SS CH61

“You came fast indeed,” Helian Yu said, seemingly admiringly as he held his sword ready. “Can’t leave him alone for even a moment’s absence?”

Chu Xiwei didn’t answer him. He merely turned his head to glance at Ye Fusheng. With just that single look, Ye Fusheng saw that his face was as pale as paper, with only his lips and eye sockets a crimson red, like an evil ghost tearing off its painted skin to reveal its enchanting yet terrifying true nature.

Ye Fusheng’s heart skipped a beat, but Chu Xiwei’s glance had already scanned him up and down. Upon catching sight of the blood on his shoulder, his expression grew three degrees colder.

Without waiting for Ye Fusheng to speak, he raised his saber and charged forward.

In his early years, Chu Xiwei had practiced Jinghong under Ye Fusheng’s guidance, and his movement and footwork were second to none in speed. Having seized the initiative, the Qilu Jing energy coursed through his entire body, completing three major cycles in the blink of an eye. The moment his saber was drawn, it rose from below in the form of “Baihong.”

This strike carried a majestic momentum, tearing through the sky like a white rainbow piercing the sun. The Qianduan in Helian Yu’s hand trembled, like a rushing river redirecting the massive force. Yet in the next instant, Chu Xiwei surprisingly learned on the spot—his fierce and unyielding saber posture suddenly shifted, sinking with the flow like a waterfall crashing over a cliff to press down on Helian Yu’s next sword move.

Watching clearly from the side, Ye Fusheng could see that Chu Xiwei was putting forth his full effort while Helian Yu didn’t hold back either. Both were fast to the absolute extreme. To an average person, it would be a dizzying blur; the clash and separation of saber and sword transpired within mere moments.

Chu Xiwei’s saber technique was rooted in Jinghong. Though it lacked that incomparable swiftness, it gained a multi-faceted adaptability. Starting from the second strike, there were no fixed routines—he was simply adapting his moves as Helian Yu’s sword techniques changed.

Seeing that Chu Xiwei was not falling into a disadvantage, Ye Fusheng’s brow furrowed even tighter. When Chu Xiwei had left earlier, his energy had already been depleted. After all this back-and-forth ordeal, he should have been in even worse shape than before. How could he possess such continuous neigong to sustain himself, being even more fierce than when he was at his peak?

“The Qilu Jing truly is a martial thief—it’s quite unpleasant.”

Saber and sword met once more. This time, the long saber in Chu Xiwei’s hand was shattered by brute force, the broken blade flying outward. Chu Xiwei did not panic; he struck a palm against the Qianduan. As the two forces of neigong collided, Helian Yu retreated three steps, while Chu Xiwei was pushed back seven.

Just as Helian Yu had yet to stabilize his stance, a sharp arrow seemed to come from beyond the heavens, shooting straight toward his head with the force of wind and rain. The power was immense, and the timing was so precise it seemed as if it had been calculated far in advance!

Without even looking, Helian Yu flipped his hand and blocked with his long sword, deflecting the arrow with clever force so that it turned back toward where it came from. The shooter also seemed to have anticipated this; with a subtle tilt of the head, a withered hand reached out from behind, lightly wrapping around and pinching the shaft to neutralize the force and catch it.

Ye Fusheng looked up and saw a troop of people emerging from the mountain forest behind Helian Yu. Half of them held bows and crossbows, hidden within the woods, while others held sabers and halberds, escorting two people as they stepped forward. Every one of them wore light armor, walked with steady steps, and bore solemn expressions.

This was a troop of soldiers—and well-trained, elite troops at that.

How could such elite soldiers appear here?

A thought crossed Ye Fusheng’s mind. When he clearly saw the two people guarded at the center like stars surrounding the moon, his brow didn’t loosen, but rather tightened further.

Of those two people, one was Ruan Feiyu, and the other was a middle-aged man wearing silver armor and soft mail.

The man appeared to be in his early thirties, tall and built, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. A short sword hung at his waist, and he held a dark iron bow in his hand; the quiver behind him was missing a single arrow.

The earth-shattering arrow just now had been shot by him.

His gaze swept across the three people in the field. He didn’t recognize Ye Fusheng, but the latter recognized him.

The ninth son of the late emperor, Prince Li, Chu Yuan.

Ruan Feiyu had entrapped and coerced them into getting involved, facing narrow escapes all along the way just to go to Weifeng City to seek his protection to return to the capital. Unexpectedly, this prince had received news somewhere and actually delivered himself to their doorstep.

Chu Yuan’s gaze fixed on Helian Yu, and he said in a deep voice, “Surrender peacefully, and I will spare your life!”

“With just you?” Curling his lips, Helian Yu twirled a sword flower in his hand. Just as a grand battle was about to break out again, a strange noise suddenly sounded from afar, sounding like a wild wolf howling at the top of its lungs.

The moment this sound echoed, the smile on Helian Yu’s face vanished, looking thoroughly displeased as if his fun had been ruined. He swept his sword to knock away several arrows while sliding his feet back toward the edge of the clearing. Without looking at Chu Yuan, he stared at Ye Fusheng and Chu Xiwei, saying, “That wasn’t satisfying enough. We’ll play again next time—make sure you’re prepared!”

This cruel man smiled slightly, actually revealing two small canine teeth. Though he was no longer young, this smile appeared more innocent and endearing than a child’s. Chu Yuan’s expression changed, and he brought his hand down heavily. Dozens of arrows flew forth, but unexpectedly, Helian Yu leaned his body backward and fell toward the sky.

Ye Fusheng and Chu Xiwei rushed to the edge, only to see his body turn into what looked like a phantom, taking a few leaps across the rugged mountain rocks and floating down the slope. Below was a chaotic mess of mud, yet he seemed to have no weight, gliding away on a piece of broken wood and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Now that he was gone, the clearing fell silent for a moment, until Chu Yuan broke the silence: “Chancellor Ruan, these two… are your friends?”

“A chance encounter hardly makes us friends, but they are righteous men who offered generous help.”

Ruan Feiyu’s attitude was neither warm nor cold, vividly demonstrating what it meant to “turn a cold shoulder” and “a gentleman’s friendship is as light as water.” With a few words, he cleared away their journey together; anyone with sharp eyes could tell he had no deep relationship with these two.

Chu Yuan raised an eyebrow, then smiled. “Since they escorted a heavy minister of the court, they naturally deserve a generous reward.”

“Your Highness speaks with reason; a generous reward is indeed due.” Ruan Feiyu glanced at the two of them. “However, this is no place to linger. Let us descend the mountain first.”

From beginning to end, Ruan Feiyu did not speak with them, nor did Chu Xiwei say a word. Ye Fusheng had many thoughts running through his mind, and adhering to the cautious mindset that “the more spoken, the more errors made,” he did not open his mouth either.

Suddenly, a scalding hand grabbed his wrist, so hot it was nearly burning. Ye Fusheng was startled and turned to see Chu Xiwei staring fixedly at him, his gaze three degrees more intense than his palm.

“A… what’s wrong with you?”

Remembering Prince Li was present, Ye Fusheng changed his address mid-word as the doubts and worries that had arisen earlier flooded back together. Feeling Chu Xiwei’s body sway slightly, Ye Fusheng supported him with one hand while reaching out with the other to check his wrist pulse, only to be grabbed back with a force that allowed no struggle.

“You’re very hot all over. What’s going on?”

Chu Xiwei remained silent. Ye Fusheng was growing anxious inside, but luckily Ruan Feiyu spoke up: “This young friend has injuries on his body and has been out in the rain for so long; he likely has a high fever. Let us quickly descend the mountain so he can rest and have a physician look at him.”

There were hidden meanings within these words. Ye Fusheng’s mind moved; he slipped one arm around Chu Xiwei’s waist, quietly supporting him as he followed behind the soldiers, answering submissively. Chu Yuan looked back at him, likely considering him an inexperienced person of the Jianghu, and didn’t pay much more attention.

The mudslide had made all the paths in the valley even more treacherous. Fortunately, among the people Chu Yuan brought, there were those familiar with the terrain who led everyone down via a side trail. Although it was a bit out of the way, it was fairly stable. By the time the rain clouds dispersed and the morning sun gradually rose in the east, Ye Fusheng looked up and spotted another group of people in front of the valley entrance, with two familiar figures standing at the lead.

One tall and one short—it was none other than Lu Mingyuan and Qin Lanshang.

Qin Lanshang had been standing there for a long time. Even though Lu Mingyuan had advised her to sit down and rest for a bit, her feet seemed rooted to the spot, not moving an inch as her eyes stared straight ahead without blinking, experiencing for the first time in her life what it meant to “gaze until one’s eyes were strained.”

When Ruan Feiyu had suddenly made a sound earlier, it had frightened her greatly, making her think ambushing troops had appeared again. Fortunately, this time Heaven did not kick them while they were down; what came were reinforcements.

Then again, the Southern Scholar’s exposed whereabouts had brought enemies from old cases straight to the door. If Prince Li, who held great power and wasn’t too far from this place, didn’t know about it, that would truly be the height of absurdity.

Seeing that the newcomer was Chu Yuan, Chu Xiwei’s expression relaxed. He almost snatched the Return-to-Life Pill from her hand, swallowed it in one gulp, threw her over to Lu Mingyuan, and headed toward where he had come from without looking back.

She had shouted several times at the top of her lungs, her tears covering her entire face, but Chu Xiwei simply didn’t look back. Fortunately, Ruan Feiyu somehow persuaded Chu Yuan to bring a troop of men along to assist, or Qin Lanshang might have worried herself to death on the spot.

Blowing in the cold wind for so long, one moment she thought of Ye Fusheng whose life or death was unknown, another moment she thought of Chu Xiwei’s departing back; sometimes she recalled the faces of Shopkeeper He and the others dying with unclosed eyes, and then she seemed to see Ruan Feiyu’s weather-beaten face.

The jumble in her brain had turned into mush. By the time she could barely stand, the people she had long awaited finally returned.

She immediately took three steps in two to greet them, her eyes first searching for Chu Xiwei. Upon seeing his face—which was paler than a dead person’s—her heart thudded. Seeing the blood covering half of Ye Fusheng’s body, her frame began to tremble uncontrollably.

Lu Mingyuan stood close to her; seeing that Ruan Feiyu was unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief. Sensing the young girl beside him trembling, he hesitated for a moment before drawing out his white paper fan to carefully pat her shoulder.

Qin Lanshang snapped back to her senses and opened her mouth to say something, but caught a look from Ye Fusheng and obediently shut her mouth.

Chu Yuan had already learned roughly about the situation on the road, and at this moment he said, “The court has a decree that ‘martial artists shall not use force to break prohibitions.’ Who knew these desperadoes of the Jianghu would still be this arrogant. Fortunately, Chancellor Ruan is blessed by Heaven; otherwise, it would be a great misfortune for the state and the nation.”

Ruan Feiyu coughed lightly and smiled. “Many thanks to Your Highness for coming to the rescue. I shall keep this kindness in mind.”

Chu Yuan laughed heartily. “Chancellor Ruan is too polite.”

They exchanged formal pleasantries, their conversation seemingly ordinary yet always carrying a strange underlying tone. However, these sounds fell upon Chu Xiwei’s ears without forming any words at all. The backlash of the Return-to-Life Pill had already begun. He held tightly onto Ye Fusheng; walking all this way had practically drained a lifetime’s worth of strength. Now that he saw Qin Lanshang again, he finally couldn’t hold on any longer.

Ye Fusheng felt the hand clutching him turn from a slight tremble to shaking more and more violently. He hurriedly supported him, asking in a low voice, “How are you?”

A mouthful of blood surged up Chu Xiwei’s throat. He couldn’t open his mouth to speak, so he forcefully swallowed the blood back down, his eyes still fixed on Ye Fusheng’s face.

His gaze was like two hooks, tearing away all outer surfaces and disguises, ripping through flesh, blood, and bones, making Ye Fusheng feel thoroughly uncomfortable while his heart throbbed wildly for no reason. Carrying a bit of worry and a bit of caution, he asked softly, “Where does it hurt?”

Chu Xiwei didn’t say a single word—he could no longer speak.

Swallowing that mouthful of blood back down was like pressing his soul beneath the Yellow Springs. Tearing pain surged through the meridians across his entire body; his vision went black, and before he even had time to react, he fainted dead away from the sheer agony.

Caught off guard, Ye Fusheng took him into a full embrace, forgetting that the little child from back then had grown into an adult taller than himself. With his left shoulder lacking strength, he nearly got knocked over, but fortunately Qin Lanshang saw the situation and supported Chu Xiwei’s right side.

Qin Lanshang was frightened out of her wits, her voice changing tone: “Un… Uncle!”

She looked at Ye Fusheng in complete confusion, only to find that Ye Fusheng’s expression was even worse than her own, the color on his face draining completely as Chu Xiwei collapsed.

This outcry alerted the others. Both Ruan Feiyu and Chu Yuan walked over, the latter asking, “What happened?”

Qin Lanshang muttered, “His… his internal injuries flared up…”

“Then come back to Weifeng City with us. My manor has imperial physicians with exquisite skills; there is no need to fear, young lady.”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s kind intentions.” Before Qin Lanshang could answer, Ye Fusheng spoke up. He supported Chu Xiwei with both hands, his eyes cast downward. “First, these are merely ordinary Jianghu injuries, so there is no need to bother imperial physicians; second, Weifeng City is quite a distance from here, and the bumpy journey would not benefit his recovery, nor would it delay Your Highness and Master Ruan.”

Chu Yuan was startled. “But…”

“Your Highness is benevolent; why not leave them some banknotes and a carriage, letting them make their own arrangements?” Ruan Feiyu interjected, casting a glance at Lu Mingyuan. “Once matters are settled, I will have Mingyuan come with a heavy reward to thank them; we certainly won’t mistreat them.”

Since Ruan Feiyu’s words had reached this point, Chu Yuan refrained from speaking further, agreeing with a smile before turning to make arrangements.

Qin Lanshang was so angry she was speechless, feeling this old man was truly a master at burning bridges after crossing them and killing the donkey after taking it off the mill. She turned her head away and ignored him. Lu Mingyuan looked left and right, caught in the middle like meat in a sandwich, not knowing what to do. Fortunately, Ruan Feiyu patted his shoulder, handed him something, whispered a few words, and then went to find Chu Yuan.

As he turned around, Ye Fusheng’s gaze narrowed, falling upon his previously scratched hands and feet. Although stained with mud and water, the bloodstains were still spreading.

However, after he was injured, Lu Mingyuan had casually bandaged him up, and after tossing and turning through the whole night, the wounds not only failed to congeal, but showed signs of continuous bleeding. Had it not been covered by dirty clothes and his calm demeanor, Ye Fusheng would have noticed much earlier.

Ye Fusheng furrowed his brow, opening his mouth to say something, but Ruan Feiyu had already walked far away.

Lu Mingyuan walked over hesitantly, looking like a bashful young bride forced into marriage. Qin Lanshang felt both worried and furious, offering him no good attitude upon seeing him. Lu Mingyuan looked at her pitifully for a moment before turning to Ye Fusheng. Taking advantage of the others not paying attention, he handed the item tightly clutched in his hand to him, lowering his voice: “Young Master Ye, twenty li east of here is a place called Qingxue Village. There is a house near the end of the village where you can stay… There is a physician named Li in the village whom you can also seek out.”

Ye Fusheng looked at his palm—it held two keys, one large and one small.

While instructing Ye Fusheng, Lu Mingyuan’s gaze kept peeking at Qin Lanshang; anyone with sharp eyes could tell who these keys were actually meant for. Understanding the situation, Ye Fusheng placed them in his breast pocket and nodded in comprehension. Only then did Lu Mingyuan head back toward Ruan Feiyu, looking back with every step.

As he brushed past Qin Lanshang, a voice condensed into a line was transmitted into the girl’s ear: “Miss Qin, Master instructed me to tell you that he hopes you will stay in Qingxue Village for three extra days. At that time… he will certainly give you an explanation.”

Qin Lanshang looked up in astonishment, but Lu Mingyuan’s figure was already walking far into the distance.