La lluvia escarlata inunda la ciudad

Capítulo 35

The young master seemed not to hear, and directly took Chu Xia's hand and walked ahead.

Her hands were unexpectedly hot, as if she had a fever. The young master was startled and looked at her face by the moonlight, only to see that she simply shook her head slightly, indicating that she was fine.

“Early summer…” The young master’s voice was hoarse, his brows furrowed tightly, finally losing his usual composure, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Chu Xia gripped his hand even tighter, almost digging her nails into his flesh. She pursed her lips tightly, her long eyelashes fluttering as she blinked, as if tears might fall at any moment.

The young master sighed silently, discerned his direction at the bottom of the valley, and then headed west.

Passing through a tea plantation, they could see the waters of Dongting Lake and the small dock. Chu Xia gripped his hand even tighter, unwilling to let go. The young master stopped, turned, and quietly looked at Su Fenghua: "Take her away. If anything happens to her, your fate and that of the Huansha Sect will be like this tree." With a flick of his sleeve, he struck a tree as thick as a bowl beside him with his palm. Instantly, the tree snapped in two, raising a cloud of dust and forcing Su Fenghua to retreat several steps.

The young master said calmly, "I don't care what grudges or entanglements the Huansha Sect has with the Jun family. You'd better believe me; we have the means to do so."

Su Fenghua's expression turned solemn, a fleeting fear crossing his face before he quickly regained his composure. He silently lit a tinderbox and flicked it a few times in the air, and a small boat swiftly approached. He leaped aboard first and said to Chu Xia, "Miss Chu Xia, thank you for your trouble."

The young master reached out and gently stroked her cheek with his fingertips, saying each word slowly and deliberately, "Don't cry." He paused, but simply repeated what he had said before, "I won't let anything happen to you."

Her clear black and white eyes were filled with mist, and a few drops even clung to her long eyelashes. Chu Xia tilted her head back with a tender and lingering gaze, and released his hand with a slight tremor.

The young master reached out and leaned down to gently kiss her between the eyebrows. Just as he was about to release her, a woman's hoarse cry suddenly came from the distant lake: "Don't let her go! She killed the Azure Dragon!"

The young master's expression changed slightly, but Chu Xia stared at him intently, her tears already concealed, leaving only boundless sorrow like the waters of a lake.

"She's not poisoned! Young master, don't let her go!" The boat was also speeding towards them, and Bai Xue's voice grew closer. The woman on Su Fenghua's boat flicked her wrist and shot out a handful of flying needles. Bai Xue dodged them, and before the boat reached the shore, she had already leaped onto land, delivering a fierce palm strike to Chu Xia.

Without a word, the young master shielded her. In that instant, the woman on the boat swung a long whip, wrapping it around Chu Xia's waist, intending to carry her away. A flash of green light appeared beside the young master's hand, and the Yuyang Sword slashed down the whip. Chu Xia staggered and fell to the ground.

Bai Xue approached step by step, her beautiful features completely distorted, her voice hoarse and strained: "You... why did you even kill Qinglong? He loved you so much..." Before she finished speaking, a flash of silver light appeared, and a silver hairpin landed on Chu Xia's lap. She was consumed by anger and frustration: "Your silver hairpin... that boy kept it hidden in his chest until his death... but what about you! What about you?"

Chu Xia didn't pick it up; she simply straightened up slowly, and the hairpin rolled off her and onto the ground. Under the moonlight, her small, palm-sized face was as white as jade. She lowered her head, not letting anyone see her expression, and said to Bai Xue, "You were able to break free from Shi Le's bewitching incense... No wonder you are the Vermilion Bird Envoy."

Bai Xue smiled bitterly: "I should thank you. After killing Qinglong, that person was about to kill me again, but it was your words, 'She's still useful,' that saved me."

"How did you escape from there?" Chu Xia's voice remained flat and emotionless as she asked.

"Of course someone rescued her." Another male voice came from the lake, and several small boats, lit by torches, glittered on the lake as they rowed toward the island.

Chu Xia lowered her head and pondered for a while: "So, Steward Cang is actually Bai Hu."

The man in black leaped onto the island, his expression solemn. He bowed to the young master and said, "Young master, they have no way to escape now."

"Why?" The young master's handsome features appeared exceptionally gentle under the starlight. He did not reveal a trace of murderous intent, but rather a faint, restrained sorrow. He simply gazed deeply at her. At this moment, he was just an ordinary young man, filled with resentment and pain because of this deception, this betrayal, and the murder of his loyal subordinate.

Chapter Thirty-Four (Part Two)

"You've already vaguely guessed it, haven't you?" Chu Xia quietly looked back at him and smiled bitterly.

“I’ve guessed it, but I still don’t want to believe it—I want you to tell me yourself,” the young master said slowly, still staring intently into her eyes.

Chu Xia's face was deathly pale. The small boat behind her was overturned with a splash. The woman grabbed Su Xiucai and pulled him ashore, standing beside Chu Xia and confronting the surrounding crowd.

“Anyway, we’re not going to live, Ah Hui, just tell him. At least he’ll die knowing the truth.” Su Fenghua narrowed her eyes, a hint of malice flashing across them.

Chu Xia's lips twitched slightly, but she turned to look at Su Fenghua and gave a forced smile: "What is there to say? At this point, what is there left to say?"

"Let's start with the unmanned escort agency..." Su Fenghua scratched his head, "Oh no, let's start with Madam Wangyun."

Chu Xia stood with her hands hanging at her sides, hearing the young master's flat, emotionless voice: "Coming to Cangzhou to find relatives... is that just a pretext? You have no father, no fiancé, all you have is your own Washing Silk Gate, right?"

Chu Xia suddenly looked up, her eyes still clear and bright. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just shook her head and said with difficulty, "No... it's not what you think."

"Madam Wangyun did not have an affair. Did you deliberately leave that plum blossom and put infertility drugs in her food to divert my attention? ... What did she discover that you want to silence her?" The young master pursed his lips, his eyes gradually regaining their composure, but then he smiled self-deprecatingly, "You have repeatedly hinted to me that there is an inside man in the Jun family. What a brilliant move... to win in a dangerous situation."

At this moment, Chu Xia had made up her mind, and it seemed that no matter what the young master said, she would remain silent.

"The three gifts from the Unmanned Escort Agency are truly killing two birds with one stone. I suppose your Huansha Sect and Tiangang have an irreconcilable feud. First, I'll use you to get rid of them, and second... I'll help you find the location of Shanshuiyao."

"Hehe, as expected of Young Master." Su Fenghua sneered, "We spread the word early, and sure enough, one of the twelve beauties was replaced by Tiangang's inside man... but that person was actually from the mortal realm. Young Master's move was swift and brilliant. As for 'Shanshui Yao,' my Huansha Sect doesn't have the resources or manpower to collect landscape paintings from all over the country. Naturally, we can only rely on Young Master's assistance. I didn't expect Young Master to trust Chuxia so much, hehe."

"You took away everything hidden in this secret chamber on Junshan Mountain long ago. You just didn't find this silver box, which is why you lured me here, isn't that right?" The young master's eyes darkened as he recalled the thin layer of dust on the stone bookshelf.

"Indeed. In this respect, young master has lived up to expectations."

"What about Master Tufeng? Did you order his murder as well? What secret were you trying to hide? 'Being cautious to the end as at the beginning'... was that a reminder not to forget your intentions?"

Chu Xia's amber eyes flickered slightly, a strange smile flashing across them, as if in despair or resignation: "What's the point of you asking these questions now?"

The young master stared intently at her: "Are you truly unwilling to explain? Insisting on giving up this...last chance?"

"The last chance?" Chu Xia murmured, repeating herself, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears... Yes, the last chance, her last chance with him—but how could she explain it? He had guessed everything he should have guessed; even things he shouldn't have guessed... Even she herself couldn't explain it.

"You want to destroy Tiangang, I'll destroy it for you; you want Shanshuiyao, I'll give it all to you; you want to kill Tufeng, I'll handle things at Shaolin; I don't want to dwell on the past... I can forgive all of that, but Chuxia... you even went after Qinglong?" The young master paused, seemingly at a loss for words. "He's like a child, so frank about liking you... Is your blood really cold?"

Chu Xia suddenly closed her eyes, as if she hadn't heard Bai Xue's soft sobbing beside her, and repeated in a low voice, "That's right... my blood is cold."

For a moment, no one spoke. Cang Qianlang's calm voice rang out, "Young Master, shall we take them down first?"

Looking at him like this, the young master's face appeared slightly thin, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and his deep eyes reflected only Chu Xia's image. He said in a low voice, "Tell me, why are you so fearless? Is it because I like you and you're certain that I will let you go?"

He drew his Yuyang sword from its sheath, and a bright white light flashed as it pointed towards Chuxia's heart.

Beside Chu Xia, Su Fenghua, seemingly to provoke him, laughed and said, "Just now you were praising the young master as a man of deep affection, how come you've turned on him so quickly?"

Chu Xia ignored him, only staring at the young master, and even slightly puffed out her chest, saying, "You...you can kill me."

The young master held the Yuyang Sword with a steady hand, staring at her intently. The tip of the sword had already pierced her clothes, and a trace of red blood was faintly seeping out.

“Jun Ye’an, even if you don’t consider our past love, you shouldn’t have killed her…” Su Fenghua took half a step forward and smiled, “Ah Hui… she was your half-sister.”

"What?"

Jun Ye'an and Chu Xia spoke almost in unison, their voices filled with shock.

Su Fenghua remained silent for a long time, then a vicious smile appeared on her lips: "That's right, didn't the old sect leader tell you... Ah Hui, you two are siblings."

Jun Ye'an slightly turned his sword, pointing it directly at Su Fenghua's throat, his voice already filled with urgency and anger: "Say that again."

Su Fenghua picked up the sword blade with her index finger and thumb, and said clearly, word by word, "Jun Ye'an, you and Chu Xia are half-siblings. Have I made myself clear? You know your father was a womanizer back then. What's so surprising about having another sister out of nowhere?"

Chu Xia stumbled back several steps, almost losing her balance, and said in a trembling voice, "She... never told me—I don't believe it! I absolutely don't believe it!"

In the moonlight, her hair was disheveled, her pupils were almost dilated, and she murmured, "How could this be..."

The young master closed his eyes briefly, concealing a trace of reluctance, and after a long while, finally asked, "Who is her mother?"

Su Fenghua clicked her tongue in amazement, raised the silver box in her hand, and said with a smile, "The secrets of Jun Tianyou's life are all here. Would you like to know?"

The young master remained silent, his body motionless, yet he had already snatched the silver box back into his hand. Before he could even open the silver lock, he simply pried it open with his finger strength.

The moment it was opened, a pungent, burnt smell filled the air. Inside, a stack of letters had been reduced to ash, beyond recognition. He roared, "When did you tamper with this?"

“Just now. Did you think I would let you know everything so clearly? Haha! Jun Tianyou caused the deaths of my parents back then. It's fortunate that he died early, otherwise today, I would have repaid him a hundredfold or a thousandfold.” Su Fenghua laughed for a while, feeling infinitely happy. “As for you, Jun Ye'an, you will probably spend the rest of your life in regret and speculation.”

He carefully observed Jun Ye'an's expression and smiled, "Come here, I'll tell you."

"Young master, you mustn't—"

The young master stepped forward indifferently, while Su Fenghua whispered a few words in his ear, until finally, she raised her voice and said, "Jun Ye'an, you enjoyed honor and glory in the first half of your life, but in the second half... I want you to be lovely but unattainable."

The young master's expression changed slightly. He pursed his lips for a long time before asking, "Who exactly are you?"

“Ah Hui and I, oh, that is, Chu Xia—we are both Holy Envoys of the Washing Silk Sect. We planned for three years to send her to your side, and fortunately, Young Master Jun is indeed a hero with deep feelings.” Su Fenghua glanced at Chu Xia, the corners of his lips curving slightly. “Ah Hui, you did very well and did not disappoint the Sect Master’s expectations.”

Chu Xia's lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately she didn't.

The young master gazed at her for a long time, then gestured for Cang Qianlang to leave. Finally, he said calmly, "Girl, I've said before that in this life, I'm not afraid of being less skilled than others, nor am I afraid of being deceived—but I hate being lied to by the one I love the most. Now, I only have one question for you."

"Go ahead and ask."

"Have you ever felt even a trace of affection for me?"

In early summer, her long eyelashes drooped slightly, yet she remained silent. He asked her if she had felt anything... How could she not?

Enjoying the snow in Plum Valley, sharing their hearts at Mirror Lake, and later, his indulgence and pampering, such a way of expressing his feelings... how could she not be moved?

She closed her eyes tightly, her mind went blank, and only the word "yes" remained.

But how can this single word "yes" overcome the obstacles of ethics, morality, and countless mountains and rivers?

She had so much to say, but couldn't utter a single word. She could only stammer, "Yes."

"Alright..." The young master gently stroked her cheek, but smiled slightly and said to Su Fenghua, "If revenge is just about paying for a life, then it's too simplistic. You destroyed the one I loved; are you satisfied now?"

Su Fenghua smiled faintly: "I am very satisfied."

“You may leave. I will not dwell on the past. Girl, the world is a dangerous place... and you are sometimes too naive..." The young master paused, seemingly feeling that the word “naive” was rather inappropriate. He smiled self-deprecatingly and continued, “Don’t get involved in this again.”

“Since Chu Xia has made a great contribution, the sect leader will certainly not blame her. On the contrary, he will reward her handsomely.” Su Fenghua chuckled. “Jun Ye’an, you don’t need to worry about that.”

Chu Xia coldly interrupted him, stood in front of the young master, and said, word by word, "It was indeed I who killed Qinglong. Jun Ye'an, kill me."

Bai Xue sneered, "You bitch, you know the young master is reluctant to take action, so who are you putting on this act for?"

Chu Xia glanced at her indifferently; her features were clearly beautiful, yet all life had vanished: "If you don't kill me now, I'm leaving. From now on, we'll be separated by mountains and rivers, and perhaps we'll never meet again."

The young master shifted his gaze and said softly, "I don't want you to die."

“But she killed Qinglong… Young Master, Xuyao, whom you raised with your own hands…” Bai Xue could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground, bursting into tears.

Cang Qianlang stepped forward and helped her up. The young master glanced at her and said in a low voice, "Believe me, if Xu Yao were here right now, he wouldn't want her to die."

Chu Xia felt a deep bitterness in her heart... Yes, Qinglong was so kind, he wouldn't want her to die.

"Su Fenghua, please go back and tell the sect leader that Ah Hui thanks her for raising her since childhood. However, after this incident, she may never be able to stay in the sect as before. Please, she should consider me dead."

She emphasized the word "thank you" with extra emphasis, giving a mocking smile that, under the moonlight, was breathtakingly beautiful. Then she turned and boarded a small boat, standing with her back to the crowd. Her white dress fluttered in the night wind, making her appear frail and delicate, evoking pity.

The young master watched her retreating figure in silence for a long time before softly instructing, "Send her away, and no one is to make things difficult for her."

The small boat finally disappeared into the shimmering waves of Dongting Lake. The young master remained staring at the darkness until Cang Qianlang whispered, "Young master, let's go too... Qinglong's remains are still in Yuezhou..."

A sudden, metallic taste rose in the young master's throat. He forced himself not to spit it out and slowly said, "Let's go."

The Dongting Lake was quiet, the Xiangfei bamboo was mottled, and the group left in silence, with only the occasional sound of Bai Xue crying.

The young master stood at the bow of the boat. He coughed softly, a metallic taste rising in his throat. Su Fenghua's words echoed in his ears: "...For the rest of your life, you can love, but you cannot have."

He suddenly remembered that before he insisted on taking Chu Xia away, she was unwilling, her gaze lingering yet filled with a hidden fear. That night at Little Mirror Lake, she said, "Parting is so painful..."

At this moment, the true meaning is clear: the small boat departs, and the rest of one's life is spent on the rivers and seas.

Months later, the only thing that everyone was talking about was that Young Master Ye An had retired from the martial arts world.

Some say that the young master went to Shaolin Temple to explain the death of Master Tufeng, admitting that he could not find the murderer and was willing to retire from the martial arts world.