Цзянху место, где не причинят вреда

Глава 18

Li Huangyin smiled but remained silent; the night wind was enchanting, and she sobbed without a sound.

Ye Changsheng suddenly felt that the voice seemed somewhat familiar.

The man in black spurred his horse forward, shouted, and drew his sword. Ye Changsheng stumbled and was thrown aside by Li Huangyin. He quickly moved aside and stood properly to avoid getting into trouble.

In a flash, blades flashed and swords danced. The man in black suddenly roared, thrusting his sword at Li Huangyin's ribs. His move was swift and powerful, his stance steady, leaving no opening for a moment. In the blink of an eye, the sword tip was at Li Huangyin's chest. Li Huangyin smiled contemptuously, pinching the blade between two fingers. She then thrust her sword at the man in black. In an instant, the man in black was shocked and raised his sword to block. The Seven Abyss Sword, thin as a cicada's wing, could be as soft as silk or as hard as rock. With a clang, it bypassed the man's sword, the tip already piercing his heart. Li Huangyin's left hand struck out, about to strike the man in black's ribs—the man in black was horrified, but his sword was entangled, rendering him immobile. In desperation, he leaned back and dodged with incredible speed, but he couldn't outrun Li Huangyin's movements. Blood gushed from his chest; he was about to have his internal organs shattered by her palm strike—

The man in black's eyes burned with determination as he stared at Ye Changsheng, who stood silently not far away. He thought to himself that the man in red already possessed extraordinary martial arts skills, while the woman in white stood silently to the side, observing from a distance. Could she be Li Huangyin? A chill ran through him, and he made his decision, drawing a dagger from his waist and throwing it at her. Instantly, his opening was exposed. He took a solid blow from Li Huangyin's palm.

Li Huangyin dared not linger and hastily withdrew, knowing that Ye Changsheng was blind and his internal energy had not recovered, so he was certain to die.

Just as life and death were hanging in the balance, the man in black roared. Seeing that Li Huangyin's back was wide open, he raised his sword with both hands and lunged at Li Huangyin from behind. His movements were extremely fast, but he used all his strength. It was a resolute death move. His eyes turned red and his whole body trembled.

Meanwhile, Li Huangyin was in a hurry to get to Ye Changsheng's side—the dagger was aimed straight at her, but Ye Changsheng raised one hand and gently caught the dagger, his eyes clear, as if he had never been confused.

At this moment, Li Huangyin's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, she felt a chill down her spine as the man in black raised his sword to stab her. Li Huangyin's eyes flashed with cold light, and with a sharp turn, she severed the man in black's arms with a dull thud. The man in black was rushing forward too fast and fell to the ground, unable to even scream. He held his breath and stared at his severed arms and the sword that Li Huangyin had pulled out so fiercely.

The man in black's eyes regained clarity as the resolute glint faded, and he murmured, "Ying'er..."—He suddenly took a deep breath and lowered his head heavily.

The gentle, bright moonlight shone on the corpses scattered on the ground, creating an eerie tranquility. Li Huangyin and Ye Changsheng stared at each other silently, standing there without a word.

Li Huangyin spoke slowly, her tone very calm: "You can see it."

Ye Changsheng nodded, not denying it. He slowly walked to the body of the man in black, squatted down, and gently lifted the cloth covering the man's face. When he saw the familiar face under the cloth, his hand trembled, and after a long while, he gently covered it again.

—This man in black is none other than Han Congming, the head of the Han family in Mingzhou and the father of Han Dang.

That "Ying'er" was perhaps calling for his wife, "Lianying." Changsheng slowly stood up, a faint trace of pity flashing across her expression. She remembered that when they were little, Uncle Han was always the kindest and most generous, occasionally buying them little trinkets that adults wouldn't allow. Gradually, everyone grew up, and those things were lost somewhere. Now, he was masked—she no longer recognized him; and she, standing a few feet away in the darkness, would have Uncle Han throw a dagger at her in his dying moments.

Bright red blood meandered out, pooling at the bottom. Ye Changsheng's gaze slowly shifted to Li Huangyin. Her red robes fluttered, yet large patches of darkness were faintly visible beneath. He gently moved his lips: "You... are bleeding."

Li Huangyin frowned. The moment she turned around, she was entangled by the man in black, who recklessly stabbed her with his sword. Although the wound wasn't too deep, it bled profusely. She smiled sarcastically and said, "What kind of person is Sect Leader Ye? Even at this time, he's still holding back... I was overthinking it."

Ye Changsheng smiled slightly: "Master Li, you should bandage yourself first. If it continues to flow, even with your unparalleled martial arts skills, you will inevitably die."

Li Huangyin looked at Ye Changsheng with an inscrutable expression, as if trying to discern the truth in her words. She raised her delicate, pretty eyebrows and smiled gently, "Then I'll have to trouble Sect Leader Ye."

On the cliff face of Luoyang, there was a cave about ten feet deep and over a meter high. Although it was somewhat dark, it wasn't chilling enough to be considered a place of shelter. Based on the direction the remaining men in black had tried to escape after Han Congming's death, the two deduced that there must be an ambush ahead. This short stretch of road, and the first checkpoint was already guarded by Han Congming, one of the heads of the seven major martial arts families. Who knew what unexpected enemies might be ahead? Li Huangyin led Ye Changsheng to a cave halfway down the cliff and whispered, "I discovered this cave when I was a child, once when I went down the mountain."

The moonlight could only penetrate a few inches. Li Huangyin stood with her back to her, leaning against the wall. It was pitch black in front of her, and Ye Changsheng could not see clearly.

Li Huangyin slowly loosened her belt, taking off her outer robe and inner shirt one by one, revealing her slender and smooth back. She turned her head slightly to the right and back, her voice slightly amused: "Sect Leader Ye, I'm entrusting you with this task."

Ye Changsheng groped his way forward, turned his head slightly, tugged at the hem of Li Huangyin's outer robe, and smiled very kindly, repeatedly replying, "Of course, of course."

Li Huangyin's red robe was of superior quality, smooth as water, yet incredibly tough; it was only with the Seven Abyss Sword that it was barely torn. He had already stopped the bleeding by applying acupressure, his robe half-undone, standing silently with his back to Ye Changsheng. Ye Changsheng carefully located the wound—about an inch long, entering from his back and about half an inch deep. Perhaps due to difficulty in drawing the sword, the skin at the wound was slightly turned outwards, and blood was still faintly flowing. Ye Changsheng suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, unconsciously touching his chest where there was a similar scar. He shook his head, closed his eyes, wrapped the scar around his back several times, and tied a knot.

"Ah... all done." Ye Changsheng smiled broadly, nodding to himself repeatedly. He stepped aside, patted the ground, and sat down properly. Li Huangyin finished dressing and casually sat down opposite him.

The cave was eerily dark, and the expression on the person opposite was not clearly visible. Li Huangyin's voice rang out leisurely: "When did you recover?"

Ye Changsheng seemed to think seriously for a while before answering, "About three times after entering the cold pool, it was initially very blurry, but later it became clear." He smiled slightly, "You didn't poison me, did you?"

Li Huangyin remained silent, only letting out a soft hum, and said with a hint of helplessness, "I disdain to poison you. If the day truly comes when we must part ways, I will wait for you on Luoyang Cliff." She paused, then looked up and asked, "Where is your Zhanfeng?"

With a soft sigh, Ye Changsheng said with a faint smile, "Ah... Zhanfeng, I haven't seen it in a long time... Back then, I fell off a cliff, first I was entangled by vines, and then I fell into the Qusang Dark Current. Later... I left it in the place where I lived for more than half a year."

With a soft "whoosh," a branch snapped open. Li Huangyin toyed with a withered twig on the ground, muttering, "You actually abandoned Zhanfeng too?"

"Hehe, so does Master Li think I should keep it?" Ye Changsheng chuckled without blinking. "Sigh, I've almost forgotten what it looks like."

Li Huangyin also curled her lips into a charming smile, a smile that was hard to understand. She said softly, "Sect Leader Ye is a heartless person. He can discard the past, let alone a mere sword... You don't know... I saw you when I was a child."

Ye Changsheng was indeed taken aback, and asked with a smile, "Oh? Master Li is so exceptionally beautiful, I must have a deep impression of you?"

Li Huangyin sneered coldly, "Back then, Sect Leader Ye was full of vigor and called his friends, so he probably didn't notice me. At that time... I was only fourteen years old, and you were just a child. Outside the Xihua Gate of Yanggongpan, you and your friends chased away a group of troublemakers and saved a grandfather and grandson who sold rabbits—he wanted to kowtow to you three times and even gave you a rabbit."

Ye Changsheng touched his nose, as if he was seriously recalling something. After a while, he softly said "Ah" and asked, "You are that old man's granddaughter?"

With a cold snort, Li Huangyin said sarcastically, "Unlike Sect Leader Ye, who is adept at both yin and yang, I was standing on the counter of a restaurant next door at that time."

Ye Changsheng smiled softly, as if he had truly returned to that spring day in April, to the willow-lined banks of Yanggong.

That day, they had gone for a spring outing. Gongsun Xi, Han Dang, Ling Baiyu, and even Bai Qiuling were there. The sun was warm, and an old man and his granddaughter were selling rabbits by the river. Bai Qiuling liked them very much and kept pestering her to buy one. She remembered being quite impatient at the time and telling Ling Baiyu to go buy one too. He seemed quite willing. But suddenly, a group of thugs appeared, kicked over the cage, and started groping the old man's granddaughter. Naturally, since they had them, she took action and dealt with the thugs. The old man, trembling, was about to kneel down when they grabbed him and insisted on giving them a rabbit. At that time, her father often said that indulging in playthings would lead to the loss of ambition, so she released the rabbit.

"Ah," as if suddenly remembering something, Ye Changsheng pointed at Li Huangyin, "That rabbit wouldn't have been..."

"I picked it up," Li Huangyin said casually.

Ye Changsheng peeked out: "Is it that fat rabbit?"

"No—it's its mother."

"Oh..." Changsheng nodded and said nothing more.

Li Huangyin raised an eyebrow: "Don't you want to ask me why I've seen you before?"

Chang Sheng smiled and said, "It must be that we are destined to be together."

Li Huangyin shook her head, a strange look in her unfathomable black eyes, and said, word by word, "I went there specifically to see what kind of demeanor the legendary god-like youth had. I saw it—even if the punishment for running away on my own is severe, it's worth it."

“I remember you…” Ye Changsheng murmured, “That day, there was a young man in red, standing by the railing, quietly watching us… and then he disappeared in the blink of an eye.”

The two fell silent. The night was still, and some things seemed to be understood by everyone, yet they were as unspeakable as the dusty past...

The chivalrous man cherishes kindness

Inside the large tent at Butterfly Stream on Sunset Cliff.

With a loud bang, the table in the tent shattered like paper. Bai Yinghong's eyes were bloodshot, his whole body trembled, and his fists were clenched. He looked at the three or four men in black kneeling in front of him and said in a trembling voice, "Say it again?"

The man in black kowtowed deeply, his voice hoarse as he said, "Hero Han... has been murdered..."

For a moment, none of the dozen or so people in the tent uttered a sound. The night was deep and silent, the candlelight flickering. After a long while, Bai Yinghong demanded sharply, "Who did this?"

The men in black exchanged glances. One of them clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Because it was dark, I couldn't see very clearly. I only know that there were two of them, one in a red robe and the other in white. The man in white didn't make a move, but the man in red severed both of Master Han's arms within ten moves..."

Bai Yinghong was shocked, his face grave. He muttered, "Ten moves? How could someone sever Congming's arms in just ten moves... Did you see what that person looked like..."

The man in black's expression changed, and he said haltingly, "That person, that person... like a mountain spirit, so beautiful that he doesn't look like a man."

“Li Huangyin…” Bai Yinghong almost gritted his teeth as he uttered the name, then turned his head sharply and asked, “Where is the body?”

The man in black said in a trembling voice, "We knew we were no match for them, so we...we withdrew first. The bodies...the bodies...we didn't bring them back."

"Useless!" Bai Yinghong slammed his hand on the table, his sharp eyes bloodshot, like blood trickling from a hideous wound. He turned away abruptly, closed his eyes, and whispered, "This must not be made public now. Send someone to inform the alliance leader to find out the identities of those two and to guard all exits tightly. The plan remains unchanged: attack Luoyang Cliff in three days."

"Yes." The men in black breathed a sigh of relief and retreated in unison.

After taking a sip of the hot tea served by the waiter, Bai Yinghong waved for him to leave and slowly strolled outside the tent, gazing at the endless star-filled sky: vast, silent, and clear—always above the bustling world.

A figure emerged from the woods ahead. Upon hearing the noise, Bai Yinghong shouted sharply, "Who's there?"

The dark figure paused for a moment, then said loudly, "Uncle Bai, it's me."

The man approached, the red light of the torch shining on his profile—it was Han Dang.

“It’s time,” Bai Yinghong said, turning his head slightly and speaking in a hoarse voice, “Why aren’t you resting so late?”

"Just now I was practicing my sword in the woods... and I remembered eight years ago..." Han Dang looked up, his eyes resolute, "If I have the chance, I will definitely kill Li Huangyin to avenge the sect leader."

Bai Yinghong patted Han Dang on the shoulder, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he sighed, turned his back, put his hands behind his back and said, "Get some rest."

Han Dang nodded, bowed, and withdrew, then turned and entered the tent.

At this very moment, a swift horse galloped out of the valley like an arrow released from a bow, heading straight for the Yunjin Inn in Fengping Town, a hundred miles away.

There were probably other people stationed and guarding the area at the foot of the mountain. Ye Changsheng secretly glanced at the road from a distance and saw that it was full of people, some with knives, some with swords, some with spears and bows, and some even pushing and shoving as they emerged from the crowd, wielding two large axes... Although if Li Huangyin were willing to help her, they could fight their way out, but as she put it, she was the number one divine physician in the martial arts world, and if she were seen coming down from Luoyang with the Lord of Luoyang Tower, it would be of absolutely no benefit to her future. Besides, she had seen Li Huangyin's methods many times before. Remembering that Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life, she patted herself and followed Li Huangyin back to the top of the mountain.

As soon as they entered, Jiang Qi came out to greet them. Seeing the two of them walking together, and not noticing that Li Huangyin was holding Ye Changsheng hostage, nor that Ye Changsheng was currently blind and unable to walk, Jiang Qi was clearly startled by Li Huangyin's disheveled appearance and pale face. She hurried closer and noticed a faint smell of blood on her. She was about to step forward when Li Huangyin gave her a brief, indifferent glance, causing her to pause and stand aside with her head down.

"I want to take a bath." Li Huangyin slowly walked towards his room, her voice a little hoarse and tired.

Jiang Qi quickly followed, took a few steps, then turned back and gave Ye Changsheng a profound look, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Luoyanglou East Warm Pavilion

Ye Changsheng found his own lodging, lay down on the large bed with its brocade quilt, and let out a long sigh. This carved bed was warm and soft, much more comfortable than the cold, hard cave. He simply closed his eyes and began to rest.

A loud "bang" rang in his ears, and Ye Changsheng abruptly opened his eyes. It was the big, fat rabbit that had knocked over the stool with its enormous body. Laughing, it got up, squatted down, patted the rabbit's head, looked around, sighed, and smiled slightly at the rabbit's bright red eyes, saying, "I'm back." The rabbit seemed very excited, hopping around a few times before following closely behind Ye Changsheng.

I habitually looked out the window at the desolate night sky. The snow outside was glistening with light, and the moon rose higher and higher, its light spilling over every window and railing on the mountain. The scenery was serene, tranquil, and aloof.

At this moment, Jiang Qi stood respectfully outside the barrier. Inside the cubicle, in the ebony warm pool, Li Huangyin tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and began to regulate her breathing. After a long time, so long that Jiang Qi thought she had fallen asleep, she finally opened her eyes and slowly spoke: "Have all seventy-two swordsmen gone up the mountain?"

Jiang Qi suddenly snapped out of her daze, bowed her head and said in a deep voice, "Your subordinate has already set up the gate order and summoned the seventy-two swordsmen. Qingluan and Heiyue have also rushed from Muzhou and Jiangning and are ready to be deployed at any time."

Li Huangyin lowered her beautiful, star-like eyes, her slender fingers tracing the water up to her chest, and smiled alluringly: "Immediately send someone down to the back mountain path to find an armless corpse. Hmm... have Heiyue deliver it to Abbot Qingxu at the foot of the mountain, ah... or perhaps send it to the old woman at Jinyun Temple?"

The voice was somewhat ethereal, yet carried a hint of a faint smile.

"Yes." Jiang Qi slowly withdrew from the doorway, her graceful figure gradually disappearing around the corner of the corridor. A gust of wind blew by, bringing a chill to the air; the summit of Luoyang Mountain had always been this cold.

Early the next morning

This morning, Abbess Huichong of Jinyun Temple had just gotten up and, before she could even get dressed and put on her hat, she found someone lying next to her on her pillow. Startled, she drew her sword and shouted, her voice trembling with tears: "You lecherous scoundrel! Prepare to die!"

As the sword pierced down—the nun realized something was wrong. The man in black had his back to her, yet he remained motionless despite being struck by her sword. Although he was still wary, she leaned closer to examine him closely and slowly turned him towards her. The nun was horrified and even dropped her sword—not because the man in black had been dead for some time with his ashen face, nor because his arms had been severed cleanly, but because the dead man who had suddenly appeared on her bed this morning was none other than Han Congming, the head of the Han family in Mingzhou.

The news spread quickly, and soon the crowd was in an uproar. Thus, at the foot of Luoyang Mountain, three thousand martial arts heroes knew that Han Congming, one of the seven great martial arts families, had been murdered, his death gruesome. He had two bloody holes in his body, and both his arms had been cleanly severed.

Han Dang lifted the tent flap with a slight tremor, turned around and looked at Bai Yinghong beside him in disbelief: "Uncle Bai... how could... how... is this possible?"

Bai Yinghong felt a pang of pity, turned his head away, and sighed heavily.

Han Dang's dark and resolute face was full of bewilderment. He looked at the gray and mutilated corpse on the mat, and his body instinctively wanted to escape. He gritted his teeth and walked from the tent entrance to the mat. It seemed that he had used all his strength to walk those few steps.

With a "plop," Han Dang knelt down, let out a long howl, his eyes were red, and tears were already streaming down his face.

Han Dang rolled up his arm, raised his long sword, and made a deep, three-inch-long cut on his arm, blood flowing freely... He roared, "If I don't avenge this grudge—I am not a descendant of the Han family!"

The news had already spread, and outside the tents, groups of five or ten could be seen everywhere, pounding their chests and whispering amongst themselves. A bald, wiry old man chuckled, his eyes darting around, and said to the person beside him, "Who is this Han Congming? While his martial arts might not be unparalleled, they are far beyond your reach. He died so mysteriously, and we still don't know who killed him. The person who came even silently dumped the body on the old nun's bed—in my opinion, this trip is fraught with danger… Who is Li Huangyin? We're almost at the top of Luoyang Mountain now, how could she remain inactive? Luoyang Tower is her territory—heh heh, this old man dares to say we're already under her thumb."

Those around shouted that good would prevail over evil, muttered that it was impossible, were skeptical, and felt fear and unease. Only one person did not doubt or deny the old man's claims about Li Huangyin's methods. Even those who hadn't experienced the bloody, shocking battle eight years ago had heard tales from their elders of how Li Huangyin had stood firm amidst the carnage and ascended to the throne of the Luoyang Pavilion Master. Though their faces remained impassive, their hearts were filled with trepidation. Were they about to follow in the footsteps of those heroic predecessors who perished at the foot of Luoyang Mountain eight years ago? Even Han Congming was dead, so what about them—

A cool and clear morning at Yunjin Inn in Fengping Town.

The waiter called out and strode over with a plate, smiling as he said, "Young master, your breakfast is served."

At a small table by the window sat a young master in fine clothes, as sweet and lovely as a thousand kinds of candy or ten thousand kinds of candied fruit. Upon hearing this, the young man in fine clothes raised his head. His eyes were large and beautiful, clear and full of spirit. He accepted the invitation with a smile, and two shallow dimples appeared on his delicate and lovely cheeks.

This person was none other than Jia Ling, the eldest son of the Jia family, who had managed to sneak away halfway through Dai San Niang's trip. Jia Ling considered being with Dai San Niang to be a battle of wits and courage, which was both mentally and physically exhausting. Fortunately, he always prided himself on his cleverness and resourcefulness. In Bai Tang Palace, he was always jumping around and appearing and disappearing like a ghost, making it impossible for her to gain any advantage.

A few days ago, for some unknown reason, Dai San Niang suddenly decided to go on a long trip. In the middle of the night, she sneaked into his room and woke him up by sitting on her. She then gently and sweetly asked him if he would like to go with her while winking at him and twisting her fingers.