Chapter 23: A Sword's Cold Light Over Fourteen Provinces

  Fragrant scent wafted, Lan Lu stepped lightly, holding a bowl of soup to the table. Ye Tianling tasted a sip of tea, and out of the corner of his eye saw a letter on the ground beside him, "Your Highness, please!" Lan Lu said softly, bowing her head and retreating.

  He took the letter paper in his hand, unfolded it and looked at it. On it was written in elegant running script: "The autumn night is quiet and the moonlight is clear and fine. I wonder if Fourth Brother and Eleventh Brother have any interest in taking a stroll on the Jade Horse Bridge after dinner?"

  He silently pursed his lips. Eleven sat nearby and turned to see him lost in thought, asking softly: "Fourth brother?"

  He turned over the letter and looked up: "It's getting late, we have to get up early tomorrow, let's not delay too long."

  "That's right, Fourth Brother," said Ye Tian with a smile. "You've all had a long and tiring journey back, so let's get some rest early tonight."

  A few people left Xiaolan Pavilion. At night, Ling looked at Eleven and smiled: "I'll ride with Fourth Brother to disperse the wine."

  Ye Tian Liao said: "Fourth Brother will accompany Eleventh Brother, I'll send Fifth Brother and them back to the manor by boat."

  At night, they boarded the boat. The eleventh asked: "Fourth brother, what's going on?" Ye Tianling handed him the letter, he took a look and said: "This is..."

  "When I went out just now, it seemed that I saw Qing Chen at the Four-sided Building, but we only exchanged a glance. She was wearing men's clothes again, and it wasn't very clear." Ye Tian Ling gazed out at the Chujiang River, the night had deepened, and there were many fewer pleasure boats on the river than before, with scattered lights flickering here and there as they drifted away into the distance.

  "Qing Chen!" Shang Xi exclaimed in surprise: "We've been searching for her all over Mo Bei, how could she be in Tian Du? Could we have mistaken?"

  Ye Tianling seemed to smile slightly and said, "Now looking at this handwriting, it shouldn't be wrong. The way of writing the word 'have' is what I taught her, and there are a few strokes in that calligraphy in Xiaolan Pavilion that are also the same."

  Eleven familiar characters, at this time a closer look, the word "have" on the letter is written in reverse brush strokes, few people besides Ye Tianling would write like this. He smiled and said: "Could it really be her? Let's go take a look!"

  Two people rode towards Jumping Horse Bridge, with Wei Changzheng and several other guards quietly following behind. The Jumping Horse Bridge is located in the middle of Shangjiu Fang, spanning the Chuyuan River's Le Ding Qu, made of white stone, over ten zhang long, wide enough for six carriages to pass side by side, looking from afar like a white silk ribbon lying across the river, under the night sky empty and vast without a soul, with an atmosphere calm and peaceful, quiet and soundless.

  A golden hook, a fine crescent moon, shines brightly with one edge, and the dark blue sky is particularly clear. The waves in the river are sometimes bright and sometimes dark, rising and falling slightly, with a few shades of light and shadow flashing by, and then disappearing into the depths of the darkness.

  On the bluestone road, only the unhurried and leisurely sound of horse hooves can be heard. The autumn wind is slightly cool, and from time to time it brushes against one's face, with a thread of coldness that makes people feel exceptionally clear-headed. It seems as if all the senses are infinitely expanding in this quiet, dark coldness, able to touch the extremely faint wind and moonlight all around.

  Ye Tianling reined in his horse on the spacious Jumping Horse Bridge, gazing out at the vast expanse of the Chuwei River flowing gently in the stillness of the night. Suddenly, he faintly heard the sound of a jade flute melody coming from afar, carried across the riverbank. Xi Shi sighed softly beside him, "A beautiful evening, a lovely scene, and a promised rendezvous - let's hope it doesn't end in disappointment."

  The sound of horseshoes echoed in his ears, and Ye Tianling turned his head to look towards the source of the sound. From the depths of the long street, someone was riding a horse forward, wearing white clothes and casting a light shadow, galloping swiftly on their flying steed.

  He rode up close, reined in his horse at the bridgehead a dozen or so steps away and looked over this way. The smile in those deep, limpid eyes was accompanied by a gentle, refined appearance that seemed to be superimposed on the image of him asking questions under the lamp light, with a faint, subtle radiance floating in his eyes, and that one smile brought a sense of calmness and relaxation.

  Just as he was relaxing, the moonlight behind him seemed to surge suddenly, a killing intent rose like an icy blade, his deep eyes flashed with a strange light, and the wind and clouds changed, his sword had already left its scabbard.

  Autumn wind blows, yellow flowers fall, long street is quiet.

  You gallop all the way, reins loose, horse hooves swift, clothes fluttering in the wind, carrying the joy that soars lightly in your heart. From afar, you see a figure on the Horse-Jumping Bridge, and it seems Cloud-Galloping can also sense its master's delight, galloping swiftly, leaving starlight and tree shadows scattered behind, arriving at the bridgehead in an instant.

  You slightly reined in, turned your horse around at the bridgehead, and looked ahead. One person's dark eyes were surprised, one person's green shirt was calm, and in the deep night color, there was a clear and sharp gaze falling on the body, and a rarely seen warm smile floated out of the dark shadow.

  She stood across the river, her delicate eyebrows raised in a smile as she sized up Ye Tianling under the moonlight. With a soft shout, she urged her horse forward. Suddenly, a cold light flashed at the railing of the Jade White Bridge, and the icy river water suddenly rippled, reflecting the cold moonlight that had transformed into a sharp blade, shooting straight at Ye Tianling.

  At that moment, everything around her went white, she swiftly brought the cloud to gallop and fly away, shouting: "Fourth brother! Be careful behind you!"

  Suddenly changing, the originally quiet autumn wind followed the sword shadow and came pouring in, cutting through human skin, as if the cold river's angry waves had turned into a stormy rain that poured all over the long bridge.

  The remaining autumn leaves on the bridge were stirred up by the sword energy, flying and dancing wildly, amidst the vast expanse of cold light, a small, seemingly substantial white glow swiftly galloped towards the night sky.

  You were blinded by the turbulent sword energy, only feeling a chill run down your body. Your left arm felt a slight pain, and then Yun's reins were pulled forward with great force.

  The sword whizzes by his ear, angry shouts of rebuke.

  At this moment, a long, electric-like flash suddenly burst forth from the boundless night sky, its radiance piercing and tearing through heaven and earth.

  "A sudden!" The sharp whistling sound, a black-clothed masked figure appeared in the broken sword shadow.

  The night sky was filled with the majestic sword aura, like a white rainbow, its dazzling light accompanied by a clear whistle, chasing after the retreating figure of that person, forcing him to raise his sword in defense.

  One sword shines with cold light, and the nine provinces lose their color.

  The pressure of the sword energy dissipated, and Qing Chen opened his eyes to see that the assassin's right shoulder was covered in blood, stumbling backward.

  Eleven toes lightly touched the ground as he leaped off his horse, drawing his sword from its scabbard. The four black-clad guards also joined in the fight with the assassin.

  Everything happens in an instant, so fast it's almost unreal.

  You turned your head, and under the night sky, Ling Ao was proudly on horseback. His clear and cold eyes were fixed on her face, with a three-foot green sword in his hand, pointing diagonally downwards. Fresh blood stained the cold sword, slowly flowing down, dripping into the dust.

  The yellow leaves are falling, and he is surrounded by an aura of coldness that makes people dare not approach. The night, the autumn chill, all seem to be a foil for his deep eyes, everything is subdued in the quiet coldness.

  "It's really you." Ye Tianling's arm moved slightly, and his long sword returned to its scabbard.

  "En, it's me."

  Ye Tian Ling gazed at the sword lights flashing around him with an air of indifference, his voice calm as he said, "The person who was playing the zither on the Four-Sided Pavilion just now was you." It wasn't a question, but a statement of a fact that he already knew.

  Qing Chen stared blankly for a moment, then smiled and said: "Wen Yan is indeed Qing Chen, and Qing Chen is indeed Wen Yan. I didn't expect you to see through it."

  Ye Tianling said again: "That 'Preface to the Orchid Pavilion' is also from your hand."

  "You've done your best to write well."

  The night sky was thin and his lips curved up into a slow, gentle arc: "Not bad." Then his gaze moved, and with the corner of his mouth instantly recovering its cold, hard edge, his left hand grasped the reins and gave them a shake. Yun Xiang was pulled over several steps, letting out a low, dissatisfied whine, but he didn't make any resistant movements.

  You didn't mind the dust and cold until you reached a position alongside him, only to discover that Yun's reins were in his hand. The Wind Chaser under him let out a soft whinny, nuzzling Yun's head as if they had been separated for a long time, showing great affection. Ye Tian Ling reached out and grasped her arm, and as he lowered his head with the motion, she saw that there were bright red bloodstains on her sleeve, and couldn't help but exclaim: "Ah!"

  The night sky was cold at the bottom of her eyes, but her hand slightly loosened, then she raised her hand and ripped off the blood-stained sleeve with a "hiss" sound. She instinctively shrunk back, but was held in place. The white silk garment underneath had little blood on it, and she quickly said: "This should be the assassin's blood."

  "Hmm." Ye Tianling let go of his hand and turned around, calling out: "Eleventh Brother."

  Eleven's interest had already passed, and he was too lazy to entangle with the assassin again. With a swift flash of his sword, he knocked off the assassin's black mask, spun around in mid-air, and landed elegantly beside the two people. He carelessly wiped his sword clean with the black mask, tossed it aside, and sheathed his sword with a "ting" sound. Turning his head, he looked up and down at Qing Chen: "It really is you! What's with this getup?"

  "You're so convenient, it's been a long time since I've seen you guys!"

  Eleventh Langlang raised his eyebrows: "We thought... Ha! Hurry up me and Fourth Brother!"

  "You too."

  Three people fell silent at the same time, and Eleven and Qīn Chén suddenly burst out laughing, even Yè Tiān Líng had a hint of a smile in his eyes.

  Your heart was filled with joy, when you inadvertently turned your head to look back, the assassin's face flashed before your eyes as he turned around. You suddenly felt a jolt throughout your body, and all the color on your face seemed to drain away in an instant, and you involuntarily cried out: "Xie Da Ge!"

  That assassin had already been injured by Ling Jian's sword energy, and upon hearing the call, his hand hesitated for a moment, making it difficult to withstand a hard collision with Wei Changzheng. His long sword fell from his hand, and Wei Changzheng's sword was already pointing at his throat. The faint moonlight shone down, clearly illuminating his appearance, which turned out to be Xie Jing.

  You stared incredulously ahead, and Ye Tianling glanced at her: "Do you know him?"

  She hesitated for a long time before finally hearing her own hoarse voice say: "He is from the Four-sided Building."

  "Who is the person in the four-sided building?" Night Sky Ling's face was expressionless, and his voice couldn't convey any emotions.

  The shock on your face has faded, replaced by a dead silence. She still stared at Xie Jing and said slowly: "That's right, he is from the Four-sided Building."

  The atmosphere around seemed to sink into the icy cold land with this sentence, and the dark guards surrounding Xie Jing looked over here, with two figures slightly sideways, and the sword energy quietly spread out without a sound.

  The night sky was dark and deep, and it fell on Xie Jing's body.

  Xie Jing relaxed his shoulders and opened the wound on his head, giving a distant fist salute: "In the Jianghu, there are not many people who can defeat me with just one sword. I am glad to have met such an opponent, and I admit defeat wholeheartedly."

  Ye Tian Ling said: "If you had been a bit more decisive with your sword just now, I would have been interested in exchanging a few more moves with you."

  Xie Jing's expression changed slightly as he let out a faint smile and said, "Sorry." It seemed to be directed at Ye Tian Ling, yet also seemed to be directed at Qing Chen.

  You dusted off quietly for a while, turned your head and said softly to Ye Tianling: "It seems that every time I meet you, someone always wants your life."

  "There are indeed many people who want my life."

  On the bridge of leaping horses, the moonlight is clear and good, a beautiful scene, a good time, a beautiful woman has an appointment, all in this knife light sword shadow assassination turned into a strange and sinister flavor.

  If last time was an accidental encounter, this time is a deliberate appointment.

  She was about to say something when suddenly a sharp sword whizzed by, and in the dark night, a crimson light flashed. Two thin knives flew towards Wei Changzhi, who was holding Xie Jing's sword in place. Someone appeared beside Xie Jing and shouted in a delicate voice: "Big brother! Hurry up and leave!"

  Wei Changzheng's low, angry voice hissed out as he struck at the newcomer with his sword. The thin blade flashed back and forth in mid-air, weaving a silver-red pattern like a drill, as the two men exchanged swift blows. Meanwhile, the remaining three black-clad guards silently stepped forward, sealing off all escape routes.

  You saw those two thin knives, and a look of surprise flashed across your face, which was quickly replaced by a mixture of shock and anger. A chill crept into your eyes, like the faint glow of a crescent moon blade.

  "Let them go." Ye Tian Ling suddenly spoke coldly. Wei Changzheng and the others were stunned, but immediately put away their swords and retreated. The man and Xie Jing's figures flashed simultaneously, and the sound of water splashing was heard, before returning to the previous silence.

  You slowly turn your head, the night sky is deep and cold, like a bottomless black hole, where pure darkness can swallow everything, making all things invisible.

  She quietly looked into his eyes, and under his gaze, a silent silence lasted between them for a long time.

  She didn't know how to cross over, all around was cool and misty, dark shadows were heavy.

  At this moment, Yun Chen took a step forward, and Feng Chu seemed to respond by also taking a slow step closer. The distance between the two suddenly shortened, Ye Tian Ling's sword eyebrow slightly raised, and Qing Chen finally suppressed the countless waves in his heart: "In three days, I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."

  As soon as the reins were tightly wrapped around her hands, Yun Cong's horse let out a sudden neigh and reared up on its hind legs. At that moment, a chill ran down her spine, and in the depths of her heart, a spark of icy anger was ignited. Suddenly, she heard Ling Xuan's low, steady voice behind her: "I believe you."

  Brief numbers, wind and clouds retreat, falling into the space between the heart.

  The cool autumn breeze gently swept across her clothes, the new moon was deep and bright, and the light leaves flew quietly. She didn't turn around, but instead looked silently at the long street ahead, her voice low as she said, "Thank you, Fourth Brother." After speaking, she urged on her horse with a whip and left in a cloud of dust.

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