[Chaos Without Limits] [Chapter 49]

[Chapter 49] Cold rain falls gently on the paulownia trees, the Luo River flows on,

lamenting the past. After searching for a day and a night without success, Leng Aotian returned to his cave and, with Luo Wuqing and the others, continued

their needle-in-a-haystack search.

One day, the group arrived at a town called Tuyu. Leng Aotian rented four rooms in a separate courtyard.

He had one room for himself, Leng Yushu and Jiang Man shared one, Luo Wuqing and Jiang Niu shared one, and Ruan Lingzhong,

being a guest, was also given a single room. This arrangement revealed

the varying degrees of closeness Leng Aotian placed in their hearts. While family members could squeeze in, hospitality was paramount.

After putting down their belongings, washing up, and settling in, they went to the main hall for a meal. Leng Aotian casually ordered

a few local dishes, two catties of beef, and a pot of baijiu (Chinese liquor), drinking alone while the five children ate their own food

after .

It was lunchtime, and the surrounding tables were full of diners. Some were talking quietly, while others were engaged in lively

discussions . However, an interesting phenomenon was observed: the majority of the conversations revolved around

the annual large-scale market being held in town recently.

The five younger members, being naturally youthful, with Jiang Niu being the most outgoing and lively,

couldn't help but be tempted by the conversation. Having figured out Leng Aotian's personality over the past few days, A Niu nudged

Luo Wuqing with his elbow, signaling him to ask his master if he could go to the market.

Luo Wuqing turned around and saw Jiang Niu's winking and pouting expression, and couldn't help but smile, teasing,

"A Niu, what happened to your face? Did you get bitten by a fly?"

Luo Wuqing's words attracted the attention of the other three members besides Leng Aotian, and everyone

burst into laughter upon seeing Jiang Niu's expression.

Seeing the diners' conversation, Leng Yushu, who had been intending to go for a stroll, found Jiang Niu's appearance

amusing and turned to Leng Aotian, pleading, "Father..."

Leng Aotian tilted his head back and downed his wine in one gulp, then waved his hand and said, "Alright, I know. You

lot, go ahead if you want."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Niu wolfed down his rice, put down his bowl, and tugged at Luo Wuqing's

sleeve, urging him to hurry up. Luo Wuqing, however, remained unmoved and continued to pick up food, his gaze drifting towards Jiang

Man.

Leng Yushu and Jiang Man, who didn't have big appetites to begin with, had already eaten almost all of their food. Upon hearing this, Leng Yushu put down

her chopsticks and said to Jiang Man, "Junior Sister Jiang, let's go to the market."

Jiang Man looked somewhat tempted, but then hesitated and said, "Senior Sister, you two go

. I'll stay and serve Master." Ever since Jiang Man became Leng Aotian's disciple, she would fetch water for him every day and

help him wash his hands and feet. At first, Leng Aotian wasn't used to it and told her she didn't need to do this,

but he gradually got used to it because Jiang Man continued to do so every day. He was also pleased to have taken on such a filial and considerate female disciple.

Leng Yushu knew her father's personality; Leng Aotian wouldn't care about such trivial matters. Just as she was about to continue

persuading him , Luo Wuqing spoke first, "Sister Xiaoman, you and Senior Sister Leng go ahead. I'll take care of Master."

Leng Aotian smiled and said, "Those who want to go can go. Those who don't want to go can stay at the inn. I'll

wander ; I don't need your service."

Seeing that Leng Aotian had said this, Jiang Man and Luo Wuqing didn't say anything more. The five of them left the inn together and strolled slowly towards

the town 's market.

Whether they thought it was too slow or not, Jiang Niu suddenly suggested a race. Ruan Lingzhong, wanting

to impress Leng Yushu, immediately agreed. Leng Yushu was used to being aloof towards men other than her father and brother, and

had seen many young men vying to impress her, so she didn't comment on the suggestion. Jiang Man, being quiet

, simply watched with a smile. Luo Wuqing remained silent and indifferent, following behind the group without uttering a word.

Seeing that no one objected and Ruan Lingzhong agreed, Jiang Niu shouted, "Begin!"

and used his lightness skill to leap forward.

Ruan Lingzhong, considering himself one of the best among his peers, didn't immediately follow. Instead, he waited until Jiang Niu had

run , gracefully tracing an arc in the air and swiftly

catching up.

Leng Yushu and Jiang Man also exerted their strength to keep up, and judging from their ability to chat and laugh, they

were clearly not using their full strength. Luo Wuqing seemed completely unaffected, strolling leisurely, keeping a distance

behind the two women, never falling out of sight.

Jiang Niu had only recently become Leng Aotian's disciple, and Leng Aotian's martial arts instruction

had focused primarily on techniques, with internal energy cultivation as a secondary focus. As for lightness skills, he had only given a few brief pointers. However,

after discovering that Luo Wuqing's aptitude for martial arts techniques was only average, Leng Aotian instructed

him to focus on cultivating his internal energy and lightness skills. Leng Aotian knew that

after reaching a certain level in internal energy cultivation, the influence of techniques in combat would decrease significantly. For example,

after Leng Aotian himself reached the second level of the Wuji Guiyuan Gong, others could hardly withstand a casual palm strike or punch from him.

Although Luo Wuqing appeared to be walking, each step covered a distance of six or seven zhang (approximately 33-40 meters), allowing

him to stay behind the others without being completely left behind.

About fifteen minutes later, Leng Yushu and the other two women arrived at the market and saw Ruan Lingzhong and Jiang Niu waiting

. Judging from Jiang Niu's sullen expression, they already knew the outcome of the competition.

Ruan Lingzhong, beaming and somewhat smug, laughed at the two approaching women, "Haha, Junior Brother Jiang's

lightness skill is truly superb! I had to exert myself terribly to barely gain a slight advantage. I'm conceding, I'm conceding

!" His boastful expression was blatant.

Jiang Niu, though somewhat resentful, generously replied, "Senior Brother Ruan, you were completely at ease, while I gave it my all

. The difference in skill is obvious; I have no complaints about losing."

Ruan Lingzhong became even more smug. These past few days, Leng Yushu had maintained a cold and indifferent

attitude , but was exceptionally kind to Luo Wuqing, which had already fueled his resentment. Seeing Luo Wuqing arrive late, he

teased, "Junior Brother Luo must possess superior lightness skill to disdain competing with us. I

wonder what kind of skill Master Leng taught Junior Brother Luo? Would I have the opportunity to witness it?"

When Ruan Lingzhong first witnessed Luo Wuqing's amazing archery skills, he was somewhat in awe of him. However, when he later saw that

Luo Wuqing's internal strength seemed to be quite weak, and that he was actually ambushed by Ren Wanjian, and when the two of them chased after Ren Wanjian together

in an attempt to rescue Leng Yushu, Luo Wuqing's lightness skills, apart from his excellent tracking skills, were really mediocre.

Therefore, he concluded that his only skill was archery, and that his other skills were not worth mentioning.

Luo Wuqing remained unperturbed, merely smiling faintly as he said, "My master didn't specifically teach me any other lightness

skills, I'm afraid I'll disappoint you, Brother Ruan."

Upon hearing Ruan Lingzhong's words, everyone's expressions changed slightly. Even Leng Yushu, who had been smiling and talking with Jiang Man

, lost his smile, feeling even more indignant. He pressed on, saying, "Hero Leng is renowned throughout the world, possessing countless

extraordinary skills. How could he not have taught Junior Brother Luo even a single move? Junior Brother Luo's words seem like an excuse

, a sign of looking down on me, don't they?"

The other three, upon hearing this, completely paled, looking at Ruan Lingzhong with displeasure.

Only Luo Wuqing remained calm, saying, "My master indeed didn't teach me any special lightness skills. If Brother Ruan thinks

that way, there's nothing I can do." What

Luo Wuqing said was indeed true. Leng Aotian himself didn't possess any special lightness skills; those

techniques of shrinking the earth to an inch and soaring through the air all originated from the second level of the miraculous Wuji Guiyuan Gong.

Ruan Lingzhong was now in a difficult position. Luo Wuqing's unyielding reply was gradually irritating him, and he spoke

somewhat rudely, "Brother Luo, are you afraid of tarnishing the reputation of the great hero Leng by making such excuses?"

Luo Wuqing maintained his expression, neither pleased nor angry, and shrugged, saying, "I really don't know any special martial arts.

Say what you will, Brother Ruan."

Jiang Niu, who was standing nearby, finally couldn't help but say, "Why don't you let me experience your skills and

exchange a few moves?"

Ruan Lingzhong was eager for a way out, and upon hearing this... Just as Yan was about to nod in agreement, Luo Wuqing

interrupted him, saying, "Aniu, what does Master usually say? A martial artist must first and foremost avoid being aggressive and violent. You've

forgotten Master's words just because someone provoked you a few times?"

Ruan Lingzhong, having finally found a way out, wasn't about to let it go so easily. He immediately said, "It's just a few

exchanges , how can that be considered aggressive and violent?" As he spoke, he assumed a

starting stance and then said, "Junior Brother Jiang, be careful!" He immediately thrust his sword at Jiang Niu.

Jiang Niu had acted impulsively, and only after Luo Wuqing's words did he dismiss the thought.

Unexpectedly Ruan Lingzhong's sword had already struck. He quickly leaped backward, dodging the attack, and then drew his longsword,

engaging Ruan Lingzhong in combat.

Although Jiang Niu possessed considerable talent in martial arts techniques, his training time was still relatively short, and his internal energy was insufficient. Many

profound and subtle techniques had not been taught by Leng Aotian. Initially, during their initial testing phase, he could hold his

own against Ruan Lingzhong, but after a dozen or so moves, he became increasingly clumsy and gradually showed signs of defeat.

Jiang Man, watching from the sidelines, showed a tense expression, while Leng Yushu and Luo Wuqing intently observed the two

, seemingly ready to intervene at any moment.

Jiang Niu's ability to hold on was entirely due to his natural talent in martial arts techniques. In contrast, Ruan Lingzhong

felt humiliated. What he had expected to be a quick match had dragged on for a long time without a

victory against a mere novice who had been practicing martial arts for less than a year!

Ruan Lingzhong, who had intended to impress Leng Yushu, felt utterly humiliated. A malicious

thought . Taking advantage of Jiang Niu's weakened internal energy, when his sword was deflected during a parry,

Ruan Lingzhong thrust his sword towards Jiang Niu's lower right shoulder. If the sword struck, it would severely injure him. While not life-threatening or resulting in severe

limb loss, he would be bedridden for months to recover!

Leng Yushu frowned upon seeing this and was about to intervene when she caught a glimpse of a shadow. It was Luo

Wuqing, suddenly appearing beside Jiang Niu, reaching for the sword in Ruan Lingzhong's hand!

Ruan Lingzhong was startled by Luo Wuqing's attack, but then secretly pleased by Luo Wuqing's audacity in grabbing his sword so casually. He

sneered inwardly, secretly gathering his strength, causing the sword in his hand to vibrate. If Luo

Wuqing dared to strike, several of his fingers would be severed!

Amidst the gasps of Leng Yushu, Jiang Man, and the other two siblings, Luo Wuqing's hand continued its trajectory,

reaching for the longsword. Then, a clang rang out, and a longsword flew from Ruan Lingzhong's hand. Ruan

Lingzhong's hands were empty; his sword had been flicked away!

It turned out that Luo Wuqing, seeing Ruan Lingzhong shake the sword, and not being very experienced, dared not be careless. He immediately

changed his claws into fingers, using two fingers to avoid the blade and flick it against the surface. Ruan Lingzhong assumed Luo Wuqing's internal strength was only comparable to Jiang Niu's,

or at best, not by much difference, but he hadn't expected such a powerful force. Caught off guard, the sword

slipped from his grasp.

Startled, Ruan Lingzhong immediately pushed off the ground, his body soaring upwards like a roc spreading its wings.

He caught the hilt in mid-air, immediately pulling his legs up and turning in mid-air to a head-down position, performing

a sword flourish to protect his head. He then swooped down, turning again just before landing, his legs landing firmly on the ground.

Judging from this series of actions, Ruan Lingzhong's reaction and combat experience were extremely rich. Even after the longsword was knocked from his hand,

he was still able to make a corresponding response in the shortest amount of time. If the opponent were to underestimate him because of this, he might

very well be caught off guard by the opponent's response and thus turn the tide.

However, after knocking the longsword away, Luo Wuqing had no intention of taking further credit. He simply grabbed Jiang

Niu's shoulder and stepped back out of the battle circle. By the time Ruan Lingzhong landed, assumed a defensive stance, and looked around,

he saw Luo Wuqing simply standing calmly beside the two women.

Luo Wuqing said indifferently, "Brother Ruan's martial arts are superb. Jiang Niu is no match for you. Let's end this sparring here

."

Luo Wuqing's words and his indifferent expression were

a huge irony to Ruan Lingzhong. Especially the so-called superb martial arts, coupled with the scene of the longsword being knocked from his hand,

made Ruan Lingzhong furious. He felt that he had been utterly humiliated.

Ruan Lingzhong's face twisted in anger as he said, "Brother Luo, your skill is indeed impressive, but relying on a sneak attack doesn't seem to make

you a hero. How about we fight fair and square and exchange a few more blows?"

Although Luo Wuqing's attack was somewhat sudden, Ruan Lingzhong reacted quickly. However,

attacking without prior warning could technically be considered a sneak attack, so Ruan Lingzhong held onto this

point, accusing Luo Wuqing of winning unfairly.

But Luo Wuqing's intention was only to save people and he had no intention of fighting Ruan Lingzhong. Hearing this, he smiled

calmly , "It was my fault for attacking so rashly, and I apologize to Brother Ruan. As for sparring,

there's no need. Brother Ruan's martial arts are superb, so I won't embarrass myself." After saying this, he still held onto Jiang Niu and

turned to walk into the market.

Looking at Luo Wuqing's smile, Ruan Lingzhong sensed only mockery. His face flushed a deep purplish-red as

he shouted , "You think you can just win a single move by sneak attack and then run away? Turn around and take this attack first!"

As he spoke, his sword thrust out, already less than ten feet from Luo Wuqing's back, about to pierce his body

in the blink of an eye !

Just as it seemed that even if Luo Wuqing reacted, it would be too late, a long sword

appeared , blocking Ruan Lingzhong's thrust. It was Leng Yushu beside him, finally making her move.

"Senior Brother Ruan, please stop. Junior Brother Luo has already said he doesn't want to spar with you. Why did you still attack

him?" Out of consideration for Ruan Lingzhong's devoted companionship in his search for his brother, Leng Yushu, though

her expression remained cold, still left room for maneuver in her words. Otherwise, Ruan Lingzhong's attack would

have been considered act of sneak attack.

When Ruan Lingzhong saw Leng Yushu step forward and speak in favor of Luo Wuqing, he realized he had not only lost his chance to stand up for himself in

front of , but further provocation would only anger

her and cause her serious offense. Ruan Lingzhong's face turned pale and then red, but he finally suppressed his arrogance and endured it,

his towards Luo Wuqing deepening even further.

Ruan Lingzhong forced a smile and said to Leng Yushu, "Since you've spoken, Yushu, I will naturally

obey ."

Leng Yushu nodded lightly, turned around, sheathed her sword, took Jiang Man's hand, and the four of them hurriedly entered

the market . Ruan Lingzhong stared venomously at Luo Wuqing's back for a while before sheathing his sword and quickly following Leng

Yushu.

Leng Yushu grew up in the Snow Mountain Sect from a young age. Like most sects in the martial arts world, the Snow Mountain Sect had a male

-dominated population. Leng Aotian held a transcendent status within the sect, and Liu Xuerou was the only daughter of the sect leader,

making them like princesses in a palace. As their daughter,

Leng Yushu received similar treatment, just like Liu Xuerou had. In fact, because of Leng Aotian's status as the world's number one martial arts master,

the love and respect shown to her were even greater.

Liu Xuerou had grown up in such an environment and under such circumstances, which shaped her aloof

and indifferent personality. After experiencing those events, Liu Xuerou gave birth to Leng Yushu, and her upbringing became even stricter and more

conservative. Coupled with Liu Xuerou's own teachings, Leng Yushu's cold and indifferent temperament and personality were even more pronounced than Liu

Xuerou's, especially in her attitude towards men, which exuded a cold and aloof demeanor.

However, it's not accurate to say that Leng Yushu and Liu Xuerou, this mother and daughter, share the same personality. Perhaps it's their innate

character , or perhaps it's the result of their upbringing and etiquette.

While Liu Xuerou's attitude towards her parents and relatives, or even her husband Leng Aotian, is much closer than most, she still strictly adheres to etiquette, remaining as detached as water. Her

treatment of her husband and father is similar, primarily based on respect. From a young age, Liu Xuerou seemed to be a perfectly obedient daughter,

never throwing tantrums or

acting spoiled towards her parents, always respectful and compliant. She was the same with Leng Aotian, perfectly embodying the image of a perfect wife.

Leng Yushu, while appearing even colder than Liu Xuerou in public, would

act spoiled and demanding in front of her father and grandfather, and when no one else was around, she would playfully cling to Leng Aotian,

chattering incessantly, displaying the demeanor of a little girl. One could say that Leng Yushu's coldness is a facade, or perhaps a result of

Liu Xuerou's supposed upbringing .

As for Liu Xuerou, was her indifference natural, or was it a

result of the social norms she was raised with?

Perhaps it was because they slept in the same room, or perhaps it was because Jiang Man was Leng Aotian's female

disciple rather than a maid of the Snow Mountain Sect, or perhaps Jiang Man didn't treat her with the same obsequious respect as the other maids, but rather

interacted with her naturally…

In any case, after

spending these days together, Leng Yushu, who had never had a close female friend before, seemed to have found someone to whom she could reveal her true nature. She and Jiang Man seemed to have become inseparable

friends , and her

cold demeanor in public would melt away when facing Jiang Man, just as it did when facing Leng Aotian.

Luo Wuqing and Jiang Niu, who had never interacted with Leng Yushu before, were naturally oblivious to this change, while Ruan Lingzhong was the only one to notice it. Leng Yushu's change in attitude towards Jiang Man initially surprised

Ruan Lingzhong , but later greatly encouraged her.

Initially

disheartened Ruan Lingzhong realized that Leng Yushu wasn't like that with everyone. He believed that with

continued effort, he too could one day melt Leng Yushu's icy facade.

Leng Yushu and Jiang Man, hand in hand, appeared to be a pair of close sisters, browsing from stall

to stall. Jiang Niu and Luo Wuqing lagged behind, while Ruan Lingzhong, finding an opportunity,

slipped next to Leng Yushu, continuing his attentive manner, interjecting with a few words whenever

possible .

Soon they arrived at a stall displaying

various . The two women began picking up items, selecting them with great interest, occasionally exchanging their

opinions.

Ruan Lingzhong remained enthusiastically close to Leng Yushu, showering her with compliments without regard for whether

she asked for his opinion. Leng Yushu frowned and gave him a cold look, but he pretended not to notice and shamelessly

stayed close to the two women.

Even the usually quiet and gentle Jiang Man couldn't stand it anymore. She released Leng Yushu's hand and moved closer to Luo Wuqing and Jiang Niu, who were standing to

the side . Seeing this, Leng Yushu also stopped choosing and coldly stared at Ruan Lingzhong.

Unable to feign ignorance any longer, Ruan Lingzhong could only awkwardly ask, "Yushu, what's wrong?"

Before meeting her father, Ruan Lingzhong had always shamelessly pestered Leng Yushu. At the time,

Leng Yushu hadn't thought much of it; she could respond if she wanted, and ignore him if she didn't.

Why did she find him annoying now?

Leng Yushu subconsciously glanced at Jiang Man. Jiang Niu looked utterly bored, but Luo Wuqing

had a faint smile on his lips, whispering

his .

Seeing the intimate interaction between the two, Leng Yushu suddenly felt a pang of bitterness and unease. Her pride

quickly dispelled this feeling. She took a few steps to distance herself from Ruan Lingzhong, but unwilling to approach Jiang Man and

Luo Wuqing, she turned back to her stall and continued browsing.

Ruan Lingzhong's eyes never left Leng Yushu. He silently observed all of Leng Yushu's expressions and

actions .

He was even more dissatisfied when Leng Yushu ignored his questions and walked away from him. He felt

somewhat still regarded Luo Wuqing as a major obstacle in his pursuit of Leng Yushu.

At this moment, Jiang Niu, who was idly browsing the items on the stall, suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and

picked up saying, "Wuqing, sister, look, what kind of birds are these? How come they are carved so

vividly, as if they were real?"

The eyes of everyone were attracted by what Jiang Niu said, and they all exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

"Young brother, you have a good eye. This pair of phoenix perched on a parasol tree hairpins was obtained by chance

. It is said to have been made by a skilled craftsman who specializes in making jewelry for the royal family and nobles," the stall owner's voice came from this

moment, explaining to Luo Wuqing and the others.

Jiang Man had already taken the pair of jade hairpins from Jiang Niu's hands, stroking and playing with them carefully, seemingly very fond

of them . Leng Yushu also approached at this moment, her eyes revealing an undisguised look of amazement.

Seeing that Leng Yushu was also very interested in the hairpins, Jiang Man casually picked one up and compared it to Leng Yushu's head, smiling

and saying, "These hairpins really look beautiful on you, sister!"

Leng Yushu casually took the hairpins and examined them for a while. Seeing that Jiang Man also showed her fondness for them, she shook her head and handed

the hairpins back, saying, "You saw these first, Xiaoman, you should buy them."

Jiang Man refused, saying, "They look much better on you than on me,

sister you should buy them."

The two of them kept refusing for a long time. Seeing this, Jiang Niu couldn't help but say, "Oh dear, when will this back and forth end

? Aren't there two? I think one for each of us is fine."

Leng Yushu thought it made sense and was about to pay when she heard Ruan Lingzhong say, "I think this phoenix looks better on Yushu."

"You're more suited to wearing both; you can alternate wearing them or wear one on each side." He then said to the stall owner, "

I'll buy these hairpins. How much?"

The four men frowned simultaneously. Jiang Niu blurted out, "I found these hairpins first

! Why are you taking them?" He then shouted at the stall owner, "Hey boss, there's a first-come, first-served rule

! How much are these hairpins?"

The stall owner nodded and said, "Although I run a small business, I still have rules. If you want to buy them,

sir of course I'll sell them to you. It'll be twenty taels of silver in total."

Jiang Niu was overjoyed at having managed to get Ruan Lingzhong out of the way. He reached into his pocket for a moment, then suddenly

realized he only had a few copper coins on him, not that much.

Jiang Niu looked embarrassed and whispered to Luo Wuqing, "Do you have any money? Take it out and pay first."

Luo Wuqing shook his head helplessly. Back in the village, most transactions were barter;

where would he get so much silver? Besides, the two of them had rushed out in a hurry and didn't have much money on them. After becoming

Leng Aotian 's disciples, their master paid for their meals and lodging. They were either searching for people with their master

or focusing on martial arts training, and they never had time to work outside to earn money.

Ruan Lingzhong immediately saw Jiang Niu's problem and laughed, "Why pretend to be rich when you have no money?

Boss, can you sell it to me now?"

The stall owner seemed to dislike Ruan Lingzhong's arrogant attitude and was willing to give Jiang Niu another chance. After a while, he

asked, "Sir, are you still going to buy it?"

Jiang Niu looked at Jiang Man with pleading eyes. Of the three, Jiang Man had money. People generally

think that women are more meticulous, and Leng Aotian seemed to think so too. After taking the three as his disciples, he would give Jiang Man some silver

from time to time , and he usually entrusted her with the payment when it came to settling accounts.

However, firstly, Leng Yushu also liked the hairpins; secondly, even though Leng Aotian

had told she could buy whatever she liked, she still felt the money shouldn't be spent on this. Therefore,

Jiang Man could only shake her head at the look her younger brother gave her.

Although Jiang Niu really wanted to teach Ruan Lingzhong a lesson, without Jiang Man's support, he could only helplessly

shake his head at the stall owner.

Seeing this, Leng Yushu said, "Wait a minute, I'll pay for what I want myself, I don't need you to bring it to me!"

Upon hearing this, Ruan Lingzhong quickly said, "Yushu, this twenty taels is just a small amount of money, it only represents

a little bit of feelings, why are you being so unreasonable? Besides, you heard it just now, there's always a first-come, first-served order

, isn't there? Just let me buy it for you, there's no need for such a big reaction, is there?"

Leng Yushu thought that he was right, this twenty taels was indeed not much to her, the two of them

had traveled Ruan Lingzhong always insisted on paying the bills, and she hadn't paid much attention to this small matter, these expenses were much bigger than this

; in addition, she didn't want to get into any more trouble with Ruan Lingzhong, so she stopped objecting.

After Ruan Lingzhong paid the money, Leng Yushu immediately said, "Since you gave it to me, it's mine now,

right? You can't object to what I do with it, can you?" Before Ruan Lingzhong could speak, she immediately

turned to Jiang Man and said, "Xiao Man, which one do you like? We'll each have one."

Unexpectedly, Jiang Man shook her head and said, "This is a token of my brother Ruan's goodwill. How could I

possibly refuse his kindness?" After saying that, she walked towards the next stall. Luo Wuqing silently followed

behind Jiang Man, while Jiang Niu glared at Ruan Lingzhong before reluctantly following behind.

Leng Yushu froze upon hearing this, realizing she had made a mistake due to a momentary lapse in attention.

She hadn't supported Jiang Niu and Ruan Lingzhong during their confrontation, so how could she possibly accept the

hairpins Ruan Lingzhong had paid for?

Leng Yushu turned around angrily,

saying, "It's all your fault for insisting on paying! I don't want these hairpins!" Without waiting for Ruan Lingzhong to catch them, she tossed the pair of hairpins to him. Ruan Lingzhong hurriedly caught them

, momentarily stunned.

He had simply seen Leng Yushu like them and wanted to buy them to please her,

but he hadn't expected things to turn out this way, and that he had upset her again. The thought that encountering these people

had not only ruined his chance to be alone with Leng Yushu, but also constantly thwarted his

attempts , causing his standing in Leng Yushu's eyes to plummet, filled him

with resentment and hatred towards Luo Wuqing and the other two.

Soon, the group arrived at a stall displaying wooden animal carvings: cats,

dogs, horses, cows, tigers, bears, and various other birds and beasts, each carved with remarkable lifelike detail. Perhaps

due to the two recent incidents, their enthusiasm had waned. Except for Luo Wuqing, the other four only glanced

at them casually before moving on to the next stall.

Luo Wuqing, however, picked up a carving with great interest, examining it closely for a long time before putting it down and

picking up the next one. Even after the other four had left, he remained engrossed in his work. Jiang Niu

noticed Luo Wuqing hadn't followed and turned back to call him, but Luo Wuqing dismissed him, saying he would catch up soon.

Luo Wuqing carefully examined the carving patterns in her hand, but an image flashed through her mind…

A middle-aged farmer sat on a wooden chair in front of a thatched hut, holding a piece of wood and

carving it with a knife. A little boy ran in from outside the courtyard, called out "Dad," and then quietly sat down on the ground

beside him , watching the middle-aged man intently carving.

Soon, the sun began to set, and the middle-aged man finally put down his knife. The wood in his hand had become a

wooden carving of a small dog. The man handed the wooden dog to the boy, who happily took it and ran off to play with

the toy dog.

Luo Wuqing knew that the little boy was herself, and that the middle-aged man was her own father?

But no matter how hard Luo Wuqing tried to recall, she couldn't make out the man's face. She only knew that

the large hand that patted her head was so warm, and the smile on his face when he handed her the wooden carving was so kind… Luo Wuqing finally

put down the carving, lowered her head, and thoughtfully followed Jiang Niu and the other three.

Perhaps influenced by this, Leng Yushu, Jiang Man, and the others lost interest after strolling around for a while

and left the market, returning to the inn. Luo Wuqing remained lost in thought the entire way. Not

long after returning to the inn, he went out again, returning with a large piece of wood. He borrowed an axe from the woodshed behind the inn

and cut the half-person-high log into easily sized pieces. Luo Wuqing

sat down on the ground and began carving. After a while, perhaps he had ruined it, or perhaps he was

dissatisfied , he casually tossed the piece into the pile of firewood and picked up a good piece to continue carving.

Luo Wuqing's internal energy was now extremely profound; a piece of hard wood was like

tofu in his hands, easily sliced with a light touch. In just an hour or two, he

had discarded more than twenty pieces of wood as scrap firewood, which, together with the original firewood, formed a small hill about the height of a person.

Several days passed in this way. Every day, in addition to practicing his martial arts, Luo Wuqing would spend most of his time practicing

wood carving . Just before leaving the town, the first wood carving that hadn't been discarded was finally complete

—a small dog, remarkably similar to the one he remembered.

Luo Wuqing held it in his hands, examining it for a long time before putting it close to his chest. He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before

picking up a new piece of wood and concentrating on carving…

That day, Jiang Niu came in from outside and saw Luo Wuqing sitting on the railing outside the side room, holding a small knife and

a wooden strip, intently carving. Over the past month, Luo Wuqing had inexplicably developed this carving hobby

, and Jiang Niu was somewhat used to it. However, this was the first time he had seen him holding an extremely thin wooden strip, different from

the usual thick, short pieces of wood. Curiosity piqued, he couldn't help but approach to observe.

"Huh... this is... wow! It's so beautiful... did you carve it?" Jiang Niu walked closer and saw that Luo Wuqing

was holding a long wooden hairpin with a pointed end. A phoenix was carved on it, and

the feathers were clearly visible. The magnificent and beautiful phoenix seemed to come alive right before their eyes. The craftsmanship

was so exquisite that no one would doubt that it was made by the skillful hands of a court craftsman.

Jiang Niu admired it for a long time before realizing what was happening. He asked again, "You carved this?" Seeing Luo Wuqing

nod in acknowledgment, he still looked around in disbelief for a long time before saying, "You made this to..."

Luo Wuqing said lightly, "For your sister." After saying that, a hint of embarrassment disappeared,

but was noticed by the sharp-eyed Jiang Niu: "Oh, still embarrassed... How about I, your brother-in-law, deliver it for you

?"

Luo Wuqing was still pondering when, unexpectedly, Zeng Niu snatched the wooden hairpin from his hand and said, "

Don't I know you well enough as your brother? Fine... I'll go make the trip!" Luo Wuqing watched Jiang Niu

's back disappear into the corridor with a wry smile, shook his head, and turned to walk into the side room behind him.

Jiang Niu, holding the wooden hairpin, came to the door of Jiang Man and Leng Yushu's room, knocked on the door, and after a while, the door opened, and Leng Yushu

came out .

Seeing that it was Jiang Niu, Leng Yushu said, "Looking for your sister? She went to fetch water for Father to wash his face." Leng

Yushu was currently menstruating, and had taken a nap earlier because she felt tired.

Before going to sleep, she had removed her hair ribbons and hairpins. Hearing the knock, she hadn't had time to tidy herself up, only casually

brushing her long, flowing hair before opening the door.

Having just woken up, her face still held a languid expression, and being woken in the middle of the night

added a touch of coquettish charm, a hint of reproach mixed with playfulness. Combined with her long, smooth black hair cascading over her shoulders, she possessed a unique, gentle, and

elegant beauty.

Jiang Niu, used to seeing the cold and aloof Leng Yushu, had never seen her like this before, and for a moment...

She stared blankly at him, speechless.

Seeing that Jiang Niu didn't reply and just stared at her, Leng Yushu frowned, but her gaze was

drawn : "Hey, what you're holding is... such a beautiful wooden hairpin! Did you buy it?"

Jiang Niu casually replied, still not quite understanding. Leng Yushu continued, "You bought it for your sister, right?"

She took the hairpin from Jiang Niu's hand and played with it, seemingly very fond of it.

Seeing Leng Yushu's expression, Jiang Niu suddenly thought that the hairpin would look extremely beautiful on her hair

, and blurted out, "You should wear it. It's for you."

"Huh?" Leng Yushu was somewhat taken aback, looking up at Jiang Niu questioningly.

Seeing this, Jiang Niu snapped out of his daze and quickly said, "Ah! This is... it was carved by Wuqing himself. He was going

to give it to... to..." Realizing he had just blurted out the wrong thing, he couldn't bring himself to tell the truth.

Leng Yushu misunderstood, saying, "Oh, I understand... You... thank him for me." Without waiting for Jiang Niu

to reply , she slammed the door shut,

leaving him outside, sweating profusely and about to speak.

Leng Yushu turned around, holding the wooden hairpin to her chest. She took a few deep breaths, feeling her face burning

and her heart pounding. She examined the hairpin carefully for a while, a smile appearing on her face. Then

she ran to the bronze mirror, inserted the hairpin, and looked at herself in the mirror.

Leng Yushu suddenly recalled Luo Wuqing's recent obsession with wood carving, and a

wave of emotion washed over her: "So that's why he learned wood carving..." She then remembered the day he saved

her from Ren Wanjian: "Actually... you don't need to be so good to me. After that, my heart... already has

you..."

Leng Yushu took the wooden hairpin and held it tightly against her heart, then touched her burning

cheeks. Looking in the bronze mirror, her gaze and thoughts drifted elsewhere, occasionally revealing a shy, infatuated smile, a

dreamy laugh...

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