Raindrops splashed onto her face, but Yu Zigui didn't flinch, letting the coolness seep into her skin. She smiled slightly and asked softly, "How long will this rain last, Elder Shan?"
"The rain in Jiangnan has always been very patient."
"How do you compare yourself to others?"
Cong Luan was taken aback, then burst into laughter.
Yu Zigui stood up and gave her a slight bow. "Thank you for your hospitality today, Elder Shan. I will definitely return the favor another day."
"You're too kind." She glanced out the window, picked up a book from Luanzi's desk, and said, "With the plum rains lingering, why not pass the time by reading a book?"
Yu Zigui took the book and read out its title: "Eight Pieces of Brocade".
“A pornographic book.” Cong Luan raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of provocation in her voice.
I thought Yu Zigui would hesitate a bit, but to my surprise, she put the book into her sleeve without even blinking.
"Thank you very much, Elder Shan. I will definitely return the jade intact."
Then he left without a care in the world.
She stood there stunned for a long time until raindrops splashed into her eyes, and only then did Cong Luan come back to her senses.
Really...
She smiled happily.
Shangguan Yi's tribulation has truly arrived.
Outside, the wind and rain were raging and dark; inside, a single lamp burned dimly, and Yu Zigui's gaze was fixed on the book that had reached its last page.
The ink on the postscript at the end of the text is still fresh:
Everyone in the martial arts world says this book is lewd, but it is precisely because this book is the most pure and upright.
The Eight-Section Brocade, each section a beautiful tapestry, weaves together the emotions of the world.
The first paragraph: Killing his sister and relatives for money, why are they so eager to harm each other, even though they are from the same root?
The second paragraph describes a coward who secretly harms a long-time friend and tries to get away with something he doesn't want.
The third section describes a woman who, out of jealousy, steals the heart of a handsome man and, driven by lust, breaks her vows and becomes a demon.
The fourth paragraph describes an encounter with a beautiful woman who is drugged and seduced, leading to a night of passionate love.
The fifth paragraph describes how, in their youth, they indulged in pleasure and greed for money, leading to a marriage where husband and wife shared the same bed but had different hearts.
The sixth paragraph: chanting Buddhist scriptures but eating meat, the old nun broke her vows without remorse;
The seventh section features a woman applying cinnabar to impersonate Guanyin, a pretentious and affected performance.
The eighth paragraph states, "The book itself is not obscene; the person who reads it will be obscene. The final verdict awaits your judgment."
The Eight-Section Brocade, every inch of the heart, the warp and weft of the painting, the true martial arts world.
—Written by the Elder of Nanshan before the rain at Yujian Mountain Villa in the plum blossom month of the second year of Shengde.
There are no secrets in front of Nanshan Academy. Apart from her background, that old man probably knows everything.
The half-month that took them to leave the mountain felt longer than the previous ten years, which gives you an idea of how difficult it must have been for their parents back then.
Jianghu, huh?
The water in this pool was not clean to begin with; a slight breeze would create black ripples.
Her keen hearing caught the subtle breath, and she suppressed the sneer on her lips, pushing open the window to meet a pair of warm, gentle eyes.
"Ziyu."
She was somewhat surprised to see him standing under the window with slightly damp robes, but she quickly understood.
"Something happened?"
If nothing had happened, how could he have entered the women's courtyard without any hindrance? Moreover, the west wing was deserted and eerily quiet.
Shangguan Yi didn't answer, but raised an eyebrow. "Is this how Zigui treats its guests?" It seemed as if everything was normal, or even more pleasant than before.
As she opened the door and was about to step aside to let him in, he grabbed her wrist. She was about to frown when she saw him lower his head to show his injured left leg, which he had sustained while saving her. Glancing at the cane lying by the door, she sighed and resignedly helped him into the room.
"For several days, Zigui also used his own body as a walking stick at the foot of the cliff."
Hearing this, she didn't even look up and smiled, "I feel very guilty that Ziyu was injured because of me."
The warm breath on her neck changed slightly, and she raised her head to meet his dark and unfathomable gaze.
"Guilty?" The usual smile was gone from his eyes.
"Of course I feel guilty." After pondering for a long time, she still couldn't figure out why he was unhappy.
With a soft hum, Shangguan Yi released her wrist and took over the wooden stool where she had just been sitting.
With unwavering eyes, a hint of resentment still lingering, Shangguan Yi watched her light the charcoal. The orange flames illuminated her profile, and an inexplicable warmth slowly crept into his heart. A gentle, tingling sensation made him involuntarily grasp her flowing hair.
Seeing this, she turned her head to look at him, and her completely ignorant eyes annoyed him again.
"Be careful not to burn your hair," he said casually, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
He did it so naturally, but Yu Zigui only realized it belatedly.