Неторопливый молодой мастер - Глава 2
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in this world.
That year, when they were drinking wine together, they said that Hua Mengyuan's beauty and talent made her worthy of being called the most beautiful woman in the world.
But who knows that this title is too heavy, and in the end it is nothing more than—a beauty in the morning, a skeleton in the evening.
A lifetime passes in the blink of an eye.
if.
If she could choose again, she would only wish to be born as an ordinary woman, riding side by side with her beloved, roaming the world together.
B
Youthful days are as wonderful as a knife (1)
I am the dignified leader of Black Wind Stronghold on Falling Feather Mountain! My head may be severed, my blood may splatter, but I will never shed a tear! Even if I'm dumped, I'll still have my pride! As he shouted this, tears began to fall.
one
Wancheng, Manyueju Restaurant.
A handsome young man in flowing white robes, a cup of wine in hand, exuding elegance and charm... well, there's a hint of awkwardness.
"Why?" The person opposite him eagerly tried to grasp his hand, asking repeatedly, "Why? Why... Did I...did I do something wrong?"
The young man in white flicked his wrist, dodging the somewhat rough-looking hand, and sighed, "Little Flower, I'm not..."
"If you're willing to call me by my name, then you must still be willing to give me a chance!" The hand, which didn't look particularly pretty, was surprisingly nimble, reaching out and grabbing its target again. The voice was urgent, "Nianchen, you know I'm a rough man, I don't know how to say nice things. But...but, as long as you say it, I'll change!"
The white-robed young man's clear eyes were filled with helplessness, tinged with regret and heartache. He slowly said, "My father has been invited to this year's 'Golden Goblet Wine' gathering, which is an honor for the Bai family..." He paused, seemingly unwilling to say more, then stood up, lightly flicked his sleeve, and said, "Little Flower, in short, the two of us are not suitable for each other, so let's stop here. If we meet again in the martial world someday, and you still consider me a friend, then sit down and have a drink, and let bygones be bygones. If you don't, I won't force you."
With a snap, the person sitting opposite him shattered the wine glass in their hand, the shards cutting their fingers, blood dripping onto the table, but she paid no heed.
"Nianchen, no, don't say that. What's wrong with us? I really have started wearing women's clothes and makeup recently. You can see for yourself..."
With a hint of fear in her voice, she brought her face closer, but the white-robed young man frowned slightly and turned his head away—if her gaudy, illegible-looking jacket could be considered women's clothing, and if the two bright red cheekbones on her dark face could be considered rouge… he admired his own composure, managing to stare at her for so long without making a sound!
Compared to them, the young lady from the Situ family is truly an angel descended from heaven!
More importantly, Jiang Dong Situ is a frequent guest at the "Golden Goblet Wine" gathering every year. If he can win Miss Situ's favor, then this year...
Thinking of that beautiful face with delicate features, and his father's furrowed brows, he no longer hesitated. He turned and left with a flick of his hand, his words cold: "Xiao Hua, our fate ends here. There's no point in saying more. Take care of yourself. If you want to come back, don't blame me for disregarding our years of friendship!"
The person opposite him froze, staring at his retreating figure. The remaining wine on the table had gone cold, and he couldn't help but sigh.
Downstairs at Manyueju, a large crowd had gathered.
These people don't look like people to be messed with.
On the right, a group of people were dressed in spotless white clothes, each holding a sword, tall and elegant, with arrogant expressions; the other group was the complete opposite, each one with thick waists and broad shoulders, with tattoos on their chests and arms, looking like either bandits or robbers.
The two groups were glaring at each other, the atmosphere was very tense.
Finally, a handsome young man in white snorted coldly.
The dark-skinned, muscular man at the very front of the tattooed group seized the opportunity and shouted, "Pretty boy, just say what you have to say! What kind of hero are you, buzzing around like a mosquito!"
The "pretty boy's" face turned even paler, and he couldn't help but reach for his sword, but was stopped by an older man. The older man smiled slightly and said, "Sixteenth brother, why bother with such uncouth people from the mountains? Young Master is already struggling to escape, and you're going to provoke him. Isn't that a joke?"
The pretty boy was taken aback, then snorted and said with a mocking smile, "Fifth Senior Brother is right. I was confused. The people of Black Wind Stronghold are shameless. Once they get involved, they won't let go. I must be careful not to follow in Young Master's footsteps."
"Hey! Pretty boy, what are you cursing at? Who are you calling names?" Although the burly man wasn't very bright, he could still tell that the man was implying something, and he immediately jumped up and down. "Sister Hua is the leader of a stronghold, how is she not good enough for your young master? They are in love with each other, what do you know!"
Youthful days are as wonderful as a knife (2)
"I certainly don't know anything, but you seem to know a thing or two." The pretty boy sneered, not wanting to pay him any more attention. Meanwhile, another man in white muttered to himself, "A vulgar country bumpkin, thinking she's a phoenix just because she's the leader of a bunch of men. Hilarious..."
This was a brilliant remark, spoken at just the right volume so that both groups could hear it clearly. The man in white chuckled, while the tattooed burly men were seething with rage, their anger surging, and a fight seemed inevitable...
Soft footsteps echoed on the stairs.
A detached male voice said softly, "Let's go."
"Young Master!"
A dozen or so men dressed in white shouted in unison, clearly well-trained. The white-clad man descending from upstairs nodded elegantly, his eyes gentle and affectionate, a folding fan swaying gracefully as he said, "Greetings, friends from Black Wind Stronghold. Today's wine will be on the bill for Jade Unicorn Manor. I must take my leave now, until we meet again!"
The burly man was stunned for a moment when he heard that the drinks were free, but he quickly recovered and blocked his way, saying gruffly, "Where's Sister Hua? Why didn't she come down with you?"
"Third Master Hao, please step aside." Bai Nianchen frowned.
"No way!" The burly man straightened his neck and said stubbornly, "Where's Sister Hua? She clearly said she was going boating on the lake with you, and she even dressed up specially. Why didn't she come down with you?"
Bai Nianchen snapped his folding fan shut and said calmly, "She's upstairs. You can go find her..."
Before she could finish speaking, a loud crash came from upstairs. A woman wearing a colorful jacket and carrying a large knife stumbled down the stairs. She had just reached the last step when she stepped on a chicken bone on the ground, slipped, and fell face down on the greasy ground.
"Nian... Nianchen, don't go, please let me say one more thing..."
She hurriedly shouted incoherently, but when she got up and looked again, the group of people in white had already stepped out of Full Moon Residence, and not a trace of their clothes could be seen.
two
Luoyu Mountain has thousands of acres of green bamboo.
Black Wind Village is the eleventh in the world.
Why is he called the eleventh in the world? Because there's something called the "List of Celebrities" in this world, and in this generation of martial arts circles, the rankings on the List of Celebrities are as follows—
One saint, two sages, three beauties, and four virtuous men.
Just recently, someone else has added the nickname "Fifth Young Master," but this "Fifth Young Master" became famous after Black Wind Stronghold, so Black Wind Stronghold naturally doesn't acknowledge it. After ranking the four major strongholds, it's only natural that Black Wind Stronghold would be ranked eleventh.
To rank eleventh in such a vast world is a very prestigious and inspiring achievement.
Black Wind Stronghold was actually a powerful and promising outlaw stronghold. Backed by the towering cliffs of Falling Feather Mountain, facing the shimmering waters of White Horse Lake, and surrounded by lush bamboo groves, it was truly a place that was both strategically advantageous and defensively sound, with fresh air.
The village has over a thousand inhabitants, with the majority of able-bodied men having become outlaws, making it a large and powerful village. Consequently, many young men are unable to find wives, which has become one of the most pressing issues for Black Wind Village to address.
On this day, several wails echoed from the Black Wind Cave, the stronghold of the chieftain atop Falling Feather Cliff.
"Big sister, big sister, spare me..."
"Tell me, mistress, what's wrong with me? I have money and connections, what's wrong with me at all?"
Gan Hao's voice softened: "Big sister, don't listen to people's nonsense. You're great in every way. It's just that Bai guy who has no taste... Ouch!"
Another piercing scream rang out, and the people eavesdropping outside the cave shuddered.
After a short while, a dark figure stumbled out. People on both sides rushed to help him. The usually imposing Hao Laosan was covered in cold sweat, his dark face contorted into a pale, grimy expression, and there were several shocking bloodstains on his neck.
"Third Master, are you alright?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing. My sister's in a bad mood, it's only right that she takes it out on me..." Hao Laosan coughed twice, glancing nervously behind him, then lowered his voice, "I think this time is different from before. Everyone should hurry up and leave. Anyway, the wine we sent is enough to last until tomorrow morning. We can clean up after she's too drunk to open her eyes!"
Youthful days are as wonderful as a knife (3)
Hearing even the usually tough and resilient Hao Laosan cry out that he couldn't take it anymore, the rest of the group scattered like birds and beasts. Even though their wise and mighty, all-powerful Sister Hua was now heartbroken, no one dared to risk becoming her punching bag.
The only one who could subdue her was the equally brilliant and powerful Second Master Qin, who was capable of anything, but unfortunately, he had gone down the mountain on business and wouldn't be back for at least ten days to half a month, so she couldn't count on him at all.
Bai Nianchen's matter is indeed quite serious, and I imagine the eldest sister will be drunk for a few more days. But what gives them great confidence is that the eldest sister of Black Wind Stronghold is an indestructible "cockroach." Back when she faced the number one stronghold in the martial arts world, Dulong Stronghold, the sixteen-year-old eldest sister Hua fought ten against one and was seriously injured, but she didn't even flinch. Now, it's just a minor heartbreak, nothing to worry about.
A crescent moon had somehow climbed to the treetops, casting its gentle light across the land.
Finally, a person staggered out from the depths of the Black Wind Cave. He was dressed in a simple blue cloth robe with a black cloak haphazardly draped over his shoulders. He appeared to be a man, but his features were quite handsome. However, his skin was slightly dark, and his waist-length hair was simply tied up in a bunch. The disheveled hair, stained with wine, made his otherwise good-looking face look terrible.
Although she was tall, it was still clear that she was a woman, and not only a woman, but a young woman in her teens.
This is Su Xianhua, the leader of Black Wind Stronghold, who succeeded to the position of stronghold chief three years ago.
It is said that the former chieftain of Black Wind Stronghold originally named his beloved daughter "Su Xianhua" (meaning "Flower of Flowers"), partly because her mother's surname was Hua (meaning flower), and partly to boast that his daughter was as beautiful as a flower. However, when Xiaohua turned three and began to understand things, she would burst into tears whenever she heard this name. Fortunately, Qin Shao, the youngest son of Elder Qin in the stronghold, was an educated man. He secretly changed one character for Xiaohua. It sounded the same, but the written form was quite different, conveying a carefree spirit, like "Let the flowers bloom in all their glory, I'll just drink wine in the wind." Thankfully, this prevented Xiaohua from suffering any lasting trauma during her adolescence.
Su Xianhua slowly walked to the crabapple tree at the cave entrance. The crabapple blossoms were in full bloom at this time of year, and a gentle breeze caused the petals to flutter down. She stared blankly at it for a while, sighed, and slumped down on the soft grassy slope. She picked up the wine jar in her hand and gulped down several more mouthfuls.
The wine jar was empty. With a casual toss, it rolled down the grassy slope, bounced a few times on the rocks at the end, and fell into the abyss.
Her heart, like the wine jar, fell into the abyss and shattered.
I thought getting drunk would help me forget, but instead I remembered even more...
Black Wind Village and the Bai family's Jade Unicorn Manor are neighbors, one on the mountaintop and the other at the foot of the mountain. Although the relationship between the two families was not exactly harmonious, they had always lived in peace.
Later, Miss Su Xianhua and Young Master Bai Nianchen were born.
Su Xianhua grew up surrounded by men, and because of her bandit father, she always despised rude men and had a particular fondness for gentle and refined young men. Throughout her childhood, besides Qin Shao, the youngest son of Elder Qin who changed her name and now the second-in-command of Qin family, her favorite person was Bai Nianchen, the only son of Yulin Manor.
Those youthful days were beautiful as a knife, and torturing them was especially bloody.
Bai Nianchen once told her, "Xiao Hua's heroic spirit is unmatched by ordinary women."
Bai Nianchen also said: "Most of those beautiful women are delicate and pretentious, unlike Xiaohua who can accompany me to practice martial arts, drink, and ride horses side by side. Why should I pay attention to them?"
But why did he later complain that she didn't wear women's clothes or makeup and didn't look like a woman anymore?
If that's the case, why did you provoke her in the first place? Why did you look at her with such tenderness and a smile when she confessed her feelings to you with a death wish?
Thinking of this, she felt a pang of sadness again. She raised her hand, only to find she had already thrown away the wine jar. She could only collapse under the tree, arms outstretched. After a moment of stunned silence, she shouted to the sky, "I am the dignified leader of Black Wind Stronghold on Falling Feather Mountain! My head may be severed, my blood may splatter, but I will never shed a tear! Even if I'm dumped, I will still have my pride!"
Youthful days are as wonderful as a knife (4)
As Su Xianhua cried out, tears began to fall from her eyes.
Two dark figures leaped and darted among the steep cliffs of the back mountain, their movements light and agile.
As they climbed up the cliff using the vines clinging to the rocks, they suddenly heard a loud shout: "I am the leader of Black Wind Stronghold on Falling Feather Mountain! My head may be severed, my blood may splatter, but I will never shed a tear! Even if I'm dumped, I'll still have my pride!"
The person walking faster was startled, stumbled, and almost fell back. The person behind him deftly caught his back and leaped up, landing in front of him instead.
The man who almost slipped climbed up, clutching his chest. Before him lay a gently sloping grassy hill, topped with several crabapple trees whose petals wafted a sweet fragrance on the mountain breeze, creating a unique and charming scene.
"This...this is the Black Wind Stronghold's chieftain's camp?" The erratic voice sounded utterly disbelieving.
"Miaomiao, I told you long ago that the bandits of today are not to be underestimated." The first person to come up had a soft, gentle, and pleasant voice.