Sueño de Jiangshan

Capítulo 41

Qingfeng glanced at Xuanyuan guiltily, struggling with whether or not to speak. In the end, he felt that nothing was more important than her safety. So he gritted his teeth and questioned her sharply.

"I'm not talking about the royal family members, but the people who sneaked into the palace last night to rescue people during the chaos. Some people heard fighting sounds after the thunder, and also a woman's screams. Where is that screaming woman?"

A woman? Xuanyuan was taken aback, looking at Qingfeng with surprise, not understanding who he was looking for. It seemed he really hadn't been told who he was trying to save. He himself had assumed it was Wuming. Thinking of this, Xuanyuan couldn't help but feel annoyed. He, the Emperor of Jinghe, the Master of the Dragon Gate, had actually followed Qingfeng to fight to the death without any explanation. And now, he didn't even know who was fighting for whom?

Leng Jie twitched involuntarily. From Qingfeng's words, she knew they had come for her. But she felt no joy whatsoever. Because from Xuanyuan's face, contorted with shock and anger, she already saw her fate: her identity as a woman would be completely exposed.

Black Impermanence's body stiffened for a moment. He lowered his head and whispered a few words to the person beside him, then looked up and explained:

"I think you two gentlemen have truly misunderstood. No outsiders broke into the Prince's residence last night, let alone a woman. As for the specifics, let Master Wang explain them to you!"

"That's all we experienced last night. As for whether the woman you mentioned actually entered the Prince's mansion during the chaos, we don't know."

Master Wang recounted the events of last night from beginning to end.

"You mean the fight in the smoke last night was an accidental attack by your own people? And the woman's screams were from the women of the Prince's mansion, who were terrified?" Hearing the man's description, Qingfeng was even more certain that Leng Jie had orchestrated the events at the Prince's mansion last night. However, since she hadn't been arrested, he couldn't expose her. Let everyone think it was a bolt from the blue.

Master Wang nodded firmly in response:

"Yes, I promise. Now you can hand over the antidote, right?"

Qingfeng glanced at the archers around him and said, "Have the archers on the roof withdraw first. We'll give you the antidote once we're safely out of here."

"Hmph! Do you think my Green Robe Sect is a teahouse or restaurant? Coming and going as you please. If you want to leave here, you'd better beat the four of us first."

"Yes, you can leave if you defeat the four of us."

"Yes, we didn't get enough of that earlier, let's do it again."

"Yes, it's been a long time since I've found an opponent. Let's go again."

Before their young master could speak, the four guardians preemptively uttered harsh words. As they spoke, they drew their weapons at Qingfeng and Xuanyuan without hesitation. Qingfeng and Xuanyuan, in turn, drew their soft swords without further ado.

Immediately, the battle resumed. Six figures, four in black and two in white, leaped and pounced, swords flashing, palms striking, fists flying, the fight so intense it was difficult to tell who was who. The spectacle was dazzling.

Realizing he couldn't stop the four guardians, the young master of Black Impermanence waved his hand to dismiss the archers. Then, he consciously retreated to the side to observe the battle.

Seeing that the archers had retreated, Leng Jie felt a little relieved. She figured that with their combined lightness skills, and without the archers' threat, and knowing she wasn't there, even if they couldn't defeat the four guardians, escaping shouldn't be a problem!

But her heart didn't settle for long before it was in suspense again. The four guardians, each fighting Xuanyuan and Qingfeng individually, should have been evenly matched. But now, with two against one, plus their tacit understanding and an impenetrable sword formation, they were forcing Qingfeng and Xuanyuan to retreat steadily. Yet, they couldn't break free of their formation. The battle grew increasingly intense, and Leng Jie's heart pounded rhythmically.

After witnessing the skills of these protectors, Leng Jie began to doubt whether the three Qingyi Sect protectors she had subdued in the capital were genuine. Although she never doubted her own abilities, she admitted that she was no match for Qingfeng and Xuanyuan in terms of martial arts prowess.

Leng Jie was momentarily distracted. When she looked back at the arena, both Qingfeng and Xuanyuan were already wounded. Their footwork was now chaotic. The four protectors of the Green Robe Sect seemed to be growing stronger with each battle, forming a net-like sword formation that tightly surrounded Qingfeng and Xuanyuan. They were clearly being forced into a corner. Seeing that there was still no movement outside the door, Leng Jie's heart sank. She couldn't wait any longer. If she waited any longer, the two of them would be going to meet their maker. If the emperor died, the world would surely descend into chaos.

In a moment of quick thinking, her gaze suddenly fell on the sword at the waist of the young master, who resembled a black-clad impermanence. She reasoned that since the Green Robe Sect used swords to distinguish ranks, this young master's sword must be more effective than those of the protectors. A glint of light flashed in her eyes, and she secretly made a brilliant decision.

She darted past the young master of the Black Impermanence sect, casually drawing the sword from his waist. She instantly joined the battle. This sudden turn of events surprised everyone.

The members of the Green Robe Sect stared at her in disbelief, thinking that this short, young boy not only dared to steal his young master's sword, but also fearlessly charged into the protector's sword formation? Most incredibly, he immediately joined the enemy in fighting the protector. There was only one explanation for this: he must have been driven mad by the heavenly lightning last night. He's definitely gone mad! Absolutely mad!

Qingfeng and Xuanyuan stared in disbelief at the black-clad woman who had suddenly appeared within the sword formation, desperately shielding them from the swords. They recognized her instantly from her elusive movements. They were first startled by her sudden appearance, then overjoyed to know she was safe, and then enraged by her fearless charge into the sword formation. But in that instant of shock, joy, and anger, they realized that Leng Jie, whom they thought lacked martial arts skills, had already broken the sword formation for them with her own body.

"Ah!" A sharp scream rang out.

"Xiao Jie!" "Xiao Jie!" came two trembling voices filled with worry.

"Thump, thump, thump, thump," four hiltless Qingfeng swords fell to the ground one after another. The four guardians stared in disbelief, dumbfounded, at the golden hilts in their hands, then at the scattered Qingfeng swords. They were forced to confront a cruel reality: their invincible sword formation had been broken! They had been defeated, defeated by an unknown youth, and a traitor at that!

The guardian's invincible sword formation had been broken? The onlookers, stunned, all turned to look at the little madman who had just entered. He was using the young master's sword as a support, propping up his swaying, frail body. His black clothes were ripped to shreds by the sword. Visible blood was gushing out. Then everyone's gaze settled on the white cloth wrapped tightly around his chest, more conspicuous than the blood itself. Then, eyeballs fell to the ground.

Although Xuanyuan didn't stare intently at the white cloth like the others, he was even more shocked. He stared blankly at Qingfeng, then at Wuming. He felt completely bewildered. How had he become her?

Before everyone could see through the white cloth, Qingfeng swiftly removed his outer garment and wrapped it tightly around her. He supported her shoulder with one hand, letting her lean against him, and quickly applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Then, he took a paper package from his pocket, took the sword from Leng Jie's hand, and tossed them both to the expressionless Black Impermanence young master.

"Here's the antidote, can we go now?"

Before anyone could answer, he carefully scooped Leng Jie into his arms. He called out to Xuan Yuan, who was still confused, "Let's go." Then, using his lightness skill, he soared through the clouds and flew out of the Green Robe Sect.

...

"Hey, wait for me!"

"The third and fourth sons of the Wu family deserve to die! The Third Sect Master ordered him to immediately lead men to meet the Sect Master and the others, but they were delayed because they encountered a woman. Fortunately, nothing serious happened to the Sect Master and the others, otherwise killing them wouldn't be enough to quell my anger," Yuan Zheng said bitterly.

"Yuan Zheng, how long have you been with the Third Sect Master? Did you know she was a woman before?"

"How could he possibly know? I doubt even the gatekeeper and the second gatekeeper would know."

"Yes, you didn't see how completely bewildered the sect leader looked when he first came out of the Green Robe Sect. He was even more shocked than if he discovered his wife had cheated on him or that the son he had raised for twenty years wasn't his own!"

"Haha...you guys are just talking nonsense! In my opinion, it doesn't matter whether the Third Sect Master is male or female. She broke into the Prince's mansion alone first, and then risked her life to save the Sect Master. Tell me, in what way is her strategy and courage inferior to a man's? So I think that whether she is male or female, she will always be our Third Sect Master."

"Old Wu is right. I'd be happy to serve as an assistant to such a heroine!"

"What do you think Sanmen would look like if he wore women's clothing?"

"Of course, the person is more beautiful than the flower!"

...

In a private residence in the eastern part of Jianzhou, a group of Longmen disciples were excitedly discussing the sudden transformation of their wise and valiant Third Master from male to female. In a nearby side room, their Master was also rigorously interrogating Qingfeng, who had known about the incident but failed to report it.

"How is she? Is Xiao Jie alright?" Xuan Yuan asked Qing Feng anxiously, who had just finished treating Leng Jie's injuries.

As Qingfeng washed the blood off his hands, he replied:

"They're all external injuries, nothing serious, but I'm worried about scars. Although she's never been one to fuss over details or care about her appearance, girls still care about these things."

Upon hearing the word "girl," Xuanyuan's face darkened instantly, his previous worry and anxiety replaced by anger. He glanced sideways at Qingfeng at the opposite room, then went straight into the room furthest from Leng Jie's.

Qingfeng grabbed a dry cloth, wiped his hands, put it on the shelf, and followed him inside. He'd barely stepped into the room when Xuanyuan's cold, questioning voice came crashing down on him.

"What's going on? Why is Wuming a woman? Why did you lie to me? What are your motives? Are you making a fool of me?"

Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Change in Three Days

"What's going on? Why is Wuming a woman? Why did you lie to me? What are your motives? Are you making a fool of me?"

Qingfeng feigned innocence and said:

"Back then, she disguised herself as a palace maid and came to Qingfeng Residence to find me. I thought it would be too conspicuous for a palace maid to suddenly appear in my Qingfeng Residence, so I asked her to pretend to be a eunuch. As a result, she ended up saving you, and then Eunuch Fu happened to run into her. Eunuch Fu is the head of the eunuchs, so how could he not recognize a eunuch who came with good intentions? When he asked, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and say that she was my junior brother."

Think back to how surprised I was when you said you wanted to appoint her to an official position, and how vehemently I opposed it. Later, when she joined you in your foolish attempts to come to Longmen, I even punished her according to the sect rules!

But why did she suddenly hesitate to go when she heard about the shadow at Longmen? It was because she was afraid of being exposed as a woman! And later, you yourself appointed her queen, so how did she risk her life to escape the throne and leave the palace? Think about these things yourself, and see if we intentionally deceived you. What benefit would we gain from deceiving you? In my opinion, we gained nothing but a lot of harm. Look at how we ended up covered in wounds while trying to save someone. And now someone wants to prosecute us for deceiving the king!”

Xuanyuan's expression softened slightly. However, his anger hadn't subsided. He realized he wasn't blaming Wuming, but rather Qingfeng, who had helped her deceive him. He glared at the stubborn Qingfeng and said resentfully:

"Even if the crime of deceiving the emperor is to be investigated, it should be you, the culprit, who should be held accountable. If it weren't for your instigation as her senior brother, how would that little girl have developed such cunning?"

That girl is naive. But she's more cunning than a ghost, more clever than a god, and more ruthless than a demon! If only I could control her! I could fly to the heavens and dive into the earth! Qingfeng couldn't help but roll her eyes at Xuanyuan, mimicking Leng Jie's expression. But she answered sincerely:

"Yes, yes, it's all my fault! Don't worry, as soon as her injuries heal, I'll send her back to Worry-Free Valley. I'll have Master keep a close eye on her and make sure she doesn't cause any more trouble!"

"Who asked you to send her back to Worry-Free Valley? What trouble did she cause? She saved you twice, so how am I the one who caused trouble? Is one of us the one who's the trouble?" Xuan Yuan's face darkened as he blurted out.

Qingfeng's gaze flickered as he looked at Xuanyuan, then he said seriously, "Haven't you always hated women getting close to you? Now that you know she's a woman, can your Dragon Gate still tolerate her? Can your disciples accept a little girl as their third sect leader? However, even if you all agree, I still disagree. Everyone knows she's a woman now, and I can't let her spend all her time among a bunch of grown men."

He hated women. But what he hated were those women who coveted his looks and status, racking their brains to climb into his bed. But Wuming was different; the way she looked at him was nothing but contempt and mockery, never a hint of appreciation. To say she wanted to sleep with him? That was pure fantasy; even a ghost wouldn't believe it!

As for the people of Longmen, it's none of their business whether they want to acknowledge who the Third Master is. It's not up to him, the current Master, to decide. Finally, wouldn't her returning to Wuyou Valley with Qingfeng mean she'd be mingling with men? Besides, in all the time they've spent together, he's never seen even a hint of girlish shyness in her. Isn't her inability to distinguish between men and women a result of living in Wuyou Valley?

Xuanyuan glared at Qingfeng and said in a deep voice, "What do you take Longmen for? Someone who comes and goes as they please!"

Why does this sound so familiar? Isn't that what those Qingyi Sect protectors just said?

Qingfeng completely ignored the threatening aura that Xuanyuan was deliberately spreading, raised an eyebrow, and grinned as he replied:

"What kind of place is this? A den of dragons and tigers! But so what? If my fellow disciples want to leave, what can you, the emperor and sect leader, do about it?"

"Qingfeng! You..." You're arrogant enough! Halfway through his shout, Xuanyuan abruptly stopped. His brow furrowed, his phoenix eyes narrowed, and a glint of light flashed within them. A mysterious smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. He stared intently at Qingfeng.

Xuanyuan's sudden change in expression, especially that smile, was too eerie! Qingfeng suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and anxiously pressed for an answer:

"What about me?"

“I think you’re right. Xiao Jie is a young lady, and it’s not suitable for her to stay in Longmen, which is full of men,” Xuan Yuan said gently.

Qingfeng wasn't naive enough to believe that Xuanyuan was simply stunned by his words and had no choice but to agree. Such a rapid change must be part of a conspiracy! He frowned and asked:

"So? You agree to let me send her back to Worry-Free Valley?"

“I don’t think Worry-Free Valley is suitable for her either. As far as I know, Worry-Free Valley is full of men except for her!” Xuanyuan said in his usual gentle manner.

“How can that be the same? We are her master and senior brother, relatives, family,” Qingfeng immediately retorted.

Xuanyuan's smile deepened, and he said softly, "Longmen is also her home, have you forgotten?"

"What exactly do you mean?" Qingfeng finally shouted, unable to contain himself any longer.

Xuanyuan's eyes were full of smiles; his sensual lips, if not deliberately pursed, would have been stretched into a wide grin. Then he parted his lips slightly, even his voice brimming with joy:

"I've thought of a place that's perfect for a girl to live in, and it will definitely put your mind at ease as her senior brother."

Just looking at Xuanyuan's appearance gave Qingfeng goosebumps. Upon hearing his completely abnormal voice, Qingfeng immediately stopped him:

"No need for you to worry, she'll be coming back to Worry-Free Valley with me."

“How can that be? She’s my savior. Besides, aren’t we brothers? Isn’t my brother’s junior sister also my junior sister? How can I not worry about her?” Xuanyuan answered confidently.

Qingfeng was speechless, shrugging his shoulders. He then turned his head and glanced at Xuanyuan out of the corner of his eye, letting him continue.

A smug look flashed across Xuanyuan's face, then he said seriously:

"Don't you think the most suitable place for girls to live in the world is the imperial harem?"

"The harem?" Qingfeng was stunned by the word and stumbled. Xuanyuan reached out to support Qingfeng, asking in confusion:

"Do you have to get so worked up?"

Having finally regained his balance and calmed his mind, Qingfeng roared at Xuanyuan:

"You want to take her into your harem? To make her the next Shui Rong'er? The old saying goes, 'The imperial family is the most ruthless,' and it seems that's absolutely true! She saved your life, and you turn around and want to harm her like this! You..."

Seeing that Qingfeng was becoming increasingly agitated, Xuanyuan quickly explained:

"Wait, what are you saying? I just want to make her a princess and let her live in the palace."

"Princess? That's a bit better." Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief. But before he could finish exhaling, he thought again that even a princess wouldn't do. Staying in the palace was dangerous; who knew when their affair with the empress would be exposed? He said with a grim face:

"One minute she's bestowing titles of prince, the next a princess. Keep causing trouble! Until one day she gets so angry that she lets your palace taste the bitterness of being struck by lightning. Then you'll be satisfied!"

The heavenly lightning was also related to him? Just how many extraordinary and unknown abilities did she possess? Xuanyuan hadn't really intended to make her a princess, knowing that her personality wouldn't be confined within the palace. He merely wanted to annoy Qingfeng, giving him no reason to take her out of the Dragon Gate. But he hadn't expected to force out a truth he'd been hiding. He was certain that if Qingfeng hadn't let it slip, this heavenly lightning event would have become the most miraculous and powerful lightning strike in the history of the Jinghe Dynasty.