Published at 2nd of April 2019 3:34 am

Chapter 7

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

He seemed to be lost.

Looking at the same scenery for the third time, Gong Sun Yun who has just turned twenty, wrinkled his brow.

There were several black jade stone pillars erected around the natural hot spring. Colourful chiffon cloths hung between the pillars forming the walls of a bath. There was no roof and whoever in the bath would be able to see the stars, indicating that whoever who built this structure knew how to enjoy life.

He gave up trying to find a way out by the front and walked to the back. Behind a chiffon curtain was a changing room and behind it was a little lounge. The hot spring was located at the top of Tian Bi Cliff and unless one possesses excellent qinggong, ordinary folks would not be able to climb to the top. The other path up the mountain was blocked by a maze filled with poison mist, so he has thought that such a secluded spot would be an ideal place to imprison unruly Sky Slaves. Who would have guessed that it was actually a bath?

He sighed. He has been asked by the Old Master of Tian He Manor to sneak into Bai Ming Sect to look for He Yue Hua. It was a thankless task but he has no choice since Cloud Manor was a neutral entity, since his kungfu was good, since he was only twenty and needed to respect the elders…

So what if he was highly skilled? No one would guess he that he would often get lost, which was why he always need to travel with another Gentleman. Since no one is perfect, he is not usually bothered by his lack of direction sense until times like now.

It was a secret that Old Master of Tian He Manor has contacted an incurable illness and was unlikely to have long to live.For this reason, he has agreed to try to look for He Yue Hua and if he failed, he would have tried his best.But at two hours past midnight, he would be lucky if he could even figure a way out of Bai Ming Sect.

He tucked his long sword into its sheath and cut through the changing room. Lifting one semi-transparent curtain, he did not expect to find another person inside. At the sight of a young maiden’s bare back soaking in the hot spring, he quickly turned around in dismay. She was leaning face down on a black jade stone and he did not see what she was doing.

Had he known this, he would never have come! It was a small matter getting injured or captured, but he definitely did not want get hitched with some stranger. Troubled, he decided not to alert the young maiden to his presence and sat down near a pillar behind the curtain and waited patiently for her to leave.

“Ay…”

He kept still.

“Ay…”

He remained motionless. The sighs and tinkling of bells continued and he thought she could be a Sky Slave. But how could an ordinary Sky Slave have the ability to reach Tian Bi Cliff, or bath in such exclusive surroundings?

“Every fifteenth of the month is the day for me to pamper myself. Otherwise, how I can carry on?” Her self-mutterings were very soft, but he has very good hearing and caught every word.

Besides, it wasn’t as if he has a choice.

He heard the familiar sound of a page turning. Was this her way of pampering herself? By reading in a hot spring?

“Ay, Guo Jian of the ancient times could taste his enemy’s excrement, laugh happily and even wish his enemy well after that. What excellent ‘taste’! What a good model for endurance!” [Side Note from Mb:- Guo Jian tasted bitter bile, not excrement. Oh Wang Yun, where did you get your books?]

His eyes widen.

“I doubt I could ever reach his level of endurance. Perhaps I could, under extreme duress, taste my enemy’s perspiration. But excrement? Ay, I think I need to practice some more, pamper myself some more, before I can ever taste someone’s excrement without batting an eyelid.”

To his amazement, she continued to read out other acts of endurance from her book. That was her definition of pampering? Which young girl in Bai Ming Sect was able enjoy this hot spring and yet needed to attain such levels of endurance?

After a while, her voice trailed off, leaving only the soft sounds of her breathing. After some hesitation, he decided to stick his head inside and confirmed that she had indeed fallen asleep. From her words, she seemed apt at endurance and coming here was her way to de-stress and prep herself to endure some more. This secluded spot must be within her comfort zone that she could even fall asleep here.

The mist from the hot spring has obscured her features, but he caught a glimpse of honey-coloured skin. Just when he wanted to avert his eyes, he heard a sound and he saw a poisonous snake slithering towards her.

Thinking, he picked up a fallen leaf on the floor and aimed it at her bare shoulder. She was on guard even in sleep and woke up the instant the leaf brushed past her shoulders. She surveyed her surroundings with a cold eye. It was a pity her kungfu was not very good and she did not see the person behind the chiffon curtain.

He has been unwilling to look at her but when the snake got closer, he has no choice. Behind the mist, he vaguely saw that she was around thirteen or fourteen. Her eyes and brows were quite pretty but the expression in her eyes was at odds with her childlike looks

When she has convinced herself that there was no one and the leaf was just something the wind blew over, she lifted her head to the skies. She heard a slithering sound, turned and saw the snake. She did not move her body but her small face backed away instinctively. Then as if dissatisfied with her show of fear, she leaned her face forward again.

He narrowed her eyes? Wasn’t she asking for trouble?

At her confrontational stance, the snake suddenly shot forward while she remained motionless. When the snake was only a finger length away. Gong Sun Zhi was about to strike when the snake suddenly fell limply on the ground.

She shook her head and mumbled. “Ay, which is why I said it is best to depend on oneself.” Her slight quiver gave away the fear she was suppressing. Slowly, she got up from the pool, put on her clothes, and slowly left the pool.

He waited until he was sure she would not return before stepping out from his hiding place to examine the hot spring. He found poison sprinkled around the pool which was likely put there to handle such situations in mind. At the sound of her distant bell, he left the hot spring and silently followed her.

Her loose robes were dancing wildly in the wind, but she paid them no heed as she walked with her hands folded behind her. From time to time, she would stop to enjoy the moon and her long hair would fall to her waist. As the wind played with some tendrils of her hair, he thought to himself that she looked very adorable. Adorable?

Surprised at his turn of thoughts, he looked again at her… white hair? This young lady was apt at keeping her emotions hidden and revered endurance. However, she knew how to let off steam so he did not think her white hair was a result of overthinking, so maybe it was genetics? Looking at her swaying back and forth, he felt his lips curl up into an involuntary smile.

He touched his lips to confirm that he was indeed smiling and started frowning instead. Since he turned sixteen, he would receive marriage offers from time to time which he would politely turn down every time. Whenever there were female pugilists visiting the manor, he was also careful to maintain a polite distance.

Most of the men in Gong Sun family were rather cool towards the opposite sex, and he in particular, was cooler than most. Others can say that he has very high expectations, but he just didn’t like the idea of getting close to some strange woman, or marrying a woman who did not understand him even if she possesses unparalleled beauty. What he wanted was someone he would voluntarily put inside his heart.

“Ay.” She paused and dipped her head in thought. “How did it go, the poem that He Zai taught me last time? It would have been so suited to the beautiful scenery tonight.”

He did not know where she was headed for, but if he continued to follow her blindly, he would likely end up at her home. And the most regrettable part of this option was that she would not notice him. Thinking, he drew his sword.

She froze immediately per expected. He has known she would choose to stay still because she would have deduced she was no match for him from the speed of his draw. He was pained at her need for tolerance, and was amused at the same time that he could be feeling this way.

“Miss, pardon my offence.”

Worried that his sword may hurt her accidentally, he lowered his hand. Unfortunately, the move cut off a lock of her hair. Quick as lightening, he caught the fallen strands in his hand. The hair was slightly wet, black and smooth like silk.

He heard her sigh. “Gentleman had followed me since Tian Bi Cliff?"

The hair in his hands was obviously wet, but they seemed to contain fire which brought heat to his face. Was it because he saw her shadowy outline or was it because he was holding her hair in his hands? When he lifted a finger to his face and confirmed that his cheeks were flaming, he was amazed a young lady could have made him feel this way. Dazed, he could only say "...Pardon the offence, Miss."

Who would know their next meeting would be six years later?

As two carriages sped towards home, he went to the back carriage which was heavily draped to prevent people from looking inside. “How is the situation?”

Gong Sun Zhi gave a sad smile. “Still alive. She will open her eyes occasionally so I know she is awake although she seems a bit confused at her surroundings. She must be in a lot of pain but she has not uttered a single word. If I am her, I doubt I could have kept it in.”

Gong Sun Yun went to her side. “Why not you take care of Seventh Brother?” Gong Sun Zhi obliged and went to the first carriage.

Three nights ago, he has used the excuse that he needed to send Gong Sun Yao back to Cloud Manor in order to hasten home. The woman hidden in the second carriage has woke up a few times during the journey but has silently endured her pain in order to maintain her grasp on her surroundings. When he saw her move, he quickly brought a bowl of medicine to her mouth and said gently. “Drink this medicine, it will help ease the pain.”

She only stared at the liquid and compressed her lips. Her face was too pale and frail-looking. He knew she has not eaten since her fall so she was probably not coherent. Thinking, he whispered in her ear. “He Zai.”

When her mouth opened in surprise, he quickly fed her some medicine.

He Zai, He Zai. How much of him did she put in her heart? Should he feel fortunate that there were was not one bit of affection in her eyes when she looked at He Zai?

He finally got her to finish the medicine but she could not sleep due to the pain. He placed his hand gently over her eyes to make it darker and easier to fall asleep. If she could sleep, she would not feel so much pain.

He helped her lay down and held her firmly against him, using his body to block out more light.

“..Who…are you..”

“I am Xian Yun.”

“...Don’t know you…”

“It does not matter that you do not know me now. You will slowly get to know me when you are at Cloud Manor.”

He kept looking at her and did not move away. Six years, he has waited six years for a lady to come to him with his jade pendant. When he met Che Yan Yan for the first time, he knew then that his young miss was Protector Huang Fu. But she was too well hidden within Bai Ming Sect that not even Cloud Manor could get a hold on her. So he could only wait.

“…Who are you?” She repeated again, as if in a dream.

“I am…” he bent his head and whispered in her ear. “I am waiting for a young lady whom I know not how she looks like. But when I finally meet her, I have to abandon her so she must have been deeply hurt. Right now, I am only a man who hopes she can forget her pain and let me remember that for her.”

The faint scent of her hair floated up his nose. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find her asleep on his shoulder.

Despite being highly skilled, it was beyond him to save three people at the same time. He has to save his brothers whom he has been with for ten over years, and was forced to forsake a woman whom he has been thinking of for six years.

Now, he has been given a second chance.

***

“Gentleman, can we get down from the horse carriage yet?” Little Brother Jiang was very excited to attend his first ever wedding party at Deng manor.

“Are we here already? You can get off first and look for Fifth Gentleman.”

Little Brother Jiang nodded and hopped off the carriage while Xian Yun waited patiently for Wu Bo to wake up. After a while, she stretched lazily and remarked: “This is my first time attending a jianghu wedding.” She has been awake for some, just that she was too lazy to sit up.

“It is the same as any other wedding, except that the guests are more casual.” Smiling, he held her at the waist and helped her down. The scene was reminiscent of the past when she was also in a carriage, as he eyed her healthy movements covertly. The main difference between then and now was that she has to be carried out in the past, compared to being able to get down off the carriage now under her own steam.

She crocked her head to one side and took in the crowded scene before her. She wore a white dress tied at the waist with a short belt which fell to her knees. “Xian Yun, the one whom Deng Hai Tang likes is you. What a pity that such a pretty Fairy has been snatched away!”

He gave her a bland look lined with mirth. “Du San Long is quite a good catch.”

“Hmmm…” Her lips curved up in a smile. Her face should look handsome, why did it look so adorable? She was still curious so she asked again. “Do you have any regrets?”

“Not the least. It is enough to have one true love.” He emphasized the last sentence and look on as her cheeks reddened expectantly. He knew she was uncomfortable with such intimate banter but she needed to get used to it if she was to heal her emotional wounds.

He smiled and changed the subject. “Those three days must have been hard on you.”

Her head throbbed just thinking of ‘those three days’. Gong Sun Zhi has omitted telling her that the effects of the aphrodisiac would last for three days, causing her to think that her baser instincts have gone wild, and that her wild thoughts in the day had manifested into dreams at night. Luckily, her endurance and control were very good, and she silently congratulated herself for refraining from doing anything crazy during that period.

His good-looking face lean in before she could close her eyes, so she saw how he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Her lips were tingling but she kept her hands folded behind her. His eyes were also open and the black orbs reminded her of lakes in spring. In the past, she has thought that his eyes were like stagnant pools; now, she that his eyes, his lips, in fact the whole of him, would only glow for his family, leaving a cold exterior for others to see. If he was indeed the lofty Luo Shen per his image, she believed he could never have kissed anyone like that.

She lowered her eyelids and clenched her fist as he placed one more kiss, and another one, until there was a trail of gentle kisses all the way to her ears where he stopped. “This time, there is no medicine smell.” He fervently hoped that he would never smell medicine on her again. At her confused look, he smiled. “Wu Bo, your endurance skills are indeed second to none.”

She croaked: “You are too generous with your praise.”

He straightened and brushed his fingertips gently over her cheek as she gave a small cough. He smiled. “Come, let us go in and not keep our hosts waiting.”

She nodded. “Ok. Xian Yun shall walk in front.” She was still accustomed to walking behind, and not be first line of attention. As he turned and strode towards the hall, she touched her lips. Actually, she did not intentionally refrain from kissing him back; she was just too used to restraint. Gosh, it was so confusing to switch between things that needed control and things that didn’t!

And speaking of control, she seriously doubted that her level of control was anywhere near that of Deity-from-Nine-Heavens. During the three days when she was under the influence of the drug, he was the only person whom she came in contact with, and yet he did not appear to have any reaction at all. Was there some problem with the aphrodisiac or was there a problem with him? In comparison, she nearly wanted to wrestle him to the floor when he kissed her just now.

This man, was a wolf. He has became much bolder since she became his sworn sister and she knew he was trying to wear her down her beliefs with his incessant hanky panky.

He turned back and she saw the look that he reserved for his family. So why had he not ask whom she had dreamt of? Was he really that self-confidant, or was he held back by some manly restraint?

But she was dying to ask! Some of the drug must have rubbed off on him when he accompanied her during those three days. Did he not even have the slightest, slightest erotic dream?

She grumbled under her breath and heard him call her name. Sighing, she walked up to him while muttering under her breath. “I am enduring here and enduring there, but what am I enduring for?” She was not trying to be like Gou Jian and taste excrement, surely there was no need to carry her endurance training to such extremes?

Stepping into the wedding hall, she noticed something weird straight away. Although there was no dress code and people could dress whatever they like, many female pugilists were dressed in the same style as her except for the colour. They wore a short-sleeve top with matching long skirt, tied at the waist with a long belt that nearly touched the floor. Even the fabric seemed to have come from the same source.

It was as if there were many Jiang Wu Bos all of a sudden.

Gong Sun Zhi saw her expression and coughed discretely. “It is not easy being a Fairy.”

Her question was calm. “How much did Cloud Manor make this time?”

She has finally discovered the gold mine in Cloud Manor. No wonder they were so enthusiastic about her Fairy title! No wonder she was often asked to make an appearance at the female quarters whether she was busy or idle!

At this moment, the dignified halo of Cloud Manor in her mind’s eye has taken on a very materialistic, golden hue. It was not easy feeding an entire family, besides the same gold has also provided for her soy sauce fried chicken...

What can she say besides foretelling that Cloud Manor will be around for a long, long time?

To preserve a bit of her uniqueness and prevent an overdose of Jiang Wo Bos, she decided to break off from the main wedding party and wandered around. When she reached a certain spot, she paused and listened to the faint sounds of bells. She has heard this sound when she left Bai Ming Sect with He Zai and they wrapped their bells with cloth to muffled their sound. As she looked discretely around, she recognized many Bai Ming Sect members in the hall.

Suddenly, a whip suddenly lashed out and sent a man crashing to her feet. She did not move and looked quietly at Che Yan Yan who appeared from the darkness. With five Sky Slaves flanking her, she made a pretty grand entrance. One of the taller Sky Slave was carry a big gunny sack where a bit of wedding dress can bee seen peeking out from the opening of the sack.

Che Yan Yan narrowed her eyes and looked up and down at her. “Are you Fairy No Waves?”

“Yes.”

“How coincidental for you to run into me when I was about to look for Xian Yun’s one and only sworn sister?”

The man at her feet turned out to be He Rong Hua. “Miss Jiang, leave quickly! Go inform Xian Yun that Deng Hai Tang has been kidnapped and that your brother has been injured.”

It took her two seconds to understand that he was referring to the little plump ball who was supposedly her little brother and she wrinkled her brow in displeasure.

That is strange, why would she feel unhappy?

Che Yan Yan stepped forward to get a better view of her and was shocked. “You…!”

She sighed and was about to say “Bingo! I am indeed Huang Fu Yun.” when she heard Che Yan Yan continue: “Your features are good-looking, but they are better suited on a man.”

Jiang Wu Bo was speechless. Isn’t Che Yan Yan taking her love for man a step too far? Did she even find her attractive now? Oblivious to her thoughts, Che Yan Yan continued. “It is pity that none of you could escape from this place.”

“Isn’t Protector’s Che kidnapping the bride to force someone to reveal herself?”

“How did you know? Wait, where have I heard your voice before?”

She sighed. “It is not important where you have heard my voice before. What is important is that you have seen the body of Huang Fu Yun with your own eyes, yet Sect Leader has refused to believe you and ordered you to kidnap the wife of Silver-Hand Du San Lang and injure He Rong Hua to force Huang Fu Yun to reveal herself.”

Che Yan Yan eyed her suspiciously. “Did Xian Yun guessed this?”

She made a non-committal sound and gestured with her free hand behind her back for He Rong Hua to leave. But He Rong Hua thought it was embarrassing to abandon a lady in distress so he hesitated.

She could only sigh and continue. “Why not we make a bet. Since you are after Huang Fu Yun, why not you take me hostage instead? That will be so much better than nabbing the wife of the martial arts scholar. At least Bai Ming Sect would not anger both the Court and the Central Plains pugilists. With me in your hands, Xian Yun would naturally intervene and find Huang Fu Yun for you.”

Che Yan Yan gave it some thought and returned with beautiful smile. “That will be too troublesome! I am not going to let either of you off. Men! Bring both of them back!”

As a Sky Slave got near to her, she him a flying kick and yelled for He Rong Hua to leave. Although she has only mastered a third of her family skills and was not on par with He Zai in terms of skill, she thought she could still hold off their attackers until He Rong Hua escaped, afterwhich she would be able to surrender.

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