Vender ropa y traer vino para beber contigo

Capítulo 24

Helan Ronghua stared straight at her, her eyes filled with a heavy darkness, yet she asked softly, "Why..."

Changsheng did not answer, and turned to leave.

“Why… didn’t you want to sever all ties with the past? You didn’t,” he slowly closed his trembling eyes, “I truly regret not… crippling your martial arts.”

"The world is cold and chaotic, and life is unbearable to look back on. I want to cut ties with the past... But... when those past things come knocking on my door... It's not about you or me, it's just that I stumbled and fell, over and over again, and I... eventually returned to Ye Sheng's position."

Chang Sheng's eyes were devoid of tears, her face showing no emotion, neither sorrow nor joy. She seemed to be calmly recounting someone else's story. She was about to face her father, the man who had raised her for seventeen years, given her a magnificent and beautiful dream, only to ruthlessly shatter it—her father's killer. She had hated everyone: her father, her mother, Bai Qiuling, Ling Baiyu… her master—she had once hated everyone, but now, she couldn't bear to watch them die in vain before her eyes.

Someone is playing a flute in the distance...

It was the tenth day of the sixth lunar month. The moon on the tenth day wasn't very round or bright, but the stars filled the sky, making it very beautiful.

The shimmering starlight bathed Ye Changsheng, making her appear fair and radiant. Her face was disheveled and lifeless. Changsheng's white robes were stained with blood, some patches showing through. She smelled a faint scent of blood carried on the distant wind, and of course, she heard Mo Wensheng's flute music…

The wind was restless tonight. As Changsheng listened to the distant sounds, time seemed to rewind, as if she had returned to eight years ago, to that passionate night. Her heart began to tremble, and her body began to quiver... After a long while, she sighed softly, a faint smile on her pale face. She turned to look at Helan Ronghua, "Master, I know it's inconvenient for you to show yourself... You don't need to make things difficult for me."

Chang Sheng smiled faintly, a smile that seemed to know everything. The carefree spirit of youthful exuberance had vanished, along with the romantic tales and lofty ambitions of her youth. Her extraordinary bearing and dashing charm had disappeared. Her ambitious years had ultimately transformed into a gentle evening breeze.

Helan Ronghua sighed softly, stood up, took her hand, and walked forward. "I don't want to see you in danger again. Wherever you go... I will go."

That hand was gripping very tightly, so tightly that it couldn't be broken free.

Master is a gentle and affectionate person. In fact, if Ye Junshan hadn't saved his life and killed his enemies, perhaps... things wouldn't be like this between them.

He might be a simple, unassuming person, untouched by conspiracies, and unburdened by them. One cannot live in a world unaffected by others, sometimes family, sometimes friends. But the most profound influence comes from those we revere, especially those who have given us everything.

What a person becomes is a matter of their own choice, and sometimes a lot of luck is also involved; immortality is one such example.

In this vast and boundless world, life and death are but a fleeting moment. When conditions come, they go; when conditions gather, they disperse; when conditions arise, life begins; when conditions cease, life ends—this is the way of the world.

She hopes to do something, experience something, leave something behind, and remember something to fulfill this moment and entrust this moment to herself.

She felt relieved.

Now that you've let go of the past, there's no need to run away.

The wind was silent.

At this moment, the arrow volley had passed in front of the cave. Before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, a large wooden barrel rolled down the mountain, from which countless small red snakes, unidentifiable by any other, slowly crawled out. Zhong Qiniang retreated repeatedly, forced into a corner of the rocks by the venomous creatures swimming all around her. The bright red snakes slithered past their feet, and in just a moment, the entire mountain was densely covered with hissing, flicking snakes, numbering no less than a thousand, a dazzling sight.

Suddenly, the melodious sound of a flute rang out, and the red snakes on the ground began to stir. Zhong Qiniang cried out in alarm and swung her meteor hammer down, smashing it down on the ground. Instantly, snake blood splattered everywhere, and limbs flew off. Unexpectedly, in just a moment, the snake formation quickly gathered, becoming even larger than before, and surrounded them again.

Seeing Zhong Qiniang trapped in a snake formation, Master Kongxiang swept away the venomous snakes with his golden staff, shouting, "These snakes are bloodthirsty! Don't act rashly!" No sooner had he spoken than a scream rang out. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a young Emei girl's long sword already entangled by three or five snakes. One of them swooped down and bit her face. In an instant, black energy surged from her face, causing it to swell and turn red. In her panic, she stumbled and fell to the ground.

In an instant, dozens of snakes slithered over, hissing, and engulfed the woman. In no time, she sizzled and rotted, leaving no trace of her body.

At that moment, Shi Bogeng, known as "Butterfly-Shin Ghost Bone," swept his Vajra Rake relentlessly, clearing away the venomous snakes beneath his feet. Witnessing the scene before him, he felt a pang of unease. Unexpectedly, just as he was distracted, hundreds more venomous snakes swarmed towards him. Shi Bogeng leaped back, landing on a nearby spruce tree. Still catching his breath, he was utterly terrified.

Upon seeing this, Zhong Qiniang also leaped up the tree, her expression changing slightly, clearly still shaken.

"When the enemy attacks, we defend; when the enemy is at ease, we are exhausted." Gongsun Yunhe looked at Master Wuxiang beside him and murmured, "It is not in our favor. There is no benefit in continuing the fight. Li Huangyin is probably just waiting for the end. We must withdraw as soon as possible."

Seeing that everyone was still trapped in the snake formation, Wuxiang took a deep breath and whispered, "Amitabha, the snakes are fierce, but it's difficult to break the formation. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Gongsun Yunhe asked.

"Amitabha..." Wuxiang chanted the Buddha's name again, "That snake is a poisonous creature kept in captivity. Unless the flute player is killed... it will be trapped and killed."

Gongsun Yunhe nodded and said nothing more. Killing the snake tamer would break the formation—but they couldn't even escape the snake formation, so how could they kill the flute player? Looking at the numerous casualties within the formation, the snakes seemed to be entirely venomous, killing instantly upon contact, and even possessed a kind of sentience, knowing how to find openings to climb. Only by climbing to higher ground could they temporarily avoid danger. Immediately, everyone followed suit, climbing the tall trees. Those few spruce trees swayed precariously, unable to bear the weight.

In the midst of the crisis, an even more urgent whistle sounded—hundreds of red snakes responded by climbing up the tree and quickly approaching the spruce tree where the group had taken their place.

Some people clung to the tree in panic, shouting, while others desperately climbed towards the top, forming layers upon layers on the short, ten-foot-high spruce. In this situation, even the most skilled martial artists couldn't perform their feats.

With a "Hey!", a man in yellow landed, attempting to break free of the encirclement. However, the moment he touched the ground, hundreds of red snakes swarmed towards him. Seeing the urgency, he charged forward with his sword, unleashing a move called "Flying Crane Spreads Its Wings," slicing dozens of venomous snakes to their deaths. Meanwhile, a beautiful woman in green wielded her long whip, relentlessly lashing out at the poisonous creatures on the ground. Each lash scattered the snakes, demonstrating considerable power.

Behind the two, Old Monster Zhongshan dodged within the snake formation. With his "Lone Goose" lightness skill, the poisonous insects naturally couldn't get close. However, this couldn't continue indefinitely. Old Monster Zhongshan looked troubled. He could dodge the snake formation for a while, but he couldn't shake it off. No matter where he landed, the snakes would immediately swarm around them again. Even with his excellent lightness skill, he would inevitably be panting heavily.

At this moment, Gongsun Yunhe, perched atop the rock, took in the entire scene. He coldly remarked, "It seems that if the person who controls the flute isn't killed, he'll have no chance of survival..."

Master Kongxiang, who was standing to the side, stroked the prayer beads, sighed, closed his eyes, and went to chant sutras.

A grove of trees a hundred paces away.

Black Moon followed Ye Changsheng and Helan Ronghua with great curiosity, heading deeper into the woods. He began to wonder if the young master owed Ye Changsheng anything besides the consultation fee, such as a peerless elixir, a jade Bodhisattva statue, or a shop in a bustling city. Otherwise, why would he follow him so closely, unwilling to let his benefactor leave?

A gust of wind swept through the dark woods, and the sound of the flute grew clearer. Somewhat delicate, some somewhat shrill, it swirled around in his mind, making him dizzy. Black Moon groggily raised his head and looked ahead. Under the hazy starlight, a captivating figure stood before the sparse treetops—a man dressed in a light green robe adorned with peacock feathers, his hands lightly resting on a jade flute, playing to himself.

Black Moon stared wide-eyed, peering intently at the figure in green beneath the sparse woods in the moonlight. Everyone on Mount Luoyang knew that Black Moon possessed a nose sharper than a dog's; he could find any beautiful woman within miles—this figure in green was enough to spark countless fantasies. Yet, for some reason, Black Moon felt an inexplicable unease… a strong, unsettling feeling about the person.

—In fact, when the man in green took down his flute and slowly turned around, Black Moon finally understood what that feeling was… With his skill, even at night, as long as there was a little moonlight, he could see clearly—the man in green had a pair of very lively and deep eyes, not black, but a pair of light green eyes, bewitching and enchanting, as if they could suck away one's soul… And his face—it was a face that could not be called a face… There was not a smooth skin, it was covered with what looked like layers of old wounds, or marks from being branded with hot iron, making one want to tremble and scream—yet when his green eyes quietly looked at you, you could see nothing but those shimmering, bewitching eyes.

"It's been a long time..." Just as he was in a daze, the man in green smiled and spoke slowly, his voice surprisingly pleasant.

Hei Yue was a little stunned. Did they know each other? Did they know the young master who owed her medical fees, or the pretty girl?

Hei Yue turned her head to look at Ye Changsheng, and when she paused, she smiled gently, blinked her clear, glassy eyes, stepped forward, and cupped her hands in greeting, "It's been many years. I hear you're doing well?"

—The one Ye Changsheng called Wensheng was Mo Wensheng, the venomous ghost who controlled snakes with his flute. Over a decade ago, he was brought back by Ye Junshan during a travels. He possessed a pair of exceptionally rare blue eyes—and an incredibly ugly face. Changsheng had only seen him a few times during her childhood. She clearly remembered the day he first appeared at the Ye residence; Bai Qiuling, standing nearby, was so frightened by his face that she cried. It was only once. After that, she never saw him again. More than a decade later, although everyone had grown up, he—was easily recognized.

Mo Wensheng lowered his head slightly, his right hand gently stroking the jade flute, and said absentmindedly, "So... you're still alive, and a... woman." He looked up at Helan Ronghua behind her and frowned slightly.

Ye Changsheng did not answer, but simply smiled and nodded.

—In a flash, the man in green robes appeared instantly, striking Ye Changsheng in the chest with his flute. Ye Changsheng cried out "Ouch!" and in the blink of an eye, he had escaped behind Hei Yue. Helan Ronghua drew her sword to block, hooking and flicking it, aiming straight for Mo Wensheng's neck. Mo Wensheng smiled gently, and in an instant, three sharp spikes shot out from his hand. Helan's longsword swept past, deflecting the hidden weapons, but unexpectedly, the man before her bent over and waved his sleeve, causing a dense swarm of centipedes to appear in front of her.

Hei Yue watched the two fight with great interest, particularly curious about the scorpions, centipedes, and even small green snakes constantly emerging from Mo Wensheng's sleeves. As he tilted his head in thought, Ye Changsheng's voice floated down from behind him, "Hei Yue, go... steal his flute..."

Black Moon felt a hand suddenly push him from behind—and he jumped into the battle without even realizing it. The scorpions and centipedes he had been admiring just moments before suddenly pounced on him.

"Whoa..." Hei Yue yelled, drawing his sword and hacking away at the dense swarm of poisonous creatures before him. Helan Ronghua glanced at him and shoved him aside. Before Mo Wensheng could attack, she barely managed to draw her sword, but with a "hum," the blade vibrated and was drawn faster than it had come—blood gushed forth, flesh torn open. Mo Wensheng clutched his shoulder, looking directly at Helan Ronghua, his emerald eyes utterly calm, his ugly face expressionless. His ink-black hair was disheveled. But seeing the flute in his right hand, a slight smile played on his lips, "Ronghua, do you truly wish to be my enemy?"

Helan Ronghua did not look up, her bright eyes half-closed, her tone indifferent, "...I will kill you."

Mo heard this and burst into laughter, shaking his head as he stood up. "Between us, who knows who might kill whom... uh..."

Suddenly, Mo Wensheng felt a numbness in his waist. He turned around abruptly, his heart skipping a beat. He saw a pale, handsome face appear behind him on his right, smiling apologetically. Looking closer, he realized that the jade flute in his hand had disappeared.

Ye Changsheng swiftly retreated, his face slightly flushed. He patted his chest as if still shaken, then smiled gently and said, "Finally got it..."

Another flute melody drifted on the wind from afar.

The crowd reacted as if they'd seen a ghost, wondering what new trick the snake formation would pull this time. Anxious, they cursed under their breath, but to their surprise, the venomous snakes scattered at the sound of their voices. In no time, not a single snake remained on the ground. Zhong Qiniang and Shi Bogeng exchanged bewildered glances, unsure whether the flute player had let them go or if there was another trick. Thus, though the snake formation had dispersed, the crowd remained watching from the tree.

Suddenly, the trees rustled, and a boy in black flew out with a "whoosh." His round eyes darted around, then suddenly lit up, and he ran towards Gongsun Yunhe. Zhong Qiniang, only then realizing what was happening, jumped down from the tree, wielding her sledgehammer and shouting, "What's going on? Why are you here?"

Hei Yue ignored her and walked past her in the blink of an eye. She waved to Gongsun Yunhe and said in a low voice with a grin, "The little beauty told me to tell you that if you walk along the Twin Streams, pass through a cave entrance next to the underground stream at the bottom of the cliff, and then keep walking, you can get out of the mountain."

Gongsun Yunhe was startled upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Where is Sheng'er?"

“She said she’ll be fine. You guys go first, or it’ll be too late…” Black Moon took out a small box. “Here, take this back…”

The night was still, beneath the vast sky—

The small sandalwood box gleamed faintly in Black Moon's palm.

The dew on the grass dampened people's clothes.

Mo Wensheng's shoulder wound was bleeding profusely. Although he pressed the wound, blood still flowed from between his fingers. He couldn't help but groan, propped himself up on the ground, glanced at Ye Changsheng and Helan Ronghua, and after a long while, suddenly smiled slightly, raised his eyebrows provocatively, and said, "Ye Sheng, Ye Sheng... you can also attack from behind?" Her green eyes flickered as she looked at the man in the moon-white robe not far away, and she sneered, "...Helan Ronghua, I will definitely report today's events to the Alliance Leader. Don't regret it then."

Helan Ronghua was not offended. She gently raised her sword, looked into those bewitching eyes, and said calmly, "You will not leave here alive."

"Is that so?" Mo Wensheng waved his blood-stained green robe, slowly drawing a long sword the color of ancient jade from his waist. He tapped the sword on the ground, stroked his pockmarked forehead, shook his head, and said in a seductive voice, "It seems I have no choice. Today it's either you die or I live. Since that's the case..." Before he finished speaking, a green shadow flashed, a gust of wind arose, and fallen leaves flew everywhere. Mo Wensheng thrust his sword forward, and Helan Ronghua parried with lightning speed. The two moved so fast that under the moonlight, only a blur of white and green could be seen. Helan Ronghua's white sleeves fluttered like shooting stars chasing the moon, while Mo Wensheng's green robes billowed like thick clouds obscuring the sun. Their movements were as swift as lightning and as fast as the wind, their figures as agile as clouds soaring and waves crashing, their attacks as vast as the sky and the sea...

The night was clear and the stars were few, with a gentle breeze blowing occasionally.

Before my eyes, white and green intertwined, yet I could no longer discern human figures.

Ye Changsheng stood aside, quietly watching the two fight, hoping that Gongsun Yunhe and his group had already left. Since Ye Junshan had used poisonous snakes as the vanguard, the main force must be behind. Now that Mo Wensheng was trapped and the snake formation was ineffective, they would soon discover it. At that time, not only would no one be able to leave, but Li Huangyin would also seize the opportunity to interfere. Just as he was filled with these concerns—

With a "thud," someone was thrown out. Changsheng's eyesight was poor, and he only saw a blurry shadow a few feet away crash into a Chinese tallow tree as thick as a person. The force was so great that it made the leaves rustle loudly.

A moment later, the wind stopped, the dust settled, and everything returned to normal.

Helan Ronghua dragged her sword and walked slowly along the way.

Mo Wensheng clutched his chest, struggling to get up, clenching his fists and spitting out a mouthful of blood. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, raising his eyes to look at Helan Ronghua with a smile, panting and saying intermittently, "Cough cough... I've always... always wanted to fight you... Haha... Today my wish has finally come true... I can die without regret... As expected of Helan Ronghua, I never thought I, Mo Wensheng... would die by your sword, haha..." He didn't look at Ye Changsheng once from beginning to end, slowly, his green eyes half-closed, as if he was somewhat tired, "You... take her away."

Helan Ronghua remained silent, knowing full well who "she" referred to. He walked slowly to Mo Wensheng, raised his sword, and struck with lightning speed.

With a "ding," several hidden arrows came from all directions. Helan Ronghua frowned slightly, dodged away, her movements light and graceful, her sleeves flowing like the wind and her shadow fluttering like leaves.

When he landed and looked up, a thought struck him. Though not terrified, he was slightly puzzled, and his expression changed slightly. After a moment, he raised his hand in a gesture of respect and said softly, "Alliance Leader."

It was Ye Junshan who arrived in time to rescue Mo Wensheng. He stood with his hands behind his back, his face heavy. His gaze passed through Helan Ronghua and looked at Ye Changsheng, who stood silently behind him. Many things flashed through his eyes. After an unknown amount of time, he slowly sighed, and a hint of warmth appeared in his usually deep and dignified face. He beckoned to Changsheng, "Sheng'er, let's go home."

Ye Changsheng smiled as she looked at the imposing man in blue before her, the father who had raised her for seventeen years. He had just called her home—after using her to kill her own father, after inciting her friend to poison her before the war, after causing her eight years of homelessness and wandering… After doing so much, he could still nonchalantly beckon her and kindly call her home—kindly… as if those eight years had never happened, as if falling off the cliff was just her own fantasy… The imposing and tall man before her had always been her proud father, the leader of the martial arts alliance.

Ye Changsheng smiled and shook her head. She had imagined countless scenarios of meeting Ye Junshan again. It could be that he would recognize her and draw his sword against her; it could be that he would still cherish the bond between father and daughter and feel some guilt for his actions; it could be that he would not recognize her at all... But none of them would be like this—calmly calling him home.

Looking calmly at Ye Junshan, Ye Changsheng smiled as gently and serenely as ever, "I appreciate the Alliance Leader's kindness... but I haven't been back to the Ye residence for many years, I'm afraid I'm not used to living here anymore..."

Helan Ronghua approached, slightly turning her body to block Ye Changsheng, and cupped her hands, saying, "Alliance Leader..."

Ye Junshan's gaze lingered on them. After a long while, as if he had made a decision, he let out a long breath, looked directly into Ye Changsheng's eyes, closed his eyes, and said slowly, "Since that's the case... Sheng'er, don't blame your father."

Upon hearing this, Helan Ronghua frowned abruptly, pulling Changsheng behind her to protect him, fully alert. Ye Junshan suddenly opened his eyes, roared, and drew his sword to attack. At this critical moment—

A clear, charming voice with a hint of laughter rang out from the side, "Isn't this Alliance Leader Ye? To save your beloved general's life... you actually risked your life like this? You came all the way up the mountain by yourself? I am truly moved..."

Ye Changsheng turned around and saw the person leaning against a tree, dressed in a bewitching red robe, with a charming smile on her lips—it was Li Huangyin.

He glanced at Ye Junshan, then swiftly moved down, bypassing Helan Ronghua, and gracefully walked to Ye Changsheng. He bent down and patted her head, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Sect Leader Ye, you've run into some trouble... Father and son after eight years... oh no, father and daughter reunited, just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes..."

Ye Changsheng waved away the hand that was rubbing her head and smiled faintly, "In comparison... the reunion of Master Li and his son is more anticipated."

Li Huangyin was slightly taken aback, raised her eyebrows, smiled happily, and blinked. "As you wish." She straightened up, glanced at Ye Junshan a few steps away, narrowed her eyes slightly, and said with a smile, "Alliance Leader Ye, it's been a long time."

At this moment, Mo Wensheng had already staggered to his feet, clutching his shoulder and standing behind Ye Junshan with his head down.

Ye Junshan saw that the newcomer was dressed in a seductive red robe, exuding charm and allure, but her eyes were filled with wickedness and contempt. "Li Huangyin..." he said coldly with a flick of his sleeve, "I had no intention of eliminating Luoyang Tower. I only wanted to use this place to get rid of some troublesome people, so... you'd better think carefully about which side you're on and whether you want to get involved in this mess!"

Upon hearing this, Li Huangyin waved her slender fingers, lowered her eyes slightly, and glanced indifferently at her feet. She rested her cheek on her hand and said, "Alliance Leader Ye is not afraid of biting off more than she can chew. If I'm not mistaken, someone is already investigating this old case from ten or eight years ago. I'm afraid Alliance Leader Ye's position is in jeopardy... At that point, he won't even have time to take care of himself."

"Hmph, the Central Plains martial arts world has always been my domain, Ye Junshan's domain," Ye Junshan sneered upon hearing this, and said contemptuously, "Someone is investigating? Butterfly Dream Ghost Valley? Or the Imprisoned Wine Immortal? They're probably investigating in the underworld... Regardless of whether that rabble can escape alive, those old stories will never see the light of day... There's no doubt about that, who would believe the lies of their defeated foes..."

"What if...Lin Xian of Butterfly Dream Ghost Valley revealed the evidence before his death?" Ye Changsheng said slowly, "Would the Alliance Leader also be so certain that he will remain in power?"

Ye Junshan's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said, word by word, "How do you know..."

Ye Changsheng smiled apologetically and pointed a finger to his sleeve, "The evidence is...right here with me..."

With a loud bang, Ye Junshan's sword struck Ye Changsheng's vital point with lightning speed. This sword was Ye Junshan's personal sword, named Bo Ci, an ancient sword from Shangrao, slightly longer and wider than ordinary swords. Ye Changsheng leaned back and retreated, dodging the sharp sword energy of Bo Ci. With a "snap," Helan Ronghua raised her sword to block. Ye Junshan's Ye Family Boyu Sword Technique had reached the ninth level, often injuring people without their knowledge, shattering their internal organs, and killing them invisibly.