Chapter 88: Peach Blossom Shadows Fall, Divine Sword Flies
In the dim, narrow alley, a man’s voice sounded, “Why has the Chief Escort come?”
“Brother Huyan has also come.”
Zhang Wangyue and Huyan Lei looked at the courtyard gate guarded by an iron general, and the two exchanged a smile.
Huyan Lei thought that Zhou Yan was alone and wanted to invite him to his home for the New Year. Zhang Wangyue had the same idea, and they bumped into each other.
Huyan Lei recalled Zhou Yan’s practice of eating morning dew and drinking evening mist during the Jingzhou escort, and sighed, “Brother Zhou must have gone to the mountains and fields for hunting to cultivate in seclusion. After the year-end, when everyone gathers, his martial arts should have improved again, making people look at him with new eyes. Wearing a green robe and patched clothes, he meditates on the Dharma until the third watch. Brother Zhou is like an ascetic monk on the path of martial arts.”
Zhang Wangyue agreed, “Where the heart leads, one walks with plain shoes; where the Dao exists, even if there are thousands of people, I will go! Brother Zhou will surely achieve great things in time.”
“Indeed!”
The two walked together, and Huyan Lei said, “Chief Escort, do you think it’s a waste of talent for Brother Zhou to be working at the escort bureau? I am genuinely happy that he has been promoted to escort. He is young and promising, and it is not impossible for him to become a Head Escort in the future, escorting goods throughout the land and gaining widespread fame, which is the wish of countless escorts. But in the past six months, he has truly transformed. He even has connections with the Quanzhen Sect. People strive for higher places. Wouldn’t it be better if he built a hut on Zhongnan Mountain to cultivate, achieved great martial arts, roamed the Jianghu, and gained a reputation as a hero?”
Zhang Wangyue smiled and said, “Cherish the present moment.”
“What does the Chief Escort mean?”
“How can a dragon be confined to a small pond? It cannot be tamed without wind and rain.”
Huyan Lei pondered his meaning, “I understand. When inspiration strikes, one ascends to the azure clouds.”
“Haha!” Zhang Wangyue laughed twice and strode forward.
When the two reached the alley entrance, a red figure also walked in. The person exclaimed, “Ah,” and quickly said, “Greetings, Chief Escort, Head Escort Huyan.”
Mu Nianci had wondered what Zhou Yan was doing: resting, drinking, practicing martial arts, or burning incense. After much thought, based on her understanding of escorts, practicing martial arts was the most likely. She was even guessing whether it was with weapons or bare hands if he was practicing. However, she did not expect to see Zhang Wangyue and Huyan Lei upon entering the alley.
Mu Nianci, surprised, asked a question. Before they could speak, she explained, “My father has brewed some wine and asked me to find Escort Zhou here to have a drink.”
Huyan Lei laughed, “Your father’s thoughts are the same as the Chief Escort’s, but Escort Zhou is not at home.”
“Did he go out to visit relatives?”
“What relatives? He must have gone to the mountains and fields where he used to hunt to cultivate in seclusion.”
Mu Nianci was slightly disappointed. She guessed that Escort Zhou was cultivating, but she hadn’t expected him to be cultivating in seclusion in the mountains and fields. During the year-end, when families lit up their homes, although she had also lost her parents, her adoptive father’s kindness was as heavy as a mountain, and they depended on each other, so at least she had someone to rely on. Escort Zhou, however, was like a floating duckweed, with no one to depend on.
Zhang Wangyue said, “Escort Zhou is immersed in the world of martial arts and finds joy in it. Miss Mu need not worry.”
“Mm!” Mu Nianci said, “Why don’t the Chief Escort and Head Escort Huyan come to my father’s place for a drink?”
“Excellent!” Zhang Wangyue agreed.
Huyan Lei said, “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
Mu Nianci immediately led the way. As the three walked, various fireworks exploded overhead, brilliant and colorful.
…
Songhe Tower’s lanterns hung high, and the interior was bustling with voices.
Huang Rong, dressed in white, stood on a high rooftop, watching the spectacle of fiery trees and silver flowers. When the wind blew, her sleeves fluttered, making her look like a fairy gazing down at the world.
A flash of red caught her eye. Her gaze lowered, and she saw a woman walking briskly on the long street, followed by two men of distinguished appearance.
“They must be rushing back to reunite with their families,” Huang Rong murmured to herself. “I miss Father a little.”
She leaped up and landed on the eaves of the third floor. Her figure slanted out for about ten feet, and she entered a private room through the open window. On the round table in the antique private room were placed various delicacies such as flower-cooked quail, stir-fried duck feet, chicken tongue soup, braised sea cucumber in deer stomach, and pan-fried beef tendons with yuanyang.
She sat down, picked at the food with her chopsticks, and ate without much relish.
“It’s better to find something fun to do.”
Zhou Yan’s “Night-Shining Jade Lion” was at the inn where Huang Rong was staying. She checked out of Songhe Tower and walked along the street. When she reached the back alley of Zhao Wang Manor, she saw fireworks continuously rising. The manor was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners. She leaped up and landed in the courtyard.
After taking a few steps, a figure flickered like a ghost among the rough stones and lunged forward, grabbing at her shoulders with both hands.
Huang Rong saw that the person had long hair falling to their shoulders and a face as pale as paper, and exclaimed in surprise, “What ghost is this?”
Seeing that she could not evade, she swung her right hand, forming a grip with her thumb and index finger, with the other three fingers slightly spread. Her fingers flicked towards the opponent’s wrist like an orchid, her posture extremely beautiful. This was one of the peerless skills of Peach Blossom Island, the “Orchid Finger Flicking Hand.”
The person Huang Rong encountered in the manor’s backyard was naturally Iron Corpse Mei Chaofeng.
Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi infiltrated the manor to scout, and Mei Chaofeng received guidance from Ma Yu.
Apart from Wanyan Kang, few people visited this desolate backyard of the manor. She was diligently practicing the Nine Yin Manual martial arts.
Huang Rong entered the courtyard. Mei Chaofeng, with her excellent hearing, was worried about her identity being exposed and naturally wanted to seize and interrogate her. However, Huang Rong counterattacked, and some long-buried memories suddenly surfaced.
“Eh!”
She exclaimed in surprise and stopped her movement.
Huang Rong had not recognized Mei Chaofeng. How could she miss the opportunity when the other party was stunned? She leaped over ten feet high, spun twice in mid-air, and struck down at Mei Chaofeng with a palm, which was a move called “Jiangcheng Feihua” from the “Falling Ying Divine Sword Palm.”
Mei Chaofeng turned pale with shock, retreated rapidly, and landed under a tree several feet away, saying, “Peach blossom shadow falls, divine sword flies. You are… Huang… Disciple of Master Huang.”
Huang Rong was also surprised. How did the other party recognize her martial arts? But she was intelligent. Hearing the ghost-like woman mention “Peach blossom shadow falls, divine sword flies,” she knew she had a deep connection with her sect. Listening further to the woman’s impassioned questioning, a flash of inspiration struck her.
“You are Mei Ruohua.”
This was Mei Chaofeng’s original name before she became a disciple, unknown to anyone in the Jianghu. Suddenly being called out, Mei Chaofeng’s voice trembled.
“How do you know? Who exactly are you?”
“My surname is Huang.”
Mei Chaofeng trembled, “Huang… Are you Junior Sister?”
“Why are you here?”
“Did Master capture me?”
The atmosphere became tense for a moment. Huang Rong said, “You should tell me how you became like this and why you are working for the Jin people’s manor.”
Huang Rong glanced at Mei Chaofeng’s apprehensive expression and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to find you.”
Mei Chaofeng sighed softly, “To die at Master’s hands would also be a wish fulfilled. What is there for me to be uneasy about? It’s just that I miss Master terribly. Junior Sister, you’ve come, let me tell you everything. And after I’ve finished speaking, leave the manor quickly.”
Huang Rong observed Mei Chaofeng’s expression, which did not seem feigned. She gave a wry smile, “It seems this year-end will be spent with Mei Ruohua, who was expelled from the island by Father.”
She walked over and sat on a rock not far from Mei Chaofeng.
“First, tell me why you want to leave the manor quickly.”
Mei Chaofeng knew that Junior Sister was still wary of her, but she didn’t mind. She sat on another rock about ten feet away and slowly recounted how the manor was now full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and the fight that occurred when Ma Yu and others from the Quanzhen Sect infiltrated the manor.
The more Huang Rong listened, the more interesting she found it. She loved excitement and had nowhere else to go, so she thought she might as well stay with Mei Ruohua for a few days and see what exciting events would unfold.
…
In the mountains, days and months pass without notice; when the cold ends, one doesn’t know the year.
In the thatched hut in the mountains and fields, a sound like spring thunder and awakening insects suddenly erupted. Zhou Yan exhaled with a look of joy. After enduring hardship, he had finally succeeded. The Hand Yangming Secondary Meridian had been tempered and was now clear.
With a “clang” of sword resonance, Zhou Yan rushed out of the thatched hut and landed in the forest. Guiding energy with his intent, he felt his increasingly powerful Inner Qi circulating between his Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian and Hand Yangming Secondary Meridian, flowing like mercury on the ground, like the convergence of the Yan Jin sword.
He thrust out his sword. The sword was like a meteor, splitting into seven. The seven swords flickered at different angles, appearing like the Big Dipper from afar.
As the sun set over the distant mountains, Zhou Yan sheathed his sword and whistled.
The Yellow Spotted Horse trotted over. He mounted the horse and headed straight for Zhongdu.
