Ветер и дым

Глава 1

The First Part: Lotus Song

Chapter 1

—Just then, the sound of horses' hooves was heard.

—This plank road is so narrow that even people have to be very careful when crossing it, yet people can actually ride horses on it?

The rider on horseback called out from afar, "Make way, make way!" He kept calling as he rode without stopping, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of them.

Yue Shenhong was surrounded in the middle of the plank road, with a steep mountain wall beside her and a bottomless abyss below. She inwardly cried out in alarm; her martial arts skills were formidable, but she was afraid of heights. Meanwhile, Fei Yunzi had pursued her for nearly a thousand miles from Yunliang City, and now was their last chance to reclaim the "Yunluo Barrier." The moment they met, without a word, Fei Yunzi pointed his longsword, and Yue Shenhong pressed her hand to her hidden weapon pouch—the tension was palpable.

The horse wanted to pass, and they insisted that the others make way. But the Kongtong people had finally managed to surround Yue Shenhong, and they were unwilling to easily break away.

Several disciples of the Kongtong Sect stopped the troublesome horse. The rider exclaimed, "Eh? When did bandits appear on Wannian Mountain?" He carried a small bundle on his back, and his clothing was quite peculiar. He wore white robes of an unknown material, with wide sleeves revealing a deep red lining. The red was soft as water, shimmering beautifully in the setting sun, as if it could flow. Intricate patterns wound from the cuffs all the way in, the embroidery exquisite.

Even the few Kongtong disciples who knew nothing about weaving and embroidery could tell that the garment was quite valuable. Moreover, his head was adorned with a jeweled crown, two tassels hanging from his black hair; in the setting sun, the jewels shimmered and glowed alluringly. The group couldn't help but sigh inwardly; if they were truly bandits, they had stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"This is a private matter for the gang; please take another route, young master."

The man on horseback glanced at the sky, frowned, and said, "Besides this shortcut, where else can I make it to dinner? Hey, you guys, stop for a second before you start fighting."

Fei Yunzi, not wanting to cause any more trouble, coldly snorted and said, "Take him aside."

The disciples obeyed the order, but as soon as their hands touched the man's sleeve, their fingertips felt as if they had been burned by fire. The pain instantly traveled from their fingertips to their elbows, and their entire arms felt like they were soaking in a pot of hot oil. The pain was so intense that it felt like a layer of skin was about to peel off.

Those nearby saw several people rush forward and then retreat at the same time, each clutching their arms and screaming in pain, but there were no wounds on their hands.

Fei Yunzi was startled, only then realizing that the person on horseback was unusual, and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you, sir?"

Several people were groaning in pain beside his horse, but he didn't even look at them. He glanced at the sky again, sighed, and said softly, "Alas, if we delay any longer, we'll miss dinner..." As soon as he said this, his horse neighed softly and galloped over.

No one expected him to charge straight at them like that. The plank road was narrow, and they couldn't dodge in time. They raised their knives and slashed at the horse's legs. Fei Yunzi shouted, "Leave the antidote!"

Before the four words were even out of her mouth, her arm suddenly went numb, and with a series of clanging sounds, all the swords of the Kongtong people fell from their hands. Yue Shenhong also felt her arm go weak and exclaimed in surprise, "Such powerful bone-softening powder, such domineering poisonous wasps. Are you perhaps a member of the Tang Clan?"

She was a member of the Qingcheng Martial Arts Sect. Upon seeing the poisoned state of the previous group, she immediately recognized it as being caused by poisonous wasps. This poison doesn't cause substantial harm to the body and has no direct lethality; very few people truly know how to use it. Yet this person's poisonous wasps could cause martial artists to writhe in agony on the ground—truly a display of extreme ruthlessness.

Chapter Two

The Soft Bone Powder was also in the crimson medicine pouch. However, Soft Bone Powder is a slow-acting poison, and it couldn't possibly cause instant paralysis and weakness like this person did. Upon seeing him use the Poisonous Wasp, she knew he was a master of poisons and quickly swallowed a Detoxification Pill. Soft Bone Powder isn't supposed to be a lethal poison, only causing weakness and weakness in the muscles and bones. The Detoxification Pill couldn't counteract its effects; although she didn't collapse, she could no longer grip her longsword.

We are now near Chengdu, and the Tang Clan is located within Chengdu. The Tang Clan's poisons and hidden weapons are renowned throughout the world. If such a master of poisons were not from the Tang Clan, where else could compare?

The horse was incredibly intelligent; its four hooves leaped through the gaps between the fallen members of Kongtong Sect, without stepping on a single piece of clothing. As soon as the horse landed, the rider turned around, a smile appearing in his eyes and brows, and said, "Hmm, my surname is Tang. You have good eyesight. That antidote is also quite skillful; it actually withstood my poison. Why don't you come with me and let me train you properly?"

Yue Shenhong presented the bundle she was carrying and said respectfully, "So you are a Tang Clan expert. My apologies. This is the Qingcheng secret treasure 'Yunluo Barrier,' which I was just about to present to your esteemed family head as a birthday gift. Unfortunately, I was blocked by the Kongtong Sect members and almost missed the opportunity. Fortunately, I encountered you, young master."

The man on horseback didn't take the gift, but asked, "Are you from the Qingcheng Sect? What is your relationship with Yue Tong?"

“It is indeed my father,” Yue Shenhong replied, a slight sense of satisfaction rising within her. Her father was over sixty, and held a high position in the martial world; anyone who inquired would address him as “Sect Leader Yue.” This young man, however, addressed her father by his given name without the slightest courtesy. Therefore, she asked, “May I ask which generation you belong to, young master? My father and your esteemed family head are of the same generation, so if Shenhong knows your generation, it will be easier to address you.”

The man cracked his whip, "The 'Qie' generation."

The Tang Clan has five generations living together: Qie, Yu, Cong, Qian, and Kun. The current patriarch is of the "Cong" generation, named Tang Congrong. The "Qie" generation represents the patriarch's ancestors, who would be at least seventy or eighty years old, while this man is only in his early twenties. Even the usually composed Yue Shenhong couldn't contain her excitement. "Is Young Master joking?"

“I don’t have time for jokes.”

The young man from the Tang Clan, who identified himself as belonging to the "Qie" generation, glanced at the sky again. The sun had turned a deep red and was about to set. "Damn, we're going to be late! As for that Little Crimson guy, anyway, those few have been given my Bone-Softening Powder, they won't be able to muster any strength for a while—"

Before he could finish speaking, Fei Yunzi on the ground suddenly moved, a flash of sword light, slashing towards his back. He dodged, his bundle was ripped open by the blade, and several black and white objects were jolted by the sword and fell off the plank road.

The man on horseback immediately changed color, turned over and reached out to grab it, not caring that there was a cliff right outside the plank road.

Fei Yunzi was overjoyed. He saw the white-clad figure fall and flutter like a bird, with a faint, soft red glow emanating from the cuffs. He hadn't expected the Tang Clan members to be so strange. Were they going to jump off a cliff just because they were ambushed? This was truly heaven's help! He brandished his longsword, pointing it at Yue Shenhong, "Hand over the Cloud Net Barrier at once!"

The Detoxifying Pill couldn't completely neutralize the effects of the Soft Bone Powder. Yue Shenhong, having narrowly escaped a sword strike, was in a very sorry state. Right now, she had no choice but to hand over the Cloud Silk Barrier—no, even handing it over wouldn't guarantee her survival.

Chapter Three

The mountain wind whipped her clothes, and below lay a deep abyss. If she were to fall from here… just thinking about it made the hairs on her body stand on end. But her limbs were weak and powerless, and Fei Yunzi reached out and pressed her pressure points.

After confirming that the bundle contained the Cloud Silk Barrier, Fei Yunzi laughed triumphantly and said, "Now it's truly returned to its rightful owner, you wretch!" With a gentle push, he sent Yue Shenhong tumbling off the plank road.

No words can describe the fear of that moment. The fear reached such a deep level that not even a scream could be uttered. The force and speed of the fall seemed to tear the soul away from the body; for someone with a fear of heights, the greatest hope at that moment was to hit the ground quickly and die.

My body landed... no, not on the ground, because I felt no pain at all.

She fell into someone's arms.

The pearl tassels in his hair hung down and touched her face; the beads were round and cool.

The Tang Clan disciple who claimed to be of the "Qie" generation, the one who jumped off the cliff, actually survived.

Not only did he not die, but he also caught her, lightly climbing up the protruding rocks with his toes, and with a twist, returned to the plank road.

Although his steps were light, his face had darkened. His pupils narrowed to slits, like a cat's or a snake's eyes, with an eerie light.

The light pierced Fei Yunzi's heart like a needle, involuntarily giving rise to a sense of fear. The person before him, with his jade belt and pearl crown, red lips and white teeth, was clearly a noble young master, yet his gaze was like that of a demon from hell. He said, word by word, "You almost ruined my gift."

Several black and white jade stones lay in his palm, round and uniform in size; they were chess pieces.

As he approached step by step, Fei Yunzi retreated step by step, the courage he had mustered with his sword strike vanished. He could only feel his legs trembling slightly.

He stared at Fei Yunzi, but before he could move, his palm suddenly pressed against Fei Yunzi's chest.

Fei Yunzi was terrified and cried out, "Spare me!"

These two words made his hand pause slightly, then he suddenly chuckled softly, "That's right, today is his birthday, I can't bring blood to his gift." He patted Fei Yunzi's chest, "Go ahead, you're lucky!"