Cueillir des fleurs et sourire

Chapitre 66

Liu Ji's eyes lit up. "Who?"

“For example— ‘White-haired’ Rong Yin, ‘Heavenly Eye’ Yu Xiu, or the Shangxuan Young Master next to him.” Li Lingyan smiled more gently and kindly than anyone else. “Don’t worry, I will help you. As long as you let me out, I will definitely help you.” He lowered his head and kissed Liu Ji, kissing her with unusual care and tenderness. “As long as it is your wish, I will help you.”

At this moment, Shengxiang had just eaten the bark of the Albizia tree, Shangxuan sat in his room with a heart full of emotion, recalling the ups and downs of the past few years, while Yu Cuiwei encountered something unexpected.

He went out to find the so-called "way out" of Mo Qu Mountain Villa. By chance, his exceptional eyesight led him to a cave. Thinking it was the exit, he happily went in, only to be startled by what he found inside.

Beneath the ancient well where Liu the prostitute lived was a dungeon!

Yu Cuiwei gracefully descended from the well, walking about ten paces through the dark, damp tunnel until candlelight gradually appeared before him. With his exceptional eyesight, he saw that the tunnel's end wasn't an exit, but rather a gleaming, steel-framed iron prison; or even a dungeon teeming with people! He took a few steps in, and then heard a voice from the first iron cell shout: "You vixen surnamed Liu! Even if you come a thousand times, ten thousand times, I, Xue Weiming, will never become a lackey of your Liu family! None of those surnamed Liu are good! Your grandfather, while alive, set up a 'living hell,' harming countless people, indulging in debauchery and incompetence, knowing nothing of the people's suffering except drinking! Your father only knew eunuchs were good, even dragging the newly appointed top scholar into the palace to be castrated, a laughingstock for years. The soldiers in the army couldn't even draw their bows, and their demise under the Song army was well-deserved! Even if this land of Lingnan were reduced to barbarians to fend for themselves, we would never acknowledge you, Liu the prostitute, as our master!"

In the first iron cell, a burly man gripping the bars, his shackles clanking loudly, resembled a northerner—muscular and robust, unlike the average southerner. Yet, judging from his furious curses, he seemed to have lived in the Lingnan region for a long time. Yu Cuiwei was unaware of the decades of tyrannical and absurd rule of the Southern Han Liu family that had fueled widespread resentment, and he had no idea what old grievances this man was spouting. A quick glance revealed dozens of iron cells holding about thirty people, young and old, men and women, whose identities remained a mystery. After this pause, the burly man in the first cell realized it wasn't Liu the Prostitute and immediately fell silent. In the third iron cell sat a Taoist priest in black, who asked in a deep voice, "Are you the new jailer of the Liu family?"

"Jailer?" Yu Cuiwei flicked his sleeves, revealing an even more elegant and handsome demeanor. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "My surname is Yu. I have wandered into this place by mistake. I wonder why you gentlemen are imprisoned here?" His words were refined and composed, without a trace of seductive frivolity.

The Taoist in black sat cross-legged and said in a low voice, "I am a Golden Core cultivator. This benefactor's surname is Xue, and his nickname is 'Nineteen Hands of the Snake Whip'."

Yu Cuiwei suddenly froze, his eyes twitched, and a chill ran through him. No wonder these people, seeing only half of his ghostly face, still didn't recognize him as the "Ghost-Faced Demon" Yu Cuiwei. "Golden Core Daoist?"

The black-clad Taoist nodded and pointed to the wall opposite his iron prison. Yu Cuiwei looked in that direction and saw a small golden sword embedded half a foot deep in the stone wall, demonstrating the profound skill behind the throw. It was indeed the Golden Elixir Taoist's "Little Golden Sword." This Golden Elixir Taoist was the eldest disciple of Qinghe, the senior brother of Qingjing Taoist of Wudang. Before his death, Qinghe left a will and a token, passing the position of Wudang sect leader to Golden Elixir. However, Golden Elixir, who was twenty-eight years old at the Wudang sect leader assembly that year, did not appear, and the position had to be temporarily held by Qingjing. This position lasted for twenty years, and everyone thought that Golden Elixir had disappeared while gathering herbs in Miao territory and was probably dead. Unexpectedly, he was imprisoned here! Golden Elixir Taoist was now forty-eight years old, while Yu Cuiwei had only become famous ten years ago. No wonder Golden Elixir was unaware of his infamous reputation. Yu Cuiwei took a step back with a "thud," her gaze shifting to the depths of the iron cell. Xue Weiming, the "Nineteen Hands of the Snake Whip," was a figure who had dominated Lingnan more than twenty years ago. It seemed these people had been imprisoned here for a long time. What was Liu Ji doing keeping these renowned martial arts figures here? Yu Cuiwei flicked her sleeve and smiled, revealing her teeth. In fact, she was using the same trick to imprison the four of them. If she could control these powerful and influential figures, it would be equivalent to gaining the powerful influence behind them—for example, if Liu Ji imprisoned Shengxiang, in the future, when facing the Song army head-on, even if she couldn't make the current prime minister submit, she could at least throw Zhao Pu into disarray—if she wanted to invade the heart of the Central Plains, using the Golden Elixir Daoist as leverage, how could the Wudang lineage, based on morality, dare to oppose her? This young woman, seemingly elegant, was full of schemes and calculations, clearly possessing the talent of a ruthless hero. While pondering, Yu Cuiwei suddenly drew a knife from his sleeve. With a "crack," he used two throwing knives to sever the iron locks on the Golden Elixir Daoist and Xue Weiming's prison. The locks fell to the ground with a "clang." Yu Cuiwei turned and left, flitting away like a butterfly, no longer paying any attention to the group of strange people in the dungeon.

"Brother Yu!" Xue Weiming was overjoyed to have escaped, but when he saw Yu Cuiwei turn and leave, he was stunned: If this person intended to save people, why didn't he save them completely? If this person didn't intend to save people, why did he let him and the Golden Core Daoist out?

Master Jindan opened the iron gate and came out, suppressing the joy of regaining his freedom after being imprisoned for many years. He picked up the two throwing knives on the ground, his expression slightly heavy. "Good skill! It's a pity it's not orthodox skill."

Xue Weiming had no time to discuss with him whether the newcomer's martial arts were righteous or evil. With a heavy slash of his knife, dozens of iron cells were opened one after another. These people, who had been imprisoned with them for ten or twenty years, finally saw the light of day and regained their freedom.

Yu Cuiwei turned and left, still wondering: why were there no guards at the wellhead when so many important figures were imprisoned here? Was it because guards would be too conspicuous and expose the dungeon, or was Liu Ji too confident that this place would not be discovered, or was there another reason? He soon discovered the reason, and also the reason why so many people were imprisoned together: this place was a place where you could get in but couldn't get out.

The unremarkable patch of land he had just entered was now crawling with beetles of all shapes and sizes. Whatever they were, they were certainly no good. Most importantly, they were more terrifying than snakes. Snakes can crawl, but beetles can not only crawl, they can also fly—that's what makes them so difficult to guard against. Yu Cuiwei stopped in his tracks. These insects only crawled back and forth within five feet of the exit and along the entire wall of the ancient well, their horrifying shapes making one want to vomit.

He didn't want to be a hero, nor did he intend to save anyone, but he didn't want to die here.

The footsteps of the crowd behind them drew near, and gasps of surprise rose as everyone saw the strange insects slithering around the exit.

what to do?

Shang Xuan sat in his room until dusk deepened before finally opening the door to go for a walk. He was used to going for a stroll at sunset, because Ze Ning usually came to discuss matters with him around this time. Following the carved patterns he remembered, he slowly walked towards the place where there might be an underground river, and if there was a dry well or pond, he might as well try it. Just as he reached the outside of Jinghua Garden, where Liu Ji lived, he suddenly saw a large number of servants rushing into the garden, each carrying weapons and looking very nervous.

What are they doing? Shang Xuan flashed to the top of a big tree in Jinghua Garden and frowned as he saw a group of servants pouring jars of strange insects into an ancient well. There was a lot of noise coming from the bottom of the well, so it was obviously related to something!

A pond teems with crocodiles, an ancient well harbors insects—this Liu prostitute, seemingly noble and elegant, belies a chilling demeanor. Shang Xuan snapped off a branch and flicked it forward; the branch bent at an angle mid-air and struck the earthenware jar containing the insects from a different angle. The jar in a servant's hand shattered, and strange black beetles crawled all over his body. Amid screams, the crowd scattered in terror, looking around. Some chased after the branch that had flown from. Soon after, only a bloodied skeleton remained of the servant, still trembling.

Shang Xuan's face paled: What terrifying insects! Just as his expression changed, a flash of light appeared at the bottom of the ancient well, and a throwing knife swooped up from below, striking two people with a "whoosh!" The two earthenware jars shattered with a crash, and the corpses, still splattered with blood, were immediately covered with tiny black insects. The surrounding servants scattered in panic amidst screams. The throwing knife, having taken two lives, still gleamed coldly as it grazed five feet, embedding itself three inches into the ground with a "clang," demonstrating the ruthlessness and profound skill of its user!

This was none other than Yu Cuiwei's throwing knife! Shang Xuan's expression changed again—was he down there? He and Yu Cuiwei were complete strangers. This man was dissolute, alluring, strange, and mysterious. He had no liking for Yu Cuiwei. Should he save him?

At this moment, Yu Cuiwei was in grave danger below.

He had discovered that these insects feared cold iron; if they retreated back to the iron cell, they would be safe. However, once inside, escaping would be nearly impossible. The guards pouring insects in from the outside were trying to force them back into the cell, trapping them like turtles in a jar, and then locking the door again. But if they refused to go back, more and more insects would come down, many already breaking through the five-foot barrier and flying directly into the dungeon, attacking anyone they saw. Many in the dungeon might have been heroes twenty years ago, but after so many years of imprisonment, their bodies were weak; some had even lost their martial arts skills, while others had lost much of theirs. Although they brandished their swords, they couldn't stop the swarms of insects. Before the time it takes to eat a meal was over, screams erupted from inside, and an old man in yellow robes collapsed, covered in insects.

"Hmph!" The Golden Core Daoist, true to his prestigious lineage, saw the urgency of the situation and charged forward with his sword, unleashing a "Thunderfire Purgatory" strike that cleaved dozens of poisonous insects to their deaths. Xue Weiming's long whip lashed out, relentlessly striking the poisonous insects crawling on the walls of the ancient well; each lash sent the insects crashing to the ground, demonstrating considerable power. Yu Cuiwei didn't rush to the front as a chivalrous hero; he simply dodged through the crowd. With his light-footed skills, the insects naturally couldn't get close. However, this wasn't a long-term solution. Therefore, weighing the pros and cons, Yu Cuiwei smiled slightly and threw a flying knife, instantly killing two people on the ground.

The poisonous insects in the ancient well immediately turned around and bit back, and there were far fewer of them. The Golden Core Daoist breathed a sigh of relief, "Benefactor, you have a ruthless hand!"

Xue Weiming was not offended, "Brother Yu, you have excellent skills!" Behind him, an old man slowly said, "If we don't kill all the people above, we may not escape the mouths of these bastards this time."

Yu Cuiwei cupped his hands in greeting and said with an elegant air, "Beast Ink? Senior knows what kind of poisonous insect this is?"

The old man in gray said coldly, "Thirty of these poisonous insects that eat corpses can devour one person in two days. There must be at least three thousand of them here!"

Yu Cuiwei remained unfazed, his handsome face still bearing a smile. "Since we're not corpses yet, I reckon these insects can't harm us." He flicked his sleeve again, and everyone's eyes lit up. Two more screams rang out overhead, and the ink in the ancient well diminished further. The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. The Golden Core Daoist frowned slightly, feeling that this young man was far too ruthless, killing without blinking an eye. But Xue Weiming was filled with admiration, deeply impressed by Yu Cuiwei's decisiveness and competence. He strode over, patted Yu Cuiwei on the shoulder, and praised, "Excellent! You speak with such boldness, and you kill with such boldness! Brother Yu, with such martial arts skills, you must be an outstanding young hero in the martial world. Brother Xue, I admire you!"

A heroic young man? Yu Cuiwei smiled and flicked his sleeves. "It's a pity I've used up all my throwing knives. What will we do after the beasts up there finish eating the dead?"

After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent. Their weapons were not made of cold iron and could not repel insects, nor did they have any heavy hidden weapons that could fly backwards. Moreover, since four people had died above, they would definitely strengthen their defenses. It was no longer possible to repeat the same trick.

what to do?

Everyone remained silent, but Yu Cuiwei had no qualms: if he couldn't kill the people above, he would kill the people next to him if the poisonous insects came down. Anyway, there were many people in the dungeon, and even if there were thousands of insects, they would have enough to eat.

He remained calm and composed, chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened. The magnanimous Xue Weiming, standing beside him, had no idea that the "heroic young man" he so admired had such a plan in mind, and remained deeply worried.

Twice, knives were thrown from the well, injuring people. The servants at the wellhead quickly dodged to the side, no longer daring to pour insects into it. Shang Xuan observed from the side for the time being. Soon, an old man in gray robes, leaning on a cane, came over, inquired about the situation in a low voice, and then sneered, shouting, "Listen up, you men! Whoever wants to rescue people from my 'Prison King's Prison', get back to your iron cell now. If you still don't obey after three orders, don't blame me for diverting the river and flooding this ancient well alive!"

These words caused a stir at the bottom of the well. Shang Xuan smiled coldly—this proved that the underground river was right here, and the secret passage, even if not in Liu's brothel, was in Jinghua Garden! At this moment, a calm voice was heard from the bottom of the well: "Pu Shidong, you have drowned us all. Aren't you afraid that your Southern Han army will lose many bargaining chips when you march into the Central Plains?" The one who spoke was the Golden Elixir Daoist.

Although Shangxuan didn't recognize him, he knew that the person imprisoned below must be an important figure. He was just wondering why Yu Cuiwei was also down there.

The gray-robed old man, Pu Shidong, sneered, "My lord only needs your clothes in hand to control the overall situation. Your life or death is up to you; I will do as you please."

At this moment, a voice from the bottom of the well said softly, "Mr. Pu, we would rather die for dignity than live a life of dishonor. Please release the water." It was Yu Cuiwei who spoke.

Shang Xuan was greatly surprised: this person, though not necessarily cowardly, was certainly not the kind of person who was so resolute. It was extremely strange that these words came from Yu Cuiwei's mouth. He was certain that Yu Cuiwei had ulterior motives.

Pu Shidong was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and said, "So it's Young Master Yu down there. You are a distinguished guest of my young lady, how could I dare to be so disrespectful?" Although he said this, Shangxuan could see the vicious look on his face. He made a slight gesture, and someone took the order and left.

Upon hearing Yu Cuiwei's resolute words, the crowd at the bottom of the well paled, some displaying obvious fear. Xue Weiming, however, laughed heartily, "Brother Yu truly is a heroic young man! He treats life and death with indifference, only seeking to preserve his righteous spirit! Good! Good! Good!" The Golden Elixir Daoist, who initially disliked Yu Cuiwei for his ruthlessness, couldn't help but admire his fortitude after hearing his words. Although the crowd below was noisy, they couldn't immediately devise a clever escape plan.

At this moment, a loud rumbling sound came from the wall of the ancient well. An old stone slab was moved aside, and the powerful river water surged wildly from behind the slab. Pu Shidong spoke politely, but he showed no mercy when he killed someone!

“Ah—!” screams and cries echoed from beneath the ancient well, which was about to become a living hell.

Shang Xuan moved, about to save the person, when suddenly a hand reached out from behind and covered his mouth. Someone whispered with a smile, "Wait a minute."

Shang Xuan nearly fell from the tree when the hand covered his face. He only realized it was Sheng Xiang after smelling the faint aroma of pastries. The young master had gone back to change his clothes and somehow acquired a new gold-rimmed folding fan. He was now sitting behind Shang Xuan, watching the play with great interest. Meanwhile, the underground flood seemed to have already submerged them, and the cries of alarm had ceased. "Sheng Xiang, are you just going to stand by and watch us die?"

Shengxiang tapped him on the head, "You idiot! I told you to save people before you did, otherwise you'll ruin Da Yu's plans!"