Sueño de Jiangshan

Capítulo 26

Just as I was getting dressed, there was a knock on the door.

"Junior brother, come and eat." A gentle voice followed.

Opening the door, I saw Qingfeng still dressed in white. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and ask:

"You didn't shower? Didn't you ask for water?"

Qingfeng's face suddenly turned as red as a ripe persimmon, and he turned around and went into his room next door in embarrassment.

"He's so innocent!" Leng Jie rolled her eyes behind him and followed him inside. She saw the table already laden with food. She eagerly sat down and began to eat. They hadn't stopped all day to keep up with their journey. They'd only eaten some snacks in the carriage, which had long since been digested. But after only two bites, she became critical for the first time:

"This isn't a temple, so why is it all vegetarian food?" This body needs to replenish its nutrition right now, and vegetarian food alone can't fill it up at all.

Yunxi Town is located 200 li (approximately 100 kilometers) outside Jinghe City. It is a major transportation hub connecting the capital to various parts of the country. The town is lined with shops offering a wide variety of goods. Inns and restaurants are everywhere. Merchants and travelers gather here year-round.

As the sun set and the city lights began to twinkle, a luxurious carriage sped from the direction of the capital. It stopped in front of the "Laifu Inn."

The sharp-eyed waiter immediately recognized the distinguished guests from the carriage's condition. He greeted them with a fawning smile and obsequious manner. Just as he was about to utter his obligatory greeting, "Welcome! Are you here for a stay or a meal, sir?" the driver deftly opened the door, and two exceptionally handsome and refined gentlemen leaped out. Their figures and bearing were as elegant and ethereal as those of untouched immortals. The boy was stunned, swallowing back the words that were already on his lips.

The two young men ignored the waiter standing by the carriage, marveling at their appearance. They swept past him, drifting in like wisps of smoke. The once bustling hall, filled with guests, fell silent instantly. All eyes, like spotlights, turned to the two who had entered. Everyone inwardly exclaimed, "What handsome young men!"

The woman was so captivated that she forgot what day it was and where she was; the man, on the other hand, felt ashamed of his appearance and his heart ached.

The experienced innkeeper was the only one who remained completely sober. Even so, he too was captivated by the two young men's bearing. Having run an inn for decades, what kind of handsome men and beautiful women hadn't he seen? Martial arts heroes, officials, scholars, thugs, and merchants—all were ordinary people. How could they compare to these two gentlemen before him, their faces like jade, untouched by the slightest trace of worldly dust? Thus, a sincere exclamation escaped his lips:

"It is truly an honor for our humble establishment to have you two gentlemen enter! Are you here to stay or for a meal?"

A young man, dressed in a black satin scholar's robe and slightly older, immediately replied:

"Oh? So, what kind of discount are you planning to give me?"

"Uh..." The shopkeeper was stunned. This elegant, almost otherworldly young man had uttered such vulgar words the very first thing he said. How could he mention money? The shopkeeper was momentarily speechless and didn't know how to react.

At this moment, another young man in white elegantly placed a ten-tael silver ingot in front of the speechless shopkeeper and answered the shopkeeper's question again with gentle manners:

"Shopkeeper, bring two superior rooms, two buckets of hot water, and two servings of the finest wine and dishes to the rooms."

"Yes, yes, okay, okay, I'll bring it to you two right away," the shopkeeper stammered. Seeing the two young masters still standing at the counter, staring straight at him, he blushed and asked, "Is there anything else you two gentlemen need?"

The two young men exchanged a glance, and the man in black then asked in a teasing tone:

"Shopkeeper, where is the area above we ordered? It can't be here, can it?"

The shopkeeper slapped his forehead hard and explained awkwardly:

"Oh dear! How foolish I am..."

Then, under the watchful eyes of many, the innkeeper personally led the two young masters to a superior room on the second floor. The remaining guests, still reeling from the shock, began to murmur amongst themselves, actively speculating about the two men's identities and backgrounds.

Without a doubt, these two young masters, who could leave even men speechless, were none other than Qingfeng and Lengjie. Perhaps it was because there was an even more handsome emperor in the palace, or perhaps Qingfeng's reputation in the palace made him unapproachable. In any case, no palace servant would ever look at him like that.

While the facilities in ancient inns couldn't compare to modern five-star hotels, the rooms were very clean. The bedding was also exceptionally fresh. The service was good; the waiter brought hot water as soon as Leng Jie finished unpacking her luggage.

Although she had only been here for a month, Leng Jie, with her remarkable adaptability, had already gotten used to bathing in a wooden tub. She first tied her hair up, then took off her clothes and entered the tub. The movements were swift and practiced.

Even after she removed the white cloth that had wrapped around her upper body like a mummy, her delicate brows furrowed involuntarily. Her sixteen-year-old body, after a month of comprehensive improvements, had begun to develop normally. To continue binding those lovely, peach-like soft breasts tightly with cloth would be nothing short of torture.

She slipped into the water, closed her eyes, and focused, seemingly considering how to protect her hard-won body and freedom. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, her gaze resolute and intense, as if she had made some momentous decision. She then began washing herself. It seems the agent's agile hands are suited to everything. Even her bathing wasn't like other women's gentle scrubbing; instead, she finished in a flash.

Just as I was getting dressed, there was a knock on the door.

"Junior brother, come and eat." A gentle voice followed.

Opening the door, I saw Qingfeng still dressed in white. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and ask:

"You didn't shower? Didn't you ask for water?"

Qingfeng's face suddenly turned as red as a ripe persimmon, and he turned around and went into his room next door in embarrassment.

"He's so innocent!" Leng Jie rolled her eyes behind him and followed him inside. She saw the table already laden with food. She eagerly sat down and began to eat. They hadn't stopped all day to keep up with their journey. They'd only eaten some snacks in the carriage, which had long since been digested. But after only two bites, she became critical for the first time:

"This isn't a temple, so why is it all vegetarian food?" This body needs to replenish its nutrition right now, and vegetarian food alone can't fill it up at all.

Qingfeng was taken aback at first, then laughed and said, "It's the national mourning period now, and everyone is observing mourning for Prince Ming, so of course we can't eat meat! The prince's national mourning period is forty-nine days. We can eat it after that."

"Heavens! Why didn't you say so sooner? If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have let Prince Ming die. Now look what's happened, after forty-nine days of vegetarianism, I'm going to be skin and bones again!" Leng Jie exclaimed dramatically.

A gentle breeze gazed tenderly at Wuming. Her smooth, dewy face, fresh from a bath, was free of makeup, yet even more alluring. Her delicately arched eyebrows, like two crescent moons, hung above her still clear and bright eyes. Beneath her straight, exquisite nose, her soft, rosy lips parted slightly as she chewed on some vegetables, tempting one to steal a kiss.

As she gazed, the gentle, breezy gaze gradually turned fiery. A slight tremor and ripples stirred within her calm heart. Unbeknownst to her, two blushes rose on her jade-like face.

The perceptive Leng Jie immediately noticed Qingfeng's unusual demeanor, though she was unaware of just how captivating and mesmerizing she appeared. She smiled gently at Qingfeng and asked:

Why is your face so red? Are you embarrassed because I just said you don't shower?

That refreshing yet alluring smile stirred Qingfeng's heart, leaving her completely captivated. She forgot her shyness, forgot to answer. She just stared at him, intently watching him, as if afraid he might disappear in the blink of an eye.

If Leng Jie still couldn't see Qing Feng's feelings after all this, then she wouldn't be Leng Jie. Leng Jie ate her dinner nonchalantly, wiped her mouth, then got up to pour herself a cup of tea, saying as she drank:

"Senior brother, this is the last time I'll call you that. When we meet again, should I call you Qingfeng or Little Brother?"

Qingfeng's expression suddenly changed, and he stared at Leng Jie in astonishment, thinking he had misheard. He asked urgently:

"What did you say? What do you mean, the last time?"

Leng Jie looked back at him with calm, expressionless eyes and slowly repeated:

“Nameless is dead. There is no more Nameless in this world. You are the Jade-Faced Divine Physician who sent your junior brother Nameless's ashes back to Wuyou Valley. At this time, there should not be someone by your side whose appearance and features are so similar to that of Nameless. Although not many people know Nameless, as long as someone is interested, they will inevitably guess the truth of the matter. If someone with ulterior motives uses this, then the Emperor will be in a passive position.”

The more Leng Jie spoke, the uglier Qingfeng's expression became. Finally, with a dark face, he coldly confirmed:

"You mean you're leaving alone? You're not coming back to Worry-Free Valley with me?"

“Yes, I have to leave. Don’t you think we attracted too much attention when we appeared just now? I guarantee that by tomorrow noon, spies from all sides, both overt and covert, will be swarming around you like flies. So, I have to leave tonight.” Leng Jie explained calmly and patiently.

Qingfeng suddenly realized:

"So you're saying this is what you planned from the beginning? We'll go our separate ways once we leave the palace, right? No wonder you agreed so easily to leave Qing'er at the General's Mansion."

Leng Jie nodded without saying a word, indicating her agreement.

Qingfeng's heart was suddenly filled with a jumble of emotions, a mixture of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and astringent flavors, a complete mess. She analyzed the situation logically; they shouldn't continue being together. Besides, wasn't that the same thing she said when she agreed to help her leave the palace? Once she left the palace, it would be none of his business. But why did she feel so reluctant now? Perhaps it was because she truly considered him her junior brother? Qingfeng explained her online emotions in this way.

Neither of them spoke, and they remained silent for a long while. Leng Jie took out a letter from her person and handed it to Qingfeng, saying:

"You agreed to help me back then so you could find out the truth about my feigned stupidity and the recipes for those strange and unusual things you'd never seen before, right? Now you know I had no ulterior motives. This contains the recipes, usages, and applications for some things you've never seen before."

Qingfeng finally got what he had long coveted, but felt no joy whatsoever. Only endless sorrow and bitterness. He asked weakly:

"Where are you going next? Can you tell me?"

"Don't know? Just wandering around sightseeing! I'll rest wherever it gets dark." Leng Jie shrugged and replied indifferently.

Hearing this, Qingfeng felt a sudden, inexplicable pang in her heart. A thought suddenly surfaced:

“Although Wuming is dead, you can still be my junior sister if you switch back to your female form! Yes, that’s it. If you understand, switch back to your female form and come back to Wuyou Valley with me.”

Seeing Qingfeng's sudden excitement, Leng Jie didn't want to dampen his spirits, but she had to say something:

"Others won't suspect anything, but what about the Emperor? What do you think he'll do if he finds out we've all lied to him? Besides, without our protection, that fake Empress in the Eastern Palace will be easily recognized. Who knows what kind of trouble that will cause then!"

"But how can I let a naive little girl like you wander aimlessly, without a fixed abode?" Qingfeng said with frustration.

Chapter Sixty-Three: Sticking a Tail

Qingfeng didn't go looking for Leng Jie. She was right; several groups of suspicious people appeared at the inn early the next morning. To avoid arousing suspicion and to prevent causing her trouble, he decided to take "Nameless's" ashes back to Wuyou Valley alone before coming out to find her.

Although he desperately wanted to find her, he was more worried about her safety. Her identity was far too unique. He wondered if, when he emerged from Wuyou Valley again, she would have a new identity. Would he then be qualified to stand by her side again?

"The carriage ahead has run into trouble! Could it be a robbery?" This thought immediately flashed through Leng Jie's mind. Meddling in other people's business wasn't her style, and curiosity was a foreign concept to her. However, there were no other forks in the road, so she couldn't detour even if she wanted to. Going back? That was even more impossible. She'd already spent most of the day walking thirty li (about 15 kilometers), and if she wanted to get back to Yunxi Town, it would be dark by then. Then her whole day would have been wasted. Her mind paused briefly, considering for a second. But her feet didn't stop for a moment; instead, she quickened her pace, using her light-footed skill.

When she landed in front of the carriage, the scene seemed worse than she had imagined. Corpses lay scattered everywhere, a gruesome sight, and the air reeked of blood and gore, pungent and nauseating. The carriage—no, it should be called a carriage, because there were no horses. It seemed the horses had been stolen too? The carriage was a mess, clearly ransacked. Leng Jie held her breath, frowning as she scanned the mangled corpses on the ground. Men and women were among them, seemingly a family; there appeared to be no survivors. It seemed the security in this ancient place wasn't very good. No wonder Qingfeng was worried about her traveling alone.

In modern times, she would probably call the police at this point. But here, all she could do was leave the scene immediately, as quickly as possible. So, she once again used her lightness skill to speed towards the capital. In the blink of an eye, she was two or three miles away from the scene of trouble, and the air was fresh again. Leng Jie stopped to catch her breath. She continued on foot. Although lightness skill was quick and convenient, Leng Jie still felt that using it on the official road in broad daylight was a bit too conspicuous. It also didn't match her current village girl attire. Although she couldn't see a single person around her at the moment, who knew if one or two might suddenly appear out of nowhere? It wouldn't be good if they frightened innocent civilians.

See? Her concerns were indeed correct. Just fifty meters ahead of her, a tiny child, less than a meter tall, was struggling forward, stumbling and falling every three steps, then crawling on all fours. To avoid frightening the child, she didn't use her light-footed skills, but instead sprinted at top speed. The child seemed to realize someone was chasing him and started running too. He had only taken two steps when his small body collapsed to the ground. But he bravely tried to get up and run again, falling again. After two such attempts, Leng Jie caught up with him.

The child, lying on the ground, stubbornly raised his face, which was obscured by tears and dirt. Two black, pearl-like eyes darted about in their misty sockets, looking incredibly cute. But in an instant, Leng Jie abandoned any thought of calling him cute. Because, at that moment, he was piercing Leng Jie with two fierce gazes completely out of character for his age, gazes fixed on him from the rooftop.

What a chilling, sinister gaze! Could that really come from the clear eyes of a five or six-year-old child? Leng Jie shook her head in disbelief, then looked at him again. Yes, it was indeed the child's gaze, for he was still staring at her like that. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: could he be a survivor from that carriage? Did he mistake her for one of those heartless scoundrels? She had only worn relatively safe makeup; she couldn't possibly look like a murderer, could she?

Leng Jie pulled him up from the ground without a word. Although he resisted, he was simply too weak. He kept his hands tightly clutching the front of his shirt, as if afraid someone would take his precious possession away. The coldness in his eyes had only grown stronger, and there was not a trace of fear in them.

"Little friend, I'm not a bad person, and I won't take your things. Tell me, where are your parents?" Leng Jie wasn't good at dealing with children, but out of a woman's innate maternal instinct, she still tried to communicate with him gently. Seeing that he was still hostile towards her, Leng Jie took out a water bag from her bundle and handed it to him, asking, "Do you want some water?"

The child nodded unconsciously, then seemed to remember something and shook his head frantically, his hands clasped tightly to his chest. It was as if he was afraid she would snatch his things while he was drinking, or perhaps he was worried she might poison the water?

"What a clever child," Leng Jie thought to herself. She scanned him from head to toe and noticed his trousers were soaked with blood around the knees. Ignoring his wishes, she rolled up his trouser legs to examine the wounds. He must have scraped his skin when he fell. The child initially resisted, but perhaps realizing his protests were ineffective, he stopped moving. Leng Jie carefully cleaned the wounds, applied medicine, and bandaged them. Finally, she gently breathed on the bandaged wounds and softly coaxed him:

"Sweetie, I'll blow on it and it won't hurt anymore."

A hint of disdain flashed in the child's eyes as he stared at Leng Jie without saying a word, but the sinister look in his eyes had automatically diminished considerably.

Carefully lowering his trouser leg, Leng Jie put the medicine and bandages into her bundle. She said to the child:

"Little friend, where are you going? Do you need me to take you there?"

The child shook his head vigorously and remained silent.

Could he be a little mute? Hmm, possibly. No wonder he didn't utter a sound even after falling and bleeding. Leng Jie felt it was inappropriate to abandon a child in this desolate place, far from any village or shop, with a hellish landscape just miles away. She couldn't bear it. So, summoning her best patience, she continued to coax him:

"My sister is heading towards the capital. What about you? If we're going the same way, can we keep each other company? Look, there's no one on this road. My sister is very timid and scared. Can you give her some encouragement?"

A fleeting glint of mockery and disdain flashed in the child's eyes, though it was brief. Leng Jie saw it clearly, and it sent chills down her spine. Good heavens! Is that the kind of expression a child should have?

Leng Jie began to consider whether she should suppress her meager maternal instincts and continue on her own path. Just then, the clatter of hooves came from ahead. Two swift horses galloped up and stopped abruptly in front of the child.

The child beside Leng Jie suddenly burst into tears. He seemed terrified by the sudden appearance of the two horses.

Leng Jie paused for a moment, realizing the boy wasn't mute after all. She then scooped up the crying child. Trembling, the child looked up at the black-clad men on horseback, fear clearly in his eyes, yet stubbornly saying, "Why did you stop? Why were you so close? You're scaring the child, you know that!"

The man in black swept his sinister gaze over the rough-looking, stubborn village girl before him and coldly asked:

"Is he your child?"

“Yes, he is my child.” Leng Jie easily altered his meaning.

"How old are you? How could you possibly have a son this big?" The man in black asked incredulously, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Does this have anything to do with you scaring him? If you stopped not to apologize, then please make way and let us go first." Seeing that the other party was already suspicious, Leng Jie coldly replied without showing any weakness.

“Young lady, I advise you not to meddle in other people’s business. He is a key member of our Green Robe Sect, and you cannot protect him. If you hand him over now, we may spare your life.” Another man in black threatened in a gentle tone.

Qingfeng didn't go looking for Leng Jie. She was right; several groups of suspicious people appeared at the inn early the next morning. To avoid arousing suspicion and to prevent causing her trouble, he decided to take "Nameless's" ashes back to Wuyou Valley alone before coming out to find her.