Xiao Man couldn't hold back any longer and said, "A true hero would never argue with a woman like you! You don't seem like a good person at all, always picking fights with women! Is killing women glorious and chivalrous? Only someone like you..."
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt her vest being lifted up again, and with a whoosh, she was thrown into the air, this time crashing hard onto the sand, landing face-first. Xiao Man was furious. She struggled to her feet, spitting out the sand in her mouth, and began to curse: "You bastard! You transvestite! Neither male nor female! Fox eyes! Go to hell!"
Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind whistled overhead, followed by a stinging pain as the wind grazed her face. Then, a crisp "snap" rang out as he raised his whip and lashed it down hard, striking her right at her feet. Sand flew up and was instantly swept away by the wind.
"Say it again." He held up his riding crop, pointing it at the tip of her nose, his peach blossom eyes flashing with a light sharper than a steel knife.
Xiao Man stretched her neck and roared at the top of her lungs, "Neither male nor female! Male prostitute! Actor!"
Zexiu sneered. Xiaoman kept her eyes tightly closed, waiting for him to crack the whip. But after waiting for a long time without any movement, she quietly narrowed her eyes and saw that he had already ridden away on his camel.
Xiaoman panicked immediately; he was going to leave her alone in the desert again! She hurriedly chased after him, calling out, "Hey! Hey! Don't go! Forget I was wrong, okay? Come back! Don't leave me behind!"
Zexiu lightly lashed the camel's back with his whip, and it galloped a long distance away. He turned back and waved maliciously at her, sneering, "You are the holy young mistress of Cangya City, living on wind and dew, traveling a thousand miles a day. How could I be worthy to travel with you! Please go alone! Just be careful, you may encounter wolves in the desert at night. We haven't restored our family yet, so please don't get eaten by wolves."
After saying that, it ran off like a gust of wind. Xiaoman chased after it desperately, stumbling and struggling, but she couldn't catch up with the camel. She was panting heavily, the sun overhead was scorching, and the desert was like a giant steamer. She was soon drenched in sweat and unbearably thirsty. A chill ran down her spine; if she continued chasing like this, even if she wasn't eaten by wolves, she would dry out and die of thirst!
"What kind of chivalrous hero is he? He's just a bastard who bullies the weak!" she shouted angrily, kicking the sand as she walked back. Luckily, they hadn't gone far; the little oasis was still there, and as long as there was water, no one would die. Who's afraid of who! She'd just stay here! She'd wait until no one else passed by and took her away!
She sat under the poplar tree, hugging her knees, and whenever she got hungry, she would gulp down a bellyful of water. She would stare blankly, hoping that a caravan or something similar would suddenly appear in the distance, and then she would be free.
Unfortunately, she stared at the desert from morning till night, but not a single person, not even an ant, came. Xiaoman was so hungry she was dizzy, and drinking water was no longer of any use. Moreover, it was getting dark, and the desert was getting colder; at night, it could freeze a person to death. She was thinly dressed, and having just had a fever the day before, plus her broken arm, she gradually became unable to hold on any longer. Several times, she squinted and swayed, about to fall asleep.
In the desert at night, it's easy to die if you don't eat something and sleep without a blanket. Xiaoman pinched the flesh of her leg hard with her nails, reminding herself not to fall asleep, but she soon discovered that something even worse was about to happen.
A mournful, ghostly howl echoed from afar. Having learned from her previous experience, she immediately knew it was a pack of wolves in the desert. Trembling, she raised herself to look, only to see countless flickering, will-o'-the-wisps of wolf eyes in the distance. Terrified, she quickly shrank back, digging her hands into the sand, intending to burrow into it and hide.
Unfortunately, she lacked the claws of wild animals to dig through the sand. By the time the wolves reached her, the hole she had dug could only fit one leg. A giant, gray wolf leaped onto the dune, its eyes gleaming as it looked around, seemingly searching for something. Xiaoman hid herself completely behind a poplar tree, terrified of being discovered.
Upon seeing the pool, the giant wolf turned and howled, revealing that they were searching for water. Soon, a large pack of wolves swept in, led by an even larger black wolf. Xiaoman immediately recognized it as the wolf king that had attacked the camel caravan last time, struck in the abdomen by Tianquan's broken-arrow iron arrow, and wisely retreated. This time, however, there was no Tianquan, the sharpshooter, to save her. Xiaoman huddled behind a tree, inwardly groaning and cursing Zexiu countless times.
Fortunately, the wolves didn't spot her. Perhaps they had just finished eating and didn't intend to make this skinny girl their dinner. After drinking their fill, the wolves dispersed in twos and threes, seemingly planning to occupy the area.
Xiaoman was focused on the wolf king; she was certain that as long as it didn't act, the other wolves wouldn't do anything to her.
Suddenly, she felt something cool and wet touch her neck. Instinctively, she reached back to wipe it, only to find it was furry. Startled, she quickly turned around and saw a small gray wolf standing behind her, looking at her suspiciously, its nose twitching. Clearly, it was checking if she was safe to eat.
Xiao Man was so frightened that she froze completely. As it leaned closer to sniff her closely, she murmured, "I...I don't taste good...Please, please don't eat me!"
The little gray wolf stared at her for a long time, full of suspicion, before finally baring its fangs, seemingly intending to take a bite. Xiao Man was so frightened that she grabbed a handful of sand and threw it, screaming, "You pervert! You effeminate creature! I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"
The little wolf was startled by her. Seeing her turn and run, it immediately gave chase, letting out a piercing howl. Xiaoman ran desperately across the sand dunes, only to see countless wolf eyes dotting the opposite side; she was surrounded by the pack. The enormous wolf king was in the lead, leaping up, clearly intending to pounce on her.
She recalled the stories she'd heard from merchants in town about the poor people who had been eaten by wolves—the sights were truly horrific. In despair, she pulled the hairpin from her hair, deciding to end her own life first, at least to avoid being killed by wolves.
Suddenly, a larger, darker shadow leaped high into the sand dune. The wolf king, pouncing in mid-air, noticed someone approaching and nimbly flipped over in mid-air, landing on the ground to dodge the attack. But as fast as it was, the man was even faster. In a flash, he rolled along the ground, his sword flashing, and with a sharp "poof," the wolf king howled in pain. The sword had slashed a long gash across its hind leg.
Seeing their wolf king thwarted, the pack of wolves rushed to his aid. The man moved like a ghost, his two swords flashing with lightning speed. In her extreme terror, Xiaoman couldn't see how he moved at all. She only felt that the black shadow was like a giant black butterfly, fluttering gracefully. Where the sword light passed, blood splattered everywhere.
Seeing the situation was bad, the huge wolf king turned around and pounced on Xiaoman. Her legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground, unable to move.
The man kicked the wolf king squarely in the ribs, and with several cracking sounds, all the ribs were broken. The wolf king screamed in agony and fell to the ground, where the man swiftly beheaded it with a sword, blood splattering everywhere.
When the wolf king was killed, the pack of wolves were so frightened that they dared not approach again. They tucked their tails between their legs, whimpered, and quickly ran away.
Xiao Man was still in shock when she saw the headless wolf corpse. Her limbs went limp, and she collapsed there, unable to move.
The man flicked his two longswords, shaking off the blood, and sheathed them at his waist, coldly saying, "These beasts have devoured countless travelers. Today, I'll teach them a lesson."
Xiao Man stared blankly as he approached. The moonlight illuminated his face, revealing a pair of alluring, captivating peach blossom eyes. His expression held a hint of malicious mockery as he coldly looked at her. Suddenly, he reached out and said, "Get up. You're really useless. A few wolves have scared you into submission."
Xiao Man didn't answer or reach out; she just stared at him blankly.
Suddenly, she burst into tears. Zexiu was truly startled and at a loss for what to do. He could only bend down to help her up, but she grabbed his sleeve tightly, kicking and hitting him with her hands and feet, crying out, "You... why did you take so long to come! You dead male prostitute, you neither man nor woman... you bastard! I hate you so much..."
His heart softened suddenly. He pulled open his cloak and wrapped her up, then swept her around the waist and carried her to the pond. He lit a fire and looked down at her. She was clutching his collar tightly, tears still clinging to her long eyelashes, but she was already exhausted and had fallen asleep.
Chapter Seventeen of the Horned Scroll: Return to the Mountain of No Return (Part Two)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:08:58 Word Count: 3427
Fourteen's home~~ First update today~ Second update at 7:30 PM~
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Sure enough, Xiaoman started having a fever again that night.
She's the type who gets more energetic the fever goes on, her eyes wide open, refusing to sleep properly, and every now and then she'll call out, "Hey, you there, I want some water."
"Hey, you there, the fire isn't hot enough, I'm cold."
"Hey you, move your sword further away, it looks really scary."
"Hey, you there..."
"Have you had enough?" Zexiu, who had been holding back for most of the night, finally couldn't take it anymore.
Xiao Man coughed a few times, her face full of pain, as if she had coughed until she had no strength left. Her eyes were watery, and she said in a trembling voice, "Who... abandoned me, a weak woman, in the desert... I have such a miserable life, always being bullied. I might as well just kill myself."
Ze Xiu felt the veins throbbing on his forehead, and he closed his eyes to endure it, asking, "What do you want?"
Xiao Man said pitifully, "I'm hungry. I've been hungry all day and all night, and on top of that, I was chased by those wolves, all because of someone..."
"No need to say more." Zexiu hurriedly interrupted her, quickly tearing a few pieces of dry biscuit into pieces, soaking them in boiling water, and throwing them in front of her. "Eat!"
She ignored the object and continued singing her tearful opera in a high-pitched voice: "I want to eat plain noodles, braised beef, and roast goose."
“Where would you find these things in the desert!” Zexiu’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed. Seeing that she was about to make a fuss again, he pulled the bowl away: “Fine, don’t eat! You won’t starve.”
Xiao Man hurriedly snatched the bowl back: "I'll reluctantly accept your kindness!"
She ate a few pieces of softened, dry biscuits, which tasted neither sour nor salty, but rather strange. She complained, "Even perfectly good biscuits stink on that bastard..."
Before she could finish speaking, she felt him reach out. Xiaoman exclaimed warily, "What are you doing?! Hitting a weak woman is not the act of a hero..."
A sudden warmth touched her forehead; it was his hand gently cupping hers. She looked up involuntarily, only to see the warm firelight reflected in his peach blossom eyes. So this is what he looks like—this forehead, this nose, this mouth. He looks like a villain, flamboyant and arrogant, but his expression is completely hard, without a trace of tenderness. Those peach blossom eyes are deceptive; in reality, he is neither alluring nor passionate, but rather like a stubborn rock.
"The fever's gone down. Eat and then go to sleep. Don't talk too much, we have to travel tomorrow." Zexiu withdrew his hand. Seeing her staring at him, his slender body curled up into a ball, looking like a dazed little puppy, with a touch of憨厚 (honest and simple). However, this appearance could only fool strangers. Zexiu deeply understood this person's fierce nature; describing her as a wildcat would be an understatement.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Xiaoman hurriedly called out, "Hey, hey! You... what's your name?"
Zexiu spread out a blanket, pretended not to hear, and closed her eyes to rest.
He could still hear her delicate voice nagging in his ear: "How petty! Who wronged whom first? You only know how to argue with a weak woman, that's not heroic. You think carrying three swords makes you a hero? With your attitude, even if you carried a hundred of the best swords, no one would call you a great hero. Do you know why? Because you're too narrow-minded."
No matter what she said, he pretended not to hear it, determined to send her back to the Mountain of No Return, leaving her to fend for herself. Such a fierce young mistress, even if she were to die, Heaven would not dare to challenge her.
In a daze, Zexiu didn't know how much she chattered away. She felt herself falling asleep when suddenly, everything fell silent except for the rustling of sand in the wind. She stopped talking. Zexiu, on the other hand, gradually became more awake, feeling a little uneasy. Just as she was about to turn around to see if the fox had started running a fever again, she heard the little fox behind her giggle and whisper, "I know your name now. Zexiu, don't you? Zexiu."
His name, spoken in such a sweet voice, even carried a touch of tenderness.
Zexiu opened her eyes, then closed them again, and didn't utter a single word from beginning to end.
*****
When Xiaoman returned to Mount No Return, she thought she was going to die. But to her surprise, everyone greeted her like a precious treasure, fawning over her like stars around the moon. A group of maids dressed in white wiped away their tears, saying that she had lost weight and looked haggard, and that she had lost an arm. Their sad and distressed expressions were like seeing a cute little animal that had been injured, full of compassion and empathy.
So she was pushed inside, and after a flurry of activity, it took a long time before she was dressed up neatly and beautifully and brought to the hall. Zexiu was sitting in a chair drinking tea and chatting with the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
Xiao Man walked over timidly, wondering how to start the conversation. The veiled businessman, dressed in purple gauze, waved to her, saying, "Please come over here, young mistress. We apologize for the poor hospitality at Mount Bugui. Thank goodness we met Mr. Zexiu in the desert and escaped danger. Otherwise, how could we face our former young mistress in the afterlife!"
Since they were so considerate and gave her so much face, even taking the blame for her absconding with a large sum of money in the middle of the night, Xiaoman felt embarrassed to embarrass them. She said with a hint of shame and guilt, "I am very grateful for everyone's hospitality. It's just that the national vendetta... well... the national vendetta and family feud remain unavenged. I keep worrying about it. The thought of my people dying tragically while I live a life of luxury makes me uneasy." After saying this, she wiped away her tears with her sleeve, putting on a heartbroken appearance.
General Shui sighed, “Why should you worry, my lady? It’s our fault for being too hasty, forcing you to recall those painful memories. It’s normal that you can’t accept it right away. You’ve always been sheltered in your boudoir and probably don’t know much about the events of the previous generation. In fact, Mount Bugui and Cangya City have a long-standing relationship… By the way, this Mr. Zexiu also has a very good relationship with Cangya City. We really have to thank Mr. Zexiu this time. If it weren’t for him, how could Mount Bugui maintain its reputation?”
The five of them stood up at the same time, bowed to Zexiu, and thanked him.
Zexiu waved his hand and said, "There's no need for formalities, everyone. I just happened to run into you. I'm only sending the young lady back because I wanted to ask you all how you could have forced a weak woman with no strength to flee in the middle of the night. The vast Mount No Return is famous in the martial arts world and praised by everyone.
How dare he call her a weak woman "unable to even kill a chicken"? Who was the bastard who left her alone in the desert to encounter a pack of wolves? Xiao Man glared at him fiercely, but Ze Xiu pretended not to see it.
Master Jin said with a smile, "Mr. Zexiu's question is reasonable. It seems that Bugui Mountain has not been hospitable enough and has offended you in some way. I humbly request your guidance."
He subtly deflected the attack by shifting the blame onto Xiaoman.
She covered her face with her sleeve and sobbed, "It's all my fault, it's all my fault, I let down the uncles and elders' hospitality."
The local boss could only comfort her, saying, "Don't be sad, young master. Let's not talk about this anymore. It's good that everyone is back safe and sound. By the way, speaking of the connection between Mount Bugui and Cangya City, you probably don't know that the previous young master, your maternal grandmother, once personally divined the fate of Mount Bugui. At that time, Mount Bugui suffered a great calamity, and it was thanks to that young master's guidance that we were able to avoid the disaster. Since then, everyone in Mount Bugui has been extremely grateful to Cangya City. This time, Cangya City is facing a catastrophic disaster, and Mount Bugui will do everything in its power to help. If you have any difficulties, please feel free to speak up. As long as it is within our power, we will not hesitate to do it."
What's wrong with her? Her problem is that she's not some nobody! If she asked them to let her go back, buy her land, and make her a rich woman with a bunch of handsome men as servants, I wonder if they would still say it's their duty?
Xiao Man hesitated for a moment, then remained silent.
Master Jin chuckled again: "Young mistress is young, but she has her own ideas. We shouldn't offer unsolicited advice; it's better to listen to her own perspective. The grudge against Cangya City is something Young Mistress must avenge, but it involves the infamous Tiansha Shifang, making this extremely difficult. If we were to break ties with Tiansha Shifang now, it would be very disadvantageous for us. These bandits are elusive, but there are traces to follow in Mount Bugui. It's not a good strategy to have the enemy in the dark while we are in the light. We need to think of a better way."
This wealthy man Jin is the most despicable person. Every word he says is polite and humble, but in reality, every word is forcing her to take a stand. How strange! Even if Cangya City was wiped out, that's Cangya City's business. Why do this bunch of unrelated people have to jump out and clamor for revenge? It's really inexplicable.
Ze Xiu suddenly said "Oh," and then asked, "It's already been confirmed that it was Tian Sha Shi Fang who did it?"
The old man recounted how Xiaoman had performed a ritual at the altar that day, recreating the scene of the annihilation of their clan. Zexiu sneered, "How can you believe in such supernatural and bizarre things? The Tiancha Shifang gang is neither righteous nor evil, and they have never had any enmity with Cangya City. What reason would they have to come and exterminate our clan?"
General Shui said, “Mr. Zexiu, you are mistaken. Haven’t these bandits committed countless acts of annihilation and plunder? They need no reason to do evil. They are heretics and demons, and they are simply unconventional.”
Zexiu smiled slightly, her peach blossom eyes shimmering with tears, and said softly, "I'm afraid there's no such thing as being truly unique; it's more likely that someone has ulterior motives."
Doctor Huo, with his fiery temper, immediately jumped up and shouted, "What do you mean by that?! You suspect us of fabricating evidence? The young mistress of Cangya City is here too, go ask her! Stop spreading rumors and making trouble here!"
Ze Xiu sneered, "I'm afraid this young master isn't real either!"
Xiao Man couldn't help but tremble, almost knocking over the teacup in her hand. He continued, "What kind of place is Cangya City! Do you seniors think only Mount Bugui is on good terms with Cangya City? This girl's behavior is clearly vulgar, her words tasteless; how could she possibly be the young mistress of Cangya City! Otherwise, let her do a divination right here and now to see if she really is the young mistress!"
Oh no, this person is definitely a jinx who came here specifically to ruin her plans! Xiaoman couldn't care less about being angry. She looked around and quickly found a place to hide so she could sneak out and save her life.
Suddenly, a clear, low voice was heard from the doorway: "Will there ever be another dragon's horn and a mark of azure fire in the world?"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiaoman pretended to pick something up and darted behind the chair. She tiptoed to the pillar and peeked out from behind. She saw a man wearing an ivory-white robe and a black hat walk in. He was handsome and had a noble air about him. It was none other than that annoying Tianquan!