мягкая зима - Глава 9
"Within a quarter of an hour."
The two spoke at the same time, but the crowd could no longer see them clearly. They only knew that Lan Qi was the one whose purple sleeves fluttered like thick clouds obscuring the sun, and Ming Er was the one whose green robes swayed slightly like light mist veiling the sky. Their feet moved as fast as lightning and arrows, their figures flashed as nimbly as dragons and phoenixes, and their moves were as vast as the sky and the sea...
The sun shines brightly, and a gentle breeze blows intermittently.
Although they could not see clearly, it was still possible to discern that the two people moved with graceful movements, as if playing a game.
At that moment, everyone broke out in a cold sweat, their eyes fixed on each other.
No one dared to approach that two-zhang-wide area, and no one dared to approach those two figures.
An invisible aura, an endless sense of fear.
Ning Lang held his breath, Yuwen Luo stopped writing and stared blankly, Hua Qinghe and Mei Hongming clenched their fists and looked solemnly, Qiu Changtian and Nan Wofeng watched intently.
"The quarter is almost over." Lan Qi said with a hint of a smile.
“Then this is the last one.” Ming Er said gently and without dust.
The purple shadows drifted like a gentle breeze, and the green robes fluttered like leaves. They drew near, then parted, and then the wind died down and the leaves stopped falling. The two stood in the courtyard, as calm as ever.
call……
The people in the garden finally breathed a sigh of relief, easing the tightness in their chests, and then a question arose: Who won between the two?
As if to answer everyone's questions, two crisp sounds were heard, as if something had broken. Then, with two "clinks," the two jade hairpins fell to the ground and split in two. After that, the jade crown and gold crown that bound the hair slowly slid off, and the long hair, no longer restrained, poured out and flew away.
For a moment, everyone was stunned.
Yuwen Luo stared in disbelief. After a long while, he muttered to himself, "No wonder... no wonder people in the martial arts world say that Qiu Hengbo and Hua Fushu are not the number one beauties. It makes sense."
"Then who is number one?" Ning Lang asked, suddenly realizing what was going on.
"Didn't you see?" Yuwen Luo's eyes were still unable to leave Lan Qi.
Ning Lang opened his mouth, then his gaze fell back on Lan Qi, and he said blankly, "He is a man."
Yuwen Luo's lips moved, but he ultimately refrained from speaking, after all, it was just a rumor.
The Ming family's "Insider Finger," Lan Qi's true martial arts skill, remains unseen. Both Ming Er and Lan Qi's hairpins are broken and their hair ornaments fall off. This contest is evenly matched, but at this moment, no one cares anymore.
Both had long, flowing hair, yet they were so different.
Standing tall and elegant in a green robe against the wind, he exuded the ethereal grace and tranquility of a banished immortal.
Her purple robes fluttered as her dark hair partially concealed her allure and seduction.
When their gaze fell on Ming Er, they felt admiration. But when their gaze fell on Lan Qi, everyone felt a tremor and a sense of being captivated.
At that moment, everyone, regardless of gender, couldn't take their eyes off the rumor.
While everyone was still lost in thought, a servant hurriedly crossed the courtyard and walked to the pavilion.
“Master, there are people outside the manor who claim to be from the Yingshan Guard Palace and are requesting an audience.”
"Huh?" Qiu Changtian stood up in surprise and stepped down the stairs. "You mean the people from Shouling Palace?"
"Yes, the man said he was from the Shouling Palace and was sent here on orders," the servant replied.
"Please come in quickly," Qiu Changtian said hurriedly.
At this moment, not only was Qiu Changtian filled with doubt and uncertainty, but everyone else was also puzzled. The people of Shouling Palace only knew how to protect the order; for over a hundred years, they had never stepped outside Ying Mountain, nor had they ever dabbled in the affairs of the martial world. Why would they send someone to Changtian Manor now? No one assumed the visitor was also there to attend the Changtian gathering. No matter how widespread Qiu Changtian's reputation as a chivalrous hero was, it meant nothing to the people of Shouling Palace.
Lan Qi and Ming Er exchanged a glance, then walked back to the pavilion in unison.
A man in white walked through the courtyard to Qiu Changtian, clasped his hands in a salute, and without saying a word, took out a letter from his pocket and said, "I am here on the orders of the Palace Master to deliver this letter to Master Qiu."
Qiu Changtian accepted the letter.
"The letter has been delivered. I'll take my leave now." The man in white clasped his hands in a fist salute once more, then turned and left.
"Please wait a moment." Qiu Changtian hurriedly persuaded him to stay. "Since you have come from afar, why don't you rest at my manor for a while?"
The man in white stopped and turned around, looking at Qiu Changtian expressionlessly. He said, "I was only responsible for delivering the message; I know nothing else. You only need to read the letter to understand the Palace Master's intentions. I must go back to report. Thank you for your kindness, Master Qiu. Farewell." With that, he strode away without lingering.
When the people in the garden saw that he had refused an invitation that others would beg for, they couldn't help but think that the people of the Shouling Palace were too ungrateful and heartless. But when they saw the man's face and expression, for some reason they didn't dare to offend him and could only watch him leave.
"I wonder why the Shouling Palace would break its century-old tradition and send a letter to Changtian Manor?" Nan Wofeng stepped out of the pavilion, frowning as he looked at the letter in Qiu Changtian's hand.
"Yes." Qiu Changtian looked down at the letter in his hand. He had intended to ask the person guarding the palace for information, but the person refused without hesitation. "Perhaps the answer can be found in the letter."
Upon hearing this, all eyes in the garden turned to the letter in Qiu Changtian's hand, eager to know the answer. Why would the Guardian Palace send a letter to Qiu Changtian at this crucial moment when "Lan Yin Bi Yue" was returning to Yingshan and a new martial arts leader was to be chosen? Everyone harbored their own questions.
Qiu Changtian had originally planned to wait until after the competition to return to his room to take a look, but at this moment, seeing everyone's gazes, he thought to himself and then smiled and said, "Why don't we take a look now? If it's good news, we can share the joy with all the heroes."
He then tore open the letter on the spot.
Even though everyone in the garden knew they wouldn't see the letter, they still couldn't help but stretch their necks, looking at the letter and then at Qiu Changtian. They saw Qiu Changtian's expression suddenly change drastically, and everyone's hearts immediately jumped into their throats.
"Brother Changtian?" Nan Wofeng asked worriedly upon seeing Qiu Changtian's expression.
Qiu Changtian looked up at Nan Wofeng, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. He shook the letter in his hand and handed it to Nan Wofeng: "Shouling Palace said... 'Lan Yin Bi Yue' has been stolen!"
"What?!"
"How is this possible?!"
Is this true?
"No one has ever been able to take it from Shouling Palace in over a hundred years... this can't be true, can it?"
"With Lan Yin Bi Yue gone, will the Ying Shan Martial Arts Tournament still proceed?"
"If the order is lost, how will the leader of the martial arts world be selected?"
...
IV. Natural Rivals (Part 2)
The garden erupted in chaos, with some expressing worry, others panic, and still others feigning anger.
Lan Qi and Ming Er exchanged a glance and smiled at each other. It was a look of scrutiny and inquiry. After receiving a negative answer from each other's eyes, they both secretly wondered: If it wasn't you, then who could it be?
Nan Wofeng took the letter, read it, and sighed, "It's true. The letter bears the seal of the Shouling Palace, and..." He raised his head and glanced at the heroes in the garden, "The Shouling Palace also said that they have sent people to deliver the letters to each family and sect. I believe that the heads of each family will see the letters when they return."
"'Lan Yin Bi Yue' is the supreme token of the martial arts world. Shouling Palace has guarded it for over a hundred years without any mishaps. I never expected that it would be like this now..." It was all too sudden. Qiu Changtian lost his composure and his face was full of anxiety. "Who on earth is so presumptuous as to dare to be an enemy of all the heroes in the world?"
"The Shouling Palace has actually lost 'Lan Yin Bi Yue'! I really don't know how they protected it!" someone scoffed.
“That’s right. Normally we’re not even allowed to enter the palace. Hmph, they’re so strict with the guards, how come they still lost the order?” someone scoffed.
"Maybe it's an inside job!" some people said, fearing it might cause trouble.
"That's not how it works. If the Shouling Palace wanted to steal, there would have been plenty of opportunities over the past hundred years. They wouldn't have waited until now," someone said, speaking fairly.
"It's hard to say. Perhaps this generation of the empress has developed wicked thoughts?" Someone lit a small fire.
"If the Guardian Palace loses its command token, shouldn't it try to retrieve it instead of just sending a message to inform the martial arts world?" someone questioned.
“Yes, that doesn’t make sense!” someone agreed.
...
The garden was abuzz with discussion, and the original duel was completely forgotten. Although the 'Heavenly Silk Robe' was precious, how could it compare to the supreme martial arts master?
Qiu Changtian surveyed the scene in the garden, exchanged glances with Nan Wofeng, and then gestured for the servant holding the 'Heavenly Silk Robe' by the pavilion to step back.
"Heroes, sir!" Qiu Changtian's voice boomed, drowning out the commotion throughout the garden.
Everyone fell silent and stared at Qiu Changtian.
"The loss of the order at Yingshan is a major event for the entire martial arts world. The Shouling Palace has already sent messages to both the righteous and the wicked, inviting everyone to gather at Yingshan on August 10th. I imagine the Shouling Palace will have an explanation then. The 'Lan Yin Bi Yue' is of utmost importance to the peace and tranquility of the martial arts world. Today, the Changtian Gathering will be adjourned for the time being. All heroes should return to their respective places, inquire around to see if they can find any clues, and also inform their sects, relatives, and friends, and think about what good strategies they can devise to find the lost order. How about we gather again at Yingshan on August 10th to discuss this matter together?"
After a moment of silence, people in the garden began to express their opinions, generally agreeing with what Qiu Changtian had said.
Qiu Changtian looked at the sky and said, "It is almost noon, so please have lunch at Changtian Manor. I have prepared some simple food and wine, and I hope you will not find it offensive."
"Master, please don't say that. We have been nagging."
"We would be very grateful if you could accept our kind offer, Master."
Everyone nodded and expressed their gratitude.
Qiu Changtian instructed his family to set up a wine table in the garden.
Ning Lang, however, couldn't sit still and kept craning his neck to look at the pavilion.
Yuwen Luo couldn't help but laugh at his expression, and Ning Lang became a little embarrassed by his laughter. "We'll all go our separate ways after dinner..."
"Afraid of missing this opportunity and never seeing each other again, so you want to get to know them?" Yuwen Luo interjected. "Ming Erlan Qi, hmm, I also want to get to know people like that. Let's go, we must seize this opportunity." With that, he pulled Ning Lang and walked towards the pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, Qiu Changtian saw Yuwen Luo leading Ning Lang over and hurriedly introduced them: "These two are Yuwen Luo from the Yuwen family and Ning Lang from the Ning family. Second Young Master and Seventh Young Master haven't met before, have they?"
Ming Er and Lan Qi had already tied their hair up. They turned around and looked at Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang, smiling and bowing to each other.
From afar, the two were already exceptionally outstanding, but now that they were close by, their extraordinary bearing was even more apparent. Yuwen Luo was thrilled and was wondering how to start a conversation when Ning Lang spoke first.
"Seventh...Seventh Young Master, you...you..." He opened his mouth, but found it extremely difficult to say.
"Hmm?" Lan Qi looked at him with a smile in her emerald eyes.
"I...I..." Ning Lang felt his face flush, his heart pounded, and he couldn't speak.
Yuwen Luo couldn't stand seeing his brother like this, so he patted him on the shoulder and said, "A real man should speak his mind. Hesitating like this makes you a laughingstock!"
“You…” Ning Lang opened his mouth, but swallowed the words back halfway through.
"What do you want to say?" Her deep blue eyes seemed to hold both encouragement and a hint of seduction.
"You...you..."
"Hey! Just say what you want to say!" Yuwen Luo shook him.
Do you know Lan Canyin?
The shout was so loud that everyone in the garden looked at the pavilion, and a moment later, bursts of laughter erupted.
Yuwen Luo covered his face and groaned, filled with regret. How could he have recognized such a foolish younger brother?
The people in the pavilion were stunned for a moment, then they all chuckled softly. Only Ning Lang stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what they were laughing at.
"Don't you know the name of the Seventh Young Master of the Lan family?" Out of consideration for their sworn brotherhood, Yuwen Luo had no choice but to speak up for him.
"Isn't it just Lan Qi?" Ning Lang replied. Isn't that what everyone calls him?