Принцесса Сянси

Глава 20

"Isn't your father Xu Xuanze? Aren't you from the Wudang Sect? They've all abandoned you, so why don't you just die?!"

It stung my heart; I was still hurt.

I thought my heart was so numb that nothing else could move me anymore, but now I've been hurt in an incomprehensible way.

"Nobody needs someone like you. Living like this is just suffering! Look at you now. If you go back one day, what will they think of you?" Qi Yue sneered with a twisted face.

"I'd like to know too..." The girl smiled slightly, then suddenly drew her sword and severed the arm that Qi Yue had been gripping so tightly that it was almost bleeding. Without hesitation, the next strike pierced her throat. Then the sword flashed back, leaving a scar on her own arm that Qi Yue had been gripping so tightly.

Xu Lianning stood outside the window, seemingly no longer feeling the chill of the snow falling on her.

Nothing in the world is colder than a chilling heart.

Zhang Weiyi gently curled her fingers and called out in a dry voice, "Mother..."

The beautiful woman in palace attire sat up slightly and raised her hand to stroke his cheek: "Let your mother take a good look at you." Her eyes were gentle and tender as she looked at him quietly, and she said in a pleasant and soft tone: "You have lost some weight, but your features are beautiful. No wonder you can make those socialites fall in love at first sight." Zhang Weiyi sat down beside her and smiled slightly: "That's because you look more like your mother."

She slightly raised her sleeve to cover her lips, laughing cheerfully: "We were just talking in private. It's a good thing you're not like your father."

Zhang Weiyi lowered her eyes, a hint of something heavy in them, but she didn't reply.

The palace-dressed beauty slowly lowered her hand, then suddenly bled from her mouth and nose, and her body trembled violently.

Zhang Weiyi straightened up, her expression surprisingly calm.

She tilted her head back, her voice broken, a mixture of crying and laughing: "But why don't you kill that vile woman who killed my mother back then? You now hold real power, yet you're willing to watch that vile woman flaunt her power. Is... power really that important to you?"

Zhang Weiyi's face was devoid of any smile. With a flick of his sleeve, he sent the woman flying. The palace-dressed beauty rolled on the ground, leaning against the corner of the wall, panting slightly. "Your Highness, you are truly heartless. Anyone who follows you in the future will suffer." It was Mi Zui's accent.

"I've played along with you in that whole charade, you should be content." His face was grim as he stepped forward and drew his Tai Chi sword with a clang.

Mi Zui stood up: "You were clearly already under my Soul-Capturing Technique at the beginning, did I make some mistake just now?"

Zhang Weiyi said calmly, "Since you're already dead now, I might as well tell you that although my mother was killed by Consort Wan with a bowl of poison, she didn't want to live anymore, so she willingly took it. Besides..." He closed his eyes slightly and said in a calm tone, "The thing she hated most was that I looked more like her than like my father."

Mi Zui sighed deeply: "I was wrong. I never imagined your mother didn't want you as her son at all. Haha, how laughable, how truly laughable!"

Zhang Weiyi took another step forward, the Tai Chi sword in his hand subtly flowing with sword energy. He raised his hand, and the longsword suddenly emitted a dragon's roar, his entire body radiating an unstoppable killing intent.

Mi Zui gently lifted her sleeve, her tone soft: "So, being a prince isn't any more noble than being an actor. I'm starting to feel sorry for you." She wiped her face with her sleeve, revealing a different face. That face was as white as jade, with a delicate, deep red cinnabar mark between her brows, and her features were clear and beautiful.

Zhang Weiyi was slightly taken aback, and the hand holding the sword involuntarily dropped.

However, the white snow in front of her suddenly disappeared, and she returned to the eerie and ghostly corridor, leaving Xu Lianning feeling lost and bewildered.

Mu Feng's cold, hard voice rang out again, but with a hint of a sigh: "Sect Master Xu, you have now passed the second test. I didn't expect you to learn your lesson so quickly and actually be able to control your emotions."

Xu Lianning composed herself and replied, "Hall Master, please don't forget that I will need to consult you after I break the formation." Then she walked forward, and after the brief dizziness subsided, she found herself back in the village where she had lived for a while.

"You used to live here?" Ruan Qingxuan's voice drifted over on the wind, neither too loud nor too soft.

"Yes, I was fostered here for a while, and I've never forgotten it." The elegant woman in the blue dress raised her chin and smiled faintly. "I always want to come back and say hello, otherwise something feels missing."

Ruan Qingxuan didn't delve into it further, but simply said, "Then you go by yourself, I won't go and cause trouble." After saying that, he walked towards Suizhou City.

Xu Lianning stood at a distance, looking at her younger self who had just inherited the position of Pavilion Master. She hesitated for a moment, then resolutely walked towards the farmhouse where she had been fostered. She was already blinded by hatred, and naturally, she was vengeful in every way.

The farmhouse hadn't changed much; two rooms and a coop of chickens outside. As she approached, the door opened and a middle-aged peasant woman stepped out, plump and unbearably vulgar. The peasant woman gave the visitor a strange look: "Young lady, have you come to the wrong place?" If it weren't for the woman's elegant clothes, she would have already launched into a tirade. The refined young woman smiled slightly: "Don't you recognize me?" The peasant woman looked at her, seemingly not remembering her.

“It’s been over ten years, it’s understandable that you don’t remember, but I’ve always remembered. Especially when my old back injury flares up, I miss this place so much.” The dot of vermilion between her brows was so charming, but her eyes were cold.

"You...you are..." The peasant woman took a few steps back, her expression turning panicked. "You're not dead yet?"

Her smile was gentle: "I'm not here to take your lives, I'm here to thank you." She took a step inside, glanced around, and with a flick of her sleeve, a faint powder dissipated. Her opponent, who knew no martial arts, collapsed to the ground before she could even react. If someone owed her even a small debt, no matter how many years had passed, she would repay it tenfold.

Xu Lianning naturally knew what was going to happen next, but she still couldn't help but approach, something stirring within her. She knew that after practicing the Blood Demon Forbidden Technique, she was always particularly sensitive to killing intent and bloodshed.

No one knew about the long scar on her back that had damaged her meridians, causing excruciating pain whenever the old wound flared up. Because of that injury, practicing martial arts was much more difficult for her than for ordinary people; she could never quite master a single sword move, no matter how many times she practiced it. That day at Wudang, Li Qingyun pointed out the flaw in her sword technique. That move, "Cha Ta Qing Cheng," was supposed to be the most profound move in the Lingxuan Palace sword technique, so how could it have such an obvious flaw? It was simply because she wasn't practicing it correctly at all; she was completely unable to wield the sword as described in the sword manual.

Why should such culprits be freed with a single sword strike?

The cold sword fell on the youngest child, who looked to be about ten years old, staring at him in terror. The farmer couple beside him cried out, "He's just a child! Please, spare him!"

"Why didn't you let me go back then?" As if finding it absurd, she smiled faintly, "Because it wasn't my own child, it didn't matter how I died?" With a forceful thrust of the sword, blood gushed out.

The peasant woman cried out and fainted.

The gleaming sword struck the farmer again, but without force, and without drawing blood. The man gritted his teeth, trembling with fear: "You...you want to..."

A sudden chill ran down his spine as the sword pierced through him, then slashed diagonally across his back. The man tried to scream but couldn't utter a sound, yet he clearly felt an icy chill as if it wanted to cleave him in two. But then his attacker stopped and walked to his wife.

"I won't kill you. I want to see how you live out your days in peace." Every word was chilling. With a flick of the sword, he wounded the peasant woman's back.

The scene was all too familiar; the crazy, exhilarating feeling from back then… Outside, Xu Lianning began to lose control of his killing intent, his fingers clenching and unclenching his Flame Breath repeatedly. Inside, the woman took out a medicine bottle and forced the two of them to take a pill before standing up and saying, “How did it feel back then? You’ll live like this for the rest of your lives.” With a flick of her sleeve, she walked out of the farmhouse without looking back.

The moment she stepped out the door, she froze, only to see Ruan Qingxuan looking at her expressionlessly.

"It's dinnertime, let's go back," she said simply.

The elegant woman looked at her with some concern for a while, then lowered her eyes and remained silent.

"Does the injury on your back still hurt often?" Ruan Qingxuan suddenly asked after walking for a while.

"...No." Her voice suddenly became a little hoarse, as if she had suffered some injustice.

Xu Lianning watched the two walk away from afar. Back then, it was because of those words that he was willing to be misunderstood and make enemies of everyone at Wudang, rather than see her die. Suddenly, someone cared about him, even if it was just a single word, and he wanted to hold onto that tenderness. Perhaps it was because he was still too lonely inside.

Dragons and snakes dance and soar through the heavens (Part 2)

Mi Zui approached gracefully and smiled slightly, "What's wrong? Suddenly you can't bring yourself to do it?" He waved his hand, and a silver thread rolled forward, grazing the other person's cheek and leaving a scar, but the other person didn't even move.

Mi Zui smiled slyly: "If I had known that Pavilion Master Xu's face was so useful, I wouldn't have used all that stuff before." He stood three steps away from the other person, tilted his head slightly, and stared intently at him, gently guiding him: "Don't you want to hug me?"

Zhang Weiyi raised her hand and lifted the other person's chin, saying softly, "Although you are confident in your soul-capturing skills..."

A deep glint slowly welled up in Mi Zui's eyes as she looked at him. She sensed something was amiss, yet she couldn't help but smile at him gently. She heard him whisper in her ear, "...But in my opinion, it's nothing special."

Mi Zui forcibly suppressed his emotions, but he couldn't tear his gaze away. He still maintained a sliver of clarity in his mind, yet he couldn't escape the other's control. He hardened his heart and struck his own chest with a palm strike, immediately spitting out a mouthful of blood, but finally regaining his senses: "So you've practiced the Heavenly Demon Curse, huh? Wudang disciples also practice this demonic art?"

Zhang Weiyi remained expressionless and said calmly, "Go ahead and use whatever tricks you have up your sleeve. I don't have much time left and don't want to keep playing along."

Mi Zui sat down against the wall, closed his eyes, and said, "Enough nonsense. I can't beat you even if I fight. Kill me if you want." He waited for a long time, but the other party didn't make a move. He realized that this risky move had paid off. He opened his eyes, but before he could even feel smug, he suddenly saw the other party lower his body, reverse the blade, and plunge the sword into his heart without hesitation.

“Don’t tell me you’re an imposter,” Mi Zui said, reaching for the sword piercing his heart, “I could kill you even if you were the real person.”

Zhang Weiyi straightened up, sheathed his sword, and pushed open the stone door at the end of the corridor.

His vision was bright, and he closed his eyes slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable.

Finally, they arrived at the headquarters of the Heavenly Sorrow Sect.

Xu Lianning looked ahead; the deep, dark corridor was almost at its end.

She put aside her distracting thoughts and walked forward.

A vast expanse of deep white snow, with the faint fragrance of plum blossoms filling the air.

"What did you say...? Say it again." The calm voice trembled slightly. Xu Lianning realized that this time she was no longer just an observer, but directly facing everything, only her words and actions were completely beyond her control.

"Sect Leader, Xu Xuanze of Wudang died of a serious illness two years ago." Who is speaking?

She stood up in a daze. Two years ago, she wasn't yet the master of Liushao Pavilion.

But that person is already gone.

All these years of struggling in Lingxuan Palace, scheming and plotting to become the master of Liushao Pavilion, and being unable to let go of the past...

We can't just let it go like this! What do all these years of suffering amount to? Are they just a joke?

All she could see was a white blur. Xu Lianning clutched her forehead, staggered a couple of steps, and felt as if the world was spinning around her, making her so dizzy. "Impossible..." She must have misheard.

"I haven't..." She hasn't taken back anything that belongs to her. But everything is already set in stone. In this world, the only thing you can't catch up with is time.

"Sect Master..." The person who had spoken earlier followed.

"Get away!" Xu Lianning lost her composure, her clothes billowing in the wind as she rushed away. "How could this be...?" Her clothes were stained with the blood she had vomited, but she didn't care.

Even if it's an illusion, it still feels so uncomfortable...

It would be better if... he were dead.

She slowly drew her sword, turned it around, and slashed it towards her own throat.

Just as things calmed down, a bloody smell filled the air. Xu Lianning looked calmly at the woman in front of her, while the other woman stared at her in shock. The flames had pierced halfway into her heart, and there was no hope of recovery.

This woman has a cold, hard face and is no longer young.

The evening breeze, by its very nature, is the wind of the night. It has now come to an end.

Xu Lianning looked at her wearily, her voice a little low: "Actually, I was the one who almost died. I just felt it would be a pity to die like that, so I came to my senses."

"Master Ruan was right after all. I... underestimated him..." Mu Feng slowly closed his eyes and slowly fell down.

Xu Lianning closed her eyes and smiled bitterly, whispering to herself, "You didn't underestimate me. It's just that I suddenly realized there are still many things, many people... that I can't let go of."

She walked slowly forward, having overcome the entire inner demon array, utterly exhausted both physically and mentally. Perhaps the old, necrotic wounds had been reopened, and after the excruciating pain they had festered, there would still be a day when she could finally find complete peace.

Before her stood a heavy stone door, which she pushed open without hesitation. Behind the door, blood flowed like a river, and shouts of killing filled the air—a scene of carnage. Xu Lianning walked through the corridor toward the Heavenly Sorrow Sect's sacrificial altar.

The altar was situated higher than the other pavilions and halls, and when she looked down, the sunlight seemed slightly dazzling. She remembered that when she came in yesterday, the moon was high in the sky, but now the sun was shining brightly. Before she had even fully stepped onto the altar, she felt a surge of malevolent energy and murderous intent ahead, and saw five or six figures surrounding the man in black in the middle.

Xu Lianning recognized the man in black as Xiao Qianjue. He raised his hand and flicked his sleeve, displaying an air of composure, showing no sign of being at a disadvantage. Renowned figures like Liu Junru and Abbot Xuanzhen were meditating and adjusting their breathing nearby, presumably after a fierce battle. In a one-on-one fight, none of them were a match for Xiao Qianjue.

Knowing she wouldn't be of any help by going up, and besides, deep down she really didn't want to be enemies with Mr. Xiao, she stood still.

A long, agonizing scream rang out, and a figure tumbled out, rolling down the steps and remaining motionless. Xu Lianning, however, caught a glimpse of a pale blue robe flashing, carrying with it a dazzling sword aura that hurtled towards them. The sword light, like an angry dragon, moved with agility, heading straight for Xiao Qianjue.

Xiao Qianjue stepped back and sent another person flying with a palm strike, coldly snorting, "Looks like the lesson from last time wasn't enough." He wasn't afraid of the opponent's sharp weapon at all, and directly took the blow with his bare palm. Zhang Weiyi floated away from the force of the palm strike, still having time to speak, "This junior has naturally not forgotten."

Xu Lianning was slightly puzzled, feeling that his sword moves just now were quite different from the essence of Wudang Tai Chi swordplay. Suddenly, he heard light footsteps behind him, and when he turned around, he saw Shang Mingjian.

He nodded slightly, stepped onto the altar, and said in a clear voice, "Mr. Xiao, I'm afraid I'll offend you today."

Xiao Qianjue laughed loudly: "Enough nonsense, all of you come at me at once, no need for pretense!"

Zhang Weiyi swung his longsword in a circle, then took two steps back, widening the battle circle. Shang Mingjian drew his sword, the tip pointing downwards; this move was completely unpredictable. Xiao Qianjue couldn't think of a way to counter it, so he took a step to the side. But the opponent's sword intent wasn't exhausted; suddenly, the tip of his sword flicked upwards, aiming straight for his brow.

Xu Lianning kept a close eye on Shang Mingjian. He wielded the sword in his right hand, his swordsmanship steady, completely different from the person she had met at the Painting and Shadow Studio that day.

After Liu Junru finished her breathing exercise, she suddenly jumped into the battle: "You all step back and let me fight Xiao Ze one-on-one."

One of the fighters hesitated between retreating and continuing his attack, and Xiao Qianjue saw through his weakness, delivering a powerful palm strike. He plummeted towards the altar, which was over ten zhang high; such a fall would surely kill him. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the chaos, grabbing the man's shirt and pulling him back.

Xu Lianning smiled slightly and said, "Young Master Sikong."

Sikong Yu turned his head and saw her. He smiled gently, helped the person who almost fell off the sacrificial altar, and walked towards her: "Palace Master Rong was looking for you earlier." Although he had managed to escape, he was soaked in sweat from the fierce battle and his steps were unsteady.

"Master... how is she?" Xu Lianning suddenly had a bad feeling.