Ugly Hero - Chapter 18

After eating, Lu Nanzhu returned to her room alone, while Xia Qinyi carried the Phoenix Blood Saber and went out with her two family servants.

Lu Nanzhu returned to her room and felt melancholy for a while, then comforted herself: since she had come, she might as well settle in.

Before long, the waiter brought hot water. Lu Nanzhu happily soaked in a bath, dried her hair, and lay on the bed, looking at the night outside the window.

Xia Qinyi had not returned yet, and her own plan had also been disrupted because she had run into her.

Suddenly, Lu Nanzhu sat up from the bed. Two breaths later, there was a knock on the door.

Seeing that Lu Nanzhu was only wearing a thin inner garment, her black hair loose around her shoulders, Xia Qinyi said apologetically, “Miss… were you asleep?”

Xia Qinyi had taken Qingzhu and Piaoxue to support the Tianqiong Sword Sect disciples guarding the town. They had happened to run into a Demon Cult invasion, and the two sides had fought fiercely, so she had returned a little late.

Lu Nanzhu’s nostrils moved slightly. She smelled a faint scent of blood on Xia Qinyi, then saw the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone in Xia Qinyi’s hands. She turned sideways and invited Xia Qinyi inside.

The two sat facing each other at the table. As Xia Qinyi ground the ink, she said to Lu Nanzhu, “Miss, for the time being, stay in this inn and don’t go out. It has not been peaceful outside lately.”

Lu Nanzhu nodded. Taking the opportunity, she looked Xia Qinyi over. Seeing that her expression was only somewhat tired and that she did not seem injured, Lu Nanzhu relaxed.

“Here, it’s ready. I’ll ask questions, and you write.”

Xia Qinyi pushed the xuan paper in front of Lu Nanzhu, blinked, and asked, “What is your name?”

Lu Nanzhu had originally wanted to make up a random name, but when her brush touched the paper, she still wrote neatly: “Lu Nanzhu.”

“Lu Nanzhu,” Xia Qinyi murmured, reading it once. She took the brush and wrote the three characters “Xia Qinyi” beside it. “This is my name.”

Lu Nanzhu nodded.

Xia Qinyi handed the brush back to Lu Nanzhu and continued asking, “Where is your home?”

Lu Nanzhu thought for a moment. Choosing a place in the middle, she wrote the two characters for Jizhou.

Xia Qinyi looked at Lu Nanzhu’s fingers. They were fair and slender, and the way she held the brush was very beautiful.

“Miss Lu, who else is in your family?”

Lu Nanzhu lowered her eyes, her expression calm, and wrote: My parents have passed away. I am alone.

Xia Qinyi looked at Lu Nanzhu. She had not expected that the two of them, who had met by chance, would actually share the same sorrow.

Under the dim yellow oil lamp, Lu Nanzhu’s skin glowed with a gentle ivory white. Seeing Xia Qinyi looking at her, Lu Nanzhu blinked at Xia Qinyi.

The latter looked away. “It’s already late. Miss Lu, rest well. I’ll return to my room first.”

After seeing Xia Qinyi off, Lu Nanzhu looked at the xuan paper on the table. Written on it were Lu Nanzhu, Xia Qinyi, Jizhou, My parents have passed away, I am alone…

Lu Nanzhu blew out the oil lamp and lay faceup on the bed. The wooden box containing the Canglong Sword was placed on the inner side. She lightly stroked the wooden box and sighed.

Seeing Xia Qinyi again this time, the sharpness from that day was already gone from her, and she also had no airs of a young miss. It could be said that in many ways, she had considered Lu Nanzhu’s feelings. Perhaps this was her true nature.

Lu Nanzhu did not know what had happened in the jianghu a hundred years ago, but she still remembered: on Tianqiong Mountain, when she had held the Canglong Sword and fought the Phoenix Blood Saber, the intense fighting spirit that had surged out from her heart.

That feeling had been passed to her by the Canglong Sword. And through the clash of saber and sword, she had felt the same reaction from the Phoenix Blood Saber.

In the letter the Eccentric Hero had left her, the matter of the Phoenix Blood Saber had only been mentioned lightly in passing. Lu Nanzhu felt that a hundred years ago, these two weapons must have had some kind of connection. Unfortunately, the clues left behind by the Eccentric Hero were too few.

Between her and Xia Qinyi, there was still one duel with no decided victor. Perhaps this battle would quietly arrive at some unknown time.

Lu Nanzhu turned onto her side and draped one arm over the wooden box. Only then did she fall asleep peacefully.

Another three days passed. During the day, Xia Qinyi would bring Lu Nanzhu around the town. As they walked, she would introduce the local customs and scenery to Lu Nanzhu. Sometimes, she would also speak of the scenery of Jiangnan.

Xia Qinyi was very patient, her tone gentle and her voice soft and mellow. Compared to Lu Nanzhu, who had grown up secluded from the world, Xia Qinyi could be said to have seen and learned a great deal. She knew many things Lu Nanzhu had never even heard of, and Lu Nanzhu listened very attentively.

Lu Nanzhu’s mood also changed without her realizing it. From resistance and wanting to flee at the beginning, she gradually became calm and able to spend time with Xia Qinyi.

Xia Qinyi had never shown dislike for Lu Nanzhu’s “defect.” In fact, when she spoke to Lu Nanzhu, most of her sentences were statements, and she rarely asked questions.

To Lu Nanzhu, the greatest benefit of staying with Xia Qinyi was that her travel money no longer decreased. Xia Qinyi generously covered all expenses. Every meal was abundant. The dishes hanging on the inn wall had almost all been ordered once, but every day, there would always be one dish of crystal shrimp, unchanged.

When there was nothing to do at night, Xia Qinyi would bring paper and brush to Lu Nanzhu’s room. One would speak, and one would write. It was quite harmonious.

Although three days was a short time, Xia Qinyi’s way of addressing Lu Nanzhu had already changed from the initial “Miss Lu” to “Little Lu.” But Lu Nanzhu was faintly worried. In a few more days, the people Xia Qinyi had transferred from Huaxia Manor would probably arrive.

Judging from the current situation, Xia Qinyi would definitely instruct them to escort her safely back home.

Would everything not be exposed then?

That night, Lu Nanzhu lay on the bed, tossing and turning.

She decided to leave.

Xia Qinyi’s room was right next to hers. If she left without a sound, Xia Qinyi would certainly become suspicious.

But this was the only way. Besides… after this farewell, in the jianghu from now on, Xia Qinyi would never again encounter the person called Lu Nanzhu.

Thinking of this, for some reason, a trace of sadness crossed Lu Nanzhu’s heart…

Only five households remained in Tianshan, most of them elderly people. Aside from her, there were only Little Huzi and Little Bean Sprout, but there was still some age difference between them. Since childhood, Lu Nanzhu had never had a playmate close to her age. Setting aside the grudges surrounding the “Ugly Hero,” spending time with Xia Qinyi was comfortable.

Even though it had only been three short days…

Early the next morning, breakfast was already on the table, but Lu Nanzhu still had not appeared. She had always been punctual, especially when it came to eating. Why had she not gotten up today? Could she be sick?

“Young Miss, I’ll go call Miss Lu down.”

“There are differences between men and women. You and Piaoxue eat first. I’ll go up and have a look.”

“Yes.”

Xia Qinyi came to Lu Nanzhu’s door. “Little Lu, are you inside?”

Because Lu Nanzhu “could not speak,” there was usually no response. But today, there was not even the slightest sound from inside the room. It was frighteningly quiet.

Xia Qinyi’s heart tightened. She knocked again. “Little Lu, I’m coming in!”

The door was pushed open. It was not locked.

But Lu Nanzhu was nowhere to be seen in the room. Xia Qinyi searched anxiously and found a letter on the table.

She unfolded the xuan paper. On it was Lu Nanzhu’s handsome handwriting: Thank you for taking care of me. We part here.

On the back of the xuan paper were written: Lu Nanzhu, Xia Qinyi, Jizhou, My parents have passed away, I am alone.

It was precisely the content from their first communication. Xia Qinyi had not expected that Lu Nanzhu had kept it.

Xia Qinyi held the xuan paper and looked at the two names written side by side. For a long time, she said nothing.

Everything in the room that had belonged to Lu Nanzhu was gone. Her room had been right next to Xia Qinyi’s. If Lu Nanzhu truly did not know martial arts, how could she leave so silently without startling Xia Qinyi or Qingzhu, who lived on the other side?

What was more, she had also been carrying a wooden box that never left her side.

A wave of sourness rose in Xia Qinyi’s heart. She did not know whether it was because Lu Nanzhu had left without saying goodbye, or because Lu Nanzhu had deceived her about not knowing martial arts.

“You… who exactly are you?”

Qingzhu and Piaoxue saw Xia Qinyi come down alone and asked, “Young Miss, what happened to Miss Lu?”

Xia Qinyi said faintly, “Do not mention her again.”

Qingzhu froze, then replied, “Yes.”

Last night, Lu Nanzhu had changed into the Ugly Hero’s outfit, packed her women’s clothing into the wooden box, and left through the window.

She left the town overnight and spent the night at a ruined temple outside the city.

That night, Lu Nanzhu hid on the crossbeam of the ruined temple and did not sleep at all. What flashed through her mind again and again was the image of Xia Qinyi being unable to find her.

Although her deception had been unavoidable, what she had received from the other person was sincere treatment. This guilt weighed heavily on her heart.

Only when dawn was just beginning to brighten did Lu Nanzhu finally begin to feel a little sleepy. In her daze, the door of the ruined temple creaked open!

“Cult Master, why have you come personally?”

Hearing this voice, Lu Nanzhu’s sleepiness vanished completely.

Gongsun Qing!

Lu Nanzhu held her breath. Below, a hoarse voice sounded. “This seat heard that the operation has made no progress, so I came to have a look.”

“Cult Master, there is only one path up Tianqiong Sword Sect’s mountain. That old man Situ Kong not only sent a large number of disciples to guard the road up the mountain, he also set up many mechanisms and arrow towers. Even at the foot of the mountain, there are disciples patrolling. However, these past few days, we have already killed quite a few street-patrolling disciples and dumped them at the street corners. Consider it a warning to that old man Situ.”

“This seat heard that the master of the Phoenix Blood Saber has also arrived below Tianqiong Mountain. Is that true?”

“Replying to Cult Master, it is indeed true. I did not expect that little girl to come as well. However, she has two experts following her. A few days ago, she brought those two and fought eight cult members, resulting in six deaths and two injuries…”

“Oh? I did not expect Huaxia Manor to have such experts. It seems this seat must personally pay a visit.”

“How could we dare trouble Cult Master to act personally? If you make a move, would that not show that this subordinate is incompetent?”

The Demon Cult Master wanted to seize the Phoenix Blood Saber?

Then was Xia Qinyi not in danger?

What should I do? Should I warn her in advance…

Thinking of this, Lu Nanzhu’s heartbeat uncontrollably sped up!

“Who is there?!”

The Demon Cult Master shouted explosively. Lu Nanzhu immediately flew out. Almost at the same time, with a “pa,” wood splinters flew from the crossbeam where Lu Nanzhu had just been hiding…

Lu Nanzhu’s heart sank. This Demon Cult Master was no ordinary person. She had already held her breath. Only because her heartbeat had quickened a little, he had discovered her!

Lu Nanzhu landed on the ground, but did not dare stop. Gathering qi again, she flew straight out of the ruined temple.

And on the dust- and weed-covered floor tile where Lu Nanzhu had just borrowed force, a Ghost King Head nail was embedded.

If Lu Nanzhu had been even a step slower, she would have been struck!

“It’s you?!”

Lu Nanzhu heard Gongsun Qing’s voice, but she did not dare pause in the slightest. Flying in midair, she turned her head to look back and saw Gongsun Qing dressed in a dark red robe. Beside her stood a thin man dressed entirely in black, wearing a Ghost King mask.

The Demon Cult Master made as if to pursue, but Gongsun Qing blocked him. “Cult Master, do not chase!”

Lu Nanzhu continuously used stacked steps in the air, flying a great distance in one breath before landing and borrowing force once, then flying away again.

The Demon Cult Master narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lu Nanzhu’s retreating figure. “Qing’er, why did you stop this seat?”

“Cult Master, this subordinate recognizes him. He is the master of the Canglong Sword, the Ugly Hero. Cult Master, your divine skill is unmatched. If you were to accidentally injure him severely, I fear it would become even more difficult to draw this person into the cult. This subordinate has heard that those hypocrites of the orthodox sects are all inquiring about him, intending to seize the Canglong Sword. Moreover, those hypocrites have already classified this person as belonging to the Holy Cult. This subordinate already has a plan…”

“Mm. This seat has heard of it as well. This person is Jun Moxiao’s successor. That qinggong just now was indeed beautiful! Tell him that as long as he hands over the martial arts manual left behind by Jun Moxiao, this seat will allow him to keep the Canglong Sword, and will even confer upon him the title of Holy Son.”

Author’s Note:

Today’s update is here. Thank you all for keeping me company and for your holiday blessings. I received them.

Xia Qinyi, Lu Nanzhu, Jizhou—doesn’t it look like a marriage certificate? ┑(￣Д ￣)┍

Today, while lying in bed, I thought through the plot all the way to the ending. Suddenly, I discovered several angst points!!!!

What should I do? Just thinking about it makes my heart ache.