Le ciel au-dessus des rivières et des lacs est dégagé

Chapitre 4

Xiao Man suddenly gritted her teeth and shouted, "I'll go with you!"

He paused, then added, "Just give me the money!"

Everyone was stunned by her.

Chapter Six of the Horned Scroll: My Little Master (Part Three)

Updated: 2008-10-04 15:08:49 Word Count: 3618

I have to go out today, so I'll be posting both chapters together instead of splitting them up. This is the first update.

Hahaha, my dears, today is my birthday! Happy birthday to me! I'm another year older... Running around...

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In a very short time, Xiaoman considered countless ideas.

First of all, this is an absurd mistake; she's not some concubine. But since a misunderstanding has already occurred, the only option is to play along. Old Sha's willingness to offer 1,300 taels of silver for her without batting an eye proves that this so-called "Mount No Return" is incredibly generous and lavish. Judging by this, they wouldn't refuse her even if she asked for 10,000 taels.

Secondly, it's obvious that if she doesn't go with Lao Sha and the others, even more people will come after the so-called "young mistress," and she doesn't want to die for no reason. Don't be fooled by the current harmonious family relationship; if they really find out the source is her, they'll probably kick her out without batting an eye.

There is no one in this world who can be trusted. Everyone looks out for themselves. Rather than let them hurt her in the end, she should strike first.

Although her future was uncertain, and she didn't know what No Return Mountain would do with her, their "little mistress," they didn't seem to intend to harm her. Right now, the most important thing was to pocket this windfall!

If they find out she's not the mistress... well, then she can just run away! With money, why would she be afraid of not being able to live?

Old Sha coughed twice and whispered, "Young master, this money... is for these two kind people. Now that you've arrived at No Return Mountain, why worry about food, clothing, or money?"

Xiao Man said calmly, "Giving it to them is one thing, giving it to me is another. The price is three thousand taels of silver. If you don't give it to me, I won't go with you."

Her father asked cautiously, "Xiaoman? Are you confused from fright?"

She shook her head and said calmly, "No, I'm thinking that rather than being sold off by you later, it's better to settle things today. As for the money, just give it to me. I'm the one being sold; do you think I shouldn't take any benefit for myself?"

The second aunt exclaimed anxiously, "How could your father and mother sell you! What are you thinking, child?! Your father was just... not quite realizing what was happening!"

"What exactly do you mean?" Xiaoman interrupted her, turning around to look directly at Lao Sha.

Old Sha remained silent for a long time before finally waving his hand: "Give the young master three thousand taels of silver!"

"Wait, I can't carry three thousand taels. Please deposit it for me at the chain bank in town: two thousand five hundred taels in large denomination banknotes, four hundred and eighty taels in small denomination banknotes, and twenty taels in loose silver. Be careful, if even one tael is missing, I'd rather die than go with you."

Old Sha urged repeatedly, "Hurry up and go!"

The men in white had no choice but to rush to the town to find the chain money exchange. It was already dark, and the money exchange had long since closed. They had to use some force to make them come out. In the end, they returned with the silver notes and loose silver that Xiaoman had requested.

"My lady, please take stock of the items." Old Sha pushed the things in front of her.

Xiao Man didn't stand on ceremony. She immediately took a detailed inventory, stuffed everything into her pocket, and stood up, saying, "I'll go pack up and we can leave right away."

After saying that, she turned and went upstairs. Erniang and the others were stunned for a long time before finally chasing after her. Xiaoman was carefully folding clothes one by one, her eyes red and swollen, as if she was crying.

Second Aunt said in a trembling voice, "Xiao Man! Do you really want to go with them? Are you upset about your father's hesitation just now?"

Xiao Man took a breath, rubbed her nose, and said softly, "Father, Mother, speak softly, don't let them hear. You saw it yourself... these people are so thuggish. If I don't go with them, this will never end. I don't know why they came after me. If I stay, I'll just be a source of trouble, and you won't have any peace either. It's better if I go with them and see. If they find out I'm not that 'little mistress,' they'll probably let me come back."

Her father choked up, saying, "You silly child! How could you do this! These people are ruthless killers in the martial arts world! If they find out you're an imposter, you'll be dead! I won't let you go!"

Xiao Man shook her head, took out a thousand-tael silver note, stuffed it into her second aunt's hand, and said softly, "Those people wanted to buy me for three hundred taels of silver, which is too cheap. I increased it tenfold. You can use this money to buy a big house and to help Dami get married in the future. I'll keep the rest for emergencies. If heaven takes pity on me and I can come back alive, our family will have a long period of happy days ahead."

With tears in her eyes, the second aunt stuffed the money back into her hands, choking back sobs, "Your parents don't want your money! Xiaoman, don't go! At worst... at worst, we can all die together as a family! You can't go with them!"

Xiao Man didn't say anything, but forcefully stuffed the silver note into Dami's arms. One thousand taels was already very generous of her; if she kept pestering her, would she expect her to hand over three thousand taels at once?

She picked up her light bundle, which contained only a few changes of clothes. As a daughter of a modest family, she had nothing fancy to take. She took down an old pipa hanging on the wall and smiled, "I'm leaving. Father, Mother, don't worry about me. I'll definitely come back."

Second Aunt, Father, and Dami chased after Xiaoman all the way downstairs. Even after Xiaoman was ushered into a splendid little car and taken a long way by a camel caravan, they were still reluctant to leave.

Old Sha rode his camel beside the cart. The night breeze blew open the curtains, revealing Xiao Man's fair face. He chuckled softly, "Young mistress is so sincere. The owner's family was still standing at the door, reluctant to leave."

Xiao Man didn't say anything.

Always leaving yourself a way out is her principle. Never fall out with anyone, because you never know when they might be useful to you. If she really manages to escape, she'll always come back. Say a few nice things to them, make them remember her, and then she'll have a way out in the future.

Whether it's a blessing or a curse, it's too early to say. She touched her chest, where she found two thousand taels of silver notes and twenty taels of loose silver in her purse. She had never seen so much silver in her life, and she couldn't help but feel uneasy. She looked up at Old Sha, who was calm and composed, as if three thousand taels of silver were just a drop in the ocean and he didn't care about it at all.

"Is your wound hurting, young lady? I have some wound medicine here. There are only men here, so it's not convenient for them to treat you. Should I go and call an old woman to apply the medicine for you?" Old Sha treated her with great respect.

Xiao Man smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite, sir? Didn't you just say you wanted to take me in as your goddaughter?"

Old Sha was a little embarrassed. "Uh, that was just... a temporary measure. I apologize for being so presumptuous, young master."

“How could it be presumptuous to call someone a godfather of three thousand taels?” Xiao Man curled her lips. “I must call you godfather. You are an elder, and we juniors should show you respect.”

She's such a clever little fox... Old Sha silently pulled the camel back. Since she called him godfather, he had to take good care of her from now on, both out of courtesy and obligation.

He had heard many legends about Cangya City. This clan was a sacred existence in the martial arts world. Because of their pure and ancient bloodline, they were most skilled in mysterious and unpredictable things such as priesthood, prophecy, offering sacrifices to gods, and curses. Of course, there are no ghosts or gods in the world. Life in the martial arts world is about licking the edge of a knife. Who would believe in such strange and supernatural things? Therefore, Cangya City has always been taboo in the martial arts world.

People are always afraid of things that are inexplicable, simply because they cannot have a firm grasp on them.

The most peculiar thing about Cangya City is its young mistress. The young mistress of Cangya City is always a woman, born with a blue fire mark on her chest, and bound to her body with a dragon's horn as a token. The young mistress never lives past forty; she is always married to the bravest warrior chosen from the tribe, and her first child is always a girl, who becomes the next young mistress. Once the previous young mistress passes away at forty, a new young mistress ascends to the throne.

The young master possesses the ability to summon a divine dragon. Of course, what the purpose of summoning a divine dragon is, no one except the people of Cangya City knows. As for what the divine dragon looks like, and whether it is truly a dragon from the heavens, that remains unknown.

The secrets of Cangya City are numerous, and the number of people coveting it is increasing. Two years ago, the infamous Tiansha Shifang revealed that Cangya City had suffered a catastrophic disaster; except for one young master, everyone else, regardless of age, had perished. The news shocked the martial arts world, and after investigation, it was confirmed to be true. Rumors spread like wildfire, the biggest being that Tiansha Shifang, fearing Cangya City's power, had exterminated its entire clan.

As a result, the remaining young master of Cangya City became a coveted treasure in the martial arts world, and almost the entire martial arts community mobilized to search for him. Since Bugui Mountain was dedicated to upholding justice in the martial arts world, they naturally had to intervene in this matter. By sheer coincidence, they finally found the young master in Wutong Town on the border.

Legend has it that the young mistress of Cangya City was extremely well protected from birth, completely unaware of the ways of the world, and utterly innocent and carefree. Old Sha never expected that the "young mistress" he found would actually be an extremely cunning little fox. If she didn't have the horns of a young dragon, no one would believe she was the young mistress.

The wound medicine Old Sha gave me really worked; the burning pain disappeared immediately after I applied it. I don't know what those people were doing, but they actually used steel wire to tie her up, leaving her covered in bloody marks, and her arm was cut deeply, bleeding a lot.

After Old Sha saw that she had finished applying the medicine, he ordered someone to bring over some delicate pastries and a pot of fragrant tea. Xiao Man was quite hungry, so she ate heartily without any hesitation. Seeing that although she ate with relish, she still maintained her composure, which was not typical of a woman from a humble family, Old Sha smiled and said, "I wonder if the pastries suit your taste, young mistress?"

Xiao Man looked up at him and said softly, "Godfather, you're being too formal. Do you still call me 'Young Master'?"

Old Sha felt a chill run down his spine and had no choice but to comply with her wishes: "...Xiao Man."

She smiled sweetly and continued eating. Of course, these manners were taught to her by her own mother. From a young age, her mother had been extremely strict with her in everything she did. As a young lady from a wealthy family, her demeanor was naturally impeccable. Old Sha was unaware of her background and therefore assumed that Cangya City's education had been effective in exposing her true nature.

The camel caravan moved slowly and silently through the rainy night, and soon left Wutong Town, heading towards the border.

Xiao Man, having eaten and drunk her fill, gradually felt drowsy. Hugging her brocade pillow, she was about to fall asleep. Suddenly, a sharp whistle came from afar, and the camel caravan immediately stopped. They could vaguely hear Old Sha giving instructions outside.

Xiao Man woke up with a start. The first thing she did was quickly check if the silver notes were still there. The second thing she did was to draw back the curtains and gently ask, "What happened? Did you encounter robbers?"

Old Sha smiled and said, "Little Man, don't worry, they're just a few wild bastards."

Chapter Seven of the Horned Scroll: Emergence from Seclusion (Part 1)

Updated: 2008-10-04 15:08:50 Word Count: 3290

Second update today~

Shameless! Taking advantage of my birthday, you want to recommend and favorite this post. Throw your votes at me! Consider it a sign of your affection. I'll keep going.

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A commotion soon erupted outside the carriage, and dozens of men dressed in black charged into the camel caravan on horseback. Their speed surprised Old Sha. Seeing that the caravan was about to be scattered, he immediately shouted, "Surround the carriages!"

With a whoosh, five or six camels surrounded the carriage completely. The rest of the people, facing the encirclement of the men in black, drew their swords, ready for a fight. But the men in black didn't attack; they simply surrounded the caravan. Suddenly, someone inside shouted, "Xiao Man! Are you in there?"

Xiao Man recognized the voice and couldn't help but lift the curtain to look outside. Old Sha exclaimed, "Don't look!"

No sooner had the words left her lips than a "whoosh" was heard as someone lit a cold firework and tossed it high into the air, instantly illuminating the surroundings with a blinding light. Xiaoman quickly covered her eyes, tears streaming down her face from the glare.

In a daze, it seemed as if someone was rushing towards him, their figure like a ghost. They reached out and grabbed his shoulder, but Lao Sha immediately parried. The person then kicked Lao Sha's camel, making it stumble, and with their other hand, they tore open the curtain, intending to pull Xiao Man out. Lao Sha immediately jumped off the camel, and the two exchanged more than a dozen blows, their movements as fast as lightning.

The light from the cold fireworks gradually dimmed, and the two men abruptly stopped fighting, standing guard, needing some time for their eyes to adjust to the darkness that had returned.

Old Sha dusted off his clothes and suddenly laughed, "Your skills are quite impressive. Could you be the 'money-loving' Mr. Qian Zilai who dominated the northern frontier twenty years ago?"

Xiao Man was rubbing her stinging eyes when she heard the words "Qian Zilai" and quickly peeked out. "No way! Is that the lecherous old man from the martial arts school? How did he become some kind of powerful figure in the north? And he even has a nickname like 'loves money like life,' truly his nature! But 'loves lust like life' would be more fitting."

The man was hunched over, with a pair of lecherous, seductive eyes hidden behind silvery eyebrows. He didn't look like a good person at all, and it was indeed Master Qian Zilai. He chuckled twice: "This old man is almost in his grave. It's kind of you younger generations to still remember my name."

The man in black outside cried out, "Master! Xiao Man, she..."

Xiao Man finally recognized the voice: Brother Shovel! Goodness gracious! So the men in black were all from the martial arts school! Were they here specifically to rescue her?

Qian Zilai snorted, seemingly disdainful of the shovel's infatuated nature. He slowly said, "Camel, ivory robe, black hat—you are from No Return Mountain. I've heard that No Return Mountain has always been a pillar of the martial arts world, most fond of upholding justice and maintaining order. You are all first-rate heroes. This old man admires you greatly!"

Old Sha laughed and said, "Mr. Qian, you flatter me."

Qian Zilai then asked, "So, what are you planning to do by openly and brazenly abducting a perfectly innocent young girl from the town from the Mountain of No Return? Can you tell me, old man?"

Old Sha had anticipated this question and already prepared his answer in his mind. He immediately replied, "Old Qian, you flatter me. I simply took a liking to Xiaoman, recognized her as my goddaughter, and took her to the Western Regions for a couple of days."

"Hey, two days of fun? Goddaughter? Do you have a goddaughter you'd buy for three thousand taels of silver?"

Old Sha remained silent. He was calculating how to get through this hurdle. Qian Zilai, who loved money more than life itself, was a formidable figure twenty years ago, but now he was nothing more than a wretched old man hiding in a remote corner of the world. It wouldn't be difficult for them to get through, of course, but they couldn't refuse the face of the martial arts elders. Mount Bugui had always been isolated from the world and avoided conflicts with others, so getting through unscathed would truly be a challenge.

Seeing that he remained silent, Qian Zilai continued, "Although I have withdrawn from the conflicts of the martial world and no longer concern myself with worldly affairs, once you are in the martial world, you cannot leave unscathed. I already know about what happened in Cangya City. Xiaoman is not the person you are looking for. She has been under everyone's watchful eyes since she was a child. You can ask anyone in the town and they will know. It doesn't matter if you mistake her for someone else. What I'm worried about is that you will be enraged and kill her to cover it up."

Old Sha said calmly, "This junior does not know what Elder Qian is talking about. Although No Return Mountain also intervened in the Cangya City matter, its intention was not to seize the young master. Moreover, our trip this time is for another matter, which has nothing to do with Cangya City. Xiaoman is my adopted daughter. If you don't believe me, you might as well let her come out and say a few words to everyone."

That cunning old fox has dragged her into this. Three thousand taels of silver—it certainly wasn't taken for nothing.

As Xiaoman was considering what to say, Lao Sha called from outside: "Xiaoman, come out and say goodbye to everyone! These men care about you a lot! Aren't you going to say a few words to them?"