Roi céleste

Chapitre 32

“…No.” I knew he was joking, but I still answered seriously.

"Why?" Yin Liuchuan was not annoyed at all. He asked calmly and gave the answer himself after a while.

"Is it still because of Qingjiu?"

I smiled and nodded.

"Tch." Yin Liuchuan scoffed, withdrawing his hand. "You actually like him."

"Is that so?" I replied casually, poured myself a cup of tea, and ignored Young Master Yin.

After a while, Yin Liuchuan came closer again. "Does liking someone really make you so infatuated... Gu Yi, why don't I try it too, try to fall in love with you?" His tone was curious, like an innocent child asking if a wooden carving is fun.

“Young Master Yin, you don’t understand love and hate at all.” I smiled helplessly. “And you don’t intend to understand, do you?”

"Why bother understanding such boring things?" Yin Liuchuan said disdainfully, standing up and facing the vast mountains and rivers, chin held high and hands behind his back. "It's much more interesting to laugh at the world."

...

Ten days later, Master Yu and Li Yiyao and his group returned.

Li Meiren leaped and tackled me to the ground again, her voice trembling with excitement: "Guyi, Guyi, I'm getting married! Lu Yumu has gone back to Qinghong Manor to prepare the betrothal gifts, and then he'll ride a tall horse, carrying me in a grand sedan chair with eight men and red flowers, to marry me! Guyi, I really am going to marry him! Ahhhhh!"

I was silent for a moment, then asked, "...How will the sedan chair go up the mountain?"

...

Then Li Yiyao beat him up.

Old Man Yu didn't try to save his beloved disciple, but just sighed, "These are all girls who are about to get married, what kind of behavior is this? What kind of behavior is this?" and walked away with a pigeon-toed gait...

"Do you want me to say, 'What am I supposed to do if you go to Yangzhou?'" I finally grabbed Li Yiyao's wrist and said helplessly.

Grandma Li was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed, "Come with me to Yangzhou? Do you want to escape? Oh, you're going to be the sect leader!" She suddenly panicked from her joy, "Then, what should we do? Should I kidnap Lu Wen and bring him to Qinghong Manor?"

"What a joke, this is what you call marrying into the family? How can he hold his head up?" I laughed and scolded, poking Li Yiyao's face, pulling her up with me, and walking into the room. "It's not that serious, and it's not too far away. I'll just go see you more often."

Li Yiyao muttered something behind me, then suddenly shouted, "Oh, I almost forgot about that!"

I rolled my eyes, turned around, and pinched Li Yiyao's delicate little face. "You're deliberately trying to scare me to death, then hide my urn in your bosom so you'll never be separated from me, right—"

"Stop being silly, listen to me. Ever since that epic, earth-shattering eye-crossing battle between you and Qingjiu two years ago, hasn't Qingjiu gone into seclusion and disappeared without a trace..."

...

Standing atop the mountain, Yin Liuchuan seemed to merge with the mountain itself, overlooking the world from an unparalleled height. With a heart as cold as a mountain rock, he crossed the sea of suffering, unharmed, becoming king freely and alone.

"Isn't the world colorful precisely because everyone is different? We should all have different lives."

“…That’s true. If you were really like me, I might not be interested in you at all,” Yin Liuchuan turned around, snatched the teacup from my hand, and drank it all in one gulp. “That bastard Qingjiu has been hiding in seclusion like a turtle, while you’ve been living like a reclusive old woman. Among our generation, only the two of you were interesting, but now I can’t find any fun in you either. I’m planning to go overseas; those otherworldly places should be quite interesting.” He smiled down at me, his narrow eyes half-closed. “I’ll come back to see you when you’re old, and then I’ll kill Qingjiu. I hope you two don’t die before me.”

“Heavens…” I was a little taken aback, then smiled bitterly after a while, “You’re really carefree. How about I get some wine and we have a good drink together, as a farewell?”

The dashing young master Yin waved his hand in refusal. "Don't be so cliché. Besides, you don't like drinking. Don't make me feel sick when I see your uncomfortable expression. Just don't tell my father, otherwise, if there's no one to inherit the Youlong Heavenly Palace, that old bastard will definitely break my legs and lock me up," he said in a low voice. "I'm going on this long journey to see the martial arts outside the realm. I can't just rely on the Seventeen Heavenly Dragon Blades. I'm also hoping to come back and defeat Yin Xuan, the so-called number one in the world."

This proud martial arts prodigy, as he calmly recounted his future plans, had an astonishing light in his eyes—a light that was extremely captivating, yet belonged to no one.

"...May you have a safe journey," I said softly at the end.

Yin Liuchuan responded and jumped off the cliff. I watched his figure turn into a white dot like a flying goose and finally disappear into the mountain mist. I knew that I would never see this future legend of the martial arts world again for a while.

Actually, I do offer my blessings, but saying it in front of someone like Yin Liuchuan would seem vulgar, so I won't lower myself to that level.

Yin Liuchuan, you laugh at the world with pride, and I am willing to sell my clothes for wine, both seeking only to have a clear conscience. Let us go our separate ways and live our own wonderful lives.

Forty-five cups of Yuhang wine

Yuhang wine – ten thousand coins for a cup of Yuhang wine, a long life cup in the spring city of February.

...

"Stop being silly, listen to me. Ever since that epic, earth-shattering eye-crossing battle between you and Qingjiu two years ago, hasn't Qingjiu gone into seclusion and disappeared without a trace..."

I raised an eyebrow at Li Yiyao.

"You don't know, do you? On the last day of the martial arts tournament, Qing Jiu showed up! That's really big news!" Yi Yao almost jumped up.

I said dismissively, "What's so surprising about this? Didn't I also go into seclusion for a few years and then reappear at the martial arts tournament?"

"But that's different. In the end, you still couldn't beat Qingjiu."

"But I didn't lose, did I?"

“It’s obvious he only did this to save face because you lost—don’t interrupt,” Li Yiyao ignored my embarrassment and continued, “He challenged Yin Xuan to a duel…”

Her eyes looked at me, her pupils filled with an unusual light, repeatedly reflecting the intense scene from that time, and her voice was still filled with disbelief and astonishment.

"—Qingjiu won."

I was stunned for a moment, and then my first thought was that since this place is so close to the sea, Young Master Yin must have already gone out to sea. It would probably be a long time before he found out about this news, and he would be devastated.

Li Yiyao's voice came through her ear again, "Yin Xuan was considered the undisputed number one in the world before, but this time Qing Jiu is really glorious. He's the number one in the world at only twenty-six years old! You know how cool he was on stage back then? I heard from my master that he has mastered all the secret techniques of Tian Shu Palace, the Seven Stars Eight Styles, and even created his own sword technique. It was that sword that stole the light of heaven and earth that made him defeat Yin Xuan."

"Master also said that to achieve such success after two years of seclusion is to be considered a talent of unparalleled ability. He must have been greatly stimulated or made a great decision. Qinghong Manor is declining, the Palace Master of Youlong Heavenly Palace is old and the young Palace Master is wandering outside the world. After that, it should be the world of Tianshu Palace. No, later Master changed his mind and said it was the world of you and Qingjiu."

My world with Qingjiu...

Me, and the world crumbling...

"Hey, Gu Yi, what's wrong? Your expression is a little strange..."

I instinctively reached out to grab something, and my hand landed on the hilt of the sword at my waist. Leaving behind the words, "Yi Yao, you should rest now, I have something to do," I vanished in a flash, leaving Li Yi Yao standing there dumbfounded.

Something surged within me, like a frozen river bursting its banks in early spring, crashing violently through my body. A roar filled my mind, and my body felt like it was about to crack. I couldn't hold onto a memory or a sentence—something I didn't want anyone to see.

As I sped across Luowu Mountain, my hand gripping the sword nearly convulsed. Green shadows flashed before my eyes, and when I finally stopped, I was back in the small mountain valley where I had secluded myself for three years.

The sounds of birds and trees in the mountains have vanished into nothingness. Only the pounding of the heart can be heard, as if the decisions made and the compromises made have all turned against each other. The fortified walls have crumbled, revealing a glimmer of hope.

All I could hear was a soft, gentle, guilty, and indulgent call from my memories. It rang in my ears, so faint, yet it shattered the defenses I had built up over three years.

Even though you've already been rejected, you should proudly hold your head high, not believe it, and disdain that opportunity...

"Sell clothes, sell clothes..."

I drew my sword abruptly, and in an instant, the valley was filled with flashing swordplay, sending broken branches and startled mountain birds flying into the air—

...

"Sell clothes, sell clothes..."

When I woke up from my sleep, all my sense of touch returned to my body. I was in pain all over, and there was a tingling sensation from the medicine on my wounds. The ceiling of the bed circled in my eyes, and finally I could see something.

Turning my head, I saw the person sitting on the edge of the bed.

His phoenix eyes and thin lips held a smile, but his expression was weary and his complexion was not good. Yet, this did not diminish the dazzling brilliance he exuded, which pierced my newly opened eyes at close range. His flowing blue hair, damp with moisture, cascaded down like water, spreading across his ivory-white thin shirt. The belt was not fastened tightly, revealing his undergarments underneath. The neckline was slightly open, revealing his smooth collarbone.

What's going on...?

Without saying a word, I closed my eyes, feeling ashamed that I was having a wet dream.

"What's wrong... are you feeling unwell?" A clear, melodious voice came from beside my ear, and a hand was placed directly on my forehead. A wave of warmth washed over me, but I opened my eyes in shock and reached out to pinch the person in front of me to see if I was dreaming. However, as soon as I moved my hand, it aggravated my wound, making me wince in pain.

That definitely isn't a dream...

"Don't move!" This person in front of me could actually be impatient. He stood up from the bedside, lifted the blanket, and bent down to check if there was any blood seeping out from the bandages. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at me, and smiled: "...Does it hurt?"

He didn't know that by leaning over like that, his loosely fastened clothes had caused his neckline to open wide, revealing half of his chest. His jet-black hair fell onto my hand, feeling both cool and itchy.

Having just regained consciousness from my serious injuries, I felt I couldn't bear such a shock, so I quickly looked away and said awkwardly, "...Palace Master Qing, mind your image."

Qing Jiu paused for a moment, looked down to open the door, then chuckled as she tightened her belt and swept her hair back. "...Excuse me, I just finished showering and rushed over to check on you when I saw you making a sound. I didn't even get myself ready."

He was only moving his left arm; his right hand was wrapped in bandages and had a splint in place.

Hmph, at least I've injured him. I felt a little smug. My mind started wandering, thinking that bathing with one hand would be incredibly inconvenient, and his right hand couldn't get wet either, because the injured Qingjiu would never allow anyone to get too close, so he definitely wouldn't call for maids to serve him. I glanced around and saw the still-steaming bathtub behind the screen… Wait!

"You took a bath in my room?"

"Hmm," Palace Master Qing replied casually, "You've been unconscious for two days, and I've been staying by your side the whole time. Do you want some water? I'll go get you some tea."

After I had the honor of drinking the tea that the Palace Master of Tian Shu Palace had personally poured for me and cooled by blowing on it, my hazy mind belatedly realized—we had just finished a fight, we were complete strangers, not even friends, so why was Qing Jiu standing by my side? His tired face clearly showed he hadn't slept much, and besides, he himself was exhausted after the battle. Most importantly…

"Aren't you afraid I'll wake up halfway through your bath? You didn't even close the screen, Palace Mistress..." Of all the things she could think of, my second aunt was fixated on this one...

I almost fainted again from Qing Jiu's warm and gentle smile when I looked up. Just as I was trying to move my cross-eyed eyes away, Palace Master Qing's light voice came: "...Do you want to see?"

"In no mood!"

The next moment, all I wanted to do was cover my face and hide my overly fast and loud reply.

Qing Jiu leaned down again, her eyes shimmering like a pool of water reflecting scattered stars, a faint smile spreading across them. "But, don't you like me?"

I choked for a moment, or rather, I choked for quite a while.

Then suddenly, she roared like a shrew, swearing, "You're talking nonsense! This is from when his second aunt was a child?!"

He was still smiling, his expression incredibly certain, with an annoyingly confident air, "...You kissed me."

Even my old face couldn't help but turn bright red, as if I'd been plunged into a dye vat. "You, you weren't drunk back then!?"

"I was dazed, but still somewhat conscious. Anyway, I returned it, so we're even now."

"Ah...ah?" Does he mean that Double Ninth Festival? How could he bring up something so sad?

"Right on stage, after you fainted, I picked you up and couldn't help but kiss you." She pursed her lips shyly, then smiled at me.

Right there on stage... he picked her up... and kissed her...

Right there on stage... he picked her up... and kissed her...

Right there on stage... he picked her up... and kissed her...

"Qingjiu, you second aunt!!!" I almost spat in Qingjiu's face, but the spit didn't reach her and I almost choked myself. My reputation as a dignified female knight-errant is completely gone this time, worse than if I'd been to a brothel!

“Why do girls always use such vulgar language?” Qingjiu’s glasses curved even more, and the corners of her eyes turned up as if they were painted on, but what she said was suffocating. “Besides, I don’t have a second aunt.”

"When I saved you, you wanted to kill me! You even used me! Later, you stabbed me and I almost died!" My words of rebuttal sounded more like a complaint, and I felt so frustrated that I wanted to slap myself.

A hint of guilt flashed in Qingjiu's eyes. She tightened her grip on my hair and said in a voice so gentle it could melt your bones, "Once you've recovered, I'll make you pay it all back. I'm willing to compensate you for anything."

I had the urge to close my eyes again and tell myself I was dreaming. I even suspected that Qingjiu might have used some kind of technique during the duel, resulting in him going berserk and changing his personality drastically. It was the first time I had ever heard him speak in such a guilty and indulgent tone, and the person he was talking to was me.

My face turned bright red, and I just stared at him. After a while, I calmed down and my voice turned cold. "Even if I liked him, that's all in the past. I will never like a coward again. I was blind before. There is no future."