Бессмертие, Бессмертие

Глава 12

"What's wrong?" Wan Yuyue asked softly, unable to see the boat or the people clearly.

The group then seemed to wake from a dream, exhaled a long breath, and leaped onto the boat.

The group boarded the boat, and Shengxiang looked up and smiled, "You're back?"

When he laughed, it almost instantly made everyone forget the desolation of the scene just moments before. Nan Ge glanced at the two plates on the ground, the contents almost untouched; it seemed the rabbit had eaten the two missing ribs. "You didn't eat?"

Shengxiang casually replied, "I forgot."

Bi Qiuhan and Weng Laoliu suddenly felt a pang of guilt. They had forgotten that this young master was alone on the boat, drinking with the people from Baiyu Sai until so late. Shengxiang…has he been waiting for a long time?

"Shall I eat with you?" Wan Yuyue groped his way to sit down next to Shengxiang. He couldn't see Shengxiang's movements, but he naturally hugged one knee like him and put the other leg down on the gunwale, swinging it back and forth. "What a comfortable breeze."

Shengxiang turned around and gave him a big face. "I didn't eat meat, I ate pancakes." He smiled and sniffed Wan Yuyuedan's scent. "Hmm... Han River clams, live fish drizzled with oil, drunken shrimp, steamed claws, Lian fish soup, tsk tsk, and even honey-glazed cured pork and braised pork tenderloin, wow!" He shouted, almost startling Wan Yuyuedan. "And Dongfeng plum blossom wine! You've eaten so much and you can still eat? Are you a glutton?"

This young master really has a good nose. Bi Qiuhan was dumbfounded. He hadn't even paid attention to what he had just eaten.

"Fine wine and delicious food, yet Young Master Shengxiang prefers to eat pancakes alone?" Nan Ge laughed and sat down on his other side. "What's the reason?"

“I don’t eat seafood,” Sheng Xiang said seriously. “It’s such a hassle to peel the shells and remove the bones.” He stuffed the rabbit into Wan Yuyuedan’s arms, clapped his hands, and many pancake crumbs fell off his body. “Eating a lot of fish and meat will make you fat.”

Uh… Old Liu Weng and Bi Qiuhan smiled wryly. Was it because of the “trouble” and the fact that it was “easy to gain weight” that he preferred to eat pancakes alone? “It’s late, Shengxiang, you should get some rest.” Bi Qiuhan didn’t know what else to say to this young master, so he sighed.

“It’s a shame to throw away the other two dishes.” Wan Yuyuedan held the rabbit and picked up a piece of fried pork rib from the plate. “Why don’t you eat with me, Shengxiang?” He actually started eating again, as if he hadn’t eaten anything before and could now eat another plate of the same dishes.

Shengxiang's eyes widened. "Sure, as long as you can eat, I'm not afraid to keep you company!" He grabbed a piece of pork rib and took a big bite.

Nan Ge was still tipsy; he had drunk a lot of wine but hadn't eaten much food. Seeing Sheng Xiang and Wan Yuyue arguing over the plate, he laughed loudly, snatched it, and leaped up.

"Give me back my vegetables!" Shengxiang followed closely, kicking the drunken Nange into the Han River. Two "splashes" were heard as Nange and the ribs in his hands fell into the water, followed by Shengxiang's cry of "Ouch!": "My vegetables!"

With a "splash," luckily the river was shallow near the bank. Nan Ge stood up, shook her head, and was somewhat confused about what had happened. "Sheng Xiang, why did you kick someone?"

But Wan Yuyuedan, who was sitting demurely on the gunwale, had almost finished the other plate of roasted pig's trotters, and was feeding the last piece to the rabbit with great interest. When Sheng Xiang kicked Nan Ge off the boat and rushed back, it was too late; the last piece of pig's trotter was already in the rabbit's mouth. He glared at Wan Yuyuedan, "You really are a glutton! Even two people can't eat as much as you!"

Despite having eaten a bellyful of greasy food, Wan Yuyue still managed to maintain her gentle and delicate demeanor, smiling slightly, "Young Master Shengxiang is too kind."

"Hey! Why am I in the water?" Nan Ge asked Sheng Xiang, completely confused, standing in the water.

"You're thinking of jumping into the river?" Shengxiang replied casually, then bantered with Wanyu Yuedan, "I'm not praising you, I'm scolding you."

"Is that so?" Wan Yuyue asked back good-naturedly.

"Of course." Shengxiang patted his head sympathetically. "Kids will be kids. You don't even understand when adults scold you. It's so pitiful. Let me teach you. If someone calls you a good-for-nothing in the future, don't think they're praising you. They're insulting you."

Wan Yuyuedan revealed a gentle smile, "Oh—" Even Wan Yuyuedan was defeated by Shengxiang's words, and Bi Qiuhan and Weng Laoliu, who were standing next to her, couldn't help but laugh. Meanwhile, Nange was still asking, "Why did I jump into the river?"

Shengxiang rolled her eyes at him. "Only you know that. How would I know?"

Nan Ge was still confused. "Really?"

"Hahaha..." Everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter.

As the lights on the ship gradually brightened, the previous chill and loneliness vanished, and the ship was filled with lively activity.

Early the next morning.

Nan Ge was suffering from a hangover and had a headache. Bi Qiuhan was still asleep and hadn't woken up. Weng Laoliu got a fishing rod and actually went fishing by the river. When Wan Yuyue woke up, she saw a person standing at the stern of the boat.

It was just before dawn. Wan Yuyuedan's eyesight wasn't good to begin with, and he could only vaguely make out that it was a person, but he couldn't see who it was. He instinctively called out, "Holy Incense?"

"I'm here." The voice came from behind. Sheng Xiang's head popped out of the cabin window behind Wan Yuyuedan, and then he shouted, "Come back quickly, you who laid eggs! That one in front is an old hag!"

Without his prompting, Wan Yuyuedan had already taken three steps back when she suddenly tripped over the fishing net lying horizontally on the ground and fell to the ground with a "bang".

"What happened?" Old Man Weng rushed over from the shore after hearing the noise, but bumped into Nan Ge who came out of the door. He cried out and almost fell off the boat.

"Hehe..." The newcomer chuckled softly, her laughter gentle and charming. In a flash, she was in front of Wan Yuyuedan. "What a delicate young man..."

The person who silently slipped into the boat was a woman, dressed in black with long hair, and with a slender and tall figure. As she spoke, her fingers just barely reached Wan Yuyuedan's chest. Don't be fooled by her gentle laughter; this grab was ruthless. Before she could even touch Wan Yuyuedan, her fingers had already pierced through Wan Yuyuedan's sleeve.

If Wan Yuyuedan had no way to resist, wouldn't that grab have ripped right through his chest? Old Man Weng and Nan Ge, their heads still spinning from the collision, cried out in unison. At this moment, Bi Qiuhan was still asleep; otherwise, given his alertness, how could he have allowed someone to sneak onto the boat?

Just as the woman in black was about to grab Wan Yuyuedan, a slight "hum" suddenly rang out, and something seemed to flash in the air. The woman screamed, her body twisting sharply as she lunged forward, and she actually ran across the river on foot.

"Crossing the river on foot!" Nan Ge exclaimed in surprise, "Could she actually be Lady Chunfeng, Xiao Jingjing?" Lady Chunfeng, Xiao Jingjing, is the leader of the Ten Thousand Flowers Society of Furong Manor, a woman who dominates the region. For her to launch a sneak attack alone is truly astonishing. Xiao Jingjing's "Spring Breeze Ten Miles Alone" lightness skill is hailed as the number one lightness skill in the martial arts world, allowing her to walk on snow without leaving a trace and cross rivers on foot, going anywhere she wants. Her martial arts skills aren't particularly high, but this one lightness skill alone is enough to make her famous throughout the land.

Just now, when Xiao Jingjing pounced, something on Wan Yuyuedan injured her, causing her to run away. Old Man Weng looked at Wan Yuyuedan in surprise, unable to believe that this amiable young man actually carried strange hidden weapons.

"What a formidable mouth needle!" Sheng Xiang helped Wan Yuyuedan up, marveling. "A hidden weapon embedded in the teeth, it shoots out by opening the mechanism with the tongue. This thing is extremely dangerous. You hid several silver needles in your mouth and dared to eat whatever you wanted. Aren't you afraid of accidentally mistaking a fishbone for a needle and triggering the mechanism, killing yourself?" His eyesight was excellent. Others couldn't see what injured Xiao Jingjing, but he saw Wan Yuyuedan's mouth slightly open, and the silver needle shot out from between her teeth, striking Xiao Jingjing squarely in the chest.

Wan Yuyue smiled, revealing his teeth. "You'll get used to it. Even if you accidentally lose your life, it's nothing." He stood up and dusted off his clothes.

Sheng Xiang was marveling at how the mechanism in his mouth was made when he leaned close to Wan Yuyuedan's ear and whispered, "You egg-laying thing, I've thought of a brilliant way to use your hidden weapon."

Wan Yuyue asked curiously, "What wonderful method?"

"The 'handsome man trap'," Shengxiang whispered slyly, pulling him aside. "With your innocent and harmless appearance, you're perfect for this. For example, if one day you decide to become a chivalrous knight-errant to eliminate a demon, and that demon happens to be a beautiful female demon, you can find an opportunity to kiss her lips, deflect a hidden weapon, and shoot out a silver needle. I guarantee that the female demon will die mysteriously, and when she meets Yama in hell, she won't even know how she died."

If Bi Qiuhan heard this, he would surely be furious, his face turning red as he would scold him for talking nonsense. If Nan Ge heard it, she would at most laugh it off. But Wan Yuyue thought about it seriously and said, "It makes a lot of sense." He still smiled so politely and handsomely. "I will try it if I have the chance."

"This child is teachable." Shengxiang patted his head and praised, "Good boy."

Sheng Xiang had a faint, sweet fragrance about her. As she spoke close to his ear, the subtle sweetness wafted over, and Wan Yuyue took a deep, comfortable breath. He would never miss something worth enjoying. Although he was only eighteen, he knew more than anyone else in some areas.

"What a formidable opponent." Bi Qiuhan's door slowly opened, and Bi Qiuhan stepped out, his face frosty and pale. He held a broken sword in his right sleeve, and blood trickled down the blade from his hand, a gruesome sight.

The smiles on everyone's faces vanished. Wan Yuyuedan couldn't see what had happened, but the sweet fragrance at the tip of his nose suddenly turned into the smell of blood. He whispered, "A feint to the east while attacking in the west!"