Цзянху место, где не причинят вреда

Глава 21

Ling Yueling raised her head, seemingly scrutinizing Ye Changsheng before her. After a moment, she let out a soft exclamation, then turned to look at Helan Ronghua: "Ah, you are..."

Ye Changsheng nodded with a smile: "Yes, yes, it's me!"

Gongsun Xi was somewhat taken aback. After a moment of stunned silence, he looked at Ling Yueling again and asked, "You know her?"

At this moment, Ling Yueling stood up, one hand covering her shoulder, and said in a sweet voice, "She stayed in my mansion for half a day, and then suddenly disappeared."

Gongsun Xi seemed to be deep in thought, and glanced at the white-robed man behind Ling Yueling.

Not long after ascending the mountain, their group separated from Gongsun Yunhe and the others, intending to scout ahead. As dusk fell, they suddenly encountered two young men in black robes at the stream. Seeing their youthful appearance and lack of weapons, they lowered their guard, assuming they were just junior disciples from a sect who had fallen behind. However, in the blink of an eye, the two moved with incredible speed, using even the smallest things as weapons. After several exchanges, the group was scattered and had to send out coded signals for help. At this moment, arriving simultaneously with Ye Changsheng and the others who had seemingly descended from the sky, were Helan Ronghua and Ling Yueling, the young lady of the Ling family.

After walking over a few steps, Gongsun Xi, with a solemn expression, clasped his hands and said to the indifferent Helan Ronghua, "Thank you for coming to my rescue, Mr. Helan... but... do you recognize her?"

"Ah..." Everyone followed Gongsun Xi's finger and looked at Ye Changsheng, who was standing to the side. She nodded repeatedly with a serious expression and said, "I recognize him, I recognize him. A few days ago, when I passed through Yingchang, this young master was suffering from a cold and was feeling listless. I happened to meet him and he drank a dose of medicine that I prescribed. The next day, he was full of energy again and could eat and sleep well."

Gongsun Xi glanced at the serious-looking Ye Changsheng, then turned to look at the silent Helan Ronghua—logically speaking, Ye Changsheng's words were utter nonsense. Helan Ronghua possessed extremely high medical and martial arts skills, so how could she be so listless due to typhoid fever? Furthermore, given Helan Ronghua's character and appearance, it was truly hard to imagine her being so "energetic" and "able to eat and sleep well." Yet Ye Changsheng's extremely serious demeanor didn't seem like he was lying.

Just as he was pondering this, Helan Ronghua walked past him with a blank expression in her eyes, grabbed Ye Changsheng's hand, and quickly dashed away.

Black Moon paused for a moment, then grabbed his sword and caught up. With a few leaps, he entered the depths of the jungle, where the person ahead had already stopped.

Jingchuan and Shiren instantly arrived behind Heiyue, knelt down on one knee, and whispered, "Greetings, Envoy Heiyue."

Hei Yue remained silent, her brows furrowing slightly, her gaze sharp and cold: "Who are you? Put her down."

Helan Ronghua released Ye Changsheng's hand, her tone indifferent and flat: "Why did you leave? Why... were you with the people from Luoyang Tower..."

Ye Changsheng sighed softly, turned to look at Hei Yue behind Helan, and said gently, "Young brother, may we have a private chat? This young master owes me money for his medical consultation, and I must express my gratitude properly."

Hei Yue's face darkened. After hesitating for a moment, she finally grunted in agreement, rolled up her sleeves, turned around, and left. Jing Chuan and Shi Ren exchanged a glance and followed her.

The moonlight was serene, and the forest was quiet.

After a long pause, Helan Ronghua finally spoke, her voice deep and serious: "Do you know who they are?"

Chang Sheng smiled and said, "I know."

"Aren't you afraid that Li Huangyin will find out that you are Ye Sheng?" He Lan closed her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes trembling.

Ye Changsheng shook his head and chuckled, "He... was the first to know."

Helan remained silent, his clear eyes fixed on Ye Changsheng. He didn't know what had happened that day; the person before him had suddenly vanished. He had searched frantically everywhere, fearing that Ye Junshan had broken his promise and captured her, or that Li Huangyin had discovered she was still alive… Every possibility terrified him. Now, however, he found her with the Black Moon Envoy of Luoyang Tower, laughing and chatting happily.

He slowly spoke: "Come with me... You shouldn't be here."

Just as Ye Changsheng was about to answer, Helan whispered sharply, "Silence!"

He then grabbed Ye Changsheng, dodged, and hid in the dense shade.

Ye Changsheng looked down and saw a rustling sound coming from the jagged rocks. The person was sitting and standing restlessly in front of the rocks, rubbing his hands and looking around, as if waiting for someone. The moonlight was dim and he could not see the person's appearance clearly.

Changsheng was held in Helan's arms, the long-lost fragrance of lotus blossoms filling the air. He turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable.

Suddenly, the people below began to speak: "Any news?"

Chang Sheng was startled; it was clearly Gongsun Yunhe's voice. He was puzzled; hadn't Gongsun Xi just said that Gongsun Yunhe was somewhere else? How could he have appeared at Shuangjian in the blink of an eye…?

The man said something that startled Gongsun Yunhe, who lowered his voice and asked, "Are you sure? Where is Ying Hong now?"

The man in black bowed and replied, "Master Bai was injured and has retreated to a safe place."

After a long pause, he sighed deeply and waved his hand, saying, "I understand... Go now."

After Gongsun Yunhe left, Ye Changsheng gently pulled away the hand around her waist and slowly stood up. Helan reached out and grabbed her sleeve, saying gently, "Be careful, I'll take you down."

Chang Sheng smiled slightly: "Does Master think I've lost my martial arts skills? Is he afraid I'll fall?"

Helan's expression remained indifferent, but her originally bright eyes had become deep and unfathomable. After a long while, she turned her head and said calmly, "You... know?"

With a "snap," Ye Changsheng broke off a branch from the tree, and nodded with a smile on his lips: "You are the only one who knows I am in the Ye family, and you are the only one who can guess my intentions, so... you let me get Bo Xian. You... are going to cripple my internal strength."

Helan smiled too, a helpless, bitter smile: "It could also be that someone else discovered it..."

Ye Changsheng smiled and shook his head: "But what about now? You've been with me the whole time, but didn't you turn against Ye Junshan? Why... are you back at Luoyang Cliff?"

Helan Ji gazed quietly into those glassy eyes, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He reached out and touched Changsheng's soft hair, saying gently, "I just... want you to live well. I've already lost you... but I don't want to see you die in front of me again."

“Master…” Ye Changsheng looked into Helan Ronghua’s eyes and said earnestly, “Ye Junshan already knew who I was, didn’t he? He stopped chasing me because he thought my martial arts had been crippled? Master… you really went to great lengths for me.”

Her hand trembled slightly, and Helan Ronghua curled her fingers slightly, half-closing her eyes to hide the loneliness in them. "If that's the case... will you... forgive me?"

"Forgive me," Ye Changsheng smiled faintly, "Why not... you did it for my own good."

Helan stared at Ye Changsheng, trying to discern something in her eyes. But those crystal-clear pupils, more dazzling than the starry night, only reflected his own image.

His eyes were still so gentle, yet filled with boundless sorrow—she had forgiven him just like that, saying she understood him. Perhaps she truly had forgiven him; he knew she was no longer the Ye Sheng of the past, yet he still hoped she would rely on him as before.

"Sheng'er..." The words she wanted to say suddenly stopped, and she only called out softly.

Changsheng reached out and tugged at Helan's arm, resting his cheek on his shoulder and hugging him like a child. "Master, I have something to do now. After I finish this, I will leave... Master, take care."

Chang Sheng's voice suddenly carried a hint of desolation, and the arms around her shoulders gradually loosened. He Lan hugged her back; he knew that some things were gradually fading away…

After a while, Changsheng pushed Helan Ronghua aside, jumped down, and disappeared in the direction where Gongsun Yunhe had vanished.

The night wind slowly filled his robes, and Helan Ronghua gently closed his eyes. In a hazy dream, he seemed to return to countless bright sunsets of the past, watching the sun slowly disappear and the moon rise... A bitter, aching feeling rose in his heart. "Don't go..." he murmured, murmuring, before slowly closing his eyes.

Meanwhile, on Luoyang Cliff, Li Huangyin was sitting on the edge of the cliff, gazing at the vast starry sky.

The Qilian luminous cup in her hand was crystal clear; when she raised it to the moon, it instantly shone brightly, its brilliance captivating and delightful. Li Huangyin rested her chin on her hand and softly said, "Alas, tonight's moon, where does it go, drifting aimlessly...? The flying mirror has no roots, who ties it down? Chang'e doesn't marry, who keeps her here? I ask about her journey to the bottom of the sea, but there's no answer; it only makes me sorrowful... How can the Jade Rabbit understand its rise and fall? If everything is well, why does it gradually become a hook?"

He watched with half-asleep eyes, his gaze gradually turning as cold as the night. When the wine in the pot was empty, he stood up and walked towards the pavilion.

A few feet away, Jiang Qi, dressed in elegant red, stood silently behind Li Huangyin, watching him. Seeing him rise, she followed at a leisurely pace. Until the door to his room slammed shut. Jiang Qi, lost in thought, leaned silently against the doorframe. Li Huangyin never turned around, so he would never see her silently following behind him…

The night in the deep mountains was somewhat eerie. With darkness beneath his feet and strange chirping sounds echoing in his ears, Ye Changsheng carefully used a branch to push aside the bushes and weeds by the roadside. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound behind him, and then it seemed as if something had emerged.

Chang Sheng exclaimed, "Wow! There's a ghost?"

The "ghost" patted itself and waved its hands repeatedly, "It's me, it's me... Stop calling me..."

Chang Sheng exclaimed "Wow!" again. When the man approached, he looked at him and said, "Little brother?" Hei Yue rushed over in a flash, looking as excited as if he had suddenly discovered his long-lost brother.

"I've finally found you." Black Moon smiled. "I waited for a long time but you didn't come out. When I went back, you were gone. Luckily, I'm good at light footwork and finally caught up with you."

Changsheng looked guilty; he had indeed forgotten about the young man waiting nearby. He turned and asked with a smile, "Young man, you seem to have a lot of free time."

“It’s not that…” Black Moon waved her hand, “but those things don’t matter.”

Chang Sheng's eyebrows twitched. So the Black Moon Envoy of the Luan Yue Twins was so free that he didn't care if his base was destroyed?

The two continued walking slowly, one in front of the other. Light gradually shone through from ahead. Changsheng stared wide-eyed and looked carefully. Heiyue, not understanding what was going on, also peered out from behind her.

Several bonfires were lit in a clearing of moderate size ahead, with about a dozen people sitting around them. Leaning against a tree trunk was Gongsun Yunhe. Changsheng grew increasingly puzzled. Gongsun Yunhe was the head of one of the Seven Great Families of Wuling, and he must have brought a large group of people with him when he came up the mountain. Why were there only a few dozen people here? What was the meaning behind his conversation under the tree just now? Was it really as he suspected?

Just then, someone emerged from another grove of trees, bowed to Gongsun Yunhe, and reported, "Your subordinate has confirmed that the road down the mountain... is blocked!"

Gongsun Yunhe slammed his elbow into a tree trunk beside him, causing branches to crack and leaves to tremble. He shouted angrily, "You've cut off our escape route!"

He stood up, hands behind his back, brows furrowed. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the bushes, followed by a cry of "Ouch!" Everyone stared warily at the source of the sound.

Who's lurking around like that?

Ye Changsheng and Hei Yue were eavesdropping when a hamster suddenly darted out from behind them, scurrying past their feet. The two jumped away with a clatter. Having been discovered, Ye Changsheng straightened her clothes and stepped forward. The red glow of the campfire illuminated her face, casting a soft halo. Changsheng smiled slightly and cupped her hands in greeting, saying, "I am Ye Changsheng."

Not for the sake of old friends

The soft firelight illuminated the newcomer's profile, making him appear exceptionally handsome. He seemed like a light cloud veiling the moon, or drifting snowflakes in a gentle breeze.

Gongsun Yunhe was clearly taken aback when he saw Ye Changsheng's face, blurting out, "Sheng'er?" Upon closer inspection, he realized that although this person resembled Ye Sheng somewhat, she was thin and pale, appearing frail. Moreover, she was a woman. At this moment, this pretty woman in white smiled kindly and amiably at their group.

Gongsun Yunhe frowned upon seeing this, then remembered that the person had already introduced himself and raised his voice, "Ye Changsheng... are you the Divine Physician Ye? Why are you here so late at night?" He glanced at Hei Yue behind him and asked, "And who is this?"

“Ah…” Ye Changsheng sighed softly upon hearing this, “Actually… he is…”

Before she could finish speaking, Hei Yue rushed forward and said, "...a lay disciple of Jinyun Temple."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Yunhe's expression changed slightly. He took a few steps to stand in front of Hei Yue and asked in a deep voice, "When did Jinyun Temple recruit male disciples?"

Black Moon blinked and said softly, "Actually, I'm a girl..." She then patted her chest, "If you don't believe me, feel it."

Gongsun Yunhe seemed to have swallowed a fly. He took a few steps back and stared coldly at Hei Yue, saying coldly, "Since you are a disciple of Jinyun Temple, why did you not follow your master but instead fell behind alone?"

A man in black suddenly approached him from behind, whispered a few words, and Gongsun Yunhe seemed quite shocked, his face darkening and his expression solemn. He flicked his sleeve and quickly walked away with the man in another direction. Hei Yue and Ye Changsheng were left looking at each other, unsure of what to do. Fortunately, Gongsun Yunhe hadn't said anything before leaving, and no one came to fetch them with a rope.

"So, little beauty, you are Ye Changsheng, the number one divine doctor in the martial arts world." Hei Yue leaned closer and smiled sinisterly, giving Ye Changsheng goosebumps. He repeatedly agreed.

A grove of trees about ten feet away.

With a sharp "smack," Gongsun Yunhe slammed his palm against the tree trunk beside him. The shadows swayed, and the sound created a slight commotion in the darkness. Gongsun Yunhe glanced at the corpse on the ground, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice, "It's Huaxi." His voice wasn't loud, but those who heard him felt a chill run down their spines. This Huaxi grass, also known as the Blood-Transforming Grass, is pale purple in color and has an elegant fragrance. When there are no open wounds, it poses no harm to the body. However, if it comes into contact with an open wound, it will cause poisoning. Its toxicity is no less than arsenic. Moreover, the symptoms are extremely gruesome and terrifying: the skin turns purple, and the stained wound bleeds profusely until death.

The deceased had accidentally cut his arm during the evacuation, and blood gushed out. No matter how much they tried to bandage and stop the bleeding, it was ineffective, and they could only watch helplessly as he bled to death.

Gongsun Yunhe stood with his brows furrowed and hands behind his back. A purple-robed man with a long beard hesitated for a moment before bowing and stepping forward. It was Yang Ji, Gongsun Yunhe's trusted subordinate. "I wonder what your opinion is, my lord... In my opinion, this poison may not have been administered today, and it may not even be..." He looked up at Gongsun Yunhe and said in a deep voice, "Only he has been poisoned..."

"What do you think? If we were all poisoned by Huaxi... wouldn't we be unable to withstand even the slightest injury?" Gongsun Yunhe looked at the dark forest and murmured, "On Luoyang Mountain, who can guarantee our safety?"

Yang Ji shook his head solemnly. "No. In your opinion, my lord—could this poison have been administered by Li Huangyin? Or could there be a traitor among us?"

“Li Huangyin is an extremely arrogant person,” Rong Gongsun Yunhe said, enunciating each word clearly. “Water flows from high to low. If he wanted to poison the water on the mountain, it would naturally become poisoned as well. We stayed at the foot of Luoyang Mountain for three days, having people test the water every day, and there were no problems—even if he thought we would discover his poisoning, he could have easily polluted all the underground and open streams first, keeping us busy searching for water sources. But he did nothing, just waiting for us to attack Luoyang Mountain. Besides… Luoyang Mountain is bitterly cold all year round, unsuitable for growing flowers.”

Yang Ji seemed to have thought of something, his eyes lit up, and he raised his voice: "Isn't Ye Changsheng the number one divine doctor in the martial arts world? Maybe she has a way to save us."

"That's the only way." Gongsun Yunhe sighed deeply and waved to the people behind him, "Go and invite her over."

The man in black obeyed and vanished in a flash.

Gongsun Yunhe stood beside the corpse for a long time, the blood-stained clothes starkly vivid in his eyes. His brows furrowed; the poison of the Flower Creek Grass couldn't be detected until it manifested, and if the medicinal properties weren't strong enough, there was no antidote. Although as long as they weren't injured, they would be fine after three days, in this critical moment, everyone's lives hung by a thread.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Physician Ye has arrived." Gongsun Yunhe immediately turned around, straightened his sleeves, and prepared to have a long talk with him.

Three people squeezed through from behind, stumbling and pulling at Ye Changsheng and Hei Yue in the middle. Gongsun Yunhe asked in surprise, "What's going on?" The man in black, sweating profusely, replied, "I was ordered by my lord to bring Physician Ye here, but... this lady, oh no, young lady, ignored my advice and insisted on coming along. I couldn't separate them for the time being..."

"Enough, enough, get out of here." Gongsun Yunhe waved his hand impatiently. "Guard the intersection and don't let anyone disturb us." Turning back to look at the mysterious "Number One Divine Physician of the Martial World"—Ye Changsheng—and the gleefully gesturing Black Moon beside him, he frowned, pointed to the corpses on the ground, and said as kindly as possible, "Divine Physician Ye, several of my subordinates have been poisoned by the Flower Stream Poison. These people on the ground have bled to death. I wonder if Divine Physician Ye has any way to save them?"

Ye Changsheng, who had just been dragged away by the man in black, loosened her grip, dusted off her sleeves, and smiled occasionally, glancing behind Gongsun Yunhe. Gongsun Yunhe stepped aside to make way, but Ye Changsheng neither approached nor asked a question for a while. Gongsun Yunhe wondered if Ye Changsheng had already found a solution, or perhaps she simply didn't want to take on this responsibility. She coughed, glanced at Ye Changsheng a few times, and asked, "In your opinion, Divine Doctor, is there a way to cure this?"

"This...this..." Ye Changsheng looked up at Gongsun Yunhe and stammered, "Actually, it's not impossible..." If Jia Ling were here, she would laugh until her stomach hurt. Ye Changsheng knew absolutely nothing about traditional Chinese medicine, yet Gongsun Yunhe insisted on asking her to detoxify him... He bet this quack doctor didn't even know what Huaxi grass was. Apart from using poison to fight poison, she probably couldn't come up with any other prescriptions.

Gongsun Yunhe was somewhat anxious. Everyone's lives hung by a thread, and the person before him was still dazed, slowly uttering medical jargon. He stepped over the wall, grabbed Ye Changsheng's wrist, and pulled her to the corpse. Ye Changsheng stumbled, startled, and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was startled by the magnified, paper-white face of a dead body before her. "I hope the divine physician will examine you carefully," Gongsun Yunhe said in a deep voice.

Ye Changsheng nodded repeatedly, squatted down to examine the corpse, and Hei Yue rushed over as well. Feeling around on the ground, he found a twig and poked at the wound. It was about two inches long and not very deep… He secretly wondered if Hua Xi was truly that powerful; such a small wound could be fatal. He nudged Hei Yue beside him and asked in a low voice, “Do you know Hua Xi?”

Hei Yue chuckled, "I've traveled all over the country since I was a child. What don't I know? This 'Flower Stream' is a kind of fragrant herb, but if ingested, it will cause damage to any wound, leading to uncontrollable bleeding and certain death." Chang Sheng suddenly understood, nodding repeatedly, and then asked, "Is there any way to save them?" After a moment's thought, Hei Yue blinked and stroked his chin, "Well... what good would it do me to cure them?"