Le voyage d'un mendiant à travers le monde

Chapitre 20

Yue Ruzheng nodded silently, looked around but couldn't see her master, so she asked, "Isn't my master at Xiaozhu?"

Yu Hezhi frowned and glanced at Shao Yang. Yue Ruzheng, seeing the two exchange glances, felt a pang of anxiety and asked urgently, "Uncle-Master! Are you hiding something from me? Where is my master now?"

Yu Hezhi sighed softly and said, "Come with me."

Yue Ruzheng's face turned pale instantly. She followed closely behind Yu Hezhi, bypassing many courtyards, until she arrived at the deepest part of Yinxi Xiaozhu.

A pool of spring water shimmered with golden light, reflecting the white clouds and tree shadows, creating a dappled, ever-changing scene. In the center of this emerald lake stood an exquisite and elegant waterside pavilion, its walls draped with sheer white gauze curtains that fluttered gently in the breeze. Through these curtains, Yue Ruzheng caught a glimpse of Jiang Shuying's silhouette.

"Master!" Yue Ruzheng disregarded everything else, gripped the Lonely Fragrance Sword, lightly touched the stone railing by the lake with both feet, leaped across the water, and landed by the waterside pavilion.

Jiang Shuying sat with her back to her, a long white dress embroidered with red plum blossoms spread out on the waterside pavilion floor, her black hair was tied up in a high bun, and a phoenix hairpin shone with light.

Yue Ruzheng tiptoed and carefully approached Jiang Shuying from behind. Jiang Shuying remained seated, simply saying calmly, "Ruzheng, you disobeyed me again this time. I told you to ask Master Wei to send someone to escort you, but you went alone and almost lost your life."

Yue Ruzheng lowered her head guiltily and said, "Master, I didn't expect the people from Bliss Valley to be following me."

"The reason I asked you to go find the people from Tingyu Manor is because I was afraid that Bliss Valley would come after you. Your recklessness and impulsiveness will lead to a serious mistake sooner or later!" Jiang Shuying's voice was not loud, but it contained an invisible authority.

"I won't do that again!" Yue Ruzheng was afraid that her master would be angry, so she hurriedly stepped forward and was about to kneel down to apologize, but she saw that Jiang Shuying's face was pale and her usually gentle face had become haggard and dull.

Yue Ruzheng was shocked and involuntarily knelt down beside her, her voice trembling as she asked, "Master, are you injured?"

Jiang Shuying turned slightly to look at her, her eyes filled with pity, and slowly said, "She's not in any danger."

Yue Ruzheng was still deeply worried. Just then, Yu Hezhi and Shao Yang crossed the small bridge by the lake and arrived in front of her. Yue Ruzheng looked up at Shao Yang and said resentfully, "Senior brother, you didn't say a word to me the whole way here!"

Shao Yang sighed, "I knew you had that temper. I was just afraid you'd get anxious."

Yu Hezhi walked to Yue Ruzheng's side and said, "This is also your master's intention. Don't blame Shao Yang."

Yue Ruzheng looked at Jiang Shuying and asked dejectedly, "Master, how are your injuries? Were you ambushed by Mo Li?"

Jiang Shuying calmly said, "When the fifteen-day deadline arrived, Mo Li led his men here. Fortunately, your senior uncle and brother had already returned by then. We ordered all the disciples and guards to retreat to the courtyard and not to act rashly, precisely to prevent them from being poisoned. The people of Bliss Valley besieged this place for three whole days. Finally, Mo Li couldn't hold back any longer and broke through the high wall to come in alone."

"These senior brothers also told me, but they said that Mo Li entered Yinxi Xiaozhu alone and fell into the Qimen Bagua Formation that Master and Uncle had set up earlier. Uncle sealed his vital points with flying stones, preventing him from activating his internal energy. Master, you seized the opportunity to strike, forcing Mo Li to the waterside pavilion, where you fought him in the lake. In the end, Mo Li was defeated by the two of you and fled in panic." Yue Ruzheng paused here, then said anxiously, "Could it be that what my senior brothers said was all a lie?"

"I'm not lying to you!" Shao Yang said urgently, "It's just that Master was also injured."

Jiang Shuying smiled slightly and looked up, saying, "Ruzheng, you don't need to worry too much. I was just poisoned by the Snake Tail Needle. That day, when we fought on this lake, Mo Li shot out the Snake Tail Needle, and your master uncle cut it in half with his sword. When a piece of the broken needle flew into the lake, it grazed my shoulder. I was caught off guard and was cut by the broken needle. Fortunately, Mo Li was busy dealing with your master uncle at the time and didn't have time to notice this. Otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have left so easily, nor would he have gone to find Lian Haichao again."

Yue Ruzheng had heard that the snake-tail needles of Bliss Valley were extremely poisonous; once pierced, one would die instantly and horribly, bleeding from all seven orifices and with the whole body swollen. She knelt forward a step, her voice filled with worry, and said, "Master... those snake-tail needles..."

"Your master's injury wasn't serious. I used my internal energy to force the poison out of her. However, she can't circulate her internal energy right now. Only a few of us know about this. Even the other disciples and guards at Yinxi Xiaozhu don't know. Ruzheng, don't look so worried. If word gets out and attracts the people from Bliss Valley, we'll be in trouble." Yu Hezhi bent down, helping Yue Ruzheng up as he spoke in a low voice.

Yue Ruzheng felt a little relieved, but when she saw Jiang Shuying's face, she lowered her eyes again.

Jiang Shuying spread her long sleeves, placed her hands on her knees, and said, "Before you came back, Mo Li claimed that he had reached an agreement with Seven Star Island, giving me one last chance to submit to him, otherwise he would make Yinxi Xiaozhu disappear. But for some reason, Seven Star Island hasn't made a move yet..." Jiang Shuying frowned slightly, pointed at Yu Hezhi, and said, "Originally, your senior uncle was already prepared to perish together with Lian Haichao."

Yu Hezhi said calmly, "I had no other choice. Even if we joined forces, I don't know if we could handle Lian Haichao. Besides, I'm all alone now, and I can only fight with my life on the line."

Upon hearing this, Yue Ruzheng couldn't help but recall that early morning when she had also decided to rush back to her master's side, risking her life to uphold the dignity of Yinxi Xiaozhu, only to be stopped by Tang Yanchu's words. She still didn't understand how Tang had resolved the matter so quietly; he wouldn't even say whether he had truly gone down the mountain that very night to help her. But Seven Star Island and Nan Yandang were still quite a distance apart; how could he possibly have met Lian Haichao overnight…?

She stood there lost in thought. Jiang Shuying and Yu Hezhi, unaware of her presence, assumed she was worrying about the matter again. Yu Hezhi said, "If Lian Haichao really does come here, don't show yourself yet. I'll go and discuss it with him. If he insists on being an enemy of Yinxi Xiaozhu, then it's not too late to take action."

Shao Yang glanced at Yue Ruzheng and hesitated, then asked, "Ruzheng, when you came back you said that Lian Haichao wouldn't cooperate with Mo Li anymore?"

Jiang Shuying and Yu Hezhi were both startled and looked at Yue Ruzheng. Yue Ruzheng, feeling uneasy under their questioning gazes, said somewhat awkwardly, "It was Xiao Tang who said it. He wouldn't lie to me."

"Xiao Tang?" Jiang Shuying raised an eyebrow. "Your new friend? How did you know about this?"

Yue Ruzheng whispered, "I accidentally wandered into Nan Yandang and fell down a hillside. He saved me..."

"So it was him." Yu Hezhi said in realization, "That was the boy who came to Longqiu Waterfall to find me in the rain that day... Ruzheng, how could he have known that Lian Haichao would never come again?"

Yue Ruzheng hesitated for a moment, then said in a very low voice, "It was he who made Lian Haichao cancel his agreement with Mo Li..."

Yu Hezhi exclaimed in surprise, "What did you say?!"

"Uncle-Master," Shao Yang said solemnly, "that young man is said to be Lian Haichao's son."

Even though Yu Hezhi and Jiang Shuying were seasoned veterans of the martial world, they were utterly astonished upon hearing this. They exchanged a glance, and Jiang Shuying slowly stood up, staring at Yue Ruzheng's unnatural expression, and said sternly, "Ruzheng, is what your senior brother said true?"

Yue Ruzheng nodded slightly and said, "Some time ago, Su Mucheng from Bliss Valley brought people to Nan Yandang to capture me. Lian Junqiu from Seven Star Island repelled him and revealed Xiao Tang's identity at that time."

Yu Hezhi frowned and said, "I've never heard of Lian Haichao having a son. He only has two daughters. His eldest daughter, Lian Junqiu, is usually active in the martial world, but it's her who handles all sorts of matters for him. His younger daughter, Lian Junxin, is always eccentric and doesn't care about the affairs of the Forgetful Pavilion." He looked at Yue Ruzheng and added, "Ruzheng, how come the boy who saved you doesn't have hands?"

Yue Ruzheng was startled, but didn't speak, only shaking her head. Jiang Shuying, whose expression remained grave, said to Yu Hezhi, "Senior brother, Ruzheng and Shao Yang have been traveling for days and must be exhausted. Let them go back and rest first. We'll discuss it further."

Yu Hezhi nodded in agreement. After Yue Ruzheng and Shao Yang said goodbye to Jiang Shuying, they walked back along the way they came.

Chapter Fourteen: Melancholy - The Path I Came From Is Already Lost

Yue Ruzheng returned to the long-lost small building. A green plum tree stood silently below, as if waiting for her return. It was already March; the flowers had long since faded, and the pale sunlight brushed against the leaves, leaving a faint velvety green tinge. Yue Ruzheng was gazing absently at that touch of green when she heard a soft chuckle behind her. Before she could turn around, someone embraced her from behind, saying, "Miss, why are you standing here in a daze?"

Yue Ruzheng gripped the person's wrist and pulled her close with a slight pull. It turned out to be a young maidservant, only fourteen or fifteen years old, with a round face, almond-shaped eyes, and fair skin. With Yue Ruzheng holding her wrist, the maidservant frowned anxiously and said, "Miss, let go! Are you treating me like one of the Bliss Valley people?"

Yue Ruzheng smiled and released her hand, saying, "Qian'er, we've been telling you to practice martial arts with us for a long time, but you were afraid of the hardship and refused. Otherwise, you might be a famous female knight-errant in the martial arts world."

Qian'er, with her hands behind her back, looked at Yue Ruzheng and said, "I don't want to brandish knives and guns, it's terrifying. Miss, when you went out, we were besieged for three days and three nights. Several big trees outside the courtyard were killed by the poisonous smoke. This green plum tree was lucky to be far from the courtyard wall, which is why it survived."

Yue Ruzheng sighed softly as she recalled the scene she saw upon entering. She walked to the swing in front of the building, sat down, and stared blankly at the plum tree. She wondered if she had been at Yinxi Xiaozhu at the time, would she have lost control and fought with the people of Jile Valley again? While her master and the others were facing siege, she remained in Nan Yandang, seemingly living a rather leisurely life. Thinking this, she felt a pang of self-reproach.

Qian'er, however, was unaware of why the usually carefree Yue Ruzheng had become so preoccupied since her return. She quietly walked to the swing, took a cluster of white and green petals from her purse, held them in her palm, and presented them to Yue Ruzheng, saying, "Miss, after you left, Green Calyx withered. I gathered these petals for you, waiting for your return."

Yue Ruzheng reached out and took the delicate, translucent plum blossom petal from her, cupping it in her palms. She could still faintly smell its delicate fragrance. Breathing in this refreshing scent, she suddenly thought of the peach grove in Nan Yandang Mountain, where the tender, fragrant peach blossoms, initially light and ethereal, would grow richer and more lingering as the sunlight warmed…

The next morning, Yu Hezhi sent someone to find Shao Yang and Yue Ruzheng. The two arrived at the waterside pavilion and saw Jiang Shuying still sitting gracefully amidst the shimmering water, her brows lowered and eyes closed, her face ashen. Yu Hezhi sat opposite her, his hands clasped together in front of his chest, his fingers trembling slightly. Although Yue Ruzheng was not yet close, she could already feel the surrounding air subtly vibrating. Looking at the previously rippling lake surface, it had suddenly become as smooth as a mirror, but within this extreme calm, a tremendous force was suppressing the water's surface.