Принцесса Сянси

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Liu Junru's eyes flickered, and he suddenly stroked his beard and smiled, "How have you been, Pavilion Master Xu?"

Xu Lianning said calmly, "Thank you for your concern, senior."

She was certain that Liu Junru wouldn't dare kill in front of so many people. Even if he could eliminate them now, with so many people in the county watching, word would inevitably spread. Even if he were ruthless enough to kill everyone who saw it, his intentions would be obvious. The rumors in the martial world were endless; he couldn't possibly silence them. And the time was probably not yet ripe; otherwise, he wouldn't have launched such a large-scale manhunt just because she learned the secret of Longteng Post Station.

Liu Junru reached out to help him up, her expression full of affection: "It seems that Pavilion Master Xu is injured. I wonder who did it?"

Xu Lianning didn't break free, but smiled slightly and said, "A couple of days ago, I took the shortcut and was ambushed by a pack of wolves and dogs."

Liu Junru didn't even change her expression, and said with a smile, "This area is indeed not very peaceful."

As they were talking, a group of disciples from Longteng Post Station who had gone out returned, with Lin Zihan leading the way. He was stunned by the strange scene before him and instinctively reached for his sword.

Su Ling stood in front of them without batting an eye, a sly smile on her face: "Sect Leader Liu, you don't know this, but that dog was mad. It rushed at us and started biting wildly. Luckily, it didn't do anything to us." She suddenly turned back to look at Lin Zihan and smiled slightly: "Is that so, Young Hero Lin?"

Lin Zihan didn't react at first, but once he understood, he was so angry that he trembled all over, pointing at Su Ling and saying, "You, you..."

Yin Han couldn't help but chuckle, glancing at Lin Zihan: "Senior Brother Lin, Lord Su Chuan said you're a dog."

Xu Lianning glanced at her and thought to himself, "This junior sister, who has been my fellow disciple for many years, is actually quite naive. Even now, she's not very shrewd."

Lin Zihan's face turned pale, and he pointed at Zhang Weiyi, saying, "And who is this?"

Zhang Weiyi smiled and used her Tai Chi sword to deflect the other person's hand, then turned to look at Xu Lianning.

Xu Lianning felt uneasy under his gaze and said apologetically, "Senior Liu, I am not feeling well and would like to rest in the guest room for a while. I will come to apologize later."

Liu Junru nodded and said, "Go quickly, no need for formalities."

Su Ling came over to help her up, then turned to look at Lin Zihan. Xing'er's eyes were full of smiles: "Later, that mad dog called for help. Although it was a wolf, it liked to be with a pack of mongrels, so it probably went mad too."

Xu Lianning thought to herself, "Now that Su Ling has said those words, if she falls into the hands of Long Teng Yi, her fate will probably be several times worse than mine." She turned to look at Yin Han, only to see her glare at her hatefully before moving closer to Liu Junru.

"Actually, that wolf isn't necessarily more noble; it's not too strange for it to associate with anyone," Zhang Weiyi said casually as she walked past them.

"Shaoyan, do you really want to know about that matter?" Xu Lianning looked at Chongxuan, who hadn't said a word since then. Once he became stubborn, he was just as unyielding as she was, perhaps because they shared the same blood in their veins.

Chongxuan looked up at her and said calmly, "If it concerns me, then I want to know."

Even if she didn't say anything, Chongxuan would probably ask Zhang Weiyi anyway. And the result would be the same.

After a moment, Xu Lianning said, "A long time ago, I fell from a tree and broke your arm. You should still remember that."

Chongxuan nodded: "I remember."

“Back then, my father, the one you call uncle, and your mother had known each other for many years and had a deep friendship. They should have been together.” Xu Lianning hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, “But my mother interfered in their relationship and separated them. At that time, I wondered if you might be my younger brother, but I was never sure. That young master Zhang had been in Wudang for many years, and he said that you looked like my father, so that possibility was very high.”

Chongxuan stared at her blankly, his face somewhat unpleasant.

Suddenly he chuckled softly and said sarcastically, "So, you're saying my mother was a promiscuous woman who had an affair with a man who already had a wife and daughter, and then ended up marrying my father?"

Xu Lianning, who had been leaning against the bed, was now somewhat flustered: "I didn't mean that at all!"

Chongxuan looked at her with red eyes, barely managing to calm his tone: "That's enough. I'll go and find out the truth. Everything is just what you said. How can I believe you?" He staggered back a step, looking somewhat helpless.

The things he had held onto for years suddenly changed; his parents had suddenly become strangers. He didn't know how to accept it. He suddenly remembered that the tutors his mother had hired for him were all from Jiangnan, and he had also picked up a Jiangnan accent. His parents treated each other with the utmost respect, and his appearance was indeed unlike his father's stern, square face.

Xu Lianning gritted her teeth and stood up, grabbing Chongxuan's sleeve: "Chongxuan, don't act like a child. Do you know what situation we're in right now?"

Chongxuan flung her hand away, turned his head and said, "Don't touch me!"

Xu Lianning let go of his hand, feeling utterly powerless.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chongxuan finally found the person on the roof of the inn.

Zhang Weiyi sat quietly, one hand propped against the eaves, the other resting on his bent knee, looking quite relaxed. Hearing a sound behind him, he turned around and glanced at him, saying indifferently, "What, do you need me for something?"

Chongxuan stood still for a long time before saying, "I just want to ask you one question: the other day you said that I look like Lianning's father, is that true?"

Zhang Weiyi smiled faintly and said, "I said, what good would it do me to lie to you?" He paused, then suddenly raised his hand to tap his forehead and chuckled, "If Miss Xu cares about you, it's only because of this. I have nothing to be jealous of."

Chongxuan closed his eyes slightly, letting the night breeze ruffle his clothes and hair.

Looking at his expression, Zhang Weiyi thought that if Uncle Xu were thirty years younger, he would look exactly the same. He said calmly, "Uncle Xu has always been someone I deeply respect. But no one is perfect. Before he passed away, he often blamed himself for the past. There's no need for that. Once you've chosen a path, just walk it to the end in the dark. Why think so much?"

The tone of the next sentence suddenly softened, but it was unclear who it was addressed to.

Chongxuan opened his eyes and slowly said, "You are a Wudang disciple, yet you have colluded with Longtengyi. Aren't you afraid of letting down your fellow disciples and master?" Having experienced the Tang Clan incident, he had guessed that Longtengyi harbored evil intentions, and now that he thought about it, he asked the question.

Zhang Weiyi shifted her right hand, which was resting on her knee, and said expressionlessly, "We'll have to get to this point sooner or later, it doesn't matter how it happens."

Chongxuan asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Zhang Weiyi stood up, looked into the distance, and said leisurely, "You don't need to know so much. Right now, you should worry about your own safety." He walked past Chongxuan and dropped back into the inn's corridor through the window lattice under the eaves.

He suddenly stopped and smiled slightly, "Miss Yin, don't you know that eavesdropping on other people's conversations is extremely impolite?"

Yin Han emerged from the shadows, stubbornly saying, "I wasn't eavesdropping. It was because you were talking too loudly up there that I heard you."

Zhang Weiyi turned his head to look at her, and saw that the moonlight reflected on her face, giving it a slight blush. He reached out and lifted her chin with two fingers, and smiled: "Am I that loud that you would have followed the sound around half an inn to get here?"

Yin Han shrank back, a hint of nervousness in her eyes: "What do you want to do?"

Zhang Weiyi released her grip and chuckled softly, "Why panic? I'm perfectly sober now. What could I possibly do to you? Or are you thinking I might do something?"

Yin Han's face flushed, but she didn't dare to look at him, her gaze darting away.

“Miss Yin, I’ll only say this once, listen carefully,” Zhang Weiyi said coldly, “I’m not your pet dog, and you’re not expected to keep an eye on everything. Your father is still waiting to use me, so don’t ruin his plans, understand?”

Yin Han felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. She stomped her foot and said, "Who do you think you are? That day you were half-dead after your arm was broken. If I hadn't pleaded with my father and asked Mr. Su to come, how would you be standing here? Everyone knows you're just a dog kept by our Longteng Post Station. Do you really think you're something special?"

Zhang Weiyi chuckled lightly, her tone growing colder: "Then I'll trouble Miss Yin to stop following me around unnecessarily, it only annoys me."

His eyes were clouded with gloom. As he turned the corner, the waiter carrying the goods was caught off guard and bumped into Zhang Weiyi. He said repeatedly, "I'm so sorry, I'm really sorry. Are you alright, young master?"

Zhang Weiyi shook her head slightly.

The waiter apologized a few more times and left in a hurry.

Zhang Weiyi bent down, picked up a wax pellet from the ground, and held it in her hand.

After seven or eight days, Xu Lianning was able to get out of bed and walk around.

She discussed it with Su Ling, and since it was safe here, they decided to delay until their injuries healed before setting off. The people at Longteng Post Station were probably also waiting for them to leave, so they continued their standoff.

You know, seeing the same group of people from Longtengyi every day, seeing the same faces over and over again, it's really getting tiresome.

Upon seeing Su Ling, Lin Zihan gripped the hilt of his sword, intending to draw it, but then, remembering his master's instructions, he released it. He repeated this action several times. Su Ling, having nothing better to do, deliberately chose to walk along the path Lin Zihan was bound to take.

Xu Lianning said, "What's so interesting about not being able to draw your sword after all this time?"

Su Ling shook her finger, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "Didn't you see that his posture as he prepares to draw his sword is more imposing than before?"

Xu Lianning looked like she was about to smile but couldn't.

Su Ling rested her chin on her hand, leaned against the second-floor railing, and looked down: "Lian Ning, have you ever thought about getting tired of wandering the martial world one day?"

Xu Lianning said calmly, "I'm afraid they've already grown tired of it."

She immediately perked up and turned to ask, "So what will you do in the future? Will you go back to Lingxuan Palace?"

Xu Lianning leaned on the railing and said after a moment, "I might open a clinic, who knows? After all, I don't know anything else, just a little bit about medicine."

Su Ling spoke with a hint of envy: "To heal the sick and bring the dead back to life, it sounds wonderful, but unfortunately I can't learn even a fraction of my master's medical skills."

"Saving the world and practicing medicine is too abstract. Actually, you should find a beautiful place with clear waters and beautiful scenery, open a small clinic, and maybe even take on an apprentice when you're in a good mood..."

"When your reputation spreads far and wide and people from the surrounding area come to you for treatment, you can still put on airs and act superior."

Xu Lianning began to yearn for it: "Ideally, I could buy a medicinal herb garden and cultivate some rare and suitable medicinal species. If I encounter any strange diseases, I could write them down and figure them out on my own."

Su Ling immediately replied, "That would be great. I'll come and mooch off you then, and you can support me."

Xu Lianning chuckled slightly.

Su Ling said seriously, "Actually, I also know a lot of things. If anyone tries to cause trouble, I will deal with them immediately. If you feel too idle, you might as well teach me a few medical skills, and I will become your apprentice."

Xu Lianning replied without hesitation, "Alright, it's a deal."

Su Ling chuckled and extended her hand, saying, "Words are no proof; let's make a vow with a high five."

Xu Lianning patted her hand and smiled slightly, "Actually, I always keep my word, so there's no need for me to swear an oath."

Zhang Weiyi stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance of the building.

They are drifting further and further apart.

He pondered quietly. Would there come a day when he looked back from the bustling world and saw her amidst the beautiful mountains and clear waters, her beauty unchanged, pure and ethereal?

This outcome couldn't be better, yet it carries a touch of desolation and sadness.

He has long since passed the age of sentimentality, but now he feels somewhat lonely.

Xu Lianning got tired of standing, turned around and went back to her room to rest. She smiled and nodded at him before passing by.

Zhang Weiyi stood still, her expression remaining extremely indifferent.

After a few days, the staff at Longteng Inn couldn't wait any longer. They checked out early in the morning and left.

Two days later, the roads were dusty as a group of people returned, causing chaos among the chickens and dogs.

Su Ling laughed and said, "They have no patience. They can't stay in the inn, and they want to ambush us on the road. In the end, they can't hold back either way. They're really useless."

Xu Lianning rested her chin on her hand and said, "Actually, it's not easy for us either. We can't just stay here forever. If we anger them, we won't be able to care about anything else."

Su Ling said slowly, "Let's take another look. In any case, we will definitely have a chance to meet Shang Mingjian."

Xu Lianning asked with great interest, "What exactly is your relationship with Master Shang?"

"If I had to say, my feelings for him are like your feelings for Young Master Zhang." Su Ling blinked, her smile somewhat strange, "but not like your mutual affection and willingness."

Xu Lianning looked down at the inn and saw Zhang Weiyi leading Ye Zhao toward the stables. She said indifferently, "Who said that Zhang Weiyi and I were in love? I forced myself on him that day."

Su Ling sprayed tea all over the table and choked, saying, "I'm afraid they're quite happy too."

Just then, Young Master Zhang, who was being mentioned, tied Ye Zhao to the horse post, and then reached out to stroke the horse's mane. Suddenly, he heard a young girl timidly ask from behind, "May I touch your horse?"

Zhang Weiyi turned around and saw that it was Qingyin, the girl next to Chongxuan. She said indifferently, "Aren't you afraid it will kick people?"

Qingyin smiled and ran over cheerfully, "I'm not afraid, but this horse looks like the one Miss Xu used to lead." These past few days, the young master had been nowhere to be seen; she hadn't seen him for several days. Qingyin was bored out of her mind, but could only wait at the inn. Finally spotting something interesting, she immediately followed.

She wasn't afraid of the people from Longtengyi. Zhang Weiyi was handsome, and she felt he was somewhat approachable.

Zhang Weiyi raised his hand and patted Ye Zhao on the head: "That's the horse that Miss Xu led, it's my horse."

Qingyin gently stroked Yezhao's back and asked curiously, "This is a purebred black steed from beyond the Great Wall. Where did you get it?"