Anti-Bone Scarlet Song

Chapitre 28

The young master did not stop her, and only after she left did a person emerge from the depths of the bamboo forest.

Qinglong said sourly, "Young Master, didn't you say this Landscape Sword Technique was all show and no substance? Why are you practicing it again today?"

The young master smiled, sheathed his Yuyang sword, and said, "Come with me to see someone."

Jun Ye'an met an old man in a separate courtyard. Qinglong had never seen this man before, but heard the young master say, "Uncle Huang, you must be tired from your journey."

The old man returned the greeting with a flustered expression, saying, "Young master, this old servant cannot accept such a gift."

The young master smiled slightly, sat down, served tea, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then asked, "The reason I invited Uncle Huang here is to inquire about my father's life."

Uncle Huang quickly replied, "Young Master, please ask whatever you wish. This old servant will answer to the best of my knowledge."

"My father practiced martial arts improperly when he was young, which caused his energy channels to become blocked. The older he got, the more severe this symptom became, and he eventually died of a heart ailment." The young master pondered, "Is that so?"

“That’s right.” Uncle Huang said solemnly, “Many famous doctors were consulted to examine the old master’s pulse. Before his death, the last doctor he consulted was the master of the Vermilion Bird Envoy, the incredibly skilled Medicine Master. The Medicine Master said that there was no cure with any method of medicine. He had a very close relationship with the old master, so we can ask him to verify this.”

The young master smiled and said, "I have no doubts. I just want to know why my father was careless when he was practicing his skills. The internal energy cultivation method of my Jun family is the most balanced and peaceful. Even if you practice it too hastily, you will never have such symptoms."

Uncle Huang shook his head and said, "I don't understand the mental techniques of martial arts. I only remember that when my master went to Shaolin Temple that year, he sparred with Master Huifeng on mental techniques and martial arts. After returning, he seemed to be preoccupied. Two days later, Master Huifeng was killed, and he fell ill. He has had this ailment ever since."

The young master nodded slightly and then asked, "Besides Master Huifeng, my father was also on good terms with his junior brother back then, wasn't that right?"

Huang Bo was surprised: "Young master, have you heard of Master Tu Feng?"

The young master said casually, "I've heard people mention it before."

After a long pause, Huang Bo finally said, "Yes, when my master fell ill, he ordered me to deliver a letter to Mount Song. After that, Master Tu Feng disappeared without a trace."

The young master nodded casually and said, "Uncle Huang, since you've come all this way to Cangzhou, why not stay here for a few more days? You've worked so hard serving your father; you deserve to enjoy yourself."

Uncle Huang waved his hand and said, "My old master has been incredibly kind to me. Young master, you are being too polite by saying such things."

After someone escorted Uncle Huang out, the young master sat there, his expression calm, but Qinglong, watching from the side, felt somewhat uneasy.

"Young Master..." he called softly, "Was there anything wrong with the old master's cause of death?"

The young master merely pursed his lips, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, he said, "Qinglong, you saved Su Fenghua from that mysterious woman. Have you ever wondered why, despite her considerable martial arts skills, she didn't kill him outright?"

Although Qinglong was simple-minded, he was by no means stupid. Upon hearing the young master's words, he frowned and said, "Young master, are you saying that it might be a ruse?"

"If it's a self-inflicted injury ploy, it's far too clumsy," the young master said with a faint smile. "There must be something fishy about this."

He stood up, his expression becoming more relaxed: "Let's go see him."

"Young master, do you intend to keep him?" Qinglong asked hesitantly.

The young master did not answer, which seemed to indicate his tacit agreement.

Qinglong's tone was somewhat bitter, and he secretly rolled his eyes: "Then why did you have to make such a scene last night?"

But when the young master glanced at him, he lowered his head and obediently remained silent. The young master smiled slightly, as if he had remembered something, and said, "By the way, you should pack your things and go out with Zhuque to find her master."

"Ah?" Qinglong looked worried and asked, "Can I not go, young master?" He... would rather stay here and watch the young master and Chuxia together with a heavy heart than travel with Baixue.

The young master seemed not to hear him and went straight to Su Fenghua's place.

Before even entering the house, I could hear someone reading aloud, sounding rather reluctant, but it was the Analects of Confucius.

"Listen widely and question what you doubt; speak cautiously about the rest, and you will make fewer mistakes. Observe widely and question what you find dangerous; act cautiously about the rest, and you will have fewer regrets. With fewer mistakes in speech and fewer regrets in action, your fortune will surely follow..."

"Slow down, slow down, there's something wrong with this punctuation..."

"Then read it yourself!"

"Ouch, ouch! It seems like the wound on my chest has reopened!"

"Okay, I'll read it, I'll read it."

The young master pushed open the door and saw Chu Xia sitting on the edge of the bed with a stool, holding a book and reading it aloud word by word. Hearing the noise, he turned his head to look in the direction of the door.

Upon seeing that it was the young master, she immediately brightened up, stood up, and called out, "Young master." Su Fenghua also struggled to get up, but was stopped by the young master, who said calmly, "You should lie down and be careful of your wound."

At this moment, Su Xiucai did not show his pedantic expression. Instead, he carefully examined the young master and said, "Last night was too rushed, young master. I was rude."

The young master nodded slightly: "It's alright."

But Su Xiucai said solemnly, "I have long heard of your good deeds and your punishment of evil, and I admire you greatly. I should pay my respects to you on behalf of the common people, but I am seriously injured and cannot get up. Please forgive me, young master."

Jun Ye'an was taken aback, then smiled and said, "People in the martial arts world don't care about such formalities, Mr. Su, you're too kind."

Chu Xia breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the young master was not annoyed by the scholar's long-winded reasoning. But then Su Xiucai followed up with his snake stick, shaking his head and saying, "Scholars should establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, continue the lost learning of the past sages, and create peace for all generations. Alas, nowadays, fairness and justice have to rely on the support of wandering knights of the Jianghu. How can people bear this?"

The young master pursed his lips, remaining silent.

After speaking at length for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Su Xiucai finally took a breath and concluded with grief and indignation: "...Young Master, you should know the saying 'Martial arts are used to break the law,' which means using violence to replace violence, without realizing its wrongness."

Chu Xia chuckled, but the young master remained expressionless, only saying lightly, "I've learned something."

"Of course, of course," Su Xiucai nodded.

"There's something I'd like to ask Mr. Su," the young master said after a moment's thought, "Who was chasing you before? And why were they so ruthless?"

“I thought they were debt collectors.” Recalling yesterday’s events, Su Xiucai’s face turned pale. “Later, the young lady asked me… what did Miss Chuxia and the other two want with me? I told her the truth, but she didn’t believe me and attacked me with a sword.”

Even now, this pedantic scholar is still calling her "Miss" in a daze. Chu Xia is speechless and simply turns her face away.

The young master listened quietly and said nothing more, only saying, "You should rest here in peace."

"Young master, aren't you angry?" Chu Xia was very happy that the young master had called her out, saving her from the chore of studying.

"What?" The young master looked up at her and saw that the flower decoration between her eyebrows had not faded. He couldn't help but reach out and gently touch it.

"Scholar Su said that violence is the best defense, and that using martial arts to break the law is wrong. Aren't you angry?" Chu Xia felt a little itchy, but she didn't dodge and said with a smile.

“He’s right.” The young master sighed softly and looked away slightly. “Back then, Huang Yaoshi, the master of Peach Blossom Island, had an extremely eccentric personality, yet he was the only one who treated loyal ministers and filial sons with courtesy. This scholar Su may not know martial arts, but he has the world in his heart. Such people are too few in this world.”

Chu Xia stared at him blankly, seemingly for the first time, she found a look of loneliness on the young master's face.

"Young master, you actually really wish for peace and tranquility in the martial world so that you don't have to worry about anything, right?"

The young master simply smiled, and after a long while, he said, "If that day ever comes, I will take you to see the misty rain of Jiangnan and the soaring eagles of the desert."

In early summer, she still had a childlike quality, her crystal-clear eyes filled with longing: "You mustn't lie to me."

She held out her hand: "Pinky promise."

He smiled, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, and he earnestly made a pinky promise with her. Even after his thumb gently pressed down, he didn't immediately let go of her hand. Instead, he held her hand in his own and said softly, "Chuxia, how about you come with me on a trip these next few days?"

Chapter Twenty-Seven (Part 1)

"Where to?" Chu Xia was taken aback.

The young master did not answer, but instead held her hand even tighter.

Chu Xia frowned slightly: "Didn't you want me to go to Jun with you—"

She was very careful not to mention the place name, but seeing that the young master did not refute her, she felt a chill in her heart.

The young master said calmly, "That's right, I'd like to take you with me."

Chu Xia was silent for a moment, then withdrew her hand: "I don't want to go."

Indeed, she didn't want to go. She feared that if she went, she would be like Qinglong said, "being sold out and still helping the seller count the money." As for being cunning, Chu Xia sneered; she knew she was no match for the young master—and now, even if the young master liked her, she... dared not completely trust him.

The young master gave her a deep look, rubbed his temples, and said wearily, "Girl, I'm taking you there not to use you."

Chu Xia turned her face away.

He reached out and gently grasped her chin, turning it towards her, and said patiently, "I can't leave you here unattended."

Chu Xia had no choice but to meet his gaze, her tone unyielding: "You destroyed Tian Gang, so why can't I put your mind at ease by staying here?"

The young master continued to gaze at her calmly, but offered no further explanation, only saying, "You promised me one thing."

Chu Xia opened her mouth slightly, somewhat incredulously asking, "What did you say?"

"You promised me one thing, and now I'll let you go out with me," the young master said expressionlessly.

Chu Xia's face grew even colder as she gritted her teeth and said, "Jun Ye'an, so this is where you were waiting for me."

The young master released her, stood with his hands behind his back, the wind ruffling his robes. His eyes were deep and dark, yet he calmly said, "We'll set off in a few days. There's no need to prepare anything else."

He said nothing more and turned to leave. Chu Xia hesitated for a long time before finally calling out to him, "Young Master... I really don't want to go."

The young master stopped and turned to look at her. His face was expressionless at first, but he was suddenly taken aback when his eyes met hers.

There was no stubbornness or awkwardness in her gaze; she simply looked at him with a soft and transparent look, yet it seemed to convey a sense of sorrow.

“Early summer…” His heart softened suddenly, and he almost couldn’t bring himself to agree to her request.

Chu Xia had already concealed the look in her eyes from that moment, simply turning her head away so he wouldn't see her expression: "Young Master, I'm just very uneasy... I have a feeling something is going to happen—let's not worry about Shan Shui Yao and all that, okay?"

The young master pursed his lips, looked at her quietly, and said softly, "Girl, I didn't go there for the sake of Shanshuiyao. It's just that Shanshuiyao is a matter that must be resolved." He walked closer to her step by step, gently stroking her hair, and said slowly, "Some things will come to us even if we don't care. So... it's better to strike first."

Chu Xia looked up at him. His tone was so gentle and sincere that she had no choice but to believe him—but she also trusted her intuition. The feeling was so strong that she couldn't shake the unease in her heart: "But I have a bad feeling... If we go on this trip, you or I... will both regret it."

The young master pulled her into his arms, a smile playing on his lips. "No... little girl, I said no, and I mean no." His chin gently brushed against the hair on the top of her head, a soft, ticklish sensation. "Once the matter of 'The Ballad of Mountains and Rivers' is settled, we'll go to Jiangnan, to the northern deserts. You can see whatever you want, okay?"

In early summer, she nestled in the young master's arms, just like every night before. Whenever she had a nightmare, it was this faint, lingering scent that enveloped her.

She suddenly asked a completely different question: "Young master, is it you? The person in my nightmare... was it you?"

This was the second time she had asked this question. The first time, the young master avoided answering, but this time, she waited for him to speak with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness, and finally heard a deep, affirmative "It was me."

Her hands unconsciously tightened around his collar as she looked up at his face.

In the deep courtyard, sunlight filtered through the shadows of the trees, scattering across the handsome young man's features. His gaze was filled with affection as he slowly bent down to kiss her cheek.

Chu Xia didn't avoid the question, but murmured, "Young Master... I'm still afraid."

The young master paused, then suddenly laughed, "Chu Xia, don't call me young master anymore—I remember you called me by my name before."

"Jun Ye'an?" Chu Xia called out, then felt it was a bit inappropriate... She seemed to only call his name like that when she was angry.

"Let's call him Ye An," the young master said casually.

Chu Xia silently repeated the name in her heart, but when it came time to speak, she still felt somewhat powerless.

"Young Master—"

The young master glanced at her indifferently.

"Hmm, goodnight?" Chu Xia's tone was somewhat weak, as if she wasn't so sure.