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Capítulo 46

Ye Xiao was taken aback: "Saying goodbye...where are you planning to go? Where are you now...?"

Shen Wan smiled gently and calmly: "Miss Ye, thank you so much for having someone take such good care of me and treat my injuries. It was Brother Luo who was in a hurry to leave, and I was originally planning to thank you properly next time... When you come to my house next time, I will definitely treat you well."

Ye Xiao was even more surprised: "Qingcheng? He... he's leaving too?"

Shen Wan smiled faintly: "Yes, she suddenly got anxious and urged me to pack my luggage as if it were a fire burning... Miss Ye! Where are you going?"

Ye Xiao scurried past her and rushed towards the backyard, bumping into the man who had been standing quietly in the courtyard for a long time. The spring sunshine was bright, filtering through the sparse canopy of the beech tree and casting soft shadows on his face. His pair of black, gem-like eyes slowly moved, their brilliance surpassing even the spring sunshine.

Ye Xiao sighed inwardly again, feeling even more ashamed of herself. However, she still walked over rationally and said, "Shen Wan said you're leaving."

Luo Qingcheng reached out his hand, seemingly wanting to touch her, but pulled it back just before it reached her face: "Yes. I need to leave first. I still have some things to do."

"What's going on? My third brother and I are going too."

Luo Qingcheng smiled: "Xiaoxiao, it's my destiny. You and Lao San both come from wealthy families, living a life of luxury, why would you need to go through fire and water with me? Once things are settled, I'll come to see you. Xiaoxiao, I heard from Aunt Zhang that your father is actually very worried about you." Not just worried, he probably keeps sending people to protect you, or even following you personally... Luo Qingcheng swallowed the last sentence.

Ye Xiao frowned: "We agreed to share the good times and the bad."

Luo Qingcheng looked up. On the treetops, tender green leaves trembled gently in the spring breeze, like tiny hands, playing with the sunlight streaming through them. "But in my heart, I only wish to share happiness with you all, and I don't intend to involve the innocent."

Ye Xiao opened her mouth, as if to say something, but Luo Qingcheng lowered his head: "My mind is made up. I've packed my things, and I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning."

"But...don't you still owe Lonely Cloud Fort a large sum of money..." Ye Xiao struggled desperately.

Luo Qingcheng smiled gently: "I remember, I was just about to go to the news building."

Ye Xiao was slightly taken aback: "You...you mean you have the money to pay the fine?"

Ye Xiao followed Luo Qingcheng to the information tower with some suspicion. The tower's owner looked up from behind the counter: "Young Master Luo? What? Has Miss Long agreed to pay your fine?"

"I can sell information to pay off my debts," Luo Qingcheng said coldly. He took a pen and ink from the counter, wrote something quickly on a piece of paper, and handed it to the owner of the information tower.

The poster lowered his head, a slight change in his expression, then looked up and smiled, "Indeed, it's a valuable piece of news, but it's only worth six hundred taels of silver..."

Luo Qingcheng took another piece of paper, wrote some words on it, and handed it over. The landlord's expression finally changed, and he forced a smile, saying, "This young master's fine has been paid off... Miss Ye, uh, is this young master really your friend?"

Ye Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and she eagerly leaned over to see what Luo Qingcheng had written. The lord of the building calmly put away the two pieces of paper and smiled at her, saying, "Miss, the News Tower was founded by the Lord of the Fortress, and only the Lord of the Fortress can change the rules. You cannot get news for free without paying. Please understand, Miss."

Luo Qingcheng smiled slightly: "So, I'm free? I can leave Lonely Cloud Fortress now?"

Ignoring Ye Xiao's frantic winking and eye contact, the poster looked at Luo Qingcheng and nodded slightly before turning to Ye Xiao with amusement: "Miss, is your right eyelid twitching? You'd better be careful, a twitching left eyelid means good fortune, a twitching right eyelid means bad luck..." Ye Xiao rolled her eyes, feeling utterly dejected.

Ye Xiao spent a sleepless night. In the early morning, Ye Xiao ran sadly to the front gate and watched helplessly as Luo Qingcheng and Shen Wan gracefully walked out. The beautiful woman and handsome man were dazzlingly attractive.

"This... uh, Miss Shen is frail, Second Brother, you... you want her to walk with you?" Ye Xiao raised his eyelids, pressed his wildly beating heart, and said with concern.

Luo Qingcheng stopped and pondered, "If only I had a carriage. But I didn't see any carriage companies in Guyun Fort... Never mind, I'll think about it outside."

A voice called out impatiently, "I have a carriage that I can lend you!"

Ye Xiao looked up angrily at Miss Long's gloating, smug face. His eyes darkened, and he moved his hand to a button by the door. With a bang, a cute little ball suddenly jumped out of the courtyard, bouncing and hitting Miss Long on the bridge of her nose. It cracked with a hiss, splashing black liquid all over her face and head, and the familiar stench immediately filled the air... "You brat! Wasn't the Dragon Cannon taken down by the Lord? How come it's been put back on?" Miss Long screamed and covered her face.

Ye Xiao remained expressionless and whispered, "I put the liquid from the stinky bomb in there. Now Auntie will be smelly for a month and won't be able to do anything naughty..."

Luo Qingcheng's heart softened, and he couldn't help but smile: "Xiaoxiao...take good care of yourself, don't hold it against your aunt..."

Ye Xingxu said with a stern face, "Your tone of voice sounds just like my father's..."

Even after being hit by the Dragon Cannon, Miss Long's efficiency remained incredibly high, eager to see Ye Xiao's heartbroken expression. Soon, a coachman pulled up at the gate with a carriage. Amidst Ye Xiao's tearful sorrow, the elegant couple gracefully boarded the carriage and departed from Lonely Cloud Fortress…

Ye Xiao returned to the backyard dejectedly. Xiao Xun was packing his things when Ye Xiao exclaimed in surprise, "Third brother... are you leaving too?"

Xiao Xun chuckled and looked up: "Quietly follow the second brother... Do you really want him to go alone? Boss, a lot of people have been sending gifts these past few days. I carefully divided them into three portions, but I haven't had a chance to give them to him yet."

Ye Xiao sighed: "But what excuse can we use?"

"He's our second oldest, what excuse do we need?" Xiao Xun's eyes widened, seemingly disdainful of the eldest brother's old-fashioned ways.

Ye Xiao shook his head: "No... You know the second brother's personality. If he doesn't want something, he really doesn't want it. Forcing him won't work. He's also very skilled in martial arts. It would be easy for him to shake us off. I'm afraid that he'll have to do his business and avoid us at the same time, which will only cause trouble..."

"So we're just going to watch him go into danger alone, his fate uncertain?" Xiao Xun was dumbfounded.

The words "fate uncertain" struck Ye Xiao's heart like a hammer, causing her to flinch. She clutched her chest and collapsed onto the bed, groaning, "I'm thinking... I'm thinking of an excuse... I've thought about it all night, but I can't come up with anything!"

Something pricked her through her thin spring dress. She picked it up with some annoyance. It was the silver chain that Luo Qingcheng had given her, with a strangely shaped pendant on it.

The familiar pattern was that of the Shamahayana Buddha statue, seated on a seven-petaled lotus flower with four intertwined branches. It wasn't surprising that Luo Qingcheng, a follower of this religion, carried this Buddha statue. What was strange, however, was that Ye Xiao felt the pendant looked incredibly familiar; she was certain she had seen it before, but couldn't quite place it.

"What is this? It looks like a clasp... Oh dear! I feel like I've seen this pattern somewhere before!" Xiao Xun exclaimed, snatching the silver chain.

A flash of inspiration struck Ye Xiao, and memories surfaced: "The clasp! That's it! It's the clasp from the silver lock on that little box with the golden dragon! I pried it off and threw it on the ground that time! No wonder it looked familiar! Third brother, you're so smart! I understand, I understand everything!"

Xiao Xun thought for a long time and then suddenly realized: "I understand now. Sure enough, the second brother comes from a poor background and is so frugal. This silver lock is worth some money. I'll keep it for a rainy day. I should learn from him! Ouch, why did you hit my head again, eldest brother? You'll make me stupid!"

"They're already this stupid, how much worse can they be? Maybe they'll finally figure it out! What Qingcheng wanted to steal from the Martial Alliance wasn't actually the golden dragon, it should be this silver lock! This silver lock might be related to that Netherworld God Ring! The golden dragon was just a smokescreen... The Martial Alliance didn't know this secret, so they foolishly stole the golden dragon, not knowing that the real one was still in our hands."

“Netherworld…Netherworld Divine Ring? Then I…” Xiao Xun’s eyes flickered.

Ye Xiao suddenly snatched the silver chain and laughed, "Hahaha, I've found the perfect excuse to catch up with Qingcheng! He's gone to great lengths to get this, and even Master Shen died for it! It must be extremely important to him. And now that such an important thing is in my hands, isn't that the perfect excuse for us to catch up with him? Third brother! Quickly pack your things, let's set off immediately! Let's catch up with second brother!"

The two were overjoyed and ran towards the castle, but when they reached the gate, the guards stopped them: "The lord has ordered that the young lady is not allowed to leave the castle at this time! Please go home, young lady..."

Ye Xiao was stunned: "Impossible! I have a gentleman's agreement with my father that he will not interfere with my freedom of movement before I turn twenty!"

The guard looked at Ye Xiao with sympathy and took out a piece of paper: "This is a warrant sent by the lord via carrier pigeon. The lord said that he has unilaterally torn up that agreement..."

Ye Xiao glanced at it and recognized it as her father's handwriting. A tightness gripped her chest: "Why? Why is this? I..." She wisely glanced at the serious-looking armored guards standing guard at the door, their faces all businesslike, and sheepishly led Xiao Xun home.

Parting is always painful for those with deep feelings (Part 2)

"Boss..." Xiao Xun looked at his bulging bag with some worry, "There's so much food. The weather is getting warmer, and I'm worried that by the time we find the second brother, all this stuff will have gone bad."

Ye Xiao's expression was somber, and his voice was low: "I'm just worried... why did my father suddenly break the agreement? I've been outside for so many years and encountered all sorts of dangers, but my father has always abided by the agreement... what exactly happened this time?"

Xiao Xun scratched his head, glanced at the silver chain around Ye Xiao's neck, and turned his head away guiltily: "Uh, I'm just guessing, could it be related to this silver chain?"

Ye Xiao looked even more dejected: "I'm afraid it's... related to those two pieces of paper Qingcheng wrote at the news tower last time... What exactly did he write?"

As night fell, Ye Xiao led Xiao Xun to the bushes beside the news tower and found the entrance to the mysterious tunnel. "When I was a kid, I dug a tunnel because I wanted to peek at all sorts of news from the news tower. I never thought it would still be useful after all these years."

Xiao Xun, with his sharp eyes, suddenly picked up something and said angrily, "There's an insulting sign here! 'Those who crawl through this hole are dogs'? No problem, boss, I'll change it to 'Those who crawl through this hole are bosses'... Hmm, all set! Boss... you can crawl through now!"

After not seeing Ye Xiao make a move for a while, Xiao Xun couldn't help but turn around and ask, "Boss?"

Ye Xiao looked dejected, tears welling in his eyes, and finally found his voice: "Uh, it seems this tunnel has been discovered..."

Xiao Xun, holding the sign, paused for a moment: "Huh?"

"Is there any other way to see the secrets that Qingcheng sold off?" Ye Xiao asked, extremely distressed.

Xiao Xun slapped his forehead: "Right...don't you have a rule? If someone from your Lone Cloud Fortress can defeat the Message Tower Master, they can freely enter and leave the Message Tower and view all the messages at will?"

Ye Xiao nodded: "But... Uncle Louzhu's martial arts skills are also among the top in the martial arts world, I can't possibly be his match."

Xiao Xun grunted, "I'm here... my kung fu is also very high."

"But you are not from Lonely Cloud Fortress."

"Is there any way to make me a member of your Lonely Cloud Fortress?" Xiao Xun asked thoughtfully, patting his head.

"Either live here for ten years, or marry a girl from Lonely Cloud Fortress..." Ye Xiao hesitated for a moment.

Xiao Xun's eyes lit up: "Marry a girl from Lonely Cloud Fortress? Excellent! This is easy to do."

Ye Xiao remained silent for a long time before saying, "But it seems that there are more men than women in Guyun Fort, and men have to go outside to find a spouse. There aren't many single women in Guyun Fort... You wouldn't want to marry my aunt, would you? Actually, my aunt... unless you have other motives for marrying her, it's really not suitable."

Aunt? Miss Long? Xiao Xun suddenly shivered and said cautiously, "She's too scary, can we find someone else? Boss... can I marry you? Uh, just... a temporary measure?"

Ye Xiao gasped, looking at Xiao Xun, wondering what this third brother meant. He suddenly felt a little confused.

The next day was still sunny and bright. Xiao Xun, beaming with joy, followed Ye Xiao up to the news building.

"Miss Xiaoxiao, here to sell information again?" The information provider looked at Ye Xiao with a kind expression.

Ye Xiao thought of that sign that cursed people, and smiled sweetly at him: "Uncle, I've come to tell you some good news."

"Oh?" The message poster glanced at Xiao Xun, who was beaming with pride behind Ye Xiao, and his smile deepened. "Let me guess... Miss, you're smiling so happily, could it be... that you've found yourself a husband?"

Ye Xiao's smile faltered slightly, and her quick wit instantly turned into a hesitant stammer: "This... I... actually..."

Xiao Xun, being thick-skinned, laughed and said, "As expected, the Lord of the Pavilion guessed right away! That's right, my boss and I are engaged and planning to get married soon... Also..."

The landlord laughed heartily: "Such a joyous occasion, I will immediately send a message by carrier pigeon to inform the Lord of the fortress... It has been far too long since Lonely Cloud Fortress has held a celebration!"

Xiao Xun smiled and thanked him again, his expression unchanged, and said, "Also... I would like to spar with the Master..."

The host chuckled again: "I've watched Miss Xiaoxiao grow up, and I'm very happy that she's almost an adult. We're all family, why fight and ruin the harmony? This young master is handsome and skilled in martial arts, more than qualified to be the host. I'm getting old and have been thinking of resigning from my position as the host and going home to enjoy my grandchildren. I'll pass this position to the young master..."

Xiao Xun scratched his head: "What position? Why should I take it? I don't want to be a lord."

The host, feigning surprise, said, "You want to spar with me, isn't it all for the sake of becoming the host?"

"I remember you said last time I came that if anyone in Lonely Cloud Fortress could defeat you, they could freely enter and leave the Message Tower and check all kinds of information at will. Am I mistaken?"

The host smiled faintly: "Young master, you are not mistaken. However, the rules have changed... If anyone from Lonely Cloud Fortress can defeat me, they can become the host and assume the responsibilities of the host of the Information Tower..."

"Can I freely view the news?" Xiao Xun asked impatiently.

The poster smiled at him, a hint of pity finally appearing in his eyes: "No... It's the poster's duty to guard the news tower, to gather and evaluate all kinds of information, and to sell information, but not to leak or privately examine information..."

"Impossible!" Ye Xiao finally exclaimed. "Rules can't be changed just like that. Only the Lord of the Fortress has the authority to amend the rules..."

The landlord sighed, picked up a small piece of paper from the table, and handed it to Ye Xiao: "The lord's message by carrier pigeon specifically instructed me to do the following, including... placing that sign at the entrance to your little tunnel..."

Ye Xiao took the piece of paper, and finally shed a tear of grievance. She then wiped it away, turned around, and left the news building.

The mansion owner sighed, took out a brush, wrote down what he had seen and heard that day on a piece of paper, and handed it to an armored guard at the door: "Send this message by carrier pigeon to the lord of the fortress..."

After wandering around outside for a long time, Ye Xiao finally returned to the house dejectedly. All the secret passages she knew that led out of the castle had been sealed off: the underground river that led to the moat, the vine rope she had secretly hidden by the cliff behind the mountain, the small hole she had dug herself in a corner of the castle's thick walls... none of them were there.

Suddenly, she remembered that morning, watching helplessly as Luo Qingcheng led Shen Wan away, his gaze calm yet radiant. That time, she seemed to have held back, unwilling to abandon her pride and follow him recklessly… But now, could that parting be forever? She bit her finger, thinking of everything since she met him, and suddenly realized something. So… she loved him, loved being with him, experiencing life and death, of joy and sorrow… Therefore, she shook her head. No… she had to find him! He was truly important… she didn't want to sit idly by and wait for death. But if she just sat there, waiting for her father to return to the fortress, the hope of escaping seemed almost nonexistent…

Ye Xiao lost her mother at a young age, and her aunt was willful and capricious, which angered Long Aotian. Long Aotian went too far in his efforts to correct her, strictly disciplining Ye Xiao so that she almost never had prolonged contact with men. As a result, she was completely ignorant about matters of the heart. It wasn't until now, when she learned that Luo Qingcheng had left, and that she couldn't simply follow him, that she finally understood her own feelings.

Unfortunately, after realizing this, she felt no joy. Thinking about her own situation, Luo Qingcheng's future, and the seemingly insurmountable chasm between them, she was at a complete loss.

Xiao Xun looked at his boss with sympathy and finally asked another question: "Boss... is it possible for us to blend into the crowd and go out legally?"

Ye Xiao shook his head: "Guyun Fortress isn't big, and there aren't many permanent residents. Almost everyone knows each other... It's difficult. Besides, Guyun Fortress doesn't have much contact with the outside world, and very few people leave the fortress each day..."

Xiao Xun responded with an "Oh," and then asked, "So, what matters require leaving the fortress?"

"Doing business, studying... and... funerals..." Ye Xiao's eyes lit up, and he rushed out the door like a whirlwind.