Shu Ke peut regagner une fortune perdue

Chapitre 29

Xu Lianning suddenly stopped and said, "Then it's time to part ways."

Zhang Weiyi turned her head and saw her looking down at the jade flute in her hand with a lingering expression. Suddenly, the lingering expression vanished, replaced by resolute indifference. She took a step back and said calmly, "The past is gone, my friend is gone, there's no use keeping it." Zhang Weiyi instinctively wanted to stop her, but she forcibly restrained herself and watched helplessly as she grasped both ends of the jade flute and used her strength to break it in two.

"From this day forward, let us never think of each other again. My love for you is over." Xu Lianning threw the two pieces of the jade flute on the ground and turned to leave without hesitation.

Zhang Weiyi felt as if her heart had been ripped out. She stood blankly in the rain for a long time before bending down to pick up the two pieces of the jade flute and slowly holding them in her hands.

The jade flute was still warm, but my heart had turned completely cold.

Suddenly, he heard a series of very steady footsteps approaching. Without turning around, he asked in a calm tone, "How... is that matter?"

Yin Han jumped off his horse, threw the whip and reins to the coachman, and asked the steward, "Where is Young Master Zhang?"

The steward was startled and hurriedly said, "Young Master Zhang went out before dawn yesterday and hasn't returned yet."

Lin Zihan frowned, took the oil-paper umbrella handed to him by a servant, and shielded her from the rain: "Hanmei, why do you care so much about him? Anyway, he is also—" Yin Han pushed him away and said impatiently: "Stay away from me. It's none of your business who I want to be nice to."

She snatched the reins and whip from the groom's hand, mounted the horse, lashed the horse's rump hard, and rode away.

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Lin Zihan's eyes. He turned around and strode into the house, asking as he walked, "When Master returns, tell him about Miss's matter."

The steward could only agree repeatedly. As he turned to close the door, he saw a faint figure approaching from afar, and before he knew it, the figure was right in front of him. Upon recognizing the person, he quickly said, "Young Master Zhang, you've finally returned."

Zhang Weiyi, soaked to the bone, said calmly, "What?"

The steward wiped his brow: "Miss and Young Master Lin returned first. Knowing that the young master was not here, Miss rushed out to look for him."

"Brother Zhang, you haven't come home all night. I wonder what you've been up to. If you've found some fun, why not tell me? That way, I can go next time I'm bored." Lin Zihan turned around and came out, his tone sarcastic.

Zhang Weiyi smiled slightly, but the smile did not reach his eyes: "It's just ordinary peach blossoms and green willows, I'm afraid it won't catch Brother Lin's eye."

Lin Zihan sneered, "Brother Zhang, you're known for your unparalleled charm, but it turns out you can also be a charlatan."

Zhang Weiyi walked past him and said indifferently, "Brother Lin is too proud to be anything but. With such a golden opportunity before you, you should naturally behave yourself. It's a pity I don't know if the other party would even be interested."

Lin Zihan gripped the hilt of his sword, staring at his retreating figure: "Zhang Weiyi, you don't need to be so arrogant. Even if Master uses you now, he might not trust you. Besides, you're just a cripple. What makes you think you can compete with me?"

Upon hearing the words "useless person," Zhang Weiyi paused, then smiled and strode away.

Xu Lianning walked alone on the official road, holding an oil-paper umbrella. At this moment, there was no one coming or going on the official road, making the surroundings seem even more desolate and bleak.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out behind them, and a woman's clear voice called out from afar: "Xu Lianning, stop right there!"

She lowered her umbrella slightly, turned to the side to watch the other person ride up to her on horseback, and said softly, "Junior Sister Yin, it's been a long time. Why are you becoming more and more impolite?"

Yin Han jumped off his horse and walked towards her: "Don't call me that. But you're really lucky. You escaped from Wudang, and you came out alive from the Tianshang Sect incident, but you won't be so lucky this time."

Xu Lianning looked at her and said, "So it was you back in Wudang. It's just a pity that even you and your father couldn't outmaneuver me back then, so it's even more impossible for you to do it alone now."

Yin Han glared at her: "Enough with the nonsense, draw your sword!"

Xu Lianning smiled gently, the vermilion mark between her brows deep red: "Junior Sister Yin, may I ask, did you see me on the street that day? Why are you only coming to find me today?"

She froze for a moment, biting her lip gently, unable to utter a word. Xu Lianning looked at her, a knowing smile blooming on her lips: So it's still the same. Yet, for some reason, she felt a pang of sadness.

Yin Han hesitated for a moment, then raised her head and said loudly, "I don't care how you harassed Wei Yi before, but from now on, there's no place for you between us! No one is forcing him to be like this now, so why won't you let him go?" She paused, then threw down another sentence heavily: "You're just like your mother, so despicable."

Xu Lianning loosened her grip, and the oil-paper umbrella fell to the ground. She raised her hand and drew out the Flame Breath, smiling softly, "Is that so? Junior Sister Yin, you are nothing more than a pawn of Sect Master Liu. We're all in the same boat." Deep down, she was ashamed of those embarrassing past events, and being brought up by Yin Han like this made her extremely angry.

Enraged by her words, Yin Han moved swiftly, the dagger between her fingers gleaming brightly. Xu Lianning retreated, less agile than usual, and was caught by her opponent's weapon, suffering a cut on her arm. The vermilion mark between her brows deepened rapidly, and when she regained her footing, her eyes were calm and devoid of any emotion.

Blood Demon Forbidden, marked with cinnabar, forged in hell to become a demon.

She knew she would become a demon, but she went ahead anyway.

Xu Lianning drew his sword, and the pale red sword light surged. Yin Han felt a sudden, inexplicable panic, as if her opponent's martial arts had instantly become several times more advanced. Suddenly, the sword light vanished, and she immediately felt a chill on her shoulder. Before she could even feel the pain, she saw her opponent's next sword coming towards her.

She was greatly alarmed and involuntarily retreated. She knew that Xu Lianning had concealed her martial arts skills back in Lingxuan Palace, but they couldn't possibly be that much better than hers.

A pale red sword flashed swiftly, drawing droplets of blood, but the swordsman remained indifferent and unmoved. Xu Lianning calmly cornered her opponent, leaving him nowhere to hide. Suddenly, a flash of silver light streaked past her eyes. She spun around, her sword falling, cleaving the silver light in two. The person who had suddenly appeared shielded Yin Han with their back, pushing her near their mount. Yin Han reacted quickly, leaping onto her horse and galloping towards Nanjing.

Xu Lianning quickly sheathed her sword. The man's back looked exactly like Ruan Qingxuan's. She wanted to make a move, but hesitated, remaining stuck in this limbo.

Su Ling turned her head, Xing'er's eyes curving slightly: "Those things were done by her father, she had no choice after all."

Xu Lianning sheathed his sword: "This is my master's dying wish. Since I have accepted it, I must do it."

Su Ling smiled slightly and said, "I have no relation to her and I'm not on her side. But if I feel I've done something wrong, it's always good to have a chance to make amends."

But she never had that opportunity.

Xu Lianning took a few steps and noticed that Su Ling was still following her. She was slightly surprised and asked, "Miss Su, what exactly do you want?"

Su Ling tilted her head, a smug smile playing on her lips: "I'm going with you. What if the people from Longtengyi come after us and you can't handle them?"

Xu Lianning felt powerless and said indifferently, "Miss Su, if you let Yin Han go, it won't be much trouble for the people from Longteng Post Station to come looking for me. Are you still going to stand on my side then?" Suddenly, she felt that she was really too foolish for not being able to do anything just because the other person's back looked like Ruan Qingxuan.

Su Ling smiled and said, "You don't need to worry. Qingxuan is my twin sister. We're not strangers."

Xu Lianning felt a pause in her heart and said, "So, your surname is Shen...?"

Why would the Shen family appear at Longteng Post Station? If it were her, she would definitely seek revenge at any cost, rather than aligning herself with her enemy.

Passionate yet seemingly indifferent

Xu Lianning wondered what kind of person Su Ling was, since she was Ruan Qingxuan's twin sister.

But the more time I spent with him, the more disillusioned I felt.

"Come on, let your sister give you a massage..." Xing'er stretched out her hand, her eyes crinkling with laughter, and then the little farm boy struggled and screamed.

Xu Lianning felt a slight headache. Su Ling really didn't resemble Ruan Qingxuan much; the only similarity was probably in appearance, but even that faded over time.

Su Ling likes children, especially those who are chubby and tender. She always pinches the pretty ones she sees.

Su Ling tilted her head and looked over: "Lian Ning, you don't seem to like children."

Xu Lianning naturally disliked it.

The thought of children brings to mind the image of Chongxuan lying on the ground with a bloody head when he was little, and then I think of myself, and I just can't bring myself to like them.

"Where are we going next?" Su Ling asked, turning to her as she let go of the wailing child.

Xu Lianning hesitated, undecided. She should go to Suizhou to deliver the letter left by Mr. Xiao to Master Tianyan, but her repeated trips between Suizhou and other places seemed too obvious. After thinking for a while, she suddenly remembered someone: "Mingjian Manor."

Su Ling's expression changed drastically: "What do you want with Shang Mingjian?"

Xu Lianning wondered about her strange reaction: "Master Shang owes Lingxuan Palace a favor, and right now I can only trust him. In terms of martial arts, only he can match Zhang Weiyi."

Su Ling gave a bitter smile: "Originally, I would never set foot on a piece of land belonging to Mingjian Manor in my entire life, but now I have broken my vow for you."

"Isn't the Shen family a long-standing friend of the Shang family? How could you have a grudge against the Shang family head?"

“It’s not a holiday, and we are indeed family friends. However, we haven’t been in touch for a long time.” She hesitated for a moment, then said apologetically, “I don’t want to bring up the past, so I can’t tell you.”

Xu Lianning smiled slightly and said, "If it would be awkward for you to meet, then I'll go alone."

Su Ling shook her head: "It won't be awkward. Qingxuan sacrificed so much, but I didn't do anything. It's just not right."

Xu Lianning suddenly had a strange feeling, as if she had returned to the time she spent with Ruan Qingxuan.

But this atmosphere didn't last long before it was broken by the sound of rapid hoofbeats in the distance. Su Ling looked back and was slightly surprised: "How come the Longteng Post Station has caught up so quickly?" Xu Lianning drew his sword and went straight to meet them: "If we just kill all these people, they won't be able to find us for a while."

Before Su Ling could speak, she leaped forward on one foot, heading straight for the person in the lead. Before that person could even react, a sword pierced his throat. Xu Lianning used the saddle for leverage, then thrust her sword at the people behind her. Su Ling watched, feeling that her attack was extremely ruthless, instantly silencing all four people in the group.

Xu Lianning led the horse over: "We need to leave quickly."

Su Ling took the reins and said, "You have fallen into demonic possession. After this matter is over, I will definitely cripple your martial arts. Don't blame me."

Xu Lianning didn't care much: "Even if I die at your hands, I won't hold a grudge."

Su Ling looked at her silently, then mounted her horse and said, "Let's go."

The two rode side by side for a while, and then they could faintly hear the sound of horses' hooves, which grew clearer and clearer. Su Ling whipped the horse's rump hard, but unfortunately, the mount was only of average quality, and after running for half a day, its breathing became increasingly labored.

Suddenly, Xu Lianning's mount stumbled, its hind leg breaking off. She quickly leaped back and noticed a short, willow-leaf-shaped dagger on the ground; someone had thrown it, severing the horse's hind leg. Looking up, she saw Lin Zihan riding up first, shouting, "Lord Su Chuan, are you perhaps planning to betray your word and associate with this…" He hesitated, then pointed at Xu Lianning and said, "...associate with this demoness from Lingxuan Palace?"

Su Ling chuckled, dismounted, and went to greet him, saying, "Not at all, I was just being polite." She walked to within five steps of Lin Zihan, and with a flick of her wrist, a silver thread shot towards him like lightning. A pale blue figure flashed, and a brilliant sword light deflected the silver thread. The sword light was clear as autumn water, and the ancient hilt was engraved with the characters for Tai Chi. The person wielding the sword possessed a refined and elegant air that commanded respect—it was Zhang Weiyi.

Su Ling took a step back, her eyes filled with coldness.

Zhang Weiyi remained calm and said slowly, "Lord Su, you flatter me."

Xu Lianning stepped forward slowly, her every move composed and unhurried, as if she were speaking to a stranger: "I never expected that Xu Lianning would trouble Young Master Yujian to grace me with her presence. I am truly flattered."

Zhang Weiyi stood in the gentle breeze, his sleeves fluttering slightly, and replied in a calm tone, "Sect Leader Xu, there's no need for such politeness." He looked at the other man, his eyes devoid of emotion, yet he made no intention of drawing his sword. Lin Zihan drew his sword with a clang, circling it around: "I'd like to first learn from Lingxuan Palace's superior skills."

Xu Lianning glanced at Su Ling, who nodded slightly and silently took two steps to the left and back. She turned her head and smiled slightly: "Young Master Lin, please." As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Zihan had already slashed down with his sword diagonally, the sword aura chilling, showing the style of a master.

Longtengyi's swordsmanship is always grand yet composed, while Lingxuan Palace, with its predominantly female disciples, is characterized by its gentle and agile style. Xu Lianning, after practicing the Blood Demon Forbidden Technique, has also acquired a touch of the sinister. She wasn't aiming for victory; she only counterattacked when her opponents' swordsmanship showed weakness, otherwise adopting a defensive stance.

This group of Dragon Ascent Post disciples who came after them was much more troublesome than the previous ones, and with Zhang Weiyi added to the mix, it was almost impossible for them to escape unscathed.

Xu Lianning kept a close eye on Su Ling's condition, noticing that she was gradually leading the Dragon Soaring Post disciples who had been fighting her towards the left and rear. Seeing that they were getting further and further away from the main path, Xu Lianning also felt a slight lack of strength. Behind them was a high earthen slope; escaping through the slope would undoubtedly be the best option.

Su Ling retreated a few steps, then turned and ran towards the top of the slope. The disciples of Longteng Post Station shouted behind her, but couldn't catch up. When she reached the top, she suddenly jumped down. Xu Lianning, seeing that the time was right, slashed her sword down from above, her sword strokes wide and powerful, forcing Lin Zihan back. She lightly touched the ground with one foot, floating back a few feet. Just as she turned around, everything went black, and she collapsed to the ground. A bitter smile appeared on her lips. She raised her hand to wipe her face, only to see a few drops of blood on her fingertips.

Zhang Weiyi held a sword in his left hand, his blue robe fluttering with each step, his refined and elegant demeanor beyond words.

Xu Lianning struggled to sit up, her vest instantly stained crimson.

Zhang Weiyi chuckled softly, "You were so resolute that day, you didn't even give me a chance to say a word." Although he was smiling, there was no hint of amusement in his eyes. "That sword strike just now was my way of returning the favor to you. What do you think, Pavilion Master Xu?"

Xu Lianning covered her lips and couldn't help coughing a few times, which aggravated her injuries and caused a burning pain in her back. With a flick of her pale blue sleeve, a broken flute was thrown in front of her.

She looked up at him with slight surprise. But he was cold-faced, shattering the broken flute into pieces with a single sword strike, then pointing his sword at her: "Sect Master Xu, how much longer can you hold out? You might as well surrender."

Xu Lianning's face drained of color, then she suddenly smiled slightly. The disciples of Longteng Post Station around her felt their hearts pound wildly, as if only that woman and her radiant smile remained in the world. Zhang Weiyi was momentarily stunned, then immediately regained her senses, only to see Xu Lianning thrust her sword towards her.

A final, desperate strike is always made without regard to the cost.

He was cautious by nature and only used his sword to parry. Suddenly, he saw her figure turn and head towards Lin Zihan.

Startled by the thunderous strike, Lin Zihan hastily swung his sword haphazardly, completely lacking any discernible technique. Xu Lianning used the force of his sword strike to retreat, lightly leaping down the earthen slope.

Zhang Weiyi chased after them to the top of the earthen slope and looked down. The slope was only about ten feet high, and below it was a pile of rocks.

Lin Zihan realized what was happening and his face turned ashen: "That vixen actually used seductive arts just now!"

Zhang Weiyi did not answer, but looked down, slightly dazed.

Suddenly, someone behind him said, "Nephew, you've been chasing after us for most of the day. The journey must be tiring and could easily aggravate your old injuries. Why don't you take care of business tomorrow?"

Zhang Weiyi turned around and said in a humble tone, "Sect Leader Liu."

Liu Junru strode over and smiled slightly, "One of them is seriously injured, the rest are easy to handle. It's just that my niece Su..."

"My disciple is unruly and has ruined Master Liu's important business. It's only right that he suffers a little." The speaker had a plain face, neither handsome nor ugly, and carried a faint fragrance of tea.