clergé

Chapitre 103

Zuo Huai'an nodded. He naturally had the same idea in mind. Having watched the two children grow up, he knew very well that Pang Wan was not capable of becoming the sect leader. That's why he had been grooming Nan Yi as his successor and had asked Pang Wan and Nan Yi to get married as soon as possible after he left the pass, because he didn't have much time left.

But he couldn't say the last sentence to Pang Wan, so he just smiled and patted her head, with a few glistening tears in his eyes.

"Wanwan, do you know? You look a lot like your mother, like you were made from the same mold."

He sighed and stared blankly at Pang Wan: "I have always regretted not cherishing her when I was young. All these consequences are my own fault."

“Father thought you liked the Southern Barbarians and was willing to let you be together, but I never expected that you would bring a fiancé back after you came down the mountain…” He stared at Pang Wan, “Tell Father, do you really like him?”

Pang Wan was taken aback.

"Holy Maiden, that young master He said he's hungry. Please go back and make him some noodles!"

Suddenly, a maid's voice, barely suppressing a laugh, rang out from outside the window.

"That brat..." Zuo Huai'an gritted his teeth and drew the sword from his waist.

Pang Wan was both angry and amused. She quickly grabbed Zuo Huai'an's hand and said coquettishly, "Father, don't worry. He ran around for me for seven days and seven nights without sleep. It's only right that I cook him a bowl of noodles."

Zuo Huai'an had naturally heard about the young man who broke into the wedding hall on the night of the ceremony. His heart softened, but then a pang of sadness welled up inside him: "You've never cooked before..."

“I’ll cook two bowls of noodles, one for Dad and one for him, okay?” Pang Wan looked at him with a grin.

Zuo Huai'an then relaxed his tense expression.

As the girl pushed open the door and her figure disappeared into the slanting sunset, Zuo Huai'an narrowed his eyes.

Even if it costs him his last breath, he will preserve the foundation of the Moon Worship Cult so that his daughter can continue to live a carefree life.

He would never allow anyone to ruin this happiness.

Author's Note: My dear love, do you even understand my heart?

His thoughts

He Qinglu, as the fiancé tacitly acknowledged by the Holy Maiden, openly settled into the Moon Worship Cult. During this time, he showed no dissatisfaction with details such as the bed not being made of golden sandalwood and the quilt not being made of brocade; instead, he remained silent. (Very Literary)

Seeing how understanding he was, Pang Wan breathed a sigh of relief. Although the Moon Worship Cult was not short of money for the time being, it would still take a lot of effort for this young master to ask her to find those rare items.

The only thing that bothered her was the whereabouts of her senior brother. Zuo Huai'an searched everywhere but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It seemed that the Southern Barbarians had vanished into thin air overnight.

As she got up to do her hair that morning, her maid was tying it up behind her when she suddenly exclaimed softly, "Oh dear!"

"What's wrong?" Pang Wan turned to look at her.

The maidservant asked with some surprise, "Why does the Holy Maiden have a single white hair?"

Pang Wan was startled and quickly turned around: "Pull it off and let me see." She didn't quite believe the maid's words—she was not even seventeen years old, how could she have white hair?

The maidservant did as she was told, plucking out the white hair and giving her a comforting smile: "Only half of it is white. It's probably because the Holy Maiden has been working too hard for the sect leader these past few days."

Pang Wan glanced at the white hair, and a moment of displeasure flashed through her mind.

Just then, a maid came to report that two guests had arrived at Young Master He's place, and asked Pang to come over.

Pang Wan then had her maid put a magnolia hairpin on her, put on a cotton robe, and walked outside.

It was the dead of winter, and the wintersweet in the mountains was in full bloom, its delicate fragrance spreading along the way, calming the heart.

As I slowly stepped into the courtyard, before even entering the house, I heard a familiar voice.

"When does the young master plan to depart?" asked Jin Diluo.

"No rush, let Azhuo take a look at her first," He Qinglu said calmly.

“Young Master left in such a hurry, and Mistress was very worried.” Jin Diluo added, “Mistress scolded Young Master for only taking a bottle of Soul-Stabilizing Pill with him, and for not having time to pack his clothes and valuables. She specially ordered me to bring Young Master his luggage.”

"Who had time to care about material possessions back then?" He Qinglu's voice was somewhat impatient. "When you're traveling, it's not a bad thing to be less particular."

Finally, he asked, "Did you tell the mistress the real reason for my departure?"

“No,” Jin Diluo answered cautiously. “I only said that Miss Pang suddenly fell ill, and the young master had to leave in haste.”

"Hmm." He Qinglu seemed relieved. "Remember to say as little as possible about irrelevant things, lest the matter of seeking medicine become complicated."

Jin Diluo paused, then hesitated anxiously, "Young Master, what about the Nine-Flower Dragon..."

“It’s already dead. I’ll bury it at the foot of Chuyun Mountain. Go and erect a tombstone for me.” He Qinglu’s voice was indifferent.

Jin Dilu sighed deeply, seemingly filled with sorrow and regret.

The two were talking about being sick and asking for medicine. Pang Wan was very curious and wondered why they were talking about things she couldn't understand. So she pushed open the door and went in.

"Young Master." She walked towards He Qinglu with a fragrant breeze, nodding to Jin Dilu as she greeted him.

He Qinglu was taken aback, then put down the teacup he was playing with, stood up and pulled her into his arms, "You're here? Did you take the Soul-Stabilizing Pill?"

The next sentence is a cliché he repeats to himself every day.

Pang Wan glanced at the white jade cup with gold clasp that he had put down and couldn't help but pout – well, he started showing off as soon as the luggage was returned, and he still had the nerve to say that "being less particular is not a bad thing".

"Have you eaten? Hmm?" He Qinglu pinched the tip of her nose when she didn't answer.

Pang Wan slapped his hand away and yelled, "Eat it, eat it! Three times a day, two pills each time. How many times do I have to tell you before you'll feel at ease!"

He Qinglu seemed unsure, so he took the brocade pouch off her waist, untied it, and personally counted the remaining beads before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Seeing how concerned he was about those pills, Pang Wan couldn't help but chuckle: "I was just kidding. I didn't eat a single one. I fed them all to the oriole in the cage."