Chapter 114

Liu Wuyi and Yan Ke had been together for more than twenty years. As disciples in the same sect, they knew each other very well. Although it had been thirteen years since they parted last time, their temperament did not change much. Yan Ke was clear about this. The moment Liu Wuyi had suddenly shown up by the lake outside of the Valley of Fallen Blossoms, he could tell that his junior brother was still as stubborn as before. If anyone thought him an opinionated smart ass, his junior brother could be considered as stubborn as a mule!

He still tried to persuade his junior brother not to have anything to do with that woman anymore, but if he turned a deaf ear to the latter’s words and went on staying in the Cirrus Valley, instead of being grateful to him, his senior brother might make him cough up a mouthful of blood with anger, just as he had done to their master a decade ago! Actually, the result could be even more serious than this. Therefore, he left the valley without hesitation with his son and his disciple. Meanwhile, he did not forget to take away the trouble-maker, Nangong Du! This asshole had once locked up his junior brother and bullied Zixiu! Though Zixiu could not be his daughter-in-law, he was at least his nephew, so Yan Ke would not spare Nangong Du easily, especially when he thought about the fact that Zixiu almost lost his life because of him!

Under Liu Wuyi’s guidance, the three of them got out of the valley before dark, jostling the blindfolded Nangong Du along the way.

Nangong Du was really very sick, and there was no way he could fake it in front of three medical experts. His condition was very unstable. He felt much better after vomiting in Zixiu’s room, but the chill water over him aggravated his illness, and after taking a long way, he felt like vomiting again.

As much as he wanted to retain his prince’s dignity and presence, he could not calm his upset stomach. Soon, this distinguished, arrogant prince crouched down on the desolate mountain road and began to retch. As he had nothing all day, he could not throw up anything.

Lingxiao stopped as well, but it was not because he felt sorry for that patient! They had stepped out of the Cirrus Valley now and he was reluctant to move a step forward! He was not that stupid, and from what Zixiu said, he could tell he was driving him away. Since Zixiu showed no intention to keep him in the valley, what was the point of taking him away at the risk of his dad breaking his legs? This would only embarrass Zixiu and make him hate him even more! Therefore, Lingxiao decided to make a concession and wait outside the valley.

Huali thought in the same way. He was going to spend more time with Zixiu so that their relationship could move a step further! Therefore, following Lingxiao’s suit, he stopped his pace as well.

Their master, Yan Ke, who was leading the way, immediately sensed something wrong behind him. He stopped and turned around, with a look of anger and disappointment on his face. He wondered how come his two disciples who had grown up under his strict discipline had turned into two idiots when they fell in love, just like their Uncle Liu!

“I know what you’re thinking about!” Needless to say, as their master who had watched them grow up, Yan Ke was clear what was on their mind. Lingxiao was a person who had never known how to hide his feelings. But to his surprise, Huali was also not himself today! Every time he had punished Lingxiao before, Huali would beg for mercy for his junior brother. However, he remained silent all along when he was beating Lingxiao just now! At the thought that two of his disciples had become gay overnight, Yan Ke was seized with an impulse to slap someone! But would it work to curse or beat them? As a physician, he knew well that serious corporal punishment could do nothing in changing their desire for a loved one, even if the loved one was of the same sex. Now he had to use a milder way to refrain them from fantasizing about Zixiu.

Actually, there was no need to lash out at the two. As an insightful onlooker, Yan Ke had seen through these silly boys. So all he needed to do was tell the truth. “Don’t be silly! Liu Zixiu doesn’t like men at all!”

“Uh…” Lingxiao and Huali were both stunned when they suddenly heard what Yan Ke said. Had Zixiu ever said that he had no feelings for guys? They couldn’t help but recall what Zixiu had said the night before, but from the beginning to the end, Zixiu had only stressed that true love was based on understanding. What they should take into account included character, education background, experience, and money, but not gender, right?

Looking at their puzzled faces, Yan Ke felt very frustrated. It looked as if he were asking for humiliation! However, he firmly believed in his own judgment. He caught a glimpse of the fierce confrontation between Zixiu and Nangong Du this afternoon. From their conversation, he could tell that although Liu Zixiu was bold, he was not an open-minded person. So even if he really fell in love with any of the three in the future, he would not dare to face it. That was the so-called ‘character determines fate’! Such being the case, Yan Ke thought he did not have to be in a hurry, so he said in conclusion, “You’d better think what I said twice!”

Lingxiao and Huali looked at each other in a daze, feeling so confused about Yan Ke’s sudden “tolerance”. ‘Does Master Yan mean we’re not leaving?’

Yan Ke showed his stance in action. Needless to say, he agreed to stay here did not mean he supported his disciples becoming gay! Now that they had left the boundaries of the Cirrus Valley, his junior brother could not accuse him of going back on his word!

The night fell soon with wind swooping up. Each with his own thoughts, the three of them collected some dry wood and made a bonfire to warm themselves up.

They had a clear conscience. They played tricks because the Liu family forced them to!

In the dim light of the oil lamp, Liu Wuyi and his son were eating warm porridge when the faint music which was obviously produced with a leaf came from a distance.

Needless to say, Zixiu was aware of who was playing the tune.

With the corner of his mouth twitching unconsciously, he recalled the moment when he was singing a song and his senior brother was blowing a leaf on the other side of the lake as well as of their meeting in the moonlight… ‘Could it be that Senior Brother thought I was singing to show my love?’

“You look haggard and lonely with tears in your eyes

The pale crescent reminds you of the good old times

It was a long frosty night

You’re leaning against the rail in the attic when despair strikes

Hearing the knock on my red window lattice when the drizzle dropped by

I lamented for having to be apart from you

My dream morphed into a touch of fragrance far behind

And I seemingly see you with it wafting in the wind

Chrysanthemums withered, scattering on the ground

Your smile has faded, nowhere to be found

Seeing the fallen petals all over, I indulged myself with a broken heart

Listening to the north wind whistle outside

I can’t help thinking of you throughout the endless night

Alone by the lake, I was overwhelmed by sorrow…”

With a soft leaf between his lips, Luo Huali blew out the melody when the image of Zixiu singing by the lake popped into his mind—the moonlight, the attic, the red window lattice…

‘This must be Zixiu’s favorite song,’ he thought. That night, he listened carefully while Zixiu was singing to the moon by the lake. When Zixiu finished singing, he had memorized the melody of the whole song. It was not only because of his remarkable sense of hearing but also because of his special attention to everything about Zixiu. Until now, he still remembered what he had promised when he was playing a game with Zixiu. And he was only five back then! Zixiu seemed to have forgotten all this and he even treated Lingxiao’s wounds with the ointment he had given him!

Lingxiao was squatting at the bonfire and roasting hares. He was annoyed with his dad for making him prepare their dinner while his senior brother was standing on the tree and playing a tune with a leaf! Luo Huali was mature, calm and taciturn, but he had been in a daze all the way since they left Liu’s house. It was quite unusual! Moreover, even though Lingxiao knew nothing about music, he could tell that his senior brother was playing a tune he had never heard before. There must be something wrong! Why was his senior brother acting so strangely?  Could it be that he was taking the opportunity to show his love to Xiuxiu?

Looking at his two distracted disciples, Yan Ke, who had calmed down a little, was burning with anger again! But he was aware that it was not the right time to lecture them!

Yan Ke did not curse Huali who was playing a melancholy tune. He squatted down as well, took a string of nearly burnt hare meat from his son, and roasted it skillfully.

After a while, he suddenly put on a grim look and said slowly, “Everyone, you’d better show up before getting frozen!”

Lingxiao and Huali were both stunned.

The two, who were filled with resentfulness and suspicion, came back to their senses and became alarmed in an instant.

They were certain that the people hiding around were not those ordinary soldiers who came to the mountains for some kind of “precious herb”. It was not only because no rustling sound could be heard from some nearby shrubs, but also because they had witnessed the departure of those soldiers from the town before Nangong Du came the day before. Moreover, during the day, everything in the mountains was quiet except for the occasional bird twittering. Anyway, Lingxiao and Huali were never afraid of meeting those so-called “martial artists” who could not even hide their own breaths.

A black shadow suddenly popped out of the darkness. By the light of the moon and the fire, they saw a woman’s slim figure.

“So it’s you!” As soon as he saw her face clearly, Lingxiao blurted out. It was no other than the maidservant he had seen in Prince Mu’s Mansion!

“Physician Yan, I appreciate you for saving my life! I’ll never forget your kindness!” When she recognized the person in front of her, Xingyi walked over and bowed her thanks to Lingxiao. Xingyi meant what she said. She was not an ungrateful person, and she did feel indebted to Lingxiao for saving her life. Actually, she had only been lurking here for a short moment, or the other three who had been here for so long would have found her out much earlier!

The sincere gratitude relaxed her nervous mind a little. She came to find her master, but she had found something was wrong soon after she entered the mountains. How come Yan Lingxiao was in Mount Windward? Then where was Prince Mu?

She was clear that Prince Mu and Yan Lingxiao could never get along peacefully!  Prince Mu got into the mountains alone, so once he encountered the Yans, he might…

Realizing that something might have happened to Prince Mu, she looked around anxiously before she finally fixed her gaze on the person, who was lying under a big tree not far from the bonfire.

“Your Highness!” she cried out in a panic while rushing to her master in haste.

Nangong Du was already in a coma, so there was no way he could respond. Yan Ke and his disciples turned a blind eye to what was happening and continued to work on roasting the hare.

Needless to say, Huali and Lingxiao were confused. From what Yan Ke said, they could tell there were a number of people hiding around. How come they only saw one person? Moreover, after probing around with their internal force, they could only sense one intruder’s breaths.

In case Yan Ke got annoyed again, after pondering for a while, they exchanged glances with each other and finally chose to remain silent. After all, the inability to perceive more intruders’ breaths suggested that their skills were far from perfect!

Even a layman in medicine could tell that Prince Mu was seriously ill, let alone Xingxi, who had a smattering of medical knowledge. Unfortunately, she only took some poison with her, so she could not find any medicine to cure her master for the moment.

Watching the three medicinal experts eating leisurely in front of her, though she was burning with anxiety and feeling sorry for her master, Xingyi could do nothing. It was obvious that Yan Lingxiao would not lend a hand. She was clear that the Yan family would do nothing to help even if his master died! In spite of her grief and anger, clenching her teeth, Xingyi picked up some dry firewood and built a bonfire to warm Prince Mu up.