Linchun Pavilion was also completely silent. In the silence, Ye Qinghua glanced at Lan Wuxie, who was still drinking nonchalantly, and her heart jumped into her throat. Just as the whip tip was about to hit her, Hua Chongyang leaned back to dodge it, and then raised his guqin to wrap the whip around his face. He then used the force of Bo Jiang pulling the whip to get up abruptly.
Ye Qinghua immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
She had completely forgotten about Hua Chongyang. Now she could rest assured; she knew Hua Chongyang's martial arts were likely superior to Bo Jiang's, though he was unarmed. However, with that guqin, she should be able to hold him off for a while.
It's such a pity about that ancient zither, which was worth a thousand taels of gold.
As Ye Qinghua had predicted, Hua Chongyang gradually gained the upper hand, after all, she was "tall, strong, and powerful," surpassing Bo Jiang in both strength and power. However, Bo Jiang's martial arts were ruthless and merciless, and he used a long whip as a weapon, forcing Hua Chongyang to retreat step by step. The two clashed on Phoenix Terrace, which the people of Linchun Pavilion watched with great interest, while Ye Qinghua grew increasingly anxious.
Just as Ye Qinghua came to her senses, she looked up again and saw that the guqin in Hua Chongyang's hand was entangled by the long whip.
At the same time, a dark light flew toward her face.
Bo Jiang actually used a hidden weapon.
Ye Qinghua's eyes widened, her mind went blank, and she watched helplessly as Hua Chongyang suddenly bent backward to dodge the hidden weapon. The flash of light grazed her face, knocking off her thin veil. Ye Qinghua didn't know if Hua Chongyang's face had been scratched; she only saw Hua Chongyang fall backward from the Phoenix Terrace...
The light red ribbon fell straight down to the lake surface.
At the same time, there was a "smack" on the table next to her. Ye Qinghua turned around and only had time to see Lan Wuxie's figure flying away.
A figure in light purple skimmed low across the lake and spiraled upwards. Lan Wuxie, an arm's length away, stepped forward, grabbing the colorful banner hanging from Phoenix Terrace with one hand and hooking Hua Chongyang's waist with the other. The two pulled the banner straight down and then slowly stopped a foot above the lake.
Hua Chongyang was hanging upside down, her long hair and robes cascading into the water; she looked up, glancing past Lan Wuxie's face, and saw Bo Jiang holding a thin veil, calling down from Phoenix Terrace:
"Pavilion Master Lan, I'm so sorry, the veil is with me."
When Hua Chongyang saw the faint smile on Lan Wuxie's lips, he hurriedly raised his hand to cover his face.
Bo Jiang leaped down from Phoenix Terrace and landed lightly beside them, also grabbing the colorful banner. He raised an eyebrow at Lan Wuxie:
"It seems the Alluring Sword still belongs to Bo Jiang."
Lan Wuxie's smile slowly widened into a cold sneer.
Hua Chongyang, feeling dizzy and disoriented from being hung upside down, only heard Lan Wuxie let out a cold snort:
What do I need a sword for?
He kicked off the Phoenix Tower pillar, carrying Hua Chongyang upwards, leaving behind a graceful silhouette.
18. Phoenix Wing Hairpin
Hua Chongyang was led up the mountain by Lan Wuxie's arm around her waist. The wind whistled past her ears, and before she could think, she was already standing on the Phoenix Terrace. Hua Chongyang nimbly tore off a piece of light gauze from the curtain and wrapped it around her face. Her first reaction was to push Lan Wuxie away—but before she could retract her hand, Lan Wuxie raised her hand and grabbed her wrist.
Hua Chongyang was immediately dumbfounded.
Her hand... seemed to touch a firm, flat chest, so...
The first thought that popped into my head was that Lan Wuxie was definitely a man, not a woman disguised as a man...
She pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull her right hand back. She used her left hand to flip and kick his leg. The two grappled, their light purple and water-red robes fluttering. After a few moves, Hua Chongyang could tell that Lan Wuxie's martial arts were far superior to hers—his left hand remained tightly gripping her right wrist, and even the smile on his lips gradually widened into mockery, making Hua Chongyang extremely angry. He abruptly stopped, stared at Lan Wuxie, sneered, and then raised his left hand high—
This strange movement startled Lan Wuxie slightly.
Hua Chongyang swiftly and unexpectedly raised his hand and slapped him across the face, turning his face to one side.
The two of them were both taken aback for a moment.
Hua Chongyang wasn't surprised by her own attack, but rather by the way she had attacked. Having lived for over twenty years, she had always fought with real weapons and fists, but she had never struck anyone in the face, especially not a man's face. Therefore, she suddenly felt…
This "playing style"... seems a bit ambiguous.
The light gauze swayed and rose, and the large red lanterns hanging under the eaves of the Phoenix Tower were some distance away, their candlelight flickering and casting shadows on the two figures. Hua Chongyang's wrist was still held in Lan Wuxie's hand, their shimmering purple satin robes and water-red robes intertwined, making their tall and graceful figures appear exceptionally beautiful.
Lan Wuxie slowly turned her face back and looked down at Hua Chongyang. Beneath the mask, a pair of deep eyes held an unusually alluring gaze.
Then, he grabbed her wrist with his left hand, pulled her behind him, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pushed her against the pillar of Phoenix Terrace.
The Phoenix Tower stood ten zhang tall; across the Spring Lake, also ten zhang away, was the Linchun Pavilion, where renowned figures of the martial arts world, including Ji Chongrong, Chen Fei, Situ Qingliu, and Ye Qinghua, sat in turn. Lan Wuxie's face was so close that Hua Chongyang suddenly felt a little scared. But before she could recover, Lan Wuxie raised her right hand, pinched her chin, stared at her for a moment, then lowered her head and, through the thin veil, kissed her lips.
The large red lanterns swayed overhead, casting a shimmering red glow all over them.
Those seated in Linchun Pavilion remained silent, watching the figure in crimson and the one in pale purple entangled on Phoenix Terrace. After a long while, someone who had long since returned to Linchun Pavilion suddenly turned around, raised an eyebrow, and asked Ye Qinghua:
"Master Ye, who exactly is that woman?"
Ye Qinghua idly munched on sunflower seeds, her gaze shifting from Phoenix Terrace to Bo Jiang:
"What do you mean by that, Miss Bo? Isn't that Ren Ruhua, the most beautiful courtesan in our brothel?"
"Master Ye, are you joking?" Bo Jiang said with a forced smile, taking a step closer with a cold snort. "How could a mere street performer possess such skills?"
A cold glint flashed across Ye Qinghua's face. She slammed her hand heavily on the table, slowly stood up, and chuckled softly.
"A courtesan? Miss Bo means you think the girls in our brothel aren't good enough for such skills?"
"I wouldn't dare," Bo Jiang smiled faintly, turning his face away to look at Ye Qinghua. "I just think that to be able to seduce the renowned Master of Zhaoyang Pavilion with just a song, the young lady under Master Ye's command is indeed quite capable. However, relying on beauty, I'm afraid she can only win a night's pleasure."
"I have nothing to say about that," Ye Qinghua said, swaying her feet as she circled around Bo Jiang a few times, waving her handkerchief in her hand, before finally stopping behind him and chuckling softly. "If we're talking about family background and the air of a well-bred lady, our brothel really can't compare to Miss Bo. But today, Pavilion Master Lan followed Ruhua instead of you, Miss Bo, and your alluring sword. He really has no taste. I apologize on his behalf."
As she spoke, Ye Qinghua rolled her eyes with that infuriatingly sarcastic look, then slowly bowed and nodded.
Bo Jiang's smile grew increasingly stiff.
Meanwhile, Hua Chongyang, atop Phoenix Tower, was completely unaware that Ye Qinghua, with her sharp tongue and venomous remarks, had created yet another enemy for her. Lan Wuxie, having raised her head, trapped her in his arms, lowering his eyes and calmly questioning:
"There is nothing in this world that I want but cannot have."
Hua Chongyang was completely speechless.
At first, she thought Lan Wuxie had used acupressure on her, but after a while she still felt weak. Although she was barely conscious, her hands and feet felt as if all the strength had been drained from her. From her left arm to her chest, waves of needle-like pain surged up, just like the pain she felt when she was first poisoned that night.
But at just the right time, the poison in her body flared up again!
Hua Chongyang felt an urge to curse. As soon as Lan Wuxie released her arms, she slowly slid down the pillar to the ground. A look of surprise flashed in Lan Wuxie's eyes, and he caught her as she swayed.
Ye Qinghua in Linchun Pavilion finally couldn't hold back any longer. She gathered her energy, used her lightness skill to leap onto Phoenix Tower, grabbed Hua Chongyang's chin, shook it twice, and then angrily slashed at Lan Wuxie with her palm:
"You—"
Lan Wuxie supported Hua Chongyang with one hand and swung the other at Ye Qinghua, sending her crashing heavily into a pillar beneath Phoenix Terrace like a falling leaf. She glared at Lan Wuxie resentfully, then sat up, about to channel her inner energy again, but Lan Wuxie stared at her coldly and said:
"Ye Qinghua, you've got some nerve."
The cold, low tone made Ye Qinghua look up abruptly, stunned.
Without a word, Lan Wuxie scooped up Hua Chongyang and leaped out of Phoenix Tower. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he landed in Linchun Pavilion, holding the veiled Hua Chongyang in his arms, and, as if no one else was there, gave orders to the servants waiting inside:
"Let's go."
A servant stepped forward and draped a black fox fur coat over his shoulders; just as master and servant were about to leave, a Wudang disciple ran in and walked straight toward Ji Chong, his voice low but clearly audible to everyone present:
"Master, the Qingfeng Sect has been wiped out!"
Lan Wuxie paused slightly and turned around.
Ji Chong suddenly stood up:
"What did you say?"
"The entire Qingfeng Sect was slaughtered, and we don't know who did it..." The disciple wiped the sweat from his brow, his voice trembling slightly. "It happened in the inn. Someone just reported that Sect Leader Yue had three wounds, each fatal, and he died with his eyes wide open. Sect Leader Yue's disciples and family... were also killed..."
Rong Chenfei's expression immediately changed, and he strode out. Ji Chong and Situ Qingliu followed, and a group of martial arts masters followed behind. In an instant, the once full Linchun Pavilion was left with only Lan Wuxie holding the unconscious Hua Chongyang, standing quietly in place.
After a long while, Lan Wuxie finally withdrew his arms and stepped outside:
"Lanruo, prepare the sedan chair."
When he opened his eyes again, Hua Chongyang was already lying on a bed covered with a blue-purple satin canopy.
A faint fragrance wafted into her nose, causing Hua Chongyang to feel puzzled. She opened her eyes, closed them again, and opened them again before slowly recalling what had happened before she fainted—the group of people in the brothel suddenly ran towards Phoenix Tower as if they were dying, Bo Jiang used a hidden weapon to knock off her veil, Lan Wuxie pulled her back to Phoenix Tower from the lake, she hit Lan Wuxie, Lan Wuxie held her, and she fainted from the poison—Hua Chongyang automatically ignored the fact that Lan Wuxie had bitten her lip, and then struggled to sit up and lift the bed curtains.
Dim candlelight streamed in, and she checked herself to see that her clothes were intact, letting out a sigh of relief. She then bent down to look for her shoes under the bed, but suddenly felt dizzy and swayed, nearly falling off the bed. Luckily, a hand caught her just in time. Hua Chongyang didn't even look up; she saw a jade-inlaid gold ring on the little finger of the hand that had caught her—without thinking, she raised her hand and struck out.
The expected failure.
She looked up and saw Lan Wuxie, still dressed in purple and wearing a mask, standing sideways beside the bed curtains. Her lips were a little chapped; she licked them and asked in a hoarse voice:
"Where is this?"
Lan Wuxie paused, then turned her eyes away:
On West Lake.
Hua Chongyang silently and unsteadily got out of bed, using the bedpost for support. The poison's effects seemed lingering; she still felt weak all over, yet she persisted, taking steps toward the door, her gait unsteady. She took one step, then another, and just as she neared the door, Lan Wuxie suddenly spoke:
"You can't get out. This is a pleasure boat on West Lake, surrounded by water on all sides."
Hua Chongyang stopped in his tracks.
The surroundings were quiet, and the window was shrouded in the hazy darkness of night. It must still be late at night. Listening attentively, a faint, ethereal melody, like the wind, drifted into my ears. It must be from a singing house not far from West Lake.
She swallowed hard and asked:
Why on a pleasure boat?
Lan Wuxie lowered his eyes slightly and casually uttered a few words:
"It's quieter here."
He wore a brocade purple robe, his ink-black hair flowed like water, his neck was long, his chin was delicate and thin, and the corners of his lips were faint and indifferent. His eyes were lowered, making it impossible to see the expression in them.
Even with her face veiled, Lan Wuxie was still excessively beautiful, and Hua Chongyang was completely unable to fathom his thoughts. After a long while, Lan Wuxie turned and slowly walked to her side, raising her hand to gently lift the dangling ornament on the phoenix-wing hairpin.
"This hairpin is truly exquisite. How many people in the world could be worthy of this phoenix-wing hairpin?"
Hua Chongyang looked up and couldn't help but take a small step back.
The candlelight cast her tall, slender figure onto the bed curtains; the pearl strings hanging from her phoenix-wing hairpin dangled onto the curtains, their long, thin shadows brushing against her neck. Lan Wuxie's lips curved slightly, her voice remaining as gentle and composed as ever, slow and almost sinking:
"A family heirloom passed down through generations of the Xie royal family, the purple-gold phoenix-wing hairpin worn by Princess Xie Chang'an when she was bestowed the title."
Hua Chongyang was taken aback:
"You're talking nonsense."
"The phoenix-wing hairpin disappeared long ago, even before Princess Guoyue was alive—or rather, it was lost," Lan Wuxie said with a slight smile, his hands behind his back. "It's said that this was Princess Guoyue's most cherished possession. Haven't you heard of it? It's said that when Princess Guoyue passed away, Prince Ningjing held her body and locked himself in the palace, grieving uncontrollably. He didn't eat or speak for three days. On the third day, all the officials knelt outside the palace hall all night before he opened the door. His first decree after that was—"
The conversation ended there. Lan Wuxie smiled but remained silent, prompting Hua Chongyang to turn and press for an answer:
"What is it?"
"Exactly," Lan Wuxie turned and strolled leisurely to the tea table, sitting down with her left elbow resting on it, "The first decree was to use the Purple Gold Phoenix Wing Hairpin as a burial offering for Princess Guoyue. But later, the palace servants searched through Princess Guoyue's palace, Guo'an Palace, but couldn't find the Purple Gold Phoenix Wing Hairpin. So later, Prince Ningjing—"
The conversation stopped again.
After a long pause, Lan Wuxie picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then casually lowered his eyes to continue, "At that time, Prince Ningjing was bedridden due to excessive grief. Upon hearing that the Phoenix Wing Hairpin had gone missing, he issued an edict ordering the people of the Guoan Palace and the Shangguan family of Marquis Jinping to be buried alive with him."