asked, "You look terrible, are you feeling unwell?"

Miao Shou hurriedly got up and took my wrist. I quickly smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just suddenly remembered what Xiao Hongyao said."

"What did you say?" Miao Shou asked me.

I leaned against the car window, idly fiddling with the tiny agate beads, and chuckled to myself for a while before finally saying, "How pitiful..."

"Huh?" The expert couldn't understand.

I pressed the bracelet back into Qinglian's hand. He was taken aback. I smiled and said, "Say thank you to Xiaohongyao, but I... don't accept gifts, and I won't accept any more in the future."

Before Qinglian could ask any more questions, Miaoshou suddenly said to me, "Miss Su, I don't know what happened to you, but it's always good to be happy. When I first met you, you were so open and cheerful and extremely lovely. But now you're... not lovely at all."

"Oh?" I leaned against the car window and watched him smile. "Sir, why don't you be honest with me first?"

He fell silent, then sighed after a long while, saying, "Miss Su, you're overthinking it. While I'm not exactly a saint, I would never push you into a fire pit. It's just that I was asked to do this, and I really can't say anything. But I assure you, there will be no danger on this journey. That person meant well..."

A heartfelt effort...

I am not worthy of such painstaking efforts.

I dozed off by the car window, and when we were almost at Licheng, I opened my eyes and said to Miaoshou, "Sir, please stop at Licheng. I have some business to attend to."

"What is it?" Miao Shou quickly grabbed me. "Miss Su, you can't run around like that. What will I do if you run away..."

I patted the back of his hand and smiled, "Don't worry, sir. I'm just going to see someone. Otherwise, we can go together. I guess that person is someone you also want to see."

"who?"

"Pharmacist Shen Qing." As soon as I finished speaking, Miaoshou jumped out of the carriage, quickly and anxiously pulling a handkerchief from her bosom and handing it to me.

“Miss Su is currently being hunted by members of the Demonic Sect, so it would be better if you covered your face.” He added, “After entering the city, you will disguise yourself as my medicine apprentice, and I will call you Xiao Xie, okay?”

I nodded, took the paddle, covered my face with it, and asked, "Sir, do you know who from the Demonic Sect is hunting me down?"

After thinking for a moment, Miao Shou said, "It should be the new sect leader, Young Master Ruan."

"Oh? Ruan Lianhua?"

Author's Note: A little late with the update! Can you guess why I came to Licheng? Besides looking for my child, there's another very obvious foreshadowing! Guess~

PS: **Recently, the system has been very active, so don't worry if you can't post comments. If you've purchased VIP membership and still can't see it, try refreshing the page. That's what the editor said. If it still doesn't work, leave a message for me, and I'll post it in the readers' comments section.**

Did you see that girl in the last chapter?

73

Licheng is still that old city with green walls.

There were many more guards outside the city, and the security was very tight. Anyone entering or leaving Licheng had to be checked.

I followed Miaoshou and entered the city with Qinglian. We were stopped by the guards, who asked, "Are you not from Licheng?" They held up a painting and looked us up and down.

I peeked at it, and sure enough, the drawing really did look like me!

Ruan Lianhua actually got involved with the Prince of Licheng, and the Prince of Licheng even arrested me on his behalf.

Miao Shou nodded politely and said, "Young guard, we've come to Licheng to find someone."

"Looking for someone?" the guard said disdainfully. "What's wrong with her? Take off her veil and check." He reached out to pull off my veil.

I slightly dodged, and a nimble hand blocked my way, still smiling as he said, "This is my patient. He can't stand the wind, so please be accommodating, young guard."

"Sorry, I'm just following orders." The guard gave me a signal, and two guards immediately came over, trying to capture me from both sides.

"Let's talk this out, let's talk this out..." Miao Shou hurriedly stepped forward to stop him.

Seeing that I couldn't avoid it no matter what, I had no choice but to say, "Sir, I think you'd better tell me your name, lest some people be blind to your worth."

"Name?" Miaoshou looked at me, completely bewildered.

The guards waved for them to stop and looked at me, saying, "Little brat, you've got quite the nerve. Let's hear what you have to say to the officer and see if you can intimidate him."

“Sir,” I said, stepping to Miaoshou’s side and turning my sleeves behind my back, “tell him.”

Miao Shou covered his mouth with his sleeve and whispered to me, "What do I want to say?"

I covered my mouth and whispered to him, "Say you're the Medicine King! You're the Little Prince's personal apothecary, after all. Say it out loud and they'll be slammed to death!"

"That won't do!" the skilled healer said in a troubled whisper, "I'd like to keep a low profile..."

Keep it low-key, my goodness...

I ripped off his sleeve, pointed at his face, and said to the guard, "My master is the Medicine King, a master healer. He came to Licheng this time because of Prince Baoze's illness. You must force him to go to the palace for a checkup, and then the King of Licheng will reward you handsomely!"

The guard's expression changed, and he scrutinized the skilled healer closely. "Are you the Medicine King's Skilled Healer?"

"I am ashamed, it is indeed I," Miaoshou said humbly, bowing with his hands clasped.

Before the guard could speak again, I grabbed Miaoshou and Qinglian and headed into the city. The guard stopped us again. I frowned and hissed, "You blind fool! Do you really want to anger my master and make him leave? Do you want to die if you delay Prince Baoze's treatment?"

The guard was taken aback by my shout, and bowed, saying, "Miss, you misunderstand. Since you are the Medicine King, I will send someone to escort you to the palace." He waved to two guards and ordered, "Escort the Medicine King to the palace without any mishaps."

The young guard responded, bowing slightly to both sides and saying, "Please."

Miao Shou paused for a moment, then took a few steps to my side and muttered a complaint in a low voice, "I told you to keep a low profile, but now look what's happened, we have no choice but to go to the palace."

Entering the palace is fine; the city is full of soldiers, so entering the palace might be more appropriate.

He kept complaining, and I was thinking about how to find out if Chang Huan and Shen Qing were in the city. I didn't notice a prison cart covered with a thick black cloth driving up from outside the city behind me. There was a commotion, and someone shouted, "Make way!"

As soon as I turned my head, the prison van was right in front of me. Miao Shou hurriedly moved me to the side, and the prison van slowed down with a creak. The wind lifted a corner of the black cloth on the prison van, and I heard the clanging of iron chains. I looked up and saw a pair of eyes hidden behind the steel bars under the black cloth. They were gray and dull, and they trembled slightly.

He saw me.

In that instant, I saw that face through a narrow gap in the prison van, and my back suddenly stiffened, leaving me rooted to the spot, unable to move.

He stared at me, his gaze fixed on me, the chains clanging loudly.

I just stood there, frozen, watching him, the sunlight filtering through the bars and dappling his face and brow, as the prison van slowly drove past me.

Such a short time, yet such a long time.

"Is this a prisoner? Who is it...? Why is it covered up so tightly and no one can see?" Miao Shou asked the guard curiously.

The guard glanced at it and said, "Oh, it's a gift from the new leader of the Salo Sect to the king. He's being all mysterious, saying the king will surely be pleased. Who knows what it is?"

I saw him, in the dim light, I saw him so unexpectedly.

Miaoshou nudged me and asked, "Did you see clearly? What was it? A beautiful woman? Or something rare?"

I stood there for a long time before finally saying, "I...didn't see clearly."

I always encounter him at these indecisive moments. If it were earlier, before I entered Licheng, I might have been able to retreat, but now I am in Licheng.

The guards waited ahead, then turned and bowed, saying, "Mr. Medicine King and this young lady, let's go."

===============================================================================

The guards led us into the palace, but we didn't see the King of Licheng. The female officials temporarily settled us in a side hall to wait, saying that the King of Licheng was currently seeing distinguished guests and would summon us later.

When Qinglian entered the palace for the first time, she was still a child and excitedly ran around everywhere, with Miaoshou following behind, constantly talking to her.

I sat on the threshold for a long time when Miaoshou suddenly came over to me and said, "It is always the place where we used to hold hands and wander through the fragrant bushes. The flowers are still red, but things have changed."

That was such a cheesy comment; it really hit me right in the heart.

He patted my shoulder and comforted me, saying, "Life is full of partings, it's just a matter of who dies first and who dies later. Let bygones be bygones. I think you must have had some troubles here back then."

Right, there are always unpleasant things, mostly, but back then... when I met Jinglian and Baoze, I was happy, even the most difficult times were happy.

Even Ruan Lianhua and Yan Shu from that time were characters I liked.

Back then, I always felt that no matter how difficult things got, they would eventually pass, and there were always people I could trust.

Back then... Licheng was still a bustling and prosperous city.

"Little Xie." Miao Shou suddenly sat down intimately beside me and said with a smile, "It's already a great achievement that you've managed to leave the Demonic Sect and reform yourself. We're going to the Central Plains, so you must repent and reform yourself in the future."

I chuckled, turned to look at him, and squinted, saying, "Sir, did Ruan Bicheng tell you to say these things?"

Miao Shou looked at me and suddenly sighed, "You have misunderstood him too much. These are the words I wanted to say to you. It is not easy for you to survive in the Demonic Sect at such a young age. You had no choice before, but now you can choose to go to the Central Plains and start over. Be a happy and ordinary girl. Isn't that wonderful?"

I said "Oh," and smiled, resting my forehead on my hand.

Miaoshou looked at me, puzzled. "What are you laughing at?"