Болезненный юноша, путешествующий во времена династии Сун

Глава 48

“Brother Mo, people always say that adoptive parents are worse than biological parents. For more than ten years, Father has treated me the same as his own son. I can’t believe that what he said is true.” Murong Lianyun reached out and carefully touched the scabbard of the sword. “This sword, how did you get here? Is he really dead?”

“You’re overthinking it, silly girl. Although your father fell off the cliff, I fell down too. I was fine, so I guess he was fine too. As for this knife, I bought it by chance. A few days ago, a pawnshop owner accepted it as collateral and complained that it wasn’t worth much. I happened to pass by and it looked familiar. I felt like I’d seen it somewhere before. The owner kept complaining, so I redeemed it. It also looks like the knife your father used back then. I’ve seen it twice, but I never really saw it clearly. Take another look. Is it really your father’s?” Mo Xibei asked.

"Yes, I won't mistake it." Murong Lianyun picked up the knife and examined it carefully from all angles. Her tone was resolute when she answered, but when she looked at Mo Xibei again, a faint sadness and despair appeared in her eyes. Her gaze lingered on Mo Xibei's face for a long time, as if she wanted to remember something. In the end, she became lost in thought.

Mo Xibei had been paying attention to Murong Lianyun's expression. Seeing the uncontrollable sorrow in her eyes, he felt a pang of sadness. He gently raised his hand and hugged Lianyun's trembling body, whispering, "Lianyun, you've been shaking. What's wrong?"

"I'm scared, brother. I'm going to marry you tomorrow. I'm so happy, but I'm worried that I won't be able to hold onto this happiness," Murong Lianyun said softly, tears quickly soaking Mo Xibei's clothes.

"Silly child, don't think too much, go to sleep early." Mo Xibei gently patted her body.

“Yes, I was really stupid to cry with joy,” Murong Lianyun took two steps back, wiped his eyes haphazardly with his fingers, and said to Mo Xibei, “Even if my father were still alive, he would never be able to attend my wedding. This knife is my father’s most beloved possession. Brother, could you let this knife replace my father and be placed in the main position? When we worship heaven and earth, we will kneel before it. For me, it’s the same as kneeling before my father, is that alright?”

“A knife is a murder weapon. If you don’t think it’s unlucky, I have no objection. This was originally meant to be a gift for you.” Mo Xibei smiled. “Alright, little kitten, go to sleep.”

The following day, Murong Lianyun boarded the bridal sedan chair at the back gate of the mansion. The grand wedding procession, accompanied by gongs and drums, marched through the streets and alleys, attracting a large crowd even though it was early in the morning.

Becoming a bride, wearing the most expensive and beautiful wedding dress, and marrying someone you love and who loves you back—this is a dream every woman has had since childhood. Murong Lianyun sat in the bridal sedan chair, trying hard to smile. There must be many young girls like herself in the crowd watching outside, all envying her. But how difficult it was to smile—only she knew. All the glory of this moment was like a mirage, too ephemeral to grasp. After today, what would become of her life?

Finally, unable to resist, she gently lifted a corner of the sedan curtain with her fingers. Through the dense red fabric before her, she saw the long-lost streets, the long-lost bustling crowds, and heard the long-lost cries of vendors. This was freedom. After today, would she finally regain this freedom? She didn't know. She only knew that in the crowd, several pairs of eagle-like eyes had noticed her small action in that instant. Even through the festive, vibrant red, it made her heart pound. She wasn't free. She had always been under surveillance. Even now, she couldn't endure this life any longer. So, she had no choice but to live. She had to live, for herself.

Volume Two: The Wind Leaves a Mark, Chapter Seven: The Wedding (Part Two)

"The bride is here! The bride is here..." As they turned into the street corner of Chunfeng Ruyi Tower, many people began to shout at the top of their lungs, mostly children around ten years old, running around following the bridal sedan chair, overjoyed. Suddenly, someone ran too fast and bumped into the matchmaker, causing the woman who had been happily following the sedan chair to cry out "Ouch!" She playfully scolded, "Whose little monkey is this? He's still a long way from getting married, why did you bump into me now?" The woman, who was in her forties or fifties, was dressed in red and green, and her voice was quite charming. Her words made half the street burst into laughter. As a result, no one noticed that the moment the child bumped into the matchmaker, a small piece of paper "whooshed" into the bright red curtain of the bridal sedan chair.

"Lower the sedan chair!" The bridal sedan chair finally landed. The master of ceremonies kicked the sedan chair door and passed over the fire basin, drawing out the next steps for the newlyweds. Murong Lianyun felt that she couldn't hear anything. She lowered her head, and the area under her red veil was also red, a vivid blood-red color. It was the large red carpet she had personally ordered, but now it looked glaringly red. All she could do was tightly clench the red silk that had been stuffed into her hand, her palms sweating profusely. The part of the red silk that touched her palms was eventually soaked.

She had never walked this stretch of road from the main gate to the main hall before. Mo Xibei didn't like her coming to the front, and she understood that it was a mixed bag of people, so she never came here. Unexpectedly, she was walking it for the first time under these circumstances.

The main hall was filled with people. Logically, they were all guests in the capital and did not have any relatives or friends. However, at this moment, many neighbors from the surrounding area had come, bringing their children and standing there in a lively atmosphere, exchanging auspicious words as if they had known each other for a long time.

If these people knew what was about to happen, would they regret coming to this free wedding feast? Amidst the commotion, Murong Lianyun remained quiet. What was she afraid of? She had been born and raised in the martial world, and she was no stranger to the life of someone who lived on the edge. Anyway, no one here knew anyone else, and everyone's life and death were simply a matter of fate. What she needed to do was simple: once she accomplished it, she would be free.

"The newlyweds shall bow to Heaven and Earth!" At this moment, the master of ceremonies' voice drowned out the noise. "The newlyweds, step forward and kneel to bow to Heaven and Earth!"

Murong Lianyun was led to the large red prayer mat, where she knelt down and kowtowed. She could feel Mo Xibei right beside her, so close that their sleeves rubbed against each other as they knelt.

"Second bow to the elders." Murong Lianyun stood up and knelt on the ground again, bowing his head and kowtowing. This time, the gift was the mottled and old dagger in the brocade box. Murong Lianyun had already secretly checked it under the veil when he entered the hall.

"Husband and wife bow and kneel," the master of ceremonies began again, but hesitated to utter the word "bow." Murong Lianyun heard whispers escalating among the spectators. Then, someone walked over, and screams first rang out from the corner where the master of ceremonies was, followed by more and more people joining in.

She released the red silk in her hand and lifted the veil. The master of ceremonies was still standing there, thick, purplish-red blood gushing from his mouth. Many people screamed in alarm, trying to escape, but they didn't know where to run.

Mo Xibei was also looking in that direction, his face showing surprise and confusion. Murong Lianyun knew that many of the guests today were from the Eastern Depot. Because they were constantly being monitored, with so many people and so many eyes on them, they overlooked many others.

This is a good opportunity, Murong Lianyun told herself. This is the best opportunity to complete what her father asked her to do. As she thought this, her right hand had already reached into her left sleeve.

"Lianyun, be careful!" Mo Xibei suddenly woke up as if by a start, grabbed her and pulled her up, but she was sent flying while still kneeling.

She turned around, and a crescent-shaped dagger, barely stirring the wind, flew low past where she had just been kneeling, embedding itself deeply in the thigh of a panicked maid. The height was precisely at the heart of the kneeling maid. Seventeen years of nurturing, seventeen years of father-daughter affection—so this is how it is. Murong Lianyun smiled, her right hand, which had been gripping the dagger, retreating back into her sleeve.

At the same time, dozens of masked men in black appeared all over the hall, wielding long knives and slashing at anyone they saw, gradually closing in.

Volume Two: The Wind Leaves a Mark, Chapter Eight: Ruthless (Part 1)

For a fleeting moment, the scene spiraled out of control. Guests scattered in panic, while the masked man's longsword flew wildly, creating a perilous situation. Murong Lianyun glanced at Mo Xibei, only to find that Mo Xibei showed no surprise. He remained motionless, merely flicking his fingers, sending a series of small hidden weapons flying through the air, striking the masked man's longsword just as it was about to fall. The longsword's momentum was slightly slowed, albeit for a brief instant, but it was enough for an escape. "Even a stage for a performance must come to an end. You've all come all this way, so why not sit down, have a drink, and chat? I may not have much else, but I certainly have plenty of good wine and food. If any of you are short of money, just say the word, and I can provide a thousand or eight hundred taels of silver. Why resort to violence?" Mo Xibei glanced at Lian Yun, and only after the guests had fled to the four corners of the hall did she calmly slip to the center of the wedding hall, blocking the view of a group of masked men in black who had formed a circle, fully alert and ready to strike. The person she was speaking to was one of the seemingly ordinary men.

"Everyone says Boss Mo is richer than a country. What, why are you talking so petty? A thousand or eight hundred taels of silver is nothing to us. Since Boss Mo is so unwilling, we'll just have to take what we want ourselves." The man in black chuckled coldly, his voice sharp and his words muffled, as if he was deliberately pinching his neck and had something in his mouth before speaking.

"Greedy people often suffer a great loss. Mo's money is not so easy to get. In my opinion, you should all put down your weapons, have a toast with me, and make money peacefully." Mo Xibei also sneered, "Besides, now that you're here, it won't be easy for you to leave."

"You think you can stop us all by yourself?" The man in black sneered, pointing his long sword. "Kid, go back to your master and train for another 20 years before you start spouting nonsense."

"Oh, of course I can't do it alone." Mo Xibei nodded, casually tossing a wine glass to the ground. With a crisp sound, countless archers from the Imperial Guard appeared on the rooftops and surrounding shops, their white arrowheads gleaming. They faced the hall.

"This method of using a cup as a signal is not good. It's a pity that one of my official kiln celadon cups is broken. It's worthless if it's not a complete set." Mo Xibei's eyes were fixed on the broken pieces of the wine cup, his face full of heartache.

"Colluding with the Eastern Depot and Mo Xibei, aren't you afraid that you won't be able to establish yourself in the martial arts world in the future?" The man in black seemed unconcerned about the situation and asked the question casually.

"I'm not a江湖人 (jianghu person, a member of the underworld), I'm a businessman. It's only natural for a businessman to seek protection from the government when their life and property are threatened," Mo Xibei shrugged. "Oh, right, I forgot to ask. Are all of you people hardened criminals?"

"What?" The man in black was taken aback.

"Oh, let me confirm. If we catch you later, we can see if we can get a reward," Mo Xibei said.

"You brat, I'm not going to waste my breath on you." The man in black finally lost his temper. He brandished his long sword, lunged forward, and the blade, carrying a chilling aura, hurtled towards Mo Xibei. This move was extremely fierce. Mo Xibei didn't take it head-on, but simply dodged to the side. Strangely, the man in black didn't seem to want to compete with Mo Xibei as he claimed. Instead, he took advantage of Mo Xibei's dodge and lunged straight for the short sword placed on the main seat in the center of the wedding hall.

Mo Xibei didn't stop him, but seeing that his hand was almost touching the dagger, he shouted, "Murong Songtao!"

"How did you recognize me?" The man in black was taken aback, but in that brief moment of surprise, the main seat where the dagger was located suddenly cracked open, and the dagger slid into the crack and disappeared.

"I was just guessing, I didn't expect you to actually be me. Senior Murong, it's been a long time." Mo Xibei smiled slyly, while earnestly cupping his hands in greeting.

"Since you recognize me, you should know you're no match for me. Hand over the item quickly, and I'll give you a quick death." Murong Songtao's whereabouts were exposed, so he took off his veil, a smile on his face, but his gaze was sharp as a knife as he glared at Mo Xibei.

"Hand over what?" Mo Xibei asked in surprise. "Senior Murong, we are father-in-law and son-in-law after all. Just say what you want. Why do we have to draw swords against each other and make a fool of ourselves in front of outsiders?"

"Don't try that with me. Even if you were a woman, you couldn't possibly marry Lian Yun. It's none of my business. What do you mean by 'father-in-law and son-in-law'? Don't play dumb. You know perfectly well what I want." Murong Songtao knew that words alone wouldn't get Mo Xibei to hand over the dagger. So he continued to wield the blade, its edge flashing and never leaving Mo Xibei's vitals.

“I never pretend to be confused, I am truly confused,” Mo Xibei’s sword did not hesitate for a moment, and he returned several sword strikes in quick succession, changing his posture and breaking free from the control of the blade. “Senior Murong wants the treasure, and the treasure map is not with me. You should know this best.”

"Hmph!" Murong Songtao snorted coldly, his blade trembled, and he pressed forward again.

"Let me guess, what is it about me that so attracts Senior Murong?" Mo Xibei flipped over, dodging Murong Songtao's blade that was about to slash him in the waist. He leaped into the air, placing one foot on the blade's edge, and leaned forward, thrusting the sword tip straight at Murong Songtao's brow. "Could it be that short sword? Could it be that the reason why no one has ever found the treasure despite all the fighting and scrambling among martial artists over the years is because they've all been looking in the wrong direction? Is the real secret of the treasure not in the map, but in the short sword?"

"You brat, being too clever can shorten your lifespan." Murong Songtao shrank his neck and hid his head, dodging the sword, and then slashed out with two palms with his left hand.

"I was just guessing, Senior Murong, you're too honest." Mo Xibei chuckled, flipped to the ground, and held his sword in front of him, blocking Murong Songtao's long sword.