Ветер и дым

Глава 18

As he spoke, he gently fanned the bowl with one hand, wafting the aroma of the porridge towards Tang Congrong's nose. Tang Congrong's nostrils twitched, and her eyes slowly opened. "You made this?"

"Of course. Could an ordinary person make such fragrant porridge?"

The aroma of rice, the aroma of red porridge... Tang Congrong smiled slightly, put on her clothes, and got out of bed.

A long time ago... was he thirteen or fourteen? Tang Congrong had accumulated so much cold energy in his body that it affected his constitution. Every now and then, he would have a few days when his limbs were cold and he felt lethargic. At these times, his appetite was extremely poor, and he would often not eat or drink anything all day. He would only eat a few bites of the porridge that Tang Qiefang cooked.

Tang Qiefang's porridge was cooked in an earthenware pot, and no one knew where she learned the method, but the porridge she made was especially fragrant. One winter when he was seven years old, he secretly practiced the Flower Rain Needle technique and fainted. Tang Qiefang found him and cooked a pot of porridge for him to wake up.

As the soft porridge enters my mouth, memories from many years ago come flooding back, so distant yet so near.

They would do their best to solve any trouble the other faced, and share any punishment... Countless days had passed like this, with no distinction of seniority or status between them, and neither ever feeling that they were weaker or stronger than the other. But at this moment, Tang Qiefang felt a strange tenderness in her heart—

—I want him to stand behind me…

—That look of despair, that look of tears, must never be seen again…

—Ideally, things could always be like this moment, with soft voices, gentle light, and smiles over a bowl of porridge…

"Since you like it so much..." Tang Qiefang heard her own voice ringing out in the spring night, so gentle, "I can make it for you every day."

Tang Congrong glanced at him and said, "Be careful. Once you've promised me something, you can't go back on your word."

A glint of light flashed in Tang Qiefang's eyes, dazzlingly bright. "When have I ever gone back on my word?"

That's true. Tang Congrong lowered her head and smiled, put down her chopsticks, and lazily tried to lie back down on the bed. Tang Qiefang frowned and asked, "You're still so listless after eating? Are you feeling unwell?"

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Yes, the carriage ride was so bumpy it hurt my bones."

"Seriously, it's a wonder that a man is this delicate." As she spoke, Tang Qiefang sat down next to the bed. "Let me massage you."

Tang Congrong rolled over and lay face down on the pillow. Tang Qiefang's long, strong fingers kneaded his shoulders, arms, and back, the just-right pressure bringing a slightly painful, tingling sensation that dispelled the fatigue of the journey. "Mmm..." Tang Congrong groaned comfortably.

Tang Qiefang paused, her heart skipping a beat for no apparent reason.

Pshaw, what a load of rubbish. Even if the body under my hand is as supple as a man, it's still a man. Why am I blushing and my heart is racing?

But that groan was like a thread pulling at her heart, bringing with it a tingling itch she wanted to scratch but couldn't. The person before her had just showered; her long hair was still wet, with a few strands clinging to her neck and rising and falling slightly with her breath. Pale red lips, half-closed eyes, an expression of pure enjoyment… Tang Qiefang found herself almost losing control!

He recoiled as if burned, abruptly pulled his hand back, stood up, and a distinct thought flashed through his mind: It really has been a long time since I've been with a woman.

"Why did you stop?" Tang Congrong's voice still carried a hint of a lingering tone, making Tang Qiefang's heart skip a beat again.

"Hey." Tang Qiefang glanced at him sideways, "How about I take you to experience something new today?"

Tang Congrong was stunned for a moment before she understood what he meant. A blush rose on her face, and she turned over to face inside, saying, "Go by yourself if you want to."

Tang Qiefang couldn't help but pause again—why did she find that blush so beautiful?

The patriarch of the Tang Clan went off to seek pleasure alone.

The place I'm staying tonight is called Yingcheng. It's a big city. A big city means that everything is big. The inn is big, the streets are big, and even the brothel is big.

Tang Qiefang was dressed in fine clothes, with a face as beautiful as jade, a charming demeanor, and a generous spending habit. She was the most popular customer in the brothel, and the madam immediately pulled out her top courtesan upon seeing her.

The top courtesan was exceptionally beautiful, with snow-white skin so delicate it seemed as if it could be broken with a touch. After singing a song and drinking two cups of wine, she collapsed into Tang Qiefang's arms. With the beauty in his embrace, Tang Qiefang inhaled the sweet fragrance of perfume. The candlelight was soft and red, and in this most tender and joyful moment in the depths of the mortal world, he buried his head in her chest.

She groaned.

But what echoed in his mind was someone else's voice.

Long hair cascaded down her neck, her eyes were half-closed, and her lips were pale red...

He tightened his grip on the beauty's waist, feeling a fire burning within him. He buried himself even closer, even closer...

The red candles flickered gently. After a moment of blissful pleasure, Tang Qiefang got up, put on his clothes, and the beauty embraced him. "You've already paid for the night, why are you leaving now?"

Tang Qiefang gently pinched her chin, "There are still people waiting for me."

As spring deepens, the wind blows and clothes flutter, creating a light and carefree feeling.

Tang Qiefang's steps became lighter, and she finally leaped onto the roof and headed towards the inn.

Tang Congrong was half asleep when he heard the soft sound of the door opening. "You're back?" he asked. "This time you came very quickly—" He suddenly opened his eyes.

These footsteps aren't right; it's not Tang Qiefang.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

In the darkness, the sword blades reflected the starlight. Tang Congrong grabbed the cloud-patterned barrier with one hand and threw out the pillow with the other, which contained a few silver needles. She then leaped from the bed and flew towards the window.

In a flash, he could see that there were at least four or five men in black. He rarely traveled in the martial arts world and did not know who they were. However, in the confined space, he was no match for them with his current skills. His only chance of winning lay in his lightness skill.

He leaped out, slammed open the window, and two gleaming sword lights suddenly shot up in front of him.

The opponent was clearly a seasoned veteran, having blocked every door and window meticulously. In the midst of the chaos, Tang Congrong used his hands to gain leverage on the window frame and flipped directly onto the roof. However, before he could avoid the gleaming sword light, a sharp pain in his back made him freeze in mid-air.

The two men guarding the window exchanged a look of fear. This was already the most powerful sword strike in the sect, and they were determined to strike and intercept Tang Congrong. However, they never expected that there would be such a fast movement technique and such superb lightness skill in the world. Tang Congrong's body seemed to break in two between the window frames and onto the roof.

"Who are you people?" Tang Congrong asked, opening the cloud-like barrier in his hand like an umbrella in front of him. "Have I offended you in any way?"

"Enough with the nonsense, leave what you have!"

"So it was for the Cloud Barrier." Tang Congrong sneered. "I still don't know what power this thing has. Today, I'll use you as an example!"

The Tang Clan patriarch, Hua Manyu's Needles, and the Cloud Barrier—the black-clad men tightened their grip on their swords. Though they outnumbered each other, what were their chances of victory?