Guide sur le vent et la fumée

Chapitre 18

Yun Chan was still pondering how to respond when Lou Lou's smile turned cold. He looked up, drank the antidote in the bottle, threw away the bottle, jumped down from the tree, and left without saying a word.

Yun Chan was dumbfounded: "Wait, henchmen, take me down with you!"

You know it's that high, even with my light-footed skills I can't get down there!

Two pieces of wood and two beauties

Yun Chan returned to the inn in the middle of the night. Good heavens, she hadn't seen many fireworks; instead, she fell from the tree in a truly terrifying way.

She stopped in front of her door, pondered for a moment, and finally exhaled. She took a step towards the next room, and just as she was about to take a second step, someone suddenly sprang out from the shadows beside her. Before she could even scream, she was shoved into the room.

In my own room.

Staggering a couple of times, Yun Chan finally recognized the person and asked in surprise, "Qian Jun? What are you doing?"

Qianjun locked the door behind him and looked up to accuse, "Your husband is definitely a bastard."

Although Yun Chan herself often said this, why did it feel so unpleasant to hear it from someone else?

Yun Chan was about to purse her lips when she suddenly noticed Qian Jun's disheveled appearance and a sense of foreboding rose in her heart: "What happened?"

"That bastard stole the hairpin you gave me and then told me to use this!" Qianjun raised a tree branch, trembling with anger.

"Uh..." Yun Chan immediately felt guilty and chimed in, "He's crazy. He's always liked to steal other people's things since he was little. Just stay away from him in the future."

Qianjun was also a little scared: "He's a lunatic, he even tried to kill me."

Yun Chan frowned: "Although Xia Yi is a bit of a bastard, it's not like he would kill you."

"Really, I definitely felt the killing intent!" Qianjun shuddered, then became doubtful again, "Your hairpin is very valuable? Why would he want to steal it?"

"...I already told you he has a problem," Yun Chan said evasively, hurriedly rummaging through her bundle for a new silk hair ribbon, then pulled Qian Jun over and began to tie her hair.

Never before had she had such intimate contact with anyone other than her master. Startled by being pressed before the dressing table, Qianjun felt a warm glow inside, but she still had to say what needed to be said: "In short, I hate that Master Xia. He's too dangerous, compared to..."

Lou Guyan is much better. Ugly girl, you should stay with Lou Guyan and make your fiancé jealous!

Why has it become that Qianjun is the one trying to match her up with the henchman?

"It seems you don't think much of Qianjun either." Yun Chan sighed, wrapping the silk ribbon in her hand around a few times and tying a knot. The silk ribbon was smooth and gorgeous, and it matched the beauty's smooth, black hair perfectly.

Yun Chan admired the beauty for a while, then sighed, "Aren't you really going to reconsider? Lou Guyan is so handsome." Such good-looking people, how come they can't stand each other?

Qianjun looked in the mirror and casually said, "Is he good-looking? I think he's just average. He's too gentle and smiles too much."

"Girl, you must have eyes on the top of your head!" Yun Chan muttered. "I really don't know what kind of person would catch your eye."

"My requirements aren't that high." Qianjun held the mirror and started to daydream. "I want someone serious, a gentleman, and good at swordsmanship. Hmm, a bit old-fashioned is fine too, and it's cute if he blushes when teased."

The description sounded vaguely familiar. Yun Chan pondered, "Doesn't it seem like I know someone like that?" After thinking for a while, she finally spoke excitedly, "That Yuanqing Sect..."

Qianjun suddenly waved his hand to interrupt her: "It's too late, I'm going back. Ugly girl, you should get some rest too."

Watching the beauty disappear in an instant, Yun Chan stammered out the second half of her sentence: "...Shen Yao seems to fit your requirements."

With Qianjun gone, the room fell silent, and the courage she had painstakingly mustered vanished. Yun Chan rolled onto the bed and shrank back down. She'd better wait until tomorrow morning to make up with that jerk.

I tossed and turned all night.

Finally, as the birdsong began at dawn, Miss Yun slammed open the door and ran to the next room, banging on the door: "It's me, Xia Yi! Open the door!"

The door opened quickly, and out came the inn's waiter, who said politely, "The guests in this room left last night. I'm here to clean the room."

"Gone?" Yun Chan's hand froze on the door, her heart sinking again.

Qianjun, who was in the next room, poked his head out when he heard the noise: "What's wrong, Ugly Girl?"

Yun Chan stood dejectedly at the door.

So what if she's gone? It's just going back to the original plan. From now on, she'll just follow Qianjun and not let that bastard interfere. But she still couldn't help feeling a little sore: "That damn Xia Yi is gone."

Qianjun was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly ran to her side: "It's best that you're leaving. You can go and wander the world with Lou Guyan now." After saying that, he pulled her along and headed towards Lou Lou's room.

The waiter, who was still standing to the side, chimed in at the opportune moment: "If the two young ladies are looking for the guest surnamed Lou in room number one of the Plum Blossom Courtyard, he left last night as well."

Another colleague leaving without saying goodbye?

However, since the antidote had already been given, Yun Chan was too lazy to care anymore. She turned to look at Qian Jun and said, "I'll follow you."

Qianjun sighed with annoyance and said, "I'm on my way to find my Mr. Right, I'm very busy, why would I bring you along as a burden?"

"To be your foil."

"..."

---

Since riding a horse wouldn't showcase your graceful figure, Qianjun insisted on walking. Walking is fine, but could you please start floating around while walking? I know your lightness skill is superb, but please don't show off like that.

Poor Yun Chan was panting heavily as she chased after Qian Jun, unable to keep up.

As darkness fell and they still hadn't reached the next town, Qianjun lost his patience: "Ugly girl, you're so useless. I'll get you a horse when we get to the next town."

"I rode a horse, what about you?"

“I can keep up on foot.”

Yun Chan, her eyes filled with tears, gasped with envy, "Your lightness skill is so amazing?"

"Of course, our sect's lightness skill is the best in the world." Qianjun put one hand on his hip and tossed his long hair. "Do you want to learn?"

Yun Chan was stunned: "You're going to teach me?"

In the martial arts world, no school or sect would easily pass on their moves, especially such unparalleled lightness skills. How could someone be so generous as to teach them to outsiders so casually?

Qianjun, however, assumed she was afraid she wouldn't be able to learn it, and comforted her, "Don't worry. Our sect's lightness skill is called 'Lotus Steps Blossoming Flowers,' created specifically for women. It's not difficult to learn. Moreover, it's incredibly light and agile; if you master it, you can even walk on water." He then looked up at the sky.

Since she figured she'd be sleeping outdoors sometime tonight, she decided to say, "Why don't we start learning now?"

Yun Chan was moved once again: "Qian Jun, you are so kind."

"It's just a return gift of a hairband."

Yun Chan quickly waved her hand: "That hairband isn't worth that much."

Who said that? This headband is worth more than any martial arts manual. Qianjun coughed: "It's just that you walk too slowly, ugly girl. I don't want to be a burden. Stop nagging and hurry up and learn."

"oh."

However, after three cups of tea, Qianjun regretted it.

"I've recited the mantra to you three times already, three times already, but you still can't remember it."

"Only three times? Such a long string, you should do it thirty more times."

"...Never mind the mental cultivation method, let's practice the footwork first."

"oh."

Three more cups of tea passed.

"It's just going through the sixty-four hexagrams in order, adding a touch of elegance and grace while doing so, and then improvising a bit. How can you be so stupid!"

Yun Chan said with a bitter face, "I think I'll just buy a horse to ride tomorrow."

Qianjun kicked her, saying, "No, practice again. With such poor skills, how are you going to protect yourself in the martial arts world?"

Helpless, Yun Chan could only twist her waist and take two more steps when Qian Jun suddenly lifted her up.

Tears, so what if your light-footed skills are amazing? They all like to lift people around.

Qianjun led her behind a tree and said seriously, "Someone's coming."

Sure enough, the sound of approaching hooves soon followed.

Two women peeked out from behind a tree to observe. Night had fallen, and in the desolate wilderness, four men, exuding a palpable aura of menace, could be vaguely seen riding towards them. As they drew nearer, one of them suddenly leaped into the air and engaged the other three in a fierce battle.

Yun Chan's eyes widened. How come it was still Shen Yao and that group of men in yellow? They hadn't finished fighting yet?

Soon another man in yellow was killed, and the remaining two went berserk, their attacks becoming increasingly fierce.

Qianjun observed for a while, then turned to Yunchan and asked, "Yuanqing Sect saved you, right? Do you want to go and save them?"

Yun Chan waved her hand dismissively: "It's alright, he's the leader of the Heroes' Gathering. Do you think he needs anyone else to help deal with these few people..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Yao in front of her suddenly collapsed.

So disrespectful? Yun Chan broke out in a cold sweat.

One of the men in yellow stood before the fallen Shen Yao and laughed loudly: "You've killed so many of my brothers these past few days, and I've been waiting for this moment. I thought you were on top of the world, but you still let your guard down at the last minute. You brat from the Yuanqing Sect, you're as weak as a mush."

How does it taste?

Shen Yao knelt on the ground, supporting himself with his sword, without uttering a word.

The cicada behind the tree immediately pulled its head back and asked in a low voice, "Um, Qianjun, can you beat them?"

"Alright, since you want me to save you, Ugly Girl, then I'll go save you." Before he could finish saying the last word "save," Qianjun had already shot off like an arrow.

Hey, wait a minute! I only asked if you could beat them. What did I say about you going to rescue them? Come back here!

Just as the man in yellow was about to bring his sword down, he suddenly heard a whooshing sound in the air. A hidden weapon was being shot at. The two men in yellow immediately spun around to dodge, and looked back in surprise and doubt. They saw a stunningly beautiful woman standing in a tree, tossing pebbles in her hand.

Shen Yao had lost all his strength and thought he was surely going to die, but he never expected that this demoness would suddenly appear. He was greatly surprised and was stunned.

A man in yellow sized up Qianjun. Seeing her beauty, he assumed she was a fellow disciple of Shen Yao and asked, "Fairy Hibiscus?"

Qianjun glared angrily and, without thinking, hurled all the pebbles in his hand: "How do I look like that ugly monster Tan Shiyao?!"

Her skill with concealed weapons was superb. Although she used pebbles as concealed weapons, she aimed them at the enemy's vital points. The two men in yellow were forced to retreat a few steps away from Shen Yao.

But having finally managed to successfully outmaneuver Shen Yao, how could her opponent willingly let this opportunity slip away? Seeing that Qian Jun's hidden weapon skills were excellent, but she was merely a delicate woman and not a threat, the two exchanged a glance, and instantly one of them attacked Shen...

Yao, another person leaned towards Qianjun.

With her exceptional lightness skill, she evaded the attackers and flashed in front of Shen Yao in the blink of an eye. She used her ring to block another person's sword, her tone somewhat urgent: "Woodhead, why don't you run?"

Shen Yao's expression was complicated: "Go."

The man in yellow sneered, "That brat has been hit by my muscle-weakening powder and can't move. This young lady is so beautiful, it would be a waste to kill her. She might as well come with me."

Qianjun was furious: "You ugly things! How dare you lay a hand on my grandmother!" He immediately switched from defense to offense and swung his palm without any politeness.

Yun Chan watched from behind the tree, her heart pounding with fear. She was afraid that if she went out, she would only be a hindrance. Unable to think of a solution, she frantically looked around, hoping that Qing Qiong, Qing Zhu, Qing Jiao, Qing Li, or someone else might suddenly appear. Suddenly, she heard Qian...

With a scream, Yun Chan turned around and was horrified to see that Qian Jun had been stabbed in the shoulder and was bleeding profusely.

Even knowing she was doomed, the daughter of Feiyun Fortress couldn't betray her code of chivalry. Without hesitation, Yun Chan drew her short sword and charged forward, delivering a swift and fluid strike. While her swordsmanship was exquisite, Yun Chan was quite adept at it.