Lanting

Chapitre 24

For some reason, Queyue suddenly thought of the word "femme fatale." It seemed that she had nothing to do with this word in the past, but now everyone who got involved with her was getting into a lot of trouble.

It turns out that being a semi-disabled person is really inconvenient.

After using the Tianxiang Supplement, her recovery went very well. Although she's still not as agile as an average person, she's basically fine. With another year or two of rest, she should make significant progress. I wonder if her current physical condition allows her to start training from scratch.

During the days without news, she began practicing her leg and arm strength, as well as the dexterity of her hands. Day after day, even though it didn't seem like there was much progress, she continued.

Yi Moran rarely spoke much. Regarding Liu Zhi, who had disappeared without a trace, he only said that life and death were predestined, and he believed Liu Zhi was a resilient child. However, neither of them mentioned Adi. Or perhaps, only once—when Yi Moran changed his habit of eating alone in his room, now eating with Queyue every day—he only spoke softly once, after breakfast, while sipping his tea:

“If Adi never comes back, then you should stay. If you don’t like Qinlou, I’ll leave with you and find a quiet place… Decades will pass by quickly.”

Queyue looked at him, smiled faintly, her heart softening slightly, but she still shook her head.

“I’m waiting for Adi. He won’t just leave me like this. Even if he can’t get away for the time being, he will send a message.”

Yi Moran let out a long sigh, half relieved and half dejected. Queyue hadn't given up; he'd seen all her efforts. Her unwavering determination and persistence left him no chance to even offer comfort, making him feel utterly disappointed. Why couldn't she let others worry about her more?

Her room remained next to Yi Moran's, and since no one mentioned it, it hadn't been moved. Perhaps it was because she was too quiet, that even Yi Moran, who was always reclusive and preferred quiet, had gotten used to living with her.

She had already undressed and gone to bed at night, but was awakened by a warm, caressing sensation on her cheek. She rarely slept so soundly; perhaps it was because the person who had quietly arrived was so familiar that she hadn't been alerted.

When I opened my eyes, I already knew I would see Adi's gentle smiling face.

Perhaps it was because of the darkness that his eyes looked exceptionally deep, like a deep pool, carrying a faint sadness and reluctance, so shallow that it was impossible to see clearly.

"Adi?"

"I came back to see you, and to bring Liu Zhi back as well." His voice was low and gentle in the darkness. Queyue sat up and asked, "Are you leaving again?"

"Hmm. I'll be leaving for a while." He took out a small bag from his pocket. "Inside are medicine to treat my bones and muscles, and some silver notes. I can't get the antidote right now, but it won't be long..."

Queyue glanced at the package. "Do you need me to leave?"

As Adi spoke, he maintained a smile, a gentle smile almost imperceptible in the dim light. But now, Queyue clearly sensed his smile fade slightly and nodded gently. His soft voice, like a whisper, continued, "I have some things I must do, and I can't take care of you for the time being. But he... can't take care of you either. Once you leave here, once you're out of his sight, I'll feel more at ease." The reluctance in Adi's eyes gradually became clear. "Don't worry, once this period is over, I'll definitely come to find you, once everything is settled..." Settle? Settle what? How to "settle"? Queyue didn't ask, listening as he continued to instruct, "You must conceal your whereabouts well, don't stand out, don't get involved in other people's business, try to hide in the crowd and not be conspicuous..."

Queyue chuckled softly, and Adi realized she had been rambling. How could she not know all this?

"Zhijin, I don't have anyone I can trust right now, so I can't send anyone to protect you..."

"I can take care of myself."

Ah Di clearly didn't trust her words much and continued, "I've already met with Master Yi. Liu Zhi's martial arts skills are reliable. He agreed to let Liu Zhi accompany you on your journey."

"But wouldn't that be..."

Do I have to owe Yi Moran another favor?

She disliked owing favors; if you did, you always had to repay them. But how could she repay Yi Moran for what she had done for them this time?

Adi seemed to see through her thoughts, gently stroking her hair and smiling tenderly, "It's alright, I'll return these to him myself, you don't need to worry." He gently pressed his forehead against Queyue's forehead, although he knew it would be better for her to leave, he still couldn't put his mind at ease.

If we part ways now, when will we meet again?

“Adi…”

Sensing his unease, Queyue called to him softly. Adi moved away slightly, looking at her with a helpless smile, "I really want to just take you and run away like this."

"Okay," Queyue replied calmly, her tone understated yet earnest.

Adi shook her head. "Don't talk nonsense..." She wouldn't understand the poison Jun Yuqing had given her... Yes, in order to effectively control the Dark Pavilion, the successive Qingzun Pavilion Masters had collected countless secret medicines, which could only be passed down from generation to generation. Even he, or Yi Moran, the former Pavilion Master of the Dark Pavilion, had no way of knowing.

Queyue grabbed his hand, looked at him earnestly, and said, "Adi, I'm not talking nonsense. I have a sister who always knows how to deal with poison. Let's escape together. If we find her, perhaps we can find an antidote..."

"Perhaps?" Adi pulled her hand away from hers and cupped her face in her hands. "Zhijin, this concerns your life. How can I allow 'perhaps'? I'll go get the antidote. It will take some time, but it's the best way."

"But—what about your freedom?"

"That's not important."

None of that matters anymore... He suddenly pulled Queyue close and hugged her tightly. None of that matters; he only wanted her.

"I will come to find you, I promise."

Her life is in his hands; he will definitely go. So this isn't a separation, just a temporary one.

That very night, Adi left under the cover of darkness and returned to her lodgings, where Jun Yuqing was already waiting, as expected.

If he hadn't turned a blind eye, it would have been almost impossible for Adi to take Liu Zhi away from here.

"You've finished explaining everything you needed to, right? We should head back to Qingzun Tower now." Jun Yuqing smiled and stood up. This way, he could sever Adi's ties with those he didn't want to see. Seeing Adi's gloomy expression, so different from his usual gentle demeanor, he walked over and stood in front of Adi. "Are you still upset about the poisoning? Don't worry, once you become the master of Qingzun Tower, I will naturally give you both the poison and the antidote. Xiao Ling, you are—the true master of Qingzun Tower."

Adi clenched his fist tightly—back to Qingzun Tower. Back to that place whose memory had long since faded.

Early morning, Qinlou—

As Queyue stepped out of her room, about to knock on the door next door, Yi Moran gently opened the door before she could even raise her hand, standing inside and smiling at her.

This used to be a habit she liked.

"The owner of the clothing store."

Yi Moran glanced at her attire: a white long robe, her hair tied up with a white jade belt, her features delicate and serene, gentle and handsome. This was the "Duan Jin" he was familiar with.

"It seems you're ready to hit the road."

Queyue nodded. "Yes. I want to set off as soon as possible to visit a friend."

Yi Moran smiled faintly, quite admiring Queyue's unwavering determination and refusal to sit idly by and wait for rescue. Given the current situation, it wasn't hard to guess who she was looking for—

"Are you going to find the new moon?"

“Yes. I’ve already arranged with Adi that he will go get the antidote for me while I go find Xinyue. If he can cure this poison, he will leave immediately. If Xinyue cannot cure it, I will wait for him to come.”

Yi Moran nodded. "But do you know where to find her?"

"What?" Although she never imagined she would ever go back, to find the new moon, she should...

"You are no longer a member of the martial world, and you are now in Shuiyue. You probably don't know that Cangming Water Pavilion has been split in two. There is only Beicangming in the martial world now, which is led by Shuoyue. Cangming Water Pavilion has not appeared for a long time, and Xiao Wuqing and Xinyue have disappeared from the martial world for a long time."

Queyue paused slightly, then said with a sigh of relief, "Although I don't know what happened, I should still go and try to find out."

"Alright, I'll have Liu Zhi accompany you on your journey."

"Is Master Yi—Liu Zhi—alright?"

Yi Moran smiled slightly to reassure her, "Although he was captured, Adi protected him a lot, and the child is fine."

Before long, Liu Zhi had prepared the horse. The clever boy, dressed as a page, led the horse and grinned at Queyue, "Young Master, let's get going."

Queyue nodded to him, then turned and said, "Thank you for taking care of me these past few days, Master Yi. I'll take my leave now."

Water flows with the sky, autumn is boundless.

Chapter 44

The river flows gently, and a small boat drifts by.

A handsome young man in white robes stood gracefully on the boat, like a traditional Chinese ink painting of a water town, so captivating that one could lose one's soul in his gaze.

It's a pity that such a fine young man, who doesn't care for women, is staring at another man so foolishly.

"Young Master Leng? Young Master Leng??...Second Young Master Leng??—Cold Treatment!!"

"Huh? What?" Leng Yu was jolted out of his daze by being yelled at by the ear. In a riverside restaurant, several handsome young men were enjoying a quiet drink in a private room by the window on the second floor.

"What are you looking at? Can't you hear me?" Someone followed his gaze, searching for a long time, hoping to see some beautiful woman, but found nothing. In that direction, there was only a boat slowly approaching the shore on the river, with a young man in white, a young page, and an old boatman on board.

"What, did you run into someone you know?"

"Uh...no..."

"No? Then why are you staring at her like that..." As they spoke, the expressions on their faces changed little by little, and they turned away with strange looks, as if they had contracted some kind of strange illness.

"Um, Leng, Leng Er... when did you develop this taste..."

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Leng Yu slammed his fist on the table and stood up, about to roar at his group of friends, when suddenly his eyes caught sight of the ship docking and the white-robed young man disembarking. He paused for a moment, then abandoned the group and rushed downstairs—in the vast sea of people, if he didn't stop him now, he might never see him again!

Watching Leng Yu run downstairs, their faces turned slightly pale. They exchanged glances and decided to distance themselves from him!

When Leng Yu arrived at the riverbank, the young master's page was settling the fare with the boatman and preparing to leave. He hurriedly ran over, "Young master, please wait!"

The moment the white-robed young man turned around, the surrounding scenery seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist. All that could be seen was his emerald-green features, so familiar yet so strange—although he had felt familiar from the beginning, no, more than just familiar… that inexplicable feeling urged him to come, not daring to stop for a moment. But when he saw this face, Leng Yu was still stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

The young man in white, upon recognizing the newcomer, was slightly surprised and stood frozen in place.

The two stared at each other, one a dashing and debonair young man, the other a handsome and refined youth. Reflected in the shimmering river behind them, their gazes met, creating a truly picturesque scene…

Leng Yu stared blankly, lost in thought, and murmured, "Young master...you look so familiar..."

The pageboy coughed loudly, and Leng Yu hurriedly came to his senses, realizing that he had been a bit abrupt. He smiled awkwardly as the pageboy glared at him.

The young man in white smiled slightly at the page, indicating that he was alright, and the page then looked away.

That smile stunned Leng Yu once again. This face did indeed resemble so much the person who had once stirred his heart in his memory, but that face in his memory had never smiled.

“Young master,” the page interrupted him again, “is it not appropriate for you to keep staring at my young master like that? And if those people upstairs are your friends, please remind them not to fall and hit anyone.”

Startled, Leng Yu looked up—and sure enough, he saw his group of mischievous friends craning their necks and peering out of the second-floor window of the restaurant, staring intently in their direction. Other passersby were also curiously watching what they were looking at, and so the two of them suddenly became the center of attention…

Leng Yu's forehead veins bulged, he bent down to pick up a stone, gathered his strength, and threw it upwards—"What are you looking at! Get out of my way, all of you!"

The group of friends hurriedly scurried inside and scattered like birds.

He looked away, gave an awkward laugh, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the young man in white, saying, "I apologize for my cold reception and my rudeness earlier. However... you really do resemble an old acquaintance of mine..."

"Won't."

“Young master! Uh…” Leng Yu hesitated slightly, “Are you from out of town? If you’re not familiar with this place, why don’t you travel with me…”

"You're a stranger here, aren't you?" A figure gracefully approached, lightly fanning himself with a folding fan. He placed a hand on Leng Yu's shoulder, but his eyes were fixed on the white-robed young man. "Perhaps I should..."

With a single elbow strike, Leng Yu eliminated the only one among his group of philandering friends who was unrestrained in his womanizing and homosexual tendencies. Leng Yu wasn't actually from this area, but he frequently came here because of matters concerning the Leng Family Village and often met up with his philandering friends, so his familiarity with the place was no less than theirs.

The young man in white smiled faintly, ignoring the person who had suddenly appeared, and returned the greeting to Leng Yu, saying, "My name is Duan Jin, thank you for your care, Brother Leng."

He smiled faintly at Leng Yu's cold expression, but then his expression dimmed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Why did he so involuntarily seek out this young master… merely because he resembled the Crescent Moon… even if the person he had fallen in love with at first sight was the Crescent Moon. Even if the Crescent Moon appearing before him was merely a substitute for the Crescent Moon… after all, the [Crescent Moon] he saw was, in part, the ethereal and unsmiling Crescent Moon.

Even I am somewhat confused about that "love at first sight" relationship...

Composing himself, he said to Yu Tingyun, whom he had tricked, "Tell those guys upstairs that I'm taking my leave first." After saying that, he ignored his friends and politely said to Duan Jin, "Young Master Duan, let's go too. Let's find you a place to stay."

Duan Jin smiled, "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Leng." The page beside him gently tugged at him, indicating—is everything alright?