Ваше Величество

Глава 34

"When you were sixteen, you single-handedly killed the Five Tigers of South China. Don't worry, I don't believe anyone in this world can surpass you in martial arts." Qinglong sat down in the chair, his expression somewhat nonchalant.

"But... what if the other party uses tricks and schemes?" Chu Xia lowered her eyes, her expression unseen in the darkness.

"Good will always triumph over evil." Qinglong grinned. "Don't overthink it. The young master said he'll be back in two or three days. Alright, go to sleep."

The night was cool and quiet. Half asleep, she could vaguely hear the sound of horses' hooves striking the bluestone slabs, a series of clear and melodious sounds... But in the end, the sound of horses' hooves still took him away.

Chapter 33

After the young master left that day, Chu Xia had Bai Xue and Qing Long to keep her company. Although her days were leisurely, she was always restless. The next day, after lunch, she heard someone in the inn say excitedly, "Tomorrow is the temple fair. Our town hasn't been this lively in a long time."

"Who says otherwise? I must go to the temple to pray properly tomorrow. Sigh, it's only once a year!"

After listening, Chu Xia returned to her room and said to Bai Xue, "Let's go to the temple fair tomorrow. They say there's a very efficacious Bodhisattva there."

Bai Xue leaned back lazily, glanced at her, and said, "You'd better behave yourself. The young master has repeatedly warned you that if anything happens to you, he'll probably skin us alive."

Chu Xia blushed slightly and muttered, "If she doesn't want to go, then she doesn't want to go." But Qinglong quickly chimed in, "If she doesn't want to go, then the two of us will go."

Chu Xia was overjoyed: "Really?"

"There's no one in the world that I, Qinglong, can't keep an eye on. Tomorrow, let's tie our wrists together with rope and see who can kidnap you."

Bai Xue curled her lips, seemingly helpless: "Fine, but if you want to go in early summer, you must follow my instructions and not run around."

Chu Xia, thinking of asking for a peace charm for the young master, readily agreed to everything. The next day, she got up early.

The temple fair was indeed packed with people, especially the mountain temple. Although it was small, the courtyard was packed with people. Bai Xue, holding Chu Xia's hand, complained in a low voice, "What kind of place is this? It's as crowded as dumplings being boiled in a pot."

Chu Xia stood on tiptoe and looked around: "Where's Qinglong?"

“It’s up in the tree,” Bai Xue pointed to the green willow in the yard. “You can see the surrounding commotion more clearly from up there.”

They followed the crowd and slowly entered the main hall.

In early summer, she held an incense stick in her hand, lit it in the incense burner, knelt down in front of the Buddha statue, silently recited the mantra, and then stood up to insert the incense into the ash.

"What did you ask for?" Bai Xue asked with interest.

"Young Master is safe and sound," Chu Xia replied after a moment of surprise.

Stepping out of the crowd, the air was faintly filled with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus. Chu Xia took a deep sniff and said to Bai Xue, "The osmanthus flowers in the backyard seem to be in full bloom. Shall we go take a look?"

Bai Xue looked around, then gazed at the willow tree, before saying, "Okay."

The backyard was quiet and secluded, and one of the large osmanthus trees was indeed in full bloom.

Chu Xia said with great interest, "When I was little, my elders would often collect the fallen osmanthus flowers and make osmanthus cakes, which were delicious."

“What’s so difficult about that? Doesn’t the Shu Garden in the Jun Mansion have many osmanthus trees in bloom? If you want them, the young master would probably be willing to cut them down.” Bai Xue imitated her and took a deep breath, and sure enough, the fragrance was wonderful.

Just a moment later, she suddenly felt something was wrong. Her whole body went limp, and she couldn't stand up straight. She knew something was wrong and wanted to tell Chu Xia to "hold your breath," but she couldn't utter a single word. She closed her eyes and collapsed.

Chu Xia quickly helped her up and called her name urgently, but she still fell to the ground.

"Qing—" The word had barely left his lips when a cold object pressed against his waist from behind.

The osmanthus tree provided ample shade, and the Azure Dragon, being in the distance, naturally couldn't see what was happening. He waited for a while, but no one came out. So, he lightly leaped and slipped silently into the crowd, heading towards the backyard.

Beneath the osmanthus tree, Snow White and Early Summer both had their backs to him, as if observing something. He walked over and asked with a smile, "What are you looking at?"

Neither of them turned around, and out of curiosity, he went over to them.

A small piece of the bark of the osmanthus tree had been peeled off, and four words were clearly carved on it: "Cut throat, cut hair".

Qinglong was shocked, realizing something was wrong. He reached out and grabbed the two, hastily retreating. But he saw that Chuxia was unable to move, her gaze sweeping over him, full of warning and anxiety. He drew his sword with a backhand, but "Bai Xue" beside him suddenly turned her head, lightly waving her palm around the sword and pressing it against his chest.

This was completely unexpected. With a clang, the sword fell to the ground, and the Azure Dragon's body slowly slumped down.

The young man's handsome face was filled with disbelief, all his strength was slipping away from his fingertips... and that sinister aura was spreading towards his forehead.

So this is what it's like to die... Qinglong's arm twitched slightly, as if he wanted to grab something on his chest. Seeing this, "Bai Xue" wanted to add a palm strike, but a very familiar voice came from behind the tree: "That's enough, he won't live."

"It's you..." Qinglong was terrified, but there was no time to say anything more. With his last breath, his arm finally went limp and fell down.

The young master traveled day and night to Yuezhou. It was now the end of August, and the weather was getting colder every day. Every now and then, a heavy rain would pour down, making it difficult to move an inch. Jun Ye'an stayed at the home of a tea farmer by Dongting Lake that night. The host was very hospitable and cooked a big pot of fish soup for dinner. He chatted with the host while eating.

"Young master, you don't seem like an ordinary person. You must be a tea merchant?"

The young master smiled slightly: "Exactly."

"Although Junshan Silver Needle tea is produced every spring, savvy business people will place their deposits for the following year as soon as the tea season is over," the host said with a smile. "Is this your first time here, young master? You'd better come early."

"It would be best to rent a boat to get to Junshan. You should go early tomorrow morning. There's a small dock right in front of our house. You can rent a boat there for just one string of copper coins."

The young master nodded and said, "Thank you."

The next morning, while it was still barely light, the vast Dongting Lake, stretching for eight hundred li, resembled a huge, bright mirror, its surface rippling gently. A light breeze caressed the face, and in the distance, Mount Junshan appeared and disappeared in the mist. The boat rocked slightly, and the young master stood with his hands behind his back at the bow, casually asking, "Boatman, are there any people living on Mount Junshan?"

"Who would live there? There are mostly tea plantations at the foot of Junshan Mountain. When they need tending, the tea farmers come by boat every day to do the work. As for Junshan Mountain... it's haunted. Who would dare go up there!"

"Haunted?"

"It happened a long time ago. It's said that some people saw a group of ghosts building a palace on Mount Jun all day long. Some people were curious and climbed up to see, but they all fell to their deaths." The boatman rowed the boat as if telling a story. "Later, everyone felt that the mountain was full of yin energy, so no one went up there anymore."

The young master pondered for a moment, then unfolded a silk painting in his hand and said, "Boatman, take a look. Is the mountain in this painting Junshan?"

The boatman lowered his oar, leaned closer to take a look, and exclaimed in surprise, "Indeed! Of the seventy-two peaks of Junshan, this is the most precipitous one, Feilai Peak. However... as far as I know, there are no tea gardens at the foot of this peak."

With a knock, the small boat docked at a pier. The young master lightly jumped down and said with a smile, "Thank you, boatman."

The boatman watched the tall figure leave and shook his head, saying, "The people who have been going to this island lately are all quite strange."

The island was indeed covered with vast tea plantations. The young master strolled away, surrounded by cool, green scenery.

The sun was just beginning to shine, and the tender green tea leaves glistened with dew from the rain the night before—a natural beauty beyond compare. The young master, having found his way, strolled leisurely through the verdant landscape, his steps light and carefree. He casually plucked a leaf, chewed it, and a delicate fragrance mingled with a bitter aftertaste. He recalled their first meeting, when he and Chu Xia admired the snow in Plum Valley. If things were settled here… in late autumn, watching the moon in these mountains, the little girl would surely enjoy it too.

In the southeast of the small island, the mountains are beautiful, but only one towers into the clouds in the middle. The young master closed his eyes, recalling the various details in "Ballad of Mountains and Rivers". He sat down leisurely on a large rock and began to practice his internal energy.

The sun quietly shifted from east to west, its golden rays bathing the young master's white robes in a soft, sunset-like glow. He slowly opened his eyes; the scene before him seemed to have been copied from a painting. His spirits lifted, and his gaze gradually settled on the pavilion halfway up the mountain. He squinted slightly and stood up.

As you ascend Feilai Peak, there are almost no paths; the path is overgrown with lush, verdant bamboo, its verdant greenery exceptionally clear. The young master strolled to a pavilion halfway up the mountain, where he saw a stone chessboard in the center, covered with withered leaves and decaying mud. He gently brushed it away, revealing the intricate grid of the chessboard, upon which was carved an unfinished game.

As the sun gradually set, the tips of the bamboo leaves rustled gently. He sat down on the stone chair, his fingers lightly tapping the chessboard, pondering the positions of the black and white pieces.

Black has a slight advantage, but its strength is too great and its foundation is not yet solid; White, though at a disadvantage, still has the strength to fight back. The young master pondered for a long time, his gaze gradually settling on a small group of White stones surrounded by Black stones in the center. That early summer, he had unintentionally made a move that seemed like a desperate last stand, ultimately turning defeat into victory. The young master extended his finger and lightly touched that square.

Those who practice martial arts are extremely sensitive to the strength of resistance. This chessboard appears to be made of stone... yet it is not very sturdy. The young master frowned slightly, increased the pressure with his fingertips, and with a soft rustling sound, a small piece of stone was pressed down, leaving a black hole the size of a fingernail on the chessboard.

The young master paused, then saw a sliver of light suddenly shoot out from the small black hole, slanting towards the mountainside of Feilai Peak. He looked in that direction, pondered for a moment, then walked to the side of a chair in the pavilion halfway up the mountain and leaned out to look.

Below was the cliff face. He lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped outwards. As he fell, he stretched out his arms and hooked them onto the railing, looking down at the pavilion below. This hillside pavilion was actually built against a huge rock, and even the stone table and chessboard were connected to the mountainside.

The young master flipped himself over, pondered for a moment, lit a tinderbox, and leaned closer to examine the small black hole.

The small hole still let in light, shooting straight into the dark mountainside. Just as he was about to approach, a faint gust of wind came from afar, brushing against his face. He kicked the stone table, using the momentum to leap backward. He felt a foul stench brush past his nose; it was a poisoned needle that had shot out from the darkness and was now embedded in the yellow wooden beam of the pavilion halfway up the mountain.

He barely dodged it, demonstrating the formidable power of the mechanism that launched the poison needles. The young master was secretly alarmed. After waiting a while, he held his breath and looked down. Through the black hole, he could see a deep, still lake, its surface shimmering with a faint, spiritual light. The light rose from below, and upon looking up again, he saw a small bronze mirror embedded somewhere in the beam, reflecting off the light like a mark.

The young master admired the ingenuity of the designer. To find the Ballad of Mountains and Rivers, one must first solve the puzzle; during the day, there is sunlight, but at night, there is phosphorescence below for illumination.

He looked around the pavilion several more times until there was no trace left, and then he went to look for the spot of light.

Pushing aside layers of bushes and bamboo groves, the young master followed the sliver of light and finally stopped before a dry well. He casually picked up a pebble and tossed it in; after a long while, a dull thud echoed. He looked up at the starry sky, his Yuyang Sword in hand, and with a light flick of his finger, the blade produced a crisp, clear sound, like someone throwing a pebble into water—

"Liu Yi Well... Liu Yi delivers the message." The young master suddenly realized that this was the famous Liu Yi Well. Legend has it that the Dragon Princess entrusted the scholar Liu Yi with a message, which was delivered through this well into the Dragon Palace.

"Above there are mountains, below there is water, but the place where the letter is delivered is in the well. The Ballad of Mountains and Rivers, the Ballad of Mountains and Rivers... Is it really here?"

At this moment, Jun Ye'an had made up his mind. Without hesitation, he moved slightly and leaped into the bottomless well.

The wind kept whistling past his ears as the young master fell faster and faster. Just as he was about to hit the bottom, the Yuyang Sword extended diagonally and pierced the well wall. Using this resistance, he safely fell to the bottom of the well.

The bottom of the well was very clean, with neither mud nor water. The surrounding walls were made of large, square stones, making it resemble a secret room. The young master lit a tinderbox and saw a secret passage directly in front of him, its destination unknown.

He picked up the Yuyang Sword and walked forward step by step. The path was extremely dark, and the terrain sloped downwards. After walking for about half an hour, he finally arrived at a secret room.

There was no wind in the secret chamber, yet the air grew increasingly damp. The young master guessed that this place must be inside or at the foot of a mountain. Looking around, he saw that the secret chamber was surrounded by bookshelves made of huge stones, but they were all empty. He wondered what these bookshelves were for. He slowly approached, reached out and touched his fingertips; a thin layer of dust covered them. The young master pondered silently for a moment, then carefully examined his surroundings again.

The room was empty, except for the large bookshelves. He reached out and tapped the stone wall, then the bookshelves, before quickly walking to the center of the bookshelves. Reaching out, he felt for a rough, uneven spot. He subtly channeled his inner energy, and with a crack, a small door appeared in the wall opposite the bookshelves, revealing a dark, eerie hole.

The young master stepped forward and saw a small silver box placed in the black hole. He did not rush to take it out, and his expression was slightly strange.

He stood there for a long time, then handed the Yuyang Sword to his left hand and gently took out the silver box with his right. There was no lock on it, and as he reached out to open it, the wall to his left suddenly split open to reveal a hidden door.

A cool breeze blew in, extinguishing the fire instantly. Outside, the starlight was dazzling, spilling in, and looking out, they were indeed at the foot of Flying Peak. Two people, one tall and one short, stood at the entrance, dragging two figures to the young master's feet.

"Jun Ye'an, you really found it." One of them said, "You have lived up to the sect leader's expectations."

The young master raised his eyebrows and smiled faintly: "So it was you."

Chapter Thirty-Four (Part 1)

Su Fenghua smiled faintly: "That's right, it's me. Now, hand over that silver box to me, and I might spare her."

The young master's eyes remained calm: "If I'm not mistaken, you have no weapon in your hand—even if you did, do you think I couldn't take this girl back?"

Su Fenghua laughed loudly, "I am too weak to even kill a chicken, so naturally I would not dare to take such a risk. However, I have fed this little girl a pill, and even if you take it back, even if your Vermilion Bird Divine Physician is here... you still cannot undo it."

The young master ignored Chu Xia's expression and asked with great interest, "What kind of pills?"

"Young master, have you heard of the poison of peacock gall mixed with arsenic? These two poisons are not difficult to cure separately. However, when they are mixed together, it is hard to tell how much peacock gall and how much arsenic are present. Only the person who made the poison knows the antidote. Even the slightest mistake can be fatal."

The young master's eyes grew cold, but he did not hesitate and said in a deep voice, "Give me the silver box, and you will give her the antidote."

"Once I have the silver box, I will take a boat and leave this island. Half a month later, I will naturally return the beauty to you intact."

"Do you think I'm a three-year-old?" The young master pursed his thin lips. "What if you kill me to cover it up?"

"What a pity, Jun Ye'an. You've always been able to turn the world upside down with a flick of your wrist, but this time, you have no choice." Su Fenghua sneered. "If you want to kill me now, so be it. But when the poison takes effect in three days, you'll have to figure out the antidote yourself."

The young master finally looked at Chu Xia. She had been silenced by acupressure and could not speak. Her small face was as pale as snow, and her eyes were full of sorrow as she looked at him.

His gaze met hers briefly before he looked away. Without saying a word, he handed over the silver box and said coldly, "If you don't release her in half a month, I, Jun Ye'an, will ensure that not a single person or dog remains in your Huansha Gate."

Su Fenghua chuckled, but for some reason, his smile carried a hint of sarcasm. He raised his hand in a gesture of invitation and said confidently, "Young Master Jun, please take us to the dock."

Jun Ye'an silently stepped forward, walked to Chu Xia's side, and calmly said, "Since you're not afraid of anything, you probably aren't afraid of me going with her either, right?"

Su Xiucai gestured and said lazily, "Please go ahead. I didn't expect Young Master Jun to be such a sentimental person."