Romans PaiPai - Chapitre 7
It's empty! There's nothing there!
Tang Congrong opened her eyes with the help of this wisp of true energy, looked around, and asked calmly, "So, may we now issue the clan head's decree?"
Everyone said in unison, "We will obey the patriarch's orders."
"Alright." Tang Congrong's spirits lifted slightly in the sunlight. "One month from now, Qingcheng Sect disciple Yue Shenlan will join the Thirteen Riders of Kun to study martial arts for three years. The Master of the Martial Arts Department and all disciples should accept her with care. Anyone who bullies or discriminates against outsiders will be dealt with according to the family rules."
"Your master commands."
The combined voices of so many people created a magnificent and powerful sound, which seemed to make Tang Congrong's head spin slightly. He whispered to Tang Qiefang, "Let's go."
Tang Qiefang went back with him, one hand on his shoulder, her body concealing the other hand that was pressed against his back. To onlookers, it looked like the great-uncle was affectionately putting his arm around the head of the family—the great-uncle had always been close to the head of the family, and he must be very happy that the head of the family had mastered the divine skill.
Unable to reach the Listening to the Water Pavilion, Tang Congrong's body went limp and collapsed.
Tang Qiefang's heart sank. Tang Congrong must not be seen in this state by the elders or other disciples. People are always walking along this corridor, and neither Fuxiao Pavilion nor Tingshui Pavilion is too far away.
Chapter Sixteen
Springtime was in full bloom, and the rows of houses stretched into the distance under the soft sunlight. Tang Qiefang's heart stirred, and she led Tang Congrong to a courtyard on the left.
Silent and deserted, save for the sound of the wind rustling through the flowers and trees, this was once the residence of a concubine of the former master of the household. She later committed suicide in the courtyard, and legend has it that ghosts wail here every night. The courtyard has always been deserted, and no one dares to live here. Only servants maintain it by sweeping and cleaning it throughout the year; otherwise, few people come.
This is also where Tang Qiefang met Tang Congrong.
Tang Congrong closed his eyes, as if fast asleep. Tang Qiefang placed him on the bed, continuously channeling her inner energy into him, but it failed to elicit the slightest reaction within him. His skin gradually cooled.
how so?
How did Tang Congrong suddenly master the Flower Rain Needle technique? And how did she suddenly turn into this?
No one could give him an answer; Tang Congrong slept soundly as if dead.
At this point, it would be best to call over a few old men from the family to see what was going on, or to quickly summon a doctor... However, as soon as news of Tang Congrong's fall into a coma spread after shooting the Snow Screen Crane, the family head's order would become invalid.
Tang Qiefang's heart pounded. At this moment, besides constantly channeling her inner energy and probing Tang Congrong's faint breathing, she didn't know what else she could do.
The courtyard was quiet, with voices coming through the many doors, and birds chirping in the yard, but all of this seemed so far away, so very far away.
Tang Qiefang broke out in a cold sweat. Looking at the ebony carved eaves and the white jade pillars, time seemed to flow backward, and Tang Congrong's face vaguely transformed into that of the seven-year-old boy from back then.
He was ten years old that year. It was evening, and he had just had an argument with his father. He had unintentionally run into this courtyard. Under the faint starlight, a little boy stood motionless in the courtyard, a glint of light flashing from his fingertip—it was an extremely fine needle.
The little boy stood frozen in a strange posture, completely motionless.
He finally got tired of looking at him, patted his shoulder, and said, "Hey—" Only then did he realize something was wrong. The little boy's shoulder was as cold as ice—even though it was winter, how could a person's body be so cold?
The little boy fell to the ground, his body stiff, his arms bruised, and his face pale.
The situation was so bizarre, and Fang suddenly remembered all the rumors about the courtyard being haunted. Fear washed over her like water, and she almost couldn't help but run away. However, when her gaze fell on that little face, she finally squatted down.
I tentatively placed my finger near his nose—ah, thank goodness, he was breathing.
Fang carried him into the house and used her newly acquired internal energy to promote blood circulation in him, pressing her palm against his back to transfer her true energy to him.
Time passed over the two of them; the mischievous boy of yesteryear grew into a handsome man, and the little boy who secretly practiced the Flower Rain Needle technique became the head of the Tang Clan.
However, today, these twelve years seem like just a dream. Tang Qiefang is still that bewildered boy, and Tang Congrong is still that unconscious little boy.
Nothing had changed. He collapsed in front of him, and he didn't know how to help him. He channeled his inner energy over him, in the exact same posture as twelve years ago.
Twelve years. More than four thousand days and nights. If you want to chat, you only need to walk through a few layers of covered corridors and courtyards to find each other. If you want to see a certain scenery, the other person is the first travel companion you consider. If something happens, the other person is the first person you want to tell. When drunk, you will ask the other person to stay and take care of you—it doesn't matter if the other person sees your drunken ramblings and outbursts.
Chapter Seventeen
So many years have passed, time has been so long that it has seeped into one's very bones, making one believe that this state will never change in a lifetime.
But suddenly this person lay on the bed, his skin cold, fast asleep. He wouldn't answer if you called his name again, and he wouldn't get angry even if you tattooed another mark on his hand.
Will he wake up?
Will you wake up?
Could it be possible that this person, who has lived and grown alongside my life for twelve years, is actually leaving?
She had never had such a thought before. It was only natural that the two of them would always be together. Yet, at this moment, a chilling coldness seeped into her blood, and Tang Qiefang suddenly shivered.
"Calm down, calm down," he dared not withdraw his right hand from Tang Congrong's back, his left hand trembling slightly. He was completely overwhelmed by this terrible thought, his eyes swollen and sore, his voice low and hoarse, "Wake up, wake up—if you keep sleeping, I won't be kind to you—"
Tang Congrong's face remained silent.
Tang Qiefang let out a muffled sound, picked up Tang Congrong, and walked out.
Forget the family head's decree and the Cloud Barrier; you don't need them, Congrong! Once I refine the Heavenly Fragrance, you'll be firmly in the position of family head, and no one will be able to touch you—
Elders or doctors, find anyone to lend a hand, don't let him wander around helplessly, don't let him lie lifeless in front of you—anyone who can help—
Tang Qiefang moved with lightning speed, leaping out of the bedroom and into the courtyard in the blink of an eye. Tang Congrong, nestled in her arms, suddenly twitched her eyelashes.
The faint rustling sound was less noticeable than the fluttering of a butterfly's wings, but Tang Qiefang sensed it and abruptly stopped in her tracks.
As he stopped, the jeweled tassels on his clothes trembled. When they subsided, his frenzied anxiety also subsided, as if it had never been there. A smile appeared on his face, first at the corners of his mouth, then at the tips of his eyebrows, and his eyes instantly shone with a pearly light. "You brat, you're not quite dead yet?"
Tang Congrong woke up.
Tang Qiefang put him down, and he looked around the courtyard, a hint of confusion in his eyes: "What's wrong with me?"
These questions only fueled Tang Qiefang's rage. Her joy at seeing him awake was instantly overshadowed by her fury. With a flick of her sleeve, she unleashed bone-dissolving powder, turning the surrounding vegetation into dust in a bluish-gray hue. "What happened to you? You're asking me what happened to you! I haven't even asked you yet! What happened to you? What did you do to yourself?! What did you do to yourself?!"