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

Chapitre 13

The local boss glared at him, and Tianji reluctantly shut his mouth. Mr. Mu said calmly, "Please invite Mr. Zexiu to come and have a chat. Men, prepare a banquet at Juxianzhai."

Zexiu didn't stand on ceremony and cupped his hands, saying, "I apologize for the offense just now, please forgive me for disturbing you."

Tianji quickly and quietly tugged at the sleeve of the local boss, begging her and Mr. Mu to plead for Tianquan to get up quickly. However, Mr. Mu saw this and coldly said, "You are not allowed to move until the young mistress forgives you."

Tianji was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks. Seeing that everyone had left, he could only whisper, "Tianquan, you wait, I will definitely catch that girl and get revenge for you."

Tianquan shook his head and said, "Don't cause any trouble. You should go too. Don't stay here."

Tianji sighed and slowly walked out, saying, "I'll go and beg Mr. Mu again."

Tianquan remained silent. He was the only one left in the main hall, empty and quiet. He knelt there silently, not even the tip of his eyebrow twitching. As the sun gradually set, his shadow slowly lengthened, like a blunt needle poking at the bricks.

What is he thinking at a time like this?

Xiao Man, of course, had no idea that she was deliberately avoiding him, intentionally making him kneel until the end of time. When Yao Guang came to plead for him, she said that a prime minister's belly could hold a boat, and that she, being a magnanimous person, should forgive Tian Quan this time. Unfortunately, Xiao Man was neither a prime minister nor a magnanimous person; she was a petty woman who held grudges for every little thing. Confucius said, "Only women and petty men are difficult to deal with." Unfortunately, she was both a woman and a petty person.

No one knows how humiliating it will be for the noble young master of Mount No Return to be insulted.

But no one thought about what she was thinking when that arrow grazed her chest, her clothes were torn in public, and she was threatened with her life. It certainly wasn't a leisurely time for drinking tea and admiring flowers.

So she went back to her room with a smile to count her money; this kind of leisure activity was Xiaoman's favorite thing in life. No matter how frustrated or painful she was, as long as she opened her purse and counted the increasing number of copper coins inside, her mood would brighten up.

Her mood immediately improved because her purse no longer contained copper coins, but two thousand taels of silver notes, plus many bright jewels and gems that she had acquired.

The feeling of being rich can be summed up in one word—awesome!

Xiaoman hummed a song as she stuffed her purse into the innermost pocket of her undergarment. There was a hidden pocket there, which she had secretly modified herself, to keep her valuables close to her body, close to her heart, completely hers, belonging only to her. Only then could she feel at ease.

Someone outside called to her: "My lady, Mr. Mu invites you to a banquet at Baizhuting."

"Understood." She opened the door with a bright smile, only to see Zexiu leaning casually against the curtain, his head bowed and his face turned to the side; his straight nose and long eyelashes were quite a sight. The maid beside her forced a smile and said, "Mr. Zexiu, please come along too..."

Zexiu smiled and said, "You go first, I'll be there with the young mistress shortly. Don't worry, I won't take her away."

The maid hesitated and walked away. Xiao Man smiled, revealing her teeth, and said leisurely, "You're not calling me a little hooligan anymore?"

Zexiu rubbed his chin, still carrying a hint of alcohol, which surprisingly gave off a warm feeling in the cold twilight.

"You are indeed a little hooligan, but since you are the young master of Cangya City, you should still show some courtesy."

Xiao Man laughed and walked forward, her voice laced with sarcasm: "Why are you admitting I'm a mistress again? Who was it this afternoon who claimed I was a spy in the hall and wanted nothing more than to kill me?"

"Hey, is it me who wants to kill you?" Zexiu followed behind, arms crossed, her brows furrowed. "I'm doing this for your own good. How can you so easily ascertain the young master's identity? If you don't convince everyone, you'll face countless difficulties in restoring your family in the future. Besides, I should at least find out what No Return Mountain is up to. Right now, I know they're not lying or playing games. If you really are the young master, why bother with these trivial matters?"

Xiao Man stopped, and Ze Xiu stared at her back warily, coldly saying, "What? Going to curse again?"

There was a flowering tree growing right in front of them, its pink buds looking like frozen snow in the moonlight, exceptionally lovely. Xiaoman raised her hand, plucked a branch, and said softly, "For my own good. Who asked you to presume to do what's best for me? Did I say I wanted it? There are far too many things in this world that are imposed on people."

After saying that, she crushed the tender pink bud, and the sap and fragments fell under her feet, which she gently stepped on.

The silver moonlight was like frost, and the girl's delicate hands plucked the jade flowers and stamens. What should have been a beautiful and pleasing scene inadvertently turned into a cruel and heartless one.

Ze Xiu suddenly felt a chill, which instantly turned into disgust. He said coldly, "I'll only say one thing, take it or leave it. Don't make enemies with Mount No Return, especially Tian Quan. You know what to do."

After saying that, he turned to leave, but Xiaoman said indifferently, "What does it matter to me how he is?"

Zexiu couldn't help but want to retaliate; he was truly fed up with this annoying woman. But he was too late. Always one to act carefree, he was the one who got played this time. She turned and left first, leaving him far behind. Zexiu stood there stunned for a long time, his forehead veins throbbing with anger. He needed to leave No Return Mountain as soon as possible; if he stayed with her any longer, he would eventually be consumed by rage.

As a result, Xiaoman still enjoyed a delicious meal and a refreshing bath, completely ignoring Zexiu's warning. During that time, Zexiu glared at her countless times with those terrifying peach blossom eyes, but she pretended not to see a thing.

These people always think they're so great and can manipulate others at will. They should be shown that there are people in the world who don't care about their ways, just as they don't care about their own.

*****

The moonlight was like water, and the main hall remained quiet. No one dared to come over and become cannon fodder at this time.

Although Tianquan suffered such an insult, he was still a noble young master from the upper class of Bugui Mountain, and his power remained.

Generally speaking, when powerful and influential people temporarily fall on hard times, they hope that no one in the world will notice or remember, so that they can retain their former face and prestige. The people here understand this principle deeply, and they all pretend not to know, as if overnight everyone has forgotten that there is even a main hall on Mount No Return, and not even a sparrow dares to casually enter and provoke bad luck.

However, it seems there's a brainless guy coming this way right now; his footsteps can be heard from a great distance.

Tianquan didn't move; he remained kneeling, not even a strand of his hair was out of place. But even with an iron body, kneeling for an entire afternoon and most of the night without eating or drinking would make him look somewhat haggard. His lips were a little chapped, but his eyes remained as deep as the night sky, revealing no emotion.

A pair of exquisite embroidered shoes appeared on the high threshold. The owner of the shoes was wearing a cream-colored pleated skirt embroidered with silver flowers, looking very elegant. Unfortunately, her movements were not very graceful. According to the most basic etiquette, one should not step on the threshold of any room, as that would be a great disrespect.

Her feet were planted unceremoniously on the threshold, her slender toes pointing slightly downwards, looking quite playful. But she clearly had no intention of coming in; she simply stood on the threshold, smiling as she watched his disheveled state, thoroughly enjoying herself.

She remained silent, and so did Tianquan, as if they intended to treat her as if she were invisible. But this relative silence would soon be broken when one of them couldn't help but break down.

She certainly wasn't the one who would break the spell, so Tianquan spoke up, saying in a low voice, "Don't step on the threshold, it's very impolite."

Xiao Man played with the tassels on her sleeve and laughed, "You should say that you shouldn't point arrows at others, and you certainly shouldn't tear a girl's clothes in public. These are all extremely impolite behaviors."

Tianquan remained silent.

Xiao Man didn't mind and still smiled: "I heard you should apologize to me, but judging from your expression, you have no intention of doing so. I'm very clear-headed and don't expect an apology from you at all. But I'd be unwilling to let you get up like this. What do you suggest?"

Tianquan remained silent for a moment before saying, "If Your Highness wishes for an apology, then I..."

Before he could finish speaking, a gust of wind swept past his head. With his skills, dodging it would have been easy, but he stood there motionless. With a "smack," he received a solid slap on his left cheek.

Xiao Man touched her left hand and said softly, "You hurt my hand. But you got off easy. Just get up. I'm too unlucky to receive such a grand ceremony as the three kowtows and nine bows. You're just shortening my lifespan."

Tianquan touched his burning left cheek; there was a trace of blood at the corner of his lips—she had struck him hard. He slowly stood up, his eyes bright, and stared intently down at her.

Xiao Man took a step back and laughed mockingly, "Isn't your blood also ice shards? If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

She turned her back and ran away, displaying the demeanor of a petty person who, having gained power, dared not linger.

Tianquan wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, stood quietly in the hall for a long time, slowly clenched his fists, and finally, gently patted a mahogany shelf with a spider plant on it, before silently walking out of the hall.

Not long after they left, a slight cracking sound was heard, and the mahogany frame quietly split open, with pieces falling to the ground.

Chapter Twenty of the Horns: The Five Corners (Part Two)

Updated: 2008-10-04 15:09:01 Word Count: 4352

This is the first of two updates today.

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As the protagonist, even if you're an imposter, you must face the fate that awaits you.

For example, you want to avenge a blood feud, to restore your family that was wiped out, and from then on you kill everyone and everything in sight, running all over the world just to gather allies and do something great and ridiculous—even though it has absolutely nothing to do with you.

Xiao Man smiled broadly, listening intently as General Shui explained to them how to reclaim Cangya City and avenge their blood feud.

"Most people in the martial arts world frown when they hear the name Tian Sha Shi Fang. As evil and heretical sects, it's obvious they're unpopular. Leaving aside their underhanded deeds, the tragic massacres of the Fu Jin Dao sect in Xi'an, the Bi Shui Men sect in Kaifeng, and the Long Cheng clan in Fujian—these righteous sects—who were inexplicably wiped out overnight, are enough to move anyone. Now, the events in Cangya City have further fueled the righteous indignation of all factions in the martial arts world. As the last remaining bloodline of Cangya City, it's truly fortunate that you, young master, have received so much protection upon entering the martial arts world. If you simply raise your voice, the martial arts community will surely come to your aid, and the restoration of Cangya City will be just around the corner."

She thinks she's some kind of emperor, that a single call to arms would bring thousands to her aid? These old men, all grown up, how can they be so naive? Why would anyone help you if there's no benefit in it? Besides, is revenge and restoration really that easy? The Mountain of No Return could have handled it all themselves long ago. Didn't they say they were grateful to Cangya City? Sending a weak woman like her out into the world is just treating her like an idiot.

Xiao Man suppressed the urge to yawn, switched her newly healed right hand to support her chin, and continued listening.

“Taking revenge is indeed difficult. The Ten Directions of the Heavenly Fiends are infamous. Although everyone in the martial arts world hates them, it is undeniable that they are indeed very powerful. Even if you can gather an alliance, to avoid too many casualties, you should think of a better way.”

Xiao Man started tapping randomly on the table with her finger. Ze Xiu, who was next to her, quietly kicked her from below, but said, "It's still too early to determine whether Tian Sha Shi Fang did it or not. Why should Bu Gui Shan force this crime onto someone else?"

General Shui ignored him, but Boss Tu stepped in to smooth things over, laughing, "Mr. Zexiu, do you not believe in the soul-summoning magic of Cangya City? On the day the young mistress opened the altar to summon the souls of the Cangya dead, recreating the scene of the clan's annihilation, everyone on Mount Bugui could see it clearly. Each of those men in black had a red and white cross-shaped scimitar on their back, the very symbol of the Ten Directions of Heavenly Fiends. The young mistress has always been raised in seclusion, and she knows nothing about the affairs of the martial world. When her clan was annihilated, she was sent out by the warriors of her clan with all their might. Could she have fabricated such a thing?"

Would a lady raised in seclusion be of this kind?

Forget it, he didn't want to get entangled in the matter of Tian Sha Shi Fang any longer. There was no need to just listen to what Bu Gui Shan had to say. He would go out into the martial world to find out for himself another day.

Seeing that no one raised any further objections, General Shui continued, "We have been investigating openly and secretly for the past few years and have learned that Tian Sha Shi Fang is currently collecting the legendary Five Corners. These are sacred artifacts that the ancestors of Cangya City placed in the five directions to suppress evil spirits and possess extremely domineering power. Although we do not know what use Tian Sha Shi Fang will use them for, Your Highness's identity is special, and you must know the function and location of the Five Corners. Why not collect the Five Corners before them and grasp this power that originally belonged to Cangya City in your own hands?"

There are still such superstitious and bizarre things in the world. Who knows what evil spirits are? Nobody has ever seen gods or ghosts. These are just made-up supernatural beings, yet some people talk about them as if they are real.

Xiao Man wanted to laugh, but suddenly remembered the strange things that had happened at the altar, and she couldn't laugh anymore.

She witnessed the bizarre and supernatural phenomena firsthand.

Cangya City was indeed mysterious and unpredictable, possessing strange powers that ordinary people could never understand. No wonder it attracted attention and was destroyed in one fell swoop.

In that sense, the Five Corners does indeed have some merit. Xiao Man hesitated for a moment, but then heard the Boss Tu laugh and say, "This claim of an evil spirit artifact may sound absurd and laughable, but it is, after all, a relic of Cangya City. In reality, the evil spirit may not even be real. Cangya City has enjoyed hundreds of years of glory, and its accumulated treasures are naturally countless. The Five Corners should be the key to finding the treasures of Cangya City. It's normal for Tian Sha Shi Fang to spend manpower to search for it."

The word "treasure" immediately perked Xiaoman up. You can never have too much money. If she could find the Five Corners, she might actually dig up the treasure! Wouldn't she be incredibly rich? Regardless of where the real mistress of Cangya City was, she was now the mistress in everyone's eyes. The treasure belonged to Cangya City, which meant it was practically hers alone—what incredible luck! How could she let such a good thing slip by?!

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately wanted to take on the task.

"We have only heard of the existence of the Five Corners. May I ask, young master, what exactly is it, and where is it buried?"

General Shui's question left Xiao Man momentarily stunned.

Uh, well... how would she know?

“I’ve only heard about the Five Corners once. It’s said to be the biggest secret of our clan, and I’ll only be told about it after I come of age. Unfortunately… before I even reached adulthood, my clan was…” Xiao Man wiped away her sad tears and spoke with great seriousness, “So, like everyone else, I don’t know anything about it.”

A series of regretful sighs rang out around them. Master Jin said with a smile, "Young master, there's no need to be sad. As the saying goes, nothing is impossible for a willing heart. Mount Bugui will definitely do its best to help in this search for the Five Corners and will be determined to retrieve them before the Ten Directions of Heaven are defeated."

That smirking old scoundrel, all he does is talk nonsense! Xiaoman hates him the most, so she keeps her mouth shut and doesn't say a word.

Mr. Mu, who had been acting mysteriously, finally spoke. This old man either remained silent or, when he did speak, he always delivered a conclusion, and everyone listened to him. "Tianquan, Tianji, and Yaoguang will go down the mountain to assist the young master in finding the Five Corners. Old Sha's group will be divided into two parts: one to gather intelligence ahead, and the other to provide support from behind. We must find the Five Corners before Tiansha Shifang."

No way! She's letting that ice-cold-faced guy come down the mountain with her?! Xiao Man's face fell instantly. She glanced back at Tian Quan, who was expressionless and simply answered "yes." He then added, "This junior is willing to scout ahead for you, young master. If we encounter Tian Sha Shi Fang, I'm afraid Mr. Sha and the others won't be able to withstand them. I'll need to look after them."

Excellent! It seems the Ice Face doesn't want to travel with her either. He shot her with an arrow, and she slapped him back. The two of them are getting more and more entangled. If things go wrong on the way, he might retaliate. Without the five people of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth protecting her, and with Yao Guang and Tian Ji listening to him, wouldn't she be in big trouble?

Mr. Mu nodded and said, "Alright. Let Old Sha in."

Having said that, he turned back to Xiaoman with a gentle expression and said, "My lady, although we have many people protecting us on this journey, the risks are still extremely high. Logically speaking, the five of us should go down the mountain to help..."

Before he could finish speaking, Master Jin laughed and said, "Although the young lady is young, she has great ambition. She must have made up her mind about this matter. Why should we five old folks spoil the mood and give her bad advice, only to cause her more trouble?"

Therefore, it's absolutely true that this wealthy man Jin is the most detestable.

Xiao Man smiled insincerely and said, "Yes, it's not appropriate to trouble everyone with such full assistance regarding the affairs of Cangya City. I am already extremely grateful that you are willing to help me."

The boss said gently, "Young mistress is just a young girl. Going into the martial world would be extremely dangerous, with fortune and misfortune hanging in the balance. It would be better to leave the search for the Five Corners to Tianquan and the others, and leave the young mistress at Mount No Return to be taken care of by us. Wouldn't that be better?"

Oh no! Absolutely not! Wouldn't that mean the treasure would be swallowed up by Mount No Return? Although the treasure wasn't originally hers, how could she let someone else steal what was almost within her grasp?

"Although Boss Tu's words show his concern for the young mistress, he is also underestimating her. Moreover, while finding the Five Corners is important for this trip, seeking an alliance to reclaim Cangya City cannot be delayed. If we step in, it will be illegitimate and we will inevitably be criticized. It would be better if the young mistress personally went forward."