Цзянху место, где не причинят вреда

Глава 5

"It is because we swore a solemn oath to protect the Yinshan Sect, which was founded by our sect leader, and to raze Luoyang Tower to the ground that we have been slow to avenge our sect leader... I, I am truly ashamed before the spirit of our sect leader in heaven."

"Hmph," a woman sneered, "Look at you all, shouting about avenging the sect leader. Even so, why not kill Bai Qiuling? Have you forgotten who leaked all our plans? Who really killed the sect leader? You think you can settle things after just one sword strike?"

Another man sighed heavily: "Seventh Sister, that's all in the past. Qiu Ling was also misled by treacherous people, she..."

"Enough, Ling Baiyu. If you say another word, I'm afraid my meteor hammer might just come crashing down on your head." After that, everyone fell silent.

Jia Ling frowned, exhaling two long puffs of air from her nose. Although she was mostly confused by what she heard, she had at least pieced together some things: First, the people in the cubicle were from the Yinshan Sect, the number one sect in the martial arts world, and they might even be leaders—the direct superiors of that arrogant Zhu Luan. Then, and most unbelievably, Hong Lei was actually the top assassin of Luoyang Tower.

He nudged Ye Changsheng and saw that she also looked incredulous.

Jia Ling leaned closer and whispered, "Red tears, red tears... Crimson weeping, red tears... How could I not have thought of that?"

Ye Changsheng nodded sincerely, then stood up on tiptoe to leave.

"Hey, sir, the food's here!" Suddenly the door was pushed open with a bang, accompanied by the waiter's rhythmic shouts. Ye Changsheng lost his balance and had to lean against the wall for support.

Whoosh—Ye Changsheng felt that retribution had come so timely. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "The world is going to the dogs, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be. The manager of this Spring Breeze Full Moon Pavilion is making a fortune every day. Even if he doesn't rebuild the wall properly, he should at least nail the nails on the painting down properly." No wonder the sound was so clear. It turned out that there was a big crack in the wall, and Ye Changsheng had torn down the landscape painting. Jia Ling was still in the position of clinging to the wall.

In the blink of an eye, a person burst through the wall, grabbed Ye Changsheng who was standing dumbfounded facing the cave entrance, and shouted sternly, "Who is eavesdropping here!"

This man had a deep, resonant voice, was tall and robust, had dark skin, thick eyebrows, and a broad forehead, and looked quite heroic.

"Uh...cough cough..." Changsheng's collar was grabbed by him, and he was half lifted into the air. He hurriedly waved his hands sincerely, "Ah, no, no, I just came to eat."

Upon seeing Ye Changsheng's face, the man suddenly fell silent. His expression shifted repeatedly on his dark face, his eyes revealing a strange mix of caution and hidden joy. His lips parted slightly but remained silent, and even his body trembled. He clenched his fists and scrutinized Ye Changsheng from head to toe.

"What... is your name?"

Azure clouds at dusk

"Han Dang, don't be reckless."

A group of people entered, three men and one woman, plus the one who had broken through the wall, making a total of five. The one who spoke was nearly thirty years old, dressed in a blue robe and white shirt, with a refined appearance; he was none other than Gongsun Xi, the deputy sect leader of the Yinshan Sect. Behind him, dressed in black with a face as cold as a star, was Zhuque Ling Baiyu. Another man, dressed in a silk blue robe, was tall and imposing; he was Xuanwu Chi Zan. The only woman among them was Baihu Zhong Qiniang, rumored in the martial arts world to be incomparably beautiful, incredibly strong, and wielding two meteor hammers.

As soon as Gongsun Xi entered, he saw Han Dang grab a thin, white-clad man whose gender was indistinguishable. Han Dang, who was facing him, had a crooked mouth and slanted eyes, and his expression was extremely strange. He looked dazed and then slowly let go of her hand.

"Ouch..." Unexpectedly, Han Dang suddenly let go, and Ye Changsheng fell to the ground with a thud. She struggled to get up, dusted herself off, and stepped aside. Gongsun Xi approached, cupped his hands, and said, "Young brother, you've been frightened. My brother acted rashly, please forgive him."

Ye Changsheng was patting himself down when he saw that the other person had condescended to apologize, so he quickly waved his hand and smiled gently, "It's alright, it's alright."

At this moment, Jia Ling, who was pinned to the wall by Han Dang who had broken through the wall, snorted with a face full of disdain—being thrown to the ground and still having to smile obsequiously, Ye Changsheng was truly pathetic—in stark contrast, Gongsun Xi, the moment Ye Changsheng raised his head, was so shocked that he dropped the feather fan he never let go of.

"Girl! Girl! Who are you—"

Chang Sheng rubbed his forehead, looking apologetic: "Why do people always ask me this question?"

"Sect Master—" Zhong Qiniang, who was behind Gongsun Xi, had already cried out in disbelief.

Ye Changsheng seemed to suddenly realize something, slapped his forehead and sighed, "Ah... so I look like your sect leader... no wonder, no wonder..."

Gongsun Xi, now composed, gazed at Ye Changsheng and asked, "May I ask your relationship to the Ye family of Jiangling, young lady...?" "No..." Changsheng replied solemnly, shaking her head, "Absolutely not—my name is Ye Changsheng. Although I share the surname Ye, it's because my master also bears the surname Ye. I've studied medicine with my master since childhood, taking it upon myself to heal the sick and save lives... that..."

When Jia Ling, who knew nothing about medicine, heard Ye Changsheng confidently utter the following words, she couldn't help but twitch her lips.

“Ye Changsheng…” Gongsun Xi seemed to recall this renowned physician who had become famous in the martial arts world in recent years. Legend has it that this person could bring the dead back to life, revive the bones, and snatch people from the clutches of the King of Hell. However, he did not expect that such a person would be a young woman, and one who looked three parts like the sect leader.

Ye Sheng—a name known to all more than a decade ago. He hailed from the Jiangling Ye family, the head of the seven great martial arts clans. He was the only son of Ye Junshan, the leader of the martial arts alliance and the patriarch of the Ye family. From a young age, he possessed exceptional talent, was aloof and handsome, and at fourteen, his King of Wind-Slaying Sword overwhelmed all rivals in the Battle of Guan Cang, instantly making him famous throughout the land. At sixteen, he single-handedly founded the Yinshan Changmen. At seventeen, he assisted his father, Ye Junshan, in leading the seven great martial arts clans and ten sects in an attack on the Demonic Sect's Luoyang Tower. Trapped in an ambush, he perished alongside Liang Ning, the then-leader of Luoyang Tower, at Luoyang Cliff. He died young.

Gongsun Xi slowly walked to the window, took out his feather fan, paused slightly, and tapped the fan on the table. "Actually, it wouldn't hurt to tell Miss Ye about this—after all, you were also involved." He then glanced at Jia Ling and said leisurely, "I believe Miss Ye and this young master have heard the gist of it. Since that seventeenth lady of the Zhu family is Jiang Qi of Luoyang Tower—then Miss Ye must be careful. Although I don't know their purpose for coming here, Miss Ye's interference caused them to fail—since things have come to this, I still want to remind Miss Ye that the martial world is probably no longer safe for you."

Ye Changsheng listened intently, clearly startled by Gongsun Xi, and said with a worried expression, "What should we do... Actually, I didn't say she was the murderer..."

Suddenly, Ling Baiyu, his face cold and sinister, walked step by step toward Ye Changsheng from outside the door. He looked down at Ye Changsheng, who was much shorter than him, and said coldly, "May I ask where Divine Physician Ye is headed?"

Ye Changsheng looked puzzled and shook his head: "It's probably not Jiangning." He heard from Jia Ling that he had to go back to Qiantang. As a traveling doctor, he could go wherever he wanted.

"On the ninth day of next month, the Ye family of Jiangling, together with Ye Junshan, the great hero who is also the leader of the martial arts alliance, will convene all the major sects and heroes of the martial arts world to discuss the plan to eliminate the demon. Since Miss Ye is the number one divine doctor in the martial arts world, we hope that you and this young master can go together. In any case, it is the safest place for you." Gongsun Xi said very sincerely.

Beside the short, hunched figure, Jia Ling, whose body had slightly recovered from its stiffness and numbness, swung her arm and sneered with utter contempt, "Exorcising demons and monsters? That's your business. Why do you have to drag a doctor into this? The swindler has to come home with me; we can't go."

Ling Baiyu narrowed his eyes, his aura growing even colder. Gongsun Xi closed his feather fan and stepped forward, his half-body blocking him. Gongsun Xi smiled and said, "Even so, please do as you please, young lady. Until we meet again." A moment later, the group turned and left one after another. Whether it was Jia Ling's imagination or not, Zhong Qiniang, who was walking at the back, kept looking back, her eyes filled with endless longing and sorrow.

On the street outside the inn.

Jia Ling held a bag of freshly steamed buns from Qibao Dongpu in her hands, staring with her big, dark eyes, and complained as she ate: "Poor me, I could have eaten the whole steamer basket just now, but now I've lost my appetite too, not to mention I've lost the desire to eat. That big black guy bumped into me and made my insides hurt."

Ye Changsheng wanted to comfort Jia Dashao, since he had already eaten eight large meat buns in one go and hadn't lost his appetite. But after hearing the last sentence, she realized that the internal organs were indeed something she couldn't see.

The sunlight is warm, the east wind is gentle, and the sky over Jiangnan is vast.

Under Jia Ling's coercion and enticement, and Ye Changsheng's compromise, the two hired a carriage, though it looked rather dilapidated; and a coachman, though rather old. The horse's hooves clattered as they galloped toward Hangzhou. Jiangning Prefecture and Hangzhou were not far apart, and even with an old horse pulling a rickety carriage and an old coachman with only three teeth, they actually arrived three days later.

Along the willow-lined stream in Pingxiang, the intoxicating fragrance of flowers brings laughter to visitors. On the head of a beautiful woman, a spring banner flutters gently.

Even though it was an old, dilapidated carriage, Jia Ling couldn't wait to stick his head out, no longer caring about his image as a young nobleman. He gestured with his hands and feet, shouting directions into the old coachman's ear. The carriage merrily weaved through the delicate and charming alleys of Jiangnan. Finally, it stopped in front of an exquisite, refined, yet dignified vermilion gate.

Young Master Jia pulled Changsheng down from the carriage in a flash, turned around and waved generously to the old coachman: "This carriage is yours. We've arrived, you can go back now." — Upon hearing this, the old coachman immediately pulled on the reins, cracked the whip, and moved with unprecedented agility. The old horse puffed out a few breaths, took off, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Ye Changsheng stared dumbfounded at the scene before him, patted his chest, and looked at Jia Ling with a resentful gaze. "This carriage wasn't bought by you." Young Master Jia waved his folding fan, his smile dazzling: "I have as many carriages better than this as I want. You can choose one yourself later." — Hearing Jia Ling say this, Ye Changsheng suddenly realized he had indeed been a bit stingy. Putting aside the fact that the old coachman had grinned, revealing his only three teeth, the important thing was that out with the old, in with the new. So, he happily followed Jia Ling up the steps.

Jia Ling reached out and knocked on the door, but there was no response for a long time. After muttering a few words, the young master Jia simply raised both arms and pounded on the door knocker while shouting loudly, "Uncle Qi, Old Wang, young master is back, come and open the door..."

A gust of wind blew by, and Ye Changsheng's expression gradually turned serious. A strange, ominous smell seemed to waft through the courtyard. She grabbed Jia Ling, her brow furrowing slightly. "Let's go through...the side gate." Jia Ling's face was filled with menace as she kept repeating, these servants refusing to open the gate for their young master, and she guessed it must be the old man's order. She pulled Ye Changsheng along a narrow alley and entered the Jia mansion through the side gate.

The Jia mansion was quiet, even eerily so—no one spoke, no footsteps, and even at midday, there was no sign of the kitchen preparing food. Jia Ling's face grew increasingly pale, his lips pressed tightly together, until he saw a pool of dark red blood in the main hall, at which point he finally broke down.

Watching Jia Ling frantically searching for someone ahead, Ye Changsheng slowly turned to the side. His gaze fell upon the still-blue sky beyond the corridor. Where were the people of the manor? Their disappearance was so complete; either the whole family had moved away, or—

Suddenly, Jia Ling stopped, his once bright and cunning eyes now filled with utter shock and disbelief. He sat down on the ground, muttering repeatedly, "How could this be, how could this be... I... just got back, Father, I'm back..."

Ye Changsheng strode over. A large open space between the main hall and the side rooms was piled with corpses, men and women, old and young, including the head of the Jia family—Jia Ling's father.

Jia Ling began to sob uncontrollably, staggered a few times and knelt down there. He did not take another step forward, but trembled all over, clenching his fists tightly—his knuckles were pale and his veins were bulging. He pounded the ground hard, and blood flowed out in a moment.

This boy, who had been overjoyed to return home not long ago, and his parents, who should have been filled with laughter and joy, were now desolate in the blink of an eye.

Ye Changsheng slowly knelt beside Jia Ling, took his bleeding hand, and gently pulled him into his arms, patting his back softly. Hot tears streamed down Jia Ling's neck as he choked back sobs in Changsheng's arms, cursing, "Who... did it? Who did it..."

Ye Changsheng looked calmly at the corpses and sighed softly, "They love you. You must live."

Jia Ling saw the blood-stained cloth at dusk. The crimson cloth had been stuck into a corridor pillar at the edge of the open space with a dagger, and only three short characters written in blood were on it—Luoyang Tower.

Jia Ling clutched the cloth tightly, her shoulders trembling, her dark eyes filled with hatred: "Chang Sheng, it turns out that after all this, I still have to go to Jiangling."

Qingshan Jiangling Road

The moonlit night was sparsely lit, and the hazy, bright moonlight pierced through the dark sky. The vast sky, rugged and steep, with its towering peaks, was shrouded in a thin layer of silver gauze. White mist drifted and enveloped the snow-capped peaks, just like its name, inspiring fear in the martial world.

A magnificent, towering pavilion, with its alluring red gauze curtains fluttering in the thin mist. A slender, pale hand lifted the layers of curtains, and a red figure stepped out. In that instant, the moonlight blushed with shame, and the vast expanse of white snow seemed only to highlight this bewitching touch of crimson.

The newcomer turned his head slightly, looked at the person who had been kneeling in the pavilion for three hours, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and asked in a low voice, "Have you found him?"

Jiang Qi slammed heavily to the ground, her head bowed so her expression was unreadable: "Your subordinate is incompetent. No one in the Jia family knows where Jia Ling is. Therefore, your subordinate exterminated all seventy-two members of the Jia family and left behind a letter written in blood. Your subordinate deduced that they would definitely come looking for her on their own."

Li Huangyin slowly turned to the side, leaning against the railing, gazing at the white expanse outside, and smiled: "Well done, you always find the most effective way—just like when you helped me kill Ye Sheng back then..."

Jiang Qi raised her head, her eyes filled with boundless joy, gazing longingly at the crimson figure before the perilous railing.

"—But—did I say I was going to do that?" Li Huang's voice suddenly turned as cold as the icy pool on Luoyang Mountain.

Jiang Qi clenched her fists, her eyes unwavering: "This subordinate will go to the punishment hall to receive my punishment! But this subordinate wants the Master to know that my actions have never been detrimental to Luoyang Tower or to the Master! This subordinate takes my leave..."

Jiang Qi knew she would die sooner or later. Like a good bow put away and a hunting dog cooked—perhaps after Bo Xian found her, perhaps after killing Ye Junshan, or perhaps simply when the Lord no longer wanted to see her. Li Huangyin was a lonely person, kept alive for a simple reason—perhaps just because seeing her reminded him of many less mundane things. After what happened eight years ago, her survival was a miracle. Jiang Qi stood up, her legs numb, gritted her teeth, and bowed as she retreated.

She couldn't see the excited and dazzling light in the bright black eyes of the tall, red-clad man with his back to her, beneath his long lashes. "Ye Changsheng... Ye Changsheng... Are you him...?"

At this moment, on the desolate summit of Luoyang Mountain, only the night wind howls and clothes flutter.

"Um... Once upon a time, there was a fat man who fell down while chopping wood on a mountain, and ended up as a dead fat man..."

"Ye Changsheng! Your jokes aren't funny at all!"

The riverbanks are lined with green willows, the paths are verdant, a warm breeze blows, the setting sun shines brightly, the lake ripples, and the roadside is lush with greenery and vibrant red blossoms—it is already late spring and early summer.

A carriage was moving slowly, and a low, hoarse voice came from inside, mixed with a boy's angry shout.

Ye Changsheng looked apologetic; after all, he had only meant well. After Jia Ling finished arranging the funeral and sealed off the house, he was like a completely different person for the first few days. Now, he was all alone in the Jia family; it was impossible for him not to be sad, and he was likely accompanied by endless hatred.

Ye Changsheng hired a carriage—Jia Ling was only thinking about going to Jiangling, but there were still nearly twenty days until the ninth day of next month, so she used the excuse of visiting an old friend to accompany him. The two traveled at a leisurely pace, and after calculating on their fingers, five days had already passed.

Ye Changsheng pulled back the curtain of the small window next to the carriage and looked out. In the distance, there were towering mountains. A gentle breeze carried the faint scent of grass and a faint aroma of yam. She took a deep breath and said, "I can smell it."

Upon hearing this, Jia Ling also took a sniff. He only noticed a faint smell of cow dung mixed in with the air, but nothing else. He frowned and asked, "What's that smell?"

Ye Changsheng smiled slightly: "The taste of Sangshan."

Sangshan is an ordinary mountain, not particularly outstanding among the many scenic mountains. However, it is rugged and steep, with a changeable climate, and is covered with various rare medicinal herbs, earning it the reputation of "Medicine Mountain." Together with the neighboring Baijianshan and Luoyangshan, it is one of the three major peaks within the territory of Hongzhou Prefecture.

After traveling for another half hour, the road ahead became increasingly rugged, and the carriage could no longer proceed. Ye Changsheng unloaded the carriage and abandoned it at the foot of the mountain, then he and Jia Ling led the horses forward.

Jia Ling tugged at Ye Changsheng in front of her, her face full of doubt: "Does that person really live here?"

Ye Changsheng didn't turn around, he just nodded.

"This place is steep and dangerous, the path is narrow, and there are bottomless cliffs and deep ravines on both sides of the road. How can anyone live here..."

Chang Sheng nodded again, his voice soft and slow: "Elder Zhong is a hermit. A hermit is someone who cannot be known to the world, and must have some mystery. This place is a good place for that. Besides, Elder Zhong loves medicine, and the rare herbs all over the mountains here are exactly what he seeks."

The two walked through a dense apricot grove and faintly heard the sound of flowing water ahead. Suddenly, the view opened up and they found themselves in a small valley with a stream flowing gently through it. Beside the stream was a small thatched hut.

Ye Changsheng brushed off the petals covering his body, walked to the doorway, stood with his hands clasped in front of him, and smiled, "Is the master here?"

Not long after, a man came out. He was an old man with white hair and a snow-white beard, with an otherworldly air, looking like an old immortal. He walked down from the house, helped Ye Changsheng up, stroked his beard, and nodded, saying, "Judging by the days, you should be back soon."

Ye Changsheng smiled slightly and said respectfully, "That's right, that's right. I'm sorry to have worried you."

The old man smiled, looked up at Jia Ling behind him, and nodded slightly. Jia Ling immediately bowed in return.

"The air is cold in the deep mountains, come in with me."

The two followed Elder Zhong into the house. As soon as Jia Ling entered, he was greeted by a faint fragrance of medicine. He looked around and was impressed by the small thatched hut; it didn't look big from the outside, but it was quite spacious inside. There was a zither table and an incense burner under the window, and a cabinet not far away was piled with all kinds of medicinal herbs, pills, and bottles and jars.

The old man turned around: "Young master, please make yourself at home. Sheng'er, come with me."

Ye Changsheng silently followed his master into the inner room. The old man stroked his snow-white beard and solemnly said, "You've come back almost half a month late this time. Your life is your own; if you don't take it, who can help you?"

Ye Changsheng sighed softly, raised his head and smiled, "I discovered Bo Xian's whereabouts, and Zhu Yun is unconscious again. I thought I could find him."

The old man sighed: "You must understand your own body. Once you stop taking your medicine, the consequences will be unimaginable. Sigh, stretch out your hand, let me take your pulse."