Chapter 10, unpredictable weather
Feng Chen shrugged and said, "No matter how pitiful your words are, they are of no use; the young master's words are commands that no one dares to defy." Yun'er, infuriated, retorted, "So if he tells you to die, you would go?" He paused for a moment and replied solemnly, "If the young master wants Feng Chen to die, Feng Chen wouldn't even blink an eye!"
The young master Yan, recognizing the situation, wisely kept silent. His temper today was particularly good, completely devoid of the decisive, ruthless, gloomy, and domineering demeanor he usually exhibited. He simply gazed at her, his long brows furrowed, and pondered: "For some reason, I always feel that you look familiar, as if I have seen you somewhere before." The moment he caught sight of the blue tear mole at the corner of her eye, he could never forget it. However, it was impossible for him to have met her; he had never roamed the martial world before, and besides, judging by her age, she was at most fifteen or sixteen, significantly younger than him, making it even more unlikely. He mused again: "For some reason, I always feel that you look familiar, as if I have seen you somewhere before." The moment he caught sight of the blue tear mole at the corner of her eye, he could never forget it. However, it was impossible for him to have met her; he had never roamed the martial world before, and besides, judging by her age, she was at most fifteen or sixteen, significantly younger than him, making it even more unlikely. Suddenly, he asked: "Have you undergone the coming-of-age ceremony?"
Yun'er’s martial arts skills are not particularly impressive, but her ability to escape is top-notch—of course, having followed Dongfang Qi, she naturally embodies the saying "one becomes red by being close to vermilion, and black by being close to ink." Dongfang Qi is the most formidable escape expert in the world. She feigned a move, swiftly turned her waist, and managed to slip away from his grasp. Young Master Yan's eyes flashed with surprise, "Your movement and footwork are quite exquisite; where did you learn them?"
There is a sense of eagerness to please her in his tone, which even he himself has not noticed
He raised an eyebrow and said, "You claim to know Sun Yiming's last words, but in fact, you are just talking nonsense and deceiving people, aren't you?" Her face flushed, and she replied, "It's not exactly a lie; although I don't know, I do know that there is someone who does." She thought to herself, is he unhappy about this, which is why he is holding onto it?
Thus, when Feng Chen and Chu Wei saw Yun Er charging down the mountain, they expressionlessly blocked her path with their swords. Chu Wei even pressed the blade against her neck, deliberately pushing it in slightly, silently forcing her to turn back. She could feel the murderous intent emanating from the sword's edge, causing her hair to stand on end, and she was so frightened that she dared not move, stiffly inhaling and saying: "Hey, hey, hey, could you be a little gentler—it's your master who ordered me to come down the mountain." He must not accidentally shift his hand, for with one "careless" move, her own head could be severed.
The two deliberately ignored her, walked out and stood under the eaves waiting. Feng Chen said, "I didn't expect her to be afraid of this dark room instead of being afraid of getting hit." He thought to himself, so she also has things she fears; I really thought she was reckless and fearless. Zhu Wei then said, "Girls, after all, are timid."
The two of them were in a flurry, almost unable to control her. Feng Chen unceremoniously pressed her acupoint and scolded, "I have never seen such an ungrateful woman like you." After wiping the sweat from his forehead, he finally calmed down. Chu Wei casually pulled down a gauze curtain, twisted her hands behind her back, and tied them securely, saying fiercely, "Don't worry, it's not about climbing a mountain of knives or walking through a sea of fire; it's just to make you suffer a bit and learn a lesson."
Yun'er looked at him with great satisfaction, placing her hands on her hips and said: "Alright, I am going to return to 'Wanqing Building' now to move all the items I use daily up here!"
The two people saw her suddenly cry and thought to themselves that she must have been truly frightened. Feng Chen released her acupoint, while Chu Wei tied her hair and suspended it in mid-air. As soon as her toes barely touched the ground, they immediately stopped their actions. Yun'er was already so scared that she could not speak; it felt as if her scalp was being torn apart. She could only desperately raise her toes and cry out loud, "Wuwu—what are you going to do, let me down, I don't want to die, I don't want to die—"
The air momentarily condensed. The cloud set down the fish brought to his lips, glancing at him sideways, noticing a hint of sorrow flowing in his watery gaze. She couldn't help but think, such a handsome person, yet he is attracted to men; he must have struggled and panicked in his heart at some point, right? In that instant, she forgot his usual malicious behavior, tearing off a piece of flesh from the fish's belly and handing it to him, "Alright, alright, here you go." It made her seem like a notorious female villain from the underworld, truly—what an injustice!
He hurriedly said, "Hey, hey, hey, get it straight, I never said it was bad, you said that yourself—" He lowered his head and took a bite, "It's countless times better than the 'Beggar's Chicken' I had before." He spoke sincerely, but Yun'er took it as sarcasm and glared angrily, saying, "Have you ever heard the saying, 'A person who eats from another's hand is at their mercy'?"
This is the new Wu-Yue folk tune that is currently popular; every young woman in the Suzhou and Hangzhou area knows how to sing it. Yun'er hummed it to herself, her tone leisurely and carefree, her enunciation smooth, clear, and melodious, comparable to that of a golden oriole. The young master Yan stood at a distance, listening for a while, thinking to himself that she certainly knows how to enjoy herself, living so happily alone. Amidst his jealousy, he felt a tinge of envy. How wonderful it would be if he could also roam the mountains and forests, carefree and untroubled.
When Young Master Yan saw her eating with great enjoyment, he found it very amusing. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and noticed that he was staring at her without blinking. Fiercely, she said, "What are you looking at? Even if you keep looking, I won't give you any!" You will die of envy! He suddenly smiled and said, "The way you eat fish really reminds me of a big white cat I raised when I was a child."
Yun'er asked, "Why?"
The two were so frightened by her fierce demeanor that they kept retreating, their outstretched hands hovering in mid-air. They secretly glanced at their master, and seeing that he seemed unresponsive, they could only awkwardly retract their hands. Forget it, forget it, a good man does not engage in conflict with a woman
Zhu Wei turned to glance at her and said irritably, "How pitiful you sound; where did that arrogance go just now? You bully the weak and fear the strong, shifting with the wind, sweet in words but treacherous in heart. That is why it is said, 'The most poisonous is a woman's heart.'" Despite these words, his tone softened. They would not truly hold a grudge against a girl who was still quite young.
He suddenly came to his senses, quickly hiding the emotions in his heart, silently holding it in his hand. Yun'er saw that he wasn't eating and felt a bit unhappy, "What, are you afraid I poisoned it? If you won't eat it, give it back to me." As she spoke, she reached out her hand to take it back. He replied with righteous indignation, "Why should I give it back to you? What you gave me is mine— I don't have chopsticks."
Feng Chen nodded, "Look at how the young master treats her, sometimes well and sometimes poorly, mostly in jest. We can just make a show of it; otherwise, shall we hang her for an hour and a half before letting her down?" The two of them reached an agreement and deliberately said, "You just stay here hanging from the beam; we are leaving. After ten days or half a month, when you realize your mistake, I will let you down whenever I feel like it."
His expression darkened, "Who gave you permission to call it Yunquan?" Even the master had not named it, yet she was taking liberties and acting recklessly! Yun'er replied perfunctorily, "It needs a name, doesn't it? What's wrong with calling it Yunquan?" He angrily retorted, "Impudent! How can you casually name this hot spring? You immediately get down the mountain.
He simply sat down with a thud, raised an eyebrow and said, "Is this yours? Why can't I come here?" Yun'er was at a loss for words in response to his question, and then shrugged, saying, "Do as you please!" Completely ignoring him, she took the grilled fish off the branch, holding it with a lotus leaf, and broke off two tender new branches, peeling them to use as chopsticks. She sat cross-legged, picked up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth; it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fresh and delicious, quite good, the taste was just right
After a while, she shook her head again and said, "I will not go down the mountain; I have said that I want to stay in Yunquan." Based on her experiences over the past few days, she realized that soaking in hot springs helps her to alleviate her physical fatigue and coldness. By nightfall, she no longer had to shiver from the cold and could finally sleep soundly. Just look at her these past few days, full of energy and with such a good complexion
Yun'er immediately raised her tail again, pointing her index finger at Feng Chen's nose and saying: "From now on, be polite to this young lady, don't just draw your sword at the slightest provocation—" Then she pointed at Chu Wei and said: "And you, keep your eyes wide open!" The two were so angry that they trembled, and just as they reached out their hands—she shouted loudly: "What are you doing, what are you doing? Want to hit someone? Come on, come on—" She puffed out her chest and stepped forward, looking as if she was ready to face death.
This person is unwell; just a moment ago, everything was fine, and now they are puffing their cheeks and glaring, changing their attitude faster than flipping a book. Her temperament has become stubborn, "I want to live in Yunquan!" She looks at him defiantly, challenging him to see what he can do about it. Can he still take advantage of her? At worst, they can part ways!
Yun'er caught a mountain chicken, plucked its feathers and removed its innards, sprinkled it with salt, and used local ingredients. She coated it with fennel and other plant seasonings, wrapped it in freshly picked lotus leaves, and covered it with a layer of well-mixed yellow clay. She dug a hole to bury it, built a fire on top, and also caught a fresh fish about one foot long from the water, scaled it, removed its gills and innards, and seasoned it before roasting it on a branch. She squatted on the grass, turning the branch while cheerfully humming a tune: "The misty waters of West Lake are vast, a hundred acres of wind and waves, ten miles of lotus fragrance. The fire rises, and I caught a fresh fish about one foot long from the water, scaled it, removed its gills and innards, and seasoned it before roasting it on a branch. She squatted on the grass, turning the branch while cheerfully humming a tune: 'The misty waters of West Lake are vast, a hundred acres of wind and waves, ten miles of lotus fragrance. Suitable for rain or shine, suitable for Xi Shi with light or heavy makeup. Boats linked together, joyous sounds fill the days without end. In spring, flowers bloom and the harvest is plentiful. Truly, above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou.'
Yun'er let out a "cut" and said, "It sounds like you are capable of anything." He raised an eyebrow and arrogantly replied, "In this world, there are probably very few things I cannot accomplish." Yun'er looked at his sword in silence, thinking to herself, can you really give me your Longquan sword? But she said, "You have eaten my fish and chicken, so shall we consider our past grievances settled?"
Yun'er heard a voice, turned around, and saw him. Immediately, her expression soured, and she rolled her eyes. However, his suggestion was indeed quite good, so she temporarily forgave his uninvited presence. She used the remaining lotus leaves to wrap a bundle of soft soil and covered it up, which immediately extinguished the fire. After washing her hands and returning, she found him still standing there, not having left, and irritably said, "What are you doing here?" Wasn't he always trying to kill her whenever they met?
He recalled the bucket of slop and the purgative that had been poured over him at "Tianxiang Courtyard," his expression somewhat strained. He then thought of her screams, akin to that of a pig being slaughtered, which had left her unable to get out of bed for ten days or half a month. With both losses and gains, it could be considered even. Reluctantly, he said: "Alright. However, you cannot go anywhere; you can only stay at 'Luohua Bieyuan'"
The two people shared a laugh, but after a while, they noticed that there was no sound coming from inside, which struck them as odd. Just a moment ago, there had been crying and shouting. "Let's go in and see what trick she is playing again," one suggested. Upon pushing the door open, they saw that Yun was lying there with her eyes tightly shut, her face pale as a corpse hanging from a noose, having already fainted.
In the room stood a wooden stool, quite out of place, and nothing else was present. Upon closer inspection, the stool was covered with small, finger-length cones, densely packed and emitting a faint, cold light while standing upside down. Yun'er felt a chill run down her spine; she had the sensation of being plunged into the eighteen layers of hell, terrified she screamed, "Ah ah ah ah ah—what do you want, let me go—" She struggled incessantly, kicking and hitting.
Feng Chen clapped his hands and said: "Originally, I wanted you to hang yourself by stepping on this stool—this is the true form of the torture known as 'hanging by the beam and stabbing the feet.'" Yun'er looked down and thought that her feet would surely pierce through seventeen or eighteen holes, bleeding to death, and she cried even harder. He said impatiently: "If you cry again, I will really make you step on the stool." She ignored him and sobbed: "Just kill me with a sword!" She was terrified of this place, subconsciously resisting for no reason, unwilling to stay even a second longer. He said impatiently: "If you cry again, I will really make you step on the stool." She ignored him and sobbed: "Just kill me with a sword!" She was terrified of this place, subconsciously resisting for no reason, unwilling to stay even a second longer.
Yun'er secretly cursed his foolish loyalty in her heart, but said, "Brother Feng Chen, I know you are loyal and devoted, but could you please go and plead with the young master? Just tell him that Yun'er knows she was wrong and will definitely listen to him in the future, serving him well. I am afraid of the dark, I am afraid of this place—" As she spoke, she truly began to cry. For some reason, as soon as she entered this place, a chill ran through her heart, fear arose spontaneously, and she was inexplicably terrified, trembling all over, with a splitting headache.
He smiled and took a bite, having learned his lesson this time, and praised it by saying: "It blends the fragrance of earth and lotus leaves, rich yet not greasy, delicious in flavor, and with an excellent texture." However, he forgot to mention the most important point.
Yun'er was just thinking that she had finally turned her fortunes around and felt quite proud of herself. Little did she know that the two of them turned around and were ready to seize her. As soon as she sensed something was off, she took to her heels and ran. In the open space, with no place to hide, despite her agility, she was no match for Feng, Chen, and Chu Wei, and after just a few steps, she was caught and brought back.
Yun'er, angered, stamped her foot and said, "What are you doing? You didn't even ask for the details before taking action!" It felt as if the tip of the sword had pierced through her clothing, pressing against her skin, causing her heart to tighten in fear. She quickly stepped back, raised her hands, and with a fawning expression said, "I will go back, I will go back, is that alright?" Frustrated, she turned around and, upon raising her eyes, saw Young Master Yan walking down the mountain, hands behind his back, moving leisurely, his garments fluttering elegantly, exuding great charm. In that moment, she felt as if she had found a savior and quickly shouted, "Yan, take care of your servant!" Young Master Yan, of course, was aware of what had transpired. He cast a slight glance at her and simply walked past her, ignoring her completely. Feng Chen, upon hearing this, shouted angrily, "You dare!" But upon seeing that his master was not angry, he immediately recognized the situation and fell silent. Given the circumstances, it seemed that what she had just said was indeed true—this, this, this, the master's thoughts were too fickle!
He let out an "oh" and said, "No wonder you are so nice to me; it turns out you have a request. Go ahead, what is it? As long as it is within my capability, I will do my best to fulfill your request." He was eating with his mouth full, and his mood improved significantly, to the point where he even uttered such words of willingness to oblige.
Two individuals pushed her into a pitch-black room, devoid of windows, suffused with a lifeless atmosphere. Countless colorful gauze curtains floated in the air, layered upon one another, making it impossible to discern the true size of the room. Strangely, these curtains were only about one foot long, neither resembling drapes nor large hanging curtains. When the door was pushed open, they moved of their own accord, as if a horde of demons were dancing wildly, with malevolent spirits rampant. Upon seeing this, Yun'er immediately thought of the term "haunted house," hunching her shoulders and shivering.
As the saying goes, one should not strike a smiling face. She also should not be overly unreasonable, so she pouted and said, "I hate cats the most, especially white cats!" She was not intentionally being confrontational; she genuinely disliked cats, and whenever she heard a cat meow, she would get goosebumps all over. The young master Yan paused for a moment and then said, "Unfortunately, it died later."
Just as the two individuals were reluctantly following their master to leave, Young Master Yan suddenly spoke, "There is no distinction between the high and the low in words, and there is no regard for the law in sight; one must serve with a head suspended from the beam and feet pierced by a thorn!" After saying this, he walked away alone
The two people were taken aback for a moment, hesitating to put away their swords. Yun'er stuck out her tongue and touched her neck, saying, "Eh, it's so chilly, it's disgusting to death." It was not just disgusting; her life was almost at stake. Seeing Feng Chen shake his head and reach out to grab her, it was clear he did not believe her words. She quickly jumped back, "What are you doing? Are you getting rough? Don't believe me? Go ask your master. He even said that in the future, you can talk to me freely, and no longer need to wear that ridiculous expression of wide-eyed surprise."
Feng Chen Chu Wei immediately responded loudly: "Yes!"
Yun'er believed it to be true, thinking that after ten days or half a month, if she hadn't hanged herself, she would have starved to death long ago. With tears streaming down her face, she said: "Please, I beg you to let me go, I am scared... I know I was wrong, I truly won't dare to do it again, sob..." Her voice was hoarse from crying
He stood up in anger, "If I give you an inch, you take a mile! Truly, three days without discipline and you dare to climb the roof. It seems you are in need of some correction!" As he spoke, he stepped forward to grab her
Yun Er was taken aback, encountering such a domineering and unreasonable person, who mocked her, saying: "Don't you have hands?" After a considerable pause, he reluctantly replied: "Alright, when in Rome, do as the Romans do; we are all children of the rivers and lakes, so let's not sweat the small stuff, it’s not that important." Imitating her, he sat cross-legged, tore off a piece of fish skin and put it in his mouth, commenting: "It’s a bit undercooked, the seasonings are incomplete, and the grilling is mediocre, but it has a certain wild charm."
As he approached, he saw her trying to extinguish the fire with a thick branch, jumping around and kicking up dust everywhere. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, causing countless specks of dust to dance in the air. He disdainfully snorted, "Why not just cover the dug-up soil?" It would be both clean and convenient, yet here she was, with her face smeared in a haphazard manner, dirty like a calico cat. He had never seen such a foolish woman.
Yun'er was frozen in place, her eyes darting around as she pleaded desperately, "Brother Feng, Chen, Chu, Wei, please let me go, will you? I know I was wrong, and I promise I won't dare to do it again. Please consider that I am still young, unaware of the severity of my actions, and that I am just a girl. Adults should not hold grudges against children. Let me go, please. I will definitely be obedient in the future and will never act recklessly or speak nonsense again. Brother Feng, Chen, Chu, Wei, I am kneeling and bowing my head to you—" If she were not unable to move, she would truly kneel down with a "thud"; this place was simply too terrifying.
She curled her lip and said, "That is something for the daughters of noble families; we, children of the rivers and lakes, naturally disdain it—" In fact, she had completely forgotten how old she was, and she didn't even know if she had reached the age of maturity. She continued, "You don't need to say nice things to get close; the enmity between us is already established." Naturally, she was also eyeing his Longquan sword, casting a slight glance at his waist.
Feng, Chen, and Chu Wei saw her trembling all over, tears streaming down her face, with an expression as if she were about to faint from fear at any moment. They whispered in the corner, "Look at her like this, we mustn't really let something happen. From what I can see, the young master only intends to scare her a bit, just to teach her a lesson and that’s all. If he truly wanted her life, how could she have lived until now"
She let out a "humph" and said, "Rely on the mountains to eat from the mountains, rely on the water to eat from the water. With both mountains and water here, how could anyone starve to death? Hearing what you just said, it's clear you are a noble who knows nothing of the hardships of the common people." She cut off a chicken leg with a dagger and handed it to him, "Forget it, I'm in a good mood today, so I won't hold it against you. Here, take it—"
She huffed and turned her head, unexpectedly comparing her to a cat? Unhappily, she said: "You are the cat! You walk without making a sound." He surprisingly did not get angry, but smiled and said: "My cat is named Xue'er, entirely snow-white, with not a single stray hair on her body, extremely intelligent, the only one of her kind in the world, unparalleled in nobility"
Yun'er exclaimed with a sigh, "It's a bit salty—" Glancing at him, she added, "You don't need to open your eyes to speak nonsense; your flattery has backfired. If it's salty, eat it salty; if it's bland, eat it bland; if you don't want to eat, then don't eat. I'm not forcing you!"
He was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "When have I ever gone back on my word?" Yun'er pouted and said, "Do you still remember what you said that night? I said I would settle down in Yunquan, and you said it was fine. I even said, 'A gentleman's word is his bond, like a swift horse's gallop.' You clearly agreed, so why are you trying to back out now?"
Upon hearing this, Yun'er scoffed inwardly and cursed him to death, yet maintained a composed demeanor as she asked, "So, can the people in the manor talk to me now?" He nodded, "Yes, you can also go down the mountain; you no longer have to be confined here." She clapped her hands in celebration, exclaiming, "Oh, I no longer have to be invisible!" She was genuinely delighted. These past few days, she had felt nearly suffocated; she spoke to the birds when she saw them, chatted with the fish when she encountered them, and when there was nothing to do, she would talk to herself, mumbling and murmuring, driving herself to the brink of madness.
At that time, he was so angry that he spoke out of frustration. He never expected that he would end up being trapped by her. As a dignified man, he could not go back on his word to a young girl, and although he was extremely reluctant, he had no choice but to say: "If you want to live in this desolate mountain wilderness, that's none of my business!"
He stretched and said: "I see you are quite clever, with one mind and seventeen or eighteen tricks up your sleeve. However, you are a bit too rough and lack any sense of propriety, living without rules. This is not a problem, considering your young age; you can gradually improve in the future. Follow my lead in your work, and if you perform well, you will naturally be rewarded handsomely."
Yun'er moved away from the campfire and used a dagger to dig out the "beggar's chicken" buried underground. Hearing his words, she felt a bit irritated and turned back to huff, "If you have the ability, why don't you roast it for me to eat? Hmph, all talk and no action is just a pretense. If you dare to be so arrogant and spout nonsense again, I won't let you have any 'beggar's chicken.'" In truth, she never intended to share it with him. However, when one person was devouring the food with great delight while the other was watching intently, no matter how thick-skinned or hard-hearted she was, it ultimately felt inappropriate to enjoy it all by herself.
He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said: "This 'Beggar's Chicken', I have eaten it before." It was just specially wrapped in silk and presented on a jade plate, and at that time, I found it novel. Today, upon seeing it again, I realize that the original flavor has been completely lost. Yun'er let out an "Oh" without raising her head and said: "Then you might as well not eat it now." He took no offense, smiling as he replied: "I thought you must be starving to death, but who would have known you are living so carefree." This was a great surprise to him.
Feng Chen and Chu Wei exchanged glances, their hearts filled with numerous questions, yet they did not dare to speak. Feng Chen snorted softly, recalling how just a few days ago, the young master had been furious, threatening to starve her to death. How could he possibly change his mind so quickly? He raised the sword in his hand, pointing it directly at her chest, implying that if she did not return, he would not hold back any longer
Even if Yun'er is arrogant and conceited, he still possesses some self-awareness. With his mediocre skills, he is certainly no match for him, and being caught is merely a matter of time. He quickly raised his hand in surrender and said: "You don't keep your word!"