allonlinenovel Chapter 53 Magnolia Blossoms, Jiang You is Fortunate
Chapter 53 Magnolia Blossoms, Jiang You is Fortunate
That year, he had just tied his hair up in a bun. To avoid troubles at home, he traveled alone by boat down the river.
Because of his youth and naivety, he failed to conceal his tracks along the way. As a result, he was ambushed by a group of assassins as soon as he left Jiangyou. Although he managed to fight back, he was also seriously injured and could only hide in a wrecked boat, barely clinging to life.
He knew he desperately needed a miraculous medicine to heal his wounds, but looking around, all he could see was the surging river. Where could he possibly find such a miraculous herb?
Not to mention that he had already guessed the mastermind from the assassin's few words, and it was likely that as soon as he appeared in the city, a new round of pursuit would surely follow.
He thought that all the troubles at home would be resolved if he stayed away, but he never expected that the other party would have such improper thoughts.
Do they think they can get what they want by killing themselves?
How absurd! To lose one's own life because of the delusions of this absurd person—is that even more absurd and laughable?
The pain in his body was becoming increasingly unbearable. Was he going to die?
He struggled to climb out of the cabin. The early summer morning sun wasn't very strong, but it still made him feel hot all over. He was unwilling to accept this fate; he didn't want to die in such an absurd and ridiculous way.
But his consciousness was becoming increasingly blurred; he might really not be able to hold on any longer...
"Lotus can be picked in Jiangnan, its leaves so lush and green. Fish play among the lotus leaves, fish play to the east of the lotus leaves, fish play to the west of the lotus leaves, fish play to the south of the lotus leaves, fish play to the north of the lotus leaves..."
A clear and melodious singing voice came from not far away, waking him from the brink of death.
The girl's voice was melodious; he had heard this lotus-picking song before—it was a very beautiful song—but…
It's really... really awful!
"Hey, Xiao Xi, spare your master's ears! You're singing so badly, not a single note is in tune. You could bring the dead back to life!" The old man's voice, like that of a mischievous child, rang out from not far away.
“I clearly heard Cai Lian’s sister sing it that way. Besides, isn’t it a good thing to bring the dead back to life?” Another soft, girlish voice replied to the old man.
"Good thing, good thing, the dead man has to come back to life and cover your mouth so you can stop singing."
“Bad master! According to you, I should sing loudly. For the sake of the immeasurable merit of saving people, please bear with me, Master.”
"They seem to be a witty master and apprentice?" This thought flashed through his mind, but before he could dwell on it, a soft, delicate voice suddenly exclaimed:
“Master! My singing really saved a little beggar’s life.”
With a splashing sound, the boat jolted violently, and he felt as if the little girl who had sung so terribly earlier had boarded the boat he was on.
The little beggar? Are you talking about him?
That's right. Looking at him now, he's completely lost any of the former elegance of Jiangyou's most outstanding young master. Even his own father standing right in front of him probably wouldn't recognize him.
Through his blurred vision, he vaguely saw a delicate face. His wrist was grabbed, and soon after, his clothes were ripped off...
Wait, little girl, how could you do such a thing?!
He tried to push away the small hand that was groping his body, but found that he couldn't muster any strength. Apart from his mother, his body had never been touched like this by a woman.
The other person didn't seem very old, but having always strictly adhered to the separation of men and women since childhood, he couldn't suppress his shyness. He could even feel that the hands were icy cold, and the places they touched felt very comfortable.
"How is it?" the old man's voice rang out leisurely.
"The knife and sword wounds on his body are secondary; the wounds from these hidden weapons are the most insidious and fatal. The person who killed him clearly had the determination to make him a cripple even if he couldn't be killed, Master..." The little girl's voice seemed to carry a hint of coquetry.
"You want to give him the Spirit Grass?" The old man's voice was devoid of any emotion.
"Good master, you understand Xiaoxi best~"
"These herbs were specially found for you; you need them too."
“But Xiao Xi won’t die from this herb. If no one saves him, he will surely die here.”
"So you're thinking of yourself now? Fine, what's given to you is yours, do with it as you please."
"I knew my master understood me best; he's the best master in the world!"
As the coquettish words faded, he felt himself nestled into a soft, herb-scented embrace. Then, he heard that voice, as sweet as soft, creamy pastry, whisper in his ear:
"There's no time to prepare it now. Are you still conscious? If you want to live, swallow this herb whole..."
The refreshing scent of herbs was slowly introduced into his mouth. He was still conscious and, without hesitation, obediently complied. Just as he swallowed the herbs, a gourd was offered to him. The liquid inside was not water; although it had a medicinal taste, it was refreshingly cool and thirst-quenching.
Before long, a warm current slowly rose from his dantian, and a pair of small hands gently touched the wounds on his body, sending a cool sensation through him. He was wondering if the other person was applying medicine to him when his consciousness suddenly drifted into a state of confusion.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself back in the cabin, his wounds bandaged. The moonlight outside was like still water, and the strange master and apprentice were nowhere to be seen. He groped his way up in the dark, his fingers accidentally touching something cool. It was about the size of a small bowl, felt like a leaf, and had tiny bumps all over its rim. He had already made up his mind, so he grabbed the object and walked into the moonlight; it was indeed a lotus seedpod.
The girl named "Xiao Xi" left him twelve lotus pods and a gourd filled with medicinal liquid, which allowed him to return to Tangjiabao alive.
He didn't know who she was, or why she had saved him. But the fragrant taste of lotus seeds remained in his memory, unforgettable.
He had searched for her in the vast sea of people, but he could not find her anywhere. Apart from a nickname, he knew nothing about her.
Until he heard that Nanxuan City was going to hold a "Grand Gathering of the Origins of the Three Teachings", he accepted the invitation from his friend and went to Lushan Villa.
At Lushan Manor, he saw a smiling young girl standing beside Baoyi Zhenjun. Even though the girl's appearance was still blurry in his mind, he recognized her at a glance; she was the one who had saved him.
He finally learned that her name was Fei Xi, the senior disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, the initiator of this grand gathering of the three religions, and a prodigy with almost monstrous talent in martial arts and medicine...
He wanted to bring the person back to Jiangyou to see the magnolias bloom.
The clatter of hooves propelled a sturdy, well-made carriage swiftly along the official road.
Tang Huaiyi sat in the coachman's seat, urging the horse along. Not far away, four mounted guards followed, along with a Taoist priest with an otherworldly air.
No one but him was allowed to approach this carriage.
It's not even February yet, he thought. When she arrived in Jiangyou, she would be able to see the magnolia flowers, their petals as clear and translucent as jade, their leaves as graceful and flowing as clouds, painting half the sky with warm colors across the river.