Printemps sévissant

Chapitre 1

The Smiling Flower (Part 1): Transmitting a Sound Across a Thousand Miles

The eighteenth year of the Xingguo reign of Emperor Taizu of Song

Ya'an, Sichuan

The summer sun was already blazing in the morning, but the lush trees on both sides of Bifeng Gorge remained verdant under the scorching sun, swaying gently in the breeze blowing from the depths of the gorge.

The wispy clouds did not dissipate due to the sun's heat; they drifted by like silk threads in the breeze, seemingly there yet not there.

The verdant green, the pale white, interspersed with the vibrant colors of wildflowers, create a dreamlike and ethereal scene, like a divine realm.

Amidst the breathtakingly beautiful and ethereal landscape of mountains and clouds, the hems of the long robes of the five men in black fluttered in the wind, sometimes still and sometimes still, complementing their imposing physiques and displaying an eerie and imposing aura.

Their leader—a handsome man in a dark blue brocade robe—had a face so cold that even the sunlight lost its warmth.

He gazed at the continuous white figures on the opposite side of the bottomless canyon, and his lips twitched.

Especially striking were the two figures, one in white and the other in pale yellow, seated on armchairs placed on a makeshift bamboo platform. Too far away to make out their features, only their celestial bearing could be vaguely discerned through the clouds.

The white-clad figure waved his hand, and the hundred-strong group beneath him roared in unison:

"If you've got the guts, then hurry up and call... or my brother-in-law and his family will be here soon..."

The shouts of a hundred men echoed through the valleys and peaks, creating a powerful and impressive sound. But the man in the dark blue brocade robe became even more stiff. He stretched his neck and let out a howl, his voice alone, generated by his profound inner strength, drowning out the entire hundred-man group.

He was filled with grief and indignation: "Juxin, why, why did you marry a man who can't even transmit his voice across a thousand miles... a... a man?" His sorrowful voice echoed through the deep canyon and wilderness, making people feel sorry for him.

"I...can't...do...anything...? Even if...you...are...deaf...you...can't...hear...what...I...said...clearly...?"

“Juxin! In terms of talent and martial arts, I am on par with your two senior brothers. In terms of reputation and power, I am not inferior to them either. Why did you choose him... him... him…”

"Why...why...don't...say...that...in...appearance...even...disfigured...I'm...still...better...than...you..."

"When a powerful enemy attacks, this man will only ask you to protect him! He will only hide behind you! To protect his wife and daughter, he can only ask other men who admire you for help. Are you willing to follow him...?...?..."

“You…don’t…have…disgusting…heart…to…me! My…martial…skills…are…not…high…but…I…never…hide…behind…my…wife…you…have…taken…your…treasure…and…are…coveting…my…wife…and…you…have…shameless…saying…this…thing?…Damn…you…you…are…so…cheap…I…am…a…little…admiration…of…you…you……”

"Xiao Mingyu, if I, Gao Tianjing, don't tear you to pieces, I'll be unworthy of the title 'Soaring Eagle'... Eagle... Eagle..."

"You...you...just...look...like...an...eagle...aren't...you...trying...to...steal...my...money...from...me...and...you...Chrysanthemum...Sister...from...on...the...funeral...using...silver...notes...to...light...and...fire...your...heart...would...break...you...you..."

"Xiao Mingyu, you underestimate me! Who wants your money? I want the Xiao family's secret treasure... treasure... treasure..."

“You…keep…dreaming…I…and…my…beloved…wife…have…gone…back…as long…you…have…passed…Chrysanthemum…Fairy…anything…can…be…discussed… ...

The servants had already carried Xiao Mingyu and Li Juxin down the mountain, but at Xiao Mingyu's instruction, they turned back.

"Old...Gao...actually...you...besides...being...shameless...you...are...also...a...capable...person...Ju...Xin...didn't...choose...you...because...you...are...too...cunning...I...don'fortably...by...your...side...I...don't...think...I...am...not...good...only...she...schemed...against...me...I...will...never...scheme...against...her...Hey...don't...pinch...me...this...sentence...don't...call...me...I...am...not...good...at...martial...skills...not...famous...I...have...only...a...heart...true...heart...heart...heart...heart..."

The Flower Smile, Part 2: Mother's Teachings

When Xiao Juyuan's short legs darted into the small garden, he saw his mother squatting in front of a large clump of chrysanthemum branches that had not yet formed buds.

She was a little stunned. Mother...she looks so beautiful!

At six years old, she didn't understand many things, but she already knew with immense pride that her mother was the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world, the Chrysanthemum Fairy. Any man who saw her would fall in love with her.

Few women can be considered the "most beautiful woman" like a chrysanthemum, because the chrysanthemum is too plain, too proud, too aloof. A woman who is too cold and arrogant, no matter how beautiful, always lacks a certain alluring charm. The most beautiful woman is often not the one with the most delicate features, but the one with the most captivating allure.

This female disciple of the prodigy Qin Chuyi perfectly embodies these two qualities: beauty, charm, and aloofness.

Being aloof doesn't mean ignoring everyone with your head held high; it means... when she smiles at you, you feel like you can't get into her heart at all.

"Alas, these chrysanthemums will probably never have the chance to bloom again." Li Juxin frowned slightly, her slender, fair hand gently stroking the flower stems... Looking at her, one's heart seemed to be gently soothed along with her hand.

Her frown evokes pity, her smile captivates.

"Mother...you are so beautiful." Xiao Juyuan snuggled into her soft embrace, a privilege she shared with her father.

Li Juxin's hand began to stroke her daughter's soft, shiny black hair. With each stroke, it felt as if she were touching her heart, not just her hair.

"Yuan'er, my Yuan'er, you will be even more beautiful than your mother when you grow up," Li Juxin said with a sigh.

"No one is more beautiful than Mother!"

“Yuan’er, listen to your mother.” When Li Juxin’s eyes welled up with tears, even the stars in the sky seemed to lose their luster. “That person outside…”

"I know, that bad guy who wanted to steal our family's treasure!" Xiao Juyuan pouted and said resentfully.

"Yes, that bad guy is about to make his move. He has no way out. My child, what I'm about to tell you is very, very important. You must remember every word."

Xiao Juyuan nodded vigorously. Her mother rarely spoke to her with such a cold and stern expression, and the little girl felt an unprecedented heaviness.

"It will rain tonight. Take food and the Sky Sparrow Sword and leave through the secret passage. The exit leads to the belly of Mount Meng. Follow that path up the mountain and hide in any caves you see. No matter what happens, do not leave. Do not leave even for a moment."

"Mother, I'm scared. You and Father come with me."

“Silly child…when you grow up, you’ll understand why your father and mother have to…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word “death” in front of her child. “My child, my Yuan’er, starting tomorrow, you can no longer be called Xiao Juyuan.”

“Why not? I like this name. Dad said it’s because I’m descended from you, so I’m called Juyuan.”

"There are many things...you'll understand when you grow up. Let's call him Li Yuan'er, it's so cute."

Xiao Juyuan pouted reluctantly, but she couldn't help it; her mother said it was so cute.