"Get out." Zhuang Su had spoken without thinking and was momentarily embarrassed, not knowing what to say. She hurriedly stepped out of the carriage. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her, and the curtain she had been pulling up stopped. When Zhuang Su turned around, Shen Jian was staring at her. She felt a warmth in his hand, and her face flushed slightly.
"What would you do if... if I changed someday?"
A cold, indifferent sound, like a soft sigh.
Zhuang Su felt that his hand was slightly cold at this moment. Her eyes lowered slightly, and her eyelashes touched lightly: "Do you think I will change?"
Shen Jian remained silent. His hand gradually loosened. Just as it was about to fall, he suddenly felt warmth on his hand. His deep eyes widened slightly.
“Even if Shen Jian changes, I will not change.” Zhuang Su’s eyes brightened slightly, she smiled gently, and turned to walk towards the bustling city.
Shen Jian stared blankly at her hand, which had suddenly gone cold again, and finally smiled faintly before following after her.
The streets were bustling with people. Zhuang Su, who hadn't been out for a long time, was suddenly very excited.
Vendors called out their wares from time to time, filling the air with the aroma of sugared almonds. Several cosmetic stalls were set up on one side, with a few pretty girls surrounding them. Not far away, various stalls were selling paper fans, folding umbrellas, masks, and woven lanterns. On both sides, there were several tea houses and taverns, where the aroma of tea and the smell of wine filled the air.
Zhuang Su looked around, her childlike nature immediately showing. Shen Jian followed behind, letting her make a fuss. In the distance, Zhuang Su saw a lively scene ahead and, out of curiosity, began to squeeze into the crowd. Shen Jian couldn't stop her in time and could only follow.
There, a troupe of acrobats, seemingly from nowhere, was performing in the cleared space along the street. A large crowd of onlookers had gathered, occasionally erupting in small shouts, eliciting screams and applause. Zhuang Su originally lived in a small town, which, though small, was close to the forces of the One Leaf Alliance, a place teeming with all sorts of people. This was the first time she had ever seen such a spectacle, and she was naturally overjoyed.
Chapter Five: Ripples Created by the Wind (Part 1)
The circus troupe, whose origins were unknown, displayed a dazzling array of martial arts skills. Intrigued, Zhuang Su kept pushing her way into the crowd. Shen Jian wanted to follow, but with so many people, he inevitably got left behind. Left with no other choice, he leaned against a pillar outside a roadside restaurant, watching the small figure from afar.
She seemed a little plumper than when they first met. Shen Jian couldn't help but think.
Zhuang Su squeezed her way through the crowd with great effort, finally managing to squeeze into the innermost part. When she looked back, because of her short stature, she couldn't see Shen Jian's figure in the vast crowd. She thought that Shen Jian must be watching her from somewhere, so she felt quite relieved and happily began to watch the acrobatics.
Just then, the juggling troupe produced several fireballs from who-knows-where. One of the performers grabbed one in each hand and twirled them around without seeming to feel any pain, performing various tricks to the delight of the surrounding crowd. Suddenly, the performer opened his mouth and spewed out a ball of fire. This fire was extremely scorching; it was right in front of Zhuang Su, and she felt a stinging heat as it approached her face, but the performer's hands remained unharmed. She watched in rapt attention and began to clap along with the others.
By this time, the acrobatic performance had reached its climax, and more and more people were gathering around. The acrobatic troupe looked around and laughed with great satisfaction. The fireball danced with even greater skill, and the scene was extremely lively.
Zhuang Su was in high spirits when she saw the man throw the fireball into the sky, and the fire he spewed from his mouth rushed straight towards it. She thought it was another staged performance and was watching intently with wide eyes when, unexpectedly, the fire collided with the fireball with a loud "bang," and thick smoke immediately billowed up all around.
The onlookers were stunned for a moment, and when they came to their senses, someone shouted, "Run!" The scene immediately descended into chaos.
Shen Jian was resting with his eyes closed when he heard the noise. His expression changed abruptly, and he hurriedly ran into the crowd, frantically searching for Zhuang Su. However, the surrounding crowd was too chaotic and the thick smoke made it impossible to see clearly. Zhuang Su, who was in the middle of the crowd, also ran out with the flow of people. Her first thought was to find Shen Jian. People kept bumping into her, and she stumbled as she ran. Suddenly, someone pulled her from behind.
"Shen Jian?" Zhuang Su turned around with delight, only to see an unfamiliar face. She was horrified as a piece of burlap was smeared over her face. Zhuang Su struggled for a few moments, but the burlap was coated with some kind of medicine, and she fainted.
Zhuang Su didn't know how long she had been unconscious. When she woke up, she found her hands and feet bound behind her back. The light was dim, and it took her a while to adjust before she could see her surroundings clearly. She couldn't help but smile bitterly. Why had she provoked the kidnappers so much?
This wasn't the first time she'd been kidnapped, and her experience told her that she had been successfully abducted again.
Zhuang Su looked at the unconscious children lying haphazardly around her, but she wasn't worried. Shen Jian was nearby. If he went back to find Qing Chen, although she didn't know much about the One Leaf Alliance, if the rumors were true, with the One Leaf Alliance's power, finding her should only be a matter of time.
She leaned lazily against the corner of the wall, staring blankly into the dim space. She could faintly hear low, muffled voices outside.
"Sixth Brother, how much do you think we can make this time?"
"I'm not sure, but there are a few kids in there who seem to be quite good-looking. They should fetch a good price."
"Hehe, that's true. The price we got from selling it to Furonglou last time was pretty good."
"Pah, you're still thinking about it? Last time you caught enough girls, look at how few you have this time?"
"That's true, it's not even enough to fill a tooth gap."
"Alright, alright, stop complaining. Come on, let's drink."
"Come."
In the blink of an eye, the room was filled with the clinking of glasses. Several men, thoroughly enjoying themselves, began to curse and swear, creating a drunken ruckus. The commotion outside startled the children who had been arrested inside, waking them up one by one. Many children's first reaction was to cry, and then many others joined in, their cries echoing through the room, instantly making the inner room lively as well.
"What's all the noise about? Bah!" The door was kicked open with a bang. The person was gone, but a large knife was thrown in from the outside, sticking straight into the empty space in the middle. The room fell silent instantly. Zhuang Su recognized it; it was the knife the acrobatic troupe used in their performances. Hearing the quiet inside, the person outside was quite pleased with themselves and went back to drinking.
Zhuang Su sighed softly. How could she be so stupid... She reflected on herself and didn't talk to the people around her. Listening to the faint sobs around her, she felt a little troubled.
After an unknown amount of time, the people outside seemed to have had enough to drink, and gradually began to snore loudly. For a moment, everything quieted down. In the sudden silence, Zhuang Su quietly listened to her own heartbeat, thump, thump, thump... She was feeling drowsy.
"Something's wrong!" Suddenly someone shouted from outside. Startled, Zhuang Su was jolted awake. He heard someone outside shout, "A lot of people are looking for us. They're asking around about our group's whereabouts. It seems like some people are coming this way right now."
"Pah, damn it!" another voice roared. "Wasn't this place supposed to be secluded? How did they find it?"
"How should I know? What do I do now...?"
Suddenly, all was quiet outside. The door to the inner room was kicked open with a loud bang. The person outside walked in, his face contorted with rage, glaring at the group of children with a murderous glint in his eyes. Zhuang Su's heart skipped a beat; a bad premonition arose—could they be planning to kill her to silence her?
The man held a knife, his face gleaming menacingly. Several children huddled on the ground, trembling, as if they were lambs facing a wolf. Zhuang Su swallowed hard, watching the man's every move, and furtively glancing around for anything that could be used to defend himself.
Just then, the outer door suddenly swung open with a loud bang. (This monk is ashamed; it seems kicking doors open has become a trend lately. Everyone, remember to lock your doors properly. This is bad behavior; please do not imitate it. Amitabha.)
Smoke and dust filled the air. A faint figure gradually emerged from the haze. Because the outside light was so bright, Zhuang Su, accustomed to the dim light, squinted slightly. Gradually, she made out the white robes.
Father? Zhuang Su's eyes widened slightly. She never expected that the first person she would see would be Qing Chen.
The air was thick with the stench of filthy alcohol, but the presence of Qingchen seemed to instantly cleanse the oppressive atmosphere. He stepped inside, his brow furrowing slightly. "You all actually drink such shoddy wine," he complained softly, but everyone heard him clearly.
A hint of anger appeared on everyone's faces. One person, unable to contain himself after being provoked, drew a sword and thrust it straight at them.
"Watch out!" Zhuang Su shouted instinctively.
She assumed that Qingchen, who dared to come alone, must know martial arts, being a member of the One Leaf Alliance after all. Who knew that when the sword pierced him, he didn't even try to dodge; just as it reached his heart, blood suddenly gushed out. Like a drop of ink falling into water, the red spread endlessly and rapidly.
Zhuang Su's eyes were stung by the vermilion, and he suddenly felt as if the blood in his body had frozen, and his mind went blank.
The man remained standing there at a distance, his blood-stained white clothes resembling a red plum blossom in winter.
A figure flashed out from behind Qingchen; with a single slash, the sword-wielding man collapsed to the ground. This was the first time Zhuang Su had witnessed Yanbei kill someone—no fancy moves whatsoever, a single, deadly strike, clean and swift. Many didn't even see how he made his move before they were already lifeless.
One of the children secretly untied the ropes binding their hands and feet, and then untied the others one by one. As soon as the ropes on Zhuang Su's hands were untied, she instinctively ran straight towards Qing Chen. She was so focused on getting to that person that she didn't even notice the large knife that was about to fall on her.
Qingchen caught a glimpse of this from afar, and his face turned deathly pale.
But the knife didn't strike Zhuang Su; it only splashed a few drops of liquid onto her, turning her skin red and somewhat sticky. She paid no attention to what was happening around her, nor did she care about her blood-stained clothes. Without looking back, she ran to Qing Chen's side. Only when she was closer did she realize that the sword had penetrated very deeply.
"What were you doing just now!" The words that should have been spoken by Zhuang Su actually came from Qing Chen's mouth. Zhuang Su looked up in surprise and saw Qing Chen's slightly pale face. His hand was holding her arm and trembling slightly. Then he suddenly pulled her into his arms.
"Do you know you almost got stabbed just now? Do you think you'd survived that attack with your body?" His tone was somewhat erratic, as if due to emotional fluctuations.
Zhuang Su was caught in his tight embrace, momentarily at a loss for what to do. She was pressed firmly against his chest, and could vaguely hear his heavy, powerful heartbeat. It was the embrace of a mature man, carrying Qing Chen's usual comforting scent. Strangely, she didn't resist.
Qingchen's breath fell on her hair, gently ruffling her hair. Slightly lost in thought, she suddenly felt a slight dampness on her chest. When she wiped it with her hand, she saw that it was a dazzling patch of blood.
Zhuang Su suddenly shoved Qing Chen aside and saw that the entire white robe in front of him had turned into a bright red one. Her expression changed slightly, and she bit her lip tightly, a hint of color appearing on her lips.
A slender finger pinched her chin, preventing her from rubbing her lips. Qingchen's thumb gently wiped her lips, his lips slightly pursed, his voice soft as silk: "I'm fine. The sword didn't hit its mark." He smiled, seemingly unconcerned.
“Let’s go back.” Zhuang Su turned her head away, dodging his clutches. “Back to Shengxiao Valley.”
She was angry. The first time she'd ever truly been angry. Qingchen's nonchalant expression softened slightly, and she obediently let her lead the way.
Zhuang Su silently pursed her lips, then remembered Qing Chen's words and couldn't help but turn around. Had she almost been stabbed just now? She didn't know… Just then, a young man passed by, brushing past her.
Zhuang Su saw the blood-dripping sword in Shen Jian's hand. Her heart skipped a beat.
She was so focused on Qingchen's injury that she didn't even notice when the burly man swung his knife down. He killed the man who had almost taken her life, yet she never looked back at him—not even now.
Shen Jian walked out without a word. Zhuang Su watched his receding figure, powerless and speechless. The second time, he killed for her.
Chapter Five: Ripples Created by the Wind (Part Two)
When Zhuang Su helped Qing Chen out, she saw Murong Shi standing outside, and a bunch of people lying on the ground, staggering about. It seemed that the acrobatic troupe had tried to escape when things went wrong, but their escape route had been blocked.
Murong Shi's expression changed instantly when she saw Qingchen covered in blood. Seeing her approach, Zhuang Su, already small in stature, struggled to support her. She intended to hand Qingchen over to her, but just as she was about to let go, Qingchen grabbed her arm. Murong Shi, seemingly oblivious, helped Qingchen up from the other side. Zhuang Su couldn't help but glare at this clueless fellow, but could only let him cling tightly to her.
Shen Jian had already silently driven a carriage ahead and helped everyone get Qingchen into the carriage. Murong Shi and Yan Bei also got into the carriage one after another. When it came to Zhuang Su, he paused slightly and silently extended his hand to her. Zhuang Su kept staring into his eyes, but he didn't look at her. After a long while, she also silently let him help her into the carriage and into the carriage.
The carriage rolled forward, returning all the way to Shengxiao Valley.
Li Jiu had been waiting anxiously at the door, and when he finally saw Qingchen arrive, he was startled by her stepping out of the carriage. Immediately, people throughout the valley were busy fetching water and searching for a doctor. Zhuang Su sat on the railing outside Qingchen's room, legs dangling, gazing absently at the fallen petals scattered on the ground.
The maids came and went in a hurry, carrying out basins of bloody water from the room every now and then. Everyone looked very anxious.
A tall, slender figure stood not far away. Since returning, Shen Jian had been standing by the lake, not speaking to anyone, alone and silent.
Zhuang Su watched him from afar without approaching him to speak, and for a moment, the surroundings were quiet.
When the door opened again, Li Jiu came out of the room. Zhuang Su hurriedly jumped down from the railing and asked with concern, "Steward Li, how is Father?"
Li Jiu was always kind and gentle to everyone, but when Zhuang Su asked him this time, he only glanced at her indifferently, turned around and left without answering.
"Butler Li, what happened?" Zhuang Su was startled by his attitude and hurriedly chased after him to ask.
Li Jiu's expression darkened slightly: "I thought things would be better with your arrival, but I didn't expect you to be just like that woman, always a menace! From now on, you'd better stay away from the Valley Master."
Li Jiu's words seemed completely unfounded, leaving Zhuang Su utterly bewildered and speechless for a moment.
"Butler Li, you seem to have overworked yourself today and have been speaking without thinking." With a gentle and soft voice, Murong Shi also came out of the room at some point. Her slender hand gently rested on Zhuang Su's shoulder from behind, and she said to Li Jiu with a gentle smile, "Although Qingchen's injury is deep this time, it has not affected his bones. It's just that he is weak, which is why he is unconscious now. You can relax a bit."
Upon hearing this, Li Jiu's expression softened slightly. He bowed to Murong Shi, glanced at Zhuang Su, and left without a word.
"Don't pay too much attention to what Li Jiu says, Su Su." Murong Shi gently blew a breath into Su Su's ear, creating a ticklish, sticky sensation.
Zhuang Su blushed at her teasing, but she couldn't push her away, so she could only ask hesitantly, "Miss Murong, how is my father?"
Murong Shi comforted him, "Don't look at Li Jiu's expression. He's just worrying too much. Qingchen's condition is an old one. This sword wound is just the trigger that brought out some of the old ailments. Although the wound is deep, it's still just a superficial injury. He'll be fine after resting and recuperating for a while."
“Old ailment…” Zhuang Su repeated subconsciously, then asked, “I always hear you mention it, is Father’s old ailment serious?”
Murong Shi didn't answer for a moment, staring at Zhuang Su, her expression suddenly becoming somewhat distant, as if she were looking through her at something else: "If you want to talk about something serious, it's just that he can't let go..." She was momentarily lost in thought, and Hall's expression returned to normal as he asked, "I heard that he started taking medication recently?"
Zhuang Su nodded: "They've started taking it. But... but it seems to be just medicine for the cold they caught after falling into the water."
Murong Shi gently stroked her cheek and smiled slightly: "Well, at least you ate it. I never expected that Qingchen would actually jump into the water to save someone for you."
Zhuang Su dismissed it: "He was clearly the one who made me fall into the water..."
Murong Shi chuckled, looking quite charming: "As for the cause, I have no say in it. I was quite surprised when I heard Yanbei mention this matter after returning from out of town that day. Susu, don't be fooled by your father's usual demeanor. Once he's made up his mind, very few people can persuade him. This time, Li Jiu blamed you for the incident. Once he finds out that he needs you to control Qingchen, he'll definitely try to curry favor with you."
Zhuang Su couldn't help but chuckle at her tone: "Miss Murong, please don't tease me. How could I possibly control my father?"
Murong Shi gently brushed her eyebrows with her slender hand, as if applying a light touch of ink, and pursed her lips slightly: "If even you can't control him, then I'm afraid no one else can... Susu, promise me that no matter what happens in the future, you must stand by his side."
A strange, unwavering determination suddenly appeared in her gentle voice.
It was a feeling that no one understood.
However, seeing Murong Shi's expression, she couldn't help but nod.