Neuf chansons - Chapitre 39
Xiao Feng turned to look at her, and she beckoned him with a smile: "Brother Xiao, come here!"
The people surrounding them had already thrown into disarray. Xiao Feng, looking at her smile with a puzzled expression, walked over and said, "Miss Li!" Xiao Feng was the biggest rival here, and everyone's eyes followed his every step.
Li Yuxuan laughed again. As Xiao Feng drew closer, she slowly moved closer to him. When Fang Huai's body was about a third of the way in her line of sight, she covered her mouth with her hand, as if laughing so hard she was shaking. She spat a mouthful of phlegm into her hand, then concentrated her energy, freezing the liquid into an ice cube. She then used a Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand technique to throw the ice cube at that third of Fang Huai at close range.
This was her first move. Her first move in the true sense of the word.
Nobody knew what she threw out.
Only Li Xinyun exclaimed, "Life and Death Talisman?"
It probably doesn't count as a life-or-death talisman because she doesn't recognize acupoints, but she knows that in traditional Chinese medicine, the entire body can be used as an acupoint in an emergency, called an Ashi point.
Xiao Feng stopped in his tracks; he had seen it too. He hadn't expected that Li Yuxuan had actually mastered it in just a few days. Although it had the air of a surprise attack, it was still quite remarkable for her.
Taking advantage of Fang Huai's momentary hesitation, Xiao Feng swiftly rushed over and snatched Wang Naigong away with two punches.
Li Yuxuan clapped his hands and chuckled, "So, Brother Zhan, can I avenge you now? Tell me who bullied you, and I'll beat them up for you!"
Zhan Zhao's gaze at her was quite colorful: "I was worried that something bad had happened to you, so after being rescued by Xu Zhu and the princess, I insisted on coming to find you. Turns out... cough cough, you're doing very well!"
"It's only because you came that I feel better. I've never had much confidence in myself until I saw you. I realized that there was no hope of relying on you, and I could only rely on myself. That's when my inner strength exploded. Hahahaha!" He looked at Fang Huai triumphantly and said, "Uncle Fang, you must have heard of the Life and Death Talisman of Lingjiu Palace, right? We're even now. If you bring me the antidote, I'll help you remove the talisman. If you don't, then we'll die together and have company on the road to the Yellow Springs."
Fang Huai's face was ashen. He stared at her without saying a word, probably regretting that he hadn't crippled her skills from the start.
Haitang was captured by the people of Lingjiu Palace and brought before Li Xinyun.
Li Xinyun slapped her face repeatedly: "How dare you ambush me! Don't you know who I am? I'll have them skin you alive and make a sheepskin raft from you!"
Wang Naigong blocked her hand: "Young lady, she is my adopted daughter after all. She is young and naive and was instigated by others. Please forgive her!"
Li Xinyun withdrew his hand and blew on his reddened palm: "Take him away. That old bastard won't give her the antidote, and she doesn't want to live either. Call all the people surrounding her in. No, let the people outside come in and feed everyone in this manor the poison from Lingjiu Palace. If anything happens to Brother Li and Brother Xu, make everyone in this manor pay for their deaths."
"Yes, Madam!"
Li Yuxuan clicked his tongue. People from the palace really don't treat human life as human life.
Wang Naigong's face turned pale with anxiety. The people from their village were no match for the people brought by Lingjiu Palace; in no time, a large portion of them had been poisoned, including even the tourists they had invited. "Miss, this won't do! Fang Huai, quickly bring out the antidote! Are you willing to risk your own life for the lives of over a thousand people in this village?"
Even Li Yuxuan was stunned, not expecting things to escalate like this. He stared dumbfounded at the wailing and howling throughout the entire manor. Wang Naigong and Fang Huai were even more shocked; looking at the mess of chicken feathers, their faces were ashen. They had initially thought it was just an internal conflict within the manor, never imagining it would jeopardize the entire manor's future and their own lives.
Wang Naigong looked at Li Yuxuan pleadingly: "Miss Li, please tell them to stop! I need Fang Huai to produce the antidote!"
Li Yuxuan shrugged, indicating his helplessness: "You should beg this Madam Li! She is the mistress of Lingjiu Palace!"
Li Xinyun turned his head and tossed an ear to Wang Naigong: "Bring the antidote before we talk terms."
Xiao Feng had spent some time with Li Xinyun when they were in Xixia. He knew her temperament and that she was just causing trouble and taking revenge for Zhan Zhao. So he stood aside with his hands behind his back.
More and more people knelt in the hall, begging Fang Huai to produce the antidote. Some even approached Fang Huai with weapons, threatening to kill him if he didn't produce the antidote, and even threatening to kill his ancestors for eighteen generations and desecrate his father's grave. These were all江湖 (jianghu) men, and when pushed to the limit, they were indeed capable of anything.
Seeing the chaotic scene, Li Yuxuan helped Zhan Zhao up and told Xiao Lei to help Xu Qingzhi up as well: "Brother Xiao, let's find a quiet place to rest and wait for them to think it over before we talk about it!"
A stranger standing beside them, observing coldly, nodded: "Let's go. I used to think this First Manor was something special, but it turns out it's just a bunch of rabble. It's an eyesore."
This guy is even more boastful than Li Xinyun.
A group of people walked out of the hall and sat down in a pavilion on the side of the courtyard. Li Yuxuan noticed that the strange man was staring at her intently, so she couldn't help but ask, "Brother Xiao, who is this?"
Looking back, a century has passed.
Xiao Feng hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the man: "This is your cousin."
Cousin? Li Yuxuan thought of her own background, and seeing Xiao Feng's hesitant expression and the man's scrutinizing gaze, she roughly understood the man's identity. She now deeply resented her Khitan identity, and by extension, she also disliked this so-called cousin.
In the past, she would have been very gossipy and researched the unofficial history of the Yelü Dynasty from this Khitan man.
The man smiled slightly and opened his mouth: "Li—"
Ignoring his enthusiasm, Li Yuxuan quickly turned around and squatted down in front of Zhan Zhao: "Brother Zhan, how did they hurt you like this?"
Zhan Zhao's face flushed slightly: "You won't die, cough cough, could you stand up and speak?"
Li Xinyun chuckled.
Li Yuxuan glanced around at the strange reactions; everyone was looking at her with odd expressions. She touched her face and asked, "Am I alright? Could it be that the poison I took is starting to take effect, blooming into a flower on my face?"
Li Xinyun grabbed her by the collar from behind and lifted her up: "You brat, you think you're really a brat? Look at your clothes, and look at the way you're squatting, you're even worse than me."
She then remembered that she was wearing women's clothing, but even if she squatted down with her legs spread wide in an unladylike manner, the skirt would cover everything, so nothing could be seen. What do you mean by "worse than me"? Li Yuxuan rolled his eyes at her: "Yeah, I'm not as unruly as you, not as rich as you, not as husbandly as you, and I have things you don't. As for the rest, we're about the same, right?"
She finished speaking and let out a barely audible sigh. Everyone's face was heavy and suppressed. Only she, the victim who should have been weeping and threatening suicide at this moment, was still smiling innocently and joking around, as if she were the bystander who couldn't bear to look any longer. And these people around her were the real victims, those with dark faces, looking like they were related to Judge Bao. Sigh, for their sake, she loved Judge Bao.
People in the hall began to gradually crowd towards them, with Wang Naigong leading the way. Zhan Zhao's brow relaxed: "You brat, the antidote is here, go get it!"
Xu Qingzhi stood up: "I'll go!" He strode towards Wang Naigong, with Xiao Feng following at a distance. Li Yuxuan sat down; the expected outcome offered no reason for excitement.
"What are you feeding the people in this manor?" This question needs to be clarified; why would the Lingjiu Palace carry so much poison? Li Xinyun asked this question in anger, not expecting it to actually happen.
“Reporting to Madam, we only fed them the dry rations they carried with them, not poison,” a palace maid from Lingjiu Palace stepped forward and replied solemnly.
After a moment of slight surprise, everyone burst into laughter.
Li Xinyun cursed, "You bunch of little hussies, you even dare to fool me."
Upon approaching and overhearing the conversation, Wang Naigong paused, both amused and exasperated. He shook his head, picked up a small bottle, and handed it to Li Yuxuan: "The antidote, take it!"
Where is Brother Xu?
Xu Qingzhi stepped forward and took the bottle: "I've already eaten. You're not in a hurry. Wait an hour before eating! If he tries anything funny, we won't all be wiped out."
Li Yuxuan nodded. In front of Xu Qingzhi, she didn't need to pretend, and she understood his intentions. Xu Qingzhi was meticulous; he was afraid the antidote was fake, or even if it was real, it might have some unpredictable side effects.
The stranger, who called himself "Cousin," looked at the messy courtyard, his brows furrowed, and raised his hand: "King Xiao, let's go!"
Xiao Feng looked at Li Yuxuan and said, "Let them resolve their family matters themselves. Let's leave first and find a place for Master Zhan to recuperate properly."
Zhan Zhao stood up and said in a deep voice, "I don't need Your Highness to worry about my injuries. Lord Li, Lord Xu, and I will head to Qingzhou immediately."
Xiao Feng knew that Zhan Zhao was wary of the person beside him, so he smiled and said, "I have something to say to Lord Li, so please take your leave."
The three of them kept their distance, each with a different expression on their face.
My cousin stared at her face and slowly began, "Li—You—Ying—"
Li Yuxuan didn't want to get too close to him, so he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Cousin, please speak frankly. I am all ears."
The man laughed heartily: "As expected of a son of the grasslands, so straightforward! Well then, you shall come back to the capital with me. My purpose in coming here is twofold: first, to meet the cousin whom King Xiao spoke of as a woman no less capable than any man; and second, to bring you back to fulfill my father's wish. My father has always deeply regretted the death of Empress Dowager Rende and has been searching for her relatives..."
This man was Yelü Hongji, the current emperor of the Khitan Kingdom. Li Yuxuan's guess was entirely correct; besides the deceased A'Zhu, the only other person who could command Xiao Feng's utmost respect was this Yelü Hongji.
Li Yuxuan coldly and rudely interrupted him: "You would only say such a thing if Xiao Nujin were dead. I am not your cousin, and I will not go back to Shangjing with you. You have already seen me, you can go back now."
Can a single sentence really make her abandon the blood feud of her entire family's massacre? The Li family, including Prefect Li De, and now the Ren De Empress Dowager's family, even if Li Yuxuan were just a nobody, she couldn't possibly be so easily dismissed with a single sentence. What a pity, I'm the one who regrets it, having the misfortune of becoming your cousin.
"Brother Xiao, you're really too disloyal." Li Yuxuan looked helplessly at Xiao Feng, whose brows were furrowed. "How could you betray me like this?"
“He’s doing this for your own good. Only by returning to the capital and revealing your identity can you be truly safe.” Yelü Hongji wasn’t annoyed by Li Yuxuan’s rudeness and began to reason with her and present the facts: “There are quite a few people who know your identity now. I know, your Southern Dynasty emperor knows, and the Southern Dynasty martial arts world knows. Do you think they will let you go? Your brother Xiao has experienced the pain firsthand, which is why he told me. He also knew that you would definitely not return to Khitan, which is why he persuaded me to come with him to rescue you.”
“Your arrival has made me see the pain even more acutely. I will not return to Khitan. I am a Song citizen, and my father is a true Central Plains man. Even if I were to return, it would be to the Li family in Luoyang, not to your capital.” Li Yuxuan bit his lip and turned to leave. “There’s no point in saying more. Go back. It’s not safe here. If your identity is discovered, you’ll be dead, and you’ll only implicate Brother Xiao and me.”
Xiao Feng grabbed Li Yuxuan's arm: "Lord Li, your cousin's words are all true. Please think it over."
"I..." Seeing Xiao Feng's concerned and pained eyes, Li Yuxuan's nose tingled, and all the bitterness and grievances in her heart swelled up. Tears poured out uncontrollably, and she threw herself into Xiao Feng's arms: "Big brother!"
Xiao Feng held her in his arms: "Silly girl, cry. I know your pain."
Let him cry. His sobs shook the earth. Li Yuxuan sobbed uncontrollably, as if all the tears and grievances he had accumulated over the years, once released, would inevitably cause a great flood.
In her heart, Xiao Feng was like a mountain, an elder brother figure. This feeling was many times more intimate and profound than that of someone who called himself her cousin. She let her tears flow freely. Over the years, she had been searching alone for that feeling of warmth in her heart. But was she about to lose all this beauty that she had just found? Would she ultimately be all alone?
"Big brother, I'm scared..."
Xiao Feng patted her back: "Don't be afraid, you still have me. Your elder brother was considered an enemy by the whole world, but he still made it through, didn't he?"
"You're a man—"
"Haven't you always been a staunch supporter of men?"
"It's fake!" Li Yuxuan buried her face in Xiao Feng's chest, only then realizing how humiliating she had been in front of everyone. She took a handkerchief from her sleeve and shoved it at Xiao Feng: "Help me wipe it!"
Xiao Feng took the handkerchief with his large hand: "Silly girl, why are you doing this?" Seeing him clumsily trying to wipe his tears with the handkerchief, which looked pitiful and fragile in his hands, Li Yuxuan couldn't help but chuckle. She snatched the handkerchief from his hand and calmed down.
Unwittingly, she saw Xiaolei looking in this direction from not far away, her eyes filled with indescribable sorrow and a feeling that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
What exactly does it feel like?
Before she could investigate further, Yelü Hongji handed her something and placed it in front of her: "Alas, seeing you like this, I cannot and do not want to force you to come with me. Take this. In critical moments, as long as you are a Khitan warrior, you will obey its command."
Li Yuxuan accepted the gift, which resembled an imperial gold medal, and put it away carefully. She might not like him as a person, but she could still accept this gift without hesitation. The world of martial arts was too dangerous; it was always good to have an extra means of protection.
Seeing Li Yuxuan accept the gold medal without ceremony, Yelü Hongji's lips curled up slightly: "King Xiao, this place is not safe to stay any longer, let's go!"
Xiao Feng nodded, and Li Yuxuan shrank his nose and followed him out of the pavilion.
The group followed from behind and walked out of the gate of the First Manor together. Outside the gate, Xiao Feng's eighteen Khitan warriors were lined up neatly, still on their horses. Yelü Hongji approached Li Yuxuan and whispered, "It's fine if you don't come back. If the Southern Dynasty emperor treats you badly, I will lead my army south and destroy him to avenge you."
Li Yuxuan was startled and looked at him. After he finished speaking, he strode forward, mounted his horse, and led Xiao Feng and his group away at high speed.
Watching them walk away, Zhan Zhao sighed and whispered, "Let's go too!"
Li Yuxuan looked at Xiaolei, who was supporting him, and the strange feeling from before disappeared. She continued to sniffle: "Where are we going? What are we going to do about this mess?"
Li Xinyun scoffed, "Why do you care about their infighting? They're all bad people. Xu Zhu went to Qingzhou to rescue Prince Xin, let's go too!" He beckoned to someone beside him, "You all go back, don't follow me."
Li Yuxuan watched the man turn and walk away: "Xinyun, tell them to protect Yang Xiao and Wang Naigong. As for Haitang, if she really wasn't involved in the murder, let her go. After all, they all have some entanglements with me."
Li Xinyun rolled her eyes at her and gave the order.
Xu Qingzhi drove up in a four-horse carriage: "This is the carriage I found in the manor. Brother Zhan, Princess, please get on. Don't rush to Qingzhou like you did when you came. With Brother Xuzhu here, everything will be fine."
Li Yuxuan helped Xiaolei lift Zhan Zhao upstairs, and saw Yang Xiao standing far away in the courtyard watching her, looking utterly forlorn. She wondered if she had misunderstood them, or if she had caused them to misunderstand something.
Zhan Zhao followed her gaze and said softly, "Let's go. All good things must come to an end. We'll have a chance to meet again in the future and ask each other about what happened today."
Li Yuxuan nodded, looked away, and got into the carriage.
Xu Qingzhi flicked his whip, and the horse neighed and galloped forward.
His action unconsciously reminded Li Yuxuan of Prince Xin. She wondered if that man would still tell her that he was her forever Ziqing after he knew her identity had been revealed. One was a prince of the Song Dynasty, and the other was a fallen phoenix of the Khitan. How would he view her?
She arrived full of youthful vigor, knowing the road ahead was fraught with peril, yet carefree as a child. Now, looking back, a century has passed. Zhan Zhao and Xu Qingzhi are still by her side, but that sense of security is gone. The road stretches endlessly, and she sees no place for herself. Go back? What would she do there? That place can no longer hold her home.
All her beautiful hopes were dashed in this First Mountain Villa.