After the massage, Lüyun brought in the soup made from the bark of the tung tree. Tang Huan personally washed Mo Xiwen, taking the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, before taking a towel to dry her. She softly instructed, "Don't do anything yourself these days. Leave everything to Lüyun, understand?"
Green Cloud immediately nodded in agreement, expressing its loyalty: "Green Cloud is willing to go through fire and water for the young lady in place of the Fourth Young Master."
Mo Xi could only nod. She thought to herself: This master and servant, do they really have to be so in sync...?
The banquet was held at Chongyao Terrace.
Green Cloud led the three to their seats. The head seat was naturally Tang Huan's, followed by Mo Xi, the Immortal Elder, and then Mu Fengting.
From the perspective of welcoming guests, the dishes are rather bland. They are mainly steamed or stewed.
Tang Huan personally served Mo Xi a bowl of fish soup, saying, "This is made with crucian carp, clams, and tofu; it's good for your injury." Mo Xi's appetite was immediately whetted by the milky white fish soup. She took a sip and found it indeed delicious and smooth. She smiled slightly to express her gratitude.
During the meal, Tang Huan took care of Mo Xi's meal, while she herself barely ate anything.
Mu Fengting remained silent, which was unusual for him, and hardly said a word.
After the banquet ended, the group moved to the flower hall for a quiet chat.
The same seating arrangement was still made by Green Cloud.
As the host, Tang Huan naturally spoke first, saying, "Senior, please speak frankly."
The immortal said, "I will not hide anything from you. I was originally a disgraced disciple of Mount Shu. This all started with the long-standing feud between Mount Shu and the Tang Clan."
Since it concerned the Tang Clan, Tang Huan naturally listened attentively. Mo Xi and Mu Fengting were also intrigued.
The immortal spoke calmly, "Does Sect Leader Tang know that the Langya Staff, one of the Four Treasures of the Tang Clan, was originally a supreme treasure of Mount Shu?" Seeing the surprised expressions on everyone's faces, he continued without waiting for a question, "From a young age, my master told me that the Langya Staff was originally a supreme treasure of Mount Shu, containing an extremely powerful martial art. My master's master, that is, my grandmaster, was originally a monk, and was the most talented among the younger generation of Mount Shu. The sect leader intended to pass the leadership to him, so he gave him the Langya Staff early on, hoping that he would learn the martial art within and ensure that he would win the championship in the competition for the sect leader." After a pause, the immortal continued, "Unexpectedly, my grandmaster did not appear on the day of the competition. Later, everyone learned that he had eloped with the eldest daughter of the Tang Clan. The deceased is gone, and I will omit his name here. Besides, you young people may not even have heard of Sect Leader Tang. But at that time, it was a major event that shook the martial arts world."
When Mo Xi served tea, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of Mu Fengting's expression and realized that he must have heard of Mu Fengting, the all-knowing man of the martial arts world.
"The person I wish to pay homage to is their only daughter, Tang Yi." As he said this, the old man's face grew more nostalgic, but his eyes shone brightly, as if he had returned to his youthful days.
"My master has been with our grandmaster since childhood. They are less than ten years apart in age, yet their bond is like that of father and son. It is precisely because of this that he deeply resents my master for following the Tang Clan's demoness and abandoning him when he was young. Because of a master who betrayed our sect, he has suffered countless hardships in Mount Shu. I have been influenced by my master's teachings since childhood, and I have developed a plan to retrieve the Langya Staff to help my master resolve his inner conflict. Besides, it originally belonged to Mount Shu; how could it be allowed to fall into the wrong hands?"
Even if the immortal didn't tell, everyone could guess seven or eight parts of the story that followed. Mo Xi thought to himself: Well, this is probably another one using a handsome man as a weapon.
The Immortal's real name was Yuan Qingze. At the age of eighteen, having mastered his swordsmanship, he descended the mountain alone under the pretext of training, searching for the Langya Staff. At that time, he was a novice, while Tang Yi was already twenty-seven years old, a renowned figure in the martial arts world, both righteous and wicked, known as the "Red Demon." This was due to her unpredictable and eccentric behavior, her penchant for wearing red, and the rumors circulating in the martial arts world that she was promiscuous, possessing three thousand male concubines, which was why she remained unmarried to this day.
Yuan Qingze went to great lengths to find out that she would go to Fenglu Temple to pay respects to her parents every winter. So he pretended to be a worshipper and booked a meditation room in advance so that he could "bump into" her.
When we first met in the snow, she was indeed wearing a red brocade cloak with mandarin ducks, the collar trimmed with snow-white fox fur. Her face was small and plain, with an icy coldness between her brows. A red lotus painted with gold adorned her brow, like a speck of gold powder or rouge falling on snow, burning one's eyes with a stinging intensity.
Before the ancient temple, amidst the pure white of heaven and earth, her aloof figure resembled a red plum blossom covered in snow.
Even years later, whenever Yuan Qingze closes his eyes, that cold and beautiful color in the snow remains as bright as ever.
Seeing Tang Yi's cold and aloof expression, and fearing her ruthless actions, Yuan Qingze dared not easily make her acquaintance. He could only silently wait for an opportunity.
That night, the mountain wind howled and snow fell heavily. It was past midnight when she was helped back to the temple by a man in brocade robes. She staggered along the way, clearly drunk.
Yuan Qingze stood under the eaves and soon heard panting and groaning sounds coming from inside the house. He felt disgusted that an unmarried woman was bringing a man to the solemn place of a temple to commit such a shameful act, and he did not want to listen any longer.
Just as Yuan Qingze was about to step forward, the door creaked open, revealing a disheveled man standing awkwardly in the doorway, clearly hesitant to leave. Suddenly, a white porcelain wine bottle flew straight at him, slamming against the doorframe with a bang. A woman's voice came from inside, saying, "Get out. Get out..." The voice still carried a hint of seduction, but the last word was tinged with sorrow, like the final note of a beautiful song, sending a shiver down one's spine. The richly dressed man spat, "Bad luck," and walked away with a look of resentment.
The dim candlelight in the room illuminated the broken porcelain on the floor, giving it a dazzling, cold, snow-like glow.
Tang Yi staggered to the door, wearing only a light red dress embroidered with several yellow-stamened white plum blossoms. The cold wind, mixed with snow, blew her long black hair like a waterfall, revealing her pointed chin. Her face still had a hint of spring in it, but it was adorned with two mottled tear tracks.
Yuan Qingze froze for a moment, only then realizing what it meant to have a face like peach blossoms and plum blossoms, and skin as white as ice and bones as jade.
She showed no embarrassment upon seeing him; instead, she smiled radiantly. That smile was truly captivating, yet also like fallen peach blossoms scattered on the ground, a scene of utter desolation. In that instant, he felt as if his very soul had left his own.
She slammed the door shut. His soul returned to his body, and he cursed himself inwardly for lacking any self-control as a cultivator. He became even more determined to seize the Langya Staff at any moment, to prove his resolve and righteousness.
Three days later, she was drunk again, just like that night, and was brought back by a man, but it wasn't the same man who had appeared before. Yuan Qingze stayed in his meditation room, but kept listening to the sounds in the courtyard, barely sleeping all night. The next morning, he peeked through the crack in the window and saw the man just coming out of her room.
He looked down on her, but his desire to get to know her grew stronger every day, though he never had the chance.
Unexpectedly, two days later, she came to his door with a pot of wine and asked with a smile, "It looks like it will snow tonight, would you like to have a drink?" Without waiting for his reply, she turned and left.
He hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed. Tang Yi led him straight into the room.
I had assumed that a woman with such a dissolute private life would have a place with a hint of vulgarity, even if it were a temple. But to my surprise, her room was like a snow cave, utterly devoid of any sensual atmosphere.
She only wanted him to drink with her, but didn't need him to say anything.
She drank her wine quickly and eagerly, her slender hands holding the cup, her bright red lips touching the glass. The wine was clear, her lips were red, and her porcelain white; with each gesture, each tilt of her head, she exuded boundless beauty.
With each cup she drank, her face grew even more radiant. She drank most of the entire pot of wine, then gazed at him with a dreamy smile.
Only then did he understand what it meant to "meet with a hidden glance, her eyes sparkling with longing." The instant she leaned towards him, he expected to smell the fragrance of perfume, but instead, he only smelled the faint chill of plum blossoms.
People say that warmth and fragrance are precious, but her body was like a handful of snow, soft and formless, its coolness seeping into his heart. The red lotus between her brows, however, was like a fire, burning him, leaving him disoriented and helpless. At that moment, he suddenly remembered the sandalwood incense that lingered year-round in Mount Shu, and abruptly realized that he was not originally a person of this mortal world. He pushed her away forcefully and rushed off. Behind him came her low laughter, which he felt was mockery and contempt. Feeling even more mocked, he was filled with shame and anger, which only strengthened his resolve to reclaim the Langya Staff.
Author's Note: This chapter was very difficult to write. After reading everyone's feedback, I revised it twice. I really tried my best. All kinds of comments and suggestions are welcome. I strive for perfection. As is my style, even erotic stories will not be told for nothing.
Si thought Xiao Huan's seating arrangement was pretty good; even cunning can be seen in the smallest details.
Song Dynasty poet Wang Guan's "Red Peony"
Life is short, even seventy is rare. Subtract ten years of childhood and another ten years of aging. Of those fifty years, half are consumed by sleep. Of those remaining twenty-five, how can there be no troubles?
Think it over carefully, and seize the day while you can. When wine and flowers meet, laugh and be proud, let the jade mountains crumble. Let us revel in the scenery, for life is like dew-laden grass. Fortunately, we have recently found wine as plentiful as the Mian River; let us forge a thousand years of laughter and song.
This poem, "Red Peony" (the cat always turns it into braised fish, true to its nature...), advises people to cherish time and enjoy life. It conveys the idea of "pluck the flower while it's in bloom." "Jade Mountain" is a metaphor for a great man's physique. "Jade Mountain tilting down" describes a handsome man's drunken state. Speaking of which, the cat is planning to make Huanhuan tilt down like Jade Mountain once. Hehe. If this poem were used to express affection, it would feel like wishing to be drunk and never wake up.
A single "Su Guan He Ding" orchid costs four million... due to its rarity. Hehe, our Tangtang is quite valuable!