Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 37

Qing Jianyue came out carrying her boots, robe, and the Purple Gold Sword. The carved door opened, and Zhang Zhichun entered with a burly man. Upon seeing Lu Qingcheng, the man knelt on one knee in alarm.

"Lord of the fortress, save our young master! Our young master is finished! Our young master is finished!"

Lu Qingcheng was furious and shouted angrily, "You dog, what nonsense are you spouting when you're drunk? If you dare to talk nonsense again, you can forget about having that tongue."

Qing Jianyue helped Lu Qingcheng put on the robe, then pushed him to sit in a chair, picked up his feet and put on his socks and boots. While her hands were busy, her ears were also busy, listening carefully to what they were saying.

Lu Qingcheng shouted, "Start from the beginning."

"Yes." The burly man named Cao Wei lowered his head. "Young Master went to bed very early tonight. As usual, I led a few guards to wait outside, when suddenly we heard strange noises inside. I knocked on the door to inquire, but the noises inside became even more intense. I sensed something was wrong and immediately broke down the door. When we rushed in, we saw... we saw Young Master lying on the ground." Cao Wei's voice choked with emotion.

Kiyomi Tsuki's soul was scattered. Oh God! Poor Kaze!

Even the usually composed Lu Qingcheng paled in shock at this moment. "Did you see the assassin clearly?"

"It was incredibly fast," Cao Wei described. "I only saw a dark shadow, so fast it was indescribable, like a bolt of lightning, shooting out of the window in an instant. When I rushed to the window and looked again, there was nothing there except the shadows of the trees."

Lu Qingcheng suddenly stood up, her face as white as ice and snow, her breathing heavy and uneven, her voice like leaves trembling violently in a storm, "Is Qingfeng seriously injured?"

"Young Master's white robe was instantly soaked in blood, we were all terrified. That sword wound was in his chest, I think the chances of survival are slim," Cao Wei cried.

Lu Qingcheng felt as if her heart had been stabbed in the chest, then everything went black, and she slumped back into her chair. Qing Jianyue was shocked and cried out, "Fortress Master, Fortress Master!"

Zhang Zhichun quickly retrieved the Purple Gold Sword.

After a long while, Lu Qingcheng caught her breath, and tears streamed down her face like rain.

Although Qing Jianyue was extremely anxious, she calmly comforted him, "Lord of the Fortress, please don't be too sad. Young Master Qingfeng may only be seriously injured, and there is still hope."

Cao Wei cried out, "I'm afraid there's no hope."

Qingjian Yue wondered: This person just reported that Qingfeng was injured, in the chest, but it was unclear how serious the injury was. Why was he so sure that there was no hope for her?

Cao Wei said loudly, "My lord, although the young master is seriously injured, he keeps calling your name. I think the young master must have something important to say to you, so I ordered Lü Ying and Lü Liang to protect him and then rushed here to report to you. Please come with me to the Peony Garden as soon as possible."

Lu Qingcheng suddenly stood up, and Zhang Zhichun handed her the precious sword.

Qing Jianyue felt something was amiss and called out, "Lord of the Fortress, please wait a moment."

Unexpectedly, Cao Wei suddenly jumped up and said, "Please come with me, Lord of the Fortress."

He pushed open the carved door, and Lu Qingcheng charged out like a startled, enraged horse. Qing Jianyue cried out, "Lord, please wait!" He leaped out the door like a rabbit, only to bump into Zhang Sanlin head-on. The impact was extremely violent; Zhang Sanlin's massive bear-like body staggered back several steps before regaining his footing. He was furious and roared in his booming voice, "Qing Jianyue, what are you doing, barging in like that? Damn it, just because I usually let you get away with it, you think I'm easy to bully? Want to fight? Come on!"

Wang Jie shouted, "Jian Yue, what happened?"

Qing Jianyue watched as Lu Qingcheng's figure swept out of the Shuxiang Academy gate like a whirlwind, followed only by Cao Wei. Qing Jianyue was furious, but Zhang Sanlin, still bothered by the earlier collision, kept pestering him. Enraged, Qing Jianyue suddenly kicked Zhang Sanlin in the groin. Zhang Sanlin's massive bear-like body leaped into the air like a ball, then landed transformed into a devout believer worshipping the earth god.

Wang Jie was so frightened that her eyes almost popped out of their sockets and she jumped around on the ground twice.

"Wang Jie, go and fetch my Star Moon Sword!" Qing Jianyue shouted.

Wang Jie quickly retrieved the Star Moon Sword. A chaotic commotion arose from all directions as Zhang Zhichun swiftly summoned the warriors guarding the Academy. Qing Jianyue had no time to wait; he grabbed the sword, whistled, and summoned the white fox.

In the moonlight, Qing Jianyue emerged from the Shuxiang Academy gates like a hawk soaring through the sky. Deep within him, two armies seemed to be locked in fierce combat, a mixture of anxiety and fear. Cao Wei gave him a very ominous premonition. He had to find Lu Qingcheng as soon as possible. What if something happened to Lu Qingcheng? Qing Jianyue suddenly felt as if his heart was about to be ripped apart.

During his time at Lu Family Fort, Qing Jianyue, though not accomplishing anything particularly significant, thoroughly familiarized himself with the fort's terrain. He took the shortest shortcut, hoping to intercept Lu Qingcheng. However, after traversing countless houses, flowerbeds, rocks, and courtyards, he still couldn't see Lu Qingcheng. Qing Jianyue's heart was in turmoil. Just as he was at his wit's end, a sharp cry of a white fox echoed from afar. Qing Jianyue used his hearing to pinpoint the source; it was coming from the ancient pine forest not far away.

Yes. To get to Qingfeng's peony garden, the ancient pine forest is the best shortcut. These thousand-year-old pines and cypresses are tall and lush, making them the best place to cool off in summer, but in autumn and winter, they become gloomy and rarely visited. Even the patrolling soldiers of Lujiabao would probably be dead by now.

After making his judgment, Kiyomi Tsuki didn't hesitate. Like a purple cloud, he flashed down and was about to rush into the ancient pine forest when a white streak of light shot out from the depths of the dark pine forest and stopped in front of him. A white fox darted around in front of him, howling nervously.

A terrifying, oppressive dark cloud descended upon Kiyotsuki's heart. The faint, sharp, short sounds of weapons clashing told him that something had indeed happened. With a whoosh, the Star Moon Blade plunged deep into the soil. Kiyotsuki pulled out black leather gloves, put them on, and tightened the rope.

The white fox suddenly let out a sharp cry. Two dark figures emerged from the ancient pine forest, shooting swiftly and rapidly towards Kiyomi Tsuki. Kiyomi Tsuki abruptly drew his sword, and in an instant, he and his blade traced a zigzagging arc, flying between the two dark figures attacking him from both sides. As he entered the forest, the two dark figures simultaneously clutched their throats and collapsed in a shove.

Upon entering the ancient pine forest, four more dark figures attacked from four directions. Kiyomi Tsuki and the white fox suddenly separated, flashing behind a pine tree. The white fox, its body arched as if pouncing on its prey, let out a sharp cry, and the four dark figures froze. That was enough; Kiyomi Tsuki, hidden behind the pine tree, shot out like lightning, her Star-Moon Sword flashing two streaks of light. With two sharp thuds, two of the black-clad men staggered and fell to the ground. The other two men awoke with a start, and Kiyomi Tsuki's Star-Moon Sword slashed down from mid-air, followed by several muffled howls.

Rushing towards the direction of the clashing weapons, Qingjian Yue's eagle-like gaze swept across the area, and a huge weight lifted from her heart. Lu Qingcheng was safe and sound. Qingjian Yue calmed down and observed carefully. There were five enemies, and judging from their lightning-fast movements, each was a top-tier expert. She wondered where Qingfeng had found them in such a short time. But then, Qingjian Yue dismissed the thought. It was likely that Qingfeng had been planning this revenge for a long time, simply waiting for the perfect opportunity. Thinking this, Qingjian Yue felt a chill run down her spine. It seemed that Lu Qingcheng's hope of reconciling with her cousin was extremely slim.

Kiyomizuki chose a target: the weakest of the five, none other than Cao Wei. It's not that Kiyomizuki was cowardly; one must know one's own limitations. Due to his inherent physical limitations, Kiyomizuki's martial arts style relied entirely on speed, agility, ruthlessness, and viciousness. Although he killed three lords with three strikes, those three strikes were not without reason.

The first strike easily cleaved Yan Jiujin because the opponent had completely underestimated him, treating him like a nobody. The second strike cleaved Zhao Feihu because Zhao Feihu, consumed by rage, acted rashly. The third strike cleaved Zhong Dakun because Qing Jianyue used Lu Qingcheng to restrain Zhong Dakun, and the shouts of Cai Bo'an and Cai Zhonghe distracted Zhong Dakun—though it was only for a fleeting moment. However, it was precisely in that brief instant that Qing Jianyue swiftly and ruthlessly eliminated her opponent.

To defeat the enemy, one must find their weaknesses and strike them hard. Qing Jianyue understood this principle well. That's why he chose Cao Wei. Eliminating one of them would reduce Lu Qingcheng's opponents, thus increasing their chances of escaping the ancient pine forest alive tonight.

Like a hawk swooping down on a rabbit, Kiyomizu swooped down on Cao Wei without hesitation. Cao Wei turned around in alarm, only to be met with a barrage of blade light, like fireworks, raining down on him—so fast, so ruthless. Cao Wei was truly skilled; even so, he managed to dodge it with all his might. But unexpectedly, he fell completely into Kiyomizu's trap. He barely managed to evade Kiyomizu's blade when a white fox shot towards him like a meteor, its sharp teeth biting into his thigh.

Cao Wei cried out in pain and thrust his sword at the white fox. The white fox was also cunning; it struck once and for all, then retreated immediately without lingering. Qing Jianyue followed closely, her Star Moon Blade scattering countless starlight points, and shouted, "Cao Wei, why don't you kneel down and beg for mercy?"

Cao Wei's eyes blazed with fury as he gritted his teeth and roared, "You little thief, I'll kill you!"

With a shout, Cao Wei unleashed his ferocity, attacking like a mad tiger. Qing Jian Yue didn't fight him head-on, but relied on her agile movements and the white fox's cooperation to lure Cao Wei into the woods to ambush him. Cao Wei fell for the trap. After several failed attacks, his momentum waned, and the bleeding from his thigh and the excruciating pain from the wound gradually distracted him.

Cao Wei was furious and shouted, "Qing Jianyue, if you have the guts, come out and fight me to the death! Hiding and letting a beast help you, what kind of hero are you?"

Surprisingly, the insult actually worked, and Kiyomi Tsuki emerged from behind a thousand-year-old cypress tree. What was infuriating was that he grinned like a little rascal, "What does it matter if I'm not a hero? As long as I can defeat you, I've won."

"I'll fucking kill you."

Enraged, Cao Wei suddenly unleashed a powerful and fierce aura from his sword, sweeping towards Qing Jianyue.

Qing Jianyue took five steps back, her eyes gleaming with a strange light, and shouted, "Young Master Qingfeng, is that you?"

Cao Wei was terrified, and his lunge towards Qing Jianyue abruptly halted midway. In an instant, Qing Jianyue, like an eagle swooping down on its prey, flashed with a cold light, appearing as a streak of light as she swept past Cao Wei. Cao Wei cried out and spun around, falling backward.

As the light faded, Kiyomi Tsuki calmly landed.

With a terrifying scream, one of the four men in black attacking Lu Qingcheng stumbled back five or six steps and fell headlong to the ground. Immediately following, amidst a cacophony of clanging metal, the other two men in black staggered back several steps before barely managing to stand. One of them had blood spurting from his right chest, and another had a gush of blood flowing from his abdomen. The last man in black fared even worse; his body spun in place, but his head flew off.