cold clothes

"W-what? Miss actually admires the swordsmanship of Mount Hua?" Hua Ziqing was struck by this, and couldn't help but grin foolishly. After a few seconds of being at a loss, she replied shyly, "Alright, Miss, just watch."

People in the martial arts world are known for their sincerity and straightforwardness; they act on impulse. With a nimble flip, one of them leaped onto the deserted platform. Hearing that there was a good show to watch, Leng Yi quickly went down to the platform.

It was impossible to see how the sword was drawn; all that could be seen was a flash of cold light, like frost and snow in winter, or like lightning bursting from rocks. The sword's aura could be felt even ten feet away, its chilling power palpable.

Leng Yi had never seen such cool swordsmanship before. Hua Ziqing's sword strikes were as fast as a whirlwind, and even his figure could transform into two or three afterimages that lingered in the void. It had a mysterious quality of one person multiplying into three thousand, and also a sense of loneliness, like "raising a cup to invite the bright moon, and with my shadow, we become three."

She couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself. So this was true swordsmanship? Hers was just a mediocre attempt…

After Hua Ziqing finished his sword routine, he gracefully sheathed his sword, turned to Nuandong with a bright and unrestrained smile, and cupped his hands, saying, "I've made a fool of myself."

For a moment, Warm Winter was dazed, then gently clapped at Hua Ziqing.

"Oh right, I haven't asked your name yet, young lady?" Hua Ziqing realized belatedly and even tapped his head in annoyance, blaming himself for being so slow-witted.

"My name is Warm Winter."

"Warm Winter...a very, very beautiful name."

Hua Ziqing scratched his head and said, while looking away, not daring to look into Nuandong's eyes.

Suddenly, the atmosphere between the two seemed a little awkward.

However, Leng Yi didn't notice. She was still immersed in Hua Ziqing's dazzling and sharp sword moves, and her eyes were sparkling as she looked at him.

Liu Xia came down at this moment and saw Leng Yi's ecstatic expression. She teased, "What? Have you fallen in love with this young hero at first sight?"

Warm Winter immediately looked over in surprise.

Leng Yi was first taken aback, then speechless. Then, when she saw everyone around her looking at her, she immediately became anxious: "Sister Liu Xia, don't talk nonsense... I just think this young hero's swordsmanship is very impressive."

Oh my god, I'm drenched in sweat! Sister Liuxia, are you trying to ruin me...?

Leng Yi was really scared. She felt like Liu Xia had discovered her affair and had been subtly testing her in matters of love and sex these past few days.

Hua Ziqing didn't hear what Liu Xia said; his attention was focused on Nuandong. He felt that every smile and frown of Nuandong could touch his heart; he had never met such a woman before... When Nuandong turned to look to the side, he followed her gaze and saw two stunningly beautiful women.

He seemed to suddenly realize where he was... Only a place like that could have so many beautiful women, right?

Then he suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "You can see foreign women in the capital? No, wait, they look completely like Han Chinese. Could they be the offspring of a foreigner and a Han Chinese?"

Leng Yi blinked, knowing that Hua Ziqing was talking about her, and said truthfully, "This humble woman does not know where she came from or who her parents are. Perhaps she really is of mixed race."

“I once visited a sect called Garan, where many people were of mixed Han and non-Han descent,” Hua Ziqing said casually.

“Galan…” Leng Yi murmured softly, unable to suppress her curiosity about the Galan sect.

Soon, Half a Pot of Spring Wine arrived. Warm Winter invited Hua Ziqing to sit down and enjoy the wine, and also beckoned Leng Yi over, saying, "My younger sister also likes swordsmanship and enjoys listening to strange and wonderful stories happening outside. Young hero, you have traveled the world and seen a lot. If you don't mind, could you tell my sister about them?"

"It's definitely not troublesome."

Lengyi was so happy that she danced around, wishing she could hug and cuddle with Nuandong. Nuandong understood her so well!

He immediately moved a chair over to sit next to Nuandong, adopting a posture of listening attentively.

The young hero from the Huashan Sect was indeed generous, recounting his experiences along the way in great detail. He recounted his battle with Jin Daosha, the leader of Xianyu Port, upon first entering the martial world; his acquaintance with the renowned Qingya; and the history of the Huashan Sect, focusing particularly on the complex relationships and grudges between Huashan and Wudang…

As Leng Yi listened, she couldn't help but feel fascinated. So this is what the martial arts world is like? She had pessimistically joined Fengxiang Pavilion as soon as she transmigrated. Was that really the right decision? If she had made a different choice, would the outcome have been better?