The Wuhua Valley was supposed to be a flowerless valley, but in fact, it was full of flowers.
While it was usually colder in the mountains than the outside, for Wuhua Valley, it was breezy and spring-like. Also, the water lilies in the pond never seemed to wither.
"What a nice place." Murong Yunshu looked at the garden full of spring colours and sighed softly.
At this time, Chu Changge walked out of the room with a smile and said, "If this sentence is heard by people on the jianghu, I am afraid that both the living and the dead will be angry."
"Oh?" Murong Yunshu raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
Chu Changge continued, "Bai Yefeng's reputation in the jianghu is no worse than mine."
"His name is infamous, I presume." Murong Yunshu said amusingly.
"Madam, you are being too blunt." Chu Changge had an aggrieved look on.
Murong Yunshu countered, "There's no one around." She implied that in front of other people, you had to treat those people politely. Once you were behind them......you could do and say in any way you want.
The expressionless Bai Yefeng, who had followed Chu Changge out, had the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably. No one around......did she not treat him as 'other people', or did she not even treat him as a human being?
As the warm breeze brushed by, Bai Yefeng suddenly looked up at the mountains towering into the clouds in the distance. A few hints of despondency flowed between his brows as he lightly asked, "When do you plan to leave?"
"How petty. We've only just arrived and you're starting to kick people out." Chu Changge's tone sounded discontented, but there was not the slightest hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes.
Bai Yefeng smiled bitterly, "You know, Wuhua Valley leaves no leeway to people. Once one comes, one will stay here for life."
Murong Yunshu's heart was shocked at his words. She could not have imagined that this gentleman, who was as gentle as a spring breeze, would say such bleak words, as if, in his not-so-long past, the blue sea had turned into mulberry fields. Murong Yunshu followed his line of sight and looked towards the rolling hills, full of doubts.
"Rest assured, I will help you find her." Chu Changge's voice was solemn and powerful. If it was thrown on the floor, it would make a sound. His oath was firm.
Bai Yefeng only shook his head lightly, "If one wants to come, one will come sooner or later. Once one doesn’t have the heart to come, one will still leave even when one has already arrived here."
Although Murong Yunshu did not know who this 'her' they were talking about was, she could guess 80 per cent reason for Bai Yefeng's anguish look was because of that person. When she looked at Chu Changge again, Murong Yunshu suddenly felt so happy. For the two of them staying together was more important than anything else.
*
After bidding farewell to Bai Yefeng, Murong Yunshu and Chu Changge set off again on their way towards the west.
Why did they decide to go to the west?
Since there was Land of Ultimate Bliss in the Western Paradise, then, there must be no gunpowder smoke there, and for them to go to the west was to get themselves as far away as they could from the madding crowd. This was Murong Yunshu's explanation.
When Murong Yunshu told this to Chu Changge, it made no sense to him. Even so, he still went all the way to the west.
During this journey, Murong Yunshu had heard a lot of things about the jianghu. She finally knew why Chu Changge commented that way when she had said that Wuhua Valley was a good place that day.
In Wuhua Valley, no one wanted to come, since one had to stay there for one's life.
Anyone who set foot in the Wuhua Valley was forbidden to leave the valley for life, otherwise, there was only one outcome ——death.
Once a person died, that person would completely leave everything behind, even this life.
This rule of Wuhua Valley was not set by the current valley master, Bai Yefeng, but it had been carried on for centuries. If he did not follow this rule, he, himself would have to die.
The reason why Chu Changge was able to go in and out freely, without the need to leave his life behind in Wuhua Valley, naturally because——Bai Yefeng was unable to kill him. Not only Bai Yefeng but even the Old Master of Wuhua Valley was also unable to do anything to him. Therefore, Chu Changge became the only person in centuries who had stepped into Wuhua Valley now and then, while managing to turn up skipping and jumping about every time.
It was also because of this rule that many people who were pursued by their enemies and had no way out, decided to break into Wuhua Valley and spend the rest of their lives in peace there.
"That's why the jianghu people say that there is not a single good person in Wuhua Valley." Chu Changge was sitting in a booth inside a teahouse while having a drink with snacks, as he made the concluding remarks.
Something stirred in Murong Yunshu's eyes, a sign that she understood it as she stated, "That is true."
"You also think Bai Yefeng is not a good person?" Chu Changge's dark eyes glowed. He was glad that she hadn't been fooled by someone's appearance.
"M-hm." Murong Yunshu also picked up her cup of tea and took a sip, adding, "Similar things group together, similar people fit together."
"Right. If he wasn't a rotten egg, flies wouldn't bite him." Chu Changge said.
Murong Yunshu was stunned for a moment. She continued drinking her tea for a while longer, put down her cup, and then looked at the traffic downstairs with one hand on her cheek, as she commented, "You seem to have a good relationship with him."
"That's right. I met him when I broke into the Wuhua Valley at the age of fifteen. If he didn't look like a woman, I would have definitely killed him with a sword at that time......" said Chu Changge. He noticed that Murong Yunshu suddenly turned her head to look at him, with a certain smile on the corner of her mouth. He flinched, but then it dawned on him......when she mentioned that he was on good terms with Bai Yefeng, it turned out that she was just trying to convey that he was one of the flies......
The corners of Chu Changge's mouth twitched slightly. He suddenly had another start. She said that Bai Yefeng was not a good person. She even said that similar things grouped together, similar people fit together......could it be that she was pointing at the mulberry tree but actually cursing the locust tree......right?
Chu Changge sighed in frustration and complained, "Madam, there are other people around now." So, please be polite to him.
Murong Yunshu looked around. "Are there?"
"......" She really considered everyone else beneath her!
Chu Changge suddenly realised that he didn't know that every encounter he had with her, had always ended in his defeat. Could it be that when a hero meets a beauty, he would always be short of breath?
At this time, a loud noise suddenly came from the neighbouring seat, followed by the sound of the dining table toppling over with the sound of tableware falling and breaking onto the ground. At the same time, the man with a pointy head and a small mouth, who was seated near the window said angrily, "Since you don't put my Kunlun school in your eyes, don't blame me, Zhao Da, for being impolite!"
"Humph! I, Li San, am not afraid of a Kunlun rat like you!" The one who spoke was Li San, the great disciple of Feiyang Mountain Villa Sect, who was sitting face to face with Zhao Da.
The moment the two men overturned the table, everyone in the lobby fled and ran downstairs. At that moment, apart from Zhao Da and Li San who were glaring at each other, only Murong Yunshu and Chu Changge were left in the lobby. They were still calmly and slowly sipping their tea, oblivious to the situation beside them.
"You two, don't you want to live anymore? Still so slow to move?" Li San told Murong Yunshu.
When Murong Yunshu heard someone speaking to her, she raised her eyes and looked over. She then said indifferently, "If you want to hit each other, then continue your fight, and I'll drink my tea. This way, we won't disturb each other." After saying that, she slowly hung her head, while giving out a smile to Chu Changge, who also had the corner of his mouth slightly hooked. He silently turned the cup of tea in his hand and continued watching the drama. Murong Yunshu had purposely come to the jianghu to walk around, and when she encountered such a thing, how could she not watch from the sidelines?
Li San was stunned. These days, there were even more people who were not afraid of death. These two knew that Kunlun and Feiyang Villa Sects were here to fight, but they didn't even want to avoid it. Moreover, the back of the man sitting opposite her looked quite familiar......
Wait......something was not right......
Li San frowned and thought to himself: Looking at the woman's expression, taciturn and unafraid, it was as if she did not attach any importance to him and Zhao Da at all.
Could it be, that she was at a master level?
But he did not remember such a person in the jianghu. From the way she dressed and behaved, she was extremely trained and should be from a famous family. She was probably a young lady from a martial arts family.
With such a thought, Li San figured it out. Nowadays, girls, especially daughters whose families had little prestige in jianghu, were not even afraid to die. His own sister was the best example.
"I am Li San, the great disciple of Feiyang Mountain Villa Sect. I wonder what Miss' name is?" Since they were from the same prestigious house, it was always good to get acquainted.
Murong Yunshu's mouth curved upward at his words and replied, "You guys fight first, and I'll tell you when you win."
"......" Li San's face was full of black lines. This woman looked gentle and quiet. However, when she spoke, it was like she was anxious to see the world in disorder.
It wasn't that Murong Yunshu was deliberately mystifying herself. Honestly, with her reputation, if she revealed her name now, she was afraid that this fight would become two against one. Although she was confident that Chu Changge could easily win, nevertheless, a battle where her strength was a great disparity, with an obvious outcome would seem very meaningless.[+]
Chu Changge laughed sullenly. Her words and tone reminded him of the saying——from ancient times, those with a rosy countenance had been ill-fated. Fortunately, there were not a lot of bystanders today. Otherwise, if this matter spread, no matter who won and lost in the fight between Zhao Da and Li San, the Kunlun Sect and the Feiyang Mountain Villa Sect would settle the score on her. This was the usual style of the famous sects.
At this point, Zhao Da shouted, "Cut the crap, Li San. If I don't beat you to a pulp today, I, Zhao Da, will follow your family name!"
Li San was about to speak when he suddenly heard her smilingly say, "Look, that man is so clever. He will be so proud when he wins. Even if he loses, he won't be at a disadvantage. After changing his surname to Li, he will still be bigger than Li San."
Zhao Da, Li Da. One was Li San and another one was Li Da. Those who didn't know, they would think that Li Da was Li San's big brother.[Explanation]
Li San instantly turned pale as he exclaimed, "Good of you Zhao Da. How dare you take advantage of me, Li San!"
"You......you're talking nonsense!" From the start, Zhao Da had never thought about being the biggest or the smallest at all. He just blurted out whatever malicious words that came into his mind. He never thought that Murong Yunshu's words would turn his words into something else. How could he not be angry? "Demon girl, if you keep talking nonsense, I'll cut you down with my sword!"
"Zhao Da, don't involve others in the grievances between you and me." After speaking, Li San took a few steps back and turned his back on Chu Changge. Now, they were only a few centimetres apart. "Miss, you'd better go now. Swords have no eyes, be careful or they will hurt you."
Murong Yunshu smiled faintly without much concern and indifferently said, "You can go ahead and start fighting. With my husband here, no one can hurt me." [T/N]
Chu Changge was originally very unhappy with Li San's unproductive attentiveness towards Murong Yunshu, but at this moment, when he heard the words 'my husband' from her, his heart burst with joy. This was the first time she had ever called him 'husband' in public! In the past, only at 'certain times' and under his enticement would she call him 'husband', and, 'afterwards', she would forget about it and choose to rather die than admit to it. [T/N]
For the sake of these 'my husband' words, Chu Changge decided to let her raise some winds And waves for a while longer. [T/N]
The corners of his lips curled up in a pleasant arc as Chu Changge looked sideways out the window, while mentally calculating to put some effort tonight in trying to set her straight in the way she should be calling him first.
Unlike Chu Changge, Murong Yunshu's mind was thinking of something else. Were all jianghu people acting so old-womanish or were these two jianghu people the only ones who were acting old-womanish in front of her? From the moment they turned against each other until now, they had said a lot of harsh words, but she did not see any action from them. If this stalemate continued, there would be no result until nightfall. Although she didn't want to miss out on a good show, she didn't like a fight that was too long either. If there was nothing she could do, she would have to find her own excitement.
Ancient Silver Ingot
Image Credit | Digital Taiwan - Culture & Nature (Silver ingot, cast with Chinese characters on both sides)
Image Credit | Digital Taiwan - Culture & Nature (Silver ingot, cast with Chinese characters on both sides)
Seeing this, Chu Changge forced himself to hold back his overwhelming smile as he cooperated by also placing a silver ingot on the table while saying, "I bet on Zhao Da's death." Not to lose, but to die. Simply because those 'demon girl' words had stepped on his bottom line. He could ignore people calling him a devil, but he would never allow the words 'demon girl' to be placed on her head.
As soon as Zhao Da heard the word 'death', a murderous aura rose in his eyes. He drew his sword and stabbed Chu Changge, only to be blocked by Li San in the middle.
"Zhao Da, I said, don't bring other people into the grudge between the two of us!" Li San said with a righteous look.
At the same time, the waiter, who was hiding outside and observing the situation inside through the chink in the door, ran downstairs in a flash and called out to everyone. After a while, the sound of footsteps could be heard, with a dozen diners swarmed to the door. They hesitated for a few moments before they, too, took out their fine silvers and made a bet.
The situation had gone beyond Murong Yunshu's expectations. Originally, she only wanted to gamble with Chu Changge, as he was a member of her family whether he lost or won. Unexpectedly, this had caused a 'sympathetic response' from everyone.
Chu Changge did not know whether to laugh or cry (). After so many years of walking in the jianghu, he had seen many bizarre scenes, but this was the first time he had encountered a scene like this. If he had to say, Murong Yunshu had the potential to be a scourge. Everywhere she went, she could throw a place into disorder like a pot of porridge.
Just as Chu Changge was marvelling at Murong Yunshu's amazing demeanour, something even more amazing happened——
Murong Yunshu took out a thick stack of silver tickets, slammed them on the table and announced, "I will be the dealer."
"......" Chu Changge was completely defeated by her.
Looking at the silver tickets, those who had risked their lives to come and make a bet were seethed with excitement.
"I'll bet another hundred taels on Young Master Li."
"I'll bet another fifty taels on the Great Warrior Zhao."
……
Thus, a jianghu rivalry became a bet.
Chu Changge placed a hand on his forehead. Fortunately, she was a bit late in trying to be reckless. Otherwise, where would there be a place for him to be reckless......
Zhao Da and Li San, on the other hand, looked at each other. They were unable to speak for a long time, nor did they make any move. For, they were both shocked by the situation before them.[+]
Li San looked at Murong Yunshu and asked, "Who exactly are you?"
Murong Yunshu, however, sighed softly and said, "If you don't start fighting, it will be dark soon."
“……”
Murong Yunshu added, "If you win the fight, these silver tickets will all be yours."
"......" Li San deeply felt that she did not look a bit like a daughter of a martial arts family at all, but, on the contrary, like a landlady who had wealth and spoke louder than others. She belonged to the type that had nothing better to do other than looking for trouble and throwing money around like dirt.
Zhao Da, however, did not have Li San's good temper and was not interested in Murong Yunshu's identity. He only knew that he had to defeat Li San. "Let's do it!" With a low roar, Zhao Da raised his sword, aiming to kill.
Li San also no longer hesitated. He countered every Zhao Da's move as he saw it, but it was clear that he intentionally stayed away from Murong Yunshu, for fear of accidentally hurting her during the fight.
One side was busy fighting, while the other side watched with interest.
"In this match, I want the dealer to win." Murong Yunshu said softly to Chu Changge.
Chu Changge smiled, "The dealer has placed such a large amount of the original capital, how can we not let the dealer win?"
"……" Was this his way of making fun of her?
Noob Translator's Musing
Murong Yunshu is already a scourge. Even before you met her. Do you think people who know her won't have hated her if she wasn't a scourge? 😏
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Black Belly Wife