Поездка ранней весной

Глава 35

Two figures, one in black and one in white, clashed. Queyue watched quietly from the sidelines. Losing her martial arts skills didn't mean she couldn't see the situation clearly. She no longer intended to observe. Suddenly, she waved her hand, and the Cangming Sect members guarding her rushed forward, attacking Jun Yuqing with overwhelming numbers.

With several people attacking simultaneously, even if Jun Yuqing remained composed, he would have no chance of defeating Adi under such distracted circumstances. However, even with Adi's sword already at his neck, this proud man, who tolerated no compromise, refused to surrender and resolutely thrust back—Adi's sword tip hastily deflected, but still managed to slash Jun Yuqing's neck, leaving a shallow cut from which crimson blood immediately seeped out.

This person is ruthless; even towards their own life, they can be so heartless and resolute.

Adi no longer harbored any illusions and thrust her sword towards his shoulder—the only way to make Jun Yuqing stop was to deprive him of the ability to retaliate!

A blood-red blot quickly spread across the white clothes, as if blooming.

Jun Yuqing merely shuddered, without uttering a sound. His eyes were fixed coldly on Adi, and then a cold smile appeared on his face.

Adi only heard a slight cry of surprise from behind Queyue. Since the assassins of the Dark Pavilion had been basically eliminated, everyone's attention was on Jun Yuqing, and they had neglected Queyue! Turning around abruptly, he saw the Iron Pavilion Master restraining Queyue with his sword, not saying a word, just staring at Adi with disappointment.

Adi can be considered to have been trained by him personally. At that time, when Leng Gezhu was still alive, he was the highest instructor of the Dark Pavilion. Due to Adi's special identity, in addition to training with other assassins, he was fully in charge of Adi's training and put him through more rigorous tests than the others.

Ah Di had endured those trials. He had always thought Ah Di would be very successful—because in the Dark Pavilion, if you couldn't rise above others, you would die; those who remained were all elites who had set aside personal feelings. But he never expected that Ah Di would be so sentimental, even willing to become an enemy of Qingzun Tower and the Dark Pavilion.

He placed the sword steadily against Queyue's fair neck, remaining silent and waiting for Adi to make her own decision.

Without a doubt, Adi had only one choice. His heart had clenched the moment he saw Queyue in the hands of the Iron Pavilion Master. But when he saw Queyue's eyes, calm as still water, there was no panic, only a slight disapproval. They couldn't let all their efforts be in vain here.

Adi frowned. What good would it do if Queyue were to die here?

Chapters 59-60

However, Queyue's gaze remained calm. Before he could react, she suddenly raised her hand and pressed it against the Iron Pavilion Master's face—the Iron Pavilion Master reacted instantly, turning his head and striking—as the sharp blade in his hand sliced through Queyue's skin, a cloud of white powder was thrown at his face. To minimize the damage, Queyue forcefully turned her body away. The sword failed to slit her throat, but instead opened a bloody gash in her shoulder. Ignoring the pain, Queyue pulled out a silver hairpin from her hair. The sharp, eerie blue tip of the hairpin plunged into the Iron Pavilion Master's arm!

After reflexively holding her breath, the Iron Pavilion Master realized she had been tricked! The powder might be poisonous, but not dangerous. The real trump card was this silver hairpin—a slightly painful yet heavy numbness instantly spread from her arm, rendering half of her body immobile—she had been with Crescent Moon for so many days, how could Crescent Moon leave her defenseless?

"Zhijin!!" Adi rushed over, quickly applied pressure to stop the bleeding, and pressed tightly on Queyue's wound.

He glanced quickly at Jun Yuqing, who was still being held down by the crowd. He should kill him immediately, with his own hands. However, Queyue's situation was more urgent. The wound was in the back of his neck, and blood was gushing out. Even with pressure point manipulation and tight pressure, the relief was limited.

He scooped up Queyue in his arms and said to the Cangming Sect members, "Give him to Xinyue!" Then he swiftly flew away.

If he had a choice, perhaps it would be best for him to kill Jun Yuqing with his own hands.

But since he hasn't killed him now, he'll probably be even less able to do it later. He can only leave it to Xinyue; whatever happens to Jun Yuqing in the future is none of his business. He won't listen, he won't ask.

He was just a selfish person. He was kind, gentle, and compassionate, but only when Queyue was safely by his side could he leisurely display all those qualities.

He found the Iron Pavilion Master's room, kicked open the door, placed Queyue on the bed, took out some hemostatic medicine from the cabinet, applied it to the wound, and quickly bandaged it. Even though he knew that such a wound wouldn't be fatal if treated promptly, the crisscrossing old wounds beneath the torn clothes, combined with this bloody new one, was heartbreaking. If the wound had been any more pronounced, it would have severed her throat.

He stayed by the bedside, leaving the mess outside to others to handle, and focused on taking care of Queyue.

Queyue had managed to stay conscious, but she was weak from blood loss and drowsy as she leaned against the bed. Looking at Adi, who was taking care of her, she forced herself to ask, "How is she?"

Adi held her hand. "It's alright. The situation is completely under control. With Master Yi taking charge and everyone else helping, it may take a couple more days to sort things out."

She softly hummed in agreement before finally falling asleep.

The door was pushed open softly, and Xinyue tiptoed in carrying a bowl of medicine. Adi turned around, gave her a "thank you" smile, took the bowl, and put it aside, not wanting to wake Queyue, who had just fallen asleep. Xinyue peeked at Queyue on the bed, but also afraid of disturbing her, she tiptoed out again.

Standing at the door, he let out a long sigh of relief. It was finally all over. From now on, there would be no more obstacles between Queyue and Adi.

—Leng Er, you idiot, you couldn't have lived a few more days to see this scene...

The "Duan Jin" you admire has found happiness—not because of you. The "Que Yue" you didn't know whether you liked or disliked has also found happiness—not because of you either. But you should be grateful.

She slapped her cheeks hard, trying to regain her composure—now, it was time for her to seriously consider how to deal with that sonless bastard!

The wounds of the crescent moon heal very slowly.

The affairs of the Dark Pavilion were mostly settled. Those who could be taken in were brought to Qingzun Tower, while those who couldn't were simply eliminated. Yi Moran did all this swiftly and decisively, without any mercy. This made him realize that even after ten years as Yi Moran in Qinlou, he still couldn't shake off what he had brought from the Dark Pavilion. Those things had long since seeped into his very bones. However, he no longer needed to care—even the Dark Pavilion no longer existed, so what was the point of him dwelling on it?

Amidst all this success, the only thing that worries me is the injury to Queyue.

Although she had lost her martial arts skills, the excellent physique she had developed through martial arts training remained, which was why Ah Di had been able to treat her injuries with twice the results. However, now, the healing was unexpectedly slow, with her condition fluctuating.

Crescent Moon remained silent, feigning ignorance. Adi, with his exceptional medical skills, naturally couldn't fail to see—the knot in his heart was loose, the root of the problem lay within.

Everything was over, but she felt no joy.

Adi didn't ask a single question; perhaps he knew better than anyone else. He simply took care of Queyue silently, smiling gently as always.

"Adi, should we go back first and recover slowly?" Queyue asked, looking at his warm smile. Adi smiled and shook his head. "My injuries haven't healed yet, so it's not advisable to move me. Why are you suddenly saying this?"

“I’m just worried that…you and the owner of the clothing store won’t feel comfortable staying here.”

"Don't think so much, we... we've already let it go." We've let it go, but what about you, when will you be able to let it go? Adi slightly composed herself, her face nonchalant, "The sun is shining brightly today, I'll carry you outside for some fresh air. It's not good to stay cooped up inside all the time."

He set up a soft couch in the courtyard, settled Queyue in her place, and asked gently, "What would you like to eat? I'll make it."

Queyue couldn't help but laugh, "I only want to eat the fruit soup made by Xinyue." Meaning, Ahdi's cooking skills should be saved.

"Hey, you're going to ruin my chance to improve. If it's just the two of us from now on, where are we going to find a new moon to work with?"

"I'll take care of it from now on," Queyue said softly with a smile.

Seeing her smile, Adi was slightly pleased. "Okay, I'll go call Xinyue." He gently touched her forehead with his lips and turned to leave.

Queyue quietly closed her eyes, trying not to think about anything.

Approaching footsteps, light and steady, sounded somewhat familiar. Opening her eyes, she saw Yi Moran standing before her, blocking a sliver of sunlight. She was as composed and serene as ever, but the weariness of the past seemed to have faded considerably, as if she had laid down her burdens, serene and relaxed.

"What's wrong? What's been bothering you lately?" He asked bluntly, without any formalities. It seemed that speaking frankly was the most natural thing to do, and all the politeness, the pretense and perfunctory gestures, were discarded along with the burden.

"No, why do you ask that..."

"If not, would you be so troubled? Everyone can see it, even Xiaoliu Zhi is worried about you, but… this makes me realize I don't truly understand you. It's clear that Adi and Xinyue know what's troubling you, but I don't… ultimately, I don't understand you enough…" His fingers gently stroked her cheek. His smile, though always serene and distant, felt detached, devoid of warmth. But today, besides that distance, it seemed to hold a deeper tenderness and a touch of mystery, making him seem like an ordinary person. "Although it's all pieced together, I roughly know your story… Are you still bothered by the fact that you were once Jun Yuqing's concubine?"

"Maybe it is, maybe I've forgotten. I haven't thought about it in detail. Since I've died once, my past self is just the past. I don't care about the past. As for whether Adi cares or not, that depends on his own thoughts."

"I suppose this was already decided long ago. Although Adi has never said anything, it's clear that his feelings for you have never changed." It's precisely this [unchanged] aspect that makes one feel at ease and at ease. "Perhaps... no one can truly compare to Adi. Only he could make Cangming Queyue a flesh-and-blood ordinary woman, simple yet happy... Back then, missing you was truly a regret..."

The touch of her fingers on my face was gentle and warm, making me feel a little reluctant to leave.

In a daze, it was just like when they first met. This person had a subtle attraction for her—mature, peaceful, and a little distant, yet he made her look up to him and pursue him unconsciously—just like her father, whose appearance had long since become blurred in her memory.

Yi Moran sighed softly. He cherished Queyue because she had endured so much suffering, yet remained serene and untroubled, as if no resentment could wash away her. He also missed Queyue because of her daily transformation, from a woman as indifferent as if she had left no trace, to someone more mature, vibrant, and warm like a flower. To watch and witness her blossoming gave him an unforgettable sense of accomplishment. Sadly, this feeling didn't belong to him. Only Adi could have brought about such a change in her.

Even if he had seized the opportunity back then, he wouldn't have been confident that he could have brought that smile to her face today. He leaned forward, his lips lightly touching Queyue's forehead like a feather—Queyue paused, her breath catching in her throat.

“Master Yi—” Adi held a bowl of fruit soup in his hand, staring at the hand that Yi Moran placed on Queyue’s cheek with a gloomy expression.

Yi Moran turned back and smiled, but did not let go of her hand. She seemed quite pleased to watch her fingers gently glide across Queyue's smooth cheek each time, and Adi's expression darkened even more.

"What do you mean by this, Master Yi?"

Yi Moran finally couldn't hold back and burst into loud laughter. Queyue was startled, while Adi's face turned from black to red, then red to white, then white to black. Yi Moran knew he couldn't go too far, so he stood up and patted Adi's shoulder. "Don't take it too seriously, it's just a memorial—I have no feelings for Queyue anymore, and it makes no difference to you or her." As he spoke, he gently touched Adi's forehead with his lips, and the bowl of fruit soup in Adi's hand finally fell to the ground, wasted.

Yi Moran had already gone far away, and behind him came his hearty laughter as he let loose. Adi, however, remained standing there, stiff as a board, her mind blank and unable to think.

Queyue tugged at the corners of her mouth and gave him a smile, wisely deciding to forget what she had just witnessed.

Chapter Sixtieth

Adi sat down next to Queyue with a slightly embarrassed look on her face, then immediately stood up again. "Fruit soup—I'll go get another bowl!"

"No need," Queyue said, tugging at his sleeve. "Sit with me for a while."

Adi sat down, remaining silent for a long time, unsure how to begin. He had originally planned to speak to Queyue, but Yi Moran's interruption left him speechless. Queyue, of course, knew he had something to say today, so she simply sat with him without urging him on.

It was just... a little unexpected. How could Yi Moran, who was always so mature and composed, do something like this on purpose...?

“Um… brocade…” Adi scratched his head for a long time, unable to find a topic, so he directly picked the most important thing and said: “Let’s go back to the village for a walk.”

"Okay." Queyue smiled, feeling warm and peaceful under the warm sunlight.

"I'll go prepare."

"Um."

A faint smile remained on Queyue's face. Yes... she wanted to go back... So he knew. He had always known.

Adi had someone prepare a more spacious carriage, and personally decorated it to be soft and comfortable, even wrapping the wheels with thick linen. Then he went to pack up the medicinal herbs and bandages.

Just as he finished loading the things onto the carriage and was thinking about what snacks to prepare for Queyue on the road, Xinyue rushed out in a flurry of activity. Seeing him, she yelled, "Are you crazy?! You're taking Queyue out?! Her injuries haven't healed yet, are you trying to kill her on the road?!"

"No, it won't." Adi smiled gently but confidently. "I'll take good care of things. Besides, we're not in a hurry. We can just walk slowly."

"Why do we have to go now? Can't we wait until Queyue's injuries heal?"

"I only wanted her to recover soon, that's why I took her there."

Crescent Moon's brow furrowed tightly. The waning moon, burdened by inner turmoil, found itself constantly reminded of this pent-up frustration—a fact Crescent Moon couldn't deny. Frustrated and struggling, she finally sighed, waved her hand—"Go on, go on. Consider it a vacation."

"But if you just leave like this, won't it be a problem if Qingzun Tower is left unmanaged?"

"Let's think about this kind of thing when we get back."

Currently, the only issue that needs to be prioritized is the waning moon.

After everything was tidied up, Adi tied his long hair back up with a cloth, took off his black satin brocade robe and changed into a brown coarse cloth garment, rolled up his sleeves, and looked exactly like a country bumpkin from the mountains. Xinyue looked at him with great curiosity. His nose was still the same nose, his eyes were still the same eyes, but his demeanor was so clean and restrained that she couldn't see any trace of the "Master of Qingzun Pavilion." She patted Adi heavily on the shoulder, further strengthening her resolve.

"Young man, you've got potential! If you ever can't make it at Qingzun Tower, be sure to come find me!"

Adi just smiled and remained noncommittal. As for Xinyue, she was dragged back by Xiao Wuqing as soon as she finished speaking.

Adi entered the house, carried Queyue out, and settled her into the carriage. Xinyue broke free and rushed over again, pulling Queyue and saying, "Be careful on the road. Make sure Adi takes good care of you. Use him as much as you can, but don't tire yourself out. If he dares to bully you, you must find a way to send me a message, and I'll take some men to beat him to a pulp!"

Queyue smiled and patted her hand, "I'm just going to recuperate, you don't need to worry about me so much."

"How could I not think about it? I wasn't thinking things through back then, and you disappeared... You suffered so much, and I couldn't help you at all..." At that time, she was still angry with Xiao Wuqing, and when she learned that Queyue was in trouble, it was too late to go. Queyue didn't expect that she was still thinking about this matter, and smiled at her, "How could I not help? You saved my life."

Huh? Crescent Moon looked up, blinking her eyes, puzzled.

"Do you still remember the pills you gave me when you came to see me after I was imprisoned at Qingzun Tower?" Those were special life-saving medicines made by Xinyue. "After being tortured in Cangming, if it weren't for the medicine you left behind, I probably wouldn't have survived until I met Adi."

This carefree girl can sometimes be so heartwarming.

New Moon finally felt relieved, realizing that she hadn't been completely unhelpful to Crescent Moon, and her mood improved considerably.

"Queyue, we must return now, to Cangming. After such a long period of silence, it's time for Cangming to re-emerge. I will build Cangming into the number one demonic sect! From now on, we will dominate the world and no one can stop us!"

Looking into Crescent Moon's bright, sparkling eyes, Crescent Moon had no doubt that she could do it. Seeing her so enthusiastic, even the slight reluctance that had inexplicably arisen was completely suppressed.

From then on, Cangming and Qingzunlou were no longer enemies. They might meet at any time, perhaps in the martial world, or perhaps in some beautiful place with delicious food. Reluctance was not something that should belong to women as carefree or indifferent as them.

Adi and Queyue traveled slowly. Adi kept the vehicle steady, slowing down even the slightest bump, enjoying the scenery along the way, and resting when they were tired. Such days might not come often, so they cherished them all the more.