Семь снежных ночей

Глава 34

"Qing, Qingcheng... how could this happen? Did they use sleeping pills again?" Ye Xiao asked, catching his breath.

Luo Qingcheng bent over, picking something up from the ground, and did not answer immediately.

"What are you doing?" Ye Xiao approached curiously. Luo Qingcheng was holding a round, watermelon-sized plate and was stuffing things into it one by one.

"What exactly is this?"

Luo Qingcheng slowly turned around: "Xiaoxiao, why didn't you listen when I told you to come with Lao San? You should know that the situation is extremely complicated and dire! The enemy is exceptionally powerful... Remember that man in the case? I fought him, and it was only one move. Strangely enough, he used a move from the Eighteen Netherworld Styles!"

Ye Xiao was slightly taken aback: "How do you know? The Eighteen Forms of the Netherworld is Lu Mingfei's unique skill, which has been extinct in the martial arts world for more than ten years. At your age, it's impossible that you knew him or saw his martial arts before!"

Another mysterious person

“It must be. Although it’s only one move, I can confirm it. The Eighteen Forms of the Netherworld is indeed Lu Mingfei’s unique skill. Logically, no one else should be able to use it… Could it be…” Luo Qingcheng lowered his head and continued picking up the things on the ground.

"You mean, that person just now was Lu Mingfei?"

“Absolutely impossible.” Luo Qingcheng said firmly.

Ye Xiao looked at Luo Qingcheng suspiciously, wondering why he was so sure, but she didn't ask any further questions.

"Xiaoxiao...do you know? I went to the Shen family and saw Uncle Shen's body. He did indeed die from the Netherworld Heart-Shattering Palm."

"You really know the martial arts of the Netherworld City?"

Luo Qingcheng said calmly, "There are countless martial arts in Youming City, how could I possibly know them all? However, the Eighteen Forms of Youming are the most profound among them. Combined with Lu Mingfei's unique internal energy, the Youming Divine Skill, it is almost invincible... Back then, Lu Mingfei relied on these two skills to roam the world. I only know these two martial arts..."

Ye Xiao bent down and picked up something from the ground. It looked like a bamboo dragonfly she used to play with as a child, but it was made of fine steel with very sharp edges, some of which had beads of congealed blood. A thought struck her, and she squatted down to examine the soldiers lying on the ground. Sure enough, each of them had small, narrow wounds on their bodies, which matched the thin steel piece in her hand.

Suddenly remembering something, Ye Xiao gasped and abruptly looked up: "Qingcheng, you..."

Luo Qingcheng made no attempt to deny it: "That's right. This is a divine soldier sent from heaven."

"A divine weapon descends from the heavens, unstoppable by ten thousand! Is this truly the legendary weapon that kills without batting an eye?"

Luo Qingcheng smiled faintly: "Back then, Youming City liked to make a big fuss. In reality, it wasn't that powerful. As you saw, it could only make a small cut on a person. It needed to apply a deadly poison that would kill instantly."

"These people have all been poisoned to death?" Ye Xiao exclaimed in surprise.

Luo Qingcheng placed the last steel dragonfly into the disc and whispered, "I have no poison. I only have lovesickness..."

Ye Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief and forced a dry laugh: "Hehe, with over a hundred people swooning over each other for ten days straight, the scene must be quite spectacular!"

Seeing her hesitant yet eager expression, Luo Qingcheng sighed, "Yes. This was given to me by Shan'er. I am the person her grandfather was looking for. She came to Langjing Manor with her grandfather to find me, but they encountered people from the Martial Alliance on the way and got separated from her grandfather. So she came to find me alone with the Heavenly Soldiers, enduring countless hardships along the way... I knew her identity when I was at Langjing Manor, so I insisted on saving her."

Ye Xiao gave an "oh," her eager gaze still fixed on him. Unfortunately, Luo Qingcheng didn't continue to kindly explain things to her, turning around to scold her, "Where did they go? A clumsy third brother and a Xiao Wan who doesn't know martial arts, you really didn't feel safe leaving them together!"

Ye Xiao was extremely disappointed, her face falling: "Third Brother's martial arts are also very high, he will definitely be able to protect Miss Shen well. I arranged to meet them in Phoenix Town... I was worried that you couldn't handle so many people by yourself... You're really biting the hand that feeds you..."

Staring at Ye Xiao's ever-changing face, Luo Qingcheng felt as if a small hand had pinched the soft spot in his heart, making him feel sour and tender. He was filled with joy and suddenly couldn't control himself. He rushed closer, picked her up by the waist, and ran away as fast as he could.

"Second brother, what are you doing? Put me down!"

"Urgent, we need to get going..."

"I'm so tired...put me down!"

"You're complaining about being tired? I carried you all this way and I didn't even complain!"

"Why don't you try traveling headfirst downhill? By the way... why are you in such a hurry?"

With her in his arms, warm and soft, her fragrance filling his nostrils, Luo Qingcheng smiled contentedly, immersed in happiness. He didn't answer, but then he heard Ye Xiao's next words, "I know, you must be worried about Miss Shen... Do you like the beautiful Shen?"

With a loud thud, Ye Xiao let out a miserable cry and fell flat on her face, completely losing her composure. She touched her swollen lips pitifully, spitting out the mud from her mouth: "Ptooey! Second brother, how could you be so careless?!"

"My hand slipped, I didn't catch it. Sorry," Luo Qingcheng said coldly.

Ye Xiao looked up at the sky in grief and indignation and roared: "You value women over friends, Second Brother! First you chased after the beautiful Yuan, causing Third Brother and me to take so many risks for you, and now it's the beautiful Shen. Even your eldest brother fell down because of her! I still care about brotherhood and came here to save you..." Suddenly the scenery around him turned upside down, this time really head down, and he was lifted up by Luo Qingcheng.

"Xiaoxiao, don't keep bringing up the topic of 'great beauty' or 'great beauty,' I don't care... I was the one who refused the marriage proposal from Langjing Manor..."

"Because of Shen Wan? What a pity! Time waits for no one, and once it's gone, it's gone forever... Ah!" Ye Xiao exclaimed again, realizing he had been violently thrown out. He heard the whistling wind around him and watched helplessly as a tree flew towards his face, about to turn him into a pig's head. Fortunately, at the crucial moment, his waist tightened, and he was pulled back.

"Second brother, did you slip up again this time?"

"I'm in a hurry to see the beautiful Shen... this will speed things up. Don't glare at me like that, I'm not a womanizer, please forgive me." Luo Qingcheng's voice was even colder.

Ye Xiao rolled her eyes angrily, not daring to utter a sound. She simply reached out to grab his belt, but still felt uneasy. She freed one hand, grabbed his hair, and clung to his body with her legs on either side, like a gecko. She secretly rejoiced that she had practiced martial arts. Although her kung fu was poor, her flexibility was excellent, allowing her to cling to a moving mountain of flesh in such a difficult posture.

Luo Qingcheng's body stiffened slightly, feeling quite surprised and delighted. He then happily slowed his pace and leisurely headed towards Phoenix Town.

By midnight, the two still hadn't reached Phoenix Town. Ye Xiao was so tired that he refused to travel any further. He found a threshing ground with a tall pile of straw, grabbed a few handfuls of straw, rolled off the ground, and soon fell asleep.

Around four in the morning, Ye Xiao was fast asleep when he suddenly heard some noise. It sounded like something was blowing, a mournful, wailing sound, very unpleasant. Being a seasoned traveler, Ye Xiao was very alert and tried to open his eyes, but drowsiness washed over him like a tide. "What's that sound?" Half-asleep, he sensed someone beside him and suddenly remembered he was with Luo Qingcheng. He lazily asked.

"It's alright. Go to sleep." Luo Qingcheng comforted her, and Ye Xiao hummed in response, continuing to sleep. Unbeknownst to her, Luo Qingcheng had already stood up, listened alertly for a moment, then suddenly grabbed Ye Xiao and pressed her pressure points.

"What are you doing?" Ye Xiao woke up groggily, her big black eyes darting around.

"I have some things to take care of. You hide for a bit." Luo Qingcheng casually stuffed Ye Xiao into the haystack, took something off his own neck and put it around Ye Xiao's neck. After thinking for a moment, he reached out and pressed a point on her neck, silencing her as well. Still not reassured, he instructed, "Don't make any noise."

Ye Xiao stared at him angrily with wide eyes, wondering if she could still make a sound. Unfortunately, Luo Qingcheng didn't have time to study her gaze. He carefully covered the haystack, not forgetting to leave a large gap for Ye Xiao to breathe comfortably.

"Your acupoints will release on their own in an hour. If I'm not here after an hour, you should quickly leave with Lao San and go as far away as possible... Don't get involved in this mess... It's very dangerous..." Luo Qingcheng's voice was very low, right next to Ye Xiao's ear.

Ye Xiao blew uncomfortably, trying to blow away a straw that had been tickling his nose. However, the straw swayed slightly and then bounced back, sticking straight into Ye Xiao's nostril. Ye Xiao sneezed loudly and began to curse Luo Qingcheng in his heart.

After cursing about Luo Qingcheng's great-grandparents, Ye Xiao heard someone speak. It was an unfamiliar male voice, somewhat gloomy, and his tone was quite unfriendly: "Have you found the thing yet?"

Then came Luo Qingcheng's voice, as usual, indifferent and languid: "No."

The man sneered, "But I've received word that the Martial Alliance has been putting a lot of effort into capturing you recently. Could it be that you've already obtained something? I really can't think of any other reason why they would value you so much. You wouldn't be thinking of keeping that thing for yourself, would you? Don't forget that you need my help, otherwise how will you take revenge?"

"It's probably because he recently tried to steal a woman from Huang Chongshan's son, Huang Tingfeng, and offended him."

"Oh? With your attitude, I don't really believe you! Crimson Demon, Green Wraith, search them!"

A long silence followed, broken only by faint rustling sounds. Then the male voice sneered, "Just as I expected! You're truly useless! You have no ability whatsoever, so why should you cooperate with me?"

Luo Qingcheng said calmly, "Your Majesty is truly forgetful. You were the one who proposed the cooperation. If you regret it, you can always turn back before it's too late."

The man sneered again, "You want to back out, don't you? Coward! Think about how your father died!"

Luo Qingcheng responded with an "Oh," and said, "I don't need you to remind me. It's none of your business. There are many roads to heaven and hell, why must I choose the one you specify?"

The man snorted: "This time you'll be coming back with me."

Luo Qingcheng said, "I'm not going."

"You're out of luck today!" Another cold snort followed, then a chaotic fight that gradually faded into the distance.

Ye Xiao was extremely anxious, but he was unable to move his body and could only secretly regret that he had not practiced martial arts properly since childhood. He finally managed to gather some true energy and tried to break through his acupoints, but he was just one breath short. He was both anxious and angry, and his head was covered in sweat.

What happened next was even more infuriating! Something started crawling around on Ye Xiao's face. After a careful examination, Ye Xiao finally realized it was a tiny insect, and immediately felt dizzy. You see, she was fearless, except for tiny insects! However, the insect showed no mercy to Ye Xiao's terrified state and continued to swagger along, heading straight for Ye Xiao's mouth.

Ye Xiao calmed himself down, took a deep breath, and waited until the little insect was on his lips. Then, he blew hard, and with a slight crackling sound, the insect somersaulted and landed on Ye Xiao's shoulder. An unexpected thing happened: the insect landed precisely on one of Ye Xiao's acupoints. Using the insect's slight force, Ye Xiao channeled his inner energy, and felt a sudden lightness throughout his body. The acupoints that had been stubbornly closed were now open!

Overjoyed, she got up and crawled out of the haystack. Dawn was breaking; the ground was a mess after the battle, several haystacks collapsed. A few early birds chirped on the bare branches, making the surroundings seem unusually peaceful.

Ye Xiao looked around but found nothing. Suddenly, he remembered the thing Luo Qingcheng had around his neck, so he reached out and pulled it off, examining it closely in the dim eastern light. It was a silver chain, very ordinary in style, but the pendant was rather peculiar. The pendant was about the size of a pigeon egg, with a relief carving of a Buddha image beneath it, surrounded by four intertwined seven-petaled lotus flowers. A clasp at the top fastened tightly to the chain. Ye Xiao felt the pendant looked familiar, but couldn't quite place where he had seen it before.

Suddenly, a scream rang out in the distance. Ye Xiao's heart leaped, and he rushed towards it like lightning. Soon he heard Luo Qingcheng's voice: "...Bring on whatever other tricks you have..."

Ye Xiao felt reassured and slowed his pace, quietly following the sound. In the grove of trees shrouded in morning mist, Luo Qingcheng stood facing Ye Xiao, leaning casually against a tree, his gaze indifferent. Seven or eight people lay on the ground, all seemingly injured, groaning in pain. The man at the head of the group, wearing a dark blue cloak, stood with his back to Ye Xiao, his body trembling slightly.

The man snorted again, "Fine! Fine... You've got guts! You think you can fly solo now? Let me tell you, no way! You can't do without me... Just you wait and see!" With that, he angrily waved his hand and led his men away, staggering and clearly injured. They quickly disappeared into the morning light.

Hiding behind a tree, Ye Xiao caught a glimpse of several brightly colored balls on the ground. Their vibrant hues and dazzling colors were irresistible. Curious, she picked them up and began to examine them closely. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her palm. Startled, she looked closer and saw that the balls had tiny barbs that had pierced her palm, leaving several small, bleeding holes.

While he was studying, he heard Luo Qingcheng shout, "Who's there?" Suddenly, a figure appeared beside him.

Ye Xiao raised his head and gave Luo Qingcheng a smug smile: "Second brother... do you have some secret you're trying to hide from me? I heard everything! I broke through my acupoints myself!"

Luo Qingcheng frowned, glared sternly at Ye Xiao, but his voice was extremely gentle: "Nonsense! You have no idea how dangerous it was! I specially brought these people away from your hiding place because I was afraid they would implicate you... When did your martial arts become so advanced? It must be because I used too little force when I pressed your acupoints... I was afraid of hurting you."

Ye Xiao looked up, raised the silver chain around her neck, and smiled at him: "Second brother, you said this thing is..." Suddenly, Luo Qingcheng's sharp voice rudely interrupted her: "What are you holding!"

Ye Xiao pouted, looking aggrieved: "Wasn't it the silver chain you just gave me?"

Luo Qingcheng's voice suddenly turned cold, and he grabbed Ye Xiao's hand: "Throw it away!"

Ye Xiao paused for a moment, then realized he was referring to the colorful ball in her hand. She reluctantly tossed it aside and said with a forced smile, "I just picked it up from the ground... I thought it was pretty..." Suddenly, she cried out in pain, watching helplessly as Luo Qingcheng grabbed her hand fiercely. She stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly squeezed her palm hard, startled: "What are you doing..."

Luo Qingcheng did not answer. A cold light flashed in his hand, and a gleaming dagger slashed straight at Ye Xiao's wrist, but hesitated for a moment before stopping just on Ye Xiao's skin.

Ye Xiao was stunned for a moment, feeling the chilling aura of the blade seeping into her skin and causing a faint pain. Only then did she come to her senses and finally burst into tears: "I... I didn't mean to peek at your secret... I was worried about you... I used a lot of effort, and even with the help of a little insect, to break through my acupoints... I won't tell anyone..."

Luo Qingcheng felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. He couldn't help but gently put his arm around Ye Xiao's waist, wipe away her tears, and rest his chin on her forehead. He whispered, "It's okay, Xiao Xiao. It's just a little pain... You'll bear it. Even if you're crippled and lose an arm, I won't despise you... I will take good care of you for the rest of my life."

Ye Xiao felt that Luo Qingcheng was unpredictable and treacherous, and was suddenly filled with inexplicable fear. She desperately tried to break free from Luo Qingcheng's embrace. "Why did I lose an arm? I don't need your care... I don't want to follow you anymore, I want to go find Lao San..."

Luo Qingcheng's eyes darkened. He released Ye Xiao and whispered, "You... really would rather be with Lao San?"

Ye Xiao nodded in terror. Luo Qingcheng said in a deep voice, "Alright... I'll grant your wish..." He picked up a colorful ball from the ground and carefully wrapped it in a cloth. Suddenly, he reached out and hugged Ye Xiao, leaping up into the air and running away headfirst without saying a word.

Ye Xiao timidly shrank into his arms, not daring to speak. After a long while, she whispered, "Could you... not press down on my hands? They're making them feel sore..."

Luo Qingcheng's indifferent voice came: "It wasn't suppressed. You're under the spell of Fengse to the bone... of course you'll feel a bone-deep tingling sensation..."

Ye Xiao was stunned, then suddenly realized what was happening and looked at her right palm. The sky was already bright, and facing the rising sun, her right palm displayed a strange, eerie green hue.

Flirtatious to the bone

"Wind... Wind-like cunning? The poison of the master strategist Yama?" Suddenly recalling everything about this poison—the numbing sensation that seeped into his bones, the swelling throughout his body, the excruciating pain, the death within three months... Ye Xiao gasped, his body suddenly going limp and devoid of strength. "I... am going to die?" a voice that seemed no longer his own asked.

"I will find the antidote...and hand you over to the third brother safely," Luo Qingcheng said in a muffled voice.

Ye Xiao felt a sense of relief, but suddenly became somewhat annoyed: "There's clearly an antidote, so why... why did you try to cut off my hand just now?"

"I was confused for a moment..." Luo Qingcheng said hesitantly.

"Idiot!" Ye Xiaohuo turned around, her smile returning, and pinched Luo Qingcheng's cheek hard.

Luo Qingcheng forced a smile, which could be considered an awkward laugh.

They sped along the road and soon arrived at a very remote little temple. Luo Qingcheng led Ye Xiao inside. Right in front of the door was a Buddha statue, sitting cross-legged on a seven-petaled lotus with four intertwined branches. Its posture was enchanting, but its face was serene.

Ye Xiao was slightly taken aback. Her hand touched the pendant around her neck, and the truth was revealed to be peeled open like a clove of garlic. Luo Qingcheng knelt down and respectfully kowtowed three times to the Buddha statue.

"This Buddha statue looks very similar to the Buddha statue on this pendant," Ye Xiao said in a low voice.