Tesoro de Jianghu

Capítulo 36

Immediately, a voice echoed from below, "Alliance Leader Liu, you're too kind."

Liu Junru paused for a moment, then continued, "Actually, the reason I've troubled everyone to come here is because I've held the position of alliance leader for too long and I feel uneasy. So, I'm taking this opportunity to hand over the position to a more virtuous and talented senior." He waved his hand, "Our sect has prepared a feast with some simple food and drinks. Please sit down and enjoy your meal."

The group crowded around the table, some already eating heartily, forgetting even to pick up their chopsticks. Liu Junru raised her wine cup and said loudly, "Let me first toast all of you heroes."

Just as he brought the wine cup to his lips, a voice suddenly came from afar, clear and distinct: "The wine that Sect Leader Liu has invited contains too many things. I'm afraid that if you drink it this time, you won't live to drink the next meal."

Liu Junru's expression changed slightly, and she forced a smile, saying, "I wonder which hero or outstanding person is hiding their identity like this? Isn't it just making us a laughing stock?"

Su Ling exclaimed, then smiled happily: "So Liu Junru and I are somewhat similar. I've said that before." Xu Lianning frowned and remained silent.

A tall and slender figure strolled in from outside the villa, his ink-wash robe fluttering in the wind, exuding an air of refined elegance with every step. The speaker wore a silver mask that covered most of his face, revealing a very delicate jawline: "I am unworthy, but unfortunately I have learned of the shameful affair of Longteng Post Station colluding with Tianshang Sect and wiping out the Five Great Families ten years ago."

Liu Junru put down her wine cup and said calmly, "Oh, so you have some real evidence?"

The man seemed to chuckle slightly, and immediately a man in black robes came up behind him carrying a box. He knelt on one knee and lifted the box over his head with a burst of strength.

The crowd couldn't help but cheer. The man in black was incredibly strong; although his face was covered by a mask, the bulges on his temples were still visible, clearly indicating that he was a master of external martial arts.

The man in the ink-wash robe casually took out a weapon, flicked his sleeve, and pinned it to the table in front of Liu Junru: "This is a weapon passed down from the Sikong family. I wonder how Sect Leader Liu acquired it and hid it in her own secret chamber?" Liu Junru remained calm and spoke in a flat tone: "The former head of the Sikong family was a close friend of mine. It's not a big deal for him to keep a weapon after his death."

The man gave an "oh," and picked up a thin booklet: "So, you've even passed on your martial arts skills to Sect Leader Liu without reservation?" With a flick of his wrist, the thin booklet flew straight toward Liu Junru. He then took out other weapon manuals from the box and tossed them over one by one, his demeanor casual and elegant, as if the other party's reaction was of no great importance to him.

Su Ling was filled with rage, wanting nothing more than to go down and tear Liu Junru to pieces. Xu Lianning leaned against the tree trunk and glanced at the man in the ink-wash robe. He was looking at her too, a smile in his eyes. She remembered him smiling like that at the Hanzhong Painting Studio, so dashing and handsome, a memory that seemed so vivid, yet forever gone.

The murmurs below grew louder and louder, but they could never drown out the man's slow, casual speech.

Some of the more impulsive members of Longteng Post Station had already drawn their swords, but Liu Junru immediately stopped them: "This young master has been speaking for so long, and I have roughly understood everything. However, you said that these things were found in the secret room of Longteng Post Station, and now they are in your hands. Everyone here has their own judgment. I wonder how you explain this?"

Shang Mingjian strode forward, holding several letters in his hand. He announced loudly, "Gentlemen, this is evidence of the collusion between Longteng Post Station and Tianshang Sect. Once you read the contents, you will know the details." He turned and glanced at the letter from the head of the table, then paused, realizing that True Person Tianyan was not present. After a slight hesitation, he handed the letter to Abbot Xuanzhen.

"Of course, the letter could also be a fabricated frame-up, Sect Leader Liu, don't you think?" The man in the ink-wash robe suddenly addressed the group from Longteng Post Station. "What does Mr. Su think?"

Su Ling couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh." Su Sheng walked to the center, his expression indifferent, his tone calm and unperturbed: "I have stayed at Longteng Post Station for quite some time and have seen a lot of things. Indeed, it is as you two have said."

The crowd erupted in uproar. Yin Han's sharp voice rang out as she pointed at the man in the ink-wash robes and said, "Zhang Weiyi, how dare you betray our promise! All the good we've done for you has been for nothing!"

The man who was called out by name just smiled lightly, raised his hand and took off the mask covering his face: "How have you treated me? Do you want to explain yourselves to each other?" He looked up at Lin Zihan and said slowly: "Brother Lin, do you still remember what I said that day?"

Lin Zihan glanced at his master's expression, took two steps forward, hesitated for a moment, then took a step back. This guilty behavior spoke volumes; as Liu Junru's most prized disciple, Lin Zihan would be even more aware of the situation. Liu Junru swept Lin Zihan aside with her sleeve and cursed, "Useless!"

He looked at Zhang Weiyi and sneered, "You're quite something, enduring so much for this day. But do you really think you can stabilize the situation with just a few words?"

Zhang Weiyi smiled and said slowly, "Then, Sect Leader Liu, why don't you shout and see if the archers we've set up around here will still respond?"

Liu Junru's face was ashen, and her hand gripped the sword hilt, trembling slightly.

With a light clap of his hand, Zhang Weiyi summoned a black-clad shadow guard to stand throughout the villa, some tall, some short, but all exuding the same imposing aura. He turned to Liu Junru and said, "I've been cultivating the influence of Huaying Tower for more than just a day or two, but this is the first time I've used it. Sect Leader Liu is a grandmaster, so this is not an insult to your status."

Chapter Forty-Six

Liu Junru suddenly stepped forward, and a dark blue-green sword light slashed straight at her opponent. Those standing nearby felt a chill on their faces, as if they had been stung by the sword.

Zhang Weiyi simply sidestepped, his hair slightly stirred by the sword energy before falling back down, his left hand naturally resting on the hilt of his sword. Upon seeing this action of drawing his sword, Liu Junru let out a long howl, and with a single upward slash, her longsword shattered into dozens of pieces—the very move of the Broken Sword Technique.

Xu Lianning couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Ruan Qingxuan had died from this very move that day, and even now, the thought still chilled her to the bone.

Zhang Weiyi spun around, pulling a nearby Longtengyi disciple in front of him as a shield. He then drew his sword with his left hand, unleashing a dazzling silver light that pierced directly through the disciple. Liu Junru froze, witnessing a burst of blood before his eyes. He quickly raised his hand to block. But in that moment of distraction, he felt a slight chill on his raised arm, heard a jumble of sounds, and felt a dull pain travel from his shoulder throughout his body.

Liu Junru was horrified. He saw the other person standing in the blood mist, his face and body splattered with blood, yet his expression was extremely cold. He clutched his severed arm, his vision blurring. He saw Zhang Weiyi approaching step by step, sword in hand, each step exuding a powerful sense of oppression. Liu Junru suddenly remembered the portrait of the evil god he had seen in the Western Regions, which bore a striking resemblance to his current appearance.

Zhang Weiyi suddenly chuckled softly and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Sect Leader Liu, I actually need to thank you for making today's arrangements for me." He thrust his longsword forward, cleanly and swiftly piercing the other's heart, then withdrew the sword and picked up a handkerchief to wipe it clean.

Xu Lianning watched as he casually tossed aside the blood-stained handkerchief. The black-clad shadow guards behind him immediately brought up a table and wine jars, lining up large bowls as if nothing had happened. She knew Zhang Weiyi always used his right hand to wield his sword in public; this deception had even fooled Liu Junru, which was why she had been careless and underestimated him. But Zhang Weiyi pulling someone to block that broken sword strike, then cleaving them in two with a single blow—such ruthlessness was something she had never seen before.

Zhang Weiyi raised his hand, grabbed the wine jar, poured a full bowl, and held it in his hand: "Although I served under Longteng Post Station for a time, it was all a temporary measure. Now that Longteng Post Station's conspiracy has been exposed, I wonder if you gentlemen would like to drink this bowl of wine with me as my apology." He was handsome, and when he became humble, it was just right.

People in the martial arts world are generally generous, and someone immediately went up, picked up a bowl of wine from the table, drank it all, smashed the bowl on the ground, and laughed heartily.

A cold smile played on Zhang Weiyi's lips. Suddenly, she felt a chill run down her spine. She turned and thrust the wine bowl forward, the sword that had attacked her piercing the bowl, wine trickling down the crevice. Yin Han's shoulders trembled. She withdrew her sword, closed her eyes, and said, "Zhang Weiyi, just kill me."

He raised an eyebrow slightly and said slowly, "Miss Yin, do you really think I wouldn't dare to make a move? I just don't want to argue with a woman."

Yin Han bit her lip, threw the sword on the ground, covered her face, and ran out.

Su Ling looked at her and asked softly, "Lian Ning, your master wants you to clean up the sect, will you still kill her?"

Xu Lianning shook her head slightly, then suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Su Ling, her expression extremely frightened: "Sister Ling, from just now until now, Zhang Weiyi hasn't drunk a drop of alcohol, has he?"

Su Ling, confused, casually replied, "Yeah, what's wrong...?" Before she could ask, she saw Xu Lianning gracefully descend from the tree and hurry forward. Zhang Weiyi, seeing her approach, went to meet her and reached out to put her arm around her shoulder: "Lianning, what's wrong...?"

Xu Lianning brushed his hand away and said calmly, "You've hidden something from me again." Zhang Weiyi's expression changed slightly, and he held his Tai Chi sword horizontally in front of her: "Lianning!"

She neither dodged nor flinched, but instead placed her hand on the scabbard of her Tai Chi sword, drawing a section out: "In the end, we are not on the same path..." His expression was complex as he slowly said, "Why have you never stood by my side?" Xu Lianning forcefully drew the sword and hurled it heavily onto the table in front of her, where wine jars were placed. With a soft crash, the wine jars shattered on the ground, spilling wine everywhere, its aroma filling the air. Zhang Weiyi's face remained expressionless. He took out a communication device, gently pulled the fuse, and a beam of fire shot from his hand into the air, blooming into a firework above his head.

With a flick of his sleeve, he walked to the center and said in a clear voice, "Those who drank the dissipating wine can leave now. The rest of you who want to leave must cripple your martial arts."

As soon as the words were spoken, the villa fell silent; everyone who had been talking stopped.

Zhang Weiyi took out a piece of yellow silk from his sleeve, which was stamped with a vermilion seal, and said loudly, "This is the decree of the current emperor. The chaos in Jingxiang in the past was caused by bandits from the Jianghu. Today, the likes of Longtengyi are interfering in politics. In order to ensure the stability of the world, I obey the decree to wipe out all the sects."

He rolled up the secret decree and said calmly, "Which is more important, martial arts or life? You should all think about it carefully."

The martial world was full of desperate outlaws, and upon hearing this, they rushed to the wall, trying to escape by climbing over it. Zhang Weiyi watched with his hands behind his back, without intervening. Just as those quickest ones stepped onto the wall, a flash of cold light appeared before their eyes, and they cried out in pain as they fell to the ground.

Several shadow guards in black robes appeared on the wall, weapons in hand, standing against the wind.

Zhang Weiyi flicked his sleeve and said softly to the shadow guard beside him, "Wait another half hour. If they still haven't come out, then..." He turned to look at Xu Lianning, a cold smile on his lips: "You see, even if we try to stop them, things won't change."

Xu Lianning frowned and asked, "Where are my senior uncles? Do you treat your fellow disciples the same way?"

Zhang Weiyi smiled gently and said in a soft tone, "Don't you hate Wudang? They've been crippled or killed. You should be happy about that."

Xu Lianning choked and couldn't speak, feeling her breath quicken and a surge of energy churning within her dantian. She wanted to scream at him, but no sound came out, and her vision blurred with blood. She closed her eyes, thinking, "The Blood Demon's Restriction has backfired."

Xu Lianning's ears were ringing. Suddenly, she heard a huge explosion outside, and the ground beneath her feet shook violently, making her lose her balance. She looked around and saw that everyone's face was filled with panic, even the shadow guards of the Painting Shadow Pavilion seemed a little uneasy.

Instead of being so worried, she knew that if the Blood Demon's Tightening Force backfired, it would be her death, and the manner of death wouldn't matter. Suddenly, she felt a tightening around her waist, and she could smell the faint scent of laurel wood with each breath. She felt Zhang Weiyi gently place his hand on her forehead; his fingers were cool, but his palm was warm. His voice was clear, each word without a hint of urgency: "Master Shang, you ordered your men to blow up this manor, are you asking us all to be buried with you?"

Shang Mingjian's tone was also very calm: "This was originally a last resort that I had to use because I was worried that I would not be able to stabilize the situation when confronting Liu Junru, but now I have to use it."

Xu Lianning felt her waist tighten again, and it hurt a little from being constricted. Zhang Weiyi laughed and said, "Master Shang, isn't your move of causing mutual destruction a bit shameless?" He paused, then continued, "I certainly won't risk the entire Huaying Tower's life here. I've achieved most of my goal, so let's leave it at that for today."

Shang Mingjian said calmly, "Then, Brother Zhang and your men should stay here and wait until everyone else has left before you go."

Zhang Weiyi said expressionlessly, "Huayinglou Shadow Guards, listen to my command, all of you discard your weapons."

Shang Mingjian stood opposite him, intently watching his every move, completely oblivious to the sounds of weapons being discarded around them.

As the number of people in the villa dwindled, Zhang Weiyi said calmly, "Brother Shang, everyone says we are equally famous, and I originally wanted to have a showdown with you. Unfortunately, I have lost an arm and am no longer your match." He lowered his head slightly, his expression somewhat unreadable, "In this round, I can say that I have lost to you."

Shang Mingjian sighed slightly: "In terms of scheming and tactics, I am far inferior to you. Brother Zhang, you have betrayed the world to protect this country, but you do not know that not everyone has the ambition to seize power and usurp the throne."

Zhang Weiyi remained silent, then suddenly scooped Xu Lianning up in his arms and walked straight towards the gate of the villa. He chuckled softly, but the laughter seemed uncontrollable, gradually turning sorrowful. Xu Lianning suppressed her churning breaths and leaned on his shoulder, trying to turn her head to see his expression. But Zhang Weiyi kept his head turned away, looking in the other direction.

After a long while, she heard him whisper in her ear, "...No matter how he treats me, he is my father. If Father Emperor cannot protect the Zhu family's empire, then I will protect it for him." Xu Lianning coughed lightly and hugged his neck, "Weiyi."

Zhang Weiyi stumbled and fell backward, shielding Xu Lianning with his body. He looked up at the gloomy sky and smiled slightly, "Look, it looks like it's going to snow."

Xu Lianning raised her hand to stroke his profile, her eyes losing their luster: "I feel colder and colder."

Zhang Weiyi sat up, took her hand in his, and gently placed it on his face: "What's wrong? You look so pale."

She said softly, "The Blood Demon's backlash will heal if I just endure it." She remembered that when she was at Wudang, Master Tianyan had asked her to switch to Wudang and practice the Marrow Cleansing Scripture to remove the Blood Demon's power. She couldn't agree then, and now it was too late to regret it.

Zhang Weiyi hummed in agreement, then reached up and pulled a piece of jade from around his neck, snapping the thin string with a slight pull. He placed the jade, still attached to the string, in her hand and softly asked, "Do you remember this jade?"

Xu Lianning nodded. This jade was carved from rare white marble, without a single flaw. The edges were polished very smoothly, as if it had been worn close to the body for a long time. On the front of the jade was the ancient seal character "佑" (You), while on the back were the characters "璟宣" (Jing Xuan). It was just a pity that during the dispute at Wudang, Zhang Weiyi smashed the jade on the ground in anger, and although it had been repaired, it still had flaws.

Zhang Weiyi gently closed her hand: "This jade pendant is something I've had since birth. I wanted to give it to you a long time ago, but I broke it and have been too embarrassed to give it to you."

She thought for a moment and asked, "Jingxuan, is that your courtesy name?"

Zhang Weiyi lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

Xu Lianning felt increasingly cold, even being held in his arms, she still couldn't bear the chill. Knowing her time was near, she slowly spoke, "Do you know why I gave myself to you that night?" Zhang Weiyi hummed in agreement, then asked, "Why?"

"In that case, you'll be the only one for me for the rest of my life, and I'll never forget you. At first, I was angry with you, but later it was all from the bottom of my heart, you know?"

Zhang Weiyi froze, speechless. He knew Xu Lianning was about to collapse, but to neutralize the backlash of true energy from her body, he had to use his own internal energy to counteract it.

He frowned slightly, then suddenly smiled faintly: "Actually, I didn't do anything to Master and the others. After all, Wudang was designated as the state religion since the time of Emperor Gaozu, so it's a different story. Don't worry." He slowly took her hand, their palms touching, and a purple aura surged between their fingers. A gentle internal force slowly flowed into Xu Lianning's body, gradually dissipating the uncontrolled power of the Blood Demon's restraint. She gritted her teeth slightly, feeling the two streams of internal energy surging in her meridians like extremes of ice and fire, alternating between cold and hot, causing excruciating pain.

She knew that the person who had expended their inner strength would be in even more pain than she was.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, only to see his gentle gaze, so calm and distant. Large flakes of snow fell from the sky, but were blocked by the surrounding purple aura, dancing wildly overhead.

Zhang Weiyi lowered his eyes, snow clinging to his eyelashes, melting in the heat into fine droplets. He pressed his face against her neck and whispered, "I overheard you telling Lord Su that you wanted to open a clinic in a scenic spot and tend to your own herbs. But I'm going back to the capital to be my Prince Xiangxiao."

“I’ve been having a recurring dream lately. In it, I’m standing on a high place in a temple, living a mundane life. But when I turn around, I see you smiling at me under a peach tree. It seems so close, yet so far away. In the blink of an eye, my hair has turned white, my teeth have all fallen out, and I’m just a skeleton, but you’re still the same as you are now.”

Xu Lianning leaned quietly against him, feeling a slight dampness on her neck.

Zhang Weiyi calmed his breathing, slightly raised his head, and kissed her forehead. After a moment, he kissed her on the corner of her mouth: "You once said that you would save your words for five or ten years later. If you count the first time I met you in Jingxiang four years ago, it has been a full five years now. Once I have settled my affairs in the court, I will come to find you, I promise."

Xu Lianning stared blankly at the water droplets on his eyelashes, unsure whether they were water from melting snow or tears falling from his eyes.

Zhang Weiyi slowly closed his eyes. The purple aura between their clasped hands grew fainter and fainter, then gradually disappeared, but he never let go of their hands.

Snowflakes fell from above, landing effortlessly on their hair and clothes, slowly accumulating into a thin layer.

The world suddenly became so quiet that even the sound of snow falling was clear.

Look at that landscape, just as it was yesterday; the fallen petals and snow, just as they were yesterday. Even a decade or more later, it will remain the same. But is the one beside you still the same one who once stood shoulder to shoulder with you?

Final Chapter

At the beginning of the 22nd year of the Chenghua reign, the entire capital was still enveloped in a joyous atmosphere of the New Year.

"It's getting colder and colder," the young man in a tall hat and wide sleeves said, shaking off the snow that had stuck to his body. He looked at the slightly darkening sky. "Guard Mo, your prince doesn't rely on women, but comes to this temple to cultivate in seclusion. And he even chose to come during the New Year."

Mo Yunzhi spoke respectfully in a low voice: "Your Highness, the Prince said that he offended the Emperor at the court banquet the day before yesterday and came to Qingshou Temple to reflect on his mistakes."

The Crown Prince couldn't help but laugh, "Reflecting on your mistakes by facing the wall? Ha, now you know you were wrong, but why weren't you so self-aware the other day?"

Mo Yunzhi lowered his head and remained silent, leading the Crown Prince sideways into Qingshou Temple. After passing the front hall, they saw two shadow guards in black robes standing guard outside. When the shadow guards saw the Crown Prince approaching, they all bowed in unison but refused to let him pass.

The prince waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities." He then turned to the attendants behind him and said, "You may wait outside. You don't need to follow me in." Before the attendants could speak, the prince walked into the corridor alone.

Mo Yunzhi followed behind, and when the corridor was almost at its end, he stopped and stood guard there, no longer moving forward.

The prince pushed open the wooden door of the meditation room and saw that the room was covered with a soft mat and cushions, with only a low table. The brazier in the corner was burning brightly, making it much warmer than outside. He shook off his cloak and sat down cross-legged at the low table.

Zhang Weiyi was only wearing a thin shirt, without even an outer robe, and sat casually at the table, staring at the chessboard in a daze. The Crown Prince raised his hand to pour a cup of hot tea, took a sip, and then said, "Just now I heard from Guard Mo that you locked yourself in the meditation room to reflect on your mistakes, and I felt a little sorry for you. But now it seems that you can also find joy in your suffering."

Zhang Weiyi sat up straight, holding a chess piece between her fingers and gently placing it on the chessboard: "This is nothing. We've endured such a hard life in Wudang, so we're doing pretty well now."

The Crown Prince sighed softly, "To achieve great things, one can disregard even one's father, son, wife, and children. Since you've hardened your heart, don't think about it anymore. If you have to blame someone, blame those bandits who insist on getting involved with the court." He paused, then added, "It's always been said that loyalty and filial piety cannot coexist, but you and I can fulfill both. Whether for our father or for this country, we've done it, so let's be villains to the very end."