Guía sobre viento y humo

Capítulo 20

...Didn't he say that?

"Return to Qinlou."

—He did say that, but why did he leave the owner of the clothing store and the others behind when he went back to Qinlou?

As they entered the city and returned to Qinlou, what Ah Di really meant when he said he was going back was the simple courtyard in the small village. He preferred life there to this place, but because of her brocade weaving skills, the life of a peasant woman was not suitable for her.

But... he couldn't go back alone. Without Zhijin, the courtyard couldn't really be called "home" anymore.

He managed to stop thinking about it, but as he dismounted with Bao Queyue in his arms, a fleeting thought still crossed his mind—after becoming completely accustomed to living with Zhijin, could he really hand her over to someone else?

"Adi?"

Hearing Queyue's voice snapped him out of his daze, realizing he'd been lost in thought while still holding her down. He quickly put her down, but then forgot to let go. —This… could probably be attributed to the strong alcohol, making his mind a little sluggish.

"Adi..." Something does seem off today.

Adi seemed completely unaware that Queyue was speaking. He looked down at her for a long while, noticing a slight confusion on Queyue's unreal, shimmering face. He suddenly seemed to understand why Longyan had blurted out whatever came to mind without thinking. Because at that moment, without even realizing it himself, his voice had already slipped out of his throat—

"If... one day you find out that I lied to you—no, it wasn't lying, but I just hid something very important from you, would you blame me?"

Queyue truly didn't understand why he suddenly asked that question, but since he had asked, she replied, "You must have your reasons, right?"

"Yes... but I still kept it from you..."

"It's not my fault. You can keep it a secret forever, as long as I don't know."

"What if we find out someday?"

"Then I'll wait until you can tell me that day."

"You don't blame me?"

Queyue shook her head. "After all, there are things I haven't told you, and you haven't blamed me."

"But if one day I have to lie to you... will you still forgive me?"

"I'll wait until things have calmed down, and then you can give me an explanation."

Adi continued to look at Queyue, making Queyue increasingly confused. Suddenly, Adi's breath drew closer, and he lowered his head to kiss Queyue's lips—until this moment, his mind was perhaps still blank, acting only on instinct.

The slightly burning sensation on her lips and the slightly itchy feeling on her face—Queyue was stunned.

The next moment, Ah Di's brain was jolted awake by the soft, cool touch, breaking free from the numbing effect of the strong liquor.

He suddenly released Crescent Moon and retreated backward, staring with wide eyes as if half the sky had collapsed—to an outsider, he would have looked like the one who had been humiliated.

He retreated, then retreated again—what had he just done?!

Has he gone mad?! He actually attacked the brocade?!

Ah Di gritted his teeth, turned around, and fled in panic.

"..."

If Adi wanted to escape, Queyue naturally wouldn't be able to catch up. So she didn't plan to chase after her. She spent some time shifting from a state of astonishment to a state of thinking, and then realized that this was really not a good place to think.

They dismounted as soon as they entered the building through the back door. Although most of the staff were at the front greeting guests during the day, there were always one or two people walking around in the backyard, so there were still two spectators present during that scene...

Queyue glanced up and saw the two people hurriedly pretending not to have seen anything and walked away.

Queyue methodically tied up the horse, returned to his room, closed the door, sat down, and began to ponder, ponder, and ponder some more...

(They kissed! They kissed!! -- Hahaha~ Back in the days of New Moon, it took 140,000 words for her to kiss a non-male lead, but this time she kissed in less than 90,000 words...)

However, news of Adi's "feat" had already spread before Yi Moran and the others returned. Upon hearing this, the gossipy Liu Zhi beat her chest in frustration, blaming herself for being too late in buying the horse and not returning sooner, allowing Master Yi's almost-won wife to be snatched away. Suddenly, she perked up and grabbed Yi Moran's sleeve—"Master! There's still time! Go and snatch her back!"

Yi Moran smiled faintly, "No need, there's nothing more for me to do now."

"Master! We can't let others boost our morale and diminish our own! Miss Zhijin hasn't agreed to Young Master Di's proposal yet. They've known each other the longest, and if anything were going to happen, it would have happened long ago. I doubt Miss Zhijin has any feelings for him. You absolutely cannot give up!"

Yi Moran ruffled his hair, shook his head, and smiled calmly, "You're still young. Even if Queyue had never been interested in Adi before, as long as he makes a move... no one else has a chance. It seems I have no choice but to give up."

Liu Zhi couldn't understand, so she could only observe Yi Moran's expression, but she couldn't discern his emotions. Whether he was slightly disappointed or indifferent, it was truly difficult to tell.

Adi didn't show up until evening. It was only when a servant went to inform Yi Moran that he learned Adi was running in the kitchen, clutching a wine jar, reflecting on his actions. He simply waved his hand and said, "Let him be." Fortunately, he hadn't run into the wine cellar to reflect on his actions yet.

Meanwhile, in the wine cellar on the other side, Ah Di simply raised a jar of wine above his head and poured it over his head.

—What did he do? On one hand, he said he would help Zhijin if she liked it. On the other hand, he did something so confusing—was this also the effect of the alcohol? Did he like Zhijin? This seemed to be a question he had never considered.

However… when she heard Long Yan’s clearly implied marriage proposal, something inside her seemed to snap, and she even began to act inexplicably.

Running away like this seems irresponsible, and Zhijin is probably very confused right now... Having done something like this so suddenly, he doesn't know how to face Zhijin. She probably likes Yi Moran, but his actions have made her hesitant in the future?

His words always meant what he said. Only this time did he betray his own words.

Is he really possessed?

A man drank until late at night, but he wasn't drunk. He had never been drunk before, not even once. So today, he wasn't drunk either; his mind was simply numbed by the strong liquor and unknown emotions. Without reason, only instinct remained.

He stayed in the kitchen until everyone else had gone to sleep before leaving and returning to his room.

The room was pitch black, with no lights on, and the moon was hidden behind thick clouds, making it impossible to see anything. Even though the strong liquor had numbed his brain, his instincts still told him—someone was in the room!

The feeling was familiar, carrying an irresistible pressure. He stood in the doorway, not daring to go any further, but the door closed behind him. He silently gazed at the table, knowing, even though he couldn't see, that he was there.

The sound, like stone clashing against jade, was cold and low, yet not resonant, coming from the darkness—

Why don't you come in?

"...You still came."

The moonlight gradually peeked through the clouds, and a sliver of light shone through the half-open window.

In the darkness, Adi could only see the faint cloud patterns on the hem of the person's clothes, floating quietly on the white fabric.

"You've refused to go back, how could I not come?" Her voice carried a slight smile, and the intimacy eased the pressure considerably. "You've been gone long enough, when will you finally have enough of your wandering?"

Adi sighed softly, "I have no intention of going back. You already have enough men; you don't need one more."

A soft chuckle, tinged with a hint of disdain, rang out. "How can they compare to you? They're just people you use and discard. Only you are the one who will take over everything. I know you want to leave, so I'm letting you go. Going out and seeing the world is fine, after all, you grew up under the Dark Pavilion's training and have almost never left the Dark Pavilion except when you're killing people. Going out and seeing the world will be beneficial. But when you've had your fun, you'll have to come back eventually."

Adi felt that she couldn't communicate with this person. Had she not explained herself clearly enough? No, even if she had explained herself clearly, the other person wouldn't have listened at all.

"You're not going back because of that woman with you?"

Adi was startled. "Don't touch her! If you don't want me to be your enemy, don't even think about making a move on her!"

In the darkness, he couldn't see the other person's expression, but Adi knew he was smiling. He held everything in his grasp, arrogant and overbearing.

"Don't worry, I won't care about a woman or two..."

Adi frowned slightly. What did that sentence mean?

“If you don’t want to come back now, I can give you a few more days. But remember, you are different from these mediocre people outside. Look with your own eyes, you will never be one of these mediocre people—sooner or later you will come back, and what you control is something these people can only dream of in their entire lives.”

Adi really wanted to say it again: he had no interest, never had. From the day he was sent to the Dark Pavilion, anything he was given was destined to be meaningless to him. But he said it, and no one would listen, no matter how many times he said it.

"However... you've really caused me quite a bit of trouble." A low chuckle sounded again. "You're the one who imprisoned Blood Asura, aren't you? If he displeases you, it wouldn't hurt to tie him up for a couple of days as a lesson—but... I don't have anyone out here [on errands]. If you want to stay outside, do some more errands for me until you go back—"

Adi frowned. Sure enough, he wouldn't let him off so easily. He knew what Adi hated; after so many years of cold-blooded killing, he had become utterly disgusted with it. And he was merely forcing, slowly compelling Adi to walk the path he had laid out for him.

I will never do those things again!

"Don't say that... It's certainly good for you too. I have some things here that I'm sure you'll be interested in."

I don't want to know!

"Oh? Even if it is... 'Heavenly Fragrance Sequel'?"

"The Heavenly Fragrance Sequel!?" Adi exclaimed in surprise, taking a step forward. "Where is it!?"

He knew of [Heavenly Fragrance Sequence], only that it was a miraculous medicine for healing bones and tendons. If he could obtain it, then the wound on the brocade... He didn't doubt that the other party possessed it, he just hadn't expected it. He knew of the existence of Heavenly Fragrance Sequence during his training in the Dark Pavilion, but from the very beginning, to control the Dark Pavilion and ensure it wouldn't rebel, although the Dark Pavilion possessed various techniques and methods, the essential things were still in the hands of the [Master]. Just like [Heavenly Fragrance Sequence], although Adi's medical skills were superb and he knew many treatment methods, the necessary medicine was in the hands of that person. He thought [Heavenly Fragrance Sequence] had been lost for many years, but it turned out it was still in his hands—

A moment of silence fell in the darkness. The person seemed quite displeased with Adi's excessive concern for the brocade, but still didn't say much. "I will naturally give it to you—but not the full amount. Once you complete the task, I will give you the amount needed for one treatment. Think it over carefully, and I will send someone to contact you. As for Elder Rong and Blood Asura, you can release them whenever you feel like it."

"Wait!" Adi realized that the other person had gotten up and tried to stop him, but he only managed to grab empty air. The person's figure had already darted out of the window and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Ah Di slammed his fist on the table. Was he destined to be manipulated like this, forced back into the bloody chaos? He knew he was no match for that person; even after all these years, he still had no chance of victory.

Chapter 40

He left the Dark Pavilion in search of the life he wanted, and after finding the brocade, he found it.

He simply wanted to live a peaceful and ordinary life with Zhijin, free from the turmoil and chaos of the martial world. That was all...

The sky was already beginning to brighten. Without relying on senses, one could tell who was outside the window simply by smell.

He got up and put on his coat. "Come in."

Adi jumped in through the window, reeking of alcohol as if he'd just been pulled from a vat. Yi Moran laughed, "You didn't drink all of Qinlou's wine collection, did you?"

Adi seemed a little annoyed, gave a wry smile, and didn't respond.

"What's the matter?"

"Master Yi, I want to see the Blood Demon."

"...Why so suddenly?"

"—He's here."

Yi Moran paused slightly, and Adi said, "You don't need to worry. Although Old Man Rong can recognize you, he may not be able to."

Yi Moran nodded. Although Adi was right, it still didn't make her happy. "I haven't had much contact with this one, but I have met him a few times. I've heard that he's ruthless, even more so than [the old master]..."

[Old Master]? Adi's impression of him was pitifully small.

He also considered that when Yi Moran was still the [Lord of the Cold Pavilion], it was more than ten years ago, when the old master was still alive and the new master had not yet taken over. Not long after the old master's death, he had faked his death and escaped the Dark Pavilion while everything was still unstable, so the current master didn't know him. If they could resolve the issue with Old Man Rong, concealing his identity might not be impossible.

"He's here to take you back, isn't he? It's rare that he's gone back while you're still here—what does he want you for?"

Adi continued to smile bitterly—as expected of someone from the Dark Pavilion, he really knows the situation.

"However, you're the only one who escaped from the Dark Pavilion without being put on the hunt." Yi Moran looked at Adi. "If I remember correctly, you should be the successor to the current Dark Pavilion Master, right?"

Adi's gaze darkened, and Yi Moran continued, "Actually, I knew about you a long time ago—if I hadn't faked my death, I should have continued as the Pavilion Master and then handed the position over to you directly. Pavilion Master Tie was just a substitute due to an unexpected turn of events..."

"But he's doing a good job, so let him continue in that role."

Yi Moran smiled, "But someone won't let you be so carefree." He sighed softly, "Alright, I'll take you into the secret room tomorrow when the opportunity arises." But it wouldn't work now. Queyue was right next door, and they already had to be extra careful when they met. If they activated the mechanism in the bamboo forest, they would inevitably alert Queyue. They could only wait until daytime when Queyue was not around.