Zhao You’s emotions were extremely complex.
After shaking off the pursuing forces of the Demon Sect that day, he intended to find Hua Yan. However, things didn’t go as planned. Unexpectedly, he got lost again! By the time he had asked around countless times and made his way to the Dongfeng Buye Tower, to have someone send a message to his senior brothers and sisters, the demonic maiden of the Demon Sect had long vanished from his world, as if she had never appeared!
Although he refused to admit it, he couldn’t help but think of her in private.
He wondered if she had been caught and taken back by her fiancé, the Right Protector. He wondered where she was now, whether she was eating well, sleeping well, and whether she missed him…
Zhao You was deeply troubled and often mocked by his senior brothers and sisters.
“Little junior brother, did you meet some pretty girl on the road? Why are you so absent-minded after coming back?”
“Tell us who has stirred the spring in our little junior brother’s heart. As long as she’s not from Dangshan Sect, we’ll help you go ask about her!”
Zhao You was at a loss for words. How could he say that the one he missed day and night was a demonic maiden of the Demon Sect!
Although their Qingcheng Sect was always casual and unconstrained, Zhao You had the confidence that if he revealed Hua Yan’s identity, he would immediately face the most severe punishment of Qingcheng Sect—being tied up and thrown at the gates of Dangshan Sect, left to be trampled upon!
However, unexpectedly, at this very moment!
He actually saw her! Yet she seemed to have lost her memory, not recognizing him at all!
How could this be!
Clearly, she had betrayed the Demon Sect for him, saved him from the dungeon, and escaped that demonic cave together with him. They had spent several days together, and Zhao You had never been so close to a woman in his life!
For a moment, countless possibilities of what might have happened during this time flooded Zhao You’s mind. He was overwhelmed with emotions when he suddenly heard Hua Yan speak.
“So, it’s you…”
Zhao You’s voice choked: “It’s me… you…”
Hua Yan’s tone shifted to a gossipy one: “You’re the person involved, so tell me, what deep-seated grudge do you have with Dangshan Sect?”
Zhao You: “Huh?”
While they were talking, disciples of Qingcheng Sect and Dangshan Sect had already started fighting at the entrance of the venue. More than a dozen people were mixed up in the brawl, with the blue and white interspersed with gray and green, making it a dazzling sight, and blades and sword gleams flashing constantly.
Amidst it all, the arguments never ceased.
“You hypocrites from Dangshan, always pretending to be righteous. Were you the ones who cut down our dozen loquat trees on the North Shore!”
“Nonsense, slander! When did we ever cut down your Qingcheng trees!”
“Still trying to deny it! Because of you, we don’t have loquats to eat this year! Dangshan scoundrels, take this sword!”
That senior brother, Mu Xuelang, was full of helplessness as he tried to stop his junior brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, before he could draw his sword, Zuo Jingshuang blocked his way. He had no intention of harming anyone, but the other party didn’t think so, and drew her sword to strike, each move aimed to kill.
Zhao You couldn’t stand it any longer!
He drew his sword and prepared to help his senior brother. However, as soon as he got close, he realized he was no match. He barely parried two of Zuo Jingshuang’s strikes before she kicked him to the side.
Struggling to get up, he faced Hua Yan’s inquisitive expression.
“Why are you even weaker than before…”
Zhao You’s face instantly turned bright red. “I, I… I’ve been busy lately, I haven’t practiced much…”
He couldn’t possibly say he was busy thinking about her!
Hua Yan crossed her arms, looking very disappointed in him. She took out a Invincible Strength Pill, shoved it into Zhao You’s mouth, and forced him to swallow it by pressing his jaw. Then she slapped his back and said, “Go, get back in there!”
Zhao You felt a surge of power throughout his body, as if his clothes were about to burst. With a shout, he charged forward.
This time, he lasted a bit longer, about twenty moves, before collapsing again.
Fortunately, at that moment, a tall and sturdy man with white hair and beard emerged. Clad in a long, blue-gray robe, he stood like a towering mountain, majestic and imposing. His face was rugged and dark, with deep lines, and his thick white eyebrows were furrowed deeply. He shouted, “Stop!”
The sheer force of his voice caused the battling disciples on both sides to waver and then halt.
“Master!”
“Master!”
Qing Yuan, who had been standing nearby, covered his ears and whispered to Hua Yan, “That must be Dangshan Sect Master, Ling Tianxiao…”
Ling Tianxiao’s authority was unquestionable. The Dangshan disciples, who had been fighting fiercely, now behaved like quails, even Zuo Jingshuang, who bowed to Ling Tianxiao and glanced at Mu Xuelang before leaving with him.
The disciples of Qingcheng Sect assumed a ready stance, but once the others left, they started bickering again.
“Senior Brother, you were too soft on her! Zuo Jingshuang has only been with Dangshan for just over five years, and you let her off so easily!”
“Exactly, even our weak little junior brother could withstand her for twenty moves!”
“By the way, where’s our junior brother?”
Zhao You lay on the ground, his whole body aching and his consciousness fading. He felt both powerful and as if his bones were falling apart.
Hua Yan knew he was weak but didn’t realize he was this weak. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she greeted Qing Yuan and the two of them helped Zhao You up, giving him a healing pill.
“Miss, you actually know the disciples of Qingcheng Sect?”
As Qing Yuan spoke, the nearby Qingcheng Sect disciples also noticed them.
“And who might you two be…”
“Wow, what a beautiful junior sister. Are you from Qiqin Tianxia?”
“Junior brother, could this be the one you’ve been thinking about for so long…”
The Qingcheng Sect disciples spoke so quickly and all at once that Hua Yan couldn’t get a word in. One of the senior sisters, touching her chin, remarked, “This junior sister looks somewhat familiar. Were you… were you following Lu Chengsha when you came in?”
With this comment, a sudden silence fell over the crowd, and then…
“No way, junior sister, are you the one who supposedly made the iron tree bloom, the one who made Lu Chengsha fly into a rage?”
“Oh my gosh, how did you manage that? Can you tell me? I’m so curious!”
“Isn’t that just a rumor? Who would believe that Lu Chengsha would fight Lu Chengzhao over a woman?”
“The person in question is right here. If you don’t believe it, you can ask her! Junior sister, is this true or not?”
Hua Yan blinked, not understanding why they were so shocked. Hearing the rumor about Lu Chengsha, she slapped the table and clarified, “Young Master Lu did it for the sake of martial justice, not for me!”
“Whoa…”
“So, it’s true after all!”
“Junior sister, aren’t you afraid being around Lu Chengsha?”
Zhao You, having taken the healing medicine, felt a bit better and regained some consciousness. Hearing the commotion around Hua Yan, he thought his senior brothers and sisters had discovered her identity and were about to attack her.
Although he had seen the dangers of the Demon Sect, Hua Yan hadn’t done anything wrong… With this thought, Zhao You felt a sudden impulse!
He staggered to his feet, shielding Hua Yan behind him, and said, “Senior brothers and sisters, don’t…”
Zhao You’s head was spinning, and before he could finish, he realized his senior brothers and sisters were looking at him with a strange expression, a mix of surprise and… pity.
“Our junior brother has really grown up; he dares to compete with Lu Chengsha from Tingjian Manor for someone!”
The senior sister who had recognized Hua Yan wiped her eyes theatrically. “Junior brother has grown up. I’m so moved. Although you definitely can’t win, I still support you…”
Zhao You was hit with a realization. He looked at Hua Yan in a daze and asked, “Lu, Young Hero Lu… what’s going on…”
Could it be…
Zhao You felt a surge of despair, as if he were a scholar waiting in a brothel for a promise of a lifetime, only to find his beloved marrying a high-ranking official.
His deep feelings were ultimately misplaced!
Pointing at Hua Yan, he stammered, “You… I, I…” He was so overwhelmed that he fainted.
Hua Yan was bewildered. What did he want her to say?
No, what did she have to explain anyway!
“Huh? He fainted out of anger!”
The Qingcheng Sect disciples hurriedly lifted Zhao You. “Quick, junior brother has fainted! Get him to the doctor in Cixin Valley right away…!”
Taking advantage of the situation, the senior sister, who might have had good or bad intentions, pushed Hua Yan with a smile. “Junior sister, please go with him and take care of him! We’re counting on you!”
Following along, Hua Yan discovered that several medical pavilions were set up outside the venue of the Sword-seeking Tournament, prepared to treat injured disciples. Numerous doctors from Cixin Valley, dressed in white, moved among the patients, treating everything from heatstroke to life-threatening injuries.
Hua Yan was well-acquainted with Cixin Valley. After Yu Ye expanded Yufeng Hall, their biggest competitor was Cixin Valley’s medical pavilions. There was a saying in the martial world, “Nine out of ten famous doctors come from Cixin Valley.” Though exaggerated, it wasn’t entirely baseless.
Every year, the flood of people seeking medical training practically flattened Cixin Valley’s threshold, and their medical pavilions were spread across the martial world.
Yu Ye once lamented to her that it was fortunate Cixin Valley’s main business was treating patients and not making medicine; otherwise, Yufeng Hall might have struggled to survive.
Hua Yan deeply understood this. Whenever the Zhengyi Sect developed a new poison, it wasn’t long before Cixin Valley produced an antidote. To avoid losing business, Yufeng Hall had to sell antidotes too, which was quite frustrating.
Most absurdly, they even had a department dedicated to studying the various poisons of the Zhengyi Sect, though they lacked actual specimens.
A few years ago, Yu Ye captured two doctors from Cixin Valley who had infiltrated the Zhengyi Sect. They had risked their lives to obtain some poisons for research, nearly getting killed by one of Yu Ye’s hall masters to make poison feed. In the end, Yu Ye negotiated with Cixin Valley, trading some secret medical formulas for the doctors’ lives.
Today was Hua Yan’s first time seeing Cixin Valley doctors in action. A doctor in white efficiently examined Zhao You, quickly wrote a prescription, and handed it to an assistant who promptly began preparing the medicine.
The seamless process was impressive, and Hua Yan felt like clapping in appreciation.
The Qingcheng Sect disciple who had helped carry Zhao You asked, “Is our junior brother going to be okay?”
The doctor, who was examining another patient’s eyes, didn’t even look up. “He’ll be fine, won’t die.”
The Qingcheng Sect disciple seemed accustomed to such responses, cupping his fist in thanks. “Thank you, doctor. I’ll take my leave now!”
As soon as the medicine was ready, it was poured into Zhao You’s mouth, and moments later, he slowly regained consciousness.
“Cough, cough… Why is it so bitter? Am I in the underworld?” Zhao You groggily opened his eyes and saw Hua Yan, his expression turning one of heartbreak. “Hua, Hua…”
With so many people around, Hua Yan feared he might say something he shouldn’t, so she quickly covered his mouth. “Call me Zhou Xiaohua!”
Zhao You caught a faint whiff of Hua Yan’s fragrance, his heart fluttering. Regaining his composure, he felt a sudden shortness of breath. Pulling Hua Yan’s hand away, he asked miserably, “What exactly is your relationship with Young Hero Lu…”
This question stumped Hua Yan.
What exactly was their relationship?
She thought for a moment and answered truthfully, “I just cheer him on for his acts of chivalry…”
Zhao You’s eyes lit up. “Really? There’s really nothing else between you two?”
Hua Yan was puzzled. Why was he so concerned?
Could it be that he’s worried she, a demonic maiden, might harm Young Hero Lu?
“Rest assured, what you’re worried about definitely hasn’t happened!”
Zhao You immediately felt relieved.
Seeing his gullible and easily deceived smile, Hua Yan couldn’t help but worry again. Lowering her voice, she leaned close to his ear and threatened fiercely, “You still have the Thousand Spider Venom in you! Don’t tell anyone about me, understand?”
Being so close, the unique fragrance of Hua Yan became even more noticeable.
Zhao You felt his heart flutter again. This demonic maiden must really like him!
Even her fierce threats sounded like she was pouting. Zhao You couldn’t help but chuckle foolishly. “I won’t tell anyone, and you don’t have to lie to me. You didn’t actually put any venom on me, did you?”
Hua Yan was taken aback. “…I did!”
Zhao You continued to chuckle. “You don’t have to explain, I already know!”
No, she really did put the venom on him!