Updated: 2008-10-04 15:08:51 Word Count: 3489
Two updates today~~ First update~
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"Xiaoman, let's go." Old Sha said to Xiaoman with a grin, as if he had never intended to stab her in the heart, but rather to pick a flower for her.
Xiao Man said in a low voice with a forced smile, "Godfather, you're not planning to kill me?"
Old Sha's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you saying, Xiao Man?! Why would your godfather want to kill you? It's too hot. You're probably just feeling unwell and overthinking things."
Damn, this guy is really cunning! While cursing him for being shameless in her heart, Xiao Man couldn't help but admire him a little. When it comes to the ability to change one's expression and play dumb, the old fox is indeed the most cunning.
The situation is quite confusing. The other party should already know she's an imposter, but somehow, when that noble young master Tianquan arrived, he let her go. How will things develop? Xiaoman glanced at Tianquan, who had already put on his cloak and leaped onto the back of the white camel with agile movements.
What a handsome man! If he were to take a stroll through Wutong Town, I'm afraid all the girls in town who scream for shovels every day would faint.
Unfortunately, his gaze was too cold.
As if sensing Xiaoman's gaze, he turned around, and Xiaoman seemed hesitant to meet his eyes. Things that are too beautiful can easily instill fear.
Old Sha lifted Xiao Man onto the camel, the camel bells rang softly, and the caravan continued its journey into the depths of the desert.
Xiao Man had been bouncing around on the camels all day, and her bones ached all over. But ever since Tianquan arrived, the caravan had only moved faster than before. They watched as the fiery sun sank behind the distant desert horizon, and a sliver of dark blue slowly spread across the sky as night fell. But it was clear that Tianquan had no intention of stopping. His white camel moved quickly and steadily, leading the way at a distance, its black cloak rustling in the wind.
Xiaoman wanted to ask the camel caravan to stop several times. She was hungry and tired. It was unbearably hot during the day and unbearably cold at night. She was about to reach her limit.
After an unknown amount of time, night had completely enveloped the desert. The camel beneath her trudged along, its feet sinking into the deep sand, and Xiao Man swayed back and forth, feeling drowsy. Suddenly, she snapped out of her daze and quickly pulled on the reins, thus avoiding falling flat on her face.
Old Sha, seeing that she was truly exhausted, put on a smile and discussed with Tianquan, "That young lady is just an ordinary person, her stamina is not good. If we continue to travel like this, I'm afraid she will fall ill before we even reach Mount No Return. Young master, why don't you rest for a while?"
Tianquan looked at the night sky and pondered, "It's best not to. I'm afraid there will be a sandstorm in the next couple of days. We should hurry on our way. If the young mistress is tired, bring her along so she can ride with me and sleep."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a mournful sobbing sound came from afar. Xiao Man had never heard such a terrifying sound before. Her face changed slightly, and she said in a trembling voice, "A ghost!"
Tianquan ordered everyone to extinguish the torches. In the distance, they saw many pale green lights, flickering like will-o'-the-wisps, densely packed together, their number unknown. He said calmly, "They are a pack of wolves in the desert."
And it looks like a very large group.
Desert wolves are fierce and cunning, often ambushing passing merchants at night with almost no failures. This is because they attack in packs, with a division of labor: some attack in the open, while others hide in the shadows and block the way. These wolves are so accustomed to the light of torches that they are not afraid of the firelight at all, letting out threatening howls.
As the will-o'-the-wisps of wolf eyes drew ever closer, clearly intending to surround the entire caravan, all the camels except for the white camel beneath Tianquan, which remained standing, froze in fear at the sound of the wolves' howls, kneeling motionless on the sand.
Xiao Man fell off the camel's back, her voice trembling as she cried out, "It's a wolf! It's a wolf!"
Tianquan glanced at her, seemingly annoyed by her chatter. He ordered, "Light two cold fireworks and see if we can scare them away."
Xiao Man muttered, "Will cold fireworks scare away wolves? Wouldn't it be easier to just kill them all?"
She was just muttering to herself, and no one else should have heard her, but Tianquan suddenly said coldly, "Heaven cherishes life. These wolves are just busy trying to survive. Why are you so vicious as to exterminate them?"
Xiao Man was still a bit too timid. After being insulted by someone like him, she actually blushed, feeling ashamed, embarrassed, and angry all at once, unable to utter a single word. Her casual, angry remark had been taken out of context and used to openly criticize her; anyone would find that unbearable.
She took several breaths to suppress the feeling of shame and indignation, and was about to smile and deflect the force of her words, but the other person had already ignored her.
Two cold fireworks were tossed high into the sky, instantly illuminating an area for miles around as if it were daytime. Sure enough, the surrounding area was teeming with wolves, large and small, fat and thin. Upon seeing the light from the cold fireworks, they all turned tail and ran in terror. Among them, a particularly large black wolf stood on the highest sand dune and howled a few times, instantly calming the restless pack.
That must be the wolf king.
Tianquan took the longbow from the camel, nocked an iron arrow, thought for a moment, and then broke off the arrowhead. He aimed the arrowhead at the wolf king's waist and abdomen, pulled back the bowstring, and the longbow swung taut like a full moon. With a sharp "whoosh," the arrow with the broken arrowhead shot out like a meteor, striking the wolf king squarely in the waist and abdomen.
It was startled. It looked down at the arrow that had fallen to the ground, then at its uninjured waist and abdomen, and then at the valiant man with a longbow in the distance. It knew that the man was deliberately yielding to them and did not want to hurt them.
Although the wolves in the desert are fierce, they are also clever and know what's good for them. Since the other party was yielding, they naturally couldn't attack. They immediately howled a few times and the wolf pack withdrew from the encirclement like flowing water, and the chaos disappeared without a trace.
Old Sha was the first to clap and cheer, and the men in white behind him hurriedly followed suit, chanting "Young Master's archery skills are divine" and "Young Master is kind-hearted," almost shouting "Long live the Young Master!"
"So cheesy!" Xiao Man curled her lip in disdain. The slight goodwill she had felt for Tian Quan vanished instantly. No matter how handsome a man is, if he speaks rudely, arrogantly, and meanly, he won't be liked. Besides, Xiao Man hated people who put on a stern face and preach.
Tianquan put away his bow and arrows, ordered everyone to urge the camels on their way, and suddenly turned back to Xiaoman, extending his hand: "Come on up."
What do you mean? Xiaoman immediately became wary, but smiled shyly and said, "No...isn't that inappropriate? How could I dare to ride a camel with you, young master?"
Without a word, Tianquan grabbed her arm, and Xiaoman felt as if her whole body was flying up into the air. She was so frightened that she froze. When she came to her senses, she was already sitting in front of him. His arm went around her body, he took the reins, and with a push of his legs, he shouted, "Rise!"
The camel continued its journey, swaying and staggering. Xiao Man's body was as stiff as a stone, and she dared not lean against its body even slightly. She was dozens of times more tired than before.
Fortunately, this person was taciturn and didn't say a word. If he had tried to talk to her, that would have been worse than death.
They walked for a long time, the camel still swaying back and forth, like a mother's cradle when she was a child. Countless stars spun and fell down together. Xiao Man finally reached her limit and, in a daze, leaned against something warm and gradually fell asleep.
Xiaoman was awakened by the glaring sunlight. That annoying ray of sunlight kept swirling around her eyelids, forcing her to wake up.
She seemed to be resting on something warm, carrying a pleasant masculine scent, and she could hear a steady heartbeat. Xiaoman groggily looked up and saw a perfectly sculpted chin with a few dark stubble stubbles. Above that were slightly pursed lips and a straight nose.
Sunlight shone on his face, and something glittered in his ears. Upon closer inspection, it turned out he had pierced ears in both, and was wearing pearl earrings. Only women get their ears pierced; why would a man get his ears pierced and wear earrings? Although it was funny, it actually suited him very well. His face was handsome, and the pearl earrings gave him a unique charm—a charm unique to men.
"Are you awake?" His chest suddenly vibrated, and the refined young man spoke in a low voice, his gaze, as cold as the deepest spring, sweeping across her face.
Xiao Man suddenly woke up from her hazy dream, sat up straight with a jolt, quickly touched her hair, and straightened her clothes, afraid that she might have done something improper. Then she smiled awkwardly and said, "I'm sorry, I actually fell asleep. Please don't be offended, young master."
He didn't answer, only saying calmly, "Put on your cloak; the sun is very strong. We'll reach Mount No Return by noon."
His men brought him a bag of water and a few dry biscuits, which he took as breakfast.
As Xiaoman ate carefully, she thought to herself that this man wasn't bad in some ways. Was he this caring and affectionate towards all women? Or was it just because she was some kind of mistress?
After traveling for an unknown amount of time, a wide river suddenly appeared in the desert. Old Sha was so excited when he saw the river that he hurriedly called the camel caravan to take the camels over to drink water.
Xiaoman was finally able to get off the camel; her bottom was practically bruised from being jostled around.
Old Sha brought her some fresh water and said, "If you keep walking along this river, you'll reach Mount No Return in less than two hours."
Xiao Man nodded, then feigned innocence and asked curiously, "Godfather, what is Mount No Return like? Is it all sand there too?"
Old Sha laughed and said, "Of course there's no sand! That's the edge of the desert, a huge oasis with mountains and water, very fertile."
Xiao Man quickly seized the opportunity to flatter him: "Mount No Return is truly a treasure in the desert. Why is it called Mount No Return?"
Just as Lao Sha was about to speak, Tian Quan suddenly said calmly, "Let's set off, don't waste time."
Old Sha dared not disobey him and quickly urged the camels to continue walking. Xiao Man was finally able to ride back to her own camel, no longer having to squeeze onto one with Tian Quan. Although he was a handsome man, she had had enough of his icy demeanor.
Xiao Man dislikes people who are as hypocritical as her, people who are arrogant, and people who have a hard-on-the-press face and are impossible to please.
Of the three most disliked people, Tianquan occupies two spots, which is quite rare.
Xiao Man watched Tianquan's retreating figure with great interest, plotting how to use all her strength to shatter his icy demeanor. She refused to believe she couldn't handle Tianquan.
Chapter Ten of the Horned Scroll: The Mountain of No Return (Part One)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:08:52 Word Count: 3677
This is the second update for today.
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If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that such a large oasis existed in the desert, and not just an oasis... it was practically a small town! The town was divided in two by a river, and both sides were bustling with people. In the distance, I could see tents of all sizes.
Xiao Man was somewhat stunned by this exotic sight, seeing it for the first time. A group of young women were walking towards her, their hair in many braids, their heads covered with veils, and their clothes trailing behind them, completely different from anything she had ever seen before. Behind the veils were beautiful brown eyes, full of affection. Each of them carried a clay pot filled with water on their head. As soon as they saw the camel caravan approaching, they giggled and made way, their large eyes fixed on Tian Quan, warm and generous.
As soon as they saw Xiaoman, they started laughing again, their brown eyes darting all over her, looking her up and down, chattering in a language she couldn't understand.
Seeing Xiaoman's confusion, Lao Sha laughed and said, "They are from the Western Regions and speak a dialect. They are all praising Xiaoman's beauty."
Xiao Man quickly gave them a friendly smile. As expected, her looks brought her many advantages. The girls all surrounded her, chattering away, touching her hands and massaging her legs. Xiao Man felt uneasy all over, and her friendly smile almost disappeared.
Old Sha shouted something, and the girls were so frightened that they turned pale and ran away without looking back.
Xiao Man was unaware that Mount Bugui was extremely famous in this area. The locals, seeing that they knew martial arts, acted mysteriously and discreetly, and were also very wealthy, all thought they were celestial beings, and no one dared to offend them. When they entered the city earlier, they were all wearing cloaks and hadn't had time to take them off. Normally, people would give way upon seeing their black hats and ivory robes.
She laughed and said, "Why is Godfather so mean to those girls? They're so pitiful."
Before Lao Sha could speak, Tian Quan spoke up again: "Let's stop for a bite to eat up ahead, and then head back to Mount No Return this afternoon."
The camel caravan stopped in front of a large tent. A veiled woman came out to greet them, speaking in broken English, and handed them a letter. Tianquan frowned upon seeing the envelope, pulled out the letter, which seemed to contain only a few words. He glanced at it quickly, then tore it to shreds. Inside the tent hung a small iron pot, steaming with something unknown, and charcoal burned beneath it. He tossed the shredded pieces into the fire, found a small table, and sat down on the ground.
Old Sha leaned closer and whispered, "Young master, is there some fool in the martial world trying to cause you trouble?"
Tianquan said calmly, "No, just an acquaintance. He'll be coming to Mount Bugui in a few days for the matter of the young master of Cangya City." He glanced at Xiaoman, his gaze icy. Xiaoman felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, yet she had to maintain a nonchalant smile. She now understood what it meant to feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.
A woman came over and asked something, but Tianquan didn't answer. He only asked Xiaoman, "What does Your Highness like to eat?"
Xiao Man said softly, "I don't care about anything, please do as you please, young master."
If she wasn't mistaken, there seemed to be a hint of malice in the man's eyes? Xiaoman suddenly became wary. Although she didn't know why, this man had a very bad impression of her, which made her, usually so shrewd and adept at social maneuvering, feel somewhat defeated. Was she still too inexperienced in this area? It seemed she needed to learn more...
When the dishes were served, she realized why he was smiling.
Lamb, lamb, lamb...it's all lamb! And it's different from how it's prepared in the Central Plains. The whole tent was filled with the smell of mutton when it was served, which made her face turn green. She didn't know how to start eating it at all.
Old Sha tore off a piece of roasted lamb leg and handed it to her, "Xiao Man, this lamb is very rare, and it's roasted to perfection. Try it."
Her legs were trembling, and she could only force a smile as she accepted the bowl. She brought it close to her nose and nearly fainted from the stench. She forced herself to take a bite, and while it was indeed tender, why was it tasteless? Had no salt been added? She couldn't eat anymore. Seeing the waiter bring over another bowl of something snow-white, she picked it up and took a sip, only to be nearly vomited by another strange smell.
The female shop assistant with long braids smiled and said a few words in broken Central Plains dialect to her: "Yogurt is good for beauty. Pretty girls are even prettier."
Xiao Man nodded repeatedly, then looked up at the others with a pained expression; they were all eating heartily and quite content.
Being unconventional wasn't her style, so she ate meat and drank yogurt heartily, laughing until her face was stiff, all the while praising how delicious it was. Suddenly, she hated her own personality; why did she have to try so hard to please others, making herself look so pathetic?
As a result, the pungent smell from her breath lingered all afternoon. Tianquan glanced at her later, seemingly with a hint of pity. It was unclear whether he pitied her for not being used to the food of the Western Regions, or for her insistence on being all things to all people.
Xiaoman told herself that Tianquan was a jerk, and she hated him to the core. Therefore, if she couldn't make him forget who he was, she wouldn't be Xiaoman!
As they traveled in the afternoon, Xiao Man deliberately drove her camel alongside Tian Quan, smiling as she asked him, "Young Master Tian Quan, you're so young yet so capable. Are you from the Central Plains?"
Tianquan said calmly, "Thank you, young master. My background is not something I can tell outsiders."
One sentence shut her up. She refused to believe it. In Xiaoman's eyes, there was no iron plate that couldn't be penetrated. Even if there was only a tiny crack, she could squeeze through and flatter people to their heart's content.
"How old are you, young master?"