Смертная любовь в эпоху Северной Сун

Глава 24

Not far from them, a man in a moon-white robe sat alone, drinking, his cold, resolute face etched with a penetrating, thoughtful expression. This man was none other than Chu Xuyao, a newcomer to the city. Teahouses and taverns were always the places where news flowed freely, and Murong Luo, a prominent figure in the city, had recently become the focus of gossip. Chu Xuyao, who had been frequenting teahouses and taverns for the past few days, had learned quite a bit about Murong Luo. But today, a piece of news about Murong Luo surprised and shocked him greatly.

Who exactly is this Murong Luo, that he possesses such abilities? It seems it's time to meet this young man who's been rumored to be a legend!

The shop assistant was astonished to find that the man who had been sitting in that corner had vanished in the blink of an eye! A silver ingot, however, was embedded in the table, and it took him considerable effort to pry it out…

"Yu Yan, let's go back if you're tired. The streets of the city are so big, we can't see them all in a short time. Anyway, we'll have plenty of time later, there's no rush..." Seeing Yu Yan panting slightly from exhaustion, Rong Yue was worried about her health and gently advised her.

Yu Yan waved her hand, a satisfied smile appearing on her beautiful face hidden behind the veil: "Husband, you don't understand. For someone who hasn't been out on the street for over ten years, this moment is so blissful! To be able to stroll around like everyone else, to see the scenery, to watch the crowds coming and going, even if it's tiring, it's all worth it!"

Looking at Yu Yan, who was laughing like a child, with pity, Rong Yue stopped trying to persuade her and let her wander as long as she wanted.

Holding Yu Yan's hand, amidst the envious or ambiguous gazes of onlookers, Rong Yue and Yu Yan strolled along the bustling streets of the city, chatting and laughing. For Yu Yan, who had been bedridden for over a decade, everything was new and fascinating. Leaning against Rong Yue, Yu Yan occasionally let out clear, melodious exclamations or sweet, playful laughter like a nightingale.

"Husband, look! It's candied hawthorn! I recognize it; my dad used to buy it for me when I was little!"

Following Yu Yan's gaze, Rong Yue saw a child not far away skipping along with a candied hawthorn. He was happily eating the candied hawthorn as he hopped, a truly innocent and carefree age. Suddenly, perhaps tripped by a pebble, the child lurched forward and fell flat on his face. The candied hawthorn in his hand arced through the air before landing right at Yu Yan's feet.

Seeing the candied hawthorn fly away, the child forgot his pain and scrambled towards the direction it had gone. When he picked up the mud-covered candied hawthorn, he knew it was no longer edible, and the boy who had been so happy just moments before burst into tears.

"My candied hawthorn... my candied hawthorn..."

Seeing the child crying so sadly, Yu Yan's sympathy overflowed, and she looked at Rong Yue with pleading eyes.

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Rongyue made a knowing gesture and turned to buy candied hawthorns for the brat. She truly couldn't understand how she had ended up with such a kind-hearted confidante. Could it be that Heaven had specially sent Yuyan to complement her?

"Little brother, don't cry. Big brother will buy you the candied hawthorn you want later." Gently wiping away the child's tears, Yu Yan coaxed him softly.

Upon hearing about candied hawthorns, the child stopped crying: "Really?"

Yu Yan smiled gently: "Of course."

The child stopped crying and smiled, saying in a childish voice, "Big sister, you're so kind, thank you, big sister..."

"Little brother, you're welcome. What's your name?"

"Big sister, my name is Ahua. Huh? Big sister, why are you wearing a veil? That's strange! Let me take it off for you." As she spoke, the child tore off Yu Yan's veil before she could stop her.

"What a beautiful person!" The people around exclaimed in amazement, all staring wide-eyed at that stunningly beautiful face.

Looking at the stunning face beneath the veil, Chu Xuyao was secretly amazed: What an untouched beauty! It wasn't that he hadn't seen pure beauties before; since he first experienced love at sixteen, what kind of beauty hadn't he tasted and seen? However, a woman like this, with clear and bright eyes, otherworldly and refined, exuding a purity that emanated from her very bones, was someone Chu Xuyao had never seen before!

The intense gazes from the crowd made Yu Yan blush. She hurriedly picked up her veil and covered her face, anxiously praying for Rong Yue to return quickly.

"Miss, Heaven has bestowed upon you such unparalleled beauty, yet you conceal it with this veil. Isn't that a waste?" Taking Yu Yan's hand as she covered the veil, Chu Xuyao captured her clear, watery eyes, his deep voice carrying a hint of allure. Such a beauty—how could he, with his penchant for the unusual, let her go?

Anger flashed across her pretty face. Yu Yan struggled against the tight grip on her hand and cried out, "Young master, please let go!"

"Let go?" He pulled Yu Yan, who was glaring at him, into his arms and chuckled as he leaned close to her ear: "With such a beauty in my arms, how could I bear to let go?"

Yu Yan was furious: "Let me go! You lecherous scoundrel!"

"A lecherous scoundrel?" Chu Xuyao found it utterly amusing and couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Woman, it won't be long before you fall in love with this lecherous scoundrel!"

But his laughter lasted only three seconds before he could no longer laugh, because three hidden weapons had already struck his back. When the weapons came at him, he only had time to move his vital acupoints, but not enough to stop the weapons from penetrating! Although he dodged three blows that would have killed even the most skilled martial artists in the world, the three hidden weapons had penetrated into three other acupoints in his body, enough to severely damage his vital energy!

Before he could force out the three hidden weapons, he was suddenly knocked to the ground by a flurry of punches and kicks.

"You're asking for death! You dare touch my woman? You're fucking tired of living!" With a flurry of kicks from her twin blades, Rong Yue, enraged, took down the unsuspecting Chu Xuyao. She then mounted his back and unleashed a barrage of punches on the fallen Chu Xuyao! This shameless bastard dared to lay a hand on her Yu Yan! Luckily, she arrived in time; otherwise, Yu Yan would have been violated by this rogue!

The words "my woman" made Yu Yan blush, yet her heart was filled with sweetness. Watching Rong Yue brandish her fists, determined to beat that lecherous man to death, Yu Yan felt another surge of sweetness. She knew Rong Yue was avenging her. In her heart, Rong Yue was her husband, her hero, who would be the first to jump in and rescue her from danger…

Although Yu Yan hated this 'lecherous man,' she was kind-hearted and didn't want anyone to die. So she pulled Rong Yue, who was in the middle of a fierce fight, and whispered, "Husband, let it go, don't let someone die..."

Clapping her hands and standing up, Rongyue, still not satisfied, kicked Chu Xuyao a few more times on the ground: "You're simply courting death! Bah! What a piece of trash, daring to touch my woman, Murong Luo! You've got some nerve! You son of a bitch! Don't you even know who I, Murong Luo, am? You dare to act so wildly on my head? You're really tired of living!!"

The name Murong Luo was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, causing chaos among the surrounding people!

"Ah, Murong Luo!"

"He is Murong Luo, the son-in-law of the Murong family!"

"How heroic!"

"That man is doomed. He even dared to touch Murong Luo's woman..."

"Serves him right! Who told him to harass that woman!"

"Exactly, now they've reaped what they sowed..."

Just then, an extremely cold voice suddenly came from the ground: "Seventy-eight punches, fifty-one kicks, plus three silver needles, I'll settle this score!" As soon as the words were spoken, three silver needles flew out of the air.

"What, you still want revenge? Bah! Don't you even know who I, Murong Luo, am in this city?!" His vindictive tone infuriated Rong Yue even more, and she suddenly stepped forward and kicked him twice more.

"Fifty-three kicks!" Slowly rising, Chu Xuyao approached Rong Yue. When he was close to her, he brushed aside his disheveled hair with one hand and, under Rong Yue's horrified gaze, uttered words that shocked everyone around him even more: "Don't you even know what kind of person I, Chu Xuyao, am in the Eastern Dynasty!"

The name Chu Xuyao didn't just strike as a thunderclap; it was like an atomic bomb dropped on everyone!

Volume One, Chapter Thirty-One: Calling Each Other Brothers

The thin rays of sunlight exploded overhead, and everyone present seemed to be able to smell the gunpowder that was spreading.

Rong Yue and Chu Xuyao were locked in a fierce standoff, their battle seemingly about to erupt. Their gazes clashed in the air, sparking terrifying flashes of light several times.

New and old scores will be settled together. Today, Chu Xuyao will definitely not let her off easily! It seems that today it's either her death or his, and a fierce battle is inevitable! Like rowing against the current, if you don't advance, you retreat. You have to fight! Gripping the silver needles in her sleeve, Rongyue subtly aimed at Chu Xuyao's four vital points: Zhongji, Guanyuan, Qihai, and Zhangmen, ready to strike.

"Have we met before?" Why does this Murong Luo look so familiar? Frowning, Chu Xuyao quickly racked his brains for information about this person. However, he truly didn't recall ever knowing Murong Luo before.

Rongyue's hand, which was holding the needle, suddenly froze. A look of confusion crossed her face, and without thinking, she blurted out, "Don't you recognize me?"