Huancheng Shen Shen

Chapitre 28

No regrets, no wavering.

But why is it that he's so upset that even breathing feels difficult?

A chill ran through him, and he instinctively touched his face, only to be startled.

When did I start crying?

"Xuan Sheng...! Xuan-Sheng—ah—"

Shuangjing's voice gradually faded into the distance, almost swallowed by the wind. Xuansheng felt that this might be the last time he would ever hear her voice calling his name.

Then he suddenly realized that he could never go back.

He was no longer the indifferent and aloof second young master of Half Moon City, Xuan Sheng.

"Xiao Jing!"

When Che Shui and the others arrived, all they saw was Ye Shuangjing standing at the entrance of Jianrou Manor, crying pitifully like a child abandoned by the whole world. Che Shui immediately felt a sense of suffocation, as if someone had punched him hard in the chest, and he bent over in pain, even breathing became painful.

What kind of crying was that?

Words like "heartbreaking" and "heart-wrenching" are insufficient to describe such sorrow.

Shuangjing, who is usually carefree, was covered in dust from head to toe, squatting on the dirt road, hugging her shoulders and crying loudly.

Jing Shan's eyes immediately reddened, and she turned her head away, unable to bear to look any longer.

No one spoke.

Looking up, on that particularly lonely and desolate dirt road, there was still a resolute but clearly enduring figure slowly walking away from them.

He hadn't actually gone very far; any one of them could have caught up with him using just a little bit of their lightness skill.

But no one tried to stop it.

Even if we could stop him, what then?

Even if he only takes one step, a thousand chasms already separate the two of them; a single turn could obliterate everything.

Du Cheshui didn't move. He simply embraced Shuangjing, who was crying loudly, unable to utter a single word. Looking closely, he could see tears glistening in her eyes.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew, and Hua Wushuang and Jing Shan looked in astonishment to see Lin Meihua rushing forward.

With a few leaps, she was already not far from Xuan Sheng, but then she stopped, raised her hands, and silver threads scattered everywhere. Something drew a curve in the air and landed steadily in the hands of the second young master of Half Moon City.

"?"

Xuan Sheng turned his head and saw the Plum Blossom Hall Master standing firmly on the vast grassland, still in the posture of throwing something. He looked down and saw a small silk pouch with the words "Open when you want to return" sewn on it. There was a small and exquisite plum blossom in the lower left corner.

Even though he couldn't hear her voice, he clearly heard her words: "If you want to know the truth, come find me."

He didn't speak, gave her a silent and indifferent look, and then looked away.

Mei Hua stood silently in place. Just now, when Xuan Sheng looked up, she clearly saw a fleeting glimmer of expectation in his eyes.

Perhaps, deep down, he actually hoped for some reason to stay.

My heart is filled with sorrow. This single word, "love," has caused so many bloody storms and left behind so many tears and sighs.

Even if she had seen all the things in the world, she still wouldn't understand this word.

Meihua turned and walked towards her companions, almost unable to bear looking at their clean faces.

The woman who was once the most legendary in the world has become so fragile and heartbroken, like a small animal that has been greatly injured, hugging herself and crying bitterly.

Only then did they learn that Ye Shuangjing, the once powerful leader of the Seven Stones Sect, was not destroyed in the battle five years ago.

Instead, he died today, without a single wound, in this valley.

Behind that person.

Villages Outside the City: Once You've Seen the Ocean, Other Waters Are Hard to Compare (Part 1)

Leaves fall, river waves ripple, tomorrow the sun shines on the shore, clouds rest on the mountains. Crossing countless ravines and cliffs, traversing the depths of streams, the raging waves gradually subside, and a sudden gust of wind rises from the woodcutter's whirlwind.

The waves crashed against the shore, rolling and surging. The boats of Ning Shuangmen drifted on the Longjiang River like withered leaves. The wind was strong, and the boatmen could easily propel the boats forward with remarkable ease. Looking up, all that could be seen was the Yangtze River flowing to the horizon, the vast expanse of the sky merging with the turbulent waves. The cliffs on the banks resembled clouds, shrouded in white mist, and from time to time, the mournful cries of monkeys and the soaring cries of birds pierced the sky could be heard.

A gentle breeze caressed his face as Xuan Sheng stood on the deck, his robes billowing like full sails. He appeared solemn and composed, detached from the world, the sunlight slanting down on him, making him seem as if he were riding the waves with golden light, a true celestial being poised to soar through the clouds. The boatmen, watching him, were mesmerized by the sight of the verdant mountains and waters receding behind him—a truly picturesque scene.

Xuan Sheng stood on the deck, looking at the waves below the ship that resembled a torrent.

Occasionally, leaves swept up by the wind would fall onto the river, not yet fully soaked, before being swept away by the waves in an instant, farther and farther away. He involuntarily looked up and saw only the vast, misty mountains and drifting white clouds. The mountains behind them were gradually receding into the distance, not to mention the Jianrou Manor, which was already miles away.

After meeting with Murong Jin and the other three doctors at Sanxi River, they rushed to Pear Blossom Village where Shao Hua was located.

Half Moon City does not accept martial arts practitioners, so even Xuan Sheng's betrothed can only live outside the city before marriage.

Shao Hua's Yin family are the guardians of Half Moon City, operating half in the open and half in the shadows. On the surface, they are a simple and ordinary large family, but in reality, they secretly guard the entrance to this secluded city that has long since left the martial world. They are also the only people living outside Half Moon City who know where the city is.

The children of the Yin family have played with the Xuan family since they were young, and Shao Hua and Xuan Sheng are childhood sweethearts.

When I think of my fiancée, the first thing that comes to mind is the girl, a few years younger than me, with her playful and mischievous smile and dimples. But for some reason, that radiant smile gradually fades and blurs, turning into a delicate, pale face with crescent-shaped eyes and a mischievous smile like that of a lovable, adorable cat.

The image was so clear, it felt like it was right in front of me.

Xuan Sheng's heart tightened, and he involuntarily took a step back, only to bump into the person standing behind him.

"Sorry," he said casually, glancing up to see Murong Jin smiling at him. He hadn't known how long she'd been standing there.

"It is said that the waters of this river are like dragons churning and roaring at the bottom, and it truly lives up to its name." The leader of the Frost Condensation Sect looked ahead with his hands behind his back and smiled, "The great river flows eastward, the great river flows eastward..." Then he turned to look at him, his eyes flashing, "This journey has finally come to an end. The Second Young Master must have suffered a lot, right?"

"It's alright," Xuan Sheng said calmly, knowing that the fox was trying to steer the conversation in that direction.

Sure enough, when Murong Jin saw that he didn't respond and instead tried to shift the topic to Shuang Jing, he smiled shamelessly: "No matter how hard it is, it's not as hard as our little Jing's, right? I thought that A'Che was taking care of her, so I didn't send a traveling doctor to Jianrou Manor. But if anything happens..." He deliberately teased him and smiled nonchalantly.

"If you really do that, you'll probably get beaten half to death by the sect leader's wife." Xuan Sheng thought to himself, speechless. But he still raised his head and looked towards the horizon: "The Seven Stones Sect Leader is a lucky man, he'll definitely be fine."

"Is that so?" Murong Jin smiled thoughtfully. "My physical injuries are fine, and with A-Che protecting me, I'm at ease. But... what about my heart?" He shook his head again. "Xuan Sheng, Xuan Sheng, just keep deceiving yourself like this, but how long can you keep it up?" He stood beside Xuan Sheng, slightly raising his head to look at the sky and the seemingly boundless, rolling river. "Can you deceive yourself like this for a lifetime? If you grow old and look back, are you sure you won't regret it?"

Xuan Sheng remained silent, watching the churning and roaring tide, and suddenly found himself unable to find a rebuttal.

What he really wanted to say was, if we'll regret it, then so be it.

He brought this upon himself; it was because he left those people and those things.

It was he who chose the easiest path between difficulty and simplicity.

Therefore, any regrets from the past, present, or future are deserved.

Besides, compared to the pain of being cleansed, what did he have to complain about?

A sharp pain shot through his chest, and Xuan Sheng instinctively clutched his chest.

He doesn't know when it started, but he would inexplicably feel suffocated in his dreams, and would always wake up suddenly in a cold sweat, feeling a bitter and aching pain in his heart, as if he had crawled over the edge of life and death.

At that time, he was always in a daze, used to falling asleep by the fire in the wild mountains and waters. He would often get up and look around for Shuangjing, who should be fast asleep, but when he saw the surging river outside and the moon reflected on it, he realized that she was no longer there.

The world is vast and unfathomable, and from now on, Xiao Lang is just a stranger.

He had always been the kind of man who would only drink from one of the many waters in the world, but little did he know that once you've seen the ocean, other waters are no longer worth mentioning.

Even he hadn't realized how difficult the days would be.

At this moment, the boatmen behind them began to shout and give orders. The two looked up and saw that the boat had begun to slowly drift away from the riverbed of the main river and head towards the forked river.

As houses and streets gradually appeared on the distant riverbank, the village nestled between two mountains, with countless mud houses perched on the hillside, surrounded by lush green trees. Several narrow paths crisscrossed the verdant meadow, and a few windmills swayed and rotated along the riverbank with the gentle flow of water.

Children were playing and swimming on the dock. When they saw a large ship approaching, they all cheered or waved. Women washing clothes by the river also stood up and curiously looked at the two people standing on the deck.

The wind carried the sounds of dogs barking and roosters crowing, the fragrance of earth and flowers, and the rich aroma of soup simmering in the air, which seemed to have erased the recent clashes of swords and the intrigues of the martial world.

Xuan Sheng was a little dazed. He wondered if he had woken up from a long and distant dream, or if he had sleepwalked to some illusory outer realm and was only now returning to the mortal world.

As the boat drew closer, Xuan Sheng noticed a man and a woman standing on the shore, smiling at him. Overjoyed, he prepared to leap ashore before the boat even reached the bank, but Murong Jin grabbed his sleeve and whispered in his ear, "The people in this village probably don't know that your fiancée's family are the guardians of Half Moon City, right? Aren't you afraid of scaring the children and women to death if you fly out like this?"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Sheng was taken aback. Only then did he realize that he was the prospective son-in-law of the Yin family and should be from the capital to treat the other party's illness. He had no choice but to stand still and wait until the boat docked before striding forward to greet him.

The woman was graceful and noble, her kind eyes carrying a serene elegance and sorrow. Only when she saw Xuan Sheng did a glimmer of light flash in her eyes. The man beside her looked somewhat like Xuan Sheng, with serious and handsome features in his profile. However, he was smiling, but not with the serene and slightly cold smile of Xuan Sheng. Instead, his smile was more like that of Che Shui, innocent and clear. Just looking at him made one feel as if they were being warmed by the spring sun in March.

This person was none other than Xuan Sheng's mother, Ning Feng, the wife of the Lord of Half Moon City, and Xuan Sheng's brother, Xuan Mu, the heir to Half Moon City.

"Mother, brother." Xuan Sheng greeted them with a smile, but was about to bow when Madam Ning Feng pulled him up.

"You child... let me see. Sure enough, all this trouble has made you so dark and thin." Madam Ningfeng looked at him with a mixture of pity and pride, saying, "When we get home, I'll help you recover. You're about to get married; how can you settle down with such a weak body?"

"Pfft..." Xuanmu laughed out loud from the side: "Mother is saying how can you, with such a weak body, enter the bridal chamber!" He looked at his younger brother with a hearty grin.

“Brother…” Xuan Sheng frowned slightly and turned his head away.

"Ahhhhhh..." Xuanmu immediately grabbed his neck with one hand and laughed, "Little brother, I've been really bored these days without teasing you. Come on, let's have a match tonight and have a drink!"

"Alright, alright, you two brothers have plenty of time to catch up." Madam Ningfeng smiled, looking at Murong Jin who was slowly disembarking, and smiled politely and calmly: "This is the legendary physician known as 'Hua Tuo reborn,' the leader of the Ning Shuang Sect?"

"Madam," Murong Jin said, cupping her hands in greeting.

"Thank you for coming to treat Shao Hua. You must be tired from your journey." Ning Feng smiled gently and bent down slightly, but Murong Jin helped her up.

"I don't deserve such praise, Madam. You are too kind."

At this moment, Xuan Sheng couldn't help but turn his head to look, and saw that the Sect Master of Ning Shuang Sect was still smiling calmly, but his eyes were unfathomable, as black as night, like a stagnant pool of water, deep and bottomless.

Although they had only known each other for a short time, Xuan Sheng knew that this person should be a carefree and cheerful person like Shuang Jing or Che Shui. He wondered what the reason was for this fake smile and true indifference.

Perhaps it's because of the double cleanliness.

Asking him to travel thousands of miles to treat Shao Hua's illness was truly too much to ask of others, and he couldn't help but deeply admire Murong Jin's magnanimity.

Seeing that Murong Jin and Xuan Mu had already exchanged pleasantries, Xuan Sheng said, "Mother, brother, the sect leader must be tired after traveling by boat all the way. Why don't we go to the Yin residence to rest first, and also visit Shao Hua, before we catch up and talk?"

"Ah, that's true. Look at my memory. I'm so happy that my daughter-in-law is getting better soon." Madam Ningfeng couldn't help but shake her head and laugh. She turned around and called to the coachman and maid, "Quickly pack the luggage for the second young master and Mr. Murong." Then she turned back and said, "Sir, please."

But Murong Jin turned around and smiled, "The patient is the most important thing. I wonder if Madam would mind if I rode a fast horse to the Yin residence first? It's best to take the Youying Grass as soon as possible, otherwise the medicinal effect will be insufficient, and it will be too late to do anything about it."

Everyone tensed up upon hearing this, but at the same time, they were pleased to see that Murong Jin was so proactive and responsible. Xuan Sheng quickly nodded, "Then, please go ahead, sir. I will lead the way. Mother, elder brother, please take your time."

“We’ll be on our way soon, and it wouldn’t be good to rush into the Yin residence like this. Second brother, you should go now.” Xuanmu nodded and helped Madam Ningfeng toward the carriage.

"good."

Villages Outside the City: Once You've Seen the Ocean, Other Waters Are Hard to Compare (Part 2)