The Tang Clan disciples have been known for their emphasis on poisons and hidden weapons over martial arts, leaving the elders with little power to improve their skills. Now, they are hoping that this marriage alliance will bring fresh blood to the Tang Clan and enable them to make breakthroughs in martial arts, so as not to tarnish the Tang Clan's century-old reputation.
The candlelight flickered red in the bridal chamber. Suddenly, a snapping sound rang out; one of the dragon and phoenix candles, its wick bursting. The bride, Xiao Qin, already extremely nervous, was startled. She sat upright on the wedding bed, trying to maintain her composure as she awaited the groom, her delicate hands twisting the mandarin duck-patterned veil into two tight spirals. Born the eldest daughter of the Yuejian Sect, a proud and arrogant young lady, she had always been haughty and unapproachable, with ordinary men failing to win her favor. Yet, she was captivated by him at first sight, disregarding her ladylike reserve and insisting that her father personally propose marriage. This marriage, from the exchange of birth certificates to the engagement ceremony and now the grand wedding, had only taken half a year, but it felt like a lifetime to her. His celestial beauty surpassed even that of her senior brother. Thinking of this, a hint of delicate beauty appeared on her face beneath the red veil.
Tang Li was already slightly tipsy after entertaining the guests. This marriage felt like it had fallen from the sky, leaving him still in a daze. Xiao Qingyuan, the leader of the Yuejian Sect, had personally come to the Tang Sect to propose marriage, offering his only daughter, Xiao Qin, to him, along with the peerless sword Chun Jun as dowry. As the son-in-law of the Yuejian Sect, his position in the Tang Sect would be unshakeable. How blessed Tang Li was! Thinking of this, Tang Li stumbled into the bridal chamber, a forced smile on his face, and went to lift the bride's red veil.
Seeing the new groom's eagerness, the bride's two maids covered their mouths to suppress their laughter and retreated. The two mischievous maids, seeing Tang Li's head maid, Luan Su, guarding the door, squeezed together at the door to listen to what was happening inside.
It sounded like a quarrel had broken out in the bridal chamber, but the three maids, none of whom knew martial arts, couldn't hear clearly. Soon, however, a full-blown brawl erupted. At first, the three maids found it amusing, thinking that marriages between martial arts families were indeed different from those elsewhere—the newlyweds trying to subdue each other with force on their wedding night. But the more they listened, the more something seemed amiss. The bride let out a piercing scream, followed by the sounds of weapons clashing. The three maids, no longer able to restrain themselves, rushed in. There stood the bride, dressed in her wedding gown, by the bed, her face deathly pale. She gripped a gleaming sword in both hands, her fingers taut and pale. The blade had drawn a three-inch gash across her delicate neck, blood trickling down the blade without leaving a trace.
By this time, Tang Li had sobered up somewhat, his face flushed, veins bulging, and his expression a mixture of regret, hatred, and jealousy. In the ensuing stalemate, he angrily threw his sword to the ground and, with half his body already flying, dashed out of the room.
The three maids were shocked and at a loss for what to do. Two of the dowry maids took Chun Jun from Miss Xiao's hand, while the other helped her remove her wedding dress, which was stained with blood. All three cautiously inquired about the reason, but Miss Xiao only shook her head and wept, remaining silent. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, "I want my father to annul the engagement!" The three maids were even more shocked, their faces turning pale. Announcing an engagement on the wedding night was unheard of. They would wait until the next morning to inform their elders, hoping to persuade Miss Xiao to change her mind. Luan Su wanted to apply medicine to the wound on Miss Xiao's neck, but Miss Xiao resolutely refused, coldly sneering, "I dare not use Tang Clan medicine. Who knows what you will use to harm me!" She then continued to cry. The three maids finally managed to coax her to sleep peacefully, but dared not go far, remaining guard at the door.
The next day, at dawn.
Tangmen Liufeng Garden.
After finishing a set of Crane Fist, Tang Yun quenched his thirst with a purple clay teapot, his wrinkled old face beaming with joy. He was over fifty years old, and although he only had one son, Tang Li, he was a promising young man. Now, his daughter-in-law was exceptionally well-matched. He only needed the elders to agree before he could pass the leadership of the sect to Tang Li, and then he could enjoy his retirement, spending his days with his grandchildren.
Unexpectedly, the steward Tang De rushed into Liufeng Garden, panting, and said, "Sect Leader, something terrible has happened, Young Madam, Miss Xiao has committed suicide."
Tang Yun dropped the purple clay teapot with a thud. Without asking any questions, she used her lightness skill to rush towards the Dream Garden where Tang Li was.
At this moment, both red candles had burned out, and the candlesticks were dripping with candle wax, creating a somewhat desolate scene.
Miss Xiao, dressed in her undergarments and covered with a brocade quilt adorned with mandarin ducks, lay on the wedding bed, her face drained of color, a sword wound on her neck. Beside her, Chun Jun lay like a pool of autumn water beneath the bed.
The three maids, suppressing their fear, recounted the events of the previous night in detail. They said that when they pushed open the door early this morning, they found that Miss Xiao had already passed away.
"Where is that wretched child, Li'er? Find him for me! Find him!"
"Reporting to the sect leader, the young master rode a fast horse overnight with two hundred men to Jiangnan." Tang De deeply regretted that he had gotten up too early because he wanted to get some good luck. Of all people to tell the girl, he had to run into her.
"Miss Xiao died at the Tang Clan's wedding night. How could the Yuejian Clan let us go? What should we do? What should we do?" Even Tang De, who had seen many storms, couldn't help but shed tears at this moment.
Tang Yun, being an experienced veteran, quickly calmed down and issued several orders: "Send a team to bring the young master back at all costs. I will personally take him to Yuejian Sect to apologize. Issue a Tang Sect order for Tang Huan to return immediately. Martial law throughout the fortress. Summon all Tang Sect personnel to withdraw. The investigation into the leak of the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Nail blueprints is temporarily suspended."
"Master, please rest for a while." Tang De couldn't help but call Tang Yun by the name he used before he became the sect leader.
"With the threat of annihilation looming before my eyes, how could I not be anxious!" Tang Yun's hands, usually steady despite being covered in age spots, trembled like withered leaves in the wind.
After calming down slightly, Tang Yun ordered the entire Dream Garden to be sealed off. Ignoring any concerns about appearances, he carefully examined Miss Xiao's body. There was only a very shallow wound on her neck, which hadn't damaged any arteries, and there were no signs of poisoning. The congealed blood had stained the bright red brocade quilt a dark red, indicating that she had died from excessive blood loss. The Chun Jun sword hadn't been tampered with either. Moreover, the Jade Bead was in the mandarin duck purse she wore close to her body; even if someone had deliberately poisoned her, it wouldn't matter. Tang Yun took out the perfectly round bead, radiating a lustrous sheen, and slowly held it in his palm, his expression grave.
Could it really be because of the pure balance? Legend has it that the benefit of pure balance can make wounds slow to heal and prevent bleeding from stopping.
Where to bury bones is not in a foreign land.
( ) Mo Xi once again became a flower thief, traveling day and night for thousands of miles to bring back a large bunch of white camellias.
It's a rare treat to have such a clear and crisp autumn day, with a high sky and light clouds.
However, the mountain wind here is biting cold.
The howling wind lifted her dress and skirt, making her slender figure appear even more frail.
She didn't erect a monument for him. She thought she could forget him in just a few days. But now it has taken her three whole years to forget him. She thought she would only need to stay with him for a few days, but now she has been living in Jinling for three years.
Thinking about it now, I realize how pretentious I've been, doing this crocodile tears for three years straight.
She gave a cold, sarcastic smile, put down the bundle of white camellias, and sat down amidst a patch of desolate weeds, her heart at peace.
His only warmth in his youth was buried here. She dug the grave herself with her bare hands. That day, she stole his body from the pile of corpses, carried him alone in the pitch-black night, and buried him on the spot only when she was exhausted.
Mo Xi felt that if she had any conscience, she would have been buried here long ago.
From that day on, she tried not to think about the past or the future. She only thought about living. Since that was what he wanted.
She still remembers her sword piercing his chest, feeling his heart stop beating, his blood gradually cooling, his life slowly slipping away, yet he was still smiling at her. That smile was surprisingly warm and comforting.
I wonder where she will be buried. But what difference does it make? Everywhere is a foreign land.
Mo Xi slowly stood up and walked down the mountain.
Several people were also sweeping the tombs in the distance. It was Tang Huan.
Mo Xi was hesitating whether to step forward when the girl in green saw her and waved at her.
Everyone in the martial arts world knows that the Tang Clan members are buried in the cemetery behind Tang Family Fortress. So who is buried here?
Tang Huan's face showed no sadness, but rather a hint of melancholy and relief. When Mo Xi approached, she even gave her a slight smile.
The mountain wind made his robes flutter, and he slowly bent down to gently place the last bunch of white chrysanthemums before the grave. Only then did Mo Xi understand what it meant to be dignified and refined, and to possess an elegant and lofty spirit.
The four young masters of the Tang Clan sent flowers, but they lacked creativity, all white chrysanthemums. They even covered the entire tomb. Yet, there was no inscription on the tombstone.
“That’s my sister.” Mo Xi concealed her surprise and looked at him quietly.
Tang Huan remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he suddenly snapped out of his reverie and gave Mo Xi another apologetic smile. He then gestured to the servant beside him that he could leave.
The servant's martial arts skills were mediocre, but his lower body was extremely stable. He carried Tang Huan down the mountain with very steady steps.
The group walked down the mountain in silence.
Mo Xi was heading to the Jiqiao Pavilion, and Tang Huan was also going, so they went together.
This time, however, the shop assistant led him directly to the storeroom. The place was somewhat like a modern bank vault. Along the way, the shop assistant knocked and tapped, and even his steps were very careful, suggesting that there were many hidden traps.
Upon seeing them, the shopkeeper quickly stood up. He took Mo Xi's Arabian Nights wooden plaque and placed it in a small drawer. With a click, a wooden box popped out from a row of drawers resembling a modern coin locker. The shopkeeper, being short-legged and round, almost rolled over as he tiptoed, finally managing to retrieve a light-colored oak lacquered makeup box and present it to Mo Xi. It was only carved with a few orchids, too plain for a girl. The shopkeeper was unusually attentive today, offering to make a new, gilded one for Mo Xi out of sandalwood, free of charge. Mo Xi was quite satisfied with the delicate craftsmanship; something too ornate would easily be stolen, which wouldn't be as appealing. She was simply finding a proper place to store her makeup and accessories.
While Mo Xi was collecting the makeup box, Maitreya Buddha presented Tang Huan with a set of white jade double dragon cups, which contained stewed snow pear with fritillaria and lily bulbs.