The sky had already turned dark, and the streets were bustling with pedestrians.
On the fifth night of the Sword-seeking Tournament, the town of Lishan was still bustling with activity. Every inn and teahouse was packed with people, and loud discussions about the day’s matches could be heard, mingling with the clinking of wine bowls and the shouts of patrons, creating a lively and noisy atmosphere.
Even the famous Lu Chengsha, dressed in black, walking through the night was not particularly conspicuous.
Hua Yan had inquired at several inns, only to be told that they were all full.
She felt a bit indignant. When she arrived, there were plenty of vacant rooms!
After making a round, the two of them ended up back at Dongfeng Buye Tower. Hua Yan thought to herself, could she really be forced to sleep on the street? How miserable would that be!
Lu Chengsha thought for a moment and said, “Wait here for a moment.”
“Oh, okay!”
After a short while, a steward came out and respectfully said to her, “I have inquired on behalf of this young lady. Although we currently do not have any vacant rooms, a disciple of our sect has offered to vacate a room for the young lady to stay temporarily.”
Hua Yan was shocked.
Is that even possible?
After all this, it’s just moving next door!?
With mixed feelings, Hua Yan followed Lu Chengsha and the steward along the path. As they walked, small bridges and flowing water could be seen, and what was particularly special were the many seasonal fruits growing along the way, seemingly within easy reach.
Noticing Hua Yan’s surprise, the steward smiled and said, “The fruits here are free to pick and taste. If the young lady wants to eat some, please feel free.”
They hadn’t walked far before hearing noisy chatter from the courtyard.
“I told you, Senior Brother needs to rest and heal. Can you all please be quiet?”
“Oh, Senior Brother himself said it’s fine, and besides, we’re not that loud! Do you think if we let that young lady stay here, Lu Chengsha might help us beat up that guy surnamed You tomorrow?”
“Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to avenge Senior Brother yourself? Why are you relying on others now?”
“By the way, what’s the relationship between him and Zuo Jingshuang anyway? Did you manage to find out?”
“Well… supposedly they knew each other from before.”
“That’s obvious even to a fool. Can you find out something more useful?”
“…If you have so many demands, why don’t you go ask yourself!”
Hua Yan: “…”
Alright, she now knew which sect it was!
Hopefully, Zhao You was alright.
***
As soon as Hua Yan and Lu Chengsha entered, the disciples of the Qingcheng Sect, who had been gossiping in their blue robes and white pants, immediately fell silent. They looked at the two of them with the kind of curiosity reserved for rare treasures, their eyes filled with gossip and inquiry.
Hua Yan had to speak first, “Uh, which room am I staying in?”
“Oh, right.” One of the senior sisters quickly responded, “The vacant room is in the back. I’ll take you there. Come, follow me!”
Although the layout was slightly different, the furnishings were quite similar.
Hua Yan put down her bundle and saw the senior sister clinging to the door frame, blinking as she asked, “Is Young Hero Lu staying here tonight as well?”
“He’ll be staying at Tingjian Manor tonight!”
“Oh.” The senior sister nodded, seeming somewhat disappointed. “I see, got it… Well, you two have a chat. I won’t disturb you. My name is Tao Caizhou. If you need anything, feel free to find me! By the way, I brought some snacks from Qingzhou. If you want some, you can come to me tonight.”
Hua Yan nodded, feeling a bit unaccustomed to such enthusiasm, “Thanks.”
The senior sister turned to leave, taking with her the crowd of disciples gathered at the door, “No problem! We should look out for each other when away from home!”
Hua Yan put her things down and noticed it was getting late.
“You have a match tomorrow, right? You should rest early!” Hua Yan remembered, “Oh right, your opponent tomorrow is You Weitian, isn’t it?”
Lu Chengsha replied, “I didn’t notice.”
She figured as much.
“Anyway, your opponent tomorrow…” Hua Yan initially wanted Lu Chengsha to teach You Weitian a lesson, but then she felt worried, “He’s not easy to deal with. His martial arts are quite sinister. Be careful!”
Even though Hua Yan had full confidence in Great Hero Lu’s strength, the sinister nature of their sect’s martial arts still made her uneasy.
Lu Chengsha, hearing this, showed a slightly puzzled expression. He moved his lips and asked, “Why are you worried about me?”
It seemed like he had a similar question during his match with Chu Jun.
Hua Yan was also puzzled by his question, “Because I don’t want you to get hurt, so I worry about you… Don’t you worry about me too?” She thought about it and concluded that it was because Great Hero Lu was too kind-hearted. He didn’t get angry when people criticized him, didn’t care if no one worried about him, and didn’t even take mockery to heart, unlike her, who was so particular.
My goodness, this is the composure of a true righteous hero!
Hua Yan sighed again. If she were Lu Chengsha, Lu Chengzhao would have been assassinated a hundred times over by now.
Lu Chengsha seemed to still have unanswered questions. Hua Yan heard him ask again, “Why don’t you want me to get hurt?”
For a moment, Hua Yan was stumped by his question.
She hadn’t thought about it before.
Wait, does this question even need thinking about?
Realizing her thoughts, Hua Yan immediately replied, “Because I think you, Great Hero Lu, are an especially good person!”
“Especially… good person?” Lu Chengsha repeated her last few words as if trying to understand their meaning.
Hua Yan nodded emphatically.
Along her journey, she had met many young heroes, from Zhao You to Bai Yujiang, then to Lu Chengzhao, Chu Jun, and Mu Xuelang. They were either weak, foolish, or evil. Only Lu Chengsha, in her eyes, not only maintained the image of a great hero but shone even brighter.
Just by standing there, Lu Chengsha seemed to radiate light in Hua Yan’s eyes.
As Hua Yan was lost in thought, Lu Chengsha suddenly turned around and walked out quickly.
“…Eh?”
Hua Yan widened her eyes and scratched her head.
Did she say something wrong again?
***
The next morning, Hua Yan was awakened by the sounds outside before dawn.
She was used to the quiet mornings at Tingjian Manor, not the bustling market-like noise outside her window so early.
“Quick, quick, if we’re late, the shrimp dumplings in the main hall will be sold out!”
“Senior Sister, wait for me, I haven’t put on my socks yet! I felt there was a mosquito in my room last night; it kept me awake…”
“Hey, Senior Brother, why are you out? Are you really going to watch?”
Hua Yan initially wanted to stay in bed a bit longer, but upon hearing the noise, she remembered the tragic end of her Qingcheng Sect romance and quickly got up, washed, dressed, and went outside.
Mu Xuelang was standing there, talking quietly with his fellow disciples. He looked a bit pale but otherwise seemed fine and spoke gently, “I’m already fine, no need to worry. Did Miss Zuo win yesterday?”
Another junior brother immediately scoffed, “Why do you still care about her, Senior Brother? She won’t make it to the top six anyway, and even if she does, she can’t beat that Lu Chengsha.”
Mu Xuelang replied helplessly, “I was just asking…”
“We and the Dangshan Sect are mortal enemies! Senior Brother, you must not go soft just because the girl is pretty!”
Mu Xuelang sighed more deeply, “Alright, I won’t ask anymore.”
Hua Yan covered her face, feeling somewhat touched. At least part of her ill-fated romance with the Qingcheng Sect was true.
“Miss Zhou, you’re up!” Senior Sister Tao greeted Hua Yan from afar. “Want to join us for breakfast?”
Hua Yan replied, “Sure!”
As Senior Sister Tao approached, she had a gossip-filled expression, “Did Young Hero Lu say where he’d be waiting for you?”
Hua Yan was taken aback and shook her head.
He didn’t say anything last night; he just ran off.
Senior Sister Tao looked disappointed, “Tingjian Manor is so strict, it’s no fun.” She patted Hua Yan’s shoulder, “No worries, I’ll take you in to find him later.”
Could there really be such kind people in this world?
Hua Yan immediately responded graciously, “Thank you, Senior Sister!”
Senior Sister Tao smiled, a bit embarrassed, “You’re welcome, no problem.” She rubbed her hands together, “But could I ask you something?”
Hua Yan asked, “What is it?”
Senior Sister Tao rubbed her hands again, seemingly trying to contain her excitement, her expression looking somewhat familiar to Hua Yan, “It’s just… how did you and Young Hero Lu meet and get to know each other? We… no, I am just a bit curious. You know, Young Hero Lu always looks so unapproachable, never showing any emotion. Over the years, we’ve always suspected that Young Hero Lu might not be… human.”
Hua Yan: “Huh???”
Senior Sister Tao quickly clarified, “Don’t misunderstand! I’m not insulting him! We’ve wondered if he might be a puppet or a secret weapon created by the Lu family, because no real person can be completely devoid of emotions, right? But recently, Young Hero Lu does seem different, so our curiosity got the better of us…”
To be honest, Hua Yan could completely understand this curiosity.
But now that the question was directed at her, it felt a bit strange.
Still, she decided to answer honestly, “Young Hero Lu saved me when I was being chased, so I followed him here to watch the Sword-seeking Tournament.”
“…And that’s it?”
“That’s it.”
Senior Sister Tao was shocked, “How long have you known each other?”
Hua Yan hesitantly replied, “About half a month?”
Senior Sister Tao: “…”
Hua Yan: “What’s wrong?”
Senior Sister Tao looked at her with a “Wow, you’re amazing” expression and said, “…Nothing, nothing. I need to process this.” She mumbled, “Lu Cheng… Is Lu Chengsha really that easy to approach? This doesn’t make sense…”