Tesoro de Jianghu

Capítulo 16

Yu Shaowen glanced at her and frowned slightly: "If you still think this way in the future, then it's not too late to talk about it later. But do you really not want to be the Palace Master?"

"It's good to be the Pavilion Master of Liushao Pavilion for now." Xu Lianning knew that she had already convinced the other party halfway, and her mood improved.

"Look at the clear moon and gentle breeze tonight, such a beautiful night, it would be a shame to waste it," Yu Shaowen remarked as they finished their meal. Xu Lianning chuckled and looked out the window: "The sky is so foggy, how can we see the moon?"

Yu Shaowen lowered his voice: "I know that Huaying Studio is in the Guanzhong area. I'm planning to go and try my luck tonight. Do you want to come with me?"

"You lead the way, and I'll go. But if something happens, I won't be able to help you." Xu Lianning readily agreed, thinking that she had nowhere to rest tonight.

Yu Shaowen swiftly opened his folding fan: "I'll return those words to you verbatim."

Xu Lianning put down his chopsticks, stood up and said, "I'll go buy two horses and wait for you outside."

She walked to the outer room of the inn and gave the waiter five taels of silver: "I need two horses, and I must set off immediately." Seeing that she was generous and unusually attentive, the waiter immediately went to make arrangements. Xu Lianning had just stopped outside the inn when Li Qingyun came out and said politely, "Miss Xu, I have something I want to tell you."

Chasing stars and the moon, painting shadows

Xu Lianning smiled slightly and said, "Please speak."

Li Qingyun was taken aback, but just looked at her without saying a word. Xu Lianning also waited patiently. Li Qingyun suddenly lowered her head and spoke in a very soft voice: "I know that I am no match for you in terms of family background or martial arts. I also know that following my senior brother is just wishful thinking on my part."

Xu Lianning looked at her and said calmly, "What I said to you yesterday was not what I meant. Please don't misunderstand."

Li Qingyun smiled slightly: "It's alright. Actually, I envy you, Miss Xu, for having such parents, while I can't even remember what they look like. When Uncle Xu was still alive, he often mentioned you, and I was always so envious."

Xu Lianning's tone was slightly amused, but there was no hint of pleasure in it: "Don't you think that having a father who is a top figure in Wudang and a mother who is the leader of Qiushui Sect is something to be envied? It does sound nice that such a loving couple is walking hand in hand in the martial world."

Li Qingyun looked astonished, only to hear the other party continue in a leisurely tone: "Their relationship was arranged by their parents and matchmakers, without any affection whatsoever; after I was born, they were often separated and rarely met. You didn't know any of this, did you? You've also seen that my Wudang swordsmanship is not only rudimentary but also full of mistakes, because your Uncle Xu has never taught me any martial arts."

Li Qingyun couldn't help but ask, "Why is that?"

"Hmm, why...? I'd like to know that too." She turned her head and smiled slightly. "Have you ever thought about it? Although your Uncle Xu's martial arts are superb, it doesn't mean that no one can defeat him. So why was he able to make the greatest contribution in the battle against the Heavenly Sorrow Sect thirteen years ago?"

Li Qingyun had never thought about these things before, but now that she had mentioned it, he couldn't help but ask, "Is there any reason for this?"

“Of course there is,” Xu Lianning said sarcastically. “Because he is a close friend of Yue Lingjun, the leader of the Heavenly Sorrow Sect, it is naturally easier to strike against someone close to him. Do you know what the most painful thing is? It is being betrayed by someone you trust and care about.”

"You're talking nonsense!" Li Qingyun was shocked and blurted out without thinking.

Xu Lianning said leisurely, "Then I'll just call it nonsense."

Li Qingyun suddenly realized something, and his voice trembled as he spoke: "So, so when you approached Senior Brother, saying you cared about him... it wasn't true at all..." Xu Lianning looked at him with slight surprise. "The most painful thing is being betrayed by someone you care about... you just wanted to hurt him, didn't you?" Once the words were spoken, the thought became clearer, and recalling Xu Lianning's previous actions, he became even more certain.

Xu Lianning looked at her for a while and said softly, "I didn't expect you to have figured it out."

Li Qingyun didn't expect her to admit it so quickly, and was speechless for a moment. But the other party didn't care at all: "I was just feeling bored, but since you've figured it out, I'm also interested in continuing. I might as well be frank, if possible, I really want to switch places with you. I don't care about your family background and martial arts at all. If you hate me or despise me, I don't care in the slightest."

"If I tell my senior brother about your intentions, you won't care?" Li Qingyun's face was grim.

“I just wanted to see him unhappy, so you can go and say it,” Xu Lianning replied with a smile.

Li Qingyun glared at her, then turned and walked into the inn. Just then, the waiter led two horses over, his tone ingratiating: "This place is desolate; traveling at night might be dangerous. Why not leave tomorrow morning? It won't make a difference." Xu Lianning shook her head, a wicked thought rising within her. She said to Li Qingyun's retreating figure, "Miss Li, if you don't tell him, he'll find out sooner or later. It's all the same anyway; you should think carefully."

Li Qingyun was so angry he couldn't speak. He stomped his foot and walked inside, bumping into people without noticing. If he told his senior brother, he might not believe him, but he would inevitably be heartbroken; if he didn't tell him, his senior brother would find out eventually, and that wouldn't be any better. But his senior brother was always shrewd; perhaps he would realize it himself one day, which was better than telling him now, right?

Just then, she bumped into someone else, but that person was quite skilled in martial arts, and she swayed as he caught her. Li Qingyun looked up and saw that it was Mu Ruiyan, and quickly said, "I was thinking about something and didn't see anyone."

Mu Ruiyan smiled slightly: "What are you thinking about so intently?"

Li Qingyun hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "It's nothing."

Mu Ruiyan took two steps and suddenly said, "My brother is very thoughtful, you don't need to worry about him."

Li Qingyun was startled, looking bewildered: "You...you all heard it just now?"

"What did you hear? Some things I've heard but forgotten." He chuckled softly. "You must be tired. Go and rest. We have to head to Guanzhong tomorrow."

Li Qingyun seemed to understand but not quite, so he went back to his room to rest.

Mu Ruiyan stood at the window and looked down, only to see two riders heading southwest. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Where are they rushing to so late?"

"So you had some entanglement with those people. I was wondering why you were with Zhang Weiyi again." Yu Shaowen lashed the horse's rump with his whip, spurred it on, and the horse bolted forward. Xu Lianning followed behind him and asked, "What did you initially think was the reason?"

“His reputation is alright, his martial arts skills are passable, and judging from his appearance, his family background must be decent. It’s not surprising that some foolish woman would be interested in him.” Just as she finished speaking, she felt a whip fly from behind, startling the horse so much that its front hooves reared up. Xu Lianning smiled slightly and said, “What did you just say? I didn’t quite hear you.”

After finally calming his mount down, Yu Shaowen pointed ahead and said, "If we act quickly, we can get back to Xiuning before dawn."

Xu Lianning gave a soft "hmm" and then said, "This is the first time I've heard of Huaying Studio. I'd like to see it for myself."

The two hurried along, the sky was not good tonight, there were no stars or moon, and they took shortcuts, feeling a little eerie. Yu Shaowen suddenly pulled on the reins and said, "It shouldn't be far. I came here with those shadow guards last time, but I didn't go any closer."

Xu Lianning knew that he was lazy and often scolded by his senior master, but he was also quite careful when he needed to be. So he dismounted and tied his horse to a tree trunk nearby: "Then let's go over there."

Yu Shaowen also dismounted, raised his hand to tear off the disguise from his face, and carefully wrapped it up: "If they see my disguise, I'll have to make another one in the future."

Xu Lianning looked at him: "Is this difficult to do?"

Yu Shaowen smiled slightly: "I'll teach you how to make one next time."

The two descended the steep slope, their footsteps light, yet still making a rustling sound. Soon, they saw several bamboo houses ahead, appearing somewhat eerie in the desolate mountains. Xu Lianning moved swiftly, landing lightly beside the fence. She ignored the splinters on the fence, clinging tightly to it. Yu Shaowen, not far from her, also dared not move. A series of footsteps approached from afar, then faded away. Xu Lianning discerned the guards' measured, heavy footsteps, suggesting they were all skilled in martial arts. She could handle one or two, but a dozen would be truly dangerous. She glanced at Yu Shaowen. To her surprise, he smiled, a hint of smugness in his eyes, and transmitted his voice, "Even if Huaying Tower is not simple, I still managed to find its lair."

Xu Lianning ignored him, found a secluded spot, and used her lightness skill to its fullest extent. Before she could even catch her breath, she heard the guards' footsteps approaching again. Yu Shaowen made an upward gesture to her, and she nodded in understanding. After this group of guards passed, the two of them climbed onto the roof together. A cool breeze blew in their faces. Xu Lianning looked at the torches below, then at the surrounding terrain and other bamboo houses, which seemed to be forming a formation.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves was heard, and a rider galloped towards them. From a distance, they could only see some guards dressed in uniform black robes going to meet them. Yu Shaowen said softly, "Those must be the Shadow Guards. I wonder who these people coming are?"

Xu Lianning said, "Why don't we split up and look around, then meet up at the same spot in half an hour?"

Yu Shaowen nodded: "That's fine then, be careful."

Xu Lianning braced herself against the eaves, then suddenly leaped backward, landing lightly on the ground. The further she went, the heavier the chilling aura became, realizing that a powerful array must be set up around her. After taking a few more steps, she faintly heard very steady footsteps approaching. She looked around, then immediately leaped onto an ancient tree, checking her shadow on the ground. Only when she saw no flaws did she feel relieved.

Two people approached. One, dressed in black, walked with a very steady gait, his face somewhat stiff. The other, dressed in an ink-wash robe, was tall and slender, but unfortunately wore a silver mask, revealing only a small portion of his face with delicate features.

"I won't stay long either. I'll have to keep an eye on you from now on." The person in the ink-wash robe spoke softly, and his voice sounded strange, probably because he was wearing a mask. Xu Lianning suddenly felt a murderous aura rushing towards her. Before she could think, she jumped down from the treetop. Before she could even land properly, she heard a cracking sound as the branch she had just been standing on was snapped in two by the person.

At that moment, a commotion arose from not far away.

"Go check over there, whether they're dead or alive," the man said to the black-clad figure beside him, then turned and blocked Xu Lianning's path. Seeing his way blocked, Xu Lianning quickly pointed to the side, "What's this?" It was originally a child's game, but to his surprise, the man actually turned and glanced at it. When he turned back and saw a flash of blue light, he quickly flicked his sleeve, deflecting the hidden weapon. Xu Lianning seized the opportunity and lightly leaped onto the bamboo building, heading towards the noisy area ahead. Seeing he couldn't catch up, the man stopped.

Xu Lianning stared intently and saw that Yu Shaowen seemed to be fighting with the Shadow Guards. Although he wasn't defeated, the other side outnumbered him, and he couldn't escape. She held a few Xuanbing Soul Marks, aimed at the torches, and heard a few hissing sounds as the flames went out. She moved quickly and rushed to his side: "You go first, I'll be there in a bit."

Knowing that his lightness skill was inferior to hers, Yu Shaowen nodded and said, "I'll wait for you over there."

Xu Lianning evaded the attack of several shadow guards. Judging by the time, Yu Shaowen should be far away by now, and she planned to escape as well. Suddenly, a torch nearby was lit. Xu Lianning closed her eyes involuntarily, feeling someone rush towards her. She could only dodge, but was still struck in the waist, coincidentally hitting a pressure point.

She endured the pain and, in a few leaps, had already left the painting studio, though she couldn't fully utilize her light-footed skills. Seeing her pursuers closing in, she disregarded everything else and hid in the bushes.

"...It's two people. We don't know what their intentions are yet. They might have just wandered in by mistake." As the voices drew closer, Xu Lianning held her breath to avoid being noticed.

The other person remained silent. Through the bushes, Xu Lianning could see a figure in an ink-wash robe, and a chill ran down her spine. The man casually drew the sword from the shadow guard beside him and swung it a few times around the bushes. These sword strikes landed precisely around Xu Lianning, truly startling. After a while, the man said, "Go and look elsewhere." The shadow guard responded and walked away.

Once the shadow guards were out of sight, he spoke slowly, "Go ahead and hide if you want, but there are plenty of insects and snakes here." No sooner had he finished speaking than a long sword grazed her cheek and embedded itself in the tree trunk behind her. Xu Lianning felt a numbness in her waist, and it took her several breaths to recover. She stood up and looked at the man: "Do you intend to let me go?"

The man turned his head slightly and seemed to smile: "This is a one-time exception, and there will be no next time."

Xu Lianning looked over and thought his eyes were very beautiful and his eyelashes were long. He seemed like someone she knew, but she couldn't quite place him. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Thank you very much."

The man walked over, reached in and pulled the sword from the tree trunk, without answering. Xu Lianning noticed that he was wielding the sword with his left hand. The left hand was weaker and less agile than the right, yet the man seemed to be left-handed. She didn't dare linger and continued up the steep slope.

Sure enough, Yu Shaowen was already waiting there. He breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw her coming over: "Let's hurry back to Xiuning." After a while, he added: "I'm really sorry for dragging you into this risky situation."

Xu Lianning smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing. I'll just ask you to help me if anything comes up in the future."

Yu Shaowen thought for a moment, but still didn't fall for it: "Except for that damn palace mistress thing."

Xu Lianning said with a hint of melancholy, "You really have no sincerity..."

They arrived back in Xiuning territory just as dawn was breaking. Their mounts, however, were no longer as swift and were already exhausted, so the two had to abandon them and walk. Xu Lianning parted ways with Yu Shaowen at the fork in the road and walked alone into the town. Before she even reached the inn, she saw Zhang Weiyi standing in the wind, his expression extremely indifferent, revealing no emotion.

Xu Lianning slowed her pace, still unsure how to explain what she had done outside that night even as she approached. Zhang Weiyi frowned slightly at her dawdling, but still managed a gentle smile: "I've had a carriage prepared. If you're tired, you can go inside and lie down." Xu Lianning breathed a sigh of relief.

From breakfast until they set off, Zhang Weiyi truly didn't ask a single question about what happened last night. Leaning against the cushion, she heard the three riders outside chatting idly, and feeling slightly drowsy, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. She didn't know how long she slept, but the carriage swayed, waking her up. Before Xu Lianning could sit up, she heard a laughing voice: "Finally awake. I thought you'd sleep all day." The carriage curtain moved, and Zhang Weiyi also got into the carriage.

"What's going on outside?" Xu Lianning reached out to lift the carriage curtain.

"I encountered a group of strongmen, and I dealt with them in a few moves," he said casually.

Xu Lianning smiled, turned her head slightly, and removed the jade hairpin from her hair, letting her long black hair fall down. Zhang Weiyi looked at her tying her hair and couldn't help but chuckle, "You think there's no one else here?" Xu Lianning looked at him and joked, "Who else is here besides me? I don't see anyone." As soon as she finished speaking, she felt herself being lifted up, brought so close that she could count the distance between his eyelashes: his eyes were a deep black, with slightly upturned corners, very handsome. Zhang Weiyi smiled enigmatically and slowly asked, "Do you see me now?"

Xu Lianning felt the other person's breath brush against her face and stepped back slightly. "I see...where are we now?" Even she herself felt that the change of topic was abrupt. Feigning curiosity, she lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside. The scenery showed that they had arrived at a place not far from the Painting Shadow Pavilion. "If we hurry, we can reach Hanzhong in less than ten days," Zhang Weiyi said calmly.

Xu Lianning replied, "It's stuffy in the carriage, I want to get out and walk around."

"You've been sleeping since early this morning, what's wrong with you feeling stuffy?" He glanced at her with a half-smile, then said to the driver, "Let's stop and rest for a bit, then continue our journey."

Xu Lianning lifted the carriage curtain and gently stepped down, saying softly, "I'll just take a stroll around here." Li Qingyun and Mu Ruiyan remained silent, but Zhang Weiyi responded, "I'll go with you." She was naturally more than happy to oblige, and walked up the mountain path, soon standing on the steep slope from the previous day.

Looking around, there was no sign of the bamboo house she had seen the night before; instead, there was only desolation and scorched earth. Her heart skipped a beat. She descended the steep slope, searching for the bushes where she had hidden the previous night, based on her memory. But when she reached the spot she remembered, not even a single tall weed could be seen. Last night… she had almost been wounded in the cheek by a sword. Then there should be sword marks on the tree trunk behind her, right? Xu Lianning turned around and looked at the tree trunk that had been cut in half, feeling as if she were holding her breath.

"What are you looking for?" Zhang Weiyi looked at her, puzzled.

Xu Lianning suddenly turned around, drew her sword, and thrust it at him. He merely parried with the scabbard. She sheathed her sword again and smiled slightly, "Can you wield a sword with your left hand?"

Zhang Weiyi chuckled: "That's natural, but the strength of the left hand can never compare to that of the right."

Xu Lianning thought for a moment, "That's true..." Zhang Weiyi's martial arts were ultimately different from that of the person yesterday, and besides, that person seemed to be more skilled. "Then do you know whether Master Shang is left-handed or right-handed?" She just felt that she must have seen that person before, but she really couldn't remember who it was.

Zhang Weiyi looked at her for a while, then said indifferently, "I haven't paid attention." He paused, then said coldly, "You've only seen him a few times, yet you can't forget him?"

Xu Lianning was shocked. She looked at him for a long time but couldn't find any flaws. She joked, "Are you jealous?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately felt that the joke was not funny at all.

Zhang Weiyi snorted, turned her face away, her ears turning slightly red, and then walked away with a flick of her sleeve.

Xu Lianning took two steps to catch up: "Actually, I came here last night..." She then gave a general account of what she had learned about the Painting Shadow Pavilion the previous night, but made no mention of Yu Shaowen. However, the other party only paused for a moment, then pretended not to hear her. The two of them remained silent, one in front of the other.

Xu Lianning returned to her original spot and saw Li Qingyun carefully reaching out to stroke the mane of a purebred black horse beside her. The black horse's coat was glossy and black, with only its hooves and rump marked with snow-white spots. When Li Qingyun stroked it, it only moved slightly, very obediently. Mu Ruiyan smiled and said, "It seems Yezhao is very fond of you." It turned out that the black horse's name was Yezhao.

Xu Lianning intended to walk around Ye Zhao to get onto the carriage, but was pulled back before she could get close. Zhang Weiyi's face was still a little red, but her tone was fierce: "Stay away from Ye Zhao. If it sees a stranger approaching, it will go crazy and you won't be able to hold it back."

Xu Lianning said, "It really does resemble the master."

Zhang Weiyi choked for a moment, then let go of her hand and remained silent.

Afterwards, they headed southwest, passing through the Baoxie Road and traveling west to Hanzhong. Along the way, they didn't even have time to appreciate the famous scenery of Chaotian Gorge, Jiange Tower, and Cuiyun Corridor before passing through Jianmen Pass and heading straight for Chengdu Prefecture. Although Zhang Weiyi said it was a sinecure, it wasn't entirely true. At each county government office, he and Mu Ruiyan would inquire about local customs and traditions, returning with files and documents, followed by a group of local officials.

They stayed at a temporary residence in Chengdu, said to have been the former residence of the Prince of Shu, whose extravagance reportedly emptied the national treasury. Before they could even settle into their seats, waves of local officials came to pay their respects. Xu Lianning found their bureaucratic pleasantries suffocating, so she wandered around the residence. After a while, she headed back towards the stables.

Yezhao was a purebred black horse, a tribute from a foreign land. Because of its exceptionally fierce temperament, Zhang Weiyi had spent considerable effort trying to tame it. She didn't dare untie the reins, but cautiously approached and reached out to stroke its mane. Yezhao merely shook its neck and calmly lowered its body to eat its fodder. Xu Lianning knew she was being silly, but still smugly stroked its glossy coat. Yezhao didn't kick at strangers as usual, remaining calm and composed.

She took a step closer, but before she could reach out, Ye Zhao neighed and kicked to the side. Xu Lianning quickly stepped aside, and Ye Zhao turned and kicked again. She lightly landed on the horse's back with one foot and reached for the reins. This time, Ye Zhao neighed even lower, desperately leaping and trying to throw her off. She steadied herself several times but still swayed precariously. In desperation, she lightly patted the horse's back. This time, she infused it with her inner energy. Ye Zhao let out a long, mournful cry, but refused to give up, leaping and struggling even more fiercely, almost paralyzing the entire stableman.

Xu Lianning was utterly helpless, so she waited for the right moment and retreated to a position a dozen paces away from the stables. Ye Zhao immediately quieted down, but turned the horse around so its rear end was facing her. Xu Lianning hesitated for a moment, then decided not to bother with a horse and turned to go back to her guest room to rest.

Nothing in life is more passionate than love.

When the moon hangs high in the sky, it's time to rest. Xu Lianning stood on the threshold, looking up at the increasingly full moon, and suddenly realized that the Mid-Autumn Festival was not far away. In her memory, there seemed to be no Mid-Autumn Festivals with her family. She remembered one snowy New Year's Eve, shivering outside, even though there was a heater just across the door, she dared not move. Beside her was the woman she should call her mother, her cold and beautiful face slightly distorted.

Inside the room were her father, a woman, and a boy about her age.