The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

Chang'an quickly stopped him: "Let's not talk about this now. There are some things I still want Helai to say in person."

Xiao Xing smiled mischievously, "Then... let's not say anything more and experience something new between a man and a woman, how about it?"

As she spoke, she slowly moved closer and placed her hand on Chang'an's chest.

Chang'an smelled her fragrance, took her soft hand, and said, "Don't rush to steal anything, answer my other questions first."

"If I were to steal something, I would never get caught, hehehe." Xiaoxing laughed smugly.

Chang'an blushed slightly. "You...you just said that Lu Xiaosan had also been here. Tell me, what did he do here? And who told you all this?"

Xiao Xing scoffed, "I thought you had something important to ask me."

“This is the most important thing,” Chang’an said firmly.

Xiao Xing said helplessly, "The little monk came here to find Hua Mingfu, but he couldn't find him, so he started fighting with his disciples."

Looking at the starry sky, Chang'an pondered, "It seems the Young Master Hua that my elder brother was looking for is none other than Hua Mingfu. And Hua Mingfu just happens to be away, which is why my elder brother was so desperate back then..."

"What are you thinking about?" Xiaoxing asked, blinking.

Chang'an sighed softly, "With his strength, how easy is it to defeat these people from the Spring Lake Sect?"

Xiao Xing pouted, "Don't ask me for details. My senior brother told me all this. He was here at the time."

Chang'an nodded. "So the lion-man was there too. That makes sense. It's only natural for a disciple to protect his master."

Xiao Xing turned her head again, smiling as she looked him over, and said, "It seems your relationship with that stinky monk is indeed not simple. If that's the case, then why isn't he with you now?"

Upon hearing this, Chang'an's heart skipped a beat, and she stammered in fear, "He...he...has already..."

“He’s dead, right?” Xiao Xing laughed.

"How...how did you know? Didn't you already leave?" Chang'an exclaimed in surprise.

Xiao Xing laughed even harder, excitedly saying, "Because I'm the one who killed him!"

"What did you say?!" Chang'an's eyes widened, and he tried to sit up. But beyond the shock, he was mostly confused.

Xiao Xing tilted her head and said, "What, don't you believe me? Did you kill him?"

Upon hearing this, Chang'an went from shock to terror, breaking out in a cold sweat: "No... I did it..."

With Xiaoxing's intelligence, she naturally saw right through him, and laughed loudly, "Looks like you still have to thank me, hahaha. But you don't need to blame yourself so much. His unfortunate passing was not only because of you and me, but more importantly because he didn't take care of his health, hee hee hee."

Chang'an's face turned pale and then purple, and he dared not mention Lu Xiaosan again. After all, no one wanted others to know that he was a despicable person who had killed his good brother with his own hands, even if the other party had died willingly for him...

So what he hopes for most now is that no one around him will mention Lu Xiaosan anymore, so that no one can discover his secret and no one can bring up the knot in his heart again.

Chang'an then changed the subject: "By the way, what are you doing here so late at night? You didn't come here just to chat with me, did you?"

At this moment, a serious expression appeared on Xiaoxing's face. "I came here, naturally, to steal things."

Chang'an turned to look at her. "Judging from your expression, you probably haven't succeeded yet."

Xiao Xing chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I won't be able to succeed again..."

Chang'an was slightly suspicious. "What do you want to steal?"

Xiao Xing smiled at him. "What? You're going to help me?"

"Well...that depends on what it is..." Chang'an blushed slightly, because that was really his first thought.

Xiao Xing looked at him affectionately and said slowly, "That is a medicinal herb, a medicinal herb that can save lives."

"What...what happened to you?!" Chang'an asked anxiously.

Xiao Xing smiled shyly, "It wasn't me. This medicine... is for saving my master."

Chang'an finally breathed a sigh of relief. "So what's the name of this herb?"

"You're going to help me?" Xiaoxing asked excitedly.

Chang'an nodded: "If you can't succeed, I'll ask Senior Sister Hua. If nothing unexpected happens, she should be able to save your master's life."

Xiao Xing's bright eyes darted around, and she smiled, "This herb is called Flowing Lotus Grass, and it's a red herb."

"Where is it?"

Xiao Xing pointed to the north of the Hua residence and said with a smile, "It's right there."

Chang'an glanced up once, then looked up and fell back down: "Then where should I look for you after I get it?"

“If you can get it, I will come to you,” Xiao Xing said.

Chang'an laughed. "Are you sure you can find me?"

Xiao Xing laughed too, "No matter where you hide, I will find you."

"That's good."

The two remained silent for a long time, simply gazing at the bright moon and stars in the sky.

A gentle evening breeze blew by, and Chang'an felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. She murmured, "Then...then when the time comes...come find me..."

Seeing that Chang'an had fallen into a deep sleep, Xiaoxing leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I'm going to find my master. I hope you won't be afraid when you see me again..."

She kissed his forehead lightly, then, carried by the evening breeze, she quietly disappeared into the moonlight.

The wind in the latter half of the night is always bone-chillingly cold, just like the moon in the sky.

This coldness naturally spread to the rooftops and to Chang'an himself.

He woke up shivering, hugging himself, completely bewildered. "Where is everyone?..." He looked at the sky. "Oh, it's already so late..."

Looking at the cold moon in the sky, he was filled with melancholy.

He actually found himself somewhat captivated by her eyes and her scent.

"If we find the Flowing Lotus Grass, she will reappear, won't she?" Chang'an stared blankly in the direction she was pointing.

"Let's go look for it first, but... how do I get down now..."

He intended to stand on the edge of the roof and call for help, but he saw that two long benches had been stacked below, and he could land safely with just a light jump.

"She's so thoughtful!"

Without saying a word, Chang'an jumped up, but before he could even stand up, there was a "crack" sound, and the stool leg below broke.

"Ouch!" He fell to the ground, but was not injured.

"This guy just had to scheme against me!" Chang'an wanted to be angry but couldn't, and instead felt a little smug.

He followed the direction Xiaoxing pointed out, making his way forward, winding his way through the surroundings. Gradually, the solemnity of the surroundings diminished, replaced by the tranquility unique to Qiantang.

Unbeknownst to him, he had wandered into the Spring Lake Sect's training ground: a huge pit lay in the center, littered with rubble. The place was still the same, a scene of devastation and ruin.

"What happened here?"

As I looked around, I suddenly felt a cold sensation on my forehead, as if something was dripping down.

When I reached out and touched it, it was black and sticky, with a fishy smell.

He looked up and found a towering black pillar standing in front of him.

"What is this?" He reached out to touch it, but cut his finger.

"How can this pillar be so sharp? Ouch." As he spoke, another drop of dark, icy liquid dripped from his forehead.

He swallowed hard, took two steps back, and looked up.

Under the cold moonlight, a red-haired girl sat atop the black pillar, wearing a black robe over her red dress that was identical to that of the Crane Disciple.

She was swinging her little feet, seemingly eating something delicious, yet her delicate eyebrows were lowered, and she spoke softly and coquettishly, as if she were thinking about something sad.

Her profile was so cute and adorable that all you wanted to do was cherish her. So Chang'an couldn't help but exclaim, "Little girl, it's dangerous for you to be sitting up there!"

The girl at the top turned her head silently upon hearing the sound:

The girl's face was as bright and lovely as the stars in the sky. But her complexion was as pale and cold as the moon, devoid of any color.

At this moment, she was holding a blackened severed hand, gently stroking her cheek with it, her little mouth still sucking on the little finger of the severed hand, her expression one of utter bliss.

Black liquid was flowing down her cheeks and the corners of her mouth. No one knew whether what was falling on Chang'an's forehead was black blood or mud from her face.

She looked at Chang'an and suddenly smiled, a smile that appeared so poignant, eerie, and captivating under the cold moonlight.