Цзянху место, где не причинят вреда

Глава 17

Ye Changsheng bowed and smiled, "Greetings, Elder Hua. I am only here because Elder Zhong instructed me that once I arrived in Yingchang, I must visit his junior brother, Elder Hua, at the Chengnan Liaosheng Hall."

The old man stroked his beard and laughed, saying, "We've fought for decades without a result. That old thief fled into the mountains alone and we haven't seen him for years. We thought he had probably died of old age there, but a month ago, a message came by carrier pigeon. Now, what does he want his disciple for... Crow said you mentioned Bo Xian. Are you here to ask me for medicine?"

"The old gentleman is indeed shrewd... but he's wrong about everything. I'm not here to ask for medicine, but if the old gentleman possessed Bo Xian, that would be a different story." As he spoke, he took out a small white porcelain bottle with gold patterns from his bosom and shook it in mid-air. "I know that the old gentleman Hua has spent his whole life searching for rare medicinal herbs, and Bo Xian is no exception. There are very few people in the world who can judge its medicinal properties and understand its characteristics, and the old gentleman Hua is one of them."

Old Man Hua stared intently at the small white bottle in Changsheng's hand. After a long while, he let out a breath and snorted softly, "That old scoundrel Zhong's disciple certainly has a sweet tongue."

Ye Changsheng repeatedly said he wouldn't dare, and presented the bottle with both hands. He coughed and stood aside with a smile.

Old Man Hua glanced at Ye Changsheng standing to the side and said in a sinister tone, "With your physique, you must be seriously injured and not fully recovered, lacking in acquired constitution... and also poisoned. I'm afraid you won't live past thirty."

Ye Changsheng smiled silently and remained silent.

Old Man Hua opened the bottle, brought it close to his nose, and his expression changed. He then instructed the boy to bring a basin of water and some needles. After washing his hands, he poured the contents of the bottle onto a white cloth, took a silver needle, and inserted it into the white pill about three-tenths of an inch deep.

About 45 minutes later, Old Man Hua put down what he was holding, closed his eyes in deep thought, slowly opened them, and said in a cold voice, "This is indeed Bo Xian—but it has been tampered with."

"Oh?" Ye Changsheng raised an eyebrow.

The old man continued, "It is said that Bo Xian can bring the weak back to life and increase the internal strength of martial artists by more than ten times... I don't know where you got the medicine, Bo Xian. The medicine is real, but it is mixed with Biluo grass. If a martial artist takes it, although it can strengthen the body and spirit, it will dissipate all his internal energy, and he will be no different from an ordinary person afterward."

Ye Changsheng's eyes were half-closed as he pondered, "Is it possible to refine it?"

Old Man Hua took a sip of tea, without looking up, and replied, "This Biluo grass is extremely poisonous and easily dissipates. I'm afraid it has already merged with Bo Xian. How can you talk about refining it? But... if you trust me and leave Bo Xian here, I can give it a try."

Ye Changsheng said solemnly, "How could I dare? Please make yourself at home, sir."

Linmen Street

The midday sun hung brightly in the sky. It was already a quarter past noon, and the aroma of food filled the streets and alleys. Ye Changsheng realized that he was starving. He checked his pockets and decided to find a place to eat a bowl of plain noodles.

Ye Changsheng slowly walked into a very luxurious restaurant, found a corner to sit down, ordered a bowl of plain noodles, and under the waiter's piercing gaze, he shrank his neck and said apologetically, "That's all."

Upon hearing this, the waiter's smile became less enthusiastic. He tossed aside the rag, turned around, and went downstairs. Ye Changsheng felt very apologetic. He looked around and saw that all the other tables were filled with fine dishes, but he had only ordered a bowl of clear soup noodles for three coins and had even taken a good seat by the window. He felt very bad about it.

When the bearded man next to him had already drunk three large bowls of wine, the waiter finally brought out the noodles slowly. Ye Changsheng patted his sunken belly and began to eat the noodles properly.

Amidst the aroma of steaming noodle soup, a cool yet familiar fragrance wafted over, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a person dressed in a white robe with gold patterns sitting in the seat to her left.

After swallowing a mouthful of noodles, Ye Changsheng slowly raised his head. Upon seeing that bewitching and peerless face, his brow twitched, and he patted his chest, clearly quite frightened.

Li Huangyin chuckled softly, patted the rabbit's head on the table, and glanced at Ye Changsheng with her beautiful eyes: "Is this all Sect Leader Ye eats?"

Ye Changsheng forked another mouthful of noodles and smiled dismissively: "Unlike Master Li, who is rolling in money, I only have enough to eat this bowl of noodles."

The rabbit squatted on the table, staring at Ye Changsheng without moving, as if it had its eye on the noodles in her bowl. So, while eating her noodles, Ye Changsheng glanced at the fat rabbit a few times with great vigilance.

Li Huangyin tapped the table repeatedly, looking at Ye Changsheng who was eating noodles obediently, and said coldly, "You seem quite leisurely, unaware that someone is looking for you everywhere?"

Putting down his chopsticks and wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, Ye Changsheng smiled slightly: "Likewise, Master Li is quite leisurely as well. If I remember correctly, the Ten Departments and Eight Sects will be attacking Luoyang Tower in half a month..."

“No need for Sect Leader Ye to worry,” Li Huangyin casually flicked the rabbit’s head, glancing into Ye Changsheng’s eyes. “Your poison… can’t be suppressed anymore, can it?”

Startled by this, Ye Changsheng shook his head and smiled, his eyes half-closed, and said, "Lord Li is overthinking it."

Li Huangyin's smile vanished, and she said coldly, "Come with me, if you don't want to die so soon."

Ye Changsheng was somewhat stunned. He blinked and laughed loudly, "Could it be that Pavilion Master Li is thinking of old friends? Even if I'm not so easy to kill, I'm not that easy to kill."

Li Huangyin smiled disdainfully: "Are you hoping your immortal master will cure you, or are you hoping the old man from the Life Hall will prescribe medicine for you? Or are you just waiting to die? Ye Sheng, you're still as stupid as you were eight years ago."

The soft light from the window shone in, illuminating Ye Changsheng's face, making him appear unusually pale. Beneath his usual calm and serene demeanor lay an untouchable past.

His vision blurred, and Ye Changsheng blinked hard. A wave of angina, which he hadn't felt in a long time, surged up again. He carefully reached out and grabbed the edge of the table. At this moment, in front of that person, he couldn't let himself show any abnormality.

There were no guests left in the pavilion at this time. The burly man with a thick beard sitting next to him was now dressed in blue and had a plain face, standing respectfully to the side.

Li Huangyin observed Ye Changsheng with interest. She looked down at the table, her right knuckles turning white as she gripped the edge. He watched her slowly fall—just as she was about to slide to the ground, he reached out, somewhat awkwardly, but very steadily, and caught her.

The flowers here are like snow.

The crackling sound of the fireplace reached his ears. Ye Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as clear as glass, devoid of joy or anger. After a moment, he closed them again, turned his head, and continued to sleep.

Jiang Qi, standing by the door, suddenly seemed stunned. What kind of look was that—neither sad nor happy, so silent it was unreadable. It was as if she had never known her at all. Eight years ago, she was a spirited and dashing young woman, the refined and cultured physician of the Zhu family; now, her eyes held only a serene indifference. She clenched her fists, turned around, opened the door, and left.

A dark wind stirred, and the heavy curtains were lifted by a single hand, revealing Li Huangyin walking in, followed by a large, chubby rabbit. He stood by the bed with his hands behind his back, a slight smile playing on his lips as he intently stared at Ye Changsheng for a long time.

With long eyelashes fluttering and fingers slightly curled, Ye Changsheng slowly opened his eyes and said calmly, "I wonder what kind of drug Master Li gave me."

Li Huangyin smiled somewhat innocently, and after a while said, "Even if he has become like this, Ye Sheng is still Ye Sheng. I must be careful... You can't see anything now. This Luoyang Cliff is rugged and steep, so don't run around. If you fall to the bottom of the cliff again, it's hard to guarantee that Sect Master Ye will survive."

Ye Changsheng smiled and said, "Of course."

The rabbit hopped around a few times in place, then sat down again, its eyes bloodshot as it stared blankly at Ye Changsheng.

"Sect Leader Ye, this can be considered a return to familiar territory. Oh, by the way, this pavilion used to belong to Liang Ning..." Li Huangyin's fingers gently traced Ye Changsheng's eyebrows and eyes. "Upon closer inspection, you two really do look alike."

Slowly reaching out, Ye Changsheng's icy fingers grasped the hand that was lingering on his face, and he said calmly, "Who does Master Li resemble?"

Having spent her days on the cold, damp summit of Luoyang Mountain, Li Huangyin's hands were even colder than Ye Changsheng's. Upon hearing this, she snorted coldly, shook off Ye Changsheng's hand, and said coldly, "Sect Leader Ye, please take good care of your health and don't overthink things, lest you add to your grief." After saying that, she strode out without looking back.

Ye Changsheng propped herself up, her eyes half-closed, staring at the deathly blackness before her, a bitter smile appearing on her lips. Suddenly, something warm and furry darted onto her hand. Changsheng shuddered and withdrew her hand, then paused for a moment before smiling broadly, murmuring, "You're that big fat rabbit, aren't you? You didn't go with him? Hehe... that's good."

The rabbit still looked up at Ye Changsheng without moving. Ye Changsheng slowly reached out, touched the rabbit's ear, and suddenly pulled it up. The rabbit was very unhappy and kicked its feet a few times. As if sensing the rabbit's struggle, Ye Changsheng slowly put it down again—this was repeated several times. For a moment, she was very pleased with herself and laughed brightly.

Time always seems to pass especially slowly in the dark. According to Li Huangyin's explanation, she was blinded because she was poisoned by him. Whether it was a temporary restraint or permanent, she couldn't quite figure it out. She even felt that it was simply a relapse of her old illness caused by the old poison entering her brain, and she couldn't do anything about it.

After an unknown amount of time, rustling footsteps came from the doorway. As they approached, the person placed something on the table, and Changsheng smelled the faint aroma of meat porridge. After waiting for a while, she didn't see the person hand her a spoon or bowl, nor did they seem to intend to feed her. Changsheng coughed and smiled, "Could you please pass me something? I can't see."

A long time passed, so long that Ye Changsheng felt the bowl of porridge was almost cold, when finally the person seemed to...

He leaned closer, raising the spoon to her lips. Changsheng smiled, said thank you, and swallowed. The man seemed inept at serving, the spoon poking her teeth repeatedly. She twitched her lips, swallowed again, and hurriedly waved her hand, saying, "That's enough, that's enough."

Hearing the sound of the bowl and spoon being put down, Ye Changsheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. A gentle breeze brushed past his ear, and it seemed that the person had not left. The sound of the door opening rang out, as if someone else had entered, but no one spoke.

There was no alternation of day and night, and he had no idea how much time had passed. He only had a fluffy, fat rabbit by his side. Ye Changsheng didn't know how many days had gone by. The girl who fed him seemed to be mute. No matter how gently she spoke to her, she never made a sound.

On the snow-covered mountain peak of Luoyang Tower, a perilous building stands precariously on the cliff. To the right of the pavilion, beyond layers of plum groves and rugged cliffs, lies a pool of clear, cold water. Though icy to the bone, it is a holy water for healing wounds and detoxification.

The night was still and silent, the snow pristine white. Li Huangyin stood by the cold pool, her hand clasped behind her by Ye Changsheng's wide sleeve. With a seductive smile, she whispered, "Sect Leader Ye, do you know... where we are?"

Ye Changsheng blinked, smiled, and shook his head.

Li Huangyin leaned close to her ear and chuckled, "This is the Azure Cold Pool, the place where Sect Master Ye will soon be staying."

Ye Changsheng paused for a moment, turned his head slightly, and sighed: "If Master Li wants to kill me, he can just draw his sword. Why go through all this trouble?"

"Sect Leader Ye is too modest. Sect Leader Ye possesses profound inner strength; how could he be taken by this mere cold pool? This Azure Cold Pool is a sacred healing water that all martial artists dream of. Don't you know that? Or perhaps... Sect Leader Ye is afraid of water?"

Ye Changsheng shook off the attack with a flick of his sleeve, took a few steps back, and his eyes showed a hint of surprise at Li Huangyin's words. "Hmm..." she smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Suddenly alerted, a palm strike aimed straight at his face. Ye Changsheng dodged to the side, but the killing intent on his right side intensified, forcing him to retreat repeatedly. However, due to his inability to see the terrain, he was constantly thwarted. After a few leaps, his face turned somewhat pale.

Before she could catch her breath, Li Huangyin teleported behind her, pressed her kidney pelvis acupoint on her waist, and pushed her into the pool.

Ye Changsheng suddenly felt her feet slip, as if she had been violently thrown aside. The wind whistled past her ears, and with a "whoosh," she was enveloped in icy water. The chilling water rushed into her nose, and the terrifying sensation... instantly transported her back to that dark, turbulent night. Gritting her teeth, Ye Changsheng gripped the rocks on the bank tightly, trembling uncontrollably, but her legs gave way, and she couldn't move. She didn't know how much time had passed, nor whether Li Huangyin had left. She only felt her breathing growing slower and slower, each breath feeling as if it required all her strength.

Li Huangyin stared intently at Ye Changsheng in the icy pool. She seemed terrified of the water. Was it because she couldn't see? Her hands, gripping the rocks on the shore, had turned white. Her long, disheveled hair clung to her body like seaweed. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to have lost consciousness, yet she didn't loosen her grip even slightly.

With a wave of her hand, a red figure flashed out beside her. Jiang Qi stood bowing, and Li Huangyin said, "Pull her up."

In the dilapidated, warm chamber, the stove fire crackled and popped, and red curtains swayed ethereally. A person lay face down on the bed, their clothes removed, revealing a pale back covered with countless silver needles. Upon closer inspection, the needles were faintly bluish-black.

Jiang Qi removed the silver needles one by one, then draped clothes over her. She stood up, gave her a complicated look, picked up the medicine box, and left.

The footsteps faded away, the door opened, and the person on the bed slowly opened their eyes, pulled their clothes closer, and looked deep in thought.

With the half-month deadline drawing ever closer, Ye Changsheng had been floating in and out of the cold pool ten times a day. Li Huangyin had given him something to eat, but he had lost all feeling from the waist down, and he had not appeared again in the past ten days.

Another day passed, and Li Huangyin appeared before her, bringing news that in three days, the ten sects and eight factions of the martial arts world, along with the Yinshan Changmen, would attack Luoyanglou.

Ye Changsheng, who was drinking water, paused, patted his chest, and said with a look of fear, "Master Li, your divine skills are unparalleled and you have no equal. I cannot see or walk. I wonder if Master Li could be so kind as to let me go down the mountain on my own?"

Li Huangyin sneered, "Sect Leader Ye is joking. Doesn't Sect Leader Ye find this scene very familiar? Eight years later, watching others finish what you left behind, isn't that quite interesting?" She sat down with a flick of her sleeve, glanced at him with her beautiful eyes, and curled her lips, saying, "And... back then, you risked being exposed by Ye Junshan to infiltrate the Ye family. What was your purpose... revenge? No, you did nothing except take Bo Xian—what else in the Ye family could make you so reckless? Ah... it's your group of 'sworn brothers,' isn't it?"

Li Huangyin leaned closer to look into Ye Changsheng's glassy eyes, and gave a faint, cold laugh: "Should I say you're sentimental or heartless? For eight years, they've been consumed by guilt and remorse because of you. You're clearly alive, yet you don't show up. Even when you meet them, you don't acknowledge them. And what are you going through all this trouble for... to stop them from getting caught up in the chaos of battle in half a month and to save them from their misery? Ye Sheng, haven't you always wanted to abandon your past?"

"I want to forget..." Ye Changsheng murmured, "I don't want to live for the past, but I can't help but live for the present."

Li Huangyin frowned.

Chang Sheng smiled and said, "Ye Sheng is dead, Liang Ning is dead. I will not grieve for the dead, but I am unwilling to watch the living die in vain in front of me. If I can do something, that would be good."

That smile was as light as a willow catkin, exceptionally optimistic. Li Huangyin gazed at him for a long time before saying softly, "I thought I understood you..." He suddenly turned around, "They have already set up camp at the foot of the mountain. Tomorrow I will send you down the mountain... I will give you the antidote myself, and I will do my best to protect you."

Chang Sheng did not answer, and Li Huangyin turned and left.

After a while, I heard her soft voice from behind me. She said, "Thank you."

The second night

The bright moonlight shone on the snow-covered ground, creating a hazy, misty atmosphere. A figure in red robes flew down a cliff, seemingly carrying another person in their arms. The figure, with a flowing robe and a loosely tied belt, was like a ghost in the moonlight, captivating the eye.

At the foot of the mountain, Li Huangyin rode on her horse, with Ye Changsheng leaning against her. They traveled in silence for an unknown amount of time before Li Huangyin's clear and charming voice softly sounded behind her: "I originally wanted you to see them attack with your own eyes, but I changed my mind... Ye Sheng, you are too smart yet too pathetic. You are unwilling to trust others yet you are protecting them. One day you will understand how much of what you have done is not worth it."

The idea of achieving immortality with a smile is undeniable.

The clatter of hooves sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet night. The night wind rustled, and the scenery on both sides kept flashing by. The stars shifted, and the horse galloped wildly, its clothes and hair flying in the wind.

The sound of the zither is gone.

The cliffs of Luoyang are rugged and steep, with no ground below, rising thousands of feet and appearing precarious. The foothills wind and twist, ancient and secluded, stretching for over thirty li to the summit. While most deep and remote mountains are quiet and precipitous, Luoyang Mountain is filled with ravines, cascading waterfalls, and glistening, dark green stones. The stone paths are winding, and the cliffs are towering. Waterfalls plunge straight down. At the deepest ravines, the water is pure white, rushing like waves, with clouds and mist rising – a truly extraordinary sight, its form only understood by those who have lived in the mountains for a long time. The mountain trees are large, some with a girth of forty spans, the pines forming canopies, exceeding several zhang in height, their forms hidden and impossible to see.

Under a clear, moonlit sky and sparse stars, a white horse gallops along the foot of a mountain, the path winding and crisscrossing. Suddenly, the wind howls and cranes cry, the grass and trees sway, and a volley of arrows flies by as dozens of masked men in black leap out.

Li Huangyin's beautiful eyes sharpened, and with a wave of her bare hand, she chopped down the hidden arrows behind her. She then whipped her whip, and the white horse neighed and galloped away. After about twenty steps, she was surprised to see another arrow coming from the front. She swung her whip and knocked down a row of arrows. Only then did she realize that the person in front of her was blind, so she used her other hand to tightly grab Ye Changsheng's arm.

Li Huangyin chuckled. Should we say they've become smarter? These righteous martial arts sects have even laid ambushes on the most hidden path down the mountain.

Behind a large group of people ahead, a burly man in black sat on his horse and waved his hand, saying, "By order of the Alliance Leader, kill without mercy."

The sound was deep and resonant, reaching right into the ear.

Ye Changsheng was truly startled. They were still halfway up the mountain, with a cliff on one side and deep waters. These people had started shooting arrows without saying a word. If they were lying in ambush at the foot of the mountain to prevent anyone from escaping from Luoyang Tower, he absolutely could not speak now. If Li Huangyin was in a bad mood and abandoned him, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Just as he was filled with worry, Li Huangyin spoke up leisurely from behind: "You see, it's not that I don't want you to go down the mountain."

Just as Ye Changsheng was about to answer, swords flashed and killing moves were already coming from the front. One man drew his sword, another slashed at the horse's leg. Li Huangyin wrapped one arm around Ye Changsheng and spurred her horse into the air. She drew the Seven Abyss Sword from her waist and executed it in one move. In an instant, dozens of men in black fell to the ground with their necks hanging down.

The leader was terrified and exclaimed, "Who are you?"