Le voyage d'un mendiant à travers le monde

Chapitre 59

Even their initial, unintentional acquaintance was portrayed as her deliberately fainting in the mountains to seduce Tang Yanchu.

The man and woman had been alone together for a long time, and no one even believed that she was still a virgin. As a result, all sorts of malicious and sarcastic remarks spread and became more and more outrageous.

--Unexpectedly, Yue Ruzheng, who seemed to have high standards, was willing to live with a cripple without hands in order to steal the divine pearl.

--The people at Yinxi Xiaozhu were so hypocritical before, but they actually resorted to such methods. What's the difference between them and selling themselves into servitude?

--It's all thanks to Miss Yue's skill; who else would be willing to do something so shameful?

She didn't know why these rumors were spreading. Shao Yang said angrily that it must be Tang Yanchu's revenge, but she couldn't believe it.

At first, she confronted those who slandered her and Tang Yanchu, but what good did it do?

The more she tried to defend herself, the more guilty she seemed, and the more she appeared to be speaking up for Tang Yanchu. So later, she could only remain silent, never responding again. She used to hide in secluded places and cry, crying for being dragged into this turmoil for no reason, crying for having tainted Xiao Tang's feelings, crying for having become a despicable and vile woman... But later, her heart gradually hardened, and she couldn't even cry anymore.

On the night they returned to Luzhou, Mo Li, who had been guarding the Great Shu Mountains, brought people to retrieve the Divine Pearl. The poison of everyone at Yinxi Xiaozhu was cured, but everyone kept quiet about it and refused to mention it.

Although Yinxi Xiaozhu still has the prestige of its master to rely on, its reputation is not as good as before because of its unscrupulous female disciple.

Time passed day by day, and Yue Ruzheng lived a secluded life, gradually distancing herself from her former life of riding horses and laughing, and from her close friends. No one came to visit her anymore, fearing that any association with her would tarnish their reputation.

Sometimes she thinks that perhaps this is the best ending.

It is far better to be forgotten than to be plagued by rumors.

Yue Ruzheng still remembered telling Tang Yanchu that she longed for the thrilling life of riding through the martial world and settling scores with gusto. But she never imagined that one day she would bid farewell to her former life in this way.

What is morality? What is a promise? What is betrayal? Yue Ruzheng once thought she was someone who dared to love and hate and acted decisively, but reality told her that many things were unclear and inexplicable.

The master remained detached from worldly affairs, living a life of tranquility and detachment. After the Divine Pearl was taken by Mo Li, the senior master came to comfort them, but after that, they rarely interacted, focusing solely on practicing his skills in Yueqing. Shao Yang, having discovered his inability to defeat Lian Haichao during his nighttime raid on Seven Star Island, became even more silent. Qian'er, who had always been by her side, gradually grew up and developed a crush on a young man.

However, Yue Ruzheng remained by those plum trees, watching the flowers bloom and fade, never venturing into the martial world again. Time passed swiftly, and she was almost twenty-three years old. Girls her age or even younger had already married and had children, while she could only sit under the faded swing every night, gazing at that tree of green calyxes.

Sometimes, she would hear the name Seven Star Island in conversations between her master and the rarely seen guests, but because of that incident, the guests would try their best to avoid talking about the Lian family. So she only vaguely knew that the once arrogant and conceited Lian Haichao had died under mysterious circumstances, and Lian Junqiu had not appeared in the martial arts world for a long time. Because of this, several sects had tried to take the opportunity to test the strength of Seven Star Island, but all of them were ultimately defeated and bloodshed ensued.

The Lian family of Seven Star Island lies dormant like a venomous snake, ready to retaliate ruthlessly once attacked.

However, regardless of the circumstances, the name Tang Yanchu completely disappeared and was never mentioned again.

That winter seemed exceptionally cold; the weather was already freezing after the Minor Snow solar term. The clouds over Luzhou City were low, dark, and overcast, and the sun had not been seen for several days. The north wind swept through the streets and alleys, and fallen leaves swirled and danced on the ground. People on the streets hurried along, unwilling to linger outside for even a moment longer.

The wintersweet by the Da Shu Mountain was quietly releasing its fragrance, its pale yellow hue reflected in the clear water, creating a picturesque scene. The stone tablet in front of Yinxi Xiaozhu still bore the same two lines of poetry, though its color had become slightly mottled and faded, adding to its antique feel.

The sound of horses' hooves rose on the stone path, and soon a man rode up. In the cold, his breath was slightly white, and he was still only wearing a simple dark-colored robe, with a long sword at his waist. His features were handsome and composed.

The guards at the gate bowed to him and said, "Senior Brother."

Shao Yang nodded, dismounted, and headed straight for the depths of Yinxi Xiaozhu. Passing through the winding corridors, he arrived at the small building by the waterside pavilion. The water was clear and cold, and the reflection of the stone bridge swayed. Jiang Shuying, dressed in a plain brocade dress and a snow-white cloak draped over her shoulders, sat by the pond, playing the guzheng.

Shao Yang stood quietly to one side until she finished playing the piece before stepping forward to pay his respects.

Jiang Shuying raised her hand and gently plucked the strings of her zither, asking, "How's the investigation going?"

Shao Yang whispered, "According to those who fought Mo Li a couple of years ago, Mo Li's skill is even greater than before. However, at the beginning of last month, the Qingcheng Sect's chief disciple clashed with Su Muchen of the Bliss Valley. Everyone thought Mo Li would definitely make a move, and the Qingcheng Sect leader was even prepared to descend the mountain, but Mo Li never showed up. Based on his skill from two years ago, he was evenly matched with the Qingcheng Sect leader. I don't know why he retreated and refused to fight this time."

Jiang Shuying frowned slightly, gazing at the still water, and said, "Since Mo Li obtained the Divine Pearl three years ago, the strength of Bliss Valley has grown day by day, even showing signs of surpassing Seven Star Island."

"Didn't Master once say that simply obtaining the Youth-Preserving Pearl, without the Divine Firmament Palace's cultivation method, wouldn't achieve twice the result with half the effort?"

"Yes. Back then, Master Haiqiongzi wrote a cultivation manual and gave it to my late father. It was originally kept by your father, but later…" Jiang Shuying paused, looking at Shao Yang, and continued, "Later, we were defeated by Lian Haichao, and he took both the Divine Pearl and the cultivation manual. But Mo Li didn't know this, so he only knew the Divine Pearl was valuable, but not the cultivation manual."

Although Shao Yang was no longer as impulsive as before, his expression remained somber as he listened to Jiang Shuying recount the past. After a long pause, he finally said, "In that case, Mo Li might have already suffered a qi deviation and damaged his body. This is a good opportunity for us."

"We can't act rashly. Mo Li is cunning by nature. If we're not entirely confident, we might end up being outmaneuvered by him," Jiang Shuying said, then let out a long, melancholy sigh. "By the way, when you passed through Huangshan, did you visit Tingyu Manor?"

"I was just about to tell Master that in a few days it will be the anniversary of Master Wei's death. When I passed by Tingyu Manor this time, Wei Heng was busy preparing for the memorial service. I only met Qi Yun at the foot of the mountain before returning to Luzhou."

Jiang Shuying nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "Your senior uncle and I will choose another time later to pay our respects to Elder Master Wei. For this anniversary of his death, I would like you to take Ruzheng with you."

Shao Yang was taken aback, a troubled look on his face: "Master, Ruzheng hasn't left the house in a long time, why did you think of asking her to come with me to Tingyu Manor?"

Jiang Shuying slowly stood up and said, "When Master Wei was alive, he took great care of Ruzheng, but since his death, Ruzheng hasn't gone to pay her respects even once. I feel guilty about it. Besides, she's been staying at home for the past three years. Do you really want her to spend her whole life like this?"

Mentioning this matter, Shao Yang also looked worried. He hesitated for a moment, then said dejectedly, "Master, I've never really known if I'm the one who harmed her. If I hadn't been so eager to rush into Seven Star Island back then, perhaps she wouldn't have..."

"What's the point of talking about this now?" Jiang Shuying sighed, gazing at Merlin in the distance. "I just hope you can treat her well and not let her live a life of loneliness."

Shao Yang gave a wry smile, shook his head, and said, "Since that's the case, I'll go find her now and see if she's willing to go to Tingyu Manor."

The afternoon sun finally peeked out with a sliver of light, but the biting wind remained relentless, scattering the remaining warmth. In the silent forest behind Yinxi Xiaozhu, only a few wintersweet trees were in bloom; the rest of the plum trees were not yet in season and remained silent.

Shao Yang walked through the withered grass to the depths of the silent forest. Scattered among the fallen leaves were the zither stands where the sounds of the zither once often drifted. Behind a pink plum tree, someone sat leaning against it. Shao Yang tiptoed to the side of the plum tree.

Wearing a light green dress, Yue Ruzheng seemed to be asleep, leaning against a tree. Her face was no longer as smooth and full as before. Three years had left her with a lot of bitterness. Even when her eyes were closed, Shao Yang could feel the deep sorrow hidden between her brows.

Shao Yang gently crouched down, gazing at her face. He didn't want to wake her immediately, but feeling the chill of the forest, he worried she might have fallen asleep, so he softly called, "Ruzheng..."

Yue Ruzheng's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she opened her eyes groggily. She still had a pair of beautiful and captivating eyes, but the sparkle had faded, replaced by a sense of bewilderment and melancholy.

"Senior brother? Why are you back already?" She snapped out of her daze, quickly straightened her clothes, and sat up straight.

Shao Yang smiled and said, "If I don't come back, are you going to sleep here in Merlin all day? It's freezing cold now, aren't you afraid of getting sick?"

Yue Ruzheng lowered her head and said, "I was just very bored, so I came here and wanted to sit for a while, but somehow I fell asleep."

Shao Yang felt a pang of sadness. He helped her up by the arm and said, "I happen to have something to take care of, so you won't be idle anymore."

He recounted the story of paying respects to Wei Qingcang, and Yue Ruzheng stared blankly at the ground, saying, "Senior brother, that place is full of people from various sects, I don't want to go."