Shu Ke peut regagner une fortune perdue

Chapitre 25

Xu Lianning stopped his sword strike, sheathed it, and smiled slightly: "Miss Tang, you can't even withstand this. If you had been listening to all of this in Zhen's room that day, how could I not have noticed?"

Tang Qin wasn't afraid. She looked at her and said, "If you want to know, come with me. I'll take you to see someone." She thought for a moment and then added, "But that person doesn't want to see anyone else. Cousin Sikong, you can't go."

Helpless, Sikong Yu could only say, "Miss Xu, please be careful. I'll wait for you up ahead."

Tang Qin joked, "Cousin Sikong, don't worry, that person wouldn't dare to do anything."

Xu Lianning's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a slight nervousness: "Who is the person I need to see?"

"I really can't tell you," Tang Qin shook her head. "If I tell you, the young master will blame me."

"Then, is your young master the benefactor destined for me, the twin Sala?"

"Huh?" She smiled wryly. "No, Pavilion Master Xu, your destiny is extremely compatible with our young master's, while that twin Shaluo is quite incompatible with you."

Xu Lianning remained silent. The two walked one after the other, and after turning several corners, they could see a carriage parked by the water. The curtain was rolled up, revealing a man inside, chin in hand, deep in thought as he looked at a chessboard. Tang Qin said softly, "Young Master." The man only raised his head slightly, and before the person outside could see his face clearly, the curtain fluttered down, revealing only a vague figure inside.

Tang Qin suppressed a laugh: "Young Master, Pavilion Master Xu saw through the lies you taught me to make up, so I had no choice but to bring her here."

Xu Lianning looked at the figure behind the carriage curtain, feeling the disappointment in her heart growing bigger and bigger, and she was completely lost in thought.

The man's voice was low, pleasant, and soothing: "Sect Master Xu, everything I taught Tang Qin to say is true, but it's inconvenient for me to show myself, that's why I said it."

Xu Lianning came to her senses and said calmly, "So, at the inn that day, did you indeed force Tang Muhua?"

"I simply returned the jade pendant to him. He is old and timid now, and I would not kill such a person." There was a hint of arrogance in the man's tone. "But I did not expect that Lin Zihan of Longteng Post would succeed in attacking him. I originally did not want to make any explanation, but after seeing Tang Muhua alive the next day, I sneaked into the Tang Clan to investigate."

"Why must you hide your true intentions, young master? How can anyone trust you if you do that?" She knew he was mostly telling the truth, but she still couldn't help but vent her anger on him.

There was a soft clatter of chess pieces, as if the man had accidentally knocked over the chessboard. After a long while, he said calmly, "I do not wish to show my true face to people, not because I want to hide anything, but because my appearance is very... strange."

Xu Lianning was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "I misspoke."

The man lifted the carriage curtain, already wearing the Zhong Kui mask he had seen that night, and slowly stepped down from the carriage: "After talking for so long, I forgot to follow the etiquette of the martial arts world. My surname is Chong, my given name is Xuan, and my courtesy name is Shaoyan."

Xu Lianning paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered a long-forgotten matter: "Is Young Master Chong from the Western Regions? Why does his accent not sound like it?"

Chongxuan said, "The teachers we hired in the past were all from Jiangnan, so they also spoke with the accent of this area."

She lowered her eyes, her mind racing. Chongxuan remained silent, and an awkward silence fell between them. After what seemed like an eternity, Chongxuan coughed lightly, about to speak, but Xu Lianning interrupted, "I've disturbed you for a long time, and I have friends waiting, so I'll take my leave." Without waiting for a reply, she strode away.

Tang Qin, who was keeping watch in the distance, saw her approaching and asked in surprise, "You're leaving already?"

Xu Lianning stopped and asked, "Miss Tang, you are a member of the Tang Clan, how did you end up following the Chongyan Palace?"

Tang Qin smiled slightly and said, "That year, when I was punished to face the wall, I met the Palace Master, Madam Li. She took me as her disciple. Over the years, I have always told my family that I went out to play, but in reality, I went to Chongyan Palace."

Xu Lianning nodded, a thought flashing through her mind: Some things, indeed, cannot be avoided.

Youthful years do not linger for the young.

After parting ways with Sikong Yu, the next step was to go to Suizhou. She traveled along the way, stopping frequently, whether walking slowly with Ye Zhao by the hand or riding a horse, she would always see the Chongyan Palace carriage parked outside the inn. Usually, Qingyin would come into the inn to buy food and then return to the carriage.

For the first few days, Xu Lianning frequently dreamt of the autumn rain on the night she parted from Zhang Weiyi. Later, the dream transformed into a little ghost that relentlessly haunted her. When she turned around, the once lively ghost would suddenly collapse lifelessly to the ground, limp and lifeless. Over the next few days, she couldn't eat or sleep, wishing she could rush over and explain everything.

After enduring this for more than ten days, they finally managed to slowly pass through Jian Ge. After lodging at an inn, Xu Lianning saw Qingyin order food from the waiter, so he asked for a bowl of water and headed towards the carriage.

Chongxuan was slightly surprised to see her coming. Xu Lianning walked closer and placed the bowl of water on the small table on the carriage: "I think you're not used to the food in Sichuan. Soaking it in water will make it better."

Chongxuan was wearing a mask, so his expression couldn't be seen, but his tone was smiling: "Thank you."

Qingyin, who was engrossed in her meal, couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Young Master, you don't like spicy food? I think it's delicious." Her mouth was covered in chili oil, making her look somewhat comical.

Chongxuan said with a smile, "Yeah, I don't like it. If you like it, eat more."

Seeing their harmonious demeanor, Xu Lianning tactfully took her leave. Suddenly, Chongxuan reached out and brushed her sleeve, looking up and saying, "I just caught it." Xu Lianning involuntarily took a step back, and as she turned around, she heard him say behind her, "You should get some rest too. You've seemed rather listless these past few days."

Xu Lianning had no way to express her bitterness, and she didn't know whether the other party was completely unaware or doing it on purpose. If they hadn't followed her all the way, she wouldn't have done this.

She returned to her room, washed up, and went to bed, remaining in a semi-conscious state. The snotty, stumbling little imp in her dream was as noisy as ever. Suddenly, she felt a warmth on her fingertips, as if someone had gently grasped hers, just like back at the Tang Sect. She could clearly feel it, yet she couldn't fully wake up.

She couldn't remember anything after that, and when she opened her eyes, the sun was already high in the sky. She washed up and had lunch before setting off with Ye Zhao. Not only did she not see the carriage that had followed her every day when she left the inn, but she didn't see it at all along the way, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.

After several days of this journey, they left Hanzhong and were not far from Suizhou.

She headed straight for Suizhou City in high spirits, but her heart was broken the moment she entered the city gate. A girl with her hair in twin buns and wearing a light pink shirt floated up to her, smiling innocently: "Sister, we've been waiting for you for two whole days. We thought you had an accident on the way."

Xu Lianning was furious, but his face remained impassive: "Is that so? I haven't seen you these past few days, and I was worried that something might have happened to you."

Qingyin didn't understand the meaning behind her words at all, and ran back happily: "Young Master, Young Master, people are worried about us too."

The figure behind the carriage curtain moved, and Chongxuan's voice came through: "We have other important matters to attend to these past few days, which has caused Miss Xu to worry."

Xu Lianning felt powerless, unsure whether the two were genuinely foolish or feigning ignorance. People in the martial arts world lived a life of constant danger and were naturally averse to unlucky words. She didn't believe in ghosts, gods, or supernatural powers, but to be told she had "had an accident" while walking down the street was rather impolite.

She calmly asked, "Do you two have a place to stay? I do have a courtyard in Suizhou City." This was originally a polite remark, and most people would decline it on the grounds of avoiding any impropriety between men and women. However, Chongxuan immediately replied, "In that case, it would be impolite to refuse."

Xu Lianning's attempt to outsmart her backfired, and she turned and left with a flick of her sleeve. Qingyin cheered and happily led her horse after her, completely unaware that the other was seething with hatred.

Xu Lianning thought to herself that she was used to speaking in circles, and it seemed she would have to change that habit in the future.

Qingyin loved the flower trellis and poplar trees in the courtyard, humming a little tune as she circled around. Xu Lianning ignored her, focusing intently on inspecting the furnishings in the inner room. The shape of Mr. Xiao's lips before his suicide seemed to be the characters "Suizhou," and after much thought, she could only connect it to this old house.

Qingyin curiously climbed the flower trellis, then leaned over to reach the old poplar tree beside it. In a flash, her petite body had already gripped a branch, and she darted up the tree. Xu Lianning looked down from the poplar tree, her gaze settling on a grand armchair beneath it. She remembered that Mr. Xiao always liked to lie in this chair.

Suddenly, a soft snapping sound was heard as a branch broke. Qingyin cried out and fell straight down from the tree, landing right on the armchair. Xu Lianning lightly touched the ground with one foot, gracefully moving the armchair aside from the window. Qingyin closed her eyes, but didn't feel the pain of falling for a long time. Curious, she opened her eyes and saw the young master holding her horizontally.

Xu Lianning felt Chongxuan give her a surprised look, and feeling guilty, she quickly turned her head to look at the chair. She noticed something stuck under the armrest. She carefully took it down and found it was an oil paper package, which seemed to contain a letter or something similar.

She took the package and turned around. Chongxuan was still standing there, holding Qingyin, staring straight at her. Xu Lianning said awkwardly, "Young Master Chong, aren't you tired of carrying someone like that?"

Chongxuan snapped out of his daze and hurriedly let go, causing Qingyin to fall miserably to the ground.

"Young Master, could you have called out to Qingyin before you let go?" Qingyin got up, dissatisfied. "Qingyin was startled."

Xu Lianning smiled gently and reached out to brush the dust off Qingyin's clothes: "I'm really sorry about earlier, I should have caught you first." After a slight pause, she added, "What kind of snacks would you like to eat later? I'll make it up to you, okay?"

Qingyin thought for a moment, then rattled off a string of names. Chongxuan couldn't help but interrupt her, "We are guests, and we've never seen anyone be so rude."

Qingyin pouted, "Shouldn't the master do his best to entertain the guests? How was I rude?"

Xu Lianning smiled slightly and said, "Yes, yes, I haven't been able to entertain you two yet. I originally wanted to invite you to a restaurant, but Young Master Chong is unwilling to show his face, so how about we make do and I buy the food for you?"

Qingyin looked at her young master with great curiosity: "Young Master, why don't you want to show your face? It's not like you're ashamed to be seen."

Chongxuan felt secretly embarrassed: "That's enough, Qingyin, stop talking."

Xu Lianning also became slightly curious. For men, appearance is not really important, and besides, she didn't have a good impression of that unsteady little brat from many years ago, but she didn't think he was ugly or strange anymore.

"I'll be right back. Please make yourselves at home." She put away the oil paper package and went to buy food.

Upon hearing this, Chongxuan also came over: "I'll go with you."

Xu Lianning glanced at him, saying calmly, "That thing you're wearing on your face is a bit too scary."

Chongxuan stopped in his tracks, raised his hand to remove his mask, and said calmly, "I also think that treating each other like this is too impolite. Please don't misunderstand anything else."

Xu Lianning thought to herself, "You've done plenty of rude things, this really is nothing." She raised her head slightly, looking at his face in the sunlight. He wasn't disfigured or missing anything, but when she saw his eyes, she couldn't help but smile gently: "What's strange about your appearance? Even if your eye color is different from that of people from the Central Plains, it doesn't matter."

Chongxuan blushed slightly, looking a little awkward: "It would be strange if the pupils of your two eyes were different colors."

Xu Lianning turned her face away, but couldn't suppress the smile on her lips: "You can't tell unless you look closely."

The two walked down the street. Xu Lianning noticed that many girls were stealing glances at Chongxuan as he passed by, their cheeks flushing. Unfortunately, he couldn't stand the stares from those around him and behind him, and his face turned red to his ears. For the first time, she didn't find him annoying and joked, "If you really looked strange, so many people wouldn't be looking at you. You might as well just stay like this from now on."

Chongxuan looked at her awkwardly: "I think I'm more used to wearing something."

Xu Lianning simply smiled.

At the shop, Qingyin picked out various pastries she liked, such as mung bean cake, pea flour cake, and rose cake. The shopkeeper, looking somewhat surprised, bundled up a large bag of them, but finally beamed with joy when she paid. Xu Lianning suddenly asked, "Does Qingyin like climbing trees? That's a rather dangerous hobby."

Chongxuan smiled slightly and said, "I don't think it's a big deal. I can always catch her if she falls." He paused for a moment, and his expression softened. "I used to be weak. I had a playmate who loved climbing trees. Once, she fell down and I rushed over to catch her, but I ended up breaking my arm."

Xu Lianning turned her head to look at the street on the other side: "You hate her, don't you? She caused you to break your arm."

Chongxuan shook his head: "She didn't do it on purpose, why should I hate her? Life is only a few decades long. If you're too busy hating others, you'll forget many things you should be happy about."

Xu Lianning couldn't help but say, "Your mother is truly a magnanimous person."

"How do you know that this was said by my mother?" Chongxuan looked at her in surprise.

"Just a guess," Xu Lianning said, avoiding his gaze. Even if he didn't care, she felt a thorn still in her heart. But perhaps Chongxuan hadn't recognized her after all, nor did he quite understand the reasons from back then? And it seemed inappropriate for her to speak of these past events. Perhaps she had been lost in thought for too long, for Chongxuan couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about?"

Xu Lianning turned her head and looked into his eyes, one blue and one black, and suppressed a laugh: "No, no, it's nothing."

Chongxuan looked at her half-smile, his expression somber. Xu Lianning changed the subject: "I wonder what kind of dishes and pastries Young Master Chong likes?"

Chongxuan hummed in agreement: "I'm not picky as long as it's not too spicy." He looked at him with clear, bright eyes: "And don't always call me 'Young Master' so formally, how about..."

Xu Lianning immediately replied, "Shuoyan, shall I call you Shuoyan?"

He stood there, a gentle breeze ruffling his sleeves, and a hint of joy appeared on his face: "So you still remember my courtesy name?" He lowered his eyes, and an unexpected smile seemed to brighten his face: "From now on, I will call you Lian Ning."

Xu Lianning immediately felt that she had done something stupid.

She had guessed what was in that oil paper package, but she never imagined it would be so important.

There were only two letters inside, the handwriting not very good, but the words were quite respectful. However, there are many illiterate people in the martial arts world, so this is not unusual.

However, the letter was signed by Liu, Jun, Ru.

The Wudang Grand Assembly, which had surrounded the Tianshang Sect at the foot of the mountain, later quietly withdrew. Despite her meticulously planned scheme, it was discovered by the enemy; she still vividly remembered the chaos and bloodshed following the explosion. Finally, after Xiao Qianjue was accidentally stabbed by Liu Junru, he coldly sneered, "If I don't kill you today, it would only dirty my hands."

At first, she thought it was just that Liu Junru coveted the position of leader of the alliance and was taking action against the Tang Clan first. Little did she know that this conspiracy had been planted long ago.

So, more than half a year ago, it was most likely Long Tengyi who broke through Lingxuan Palace's secret sentries in Nanjing. It's laughable that she subtly questioned He Wan, convinced she was responsible. And there's a reason why Master's attitude towards Long Tengyi on Wudang Mountain was unpleasant; Master probably knew something, but lacked concrete evidence.

Xiao Qianjue wasn't completely fooled by him, otherwise he wouldn't have left anything here. He truly didn't need to kill his enemy himself; if things were exposed, Liu Junru would be disgraced and become an enemy of all the prestigious sects in the world, which was far more painful than dying at his hands. His intentions were truly chilling.

Holding the package of letters, she was unsettled. After thinking for a long time, she finally put the oil paper package back under the armrest of the armchair.

When Chongxuan saw her turn around, he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? You look so pale." He reached out to feel her forehead, asking, "Did you catch a cold?"

Xu Lianning stepped back, leaving him standing awkwardly in the cold. She forced a smile, "I was just worried because Master still had some things to do." As soon as she finished speaking, she exclaimed, "Yin Han, Yin Han... could it be that he is also..." Xu Lianning grabbed his hand and said seriously, "I might have to leave for a while. If you have free time in the future, come to Hangzhou to find me. I plan to stay in Gushan for a long time after I finish my business."

Chongxuan paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Isn't it good for me to stay with you?"

Xu Lianning released her grip, feeling utterly powerless. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Shaoyan, you've probably misunderstood. There's only one person I care about, and I only think about that person."

Chongxuan stared at her blankly for a long time before sighing and laughing, "I don't want to see you in a difficult position. Just consider it wishful thinking on my part. But I feel a sense of familiarity when I look at you, as if I've known you for a long time." Xu Lianning felt a headache coming on. Just as she was about to speak frankly, she saw him take a step back and whisper, "You don't need to avoid me. Just pretend I didn't say anything. If you want to remember, just treat it as a joke. Everything will remain the same." Then he turned and went back to his room, his back view somewhat desolate.

Xu Lianning sat down at the stone table, racking his brains but unable to recall anything else he had done besides bringing him a bowl of water that might lead to any other associations. Besides, Chongxuan might even be his own younger brother, right? Looking at him like that, he felt a pang of pity. He had hurt him when they were children, and now he was making him unhappy; he truly felt deeply guilty.

When Qingyin woke up, she saw her young master sitting at the table, the first rays of dawn casting a melancholy glow beside him. Chongxuan was gentle by nature, rarely speaking harshly or scolding anyone, nor would he indulge in sentimental musings. She quietly walked behind him and suddenly called out, "Young Master!"

Chongxuan didn't turn his head, but asked inexplicably, "Qingyin, if you have someone on your mind and feel something is missing when she's not around, what does that mean?"

Qingyin tilted her head and looked at him: "So, is this person your enemy?"