Un registro de placer

Capítulo 70

Since Yue Ruzheng retrieved the Youth-Preserving Pearl from Seven Star Island four years ago, the place has rarely been mentioned in Yinxi Xiaozhu. Jiang Shuying had thought that Lian Haichao would ridicule her for letting her disciples steal, but Seven Star Island had not reacted at all, which puzzled her greatly. However, rumors spread throughout the martial arts world, making the originally aloof and proud Yinxi Xiaozhu look terrible. Since then, Jiang Shuying has kept a deep distance from Seven Star Island. Now, seeing this group of people arrive at night, she couldn't help but feel a chill.

She whispered something to the girl behind her, and the girl quickly ran out of the woods.

Upon seeing this, Danfeng immediately leaped up and rushed towards the girl from behind, reaching out to grab her. However, before she could even grab the girl's shoulder, she felt a gust of wind behind her. Danfeng ducked to avoid it, and with her long sword at her waist, she swung it backward.

Jiang Shuying flicked her long sleeves, gently pushing the girl away several feet. With her other hand, she tightly locked onto Danfeng's thrusting sword. Danfeng's wrist trembled, splitting the sword into two, which slashed diagonally towards Jiang Shuying's fingers.

The two, one in a green robe and the other in a white skirt, exchanged blows several times under the moonlight. Although Danfeng's internal strength was inferior to Jiang Shuying's, she fought with an indomitable spirit, each move aimed directly at Danfeng's vital points. Jiang Shuying did not want to fight this girl, but seeing that Danfeng held nothing back in her attacks, she felt a desire to punish her. Seeing Danfeng's twin swords crossed, revealing an opening at her waist, she immediately swept her sleeves with internal force towards Danfeng.

Danfeng hurriedly swung her sword to protect herself, but the tip of the sword had barely touched Yunxiu's sleeve when she felt a surge of force rushing into her arm. Her breath became unsteady, and she was struck by Jiang Shuying's attack, flying backward. Before she even landed, someone gently supported her from behind, dissipating the force, and she was able to stand steadily.

Looking back, Danfeng saw Lian Junchu supporting her with her shoulder. Her heart warmed, and she was about to speak when she suddenly heard footsteps coming from the other side of the winding path. In the blink of an eye, dozens of people with swords and knives blocked the entrance.

The author has something to say: The reason the male and female leads didn't clash immediately wasn't to deliberately drag things out. This part of the journey reflects the past and also indirectly reflects Xiao Tang's current state. You might feel he's changed a lot, but I still hope to discover some of his unchanged qualities.

Chapter Forty-Eight: Now Forget the Past

Jiang Shuying walked slowly to Danfeng and coldly said to Lian Junchu behind her, "Young Master, please discipline your subordinates more strictly!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd blocking the road suddenly parted to both sides, and a man in a brown robe strode over. He was about forty years old, tall, and had a dignified face. Behind him were several young men, whose sharp eyes immediately recognized them as the Hengshan disciples who had been arguing on the street.

Zhou Yuan followed closely behind the man. Upon seeing the Seven Star Island group, he hurriedly whispered something to him. The man's face darkened, and he strode forward with his robes billowing in the wind. Ying Long drew his sword to stop him, but the man swept his sleeves up, and before Ying Long could even see his move, the tip of his sword was already firmly between his two fingers, rendering him unable to move.

"Get back!" the man shouted, then with a tremor of his hand, he forced Ying Long back several steps. The surrounding swordsmen surged forward, their swords gleaming coldly, heading straight for the man. But he did not flinch at the sharp blades, his hands flying, and suddenly he rose up, stepping into the sword formation, and rushed towards Lian Junchu.

Danfeng stood in front of Lian Junchu, about to make a move, when Lian Junchu flicked her sleeve, sending several black shadows shooting out and rushing towards the brown-robed man. The man's body swept sideways, and before he landed, his sleeves billowed like the wind, forcing the black shadows into mid-air. With a flick of his wrist, he used his strength to rebound, sending the black shadows flying back towards Lian Junchu with a whistling sound.

Lian Junchu knocked Danfeng aside and leaped into the air, his azure brocade robe gleaming coldly in the moonlight. He braced his feet on the plum branches beside him, and as the hidden weapons were closing in, he suddenly swept towards the man. In mid-air, everyone saw his left sleeve flutter, and several thin, dark blue blades shot out, as cold as ice shards, slicing through the incoming black shadows one by one.

At the same time, he had already closed in on the man, his right sleeve, which had been hanging low, lifted up, revealing a glint of white light at the cuff. Seeing his strange moves, the man drew his sword from behind his waist, wildly twirling it, aiming straight for Lian Junchu's right arm. But there was a sound of impact, and the man felt as if his sword had struck something hard, only then realizing that there was a mechanism hidden in the upper half of Lian Junchu's sleeve.

Startled, his swordplay faltered slightly. Lian Junchu leaped up and kicked him in the face. The man dodged with his sword, and Lian Junchu used the blade to flip behind him. Her right sleeve swiftly swept over his shoulder, and the man felt a slight chill on his shoulder. He groaned and thrust diagonally with his backhand, the tip of his sword landing squarely on Lian Junchu's chest.

However, no matter what he did, he could not penetrate deeply with his sword. At this moment, Lian Junchu shook her sleeves, and suddenly a cold light appeared. Two sword tips, as cold as autumn water, were placed behind the man's shoulders.

"Uncle Lan!"

Upon seeing this, Zhou Yuan was greatly alarmed and led the group to charge forward. Dan Feng flew forward, and together with Ying Long, they pointed their longswords directly at the group, roaring, "Who dares to come again?!"

"Did Young Master Lian come all this way just to cause trouble?!" The man in the brown robe, his back to Lian Junchu, tilted his head back and sneered, heavily sheathing his sword. Raising his eyebrows, he said, "If your clothes hadn't been so unusual, I probably wouldn't be the one who lost."

At this moment, Jiang Shuying stepped forward and asked, "Baichen, what's going on now?"

The man, his face contorted with anger, said, "Zhou Yuan just came to me with a group of disciples. Sheng Quan suffered a severe waist injury, bleeding profusely, supposedly inflicted by Young Master Lian of Seven Star Island. I was just about to go out to find him when you sent Qian'er to report that someone from Seven Star Island had arrived. What a twist of fate!" As he spoke, he glanced behind him and said, "This must be Young Master Lian?"

Lian Junchu smiled calmly and said, "So it is Senior Lan, the Misty Cloud Swordsman of Hengshan Sect. I am Lian Junchu." After saying that, two soft sounds were heard, and the tip of the sword that had been exposed from his sleeve disappeared.

Because he was wearing a wide-sleeved robe, Jiang Shu had always assumed he simply concealed his hands in his sleeves. However, upon closer inspection, she realized that this was not the case. She suddenly recalled Tang Yanchu, whom Yue Ruzheng had mentioned before, and her eyes widened in surprise as she gazed at the young man before her.

Lan Baichen had lived in seclusion in Yanxia Valley for many years, focusing solely on sword practice, and was unaware of the feud between Yinxi Xiaozhu and Seven Star Island. He coldly surveyed his surroundings, and seeing the tense atmosphere between the two sides, he raised an eyebrow and said, "I, Lan Baichen, have never had any grudge against Seven Star Island, nor has the Hengshan Sect offended your Lian family. Why did Young Master Lian severely injure my nephew over some verbal dispute?"

Lian Junchu took a step back, stood under the white plum tree, looked at the crowd in the distance, and said, "Before answering your question, I would like to ask Madam Jiang what I asked when I came here."

Lan Baichen frowned and looked at Jiang Shuying. Jiang Shuying said, "I haven't left Luzhou recently, so how could I have encountered your subordinates?"

Upon hearing this, Danfeng, without turning around, shouted, "Even if you didn't make a move, who knows if Yinxi Xiaozhu sent someone to ambush us?!"

Jiang Shuying retorted sharply, "What reason would I have to do such a thing?" She turned to stare at Lian Junchu, suppressing her anger, and said, "Young Master Lian, are you perhaps using the incident from three years ago as an excuse to come here and unleash a massacre?"

Lian Junchu's face paled slightly, her lips were tightly pressed together, and a coldness gradually surfaced in her eyes.

"I would never do such a despicable thing." He stared directly at Jiang Shuying, his voice devoid of anger, yet as cold as ice.

Jiang Shuying strode forward and addressed him directly: "Since that's the case, I, Jiang Shuying, can swear an oath here and now in front of everyone from the Hengshan Sect. If this matter is related to Yinxi Xiaozhu, you can bring your men to interrogate me again, and I will not flinch! As for the sword marks you mentioned, I can summon all my disciples now and confront them one by one!"

"No need!" Lian Junchu refused decisively, took a step forward, turned around, and said, "Madam Jiang, let me add one more thing: please don't mix up two unrelated matters in the future. Farewell!"

After he finished speaking, he strode towards the crowd, but Lan Baichen blocked his way, his wide sleeves fluttering and his eyes burning.

"Young Master Lian, why are you avoiding the main point and refusing to answer my questions?! I cannot interfere in your feud with Yinxi Xiaozhu, but I will not let your ruthless attack on the Hengshan Sect disciples go unpunished!"

At this moment, Lian Junchu had already walked behind Yinglong and Danfeng. When the swordsmen saw that he was about to leave, they all stepped aside to make way.

He turned around, his brocade robe billowing in the wind, his features exquisite and refined.

"I'm just a narrow-minded person." Lian Junchu looked at Lan Baichen with disdain, her tone full of sarcasm. "Since your people have all arrived at Yinxi Xiaozhu, Senior Lan can go and ask your nephew what he did in Pingyang County four years ago."

Lan Baichen was taken aback, but Lian Junchu had already strode towards the winding path of the forest. For a moment, the Hengshan Sect members were intimidated by his imposing presence and dared not make a move.

Hearing him speak like this, Lan Baichen knew there might be something going on, but Sheng Quan wasn't there to verify it immediately. Although he was straightforward, he wasn't reckless. Seeing this, he waved to Zhou Yuan and the others, signaling them to retreat for the time being.

Lian Junchu led Danfeng and the others through the crowd and headed straight for Merlin. After walking a few feet, they saw someone standing quietly under the heavy shadows of flowers by the roadside.

Wearing a light green top and a plain skirt, with long black hair hanging down her shoulders, Yue Ruzheng's attire was not much different from before, except that there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes.

She overheard Lian Junchu and Lan Baichen's last few sentences of conversation. When he spoke, he probably didn't know that she had already arrived here.

But his words clearly sounded as if they were spoken to her.

--I'm a narrow-minded person.

He will not forgive the past.

Yue Ruzheng was weighed down by an invisible pressure and could not lift her head. She just stood silently in the pale moonlight, in the cold corner.

She didn't even have the courage to look up at him. She only heard the rustling of footsteps as that familiar yet unfamiliar figure walked past her without a second thought.

They never stopped for a moment.