Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 251 Things change and people change
The sixth year of Jingzheng.

At this time, Luo Chaoyan was wearing a complicated and petite palace skirt, sitting alone on the stone steps in front of the Taiji Palace, looking at the snow curtain which was much thicker than that in Lin'an. Her tender face, which was only seven years old, looked a little distressed. She probably wanted to go out of the palace to play, but she didn't know who to go with her... Her sister's guard was too tense, and her mother and father would not leave the palace easily.

Later, a young lady in a red dress, wearing a pure white fox fur, walked slowly in the snow. She saw Luo Chaoyan and invited her to go out of the palace to eat, drink and have fun... This person was the future empress dowager, the current prime minister's sister, Miss Shen, Shen Nange.

Su Qingqi is one year younger than Luo Chaoyan. She sits alone in the courtyard of the Su Mansion, meditating with her eyes closed. She is practicing internal skills. This age is a good time to practice internal skills and lay the foundation.

Luo Xiangzhu was taken by King Yan to travel around the world, looking for a famous doctor who could cure his muteness... King Yan knew that Luo Xiangzhu could not speak because of the Crimson Pearl Jade, but he had no way to take out the Crimson Pearl Jade, and he did not dare to take it. He could only hold on to a glimmer of hope and try to find a miracle doctor.

In Lin'an, there was a rare day of heavy snow. The whole city was covered in silver. Layers of snow fell on the West Lake and turned into snow water. The West Lake was not white, but emerald green. However, the surrounding courtyards and bridges were all white, so the West Lake also looked a bit snowy.

In the early morning, the seventeen-year-old Xiao Yuanmu had not yet entered the Heavenly Palace, but had already reached the pass.

She was wearing a snow-white dress, with her long sword casually leaning against the tree trunk in the yard. She held a feather duster in one hand and spread out an old martial arts book with the other. Her pretty face was looking at the book seriously, but her hands were not slow at all, and she was cleaning the old courtyard in an orderly manner.

Occasionally, snowflakes fell into the book, and she would shake the book carefully, and the book would make a crackling sound as the snowflakes fell off.

At Xiao Yuanmu's age, he often went to Taixuan Palace with his master to handle important matters of the sect. When he became capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of building the bridge between heaven and earth, he would succeed him as the Palace Master of Taixuan Palace.

Thanks to this, Xiao Yuanmu also went out to the martial arts world a few times, did some things for the Taixuan Palace, killed some people, and became a well-known Taixuan Palace witch in the vicinity... When the detectives from the Detective Department saw her, they would directly send a signal to mobilize people to encircle and suppress her.

But he didn't go far. He was active in the Lin'an area and rarely came back.

However, every year at the end of the year, Xiao Yuanmu would return here early, put down his killing sword, pick up a feather duster, clean up the old courtyard, and wait for someone to come back.

Tap tap tap————

Outside the courtyard, the sound of horse hooves could be heard leisurely.

Zhao Wumian led the horse and walked into the yard, looking at Xiao Yuanmu's back as she cleaned the yard. His eyes moved, and snowflakes fell one after another, accumulating on Xiao Yuanmu's shoulders and inky black hair, and rustling as she walked.

No one would have thought that this woman in a white dress doing housework would be the evil witch who would shock the world in the future.

Xiao Yuanmu did not turn around, still holding the feather duster and martial arts book, and said calmly, "Tie the horse, wash your hands, and go out with me to buy vegetables later. Master has something to do tonight and will not be back for the New Year."

Zhao Wumian raised his eyebrows slightly, "She's not coming back?"

"Why did I lie to you?"

Zhao Wumian pondered for a moment, then smiled, "Then let's celebrate the New Year somewhere else tonight?"

Xiao Yuanmu paused while cleaning, looking a little puzzled. He turned his head and said, "Then I cleaned for nothing?"

"...I promise you it will be worth the trip."

"Haven't you lied to me often enough?"

“More often when I don’t lie to you.”

Xiao Yuanmu closed the martial arts book, stuffed it into his arms, and then pushed the door open and entered the house. After a while, he brought out a basin of water and a wet towel, handed them to Zhao Wumian, and said, "You can't let me work for nothing, you have to work for nothing too... Go, wipe all the furniture in the house."

"Why are you so fussy?"

"The first day you met me?"

After cleaning the yard, Xiao Yuanmu pasted a couplet at the door, giving the yard a bit of New Year atmosphere. She nodded in satisfaction, led her horse out of the yard, and asked curiously, "Where are we going to celebrate the New Year?"

"Shouldn't you ask this question first?" Zhao Wumian loosened the reins and led the horse out.

"I decided to go out with you without even asking the location. Shouldn't you be grateful?" Xiao Yuanmu looked at him proudly, blinked his eyes and smiled happily.

Seventeen-year-old Xiao Yuanmu's every move is full of the youthful vitality unique to young girls.

The cold moon is like a hook, the wind is cold and biting, the sky is filled with snowflakes, and the whole place is cold and lonely.

chi chi-

The snow on the ground was swept away, wood was put on the bonfire, sparks flew in the bonfire, and the surrounding snowflakes were dyed red by the fire. They floated into the fire, melted into snow water, and made a hissing sound.

Xiao Yuanmu squatted in front of the campfire. He pulled the fox fur with his two little hands and wrapped himself like a rice dumpling. He stared at the red flames expressionlessly. After a few seconds, he looked around. It was a snowy field with no one around. It would not be surprising if a few wild wolves jumped out from somewhere.

"Why should I spend the New Year with you in such a barren place? Is the house in Lin'an not warm? Is the play not good?" Xiao Yuanmu was no longer youthful and lively. Her tone at this moment was like that of an old woman who was about to die, plain but with a bit of remorse and regret for life.

She was wondering if this guy Zhao Wumian had learned some tricks to seduce women from somewhere, and was planning to take her to some scenic spot to watch the moon, fireworks, etc. But as soon as they left Lin'an, Zhao Wumian took her to the northwest. They were on the road all day and had no idea how many miles they had run.

Zhao Wumian said nothing, took out an iron rack and placed it on the campfire, then stood up and took out a small iron pot from the package on the side of the horse's belly, melted the snow into water, and added some special seasonings, dried meat, and fresh fruits and vegetables just bought from Lin'an.

After it boiled, Zhao Wumian hummed a cheerful tune that Xiao Yuanmu had never heard before. He picked up a small wooden bowl, mixed some sesame paste, put a piece of meat in it, and handed it to Xiao Yuanmu, "Wilderness hot pot! Try it."

Xiao Yuanmu took it silently, picked up the meat, put it between her pink lips and chewed silently.

"Is it delicious?" Zhao Wumian asked.

"It's delicious." Xiao Yuanmu sniffed and answered honestly, then picked up another piece of meat from the pot and ate it.

Zhao Wumian smiled.

Seeing him smile, Xiao Yuanmu gritted his teeth and poked Zhao Wumian's shoulder with chopsticks, "You brought me out here just to eat hot pot in this remote place?"

"How stupid. The location doesn't matter. It's the memories that matter."

"What do you mean? Don't let me beat you while we're eating." When Xiao Yuanmu heard Zhao Wumian say she was stupid, she poked him even harder with her chopsticks.

"Who in the world would bring you to this remote place to eat hot pot for the New Year? This is a unique memory, you know? It will leave a better impression on you than taking you to some common restaurant to watch the moon and fireworks. I guarantee that even when you become an old woman, you can still think of this while lying in a chair and basking in the sun."

Xiao Yuanmu put away his chopsticks and continued eating, "Too stupid, of course it's unforgettable."

"When pursuing someone, the most important thing is not to please them, but to be unforgettable. If you eat hot pot again in the future, won't you think of tonight every time? Think of me?" Zhao Wumian picked up another piece of vegetable.

Xiao Yuanmu was stunned, looking at Zhao Wumian with a little disbelief. She didn't have even a little bit of the demeanor of a demon girl who played with men in the palm of her hand. Instead, her tone was a bit shy of a girl, "You, you are pursuing me?"

But Xiao Yuanmu reacted quickly and glanced at Zhao Wumian smugly, "You are lying to me again, aren't you?"

Zhao Wumian put the vegetables into his mouth and did not answer.

The smugness on Xiao Yuanmu's face slowly faded, and he turned a little embarrassed, then listened to Zhao Wumian say:

"What are you thinking about every day? I didn't bring you out here just to eat hot pot. I think you shouldn't wait until you become an old woman. When tomorrow morning comes, you can lie on the ground and bask in the sun. Try to turn into a plant and use photosynthesis to make your brain smarter."

Xiao Yuanmu was so angry that her pretty face turned red. She looked at Zhao Wumian and said seriously, "I found the whereabouts of the Zhan Yan hairpin."

Xiao Yuanmu was stunned in the spot, and then he didn't care about being angry, and asked happily: "Where is it?"

"Yingtian is 450 miles away from Lin'an. We can get there in two days on foot." Zhao Wumian pondered for a moment, then glanced at Xiao Yuanmu and asked, "Have you been to Yingtian?"

Xiao Yuanmu shook his head, "Master is afraid that something bad will happen to me, so he doesn't want me to go far... At least wait until I enter the Sky-Watching Man before leaving Jiangnan."

"So steady? My martial arts skills are not as good as yours, and I've been running around the martial arts world for nearly ten years."

Xiao Yuanmu poked the meat slices in the bowl with chopsticks and whispered, "Then don't leave... just stay with me in Lin'an..."

"What did you say?" Xiao Yuanmu's voice was too soft, but Zhao Wumian still heard it. He asked with a smile, wanting Xiao Yuanmu to say it again.

Xiao Yuanmu knew what Zhao Wumian meant, so he scooped up some snow from the ground with his little hands and threw it on Zhao Wumian's face.

Zhao Wumian fought back without any hesitation, and the two of them started fighting again while eating hot pot.

Yingtian, a large city in the southern part of Dali, was once the capital of Chen State. However, it has been more than 40 years since Dali left the country. With the passage of time, no trace of the old capital of Chen State remains here. Except for some old people, no one knows about the old events that took place when this place was the capital of Chen State.

Yingtian is also the place where the southern martial arts world converges. The forces there are complicated and intricate, but the most powerful force is Wujitian, one of the three sects and six schools founded by the Gun Leader himself.

At this time, Chen Qiyuan was not the leader of the spear... the leader of the spear was his father.

Zhao Wumian and Xiao Yuanmu led their horses into the city.

This was Xiao Yuanmu's first time in Yingtian. She couldn't help feeling curious, but she felt more sad... She was not from the royal family of Chen, but wasn't the vision that her master and sister Jiuer had been working hard for their entire lives to recover Chen and return it to the old capital?

Zhao Wumian glanced at her and said, "Don't think too much. Yingtian is just Yingtian at this moment."

"You say that lightly. When Sister Jiu'er brought you to Yingtian before, wasn't she sad?"

Zhao Wumian was silent for a few seconds, then changed the subject, "Let's find the Zhan Yan hairpin first. According to the clues I found, the Zhan Yan hairpin is in Wujitian's hands... After all, he is one of the three sects and six schools. I heard that the spear master is also on good terms with King Jin. I'm really unsure if you're not here."

"You finally said something I like to hear. It would be even better if you called me Sister Xiao." Xiao Yuanmu snorted. She was not afraid of this so-called Wujitian at all.

So the two of them sneaked into the Wujitian headquarters that night... and were then discovered by several top masters in the headquarters. Because the Spear Leader was still in Yingtian, if the two of them were delayed, the future hope of Chen Country would be destroyed on the spot. So they fled and ran hundreds of miles to the west of Yingtian before they finally got rid of the pursuers.

"Pah." Zhao Wumian led the horse and spat out a mouthful of blood foam, then wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. I have memorized the faces of those masters. When you enter the Sky Peeping Sect, remember to bring me back."

Xiao Yuanmu's left arm was also slightly injured. At this moment, he lifted up his sleeve and was applying medicine. He rolled his eyes when he heard this, "Shouldn't you have fought back after entering the Sky Watching Man? Why do you only hide behind me when you encounter problems?"

"You are such a woman, you really don't have any romantic ideas at all. The point of what I said was that we should come to Yingtian together again in the future. Have you become stupid after practicing martial arts?"

"As long as my country is not destroyed, I will never get married. What's the point of having such a romantic mindset?" Xiao Yuanmu prepared the medicine and threw the vial to Zhao Wumian. He asked curiously, "But when we sneaked in just now, why did those Wujitian masters seem to know you? As soon as they saw you, they stabbed you with guns..."

"I have infiltrated before, but I failed...otherwise why would I come to you for help?"

"Call me... and then get chased out together..." Xiao Yuanmu blinked, feeling a little embarrassed, and consoled him, "But don't worry, I'll definitely get back at you when I enter the Skypeeping Sect. Just wait and see." While applying the medicine, Zhao Wumian took out a map from his arms and spread it out on the ground. He smiled and continued,
"Although we were beaten back, I also found some clues when I sneaked in. Most of the Nine Bells are controlled by various forces. It seems that the only Nine Bells left in the world is the Cuojin Boshan Furnace. Therefore, the Four Glazed Jades are a hot potato. The Spear Master did not dare to hold them in his hands, so he threw them to the Sword Master Yangshe Congyun."

"The Knife Master is Yangshe Congyun?" Xiao Yuanmu was a little surprised, but he did not doubt him. "The Knife Master and the Spear Master have a personal relationship?"

"Who knows?" Zhao Wumian frowned. "But Shu is thousands of miles away from Yingtian. By the time we get there, it will probably be February..."

Zhao Wumian looked at Xiao Yuanmu and said, "Are you in a hurry to return to Taixuan Palace?"

"Is there anything more urgent than taking back the four colored jades?" Xiao Yuanmu bandaged the wound with a clean white cloth with one hand, then jumped on the horse and pulled the reins, "Go!"

Zhao Wumian put away the map and rode away without hesitation. The two horses rode one in front and one behind, galloping quickly in the snow.

The Lantern Festival was spent on the way to Shu. It was a light snowy day, and the mountains and wilderness were still desolate. The two of them lit a bonfire, roasted some meat, drank some wine, rested for an hour, and then continued on their journey on horseback.

This was the first time that the two of them did not separate after the Lantern Festival, so Xiao Yuanmu lagged behind Zhao Wumian by a few steps, staring at his back, and then smiled unconsciously.

It was already mid-February when we arrived in Chengdu, Shu.

Shu was a rainy land to begin with, let alone early spring. Hence, they had not seen many sunny days since they entered Shu. It was impossible for the two of them to travel with umbrellas or on horseback, so they both put on straw raincoats and hats and dressed like ordinary people in the martial arts world.

However, on the streets of Chengdu, everyone was talking about the martial arts competition between Tang Weiyu, the eldest son of the Tang family, and Yangshe Congyun, the sword master, in three days. The two men had just arrived and knew nothing about it. They sat in the tavern and listened for a while before they suddenly realized what was going on.

Tang Weiyu, the eldest son of the Tang family, was born into a family of poison masters, but he behaved in an upright manner and had always disdained the way of poison. Instead, he went further and further on the path of martial arts. Not only did he learn the Tang family's hidden weapons and light skills completely, he was even better than his teacher, and he also made deeper achievements in swordsmanship. Last year, he had already reached the level of a celestial being, and became a person who had achieved the unity of man and nature, a person that was one of only ten people in the Dali martial arts world.

The leader of the swordsman sect, Qing Liantian, is the leader of the Shu martial arts world and has led the trend of practicing swordsmanship in the Shu martial arts world. Therefore, Shu is also a pilgrimage site for swordsmen from Dali. It is reasonable for Tang Weiyu to practice swordsmanship of his sect while learning hidden weapons and light skills.

It has been a year since Tang Weiyu achieved the unity of man and nature. He seemed to have touched the threshold of the bridge connecting heaven and earth, or he had reached the level of martial arts champion in terms of combat power. He was truly the second best in the Shu martial arts world. Therefore, at the end of the year, he issued a declaration of war to the sword champion Yangshe Congyun, and would go to Qingliantian in February to visit him with a sword to see who was better.

If Tang Weiyu wins, he can win the plaque of martial arts champion under the auspices of someone in the court, allowing the Tang family to replace Qing Liantian's status in the Shu martial arts world.

If he loses, he will be another challenger defeated by the Sword Master's 'Ming Hong Sword'... To date, Sword Master has defeated countless challengers like Tang Weiyu.

As soon as the news that the second place in Shu was challenging the first place spread, people from all over the world gathered in Shu to watch this grand spectacle of martial arts.

Xiao Yuanmu smiled and said, "We have come at a good time. I also use a sword, so it would be beneficial for my martial arts if I learn from it now."

Zhao Wumian nodded slightly and smiled at Xiao Yuanmu, "It's a rare trip to Chengdu, why don't you try the Sichuan cuisine?"

"Shouldn't we go to Qingliantian to gather intelligence first?"

"During the competition, almost everyone in Qingliantian will be watching, leaving the rear empty. Sneaking in at that time will be less risky."

As they talked, they paid for their drinks and left the pub together.

Gurgle gurgle————

A luxurious carriage drove up from the street, pulled by two majestic horses in front, which were better than Zhao Wumian and Xiao Yuanmu's horses. There were more than ten warriors with swords and knives around, all wearing white clothes made of wolfskin, fox fur and other furs. Just by looking at their attire, one could tell that this convoy must have come from Yanyun, as only people from Yanyun would wear so many furs.

Seeing this, the two men led their horses to make way, but when the carriage passed by them, the curtain was gently lifted by a pair of small hands, revealing a face as delicate and exquisite as that carved from jade.

Prince Yan's only daughter, Princess Yan Luo Xiangzhu, is also in Shu...mainly here to find a doctor.

However, this year, Luo Xiangzhu is only eight years old, two years older than Luo Chaoyan, so she is still a little girl.

Luo Xiangzhu's cute big eyes looked at Zhao Wumian who was standing on the street, with a hint of doubt in the depths of her eyes.

Zhao Wumian was wearing a bamboo hat, so Luo Xiangzhu couldn't see his face clearly. At this moment, a guard came on horseback and asked in a low voice, "Princess?"

Luo Xiangzhu retracted his gaze, shook his head slightly, and lowered the car curtain.

"Princess? From Yanyun... Is she the daughter of King Yan..." Xiao Yuanmu heard these key words keenly, and his little hand under the straw raincoat subconsciously pressed on the hilt of the sword. He had already begun to think about whether to capture this little girl and take her to Yanyun to cause trouble.

Zhao Wumian grabbed Xiao Yuanmu's wrist and shook his head slightly, "Don't forget our purpose. Don't cause any trouble at this moment, and..."

Zhao Wumian paused, and glanced at the carriage again, his expression somewhat complicated, "This princess has a close relationship with us."

Luo Xiangzhu's mother once worked for the royal family of Chen State. Jiuer did not reveal this to let her live a peaceful life, but Zhao Wumian definitely knew it.

Xiao Yuanmu looked around the carriage again before looking away and said calmly, "Explain to me when we get back. I hope the 'not so shallow relationship' you mentioned doesn't mean you have any sexual relationship with that princess."

"She's not even ten years old this year. What kind of relationship can I have with her? I've never even seen her before."

"Who knows what you have done while traveling around the world... You'd better not get involved in any unclear relationship with the royal family of Liguo, otherwise I will be the first to kill you."

"No mercy at all?"

"I have no feelings for you."

While they were bickering, it was the day when Tang Weiyu and Dao Kui were scheduled to fight.

Zhao Wumian, Xiao Yuanmu, and even Prince Yan who was called over to take charge of the situation were also present.

The plaque of Wu Kui was bestowed by the imperial court, not conferred by martial artists. If one wanted to win the plaque, one must have the endorsement of someone from the imperial court... and currently, the person with the highest status in the imperial court in Chengdu is the King of Yan.

So Luo Xiangzhu was there too. She was sitting on a high platform with an excellent geographical location and a wide view, holding a string of candied haws in both hands. The man in a dragon robe sitting next to her was King Yan.

Eight years have passed since the death of Princess Yan. The Prince of Yan is now in his fifties and has great martial arts skills. According to his physique as a warrior, he should be in his prime, but half of his hair is white.

A long sword without a sheath, wrapped in a black cloth, was placed horizontally on the King of Yan's knees.

The headquarters of Qingliantian is located in Qingcheng Mountain not far from Chengdu City. It is raining at this moment, and the whole mountain is green. Looking from the bottom up, the green covers the sky, so it is named Qingliantian.

Tang Weiyu was full of vigor and vitality. He leaned on his long sword and once he entered the mountain, he drew his sword and pointed it directly at the mountain. "Yangshe Congyun, here I come——"

The voice was like a loud bell, with the unique young people's "You must know that young people have lofty ambitions and have promised to be the best in the world"... Although Tang Weiyu is almost thirty this year and will be married at sixteen, her son can use a knife to kill people this year.

But as long as you have this high spirits, you will always be young.

Zhao Wumian and Xiao Yuanmu did not finish watching the fight that attracted much attention in the martial arts world. They took the opportunity to go to the rear of Qingcheng Mountain.

Most of Qing Liantian's disciples, elders, and guardians went to the front arena, and there were few people in the back, so the two of them sneaked in.

Xiao Yuanmu wanted to look for it in places like the Sutra Repository, but Zhao Wumian took her all the way to the back mountain.

The scenery at the back of the mountain is beautiful, with lush greenery all over the mountain. Zhao Wumian walked along a small path and went straight up the mountain.

"Where are you taking me?" Xiao Yuanmu felt that Zhao Wumian seemed to have been to Qingcheng Mountain.

"Go somewhere you definitely want to go." Zhao Wumian raised his hand to hold down his hat and went up the mountain in the rain.

Xiao Yuanmu was even more puzzled and followed silently, vaguely guessing in her heart that Zhao Wumian must be hiding something from her.

If he lied to her again, she would definitely beat Zhao Wumian up again this time to let him know how powerful he is.

After walking along the narrow mountain road for a quarter of an hour, the view in front of us suddenly opened up. A sea of ​​flowers covered the hillside, and in the middle of the sea of ​​flowers stood a monument.

Xiao Yuanmu was slightly stunned, raised his eyes and looked at it. After seeing the handwriting clearly, his face changed completely.

Zhao Wumian sat cross-legged in front of the tombstone, gently stroking the rough moss-covered surface of the tombstone, and whispered:
"This is the tomb of Jiu'er's father, the former prince of Chen State... He took Jiu'er with him and searched all over the world, but couldn't find you. He later died of illness on Mount Qingcheng. At that time, Dao Kui was just a young boy, and this Mount Qingcheng was naturally not the headquarters of Qing Liantian. Now it has been almost twenty years."

"You, you...are you lying to me?" Xiao Yuanmu looked at Zhao Wumian in disbelief, "Qing Liantian doesn't have any Zhan Yan hairpin, right?"

Zhao Wumian nodded, "Neither the spear leader nor the sword leader has the Zhan Yan hairpin."

Xiao Yuanmu glared at him, and after a few seconds, he looked at the tombstone again, his expression gradually changing from anger to sadness.

Zhao Wumian gently stroked the flowers beside the tombstone. "These flowers were planted one by one by Sister Jiu'er after she erected the tombstone. Now they have become a sea of ​​flowers... Dao Kui still has some aesthetic taste and didn't dig up all the flowers."

Xiao Yuanmu said nothing, slowly knelt down in front of the tombstone, gently stroked the tombstone with his little hand, and felt like crying.

Suddenly, Zhao Wumian raised his hand and touched her long, ink-black hair behind her.

"what you do……"

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Wumian took out a hairpin from his arms, pinned it on Xiao Yuanmu's hair, and smiled.

"I found the Zhan Yan hairpin when I returned to Lin'an."

The spring rain was drizzling, Zhao Wumian and Xiao Yuanmu were sitting in a sea of ​​flowers, the spring breeze was blowing gently, raindrops mixed with a few petals were floating towards them.

Now, it is February of the first year of the Cicada Reunion.

Gurgle gurgle————

The carriage was traveling on the broad official road, heading towards Shu. Xiao Yuanmu propped up his side face, looking at the scenery along the way outside the carriage, expressionless, and whispered:

"The Zhan Yan hairpin you gave me was really stolen by Dao Kui... You are going to imitate Tang Weiyu and challenge Dao Kui. Oh, right, in that competition... Tang Weiyu lost miserably, losing in ten moves..."

Xiao Yuanmu's expression became a little confused.

"I still remember eating hotpot in the wilderness, but you forgot..."

(End of this chapter)