Poules et chiens volent dans le chaos et la renaissance

Chapitre 69

"Hmm." Qiu Hengbo nodded and glanced at Lan Qi as well.

Lan Qi turned the teacup in her hand to herself.

After Liu Mo left, Yuwen Luo looked at Qiu Hengbo.

Qiu Hengbo shook his head, "Brother, please speak freely. If there is anything I have not covered, I will add to it if I know anything."

“Hmm.” Yuwen Luo nodded. “After that ordeal of torture, everyone was trembling with fear. Some of the more timid ones cried out or fainted on the spot. Without further torture, some of them gave in. During that period, torture was inflicted every day. Except for women, everyone in the dynasty was put on the rack. Beatings and burnings were used without restraint. Such pain was something one would rather die than endure.” His hands, which were resting on the table, were clasped tightly together again. He didn’t mention himself, but the deep scars on his hands alone revealed what he had suffered.

Ming Er patted his shoulder silently.

Yuwen Luo gave him a faint smile and said, "If I weren't a member of the Yuwen family, if I were just Yuwen Luo, I would have submitted long ago. It really hurts, it hurts so much I can't bear it." He lowered his gaze to his hands, where each of his ten fingers had a scar where ten iron nails had once been driven in. "But I am Yuwen Luo of the Yuwen family."

Upon hearing this, a faint smile appeared in Lan Qi's emerald eyes. Ming Er smiled and patted his shoulder again. Even Qiu Hengbo did not look down on him, but looked at him deeply, as if he was only now beginning to recognize this person.

"After the extreme torture, some of them yielded, and the rest were all tough guys. Yun Wuyai did not use torture again, but locked us up again and treated our wounds with medicine. After about half a month, our wounds had scabbed over and healed. Then Yun Wuyai came again. This time, he brought with him nine children dressed in red clothes and red pants. Each of them was very cute, with a happy and sweet smile on their face, which made people happy just looking at them."

Upon hearing this, Ming Er and Lan Qi exchanged a glance. These nine dolls must be the Fu happy dolls who surrounded them that night.

"Yun Wuyai wanted us to fight those nine children. He would set anyone who won free, and the loser, if he did not submit, would not be blamed for his ruthless methods. At that time, we all thought, if he had used such cruel tortures, wasn't that ruthless enough? We had survived such extreme tortures, so what else did we have to be afraid of? Besides, looking at those very young children, anyone would feel a sense of contempt."

Upon hearing this, Ming Er and Lan Qi thought to themselves, "No wonder you were defeated." They had been forced into a desperate situation by those nine children, and their final, fierce battle was a matter of life and death. They knew better than anyone how skilled those nine children were.

"There are nine dolls. You can challenge one of them individually, or all nine of you can team up to challenge all nine. You can fight hand-to-hand or with weapons. Before the fight, Yun Wuyai will give each person a pill to recover their strength for an hour. First, a group of people challenged all nine dolls individually, but unexpectedly, they were all defeated after only one or two moves. At that moment, everyone realized that these nine dolls were extraordinary. Then, Master Tong of Chenye Tower fought one of the dolls in swordsmanship, and his sword broke after ten moves, and he was defeated. Then, Chief Xin of the Short Knife Gang, Hero Ai Wuying, Valley Master Shen, Hua Qing and my elder brother... one by one they went up and were defeated. Later, my elder brother, my father, Senior Qiu, Senior Nan, they all took action, but... they were all defeated."

At this point, Yuwen Luo couldn't help but sigh deeply, saying with great emotion, "These people, every single one of them, are so skilled in martial arts that I can only crane my neck and look up at them. But on that day, none of them escaped. One by one, they were defeated by those nine little red-clad children in front of everyone's shocked gazes. And it was all fair and square, one move at a time. They didn't use a single despicable trick. The martial arts of the people of Dongming Island are truly no less than those of our dynasty's martial arts world."

“Yes.” Ming Er nodded. “The martial arts skills of those nine people, from internal strength to moves, were all genuinely developed through practice. They didn’t take any wrong paths or use any tricks.”

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Yuwen Luo and Qiu Hengbo both looked at Ming Er.

“We have also fought those nine people, and they are among the most outstanding experts we have encountered so far,” Ming Er said with a calm smile, his gaze falling on Lan Qi’s hand as he played with his teacup.

Yuwen Luo and Qiu Hengbo followed his gaze and saw the tangled scar on Lan Qi's right palm. On his slender, fair hand, there was an inch-long scar on both the palm and the back of his hand. They could roughly tell that it was the kind of scar that could be left after the entire palm was pierced. Their hearts tightened immediately.

Seeing that all three eyes were on his right hand, Lan Qi didn't hide anything. He stretched out his hand and said lazily, "My hands are clearly as beautiful as jade and snow, but they have this scar. Heaven is jealous! No, when I return to the dynasty, I will have this scar removed and treated with a scar-free medicine."

Ming Er glanced at her indifferently without saying a word.

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Luo and Qiu Hengbo initially found it amusing, but then a chill ran down their spines. Removing a scar—what kind of pain would that be? At this moment, neither of them doubted Lan Qi's words.

“However…” Lan Qi gently clasped his right palm together, his emerald eyes sweeping over Yuwen Luo and Qiu Hengbo, “They left a scar on my hand, but I spared their lives.”

Suddenly, a chill seeped into my bones.

Yuwen Luo and Qiu Hengbo simultaneously turned their gazes to Ming Er, receiving a faint smile in return, which was tacit agreement.

Those nine dolls... those nine dolls that defeated them all, actually died at the hands of those two?!

These two's martial arts skills... are not just high, they are terrifying!

“No wonder,” Yuwen Luo murmured, “No wonder Ning Lang had so much confidence in you.”

"Hmm?" This time it was Ming Er and Lan Qi's turn to be puzzled.

"Master Tong, Master Shen, my father, and Senior Qiu have all been defeated. The martial arts of the Imperial Dynasty are well known, so no one dared to step forward, knowing that it would only be a pointless humiliation. When everyone was afraid to fight again, and when Yun Wuyai said that the losers should submit, Ning Lang stepped forward."

Yuwen Luo's face held a smile of admiration mixed with deep pain. "Naturally, he was no match for him either, but he persisted for seven moves before finally losing, which was quite remarkable for his age. Unexpectedly, he said to the child he had fought, 'This time we fought fist techniques, and I lost. Now let's fight palm techniques.' This statement surprised not only us, but also Yun Wuyai and the others, though Yun Wuyai agreed. So they fought palm techniques again, and this time he persisted for nine moves before losing. That palm strike made Ning Lang vomit blood, but he still stood straight, looking at his opponent earnestly and seriously, and said, 'Let's fight sword techniques next.'"

Ming Er looked at Lan Qi with a calm expression, but his fingers gripped the cup.

Yuwen Luo took a breath to ease the tightness in his throat before continuing, "After the swordsmanship competition, they competed in spearmanship... Seeing Ning Lang become more and more tenacious each time, while that person needed more and more moves to defeat Ning Lang, in the final swordsmanship competition, Ning Lang was able to withstand eighteen moves. At that moment, seeing Ning Lang heavily injured yet still able to wield his sword freely, I almost thought he was going to win... However, while that person cut Ning Lang's longsword in half with one move, he also struck Ning Lang's chest with a palm, and so... Ning Lang was never able to get up to challenge again."

“As expected…” Lan Qi picked up the tea, but didn’t drink it. Looking at the teacup, her own blue eyes were reflected in it. “Fool.”

Yuwen Luo looked at her, and after a moment he sighed slightly and said, "Yes, this fool always does foolish things. But that day, we fought to the very end because of this fool. Everyone stepped forward to challenge him, and some even tried to escape while recovering their strength, but none of them succeeded. In the end, we all lost, a painful defeat, but also a triumphant one."

At this point, Yuwen Luo stopped, and everyone picked up their teacups and took a sip of the slightly cool, bitter tea.

After drinking the tea, Yuwen Luo continued, though a slight bitterness lingered on his face. "After the competition, of course no one was willing to submit, so Yun Wuyai took us all to the foot of that mountain and locked us up separately. In those dark stone houses, we truly learned what torture was, what it meant to be worse than dead! Compared to all that, those extreme punishments were easy."

Ming Er and Lan Qi nodded to themselves, recalling the stench-filled stone house halfway up the mountain.

"He locked all of us from noble families in a stone house. Our food consisted of moldy, sour, and indistinguishable stench in the stone trough; the foul, filthy, and stinking water in the pit was what we had to drink when we were desperately thirsty; and the large stone vat was where we relieved ourselves… Ha! We, these young heroes and noblemen who were usually so extravagant and extravagant, were forced to eat, drink, and relieve ourselves in the same room, using things even pigs and dogs wouldn't smell. We ate and vomited, vomited and ate; some got sick, some had diarrhea, some cursed, some harbored resentment… In the darkness of the stone walls, we were completely unaware of the outside world, unaware of how much time had passed, living like neither human nor ghost… We endured it all, until finally we couldn't take it anymore. Some went mad, some committed suicide, and some succumbed." Yuwen Luo gritted his teeth. "Those days were absolutely a nightmare for life!"

Hearing Yuwen Luo's words, Lan Qi merely raised an eyebrow slightly, while Ming Er frowned slightly.

"When we couldn't take it anymore, when we were all willing to die, Ning Lang said..." Yuwen Luo looked at Ming Er and Lan Qi, his expression strange, a mixture of crying and laughing, "He said, 'Seventh Young Master and Second Young Master will definitely come to save us!' When some people couldn't bear it and wanted to submit to Dongming, he stopped them. As he stopped them, a fight broke out. He was already seriously injured, and fighting those people only aggravated his injuries. But he just wouldn't give up, he wouldn't allow those people to bow down to Dongming. While fighting, he said, 'We're not even afraid of nails in our bodies, so why should we be afraid of this darkness? Senior, Eldest Brother, and Hero Lie are not here, they must not have been captured, they will definitely come to save us!' He would faint while fighting, but whenever he woke up, he would always say, 'Seventh Young Master and Second Young Master are so smart and have such high martial arts skills, they must be alright, they will definitely come to save us!'"

Ming Er's calm expression flickered with a hint of surprise, while Lan Qi's cold, emerald eyes shimmered gently.

Yuwen Luo stared at them intently, his voice trembling slightly, revealing his inner turmoil. "His internal and external injuries are severe; he's been in a constant state of semi-consciousness. But whenever he's even slightly lucid, he'll say, 'No… let's wait a little longer, Seventh Young Master and Second Young Master will be here soon…' I don't know why he had so much faith in you; even I couldn't believe you would come. In that dark, foul-smelling stone house, we were all in despair, we had given up on everything, but he, despite being the most severely injured, was filled with hope, his will the strongest. The reason we were able to hold on until you arrived is because Ning Lang persisted, because he believed. Because of him, we were able to wait for you."

Ming Er remained silent, and Lan Qi lowered her eyes, making the wooden house extremely quiet for a moment.

"Seventh Young Master, Ning Lang believes in you." Yuwen Luo looked at Lan Qi. "He believes you will definitely come. Your fate is unknown, and we have no chance of survival. It's so dark, so hopeless, but he has never doubted that you will die, that you won't come." So, please know, please remember.

Lan Qi's hand trembled slightly, and ripples spread across the water in the cup, one circle after another.

After a long pause, Ming Er sighed softly, "Ning Lang... truly lives up to his name." He turned his head slightly and looked out the window, where the winter sun cast golden rays, bright and dazzling.

“Many people think he’s stupid, but I like this fool. He’s my brother for life.” Yuwen Luo sniffed and raised his hand to wipe the moisture from his face.

"A lifetime?" Lan Qi, who had been silent with her eyes down, suddenly looked up at Yuwen Luo, her deep blue eyes revealing no emotion. "A lifetime is so long, how can you guarantee that you will remain unchanged for a lifetime?"

"Unchanged." Yuwen Luo uttered these two words calmly and firmly, raising his eyes to meet Lan Qi's gaze. "We will be good brothers for life."

Their eyes met silently, but in the end, it was Lan Qi who looked away first, and for the first time, a faint, almost imperceptible look of confusion appeared on her stunningly beautiful face.

The cabin fell silent once more, with only the soft breathing of each person breaking the silence.

After a long pause, Yuwen Luo finally spoke, "That's all I know." As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Qiu Hengbo, to see if she had anything to add. In that instant, he met a pair of deep, suspicious eyes, brimming with unspoken words. In that instant, Yuwen Luo heard his own heartbeat, which came suddenly and went just as quickly.

Qiu Hengbo lowered her eyes slightly and said softly, "Actually, Ning Lang is the true hero, the real hero." Chapter 72, Part 28: Phoenix Robe Lightly Tied with the Knot of Life and Death (Part 1)

Updated: [2008-11-28 14:08:03.0]

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“A great hero…” Lan Qi murmured, raising her head blankly. Inadvertently, she met Ming Er’s gaze. Those empty eyes were deep and unfathomable. At that moment, her heart skipped a beat.

"We are also locked in a dark room, but it's a little better than for you, Brother Shi," Qiu Hengbo continued. "We can still swallow our food, and we don't have to eat, drink, and relieve ourselves in the same place. I suppose Yun Wuyai doesn't care whether we women submit or not. In terms of martial arts and reputation, we are just ordinary people. We are not the leaders or patriarchs of any sect. Even if we were the deputy leader, the sect wouldn't be under his control. So he's just keeping us locked up."

Yuwen Luo snapped out of his daze and continued, "If that's how we were imprisoned on the mountainside, then the situation at the bottom of the mountain is probably similar."

Ming Er shook his head upon hearing this.

"You're mistaken," Lan Qi said, regaining his composure. "Those at the bottom of the peak enjoy far more comforts than you."

"Um?"

"At the foot of the peak, one lives in a house inlaid with gold and jade, with ivory beds, silk curtains, and brocade clothes. Fine food and wine are served, and soft, fragrant jade is held in one's arms. It is paradise on earth." Lan Qi's green eyes blinked at Yuwen Luo.

"Huh?" Yuwen Luo and Qiu Hengbo were taken aback upon hearing this.

“This is also one of Yun Wuyai’s methods.” Ming Er twirled his teacup with his fingertips and slowly explained, “People from noble families enjoy luxury every day, their food, clothing and daily necessities are all exquisite, and they have never suffered. So Yun Wuyai made you eat sour and rotten food, made you drink dirty water, made you eat, sleep and defecate in the same room, made you confined in darkness, and made you experience the lowliness and humiliation you have never experienced before. This is the best way to break your will. And those who are not afraid of cutting off flesh or being beaten eventually went mad and surrendered in that darkness. This is the best proof.”

He paused slightly, then continued, "As for those at the bottom of the peak, they must be heroes from humble backgrounds. They have endured hardship and are accustomed to days of cold, hunger, and coarse food. Even if they were abandoned in the wilderness, they could survive by eating insects and grass. On the contrary, they have never known what fine clothes and delicacies taste like, nor what the allure of wealth and glory is. Therefore, Yun Wuyai dazzles their eyes with gold and jewels, softens their stomachs with the finest wines and delicacies of the world, and then melts their souls and corrodes their bones with the cherry lips and jade arms of beauties. In the end, those who cannot resist the temptation will succumb to their allure."

Yuwen Luo and Qiu Hengbo thought about it and suddenly realized that it was indeed so.

For these unyielding individuals, torture will only harden their will, but they truly cannot endure the sour, rotten food and the utter darkness. As for those rough-and-tumble heroes, fine wine and beautiful women are truly irresistible!

"This Yun Wuyai is really amazing." Yuwen Luo sighed. For some reason, he felt no disgust for this person who had caused them so much suffering; all he felt was hatred.

“If he weren’t formidable, how could the martial arts world of the Imperial Dynasty be in its current state?” Ming Er smiled faintly. “Using ‘Lan Yin Bi Yue’ as bait, he lured us out of the Imperial Dynasty and then wiped us out in the East Sea, which they knew so well. Such meticulous planning is no ordinary feat. On East Sea Island, he first showed you courtesy, then used force, then intimidated you with military might, and finally dealt with your symptoms. Every move was a brilliant strategy. However… the price he paid was also enormous.”

"But the fact that he still insisted on doing it at such a high price is what impressed me. Not everyone has that kind of resolute spirit to forge ahead despite all odds," Lan Qi said slowly, tapping the teacup in his hand.

“This Yun Wuyai is quite a strange person,” Qiu Hengbo said. “He seized the imperial edict, offended the imperial martial arts world, and subjected his fellow martial artists to extreme torture. He imprisoned people using unethical means, which is hardly the behavior of a righteous and chivalrous person. But what I don’t understand is that since he wants our submission, and among us are many fathers, sons, brothers, sisters, relatives, and friends, he did not use any of them to coerce us. He seems to subdue people through will and strength, without using personal feelings. Otherwise, if he had just threatened my father or me, I’m afraid we would have agreed.”

"Yes, that's true." Yuwen Luo thought about it and agreed.

“That might mean he’s a magnanimous person,” Ming Er said, a faint smile playing on his lips. “After all, he is the young master of the Eastern Sea. If he were truly a despicable, shameless, and narrow-minded person, how could anyone follow him, and how could he possess such magnificent martial arts skills?”

“Yes, that makes sense.” Yuwen Luo nodded again. “Yun Wuyai is also a remarkable person. If he were in the imperial court, then the ‘Four Young Masters’ would be complete.”

“Heh, perhaps.” Ming Er’s lips curled up slightly.

"By the way, his men said that the seniors were imprisoned at the summit that night. Is that believable?" Yuwen Luo asked Ming Er.

“It’s probably true.” Ming Er put down his teacup. “That storm was beyond human control. Even Senior, no matter how high your martial arts are, you would be helpless in that sea. You would have been captured by Dongming while unconscious and confused, just like you. The reason why Yun Wuyai never let him appear in front of everyone is because Senior’s very existence is a kind of power.”

"Yes." Yuwen Luo nodded repeatedly.

"Senior doesn't need to speak or act; he only needs to stand before everyone, and the entire martial arts world will follow. And what in this world could subdue someone like him? That's why Yun Wuyai never allowed him to show his face. And when you were locked in the dark room, even highly respected figures in the martial arts world, like Senior Qiu, Senior Yuwen, Senior Nan, and Pavilion Master Jiang, who are deeply supported by the masses, weren't imprisoned with you," Ming Er continued, looking at Yuwen Luo. "These men have roamed the martial world their whole lives; what haven't they seen? How could a mere dark room possibly defeat them? And if you were locked in that stone room with your father and Senior Qiu, would you still be afraid?"

“I’m not afraid,” Yuwen Luo replied immediately, raising his chin.

“That’s it.” Ming Er nodded. “With them around, you have a sense of security and feel emboldened, with nothing to fear, and you won’t be so easily subdued. That’s why he separated you. These people might be locked up in another place, or they might be locked up with Senior Qiu and the others. As for Ren Qi, the Lie brothers, and Brother Feng Yi…” He glanced at Lan Qi, then turned to Yuwen Luo, “I’m not exaggerating, but these four people’s martial arts are only slightly better than your father’s and Senior Qiu’s. It would only take a short time to subdue their internal energy. With their martial arts and mental fortitude… Yun Wuyai would never put such dangerous people with everyone else. He’s probably locked them up on the mountaintop, under his watchful eye.”

“Yes.” Yuwen Luo nodded repeatedly. “Brother Ming is right. Yun Wuyai’s thoughts and considerations are indeed very thorough.”

"Why would someone like him do so many things? Why would he be our enemy?" Qiu Hengbo couldn't help but sigh softly.

“We will know all this when we reach the summit.” Ming Er raised his head slightly, his gaze falling on the void, a faint smile on his lips. “Why he wanted to seize the order, why he wanted us to submit, we will naturally know on that day. And the reason that made him pay such a great price to do it must not be simple.”

"Both sides paid such a heavy price, was it really just because of 'Lan Yin Bi Yue'?" Yuwen Luo thought of the peerless flower he had never seen before, and felt a pang of emotion. Because of that flower, because of that jade, so many of them died, and perhaps many more will die. It wasn't worth it, yet people still did it. Alas!

"Yuwen Luo," Lan Qi suddenly called out.

"Hmm?" Yuwen Luo's thoughts were interrupted, and he looked at Lan Qi with some confusion.

"I suddenly remembered an important question."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at her.

Lan Qiyu opened her jade fan, covering half of her jade-like face, revealing only a pair of alluring green eyes that stared at Yuwen Luo with shimmering light, and said, "You just said that if Yun Wuyai were in the imperial court, he would have all four young masters. So tell me, where would I rank?"

Yuwen Luo was taken aback.

"Hmm?" Lan Qi leaned closer to him. "I'm ranked number one, right?"

Yuwen Luo's heart skipped a beat as he watched the emerald eyes approach, and he quickly replied, "Yes." In his heart, however, he felt a pang of apology. Seventh Young Master, you're third; the first is the Second Young Master, and the second is Third Master Lie. But when it comes to the degree of fear among those in the martial world, the order is reversed: Seventh Young Master Lan is indeed first, and the Second Young Master last.

"Hmm." Lan Qi smiled and nodded, extremely satisfied.

Looking at her, Qiu Hengbo couldn't help but smile.

Ming Er shook his head slightly.

Lan Qi got up, stretched, and said, "Alright, that's about all I wanted to say and hear. Look at the sun, it's almost noon. Let's go."

Ming Er glanced out the window, nodded, and stood up. "It's getting late."

“Yes, I also want to go see Sister Fushu.” Qiu Hengbo also stood up.