Intelligence Ultime

Chapitre 224

Zhu Huihui frowned as she looked at Fang Jianwu, feeling puzzled. She didn't think she had seen this person before. Could it be... that she had casually "taken" his wallet before?

Fang Jianwu's heart stirred slightly when she met those bright, sparkling eyes. Although the child was crude and slovenly, upon closer inspection, she was bright and beautiful, with a captivating charm.

He then laughed and said, "I have no idea. Xuese, who is this young lady?"

"On the Liuhua River, at the Peach Blossom Ferry, ten miles of red rain, and the sky filled with gold..." Fengxuese couldn't help but chuckle as she recalled Zhu Huihui's heroic past.

Suddenly remembering how she and Feng Xuese had been chased away by a ruffian carrying a large bucket of "gold," Fang Jianwu's smile froze. Good heavens! This Miss Zhu was actually that ruffian who threw "gold" all over the place!

Seeing the smug grin on Zhu Huihui's face, Fang Jianwu seemed to smell the stench of that day again. She waved weakly, begging Xiye Yan to take her away quickly.

Nishino En walked straight to the back, with Zhu Huihui limping behind him. They walked through the corridor, around the garden, and went further and further away from the main road. Suddenly, a wide expanse of water appeared before them, with shimmering waves and sparkling silver light. They had arrived at the lakeside.

She suddenly felt a sense of unease: "Master, where are we going?" Could it be that the master wanted to kill her and then drown her in the lake?

"I'll take you to meet your friend!"

"My friend?" Zhu Huihui was even more shocked. She had never even known what a friend was, let alone what a friend was! This bald man was clearly being sarcastic!

"Don't rush, we've arrived!" Nishino En pointed to a bamboo house by the lake and gestured for her to go inside.

Zhu Huihui glanced at him, hesitated for a long time, and then slowly walked over.

Pushing open the bamboo door, I heard a familiar voice: "Hmph, hmph..."

Her eyes suddenly widened: "Huahua! Huahua!"

With a "snap," Xiye Yan lit a giant candle. In the candlelight, after more than two months of separation, Zhu Huihui and Zhu Huahua were finally reunited as brothers!

Zhu Huihui was startled when she suddenly saw the other person clearly, and she was so frightened that she dropped her cane.

Zhu Huahua was also terrified. She took several steps back and plunged into the food trough in the corner. She felt that the person in front of her was a complete stranger. He was not her "Grey Brother" at all!

Zhu Huihui opened her pitiful eyes wide: Is this Huahua? Is this Zhu Huahua? Her body was fat and strong, her head was huge, her two big ears were like two palm-leaf fans, her fur was smooth and shiny, and she was well-nourished. She looked like she weighed three or four hundred pounds.

Her slender red flowers have grown to this size in just two months?

"Good, good, good, what a fat pig!" Zhu Huihui stammered.

She was shocked! Hua Hua is so fierce! Bald... that's so despicable!

Hearing the familiar voice, the pig finally got excited, raised its huge head, and charged. Zhu Huihui, clumsy on its feet, couldn't dodge in time and was knocked over by the enormous fat pig.

The pig happily stretched out its long snout and nudged her body and face, as if it had seen a relative!

The scene of the human and the pig meeting was truly horrific. Nishino En placed the candle on the table, closed the door, and went out.

Let the two brothers express their joy at their reunion themselves! He has no interest in watching a wild girl catch a pig! Hmm! He ordered his men to feed this pig so well; she should thank him, shouldn't she?

After waiting for a long time, the bamboo door opened, and Zhu Huihui followed Zhu Huahua out. It seemed that the two of them had gotten to know each other again and had accepted the changes in everyone's appearance.

Nishino En led the way, waiting for her to express her gratitude while preparing his humble words. After waiting for a long time, all he heard behind him was her annoyed breathing and pig-like grunting. He endured it for a while, finally deciding not to stoop to the level of this rude wild girl! He led her to a guest room and then left coldly.

In the guest room, two maids came to serve, bringing fragrant tea, various snacks, and dried and fresh fruits.

Zhu Huihui had been traveling with the hero for days, sometimes hungry and sometimes full, mostly just grabbing whatever was available and never having a proper meal. Upon seeing these snacks and fruits, he immediately became happy.

He coughed, shooed the two maids away, grabbed the food, and shared it with Zhu Huahua. This was an old tradition; the two brothers had always shared everything from childhood – stealing buns together, sharing food as well!

After finishing her meal, Zhu Huihui had nothing to do, so she immediately lay down on the clean and tidy bed.

Rolling on the luxurious bed, she felt incredibly lonely.

She didn't know where this feeling came from; she only felt an emptiness in her chest, as if her heart was constantly floating in mid-air, unable to see what was beneath her feet, and worried that it might fall at any moment...

Before, when my mother left alone at home and I waited anxiously for her to return, although I felt sad, I never felt this way.

When I was wandering with Huahua, whether we slept in haystacks or stayed in dilapidated temples, although it was hard, I never felt this way.

Lying on the back of the great hero as his eyes, the two of them fought their way through the enemy, embroiled in bloody battles, yet they never felt this way, even though their lives were constantly in danger.

So, why do you feel so uncomfortable right now?

Of course, it wasn't because she had gotten used to relying on the hero for survival during this time, and now he was suddenly so far away from her that no matter how high she stood on tiptoe, she couldn't even touch a corner of his clothes!

Then there is only one possibility: the poor are destined to be poor, and even if they were given wealth, they still wouldn't be able to enjoy it!

A nobody like her is only suited to sleeping on rooftops and on the streets, where she can dream of magnificent mansions every night; if she were given a nice bed, she would dream of rotten haystacks on the street every night!

As I lay in bed lost in thought, a familiar voice sounded from outside the door.

"Zhu Huihui!"

Zhu Huihui sat up abruptly and shouted back, "Yes, sir!" He reached for his cane and went to open the door.

The moon was high in the sky, casting a silvery glow across the ground. Feng Xuese stood in front of the door, his white robe billowing in the lake breeze, giving him an ethereal and otherworldly air.

The moment she saw him, an overwhelming joy welled up inside her, and all her loneliness and unhappiness vanished. She asked in surprise, "Great hero, what are your orders?"

"I'll ask Miss Mu to take a look at your leg injury!" Feng Xuese said.

Zhu Huihui then noticed that beside the hero were the bald man in scarlet clothes and the porcelain doll—Miss Chen Muwan!

"Ah, my injury is nothing serious, it'll be healed soon!" Zhu Huihui kicked her leg, not really wanting anyone to see it.

"Be good! Go sit down on the chair!"

“Oh~~” Zhu Huihui dared not disobey, puffed out her cheeks, went back to her room, and sat down on a chair.

Xi Yeyan and Feng Xuese stood outside, while only Chen Muwan followed them in. Looking at Zhu Huihui, she said gently, "Miss Zhu, I want to take a look at your leg injury. I won't hurt you!" Her voice was gentle, like she was coaxing a child.

Zhu Huihui grunted unhappily and stretched out his leg nonchalantly. He thought ungratefully, "If you dare hurt me, I'll kick you! Even if I only have one leg, I'll kick this little porcelain doll to pieces!"

Although Chen Muwan grew up in a martial arts family, she was raised to be a very ladylike person. She had no idea about the sinister thoughts of Zhu Huihui, a street thug. He bent down, rolled up her trouser legs, and gently pressed her calves with his soft hands.

Zhu Huihui was ticklish, so she chuckled twice, pulled her leg back, and said in a gruff voice, "Okay, that's enough!"

Chen Muwan smiled gently: "The bones are growing and closing up. Although it's nothing serious, it's best not to move around too much and to rest. I'll have a maid bring some medicine in a little while. Apply it to the injured area on your leg and massage it in gently so the bones can heal faster, and your leg won't hurt anymore!"

"Oh! Thank you... thank you!" Even if Zhu Huihui was ungrateful, she knew that the other party meant well, and said a little embarrassedly.

"Don't be so polite!" Chen Muwan said with a smile. "We can go now!"

Zhu Huihui asked curiously, "Go? Where to?"

Feng Xuese answered loudly from outside the door, "Brother Jianwu is hosting a banquet for guests in the lakeside pavilion. Come with me!"

"Me... going too?"

Feng Xuese hummed in agreement. "Brother Jianwu specially invited you!"

"Oh! Well... okay!" Zhu Huihui pulled up her trouser legs, saw that Hua Hua was sleeping in the corner, and didn't disturb her. She followed Chen Muwan out of the room.

Outside the gate, four sedan chairs carried by two men were waiting. Feng Xuese, Zhu Huihui, Chen Muwan, and Xiye Yan each got into one and were carried by the sedan chair bearers, walking shakily away.

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Author's Note:

I went out to play this morning, so I'm sorry for the late update. Speaking of which, Sunday is probably one of the most painful days of the week. Just thinking about having to go to work tomorrow makes this lazybones want to bang his head against the wall and cry his eyes out.

Seeing so many readers leave comments saying they've bought tide's books and are still checking in every day, tide is truly grateful. Xi and the editors at Xi's studio want to say thank you! The only way an author can repay their readers is with the most sincere heart, writing with heartfelt sincerity. Xi will strive to write more books that bring joy and happiness to repay your support for tide and the editors at tide's studio.

Here, I'd also like to clarify something. The novel "Jianghu Tian Hen Qing" has a total of 400,000 words and was published in two volumes (because I was late with the manuscript, the two volumes were released two months apart, for which I was severely punished by my editor). Therefore, I, my editors, and my long-time readers are used to calling this book "Jianghu I" and "Jianghu II". Hehe, it's actually a complete story, and there's no issue of "I've finished the first volume, but the book hasn't progressed much." Please feel free to read it.

I'm replying specifically to Wu Xiaokong TX. Jianghu 2 has already been released and is available in physical bookstores and online bookstores. The price is cheaper online.

Fang Jianwu was very particular about her lifestyle, and she decorated the waterside pavilion where she held her banquet in a luxurious and comfortable manner. Apart from herself, there were only five guests at the banquet: Xi Yeyan, Feng Xuese, Zhu Huihui, Chen Muwan, and the old man in blue who served as her coachman. Her two pretty maids stood behind her.

After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats. Zhu Huihui, after hearing Feng Xuese's introduction, learned that the old man in blue who drove the carriage was actually a remarkable figure in the martial arts world, surnamed Feng, named Jueya, known as the Thousand-Mile Soul Chaser, and once the most famous underworld hero in the Northwest. Later, he was severely injured by his enemy, his heart stopped beating, and he was certain to die. Fortunately, the divine physician, Madam Wan, did her best to save him, snatching his life from the jaws of death. To express his gratitude to Madam Wan for saving his life, he willingly joined the Beikong Valley sect as a coachman. Although he called himself a slave, everyone in Beikong Valley respected him as a senior.

Feng Jueya, the man who chased the soul across a thousand miles, remained completely unmoved as everyone recounted his past deeds. He simply stroked his goatee lightly, looked up at the sky, and remained silent. Apart from his young mistress, he seemed to have no regard for the young masters of the three great families present.

Zhu Huihui couldn't help but think, "This wooden girl is amazing! She's out for a stroll, and besides her two maids acting all high and mighty, even the old man driving the carriage is so arrogant!"

Little did she know that the reason these four people, master and servants, left the Valley of Sorrow was somehow related to her.

Previously, the homeless child that Feng Xuese found in Half Moon Village seemed to have died from the poison of the Blood-Threaded Robe. To confirm this, Fang Jianwu sent someone to send the body to Sorrowful Valley. After examining the body, Madam Wan ordered her daughter, Chen Muwan, to leave the valley in her place to see Fang Jianwu and settle an old matter from years ago. Because her daughter had suffered a severe injury since childhood, despite various treatments, she remained weak and illiterate in martial arts. For her daughter's safety, she specifically ordered two maids, Shuying and Qintiao, to accompany her and also asked Feng Jueya to protect her.

Zhu Huihui was seated next to Feng Xuese. For a while, the old man didn't force her to wash her face and hands, so she was happy to slack off and gradually became the dirty child she used to be.

Everyone present knew that when Feng Xuese was in trouble, it was this girl who followed him all the way, acting as his eyes, and went through many hardships to reach Xuan Yue Water Island. Therefore, although it was very incongruous to see the handsome and refined young master Feng, dressed in white, with this dirty girl by his side, no one said anything.

The food on the table was exquisite, but apart from Zhu Huihui, no one ate much; they just sat and talked.

Zhu Huihui was enjoying her meal when a sentence reached her ears, causing her to stiffen and listen intently.

"Miss Mu, how are the snow-white eyes?" It was Nishino En asking.

Chen Muwan looked apologetic: "...Young Master Feng's eyes were poisoned by a strange and potent toxin, which penetrated deep into his eyes. This poison is made by mixing dozens of poisonous salivas with the blood of living people, and then being triggered by black saliva flowers and red mirage ointment. It is extremely toxic, and the antidote varies depending on the type of poison used. I only heard about it from my mother when I was in the valley, but unfortunately, my knowledge is limited..."

Xi Yeyan and Fang Jianwu's expressions changed. Zhu Huihui's heart sank to the bottom with a "thump." The old man's eyes were incurable? If that were the case, wouldn't he be blind for life? Oh dear! Does this woman even know how to cure diseases? Is she just making things up and lying?

In her panic, she blurted out, "Where's your mom? Isn't your mom supposed to be amazing, a miracle doctor or something? You can't cure it, but maybe your mom can! Ugh..."

Feng Xuese picked up a piece of pork rib and accurately stuffed it into her mouth, silencing her from saying anything more.

She speaks rudely, constantly saying "your mother, your mother," making a perfectly normal sentence sound like an insult.

The four from Beikong Valley all changed their expressions. Feng Jueya, who respected Madam Wan the most, gave Zhu Huihui a cold look. If it weren't for the presence of the young lady, he would have knocked out the wild girl's two front teeth on the spot.

Zhu Huihui was completely unaware that her last words had almost cost her front teeth forever. She just looked anxiously at Chen Muwan, hoping she would answer with a "yes".

Chen Muwan was gentle and generous. Although Zhu Huihui's words had offended her mother, the displeasure quickly passed. She smiled slightly and said, "Therefore, I would also like to invite Young Master Feng to visit our Beikong Valley!"